Making the Most of Your Curves!

A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to take part in a Tele-seminar with the Glam Gals Deborah & JoJami entitled: "Plus size chic: How to look chic no matter what your shape!"

We chatted about everything from the right undergarments to the best accessories, and everything in between. Are you an apple or a pear? A figure-eight or an hourglass? We covered all the angles (and curves) in this tele-seminar.

Did you miss it? No worries! You can download a copy right here for free - just click on the title of this blog posting.

Looking Chic for the Holidays

Longing to look lovely under the mistletoe? Wanting to wow them at the office soiree? No need to be stressed about getting well dressed! Here are some simple tips to look chic for the holidays.

The holiday season can be a veritable minefield of dressing quandaries. Elegant casual? Dressed-down chic? Semi-formal festive? What does it all mean?!

My favourite pick for looking elegantly casual is a luxurious pair of velvet jeans. So simple, yet so chic – they add instant festive style. Pair them with your favourite flirty top, a cozy cashmere sweater or a sharp fitted blazer and they will take you almost anywhere! All the comfort of a pair of jeans with the added flash of velvet, what could be better?

Need to step it up a notch or two for a more formal event? The holidays are a perfect time to break out the shine and sparkle. A stunning satin number will ensure you stand out in a crowd and sequins always add sizzle. Make sure to keep the rest of your ensemble fairly simple – a sleek pair of black pointed-toe shoes and simple jewellery will round it all out to perfection. Leave the blinking lights to the Christmas tree!

If you’re not sure what the dress code calls for, a sexy little black dress is always the answer. This is where you can have fun with your accessories. Why not pile on the pearls or slip on a pair of scarlet shoes to make that LBD sing.

The most important tip for looking fabulous is to feel comfortable & fabulous in what you are wearing. Nothing is more attractive than a woman who exudes confidence and happiness. Know your body & what flatters your shape and style. Don’t feel like you have to follow a certain trend to be fashionable – the most beautiful women in the world are the ones who have developed their own personal style and stick with it.

Wide Calf Boots

I just received my Stacie boots from WideWidths.com and I love them! Fabulous with a skirt or dress, they are a must have for the winter season.

My calves aren't the widest around, but I have been having a problem doing up regular boots so I thought I would give Wide Widths a try. They had a huge selection in sizes 6-12 in M & W widths, so I chose these microfiber stretch boots. They ship internationally and my order came in a week without having to pay for faster shipping. The medium width was perfect (and actually a wee bit on the wide side).

All in all, a wonderful find! I might have to buy another style ...

Who Are Lola & Gigi?

The question that I'm often asked when people come to see us at an event is "Are you Lola or Gigi?" The simple answer is, I'm both! (That's me in the middle.)

It has been a dream of mine for many years to create a place where women could find beautiful, stylish and unique clothing in sizes 12 and up. Having been a size 14/16/18 for most of my adult life, I was frustrated by the choice of clothing out there for women. I've had many calls from girlfriends (of all sizes) who were having a hard time finding clothing for a particular occasion, or to just find something they feel great in. The end result always seemed to be that they would feel badly about themselves and their bodies. This just didn't seem right to me! I want women to feel beautiful about themselves and to always feel like they can present the best version of themselves to the world, no matter what their size or shape.

I love clothes and I love helping people transform themselves through their clothing. When I see someone put something on that fits them perfectly and suits them wonderfully, I can just see the difference it makes in their smile & the way they stand. They glow! The size on the label suddenly ceases to exist and they are in their element.

After many years of dreaming, thinking & planning, in May 2007 I finally decided to go for it and I began to create what would become LolaandGigi.com - a weboutique specializing in fabulous clothing in sizes 12-24. I chose the name Lola & Gigi because I love the retro feeling of the names and it brought me back to a time when curves were coveted! Lola to me is sexy and sophisticated, like Sophia Loren & Gina Lollobrigida - confident and loving her curves. Gigi is fresh and fun and isn't afraid of playing with colour and pattern to produce something spectacular and unique.

So, some days I'm Lola and some days I'm Gigi and some days I'm someone somewhere in between. And it is so wonderful for me to have the opportunity to figure that out for myself everyday by going into my closet and finding that perfect thing to wear.

Laura
xo