Curvy Girl Lingerie

*NSFW – lingerie images* 

Here I am a month later, having taken a short blogging break to restore myself. I hope you have been well, please fill me in with what you have been up to and how life has been treating you!

This year has seen me indulge in plenty of gorgeous two piece swimsuits. Swimsuits make me feel like a sexy water siren. I decided to take that sexiness factor one step further with my friend Chrystal Bougon’s online store, Curvy Girl Lingerie. Yes – LINGERIE – you read that right.

I never saw myself as someone who was sexy. I knew I was not one of those girls who would turn heads or have people enchanted by my aesthetic appearance. I was pretty sure I was always meant to look plain or dull. My opinions did change once Curves Become Her took flight and I learnt something so very important – if I love how I look, what people think of me is not my concern. Each fashion post consists of wearing something I adore and it broadens my horizons that much more. Which is why you enjoy my work, because you can see I clearly am feeling a look or writing from the heart.

Lingerie though, now that was a challenge even for me. I am not as chesty as my other plus size sisters and I have trouble shopping for bras, which has made my selection of undergarment quite boring, quite unlike my style. It has become a utilitarian garment sadly. As for sultry boudoir lingerie, I had never owned any! If bra and panty shopping was such a challenge how was I going to even consider that option?

I was surprised and honoured when Chrystal reached out – She had mused to herself after checking out a swimsuit post of mine ‘If she looks that good in swimwear DAMN she’ll look good in our lingerie’

So I took my pick and waited with baited breath for the goodies to arrive, oh my goodness I was such a cartoon when they finally got here! I tried them on and my face turned red, I was so shy I asked myself “Will you be able to do this Aarti?”

After some encouragement from the hubster, I decided to have a proper look at myself in the mirror. DAMN, Chrystal was right! I was still so very bashful though..so for the next few weeks, it became a routine – I would put them on, take selfies and appraise them..shake my head and try, try again. Until I decided tonight, September 13th would be the night! You shall forever be the date I finally let my fear of wearing lingerie dissipate. What was the worst that was going to happen? trolls? pervs? Those folks I shrug at. The important thing is I took on this challenge to expand my body beautiful point of view and I succeeded. I think 🙂

Monologue over, time for some photographs!

 Pic 1 – The Lorinda in size 2X

Pic 2 – The Chantel in size 1X/2X (similar item here)

The Lorinda teal lace teddy in size 2X

A very comfortable one piece that can be worn beneath a dress or top, it has such pretty lace details at the centre, the back and the hem. It is so stunning in teal.

 

Makeup was bathed in hues of bronze and rouge for this look.

The Chantel hook-corset styled set in size 1X/2X

This fiery two piece set does not have a lace back that needs to be tied like a regular corset, it has hooks to close it at the back instead. The bra has lining just like the Lorinda so it does have support. Another gorgeous lacy number that can be worn beneath clothing, as a top for clubbing that could be paired with a leather skirt and a sheer cover up or shirt if you’d like. I had to get red lingerie, red always looks good on me 🙂

Makeup was an earthy brown for this look and I accessorised with a diamante choker.

And now, for the piece de resistance! You didn’t think I was done did you?

The Katia chemise with thong set in size 2X

Because, black lingerie is always a good choice.

The details on this chemise set are perfection!

Here is the description of this beauty from the store:

“The Katia” is a sexy black chemise features sheer cups with strappy detailing, adjustable lace shoulder straps, a black satin bow accent, a sheer lace underbust band, side and back cut-outs, a hook and eye back closure, a solid front panel with a netted trim, sheer gathered side panels, a scalloped lace hem, a keyhole back opening, adjustable garters, and a matching panty.

That is a whole lot of sexy! All it was missing was thigh highs, but I was so daunted by the prospect of wearing sexy lingerie so it did not even occur to me until much later! I still think it looks fine as hell. My head was not purposefully chopped off, the hubster was trying to get the details of the outfit..well that was his excuse. This photo shoot was a visual joy for him haha! To be fair he loves any outfit I pick but this was an extra delight for him.

Makeup for this look was set in shades of nude and accessorised with this black choker from Lovisa. Oh you know, the only place I ever seem to buy accessories! What can I say, I am a creature of habit in some senses 😛

Curvy Girl Lingerie caters to us plus size femme fatales from a size 1X to a size 6X, so there is plenty of lingerie to covet for us! This haul was so enlightening because it challenged my personal notion of being sexy. I did not feel sexy in anything I wore for a very long time and this made me face that inner critic head on with defiance. Like you always hear me say, this is still an ongoing journey for me. What I know for sure now is that since I have popped my lingerie cherry, there is no looking back. I am going to indulge in these pretty outfits from time to time because why the hell not? We always deserve to feel good in our skin, this is the thought process that keeps me revved for more possibilities and fashion discoveries.

Since I basked in these gorgeous Curvy Girl Lingerie, here are a few shots of me in my regular lingerie. Another step into the right direction of feeling body beautiful 🙂

 

     I leave you now, face still flushed after uploading these images. But I feel at peace with myself. Onwards! Chat Soon xx Aarti Olivia Dubey | Curves Become Her    

Curves Become Her turns 3 – a belated blogiversary edition

My dear CBH Fam,

I hope you have been keeping well and that the year end is coming along nicely. It’s been quite a year hasn’t it? All I hope for everyday is respite for weary souls and a little more understanding between people. Be it 2015 or 2020.

It has been a while since the Halloween post! While the eerieness of those photographs was exactly what I was hoping to capture, it was a last minute decision in all honesty. Halloween and Diwali give me the annual ultimatum of Which festival will you dress for?? My answer to that for 2015 was Neither! Forgoing the usual route of an ethnic top or Punjabi suit, this time I rustled up a festive dress from my Dec 2014 shopping haul and made it work..

Diwali 2015

  

bardot sleeved dress – Pink Clove, maroon shrug – Marks & Spencer’s earrings – Ankara at Tekka Mall, Little India

My mother who has been doing rather poorly this year had yet another fall a few days after Diwali. She sustained a right hip bone fracture and underwent surgery for a steel placement where the fracture happened. Mom had one too many falls this year which slowed down her walking a fair bit and made her quite miserable with having to manage the pain. Thankfully she is a tough cookie and within two days of surgery she stood on her two feet with the walker but my little family unit was understandably distressed during this period. November passed by in the blink of an eye and I had other things to attend to..so the blogiversary post just did not happen.

What has kept me so busy? For starters I have been writing weekly articles for US online magazine Wear Your Voice. The issues I tackle in those write-ups are diverse and are not limited to ones of a body positive nature. I have written articles from the perspective of being part of the South East Asian and South Asian diaspora. I have penned posts about the agency for body positivity in my region. It’s been a great platform to speak up and I could not ask for a better editor in chief and colleagues. They are so supportive of my pitches and ideas, they encourage me to be outspoken and to harness all that anguish I harbour into words. The team is so dynamic and they discuss topics ranging from politics LGBT issues to intersectional feminism to pop culture. You can check out my latest article pertaining to body image in Asia here.

It’s a learning curve; migrating from writing informally on the blog to penning articles with an air of professionalism. But it feels So Good. Okay I’ve said that already but yes it’s exciting for me 😀

Honestly I would not have made that leap had it not been for my editor-in-chief Ravneet. If she hadn’t reached out to ask me if I was interested in writing for WYV, I might have stayed in my rut. It’s difficult for me to self promote and I know that’s what we have to do in order to get ahead but loves I have not done anything of that sort in my life. It’s hard for me to see my strengths or capabilities like an outsider can, I’m sure some of you know the feeling.

2 weeks into my new post as weekly blogger for Wear Your Voice, I took another leap of faith. I reached out to Velvet D’Amour, whom many of you familiar with the plus size industry would know was The model who walked the runway for Jean-Paul Gaultier in 2007. She is an acclaimed fashion photographer and editor-in-chief of magazine Volup2. She was looking for weekly guest bloggers for her magazine and the chance to work with Velvet was too good to pass up on. I would have been kicking myself if I let my insecurities get to the better of me and let this go. To my surprise, she was enthusiastic about having me on board and you can read my latest article where I interview Corissa of the blog Fat Girl Flow here. I look forward to my weekly write-ups for both magazines and promise to share them here for your reading pleasure 🙂

So as you can see, there has been some settling in to do aside from my personal life. Which unfortunately left my blog unattended but it is a matter of time before I manage it all with more ease.

Before I launch into my Blogiversary Outfit of the Day look, there is another announcement I have to make. A lot of you must be well aware of who Tess Holliday is and her successful Eff Your Beauty Standards movement. (This is when I say, kindly leave your opinions of Tess out of my comments section because I know people are testy about her right now). She was enquiring for bloggers who would be interested in representing Asia along with the rest of the EYBS team. I thought I’d let her know that I would be keen, it is so important to rope Asia into the body positive movement..we have a lot of work ahead of us here. When she signed me on along with the wonderful Harnaam Kaur, it felt surreal that I was doing all these things I had not dared to venture into. Which also means, MORE effective time management!

I Cannot even think about forsaking my blog any longer than I have. I have missed my little nook and it’s just so comforting to write from this space. This is where it all began. What an adventure these 3 years have been!

Righto so Onwards (finally) with my belated blogiversary outfit of the day look that I shot over the weekend :

thats me screaming Happy Blogiversary to Meeee!!!

 

Can I just say after the weeks of sitting with bed head and my fingers typing away from the laptop, this was a welcome breath of fresh air! There should be a scent concocted that makes you feel exuberant as if you are dresses to the nines because it is a delectable feeling.

I am beginning to veer away from ‘fast fashion’ because of what I am learning about ethical fashion consumerism but I had to wince and get some items from Forever 21 Plus for Nov-Dec because my medical and dental bills were not going to get paid by a mysterious donor (I wish. Actually I don’t. Sounds creepy).

Plus Size Velvet Tonal Sequin Dress in 1X

Rubi black pump heels

Lovisa beaded green earrings

I was in the mood for a glitzy party dress and aside from this number on plus size store Jibri ‘s website that was just far too expensive for me, this mermaid-like number caught my eye.

Not wanting to take attention away from the dress, I opted not to accessorise as much (you must be quite accustomed to my accessocrazynes). But I did go for a bold lip from my LA Splash liquid liner collection. This was from the Hocus Pocussed bundle that was released during Halloween. The shade I am wearing is Til Midnight. Aptly named.

Hurrah! The blogiversary post is done! Ootd posts are just so much fun and I cannot wait to get more done in the near future.

Thank You for the love, the support, the well wishes through my meandering as a plus size woman rediscovering aspects of herself that were previously buried beneath self loathing and fear. I am constantly learning so much and although it can get challenging, I know I am right where I want to be.

Chat Soon 🙂                                          

All my love xxxo

Aarti Olivia

 

The Girl’s Gone Retro

Hello loves! I hope you’ve been doing well. I know it’s been a while since I’ve done a fashion post and I’m back! 

So a major Fall trend this year is going retro – whether it’s the 50s, 60s or 70s. I decided to tackle 70s style because I was so envious looking at photographs of my mother looking so glorious in her clothing back then. She was a stunner and very fashionable! 

Swing Dresses. They look so good in pictures. But in reality, when I got this dress in the mail I was not convinced I could pull it off. Because swing dresses are so loose and basically I felt like I was wearing a tent. So I asked a few of my body positive friends how on earth I should style this and they were so helpful! I’ll speak about this little group I have sometime in the future. They are awesome. 

I have had this vision of me in a swing dress in my mind for so long and it really felt like a shame not wearing this after spending good money on it. So in Tim Gunn’s words I told myself to “make it work!” and am pretty happy with the outcome. It took me three days to think up of ways to style this, that’s a pretty long time seeing how my ADHD brain conjures up outfit of the day looks within minutes of laying my eyes on an outfit. I styled this in 2 different ways so take your pick with the one you prefer! 

So here goes! *drumroll* 

Style 1 

  

  
  
  
I call this my Janis Joplin meets Gloria Steinem look. They were two of my idols from that decade and I really wanted to bring that laid back, flower power, feminist power vibe to this ensemble. I had Janis’ songs playing in my head the whole time I did this shoot hahaha! 

Printed retro swing dress – Asos Curve 

Platforms – Rubi 

Margot Meanie sunglasses – Society + (previously known as Cool Gal Blue) 

Necklace and bangle – thrifted 

  
I saw the prints on this dress and it just screamed out at me! Which is why I took the huge leap of faith by getting this dress. I had No idea if this dress would do my vision justice but I think it did.

I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was shooting for this. I think I have major cos player love when trying on a new look which lends a whole new persona! 

  
 

Style 2 
  
  
  
For the times you prefer not to wear a very flared out dress, comes a thick belt to the rescue! 

This belt was a gift from my friend Priscilla Boh, local plus size model and awesome person. Thanks Prissy 🙂 

necklace – gift from Nepal 

belt – gift from Bangkok 

I have loved wearing turquoise stones since my adolescence and to my surprise I discovered they are my birth stone! I feel it lends a little pop of colour to this already vibrant look. 

I was unsure of how belting the dress up would look because I didn’t want it to look awkward but it worked! 

  
With those big shades (how cool are they??) on I didn’t have to worry about eye makeup haha so it didn’t take me as long as it normally does getting my face on for the shoot. Concealer coverage for the eyes always takes the longest.. 

Little Details

   

    
   
This was one of those shoots where people did a double take while I posed for the camera haha! I love the reactions I get from onlookers and passers by 😉

Getting out of your element to create a vision you have in mind is both daunting and exciting. So this post is an extra special one.

Well that’s me for now! Sending you all my love! Til next time! 

xxxo Aarti Olivia

and baby I’ll rule

  
I guess you can call this my prelude to Fall. Summer colours and trends have been fun, now it’s time to enjoy some fall fashion…without covering myself in layers because I can’t! :p 

Are you looking forward to Fall or Fall trends? I know I am. I love the colours and styles that come with each season. I don’t know if I have a favourite fashion season to dress for! 

So I’ve been told countless of times, starting from my late Nani (maternal grandmother) that red is my colour. I would have to agree.

  
My favourite shade of red is scarlet. The dress I have on for this post is a fire engine red. Look at me getting technical with colours! Why am I boring you? 

Red to me is a fiery feminine Goddess-like colour. My religion definitely plays a part in this because there is the Hindu deity Durga that is always swathed in a red sari. It is a primal, passionate, emotionally intense colour that evokes positive and negative energy and imagery. The colour is considered auspicious in India which is why brides often wear shades of red for the wedding nuptials. 

  
As a woman, the colour red for me also symbolises rebirth, regeneration and destruction. 

But enough with the monologue on why I love the colour! 

The Look

  

  
red maxi dress – Forever 21 Plus

headpiece – Lovisa 

bangles – Lovisa 

sandals – Rubi 

For some reason, I wanted to mix Indian accessories with this dress. It felt royal, like an updated interpretation to that term.  

  
  

  
My only gripe? I should have worn a different bra. The straps for this bra were too thick and kept sticking out of the dress. 

This dress feels luxuriously smooth and it will cling to every curve. There are so many ways I can think of styling the dress. This is is but one way. 

  
Little Details

  

I adore this headpiece and it is a statement piece. I had so many people stop just to have a look while I was shooting for this! 

   
 
I added bindis from my little assortment. Makeup was focused on the eyes, with gold shimmer and kohl. 

  
 
  
  
After quite the hiatus from fashion posts, I really enjoy the process of bringing a look together and having fun with it now. It got a little mechanical and boring for me for a while so I took that break. So now I have a different outlook on these posts! 

Whew that is my second fashion post for the week! I have upcoming body positive related posts, I like having a balance of both worlds..or well at least try to 😉 

As a young girl, I didn’t feel pretty for an Indian. I did not identify with my culture. Ironically it took an overseas study stint to really have me appreciate my heritage. Living in a western nation I felt acculturated. It made me realise how rooted I actually am to my culture. So today although you won’t always see me in ethnic wear, I have a profound love for where I come from.

The colour Red is a hue of my skin, the blood that runs through my veins and a celebration of the Indian Goddess in me. 

Sending you all my love, 

Aarti Olivia xxxo 

Inspired : denim jumpsuit

I am an admirer of people with a distinct style sense who keep you wondering just what they’ll be wearing next when you see them on social media. 

Helen Lasichanh is such a person. Model, fashion designer, wife of Pharell Williams – this reclusive lady has caught my keen eye many times over the years. There isn’t that much mentioned about her aside from her bring photographed with Pharell or their son at events (which is unfortunate because I am curious to know about her). 

She mixes casual street wear with different prints, handles menswear like a pro, mixes up really feminine clothing items with androgynous clothing. She loves plimsolls and sneakers but can certainly carry off a pretty pair of heels. She is no wallflower and stands on her own fashionable feet beside Pharell. 

  
  
  
Her style sense may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I like it because I enjoy clashing clothing that should not mix. Plus, I am still a tomboy underneath all those dresses and skirts you see me in today. 

I spied this look on Helen a while back and really wanted to give it a try.

  
I’ve had a denim jumpsuit in my closet for months, waiting to be worn. I have quite a few denim blouses. I have a whole lotta hats. So I thought, why the hell not!! 

Now I am sure some would think: this looks good on her because she is skinny and tall. 

Well let’s see how this translates on my petite plus sized body shall we? 😉 

  
  
Denim jumpsuit – Forever 21 Plus

Denim blouse – Cotton On 

Bowler hat – Ebay 

White heels – D&G 

Turquoise bangle – The Island Shop at Tangs 

So. Obviously there are certain things I could not do exactly as Helen did. 

Like buttoning the blouse up right to the top. As a busty lass, that just does not bode well. 

  
I do not own bracelets so I used a bangle instead 

  
There was no full sized shot of Helen in this look so I had no idea what her footwear was. I had to improvise! 

  
Not the exact hat but yeap bowler hats I have in abundance! 

  
I think it was a pretty decent take on Helen’s jumpsuit look!

The hilarious bit for me when getting this photo shoot done was how it felt to be dressed in denim from top to toe on a particularly warm day. If you see me squinting my eyes or frowning It was thanks to the heat!!! 

  
  
I thought I’d try a few shots without the hat. 

  
  
Makeup was at a minimum. Just a brown lippie and some eyeliner. 

 

I am inspired by women from all around the world, of all sizes and styles. It is my belief that fashion should work for you and not the other way round. Less boundaries, more experimentation! 

Who are you inspired by fashion-wise? Is there a certain look by a person that you’d like to try? 

Ponder on that while I send you all my love! Have a good new week ahead.

xxxo Aarti Olivia