My Winter Pinup Style

It's just a few days before Christmas and the city of London is buzzing with people doing their last minute shopping, catching up with friends and taking some much needed personal time before the holiday season really takes flight in just a few days! Yesterday I went out for lunch with my girlies Hanna and Isha for a catchup that was long overdue and, I had a little bit of Christmas shopping to do myself.

I already knew that I wanted to wear a vintage dress yesterday when I woke up. Usually I reserve my vintage looks for the summer as I can be more fun and playful with them but, I just couldn't resist taking my dusky blue Dolores doll dress out for another spin this year. The dolores doll is my favourite cut of vintage swing dress and is of course from Collectif clothing. I wear this dress in a size 20. Some of you may remember my bright summer look which featured this dress...

This time around I knew that I wanted to warm up my look and so I added a pair of black tights, the new fuller figure tights from Primark are amazing, definitely worth a try if you haven't already! I thought that the grey tones in the dress would compliment my hot pink cardigan from Fashion World really nicely. Topping off my look with my new hot pink beret and favourite shade of pink lipstick my look was complete. I of course opted to wear my Michelle heels again from Hotter. 

Luckily the weather isn't freezing cold at the moment, usually this time of year in London the air is icy and mountains of layers are required to stay warm! For additional coverage and a little warmth I finished off my look with my Dietrich coat in powder blue, originally from Collectif and this gorgeous check scarf from studio 8. 

I have a thing about bringing colour into my winter looks. I find that too many options are drab and lifeless during the winter and so, this is my way of having a little fun with my look. I will say this, many brands are introducing more colour options in their winter offerings which is more than welcome if you ask me! I get inspiration from strange things this time of year, the colour of tinsel, the Christmas lights, things I see on the street...

I think we should always bring ourselves into our outfits and allow our clothes to showcase different elements of our personality. Have fun with your winter looks. I hope you all have an incredible Christmas and get to spend some quality time with your friends and loved ones xx

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

Casual Chic - A Junarose Review

*This Dress Was A Gifted Item

Every now again you find the perfect item of clothing that you can wear in several ways that suits your style down to the ground! Recently when I was given the opportunity to check out the current collection from Junarose clothing, I was given several items for review. Junarose has fast become a brand that I wear pretty much all the time. The slick and modern styles, amazing quality and super flattering garments that they produce are second to none! 

When I first saw the drapy dress, I was first taken by the strikeout pattern and soft jersey fabric. I'm a huge fan of t-shirt dresses as I like stylish items that sit comfortably and have plenty of stretch. What I love about this dress in particular is that it seems to have 3 different styles rolled into one. To me, the drapy dress is a combination of a shift dress, bodycon and t-shirt dress. 

I'm wearing this dress in a size M and as you can see I have plenty of room and comfort. What I love is that this dress doesn't cling anywhere, yet it drapes perfectly over your curves, still allowing you to showcase your shape. A feature I really like about this dress is the round neck detail. Often dresses of this style would have a wrapped front of plunged neckline to showcase some cleavage. Now I'm no stranger to cleavage and I enjoy showing mine every now and then but, I do like that because my chest is concealed I can wear this dress pretty much anywhere and could take it from a casual day look, into an evening look simply by changing my accessories. 

I used to pretty much live in black clothes and mostly wore the colour because I was listening to the age old theory that black is best because it's slimming. Those of you who are familiar with my blog will know how much I love colour and that I try to embrace it within my style. With all that being said I still own a ton of black clothes as I find they make amazing staple pieces which work well when combining your outfits. This dress does something that I love! The colour allows for a cool monochrome look or you can match bold and striking colours in for a more playful finish.

I wanted a casual and sophisticated look when I took these photos. I thought I would go for monochrome styling and so it was an easy look for me to pull together. A simple pair of black leggings, my gold chained black boots, black beret and my signature hoop earrings. As winter is well and truly starting to set in I thought I'd pair the look with my cream boucle coat also from Junarose. This one was a sample that was given to me again in size M. I don't think it's currently available as I was unable to find a link on their website. My box grid necklace was a must for a little added sparkle and Hanna's monochrome pallet clutch which she let me borrow. 

I don't deal with the winter months too well. I'm really a summer baby and enjoy the heat and everything else that comes with it. I try to find ways to incorporate some of my summer clothes into the winter wardrobe. Due to lack of space and my need to be efficient I find that this gives me more wear out of my outfits. Have a look in your wardrobes, you may be surprised what items can be switched between seasons. Luckily for me the need for hats is becoming more evident with the cold chill in the air. My obsession with beret hats has gotten worse and I have just bought several in some interesting and fun colours, I'm sure they will make an appearance on the blog in the near future. Have fun out there everyone and stay warm! 

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

Esmeralda In Blue - A GCGMe Review

*This Dress Is A Gifted Item

One thing I love is being able to channel the style of another woman, be it a friend, celebrity or even a fictional character. In this dress I feel a little bit like a Disney princess, not your overly glammed up Disney princess, in this case I was channelling Hunch Back Of Notre-Dame's Esmeralda!

 I was recently contacted by Australian fashion company GCGMe. I had never heard of the brand before but was thrilled to have been asked to review something for them once I had checked out their plus size maxi dress selection. What I really liked about the brand from browsing their website was the variety of options for women who like to embrace colour and something a little more glamorous. I really liked their maxi dress options and had my eye on several! I eventually opted for the Macy dress and I am really happy with my choice!

The first draw for me when it came to the shape and style of this dress was the off the shoulder detail. I think all women have those areas that look beautiful on everyone, one in particular is the decolletage. Showing a hint of skin is really sexy yet subtle and for dresses of this shape, extremely comfortable to wear. I haven't seen that many tops or dresses with an off the shoulder neckline that have really grabbed me and this dress ticked all the boxes for me. Firstly I love maxi dresses that just sweep the floor. There's something really elegant about a dress that sweeps over your heels. This dress had a really nice length against my 5'5 frame. I should note that in these pictures I was wearing flat ankle boots. 

Available in sizes S-4X this is one that works for pretty much every shape and size of woman and really flatters when worn. This dress comes in 8 colours so you have your choice of options. In my case I had to pick the cobalt blue version in size 3X. I really like the length of the sleeves as they cover the biceps really comfortably with an elasticated cuff to hold the shape. There is also a detached waist tie which can be worn to cinch you in at the waist. I chose to go without mine for these pictures because I liked the way the dress hung on me without the tie. The binding at the waist moulded my bust really nicely and was in a really good place for women of all bust sizes.

At the moment I am wearing my hair loose a lot of the time and as it's currently styled with slight waves. When I first tried this dress on in front of the mirror it gave me the feel of an exotic gypsy. I instantly thought about the Disney character Esmeralda and how she was dressed in the movie. Large hoop earrings, hair scarves and simple shoes. These are all features of my day to day style so it was easy for me to figure out how I was going to style this one. 

Play around with your style, sometimes when you take inspiration from someone or somewhere different to the norm the results can be interesting and fun. You may end up with a slightly different spring in your step and a new style you can rock from time to time!

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!