The Grey Lady [Heart My Closet]

Posted on December 15, 2016 by missamymay

Heart My Closet Custom Made Nancy Dress Dark Grey

One of the best things about dressing in a vintage style, I think, is that the clothes, once you know where to find them, are typically of a better quality and fit that the stuff you might find at your usual mall. Yes, in the reproduction world there’s as much difference between brands as there is on the high street, but on the whole I hear time and again from women that have moved their style backwards through the eras is that now they’re able to find clothes that actually fit them properly and make them feel great.

With off-the-rack, ready-to-wear clothing that’s wonderful enough, but the other bonus to living the pinup lifestyle is this: access to vintage-style custom makers. I know if I asked my non-pinup friends where they think they could go to get a dress custom made for them they probably wouldn’t have much of an idea. Thankfully, if I have an exact item in mind that I can’t find for sale anywhere, or I know probably won’t fit my exact body type in a standard measurement garment, there are places I can go–or load, more accurately–online to find what I want. Heart My Closet is the latest custom made clothing company I’ve had the pleasure to try and I’m so pleased it’s another great service I can add to my list. Continue reading →

Florals at Christmas [Lady V London]

Posted on December 13, 2016 by missamymay

Floral prints are typically associated with spring and summer clothing, understandably. There’s some gorgeous flowers that are favourites for autumn and winter though, like poppies and poinsettias, so I’ve often wondered why it isn’t more common to find floral prints for the colder seasons that feature these flowers. At the very least, it wouldn’t be so hard to create a floral print in darker, autumnal colours that would work well through the end of the year, even if the flowers featured in them aren’t technically winter bloomers.

Well, Lady V London have fulfilled my yearning for a winter floral with their limited edition Christmas Floral Print Lyra dress. The Lyra dress is actually a key bestseller piece from Lady Voluptuous, Lady V London’s plus sized range designed in collaboration with Georgina of Fuller Figure Fuller Bust, with all designs available in UK sizes 16 to 30/32. The Lyra dress in particular makes for a perfect Christmas outfit not just because of this gorgeous seasonal floral, but also because it’s so damn comfortable to wear. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party for friends, busting a move at the office work do’ or eating your way through the house on Christmas day itself, Lyra has got you covered in style and comfort.

Continue reading →

Apple of My Eye [Love UR Look]

Posted on December 12, 2016 by missamymay

I know I’m an adult (technically, by age, perhaps not so much by personality)–but I hold a grudge against apples. They make me sort of grumpy, likely to pull a stubbornly ill-accommodating face like a 6 year old offered spinach. I am known to describe powdery apples as ‘tasting of disappointment and hell.’

It’s because during phases of my life when I was determined to be several dress sizes smaller than it is naturally comfortable for me to be, I ate so many apples that I am now permanently sick of them…in their natural form. In an apple pie or a crumble, however? Apples and I are very definitely friends again then. In a strudel, for sure, load me up. Apple danish, fritters, muffins–basically any way in which you can take an apple and improve upon it by caking it in sweetened crusts, batter and actual cake, I am entirely on board. But off a tree? No thank you, only to pose with for adorable late summer photos.

Well, as it happens I’ve found another way I don’t mind apples: wearing them. Namely, in the form of the Love UR Look Green Apple Shirt dress. It’s cute, it’s quirky, and it has the added benefit of not potentially widening my waistline like my other preferred servings of apples are likely to do.

Love UR Look Green Apple shirt dress Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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 →

November Outfits Round Up

Posted on December 1, 2016 by missamymay

CHRISTMAS IS COMING, CHRISTMAS IS COMING! I know, November is too early for a lot of people to be getting into the spirit, but the urge to embrace the festive feels in my outfits started early this month. I tried my best to minimise the pairing of red and green together as obnoxiously as I wanted to, so instead you can expect lots of dark, rich colours as November got definitively chilly and sometimes wet.