Never Without a Book [Vendula London]

Posted on November 27, 2017 by missamymay

It’s often considered the mark of a book lover that they can’t leave home without a book. That’s something that is remarkably easy to do these days given even our phones can house a digital library of hundreds, even thousands, of audiobooks and eBooks for us when we’re on the move. Personally I’m perfectly happy to forsake the beloved paper and ink format of a real book when I’m out and about because instead I can rest content in the knowledge that when I finish one book I have the choice of hundreds of others to hand on my phone instead of one single choice stashed hurriedly in my bag from earlier.

I do kind of miss how nice it is to have an actual book to hold, but thanks to this Vendula book bag, I can take that ‘can’t leave the house without a book’ feeling less literally and more fashionably.

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Mara, Ruby Red [Lulu Hun]

Posted on November 21, 2017 by missamymay

Here’s the thing about London Edge: there’s so many pretty things everywhere that the volume of them is almost numbing and you begin to act a bit like a greedy toddler hopped up on sugar in a vast toy store, leafing through the racks and mumbling ‘want, want, want’ about practically all the lovely things, far more than you could ever conceivably buy.

It can take some serious self-restraint and concentration to organise your photo taking and mental cataloging throughout the day in order to best use the event as a way to plan out your purchases for the upcoming season being previewed. Sometimes I end up mentally dog-earring items I change my mind about later once they actually come into stock, when the druggish enthusiasm of the day has worn off. Considering that, my favourite part of the whole experience comes in the moments when a piece is so gorgeous that it will literally make me pause, my whole body stilling while my mouth gapes. When I’m there with friends I turn with wide eyes to look at them, wordlessly holding out the dress or skirt or bag, and said friends, often Giselle, will say ‘Oh you need that. That is so you.’ I feel validated and gratified. It IS so me, yes, thank you for acknowledging that; I must have it.

Just such a scene happened as I rounded a set of shelves at the Collectif booth in September and clapped eyes on the Lulu Hun Mara heels, this time pointing them out, mouth wide, in glee to Collectif’s own designer Julia. I feel that same glee here today to be able to finally get these sweet, classic little ruby cuties on my feet.

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Hanging with Zoe & Diana [Collectif + Lulu Hun]

Posted on October 30, 2017 by missamymay

Look, I know you know this about me, because I’ve said it multiple times here on the blog but it’s important and it bears repeating: I love burgundy. I love it all year round but in the colder months it really comes into it’s own. Just think about it–crisp golden leaves beginning to fall from the trees, a slight bite starting to creep into the early mornings, just enough that you wake up wondering if you should have porridge for breakfast even though no one wants to eat porridge over Marmite toast or a cereal that is more cookies than nutrition. And there hanging on the front of your wardrobe, visible from the warm snuggliness of your bed, a perfectly crisp burgundy shirt dress, ready to be layered up and worn out into the world like you’re a dose of festive mulled wine.

Well that’s the Zoe dress from Collectif and I am all about it.

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Tartan and Lucite [Hell Bunny + KookiDeLou]

Posted on August 28, 2017 by missamymay

We may be having a late burst of summer here in the UK but I am officially ready for Autumn. Bring me tartans and plaids, bring me windfall apples and slightly cool mornings that allow me to wear one of my many fabulous coats that have hung unworn aback my bedroom door for the last 6 months. And bring me Hell Bunny’s AW17 line, because damn y’all, there are some cute-arse stuff in it that have got me feeling all the fall feels.

I’ve been desperate to buy this Peebles 50s dress for weeks now, after first seeing it previewed in a London Edge promotional email. I may or may not have bugged Hell Bunny’s designer and PR manager Sarah one too many times about its potential release date in my eagerness ever since–sorry Sarah! But finally it’s here, the dress that has literally everything I ask for from my favourite cold weather styles–flattering three quarter length sleeves, a fitted bodice that emphasises the waist, a full swing skirt, a gorgeous green tartan print and, finally, beloved pockets. I can’t think of a single thing I would add to this dress to improve it because it is all my winter dreams come true.

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I Got Frills [Joanie Clothing]

Posted on April 27, 2017 by missamymay

As much as I love bright colours, I’m not much one for clashing. I’ve actually been known to say before how much I hate pink and red paired together, with an unnecessary amount of passion. Turns out, that dislike is more of a contextual thing, because when I spotted this Eden frilly fronted cardigan I was totally on board. I immediately pictured it paired with a sky blue skirt and a wicker basket handbag, and then when it arrived I styled it exactly so. It’s just like I pictured it would be. Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?

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Glasshouse Fairy [Collectif + Lulu Hun]

Posted on April 12, 2017 by missamymay

The Fairy Doll dress by Collectif is one of their staple dresses that receives new print and colourway releases every spring/summer. This year the offerings are tropical themed samples of deliciousness, and I’ve been eagerly waiting for this orange and green combo of bamboo summer fun to be released since I saw the preview of SS17 last September.

I knew I loved the dress instantly purely for its vibrant print, but I didn’t realise it was going to be such a comfortable, easy wear. With no zips and only stretchy, stretchy smocking, this is a perfect dress for wearing on hot summer days when tight waistbands can pinch and rub as your body temperature rises. Plus, that stretch factor means it’s an excellent dress for travelling in both style and comfort, something I appreciated massively when I wore it this past weekend in the hot glasshouses of the Royal Edinburgh Botanical gardens and walking round the gorgeous (but hilly) city.

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Run, Becca, Run [in Lulu Hun]

Posted on March 20, 2017 by missamymay

Shoes, glorious shoes! One of the things I most love about the transition from winter to spring is being able to get out all my summer shoes again. Whether it’s wedges, peeptoes or my prettiest flats, it’s nice to be able to add more variety to my footwear in a way I feel winter just doesn’t allow. In spring and summer, I can mix it up between brights and pastels, raffia and cork, ankle ribbon ties and slim straps, metallics and leather.

Admittedly, for all my excitement to bust out the lofty wedges, I do spend 90% of my social time still opting for flat shoes. As much as I love the extra height and sass offered by a stacked wedge or precarious stiletto, the reality is I live a car’s drive from absolutely everywhere I need or want to go, and remembering to take my heels with me to the car as I slip into my safe-to-drive-in flats some days is just too much to ask. Plus, while I feel comfortable and capable in heels, I don’t hate my feet enough to want to walk in a pair of them for an extensive period of time (read as: more than 200 feet) so flats tend to just win out for comfort and practicality’s sakes.

That brings me to this season’s Lulu Hun offerings, which include several pairs of adorable flats. I tend to just buy plain ballet flats in every colour from New Look because they’re easy to find and are cheap, but they are just that, plain. Lulu Hun, on the other hand, is offering bows and cut outs, stripes and gingham, as well as sandals adorned with pineapples, bananas, and cherries. For ladies who want to keep their feet planted firmly on the ground but clad in a cute shoe as they do so, there’s a lot to choose from.

Becca Striped Flats by Lulu Hun Continue reading →

Off On The Right Foot [Blue Banana]

Posted on January 5, 2017 by missamymay

Let’s get this out of the way: I own a lot of shoes. We’re easily talking over 65 pairs of heels. Just heels. Add in flats and we’re probably nearing 90. I know, it sounds excessive, perhaps downright ridiculous, but let’s look at it sensibly: one pair of black strappy wedges does not equally work well for office wear or a full day’s walk around a city in autumn as it does for a summertime BBQ, though an outfit for each of those scenarios may require black shoes of some description. I wear a lot of red accessories, but different outfits might respectively require red mary jane low heels, a killer pair of red cork heeled wedges with red ankle ties, red bedazzled ballet pumps, red faux suede heels or satin red bow slides. Hence…the downward spiral into multiple shoe racks of a bagillion pairs of pretty pretties for my little piggies. 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 →

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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