FASHION | Is Boohoo Curve actually for curvy people?

The curvy fashion queen has returned for your pleasure.

Hello my lovelies and welcome back to a long awaited try on haul! If you have been following me since I had my Blogger platform then you will know I did try on hauls quite often. I really enjoy doing them, I think they’re so much fun just to try all your latest bits on and play dress up in your bedroom and you guys always really enjoyed them! So I thought it was time to bring this quality content back to my new platform. But today I am trying a brand that I have never bought anything from before – Boohoo. Most online brands such as Boohoo, I never normally branch out to just because stereo-typically they don’t often cater to my group of sizes, which is size 20 and over. For example, normally online retailers will have up to size 20 in their standard range if they do not have a curve or plus size section. But there is never much difference between one set of sizes in standard ranges [6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20] because they’re trying to fit those into an all inclusive sized box of “typical” sizes and “typical” fits which typically is all catered on the smaller size across the board. So you could have a size 20 in the standard range and it will still be too small because that range is being typically filtered to an overall smaller category. If that makes sense; this scale could work both ways. For example you might have someone who is actually a size 8 or 10 but because they might have wider set hips or more muscle on their legs, they may have to go for size 12 or 14 due to the fact the difference in standard size ranges is so slim, it’s barely an inch, between one or two sizes. You may also have that on the petite scale too, someone might actually be a size 12 or 14 but because they’re shorter in height standard ranged items might be too long but the amount of material is correct for whatever weight that individual might be. But in typical petite ranges the clothing is taken up a bit because of a shorter height but is also taken in a bit. Even though “petite” doesn’t always mean smaller in body type and shape. It’s also the same with tall ranges, just because someone is taller doesn’t necessarily mean they’re slimmer, they potentially might have a lot of curve. I hope you guys know what I mean, I am going to do a further investigation in terms of this when I get back into Born To Be – my series that is catered to fashion and body image etc. Click here to give that read after this post if you haven’t already.

But I was surprised to find out that Boohoo actually has a plus size/ curve range on their website. I don’t know how long they’ve had a curve range but I know they create many adverts now with all ranges of women in (I’m unsure about the male side) and they don’t edit out things like stretch marks, cellulite, veins, skin marks etc. Which is brilliant and it does show how far we have come in terms of fashion adverts and the industry and the body positivity movement. I think as we move forward we can definitely do even more and I’m excited to see more brands follow suit with things like that for both female and male.

Okay, I think I’ve kept you all waiting long enough! Let’s get on with the haul, give this post a like right now if you’re excited!

DISCLAIMER:

You will see tummy, stretch marks, cellulite, marks, veins, bumps, lumps and more that makes up my size 20 – 22 body. But that doesn’t define how I look in my clothes and it doesn’t define how you look in your clothes either.

Also just to note, all of these items are from the curve/ plus size range so I do not know if all of these items are in the other ranges they do. You’d have to double check when looking on the website. And I do not remember all of the prices because everything when I bought these was on sale for like up to 70% off and I had a discount code (read until the end if you wanna know where to get your discount code).

I saw these on the website and I fell in love with this style. I try to buy pieces these days that I don’t have any thing like, or in colours I don’t really own, and styles that I will most likely wear. When I was a bit younger I used to buy clothing sometimes just because I liked it, which of course you should like what you’re buying. But in reality they didn’t fit that well or there was something about them that I wasn’t too sure about in terms of fitting to my body and in the long run I barely ever wore them or not at all. So now I work a lot harder to really think am I comfortable in this, will I actually wear it, do I already own something like it, will they be put to good use etc.

So they’re ruffle shorts but when you wear them they really look like a ruffled skater skirt. They have this extra under layer of material as you can see in the above photos which gives it a bit more protection in terms of how thin this fabric is. However in contrast to that statement I do like that these are so thin because they’re much cooler to wear in this current July weather in April.

When these arrived I was a bit worried that these weren’t going to fit because of an undiscovered zip that I didn’t realise they’d had. Even though these are from the plus size range normally any skirt or shorts or trousers that have a zip even when they’re made for curvier hips and legs never usually fit me or they fit but feel too tight to do anything in which isn’t what you want. When you’re wearing clothes surely the main aim is to feel comfortable that you don’t even have any anxiety about a certain area or a certain fit on that area, to look good for yourself, and to have no worry in what you’re wearing because what you’re wearing shouldn’t limit your day and anything you do.

I was pleasantly surprised that these actually fit, even with the zip down the side, and I have enough room to breath, sit down, and even do a work out if I wanted! Basically the fit of these is great. One of my favourite things is if I tuck a top into it I still have enough room and even if I wear them as you normally would they don’t fall down or feel too big either. The ruffle really gives them something extra than a plain pair of khaki shorts. The only thing that is slightly irritating is because the zip is down the side I really have to reach round to do it up and inside they’ve got those annoying loop tag things to hang onto hangers even though you would put shorts on clippy hangers. So they’re a bit annoying but I will just have to cut those off. But if you’re looking for a new pair of shorts for the warmer weather, I would highly recommend these ones.

I decided to treat myself to a new play-suit. I really enjoy play-suits as they’re easy to throw on in the summer with a jacket or a cardigan if it’s a bit chilly with some slip ons or lace up shoes and your outfit is done. So when you want something easy to wear on a warm day these are one of my go to outfits. When this one arrived I was a bit unsure because the material is quite thick, it’s that scuba material. But it redeems itself by being an overall loose fit on my stomach and around my legs. However although this material is thick it is still very much see through. As you can see in the first picture, you can see the lace trim of my underwear. So for sure I’m gonna have to wear peachy and pink toned underwear when I decide to wear this out.

I am not a fan of play-suits that are too tight or are quite fitted. I do own a couple of them but I will only ever wear them when I am having a very body confident day. I much prefer the ones that have an elasticated centre or like this one that has that over-layered crop type of top that is loose and flowy. As of course you can still see the outline of my stomach but because I’ve got that extra layer slightly over the top it gives the outfit something more and it makes me feel more confident.

I also really like the sleeves as you just tie them into little bows and adjust them to how you want them to sit on your shoulders. It does come slightly low sometimes as well dependent on how well you tie the bows up. But one of the main reasons I was so unsure about this item when it arrived was because the colour is not completely the same as it was on the website. And of course sometimes the lighting and the way they edit the photos can cause a slight difference in the cool tones and the warm tones of a garment overall. You can see it above in both of my photos, the further away I was the more peachy the play-suit looks and the closer I was to the natural light, the more blush toned the garment looked which is what it was advertised as on the website.

Of course I still like it otherwise I wouldn’t have kept it but the half blush/ half peach tone kind of causes it to wash me out ever so slightly. So I think when I wear this out in the sunshine and my skin gets a slight tan/ glow it’ll be all good. I did try to pair it with a little white tshirt and long sleeve top underneath but it did not look right. I think it’s due to the colour of it and the thickness of the play-suit itself. But it’s definitely a nice piece for the warm summer days, it’s just a small shame that it’s not a pure blush shade like it was advertised as. But most importantly the fit is comfortable and ultimately that’s the deal breaker as to whether or not I will wear an outfit.

I do love a wrap skirt even though they are partial to falling down so it’s a good job I always wear cycling shorts with them. I am a massive fan of polka dots / dot type prints which is probably what drew me to this. I am such a big fan of wearing monochrome outfits that are slightly miss matched. So for example the other week I wore this skirt with a bat wing sleeved over sized top that was also black and white but the polka dots were small and uniform whereas this skirts dots are bigger and scattered. So it’s like similar but not the same and I adore wearing outfits like that.

This skirt itself, the quality of it is kind of average. I’m not gonna lie to you, it is very much just like a piece of material that has been cut into a shape in order for you to wrap it round your body. Like the majority of wrap skirts it has the extra thinner bits of material at the side in order for you to tie it at the side and it was meant to come with a button inside however the button was not inside but the thread was still in there where it must’ve been. So maybe it got ripped off when packaged or if it was sent back by someone else before which isn’t the greatest if that was the case. However where to button hole was the skirt would’ve been too big for me like that anyway and I’m sure I ordered this one in my actual size so god knows why it’s as wide as it is. Again the material is so thin and it’s light which does make it great for summer and I think because it’s darker and a pattern it not see through compared the previous block coloured item you’ve already seen.

Despite the overall quality I love the pattern, I like that the material is lightweight, the length at the back is really good for my height, and I love the slit. I do love slit in a skirt or dress as it makes me feel sexy to get a bit of your higher thigh out but not all of the way.

Continuing the skirt theme I saw this white embroidered style number. I really liked it on the website obviously otherwise I wouldn’t of ordered it but I didn’t think I was going to like it that much on, especially when I’d tried on previous items in darker and brighter colours that were slightly see through. So I thought for sure I wasn’t going to be able to wear this but I was actually pleasantly surprised. This isn’t see through at all really because it has two layers of skirt which gives it that lovely scalloped trim waterfall effect, similar to the ruffle shorts. Which you know I love because it gives the skirt a little something extra to go along with all of that gorgeous detailing.

. Again it looks really lovely at the back as well because the skirt isn’t too short. For me personally because I have curvy hips and I am tall I don’t like it when skirts and dresses are too too short because they should at least cover your booty. I’m actually very excited to wear this on a lovely summers day.

On the website they had a top to match this but usually with things like skirts and shorts the matching tops are always tiny little cropped ones. Which is fine but matching co-ord types of outfits never usually work for me so I decided just to go for the skirt only. So I need to find a really lovely top to go with this white skirt, if any of you lovelies have a suggestion then please let me know. Overall though, I am very impressed with quality and the fit of this piece.

I saw this top on the website and I was intrigued by it but I honestly thought this was gonna be the one I would for sure send back because I could already tell from the model on the website that this was gonna be pretty fitted which isn’t always my favourite thing. I only really like wearing fitted tops with certain skirts and trousers that have a tie bit at the front, like in the images above for example. There’s also been a big trend of massive sleeves and I’ve seen a few tops that have been quite nice but the part on the sleeve was too big for comfort. So when I saw this one I quite liked how the netting almost goes up and down like a flutter, like a butterfly.

When this arrived I was honestly shocked at how much I liked it, no loved it on! I felt like an absolute queen in this, I was strutting around my mum and dad’s bedroom feeling like a million bucks just from a top. It is madness how fashion and clothing has such an overall affect on our mental health and physical appearance. So the overall quality is actually really good, it’s a bit like the scuba material but not as smooth. It’s got a bit of texture to it. It is fitted as I expected but not to the point where I feel like I’m going to be unable to breathe or uncomfortable when I’m out and about. The neckline is lovely as it elongates the neck without being really baggy and low. The sleeves are as I expected, big enough to make an impact on the overall garment and whatever club I’m’a strut into, without feeling claustrophobic up to my ears.

I love that lift on the sleeve as it gets to the peak on my shoulder as it gives that lovely fluttered out effect and it cascades down to the back beautifully. This is probably one of the top items that has been made the best and I just love it. I adore what I’ve paired it with, you know me and my matched but mismatched outfits. Can’t wait to wear this out for an evening sipping cocktails with the girls when corona let’s us live our lives again.

I’ve really grown to fall back in love with dresses as well as skirts over the last few years. I think there was a time period, obviously before the body positivity movement, where someone decided it was probably unsuitable for curvy people to wear dresses, skirts, short shorts etc. Honestly whoever that was I say, shame on you for making thousands of people honestly think they were not worthy or valued of wearing something on their body because they weren’t the “accepted” body type. But I’m sure we’ve all moved past that now. It has been so wonderful to fall back in love with wearing whatever I want to over the last few years and knowing that anything that I feel good in was made for me and was made to fit my body.

Right before I get carried away back to this dress. As you can see it’s a beautiful peach number! I really do love this colour of peach more than the play-suit’s half peach toned thing it’s got going on. I already knew this was gonna fit as, A) it’s a skater dress and B) I ordered it 4 sizes bigger than I am. Not for the purposes of fit but literally just because they only had this size left and I liked it so much that I was like well regardless I’m gonna have to have it. The material is extremely soft but once again is quite see through, you can see my lace trim of my undies coming out to say hello again. It’s extremely comfy, not only because it’s a few sizes bigger than I am, but mainly because it’s that soft cosy material we all know and love.

I’m in that lighting again where the exposure near the window makes the dress look very light. Which ironically compared to the play-suit, isn’t this dress’ true colour at all – it’s a much more deep orange peach/ apricot. I adore the sleeves on this dress, anything 3/4 length always looks flattering on my arms and I find always looks flattering with skater dresses. I also love the soft pleated floot they have as well which ties in wonderfully with the pleated stitched around the natural waist line. Really enjoy that about this dress, it is quite long for a skater dress but that could partly be because of the size I ordered it in. Also in real life you can kind of tell that it is a tiny bit big just in general as I do have a lot of room in there still. But I’d rather have more room than not enough.

Despite the see through fabric yet again the quality is saved by how soft the material physically is which means it is more comfy to wear and also the extra pleating details give it a little something more to please the eye. Another easy throw on dress to wear with white little flats and a denim jacket for a spring/ summer day out. I’m definitely going to get lots of wear out of this one.

Continuing the dress theme we have another extremely see through number. Honestly so far I would say this is Boohoo’s main issue, the quality of their fabric. I have to say this was probably one of the poorest quality fabrics in terms of the opaqueness. Like not only can you see my under saying hello yet again, but you can actually see my bellybutton outline and I don’t think I’ve ever had a dress that has had that quality about it. But at the same time I don’t hate it. I really like details on the dress and despite having to order this one also one size bigger than I am I was shocked that the wrapped boob area wasn’t too big.

Even though the overall fabric quality isn’t great I still decided to keep it as I still like it and I’ll still wear it. I’m just gonna have to wear identical matching underwear. I think if it wasn’t for the sleeve, shoulder, and neck tails I don’t think this would be worth keeping. I want to get some white cycling shorts anyway for my lighter coloured dresses as I only have black pairs and one grey pair. So when I eventually get some I will probably end up wearing those underneath this. But the colour is lovely, really nice pastel for spring and summer. You could definitely dress this up or down, I might wear this on an summer evening date night in the future with either some nice sandals or heels. It fits comfortably but the overall quality of this item isn’t worth your coin.

You honestly haven’t seen see through until you’ve seen this lounge wear set. I mean you can see it already how much of my skin colour peaks through the black colour. So there is a bit of a story to this outfit, the reason I wanted this was because I have seen so many gals on my Instagram wearing such lovely comfies that I wanted a cute set too. When I ordered this on the website this was branded khaki and unless suddenly I have gone colour blind this is not khaki! My hypothesis is either they ran out of khaki and sent a black one instead however if that is the case they didn’t bother to email me to ask if I would be okay with a black one instead. Or their editing for their website is a massive lie as khaki and black and two completely different colours.

Even though it’s not the colour I asked for I still like the overall concept of the outfit. I like the look but I didn’t realise the top was quite as short as it actually is. I don’t like tops where I move my arms slightly above my shoulders and my whole bra is on show and that is exactly what this top does, so I’m not the biggest fan of that. But I’ve made the executive decision that when I wear this I’m just gonna have to wear either a black bodysuit underneath or a top that’s fitted and black that I can tuck in. So that is the major see through issue resolved and my bra constantly popping out whenever I move.

As you can see when my arms are slightly stretched the top automatically raises itself as clearly my boobs wanna say hello. I really like that it’s wide legged, it is the main style of trouser I buy now because I like the loose fit on my legs and it gives me a nice airy swish which I enjoy. Plus, major comfort which is always a win win. However I could never wear this out because it’s just too see through for comfort and the cut for the top is also too short for comfort. I think it would be better if the sleeves under armpit cut weren’t acting as the bottom of the crop top. You can see in the shot above where I’m on the side and lifting my arms up we have that triangle shape; I think it would be more practical if the crop top was slightly longer and if it didn’t connect all the way up to the armpit. I know it is still lounge wear but if you’re not comfy in lounge wear which is designed to be comfy then what is the point?

But honestly the main thing that lets this piece down is the see thoroughness and the fact that this is branded as a size 24-26 cannot be right because it’s honestly not very stretchy. It’s not uncomfortable around my waist but I can definitely feel that it’s clung to my waist very well. I think one of the reasons this outfit might be as see through as it is, is because it has to stretch over certain areas of my body. Such as over my hips, waist, bum, stomach etc. However it is still very comfy and I’m only wearing it in the house anyway. But if you’re gonna do a dark colour like black, please take extra care when formulating the colour on the fabric you’re gonna make it with.

So what are my overall thoughts? In answer to the main question of this post is Boohoo Curve actually for curvy people? I would have to say yes. Everything from this haul actually fits my body and isn’t uncomfortable to wear in terms of the fit of the item itself. So that is a major plus because I have bought a lot of clothing in the past from different clothing stores that have been classed as curve or plus size and my actual size doesn’t even fit nicely. So the fact that everything from Boohoo Curve actually fits comfortably bar a few design hinders is actually such an achievement. Boohoo have a great range of styles, sizes, body type representations, patterns, basics, etc. I honestly spent hours browsing on this website because they just stock so many items.

However I do think some of the items were not worth the original price they were retailed at before the sale and before the discount code I had applied. As the quality is quite hit and miss in terms of the texture and the standard of colour pigments in their fabrics of the majority of the items I ordered. With that said, most of the items were pretty cheap and cheerful but I will go as far to say if you want slightly higher quality for a similar range of prices you’re better off buying from New Look or Primark.

But will I shop on Boohoo again? More than likely yes and when I do I will do another one of these so we can compare my first impressions to round two.

Right lovelies, thank you ever so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this. If you’ve got this far and have seen some bits you like there is clickable links to the majority of the exact items on my photos. Now for the discount code that I know you have all been waiting for; one of my good blogging friends called Megan, she currently has a discount code for 25% off everything on the site because she is apart of the Queens on Campus scheme that they do and anyone can use this code! Even though everything on Boohoo is 25% off and more right now anyone, this code will still apply to all of those items that are already discounted! So firstly, you should head on over to Megan’s Instagram and drop her a follow as she’s all about body positivity for mid/ average size girls and she is honestly such a wonderful human being full of light – such a beautiful soul. Plus her feed is absolutely stun!

So if you want her exclusive code for 25% off everything, head on over right now to: themeganedit

I hope you’re having a wonderful day and I will chat to you all again soon!