Hello March!

Hello Southernistas! Well we made it through February and March has arrived! For many of your March has indeed come in like a lion and a very angry lion at that but here in North Carolina the month like a lama…ahhhh!

When February rolls in I start to eagerly anticipate March which to me means Spring! Spring! Spring! Which I’ve mentioned many, many times is my favorite season. I look forward to seeing the trees bud, the flowers bloom and really just seeing the Earth wake up from her long winter’s nap. The longer days lift my spirits and then there’s the Spring fashion that puts a little pep in my step. It means sitting outside with a great book and soaking up sunshine and getting out the rain boots. It is dealing with those blustery days and loving it because in the right dress or skirt you get to have a “Marilyn” moment without standing over a subway grate…LOL.

This is the month Daylight Saving Time begins which is my only quibble because after getting an extra hour of sleep you now loose it! March is also Women’s History month with March 6th being International Women’s Day and who can forget Saint Patrick’s Day in which we all wear a little green, dance an Irish jig, drink a Guinness or whatever for those who drink and celebrate being Irish! This month in a nod to St. Patrick’s Day I’ve created a reading list of mysteries that are set in Ireland.

So weather you celebrate March like I do or bemoan the start of pollen season aka hay fever season here is hoping to a totally awesome, amazing, blessed and fashionable March!

Until Next Time Southernistas!

The Ultimate LBD

Hello Southernistas! I thought about writing about 4th of July inspired fashion but I decided to give it a pass this year and just encourage you if you feel so inclined to rock the red, white, and blue!

Instead I want to spotlight this cute faux leather with mesh inserts LBD (little black dress) I scored from Ashley Stewart and it was in the clearance section. Last time I checked this dress was still available in limited sizes but it is still available so go check it out. If you’ve been wanting to jump into the cut out trend but are not fully on board with it this dress is the perfect alternative to a dress with cut outs with its mesh inserts.

I am a big fan of the LBD and am a firm believer it should be in every girl’s closet. It is literally the most versatile and sexiest piece in your closet I promise you. It can go from day to night all with the simple change of accessories. Gone are the days of a so called plain simple black dress now they are body con, cut out, and faux leather and mesh. I am wearing a shaper slip underneath (it’s not lined) but you can wear it without anything underneath if you want to show skin and it runs large so if you want a fitted look size down if your size it is available.

Until next time Southernistas!

Check me out on Instagram

Cold Weather Fashion

Hello Southernistas! Well after a very warm December winter has finally decided to make an appearance! While winter along with fall is not my favorite season I do love the fashion and I’m blessed to live in a state that experiences all four season (sometimes in a single day). So I indulged myself last month and added a few more sweaters and sweater dresses to my closet to keep me warm and cozy.

Until next time Southernistas! Stay warm and Be safe!

This sweater dress from Lane Bryant does double duty on those days when the temps are in the high 40s — 50s it is super warm and cozy with a pair of tried and true boots I’ve had forever from Payless. Because it is such a thick seater dress it gives double warmth under your coat for colder days.

This dress is still available , Alternate for boots here, here, here, here

Fashion to Figure is a brand I’ve wanted to try for a while now but my style is sexy but modest and this brand is full on sexy! But all is not lost and by diligently looking I have scored some cute pieces that work for my style especially this red sweater dress. I just popped a white tank underneath and I was ready to go. The buttons are not functional and you can actually size down because the dress runs a little large. I wanted a compete head to to red look so I grabbed my red moto jacket (comes in several colors) from Eloquii and my brand new red pumps from JustFab and I am warm and slaying it!

Fashion to Figure Sweater Dress, Eloquii Moto Jacket, Just Fab Red Pumps comes in black also

More Sweater Dresses

Hello Southernistas! Did you really think last week’s post be the last post about sweater dresses? Of course not! As the temperatures drop and we get closer to winter, December 21st, sweater dresses are a must for my closet and yours too so here are more sweater dresses I got from Lane Bryant. I’ve also added links to other brands at different price points.

Until next time Southernistas and remember Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!

Lane Bryant Hacci Midi Dress — also come in Purple and Green

Ashley Stewart Bell Sleeve Sweater Dress

Sweater Dress Season

Featured

Hello Southernistas! I hope each and everyone of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that y’all are enjoying the leftovers! If you traveled I hope you had a stress less travel holiday with no delayed flights and not (too) crazy traffic. In the next few blog posts I will be talking about sweater dresses and the brands I love. This week’s post is about Lane Bryant sweater dresses but it is not sponsored by Lane Bryant. Lane Bryant is my go to for affordable and stylish dresses and sweater dresses are included. I actually bought 6 sweater dresses (there was a sale) and I don’t regret a single purchase. I love that Lane Bryant’s sweater dresses are feminine and come in different styles from A-line to bodycon and you just can’t go wrong!

I’ve stated before and even wrote about how much I don’t like Fall but with that being said I must amend that because I do love fall fashion and I especially love when I can break out the sweater dresses…oh yeah! Fall is referred to as sweater weather, cuffing season, and cozy season but I like to refer to it as sweater dress season. I love a great sweater dress they give you a cozy feeling and warmth. Every year when I add to my sweater dress collection and this year is no different. Some are very heavy and warm and some of them are very light weight for 60 plus degree weather.

Every brand offers several dresses in every color, length, type (A-line, bodycon, sheath), and weight (heavy and light). This is the perfect time to grab them up with all the sales that are happening and if you’re not a dress girl they would make a great gift for the dress girl you know.

Until next time Southernistas!

Lane Bryant Fit & Flare Sweater Dress (Sold out) Alternate

Lane Bryant Rib Mix Sweater Dress, Shoes — Just Fab (old)

The Southernista

I’m a 50 something southern girl who has a passion for fashion. Join me on my fashion journey. Follow me on Instagram: @reginathesouthernistaTHE SOUTHERNISTA FOLLOWS

See all (11)

Sofistafunk Girl

Featured

Hello Southernistas! I hope you’ve had a great week and are getting ready for not only the weekend but to regain an hour of sleep as we turn back out clocks. Today I want to talk about an independent size inclusive brand that is woman and black owned and a totally cool and unique fashion brand and that is Sofistafunk the Skirt Co . I discovered this brand about 3 maybe 4 years ago thanks to an Instagram ad. Arlinda McIntosh is the owner and incredible designer of this brand and trust me when I say once you see her designs you will find yourself reaching for your credit card.

The designs really are one of a kind I mean Arlinda elevates the denim skirt to a whole new level and believe me you’ll get nothing but compliments. I’m not going to lie to y’all some of her pieces are expensive but they are worth your dollars and she offers customization plus this brand is environmentally responsible and most of their designs produce zero waste! If you have any questions you can reach out to Arlinda and she will respond to you pretty quickly. This brand doesn’t just offer denim skirts I just love the denim skirts but you will find dresses, tops, and accessories also.

As a plus size woman independent brands are a plus size girls best friend! They really do design with a larger body in mind and they give us the fashion that we want and demand and they are worth every dollar. I have purchased two denim skirts from Sofistafunk and I have never been disappointed.

When you order from Sofistafunk keep in mind everything is hand made so it will not ship out that same day you order it takes about 10–14 days without customization. She does offer customization which can add to how long it takes to receive your order but it is well worth the wait and Arlinda always adds some little extra goodies in your order.

I recently purchase this lovely maxi denim skirt and it fit my 5″3 frame perfectly and I’ve gotten nothing but compliments. Don’t sleep on this brand!

Until next time Southernistas!

Sofistafunk Denim Maxi Skirt, Top — Ashley Stewart, Denim Booties — Nine West

Print Love: Houndstooth

Featured

Hi Southernistas! Let’s talk about houndstooth! Now I know for many of you any print is scary to wear because we’ve all heard “the rules” no polka dots, no florals, no strips, and only wear black to make us look “smaller.” Well throw those rules out the window and embrace….houndstooth! I love this print in fact it’s right up there with my love of all things gingham and polka dot. If you look in my closet you will see plenty of all three prints but houndstooth to me is by far the boldest of the prints (I also call it the optical illusion print).Houndstooth is a very sophisticated print and it can make you look very pulled together and elegant. This print is as previously stated a bold print and you have to wear it with equal boldness and fierceness! This print not only comes in black and white but you can find it in other bold colors like this print from Ashley Stewart who does has really taken it up when it comes to this particular print.

I encourage you to give this print a try. If you don’t want to do a head to toe look try wearing a pant or skirt or a blazer/jacket in this print. You’ll feel elegant and trust me the compliments will come!

Until next time Southernistas! Be Bold! Be Brave! Be Beautiful!

Duster & Pants– Ashley Stewart

I’m Baaaccckkkk!

Hello Southernistas! Did you miss me? Did you even realize I was gone? Well I missed y’all. Forgive me for leaving? So I went back and looked and I haven’t posted anything since the beginning of 2019 and well I don’t think 2020 needs to be mentioned right? Last year was a year of sheltering in place and for me quarantining because I tested positive for COVID but that’s over and we are halfway through 2021. I am fully vaccinated and I hope you are too! If not I encourage you to get vaccinated and be safe!So while I haven’t been written anything in well over a year it doesn’t mean I have abandoned my fashion journey. By no means in fact I think that I’ve upped my fashion game and I have grown into my style but still pushing myself. Some trends I’ve tried and loved and some I abandoned which is totally cool. While I didn’t completely jump on the lounge wear bandwagon I did add to my closet more lounge wear adjacent pieces. My shoe collection has grown so much which I didn’t think would happen once Payless closed their doors but I had options and I exercised those options looking at you Just Fab.

So this year saw my church reopen every Sunday instead of every other Sunday. We saw a new and historic President and Vice President sworn in this year. On the fashion front Betsey Johnson did a collaboration with Torrid (which I indulged in) and Target did an amazing dress collection with Christopher John Rogers, Rixo and Alexa, and my absolutely favorite blogger Kellie Brown of andigetdressed.com did her first ever collaboration with Amazon’s the Drop and I hope to see more collaborations for Kellie! Again I indulged in all of these.

I will do a separate blog post about my turning 50, yes, 50 this year! More to come.

So I am officially back with a slight change to my name and I am excited to be back! I am including some pictures of some of my purchases from the said collections I mentioned.

Until next time Southernistas! Be Bold, Beautiful, Be Brave!

Betsy Johnson x Torrid Rainbow Dress (sold out)

Christopher John Rogers x Target Tie Strap Hi Low Dress

Rock Your Runway

Featured

Hello Southernistas! I hope y’all had an absolutely fabulous weekend and that you are relaxed and recharged. If you attended church on Sunday I pray you are fully restored and filled and ready for Monday.

This weekend I attended a plus size fashion show with my beautiful friend and style sister Laura of the blog wonderfullymadestyle, y’all go check out her blog. The fashion show was produced by the talented Mrs. Jenica who is the founder and CEO of Plushy Jenica and she truly put on an amazing fashion show! The models were different shapes, sizes, and heights but they were all beautiful and fierce as were the fashion they rocked. As we enjoyed the fashion show the audience was invited to rock the runway between collections and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you Laura and I were more than happy to struct our stuff on the runway!

I want to encourage you today whatever size you are to rock your runway! You may never walk in New York Fashion Week but everyday that you get up, get dressed and step outside your house you can rock your runway ladies and gents! Whether you are going to work, running errands, or keeping up with the little ones you can step out onto your own personal runway and work your style with confidence. You never know who you will inspire!

Until next time Southernistas Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!

Here are some pictures from the Plushy Jenica Fashion Show. If you would like information about any of the outfits from the fashion show check out Plushy Jenica’s Facebook page.

Laura https://wonderfullymadestyle.wordpress.com/ in Eloquii

Laura of wonderfullymadestyle and I ready for the Show

My Dress is from the Betsy Johnson x Dia & Co Collection (sold out)| Shoes from Just Fab

My Second Favorite Color

Featured

Happy Monday Southernistas! I hope I y’all had a great weekend and that you are feeling rested, renewed, and restored and ready to conquer your week.

It is not secret that my absolutely favorite color is red! I look amazing in the color red and I feel bold, confident and sexy in red too. I mean what girl doesn’t feel a total boss babe or a sexy siren when they put on a red dress or lipstick or even a killer pair of red stilettos. But I must confess there is another color I am starting to fall in love with and that is the color green. Now don’t get me wrong it will never replace my first love red but over the last year I find myself gravitating to the color green whenever I go shopping. I discovered this beautiful green maxi dress at Ashley Stewart and it is so comfortable and stylish but alas it is sold out but I will provide links to alternates. Green always reminds of Spring and Summer and it is such a restful and peaceful color and it is a soft color. Green can also be a bold color like every color there is a shade of green for everyone.

With fall just around the corner I’ve been checking out the darker tones of the color Green and can’t wait to incorporate them in my fall closet. If you are looking in your closet and wondering what’s missing I would suggest you incorporate a little green in your closet and just enjoy all the compliments.

Until next time Southernistas remember Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!