Tek Gear Roll-Waist Yoga Pants

I found these Tek Gear yoga pants in the active apparel section of Kohls. I don’t think I’ve ever even been to that corner of the store before. Granted, most activewear tends to be far too spandex-y or nylon-y. I wanted something that was still breathably cotton. I’d never tried toe roll-waist style before, but they’re definitely in style. I’d read that they can be slimming and help you to pick whether you wear them higher or lower, and I’d hoped this would help with the height issue.

I didn’t need it to, though. These pants are available in different lengths so I quickly found one in “short.” This is the one definite plus. I can actually roll the waist all the way down on these and the double layering definitely slims around the waist. I feel pretty attractive in these. There’s just a bit of spandex, so they’re stretchy, but they don’t seem to lose their shape to me.

You should probably purchase one smaller than normal because they do run large. I went down a size and the flare at the bottom of the legs its feminine, while the thighs feels neither too large nor too small. It’s comfortable for lounging around the house but passable if I want to take a walk or run to the store. If you’re worried about the fabric being too thin, don’t. It’s thicker than any similar pants I’ve ever owned, and I’m sure that will be good for the walks I plan to take in these.

Also, these are so much more attractive on!

Cheshire Cat Hat and Tail

As you can see, the pair are very fuzz with pink and barely-pink-white-ish stripes. That’s a very official term you see! They actually won’t match my costume at all, which is okay. They’re very different shades.

However, I was slightly less pleased with the type of fur. It’s kind of matted an just seems messy in person, both to look at and touch. I definitely felt like I had to comb this out, only it didn’t do much good. It’s actually kind of hart to notice the stripes because of this, in my opinion. I also have to move the fur away from the inside of the ears, which are lined in a light pink velour type material. I like to be able to see the inside of ears, I guess.

Where am I in this hat?

The tail is a tube of the fur sewn around a piece of bendable wire, so you can shape this piece. I just wouldn’t expect it to necessary stay put. Of course, you have to be careful so that your tail doesn’t get stuck anywhere — or that your cats don’t start chasing it! On the top of the tail is a loop made of the same pink velour type material. At first, I thought this might work for wearing it around your belt. I don’t wear one, though. However, it’s pretty thin so only some belts will work. Rather, you could use the loop and a piece of ribbon or a safety pin to attach it to your belt loop. A safety pin will work to attach it directly to your pants or skirt, too, if you don’t mind the holes. Honestly, I liked the tail on the costume a whole lot better, because it came with a pin and a bow that covered where it attached. I feel like, if you bought this, it would be a hassle to find the perfect way to work with whatever you’re wearing.

Matted Looking Fur Around the Ear

So, while I may won’t love this, your head and tail might work a little better. It won’t be a warm winter hat but will be cute paired with a pink, white or purple themed outfit, like on the model. It’s also super reasonable priced at the store that provided it for review so, even if you don’t love it, you won’t be out a lot of money!

Accessories from Both Costumes

Plus Size Womens Layered Tulle Petticoat

Do you know what I know I needed as soon as I got my Cheshire Cat costume? A pretty pink petticoat. So I got one. Specifically, I ordered the plus size pink petticoat from Leg Avenue. I read some reviews and they all said this one runs really small. I’m sort of stuck between most companies’ one size and plus size, but I sure am glad I read the reviews before selecting this one.

It’s small guys. As in, 13″ flat for a total 25″ waist. That’s a medium according to Leg Avenue’s size chart. I don’t know what’s going on for the sizing. This one is really stretchy. I got it to about 24″ flat, or 48″ waist. This means that it will fit plus sizes, but it’s going to be a tight fit that cuts into the skin. I’d say women who fall into the 2x-4x ranges should look elsewhere, sorry. =/

It’s longer than I expected, too. At 16″, if I wear it where I’d wear my jeans, it would pretty much hit my knees. I find myself pulling this up to the narrowest part of my waist, rather than my hips. At this length, it fits perfectly under my costume, with just a few ruffles sticking out. You could potentially roll up the top of this to shorten it, too. The few couple inches are a soft satin that is comfortable and would work for the rolling. Of course, this is a good length for taller folks, as well.

Poofy with a petticoat

Another surprise? You betcha. This thing is super poofy and it makes my costume fit far differently than it did without. It makes it much more flattering when the skirt flares out. My waist looks tiny. I also feel extremely feminine. The tulle is only in two layers but there’s extra ruffles at the edge that makes it poof, poof poof. It’s not scratchy at all, either. Goliath quickly decided it was worth investigating. In this picture, he’s walking toward the bottom from the waist, and it’s almost as tall as he is!

Pink fluff and a black cat

There’s a few different product images floating around, but this one is the light pink that Costume Discounters — a purveyor of various accessories and costumes — shows. I kind of wanted a hot pink, but this one will work fine.

This petticoat is my first undergarment of its kind and I love it!

Sexy Cheshire Cat Costume

So it’s nowhere near Halloween but my most recent costume review has me feelin’ pretty lucky. When I was contacted to do a review for Buy Alice In Wonderland Costumes I decided to take a look at the website. I wound up choosing a Chesire Cat costume with fur detail. If there’s one thing I have to remark about, is that this costume is pretty deluxe for its price. At $45, you get this entire list of stuff:

• Strapless Dress w/attached Tail
• Shrug
• Thigh High Stockings
• Ear Headband
• Arm warmers
• Faux leather choker

When I opened the package, I just kept pulling more and more stuff out. You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck. This costume is definitely a sexier and less traditional take on the cheshire cat. It’s all pink and purple striped, with fur trim, a tail and some adorable ears. The overall presentation is super stripey and that might be too much for some people. Luckily, you really can take off some of the parts and only wear what you really like.

Poofy with a petticoat

When I first received this, I tried it on and was relieved that the XL not only fit, but was a little loose. The ribbon in front doesn’t actually adjust so you can’t make it looser or tighter. However, you would potentially take it in a little bit, if you were so inclined. Most of the pieces are made of slightly stretchy and breathable cotton, which I like. The front panel over the bodice is made of an un-stretchy cotton, which has proven to keep pin holes.  In fact, if there were no fur, I’d think you could toss this in the washing machine.

Glue glob on the ears

On an individual basis, I like the shrug best. It’s cut a little loosely over the shoulders, arms and upper back. The sleeves and the outside edges are lined with a hot pink fur, too. The fur isn’t exactly plush but it’s cute. Aaand, I think I’m actually going to wear this over a black cami some time. I think that says something. The arm warmers share the fur trim around the palms of the hands. The top of the arm warmers simply has a regular hem. These fit will enough. However, I don’t have super long arms, so the arm warmers pretty much met the shrug. I will probably cut them down and re-hem them myself. It should be an easy fix.

Weird Shaped "Stocking"

Unfortunately, a similar thing occurred with the thigh-highs and dress. It’s not that I want to show a lot of skin, but I want to break up the stripes. This costume is definitely better for taller ladies because they’re 30″ long.With that said, length isn’t even the biggest problem of the tights. It’s that, they’re not actually tights. They’re just cotton sewn into tubes with angles at the end and they don’t stretch like a real sock or tights would. If I pull them on and align my ankles with the angle, I get this weird bunching at the front of my ankle. It’s so unattractive and uncomfortable. I’m not yet sure how to remedy these. I do like the thigh-highs and the pink ribbon bow on it. I could potentially cut off the feet, take them in and wear them as either scrunched up leg warmers or under a pair of knee-high boots. Either way, I’m almost certain that the model is wearing a different pair because it’s impossible to not notice this issue.

I didn’t love the choker. It was a little cheap and simply fashioned with velcro. Fortunately, it’s just a tad too small at 14″. I don’t care if I wear it or not, especially considering as the little rhinestones are already breaking off. You could easily buy a cheap necklace that would work better or wear nothing at all with this. Sadly, the ears are not quite as cute as I’d like. The headband and back of the ears are covered in hot pink fur, while the front is lined with the purple cotton material. The ears are slightly crooked, but I could live with that if there wasn’t a giant glob of glue in front of one of the ears. I think I will wind up wearing them backwards, so people see the fuzzy fur, instead.

Unsightly, uncomfortable bunching.

Finally, I have a love-hate relationship with the dress part of this. It does not come with the pink petticoat as shown in the model pictures, but you could easily buy one or wear it without. This is listed as a strapless dress, but it’s not. It actually had adjustable straps. There is also a zipper in back to make getting in and out of it easier. I actually don’t need the zipper; I can just pull it up. I do have to adjust the straps to get them over my shoulders because they’re cotton and not stretchy. There were a few loose threads on the dress. It’s not as significant as those freakish tights, but you’ll want to check for those and cut them off prior to wearing it.

Loose threads on the bust

This design isn’t exactly form-flattering, with its horizontal stripes. Without a petticoat, it hangs straight down and is pretty lackluster. The addition of the petticoat does make it poof outward, which is more flattering IMO. Still, I like it for the most part. The one thing I have to point out is, that while the cups are sewn with extra padding, they’re not shaped and do not use underwire. The portion of fabric between the cups doesn’t sit flat with my sternum because of this. While you could wear this without a bra, the way it floats away from the body would make me super uncomfortable to do so. I’ll wear it with a bra and simply hide the straps with the shrug. Also, the XL is probably ideal for D or larger cups and a band larger than my 38. I will likely have to take this in to get a better fit. There’s actually some room behind the bow between the breasts to sew or use a safety pin. If the ribbon were functional, I’d love to tighten this up some.

Cute little bow on tail

The dress is trimmed with the same fur along the top of the cups and the bottom of the skirt, which hits me about mid-thigh. It will be easier to sit in this than the wolf costume, that’s for sure. Even with a petticoat, I feel like it’s much easier to sit in. The tail isn’t bothersome at all. It’s a bit of the same striped cotton, stuffed cylindrically. There’s a big purple bow on the top and it safety pins to the back of the dress. This is a nice option to have, because I had to move the tail up for my frame.

While I’ll have to make a few modifications, this costume is still a pretty good deal. I especially recommend it if you’re tall.

On to the review, though!

Lace Overlay Bunches Up

I was sent the Extreme Pushup Lace Bra & Vikini Set in zebra print. It’s actually one of those hybrid stripes/spot sets which seem to be all the rage. I have a top like that. It’s adorable. This set is incredibly detailed. The pieces consist of lace with black ruffles along the edges of the cups and waist of the vikini. The lace on the bra is actually an overlay and, in some spots, seems a little loose. so it bunches up.  There’s room enough for it to move over the base material.

The bra features the double strap which is pretty popular these days, it seems. In the back, it turned to a single elastic strap that has a sort of scalloped edge. The widest parts of the bra band consist of just the black and white lace, which is somewhat see-through. The lace itself isn’t the softest I’ve ever worn and it did bother my skin the first time I wore it. I have since become used to it, however. They connect to a double elastic strap which then connect to the hooks of the bra.

Double Elastic Strap

I do have to say that the push-up properties are pretty amazing. The cleavage effect is awesome. However, the cups themselves are bit stiffer than I’d like, resulting in a bit of an unnatural feel and look to the bra.

The included vikini is sort of a hybrid bikini an tanga with a general “V” shape. It’s meant to sits higher on the hips/waist than in the center and be cheeky. V-shaped panties really don’t look all that great on my body. It’s okay though. I ran into a sizing issue because the sets come with fixed panty sizes so you’ll want to be sure to check that before purchasing a set yourself.

The quality of both these pieces is okay. I did notice that one of the elastic straps came unsewn from the back of the bra so I sloppily sewed it back on myself. All the other ones seem secure, though, so it’s just a fluke.

The other piece that I was sent to review I absolutely love. It’s a red lace chemise that is not currently available on the site but is similar to many of the pieces in the sleepwear section. I really adore this size. It’s an empire waist style with triangular cups. The entire piece if made from a sheer, floral lace. The elastic straps, which are adjustable, and a tiny bow between the breasts have contrasting gold stitching which make it seem ideal for Christmas.

This is a super easy to wear piece. Just slip it on over your head. Adjust the stretchy cups, if you’d like, you the best fit. The waist is reinforced with elastic but offers stretch. It fits snugly, but comfortably, on me. The rest of the piece falls away more loosely from the body and the chemise falls to about mid-thigh. It’s not terribly short, which I like

Ruffle Detail

Another thing that I like is that the cups are not ginormous. Many lingerie companies assume that anyone who wears a size large or large has D-cups or larger. It’s hard to make cups that swamp your breasts look good but if the cups run a little smaller, you can always buy a size larger and just have a bit more room in your lingerie in my opinion. The large is definitely suitable to B or C cups. In fact, it made me feel very well endowed because the cups do run a bit small. If you’re larger chested, this is definitely something to take into consideration when ordering from Smart & Sexy. The specific piece I receive didn’t offer much in the way of support but the company does offer some pieces with underwire.

I have worn this thing like six times since I received it and washed it a few times, too. It’s definitely help up well and I’d love to own some similar pieces from Smart & Sexy. When you consider that their piece sall run between $15 and $20, it’s really reasonably priced. You can also hop on over to their Facebook page where they’re hosting a contest. Nominate a Smart & Sexy woman — or maybe someone will nominate you! — to win gift cards to the store as well as Wal-mart and  charity donations in their name and Walmart/

Kendall Gelthotics

So when I saw a review  opportunity with Kendall Gelthotics, I thought “hey, maybe this will make my shoes a little more comfortable and I don’t have to walk like a drunk duck!” I’ve actually tried some inserts from other companies but none that quite fit me very well. While products for women’s shoes tend to stick in the shoe to provide comfort in specific areas (heels and the ball of the feet are common) and other insertable insoles take up the entire space of your shoe, Gelthotics are a silicone insert that mold around the shape of the foot. The rest along the inside of your foot in your shoe.

You can easily see how the product was designed when you receive it. My first pair wasn’t the best fit but the company sent me a smaller size, which fit much better in my shoes. Kendall Gelthotics come in ranges. For example, range 2 is for women’s sizes 7 to 8 1/2. You may want to order down a range if you’re pairing your Gelthotics with dressy or fitted shoes. With the larger pair, the Gelthotics didn’t fit as well against my feet and I felt like something was simply stuffed into my shoe.  The proper size contours to my foot much better.

The silicone is super squishy and feels pretty good along the side of my foot when I’m standing still.Walking on the gelthotics at first did feel a little weird. The squishiness does make me walk a little differently and that’s something you have to get used to. Plus, the gel-like material moves a little every time I step down on it. I’m sure I’ll get used to it over time, though.

My second pair of Gelthotics were also better because the have adhesive, which helps them to stay in place. The first pair only had a few spots that were sticky and didn’t want to stay in place in my shoes. Just getting my feet into them was a little difficult. However, the all-over adhesive is much more secure and makes getting — and keeping — the Gelthotics in place much easier.

Although I have inserted mine into wedges that I like, but can be painful, the instructions also describe how you can remove the insoles from athletic shoes to place the Gelthotics underneath. It seems to me that this is could be better use of them rather than dress shoes; unfortunately, I don’t have a pair of shoes like that.

The tiny tail that curves around the heel of your foot is especially mobile, it seems. I experienced this with both pairs. It doesn’t quite seem to fit as well as the rest of the insert. Perhaps if it were flatter and fit under the foot or simply shorter, so less of it went around the heel. The adhesive does make this a little less of a problem, however.

If Gelthotics are a good fit for you, they’ll last forever. You can wash them with soap and water, they don’t retain scents and they won’t break down like other materials. However, silicone is a big attractant of lint and cats. Mine have decided that Gelthotics are actually a cat chew toy. =/

A bit about the website first. CheapesTees sell blanks and basic t-shirts, hoodies, sweats, tank tops and similar items. They’re great building blocks for any wardrobe and you creative types might consider them for DIY stuff. Not me. I’m a basic kind of girl which is why I chose to review the Bella Burnout Long Sleeve T-Shirt and the Bella Ladies’ Half-Zip Cotton-Spandex Hoodie.

Bella Burnout Long Sleeve T-Shirt

The tee is quite thin and super soft. Super soft. Unfortunately, it’s also the type of cotton/polyester mix that pulls in places that experience friction. For me, that’s at the sides where my elbow or purse rub. Fortunately, washing itself doesn’t seem to cause this issue like I worried it might. If you’re the type who likes to wear things before washing them, because you’re too damned excited, beware that you’ll be covered in fuzzies from this tee.

The Burnout long-sleeved tee is slim cut but probably a little looser than “juniors” cut items. I found the sleeves to be a little long but I pulled them down over my hands in a way that looked okay. You can certainly roll or push them up or even give them a shorter hem yourself but I’m not the type to do so.

Bella Ladies' Half-Zip Cotton-Spandex Hoodie

This hoodie is available in a some bright colors and I opted for turquoise but you can buy black, white or even fuchsia. Unfortunately, the design is cut a bit long, both in the body and arms for me. This means I wind up pushing or roll up the arms and it looks good only with some bottoms that I own. Because of the length and material, you may opt for a larger-than-normal size. The product description suggestions wearing it with workout pants or jeans and I completely agree.

The hoodie has held up well to washing but it’ll get some fuzzies over time, I’m sure. Otherwise, it’s nice and the zipper is super secure and also colored to match the fabric exactly. Although I like it slightly less, it’s still functional and pretty.

Thanks to CheapesTees for the opportunity!

Big Bad Sexy Wolf Costume

The design of the costume is simple. It’s a hooded dress that zips up the front. The material is a shiny, silver velour and the sleeves, hood and hem of the skirt are lined with fur. There are some pointy ears on the hood and a tail attached to the back of the skirt to add to the animalistic appeal. The costume comes with a pair of boot covers which are essentially leg warms that you were over your foot apparel to add to the overall feel of the costume.

Initially, the boot covers were missing from my package so I contacted the manufacturer, DreamGirl, and they sent of a pair right away. Great customer service and I’d like to thank them.

The design of this is incredibly easy to wear. In fact, I can slip it over my head without unzipping the costume at all but you can unzip and pull it up, too. The model in the picture is pretty damned ideal in terms of proportions but I’m happy to report that that is a forgiving costume. I decided to wear it with a tube top smoothing my body underneath and I felt pretty comfortable. The neckline is quite low cut, especially on my short frame, and so smaller chested women will probably want to opt for something a little easier to fall out. I was pretty happy with the cleavage but I wore it to an adult event, not a family one.

Fur on the Costume

There were a few things I didn’t like about the costume. For starters, the pom pom ties are only for decoration and don’t serve a purpose. I would have loved to tighten the hood a bit as it was quite loose. It was a little difficult to wear because it was so large. The poms also could have featured fur, rather than a grey fleece.

Big Bad Sexy Wolf Costume on Me

I did enjoy the tail, as it was fur on a wire frame. I curved it around me a bit and was even able to tuck it into my bra to use the bathroom. LOL The boot covers fit nicely and are slightly adjustable. They tie at the top and bottom so you can make them a bit more snug or loose. They stayed on quite well. Like the velour of the costume, they are stretchy. However, there’s not as much leeway with the covers if you have larger calves.

The silvery sheen of the costume contrasted nicely with my light reddish brown hair color. I was feeling pretty fantastic about myself as I wore this last night and I will definitely wear it again. I just need a nicer pair of boots to do so.

This costume — and several of the plus size costumes of the same cut — are available in a variety of sizes, not just “one size fits most” and “queen.” I can definitely see myself purchasing another DreamGirl costume from Costume SuperCenter.com in the future.

Shirt from TShirtPrinting.net

The sample I received is a basic grey shirt with a monkey logo screen printed in a man’s size tee. The t-shirt used is Gilban brand, with which I am not familiar. It says it’s printed on a heavy cotton and the weave is not as soft as I typically like on my shirts but this is usually true for men’s shirts (as opposed to women’s or junior’s). After washing, the shirt was much softer. The shirt itself is a flecked grey. Not my color of choice, usually, but it goes well with most things.

The printing on the shirt is very clean and neat. The simple design uses bright colors–pink, blue and yellow–like the T-Shirt Printing website itself. The print itself is pretty thick–the type you can easily feel from the inside. It’s the type that will eventually crack, I’m sure, but I’ll have to update you on that after a few more washings. If you have a need for a larger order of screen printed tees, I’d definitely check out T-ShirtPrinting.net.

I don’t recall how long shipping took but it wasn’t long enough for me to be annoyed. The FAQs do explain that shipping “typically takes 3-7 business days for delivery.” I noticed immediately that this is printed on a Bella babydoll. I already have a few of those because it’s what the Diesel Sweeties store uses for their women’s shirts. The shirts are quite comfortable and of a medium thickness. It could just be my imagination but this shirt seems a little shorter than previous Bella shirts I’ve had. Maybe I’m growing (probably not, though )=). Either way, there’s also a red sleeved raglan and men’s t-shirt available with this print.

Anyway, I have to say I do wish the printed image on the front were a bit larger. It’s only about 6″ or so. A 25-5-% size increase would make the shirt feel a little more balanced. The red on this one really is as bright as the images indicate, too.

On the back of the shirt is a Penny Arcade logo. I don’t think the product description said that but I don’t necessarily mind. I think it gives the shirt so of a.. jersey feel. Ryan thinks it’s too big, though, but he can just stop staring at my back.

But I’m pretty happy with my purchase, overall. I think this design is really “me.”