I think I just found my new go-to look for a night out.

On top, I am wearing this plus size lace up top from Fashion Nova Curve. This top is actually a tunic and can be worn as a dress, but the material is pretty thin so I was able to tuck it in to the skirt without it looking too bulky. On the bottom, I am sporting the plus size suede skirt. Ladies, I cannot even begin to explain how well made this skirt is for it only costing $25. The waist fits snugs and doesn’t stretch, while the bottom of the skirt does stretch, which contours your body to highlight your hourglass shape! This is definitely the outfit to cop if your aiming for the bombshell look. I wore this outfit out to a rooftop club where my friend was DJing. But before I got to the club, I was having a terrible day, and I turned to this outfit to pull me out of my rut. As soon as I put this look together, I instantly felt better, and I was ready to dance the night away! If you are in need of a little pick me up, use the code “NATALIEXCRAIG” for 15% off your next Fashion Nova Curve purchase!

SIZING INFO: I’m wearing a 2x—which is my usual size—in both the shirt and skirt, and they both fit perfectly!

Fashion Nova Curve sent me these clothes to review. All opinions are 100% my own!

Summer has officially arrived in Chicago! While I love warm weather, I despise some of the things that come with it. As a thick chick, wearing plus size shorts and skirts has been really difficult because of “chub rub,” and I know all my fellow curvy ladies feel my pain. I get so many comments on Instagram from you all asking what I do to combat chub rub. While it’s almost inevitable, I have found a couple of tricks to beating chub rub and enjoying summer in shorts!

How to Prevent Chub Rub

1. Wearing Plus Size Opaque Tights – My first, and favorite trick is wearing plus size opaque tights. This is the only thing that totally keeps chub rub away, but when you are wearing open-toed shoes or sandals, tights may not be the best option. 
2. Using an Anti Chafe Stick – I love using Megababe’s chub rub stick. Megababe keeps your thighs moisturized to combat and prevent the intense friction that creates chub rub. You could wear this balm with any outfit as it doesn’t provide any obstacles like tights—or my other favorite, bandelettes.
3. Wearing Bandelettes or Thigh Bands – If you are wearing a maxi or midi skirt or dress and you don’t want to wear tights or anti chafe balm try wearing thigh bands. These bad boys work almost as great as the tights do, but they too also put a restriction on what you can wear with them. Usually, thigh bands or bandelettes are a no-go with shorts or mini skirts.
4. Wearing Chub Rub Shorts – I absolutely love to wear chub rub shorts! Anti chafe slip shorts have become so diverse, which means they can be worn with virtually any outfit. 

Photography by: Katherine Davis

I’m no magician, but sometimes I can pull off a mean illusion when it comes to fashion. What do I mean? Well, while this adorable little number—under this embroidered mesh bomber—looks like a dress, it’s actually two separate pieces. I paired a lace and mesh underwire halter bralette with this crepe pleated skirt from Torrid to create a flirty ensemble. But I didn’t want to just wear the skirt and bralette out during the day—as it is more proper for a night out—so I threw on the embroidered mesh bomber to soften the look and make the outfit a little less revealing.

I find myself wanting to wear bralettes as tops a lot lately, whereas a couple of years ago, I would have never thought to do such a thing. But bralettes are evolving and becoming more than just a simple bandeau. In my opinion, Torrid has some of the cutest bralettes around, and just browsing through their intimates section inspired me to create this look. So, this summer, I am going to try and embrace more bralettes and style more looks featuring the garment as a top. How do you feel about this trend?

SIZING INFO: I’m wearing a size 2 in the bralette and bomber, which is my usual size, and they both fit perfectly. I’m wearing a 16 in the skirt, which is my usual size, and it also fits true to size!

Photography by: Ghaffar Gbenro

Torrid sent me this outfit to review. All opinions are 100% my own! 

I believe that the way I dress has a huge impact on how I feel throughout the day. But when my alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. every morning, the last thing I want to do is spend the next hour getting glammed up, and squeezing my butt into a pair of dress pants before I rush out the door to my 9-to-5. What I really want to do is slide into some comfortable leggings and a baggy sweater. So, while coffee is really the only thing on my mind in the morning, I remind myself that if I don’t put 100% into my outfit for the day, I will feel less confident, motivated, and productive throughout the day.

Is it spring, summer, or winter? Chicago can’t decide, and neither can I. But if there is chance for sunshine, best believe that I am throwing on a summer-isa ensemble, and embracing it the fullest. This weekend, I took a stroll in this plus size wrap maxi skirt from Forever 21 Plus when the sun came peeking out of the clouds. Sure, it was a little chilly, but I am trying to be optimistic and enjoy the sunshine after a long, gloomy winter. Chicago was stuck in the clouds for one month straight! That’s right, the longest cloudy streak in 25 years. SHEESH.

Anyways, I am not the weather woman, and I know that you aren’t here to get the weekly weather update. So, back to this outfit! The olive/gray-colored skirt that I am wearing sold out a while ago on Forever 21, but it also comes in ginger! I scored this beautiful mock neck crochet blouse at T.J. Maxx last summer, and I just dusted it off this weekend while purging all of the old clothing in my closet to make room for some new pieces. But I couldn’t get rid of this top just yet, I’m too in love with the crochet details. I found similar mock neck crochet blouses, and put them in the widget below!

Happy spring/summer/winter! xo

Photography by: Ghaffar Gbenro

Last week, I shared one of my favorite office looks with you, and I wanted to give you another peak into my work wardrobe this week, too!

My work attire is usually an all black ensemble. However, I really love fun tops and blazers to spice up my look every once in awhile, hence this sequin blazer and the beautiful flounce elbow bell sleeve blouse that I am wearing. I scored this blouse from Eloquii, which is where I always find treasures that fit seamlessly into my office wardrobe. The brand really captures the perfect plus size girl boss on the go—that’s a mouthful, but you get what I mean! Eloquii is like the more polished, plus size Zara.

Last week, I wore this bell sleeve blouse to work with a pair of black, skinny dress pants, and a pair of pointed toe flats. After work, I attended Columbia College’s end of year LAUNCH student fashion show. So I threw on some lace up heels and put on some red lipstick, which transformed my look from office to front row at the fashion show.

Many of you ask where I find good quality and comfortable dress pants. My go-to places are T.J. Maxx and Macy’s. The Micheal Kors brand at Macy’s is great quality and they are usually on sale. T.J. Maxx sells a brand called Jules & Leopold, and they make the BEST skinny dress pants that have a lot of stretch in them! I usually purchase four or five pairs of these pull-on pants in an XL and they are the greatest!

P.S. I usually post on my blog twice per week, and I share a photo from my posts every day on Instagram. But last week, I fell behind a bit because I caught a nasty cold in the middle of the week. I didn’t think anyone would notice, but I certainly heard from many of you on Instagram. Sorry! I’ll be back on my grind this week! Thanks for being so close in tune and checking up on me! Love y’all! XO

I spend a large part of my life working—most of us do. But when it comes to office attire, I don’t take the easy way out. I love dressing up for work. I wake up at 6:00 a.m. to do my hair and pick out my outfit for the day, all the while, enjoying a huge cup of coffee.

I receive a lot of emails from you all asking me what I wear to the office and how I create comfortable and professional outfits while also incorporating fashion-forward pieces. So this week, I will be publishing two posts that show you what I wear to the office!

At work, I usually wear a pair of skinny, stretch dress pants—in either black, grey, or white. I love capri dress pants—like the ones I am wearing—for the warmer spring and summer days. I try to keep my bottoms as basic as possible so I can put all of the excitement into my tops and accessories. With that being said, I topped the outfit off with this sleeveless collar top from Eloquii, a statement necklace, and a sequin blazer. OK YEAH, a sequin blazer might be a little extra for the office, but the sequins are a dull enough silver tone that are totally appropriate for work. I bought this sequin blazer from Eloquii a while back, and it has sold out since. But here is another black sequin blazer and a cute sequin bomber to hold you over!

I hope you find some inspiration in these looks! Let me know what your favorite work pieces are in the comments below, or email me at natinthecity@gmail.com!

I’m 25 and I still get acne. What is the deal? I thought that pimples were supposed to stop popping up once I exited my teen years, but I haven’t been so lucky. So I currently put a huge focus on how I cleanse, moisturize, and treat my skin to mitigate some of my adult acne, and improve the overall look and feel of my skin. I took a trip to Meijer and scooped up my favorite skin essentials that help me fight acne and achieve my best skin! I’m a girl on the go, so any time that I can get all of my favorite products at one place, it’s a win-win! If I am ever in the mood to switch things up or seek a different treatment for my skin, I love that I can find any remedy on Meijer’s beauty section shelves.

I have been using the following products for the last month, and my skin has taken a turn for the better. I have fewer breakouts and my skin rarely flakes! (Peep these high-resolution images for yourself, you can see every little pore!)

Goodbye acne!
My favorite way to control my breakouts is with the Neutrogena Light Therapy Mask ($34.99 at Meijer) Sure, it looks like it came out of a Star Wars movie, and the dog runs away every time I slide the mask on, but there is no denying its acne treatment powers. I hate putting acne medication on my face because the harsh chemicals dry out my skin, which is one of the key reasons why I turn to this mask when I’m breaking out. The mask uses both red and blue lights to reduce inflammation and kill bacteria. It’s FDA cleared, chemical free, and UV free, which means my skin doesn’t flake after I use it, and my acne is gone in a matter of days.

After I use the Neutrogena Light Therapy Mask, my face can feel a little warm and tingly, so I apply this Yes to Cucumbers soothing and calming paper mask ($6.00 at Meijer) to cool my face down and moisturize.

A facial detox to brighten and tighten
Aside from getting my acne under control, I’m also always looking for ways to brighten and detoxify my skin from the makeup I wear every day. I have two coveted detox methods that I use once a week. On Fridays, I use the L’Oreal Detox & Brighten Clay Mask ($7.99 at Meijer) to remove the stressful week and its toll on my skin. I love, love, love clay masks, but I especially love this one because it combines charcoal and three different kinds of pure clay to tighten my skin and remove pesky blackheads. I leave the mask on for 15 minutes before I go to bed, and then I rinse it off with warm water and moisturize.

The second part of my skin brightening routine is the Yes to Grapefruit Pore Perfection Brightening Peel ($15.99 at Meijer). I do this peel on a Sunday night before bed or on Monday morning before work, if I have time. This peel prepares my skin for the week ahead and leaves my face glowing.

 

As I am typing this post, I am sort of surprised that this is actually the first romper I have ever worn. I always felt like they were unflattering—especially for curvy women—and just never fit me right.

But when I saw this plus size crochet trim romper from Curvy Sense, I had this wave of hope and faith. So I took the plunge, and it turns out that I actually love it. The fit is so flattering and sexy! I love how the crochet trim comes up a little higher on the thigh and lower in the back. And the plunging neckline is also super sexy. I used some fashion tape to secure my neckline a little bit as it is pretty windy in Miami, and I didn’t want my girls to fall out! I wore this out to dinner and a little stroll down Ocean Drive. The look was fun, flirty, and perfect for the occasion.

I’m wearing a 2x, which is my usual size, and it fits perfectly! The material doesn’t stretch, so if you want a looser fitting romper, opt for size up!

My best friend Katherine and I are currently in Miami on a little vacation. And since I have been cooped up in Chicago through most of the cold winter months, I wanted to celebrate Miami’s gorgeous weather in style. Which is why the second I saw this minnie jumpsuit from Rue107, I knew I had to strut down the streets of Miami wearing it.

So that’s exactly what I did today. And yeah, heads turned. But I was feeling HOT—and not because it’s Miami and always above 80°. I paired the jumpsuit with criss-cross bikini bottoms, this lace ladder bralet from Torrid, and a gorgeous silver necklace. It was the perfect combo!

If you love this look, but you are a little more reserved, try a jumpsuit with mesh sleeves, or, my true advice, would be to rock this minnie jumpsuit and give it all the confidence you got! Was I intimidated rocking a completely see-through jumpsuit? YES. I told Katherine, “I might be doing too much.” She replied, “Yeah and we’re in Miami and on vacation, you’re supposed to be doing too much!”  I’m glad I listened to her because I felt like a goddess, and every woman needs to be reminded that she is one!! This jumpsuit was my reminder.

I ordered this jumpsuit in a 1x, which is a size smaller than my usual, but it fit beautifully!

 

Photography by: Katherine Davis

I’ve been a princess since I was born, but today is the first day I’ve ever worn a tutu—side note: WHERE IS MY CROWN!? hah!

For real, if you told me a week ago that I would be wearing a tutu, I probably would have rolled my eyes at you and brushed off that prediction. I love all my clothes to be form fitting, dark-colored or black, with defined lines. Tutu was not a word in my dictionary.

But thanks to Dia&Co., a personal styling service for plus size women, I’m wearing a tutu, and I like it! If I had never signed up for this plus size styling service, I may not have tried this trend and I would have never known what it truly feels like to be a princess for a day. I took a style quiz so that my stylist would know what I like to wear and what to put in my box, but I love that my stylist thought outside of the box and put threw this tutu into the mix! If you want to try Dia & Co., sign up here!

I want to give you a chance to experience this magical company, too, so I have teamed up with Dia&Co. to give one of my readers their very first Dia&Co. box for free! To enter, visit this giveaway link, like my picture wearing this tutu on Instagram (@natalieinthecity_), tag two friends who may also want to win their very own Dia&Co boxin the comment section of my Instagram post, and follow Dia&Co on Instagram (@diaandco). That’s it!

Would you try a tutu?

I’m all about finding your clothing comfort zone, but occasionally, I will step outside of my self-imposed boundaries to try something crazy. For example, when the Victoria Beckham for Target line dropped, I didn’t opt for the black dress or black trousers. Nope. I had to have the fuchsia trousers. FUCHSIA GUYS!!!!!! I don’t have a single piece of clothing this bright in my closet, let alone a lipstick of the same hue in my make up bag. I keep it simple. All black everything is my sweet spot. But since plus size fashion has evolved, and now, we have more options than ever, maybe I should stop playing it safe with all-black ensembles. And with this post, I am making a pact with myself to do just that.

Now, more about these plus size fuchsia twill flared trousers, which have me in permanent heart eyes. I usually wear a size 16, but since I was ordering these online, sight unseen, I chose to order a size up. The material does stretch, but the waist band does not. So the size 18 fit me perfectly! The trousers were a little long, but I had them altered, and now they are perfect.

Here is my dilemma, where do I wear these pants? What do y’all think? I’m imagining blogging events, conferences, and maybe a fancy brunch? I hope I get the guts to wear these into the office one day—all of my coworkers would probably freak out. HAH!!

Also, I scored this adorable plus size finn ruffle trim peplum top from Fashion to Figure in my Dia & Co box. Dia & Co is a personal styling service for plus size women, similar to Stitch Fix, but they only cater to the plus size figure, which means you are getting clothes hand picked for your shape! You can request this top in your next Dia & Co order! Just let your stylist know!

Here’s to trying new things, and stepping outside of my comfort zone!

Photography by: Ghaffar Gbenro