-
Lucy Buttercup Playsuit [Bright & Beautiful at Collectif]
This season has seen the return of the romper and I for one have been loving it! For someone that never used to get their legs out, I seem to have made up for it the past few months. Maybe lockdown has unleashed a devil may care attitude in me?! I’m just so enamoured by the Lucy Playsuit by Bright & Beautiful which oozes 60s style.
Bright and Beautiful is one of Collectif’s sister brands, and whereas Collectif usually incorporates the styles of the 40s and 50s, Bright & Beautiful looks to the 60s and 70s for inspiration. There are always a few pieces from the collection which I fall in love with and this season it’s been their flower power influences which have caught my eye.
The Lucy playsuit features a gorgeous bespoke print of yellow and white flowers with green accents and the floral print is so delicate but so summery. There are round, white, buttons to fasten at the front (there’s no zip on this playsuit) and a matching white belt with circular buckle. No holes in the belt though to keep it staying put which is a bit of a shame but I tend to use Velcro dots on these kind of belts which do the trick.
It’s a sleeveless shirt style to the front with a large, pointy, notched collar to the front which finishes in quite a low V on the bust. I don’t usually wear things that low, but heck, it’s so warm, I don’t care anymore! ha. I’ll maybe sew in a popper when I’m feeling more demure but for now, boobs are a go! This is especially handy for those with larger busts as there’s plenty of room and the fabric has stretch to it too.
The shorts part of the playsuit are really comfortable to wear. The playsuit is fitted but the shorts get a little wider to the hem and they’re really flattering. They’re the perfect length for me but will come up a little shorter for taller/average height ladies remember. It’s also true to size I found. There’s stretch in the cotton so it’s a great fit but as it’s a fitted shirt style, bustier ladies may need to size up or those with full waists.
This is the perfect little mod inspired playsuit for Summer and you can pick it up over at SilkFred for £54.00. Limited sizes are now available as it has been super popular (it’s out of stock on the Collectif website). So if you like it, grab it!
I’m also wearing Lulu Hun Lily wedges with this outfit which are a great staple for Summer. They’re so comfortable to wear and I have them in most colours now. This bold yellow pair work great with so much of my summer wardrobe.
I actually size down in this style as I have a narrow foot and find them a little large in my normal size. If you have a wider foot, don’t size down and you may actually need to size up. I love the diamond cut out pattern which is so reminiscent of true vintage styles and the low wedge gives that extra elevation for a more glamorous look even on casual days. They’re available in sizes 3-8 (36-41) and cost £45.00.
Such a perfect combo with the playsuit and I love that they’re pu rather than leather. Are you a playsuit fan? They’re so easy to slip on when the weather is roasting but instantly give that vintage vibe from a bygone era. I hope more appear in Spring/Summer 2022 collections too with lots more colours, fingers crossed! x
For reference:
I’m a standard size 6 in Collectif Clothing and the Bright & Beautiful range and wearing a size 6 in the photos above. I’m 4’11” and wearing 2 3/4 inch heels. My measurements are 33:24:33.Also wearing:
Earrings and Bangles: All Splendette
Shoes: Lulu Hun
Hair Flower: Miss Bella’s Blooms
Necklace: Thrifted -
Annabelle Floral Palm Dress [Bright & Beautiful]
Something a little different from me today. I don’t usually veer too much from my love of the 50s but occasionally something will come along from the Bright & Beautiful range which I just love and need to have! That’s the case for this gorgeous Annabelle Palm Dress which oozes much more of a late 60s/early 70s vibe. I actually had a very similar wallpaper in my bedroom growing up as a little kid so it’s really nostalgic for me.
It’s still a shirt style dress, which I often wear, but instead of either having a voluminous skirt over the knee or a tailored pencil shape, it’s loose and not at all fitted.
Feelin’ that 60s vibe It also features a super cool, pointed collar which match the cuffs on the full length loose sleeves. None of which is too hot to wear as it’s made from a really light fabric that’s perfect for Summer. The bespoke print is great with the large florals and palm frongs all over in greens, white and a dash of blue.
I love how light it is to wear and that the breeze caught the bottom of the skirt a little to give me a little ‘flip’ when I walked
As well as wearing it as intended, I also couldn’t resist cinching my waist in a little and added a white belt from another outfit to change it up a bit and give myself more options. I really like it with the belt too and feel like it works well.
Overall I preferred the option with the collar buttoned up and the belt added and felt the look was still retro, though I’d style my hair in more of a straight bouffant next time and change the glasses to something a little larger to emulate that groovy vibe.
Fit wise, it’s a loose fit and I have it in my normal size which fitted great. If there was a size down (unfortunately sizes don’t go down enough for me) I’d have also tried the size down too but I feel it’s pretty true to size. The length is above my knee which is amazing for me! These dresses are meant to be on the shorter side which was part of the trend at the time.
The Annabelle Floral Palm Dress is available on the Collectif website in most sizes (all except 8 and 18) for £55.00 and sizes 8-16 over at SilkFred with free delivery.
For reference:
I’m 4’11” with 4 inch heels on in the pic and a standard size 6 in Collectif and Bright & Beautiful clothing. I’m wearing a size 6 in the photos above.Also wearing:
Shoes: Lulu Hun Lorena previous season
Hair Flowers: Collectif Aaliyah and High Steet many moons ago
Earrings and Sunnies: Collectif previous season -
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 -
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
