The Ana....understated, undersold and not just a tall girl's dress

There is a dress in the Lularoe lineup that is one of the most undersold but best dresses that they manufacture, and it is the Ana.  Quite simply, the Ana is the long version of the Nicole. It's exactly the same in every way except for the fact that it is a full floor-length dress and the skirt does not flare and twirl. Sorry, no Katniss Everdeen stage twirling with Ana. 

If I had a semi-formal event to go to, such as being asked to be a reader in a wedding, or a chaperone at a prom, or a guest at a wedding, this would be the one. This would be the dress I pulled from my closet. It is gorgeous, it it slinky, it pools perfectly around your ankles but doesn't sweep the floor....it's just absolutely beautiful and no other Lularoe dress has ever made me feel like a princess when I put it on like this one does. That being said, however...I don't think I would have any problem wearing this for a casual event either. In fact, I dressed up for Halloween as a devil, and it was a close tie between wearing my red Ana or my red Nicole as my costume with some devil accessories. I only picked the Nicole because it was very warm that day.

The only thing about this dress that I would caution you about is to definitely find your exact size. The dress that I am wearing is a 3XL and I can not wear a 2XL in it which is my true size (same with the Nicole) because of how fitted the sleeves are and how fitted the bust is. The first time I tried on a 2XL Ana, I felt like I was wearing a straitjacket, but then again, I have guns and a D cup. If your arms are either a problem area or just a little on the large size because of muscle (like mine), size up. If you are big-busted, size up. It's a fitted dress from the waist up without a doubt, but once you find your size, it's a dress that you can take anywhere, wear anywhere and do anything in. 

Unfortunately, you're not going to find this dress at a lot of vendor events or even in-home sales because it very much teeters in no man's land between the best sellers of Lularoe and the specialty items such as Lola, Lucy and Jill. And it's long. I think a lot of consultants shy away from carrying a large inventory of them because they look deceivingly long on the rack and a lot of people don't want to give them a try, which is such a shame because they are so gorgeous. I think that Ana looks on the hanger like a tall girl's dress, which is true, but the smaller it is, the shorter it is. For me at 5'7, the Ana falls RIGHT at my ankles even though it looks ten miles long on the rack. It hangs flat as a board, but since it has enough meat to it to accommodate all of your curves without being skin-tight, your bust and booty will lift it up and take some of that length up so that it falls just perfect. 

My first suggestion would be, of course, to try one on at a local event and make sure that you are happy with the length before purchasing one. However, if you are dying for this dress and can't find one (like I was), then try a Nicole and find your true size FIRST. THEN ask the consultant who has the Ana that you want to measure the skirt length between your size in the Nicole and the same size in the Ana. I didn't do this because I'm on the taller side and felt confident that it would not be too long since I often have to get tall in jeans, but if you are say, 5'5 and shorter, I would check this with the consultant. As I have done in the photo, all you have to do is hang a Nicole on the same type of hanger in front of the Ana and measure from hem to hem. In this example, I have placed a patterned Nicole over a royal blue Ana and used a Fat Max to measure. The difference is approximately 17" so I would assume it's probably proportionately the same in all of the other sizes as well since the dresses do get shorter the smaller they go. However, once you figure out your sizes in Nicole and Ana, it is SO game on! You can even tie the hem up at the side in the Ana as a cute way to shorten it.

If you get the chance and find an Ana on a rack in your size, slip it on and see how the fit is, because you just never know where she might be lurking! You might find that this is YOUR DRESS. 

The minimum advertised price (MAP) set by Lularoe for the Ana dress is $60.00. 

If there are any questions about the Ana dress, please post them below. Make it a great Lularoe day!

The Nicole Dress...May the odds be ever in your favor!

The Nicole dress is such a fun party dress. To me, it is the perfect all-occasion dress. It is great for weddings, funerals, dinners, holiday work parties, work, just wherever you want to wear it. It EVEN makes a great Halloween costume! I wore a plain red Nicole layered with a red lace Monroe and accessorized with a metallic devil horns headband and plastic pitchfork. It is a very simple fitted dress with a waistline that is right at the natural waist, a fitted bodice with a scoop neck that shows the perfect amount of cleavage without being indecent and fitted elbow-length sleeves and a Katniss Everdeen twirly skirt. You know what I'm talking about...remember her dress where she spun around and it burst into flames? Yeah, the Nicole does that. You twirl and the skirt flares out. Totally fun.

This dress is completely versatile. It can be dressed down with sandals and worn alone. It can be layered over leggings and worn with boots. It can be dressed up with hose and heels for a formal look with a wrap. Any occasion, any season, any day, this is your dress. 

I initially bought this dress for a funeral, and the first time I wore it was in Orlando, Florida, where it is humid all the time. The morning that I put it on, I remember thinking, black dress, 75% humidity, 82 degrees, I'm going to ROAST. But I really honestly didn't. I can't explain it....I don't really sweat that much in Lularoe and I'm a sweater, not a glistener. More importantly, I was comfortable all day long starting in the wee hours of that morning when I woke up to shower and get dressed to the wake to the burial to the party afterwards and then to my aunt's house where we sat around until the wee hours reminiscing. That's nineteen hours in a dress in Orlando, Florida and yet I was comfortable the whole time? That's saying something! I layered a black lace Joy over it which is the perfect layering piece since it is the same length, and it was truly perfect. 

The only thing about this dress that I would caution you about is to definitely find your exact size. The dresses that I am wearing is a 3XL and I can not wear a 2XL in it which is my true size because of how fitted the sleeves are and how fitted the bust is. One of the pictures I have featured is a comparison of my black funeral dress sleeve which is a 3XL and then the red 2XL sleeve. It's a very significant difference, so if your arms are either a problem area or just a little on the large size because of muscle (like mine), size up. If you are big-busted, size up. It's a fitted dress from the waist up without a doubt, but once you find your size, it's a dress that you can take anywhere, wear anywhere and do anything in. I love my Nicoles! They come in the typical Lularoe polyblend of 94% polyester, 6% spandex, crepe fabrics (like the Cassie) which are very stretchy (the blue dress above with the bird print is that type of fabric), and even thicker tapestry fabrics which are great for winter. Solids, prints, stripes....Nicole has it all. The Elegance line that was released in 2016 released Nicole dresses in various materials....crushed velvets, oil-slick colored metallics and glittery knits with poinsettia prints. Oh, and as a side note, my cousin Nicole (yes, I know, funny, her name is Nicole too) and I were both speaking at my grandmother's funeral side by side at the podium. She was wearing an XXS Nicole in a gray snakeskin pattern and I was wearing a 3XL black Nicole. No one had ANY idea that we were wearing the same dress. 

Every one of them is unique. Every one of them is perfect and simple and the very epitome of understated elegance. You can even wear a lace petticoat under them to flare out the skirt and wear a belt around the waist to create a 1950s rockabilly look. 

They are so fun and the ultimate party dress! Add in that they are comfortable to boot, and they are well worth the money for the understated elegance that this style gives that will endure as it has for over sixty years. 

The minimum advertised price (MAP) set by Lularoe for the Nicole dress is $48.00. 

If there are any questions about the Nicole dress, please post them below. Make it a great Lularoe day!

Day #5: When life hands you lemons....enjoy them!!!

I don't know what it was about this print that I loved so much when I saw it at a vendor event in McKinney, but I really, really did. Nor can I explain what possessed me to buy a lemon shade of yellow in a Monroe with a black fringe even after my best friend told me it would make me look like a bumblebee. 

All I know is that together, these two items of clothing look fantastic. And I never even planned to put them together. I had no plans for the lemon Monroe other than I thought a yellow kimono would be a great thing to have and I loved the sunny color. And I didn't think I would ever find the lemons in ANY piece, much less a Nicole dress which is a favorite style of mine. 

And I didn't. This was a wonderful gift from a consultant that I hostessed for twice who knew I wanted it. It was a unicorn for me. The word "unicorn" in Lula-vocabulary means a piece of Lularoe that you are looking for in a specific style, print and size and are hunting for. It's a fabled creature, a creature of mythology and in Lularoe-world, you question its very existence!

The lemon yellow shade of yellow in the Monroe picks up the lemons, the swingy black fringe matches the twirly style in the Nicole....put together, this is a perfect outfit. Very fun, good in winter due to the dark color of the dress but colorful and sunny in spring because of the gorgeous creamy yellow. 

Paired with black flats or black sandals, this is perfect. And....not bumblebee-like at all. 

Maybe a little. 

The Mimi: Is it a sweater, a blanket a poncho or a scarf?

For me, the answer is that it is whatever you want it to be. My best friend thinks I look like I am wearing a macrame potted plant hanger. And she's probably laughing RIGHT NOW reading this article.

I actually did a lot of research on this since it is just so darn different than anything that Lularoe makes, but if you are on the fence, haven't seen one in person, or just want some good reading material, get a fresh cup of coffee and sit back! I did a little blogging reconnaissance when these beautiful items first came out last summer and made a run out to check out the newest addition to the Lularoe lineup at a local consultant's house. I wanted to do some research, see these fabulous pieces up close and personal, and take pictures to share with you all, since there is a lot of buzz going around the Lulaworld about these fabulous pieces. (And yeah, I admit, I bought one. And since then? Three more.)

Here is the nitty gritty...the Mimi is essentially a large shawl that is sold as one long piece, but with buttons on one side that allow you to fasten it in front or to the side of you as a poncho. You can also wear it as a wrap, a scarf, or a blanket-style wrap on cold nights. The way that I have modeled it in these pictures is to wear it poncho-style with the blue one buttoned to the side (over a Julia) and the black and gray one buttoned in front (over a Carly and leggings). I can't see myself wearing it unbuttoned personally because I could totally see it slipping off of me and falling on the ground and getting stained or something. I'm just that clumsy, which is why I have to take extra-special care of my Lularoe!

The Mimis are designed, plotted, cut and knitted to their own specifications. Each one is made individually and knitted by a machine, and then finished off and tasseled by hand. This is the reason why this is the most expensive piece hands-down right now in the Lularoe collection. A piece like this is called "Full Fashion Knitting". Yeah, right, I don't know what that means either. So I looked it up!

According to Wikipedia,  "Fully fashioned knitting machines are those flat and circular knitting machines that produce custom pre-shaped pieces of a knitted garment. Instead of knitting a whole rectangular sheet of fabric, instructions from a knit pattern on a punch card or computer file guide a fully fashioned knitting machine's needles to add or drop stitches to create custom two-dimensional shapes appropriate to the desired finished garment structure. The pieces emerge from the machine ready to be sewn together." Now in the case of the Mimi, there are no pieces that are being sewn together, but the point is that the machine makes each Mimi individually, which is why they are so expensive! As we all know, Lularoe's bedrock principle is that they make a print or a color in a fabric, they cut it into the various styles, sew them together and then distribute them for sale, but in the case of the Mimi, these are a little more special because there is no fabric anywhere in the piece. They are 100% yarn in the piece and the tassels and finishing are made with some sort of thread from what I could tell. 

From what I can tell, there are three main "styles" of the Mimi:

1) The first style, featured in purple and blue, is a combination of a shaker-style stitch with bands of honeycomb mesh stitches in a staggered eyelet design. 

2) The second style, featured individually in black and cream, is a honeycomb mesh stitch in a staggered eyelet design for a more traditional crocheted look.

3) The third style is a tight zig-zag rib knitted stitch pattern, featured in slate blue.

Don't be impressed that I knew those stitch names. I had to look them up on Pinterest while quietly cursing myself for not letting my late grandma teach me how to knit or crochet. She, by the way, was also nicknamed MIMI. 

It also appears from what I have seen online so far with Mimi, there are four main "color variations" as well:

1) The first style is a blend of two colors of yarn that combine together to appear as one color when actually when examined up close are two. For example, the plum one that is modeled is actually a combination of purple and blue. That's the only one I have seen in that way.

2) The second style is a solid yarn in one color. I have seen this style so far in black, gray and white. 

3) The third style is almost a combination of striped and heathered, which is what I am wearing in the blue. I have seen this in also in olive, green, gray and black.

4) The fourth style is a solid color but with partial stripes of a contrasting color coming in from the sides, which is what I am wearing in black and gray. I've also seen this in blue and gold, green and white, white and black, pumpkin and cream, olive and brown, and white and gray.

So now, on to what I thought of the Mimi itself:

The first reaction I had after laying a hand on one was how incredibly soft and light it felt compared to what I had expected. I don't know why, but I had honestly expected it to feel like wool. You know, scratchy? Itchy? Hot? Not something you want to wear? But it wasn't like that at all. It was incredibly soft and luxurious. The knitted fabric stretches gently so that it truly is one size fits all, and because there are no sleeves or a waist, you just wrap it around your shoulders and button it up and go. Or, leave it buttoned and then slide it over your head like a pull over. Then you can adjust it to have the buttons to the side (as I did with the blue) or leave them in front to create a more cardigan-feel (as I did with the black). Another way to wear it is to stylishly arrange it around you so it drapes at an angle. 

Another concern I had with the Mimi was that I won't be able to wear it very often since I live in Texas. That was a concern that I had back in August when it was triple digits. Now, in January, I am very glad that I bought them as they are wonderful to wear, very stylish, and very cozy. The knitted fabric is very flexible and thin but not so thin that you are cold. However, I did hear from another consultant in New York who was not impressed with the Mimi at all because she feels that it will be too thin to provide any warmth for the chilly Northeastern winters. I have a feeling that the consultants in Florida probably will like theirs but won't keep them since Florida hardly ever gets cold. I have worn my Mimi when it is fifty degrees (perfect), thirty degrees (perfect but I could have used a little more warmth) and nine degrees with wind chill (completely insufficient).  

The tassels, as intended, are purely decorative to add some flair to the shawl and not just make it look like a rectangular piece of knitted fabric. The buttons are in complimentary colors to the yard and fasten the Mimi on securely but not so much that they are hard to unbutton. 

So the question is, are you buying one because you truly intend to wear it, or are you buying one because it's the hottest flashiest thing right now? Ask yourself that before you buy one, because not everyone likes them. My husband was not too crazy about them. Mr. Fashionista, upon seeing the pictures of the Mimi when it was first released last summer, asked where my sombrero and burro was. Ha. Do you live in a climate where it would be worth it? Do you live in a climate where it won't provide you with any warmth? Does it go with your clothes that you wear? Is it really you? It's $75 retail, ladies...ask yourselves if you really want it or you just want it because everyone wants it? It's so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind...kind of like Tickle Me Elmo. 

For myself, I decided when I first saw them that I really wanted one because I have shirts that are this style that I really enjoy wearing. Texas does get cold when the storms blow down from Oklahoma, and as it stands right now, my warmest dressiest "jacket" is the Sarah since I donated my old out-of-date leather jacket. I also think that these look really nice and stylish with skirts and dresses and jeans. I think they have the capability to be styled in a lot of different ways and to be genuinely enjoyed....if you truly want to spend the money to do that. If you do, they are definitely worth it. There are items like this on the market right now that on the cheap retail for about $29 from Target and on the pricey retail for about $208 at Nordstrom's. And I really wanted the ones from Lularoe because of the colors. I decided on two in the color combinations that I would wear the most: black and blue.  The ones featured are the ones I will own and wear for years to come. Since the first release I bought another one that is solid black with white threads and a gray one, and I am thinking about a green. 

So for me, I guess I did get sucked into the Tickle Me Elmo whirlwind. I don't even know whether or not I should hang these things up or just fold them. Right now, they are all sitting folded in my office until I figure out a storage method. I throw them on my desk at work because my coat hook stretches them out. 

But I really like them. Do you? Have you tried one on? I am tall and these hit right at the right place on my hips and my arms. Do they hit right on you, or are they too heavy? Only you can say! I personally love mine and I wish that I could have one in purple and one in blue-green. But I don't like the fabric in the purple and the blue-green doesn't exist. 

Okay, fine. I admit it. I love them. They are so darn cozy and I can wear whatever I want and it will layer over everything. Look at this. What can layer over leggings, a Nicole dress, a Joy and a Sarah and still look normal? 

The minimum advertised price (MAP) set by Lularoe for the Mimi scarf is $75.00. 

If there are any questions about the Mimi scarf, please post them below. Make it a great Lularoe day!

Day #4: Get Rhythm When You Get The Blues

Seriously, you would think that no one in Dallas had ever seen snow or ice before. But I digress. I teased my coworkers enough at the office for standing at the window watching our parking lot get covered in white yesterday. I know a lot of people were excited about the snow, and I know I should be too, but I guess in Dallas it's more of a hassle than pretty. But at least the city is preparing better.

Since it was going to be COOOOOOLD yesterday, I decided to take advantage and wear an Ana which I hardly ever get to wear! I know it looks purple in the photographs because of the flash, but it is actually a mix of navy blue and royal blue. I paired it with an Aztec-style turquoise and royal blue Lindsay and turquoise leggings. Accessories? Denim blue Skecher ballet flats (let's face it, after my shattered foot, I don't have a lot of options for footwear), an aqua agate faced Fossil watch with a stainless steel band, turquoise headband, blue topaz cocktail ring and a pair of turquoise and teal beaded earrings. As my coworker said, "look at you in all that blue!" If you picked my favorite colors dependent on what the predominant color is in my closet, blues and turquoise would be it. 

The Mimi was nice to have on with the cold in the morning. I didn't take a picture of me wearing it because I have a few pictures up already with me wearing it and the Mimi, really, doesn't look any different worn over different dresses. I wish I was all stylish and fashionist and wore it all scarfed and everything but I just like to wear mine poncho-style with the buttons in the front or pulled to the side so that the bottom hem of the Mimi drapes at an angle. I will be honest that it did not do a thing for me in the afternoon when I walked out at six pm when it was 23 degrees with a wind chill factor of 9 degrees, but fortunately my car warms up fast, and once the heat was going, the Mimi kept me snug as a bug in a rug. 

The Ana dress is a fantastic dress and if you know your Nicole size, this is the same as the dresses are identical, it's just a longer skirt that doesn't twirl. However, as you can see, it is rather clingy. I didn't wear a Spanx under mine since I was wearing leggings and you can tell for sure!

Wearing leggings under an Ana is something that a lot of people don't think about doing because it's such a long, formal dress, but I have done it now on two occasions and no one has noticed my leggings either time. Both times that I did it, it was on really cold nights and I don't think I would have been warm enough either way. The Ana is a fantastic dress and I am so excited to get to wear the ones that I have this winter with leggings as an accompaniment. For this dress, the blue is so vibrant and vivid and beautiful, it is perfect for winter, and the Lindsay that I selected is in a combination of so many shades of blues and turquoise that it was the perfect compliment to this perfect dress. And the flash of turquoise as the skirt of the Ana swished matched the Lindsay. 

The Lindsay, a hard to find one, is available in S for purchase from Deborah Shute. She also has the turquoise leggings in OS and TC.

Make it a great Lula day and stay warm!

Day #3: Layers, layers and more layers!

Snow flurries tomorrow. Really? Argh. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that it's finally starting to act like winter around here, but I have a feeling when March comes I will be so happy to wear sandals again!

I've had some very big changes at work this week, which means I'm going to start traveling again, so I haven't done as great with blogging EVERY day as I wanted...but the changes at work are really positive and I'm going to be back out in the field. I'm leaving for Sacramento, California on Sunday.


On Wednesday, I wore a gorgeous new Nicole that I honestly wish I had bought months ago after hostessing for Laura Lindsay. I was very lucky that she still had it during her end of the year sale, and I can't be happier that I gave it a try. It is a dark blue, almost navy background, with a pale platinum gray lace pattern overlaying it. I wore light blue leggings underneath, a white lace Joy on top with a navy blue Sarah with white heathering, and to top it all off, my blue Mimi since the temperatures dropped like a rock in a pond while I was at work that day. I think what I liked the most about this outfit was that the white lace Joy really went well with the pattern on the dress. White is generally a spring and summer color, but in this case, it was a perfect combination with the lace pattern especially for winter....kind of like snowflakes! And the blues, even though they were all different shades, all complimented each other well. 

 ...and then the leggings!
As each layer comes off...

Wearing a Sarah layered over a Joy really adds a different dimension to the duster cardigan. They are the the same length, so the lace worn under the Joy almost makes the Sarah look lined. It's a really unique way to dress up the Sarah when wearing it with a dress. For accessories, I am wearing a pair of blue Skecher ballet flats, a pearl headband, a pair of silver seashell and pearl drop earrings, a silver and cubic zirconia cocktail ring from Brighton, and a silver Fossil watch with a white marble face. 

And for fun, I decided to paint my nails in a complimentary color...OPI Live and Let Die! 

This really has been the first week of the season that I've gotten to really wear my Mimi scarf and enjoy it, and I'm just loving it. They are so soft and warm, and they layer perfectly over your outfit, no matter how many layers you are wearing. And they are really comfortable and not scratchy at all. I'm really glad that I made the investment to get the ones that I wanted for this year rather than replacing my leather jacket from years past. 

The blue Mimi I am wearing is available for purchase from Lisa Mims. 

The dark blue with platinum lace Nicole is available for purchase in a 3XL from Laura Lindsay. 

The navy blue heathered Sarah is available for purchase in an XL from Katie McReynolds.

The white lace Joy is a little out of season as that is more of an item sold in the spring, but white knit Joys are very popular right now and Serena Cervantes has the white knit Joy in S, L and XL available for purchase. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful Friday as the first week of 2017 draws to a close.