#i got a women's small jacket and size 2 pants. and the sleeves and legs are BOTH too long for me

[bananasofthorns]

IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER except for the fact that I don't own a white button up yet so Long Lost shirt it is

[the-quiet-winds]

Things are Shaping Up to be Pretty Odd (part two)

[A bit of modern fun and fluff with @ichlugebulletsandcornnuts. Ironically finished a few days before Olivier nominations came out.]

[part one]

[Part 2: We Won’t Tiptoe About]

Jane scours the racks, searching for things that met Katherine’s foggy criteria. 

“Can I help you find something, miss?”

A young attendant is standing near her with curious eyes. Jane straightens up and nods slightly. “I'm looking for something for my daughter. She wants to be a little more...conservative in her style.”

The salesgirl narrows her eyes slightly and Jane is prepared to defend Katherine no matter what, but then the woman smiles. “Follow me, I think we have a few that are just what she’s looking for.”

The attendant leads Jane to a section in the corner of the shop. Even from a glance it was clear the dresses were made to cover more skin than the others, but they were still beautiful.

“Your daughter, is that the girl who was talking to you before?” The assistant asks. Jane nods, and the assistant flicks through the dress rack. “She’s very lucky to have such long legs, so she can wear perhaps something that reaches to the knee and not look cut off by it, if that’s the style she’s going for.” The assistant glances at Jane with a dress in her hand. It was plain white, an almost blouse-like high neckline with short capped sleeves and a skirt that went out in an a-line to around the knee. “I know it’s not particularly exciting to look at, but see if she likes this style,” the assistant offers the dress to Jane. “If she does, then we have plenty of more interesting patterns and colours in this cut. If not, then we can keep looking.”

Jane smiles brightly. “I'll see how she likes it.”

The attendant grins, then offers another option. “If she wants a more of a modern look...” she trails of as she flicks through some choices. “This is very popular amongst girls her age.”

She holds up a long, black jumpsuit. It, too, had capped sleeves, but the neckline scooped slightly lower to show off what Jane would assume to be one’s collarbones. She hands it to Jane. 

“Take both of these and see what she likes,” she instructs kindly. “We’ll choose where to go from there.”

Jane makes her way to the dressing room, where Katherine is sitting on the small bench, back in her shirt and jeans, looking rather glum. 

“I have a few more choices, love.” She holds them up with a hopeful smile. “I have a feeling they’ll have something here you’ll like.”

Katherine looks at the options, gaze lingering on the skirt of the dress and the neckline of the jumpsuit. She doesn’t seem particularly convinced but she shrugs and reaches out to take them anyway.

“I'll wait just outside,” Jane reassures her, stepping out of the dressing room and closing the door behind her. She waits patiently, hoping that Katherine would like at least one of the options, or if not that she’d at least have a better idea of what she wanted to wear. After several minutes Katherine emerges from the dressing room in the black jumpsuit, face slightly nervous.

“...What do you think?” Jane asks her.

“I like the pants,” Katherine admits with a tiny smile. then it fades. “But not so much the top.”

Jane nods. “That’s a start, love,” she assures. “Go on and try the dress.” 

Katherine emerges a few minutes later in the dress, a similar nervous look about her. 

“How about this one?” Jane asks. 

Katherine shrugs, still vaguely distant. “I don’t like it that much,” she says quietly. 

The attendant stops by a moment later. “No good?” she asks. Katherine shakes her head shamefully. The woman tsks lightly. “There’s no shame in that, lass.” She pauses to think, then a light smirk appears on her lips. “You know, we do tailor women’s suits.”

Katherine glances as Jane almost questioningly and Jane gives her a reassuring smile. “What do you think of that, love?”

“I don’t know,” Katherine says slowly. “I... I’ve never worn a suit before. Do you think I'd look good?���

“I hope you don’t mind me interrupting,” the assistant smiles, ��but personally I think you’d look lovely. And if you’re worried about boring fabric then you don’t need to; we make a wide variety with all kinds of materials, and we can add a little bit of sparkle if you’d like.”

Katherine lights up a bit at that and nods her head. 

“I'll go grab a few samples,” the salesgirl says with a light laugh, bustling off towards the backroom. Jane hustles Katherine back inside the dressing room to change again.

The woman returns, arms laden with jackets and pants and shirts. “I think most of these should fit her well,” she says, handing a set to Jane. The pants and jacket were a matching steel grey, the shirt a light blue. “Just for size, lass,” she calls to Katherine as Jane hands them through the curtain.

As Jane waits, she’s slightly confused to hear a quiet giggling coming from inside the dressing room. She almost calls out to ask what Katherine’s laughing at, but soon Katherine emerges, a slightly giddy smile on her face.

“It’s not what I'm used to,” she says, adjusting the jacket, “but, I dunno, I think it looks quite cool.” Her eyes immediately go to Jane for validation.

Jane smiles brightly. “I think it’s ‘quite cool’ too, love. You look great.”

Katherine blushes pink as her hair. “The colors are weird though,” she says with a slight goofy laugh. 

“Leave that to me,” the attendant says. she steps back and scans Katherine quickly, then speaks again, “I have an idea.” she retreats back to the backroom then returns with new material. She hands Katherine a dark cream shirt to hold up. “Perfect.” The attendant pulls out her fabric, black with pink, orange, yellow, and green flowers in bold patterns.  “What do you think of that?”

The fabric is vibrant and eye catching, and Katherine finds herself staring at it for several moments before remembering to reply.

“I- I like it a lot,” she says, slightly shyly. “It’s like, impressive, but not something that, y’know,” her voice drops slightly, “men will stare at for the wrong reasons.” She directs the last part away from the attendant, although judging from the woman’s kind smile she heard it anyway.

Jane puts a reassuring hand on her upper back, stroking lightly with her thumb. 

Another attendant comes up behind the first, a garment bag in her hands. “I think I found the only one in that size, but,” she pulls the bag away, revealing the patterned suit in all its glory.

Katherine can only stare at it. Jane laughs and nudges her lightly. “Go on now, love, let’s try it on.”

Katherine takes the suit almost reverently and Jane laughs slightly at the adorable way her wide eyes stare at the fabric. She disappears into the dressing room in a rush and Jane notices one of the attendants, an older woman, stifle a laugh. The attendant sees her looking and smiles. “Her enthusiasm is so cute.” Jane smiles back, realising the woman was being sincere and not making fun of Katherine.

When Katherine exits the dressing room she has a beaming smile on her face.

“Give us a twirl!” one of the attendants says, and Katherine obliges, her ponytail swishing after her. The attendants give her a little round of applause which makes her laugh, but then she turns to look at Jane. “So, mum,” she says with a half-giggle, “what do you think?”

Jane is speechless for a moment, tears in her eyes. 

Katherine feels her esteem crumbling, afraid that she had upset Jane. Of course she shouldn’t wear a suit, she reasons, she should wear a dress like all the other girls will. Jane was a traditionalist. She would like Katherine to wear-

“Kat,” Jane breathes. “You look amazing.” She looks her up and down, a radiant smile on her lips, and brings up a hand to rest on Katherine’s cheek. “My gorgeous girl.”

“You- you really think so?” Katherine’s smile grows again, relieved. Jane nods, pride welling in her chest.

“I do, love.” She takes another moment to marvel at the suit, then reaching up to gently pull Katherine’s hair free of its hairband. She arranges it over her shoulders and then smiles at Kat, the tears back in her eyes. “Goodness, look at you! You’ll be the belle of the ball.”

The three attendants all nod in agreement. “You do look lovely, lass. I think it’s just what you needed,” the first one says. 

Katherine blushes, but it’s Jane’s opinion that really matters. Hearing her say those things makes her feel like butter inside, sending the genuine affection and pride in her words. Before she knows it, she throws her arms around Jane. “Thanks mum,” she whispers.

Jane returns the hug immediately, hand rubbing gentle circles on Katherine’s upper back.

“I'm only telling the truth, love,” she chuckles. When Katherine pulls back she grins at Jane.

“And you know who else is gonna look amazing?” She grabs the dress Jane had tried on earlier from the chair where it had been placed and presses it into Jane’s hands. “C’mon, put it back on! We’ve got to take some selfies.”

Jane laughs at Katherine’s enthusiasm, but relents and puts the dark purple gown on again. She smooths it out gently, a smile on her lips as she joins her daughter in the main room. 

All the attendants start fanning themselves. “You both look so beautiful!” They fawn. 

Jane throws an arm around Katherine’s shoulder, pulling her close. “You really do look lovely, Kat, absolutely perfect,” she murmurs, low enough so the attendants don’t hear.

Katherine’s smile is radiant and she mumbles another thanks. “You  do too, mum. And... thanks for helping me find something. I know I'm difficult sometimes but-”

“You’re not difficult, Kat,” Jane says firmly. “You just needed to find something you were comfortable with, and we found something in no time at all, didn’t we?” She presses a kiss to the side of Katherine’s head. “And it’s perfect for you, love.”

Katherine blushes slightly and curls further into Jane for just a moment before she pulls her phone out of her pocket. The attendants see what she’s doing and reach out to retrieve it. 

They take one normal picture, one posed, and then one more, where the two other attendants are holding black screens with the boutiques name on it in front of the pair, only their heads visible. 

“Placement, you know?” One laughs. “Plus  you can’t show off your looks before the red carpet. Gotta knock them dead.”

So Katherine ultimately posts the one with the screens. “Ready to hit the Kholer carpet with my always #1,” the caption reads. “Love you so much @janeyseymour,” it continues.

As soon as they get home Jane makes sure both outfits are neatly put away, ready for the ceremony. The time flies by, and with each passing day the atmosphere amongst the queens gets more and more excited. Both Katherine and the cast album were up against some steep competition and nobody wanted to jinx it, but the idea that they might actually win was getting more and more real by the second. On the morning of the Kholer Awards, all the queens were practically buzzing. Even Parr’s normally calm demeanour had shifted.

Of course it wasn’t that easy, because they still had a show that afternoon.

It was an energetic performance, full of buzz and light about the awards that evening, something Parr and Aragon both were sure to mention at the shows conclusion. 

The queens reconvened in the theater lobby an hour and a half later, ready to go. Jane wore her gown, hair pulled up into an elaborate bun. 

Katherine enters a moment later, and Jane can barely keep herself from bursting into tears again. The suit looks just as perfect as it did two weeks ago, Katherine’s hair curled and pulled into soft ringlets over her shoulders. 

“Kat,” Jane whispers. “You look...amazing, love.”

Katherine gives her a beaming smile. “Thanks, mum. You look beautiful too.”

“What the hell, Kitty?” Boleyn’s voice yells from behind them, signalling the arrival of the other queens. “Who gave you the right to look that amazing?” Jane stifles a laugh as Boleyn wraps an arm around Katherine’s shoulder and pretends to ruffle her hair (although without actually touching it). “Aw, my little baby cousin is all grown up!”

Aragon ignores both Boleyn’s teasing and Katherine’s yelp of mock-annoyance as she approaches the group. “Come on queens, one photo before we go,” she instructs in a business-like fashion, despite the fact she looks about as giddy as everyone else.

Jane and Katherine occupy the right side of the picture, Jane’s arm looped tightly around Katherine’s waist. They hold still for the picture, then didn’t let go until they got to the car. 

Except the car wasn’t there. 

A limo had apparently been rented for the evening, courtesy of the Kholer Awards. 

It was a smooth and fun 45 minute ride to the awards show, but as soon as they arrive and Katherine sees the paparazzi and the people waiting for them, the color drains from her face.

Jane notices almost immediately and takes Katherine’s hand. “I'm here, Kat,” she says softly with a gentle squeeze of her hand. Katherine gives her a weak smile, looking slightly nauseous.

“We don’t have to stay long on the red carpet if you don’t want to,” Jane reassures her. “and I'll be with you every step of the way.”

Parr notices the conversation and leans across. “If you’d like the rest of us to handle the press, then you two can go on ahead. It’s up to you, kid.”

Katherine swallows and clutches Jane’s hand tightly, not intending to let go. She takes a few breaths, then reopens her eyes, a fresh determination and renewed excitement in her expression. 

The six of them exit the limo and are immediately swallowed by the press and the paparazzi. 

“Katherine Howard!” one interviewer calls out. “How does it feel to be nominated for such a prestigious award?”

She feels Jane squeeze her hand. “It really is an honor. That song means a lot to me,” she answers honestly. 

The interviewer nods enthusiastically. He looks at his phone quickly then back to Katherine. “Our viewers are loving your look, Katherine! What inspired the suit look for you?”

Katherine grips Jane’s hand just a bit tighter and for a moment Jane wonders if she should usher Katherine away, but then Katherine speaks.

“It just felt right. My mum actually helped me pick it out.” The adoption was common knowledge at this point and the interviewer looks over at Jane with a smile.

“Would you like to add anything to that, Jane?” He asks.

“Just  that I'm so proud of Katherine,” Jane says, “and that I'm so happy to be here with her today.”

The interviewer looks pacified, but there are still a dozen more to fight through before they enter the gala, all asking similar questions about Katherine’s bold suit, how Katherine was feeling being nominated against West End legends, and even one or two asking about how Jane and Katherine were getting on together. They answer as many as they could, then manage find the others and make their way to their seats, eagerly awaiting the beginning of the show. 

The awards start with the smaller categories. The girls were disheartened when they didn’t win orchestrations or choreography, but the other two were the big ones they were waiting for. 

“And the Kholer Award for Best Original Cast Album goes to…,” the announcer pauses and Jane and Katherine hold each other’s hands tightly. “The Light on the 23rd Floor: A New West End Musical!”

The atmosphere amongst the entire group deflated slightly, even as they clapped along to congratulate the winners. Katherine hears Aragon muttering something in Spanish under her breath but she’s focused on Jane, who gives her a half-smile.

“It’s okay, love. being nominated was honour enough,” she whispers. “And we’ve still got your category to be announced.”

Katherine, on the other hand, already knows the outcome, or at least she thinks she does. There would be no way she’d win if the cast album didn’t, not when the queens sounded so amazing on it.

The announcers carry on with the awards: best lights, best supporting actor and actress, best musical direction, innovation in music, best live performance by an actor in a musical. 

Then, after ‘The Light on the 23rd Floor’ had their performance, Best Live Performance by ann Actress in a Musical was to be presented. 

“This year, theater critics travelled to the seven new shows that opened on the West End and evaluated every performer, narrowing the list down to just four actresses. The nominees are: Rebecka Smalton, Basketcase; Loelle Jackson, Icecaps; Tabitha O’Connors, Light on the 23rd Floor, and Katherine Howard, Six the Musical.”

Katherine feels Jane take her hand and grip it when her name is called, but she is so nervous she can barely react. 

“And the award goes to…,” the silence seems to last forever. “Katherine Howard, Six the Musical!”

It doesn’t quite hit Katherine that she’s won until Jane turns to her, beaming with pride, and whispers, “you did it!”

She gets up, legs slightly shaking from adrenaline, and she’s ushered to the stage as the crowd applauds and cheers- for her, she realises. They heard her story and they like her. A giddy grin grows on Katherine’s face as she ascends the stairs to the stage and the presenters hand her a glass trophy, engraved with ‘Best Live Performance by an Actress in a Musical.’

They step back and gesture towards the microphone, expecting her to speak. Katherine then realizes she doesn't have anything prepared, she was so sure she wouldn't win. She steps towards the mic and clears her throat nervously. She catches Jane, about twenty rows back, and she gives her a little thumbs-up.

Katherine looks down at the trophy then back to the crowd. "I never expected this to happen tonight," she speaks honestly, a lightness in her voice. "Or ever for that matter. I'd like to thank the critics association, the Kholer judges, our fans, and my amazing co stars. Aragon, you keep my head on straight where I know I would lose it, Anna, I know I can count on you for back up when I need it. You’re the best friend I could ever ask for. Boleyn, you infuriate me, but I still love you with my whole heart, and Parr...you're one of the sweetest souls I've ever met. I love you all so much."

Then she sees Jane, smiling and teary-eyed and her throat constricts slightly.

“And finally, to Jane,” Katherine tries her best to keep it together. “For, um, for those of you who don’t know, a few months ago Jane formally adopted me, and so this is for my mum. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.” She tears up slightly, choking on her words, but powers through. “You’ve helped me more than you’ll possibly ever realise, and I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for you.” Even over rows and rows of seats, Jane meets her eyes and Katherine feels her heart burst with love, giving her enough confidence to finish her speech. “Lastly, I just wanted to say... this award is for everyone who has a story like mine. Thank you to everyone who’s let me tell my story, and to everyone who’s listened to it.” She raises the trophy once in the air as the audience applauds, and she thinks she can hear a group of distinct familiar voices cheering for her in the twentieth row.

She leaves the stage and walks up the aisle, a spotlight trailing her as she goes. She doesn’t even make it to her seat before Jane pulls her into the tightest hug. 

Unbeknownst to them both, a camera had followed, and their heartfelt moment was broadcast for the who audience to see, but neither really cared. 

“I'm so proud of you, love,” Jane whispers tearily. “So, so proud.”

Katherine can’t find the words to respond so she just hugs Jane tighter, hoping that Jane realises just how much Katherine loves her and that this award was just as much hers as it was Katherine’s. They only break apart when a kindly-looking usher apologetically interrupts asking them to return to their seats. When they sit down, Jane wraps an arm around Katherine’s shoulders and Katherine gently leans against her, resting her head on Jane’s shoulder as she clutches the trophy in her lap. Neither of them pay much attention through the rest of the awards, as much as they try to, far too overwhelmed by pride and happiness and most of all, love.

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[everythingandeveryplace]

*Thorns part 2 Eric x OC*

He looked like an idiot, he could feel it from the slack of his jaw and the fact that his eyes were probably just a size too big for his head right now, And he wasn’t.. he wasn’t stupid or daft, he was Dauntless.. he was trained to be conscious and aware at all times, never be caught off guard and most definitely never stare dumbfounded at a woman with a torso the size of his left bicep. He’d done his research, looked up everything there was to find on Ellarose Blanchett and yet nothing had prepared him for this.

She was smiling at him, mocha eyes looking up at him through long thick lashes and deliciously plump lips curled up at him warmly. She looked soft and her smile was nothing but sweet and yet.. those same hands that were tugging on the hem of her t shirt had beaten a man until he was unrecognizable, her baby smooth skin must have been spattered with the blood of the three factionless guards she had carried through their compound and dumped half alive at the door of an Amity Leader. Her fingers that were now painted a dark navy had at one point been wrapped around Jacob Darren’s throat so tightly the imprint of them was still prominent when she delivered his body to Dauntless with what he could imagine was fire in her Bambi eyes.

“I’m going to be tranining the initiates. I’m not supposed to be out here but i couldn’t miss out on a night like this.” She explained, filling the quiet with her songbird voice.

After what felt like hours but couldn’t have been more than a moment Eric found his voice

“I know who you are, I’m Eric. You’ll be training alongside me at times I’m assuming.”

Ella’s eyes lit up and she nodded

“Yes I’ve heard about you, Max said you were “strong, strict and downright angry.” “ She mimicked their bosses voice and giggled “he really respects you but he told me to steer clear of you.”

Eric huffed

“Nice, I’m the one who picks up all his slack and I’m the one you need to steer clear of. I heard that you got here early this morning, they’re keeping you locked away like some big surprise.” He watched as she slid away from the edge of the roof and dropped her boots to the concrete, he took a moment to catalogue her injuries

A deep red gash tore open the soft skin of her bottom lip, partially healed but still noticeable, stitches lined the space where her lower eyelashes hit, curved into some semblance of a smiley face. There were green and purple bruises all over her jaw line and a butterfly stitch over her right eyebrow, he was used to seeing the women of Dauntless covered In bruises and injuries, it was almost a badge of honor but for some reason the sight of her pretty face marred with the sight made his fists clench and his stomach lurch.

Ella turned to him quickly, something he couldn’t quite place trapped behind her eyes

“No, he’s not keeping me away because I’m a surprise.. he’s keeping me away because I’ll scare the transfers.. I’ll scare the kids.” She cocked her head to the side.

In that moment he saw it, the savage type of disconnect in her eyes, the fierce loyalty and animalistic twitch to her lips. He knew that look.. he knew that look because it was almost always gracing his own face. The way she pouted, brown eyes flashing made him want nothing more than to drag her off this rooftop and back into his apartment, throw her on his bed and make her forget anyone else’s name.. he wanted to hear her say his name over and over and over again.

Eric shook his head, shaking off the thought and shifting in his now too tight pants

“You don’t look scary. you’re small, incredibly small. I don’t think anyone’s going to be expecting you to be this small.” He reiterated, eyeing her tiny waist and long toned legs, lingering on the way they clung to her hips.

“I’ll have no problem reminding them just how scary I can be.” Ella bit out, her words raspy, anger lingering behind them before she settled and moved closer to Eric, nodding her head towards the door “ I didn’t get to eat much while I was Undercover, I was factionless completely.. I took what I could steal but I can’t count the days I went hungry, even if I managed to get food it was more than likely going to be taken.”

“Who took your food?” He questioned, holding the door open and slipping behind her, his hand on the small of her back, just a touch of her smooth skin against his fingers.

“Everyone.” She answered simply.

“Factionless bastards.” Eric grumbled.

It wasnt more than a second before she whipped back around, her fingers digging into the sleeve of his jacket

“They take what they want. Anything they want. They deserve to rot, every single one of them. I did my best to make sure of that but there’s more.. there’s more and that’s why I’m here.” Her words were rushed and her eyes darted around him to make sure no one was listening. She smelt like vanilla shampoo and mint toothpaste, this close he could see the almost translucent scar stretching from her temple to the corner of her ear. “You train those kids. Keep them safe, make them strong. Do not let them fail. Do not let them become factionless.”

“Failure isn’t an option” he promised, Grey eyes holding hers “you’ll learn fairly quickly that failure doesn’t apply to me.”

It was quick the tiniest scrunch of her nose and the tilt of her lips, something close to fondness melted her stoic expression. Her eyes shifted to her fingers curled around the harsh leather of his jacket before she slowly flattened them against his arm.

“I’m gonna have a hard time steering clear of you aren’t I?” She whispered looking up at him through her lashes.

Eric swallowed thickly, his hands hovering over her waist before slowly dropping them to the tops of her leggings just an inch of tanned skin brushing his fingertips.

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

She reached up slowly, fingers brushing his cheek

“I..”

“Ellarose! We have been looking everywhere for you. Was it your room? You didn’t like it? We can easily relocate you somewhere more comfortable, we were concerned when Olivia went to check on you and you were gone!” Max rushed towards the two dauntless trainers, frantic eyes as Ella pulled away from Eric, wincing at the chaotic volume of their bosses voice.

Eric stepped forward, half of his body blocking the much smaller girl from their leaders reaching grip. He crossed his arms over his body, towering frame every bit as intimidating as it seemed.

“She’s not a prisoner, there’s no reason to lock her away. This is her home now, she can go wherever she pleases anytime she pleases.” Eric raised a pierced eyebrow at the shorter man in front of him, challenging him.

Ella stepped around Eric

“I’m not going to run away Max, I needed a breather. You know what happened last time I was isolated.” She sighed “Eric was helping me back to my room, I’m headed back there right now. I’ll follow you.” She turned back towards Eric, chocolate eyes sparkling “Thankyou Eric. I’ll see you tommorow?”

Arms still crossed and a half smug smirk on his lips he nodded firmly

“Count on it.”

Max gently tugged on Ella’s arm

“Thankyou Eric.” He sounded confused before he started speaking to Ella in hushed whispers. She looked back just once, a soft smile on her lips.

He didn’t know much but he knew he would be thinking of that smile all damn night.

[frillyfacefics]

A New Purpose (Ronan/Yon-Rogg) - Chapter 2

Chapter 1

There was a smile on the face of Ronan the Accuser, and it was possibly the most frightening thing Yon-Rogg had ever seen.

It only lasted a moment, but it had been enough to suddenly make Yon-Rogg, who had tried to shield his mind from reality for the past days, hyper-aware of his surroundings. These were living-quarters, he suddenly realised; absurdly large living quarters, but since Ronan’s rank was so much above even what he had been before his punishment, their size might be appropriate for their inhabitant. Just from the corner of his eyes he could make out several control panels, and through the doorway Ronan had come through he could see something that might have been the corner of a bed.

“Ronan…” He hadn’t used his voice since his communication with the Supreme Intelligence, and he was surprised to find that it sounded as rough and rasping as if he had been crying.

It was unnerving to be in the same room as the Accuser. He was used to Ronan being a tiny hologram, but now he was towering over him, easily a head and a half taller than him, his full uniform making his body look broad and massive and making Yon-Rogg feel small like a child in comparison. If he had been wearing his Starforce uniform, it might have been bearable, but as he was clad only in formless scrubs, a nobody looking like a nobody, he wished a wormhole would open up and swallow him whole.

“From now on, you will call me ‘Master’, Yon-Rogg,” Ronan said. The smile had gone, though he could still see traces of it in his eyes. “I have requested for you to be apprenticed to my valet. It is a slightly unusual iteration for the training of a servant, but since I know how our soldiers are trained, I believe you still ought to have the discipline and ability to follow orders I would expect from any soldier. There is no reason to waste your time on theoretical training. You ought to be of use right away.”

Yon-Rogg had always been grudgingly impressed by the dark, vibrant quality of Ronan’s voice, but just as with his physical presence, there was no comparison between the way he sounded as a hologram and how he sounded in real life. His voice boomed through the vaulted room; it seemed to seep into Yon-Rogg’s bones, make them vibrate until his flesh felt warm with it.

He’d stood a little straighter when Ronan had mentioned his basic combat training. It had been a while, that was true, but he guessed that both soldiers and servants were trained to uphold some of the same values - discipline, obedience, duty. Pride in what you did, no matter how small a part it played in the bigger picture.

He wondered how Ronan’s valet would think about having to train somebody who wasn’t even from his own class, and who hadn’t gone through whatever training they surely went through before they were sent into the field, so to speak.

“Yes, Master,” he rasped.

Ronan’s purple eyes slowly looked him over, then he walked to one of the walls of the room, motioning Yon-Rogg to follow. He activated a control panel and then opened it with his palm-print. “While we are on the Dark Aster, you will sleep in here.”

Yon-Rogg stepped forward and took a look into the room he had opened. He was surprised to find that it was a single room - only one bed and a washing console, with a small panel on the wall that would likely open some storage space. He hadn’t had a lot of social contact with the servant class, but he had seen enough blueprints in his life that he knew that most servant quarters, both on ships and in private households, were communal.

He felt strangely relieved. Even if he would have to work with people who would likely see his punishment as a personal attack on their professional honor, there would at least be one place where he’d be able to just be alone. He wouldn’t have thought that Ronan would be so considerate.

“Your livery is in the storage closet,” Ronan said. “My valet will come to you soon. I believe your first task will be to help cleaning.” He motioned Yon-Rogg into the room. Obediently, he stepped inside. He turned around to see Ronan nod at him, a strangely satisfied look on his face. The he put his hand on the console again, and the door closed between them.

Even though he could have opened it at any time from the inside, Yon-Rogg still felt as if he had been put into a jail cell. He took a deep breath to push down the confusion and loss he was feeling, then he put his hand on the panel in the wall. A door opened, revealing a set of shelves and a rail with several livery jackets and pants hanging on it. He found a stack of shirts, a stack of underwear and a stack of sleeping clothes, as well as three pairs of soft slippers with thick soles that would likely allow him to move around as silently as it was proper for a servant who was not supposed to be seen. They were a long shot from the sturdy boots he had been wearing most of his life…

All of his new clothes were dark grey, like the walls of the ship itself. The fabric wasn’t unlike that of his old training clothes, though the sleeves were long and the collars high. He took off his blue scrubs, and since he didn’t know what else to do with them, he chucked them into the laundry chute at the back of his closet. They didn’t have any identifying tags, so he was pretty sure that would be the last he’d see of them, and he couldn’t say that he would miss them.

He always thought that new underwear felt horribly awkward. It was the only really new piece of clothing given to all Kree when they were given a new rank or a new position; everything else had more likely than not been worn by somebody else before them. The fabrics they used were of such a high quality that most clothes didn’t have to be replaced any more often than once in a decade or so. As he closed the jacket, he wondered who had been wearing this livery before him. It had definitely been somebody who had been on this career track since they had been a teenager; somebody who had known that they were going to spend their life invisible, doing work that would never be attributed to them. As a soldier, even as a common one, it had always mattered who Yon-Rogg was. It had mattered how he got along with his fellow soldiers, how his superiors had seen him. It had mattered who his parents were, who his brother was.

It would likely still matter who he was, for the people he was going to work with. But everything he was now seemed to stand against him. He knew how to clean a room, how to scrub floors, how to clean his uniform and his weapons. Before he had become a captain, these things had been part of his every-day tasks, and even afterwards, he had kept cleaning his own weapons. But the common barracks of a military base was something very different from the private quarters of an Accuser, or any other member of the higher classes, for that matter. And he hadn’t even touched a scouring pad in what, more than ten years?

He was going to be an apprentice, of all things, and one without the natural adaptability of youth. He couldn’t even imagine the humiliation he was about to experience.

The valet opened the door to his room without so much as buzzing. He was old and bald, and he only spoke when it was absolutely necessary. Yon-Rogg spent the next few hours scrubbing floors - with too much pressure and too little soap, according to his mentor. He cleaned about ten wall-panels with a special kind of spray and a soft piece of fabric - apparently the circles he made were too big, and too much of the spray ended up on the walls beside the panels. Yon-Rogg accepted the short, pointed criticism of his work with gritted teeth, extremely aware of the looks of the other three servants who were working on shining up Ronan’s quarters. At one point, one of the two women laughed when he forgot to dry one of the panels after he had cleaned it, and he had to fight to push the wave of anger down.

He realised that objectively, they were treating him very civilly, if cooly; but apparently his failure hadn’t managed to completely shatter his pride, and just the fact that he had to listen to the instructions of an old man who hadn’t done anything more dangerous in his life than use caustic cleaning solutions to get rid of some stubborn stains was painfully gnawing on his ego. He could ignore the disdainful looks the other servants were giving him - the valet just looked bored and annoyed, most of the time - but he couldn’t ignore the feeling that he was being treated like a not especially bright fifteen-year-old.

At the end of his day, his shoulder was aching again, and his knees had started to hurt from all the kneeling - even though his pants did have sown-in knee-pads, which he had to admit was quite ingenious. He wasn’t as worn as he would have been after a day of training, but he still felt incredibly relieved when the door of his room slid closed behind him.

He had been shown the panel that let him access the servants’ dormitory and to the communal showers, but he didn’t feel like seeing anymore of the other servants again that day, so instead he opened the small washing console in his own room and stripped down to his underpants to give himself a quick wash, using one of the two towels he had found in the small cupboard that had appeared together with the console when he had pressed the right button on the panel controlling his closet. There were still vivid bruises all around his shoulder, and a few others on his back, his right arm, his legs. Vers really had done a number on him.

He gritted his teeth and rubbed the make-shift washcloth over his bruised skin harder than he necessarily had to. This was what he deserved. The sneers, the cold irreverence, the humiliating admonishing. He would have deserved worse.

He was bent over, angrily rubbing his right shin, when the noise of the opening door made him freeze in position. A very unfortunate position, as he realised when he heard Ronan’s deep, rumbling voice.

“Now that is not exactly a view I thought I would get today.”

Blood shot into Yon-Rogg’s face as he jerked upright. Shame about being caught in his underwear warred with confusion in his mind - had Ronan the Accuser just made a… a joke?

Slowly he turned around and looked up at Ronan’s towering form. He was filling most of the entrance to his room with his bulk, which at least meant that it was unlikely anybody else would see him in this unfortunate position.

Ronan closed the door behind him with a quick tap to the control panel, then he started to come closer. The room suddenly felt horribly small, and only long years of training made Yon-Rogg able to stand at attention, not budging an inch as Ronan invaded his personal space.

The Accuser’s eyes roamed over Yon-Rogg’s body, down once, then up again, finally lingering on his bruised-up shoulder.

“It’s a shame you didn’t manage to keep such a magnificent weapon under your control,” he rumbled, then he touched his knuckle to the darkest bruise with a gentleness Yon-Rogg wouldn’t have thought him capable of. “But then, if the Supreme Intelligence had known that she was so powerful, so extraordinary, I don’t think it would have left her in your hands. You were a soldier, and you were a good one, too… But you need more than a solid head for battle tactics to bind somebody to you completely and totally…”

‘If the Supreme Intelligence had known…’ For a second, Yon-Rogg balked so strongly at the… the blasphemy of implying that the Supreme Intelligence had not known something that he didn’t even realise what else Ronan was saying. Only when he was already pulling away his hand did those words register, but still it was hard to quite understand them. Had Ronan paid him a compliment? He had said he had been a good soldier, that he had a solid head for battle tactics…

A strange warmth rose in Yon-Rogg’s chest, a warmth that had nothing to do with the shameful position he was in right now. He kept staring straight ahead, at the space between the two side-parts of Ronan’s armor, so he didn’t know whether Ronan reacted to the flush in his cheeks in any way. They only stood like this for a moment, but that moment seemed to drag on for half an eternity, before Ronan finally took a step back.

A heavy thump made Yon-Rogg’s eyes dart to the floor next to the Accuser.

Ronan’s boots were lying on his floor, next to something he could remember very well from his time as a Starforce Lieutenant - an armor cleaning kit.

“I want them clean and polished next to the door of my sleeping quarters by tomorrow morning,” Ronan said, then he turned around and tapped the door panel again. “I believe you remember how to do that.”

“Yes, Ro-” He quickly cleared his throat, embarrassed that he had forgotten the first instruction Ronan had given him. “Yes, Master.”

As he stepped through the door, Ronan cast him a last look over his shoulder. “Good night.”

Then the door slid close behind him.

[kookienomster3]

Blood, Sweat, & Tears (Pt. 7)

KPOP Fanfiction Written By: @20jane & @musicismylife45 WARNING: MATURE CONTENT Mafia/Gangs

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    "Wake up Losers!" A voice rang. You stirred in your sleep cuddling into the warmth of the blanket.     "Jungkook!" You heard again, the bed shook a bit as the voice tried to shake Jungkook awake. You cracked open your eyes to see Yugyeom. He looked your way when seeing you sit up on the bed.     "(Y/n), your awake," he said smiling at you, "Now Jungkook just has to get the fuck up," he commented before ripping off the blankets then pushing him off the bed.      Jungkook woke up mid-fall landing on the hard floor. You couldn't see him but you saw one leg rise up kicking Yugyeom where no man would want to be kicked. Yugyeom gasped eyes wide, as he held his.... manly parts. Jungkook got up with a normal expression passing by Yugyeom.     "Come on (Y/n), let's go get breakfast," Jungkook called as he walked away. You slowly slid off the bed and avoided Yugyeom who laid on the ground in pain.       You weren't too far behind Jungkook as you both went upstairs to the room with the couches. BamBam, Youngjae and Jackson all sat in pajamas on the couches eating breakfast burritos and Doenjang soup.        Jungkook took three burritos before falling on the couch. Jungkook had no pants but black boxer and a white tee. You awkwardly sat in the armchair by yourself.      You hadn't noticed till now, but you were starving. You hadn't eaten since you gotten here but even though you wanted a burrito you felt weird to grab one. You felt a hand pet your hair. You flinched looking up to see the one and only, Jimin, and his infamous smirk.      He wore a large, black, short sleeve shirt, with an oversize striped jacket, and jeans. He looks really good. You just stared as he pushed the hair away from your neck, his fingers grazing the bruises he created on your neck.     "Stop," you mumbled pushing his hand away from your neck. His eyes darkened, his hand then gripped your hair, pulling your head back. You yelped, he leaned closer to your face,     "The fuck did you just say?" he whispered, He seemed irritated. 'Not a morning person,' you thought before you could push him away again, someone interrupted,     "Jimin come on eat some breakfast," Jackson said. You both looked over at the other boys to see them looking at the two of you. Most had looks of disgust or awkwardness, but then you felt a deep stare coming from Jungkook.     Jimin shrugged letting go of you to go eat. You leaned back in the chair, closing your eyes, trying to gather yourself together. You jumped back as a hand gripped your arm, you looked up guessing it was Jimin, but you were wrong. It was Jungkook. His body leaned over pulling you,      "What are you doing?" you asked. Everyone's eyes were on the two of you. He said nothing. He almost looked like he was pouting as he pulled you to the couch next to him. You looked over at him in confusion as he gave you one of his many burritos.     "Thanks," you smiled, taking the food.     The door swung open to see Yugyeom... with a black eye.     "Oh shit, Yugyeom what happened to your eye?" BamBam asked. Yugyeom just held his head,      "I woke up ... Yoongi," he mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. There was a long pause before everyone started laughing. Yugyeom just sat down where you were once sitting and held his face in pain. You didn't even notice that Yoongi trailed in behind him.      "God damn it, shut the fuck up," Yoongi said admittedly. Silence fell over the room. Yoongi pinched the bridge of his nose,     "It's Friday-" You tried your best to pay attention to what he was saying but your eyes kept staring at his shirtless, toned, chest. He wore black sweatpants that were baggy and hung low showing... a lot of skin. It was so hard to focus on his words, that you just ended up staring down at your lap hoping no one notice you gaulking at your kidnapper. "(Y/n)," a voice called. You looked up from your lap to see once again, Yoongi. You felt blood rush to your cheeks as Yoongi stood right in front of you.     "Did you listen to a single word I said?" he said loudly. You looked up at him with wide eyes, "No I'm sorry," you mumbled, avoiding eye contact.     "She's just tired Yoo-" Jungkook started trying to defend you but, Yoongi cut him off with a glare.     "Did I Fucking ask you, No? Then shut the fuck up!" he said, anger filled the air. Yoongi took a deep breathe calming himself down.     "Youngjae show (Y/n) how to use the earpiece, Jimin check on our guest j-hope and clean up your mess upstairs," Yoongi groaned. Everyone got up and went to work. You followed Youngjae into the small closet. Right next to the door was a twin sized bed at least seven computers were on one desk. You went to sit down onto the small uncomfortable looking bed but right, as you were Youngjae, stopped you.     "Please don't touch ANYTHING," he said staring at you with disgust.      "Fine" you spoke, rolling your eyes. You watched as he dug through draws of his desk grabbing out a few things. He turned to face you with an annoyed look on his face. He placed the objects on his bed just to pick it up again holding it in front of your face. It looked like an earphone.    "Wear your hair down so no one will notice and also we can hear everything so don't try to talk to us it will give away your cover," he informed putting the earpiece down and picking up the other object.      "There are three walkie-talkies that can talk into your earpiece and hear what's going on. I will have one, so will Yoongi and Jungkook," he finished putting down the last item.     "Oh and how about you test out the earpiece. Go around the factory and see if you can hear me," he said throwing the earpiece at you. 'He probably just wants to get rid of me,' you thought, placing the piece in your ear sarcastically waving goodbye to Youngjae.       "Can you hear me?" Youngjae's voice came through into your ear.     "Yeah, can you hear me?" You asked walking away from the room.     "Yeah go a little further," he said. You did as you were told but instead of going downstairs you looked at the metal door a few feet from Youngjae's room. His door now closed.      'What's up there I remember Yoongi telling Jimin something,' you thought, approaching the door. You crept it open. It led upstairs where you had never been before. Entering the staircase you tried your best to stay quiet and crept up the steps.    You heard faint whimpers. Turning the corner you spotted Hoseok in a room covered in plastic. He laid on the ground still tied up. You could only see the back of him but you noticed blood covering the floor around him. You walked over to him taking a step closer. The floor creaked, signaling you were here. He flinched,      "You'll kill me before I tell you anything," he said, his voice cracking. You walked closer avoiding the puddle of blood. As you looked over to the other side of the beaten up boy you saw his face. You cringed at the sight. He had swollen eyes and a split lip, cuts and bruises covered his body. His eyes widened at the sight of you.    "Oh my God (Y/n)," he said trying his best to scoot closer to you.     "Are you okay? How did you get here with those cunts?" he said sneering at the last part.      "Hoseok is it true your in Nameless?" You asked, looking down at the beaten up man who you use to call friend.     "You don't understand (Y/n). I needed the money for tuition and then I just got caught up in the mess," he tried to explain but you just shook your head.    "The Nameless sell women! How can you be apart of that? What happened to the cute boy in my English lit class?" you asked, you refused to cry.     "I'm still here but those fucking Reapers you're all buddy buddy with are no better than the Nameless," he said. You looked away for a second, not wanting to look at his broken face.     "(Y/n), help me and we can leave together," he begged, looking up at you with puppy eyes. You debated on the idea for a few minutes just looking at him. SLAM!    "Oh, J-hope~" Jimin's voice called from the bottom of the stairs. Both you and J-hope looked at each other with frightened looks. You had nowhere to hide.     "What a surprise," Jimin said as he reached the top of the stairs.

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[ajbarker82]

How should I pack for a hike? What should I pack for a multi-day trek? what’s too much? And what’s too little? How am I getting to carry it all? Which hiking gear and essentials should I stock advance and which may I buy on the ground? That’s where this Ultimate Hiking Packing List comes in to answer all of these questions — and far more — to organize you for your next adventure.

What is the difference between trekking and hiking? Good question. While this text does an honest job breaking it down, for our purposes here we’re using the 2 words somewhat interchangeably to represent going out and walking in nature for a period of your time . this is often different from mountaineers trekking and Hiking Packing Myths During the primary six years of our journey, we carried all that we would have liked in our backpacks so on be prepared for almost any quite climate or activity, from the beach to glacier. on reflection , we made some silly decisions in those youth .

As a result, we schlepped a couple of bits we never used. But through experience and experimentation and after a few dozen multi-day treks across all continents, we got smart not only on what gear to hold with us but also what to shop for locally or rent.ng, which usually involves specialized climbing gear and technical skills.

1. you want to purchase the newest and greatest trekking gear. It’s true that some trekking clothing technology is particularly useful for lightness, wind-resistance, waterproofing and wicking (GoreTex, fleece, Polartec, etc., come to mind). However, we propose that specialize in the trekking basics: clothing that’s comfortable, breathable, light, easily layered.

2. you would like to bring EVERYTHING with you. For every trek we’ve undertaken, there’s been ample opportunity to rent or buy gear to supplement our trekking kit. for instance , it’s just not practical for us to hold around bulky waterproof pants in our backpacks once we only need them a small fraction of the time.

3. Real treks require camping. This is all subjective. It’s true that camping and carrying all of your own gear may offer you a greater sense of independence and accomplishment and permit you to dive deeper into nature. However, we disagree with the assertion that camping equals a far better trekking experience. In fact, a number of our most memorable treks (e.g., Annapurna Circuit, Markha Valley Trek, Svaneti, Peaks of the Balkans, Kalaw to Inle Lake in Burma, etc.) are memorable precisely due to the local culture and human interaction dimensions surrounding our accommodation and food arrangements.

Hiking Backpacks and Camera Bags Small hiking backpack or day pack You’ll be carrying all of your stuff on your copy and down mountain passes therefore the size, fit and luxury of your pack are important. Aim to carry a pack that’s large enough to hold the essentials (e.g., water, jacket, rain gear, sunscreen, etc.), yet not too big that it’ll weigh you down.

The size will depend upon what percentage days your trek is and whether or not you’ll camp. do not forget to bring a rain cover to guard your backpack in storms.

We’ve often repurposed our laptop backpacks or rented backpacks from trekking agencies. This usually did the trick, but they weren’t always entirely appropriate and thus kind to our back and shoulders. We’ve since invested in proper trekking backpacks and haven’t looked back.

My approach is to hold and maintain separate hiking and sleeping (or relaxing in the dark ) clothes in order that you usually have something clean(ish) to vary into at night. To get on the safe side to guard against things getting wet, put your sleeping clothes and whatever else you are not wearing at the time in Ziploc or another quite bag .

1 pair of trekking pants: We’re both been using Clothing Arts Travel Pants (men’s trekking pants and women’s trekking pants) for over eight years on all of our day hikes and multi-day treks. They not only are sturdy (we’ve put them through tons and that they still look great), but they’re also quick-dry and avoid stains and odors. we discover the extra secure zipper and buttoned pockets useful on treks for keeping phones, money, tissues and other things handy. (Note: this is often especially relevant for ladies as many women’s trekking pants hardly have any pockets.) Thermal underwear (top/bottom): i really like my silk underwear as they’re warm, comfy and take up almost no room in the least . Also good is Uniqlo’s Heat Tech collection of thin, but warm, layers of leggings and tops. Dan remains keen on his Patagonia zipper top and bottoms that he’s been using for over a decade. 2-3 short-sleeved t-shirts: Preferably quick-dry or regular cotton. we frequently use our running shirts as they’re light and wick away sweat well. 1 long-sleeved pullover or zipped shirt: once you need another light layer to travel over your t-shirt for cold or sun protection. i have been enjoying this light zipped top for ladies and Dan’s been employing a half-zip pullover. Pyjama/sleeping pants: I find that cotton yoga pants work quite well. Underwear: However many pairs that you’re comfortable with carrying. Here are recommended men’s boxer shorts and women’s underwear. 3 pairs of socks: i really like SmartWool hiking socks as my first pairs lasted me almost seven years of heavy usage.Hiking Shoes and Other Footwear Hiking Shoes Shoes could also be the foremost important thing you bring with you so if you invest in one thing beforehand , invest during a solid comfortable pair of hiking shoes. And break them in. Your shoes can literally make or break a visit .

If you’ve got a specific trek or hike in mind, invite advance whether you would like mid- or high-cut hiking shoes for ankle support as this might influence your purchasing decision. we do not find ourselves often needing high-cut boots. However, if your ankles are weak or vulnerable to turns and sprains, more support is best than less.

We both recently shifted to wearing Oboz Sawtooth hiking boots. The insoles and support for your feet are specialized , and therefore the shoes are sturdy and may get up to some tough terrain. additionally , Oboz plants a tree for each pair of shoes sold so you’ll feel good that your purchase goes towards reforestation and environmental projects.

[zonevevo]

The Best Jeans For Curvy Women Anywhere On The Internet

If you’re a curvy woman you know that even the ability to discuss options for jeans that’ll cover your rear end is progress. Speaking for myself, it was tough being a teenager in the early 2000s with a brand-new hourglass figure and no pants to properly fit me. Skirts and dresses were my best friend and everything I wore looked . T'was the plight of the big bootied woman.

Fast forward a decade, the fashion industry introduced jeggings and suddenly curvy women had options for jeans that’d fit our thighs and butt. No more sliding jeans on, feeling anxiety as momentum ebbed at the thigh, and then coming to a full stop at the underbutt. The archaic “sizing-up” method was also a thing of the past.

My closet was replete with high-waisted jeggings, incredibly-tight vagina-strangling jeggings, with massive waist gaps. It was like the fashion industry was conspiring to make curvy women lose their damn minds. For some time every milestone in our curvy saga presented new challenges. But, it appears we’ve reached the end of our perilous journey.

Retailers are embracing all body types and it’s becoming more common to see “curvy” collections for the hourglass figure. These collections include jeans that fit large thighs, have extra room in the seat, and are tapered at the waist. They’re freaking perfect. And, these collections have more variety than just jeggings. It used to be that we had to admire mom and boyfriend jean styles from afar, but those days are over.

It’s time to talk about the 5 best retailers for finding curvy jeans, because we’ve got real-affordable options now. To illustrate these options I’ve enlisted some of our fave curvy celebs for assistance.

1. Topshop

Could Topshop have known how popular their Joni Jeans would be among curvy women when they launched? Your guess is as good as mine.

Topshop’s Joni Jeans are high-rise, tapered ankle, super stretch denim pants. They come in a wide range of washes from bleached and acid to green cast and black coated. You’ll find them in a plethora of styles like ripped, super ripped, cut out, and some styles with raw hems. Prices for these curvy jeans range $65-$85 per pair, in waist sizes 24-36 and regular, petite, and tall lengths.

Beyoncé

Sporting a summer outfit we’re dying to covet, Beyoncé was seen out wearing curve-hugging jeans, a long-sleeve patterned blouse, platform sandals, and a two-toned clutch. She also took to Instagram to share this casual ensemble’s goodness with the world.

FLORAL KNOT TIE SHIRT, $55, TOPSHOP

BELT LOOP JONI JEANS, $65, TOPSHOP

DEMPSEY PLATFORM SANDALS, $40, NINE WEST

ANASTASIA ZEBRA CLUTCH, $180, SHOPBOP

To copy Beyoncé’s look, you can team the Floral Knot Tie Shirt ($55)  with a pair of Belt Loop Joni Jeans ($65), Nine West’s Dempsey Platform Sandals ($40), and the Anastasia Zebra Clutch ($180).

Joni Jeans are the best option for copying Beyoncés look because they have a tapered high-waist and are super stretchy. They’re made of 55% cotton, 42% Viscose, and 3% Elastane which means they’re comfortable, form-fitting, and breathable.

J-Lo

J-Lo stepped out in a full-denim outfit complete with a long-sleeve denim shirt, butt flattering denim pants, and tan suede pumps. This is another look perfect for Topshop’s Joni Jeans.

WESTERN DENIM SHIRT, $58, TOPSHOP

BELT LOOP JONI JEANS, $65, TOPSHOP

ROUND MIRROR SUNGLASSES, $22, TOPSHOP

MARGIE PUMPS, $120, SHOPBOP

To copy J-Lo’s full-denim outfit, combine a Western Denim Shirt ($58), Topshop’s Belt Loop Joni Jeans ($65), Margie Tan Suede Pumps ($120), and a pair of Round Mirror Sunglasses ($22).

2. PrettyLittleThing

PrettyLittleThing’s curvy jeans come to us courtesy of their Shape collection which offers clothing for the hourglass figure, large bust, small waist, and big butt.

PHOTO: COURTESY PRETTYLITTLETHING

PLT’s shape denim features a tapered waist, extra room in the seat, and 5% Elastane for extra stretch. They come in ripped, extreme rip, high-waist, distressed, wide-leg, mom, and boyfriend styles. These jeans are also perfect for all heights with regular, tall, and petite lengths.

Ashley Graham

Get Ashley Graham’s look by teaming PrettyLittleThing’s Disco Skinny Jeans ($45), with a V-neck Crop Top ($12), Black Pointed Pumps ($180), and Stone Drop Earrings($22).

DISCO SKINNY JEANS, $45, PRETTYLITTLETHING

V NECK CROP TOP, $12, PRETTYLITTLETHING

BLACK POINT TOE PUMPS, $180, SHOPBOP

STONE DROP EARRINGS, $22, TOPSHOP

PLT’s Shape jeans are extremely affordable at $35-$45 per pair and with just one word of caution. Make sure to wash your jeans before your first wear as the dark dye will transfer to your other clothing including your shoes.

3. Missguided

While Missguided doesn’t offer a specific “shape” or “curve” collection for hourglass figures, their denim pants have long had the reputation for being curvy friendly.

Missguided’s jeans come standard with tapered waists and extra room in the seat for a complementary silhouette. Missguided offers jeans from sizes 0-20 and their price ranges anywhere from $25-$51 depending on the style.

Barbie Ferreira

Longtime model for Missguided, Barbie Ferreira is seen here modeling a black band tee, with ripped curvy jeans, and black strappy sandals for a recent campaign.

To get Barbie’s look, pair a Band Tee ($12) with Missguided’s High-Waist Skinny Jeans ($47), a pair of Strappy Sandal Heels ($59) and consider a Leather Biker Jacket ($320) for more edge.

LACE BAND TEE, $12, SHEIN

PATTI STRAPPY SANDAL HEEL, $59, ZAPPOS

HIGH WAIST SKINNY JEANS, $47, MISSGUIDED

LEATHER BIKER JACKET, $320, TOPSHOP

4. Levi’s

Levi’s is the original pioneer in denim, so naturally, they have solid options for our list of curvy jeans. Levi’s observed shopper’s overwhelming reception to their 501 jeans but also heard feedback that so many were sizing up and getting the waists altered to fit their shapely figures.

Instead of leaving us to our own devices, Levi’s launched its Wedgie Fit jeans collection giving curvy women options for curve-flattering classic jeans. The Wedgie fit is slightly more stretchy than their 501s, fit snug through the hips and thighs, have tilted back pockets, and high-rise tapered waists.

Tracee Ellis Ross

In an interview for The New Potato, Tracee Ellis Ross wears a full-denim outfit featuring classic denim jeans, a popover denim shirt, and tan animal print stilettos.

WEDGIE FIT JEANS, $98, LEVI’S

POPOVER DENIM SHIRT, $60, GAP

SAM EDELMAN HAZEL, $70, ZAPPOS

LOEFFLER RANDALL TAB CLUTCH, $295, ZAPPOS

Copy Tracee Ellis Ross’s full-denim outfit by teaming Levi’s Wedgie Fit Jeans ($98) with a Popover Denim Shirt ($60), a pair of Snakeskin Pumps ($70), and an optional Snakeskin Clutch ($295) to complete the look.

5. American Eagle

American Eagle is perhaps the most surprising addition to our list given their design history. But, with the evolution of their brand comes investment in their “Curvy Jeans” collection.

American Eagle’s Curvy Jeans offer greater room through the thigh and hip and a tapered waist to avoid a gnarly waist gap. This collection comes complete with mom jeans, flared, skinny and jegging styles. You can grab a pair of these affordable and flattering jeans for $50-$70 a pair depending on the style.

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian was spotted out in a sexy summer jeans outfit look combining a bustier bodysuit, with ripped jeans, and snakeskin booties.

BUSTIER BODYSUIT, $37, MISSGUIDED

BEADED OCCASSION CLUTCH, $32, ASOS

SNAKESKIN BOOTIES, $110, STEVE MADDEN

CURVY HIGH-WAIST JEGGINGS, $50, AMERICAN EAGLE

To get Kim’s look, pair a Black Bustier Bodysuit ($37) with American Eagle’s High-Waist Jeggings ($50), Steve Madden’s Snakeskin Booties ($110), and an optional Beaded Clutch ($32) to finish the look.

Perhaps our favorite thing about American Eagles Curvy Jeans collection is how they make several styles of quality mid-weight denim available to women with curves.

Scarlett Johannson

We usually only get glimpses of Scarlett Johannson’s rear on the red carpet, and this occurrence is no different. Seen jetting off somewhere important, Scarlett sports a long-sleeve blue boyfriend shirt, cropped mom jeans, and Chanel Espadrilles.

BLUE STRIPED BOYFRIEND SHIRT, $50, GAP

PLATFORM ESPADRILLE FLATS, $75, NORDSTROM

ELSA SUNGLASSES, $100, SHOPBOP

STRETCH CURVY MOM JEANS, $50, AMERICAN EAGLE

Copy Scarlett’s casual summer outfit by combining somewhere you really need to be with American Eagle’s Curvy Mom Jean ($50), a Blue Striped Boyfriend Shirt ($50), Platform Espadrille Flats ($75) and a pair of Elsa Sunglasses ($100).

At I AM & CO, we have a blast curating products that we think you’ll love. Every editorial product is independently selected by our editorial team. When you make a purchase, I AM Media may earn a commission.

[gaparime]

Let's Talk About Gear!

While mental fortitude is ultimately what will make or break your success in completing a long distance hike, gear is equally as imperative. I began my thruhike of the Appalachian Trail by carrying 30 pounds (exactly 30.0 on the scale at Amicalola) and received a shakedown to 20, give or take a few pounds here and there depending on food and water supply, and my replacements/upgrades throughout the first quarter of the trail.

During your planning process for a thruhike or any kind of a long distance backpacking trip, it’s important to remember that there’s usually no right or wrong for good, necessary products. Albeit, you still want to use common sense (buy nice or buy twice, have a properly-fitted backpack, don’t wear cotton, don’t carry too much or too little, don’t buy cheap tents that can’t withstand all weather conditions, et cetera). Otherwise, your backpack and its contents are the oyster that is your world, and it’s your preference that matters the most. This sounds simple enough, but these are things I wish I knew before going into my thruhike.

You may like hammocks more than tents. You may prefer trail runners over boots. You may prefer a Kindle over a paper book, if that’s what you choose to bring as a luxury item. I just so happen to prefer tents, boots, and paper books. It’s okay to prefer hammocks, trail runners, and Kindles because your level comfort is going to be different from every gear list you come across online during your strenuous research. Whatever it may be, you have to test it out and know what works for you. Comfort and practicality are the major keys when it comes to gear for long distance hiking.

I made a lot of changes early on. That being said, I initially didn’t know what worked for me and had to figure it out the hard way. I took someone’s gear list and assumed if they were successful with those items, I’d enjoy them just as much. Wrong. Because of that, I now know exactly what does work after having tried just about everything else. This is why I can safely stress the importance of that, based on my own trials and errors. Replacing gear, especially if you’re getting it mailed to you 100 miles ahead of you, can be a pain in the butt. Trust me, I would know; I had to do this a few times. If there’s any advice you should take from my gear list or someone else’s when you’re preparing to live off of your back for six months, it’s that you really, really need to know what works for you, and then everything else will take care of itself.

For most of the trail, this is what helped me get from Springer to Katahdin. Before reading my list, line the entire inside of your pack with a garbage bag and know that ziploc bags are your friends. You can’t get more waterproof than that, and I happen to be neurotic about waterproofing so I had just about everything organized and protected in stuff sacks/ziplocs. Without further ado:

The essentials (shelter and sleep setup): - Osprey Aura 50 pack. I sent the detachable brain of the pack home because I didn’t need it. Brains only encourage carrying more crap. Should you decide to keep yours, some of the pros are: town purse/bag (since it is detachable), using it as a way of securing your tent/poles/etc, and storing easy-to-reach snacks. I kept my food at the bottom when fully resupplied, so it was easy to unzip and grab my food bag that way. As it got lighter, I’d move my food bag to the top of my pack for equally as easy access. The way you pack your backpack is a matter of preference for what will work best for you, and you’re the only person who can figure that out as you keep going. If something feels uncomfortable, stop and adjust it. Keep adjusting it until you find that perfect balance. All that matters is that the weight is distributed effectively, and that it’s not pulling you back or pushing you down. - Sierra Designs Lightning tent. I used Tyvek as a footprint, which fit just fine folded up in the sack for the tent. It’s cheaper, dries quickly, and works all the same. You’ll see a lot of people on the trail using Tyvek. Regardless of whether or not you choose to use Tyvek or the expensive footprint designed for your specific tent, you need some kind of protection between the bottom of your tent and the soil. This is to prevent rain and moisture from soaking through, and to preserve the condition of your tent. - REI AirRail inflatable sleeping pad. If you’re the type of person who values the quality of sleep, inflatable sleeping pads are worth the few extra ounces as opposed to foam pads. Of all times for mine to pop, it happened in the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine just days before I finished the trail. By this point, I was pretty careless with where my tent went and it was easy enough to tolerate for the remaining days. You’ll want to camp on the flattest surfaces you can find, free of rocks and roots. I found that I didn’t sleep well on a foam pad, and they’re bulkier. - Mountain Hardware Lamina Z Spark women’s sleeping bag in the dark raspberry color with orange interior. While this wasn’t as warm as I would’ve liked for it to have been, I liked how small it packed, so I made it work for me because that’s where my values were. Sleeping in cold weather was tolerable with all of my clothes on. Depending on the type of person you are, if you’re not like me when it comes to adapting and accepting, then you may not want to use this sleeping bag. There are certainly better options.

Stuff sacks of… well, stuff: *Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Stuff Sacks* - Food Stuff Sack: Self-explanatory. Amount of food carried = mile calculation to next resupply point. This is something you’ll figure out over time. Your mileage will change per region, thus, so will your food bag. The general rule of thumb is that you should never carry more than 4-5 days of food (with the exception of the 100 Mile Wilderness), and ideally, you want to be able to stroll into town as you’re eating your last snack from the food bag. I also kept my lightweight metal spork in my food bag, too. The longer the handle, the better; it’s easier to stir your food, especially for freeze dried meals. - Toiletry Stuff Sack: Compact tampons, travel sized toothbrush and paste, ibuprofen in a ziploc (note: ibuprofen is like candy for hikers- I used it for both inflammation and headaches, so I carried a lot of it at all times), small pack of baby wipes (“hiker showers”), small roll of medical tape (preventative blister care), and travel size Body Glide. - Clothing Stuff Sack: This changed with the seasons. I’ll just list everything I had. Before I list them, some important notes: If there was anything I did 100% right, it was preventative blister care and clothes. The key is minimalism. But don’t underestimate the beauty of dry socks and semi-clean undies; they weigh almost nothing and are worth carrying a couple extra of. You should generally have one pair of clothes for hiking and one for sleeping/town. All clothes were a dry fit material. I had a Marmot rain jacket and that stayed rolled up in the front mesh of my pack. I also had a Patagonia sportsbra, but that obviously stayed on me. *Winter/Spring (Georgia to Pearisburg, VA):* leggings, REI pants, Marmot tshirt, REI puffy jacket, long sleeve tshirt, three pairs of Exefficio undies, two pairs of Injinji toe socks, two pairs of Darn Tough socks, Outdoor Research glove liners (edit: I recommend Northface E-Tip gloves over the OR glove liners. Same glove style, but the Northface ones are warmer and a better material. For the most part, the OR liners were fine all on their own, except for one time when I was in the Smokies and it was 11 degrees and super windy), and a beanie. *Spring/summer (Pearisburg, VA to Hanover, NH):* Mountain Hardware shorts, Patagonia tshirt (eventually switched it out for a Northface shirt but that’s neither here nor there; point is, 1 tshirt at a time), a random tank top I found at Walmart in Pearisburg (usually wore the tank top for hiking and tshirt for sleeping/town), same three pairs of Exefficio undies, same Injinji and Darn Tough socks. I got the same things back in Hanover, NH that I used for Winter/beginning of Spring, and threw away the shorts/tank top. Ignore the rumors to send your winter gear home in Damascus. Seriously, don’t do that; everyone who did was really, really mad at themselves for it. It still gets cold on Mt Rogers (VA’s highest peak) and through Grayson Highlands. Somewhere in Vermont is usually a good time to get your winter gear back, but Hanover, NH (barely) worked for me. I had some issues with package timing, otherwise, I would’ve had them back in mid Vermont. - Electronic Stuff Sack: Anker battery bank, cord for phone, cord for battery bank, and an Apple USB adapter for my iPhone/Anker charger. I kept all of this inside of a ziploc inside of the stuff sack to ensure no water damage.

In between my stuff sacks: - Camp stove/pot/fuel. Kept stove and mini fuel canister inside of pot. All lightweight choices: MSR pocket rocket stove, GSI minimalist hallulite pot, and fuel canister brand varied depending on what was available at resupply points. Fuel is fuel, brand doesn’t matter. - Toilet paper in a ziploc. - Journal, pen, and stamps in a ziploc. - Paracord for hanging food bag. - My favorite luxury item: Sea to Summit inflatable pillow. It’s light, and you’ll thank yourself when you wake up well-rested every morning. You can get by just as well with using your clothing stuff sack as a pillow, but I am such a princess when it comes to sleep.

Side Mesh Pockets: - (2) 1L Smartwater bottles. Replaceable at any grocery or convenient stores, but if you’re gross like me, you’ll carry them for a long time before doing that. Carried a 3rd bottle through the Midatlantic because most water sources dry up. (PA, NJ, and NY). If you’re not carrying these from the beginning, at some point, you’ll notice most hikers around you are and then you’ll never look back at your Nalgenes or Platypus bottles. - Aquamira drops in a ziploc. Aquamira drops are in two 1-ounce bottles, part A and part B. The directions are directly on the bottles, and they’re easy to use/resupply with. - **This is super important. This is the lightest possible way to carry water and treatment. I tried a Sawyer Mini, and then a heavy Katadyn pump. I also had Platypus bottles, but they’re awkward to fill. I’ll never use anything other than Smartwater bottles and Aquamira for treatment.**

Front Mesh Pocket: - Aforementioned Marmot rain jacket rolled up. - Pack cover rolled up. - Headlamp. This is a 100% needed item, no matter which one you choose. Batteries can be resupplied; no need to carry extras unless you’re night hiking often. I night hiked often in the Midatlantic because of the brutal heat, so I definitely had backups then. - Bug net. Unless you enjoy prying about 15 dead bugs out of your eyeballs in the summer per day, you’ll appreciate having one. I should’ve had one much sooner than I did. - Trowel. Don’t be that person that leaves your poop close to the trail or a shelter. Bury it with a lightweight trowel. I stepped in someone’s poop once nearby a shelter, and I think that was understandably the angriest I was at any point during my hike. - Cheap sunglasses. Sunglasses aren’t necessary, but I like ‘em. I used them all the time through the open, rolling fields in VA-PA. - Travel size sunscreen. I eventually threw it away, but I needed it for a while. My Irish skin is quite fair. - Drink mix packets. These are also not necessary, but plain water does get boring after a while. Hawaiian Punch and Arizona Green Tea packets are delicious.

Side hip belt pockets: - Cell phone. - Earbud headphones. Be careful with headphones on the trail. I almost stepped on a huge rattlesnake curled up in the middle of the trail because I didn’t hear it while I was hauling ass and blasting music at full volume (I have a video to prove this story). They also make it difficult to hear if anyone is coming up behind you. - Lighter with a little bit of duct tape wrapped around it. - Needle and thread to repair tears on my pack. - Small knife. I am a huge fan of cheese, and that’s pretty much the only purpose I used it for. - Pepe the plastic dinosaur. My fiancé gave me this stupid little green dinosaur, and I just wanted to be able to say a dinosaur made it across the country. - ID, insurance card, debit and credit cards, and cash in a ziploc.

Hanging from the outside: - AT 2016 tag. - Crocs. - Bandana, off of one of the loops where the shoulder straps is. This is another must-have for me. I used it mostly to wipe sweat off, but it came in handy when I needed to give myself a “hiker shower” with just water in a stream, or the two times I got sick on the trail. I simultaneously hiked and blew infinite amounts of snot into it. (Yes, I washed it in towns before switching up its uses.)

Trekking poles: - Leki. Don’t ask me which ones because I don’t know, haha. They’re green and black. You can’t go wrong with any type of Leki poles.

Mode of transportation: Shoes - Superfeet insoles. Replaced them per every pair of shoes. - Keen boots (Georgia to Daleville, VA) - Salomon trail runners (Daleville, VA to Delaware Water Gap) - Oboz hiking shoes (Delaware Water Gap to Katahdin). These were my favorite. They were lightweight and like a combination of boots and trail runners (the best of both worlds). Very durable. Could’ve lasted longer than Katahdin, but they smelled like death so it was time to say goodbye.

Guidebooks: - Used both Awol and Guthook on my phone. Awol is available PDF and Guthook is an app. Both serve different purposes. Awol is good for knowing exactly what’s around the trail/in town/maps of towns/detailed descriptions of those places. Guthook is a GPS based trail guide that is perfect for the trail itself, and it’s pretty much idiot-proof (unless you’re me). It doesn’t require cell phone service, and you’ll know where you are at all times (although I somehow still managed to get horrendously lost twice; hence, the “unless you’re me” part). Another cool feature is that it allows you to comment on any listed waypoint, and the comments upload once you have service or Wifi. This comes especially in handy for planning ahead with water sources. If you’re the first person to notice a listed source is dry or almost dry, be a pal and leave a comment. Those behind you will love you.

[cozywine]

More than Once

A little fluffy piece that I'm feeling like writing more than the second part of my other piece on here.

Spencer Reid/OC

TW: none

Part 1 of maybe 2?

.............................................................................

The UnSub and his partner had shown up on the lawn outside the bureau. His charisma and blendable personality had allowed him to slip past security, and he had called Rossi from the lawn requesting that JJ and the newest agent, Dana Richards, meet them to talk.

"I don't think we should do what he asks." Rossi started, immediately after ending the call. "If we give in to his demands, we lose leverage and the ability to tip them towards the breaking point enough to end this."

"I don't like the idea of tipping them towards the breaking point. Do you have any idea how many blonde women there are in the DC area?" Agent Richards countered. It was the common trait she and JJ shared with the UnSubs prior 4 victims. Blonde, early 30s. Outside of that and their general tendancy to nurture or "mom" the team and their friends a bit, she and JJ weren't too similar.

Where JJ was a tomboy, Dana was decidedly feminine. She favored classic clothing styles that accentuated her curves... Of which there were plenty, both traditionally desirable and not. Hips, belly, bust, even her jawline was mainly soft. Muscular legs and arms continued the look of someone rounded off but strong. Some days she felt confident in her skin, accentuating her shape with fitted trousers that hit at the ankle with a colorful cuffed-sleeve blazers or a tailored pencil skirt and blouse. On other days, like today, she hid with less fitted pants or jeans and a sweater over a collared shirt. Every day she wore a touch of light makeup, accentuating her eyes with fluffy eyebrows, thickened lashes and a rosy lipstick.

However, this UnSub didn't seem to care that JJ was more of a moto jacket type and Dana was more tweed and silk... He saw two blonde agents that he could manipulate and shame like his ex-wife did to him. He used his partner to exert extra pressure and dominance, demonstrating to the team that deep down he lacked confidence.

"Though only 2% of the population is naturally blonde, a significant majority of caucasian women dye their hair blonde, about 75%... And though the sample size for female CEOs of S&P 500 companies is unfortunately small, 48 percent are blonde." Spencer responded to Dana's hypothetical query with genuine interest. "This may fit the UnSub's interest in female victims in powerful careers that he can then shame."

"And a majority of female senators are also blonde. If he doesn't get us, he could go after someone in office... Avoiding national panic would be ideal." Dana added nodded, with a grateful glance at Spencer. She loved how quick he always was to support her and the other members of the team... Not to mention the subtle feminism he brought into it... And his sparkling eyes and tousled hair... She swallowed before she got too distracted by her schoolgirl crush. "I think JJ and I can hold our own."

"So what's the plan, Richie?" Derek asked, using his quickly coined nickname for Dana. They had a great friendly connection, as Dana was also from Chicago originally. "You use your social work magic to de-escalate and JJ work the profile to disarm?"

"That could work... If all else fails, a swift elbow to the ribs and kick to the family jewels couldn't hurt." She said drily, raising an eyebrow. Derek chuckled and Rossi shook his head.

"Ok then. Dana and JJ meet them. Get your vests on, they could be armed. Prentiss, work with local PD to clear the area." Rossi directed. "Oh and you two... Be careful. We'll be right behind you."

............................................................................

An hour later, the UnSubs were cuffed and in the back of a squad car. It hadn't taken much for JJ to psychologically rip them apart while Dana used all of her specialized training to keep the situation from escalating. They had both made it out relatively unscathed, a few scrapes from hitting the pavement as they took down the UnSub. Dana had a small scrape just above her eyebrow, which she insisted was completely fine, but Rossi and Spencer had insisted she get it cleaned out. Now that the case was done, Penelope had come out of her bat cave to make sure that her fellow blondies were fine.

"Ooh, Rossi I'll take her!" Penelope looped her arm through Dana's. Even though she was a little annoyed to have to go to the clinic instead of to the first aid kit in her desk, Dana couldn't help but smile at her bubbly friend as they followed Rossi, Derek and Spencer back towards the office with Emily and JJ leading the pack.

"Hey Pen." She leaned in. "What a weird day. Never thought an UnSub would pull me in as a target... Most men don't even give me a second glance. Not that I'm looking for that kind of attention from a serial killer, but it was unexpected to say the least."

Penelope rolled her eyes. "1.) I hope you are never targeted by a psychopath ever again. 2.) Don't be ridiculous. You are adorable."

"I'm serious! You guys don't know me well enough yet, but really... I barely date. I hang out at home making cookies and quilting when I'm not working. I get coffee by myself on Sundays and walk around the neighborhood to say hello to other people's dogs. It's depressing!" Dana laughed, figuring that poking fun at herself would hide her genuine discomfort on the topic. She felt it was obvious, her soft frame was not desirable. She might have some pretty features, but compared to someone sexy like JJ or Emily, or outwardly confident like Penelope, she couldn't hold a candle.

"And why do those cookies never make it to the office, Richie?" Derek asked, looking over his shoulder. "I think your colleagues deserve to reap the benefits of your weekend hobby."

"Fair point!" Dana chuckled. "I have a stash in my freezer... Chocolate chip or toffee walnut?"

....

After she and Penelope got back from the medic's office, Dana refilled her water and coffee before returning to her desk to finish up the paperwork from the day's case. As the newest member of the team, she generally stepped up to work on the more undesirable tasks, trying to help Rossi and Emily stay on top of the bureaucratic side of their work. Setting down her university mug on it's coaster and water bottle next to it, she noticed an ivory envelope with her name scrawled on it leaning against her laptop. She looked around, trying to figure out who had left it... The handwriting didn't look familiar, but then again she was still getting to know the team.

She sliced the envelope open, pulling out a piece of matching paper folded in half around two tickets. She unfolded the letter, sitting down at her desk, her eyes widening as she read.

"Dana,

I overheard you telling Garcia this afternoon that you don't think most men would give you a second glance. It doesn't take a 187 IQ for me to know that you are hugely mistaken in that opinion... I have certainly found myself taking far more than a second glance at your lovely countenance.

If I haven't offended you with this admission, would you do me the honor of being my date to dinner and the ballet this Saturday? A certain technical analyst mentioned that you were a patron of the Joffrey during your time in Chicago, and I thought you'd like it.

With affection,

Spencer"

Dana could feel her face turning pink as she read the sweet note. She tried to contain her enthusiasm as she looked up and towards Spencer's desk. He was trying to act like he wasn't watching her read the note, but when their eyes met his expression softened slightly and his head tilted to the side awaiting her answer.

Dana grinned and nodded and Spencer blushed, gave her a megawatt smile before spinning his chair back around to finish the last of his tasks. She tried to do the same, but found herself quite distracted by the note and tickets... And the idea of a night out with the most handsome FBI agent.

This was going to be a long wait until Saturday.

[celebritylive]

It may just be the beginning of fall, but Amazon shoppers are already prepping their wardrobes with cozy essentials. From this super cute sweater dress that influencers love to these warm and comfy tights (they’re on sale for $2 right now!), the retail giant is definitely a go-to spot for chilly weather staples. And when it comes to sweaters, thousands of customers can’t stop raving about this comfy cowl-neck shirt.

The Levaca Cowl-Neck Top is Amazon’s number two best-selling women’s tunic, thanks to over 3,000 shoppers who have left it five-star reviews. The long-sleeve top is designed with a cowl neck and pockets that both feature cute button details. It’s made out of 50 percent cotton, comes in nine colors, and is available in all sizes from small to double XL. Shoppers love it so much because it’s super soft, fits well, and pairs well with leggings and boots. (It’s even Amazon’s choice for users who search “shirts for leggings.”)

Buy It! Levaca Long-Sleeve Button Cowl-Neck Top with Pockets, $23.99–$25.99; amazon.com

“I LOVE this top! I love it so much that I first bought one in blue, needing more clothes that fit in with dress code at work. I got so many compliments on it and it’s so comfortable that I forgot I was wearing something totally work appropriate. I then bought one in purple. Oh my god. It’s SO cute,” one shopper wrote. “These tops are so versatile, you can wear them for many different looks. Pair it with yoga pants and sneakers/slippers you can get away with wearing in public you have a casual Sunday afternoon outfit. Leggings and flats, only slightly less casual but you look presentable and cute. Pair it with skinny jeans and some cute boots and you’re ready for a fun night out. Seriously y’all, you cannot go wrong with this top.”

RELATED: Amazon Just Revealed Its Fashion Editors’ Favorite Picks for Fall — Including Super Cute $25 Heels

Some shoppers like to size up to get a looser, slouchier fit, while others order true to size for a more tailored look. Customers say the material is similar to a thin sweatshirt, so it’ll keep you warm without overheating.

“I bought the heathered cream color, and it’s perfect. After reading most reviews I got a general sense for how the top would fit. I decided to go with XL (my normal size M/L, 36/38D, size 10/12, 5’5″ 170lbs) because I wanted a loose/relaxed fit. The material is soft and lightweight, but not delicate. I would say a lightweight jersey sweatshirt, no fleece. It fits nicely, I can wear it pulled down over hips or tucked under at the hips. The sleeves are long enough to cover even when reaching out. And the cowl neck is so soft and comfortable,” another reviewer wrote. “I love that it’s a great layering piece and fits well under my jacket. Overall, this purchase is a steal and I plan to get more in other colors. Highly recommend!”

The best part? Prices start as low as $24 for the Levaca Cowl-Neck Top, which is a steal — take it from one shopper who said it feels like “a shirt I would pay $100 for at a high end department store.” We’re sold!

from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/2Ob4V1P

[iamandco]

   If you’re a big booty woman you know that even the ability to discuss options for jeans that'll cover your rear end is progress. Speaking for myself, it was tough being a teenager in the early 2000s with a brand-new hourglass figure and no pants to properly fit me. Skirts and dresses were my best friend and everything I wore looked sexy. T'was the plight of the big bootied woman. Fast forward a decade, the fashion industry introduced jeggings and suddenly curvy women had options for jeans that'd fit our thighs and butt. No more sliding jeans on, feeling anxiety as momentum ebbed at the thigh, and then coming to a full stop at the underbutt. The archaic "sizing-up" method was also a thing of the past. My closet was replete with high-waisted jeggings, incredibly-tight vagina-strangling jeggings, with massive waist gaps. It was like the fashion industry was conspiring to make big booty women lose their damn minds. For some time every milestone in our big booty saga presented new challenges. But, it appears we've reached the end of our perilous journey. Retailers are embracing all body types and it's becoming more common to see "curvy" collections for the hourglass figure. These collections include jeans that fit large thighs, have extra room in the seat, and are tapered at the waist. They're freaking perfect. And, these collections have more variety than just jeggings. It used to be that we had to admire mom and boyfriend jean styles from afar, but those days are over. It's time to talk about the 5 best retailers for finding big booty jeans, because we've got real-affordable options now. To illustrate these options I've enlisted some of our fave big booty celebs for assistance. 1. Topshop Could Topshop have known how popular their Joni Jeans would be among curvy women when they launched? Your guess is as good as mine.   PHOTO: COURTESY TOPSHOP  Topshop’s Joni Jeans are high-rise, tapered ankle, super stretch denim pants. They come in a wide range of washes from bleached and acid to green cast and black coated. You’ll find them in a plethora of styles like ripped, super ripped, cut out, and some styles with raw hems. Prices for these curvy jeans range $65-$85 per pair, in waist sizes 24-36 and regular, petite, and tall lengths.   PHOTO: COURTESY GETTY  Beyoncé Sporting a summer outfit we’re dying to covet, Beyoncé was seen out wearing curve-hugging jeans, a long-sleeve patterned blouse, platform sandals, and a two-toned clutch. She also took to Instagram to share this casual ensemble’s goodness with the world.   Floral Knot Tie Shirt, $55, Topshop "Big Booty" Belt Loop Joni Jeans, $65, Topshop Dempsey Platform Sandals, $40, Nine West Anastasia Zebra Clutch, $180, Shopbop  To copy Beyoncé’s look, you can team the Floral Knot Tie Shirt ($55) with a pair of Belt Loop Joni Jeans ($65) , Nine West’s Dempsey Platform Sandals ($40) , and the Anastasia Zebra Clutch ($180) .   PHOTO: COURTESY @BEYONCE VIA INSTAGRAM    PHOTO: COURTESY @BEYONCE VIA INSTAGRAM  Joni Jeans are the best option for copying Beyoncés look because they have a tapered high-waist and are super stretchy. They're made of 55% cotton, 42% Viscose, and 3% Elastane which means they're comfortable, form-fitting, and breathable.    J-Lo J-Lo stepped out in a full-denim outfit complete with a long-sleeve denim shirt, butt flattering denim pants, and tan suede pumps. This is another look perfect for Topshop’s Joni Jeans.   Western Denim Shirt, $58, Topshop "Big Booty" Belt Loop Joni Jeans, $65, Topshop Round Mirror Sunglasses, $22, Topshop Margie Pumps, $120, Shopbop  To copy J-Lo’s full-denim outfit, combine a Western Denim Shirt ($58) , Topshop’s Belt Loop Joni Jeans ($65) , Margie Tan Suede Pumps ($120) , and a pair of Round Mirror Sunglasses ($22) .    2. PrettyLittleThing PrettyLittleThing’s “Big Booty” jeans come to us courtesy of their Shape collection which offers clothing for the hourglass figure, large bust, small waist, and big butt.   PHOTO: COURTESY PRETTYLITTLETHING  PLT’s shape denim features a tapered waist, extra room in the seat, and 5% Elastane for extra stretch. They come in ripped, extreme rip, high-waist, distressed, wide-leg, mom, and boyfriend styles. These jeans are also perfect for all heights with regular, tall, and petite lengths.    Ashley Graham Get Ashley Graham’s look by teaming PrettyLittleThing’s Disco Skinny Jeans ($45) , with a V-neck Crop Top ($12) , Black Pointed Pumps ($180) , and Stone Drop Earrings($22) .   Disco Skinny Jeans, $45, PrettyLittleThing V Neck Crop Top, $12, PrettyLittleThing Black Point Toe Pumps, $180, Shopbop Stone Drop Earrings, $22, Topshop  PLT’s Shape jeans are extremely affordable at $35-$45 per pair and with just one word of caution. Make sure to wash your jeans before your first wear as the dark dye will transfer to your other clothing including your shoes.    3. Missguided While Missguided doesn’t offer a specific “shape” or “curve” collection for hourglass figures, their denim pants have long had the reputation for being big booty friendly.   PHOTO: COURTESY MISSGUIDED  Missguided’s jeans come standard with tapered waists and extra room in the seat for a complementary silhouette. Missguided offers jeans from sizes 0-20 and their price ranges anywhere from $25-$51 depending on the style.    Barbie Ferreira Longtime model for Missguided, Barbie Ferreira is seen here modeling a black band tee, with ripped curvy jeans, and black strappy sandals for a recent campaign. To get Barbie’s look, pair a Band Tee ($12) with Missguided’s High-Waist Skinny Jeans ($47) , a pair of Strappy Sandal Heels ($59) and consider a Leather Biker Jacket ($320) for more edge.   Lace Band Tee, $12, Shein Patti Strappy Sandal Heel, $59, Zappos "Big Booty" High Waist Skinny Jeans, $47, Missguided Leather Biker Jacket, $320, Topshop  4. Levi’s Levi’s is the original pioneer in denim, so naturally, they have solid options for our list of big booty jeans. Levi's observed shopper's overwhelming reception to their 501 jeans but also heard feedback that so many were sizing up and getting the waists altered to fit their shapely figures.   PHOTO: COURTESY LEVI’s  Instead of leaving us to our own devices, Levi's launched its Wedgie Fit jeans collection giving big booty women options for curve-flattering classic jeans. The Wedgie fit is slightly more stretchy than their 501s, fit snug through the hips and thighs, have tilted back pockets, and high-rise tapered waists.   PHOTO: COURTESY THE NEW POTATO  Tracee Ellis Ross In an interview for The New Potato , Tracee Ellis Ross wears a full-denim outfit featuring classic denim jeans, a popover denim shirt, and tan animal print stilettos.   "Big Booty" Wedgie Fit Jeans, $98, Levi's Popover Denim Shirt, $60, GAP Sam Edelman Hazel, $70, Zappos Loeffler Randall Tab Clutch, $295, Zappos  Copy Tracee Ellis Ross’s full-denim outfit by teaming Levi’s Wedgie Fit Jeans ($98) with a Popover Denim Shirt ($60) , a pair of Snakeskin Pumps ($70) , and an optional Snakeskin Clutch ($295) to complete the look.   PHOTO: COURTESY THE NEW POTATO  5. American Eagle American Eagle is perhaps the most surprising addition to our list given their design history. But, with the evolution of their brand comes investment in their “Curvy Jeans” collection .   PHOTO: COURTESY AMERICAN EAGLE  American Eagle’s Curvy Jeans offer greater room through the thigh and hip and a tapered waist to avoid a gnarly waist gap. This collection comes complete with mom jeans, flared, skinny and jegging styles. You can grab a pair of these affordable and flattering jeans for $50-$70 a pair depending on the style.   PHOTO: COURTESY GETTY  Kim Kardashian Kim Kardashian was spotted out in a sexy summer jeans outfit look combining a bustier bodysuit, with ripped jeans, and snakeskin booties.   Bustier Bodysuit, $37, Missguided Beaded Occassion Clutch, $32, ASOS Snakeskin Booties, $110, Steve Madden "Big Booty" Curvy High-Waist Jeggings, $50, American Eagle  To get Kim’s look, pair a Black Bustier Bodysuit ($37) with American Eagle’s High-Waist Jeggings ($50) , Steve Madden’s Snakeskin Booties ($110) , and an optional Beaded Clutch ($32) to finish the look.   PHOTO: COURTESY GETTY  Perhaps our favorite thing about American Eagles Curvy Jeans collection is how they make several styles of quality mid-weight denim available to women with curves.   PHOTO: COURTESY GETTY  Scarlett Johannson We usually only get glimpses of Scarlett Johannson’s rear on the red carpet, and this occurrence is no different. Seen jetting off somewhere important, Scarlett sports a long-sleeve blue boyfriend shirt, cropped mom jeans, and Chanel Espadrilles.   Blue Striped Boyfriend Shirt, $50, Gap Platform Espadrille Flats, $75, Nordstrom Elsa Sunglasses, $100, Shopbop "Big Booty" Stretch Curvy Mom Jeans, $50, American Eagle  Copy Scarlett’s casual summer outfit by combining somewhere you really need to be with American Eagle’s Curvy Mom Jean ($50) , a Blue Striped Boyfriend Shirt ($50) , Platform Espadrille Flats ($75) and a pair of Elsa Sunglasses ($100) .   PHOTO: COURTESY GETTY  

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Fashionable T-Shirt Ideas For Women's Clothes

A t-shirt has been a style statement for provided that I can bear in mind. There is practically nothing far more comfortable and practical to put on over a pair of jeans and they're supplied with lots of distinctive styles and colors. T-shirts can reveal a lot about someone's personality including what music they listen to, where they come from, their role models, along with the causes they support. T-shirts are well known types of males and women's clothing. The following are many of the trendy trends and ideas about women's t-shirts. Maintaining these strategies in thoughts can help you make much better choices when buying for women's clothing.

The v neck is among the well-known styles of women's t-shirts worn now. V neck t-shirts make you appear slim and may be worn for both expert and casual occasions. There is certainly nothing extra classy than a fresh white v neck t-shirt. Both men and women uncover this style of t-shirt attractive. In line with your individual taste you'll be able to pick out a shallow or deep v neck. Shallow v neck t-shirts are excellent types of Women's clothing for all those with heavier bust lines.

The babydoll t-shirt is kind fitting form of women's clothing. It truly is usually characterized by smaller sized sleeves, stretchable tighter fabric to show off your waistline plus a round neck. This sort of women's clothing is particularly preferred with younger females. They are worn only as casual wear and come in an assortment of prints and colors. Babydoll t-shirts could be worn inside the winter or summer season. Most females prefer wearing a fitted lengthy sleeve white or black shirt inside if they're wearing this kind of women's clothes during the cooler seasons.

A ringer t-shirt could be the variety of women's clothes employed mostly as a sports uniform. It truly is fashioned with ribbed borders within a unique color about the collar and sleeves. This fashion trend is usually found in men's clothes too. For those who watched the movie Twilight, Edward Cullen wears a ringer t-shirt after they play vampire baseball. You'll be able to wear this t-shirt as each day casual put on.

A crew neck t-shirt is very comparable towards the babydoll t-shirt except it is a looser type of women's clothes. They had been originally created for wearing inside your clothing and have now turn out to be an acceptable type of outer wear. They are excellent womens long sleeve white t shirt to become worn on a daily basis. Based on the material as well as the match it can be formal or casual wear. This type of t-shirt has a round neck and is generally made of cotton. Now that we've got gone through the unique styles of t-shirts you can find women's shopping a breeze. Understanding the distinction among designs can make the distinction in between shopping for some thing that you simply will wear on a regular basis and hiding it in the back of one's closet. You can browse through magazines and the Web to appear for the precise characteristics and style of every t-shirt discussed. It's going to provide you with a clearer picture to find out which style you come across by far the most attractive. When you do a little investigation ahead of purchasing for Women's clothes you'll find it a good deal a lot easier to seek out the garments which can be attractive and suitable for the body.

T shirts are characteristically defined by its T shaped design and style, which consists of its physique and sleeves. It can be commonly produced reference to being an item that is short sleeved and collarless, having a round neck design and style. Variations of customised T shirts consist of V neck lines, buttons, collars and also extended sleeves. A T shirt is generally created out of cotton fibres, although it may be a mixture among cotton and synthetic fibres as well. The defying stitch which provides a T shirt its properly known soft texture is usually a jersey stitch. Really a big quantity of modern T shirts which are obtainable everywhere today are created up of a continuously woven tube, hence there is absolutely no sight of side seams. That is accomplished with all the strategy of circular looms that is definitely generally utilised inside the production of stockings as well as tube tops. The other more common system of stitching requires standard stitching at the neck and waist bands, too as the sleeves and shoulder components. As there is a higher demand and correlated demand for customised T shirts, the procedure is expedited in factories with all the use of water or laser jets to reduce the fabric.

T shirts became a popular item during the Spanish American War, because it was a simple garment to be worn and did not require being buttoned up. The initial style at this point of time had been generally crew neck T shirts, produced out of white cotton and quick sleeved; they served as undershirts to be worn beneath a soldier's uniform. The custom created T shirts quickly began producing waves at parties as they had been worn there by sailors and Marine soldiers. This would partly be resulting from the fact that the tropical climate proved to become a deterrent that produced the soldiers eliminate their uniforms, as the heat was too much to bear. The soldiers didn't have to be concerned about soiling their uniforms this way, as only the undershirts, which had been the T shirts, were dirtied.

Through the years, customised T shirts became a fad that has absolutely not died off, and still lives on to this day. You will find quite a few sorts of printing which have already been done on for the personalised T shirts, and these include things like the famous tie-and-dye technique, too as screen printing and expressive messages. In truth, custom made T shirts are such a hit that there are actually on line shops that are thronged with people today requesting for their very own custom T shirts. This could be done by adding a picture, graphic design, text or possibly a combination of additional than among the mentioned to make a one of a kind T shirt.

Listed below are a number of guidelines that any small business woman can use to upgrade their wardrobe from ordinary to tres chic:

Ebony and Ivory

Black and White is classic, neat, clean in addition to a year round look which is flattering to just about every physique form, skin and hair complexions. Regardless of whether you're wearing a crisp white cotton shirt and black crepe pants under a matching jacket, it is possible to nevertheless give off a confident and qualified look. Black and white is very simple to accessorize with flattering pieces which include: a black leather watch band, pearl earrings and necklace set, little beaded jewelry, silk neck scarf or maybe a broach/pin. It is possible to even add a hint of color inside your accessories to make a subtle style statement. Black and white patterns in the workplace are becoming increasingly well-liked. Patterns for example hounds tooth, plaids and polka dots can even be discovered in accessories which include purses, wallets, watches, hair accessories, belts and umbrellas. The excellent issue about black and white combinations is the fact that you can dress it up for corporate days or dress it down for casual Friday.

Higher Ground

One fantastic method to upgrade an outfit is usually to wear heels. Not suggesting stiletto heels similar to runway supermodels, but moderate height heels of 1 ½ inches - 2 ½ inches. Benefits of wearing heels incorporate an elongated silhouette which makes a lady appear taller and slimmer. You may also purchase shoes inside a ½ inch larger than usual for comfort and insert insoles for assistance. Also, you are able to stay conservative by wearing footwear in basic colors of black, brown, gray or navy. Add style to your footwear by wearing sling backs, snake skin or crocodile embossed, patent leather or peep toe styles with stockings. These styles are certainly not as well flashy but add a hint of elegance to any ensemble.

Switch-A-Roo

One more sensible method to boost your enterprise wardrobe is usually to simply switch out fundamental pieces to highlight your outfit. For example, when wearing a business enterprise suit, switch out the common extended sleeved button down shirt for any silk patterned blouse. The silk material softens the look and also the pattern inside the blouse adds sophistication towards the suit. As opposed to wearing straight cut trousers, switch them out for any wide-leg or boot-cut pant. It really is flattering to all physique types and creates a superb balance for all figures. Instead of carrying a black leather briefcase, switch it out for a sleek tote or perform bag.

These valuable and practical suggestions can turn a frequent outfit into a look from a high fashion magazine. Organization women can look stylish and remain conservative and specialist in their profession attire. The key point will be to present the image of comfort and confidence within your style of dress!