• VE Day OOTD

    Happy VE Day you gorgeous lot! I hope you’re able to celebrate in any small way you can during lockdown – be it bunting in your kitchen, or socially distanced garden parties with neighbours on your street. 

    Uncharacteristically, I’m not in a dress for a change! Instead, I’ve chosen a land girl inspired look with a modern twist and 50’s details (as stylistically, that’s my preferred era to wear) for my celebrations. In keeping with the red, white and blue theme and a nod towards the brilliant ladies of the Women’s Land Army, I’ve gone with the Voodoo Vixen Jasmine Overalls. 

    They have the cutest polka dot print over denim blue and sweet details like the sweetheart neckline, handy (and deep) pockets and a flattering cropped length. 

    The straps are adjustable and can be crossed over at the back. I bought a size 6 and the sizing guide states they’re true to size. Personally, I found they came up a little large on me, but not so much that I can’t work with it. I really love them and they’re super comfortable to wear. They could easily be dressed up or down and I picked out the Maria Hawaiian blouse by RocknRomance to wear underneath.

    The blouse is super light  and can be worn either tucked in as I have here, or tied at the front (cleverly, the ends are button free so this can be achieved easily). The tiki inspired print is so pretty and the collar can be worn up or down depending on your mood and is also available in other colours and styles. I also have the dress version of this print in a couple of colours, which is just adorable. If you haven’t found yourself browsing their site before, it’s definitely worth having a look. I found their customer service to be really good too – friendly interactions and speedy replies and delivery.

    My new Tonya shoes by Lulu Hun were the perfect choice to complete this outfit with its red, white and blue stripes!

    The wedge heel is so comfortable to wear and the style is just incredible. I love Lulu Hun for shoes. I bought my usual size but could have sized down. I have narrow feet though, so for those that have a wider foot, don’t size down. The ankle strap is in the contrasting pale shade and has a normal buckle, not the hoop over type. They’re so bright and fun, I adore these shoes and I’m seriously considering buying more colours.

    What will you be wearing? I can’t wait to see all the photos of everyone’s events. We may not be together, but we’re united with respect for the fallen and all efforts made which afford us our normal freedoms. Take care, be safe and have fun! xx

    Also wearing:
    Bangles – Splendette
    Necklace and Sunnies – Collectif
    Hair Flowers – pink piece by Miss Bella’s Blooms
    Pins – Erstwilder

  • Collectif Review: Anna Capris and Lottie Gingham Top

    I’ve been meaning to mention the Anna Capris for a while now as I already had the black pair from last year, see below (back when I used to crop my head out of all my photos ha):

    Black Anna Capris

    The navy version launched this season and they are just as sweet as the black. Made from a stretch cotton, they’re quite roomy in the leg compared to my black pair, and the high waistband is fixed (side zip) with little stretch – so if you’re in between sizes on the waist measurement, you may want to size up. They have the cutest ties at the bottom of the cropped legs; I absolutely love the little details Collectif adds in like this.

    The black and the navy are both worth investing in as they’re staples for a pinup look and work well with flats or heels to go from day to night. You could also wear a nice blouse and cropped jacket with them for workwear. The navy costs £35.50 and the black is currently on sale in sizes for £28.40. Both are available in all sizes at the time of writing (6-22).

    I paired my navy capris with the Lottie Gingham Top, which is a picnic-perfect darling of a top in a large red and white print. There’s a sweetheart neckline with wide straps, (both trimmed with a pretty daisy lace edge), an elasticated panel at the back making it super stretchy to accommodate all bust sizes, and an invisible side zip.

    The princess cut seams are one of my favourites and really elevates this lovely little top. She’s a shorter style, finishing above the hips, so this is an ideal pick for petites (or those that like a shorter top without all the need for tucking in).

    Available in sizes 6-22 at £25.50, this is a great price for such a classic rockabilly styled piece. Pop a cropped denim jacket over and a bandana or a very cute hair flower in your hair, and away you go! 

    Showing the side tie detail of the capris

     

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    Also wearing: 
    Hair Flowers: Beautiful blooms from Miss Bella’s Blooms
    Jewellery: Natalie Bead set from Collectif in Red
    Bangles: Vintage and Collectif Carrie in Red in main pic, Splendette and Bow and Crossbones in black capri pic
    Shoes: Joe Browns in black capri pic; Everything5pounds in main photo

  • Miss Bella’s Blooms Review

    I must start by saying I already own one of Miss Bella’s Blooms and wear it quite often (it’s the large yellow hydrangea you will see in my pics a lot). So I already knew these hair flowers are amazing quality and beautifully made with so much work gone into them.

    I was lucky enough to receive a wonderful package of pretties in the post and to my utter delight, I have now radically upp’ed my hair flower game!

    Beautifully packaged and free pins!

    I received 4 stunning, custom made, pieces in different shapes and styles which suit me perfectly and go with so many of my outfits, I can’t wait to wear them all just as often as my yellow piece.

    First off is this pretty yellow and green Ranunculus & Alstromeria hair flower which I wore on my last outfit post (here).

    It’s bright and cheery but subtle at the same time and with a mix of colours, I can wear it with so many different outfits. There’s also a splash or orange/red too which ties in well with my hair,  especially as I love to accessorise with red, but all red would have been too much. It measures 7″x 5″ and is perfect to add some vintage glam to every outfit.

    On to the next piece which is a dazzling blue Hydrangea and Tweedia hair flower. This is just amazing and I think it’s my favourite piece of all (also because I’m just such a sucker for hydrangeas, my heart swoons when I see them).

    The blue is so vivid and the clip measures 10″x 4″ making it lovely and long to wrap around the head.

    Luckily, Miss Bella’s Bloom’s thinks of everything and some branded pins were included for me to place the top end of the hair piece down where I wanted it.

    I adore orchids (they were my wedding flowers) and so the last two made me leap with glee! This Green Orchid Hair Flower clip is 5,5″x 2.5″ and features clusters of pale yellow and white hydrangeas (dreamy combination for me!) and white cherry blossoms too.

    It’s a really delicate piece and perfect on its own or with extra flowers added too.

    The final piece was this gorgeously bright and fun Lucina Tropical Orange Orchid clip which is just utterly fabulous with all it’s tiki vibes!

    It measures 4.5″ x 4.5″ and as well as the orange orchid, there are also orange and yellow Alstromeria on green leaves which add interest all the way around – so from whatever angle you’re seen, you’ll be blooming gorgeous!

    They are priced so reasonably for the amount of workmanship that has gone into making these. The orange one above is only £7.50 and the green orchid cluster is just £10.90. You could also contact the very lovely owner, Claire, and commission something if you have a preference for particular flowers.

    The work that goes into these is fantastic and not only do you get beautiful hair flowers, but they also double up as corsages! So you can wear the most beautiful floral brooch on your vintage styled outfits. Look at the handiwork on these with options for hair or corsage on each piece:

    Even the back is beautiful, and look! it’s also a brooch!

    I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my new collection and no doubt you’ll see plenty more as I just love a hair flower to finish off a vintage look!

     

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    Disclaimer: These were gifted to me by Miss Bella’s Blooms and I have chosen to write an honest review (I wasn’t asked) in support of such a fabulous, independent, business (please buy more from small businesses if you can). I will continue to buy from this company as I had previously (in fact, I made an order today!).