When it comes to
fashion I think there's one thing that many women do, especially us bigger
girls; we fall into a fashion slump of what we feel comfortable in and what we
feel looks OK on our particular shape. I'm one of those women who were always conscious
of what will cover the lumps, bumps and what would be the most slimming. It's
fair to say that 80% of my wardrobe is black and navy coloured and it was a
single trip into a cute little boutique that changed my entire outlook on what
I should be wearing!
For years my
friends had been bugging me to go out and buy a dress. Now you have to
understand the very concept of putting myself in a dress was one of serious
discomfort, but it was after viewing various fashion blogs, celeb magazines and
beauty columns that I started to actually consider doing it. I figured I'm in
my mid twenties I should be willing to dress a little more adventurously and in
some brighter colours. I was looking at a wide selection of women with more curvaceous
and fuller figures and it was when I saw images of people like Adele, Maryln
Monroe and countless plus size models that I decided to try and look into 1940s
and 1950s fashion. After a little bit of searching I came across the website www.vivienofholloway.com. The clothes were gorgeous, the images
bright and inviting and when I saw that the store itself was based about 15
minutes away from my home I knew I had to give them a call!
A little later on
that day I ventured into the store and what greeted me upon my arrival was
fantastic! All of the sales girls were beautifully dressed and made up and they could easily have stepped out of an old 1950s add! One of them greeted me with
a smile and measured me. She instantly pulled 3 Sateen flared dresses from the
rack and recommended them to me. One was a classic black polka dot dress,
another a simple plain black number and the third a more casual dress laced
with cherries. I was given a red petticoat to try also and cinch belt and from
stepping into the changing room (with a little help zipping myself in) what I
saw in the mirror shocked me! For the first time in YEARS I looked in the
mirror and LOVED what was looking back at me! I felt like a million dollars in
all three of the dresses and even though they were more flamboyant than
anything else I had ever worn I decided to take a few snaps in them before
deciding on which one to buy. It seems that the girls not only knew how to make
me feel extremely comfortable but they knew my exact taste in styles and
patterns too.
I have to say
these dresses are fantastic. The engineering and design gifted to the dresses
is just perfect. The bodice is boned, virtually forming a built in corset and even
with my 38GG bust I didn't need to wear a bra and had amazing comfort and support!
The quality in the fabric is fantastic and in my opinion getting one of these
dresses is definitely a form of an investment! I love that the dresses are commonly worn for
weddings and parties but are also great for more casual looks too. You can of
course wear the dresses with or without a petticoat depending on what look you
want to achieve.
The petticoats
are a silky chiffon material that feels really comfortable and enhances the
fullness of the circle skirt. With an elasticated waist one size fits all and
the look it gives the dresses is great! I personally love wearing a petticoat
with my dresses even though I’m not in these pictures below.
These pictures were taken during the summer heatwave a few weeks back so I felt a lot more comfortable in flat shoes and without a petticoat. Having said that I do love my heels!
There are so many
more great items in the store such as hair flowers, broaches, shoes, jewellery
and so much more! It’s worth heading down to the store or alternatively
checking out their website. Since my first trip to Vivienofholloway I have purchased several vintage dresses from other outlets and I think it's safe to say i'm officially hooked on the style!
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