• Nautical but Nice! Meri Top and Nancy Shorts [Collectif]

    A really casual outfit today as the sun’s out, so the legs are out too! I really love nautical looks which work super well with my hair (or any hair to be fair, I just really like when my bonce matches with my outfit hehe). So I’ve combined the Meri Nautical Knitted Top and Nancy Nautical Shorts for that classic sailing-inspired vibe of the 50s.

    The Meri top is such a gem of a piece this season! So easy to wear and super comfortable. It’s a light knitted top with red, black and white horizontal stripes and features a gorgeous bateau neckline which is just fabulous.

    There are delicately capped sleeves and these can sit on or slightly off the shoulders, however you prefer to wear it. I usually wear one on, one off to a jaunty angle! It has a knitted rib to the bottom so it can sit nicely over clothes to hip level or tucks in well too, which is how I’ve worn it.

    The shorts are oozing maritime mid-century style! They’re so fun with rows of white buttons featuring red anchors.

    There’s also a matching button at the back. The shorts fasten with a concealed zip at the back and the button fastens over. Such a cute detail!

    There are wide, rounded, pockets to the front of the shorts, belt loops (I’ve added a belt to them in keeping with the nautical theme) and turn ups to the hems.

    They’re so comfy to wear and I wasn’t sure about sizing so I tried sizing up as sometimes the waistbands on Collectif bottoms don’t stretch at all. Not the case with the Nancy Shorts though! I can get away with the bigger size as I’ve pulled the waist in with my belt, but they’re true to size and you don’t need to size up at all. They’re made from stretch cotton which has plenty of movement in them, so buy your normal size.

    I just love this set together, such an easy way to get that classic nautical look with very little effort. The top is available still in all sizes (6-22) and the shorts are available in limited sizes on the Collectif website, both £35 each. There are extra sizes of the shorts available over at Rockamilly too.

     

    For reference:
    I’m 4’11” and wearing 3 1/4 inch heels. I’m a standard size 6 in Collectif clothing and wearing a 6 top in the photos and a size up (8) in the shorts.

    Also wearing:
    Hair Flowers: Collectif Lola and previous season too
    Earrings and all Bangles: Splendette
    Shoes: Joe Browns
    Belt: Hell Bunny

     

  • Supplier Spotlight: Sass and Steel [inc DISCOUNT CODE]

    I’ve long been an admirer of the very talented Hannah from Sass and Steel. Everything is carefully hand made and she offers a range of limited edition retro style pieces with a super edgy feel. If you have your own ideas of what you want, she’ll also commission something for you – how cool is that?!

    The piece I’m wearing today is the gorgeous Rockabilly Crop Top in the ‘Candy Carnival’ print which is so much fun with it’s bright pink highlights including amazing pom pom trim and pink glitter buttons.

    When it arrived, it was beautifully packaged and adorned with the classic Sass and Steel logo and glittery tissue paper – a great start!

    You can see the pretty glitter button detailing here

    I really love the dolman style sleeves on this top and sweetheart neckline. The collar is super clever too as it folds to meet itself at the back so there’s no big collar flaps catching in your hair and feels really light to wear – genius!

    Very clever detailing to the back of the neck!

    The other little detail I love on this top is the flash of fabric on the ties. It matches the upper section and I have a flash of blue in mine which is frikkin awesome.

    I’m blown away with the quality of this item – it fits like a glove! Which, let me tell you, when you’re petite is no mean feat! There’s a fab customisation option on Hannah’s orders where you can tweak things a little if you wish. I added a couple of requests and it is an absolute dream to wear! 

    The patio top is such a classic 50’s look and as it’s a retro twist on this with the cropped length and cute pom pom feature, I really wanted to play up on cowgirl influences too. So I wore it with a frayed black denim skirt and black, vegan leather, western boots and accessorised with black and pink bangles.

    I think it works really well but I’ll also be buying the skirt from Sass and Steel which goes with it to be all matchy matchy. It’ll also go with so many things I have in my wardrobe too and I’ll be able to wear both as separates or together which is super exciting.

    I’m absolutely delighted to be able to offer an exclusive 10% off code for my readers if you quote LAPETITE10 or you can click on the link HERE to be sent straight to the shop and it already incorporates my code – clever, huh?! As a small business brand, this company doesn’t offer discount codes so this is your chance to get something with a cheeky 10% off!

    There are so many other styles to choose from in sizes XXS-3XL so it’s really inclusive; some ready to ship now and others which are made to order and take around 2 weeks (incorporating any bespoke customisations you may have made too – such a great service!). Whether you’re more into the goth scene, punk, or like me, lean toward pin up vintage – there’s something to suit everyone’s style, or you can make your own!

    The brand name definitely reflects Hannah to a tee – she creates really cool vintage inspired clothes which make you feel sassy and steely – I sure felt both sauntering around in my new top, I couldn’t love it more! If you use the code, I’d love to see what you buy, so comment below x

     

    For reference:
    I’m 4’11” and my measurements are 33:24:33. I’m wearing the XXS in the top above. There’s a full sizing guide on each listing and you can add your own custom requirements if needed. Use the link included above for the discount to be valid or use the code LAPETITE10.

    Also wearing:
    Hair flowers: Blue is Collectif Lola, Pink is Miss Bella’s Blooms and Black is old high street
    Sunnies: Old Collectif stock
    Bangles: All Splendette
    Earrings: Oh So Flamingo
    Skirt: Pretty Little Thing
    Boots: Zulily 

  • Rainbow Stripe Bikini Top & Skirt Bottom [Collectif]

    It’s not unusual to see me bedecked in as much rainbow print as possible, but it is massively unusual to see me in a bikini! However, I just couldn’t resist this cute little number. I think the sweet skirt covered bottoms did it for me as I don’t feel totally exposed.

    The straps to the bikini top are adjustable (hurrah!) and the cups are moulded with some padding in to keep you decent and supported and covered in light pink fabric. The rainbow stripes run vertically and there’s a tie at the front you can loosen or tighten as much as you need to. The back fastens with a light pink clasp.

    I usually go up two sizes in high street bikini tops and I needed to do the same for this one too. I’m wearing one size up (size 8) but it’s quite tight on my back so I’ll likely buy the bigger size too at some point. It’s fine for lounging around on my hammock in the meantime though and doesn’t look too small, I can just feel that I needed a bigger size. I’m a C cup so if you’re a C or above, you may want to size up a couple of times too. That’s the great thing with separates though, you can buy exactly the size you need instead of a blanket size where the top half won’t fit but the bottoms will!

    The bottoms are adorable with a high waisted flippy skirt and integrated full proper briefs underneath. I love the skater style of these and that it’s just long enough for me to feel comfortable. The smallest size available to purchase is an 8 so I bought that which was always going to be big on me as it’s stretchy fabric too. It is a little loose but not so anyone would notice, and my pants aren’t going to fall off down my ankles as soon as I start walking, promise!  It’s true to size so if you were an 8, it would be a perfect 8.

    Overall I’m super happy with this set, it’s everything I wanted it to be and I can’t wait to wear it more now the sun has returned and Summer days are creeping ever nearer! So if you’re wanting something for your holidays, or even just to brighten a sunny sesh in your garden, have a look at the Rainbow Swimwear Set which is available in all sizes (8-22) and costs £39 for the top and £35 for the brief. You won’t be disappointed!

    For Reference: 
    I’m a standard size 6 in Collectif Clothing, but the swimwear starts at size 8 so I’m wearing both size 8 in the top and bottom. My stats are 33:24:33 and I’m 4’11” wearing 4 inch heels in the photos.

    Also wearing:
    Bangles: Splendette 
    Hair Flowers and Earrings: Collectif old stock
    Shoes: E5P old stock

  • Jenny Lu Swing Dress Review [Collectif Clothing]

    Bringing the sunshine to recent rainy days, this elegant summer dress is lovely and bright with some stunning details. There’s a sweetheart neckline for that classic 50’s feel and fitted bodice.

    Pretty sweetheart neckline

    It looks like a seemingly simple dress from the front, but all the WOW is at the back which I really love. There are double straps which join the skirt section at the back, but it’s backless aside from that which is such a sassy look and will also keep you cool but effortlessly elegant at summer soirées and garden parties over the coming months.

    At the centre back there’s also a gorgeous bow feature which is part of the fastening for this dress. It has a a centre zip with hook and eye at the back of the skirt section and the bow has a popper on one side of the bow which acts like a flap over the zip. All of this is invisible and not seen at all – as you can see on the photo!

    The skirt section is a full swing and fits a petticoat underneath just fine. I wore a petticoat underneath it here:

    Plenty of petti room!

    And without a petticoat here:

    I think it suits both, it just depends what you feel happy with. I tend to wear a petticoat if I’m going to an event or do but day to day, I’d be super happy wearing it without too as it falls beautifully. It is a teensy bit see through so you may want to wear a half slip. There are also large pockets in the skirt which is a great addition to any dress!

    Fit wise, I found it fit fine without sizing down (as the size guidance suggests). There’s plenty of stretch and the bust section is quite large, so if you have a smaller bust, you may want to size down. However the waist section is still correct as there’s no stretch once the bow is fixed in place so sizing down wouldn’t work for anyone in between sizes on their waist. The length is a little longer than I’d usually wear for a swing dress but works great with the petticoat to lift it a little. It’s at my mid calf without a petticoat and with petticoat it’s a couple of inches below my knee.

    The straps are not adjustable which is the only down side to this dress. I had to bastardise the straps with my limited sewing skills as they were too long on my petite frame. It’s important to note that the straps sit a little differently at the back on the actual dress vs my bodge-it sewing attempt but I think I did ok?! That’s the only alteration I’ve made, though I may shorten the dress a little too going forward. It’ll work great for taller or average height gals though!

    With brighter days on the horizon, grab this dress while you can! Available at Cherry Red Vintage in sizes 8,10,14 and 16 at £59.00.

    Oh look, it’s Summer incoming!

     

    Also wearing:
    Sunnies and Necklace: Old stock Collectif
    Shoes: Lulu Hun Kathleen Wedge
    Earrings and Bangles: Splendette
    Hair Flowers: High Street years ago

    For Reference: 
    I’m 4’11” and wearing 3.25 inch wedge heels. My stats for reference are: 33:24:33. I’m a standard size 6 in Collectif and wearing the size 6 in the photos, though I’ve adjusted the straps.

    Disclaimer:
    This dress was gifted to me by Cherry Red Vintage but all my views are my own and I only give honest reviews.

  • Emilia Gingham Cherries Top and Dakota Skirt [Collectif Clothing]

    This adorable set was a birthday gift from a beautiful friend who knows me VERY well! What could be better than a cute frilly cropped top and swing skirt adorned in a big gingham print with scrummy cherries?! So perfect!

    The Emilia Gingham Frill Top is a real darling of a little top with a frilled sweetheart neckline. I ironed down those frills to make them more uniform and set them in place.

    There’s a row of domed black buttons to the front, but these don’t open. Instead it’s an elasticated back which is easy to get in and out of and adjustable straps which cross over at the back. It’s so great when adjustable straps are included with elasticated backs as they fit just about everyone. I would say it’s true to size. I’m actually wearing a size bigger than I usually wear which feels a little looser but not noticeably, especially with the straps adjusted. As it’s cropped it goes more by your bust size and as I’m almost a size 8 bust, I think that’s why it works ok for me. So I’d recommend you buy your normal size but if that isn’t available, a size up will likely work too.

    The matching Dakota Gingham Cherries Skirt works so well with the top. I have the Dakota in another colour way already but this is a different fabric and much stretchier so you may be able to size down with it. There’s a buckled belt included and belt loops around the skirt which is great to keep the skirt from twisting around. There are two side pockets to the front with a fold over detail in the black trim and these are large enough to keep whatever you want (except the kitchen sink – hands usually suffice haha). 

    Fold over details to the pockets

    It has a centre back zip and it’s pretty gathered, fitting a petticoat underneath just fine. I wore a black one underneath but I’ll wear it without too.

    The length is lovely and just past my knee, though bear in mind the petticoat will be lifting it a little so it’ll drop a little without one.

    I absolutely love the print of kitschy red cherries over black and white gingham, giving it such a classic retro look. I was such a lucky (and spoilt) gal to receive this gorgeous set. It’s going to be super versatile too, not only wearing it as a set but wearing the top with a variety of jeans, skirts and trousers and the skirt with a range of different black, white or red tops. So many options!

     The top is £27.00 and currently available in sizes 10-22 and the skirt is £49.00  and available in sizes 6, 18-22 (both available as a set, here) and sizes 8-16 available for the skirt over at SilkFred.

    For Reference:
    I’m 4’11” with 4 inch heels on here. I’m a standard size 6 in Collectif, but I’m wearing a size 8 in the top and a size 6 in the skirt. My measurements are 33:24:33.

    Also Wearing:
    Hair Flowers, Earrings, Necklace and Sunnies: Old stock Collectif
    Bangles: Splendette
    Shoes: E5P old stock

  • Berta Dress Review [Collectif Clothing]

    Lovely Berta! I can’t help but feel like I’ve walked into a 50’s diner when I wear this gorgeous little number! Look at the cute styling with it’s striking white stripe down the front and shirtwaister pencil shape. It is to die for!!

    This dress gives me serious diner vibes

    I absolutely love yellow so this was always going to be an addition to brighten my summer wardrobe, but I really love the details of this dress; with the sweet puffed sleeves, cinched in waist with matching belt in white (which has holes – hurrah!) and notched collar.

    There are functional pockets to this dress too. They’re topped with a white trim to match the stripe and arrive closed as with most pockets you find on jackets etc. Just open carefully with a seam ripper et voila! Fabulous pockets which can actually fit your whole hand. What could be better?!

    The fit is spot on for me and there’s some stretch in the material should you need it. I’m wearing my normal size and it’s perfect. The length is great and hits below my knee,  on my upper calf. 

    Beautiful Berta is currently available in all sizes (6-22) at £59 and includes free delivery at the moment due to an offer running over at Collectif. So go grab this gem of a dress, I can’t recommend it enough! 

    Also wearing: 
    Bangles and Earrings: Splendette
    Brooch: Erstwilder
    Sunglasses: Old Collectif stock
    Hair Flowers: High street old stock
    Shoes: Faith (before things went wrong at Debenhams)

    For Reference:
    I’m 4’11” and wearing 4 inch heels and I’m a standard size 6 in Collectif clothing which I’m wearing in the photos above. My measurements are 33:24:33.

  • Rigel Star Top Review [Collectif Clothing]

    What could be better than rows of rainbow stripes and stars? The Rigel Star jumper is a great little jumper for Spring. It has block coloured, three quarter, sleeves in teal and a small rounded collar in the same colour.

    The stripes continue on the back too which I absolutely love! Such a cool feature to be fun from the front AND the back!

    The stars and stripes combo is so unique, and really eye catching. It fits really well and has lots of stretch. It hits just at the top of my hip and looks great with high waisted bottoms. I wore it with the pink Maddie jeans from a few seasons ago which have a lovely high waist. You can get a little tuck in too if you’d prefer to not see the bottom of the rib.

    I also really like the puffed sleeves which you can see better here on the left. They’re so sweet and how cute are those rainbow stars?!

    The Rigel is a great staple to bright up your wardrobe and is available in sizes 6-22 at £45.00. If the rainbow life isn’t for you, there’s also a darker version [here] in a fabulous red and black combo x

     

    For reference:
    I’m a standard size 6 in Collectif and wearing the 6 above in the photos. I’m 4’11” and wearing 4 inch heels.

    Also wearing:
    Pink Jeans: Maddie from previous Collectif season
    Sunnies: Previous Collectif Season
    Hair flowers: Both from previous Collectif seasons
    Bangles and Earrings: Splendette
    Shoes: E5P

  • Check Please! Gingham Vest Crop Top and Trousers [Primark]

    I don’t often shop on the High Street but, along with thousands of others, ended lockdown by mooching about in Primarni. It wasn’t very busy when I went which I was glad about too.

    I happened upon this little outfit which is just adorable! Obviously the only one left in my size was on the actual mannequin so I had to ask a friendly store person to wrangle the mannequin out of their clothes (which was also funny as I hadn’t expected her to just rip off the arms in a somewhat brutal fashion – can you tell I haven’t worked in retail?!).

    It comprises a mint gingham crop top and matching trousers and has an elasticated fit. I usually buy tops a size bigger to allow for boobage so I did the same here, but could have done with my normal size to be honest because of the stretch in the material. I’m pretty happy with it though and it has the loveliest gathered bust details over a fitted bodice and a sweetheart neckline with straps for support. 

    At the back, the top is low backed with a fixed bow which I just love! There’s a side zip to get in and out of it if you’re wondering whether you need to be Houdini – you don’t! 

    Gorgeous bow detail to the back

    The trousers are slim fitting on the leg  with a side zip and have a faux belt detail to the front – don’t think that belt is moving, because it’s going nowhere! I like the feature though and together with the top it’s a really sweet Spring/Summer outfit. I bought my normal size in the trousers but could have sized down if they’d had that size in stock. Again, I’m pretty happy with the size I have though as it means I can eat puddings to my heart’s content haha.

    I paired it with pink, adding a pink and white gingham cardigan, fuchsia heels and mint and pink accessories. I love mint, it’s one of my favourite colours and looks amazing with so many others like yellow, purple, red etc. I kept it pastel perfection though and even blended in with my picnic blanket! I wouldn’t normally wear a cropped top but it’s vest style so long enough to just about cover my mid riff and the back is so pretty I just had to have it!

    The top costs £8 and the trousers are £10. You can see them here featured on the Primark site. Hope you manage to find them in your local store and continue to stay safe you gorgeous lot x

    For reference:

    I’m 4’11” and wearing 4 inch heels. I’m a size 4 or 6 in Primark usually. Above I’m wearing a size 8 top and size 6 trousers. My measurements for reference are 33:24:33.

    Also wearing:
    Cardigan: previous Collectif season
    Sunnies: previous Collection season
    Necklace: previous Collectif season (part of the Natalie set)
    Hair flowers: Collectif last year and high street
    Shoes: Lulu Hun Lorena in fuchsia 
    Bangles: Splendette and Bow & Crossbones
    Earrings: Bow & Crossbones

  • Kelly Playsuit Review [Collectif Clothing]

    This is an absolute dream of a pastel pink playsuit and it’s based on the original concept by Collectif Design competition winner, Kelly Goulias. All the main elements are there to whisk you away to the 1950s and a few details have been added to give that Collectif twist on a vintage staple.

    So let’s take a look at this playful little number. It has a stand out crossover feature to the front and ties as a halter neck to the back. This gives such a great flattering silhouette as it’s a fitted bodice with princess seams.

    There are small wooden buttons to the front, the type we usually see on Caterina styles and they work great on the playsuit too and go great with the pink.

    The adjoining shorts are bloomer style and if you’re like me, I kinda had a wobble about the thought of bloomers but when they arrived they were more of a hint to bloomers than the big bulging style that word brings to mind! They have small gathers at the side of each short and it’s just enough voluminosity to keep it cute and not overwhelming. I absolutely love them!

    The playsuit has a low back and you can just about see how the halter ties at the back of the neck here.

     

    There aren’t any pockets, sadly, but that’s the only downside to this style. Everything else is just perfect.  It’s really comfortable to wear too and I know I’m going to get LOTS of use out of it over the Summer – which for me is unheard of really as I rarely get my pins out, but this little number just needs to go places!

    Fit wise, I’m wearing my normal Collectif size and it’s a lovely fit, if a little roomy. The material has some spandex in it which allows for movement and a little stretch so there’s plenty of room for ample busts or if you’re in between sizes for the waist. I actually prefer the slightly looser fit as it allows me to move around easily while still being pin up perfection in this gorgeous little playsuit! I added a belt in a complimentary colour, but it doesn’t come with one. It doesn’t need one but I always prefer to cinch in my waist, even when relaxing haha.

    The Kelly playsuit is available in sizes 6-22 and costs £49.00. In typical 1950’s fashion, there would often be a matching gathered skirt to be worn over the playsuit when you’re meeting friends for lunch etc as shorts would be considered a little too revealing. So you can also compliment the ensemble with the Kelly skirt which is also available at £45.00. It has the same matching buttons which can be left open to reveal the shorts underneath and it has pockets if you were missing those too. I’m not usually a pastel pink kinda gal, but this set has seriously turned my head and I may need to get the skirt at some point to live out my Mrs Maisel fantasies x

    For reference:

    I’m 4’11” and wearing a size 6 in the playsuit above. My measurements are 33:24:33 for assistance with sizing guidance. I’m wearing 4 inch heels.

    Also wearing:
    Sunnies: Collectif previous season
    Shoes: B.A.I.T and High Street
    Hair flowers: Collectif previous season and High Street
    Bangles: Splendette and Bow & Crossbones
    Earrings: Bow & Crossbones
    Belt: High Street
    Gloves: original vintage

     

     

  • Giordana Gingham Dress Review [Collectif Clothing]

    You all know by now that I go a bit gaga for gingham and the gorgeous Giordana is no exception! With its large black and white print and bardot neck, I was smitten!

    The fabric is the super light and made from viscose making it perfect for all your upcoming Summer soirées! Don’t expect it to be a heavy fabric as it is very thin – which suits me as I want to wear something as light as possible in the heat of Summer!

    The neckline is unique as it’s one piece and the shoulders are hand tied into bows. When untied, the top half of the dress is in two pieces. I was a little bewildered by this at first, but then realised it’s actually a great feature as you can tie them as tight or as loose as you need to, making it fit for all body types and there’s plenty of room for those blessed up top. There’s also a side zip for ease of getting in and out.

    That neckline is just scrummy!

    I really love the way you can change the neckline and chose to wore it higher on one side and lower on the other which I felt right for me as it’s the way I usually wear things with a wide neck. You can wear it straight across too if you wish.

    There’s a full swing skirt to the bottom, with pockets, woohoo! I did try a petticoat on underneath as there’s plenty of room for one, but prefer it without personally.

    Feelin’ cute amidst the blossoms

    It comes with a black belt which has holes (hurrah!) and fits below the knee. Obviously on me it’s at my calf but that’s my preferred length for vintage dresses, so it works for me. Size wise, this comes up pretty true to size though roomy in the bust area. 

    I was delighted to get this dress out on such a sunny day and it was perfect, keeping me cool but glamorous. I can’t wait to wear it more this year!

    The Giordana is available in sizes 8-22 at £59.00 from the Collectif website.

    For reference:

    I’m wearing a size 6 in the photos above, and I’m 4’11” with 4.5 inch heels.
    Stats:
    For size guidance, I’m 33:24:33 

    Also wearing:
    Bangles: Splendette
    Sunglasses: Collectif (previous season)
    Earrings: Collectif (previous season, part of the Natalie set)
    Shoes: E5P
    Hair flowers: high street many moons ago
    Parasol: bridal store but you can find them on eBay

    Disclaimer: 

    This item was gifted to me, but all my views are my own and I only ever post honest reviews.