I'm a plus-size shopping editor - here are my honest thoughts on the new Penningtons holiday collection

The holidays are just around the corner, and if that’s what you’re looking for trendy plus size holiday looksI recently got my hands on some seriously chic pieces from Penningtons.

I’ve been shopping at Penningtons for years and have lots of lovely pieces from them that I swear by. When I found out they were doing a holiday collection with Canadian media personality Meredith ShawI knew I definitely wanted to try it out.

She always looks incredibly fantastic Breakfast Television and I love that she often wears bold prints, something I also support. If I can look even a little bit as glamorous as she does this holiday season, I’ll consider it a win!

For reference, all the pieces I tried were a size 2X. I sometimes wear 3X because I find it more comfortable to hide in clothes that are a little too big for me, but I’m trying to be better about wearing my true size.

So scroll on for my honest review of the new Meredith ♡ PENN holiday collection!

Meredith Shaw x PENN - Black velvet blazer with tailored collar. (Photo via Sarah Rohoman) — Meredith Shaw x PENN – Black velvet blazer with tailored collar. (Photo via Sarah Rohoman)

This black velvet blazer was the piece I was most unsure about, but it ended up being my favorite in the collection. I find that blazers often make me look bulky, but something about the fit and fabric of this garment actually emphasized the curve of my waist rather than losing it beneath the garment.

I tend to overheat easily, so I was worried the velvet would be suffocating, but it was actually super breathable.

I also love that this is an incredibly versatile garment; i could easily wear this with jeggings and a t-shirt for an easy work look, or layer it over a dress for something more luxurious.

Meredith Shaw x PENN - Floral maxi dress with frilled wrap skirt. (Photo via Sarah Rohoman) — (Photo via Sarah Rohoman)

This witchy wrap dress feels like something Stevie Nicks or Florence Welch would wear while listening to Taylor Swift folklore album, and I’m incredibly excited about it.

As mentioned, I love a bold print, and this floral fabric is a perfect mix of moody and subdued. The wrap straps under the bust, which accentuate my waist, and the nice ruffles give the whole thing an extra feminine flair.

I will mention that I had trouble figuring out how to put the dress on (if it was loose it took me a few minutes to figure out how to put it back together), but that was probably more of a problem than anything else!

Metallic knitted tunic shirt with buttons. (Photo via Sarah Rohoman)

I wasn’t sure what to think of this piece at first, but now that I’ve had a chance to think about it, I can see this being the item I have in my hands for this holiday season.

In terms of styling, I saw some models wearing it unbuttoned and tied under the bust, but when I tried it that way I felt a little self-conscious about my breasts as I am very busty.

For myself, I imagine the tunic shirt buttoned up at the bottom half and paired with black leggings, a black tank top, knee-high boots with an aggressive heel, chunky gold earrings, and bright red lipstick.

Take care, Christmas parties: I’m coming in hot, and in the words of Rihanna, I intend to “shine bright like a diamond.”

Swing blouse with long lace sleeves. (Photo via Sarah Rohoman)

And finally, while I love the color of this shirt and the romantic lace sleeves, I’m not a big fan of the drawstring collar. I don’t like things touching my neck, and unlike the other clothing options with collars, this one brushes against my skin as I move. That’s not an indictment of the top itself – more just an odd personal preference on my part.

That said, when I sent the photos of myself modeling the pieces to the group chat, this was the item that people liked the most. So maybe I should just make peace with the neckline – the things we do for fashion!

I also tried on a very cute one sweater with cold shouldersbut since I have a large chest, a strapless bra is just not on the table for me. I was hoping to pull the shoulders up a bit to cover my bra straps, but it didn’t sit properly on my frame when I did that – fair enough, it’s not meant to be worn that way.

The only piece from the collection I didn’t love was the Metallic pleated trousers with wide legs. It’s the same fabric as the gold tunic shirt, so it’s very nice, but the fit didn’t do me any favors. That said, I appreciate that it comes in small sizes for us smaller folks!

Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us further Tweet And Instagram.