It’s been pretty dreary here in the UK for what feels like an age. It’s been rain, showers, and more rain, but in a shocking twist of fate this Bank Holiday weekend has heralded the return of sunshine. So it was wonderful timing that this glorious The Pretty Dress Company piece turned up this week just in time to enjoy said sunshine in true summer fashion–in gingham!
There are many ways the pandemic has changed my outlook on life and refreshed my sense of gratitude. One of the smaller, more insignificant ways it’s had an impact is the way in which it’s allowed me to reconnect with my natural curls and given me room to appreciate more casual ways of dressing. My love for 1950s silhouettes has not diminished even remotely, but it’s nice to allow oneself room in one’s head to have quiet, easy dress days rather than self-applying pressure that every chance to slay must be seized. Nah–now, and in future, I will cherish more casual days when I crave them, and dresses like this abstract wrap dress from Chi Chi London prove that being a little more casual does not mean being any less stylish.
There’s something about red dresses that feels so vintage yet unmistakably modern. Maybe it’s the confidence they exude, the power. Either way, red dresses offer something special, and this Mona-Rose from Miss Candyfloss is even more exceptional than most.
I don’t wear a lot of purple but I associate it with my mum and my best friend Menna, so it’s certainly a special colour. This dress in particular, with its bruised burgundy, lush lilacs and rich aubergine, definitely gives me English country garden vibes, so I figure where better to showcase it than my very own English country garden, in the sunshine.
Border prints are one of my favourite parts of vintage design because they just aren’t commonly utilized in modern fashion. I used to be quite happy to wear quite novelty border prints, but novelty tempts me less so these days. A simple graphic print, though, I still find lovely, and this Danube print by Collectif is certainly lovely.
I’ll tell you what, there is perhaps no other brand as aptly named as The Pretty Dress Company. No muss, no fuss, just pretty dresses all around. Today’s post is plenty evidence enough, I think. Let’s look at Leyla.
Look, I know I must sound a bit like a broken record when I say ‘I saw this dress and just fell in love with it’ but…well, I’m an honest woman, I like dresses more than I like men, and when it comes to clothing, it turns out I believe in love at first sight, okay? And this Dreamy Floral Demira dress is the latest in a (reasonably long) line of dresses that have made my heart go pitter patter. Considering it’s spring epitomised, I doubt you can blame me.
Spring and summer will mean different things to different people, but something I think we could probably all agree on (at least here in the Northern hemisphere) is that it means flowers. And, if you’re a lover of all things chic, summer whites. So, what happens when you combine those two design concepts? Why, this fun Golightly dress, that’s what.
A LBD is widely thought of as its owner’s good ol’ reliable; the multi-purpose black dress that will always leave you feeling comfortable and confident. For several years the concept seemed somewhat strange to me as I always gravitated towards colour and almost never found myself reaching for the black I included in my wardrobe for purely practical reasons. Now, though, I love a black dress, and have more than one LBD in my wardrobe that feel like glamorous comfort blankets. But this Prairie dress by Unique Vintage–oh, she could never be a comfort blanket, never mind a glamorous one. She’s left me feeling inspired!
If there’s one thing that screams summer to me, it’s gingham. It can absolutely be worn year round, of course, but for me it will always feel like a joyous welcome to spring when I pack away my heavier, darker winter dresses and pull all of my summer dresses out of storage, gingham right at the top of the pile. The first time I wear gingham each season on a fresh, sunny day feels like turning the page on a new book. It always reminds me of daffodils, of picnics, of sun hats. Today’s gingham number will be a marvelous addition to my summer collection!
