Jessica London: Fashionably Ever After
Filed Under: Fashion
I moved to New York City to make a living with my creative passions, but until that happens, I need health insurance, rent money etc. so I work a 9-5 job as an assistant in the financial district. Three weeks ago, I was up for a promotion at work. A promotion would mean more freedom, challenges, responsibilities and most importantly, more money. So I decided to give it my best shot.
For my first interview I wore my only favorite suit, a bright blue 1950′s inspired blazer with a high rounded collar, a belt on the outside and a black fishtail skirt (very Mad Men). I felt great and I guess I did great too because, I got a second interview! I was excited to be one step closer to a promotion, but a second interview meant a second suit which was annoying because I rarely wear the one suit I have. A quick trip to Macy’s made me even more frustrated… the cute suits were $200+ and I really wasn’t in the mood to spend that kind of money on ONE outfit that I wouldn’t wear again for at least a year.
I had a week to find a suit and luckily during that week, I was invited to hang out in the fashion district with some of the designers from Jessica London.
Because Jessica London is a catalog brand it just wasn’t a line I considered for myself. I can remember flipping through plus size catalogs that my Mom got in the mail when I was a kid and everything seemed so… grown up. As a girl in her twenties, I didn’t feel like Jessica London was for me.
But as I flipped through the Fall 2010 catalog, and looked at their site online, my impression of Jessica London changed, for the better. My eyes fell on a suit in my price range that I thought might work for me. Its called the Bi-Stretch suit and comes in black and grey. It also comes with a skirt or pants. I already had a million black skirts, so I chose the pants. I also selected the white ruffle blouse that they paired with it because I didn’t have a really dressy white top.
When my suit came in, I tried it on and I can honestly say it looked better on my full figure than it did on the smaller model on the website. The way the blazer was cut, long/tapered, was flattering and the ruffles were a flirty touch that didn’t make me feel like I was playing dress up or something. I put on my pearls, open toed heels and walked into my second interview feeling like a fresh and fashionable.
I also found some great fall wardrobe stables like these wide calf boots. I got them in black and the kitten heel is perfect for walking around NYC all day. I also got this khaki trench coat (because I’ve always wanted one)
Anyway, I found out after my interview that the SVP actually made a comment on how well I was dressed. And I found out a few days later that… I got the promotion! (woot! woot!)
Maybe I’m just slow, but its so easy to keep going to the same stores, so I forget about the brands that have been doing plus sizes for like a million years. I’m going to keep stores like Jessica London on my fashion radar because they have some cute, classic pieces that I can see myself rocking this fall.
Do any of you shop the catalog brands?
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