Feeling 40s [Weekend Doll]

Posted on October 12, 2021 by missamymay

I love getting to try new-to-me brands here on the blog, especially when they’re small businesses, so I’m thrilled today to introduce Weekend Doll to my little corner of the internet. Weekend Doll have been on the scene for almost a decade as a stockist of independent vintage-inspired brands, but this year they launched their own line! I adore when small businesses take the leap into producing their own pieces but even more so when they are dedicated to producing it at home here in the U.K., as Weekend Doll is. That decision is a result of not only wanting to support the British manufacturing industry but also as a conscious effort to reduce their environmental impact by limiting the travel their wares must undertake in order to be ready for sale. With all of those things in mind, I was certainly very excited to try my first Weekend Doll outfit.

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Claudia the Goddess [Deadly is the Female x Alexandra King]

Posted on August 4, 2019 by missamymay

You know how sometimes you see a dress and fall in love with it, but there’s a little niggling thought at the back of your mind that it just won’t work for you? That’s the experience I had with this dress by Alexandra King for Deadly is the Female. Thankfully, wonderfully, blissfully, I was wrong–and now I have a new favourite that will fit me not just any day of the week or month, but even if I drop a few dress sizes–yes, a few dress sizes, you read that right. How?? Let’s take a closer look at this unique piece.

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A Spy in Tartan [Miss Candyfloss]

Posted on September 11, 2017 by missamymay

If you haven’t already seen the new offerings from Miss Candyfloss’s autumn/winter line, I have to ask; where have you been? Because I know what you’ve been, and that is missing out. Their latest collection is all about the Femme Fatale, inspired by Agent Carter. Think 1940s glamour, strong women fighting against nazis, the ultimate film noir sense of brooding fiercely smart spy awesomeness. Given all that, you’ll probably understand why donning the items from this collection makes me feel as sassy and dramatic as the character that inspired it. No, really, look:

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A Dress Called Lana [Vivien of Holloway]

Posted on February 9, 2017 by missamymay

We may be gearing up to move into spring, but this autumn/winter season I developed a serious thing for burgundy and I don’t see that affection going away any time soon. It’s not even that I didn’t like the colour before only to suddenly see the merit in it, but my liking of it increased so suddenly you might be forgiven for thinking that the case. Possibly my normal obsession with red simply spread wider at the edges, encompassing the moodier, darker iterations of the shade, but no matter how it came to be, where it brought me was to the here and now, with my claret Lana dress.

Vivien of Holloway are renowned for producing their staple dress designs in dozens of different colours and patterns, leading to ladies with collections of Halter Neck Circle Dresses or Sarong sets. I noticed the Lana dress for the first time perhaps the winter before this one, so I’m not sure if that was it’s first release or whether I was just blissfully ignorant before then. What struck me most about this design was the beautiful draping of the neckline. I’m not really a 40s girl when it comes to my own wardrobe, much as I appreciate the styles, but when it came to Lana, I had little choice in the matter. Pass over that drape-age? I think not. I could resist the style when it came mainly in dark florals, but once this claret was released, I was powerless.

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Keely Does It [Hell Bunny]

Posted on November 7, 2016 by missamymay

The Keely dress is one of the new Hell Bunny pieces that I somehow manged to totally miss when I previewed the line at London Edge this season. I don’t know how, because when I flicked through their complete catalogue online a couple weeks later it was an instant screen-shot, must-have piece. It’s more of a 40s cut than my usual fare, but I was really excited (and only a little bit anxious) about trying it. I needn’t have worried: this dress is amazing.

With a full skirt and a modest but prettily pleated bust, it’s work appropriate, vintage inspired and downright beautiful.

Hell Bunny Keely Dress Burgundy Red Continue reading →

Taking The B.A.I.T

Posted on May 20, 2016 by missamymay

B.A.I.T Loraine heels green

I’ve wanted a pair of B.A.I.T shoes for about a year now. A lot of their designs aren’t much my style, as I typically find my love for the vintage aesthetic doesn’t tend towards the shoes as much as it does the clothes, but I do like their Ida’s and have especially been eyeing up their new mustard yellow colourway recently.

I’ve heard lots of confused talk about which styles run small, which don’t, et cetera, and that’s always worried me in and of itself, let alone factoring in the fact that I’ve never been able to figure out for certain what my US shoe size is. I’m a UK 7, but I’ve found every conversion size chart I check has me flip-flopping (ba dum cha!) as to whether I’m a US 9 or 10. I’ve tried to figure it out by also cross-referencing the European sizing but half of my UK 7s say 41 and the rest 40, so that only made things more confusing. All of this just came together to convince me that until I could find a UK stockist I would have to give up on B.A.I.T or else risk a costly returns process to the US. Continue reading →

Delicate Daffodil [Trashy Diva]

Posted on May 9, 2016 by missamymay

I am typically all about big skirts, cinched waists and a glamorous 50s brush out, but occasionally I think it’s good for us all to try something different. When it comes to your style, stepping out of your comfort zone every once in a while can help you find new things you didn’t realise you might like, add disparate elements into your ensembles and generally shake things up a bit. Sometimes it can even give you an entirely new appreciation for your body or a previously overlooked aspect of it. Trashy Diva offered to send me their Jolene wrap dress from their new Deco Daffodil line, a dress more 40s than my usual 50s fare, so I happily took it as an opportunity to embrace a style I usually overlook.

Jolene Wrap Dress Deco Daffodil Trashy Diva Continue reading →

Taking Care Of Vintage Clothing [Guest Blogger Virginia Knight]

Posted on September 28, 2015 by missamymay

Today this post is written for you by guest blogger Virginia Knight, a vintage clothing enthusiast who’s about to undertake her graduate studies in Dress and Textiles History in Scotland. Virginia will be sharing some of her vast knowledge on how best to take care of your vintage clothing.

Hello there!

I’m Virginia, and I’m going to be sharing some tips for keeping your vintage wardrobe in great shape. A bit about me: I’m a post-graduate student at the University of Glasgow studying Dress & Textile Histories, and I have been fascinated by vintage and historic clothing for as long as I can remember. I’m from the United States but have just recently moved to Glasgow for school and love living here! Continue reading →

A Diva Attitude & A Diva Suit

Posted on June 8, 2015 by missamymay

You guys. We need to talk about the Diva Suit from Heart of Haute. Because look at it:

Heart of Haute Diva Suit

Sigh.

I have a pretty sizeable wardrobe and I love everything in it, but it might shock you that it’s not often I see an item of clothing for the first time and get a flip-flop true love at first sight feeling about it. More often than not, I’ll linger somewhere between liking and loving something, which is enough to buy it if I think it will work on me, but it’s only every once in a while I experience a burning want for something new, a fiery passion and a grabby-handed desire, a love so extreme I’m impatient to get my hands on it. This suit gave me those feels. Continue reading →

Pincurls Part 2: The Sculpture Pin Curler Tool

Posted on October 19, 2014 by missamymay

I showed you pincurling beginners how to start working on your pincurls only a few weeks ago, but I’m very excited to be able to show you another way to achieve perfect pincurls now without the weeks and months of practise. How? By using a pincurling tool, specifically the Sculpture Pin Curler Tool.

pincurlerset1