Here’s the thing about vintage inspired clothing companies—they know how to do a great skirt. And by great skirt, I mean FULL CIRCLE, baby! Flattering AND fun (you know, because of the swirl factor), you really can’t beat a full circle skirt, and this woollen Sophie skirt by Timeless is a sustainable winter gem. Oh, and did I mention it comes in several different checks? Because it does, and here’s two of ‘em!
I’ve never seen the film Amelie so I can’t make any cute puns about the name of this skirt to enchant this opening, but I’ll give you a minute to think of something witty yourself to enjoy and then we’ll move on, okay?
…Done? Awesome, let’s get to it!
Vivien of Holloway are well known for their many signature style dresses, from their Halter Neck Circle Dress to their Bolero and Sarong sets, but come winter their beloved tartan circle skirts take centre stage. There’s always a flurry of excitement and desperate flashing of bank cards when the winter skirts are restocked each year, and each year they sell out in a frenzy in their most popular tartans. Now, much-anticipated releases of new colours or prints of their Slash Neck Tops often sell out with the same kind of speed and fervor, so I’m sure I’ll be preaching to the choir for many of you today when we look at this Vivien of Holloway outfit that’s got me feeling all kinds of festive.
One of the things I love most about Autumn is how warm and rich all the associated colours are, even while it cools down outside. We’re not quite there yet but when the leaves begin to turn and the world slowly becomes orange and red and yellow and a bit gold, it fills me with joy. For now, when I look out at my garden there’s only the hint of fall touching just some of the leaves, while our apple trees remain laden with their last offerings.
As it happens, this new outfit from Heart of Haute, with it’s plummy plaid goodness, makes me feel just like picking apples, as well as sipping hot chocolate or snuggling down by a log fire, all in nostalgic sepia tones.
There are certain prints that I sometimes daydream about my favourite repro companies using to make a dress or a skirt. Cherry blossom trees, chevrons, bluebells, a world map. If I would only learn to sew, I know, then I wouldn’t have to frustratedly wait for someone else to design what I yearn for. And I mean to, I do. But sewing, designing, pattern making, they’re all hard work, they’re skills you have to learn and hone and improve upon to make something great. I tend to think about that and then bump ‘Learn to sew’ down my To Do list because I’m too busy and impatient to learn to be great. And that’s my own fault. If I’m going to be disheartened and lazy, fine, I don’t get a bluebells skirt. I don’t get a chevron dress with contrasting directional panels. But thanks to Oh My Honey, I can have a map print skirt.
Oh My Honey is a made-to-order vintage inspired clothing company based out of the British seaside city of Brighton. I’ve featured them here on the blog before when I reviewed their gorgeous Candy Cane dress the Christmas before last, a dress so fabulous it was one of their festive best sellers two years in a row. Owned and run by designer Louise O’Mahony, their wedding dresses are so pretty that they almost make me want to find a boy worth locking down–almost. It’s a good thing, then, that they also offer vintage inspired swing dress and skirts.
They offer said vintage inspired dresses in a variety of colours, prints and patterns, all as fun and bold as the next. When I saw the map print added to their proffered fabrics I immediately added it to my wishlist, waiting out the touchy Christmas penny-pinching period and some trouble with my car before I was able to order it as a skirt. Man, it was worth the wait.
I’m a pathetic sewer who has always meant to learn what to do properly, so I’m thrilled today to bring you a guest blog from Louise of thelittlethingsinlife.me.uk who’s going to walk you through the steps to making your own circle skirts.
Circle skirts always seem to add a touch of class. They are undoubtedly one of the most effective pieces of clothing and they are pretty easy to make as well. Moving on to the pattern, it will require a little bit of maths but nothing too scary!
Circumference = the entire distance around a circle (in this case, your waist length, plus 2 inches)
Radius = the distance from the centre of the circle to the outside of the circle
pi = 3.14 (approximately)
Here are the steps Continue reading
It may surprise you to learn that the Harley dress in Olive Green & White Fleur De Lis by Pinup Girl Clothing was the first PUG dress I ever bought and that it went unworn for several months. This was not because I lacked the confidence to wear it in my earlier pinup transitioning days or that I felt I lacked an occasion to wear it, but simply that it was too big for me. New to PUG, I had no experience with their size charts, the cut of their clothes or the fabrics they used. At the time with a 32 inch waist I was smack in the middle between sizes, their L catering to 30-31 inch waists and their XL for 33-34 inch waists. This exclusion of the 32 inch waist is present in almost all their styles, except in items made with incredible stretch, such as with fabric like their high quality stretch bengaline, so the dilemma of whether to size up or down is ever-present for me and over time I’ve learned when and why I am able to size up or down.
If you read my Titilated by Tartan post last week you’ll know I consider Vivien of Holloway the queen of tartan–so I was thrilled to be sent on one of their tartan circle skirts last week! I literally love every single tartan colourway VoH offers in their circle skirts and have wanted one for an age, but I think it was festive fate that the red tartan print I be joined together in Christmas matrimony. For this post I snatched up my new pretty in my pinup paws and headed to one of our good ol’ British cobbled beaches near sunset to snap the pics for this post.
I’ve wanted to try the Malco Modes petticoats for a long time, since seeing pictures of what appeared to be the fluffiest looking petticoats I’ve ever seen. Finally I’ve got my hot little hands on a Jennifer petticoat, thanks to the lovely team over at Malco Modes, and my goodness, this petticoat is my new favourite thing.
Continue reading
Miss Amy May 
