A white dress is one of the most chic items you can have in your closet. Worn in summer with a red lip, cat’s eye sunglasses and even a simple bun it looks effortless and put together, yet in winter you can reach for additional white layers, glittering jewels or faux fur to pump up the glamour to stunning effect. And now, in autumn? Why now would be the perfect time to reflect the rich browns and almost-metallic golds of the season. Don’t mind if I do!
There’s always something special about a little black dress, but I think this time of year especially they come into their own. The fact that a LBD can be elevated with the fun of using different fabrics and textures makes them even more wonderful, so I’m a big fan of a black dress that utilizes lace, velvet, even sheer elements. This Elizabeth dress by Dolly & Dotty, therefore, is just what I’m looking for to feel glamorous and moody as the evenings darken and the temperature cools.
I love it when brands have a focus and a vision, thus it was a delight to be introduced to Marie Zélie. Their motto is ‘femininity wrapped in quality,’ and that ethos is reflected in every aspect of their line; they produce classic, feminine designs that can be worn season after season, shunning the wear-and-ditch trends of fast fashion, and their items are made to a high quality from natural fibres so that their pieces will last years while being kind to your skin. In the vintage loving community those qualities are praised and appreciated, obviously, so I was excited to try their Aida wrap dress. It certainly lives up to their aims!
One of my absolute favourite things about autumn and winter is coats! Choosing which of a dozen ways to finish off my outfit is always a joy–do I want to go the full length, faux fur trimmed route, or cropped, faux leather biker style? Maybe it’s more of a leopard print trench coat day? Weighing up the weather conditions against the look and feel I want my outfit to have is genuinely fun for me–possibly because I own several fabulous coats, I’ll admit. The only kind missing from my collection is a classic wool hooded coat. All my other warm woollen coats don’t have hoods, which means they are delightfully useful right up until there’s any precipitation, which famously there often is in the colder months here in England. But all that changes now, thanks to this timeless but also undoubtedly practical coat by Xiaolizi.
One of my first ever vintage-style dresses–my second, to be precise–was a Hearts and Roses dress. In fact, I wore it to my brother’s wedding, back when I was a baby pinup who didn’t know much yet about what her vintage style would be, what suited her best, what she loved most of all. All I knew was that I loved that dress, with it’s contrast red and white detailing, and it’s full skirt. This Hearts and Roses dress today is very different, but one thing remains the same; boy do I love it.
Every season I get excited to see what new pretties will be added to the Alexandra King for Deadly is the Female line, and my, my, my, if the rest of the AW20 line is going to shape up like this first lace drop, I am going to be one broke (but very well dressed) woman!
One item of clothing I absolutely love but don’t wear that often is a peplum top. Why the disparity between my feelings and my actions? Because as a plus sized woman who carries a lot of weight on her tummy I generally feel self-conscious in clothing that displays it, and the average peplum top you find online or on the high street isn’t long enough to get the full tummy coverage that will leave me feeling my most confident. This peplum though? Oh, this bad Betty was deliberately made at the right length to soothe those of us with a little bit of belly bashfulness, and not only does it come in 6 colours, but it comes with a matching wiggle skirt too!
I’m a plus-sized woman with sizable thighs and I live in England, so what does that mean? If it’s cold, which it often is, I need to wear tights if I want to wear a dress, and if it’s hot I need to wear something to stop my delightfully squishy thighs from rubbing together until they’re sore. That used to mean wearing sheer skintone tights even in a heatwave, despite the fact that most tights fit me poorly and some made my skin itch uncomfortably. But then I found Snag Tights, and through them my salvation; comfortable, chub rub shorts for summer, and tights that actually fit properly, for the first time in my life, for every day, look and occasion.
I love a vintage style dress that has something a little bit different about it, and the glorious double semi-circle of semi-circle cutouts on this Dolly & Dotty number absolutely qualifies. Cutouts generally get a bad rap, with people immediately assuming they display too much flesh, but these cutouts elevate this Elaine dress with style and elegance. Plus, it comes in 4 colours, so what’s not to love?
Every season I get excited to see Splendette’s new range. For spring it was sherbet loveliness that made every pastel-lover drool. Now, for summer, it’s Duotone perfection, hand carved jewellery crafted in delicious duotones released in mirrored pairings. Want pink and mint? Parrot and Flamingo are for you. Love oranges and lemons? Sunrise and Sunset are here to brighten your days. If you’re more of a classic babe who wants to just get down with black and red? No worries, Lover and Hater will have you covered. There’s 12 different colours to choose from across bangles, necklaces and earrings, and personally I had to sample 7 of them with rabid haste!
Miss Amy May 