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!

Pineapple Express - A Collectif Clothing Review

When it comes to vintage fashion most people to tend to go all in! whether you're a pinup princess or rockabilly chick, the outfit selected tends to be only a small part of the the overall look. I see girls dressed to the nines with victory rolls in their hair, winged eye-liner and countless tattoos to achieve the look they want. In my case I take a different approach when I wear vintage items. 

Luckily for me many things that are typical of the style feature in my personal style. I don't remember the last time I went out without my eye liner winged or when red lipstick wasn't my preferred shade. When it comes to styling vintage outfits I, like many other women consider every element to my look. A few weeks ago I bought a new Doll dress from Collectif. When I first spotted the Fairy Pineapple Print Doll Dress on the website it simply had to be mine! Admittedly I don't tend to buy clothes that have food images or prints on them but something about this one caught my eye. I usually purchase the Dolores Doll in a size 20 but I thought I would opt for a size 22 in this style for a more relaxed fit around the bust and a little less cleavage. 

I really wanted buy a bright and fun dress for the summer and was thinking about what sort of dress I might take with me if I get the chance to reach a sunny destination on holiday. Not only were pineapples a really popular feature in summer fashions this year, they also happen to be one of my favourite fruits so I figured I should make this dress my first ever food print item lol. 

The spaghetti straps are a really nice feature and make this dress really comfortable to wear. If like me you enjoy that little bit of extra coverage then a cardigan or jacket would be a nice addition to the look. I'm wearing a jacket that I borrowed from Hanna. This one was available in a previous collection by Old Navy. In keeping with the white of the dress and the choice in jacket I wanted a pair of white shoes. This pair of white brogue style shoes from a previous collection by George were my choice as I wanted something breathable and flat. 

What I really enjoy is taking an item and putting my own stamp on the look. I love getting dolled up like a pinup princess but I wanted a more casual and easy look for this dress. I wanted to bring in elements of my usual style and keep things simple. I wore my fringed black hair scarf, signature hoop earrings, and my usual style of makeup. Hanna being the queen of lipsticks borrowed me a burnt orange shade from her collection to match the colours of the dress. 

If you like this dress and want to try it out for yourself I have some good news, it's currently on sale! This dress is now just £14 reduced from £55 and I have to say it's an amazing fit and such a nice one to wear! There are some other pineapple print items from Collectif too have a look and see what you might fancy!

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

A Sailor's Sweetheart - A Collectif Review

*This dress was a gifted item

One of the best things for me is to get dressed up. When you're a bigger girl living in London the way you view yourself and fashion may be slightly different to the view of the average person. For years we have been limited with our options and it's only been the past few years that has brought new changes and opportunities to the forefront. The fashion industry as a whole has started to embrace the bigger girls and with it we have been awarded the chance to freely express ourselves. 

What I love about Collectif is that they create their dresses in sizes 6-22. I have to say I love that the brand has the same set of clothes available for standard and plus size women. So many brands have a separate range of clothing for us bigger girls and, more often than not the choices aren't as edgy or experimental. The good news is that the options that are coming from brands all over the place are becoming more stylish, edgy and generally more fun to wear.

Collectif recently contacted me and gave me the chance to review a dress. When I saw the Ginger Sailor Wing Bust Dress, I knew I instantly wanted to try it. My Sindy Doll sailor dress is one of my favourites and I absolutely love wearing it. As the shape of this dress is very similar, I knew it was one I could have fun with. I've selected this dress in a size 22. 

I love nothing more than slipping on a fun vintage dress, putting on a petticoat and really going all in with my look. When I was styling this dress I imagined being back in the 1950s. I pictured myself as the wife of a sailor in the Navy on my way to meet my husband whilst he came back from his tour. Funny I know but it's fun to play a character sometimes lol. 

I say it all the time, I love blue, any shade of blue and so this dress was one I was determined to have fun with. A great feature is the adjustable straps. These can be worn in a criss-cross fashion, in a halter style or the dress can be worn as a strapless number. In these pictures you'll see that I have taken pictures in both the criss-cross and halter-neck style. 

I should note that the belt of the dress has no loop holes for you to have a fixed closure. I found that from time to time when walking or moving the clasp would slip open. This to me was the only flaw in the dress but can easily be resolved by using another belt if you really want to wear the added accessory.

Hanna and I were taking full advantage of the hot London sun and so we decided to spend the day taking a ton of outfit pictures this previous Saturday. Whilst I was getting my dress together the lovely Diana was really sweet and borrowed me a few things to try with the dress. This gorgeous fascinator by Pearls And Swine was something I fell in love with at first sight. I love the gorgeous collection of white roses and the net detail attached. At first we weren't sure how this would look but I thought it completed the outfit beautifully. A simple white bolero was added and in some of my pictures a necklace of a ship was worn. Definitely in keeping with my sailor theme!

I of course selected my Michelle shoes from Hotter as my given footwear! It's no secret how much I love to spin and swirl in my pinup dresses and so I needed shoes that were perfect vintage styling and pain free. If you love to swing or jive dance I cannot stress enough how incredible these heels are! 

In keeping with usual style I wore my small hoop earrings for added jewellery. Applied some deep red lipstick to my usual vintage style makeup and I was ready and set to go! I always say it, have fun with your clothes. If something makes you feel amazing, wear it! Don't apologise for expressing yourself through fashion, that's exactly what fashion is all about! 

Good news ladies this amazing dress is currently on sale! The price has been slashed in half so if you want to try this one out for yourself be sure to pick one up now! Also any of you who do get this one I'd love to see your pics and how you styled it!

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

Pinup Picnic In The Park!

Photo Courtesy Of Pyramid Clicks

So last Saturday I attended an incredible event right here in London. The British Belles organised a picnic which was held in Hyde Park. Now I must state this was no ordinary picnic, this time there was a theme, VINTAGE! Guys and girls came dressed in true vintage fare and I have to say just being amongst so many fun and interesting people who all looked amazing was just incredible!

Katt (Fatgirlforlife), Tanya (Secret Plus Size Goddess) and Caroline (Curvy Wordy)

The girls and I met with everyone at Marble Arch and we were greeted with passers by asking us to stop and take pictures. I guess being someone who loves vintage fashion it's easy to forget that for many people it's still a rare and unseen thing. In truth, it's been quite some time since I was surrounded by so many colours and people in perfectly put together outfits!

The great thing about an event like this is how relaxed and laid back it was. I was even surprised to find out that people had travelled from all over Europe to be in attendance, and even better over £1000 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Care. There was a pretty big mix of people there of all ages including several pinup style babies!

Vintage Doll Laura and myself

What made the afternoon so nice, apart from the glorious sunshine was of course how many bright, bubbly and confident people were out dressed in their best to have a day of great conversation and picnic treats. I met so many amazing bloggers, models, fashionistas and photographers. In truth most events have a really formal and cooperate feel to them where the ultimate goal is to promote and sell products. This is one of the few I have been to where the main requirement of the day is that everyone has fun!

As you can imagine everyone spent days toying with what to wear! I myself took a mini poll with some of the other plus size bloggers on Whatsapp messenger and it was decided that I should wear my Gretal Gingham dress from Collectif. To check out my previous review of the dress click here. Hayley (Curves & Curls) too was in gingham only her dress was the Dolores Doll version. 

Overall the day was a lot of fun and we all left with a healthy glow on our skin after sitting in the sun for so long. Everyone was already talking about how much they are looking forward to another picnic next year and hopefully more events beforehand.

Caroline, October Divine and Myself

I really enjoyed the day and it was great to get to know some of the other bloggers better and form new friendships during the day. Sometimes you just need to sit in the sun with a good sandwich and a glass of pimms lol. 

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

Magnificent 7th Challenge - Create An Outfit Around Your Favourite Accesory

I would just like to start by saying sorry I am a day late with this post. I was having some connection problems last night...

This month's theme is all about our favourite accessory. I will be honest here I tend to spend more time thinking about the outfit i'm selecting and then find an accessory to work with my chosen ensemble. One that I tend to use for various different styles, usually for vintage and pinup looks is my white hair rose.

Petticoat By Vivien Of Holloway

Hair and MUA and photography by Aprea Chiara
Styling by Chiara and myself.

Please do not copy or edit any images without permission from model and photographer

Dress and Cinch Belt By Collectif

Photography by Blast Photo

I absolutely love hair flowers I think they can add such a sweet and feminine dimension to a look. They are an accessory that is typical in vintage styling but are fast becoming more popular with other looks. What makes this one of my favourite accessories is that it's actually my favourite flower also. I love roses and the handmade velvet rose was something I had to have when it saw it in the shop. 

Made by Black Rose, an alternative store based in the heart of Camden Lock they had several vintage treats and the rose was a must have for me. I need to pick up a red one soon! 

Check out what some of the other gorgeous ladies picked as their accessory!

Kaye, Becky, Nicola, Gail, Mary, Kathryn, Steph, Charley, Rebecca, 

Leah, Lindsey, Vicky, Nikki, Christina, Leah, Nancy, Beverly, 

Gillian, Katt, Sarah, Hannah, Hollie, Kitty, Emma,

Michelle, Abi, Sarah, Charlie, Sally, Lucie, Natalie

My Boudoir Shoot With Chiara Aprea

One of the hardest things for any women out there to do is to look in the mirror and absolutely love what she sees! About a year and a half ago I pretty much hated myself physically. I would poke holes in my appearance, jump in with insults before others could and like many plus size people, I would hide away in black clothing hoping to blend into the background. I would do things to make myself feel better like get my hair done or my nails but I would still find fault with myself. Those who have known me for quite some time will know that I may be confident in my personality and with my talents but my image was the one area that had always taken a beating leaving me with limited self confidence. 

When you spend years of you life listening to the comments of others and telling yourself that being big makes you ugly it can be hard to have any real level of self esteem. What changed for me was when I reached my mid twenties. I decided that I had spent more than enough time hating myself and that if I didn't "pull myself together" I would spend way too much of my time beating my own confidence into the ground. I experimented with different styles of dress, playing around with fashion and make up and have now reached a place where I can look in the mirror and actually like what I see!

When I was at Plus London last year I met an amazing girl who not only is a stunning plus size model but amazing photographer! Chiara Aprea is fast making a name for herself specializing in plus size photography with an aim of building confidence in her clients. When I saw the gorgeous photoshoots she had done of some of my friends I thought you know what i'm gonna call her and try this out. I dropped her a message and we made plans to do a boudoir themed shoot...

I arrived at her home with a suitcase full of vintage inspired clothes and some lingerie. I was full of nerves but excited to get all dolled up for the shoot. Chiara worked on my hair and make-up and transformed me into a vintage sex kitten! We were soon ready to get snapping away and I went in with a mind set that even if I don't like how I look in some of the shots, the experience would do me some good... 

Just some of the pictures taken with Chiara. 

Hair and MUA and photography by Aprea Chiara
Styling by Chiara and myself.
Please do not copy or edit any images without permission from model and photographer.

As we first got started I was really nervous and self concious and Chiara convinced me that I looked good and that I had nothing to worry about. She directed the shoot giving me hints and tips on how to pose. We played around with different hair styles, clothes and backdrops, always fun for any girl who likes playing dress up! For me I found this experience extremely daring! I had posed in as little attire as a sheer sheet and my underwear, right the way up to a corset and cape with petticoats on. I started out as a shy woman doing something for a little fun and ended the day feeling revived, confident and fabulous! From start to finish Chiara made me feel comfortable, in control and beautiful. She would give me sneak peaks of some of the frames and in truth I looked one hundred percent better than I could possibly have anticipated! 

Not only did it feel good to have a friend on the other side of the camera, I felt confident that she would be able to get the best out of me. As a plus size model herself with some beautiful photos I knew that she was able to capture me how I wanted. Looking back in hindsight I really believe that what had me nervous in the beginning were my former doubts trying to creep in! 

When the shoot was done and we went to review the pictures I expected to pick out maybe 5 or 6 that I liked and I ended up wanting to purchase almost every single frame taken in the shoot! I had never thought I could look so good and I am so glad I did it! Putting myself in a new situation that was totally out of my comfort zone and pushing myself to try something new has given me new insight. You have to be willing to take more risks, you may love the end result!

Myself and the gorgeous Chiara after a fun day of shooting

If any of you have considered doing a shoot of this kind and you live in the UK you really should drop Chiara a message and book in your shoot! You will not be disappointed! 

You can find her on facebook here.