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Chelseakray.com

MillyBridal & Prom UK

Prom and Wedding season is here!  And there's only one site that has the best selection and prices of formal and semi-formal dresses.  It's MillyBridal UK.  Styles of prom dresses havn't changed a lot over the past twenty years, but there are a few trends that have become more popular recently.  For example, long sleeves.  Traditionally speaking, prom dresses usually show bare shoulders and have more coverage on the skirt of the dress.  Although this silhouette is lovely for the young lady with sculpted arms and prominent collar bones, it's a nightmare for a triangle body-type.

With the option of long sleeve prom dresses becoming more popular, UK Milly has a huge selection of dresses for every silhouette.  Love your back, but not your shoulders?  A long sleeve, backless prom dress is perfect for you.  Have a small waist and large hips?  Try a ball gown which emphasizes your hourglass figure.  Not sure which silhouette is most flattering for your body type?  UK Milly has a guide that helps with necklines, silhouettes and train length on their site.  

A GUIDE TO CHOOSING YOUR DRESS

Choosing a perfect dress for wedding and events could be a terrifying process.

There are so many dress options out there, it can be too overwhelming to choose a suitable one. How could you make sure which dress will make you look and feel the most beautiful? And which dress is supposed to be your dreamed one? Together with the talented dress designers, best of the Bridal industry, we’ve created a handy shopping guide on how to choose your dress. Refer to our guidelines whenever you may need it. We’ve also concluded some super helpful ideas that show exactly what dress shapes, necklines and trains are available to you! Hopefully it will add a little fun to your dress hunting experience! Happy shopping everyone…

Another popular trend are two-piece dresses.  These dresses are popular among prom goers with a slim waist.  As a general rule, don't show too much skin in your two piece prom dress.  If your waist is showing, be conservative with your skirt length and skin baring top.  The pink two-piece prom dress pictured above is a perfect example of balance.  More coverage on the top and bottom lends a perfect opportunity to draw your eye to her waist, which is exactly the goal.

Another tasteful way to show some skin, are with backless prom dresses.  The dress pictured above has an elegant balance of peak-a-boo cut outs at the waist and complete exposure of the back.  I love how the model accessorized her backless dress with a necklace down the back to draw your eye even more.  Concerned about undergarments?  The perfect solution to a backless dress is a backless bra.  I own one and wear it all the time.  I find it even more comfortable than a strapless and it holds tight all night long.  

Whether it's your shoulders, back or waist you want to make the start of the show, UK Milly has the biggest selection of affordable prom dresses around.  With options in any silhouette, color, length and style, find your perfect dress to make a statement at prom this year.

Leggings!

Oh leggings.  How I love thee.  You are a cross between pants and tights and should be treated so.  With your forgiving waistband, stretchy material and unlimited colors and prints, you hug my bottom-half in all the right places.  Although, leggings... you have been used and abused by far too many.  You are debate-ably one of the longest lasting and most popular trends I've seen in my lifetime.  With all that fashion power, I wonder why we just can't seem to get you right.

Generally speaking, leggings are a thick, footless version of tights.  Would you walk out the door in tights and a top that shows your crotch and butt?  Sweet Lord, I hope not.  So, please, stop doing it with leggings.  Of course, there are a few exceptions to the rule.  Working out?  Lycra leggings (designed for supportive exercise, with zero sheerness) are fine for the gym or running.  Under 21?  Go ahead.  Take advantage of that adorable perky young butt.  Jeggings?  Absolutely.  As long as there's pockets, belt loops and a zipper or button closure, you're good.  Don't care about rules?  Okay.

So, realizing you've been breaking legging rules?  Welcome to the club.  I would say almost 50% of women I see in leggings these days, aren't wearing them right.  To each their own.  I wear leggings just as much as I wear any other kind of pants, but I always try to follow the "Leggings Golden Rule: Always cover your crotch and butt with a dress, tunic or layering piece when wearing leggings".  The "camel toe" trend did NOT make it and if your bottom is wider than your hip bones (which is a yes for most women), showing that part of your body off in a tight, thin material isn't doing you any justice.

With all that said, fashion rules are meant for breaking and if you feel great, you will probably look great too.  A few pro tips to finding the right legging for your body: (1) The waistband is everything.  To avoid pulling your leggings up constantly, find a pair with a thick, wide waistband.  (2)  Sizing.  Your leggings should not pinch, bunch or strain at the seams.  The fit should compliment your bottom half.  I struggle finding leggings that are long enough.  A great solution to a pair that might fall too short or too long is to fold them up a couple times at the hem.  A very fashion forward move.  (3) Balance.  I emphasize balance on my Blog a lot.  The general rule is, if you are wearing leggings (which fit snug), balance them with a more flowy tunic or cardigan.  (4) Print.  I love print.  Sometimes too much.  Unless you're a fashion pro, stick to one piece with print.  Pair your floral print leggings with sandals and a solid swingy dress and you've got a look that can go from day to night.

My look above breaks all the legging rules... but I don't care!  My off-shoulder pink top (Forever21) perfectly complimented the high-waisted olive green leggings (Forever21) and peep-toe sandals (Steve Madden).  It was the perfect look for an outdoor concert, which screams for trendy comfort.  

Mother's Day

I've had some crappy jobs in my lifetime.  Who knew plunging toilets came with the waitress job description?  But, you do what you have to when you gotta make money.  I figured, as long as there was a paycheck involved, I could clean just about anything.  Then, my son was born.  Everything disgusting that the human body does, his tiny little body did.  And I cleaned every bit of it.  No paycheck involved.  Because when you're a mom, it doesn't matter.  You love that tiny little being so much, you'll do anything.  It's called unconditional love, and it comes automatically, when you become a Mom.

I think it's a bit ridiculous that we celebrate moms only one day a year.  Moms give 100% of themselves 364 days a year, without any praise, and people think one day of recognition is sufficient?  Get out of here!  Moms should be celebrated everyday.  For getting up at the crack of dawn, because the kids are up.  For making breakfast, lunch, dinner AND doing the dishes.  For spending their entire Saturday watching Little League and their entire Sunday working on his science project.  For staying up late to bake the class apple chips for the school fair tomorrow.  We do it all in the name of love.

Don't just give your mom flowers and a card this year.  She deserves something special and unique, just like her.  Not sure what the perfect gift is?  Give her the gift of Personal Shopping and Wardrobe Organization.  Hire ME (a certified and experienced Fashion Consultant) to help Mom weed out the wardrobe pieces she shouldn't wear and assist her in shopping for new updated clothing and accessories, so she can feel fabulous all year long.  Every time Mom puts on a new top that she got while using her Personal Shopping gift, she'll feel the love that you gave back to her.  I work with any budget and the first hour Consultation is always FREE.

Contact me at:

Chelsea K. Ray

Fashion Consultant & Blogger

150 Falmouth Street

Portland, ME 04102

(207) 615-4028

chelseakray@gmail.com

Http://chelseakray.com

MD Maternity Shapewear

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a shapewear company to test out a few of their maternity pieces.  I'm not pregnant, but fortunately, I have a couple girlfriends who are.  They were thrilled at the opportunity to try on samples of quality shapewear, for their growing bodies.  When they're pregnant, some moms only grow in their bellies.  Other moms, like me, grow everywhere!  All the way from my neck to my ankles.  Luckily, maternity wear has taken leaps and bounds in support, function and fashion.  

My pregnant friend, Teresa, is expecting her second baby girl in August and was put on bed rest for most of her pregnancy.  Teresa and baby are doing well, her body is changing even more than her last pregnancy.  She's just starting to show in her belly, but her breasts began to grow very early on in her pregnancy.  She needed support and comfort and chose two MD Maternity Shapewear pieces.  The first piece:

 MD's Nursing Bras Push Up Cute Best Comfortable Breastfeeding Sports Bra, fit great.  The straps were soft, adjustable.  The material of the bra was stretchy, supportive and a high quality.

Teresa also tried on: 

MD Maternity Underwear Activewear Pregnancy Shirts Belly Support Band Long Sleeve Undershirt Again, the shapewear was stretchy, supportive and a high quality.  Teresa felt as though the long sleeve undershirt was a bit tight in all areas and said she would order a size up next time in this style top.  Hopefully, my dear pregnant friend will soon be able to venture out (a.k.a. be taken off bed rest) in her comfortable and supportive new shapewear from MD.  A big thank you to MD Shapewear for the great samples and to Teresa for being such a sport during her pregnancy.  

DressesOfGirl

This time of year, I'm always looking for special occasion dresses.  Whether it's for a Client's daughter in need of the perfect Homecoming Dresses or helping my best friend find her bridal gown, I'm always sending them to shop online first.  Online Boutiques, like DressesofGirl, have the biggest and most affordable selection of special occasion dresses available.  

dressesofgirl.com is a one stop shop for wedding and parties. We offer a range of beautiful dresses, matching shoes, exquisite accessories for brides and fashion ladies. The dress collections will be updated every season according to the fashion trend, in order to provide with you with the latest styles. Moreover, at dressesofgirl.com, you can also have your dresses or gowns custom made if you can’t find a right size.

We aim to be budget-friendly the moment we establish dressesofgirl.com. No matter where you are or who you are. dressesofgirl.com offers same low price to you. Whether you’re a retailer who refuses to pay too much in your country, or a wondering customer desires to catch the latest fashion, we provide unbeatable low price for you.

dressesofgirl.com offers a safe and easy online purchasing experience. Our payment processes guarantee a safe and secure purchasing environment. dressesofgirl.com has taken out the hassle of international trade—from product sourcing, secure payment and shipping.

Behind dressesofgirl.com is an amazing team of real, live specialists who are happy to handle any issue you may have. The customer service is always ready to solve the problems you may come up, so feel free to turn to our customer service when you need help or have any question.

We know that the dress means a lot to you, so we ensure that each dress is handled with care and arrives from our warehouse in style! Additionally, we offer fast delivery to have you get the dress in time for your big event.

                                                                                                                                                  -dressesofgirl.com

Homecoming and Prom are right around the corner.  Want to find a dress that no one else has, but is still in your budget?  DressesOfGirl has hundreds of brand new styles for under $100.  You won't find deals like that at the Mall.  And with the money you save on your stunning dress, you can even get the perfect pair of heels to match.  DressesOfGirl has everything you need from head to toe for your special occasion needs.

Concerned about sizing and fit when shopping online?  Check out DressesOfGirl's quality guarantee.

We Make Luxury Affordable

Glamorous styling, dramatic silhouettes, and rich embroidery are what make dressesofgirl.com one of the most exciting and sought-after online shop. Despite the amazing-look dresses, our prices (most under $200) are a fraction of the price of similar designer dresses.

We do... Cut out the middleman and link you directly to designers and manufatures Save you 50%-80% on high street dress shops Use professional dress makers who worked with high street big names Deliver to your with UPS or DHL Build extra materials into dresses, to enable possible alternation                          -dressesofgirl.com

My Spring Wishlist

My Spring wishlist is super long, but to save us all time, I'll narrow it down to the must-haves:

Off-Shoulder Top

We saw off the shoulder tops emerge last summer.  I was a bit weary to jump on the trend, because it's exclusively a Spring/Summer look, but seeing that it's here to stay, I MUST have one.  A couple tips to styling an off-shoulder top, (1) Pair a more loose fitting off-shoulder top with slim-fitting bottoms, and (2) Invest in a comfortable and supportive strapless bra, so you can wear this look all season long.

Fruit Inspired Accessories

Anyone who knows me, knows why I selected a cherry printed bag.  I've had a thing for cherries since High School.  I even have cherries tattooed to my hip.  Hard-core cherry fan.  Luckily, cherries, pineapple, watermelon, whatever fruit you like is all the rage for Spring.  You'll see me with cherry earrings, shoes, bags, clothes...  One tip to styling fruit inspired pieces is to stick to one fruit at a time.  Fruit salad isn't in, just yet. 

Raw Hem Denim

Whether it's a denim skirt, shorts or pants, a raw hem is everything this Spring.  Don't invest a lot into this trend.  It's likely to be short-lived, but an absolute must-have for the season.  You can always make your own raw hem by cutting the sewn hem off your favorite denim or even removing the stitches and letting the hem hang down raw.  Just wash your raw hem denim a few times and voila.

Mules

Mules are another trend that I had to give a moment to make sure they were going to stick around.  I wasn't sure I loved the trend until I saw peep-toe high-heel mules.  Now that's sexy.  The best part of wearing mules is that they're easy to slide on and off, but an added bonus is that they go with everything.  Cropped denim?  Yes.  Sexy cocktail dress?  Heck yes.  Yoga pants?  No.  Sorry, mules go with everything but yoga pants.  

Drop Waist Dress

The world's most figure flattering dress, the drop waist.  Get one.  Love it.  Get more.  Done.

Choker

Chokers took the 90's by storm and they're back.  Like, all they way back.  I have an insanely long neck, so a choker always looks right, but if you don't resemble a giraffe like me, be sure to wear your choker only with tops that show enough skin to not interfere or overlap your necklace.  Also, wearing your choker too tight will literally choke you.  Don't do it.  Wearing it too loose, the choker will turn around all day.  Find a choker that fits your neck just right.

All the pieces featured above are from Shein.  Click on the image to see their amazing prices and selection.