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 you're looking for trendy plus-size holiday looks, I recently got my hands on some seriously chic pieces from Penningtons.

I've been shopping at Penningtons for years and have many cute pieces from them that I swear by. When I found out they were doing a holiday collection with Canadian media personality Meredith Shaw, I knew I definitely wanted to try it out.

She always looks incredibly fab on Breakfast Television and I love that she often wears bold prints, which is something I also favour. If I can look even a fraction as glam as she does this holiday season, I'll consider it a win!

For reference, all of the pieces I tried on were in size 2X. I sometimes wear 3X as I find it more comfortable to hide in clothing that's a tad too large for me, but I'm trying to be better about wearing my true size.

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

Black Velvet Blazer with Tailoring Collar

This black velvet blazer was the piece I was most unsure about, but it ended up being my favourite in the collection. I find that blazers tend to make me look bulky, but something about the fit and fabric of this piece actually emphasized the curve of my waist rather than it getting lost under the piece.

I tend to overheat easily, so I was worried I'd find the velvet to be stifling, but it was actually super breathable.

I also love that this is an incredibly versatile piece — I could easily wear this with jeggings and a tee for an easy work look, or pop it on over a dress for something a little more luxurious.

Floral Maxi Dress with Flounced Wrap Skirt

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

As mentioned, I love a bold print, and this floral fabric is a perfect mix of moody and subdued. The wrap ties under the bust, which highlights my waist, and the fun flounces give everything an extra feminine flare.

I will mention that I struggled to figure out how to get the dress on (when it's untied, it took me a few minutes to figure out how to get it back together) but that was likely a me problem more than anything else!

Metallic Knit Buttoned Down Tunic Shirt

I initially wasn't sure what to make of this piece, but now that I've had a chance to think on it, I can see it being the item I reach for this holiday season.

In terms of styling, I saw some of the models wearing it unbuttoned and tied up under the bust, but when I tried it that way I felt a lil' self-conscious of my chest as I'm very busty.

For myself, I'm picturing the tunic-shirt buttoned on the lower half and paired with black leggings, a black camisole, knee-high boots with an aggressive heal, chunky gold earrings and a bright red lipstick.

Watch out, Christmas parties — I'm coming in hot, and in the words of Rihanna, I plan to "shine bright like a diamond."

Long Lace Sleeve Swing Blouse

And lastly, while I do really like colour of this shirt and romantic lace sleeves, I'm not a huge fan of the drawstring collar. I don't love when things touch 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-so a weird personal preference on my end.

All of that being said, when I sent the pictures of myself modelling the pieces to the group chat, this was the item that people liked the most. So, perhaps I'll just have to make peace with the neckline — the things we do for fashion!

I also tried on a very cute cold-shoulder sweater, but given that I am chesty, a strapless bra is just not on the table for me. I was hoping to be able to pull the shoulders up a bit to cover my bra straps, but it didn't sit well on my frame when I did that — fair enough, it's not meant to be worn like that.

The only piece from the collection I didn't love was the Wide-Leg Metallic Pleated Pant. It's the same fabric as the golden tunic shirt, so it's very pretty, but the fit wasn't doing me any favours. That being said, I do appreciate that it's available in in petite sizes for us shorter folks!

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