We all know it by now: I’m a plaid girl. In winter when it’s cold and dark and (in England at least) wet, plaid fabrics feel comforting and cosy, a consolation prize for the short days and relentless chill. I also love that there’s such a variety of effects that can be achieved with a plaid, dependant upon the colour combinations employed, the fabric type and the way those things interact with the cut of a piece. For the Unique Vintage Delores dress, the black, white and red plaid utilised on one of their signature sleeved designs creates a classic and dramatic look that will have you reaching for it all season long.

Dress: Plaid Delores C/O Unique Vintage
Hat: Burgundy Wool Round Fascinator C/O Unique Vintage
Shoes: Cloe heels by La Veintinueve
Gloves + belt: Old Primark
Necklace: Emerald Birthstone necklace C/O Alwaysfits.com

The Delores dress is one of Unique Vintage’s staple bestselling pieces, re-imagined each season with new prints and colours, newly available this season additionally in leopard print, emerald, burgundy and winter florals. The half sleeves feature a shaped folded cuff detailed with a fabric tab and button. The gathered V-neck bust allows room for full busted ladies and flatters all. There’s pockets in the full swing skirt, which takes a medium volume petticoat beautifully, and it closes with a back zipper.

I generally consider plaids to be a casual fabric (or as casual as a pinup gets,) but I love that this dress can be styled up smartly with ease. This may not be the season for the races, but add a glamorous fascinator and some other fabulous accessories and this dress is more than appropriate for a winter wedding or event, such as I chose to style it for this post. It’s a long way off yet but this piece would work for Christmas celebrations just as well as it could for last minute drinks with friends or a Saturday shopping trip. A piece with that level of versatility is always welcome in my wardrobe.

Speaking of items always welcome in my wardrobe, there’s also this gorgeous burgundy fascinator. As much of an advocate as I am for getting as glam as you want whenever you want, I recently realised how lacking my accessories trove is in the fascinator department. I have faux furs and faux leather gloves in a variety of shades, but no such matching extensive array of headwear ready for an injection of chic for the upcoming cold weather months. Since this realisation a burgundy fascinator in particular has been at the top of my to-buy list, with multiple hours spent trawling the interwebs for just the right piece. It wasn’t until I found the selection at Unique Vintage that I found just what I needed in this little number. Featuring a wool looped bow and fine black feathers, it’s both dramatic and understated, a timeless example of beautiful headwear that doesn’t smack of seeking gratuitous attention. I especially love the fastenings for this piece; in addition to an elastic band there are two snap-combs, the kind you find used for clip-in hair extensions. As someone who always has trouble getting standard combs to stay in place in my hair, this clip-and-stay method makes me feel secure in the knowledge that I won’t accidentally dislodge my hat or else feel it slipping over the course of a long day.

In regards to sizing for the Delores dress I opted for the 2X, which I was happy to find accommodated my 45 inch bust well and remained comfortable across my shoulders and upper arms for a full day’s wear, areas where I can’t stand tightness or pinching. This 2X flat measures 36 inches in the waist with stretch to 37.5, which puts it true to the size chart. The bust measures 43 inches flat to 46 inches, which the arm holes measure 22 inches around and the folded cuffs are firm at 14 inches. The skirt is 27 inches long. 

The Plaid Delores dress comes in sizes XS-4X for $92 and the Burgundy Fascinator costs $68. Unique Vintage ship internationally and offer a customer reward program. They have stockists across the globe.