Party Dress: The Chic Claus [Dolly & Dotty]

Posted on December 9, 2016 by missamymay

We’ve had plenty of sparkles and sass so far in this year’s party dress series. We’ve had some understated tartan, an irrepressible LBD, and some shimmering metallics. So it’s time, with our last party dress, to reach for something truly classic and monochromatic. Ladies who like to keep it simple and chic, who don’t like frills, glitter, bows or prints. The ladies who feel Audrey got it right the most of any woman throughout history, this dress is for you.

(…And for any ladies who like things simple but also don’t mind a touch of adorable Christmas fun, I’ve thrown in a red cape too, because it’s the holidays and I cannot be stopped.)

But seriously, this is the classic, understated elegance dress of the series, and best yet? It’s a total bargain.

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Party Dress: Touch of Tartan [Miss Candyfloss]

Posted on December 8, 2016 by missamymay

We’ve done 3 dresses that are shimmering and shiny in different ways, so let’s look now at one that is the very epitome of Christmas, in an understated, classy way, of course. We’re chic vintage ladies, after all. No brash white-fur lined red velvets here (she says, blatantly lying, because she loves that kind of thing too.)

The Ella-Gia dress from Miss Candyfloss features three of my favourite colours for this time of year, rich emerald green, moody lush burgundy, and gorgeous burnt mustard. Put all that together with an eye-catching tartan panels feature and you’ve got yourself a winner, especially for this time of year.

Miss Candyfloss Ella-Gia Tartan dress Miss Victory Violet Continue reading →

Party Dress: The Duchess [Vivien of Holloway]

Posted on December 7, 2016 by missamymay

Now this wouldn’t be a party dress series without a touch of glamorous satin! Vivien of Holloway have always produced their signature dresses in a range of duchess satin colours, from bridal white to Cadbury’s purple, from bombshell red to unique blueberry. My absolute favourite among the gorgeous selection on offer is this Forest Green and I’m sure you can understand why.

Festive glamour goals, meet your new best friend, Vivien.

Vivien of Holloway Forest Green Duchess 1950s Halter Neck Circle Dress Continue reading →

Party Dress: Sequin City [Zoe Vine]

Posted on December 6, 2016 by missamymay

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for sequins. Oh yes, it is time for sequins.

There can’t be a festive party dress series without a little black dress offering, because little black dresses for many ladies are the backbone of the party season. They’re the no-brainer first choice option for feeling glamorous and sexy, chic and classy, slinky and sassy. Add in a healthy dose of sequins and you’ve got a perfect LBD combination. Oh, and did I forget to mention that it’s stretchy? Yeah, it’s stretchy. There we go, now it’s the perfect LBD combo.

It’s the Ava Black Sequin wiggle by Zoe Vine and it’s party time fine.

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Party Dress: A Flourish of Smoke [Heart of Haute]

Posted on December 5, 2016 by missamymay

It’s that time of year again, babycakes! Time to make lists, begin hoarding chocolate and, most importantly of all, pick your party frock. Whether you’re looking for something festive but still comfortable for Christmas day, something chic for your office holiday party, or something glitzy for New Year’s Eve, I’ve got you covered with 5 of my top picks from some of the leading reproduction and vintage inspired brands, across a variety of budgets. There’ll be some sequins, a little tartan, a few metallics, some slinky LBD action, and a heavy dose of timeless vintage glamour.

So let’s kick it off with a dress that has immediately become one of my all time favourites, the Heart of Haute Monte Carlo dress in the Flourish Smoke print. Ladies, get ready to swoon.

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Soft As A Cloud [Doris Designs Petticoats]

Posted on December 2, 2016 by missamymay

Doris Designs Petticoats Grey 26 inch petticoat

It’s no secret: I love petticoats. It is a rare occasion when you will catch me wearing my vintage style pretties sans petticoat. I love the glamorous, luxurious feel that extra (sometimes obnoxious) circumference in the skirt gives a look, especially since, let’s be real, the bigger the skirt the smaller your waist looks in comparison. Even disregarding the fact that I simply love the look of a petticoated skirt, there’s also the fact that wearing a fluffy, puffy, soft petticoat is just fun. It swishes and sways as you move, walk, spin. It gives one a definite princess feel, which is nothing to turn one’s nose up at…Aaaand it has the added benefit of tending to ward off people from sitting too close beside you on benches and public transport.

Basically, petticoats are joyful little wearable clouds and I am always happy to welcome more of them into my life. Trying new petticoat brands is one of my favourite parts of dressing in a vintage style, as a good quality petticoat makes a big difference to how your vintage outfit looks but also, importantly, how it feels to wear it. Scratchy, stiff pettis are no fun to endure, so a soft underskirt makes your entire day just that little bit more comfortable.

Enter Doris Designs Petticoats. Continue reading →

On It, Bonnit!

Posted on November 29, 2016 by missamymay

Just sullenly thinking about how much I hate it when my hair gets ruined…

One of the most annoying things about being a modern day pinup has got to be how easy it is for our carefully coiffed vintage hairstyles to get ruined. Whether it’s a long day at the office, a gust of unruly wind, unwanted humidity or a dreaded downpour that makes your pincurls drop, the result is the same: a burst of frustration and disappointment, followed by the agonising decision for those of us less-gifted with our locks as to whether it’s better to leave our slightly sad hair as is or risk restyling it while out and about–and probably making the situation worse. Whenever I attempt and fail at the latter I always wish I’d been better prepared, rarely organised enough to remember to pack both a hairscarf and an umbrella, or perhaps simply to move those items over from one handbag to the one in use that better matched that day’s ensemble. Continue reading →

Tweedy Does It [Collectif]

Posted on November 23, 2016 by missamymay

Why are grey vintage inspired clothes so hard to find? You would think every autumn/winter repro line would be full of greys, tans, brown and navy, overflowing with tweed, houndstooth, herringbone, but that’s not necessarily the case. Last winter I searched desperately for a woolen or tweed grey circle skirt, eventually finding one that turned out to be disappointingly-sized and -made given the cost ($84 and it made me look fat. I’m just saying.) I sold the skirt on and felt my soul sigh, knowing the search for my perfect grey winter skirt would have to continue next winter.

Well, it is now the next winter and the pinup gods have heard my prayers. And by ‘pinup gods’ I mean Collectif, because they gone done right by me yet again this season. (Previous doing me right? See my review of their Jasmine skirt.) Continue reading →

All Wrapped Up [Voodoo Vixen]

Posted on November 21, 2016 by missamymay

There’s a lot of ways that being a modern day pinup isn’t the most practical choice. There’s the long pointed nails that make pulling on your seamed stockings a challenge. There’s the need to carry hairspray, hair pins, a comb, a smoothing brush and a headscarf with you when you leave the house if it’s imperative your hair remain perfect for a full day.
There’s the petticoats, which not only make you an annoyance to some of your fellow passengers on public transport, but also make you a danger to yourself when you descend steep staircases, unable to see your own feet or the steps below you beneath the puffy, stuff circumference of your swishy skirt. It might be a fabulous life, but none of us can deny that it isn’t time- or detail-intensive.

There’s little ways in which I opt to adopt a more modern spin on the vintage aesthetic that makes my life easier on the whole. If I’m likely to ruin my tights or stockings at a particular event, I’ll choose a plain nude pair rather than a more expensive seamed set. I keep my nails short and unpolished rather than sporting a chipped, broken gel set within days of a manicure (I am a warehouse supervisor by day, after all.) And even though vintage purses and box bags are gorgeous, more often than not I carry sizable, practical handbags that can fit more than just my debit card and bare minimum makeup touch-up essentials. I like pretty handbags that can actually fit what I need in them, so I was really pleased to see Voodoo Vixen offering just such a handbag this season. Not only is it practical but it is downright cute, and that’s a combination I love.

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Little Black Dress Love [Zoe Vine]

Posted on November 18, 2016 by missamymay

If there’s one thing every woman needs in her closet, regardless of her style preferences, it’s a little black dress. The LBD is the long-accepted perfect option for any smart look, night out or formal event, but the other great thing about LBDs is that they make for wonderful last minute fall-back options. When you weren’t expecting to get a last minute invite, when your carefully selected outfit for the special event meets an unexpected tragic end, when you absentmindedly dropped off your job interview outfit at the dry cleaner’s along with your partners suits and now you have nothing to wear for your interview in an hour–the little black dress is always ready and waiting to help you in your hour of need.

A modest, classic, simple LBD can be dressed up or down to fit almost any event, and the puff sleeved Ellen dress by Zoe Vine is one of those versatile, timeless dresses that can serve as both savior and sinner in your wardrobe. You’ll all know I don’t wear a lot of wiggle dresses, preferring to opt for the fun and frills of a full circle skirt most of the time, but there’s something about how sassy and chic I feel in a black pencil dress that I do crave every once in a while. Trading in my petticoats and often-bright colours for the chance to be a bit moody and slinky, dramatic and daring for a night helps give me a burst of style inspiration that’s essential in keeping my vintage juices flowing.

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