I like a peasant top. Or two. Or 11, if we go by the number hanging in my closet. I just feel like they’re a comfortable and flattering top to throw on to complete your vintage styled outfit. Whether you’re pairing them with capri pants, swing skirts or pencil skirts, they’re cute and easy to wear. I also happen to think an open-to-the-air collarbone is flattering for every woman, both an area of skin that is both innocent and sexy at the same time when exposed, and peasant tops are great for a bit of bear shoulder action.

I own 9 peasant tops by Pinup Girl Clothing, all of which are of their original, older design that doesn’t feature the new curved seam in the bustline. That new design isn’t to my taste, so I decided I was going to have to look elsewhere to fulfil my peasant needs in future if I wanted to expand my collection. Lucky me, Doll Me Up have recently released a wide range of their new Pleasant Peasant tops, available in 14 colours so far. At $24.99 a-piece they’re budget friendly, and featuring a smocked elasticated back portion rather than any zippers or button closures, they’re comfort friendly too.

Top: Magenta Pleasant Peasant top from Doll Me Up
Skirt: Blue Abstract Floral Print Jasmine skirt from Collectif
Bangs: Deluxe Bettie Bangs (unprocessed) by Classy Rebel

I bought this top in both the Magenta and the Teal, two colours that are under-represented in my wardrobe. At first I wasn’t sure about the Magenta because the stock picture looked definitely more pink, a colour that I hate in almost every shade unless it’s intersected with lots if other colours to break up the Barbie feeling pink gives me. Krista, Doll Me Up’s owner, assured me it’s more of a rich raspberry, that middle-ground pinky-purple that’s not quite wine, not quite fuscia, so I decided to go for it. Honestly, it’s still not a shade I’m naturally drawn to, but I like that it was an inexpensive way to test out a shade I would normally reject out of habit. The teal, of course, is perfect, because I am a sucker for all shades of blue and green and every shade in between.

These cotton tops are unlined and, as mentioned, zip and button free, so you get them on and off by pulling them on over your head. That’s made possible by the large portion of elasticated smocking in the back of the shirt, the same feature that makes these super comfortable to wear and worry-free in choosing your size to buy. The elastic in the bust and shoulders also has lots of stretch, so it doesn’t dig into my upper arm chub like plenty of my other dresses or tops currently do (I love cake and I regret nothing.) That ample elastic, alongside the low neckline nature of the tops, also means you can easily get this top on after already vintage styling your hair, so even though it’s pull-on it has the benefit that you don’t need to remember to get dressed before you style your locks.

Krista assured me size Lovely would be right for me and I knew it would technically fit because the elastic in both the bust/shoulders and back gave such a large amount of stretch. All my current PUG peasants, however, are tight enough in the arms that, while they’re not uncomfortable to wear, they create a delightful little fat-squidge effect where the elastic is tight on my chubby upper arms. I really wanted to make sure I had some peasant tops that wouldn’t do that, so I decided to size up into the XLovely. For reference, the XLovely allows for a bust of 40-50 and a waist of 33-43, compared to the Lovely of bust 36-44 and waist of 28-38 inches. Krista was right that I should have gone with the Lovely, because the bust looks a little loose on me when I’m wearing my longline cincher (as pictured above) because it has a second hand effect of minimizing my boobs as well. With a normal bra, though, or even a push up, the bust will fit better, and it’s nice that this size gives me a modest neckline for occasions when I don’t feel it’s appropriate to display peasant wench levels of cleavage.

The Pleasant Peasants are a great budget-friendly option for any lady, whether a vintage-lover or not, and I plan to layer them under cardigans and jackets in these colder months to get full wear of them while waiting for the warmer weather to return next spring.

The Pleasant Peasant tops are available in sizes S-3X in 15 colourways (including some polka dots!) for $24.99 each. Doll Me Up offer international shipping at affordable flat rates, have a customer loyalty scheme, and are happy to help if you have any questions.