• 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

     

     

  • [London Edge Feb 2020 Part 3] Bow & Crossbones

    I’d missed the fabulous Bow & Crossbones last time they exhibited at London Edge as I ran out of time, so I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice! Heading over to their stand, I was greeted with such a friendly welcome from Camilla and Taz. It’s so nice when people you only know via social media turn out to be as lovely in the flesh as they are online.

    Bow & Crossbones make fakelite and 50’s inspired bangles, necklaces and earrings, but also sell true vintage, kitschy cool, items. I love Cam’s work and often wear her pieces which you’ll have seen in previous posts – in fact I was actually wearing some Bow & Crossbones when I met her! You know I love a good accessory.

    Bangle stacking is easy with B&C!

    The Kane Wicker collection (which I’m wearing above in Coco and Black) is just unbelievably good, made better only by the fact that part of the new season pieces are two tone wickers! That’s right, you heard correctly,  TWO-TONE! 

    Spot them on the second row up in all their funky glory

    I have no idea how it’s even possible, but it looks incredible. With earrings to match, these are so ridiculously cool. I think I may have let out an audible yelp when I first saw them. So they’re definitely on the list!

    Offering us another sneak peek of what’s to come, these awesome octagonal bangles were showcased too, look at all the gorgeous carving:

    I love shaped bangles but they never fit my teeny wrists, so when Cam said the new collections going forward will always be available in all 3 sizes (Princess, Queenie and Goddess), I was thrilled! Such great news, right?! whichever size you need, we’re all catered for.

    There were lots of gorgeous earrings to look at too and I’d already spotted the Dot earrings which were released recently. They’re double hoops and super cute.

    Dotty about these! Photo credit: Bow & Crossbones

    To my surprise, when I picked them up, they were so much lighter than I expected! No droopy lobes for us, ladies! I’m going to be bagging a few of those too.

    Hope you’ve enjoyed a little preview of all the goodies coming this year from B&C, in the meantime there are so many pretties available on the website and make sure you drop by on Friday evenings for the market nights which are fab! x

     

    Look out for Part 4 of my London Edge round up which will be coming soon. You can subscribe to the blog below which will notify you when it publishes to be a step ahead 🙂

     

     

     

  • [London Edge Feb 2020 Part 1] Oh So Flamingo

    Not even Storm Dennis would keep me away from London Edge for their 21st year of this amazing trade show. It always has the best atmosphere, the coolest brands and so much to see my eyes can’t cope with all the awesome in one place!  I’m going to write the round up in parts again as there’s just too much to share, and this way I can give each brand the time they deserve.

    I still feel that excitement when I walk in and see everything that lies ahead

    Upon arrival, I headed to the Press Meet where the back drop (main photo) brought the devil out in us all. I liked that my hair matched the theme, even if I was too short for the horns to actually reach my head ha – did you spot that?! I got to meet some absolutely stunning models and influencers and loved that our styles were all so different but everyone was super friendly and welcoming – as is the nature of the show.

    After the press call, I headed over to see Rachel from Oh So Flamingo, whom I want to talk about today. I’d met this lovely lady at the last show and she’d kindly gifted me the most gorgeous Starburst Hoop earrings (see previous article here).

    Her stand was filled with lots of beautiful new designs and I instantly fell in love with all the flamingo and jungle themed goodies with their bright, leafy, pieces which scream Tiki-tastic and make me want to wear them all!

    Mingos + Monstera = LOVE

    Oh So Flamingo specialise in handmade, laser cut, acrylic, jewellery with fun novelty themes. The ranges include earrings, necklaces and brooches to wear together or as separate pieces, and are very reasonably priced (earrings are around £9.00) for all handcrafted pieces.

    New additions coming this year also include some furry friends – and I know many of you are crazy (but obviously fabulous) cat ladies so these will be perfect to add to your collections.

    Rachel also kindly made me the most amazing bespoke brooch which features my logo and I can’t tell you how good this is!

    My logo has never looked so good!

    I love all the detail and it’s the perfect size to wear to events. I was ridiculously excited to receive such a special piece and popped it on straight away to flounce around the rest of the show with it – and of course, everyone loved it!

    I think you can tell how happy I am.

    I can’t wait to snap up some of the new items when they launch, but in the meantime, if you’re looking to add instant joy to your outfits, then look no further than the current rainbow-filled Love In Colour pieces, which are available here.

    Look out for the next part of my London Edge previews – you can subscribe to the blog below to be the first to see them x

    Wearing:
    Dress, handbag and earrings: all Collectif Clothing
    Boots: Lulu Hun
    Bangles: Bow & Crossbones
    Brooch: Vintage

    Photo Credit: Melissa Sacco (featured photo)

    For transparency:
    The brooch piece featured was gifted, but all views are my own – I just love the brand and wanted to share it with you x

  • Ahoy Accessories! [Collectif Clothing]

    A new season brings us more exciting accessories to liven up our outfits. It’s a pretty inexpensive way to add new interest to pieces we already have, or for a whole new outfit. A bunch of cute jewellery arrived and I wanted to share them with you to help with sizing etc (warning: this post is very face heavy, sorry!).

    The main photo shows my beloved Natalie Bead set which I’ve previously spoken about in other colours (here) and seen here in white. I love these sets, though the earring size did increase quite a lot from the originals (I preferred them smaller to be honest). White will go with all my nautical looks over the summer and make a nice change to my creamy coloured pearls. 

    I’ve also worn it with the new Summer Lighthouse Brooch, which is a glittery, acrylic, brooch featuring a lighthouse, waves and a tiny anchor. It’s very cute and I can see it pairing with so many outfits over the Summer.

    I really love the next set which is called Cocktail O’Clock and features a coconut cocktail (mock in my case) with umbrella, straw and flower detail. The earrings are a little fiddly as there isn’t much space between the catch and the drop but they’re so fun and just the right size for making a statement in the sun.

    The brooch backs are a little on the flimsy side but they’re functional and will only be worn on light summery fabrics so I think they’ll be fine. They’ll also be supe easy to replace if I need to. My favourite vintage brooch pin has recently snapped off and I’m still mourning the loss of that, so these are a great pick me up to brighten up my days.

    Brooch back detail

    Big hoops can really set off a vintage look and I have some plain in gold and silver etc but these Tiki 50s Earrings are so cool and come in a range of colours. I have them in green and red.

    I’ve mixed them above with the Natalie Bead necklace in red as they go quite well together and give me a larger earring option. The earrings have a really cool bamboo look to them with ridges and waves, adding tropical vibes to your outfits and the large size is great.

    Close up of Tiki Earrings

    I also managed to bag (ha, see what I did there?!) the new Carrie bag which is available in pink and black this season. I already have it in green (see here) so I’m delighted to have it in black too which will see me through all seasons. The fastening is so easy to use with just one push and a click to close. I’m a simple girl, I need a simple bag.

    Unfortunately it looks like everyone else snapped up the option in black as they’re out of stock on the website now but some stockists still have a few so have a scout around if pink isn’t your thing. They’re the perfect size for keeping the essentials in and big enough for a phone too.

    I’ve paired the Carrie with some new outfits which I’ll share in my next post so you can see how to style it vintage.

    Have a great week xx

     

    Also wearing:
    Bangles from Bow & Crossbones and Splendette
    Cardigan: Collectif Clothing