Crochet To The Maxi!
When it comes to the summertime there are many things to look forward to. Some of us make plans to travel and catch some sun, others decide to stay home and enjoy those surroundings. This past month I turned 30 and the big occasion was taking place in Las Vegas! The last time I was in the USA, I was on the west coast, LA to be exact. Some of my best friends had visited sin city before and so, they made sure to warn me of the extreme desert heat!
In preparation for a summer holiday we all tend to stock up on new clothes for the big trip. In my case I wanted to be fashionable and comfortable in the sunshine. Of course my birthday falls right in the middle of July, typically the hottest time of the year in Vegas with temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees. I had a lot to consider wardrobe-wise. The aim was to have a selection of summertime options that would be comfortable, easy to wear and fat friendly! Each summer there is one item that all women tend to look for and this is of course is a maxi dress.
When I saw this low cut tie-dye number from Junarose (also available at Simply Be) it was something that I really wanted to try. The splashes of blue and white would compliment many other items in my closet. I already knew that I could add my own style and flair to such an item. I tried this dress in both sizes 24 and 26; eventually opting for the 26. The V shape lines sat too high against my large bust in a 24 and so I decided to go one size bigger. We all like to explore when we go on our travels and so I thought it would be best to pair the dress with a simple pair of trainers. Las Vegas is a city built in the desert, with this in mind it was important to include a bag.
My white backpack was to help in carrying water bottles and other essentials. Aiming to protect my eyes from the bright sunshine, I borrowed Hanna’s Polaroid sunnies. Wearing this outfit I felt like a 1970s, disco diva. I really enjoyed wearing this look and found it to be extremely light and airy. The deep V cut, allowed for quite a helping of cleavage, which is fine with me lol. With my arms uncovered and exposed, it took a little added confidence to wear this one but I enjoyed myself and felt really great.
My amazing friend Venice had installed some crochet curls into my hair the very day before these photos were taken. The plan was to have a heat protective style for my hair that would be easy to manage. Many women with natural afro hair are conscious of protecting their hair from extreme heat and UV rays. Unfortunately I have found that no amount of oiling my hair has prevented it from drying out in the sunshine. I wanted a stress free, time-saving style and thought that curls would be a nice way to go. Interestingly enough, human hair is usually the chosen option when wearing extensions. Crochet braid wearers tend to go for synthetic styles instead. Of course this is helps when it comes to the price tag and can save one hundreds of pounds! I selected the Freetress GOGO curl, colour 1B.
I always select colour 1B when wearing extensions as this matches my natural shade. If I were to wear a weave or a wig, Brazilian or Peruvian hair would be my texture of choice. I have become a huge fan of crochet braids as they are such an easy style to wear and extremely lightweight. They come in a variety of curl and twist patterns and only take a short amount of time to install. Venice more than hooked me up! I thought it would be cool to include my navy bandana with this outfit to compliment the shades in the maxi-dress.
The sunshine is still here so i’m hoping that I will get a little more wear out of my summer clothing this season! I may have big hair, loud dresses and bold prints in my wardrobe but, I plan on experimenting. I find that you can surprise yourself when you just take a chance with your look!
