It feels kind of redundant to write an intro into these accidentally-only-twice-yearly outfit posts now because I can’t help but feel I need to point out that I’m not a deeply unsocial person (not deeply, anyway,) who never does anything, I’m just a somewhat-unsocial person who has vulnerable loved ones that I can’t risk passing anything along to, thus curtailing my social life. So, in line with not wanting to harp on that once again, I’m also gonna stop Continue reading
August has been a weird month of, you guessed it, mixed weather so there’s been a lot of swinging back and forth between summer styles and more Autumnal pieces. Soon it will be autumn in earnest and I’m looking forward to the launch of AW17 from my favourite brands, particularly with London Edge this weekend. Come back to the site on Monday for the full run down of the event and lots of pictures of upcoming releases!
Kelsie dress by Unique Vintage, Lindy Bop Joyce shoes
Everyone should be able to wear whatever they want, without judgement or comment. Saying that, there are certain things I won’t go near personally because I just don’t feel they work for my body and the way I most like to highlight its features. Maxi dresses don’t show off my waist enough with that large expanse of skirt flowing straight down beneath it, and capped sleeves aren’t kind to my chubby upper arms. I store weight on my lower stomach and have wide hips, as well as considerable butt (awww yeaaah,) but those things mean when it comes to trousers and shorts, I just steer clear most of the time for simplicity’s sake, since I can’t be bothered searching for the perfect fit. Playsuits and jumpsuits, therefore, are clothing pieces I rule out, because when trying some on in the past I’ve found they don’t fit my lower body well and make me feel self-conscious about my squidgy tummy. No one really wants that.
However, I’ve been seeing some bodacious babes rocking some amazing retro jumpsuits lately and it made me feel some things. Miss Victory Violet, Simone of Atypical Girl Clothing and Kerry of Audrey Star’s Boutique are all working their jumpsuits like it’s nobody’s business, and it got me wondering.
L to R: Atypical Girl’s Simone. Audrey Star’s Boutique’s Kerry, and Miss Victory Violet
I have a thing for winter appropriate prints, checks, tweeds and weighted fabrics. They never go out of style, which means when you buy a piece in that kind of fabric you know you can wear it year after year regardless of the passing current trends. This holds even more true when the pieces are vintage inspired, so I was pleased to see that Voodoo Vixen made several pieces in their AW15 line that fit this outline.
The Pia pencil skirt is the one that most caught my eye from the VV workwear appropriate new pieces. It’s a lightweight highwaisted grey pencil skirt sporting a tweed inspired print with kick pleats in the back. From the same AW line I picked up the Sophie top, a black three quarter sleeved top with plenty of stretch for comfort and a great button detail staired neckline.
I love me some autumn and winter appropriate fabrics. Anything tweed, check, plaid, it all makes me really like this time of year when the dreary British weather can make it so much easier to dislike it. Finding swing dresses, rather than wiggles, in those fabrics can be harder, which is why I was excited when I came across the Tiger-Lilly dress by Voodoo Vixen.
Featuring a flared swing skirt, half sleeves, matching fabric belt, pockets, and a wide collar and button combination detail, this dress is a great piece for cooler weather.
November has been a strange month. The first 6 days of it made up the end of my American trip, the following week an adjustment period of jetlag and playing catch up which saw my motivation to dress prettily bottom out, and then a frantic two week period of busyness and prep as birthdays, blog work and the approaching festive season blended together to make a perfect storm of overwhelming ‘what next, what next?’ feels.
As usual, you can find links in the description to any item that is still available to buy. Anything not linked is from a past season and cannot be found for purchase any longer and/or is not available to buy online.
Discontinued Black Spanish Fan Print Jenny dress by Pinup Girl Clothing, Kelly Green Tootsie Cropped Cardigan from Doll Me Up Darling, old season H&M flats
Earlier this AW season Collectif released their Juliette dress, a gorgeous black pencil dress with faux fur trim on the neckline, cuffs and hemline. I swooned and coveted. It was so classic and chic. Warm too, I suspected. And of course it sold out quickly. So I was thrilled to see they were bringing out a matching skirt too. Sporting the same luxiourius faux fur hemline trim, the Andrea skirt has all the glamour of the Juliette dress with the additional versatility of a skirt.
And guess what? I love it.
I love black watch tartan. I’ve wanted a dress or full circle skirt in that colour of tartan for ages, but each time I find one it’s always out of stock. So imagine my delight when I found the Hell Bunny Aberdeen dress in just that print.
Collectif’s AW line has been bumper this year, with tons of gorgeous pieces and new prints. Of the latter, one of the most popular has to be the Woodland Bloom print, a gorgeous dark blue topped with blooming flowers in dusky pinks, muted greens and soft pops of periwinkle blue. It’s such a pretty and seasonal appropriate floral print that for a while I couldn’t decide which piece I wanted of those made in this print; the swing skirt, or dress, or pencil dress? Finally I decided on the swing dress, Maria. It gives me broody, autumnal feelings, in a pleasant fairytale kind of way, so I took to the woods to shoot it.
November is the month of poppies because poppies symbolize the fallen of the First World War on Remembrance day, November 11th. In Britain especially it’s a somber, respectful time, with red poppies flashing at you from the lapels of workmates, family, friends and strangers almost everywhere you go not just during the week of November 11th, but for much of the month.
For me, poppies hold a second association. On November 23rd 2003, my dad passed away following a 2 year battle against cancer. It was a difficult time and I barely remember anything much of the week and a half following his death. I remember coming home from the hospice and changing into the pair of clean spare pyjamas we had taken for him, not sure how long he would be in hospice–2 days–and I remember sitting at our lounge table a week later, trying to decide what to write on the little card presented to me that would be pinned to the flowers that would be lain on his casket.
We had poppies.
I remember the poppies. Continue reading
Miss Amy May 