Review: Invisibelt

I stumbled upon this product at a boutique in my hometown (Jeans and a Cute Top Shop), and have been hooked ever since. Check it out here. I noticed that they have a line for pregnancy also. I will have to check that out someday when I need it again. The Invisibelt solves two major problems that I constantly have with pants - even my best fitting ones: bulk in the front and gapping in the back.

          Before - notice the bulk from the button                             After - the waistband lays flat!

Because I am a bit curvy, I tend to fill out the hips and behind in pants, leaving the waistband loose. As a result, I constantly find myself pulling my pants up as they work their way down. With the Invisibelt, they stay up without the constant tugging. Yay!

The belt is clear, so if it does show, it is not super noticeable. Of course, the whole point is that it stays underneath my shirt. If I wanted to tuck my shirt in, I would choose a different belt. 

A friend of mine, who has used an Invisibelt for a while, told me that the only downside is that it tends to pop open once in a while, which can be a little embarrassing at the inopportune moment. The solution is to position the clasp underneath a belt loop.

At a price point of $22, I think that it was a good buy. I would pay more for a nice statement belt which I would only wear occasionally, so for a belt that I will wear all the time, it is a steal.

Note: All opinions are my own. I bought this myself and have not been influenced in any way by the manufacturer of Invisibelt. 

Have you ever tried a product like this?

Sweater Dresses

I have a hard time finding sweater dresses that are flattering to my shape. I have a rather large rear end so it makes things like this give me a "mermaid butt." Mermaid Butt occurs when the back end of the garment (dress/skirt) curves up in the back due to your butt stealing all the fabric. 

This dress was a gift for Christmas. It is a little tight, but with a few wears, I think it will be more flattering.  

Do you ever hope that clothes will fit better after a few wears? 

Here is a closeup of the brooch on top. I'm not crazy about the black toule, so I might remove this pearl flower feature in the near future. 

 Dress: Kohls

Belt: PacSun

Shoes: Gift from a friend

Italian Scarf and Comfy Sweater

I tried my hand at some outdoor photos with my new remote control today, since I just replaced my old broken tripod and Luke was taking a nap while the lighting was good. 27 degrees gets cold pretty fast, but how could I not take advantage of such great lighting?

I am so glad that I altered my coat - now I actually wear it!

I love this scarf. The colors are so vibrant.

I picked it up in the San Lorenzo Market in Florence, Italy (as so many tourists do), and every time I wear it, I am reminded of my time there. At just 5 Euro apiece, they make great souvenirs or gifts. 

Under the coat and scarf, I wore my trusty skinny jeans (oh dear - the knees are starting to show wear already), and a comfy sweater. One of the best parts about closet purging is discovering pieces like this that are forgotten in the bottom of my dresser drawers. It is so rare to find a wrap style neckline that actually covers me well. With others of this style, I usually have to wear a cami underneath. 

Here are my Kohl's wedge boots again. Sure, they are cheap, and all man-made materials, but the faux leather is soft and the faux rubber wedge is very comfortable, even more so than flats. Bonus: they work with skinny or bootcut jeans.

Scarf: Market in Florence

Coat: Ann Taylor Factory Store (5 or so years ago - recently taken in by myself)

Sweater: Banana Republic

Jeans: Ann Taylor (Modern Fit Slim Leg)

Shoes: Sonoma (via Kohl's)

A little Lukey love - He is so proud of his straw skills.

My Mother-in-Law LOVES it

 My mother-in-law loves dressing her dog up like a little kid. 

We took a little "photo shoot" of her just after New Years. 

Here are some family pictures from Christmas:

The jerseys' were presents :)

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Menswear with a Twist

My herringbone vest had long been hanging in my closet, so I decided to pull it out and pair it with a few more girly items to mix it up a little. 

Try #1 

First, I added a black pencil skirt (which I can now see is a little bit too big on me) and black ankle boots with faux fur trim (a new addition from my Kohl's trip). After looking at the pics, I decided that the boots would go better with skinny jeans. With a skirt, they cut my legs off, making me look shorter.

Try #2

I swapped out the ankle boots for tall ones. The fit of the skirt still bothers me - not to mention that it doesn't add much interest to the outfit. 

Try #3

I guess the third time is the charm. The leopard print skirt fits far better, plus it adds a much more feminine twist to the menswear look up top. Maybe I will cinch the vest more at the waist and swap out the boots for pumps next time.

A gratuitous baby pic for your enjoyment:

Sunglasses: Kate Spade Soleil

Blouse: LOFT

Vest: Gap

Black Skirt: Ann Taylor

Leopard Skirt: Ann Taylor

Ankle Boots: Kohl's

Tall Boots: Kohl's

Which look is your favorite?