secondhand rose: SHOPPING RANT & PENNINGTONS GIVEAWAY

I used to spend my money on shoes and accessories and stick to a pretty boring uniform when it came to my clothes. You folks have seen that on my Instagram and my blog over the years and no one has really questioned it. I would be able drop hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a cute bag but rock the same uniform it is threadbare. Why? Because shopping for clothes in person is rarely an option for people with bodies like mine.

Plus size shopping in Canada can be down right cruel and the options are limited. I can count on one hand the stores that I actually like and that fit my body, my personal style and my budget. The options are growing, and I'm thankful for that, but it's still frustrating as hell when you walk into a large store (I'm not naming names, but y'all know who I'm talking about here) to find an ocean of options up to size large and then find out that the two racks that they had for plus are now available online only.

I'm a big supporter in online shopping but online only options for plus size bodies makes me sick. How am I supposed to know what my size is at your store? Why don't you want to see or serve people like me in-store? The phrase 'online only' makes my skin crawl and it's the fastest way to lose out on my business. Retailers, take note.

It's frustrating. It's isolating. And it's not fair.

I posted about this on my Instagram a couple of months ago and captioned it with my frustration on mall-shopping and a lot of you either commented on the picture or sent me a DM about it saying how relatable that post was.

That post gained a lot of traction - so much in fact, that one of my favourite clothing brands, Penningtons, saw it and reached out to me. They invited me to come shop with them and they showed me their new collection; they helped me see how fun shopping for clothes can be.

I picked out a few pieces from them that are now in heavy rotation in my wardrobe. The blouse and the trousers pictured below are two out of four pieces that I grabbed and honestly, I live in them. I've since gone back and picked up a second pair of those trousers just because I wear and love them -that- often; they're so easy to style and to dress up or down and I honestly believe that everyone should have a similar pair in their wardrobe. They're effortless, cool and they have the perfect amount of stretch to them.

Penningtons is a brand that I admire because they offer their pieces in sizes X(14/16) to 5X(30/32) (and some up to 6X) and they're known for their killer sales (sometimes up to 70% off of sale items). Their fashion is accessible and they have something for a variety of plus size bodies. I've shopped with them throughout the years and I can honestly say their selection and their styles keep getting better and better every season. They've always been my first stop when clothes shopping and I love that I can actually go IN STORE and try things on. It may not seem revolutionary to straight sized people but that's a huge plus when you're plus sized.

- - - - - GIVEAWAY - - - - -

I wouldn't be praising this brand and all that they've done for me without giving anything back so I'm holding a contest over on my Instagram and Facebook page - the winner will receive a $50 Penningtons gift card and a little care package from yours truly. The rules and regulations are all outlined over on my Instagram/Facebook post. This contest is open until 11:59PM April 30th, 2018 and is open Canada-wide. GOOD LUCK to all that enter!! xo

JACKET/ Addition Elle TOP/ Penningtons (c/o) PANTS/ Penningtons (c/o)

SHOES/ Fenty Puma HANDBAG/ Alexander Wang Mini Rockie