Gabi @ gabifresh.com - OOTD

 
 

Thankful

I hope you guys had a fabulous Thanksgiving filled with with food, family and friends.  I stayed in LA with my sister and boyfriend, and my cousin came to town to join us. We weren’t loving the idea of cooking a huge dinner at home, so instead we went out to a nice restaurant (the food was delicious). Usually I’m pretty casual on Thanksgiving, but this time I decided to get a little dressed up–I wore this glittery crop top and skirt set from Addition Elle. I love the fit and quality; it’s the perfect outfit to take me into the holiday season. They’re having a 40% off sale today-Sunday, so get shopping!
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Top, Skirt-Addition Elle/Clutch-NewLook
 
 

Cozy Holiday

As I’ve mentioned before, Nordstrom is one of my go-to places to shop, especially when I have an upcoming event and I need a brick and mortar store to browse. As December approaches, I’ve been going even more often than usual because not only can I grab some cute clothes, but I can also look for Christmas gifts for my friends and family. They have some amazing holiday dresses in stock right now (obsessed with this dress!), but I also love their more casual, cozy pieces. I fell for this long knit plaid cardigan, perfect for LA’s cooler temps, and wore it with wet look stretch skinny jeans.  Sadly it looks like the cardi may be sold out online, but some stores may still have it in stock if you want to call and check–it’s item number #835755. (It’s by Lucky Brand, and there are some other cute options on the site too, like this one and this one.)
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Sweater-Nordstrom/Pants-City Chic via Nordstrom/Shoes-NineWest (similar)
 

Missguided Plus Sizes

I was seriously ecstatic when I got the email notifying me of Missguided’s plus size range! They’ve always been one of those brands that I’ve loved from afar, so when they asked me to try out a few pieces, I jumped at the chance. They have some really fashion forward, affordable clothing–including some amazing co-ord sets–so it was really hard to narrow down my choices. I ended up going with the long black duster and floral print pants, and I loved both as soon as I tried them on. (When I chose them, I had no idea they’d be styled the same way on the site!) The kimono is such a staple piece, I’ve worn it at least 5 times in the past week. I can’t wait to see what else they have in store as the line grows.gabifresh-printed-pants-2014
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Duster-Missguided/Pants-Missguided/Necklace-eBay/Shoes-Michael Kors (similar)
 
 
 

Military Time

The popularity of co-ord sets is still going strong; they’re everywhere I look, yet I still can’t get enough. When I spotted the amazing set from Zelie for She, I knew it was the perfect way to transition the trend into the colder months. The unique cut and neutral color made it stand out in the sea of uninspired options for plus sizes. It went perfectly with my new obsession, the oversized military coat from ASOS (I’m wearing size 14, available here). I loved the color combo and minimalism of the look, so I opted not to add any accessories.
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Coat-ASOS/Top & Skirt-Zelie for She/Shoes-Forever21 (old)

Premium

Sometimes I worry that photos won’t do an outfit justice, but I’m glad these pictures actually capture the amazing quality and fit of these jeans. I can’t rave about them enough–they are a true staple piece that I want every plus size girl to own (I suggest sizing down one size because there is a lot of stretch.) I wore them with a snakeskin moto jacket and these super comfy leopard print heels.
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Nordstrom has a been a fave of mine since I can remember; they offer such a wide range of plus size designer options, and one of my favorite brands they carry is NYDJ jeans. As much as I love my cheap skinnies, every time I put on a pair of NYDJs, I’m reminded why sometimes it’s worth it to splurge on investment pieces! My sister came with me to the store recently and watched me try on a bunch of their denim, and she couldn’t get over how good every pair looked.
 
 

Camouflage

LA is finally getting a bit chilly, and I couldn’t be happier; I love that it gets cool enough to layer, but not cold enough to make things miserable. (Sorry Chicago, I love you but I will not miss you this winter.) I’m transitioning into Fall with light jackets like this camo one from Addition Elle that I’ve paired with boyfriend jeans and a graphic tee. Their fall collection is definitely my favorite from them yet and I can’t wait to get my hands on more–bring on the plaid and leather!
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Jacket-Addition Elle/Plaid Shirt-Target/Tee-SimplyBe/Jeans-LaneBryant/Shoes-MK
 
 

neon dreams

I’m off to NYC then London next week, and I’m enjoying my last few days of LA weather in neon colors. Loving this shift dress by my talented friend and designer, Monif C. Her collections are dropping more and more often these days, and they continue to surprise me. Make sure you check out her site if you haven’t in a while! She’s gone far beyond her classic convertible dress.
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Dress-Monif C./Necklace-H&M/Shoes-Halogen 


Bar III

Since moving to LA, my clothing choices have definitely been a bit more colorful, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for head-to-toe black ensembles. When I spotted this crop top and matching skirt from Bar III, I knew it would go perfectly with the cute moto booties from their newly launched women’s shoe collection.

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Check out more shoes in the collection here!


Always Pushin’

I’ll admit even I sometimes still fall into thinking about “flattering” silhouettes when I get dressed, but I’m constantly trying to push myself away from that.  When I wear crop tops, I do tend to pair them with high waisted pants or skirts, but I’ve been wanting to challenge myself to wear a crop top with a lower rise pant and show a wider part of my belly. I thought this sequin tee was the perfect choice to wear with distressed boyfriend jeans.
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Top-Boohoo/Jeans-Torrid/Shoes-Halogen 
 
 

Wet Seal Plus Model Search

More exciting news from WetSeal+: they’re currently searching for their next plus size models and I get to help pick the winners! This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who’s looking for a way to get into the industry. You can enter here through August 29th.
Yesterday I wore their cold shoulder plaid top with their high waisted skinnies and felt very Dukes of Hazzard:
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WetSeal Plus Store Openings

Wet Seal Plus is hosting thirty grand opening events across the country this Saturday, August 16th, so make sure you check to see if one is near you! They’re going to have hourly gift card giveaways and photobooths at each location where you can snap a pic and upload it to instagram for a chance to win a $1000 gift card!
I’ve been obsessed with finding the perfect overalls for awhile now, and when I spotted these on the Wet Seal website, I knew they were the ones. How amazing is the zipper?!
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Overalls and Croptop-WetSeal/Shoes-ASOS/Necklace-Zara
Sidenote: The overalls run true to size! I initially ordered a size up and they were too large so I exchanged them. 
 
 

Fabuleuse

I love the all white sporty look, and just about died when I spotted this top from H&M.
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Shirt-H&M (similar here)/Skirt-FashionToFigure (sold out, similar up to size 14)/Shoes-Halogen/Backpack-c/o JustFab/Sunglasses-F21
 
 

all white everything

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top-forever21/skirt-calvin klein/shoes-halogen/clutch-vince camuto/necklace-asos
 
 

duster

I’m a big fan of the third piece: a jacket, coat or vest to bring an outfit together. Living in LA, I’m constantly on the look out for lighter pieces to layer, since my former go-to–a leather bomber–usually isn’t an option in this weather. I love this light weight printed duster jacket from SimplyBe! It makes a statement on its own, so I can just throw it over an otherwise basic outfit and look instantly chic.
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pucker up

I fell in love with this lip print tulle skirt when I saw the short version on Lydia of Style is Style. It’s from eshakti, which means you can customize the size and length, and since we all know I love tea length tulle, I went for below the knee. It ended up being a bit too long (which is why you can see I rolled the waistband), so I wish I opted for “knee length,” but I still adore it and will probably get it tailored eventually.
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Top-Forever21/Skirt-eShakti/Shoes-Christian Louboutin/Necklace-ASOS/Sunglasses-Street Vendor
 
 

when i’m rich…

I’ve had this eloquii skirt in my wardrobe for awhile now–I love the vibrant color and the fact that it can be dressed up with a blazer and heels, or down with a simple graphic tee. I wore it with a t-shirt from Forever21 and my favorite boots by Isabel Marant.
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Tee-Forever21/Skirt-eloquii/Boots-Isabel Marant/Necklace-Stella & Dot/Clutch-TJMaxx 
 
 
 

old faithful

Every once in a while, I’ll go back to my good old standby: the body con dress. I fell in love with this one from ASOS. (As always, I ordered two sizes down so it would be snug and not stretch out as much over time).
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lazy oaf x garfield

I’ve always been a fan of the kitschy brand, Lazy Oaf, and when I found out their latest collaboration was with a childhood favorite of mine, I knew I had to get a few things. No, Lazy Oaf doesn’t carry plus sizes, but their pieces are generally oversized. My favorite piece from the collection is the cropped sweatshirt, and I also grabbed the matching duffle bag. With leggings and gym shoes, it’s the perfect casual outfit to run around in.
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Sweatshirt & Bag-Lazy Oaf via ASOS/Leggings-Old Navy/Shoes-New Balance
Photos by Sylvia G.
SHOP LAZY OAF X GARFIELD!
 
 
Casual Friday
 
The laid-back Cali lifestyle has definitely affected my outfit choices. Before moving, I wondered whether my style would evolve in LA–I could never see myself in a flowy maxi skirt. Turns out, I’m just a lot more relaxed. Lately I’m all about pairing jeans with a cute, comfy top like this floral one from WetSeal. With a chunky heel and an oversized bag, I’m ready to go.
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Top & Bag c/o WetSeal
 

Embellished

I’m sort of obsessed with embellished sweatshirts this season. I have a growing collection of them, and I spotted this one from Addition Elle‘s site when I was in NYC as a judge in their model search (huge congrats to the winner, Cassandra)! I love that the embellishment is on the neckline so you can skip the statement necklace, and that it’s versatile enough to wear with jeans or a sparkly skirt like I did below.
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Happy Halloween! xo Kimye

For Halloween, my boyfriend and I dressed up as Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. My bf works in music and I’m an “online influencer”, so we joke around that we’re the broke Kimye all the time and we thought this would be a perfect costume. Plus, Kim’s Met Gala look was such a big pop culture moment that when I thought of the idea I cracked up and knew we had to make it happen. I bought two dresses from ASOS in the same pattern (available here and here). I sewed the bottom of the swing dress to the body con dress, and used the extra fabric for the turtleneck, gloves and shoes. Though the print is paisley instead of roses, the colors were similar, and they both have the “old lady couch” feel. I tried to think of something to make into a baby bump, and then I realized…duh! I’m fat. I just poked out my tummy, and voila! (I thought the photoshopped red carpet was a nice touch). And yes, that’s my real butt!
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Black & Blue
 
Crop tops and high waisted skirts are all the rage right now, and I think the combo looks great on all body types. Bonus: both pieces are usually made of stretchy fabric, which means straight sized options can often fit size 20 and beyond. (NastyGal has a ton of awesome oversized and/or stretchy crop tops). The top and skirt I’m wearing below are size 12 from TopShop!
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Atelier Azza

Last week I had the pleasure of collaborating with Azeeza Khan, designer of Atelier Azza, whose breathtaking designs have the fashion industry buzzing after only a year on the scene. While she doesn’t technically offer plus sizes, many of her pieces are one size fits all, with free flowing fabric that works for a variety of bodies. Azeeza is the sweetest, and I’m so honored that she chose me to participate in this street style shoot (shot by the amazing Emma Arnold) celebrating her S/S ’14 collection. The runway show and party is this Thursday in Chicago! For more info and to see the full Refinery29 slideshow, click here.
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