Pinup Perfection: The Dolores Doll!

Sometimes you just have one of those days when everything clicks and you feel amazing in your clothes. I usually like to dress to my mood and try to find ways to make it work with the weather. Lucky for me the sun was bright and hot in London the other day and I had just received my latest Collectif purchase! I bought my first dress from Collectif 2 years ago and I have to say I have been in love with the brand ever since! The Dolores Doll is a favourite for many ladies and so far remains my favourite cut of vintage dress from any brand! I now have 3 and I still want more! 

What I love so much about this cut of dress is that is suits absolutely everyone! It's not often that you can find a dress that suits women of all heights, shapes and sizes! The cute little puff sleeves are really lovely and are so comfortable. The length of the dress stops just below the knee, true to the 1940s and 1950s cuts for a dress, but also very flattering for anyone to wear. The even better news is that most women have to size down to have the perfect fit. In most brands I wear a 22-24 but always go for a size 20 in this dress, and I would easily be able to get into an 18 if my bust was smaller! They are all available in sizes 6-22. 

The thing is, in my day to day life I don't often have much time to just feel girly and playful and I always love wearing my vintage clothes because I feel ultra feminine and sexy. There's something really sexy about vintage clothes as they highlight all of the best attributes of the female figure. Tall, short, fat or thin everyone suits these dresses and I find that they are wearable in many more places than people think. I have seen these used in countless weddings, summer events like garden parties, a day at the races...the list is endless! When I first saw this baby blue polka dot Dolores it had to be mine! I went onto to the site to make my purchase and as usual the size I required was gone! I was absolutely gutted and so I kept my eyes glued to the website. A couple of weeks later I saw the dress appear in my size and so I snapped it up before it was gone, despite the fact that I didn't have the money at the time lol. You all know how I feel about blue! It's my favourite colour and I am always looking for new blue fashions. It's not often that I can pick up something I know I'll love and wear often, and I just knew this one would be more than welcome in my wardrobe!

I wore this with my white Petticoat from Vivien Of Holloway. I have to say of all the Petticoats I have tried theirs are the best by far! Available in an assortment of different colours with a high elasticated waist band. All 26-27 inches are a silky soft chiffon that is really comfortable on and really gives any swing dress that extra boost you might want from time to time. They do cost a little more than some of the others on the market but I cannot stress enough these are worth every penny! 

I don't have that many cardigans or boleros and one staple colour I'm missing is white! I thought this lace bomber jacket from a previous Evans Collection would look cute with the dress. Bomber jackets are heavily featured in vintage and rockabilly fashion and so it was an easy choice for me. 

I love to dance! I don't get the chance to much but I often buy my vintage dresses with the view that I will go jive dancing in them one of these days! I haven't been jive dancing in over a year and despite the fact that I'm not that good I can't resist twirling in my swing dresses and watching them swirl around me! What can I say they bring out the playful side of me. I have however worn my white Dolores Doll to a night club in the past and I was not short of compliments or opportunities to throw some shapes!

I was recently gifted the most gorgeous pair of Michelle heels from Hotter. I got my first pair of shoes from the brand last year and I have to say I am in love with them! The inner soles are made of a really foamy material which contains over 1000 air bubbles. The technology used for the soles of these shoes make them so comfortable and their heels are virtually pain free! The black suede shoes with patent t-bar and heel detail were a must have for me and work perfectly with almost all of my vintage style dresses!

To see how I have previously styled my Dolores Doll dresses check out my recent post where I wore my white polka one with hot pink accessories. Also check out the review of the amazing summer bouquet dress available in 2 colour ways! 

2 of my favourite bloggers and friends Caroline (Curvy Wordy) and Georgina (Fuller Figure Fuller Bust) have also reviewed the Dolores Doll. Check out their blogs to read their reviews and see how they styled the dress! 

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!

Summertime Fresh! A Polly Grace Review

Sometimes I like to just keep things simple. As much as I love getting dolled up to go somewhere there are times when the requirements of the day leave you with little time to spend putting an outfit together. I really like wearing colour and try to wear bright colours all year round but there's something about pastel colours. They really help to bring out the fun during the season.

It's very much in my nature to colour coordinate and to match my accessories with the colours in the rest of my outfit. Recently new-ish plus size brand Polly Grace contacted me and gave me the opportunity to review some of the items in the current collection. I saw on the website a really fresh aqua-mint top that I really wanted to try out. The Mia top comes in sizes 16-24 and is comprised of 2 parts. A camisole (which can be worn as a single item if you wish) and a sheer overlay with floral detail to be worn over the top. I'm wearing this in a size 22 and I quite like the fit. I will say this though, where the sheer fabric ties at the bottom that can make the fit a little tight around the hips so you may wish to up-size if you have a larger belly or behind. 

What I liked about this top is that it has a lot of detail which makes the need for accessories a small one. I paired this with a simple pair of black jeggings from Junarose and minimal jewellery. Lucky for me I recently bought a pair of mint ballerina pumps from Primark which match the colour of the top perfectly! 

Sometimes when you want to be dressed to suit any occasion or event but you want to keep it simple. All you need is a little colour and femininity and you are ready to go! We all have those days when time isn't on our side and so for me this outfit is perfect for that sort of event. Another way I might wear this one would be to brighten it up even more so. I think it could be fun to wear this with a pair of white skinny jeans, some heels and maybe a hair flower. As always there's always more than one way you can wear something so have fun with your look.

I have previously reviewed a gorgeous wrap dress in this post, check it out! 

For more from Polly Grace Check out their website to see the full collection, when you make your purchase be sure to use my exclusive code: mayah20 for a discount.

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!

Oriental Magic - A Scarlett And Jo Review

*Both The Dress And Shoes Are Gifted Items

The amazing thing about the summer is that everyone and everything has a real zest for living. People are optimistic about the season and the rest of the year, the weather is amazing and we have unlimited options for bright and fun clothes. I'm loving all the amazing prints and colours available from all the summer collections I have seen this year and of course pastels and aqua tones are very much in at the moment. 

Usually I'm not one for surprises but I was pleasantly surprised when Gifi Fields, Founder of Coppernob Fashion and the man behind Scarlett & Jo called me last week. He had been working on a dress that he really thought I would like. Knowing my love of beautiful floral prints and vintage styles he told me about this amazing print from the 1930s that he had featured on a new style of dress that was coming to Evans. Of course I loved the sound of it and wanted to see what he had come up with!

I have to say once again I am in love with a dress from Scarlett & Jo! The shape of this dress alone ticks all of the boxes for me. I love to wear bodycon style dresses and I enjoy my curves and the shape of my silhouette when I do. For many years I was of the impression that as a bigger woman my body was undesirable, unflattering and un-sexy. Literally 2-3 years ago my perceptions changed. I realised I have never had a problem attracting male attention and everything I was thinking was all in my own head! After getting my first Powerfit dress I was reminded a fuller figured shape is a different kind of beautiful and should be celebrated as such. For this reason I love bodycon style dresses and urge more women to head out and get one! Another style of dress I really enjoy wearing is the wrap dress. I find that wrap dresses suit women of every shape, all bust sizes and all heights. They add a smartness to them which makes them wearable all times of the day with just enough sass. This dress combines the 2 styles perfectly and the length is really comfortable.

The fact that the fishtail hem of the dress falls just below the knees means that this is one you can comfortably wear a slip, shorts or shapewear should you want the extra coverage. Often when we girls wear shapewear we are concious of it showing by the hem of a dress and this length allows you to be carefree even on a somewhat breezy day. I'm wearing this one in size 24 and I have shapewear underneath. I should note that when I was taking these pictures it was a little breezy on a typical summer evening. As you can see the structure of the dress is maintained by the weight of the fabric so you can go on as normal without having to adjust your dress constantly. Often with wrap style dresses there can be a slight problem in the bust area. Often for women with larger busts we can run the risk of having our bra slip or even having a breast slightly exposed while the other remains in tact. I find myself often adjusting my wrap dresses because of this or evening having to pin them. Women with a smaller bust often have to worry about the fabric flopping and the neckline of the dress losing it's structure. I will say with this dress I was really impressed. The underline panel in the wrap detail cuts right across the inside of the dress and as the fabric has quite a lot of stretch it clings to your bra without crushing your breasts into a strange shape. The good news, the flap stays firmly in place! 

I really love the 3 quarter lengths sleeves on this one. The fabric is soft and rich so I doubt you would need a jacket or shawl when wearing this one on a warm day. I have to say I love the aqua base colour of the dress. Deep pastel tones like this really sit in nice for the season and this kind of dress would be lovely to take on an exotic holiday somewhere. As much as I love aqua tones sometimes I find they can clash a little with my skin tone. I really like how this colour compliments my complexion and because of this I kept my styling very minimal.

When I first tried this dress at the S&J offices it really gave me a feeling of wanting to dance. I joked about this with Gifi and asked him if he was thinking of ballroom dresses when working on this collection because the Red Lace Fishtail Dress had the same effect on me lol. I decided to pair this with a pair of black heels. I was recently gifted the most gorgeous pair of Michelle shoes from Hotter. I have a thing for t-bar style shoes and these are so comfortable and work with pretty much every dress I have so they were a must! 

You know what I always say, wear the clothes you feel amazing in! Every woman deserves the opportunity to feel and look sexy in something she feels comfortable in. I once again have to thank Scarlett & Jo for making this a possibility for me, a woman who once didn't think that would ever be a possibility. 

For more on Scarlett & Jo  and to see what else is available in the collection check out their Tumblr and Evans pages.

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!

All Girls Love Roses!

It's no secret that I love to own clothes that are versatile and can be worn in many different ways. I don't have the sort of budget or closet space to have items that I limit to specific events or days. And because of this there are some clothing brands who are right up my street, one of them is of course Scarlett & Jo. 

I like many women love to feel good and I do my best to look nice and have fun with my style. I have to say when I first stumbled across the brand it was when I was first introduced to plus size fashion blogs. I had seen so many gorgeous women wearing clothes that made them look a million dollars and what's more, they were my sort of size and shape! Scarlett & Jo was quite honestly the first major label on the high street to get me into a dress since I was a child! I couldn't resist their miracle dress, latter labelled the Powerfit dress and it was this very dress that got me hooked to the brand! 

Fast forward a couple of years and several clothing items later and I was re-introduced to the brand from a whole other perspective. I was contacted by Aiofe, PR assistant to Gifi Fields; founder of Coppernob Fashion and the man behind Scarlett & Jo. Gifi had not only seen my blog posts and review comments on the Evans website, he wanted to meet me. A couple of weeks later I was one of 8 bloggers invited to be involved in the launch of the SS15 collection from the brand! It was during this shoot that I was asked to wear this gorgeous black and red rose fit and flare dress! I really didn't need any persuasion as I loved this one just by looking at it on the hanger and being that my favourite flowers are red roses it was a must for me!

Admittedly I had only worn some of the more form fitting items available from S&J but I instantly fell in love with this dress. Firstly the fit is perfect for me! The careful engineering of the garment allows the dress to mould and sculpt your bust and behind whilst skimming over your stomach area. Three quarter length sleeves always work for me and the length stops just at my knee, perfect for my 5'5 height. I have to say I tend to gravitate towards deeper shades of red such as burgundy and wine but when I wear my vintage or vintage inspired items I love a bright Scarlett red! The brightness of the red I find makes the dress a really fun piece to wear and one that could be worn on colder seasons. The fabric is soft and thick and makes the fall of the dress have more structure. I haven't found myself in a Monroe situation on windy days when wearing this one lol. 

During the shoot however I was constantly thinking about ways I could style this dress. Scarlett & Jo love to create garments that have a sexy sophistication to them with a romantic flare. That being said inspired a very classy and elegant shoot. On a somewhat warm spring evening recently I was heading to an event by Evans to celebrate the fact that #StyleHasNoSize I thought it would be fitting to wear an item stocked by them. I decided to pair this dress with some black leggings, my black biker jacket, red bow ballerina pumps and a black head scarf. 

Since the shoot I have had the great opportunity to get to know the Scarlett & Jo team and some friendships have been formed, especially between myself and Gifi. His passion for the brand and his work as a whole really does come through in the clothes. What's nice for me as a customer and friend to the brand is being able to see how proactive the they are with the feedback they receive. Gifi and the team really pride themselves on giving their customers great service and value and they are constantly looking at ways to keep on top of their game. I can honestly say I have never been disappointed! 

I wear my items from the brand quite a lot and the thing I love about them is how timeless they are. Many things we buy are perfect for a certain trend and then can look somewhat dated after time. The classic designs and prints used by Scarlett & Jo have made their clothes items I have been able to wear on many occasions and quite often. The great news this is all without the colours running or fading after several washes. I must say though even though this dress is no longer on the website there are some gorgeous new lines available in their High Summer collection. 

Photos From The SS15 Shoot, Photography By Nicky Rockets 

For more on Scarlett & Jo  and to see what else is available in the collection check out their Tumblr and Evans pages.

Remember whatever you wear, feel fabulous in it and wear it with a smile!