

30 Closet Staples Every Curvy Woman Needs In Their Wardrobe
The best thing a woman can have is options, and thanks to online shopping, curvy women now have a sense of freedom when it comes to fashion. Each day, brands are finding ways to become more inclusive to sizes beyond XL because of the advocacy of curvy fashionistas who refuse to not take up space, who demand attention, and admiration...because why the hell not?
No matter what size, every woman needs foolproof pieces that will embrace and flatter each curve on her body while being multipurpose. Shopping for the right fit can be a daunting task for any woman, let alone curvier women who do not have the option of having their sizes in store to try on. But fear not sis, we got you!
We gathered up the expertise of 29 curvy fashionistas of all different shapes and sizes to sound-off on what they thought were essential pieces that every curvy girl needs in their wardrobe. Representation matters the most, and after seeing these beautiful women work it, it's time for you to make sure you are equipped with the wardrobe that will have you feeling confident enough to overdress for one occasion and shake a 'lil something the next!
1. A fashionable sneaker.
"I love that sneaker brands are taking women seriously. The styles have come a long way. I love that sneakers are not only comfortable but stylish and functional. I love wearing sneakers with a dress or a nice pair of denim or even a suit." - Essie Golden
2. A bustier or lace bra.
"Every girl needs lingerie. Lingerie is not only for when you want to serve up sexy for bae, it is perfect for when you want to feel good about yourself by yourself. Lingerie is the beginning of a great look because it complements what you are wearing. Lingerie can also be worn as a top in some cases. A suit with a bustier or lacy bra is the perfect look and it screams bold and sexy." - Maui Bigelow
3. A bold statement top.
"A statement top that says something dramatic and shows off a great deal of personality." - Idorenyin
4. A sexy yet breathable dress.
"A sexy dress you can wear without Spanx or girdle because after 30, don't nobody want to be hooked up at every occasion (laughs)." - Kamari Richardson
5. A luxurious faux fur jacket.
"A luxurious faux fur jacket because it can really change your life if you let it."- Chardline Chanel
6. A block heel/booties.
"Block heels and/or booties if it is cold, preferably cream or black because they are way more comfortable than stiletto heels and they look good with almost any outfit. They also elevate the look. You could wear a tee and jeans throw them on and bam! Your outfit is fire."- Brenda S
7. A good pair of jeans.
"A good pair of jeans is a staple piece that when they are fitted correctly on a curvy girl and they are also comfortable. You can always switch it up on them! From a fresh pair of kicks to a stunning pair of heels!" - Shawna V
8. A dress that screams "the dress".
"'The dress' is that one that makes you feel the most beautiful or the sexiest or the most confident. It can be your go-to for a girls' night out or dinner with your love. Everyone deserves a garment that makes you appreciate yourself just a little bit more." - Yanique Holder
9. A statement coat/jacket.
"A statement coat/jacket because on days where you are feeling plain. A good statement coat/jacket will make any outfit." - Bianca Gale
10. A combat/utility boot.
"Every curvy girl needs a pair of combat/utility boots! Truly a staple in my wardrobe, I can rock them with a slip dress, jacket, and wide-brimmed hat, or ripped jeans with a white tee and moto jacket. I love a great pair of lace-up or studded combat boots."- Laudie J
11. A bodycon dress.
"Every curvy girl should own at least one bodycon dress that flatters their shape." - Alissa S. Wilson
12. A black blazer.
"A black blazer. It's essential because it is versatile. You can use it to dress up an outfit, but can also be used casually. You can wear it with a cute top, jeans, and heels for a night out on the town, or you can roll the sleeves up and wear it with a t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of Chucks (or J's)."- Sasha Renee
13. An oversized denim jacket.
"Oversized cropped denim jacket (it accentuates curves and the waist)!" - Aspen
14. A polka-dot ensemble.
"Polka dots because fashion should be fun and what's more fun than polka dots?"- Faith Lasha
15. A chic jacket.
"Moto jackets are my favorite. It adds a little edge to your outfit but still can be modest."- Chante Burkett
16. A duster jacket.
"Dusters are a big girl's best friend. They can help dress up or dress down any outfit. Extremely versatile and can be worn year-round. It's like a cardigan on steroids (laughs)!"- Courtney Arlett
17. A flowy maxi-dress.
"A flowy maxi dress: A maxi is an effortless way to create sophisticated drama with just one piece. I absolutely love them." - Thamarr
18. The perfect peplum top.
"Inherently chic, the peplum is a plus girls' best clothing item when she wants to minimize her stomach area and accentuate the hips. And they are back on trend again. Find one with an asymmetrical hem for an edgy take on this nostalgic style that is here to stay." - Nikki Free
19. A convertible dress.
"A convertible dress A dress that you can tie and wear in a variety of ways. It doesn't matter the silhouette (flowy or form-fitting) but why have curves and not show them off a bit? Confidence is the best thing when dressing up. It always elevates ANY and EVERYONE outfit." - Jen Jeanpierre
20. Thigh-high boots.
"Thigh-high boots - sorry but I think every woman should have at least one pair. Nothing turns heads quicker when strutting in with good boots." - Yasmine
21. The perfect black belt.
"The perfect black waist belt! So crucial for cinching the waist and emphasizing the hips. It's great to have in a bunch of colors but you can do so much with a simple black belt." - Nzinga Imani
23. A well-made trench coat.
"A well-made trench coat (I've launched two that I designed with Tamara Malas)."- Kelly Augustine
24. A classic jumpsuit.
"The perfect jumpsuits allow you to transition from season to season as a wardrobe piece. Layer up with a jacket, blazer, duster, or not at all if the weather is on your side. Jumpsuits flatter almost every shape, define the waist and hug all the right curves." - Marinda Diane
25. A midi wrap dress.
"The wrap dress is flirty and fun. It hugs your curves at the right places and can easily be layered with a turtleneck and a knee-high boot for a chic look in fall or with a sneaker and denim jacket for a cute date look in spring." - Taelor Pawnell
26. A track suit.
"A track suit - yes anyone can wear them, but they hit different on our bodies! Plus, you can dress them up or down." - Nastasiaa Guy
27. A luxe bag.
"A signature designer bag. Nothing says fashion like a luxe bag. If you're not a girl who does a monthly splurge on bags and shoes, try investing in one luxe bag. My favorite is the Louis Vuitton Neverfull bag." - Ty Alexander
28. A faux leather top.
"Let's face it, leather and curves are a sexy yet sinful mix. By combining with softer textures, you are able to pull off an elegant look, but at the same time give off the hint that you have a sexy little secret." - Zaniah Boykin
29. Dependable shapewear.
"Shapewear is important for curvy girls (and other women) because it smooths things out. Shapewear also pull things together for me. As a plus-size woman who loves her curves, I am not afraid of form-fitting pieces but I want to assure that I eliminate or smooth things out as much as possible." - Maui Bigelow"
30. A sexy bathing suit.
It's all about comfort because once you are comfortable that helps you be as confident as you need to be inorder to enjoy your time near the water. Bikini, two-piece, fat-kini, one piece, you name it. Just rock it!" - Zaniah Boykin
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Featured image by Shutterstock
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New Jersey native creating a life that she loves while living in gratitude. She loves using beauty, and fashion to create a balanced lifestyle while prioritizing wellness. A devoted fur mom, and a full-time lover of laughter. She is out for revenge against the darkness by being light, taking her own advice, traveling the world, and letting you know that you are so lit! Connect with her via IG @iamzaniah and please visit Zaniahsworld.com
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Improve The Look Of Your Under-Eyes With These Top-Rated Eye Masks
If there’s one part of the face that seems to be the most vexing to correct, it’s the under eyes.
This delicate area has a way of being tipped off by our irregular sleep patterns, stress, and the straining that comes from our computers and phone screens. From puffiness to dark circles, it can be irksome to find the right products to soothe our under-eye concerns. Thankfully, there’s one solution that delivers a brighter and more awakened look over time, and that’s under-eye masks and eye patches.
Eye patches are giving our under-eye bags an eviction notice because they can’t hang our glowing faces rent-free. The beauty of these patches is that they are designed to bring your eyes targeted results through concentrated doses of active ingredients directly to the skin under the eyes. Typically made of thin, gel-like material and infused with ingredients like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, caffeine, and even green teas, these small but mighty patches depuff your puffiness, brighten your dark circles, or tighten fine lines.
While every under-eye differs in its needs, every eye can benefit from an under-eye mask or patch that suits its concerns. And to help, we’ve put together the best under-eye patches to hydrate, soothe, and brighten your eyes.
KNC Beauty All Natural Retinol Infused Eye Mask, 5-Pack
The KNC Beauty All Natural Retinol Infused Eye Mask, 5-Pack, is a retinol-infused, all-natural product designed to rejuvenate your eyes. It promises to provide hydration, smoothness, reduced puffiness, and brightness without the use of chemicals. With ingredients like retinol to refine skin texture and stimulate blood flow and aloe to soothe and reduce redness, it's like getting 8 hours of beauty sleep for your eyes.
Topicals Faded Under Eye Brightening Eye Masks
These cooling hydrogel under-eye masks from Topicals promise to fade the appearance of dark circles and discoloration in just 15 minutes. The set includes six masks and offers benefits that brighten, hydrate, depuff, and cool your under-eye area.
Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Brightening Hydra-Gel Eye Patches
Grab these eye contour gel patches to brighten the eye area and combat signs of aging using a powerful form of vitamin C called THD Ascorbate, which is 50 times more potent than traditional vitamin C.
BeautyBio Bright Eyes Depuffing and Brightening Eye Gels
BeautyBio's Bright Eyes consists of 15 colloidal silver-infused eye gel patches designed to provide instant depuffing, brightening, and revitalization to the delicate eye area within 10 minutes. They also contain natural collagen to help diminish the appearance of fine lines, which we love.
COSRX Advanced Snail Hydrogel Eye Patch
COSRX
These viral hydrogel masks offer moisture and nourishment to rejuvenate tired-looking skin. Their Snail Secretion Filtrate contains "Mucin," an effective moisturizing ingredient that soothes damaged skin and delivers deep hydration, making it suitable for dehydrated and damaged skin types. Your under-eyes will thank you.
Peace Out Puffy Under-Eye Patches
Amazon
Try these caffeine-infused patches to reduce puffiness in the under-eye area. The product features clean, vegan ingredients such as caffeine, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid for deep hydration and moisture delivery.
Dieux Skin Forever Eye Mask Reusable Silicone Gel Eye Pads
The Forever Eye Mask is designed to be the “last eye mask you'll ever need.” This thin, lightweight, and reusable eye patch can hold gels, serums, and creams close to the skin for better absorption, helping your skincare products work more effectively.
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