Clinton Kelly Tells Us What to Wear!!!

I'm so behind in writing this post, but I'm excited to share my experience earlier this fall attending a fun fall fashion show at my local Macy's hosted by style guru Clinton Kelly.

I was grinning like the Chesire cat about meeting Clinton!
Photo c/o of Macy's

Clinton has had a partnership with Macy's since 2005.  As a component of that partnership, he tours the country dishing style advice and schooling adoring fans on how to wear the season's hottest trends, whatever your body shape or age.

At this "Girls Night Out," Clinton discussed six of the fall's hottest trends, while also answering the audience's style questions and charming us with his snarky funny, but still very sweet, personality.

Clinton advises an audience member on attaining a more flattering fit

Clinton dispensed advice on how to remain age-appropriate and flatter your body, while still having fun and remaining modern with trends.  To do so, he used models of various sizes and shapes and ages, which I love!  How annoying is it to see style advice for women of various shapes using models who essentially look the same???

Embellishment

Distressed Denim

Mixed Media (Mix of fabrics, textures)

Skater Skirts

Plaid

Layered Knits

While he provided familiar advice (if you are a What Not to Wear fan), he was quick to point out that people should wear what makes them happy.  If you love flaunting your cleavage, flaunt away.  Love showing off those legs, go for it!  The most important part is being happy with your look and who you are as a person!

One of the things that impressed me the most about Clinton was his awesome body positive stance.  He discussed how the images of "perfection" we see in the media are constructed.  Having met many celebrities first-hand, he re-iterated that NOBODY looks the way they are portrayed in the media.  He discouraged the audience from comparing themselves to these false images.

He also encouraged people in the audience to forgive people who have harmed their self-esteem through criticism or bullying but to  release any negative words they had been fed.  He admonished parents not to criticize their children's bodies, reminding them that even "helpful" comments can lead to lifelong injury.

Through "What Not to Wear" and other venues, Clinton has worked to help people feel fabulous through fashion.  I was sad to see this show come to an end.

Clinton dishes style advice

Clinton encourages body acceptance

After the show, Clinton posed for pictures with fans.  I was able to meet Clinton and discuss my blog and the struggles of finding trendy, edgy fashion as a curvy petite gal.  Clinton agreed that fit is a very difficult challenge for curvy petites, but he also re-iterated that there is not a single trend that can't work for ladies like us.  Silhouette is the key to making any trend work for any body, including curvy petites!

Which look or trend is your favorite?  Were you a fan of "What Not to Wear?" 

*ALL MODELED CLOTHES FROM MACY'S

Cassential Links 8/24/13

I'm still really bummed that I lost all of the great links that I had planned to post last week.  Of course, I couldn't remember or find most of them again.. Here's this week's crop...

Women are often photoshopped to appear thinner and more "flawless."  Due to our increasing emphasis on thinness, sometimes women are photoshopped to look fuller, to cover up the scary health and physical effects of extreme thinness.

But who created the idea of such aspirational thinness?  This article discusses the evolution of the "ideal" female through fashion illustrations.

Not much I love more than a leather and lace combo.  Allison gets it so right, as usual!

Tutu? Leather? Fab hair? Yes, please!

An interesting feminist and sex-positive take on Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines"

Rules, rules, rules..seems like we're hit with a lot of rules about how we should look in this age of internet and self-policing.  

The problem with skinny shaming.  All women are real women, curves or not.

Speaking of...I don't care for the language in this article which I find derogatory to thin women, but the subject deserves a mention

An attempt to de-sexualize vaginas and encourage more open dialogue is censored. 

Love this mix of black and blush pink, and that top is so cool and interesting!

Oh to look so fierce in a bathing suit...Nadia is killing it!

Cassential Links 8/11/13

I have been busy this week getting the kids ready to go back to school.  Between registering five kids and shopping for supplies, uniforms, and new kicks, I haven't been hitting as many blogs and news threads as I usually do.  I can't believe my baby is starting kindergarten in a few days!!

Even though I haven't had as much time to peruse the news and fashion, here's what managed to catch my attention this week:

What does diversity really look like in the fashion industry?  The treatment of Gabourey Sidibe's recent photo-shoot in "Harper's Bazaar"  gives us some disappointing insight.

I love my tutu skirt - It just really feels like "me."  At the same time, it has led to questions of "Am I too old to wear this?"  Meagan reminds us that in a patriarchal society, remaining body-positive takes an ongoing effort.

Developing a signature style - if you're into rocker fashion, this one's for you!

The infantilization of women in this culture is the often-ignored flip side of the oversexualization of girls

Can't wait for this!  REBEL. WILSON.  AWESOME.

Nakedness as the last frontier to body acceptance?