• How Star Will You Go Dress Review [Harkel Clothing]

    Something a little different to round the week off – though not too much of a stretch as I’m easily won over by atomic stars!

    The How Star Will You Go dress by Harkel Clothing is a really cool little shirt dress with an all over celestial print featuring an array of bright stars and planets.  It has a Peter Pan style collar which you can do up to the top if you prefer, but I like to leave shirt styles open. 

    It comes with its own thin blue belt but I swapped it out for a wide red one to tie in with my hair and accessories instead. You could get away with lots of belt options as there as so many colours you could pick out from the design. It also has round buttons with a moulded star shape on them which I thought was a nice feature. 

    It has a fitted bodice and full gathered skirt with two seam pockets which is great. Harkel don’t sell my size so I checked the sizing guide and the 8 was more of a 6-8 measurement so I took a punt. It is a little roomy on me but the good thing with shirt dresses is you can pull them in with the belt and nobody would know! It’s pretty bang on a 6-8 rather than a true 8 so I’m really chuffed to get away with it. The individual sizing charts are a really handy feature on each item. It sits just below my knees which is a good length for me. It will obviously be shorter on taller gals and in their description they note it’s aimed to be above the knee, so expect it to be cute and short if you’ve got those extra inches I don’t have hehe.

    If you’re looking for some different styles to add to your wardrobe, it’s worth a look. I stay pretty much with 50’s styling but this is such an easy wear with a stand out print so it really caught my eye and I’m glad I went for it. Delivery was pretty quick.

    I ordered this last month when it had 50% off and though that ship has now sailed, Harkel are always on sale and currently doing a promo with 40% off (code HAPPY40) so it’s still a good price and available currently in sizes 8-20 (no size 12’s though sorry dolls) x

     

    Further info:
    I’m 4’11” wearing 4.5 inch heels and a standard size 6 in clothing and ordered the 8 in the dress above. It’s more like a 6-8 than a true 8, a little roomy to be expected but not too much. Use the size guide on the product page to ensure you order the right size for you.

    Also wearing:
    Splendette bangles
    Orchid hairpiece from the high street
    True vintage belt

  • Supplier Spotlight: Ilovethe50s.com featuring Collectif Maura

    Hope you’re all doing well in isolation and coping ok. It’s so important to be supporting small businesses during these hard times (if we can), and if you fancy a little lift to brighten your day, then I have a gem of a dress for you to consider!

    This is the Collectif Maura dress which is a fabulous rockabilly styled shirt dress. It’s a lovely dark indigo denim with lots of stretch and features retro style square red buttons all the way down the front.

    The red accents are continued on the stitching and the wide circular belt. The pencil shape is really easy to wear with lots of stretch and it’s super comfortable too. I did a lot of stretching, bending and all sorts while I was wearing it and it just moved with me, despite being a pencil it’s not restrictive at all.

    I found it true to size, and it sits on my mid calf which is a perfect vintage length for me. For the taller among you, it should sit nicely just below your knee. If you’re particularly blessed up top you may wish to size up. There’s a handy popper detail below the first button at the bust area to avoid any gaping issues too.

    How cute are those buttons?! I love them so much

    It’s such a versatile dress – everyone needs a faithful denim dress to carry them through from Spring to Summer and this fits the bill perfectly with its classic 50s styling. I loved wearing it for a little walk in the sunshine and I’ll also be wearing it to pick up my essential groceries in a couple of days. As the days grow warmer, you’d best believe I’ll be wrapping my hair in a bandana to add those rockabilly feels!

    You can find this fab little dress fully stocked in all sizes from 8 to 22 at Ilovethe50s.com which is an awesome independent online retailer, run by the very lovely Karen. Selling a range of vintage styles and brands, the Maura dress is amongst many others in the online store’s 20% off sale, so it’s the perfect time to snap it up. I don’t know about you, but I’m all about the little treats right now to get me through the isolation, and this offer will definitely brighten everyone’s day.

    There’s also the option to use Clearpay or Klarna if you need to spread the cost and pay in instalments, and not only that, it’s all free delivery within the UK! You can purchase Maura directly here.

    Stay safe, stay well, and treat yourself through the tough times xx

     

    For Reference:

    Also wearing:
    Shoes: Lulu Hun Susan 
    Bangles: Bow and Crossbones, vintage and Splendette. You can find lots of lovely new Splendette stock at Ilovethe50s.com too!
    Handbag: Banned Retro previous season
    Earrings & Necklace: Collectif Clothing Tiki and Natalie

    Stats for reference: I take a standard size 6 in Collectif clothing (33:24:33) and  I’m 4’11”, wearing 4 inch heels.

    Disclaimer: Gifted ad – this piece was gifted in exchange for an honest review and a discount for my readers. All thoughts are my own and I would happily purchase from this company. Please contact me via my Instagram or at info@lapetitepinup.co.uk for collab work or ads.