Tag Archives: swing dress

Hepburn Lace-alike [Lady V London]

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Lady V London produce a variety of dress styles that have become staples of their brand, re-releasing them in new prints and colours each season. For lovers of a particular dress shape, that means ladies can stock their wardrobe with a piece they know works well for them in lots of different patterns and colours suitable for every occasion. One of Lady V London’s most popular and enduring dress cuts is their Hepburn dress, a classic ‘audrey’ style sleeveless dress with a modest round neckline and a long, full swing skirt. I’m somewhat amazed it’s taken me this long to try out a Hepburn, but I’m not surprised to find it’s as timeless and lovely as I would have predicted.

Glamorous Black Lace Hepburn dress Lady V London plus size pinup Miss Amy May size fit review audrey dress

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Irvine, So Fine [Hell Bunny]

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It’s September and the weather seems to have settled for long enough that I think we can finally call it; it’s Autumn! And while for many that means getting overexcited about Halloween, something I could not care less about, for me it means joyously waiting for the leaves to start changing colours (my absolutely favourite part of the season,) beginning to layer up, and the chance to dig out all my tartans from the back of my wardrobe. Tartans and plaids are my favourite part of autumn and winter dressing, hands down, so I was thrilled to see Hell Bunny offering us more new tartan lovelies this season. Oh Hell Bunny, I can always count on you to make me happy. Today, it’s with Irvine. 

Red Tartan Irvine 50s dress Hell Bunny discount code AMYMAY20!% plus size pinup Miss Amy May

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Glorious Gigi [Retrospec’d]

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There are dozens, if not hundreds, of vintage inspired companies in our little vintage-loving corner of the fashion world that produce beautiful designs for us to wear, twirl in, and generally fawn over. As someone who doesn’t have the time, money, accessibility or motivation to search out true vintage in my size, I am vastly grateful for and fond of these companies that produce modern examples of vintage styled beauty all over the world for likewise ladies who can’t have or don’t want closets full of true vintage.

One of my favourite such companies producing modern takes on vintage gems is Retrospec’d. Founded and run by two sisters, Sharon and Teena, they were inspired by their vast collection of true vintage to produce fabulous dresses for all woman, regardless of size or age. Retrospec’d produces high quality items that are made in Australia, all painstakingly and lovingly designed by that dynamic sisterly duo, right down to the perfection of every print and pattern. The result is gorgeous dresses that feel the most authentically vintage of any other reproduction company currently sharing the market.

This particular dress, the Enchanted Fleur Gigi, is a dress of that exact ilk, stopping my thumb in mid-scroll the first time I ever saw it because I couldn’t believe it wasn’t a true vintage piece. Despite my immediate love for it, it took me months and months before I finally got my eager little hands on it, but I’m so glad I did. Enchanted indeed!

Retrospec'd enchanted fleur gigi dress miss amy may plus size Continue reading →

Full of Roses [Love UR Look]

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If you’ve been following my blog for a long time you’ll be familiar with Love Ur Look. Like many other companies, I’ve featured them here almost every season since this blog began, but I’m sure if you looked back through my past reviews you’d recognise the pieces I shared instantaneously; because if there’s one thing Love UR Look knows how to do, it’s produce dresses that don’t look like anyone else’s.

Their dresses are always unique, often made in original hand-drawn fabrics or re-imagined vintage prints, and almost always featuring little design details I just don’t see anywhere else. Necklines that are shaped by atomic-inspired zig zag cut outs, bodices that feature layered fabric folds that give the word ‘structure’ a new meaning, contrasting panels layered over novelty fabrics with brightly coloured buttons. Whenever I see a Love UR Look dress, I can always tell the brand without needing to check a caption or a label or a website. Today, we’re looking at one of their more gentle, less novelty designs, in a flower print that shares my mother’s name: today we gaze at roses.

Miss Amy May Love UR Look 1950s Rose Belt Front dress

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Aurora in the Woods [Dolly & Dotty]

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As much as I love colourful prints and patterns, I’m always a fan of any classic swing dress in black and white that can function as a style comfort blanket in your closet. Got a last minute invite to an event with a vague dress code? Trusty classic backup dress to the rescue! Not sure if anyone else will be wearing colour where you’re going? Trusty classic backup dress to the rescue! Feel like everyone else is going to be fairly casual, so you don’t want to be too extra but you’re also not willing to compromise your style entirely? Trusty classic backup dress to the rescue!

And one such dress is the lovely black and white Aurora by Dolly & Dotty. It’s swing, it’s striped, and it has pockets. What more could you ask for?

Dolly & Dotty Aurora black and white two toned stripe dress plus size Continue reading →

May Baby [Dolly & Dotty]

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I am all about stripes. If they’re white and navy? I could not be any more about stripes, no way, no how. A striped vintage style dress is so chic and classic that it literally never goes out of style. Add in how easy it is to style a dress like that and you’re laughing. It’s surprising to no one, then, that I’m pretty loved up with this Dolly & Dotty offering that’s new in their summer range.

Dolly and Dotty May Stylish V Neck White Blue Striped dress

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Roses in the Sky [Lady V London]

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There’s several different ways a dress can win me over: by it’s colour scheme, it’s print, or it’s overall shape. This Illustrated Rose print Liliana dress but Lady Voluptuous got me on all three.

When the Liliana dress was first released a few months back I immediately wanted to try it. I’m a sucker for off the shoulder dresses because I think they’re flattering on every body shape and size, so this Bardot sleeved full skirted number easily ticked that box. The way the sky blue of the print’s background interacts with the pinks, purples and greens of the floral pattern left me in no doubt this was a summery, bright look that I would be happy to wear.

Illustrated Rose Liliana dress Lady V London plus size

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Thea & Summer Strawberries [The Pretty Dress Company]

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I first discovered the Thea dress by The Pretty Dress Company last September when I donned the red pencil version to model for Deadly Is The Female’s Christmas campaign for Vintage Life magazine. It was love at first slinky wiggle, but as I don’t wear a lot of pencil dresses I spent half the shoot in that dress cooing over the draping of the neckline and half lamenting that I would kill to have it in a swing style instead.

Fast forward a few months and my Thea swing daydreams became a reality. The Thea prom dress features the same gorgeous draped off-the-shoulder neckline and stretch twill fabric as the pencil version, but with a full swing skirt perfect for twirling. All of The Pretty Dress Company’s pieces are designed and made in the UK, so to celebrate that I decided to take my new Thea in this stunning patriotic cobalt blue out for a spot of strawberry picking, as it’s such a great British tradition at this time of year.

The Pretty Dress Company Cobalt Blue Thea Prom Dress Swing Continue reading →