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!

Sex And The City Chic - A Lane Bryant Review

*This outfit was gifted

Anyone feeling festive? The time of year has come when everyone is in the holiday spirit. The streets are adorned with beautiful lights, fun activities are available for an afternoon of family fun and many people are getting ready for their office party to end the year with a bang! I like many other women out there try to make the most of the season. The events calendar is getting booked up, and our party looks are starting to come together following some amazing sales and offers over the Black Friday weekend. I am happy to say I have some fun, festive and sexy looks this December and I can't wait to rock them!

Those of you who are familiar with my style will know that I love to dress up and get girly from time to time. More often than not when I want to tap into my softer side I'll wear a 1950s swing dress, tailored bodycon dress or I'll mix it up and go all out in a tutu! One of my all time favourite television shows, which just so happens to be a cult classic is the amazing Sex And The City! I was hooked on this show back in the day and find myself watching the entire collection of episodes every year around this time. My favourite character on the show was and is still Ms Carrie Bradshaw. I loved her style and sense of dress. She always managed to look sexy in an understated and feminine way with a bit of an edge. From the very first episode, right the way to the 2nd movie we saw Carrie rocking tutus in sleek and stylish ways...

Speaking of my love for tutus some of you may remember this look of mine from the summer...

I really enjoy big puffy skirts and usually they come at a midi length which is just the perfect length for me. I'm not a huge fan of how short skirts look on me and as I prefer to go bare legged, midi length skirts are perfect on my 5'5 frame. Recently I was given the opportunity to review some amazing clothes from Lane Bryant and they have a variety of winter looks to suit every shape and style. When I first saw their Metallic Layered Tulle Skirt I knew it was an item I just had to try! Once again I had an idea of a Carrie Bradshaw inspired look with a twist and this skirt was just perfect for what I had in mind! 

I'm wearing this skirt in a 22/24 and I have to say the fit is amazing! The length gives a nice amount of coverage and feels really warm, especially for this time of year. Soft layers of chiffon on top of a lining in a soft gold, the ruffled layers and cut make for a really nice and stylish piece. Unfortunately this skirt is currently out of stock, hopefully they get more in, it's such a gorgeous one! Usually this time of year I end up wearing dark colours with one burst of colour for fun. With this look I wanted a soft and girly look so when I saw the Metallic Ribbed Turtleneck I thought it would go really nice with the skirt. 

I'm wearing this turtleneck sweater in a size 22/24 and I have to say I absolutely love this one! I have worn this top with jeans and wet look leggings and it works every time! The soft blush coloured fabric has soft touches of glitter and would be great for a casual yet festive item of clothing. To finish off my look I knew I wanted to wear my usual make up. I don't really play around with my eye make up but I do like to try out different shades of lipstick. Hanna borrowed me one of hers to try and I absolutely loved how the deep plum colour contrasted with the blush and gold tones of my outfit. 

I originally had planned to finish off this outfit with a pair of black heels but Hanna had pulled out a pair of cranberry heels that she had and thought would look great on. These are from New look but are unfortunately unavailable. The good news is that they have a new pair that are really similar so I may have to pick them up! I pulled on a sparkly black hair scarf to compliment the black on the heels and finished off the look with a rose gold clutch.

I look for fashion inspiration all the time and everywhere I go! Women all over the place have some amazing looks and really showcase their personality through their sense of style. It might be a TV character or someone down the street. I look for things I like and try to find ways to bring that into my personal style. You know what I always say, have fun with your look!

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

The Perfect Coat - A Curvissa Review

*This coat was a gifted item

The hardest part about this time of year is the randomly changing weather. Now anyone who knows me will know that I'm a true summer baby, not only was I born slap bang in the middle of July I absolutely adore hot and sunny days. I'm really not a fan of the winter, I'm one of those people who pretty much feels the cold before everyone else and I always struggle when it comes to finding fun and comfortable winter clothes that are practical.

Recently I was contacted by the lovely team at Curvissa. They were running a campaign about winter coats and when they offered me the chance to review one I jumped at it! Now when it comes to my outer wear I usually have two primary thoughts, can I wear this coat with thick and warm jumpers, and will I be able to zip it up over my bust and still maintain a tailored fit? 

I tend to look for black winter coats when shopping this time of year. I love to bring colour into my winter wardrobe but I feel with jackets and coats I prefer simple staple colours that can work with the majority of the items in my wardrobe. What first caught my eye when I saw the Belted Short Coat was the contrast in fabrics between the sleeves, collar and main bodice of the coat. I find that this gives a little added edge to a simple silhouette and is in keeping with many of the styles out on the high street at the moment. What I really like about this one is even with sweaters and such, my curves are still accentuated in this coat and that with layers it doesn't look bulked out and tent-like. 

Winter is well and truly here so be sure to stay warm and wrap up well! There are some amazing new options out there so take a look at the coats available from Curvissa, there's something to suit everyone!

  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!

Blue Passion - A Lane Bryant Review

*This Dress Is A Gifted Item

So here we are again. It's the time of year when everyone begins to get into the festive spirit. Halloween pumpkins have made their way into stores all over the place and, we are starting to see Christmas decorations adorn our streets. With all of the decorations and party favours being splashed all over the place, the event invitations are coming out and the need for fun and sassy evening wear is apparent. With many quick and fast changes happen this season, imagine my surprise when I was offered the chance to review an amazing dress from Lane Bryant. 

The asymmetric seamed bodice dress is everything I look for in a simple but striking dress. The simple block colour, decorative pleats and V shaped neckline really add to this piece. Available from the Blue Streak collection which was previously featured on their seasonal Fast Lane section of the website, this one immediately caught my eye. As you know I have a deep affection for Cobalt clothing as I really like how it looks against my complexion and, it just so happens to be one of my favourite shades of blue! 

This midi length dress with asymmetric hem line is one that would really suit a lot of body shapes. Stopping just below the knees this makes for a really elegant piece that can be dressed both up or down. I really like how this one moulds across my bust, allowing for a hint of cleavage. The thick straps make this one easy to wear with pretty much any bra and if you decide to wear shapewear with this dress, the length allows you to have a wider choice of options. I'm wearing this dress in a size 22 and I should note that I am wearing shapewear in these images.

If I were to wear this for a more casual look I would wear wedged heels, blue acrylic jewellery and a denim jacket. Here I thought, how would I want to style this for a night out? I decided to wear my Michelle Heels from Hotter. These have fast become my go-to heels as the pyramid technology used in the production of the shoes allows for extra support and comfort to the balls of your feet. Imagine having soft padded built in gel cushions as the soles of your heels! I cannot recommend these more as they work with so many styles. I have worn these with vintage style dresses, casual looks and of course more elegant styles. In addition to the shoes I thought it would be a little different to wear a beret with a twist. As you can tell I'm really into my hats at the moment and I thought my blue sequin beret bought many years ago from Primark would look pretty cool, especially seeing as it's the exact same shade as the dress. My signature hoop earrings, and statement necklace from Happiness Boutique were my only jewellery worn. I kept my makeup to it's usual style and wore a soft pink lipstick. 

With a dress like this I didn't want to do anything to take away from it's detail. I love how it fits and the colour is really rich and soft. As we're experiencing a bit of a chill in the London air I pulled on my biker jacket from Yours Clothing, which is currently on sale. Working with my black heels I felt that this just pulled the look together.

Lane Bryant have been the leading American plus size brand for many years now and their recent campaigns have really had many talking! I'm No Angel saw the brand challenge the Victoria Secret model of how beauty and sex appeal is in regards to women's bodies and did loads to encourage the body positivity movement we are currently experiencing in the plus size industry. We saw a diverse group of  beautiful and confident women wearing gorgeous lingerie from the brand and each making positive statements about themselves in their campaign commercial. Most recently the Plus Is Equal campaign went viral and we saw some of the leading plus size models take the runway in style! Being that I'm a woman who loves to see women feel good in their skin and shine with confidence I love that the brand is showing that sexy, feminine and flattering clothing is something all women deserve to wear and, that they will do what they can to help in that area. 

You know what I always say, have fun with your style. Wear what makes you feel confident and amazing and play around with your style. We all have various elements to our personality and we can showcase that in our sense of style!

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!