Half-tee!

Hello my lovely kittens! 

I have something special to share with you all. It just happens to be the ingenuis product called the Halftee! If you guessed Halftee to be a half of a tee-shirt, then you my friend are correct. But now let me tell you why it's such a genius little thing...

The Halftee was designed for girls of all ages, and can be used in several different ways if you're creative enough. Basically, the Halftee is similar to a sports bra in that it's short, but designed to work for layering. We all have tops that are just too low-cut and we can't ever wear them out of the house unless we wear a camisole or bandeau underneath -- or most of us wouldn't wear it out of the house without something under anyway. So, the Halftee was designed to work for things like low-cut tops, only it doesn't add that bulky layered look to your body, and is far, far more comfortable! 

While the Halftee I have does resemble a sports bra, let me just tell you, a sports bra only dreams of being this comfortable! It's comfortable enough to sleep in. And if you wanted to, you could even wear it as exercize gear to, if you like baring your mid section while working out. This would be perfect for that as well.

This Halftee is the tank-style, but Halftee thought of all sorts of stylish people when they created the Halftee in a 3/4" length sleeve version, the basic Halftee, which is similar to this one only it has more sleeve to it. There's also a "boyfriend" Halftee, which is like this, but has longer sleeves. All of the Halftees are super handy though. I like the tank-style one because it works for my summer clothing, which is about 90% of all my clothing! Yikes! I seriously hate winter clothes and I rarely buy them. I guess that means the long sleeved version of Halftee would really come in handy for someone who has a wardrobe like mine when it comes winter time! And I'm pretty certain I'll be buying the sleeve Halftee by that time.

Okay, I know the dress you see could use some tweaking, but this is actually one way to wear the Hafltee, I got creative, you see? This is actually a strapless dress that I rolled down under the bust and just added the Halftee up top! I personally thought it was pretty cute. I know in the first photo the bunching uner the bust is a little obvious, but that's easily fixed by doing a better job at rolling down the dress. Pairing the Halftee with an outfit you already have kind of brings new life into something you've worn so much that you may be a little tired of it now. 
 

See how it now looks like a dress with a zebra printed body and a solid black, tank-like top? Pretty neat, or so I think anyway.

  Above is a photo of the Halftee (tank-style). It's really soft, stretchy and the material is just so comfortable. And for added comfort, instead of an irritating tag, Halftee's "tag" is on the band! 

 

Sizing

I normally wear a small or extra small, depending. I measure 32" around my chest, so the X-small Halftee fits me nicely. It's even got some room left. I love that it doesn't fit really tightly or baggy. I never can get a sports bra to fit right. It's always too baggy and funny looking or so tight that it squishes me to death. I love that Halftee is just the most perfect feeling garment. 

I would say someone up to at least a 34" chest size would fit the X small Halftee, but of course, the larger you are in the chest, the tighter the thing will fit. Good news though. Halftee's all come in a lovely variety of sizes that will fit anywhere from a smaller child to a grown woman -- all ages can rock the Halftee.

Comfort

The uses for Halftee are endless. I've been finding literally new outfits to wear with Halftee and even outfits and tops I've sworn off because they're too revealing. I just keep finding things I can use this for, and it's really nice to be able to bring an old favorite tee, glamorous blouse or dress back into your regular wear! 

Halftee looks fab under summer dresses, spaghetti strapped tops/dresses and even your classier dresses. The black goes well with every color, but Halftees also come in different colors such as white, grey, etc. I chose black because most of my wardrobe consists of really bright colors like pink or purple and it seemed black would blend better, whereas grey or white may stand out too much, but the color selection is awesome since white, grey or black gives you the option to find a perfect color match for any outfit you have.

Another thing I love about Halftee...

Sometimes I can even get away with no-bra! Shh! I know it's not appropriate for every outfit since the Halftee isn't thick or anything so the shape of my chest can still be really visible under some shirts, but a lot of times I've been able to go bra-free while just wearing the half-tee. Well, under a shirt of course. Boy is that nice!

Here is one top I've had to keep in the very back of my closet since I bought it because it showed everything. The V-neck was way too low and I would have to pull at it constantly because it literally exposed me. It's been ages since I've gotten to wear this top out. Not that I adore it or anything, it's nice and cute, but what had me so glad to bring it back into my regular wear was the shorts I bought had only two shirts to match them! This was one I bought to match them, and it was too low to ever wear, and the other green shirt I bought that matches them was just uncomfortable and I didn't feel so flattered in it. So basically, I've not been able to get much wear out of these shorts I love until now.

Here's a photo of me finally getting to wear the shorts and the once-too-low-to-leave-home-in shirt!

Funny pose, I know. I was actually reaching behind me to pet my kitty cat! You can't see her though, so it really just looks like I'm standing like a moron.

See what I mean now? The Halftee gives you layers without creating a bulky look.  I rarely wear a camisole under a regular shirt -- only under baggy babydolls  or loose dresses -- because they make me super bulky and are horridly uncomfortable.

Halftee is an ingenious product, and now you are certain of that too, but my grasshopper, there is more! 

Halftee can be worn frontwards or backwards! Ha. How neat? The front has a slightly lower neck and the back has a higher one, so whichever mood you're feeling, Halftee has ya covered baby!

I just wish I had photos of every outfit I've been able to wear Halftee with and really look nice. Unfortunately, that would take me ages! But if anybody just happens to be really interested in seeing other ways Halftee can be worn, I'd be happy to assist. 

Which brings me to this. I have two really gorgeous royal blue and black babydolls that are lacy and spaghetti strapped. They're lovely, but sometimes spaghetti straps aren't appropriate for every occasion, not in my opinion anyway. I mean, they're fine for most, but a lot sometimes a little more coverage feels best. These were the first items I wanted to try Halftee with. It must be the lacy, see-through bottom portion of these babydolls that make me really wary everytime I wear them. I just always have an uncomfortable feeling since the whole bottom is see-through. I find that I really don't even wear these two items unless I'm really feeling like dealing with wearing a black camisole underneath, which I always do when I wear those two. And then they don't really look nice with any other bottoms besides black leggings, so they're not the easiest item in my wardrobe.

That's why I was excited to try the Halftee under these two. I actually think I have a photo of one of the babydolls I'm talking about... Just one second let me see if I do...

 

  I sure enough did! This is one of the blue babydolls I was talking about. I'm wearing a black cami under it in the above photo. Now, since the bust is not see-through, if I don't mind my mid-section showing, I could get away with wearing the Halftee under it instead, which would provide extra coverage up top. Lovely. I know I could always sew an inner little slip type deal under these cute pieces, but I just never got around to going through the trouble. 

  Here's another adorable top that has  removable straps, meaning if I want to wear it with straps, there's sections to hook the straps on and if I want to go strapless, well I just detach them. Just like you see on a strapless bra. But while this top is adorable and classy, it's not appropriate for every occasion because the majority of my neck and upper chest area is revealed, even though the breast are is not. So, pairing the Halftee under it makes this a classy, but stylish top that can even be worn to work. Sadly I do not have a photo wearing it with the half-tee, but I just want to show you guys some nice examples of how to you can make a really drastic wardrobe change just by pairing things with the Halftee.

  
  Going through my photos where I'm wearing different things alone just gave me a bazillion new ideas! I seen a few photos of me wearing certain items that would look fantastic paired with the Halftee. Here is one particular top that came to mind while seeing my photos... 

When the photo was taken, I was wearing a slippy bandeau bra underneath, but that top was worn twice before I stopped wearing it again because the bandeau would slide down all the time. I had to limit my wearing of it. :( Funny thing too, it was actually a really large shirt someone gave me and it did not fit. It swallowed me whole and would slide right off me if I didn't tie the straps in knots, but I simply slapped a belt under the chest and bam! A cute, flowy top it is. Add the Halftee and a pair of jeans and it works for every occasion.


The Halftee is a fabulous alternative to a camisole when wearing a button down top. Definitely more comfortable, and it always keeps you covered!

Halftee can even be layered on top of a blouse or shirt! Like I said, so many uses for the Halftee. I'm actually having quite some fun trying it out with different old tops and dresses in my closet.

My Pearl Of The Day - Sauipe!

                                                         Sauipe Swimwear

  *Funkly looking with shorts on underneath and in case you're wondering, no, I do not plan to wear it like this. Lol. Just didn't want to be too revealing.*

  Sauipe's 2011 swimwear collection is designed beautifully with pretty prints, colors, hardware and embellishments. This collection is highly impressive! The collection includes jewel tones, feather inspired prints, hardware, gold mesh, laquer embellishments, circular rings and the most well fitting cuts I've ever seen!

 I learned that little info above from reading about Sauipe's new collection. The swim suit I have is one of the feather inspired ones which I wasn't sure would look great on me or really fit my funky style at first, but it's a truly glamorous swim suit.

Mine is black and white with a hardware piece that gives a nice touch to this sophisticately designed suit.

 This while looking a bit like a regular swim suit, is nothing like it! It's a totally new fit for me and a huge relief from the tiny string bikinis that come un-tied, are uncomfortable and a lot of time too revealing. Who can have fun in a swim suit like that? Recently we took the 11 year old to white water and I was stuck standing in a kiddie pool since my swim suit would never have held up to much fun at all. It's so relieving to have a swim suit that looks nice, doesn't reveal everything and is comfortable. This is all so new to me!

 Sauipe swimwear is nothing like your regular swim suit. I'm a fan of Body Glove's  swimwear, but Body Glove has nothing on Sauipe. From the feel to the fit it's a real stunner. Feels absolutely beautiful on. There's no picking and pulling. I've actually never had a swim suit that fit correctly. They're usually saggy in the bottoms (not cute!) and the tops are either so padded that it looks funny or thin fabric that screams to the world every time you get a cold chill.

Now, more on Sauipe Swimwear....

The material - believe me, there's no mistaken this is a high quality swinsuit! I wish you guys could just feel this baby! It feels amazing. The material is nothing like most swim suits.
My Sauipe suit is made of 84% Polyamide, 16% Spandex while the lining is made of   83% Polyamide and 17% Spandex. Sauipe's proprietary super-soft silken blend is Sauipe's trademark. I'll say, all other swim suits make me turn my nose up now! Oh my, have I become a Sauipe only, swim suit snob?

A few tips: This swim suit (as well as most) should never be ironed, or thrown in the washer.




The top -
The top is bandeu style, but comes with a lovely removable strap attachment so you can choose between strapless bandeu or halter bandeu. Personally, I've always loved the bandeu style, but it never looked right on me. Sauipe's top has molded cups instead of a thick foam padding so you have light coverage and plenty of support.

The swim suit can withstand quite some wear it seems. I think the sizes may run a bit smaller than what some of us might be used to. Mine's a medium and when I first saw that my heart skipped a beat. I knew it'd be saggy on me, but actually fits like a dream. The top is great, but I'm very positive the medium top on this swim suit would be a perfect fit for a B to a C cup.

On the top there's 2 pieces of gold hardware which, by the way is hypo-allergenic, rust-proof, tarnish-proof and heat-proof! The hardware on this particular suit includes one piece in the back to hook the back together and one beautiful gold piece in the front in the shape of a rectangle.

Before I go into details on the bottom piece I want to add a few things here...

Sauipe's swimwear collection is designed to flatter a real woman's figure instead of being designed to flatter an air-brushed girl on the cover of a magazine. This gets Sauipe extra kudos from me. Women have curves. Sauipe gets that! The cuts on the swimwear are not for size 0 only. Even a full figure will more than likely be flattered with the right suit. I've solved my no hip or booty problem! More on that later.

The bottom piece:
                                 


                                       


    

There's a really cute, tiny gold oval that has "Sauipe" engraved on it on the bottom right side (photo above). I don't know why, but this tiny little detail really stood out to me. There's a lot of detail and thought put into these suits!

The bottom is also of the same material listed earlier on. It's a perfect cut. It's folded down waistband and great amount of coverage make it a more than perfect suit, especially for my figure. I have a somewhat curvy middle, but no hips and with the middle being a bit curvy, my smal hips make my tiny rear end look even tinier in a swim suit (especially when a suit doesn't even cover the tiny thing!) I love that this was not made like to reveal as much as a thong does. The front also has plenty of coverage and it's easily got room to wear a bit lower or higher if you choose without bunching.

The folded waistband was exactly what my weird anatomy needed. It's similar to a tiny mini skirt (that's what it ...


reminds me of with the folded down waist). Then you have that folded area leadin to the tie at the right side. Just stunning! It doesn't actually come off if it's untied so you're perfectly secured. Swimsuit bottoms with this style are perfect for petite women or those with my weird hip and hiney issue. Lol. Or if you just prefer more coverage, the fold down piece will give you just that. I like the front since it isn't tiny, outlining your lady bits! The style of both the bottoms and the molded bandeu top give this simple suit a super fun and youthful look, in my opinion.













  Last, but not least, this sexy, classy, elegant and sophisticated swim suit comes with a wonderful zip lock style bag for storage! It's firm though, unlike a flimsy sand wich bag, but it holds the swim suit and protects from dust and yuckies collecting on it when it's stored away for the winter. Thankfully, I'll get a chance to wear this beauty at the beach next month! Yipee!

*The precious Sauipe Suit was sent to me in exchange for review. Everything in the review is my 100% honest, raw opinion. I was not persuaded or influenced in any way to write a positive review. I chose to write positive strictly on my own terms... and GLADLY! :) See my honesty pledge at the top of page!*

A sparkly dream from Zaphon

The lovely, stunning and gorgeous.... Zaphon Hot Pink Strap Dress with Chiffon Animal Print Dress!

My, my, my! I don't have enough words for Zaphon.com's lovely items. Spectacular? Amazing, beyond stunning! To name a few.

The dress in the photo is from Zaphon. It's the most beautiful dress I've ever put on. I am crazy about this bright, sparkly thing.

A little about Zaphon:

Zaphon has an outstanding selection of very fashionable clothing, shoes, lingerie, swimwear, clubwear, etc. for men and women. You can find anything from sexy & always unique apparell. Zaphon has a site for prom gowns as well as their own special site for Zaphon shoes. (certainly to drool over!) At Zaphon.com you can find a very nicely categorized (I so appreciate that!) site making it easy to search. The list is huge!

You can shop the shoe section, clubwear section, the new arrival section, men's, accessories, swimwear section, etc. I told you they had everything!

   I'd also like to add how great & kind the customer service is which is always a plus. I'm also happy to say, Zaphon does have a beautiful collection of plus sizes as well.

                                        Now on to the dress here.  

No idea why I had my head like that, ignore that & check
out the dress! I've added pics of every angle of this dress!

    It's a beautiful pink sparkly material all over except for the bust which is animal print chiffon with some sparkle to it too. Y'all know nothing makes me happier than sparkles and animal print! I couldn't be happier in this dress. It's extremely bright and unique. I can be absolutely certain there won't be anyone else showing up in the exact same dress when I'm in this one! The straps are thin and even they're made of the pink sparkly material.

    Upon first glance on the site a little gasp slipped through my lips. It was love at first sight, but I did wonder if the sparkles would stay on. I wasn't sure if it was the material itself or if it was more like a sequined thing. I was happy to realize that there's no chance of sparkles falling off since the actual material itself is sparkly. I wish I was better able to explain the lovelyness of this thing, but words and photos will have to do. In the photo above it shows better just how bright and sparkly it is.

    The material has a good bit of stretch to it so it kind of forms to your curves. The bust is, like I said chiffon animal print and it's a bit ruffly so that adds a nice touch and it could possibly be worn without a bra though I didn't go in public without one. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself, but I had one worry. That the dress would be like most, so short that it would be considered a shirt. No joke! I have gotten several club wear dresses which I love dearly (although none are any match to this one!) but they are all so unbelievaly short that they don't even fall past my lower back! And that's saying something because I'm short, barely 5". Me, I'm not going to let a beautiful dress hang in the closet and not get worn so I've found a solution to those short dresses. Black spandex shorts underneath! Ha! Now, it's not the sexiest thing, but it's better than nothing. I was afraid I'd have to go find some matching pink shorts just to wear this dress outside the house. Guess what? This baby exceeded my expectations by far! It's perfectly long enough.

     While I complain about club dresses being too short, I can't wear regular dresses often either because they're so long on a short person like me that they're hard to find in the right size. This one was perfect. Couldn't be any better. It's the perfect length, falling above my knees, but it can be slightly pushed up without causing the material to gather around your middle. It forms perfectly to your shape without gluing to your body and making you uncomfortable. This is the kind of dress that would look stunning on every body type.

     I had to wear it around for a while to get a good idea of how comfortable and easy to maneuver in would be. Passed the test! I'm telling you, this thing is purrrrrfect! I felt so nice & pretty... and sparkly! I had no problems bending over, picking up kids and sitting down. I don't have to worry about my cheeks peeping out when I bend over and that's a huge plus.



    There's another thing that puts this sparkly dress at the very front of my closet. It's totally comfortable and requires no work! It's summertime and I hate having to wear clothes in the heat, especially with kids to lug around. I will do anything to not have to wear a lot of clothes. I hate jeans so much I will throw on dresses with a jacket and even carry around blankets in my car just so I don't have to wear jeans in the winter time, much less summer! I'm usually out and about a lot and going out regularly for "girl's night out" which isn't really girl's night out, it's more like girls plus one man night out. Lol. But I the kind of girl that wants to look like a lot of work without having to put in that work. I don't want to spend all my time slapping on makeup, doing hair, etc. No time for that. I want to throw something beautiful on and be done.


     Thing is most beautiful clothing is not that easy. Most of the time wearing a beautiful dress or a sexy dress is far from easy work. This little beauty goes right on no matter how bloated you feel and instantly gives you sexy plus pretty. No extra work required. Put on a layer of mascara and you look gorgeous! I've already gotten to wear the dress out twice and both times, it took me less than an hour to be ready. That never happens! This dress goes right on, you look great instantly and your done. It's so surprisingly comfortable and in the summer time I want extremely comfortable, but very beautiful. This dress really delivers. It's an easy wear and I have to admit gives a nice boost of self esteem. :)


    I get it, I did go on & on here about Zaphon and the dress I got, but I could not resist. I'm really a fanatic!


  Be sure to check them out and don't forget Zaphon's shoe site and their prom site!

- Zaphon Prom: http://www.zaphonprom.com/
- Zaphon Shoes: http://www.zaphonshoes.com/

     *You can ready my honesty pledge at the very top of the page*



Much love to my wonderful Pearls,
Kendra

PRIVATE ARTS (My Pearl Of The Day)

                                    My Pearl Of The Day                                                      

   Private Arts has some of the most unique underwear I've ever seen. I have a real thing for unique undies and lingerie so when I got the thong, lace boy shorts and bra or (bandeau) from Private Arts I was highly impressed. First, take a look at the pictures I've taken of the items I received.

                                      PRIVATE ARTS THONG
  The photo above shows the thong panties I have from Private Arts. These were surprisingly comfortable. The texture of the thong were so soft and light. They seem to be a very breathable material. The are a unique print as all Private Art's items are. The thong has a pretty, feminine floral print on the front. The waist band part is a nice stretchy lace material that travels all the way around the back.

    
   This is a photo of the back of the thong to show the print. I love that the print is so unique! I like that they added a nice little thing to the floral. It really stands out to me. Kinda shows a bit of personality.

 They're very comfortable. They don't "ride up" and I didn't have any problems with the sizing. They seem to be the type of items that fit and flatter EVERY body type. I really do think they would.


                                      PRIVATE ARTS BANDEAU

    This is a picture of the Bandeau. It's slightly a different print, but still matches the thong and the lace boy shorts. Matching isn't extremely important to me, but to some it does matter. I am pretty fond of this print. I like the pretty flowers. I love the bright purple and blue in the Bandeau. You can kind of see, on the right side of the Bandeau, there is a pretty white lace lining up the side. I think that part added a nice touch of femininity while the other parts kept it simple enough for most anybodys taste.

  The Bandeau while super soft and comfortable, does not offer a whole lot of support which is fine with me because I really don't need much. It's thick enough to be worn on it's own without a bra and still provide enough support and coverage. I think it works perfectly under a simple, low cut top. I love how it adds a pretty spice to any plain outfit. It's also nice for working out or doing regular house work. It covers enough of the chest and you can be comfortable in it while running, working in the house or engaging in other activities. There are quite a few uses for this baby. Add a nice touch to a plain top, wear it while working out, or wear it as a strapless bra under a more revealing top. This is perfect for tops that don't conceal bra backs and straps. It's also thick enough to keep people from knowing when you get cold too! I love it's colors and that it's still perfectly breathable and comfortable.

   The back of the Bandeau is in the picture above. It's a light and very comfortable lace with a pretty good bit of stretch to it. Very beautiful!

  I haven't had any problems at all with it sliding down like most Bandeaus. It stays up very well! It does have a little bit of a stretch to it so that is a huge help.

                        I'm very fond of the Private Arts items. They are absolutely perfect for my kind of taste. Also, they are all the most comfortable underwear I've ever worn. And incase you're wondering, yes they blow victoria's secret out of the water by a long shot, in my opinion! I am highly impressed with the lovely and most unique items they have. Do be sure to check them out. They have several really nice pieces. I'm really loving several of the other bandeaus I've seen on their site!

You can read my honesty pledge at the top*