Cover Up In Style [Wingz]

Posted on October 16, 2015 by missamymay

I have a lot of dresses. I love them all, perhaps not equally, but a lot. More than most women love their clothes. So it frustrates me and saddens me somewhat when autumn, winter, even parts of spring (and summer here in the UK, to be honest) come around and require me to either trade in my sleeveless and strappy dresses or else layer them beneath a cardigan. And don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with a cardigan. These days they’re a fashion staple, a downright given. I’m sure you, like I, own approximately 20 in different lengths and colours, necklines and sleeve lengths. They’re useful and warm, but there’s no escaping the fact that cardigans cover not only your arms but at least some of your dress too. And on some dresses, that is nothing more than a shame.

I own plenty of dresses with beautiful feature bustlines, gorgeous prints, even embroidered patterns. I recently bought a v-neck sleeveless dress with exquisite embroidery that winds all the way down from the shoulder straps over the bust and waist towards my hips. It makes me think of Christmas and feels especially appropriate to wear this time of year, but the lack of sleeves means that if I layer a cardigan atop it I cover up some of the beautiful embroidery that makes it so special.

Which is why I’m maybe a little too excited that I found Wingz. I stumbled across them on Facebook just a couple weeks ago and was immediately drawn in. Wingz is a line of sleeves that you can layer under almost any neckline dress or top because they’re designed as an under-top with a super low bustline that layers over your bra, creating sleeves you can layer under tops and dresses to keep warm without effecting the lay, cut or style of your clothes.

Wingz Fashion black half sleeve Continue reading →

Dear Dolores [Collectif]

Posted on October 5, 2015 by missamymay

The Dolores Doll dress by Collectif has been around for years, as well as the top of the same name and style. Both have been available in a multitude of colours and prints, new colourways available every season as a staple that some pinups collect almost religiously.

I’ve owned two Dolores tops in the past, a polka dot and the feral leopard print, but as someone who opts for dresses 90% of the time over an outfit made up of paired separates, my Dolores’ were constantly overlooked and eventually passed on to people who would get more use out of them. I love peasant style tops, finding the display of the collarbone and shoulders really feminine, sexy and classy all at once. The only thing that gives me pause with peasants, though, is that sometimes I think the ruched sleeves can hit my arm in the wrong way and can highlight my chubby uppers, as we shall now call them. There’s nothing wrong with having a little arm squish going on–for all but maybe 10% of the population, I think, some degree of upper arm softness is a lifelong constant. But I don’t always want to showcase it. For that reason I stayed away from the Dolores dresses, thinking perhaps that ruched cuff sleeve would do me a disservice.

Buuuut. Then Collectif had a super, super killer sale lately to clear out summer stock ready for their AW pieces. Dolores dresses went from £50 a piece down to £12-14 each. I mean. Come on. What was I gonna do? I’m sure my arms can’t be that bad to pass up a bargain like that.

I bought the blue gingham Dolores thinking that the dress looked like it would be super comfortable, easy to wear and a great option for throwing on for optimal cuteness either when I was in a rush or when I needed something for the times comfort takes absolutely top priority, like for travelling or really long days out. I was absolutely right about that as the Dolores is all of those things I expected it might be. After a stressful day at work last week I put it on one evening for a bit of chill time in the garden, picking some of our apples and watching the sun start to set–and trying to avoid our cat popping into every picture, because she trailed me the entire time.

Collectif navy gingham Dolores dress Continue reading →

Niagara Will Make You Fall

Posted on September 21, 2015 by missamymay

The Niagara dress by Pinup Girl Clothing is a ruched wiggle dress heavily inspired by the pink dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in the movie Niagara. The original dress from the movie, designed by 3-time Oscar winning costume designer Dorothy Jeakins, was such a hit after fans saw the movie that copies were made and sold in 1950s department stores. Dorothy originally made and screen tested the dress in red, as seen below, before it was decided that the hot pink version that appeared in the movie was the winning colour. Pinup Girl Clothing tip their hat to the design of this dress by making it in both the hot pink and red colours Dorothy designed, as well as black and a tiffany blue. In the past other colourways, such as navy and bronze taffeta, have also been made.

Marilyn_Monroe_in_Niagara

Like the dress worn by Marilyn in the movie, the PUG Niagara dress features an underbust cut-out, ruching on the stomach, and a wide collar-bone bearing neckline. The PUG version, while incredibly similar, has a front slit, more pronounced ruching, and a smaller keyhole. Continue reading →

Audrey In The Country [Goldie’s Clothing]

Posted on August 24, 2015 by missamymay

This is the final installment in my series of dresses from Goldie’s Clothing, Spanish vintage repro clothing brand. I’ve previously featured two dresses that have some seriously boob-flattering sweetheart necklines, but this final dress is not only different but in a league of it’s own. A Hepburn league.

I give you, the Audrey dress.

Goldie's Clothing Audrey dress Continue reading →

Seamless, Swinging Maria [Goldie’s Clothing]

Posted on August 20, 2015 by missamymay

Last week I featured the gorgeous Lauren wiggle dress from Goldie’s Clothing, classic Spanish repro clothing company. That means this week it’s time to take a look at one of their swing dresses.

Behold the Maria dress, a flared swing dress with a flared full circle skirt and, like the Lauren dress, a superbly flattering sweetheart neckline. It’s sleeveless, has a small gather at the bust, closes with a back zipper, and is designed in such a way that it is seamless at the waist, creating a smooth, elegant transition from bodice to skirt with no waistband to speak of.

Maria comes in several colourways, but in this post I’m wearing the lovely rice dot sheer overlay version to go for a frolic in the golden summer fields–where I made some unexpected new friends you’ll get to see later on in the post.

Goldie's Clothing Maria Flared Swing Dress Black Rice Dot Sheer Overlay Continue reading →

Gingerly Does It [Collectif Ginger Dress]

Posted on August 17, 2015 by missamymay

Anyone who’s followed me for long enough knows I’m a sucker for nautical coloured clothing–put some combination of red, navy or white together and I will probably love it. Another thing I love, but have rarely found in affordable repro, is a winged bust. So it’s time to say hello to Collectif’s Ginger line.

When Collectif launched their SS15 line I was thrilled to see they had included a winged bust in some wiggle dresses, a swing and a playsuit. And then I was sad that all those pieces featured novelty prints, something I’m very picky about and rarely partake in. The atomic flamingo wiggle dress was adorable–but not my style. The strawberry print play suit was super cute–but a no for me with that much fruit appeal.

I don’t know how it snuck by me, but I didn’t realise until recently that there was a nautical colourway of this dress, the navy and white Sailor version of that winged bust design available in both a wiggle and a swing dress. A mere week after I came across this information Collectif launched one of their infamous half price sales. Wing busted, sailor swing dress named Ginger, come to mumma!

Collectif Ginger Navy & White Swing Dress Continue reading →

Havana A Good Time [PUG Havana Dress]

Posted on August 13, 2015 by missamymay

The Havana dress by Pinup Girl Clothing is one of those dresses I’ve overlooked for a long time because it is, in no bad way, rather plain and simple. I’ve always assumed the particular neckline would look boxy on me, someone who is bottom heavy, not particularly large of breast nor slim of torso. I figured that without a lower neckline, more delicate straps or a distracting print this dress would probably give me a bit of a trunk torso and highlight my ‘flaws’ rather than flatter them.

The red colourway, the only one that had ever truly tempted me, sold out months ago, and I never wanted the olive, black or purple colourways. This summer a Midnight blue colourway was announced and I found myself reconsidering. Suddenly I came to wonder whether I should try out the cool toned cabana stripes colourway, one of only two printed colourways, because I reasoned that the stripes might be more flattering on me than any of the plain colours, as prints have a camouflaging effect for lumps and bumps. But while I lingered over my decision as to whether even the stripes might make this dress work on me that colourway, too, sold out.

So there it was. It was down to me and the coming soon Midnight Blue. A battle of wills. Who would win? Would I cave? Well obviously. But would Havana be kind to me, flattering and gentle and nice? Or would she throw me and my cake-padded waist into sharp relief and unflattering focus?

Pinup Girl Clothing Havana dress Midnight Blue Continue reading →

Curves In Corn [Goldie’s Clothing Lauren Dress]

Posted on August 10, 2015 by missamymay

Goldie’s Clothing is a Spanish vintage style clothing company based out of Barcelona. Formerly known as Cindy Bangs until earlier this year, they’re been producing handmade men’s and women’s clothing inspired by 1940’s and 1950’s fashions since 2011 and have their own store in Barcelona. This is an exciting year of expansion for the Goldie’s crew and I was thrilled when they offered to send me some pieces for trial so I could review the quality of their pieces for you.

First off I’m showing you the Lauren dress, a classic wiggle dress made in high quality stretch bengaline featuring a sweetheart neckline.

Goldie's Clothing Navy Lauren dress Continue reading →

The Cardigan With Attitude [Voodoo Vixen Iris]

Posted on August 6, 2015 by missamymay

Cardigans are useful little things. For those of us who live in more temperate climes, they make an easy go-to for adapting an established outfit for cooler days rather than having to dig through your winter wardrobes for anything heavier or sleeved. For those who have confidence issues with their upper arms, or even their middle section, it’s an easy way to shroud your insecurities without sacrificing your outfit on the whole to said quibbles. They’re normally cute, sometimes plain, often simple. Rarely, though, is the useful cardigan sassy and sexy.

Until now. Say hello to the Iris cardigan from Voodoo Vixen.

Voodoo Vixen Black Iris Cardigan Continue reading →

The Brit & The Belle…And The Hawaiian Hideaway

Posted on July 17, 2015 by missamymay

Sarah Forshaw (@Forshawsarah) and Miss Amy May (@miss_amy_may) are southern belle and southern brit pinups, respectively, who found one another on Instagram part way through their pinup transformations in mid 2013, at which point they tentatively, then all of a sudden, become devoted and divine friends. Bonding over their urge to bring full on glamour to their every day lives, their shared opinions on cake, and their fierce nerd hearts, the two quickly began to look upon one another as fabulous sisters–who simply hadn’t met yet outside the confines of the interwebs. Due to finally meet IRL to share many squishy hugs and swing-skirted spins in fall 2015, they’re opening up their friendship and their closets to you in this shared blog post while they eagerly await their meeting.

Amy: It’s been quite a while since my darling Sarah and I have been able to join forces for another installment in our The Brit & The Belle series, but finally we’re ready to share another joint post with you. Sarah and I are alike on many different levels, too many to list. Two of the easiest to focus on is our shared belief that a good dress is a terrible thing to waste by waiting for a good excuse to wear it, and our love for Pinup Girl Clothing. The combination of those two things means we both happen to own the same fabulous dress in the same colourway, the orange and purple Pinup Girl Clothing Hawaiian Hideaway dress.

We don’t want to taunt you too much with this dress because unfortunately it’s now out of stock after going on super sale at $60 down from $160–yeah, no wonder that bad girl sold out, and fast. (Such a sale is part of the Pinup Girl Clothing Online Yard Sale, where no item is over $60 and the sale section is updated regularly.) So while we’d like to focus a little on the dress and it’s fit to give you PUG newbies an idea of the brand’s quality, we want to focus as well on the parts of us that aren’t so similar; our differing sizes, shapes, colouring and styles.

Pinup Girl Clothing Orange Hawaiian Hideaway Miss Amy May Continue reading →