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!

Leather And Lace - A Junarose Review

*This Dress Was A Gifted Item

Sometimes you see an item of clothing that you just have to have! It's your ultimate style, great colour and detail and something you know you can style up or down. Recently I was given the opportunity to check out the latest collections from Junarose with Hanna and we were both given the chance to leaf through some samples and take a few bits. 

 I had previously bought into the lies about white being a colour big girls should avoid because it makes us look larger. I'm also the sort of person who would happen to eat something containing tomatoes and end up wearing half of it down my front lol. Over the years I have changed my mind set about white clothes and now I own tones of them! I chose this gorgeous white lace dress because I instantly liked it after seeing it. I'm wearing this in a size M and I absolutely love it! The fit is just perfect for me, moulding against my bust and behind to enhance my curves and stopping just above the knee. 

If anyone is considering purchasing this one I should note that the lace is a really soft stretch lace that is really comfortable to wear. Unlike some lace items I have worn in the past this one doesn't cling or pinch anywhere, especially the arms. As you all know my arms a little on the chunkier side and I have had issues with some tops and jackets in the past because of this and have had to up-size from time to time for more comfort. 

I chose to wear this one with leggings. As I have a fairly sizeable behind the dress hitches up just a little too much for me to wear this as a singular item but that of course would be different from woman to woman. One thing I love about this dress is the lining, a really soft material I believe to be Toulouse. I really like that you can wear this dress with pretty much any bra you like without having the straps on show. 

I have worn this dress a few times now and each time has been different. You can really dress this one up with some pearl jewellery, heels and a really sweet jacket. I thought it would be cool to put it with black leggings, leather boots and top it off with my biker jacket. You all know I love my beret hats as they are so comfortable and can also be added to really casual or dressy looks. This one is a really old one from Simply Be but the colour was just perfect to work alongside the dress and an easy option for me to just slip on. Hot pink lipstick and some silvery jewellery and I was ready and set to go!

I love how some items can be right up your street but have a little bit of a twist. If you like this lace dress you'll be pleased to know it's currently available on the Junarose website along with some other lace items that are amazing! I have seen some of the upcoming collection and I have to say you're in for a treat ladies, stay tuned to see what's coming!

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

Stripe It Lucky! - A Zelie For She Review

I have been meaning to write about this dress for ages, but with the weather all over the place I never really found the right time to wear it. Zelie For She is a brand I have kept a firm eye on for quite some time now. I love the various different collections that have come from the brand and I have to say the fresh and edgy approach is more than welcome. The independent brand focuses on creating fun and sexy clothes for us plus size women and one of the things I love the most is that they are not afraid to break the rules!

As the brand is based in Los Angeles I hadn't had the chance to try something from them and by chance I happened to enter an Instagram competition that they held a few months ago and I was gifted a gift card to purchase an item with. This Strike Out Dress immediately caught my eye as I thought it would make for a great urban street look. Also the model in the stock images looked amazing wearing it and I new I had to get my hands on one!

We plus size women have heard for years that we are to avoid bright colours, horizontal stripes and a plethora of other dos and do not dos when it comes to our state of dress. I LOVE the fact that this t-shirt dress is top to bottom horizontal stripes! I'm wearing this one in a 3xl. What I love about this dress besides the pattern and combintion of stone tones and thick splashes of red is the fit! Not often do I buy something that is meant to look oversized and have it look that way! Usually my boobs and bum make the dress cling a little tighter and it ends up looking semi-bodycon. The v-neck cut hangs in a really nice place and allows the dress to showcase the shape of your bust whilst still being modest. I'm 5 feet 5 inches tall and this dress stops just below the knee. I wore this one bare legged but it would look great with some skin coloured or opaque tights. I love that the sleeves cut across my hands. I have always liked long sleeves and the way that they look on me. This also adds to the oversized style of the dress. This dress is perfect for this time of year as the fabric is light and airy and extremely spacious. This has that feeling of your favourite t-shirt that you have washed loads of times, making it feel really soft against the skin.

I wanted to add this dress into a biker look. I of course opted for my biker jacket from Yours Clothing, as this dress is light this would add a nice amount of coverage towards the end of the day when the breeze starts to set in. Worn with some lace up biker boots and I had the overall look I was after. To finish off I wore a metallic necklace and my hoop earrings. I wanted to use silver adornments to work with the grey in the dress and to set off the red I of course pulled out my red bandana and red lipstick. 

I love having choices when it comes to my sense of style and I really love switching things up from classic and vintage to modern and on trend to a combination of things. Fashion is meant to be a place to experiment and express ourselves so I love having fun with my look. I enjoy breaking the rules that have been set by society and showing everyone that we can rock what we have and in the trends you have vetoed for us. 

Unfortunately this dress is no longer available but check out Zelie For She to see what amazing new styles they have available. They ship worldwide and I can honestly say you will love whatever you buy! I can't wait to rock this look to a club or something!

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

The Perfect Polkadot Classic - Collectif Dolores Doll!

So the start of the season has been an interesting one we have seen all kinds of weather but we were lucky to have a couple of weeks of nice warm sunshine. It was Hanna's birthday a couple of weeks ago and us girls decided we'd have dinner and drinks in a little pub in Hampstead. As the weather was so nice I was in a really cheerful mood and I just had to wear my favourite vintage dress, my while polka Dolores Doll! I have been to a few celebrations in this one and I always feel amazing wearing it.

It's no secret that I have a real love affair with classic prints and patterns, houndstooth, polka dots and paisley prints are must haves for me and I try to find clothes and accessories that are splashed in these patterns. What I love about this dress is firstly the vintage swing cut. This is one of those items that can be sexy, classic and understated all at the same time! The black and white colour makes this one easy to accesorise and play around with also. 

I love vintage inspired fashion and I always feel amazing in it! Many plus size women don't like to draw attention to themselves and I can understand that, the thing is vintage clothing always attracts attention but for all the right reasons! For one thing not that many people know where to buy clothes in the style and usually people go all in with victory rolls in their hair, cupcake accessories etc. others tend to adapt the clothes to suit more of a rockabilly style. In my case I simply love the dresses and like to find ways to incorporate them into my own personal style. I always wear my signature hoop earrings with my vintage dresses for example and I like to add my own personal touches in places. 

I usually wear this dress with a petticoat but this time I thought it would go without. I tend to wear this one with a bright and bold bolero or cardigan. I usually go for red as I love wearing my red petticoat, cinch belt and bolero. This time around I was feeling pretty girly and so I opted for a hot pink cardigan and matching paisley print bandana. I should note that this dress is extremely giving and most women tend to downsize 1-2 dress sizes. I wear a Dolores dress in a size 20 to give myself enough boob room. The skirt is a full size circle skirt and so you could wear this with multiple petticoats if you wanted that really poofy look in the skirt. 

I don't tend to show much skin so the length of this dress is perfect for me as it stops just below the knee. Even though my confidence has soared over the past couple of years there are certain areas of my body I have always liked the look of and I have always liked the look of my cleavage. This dress moulds and shapes my bust in a way that makes them look really full and shapely and I really enjoy that element of wearing vintage fashion. Dresses in this shape tend to flatter women of all shapes and sizes with varying sizes of bust too.

For footwear I thought I would keep it simple and go for a pair of balerina pumps. These pink and purple floral ones were a complete steal! I picked these up in Primark for just £4! When it comes to my makeup you may have noticed I don't switch things up that much. True to my personal style and a signature feature in vintage beauty is winged eyeliner. I always wear mine winged as I like to enhance the shape of my eyes. I managed to find a deep pink lipstick to tie in everything and I was ready to have a fun evening. 

For full review of this dress check out my post here. Also in the Dolores Doll style I reviewed the gorgeous summer bouquet print also. Check it out here. 

Also check out how the gorgeous Georgina and Caroline have styled this dress on their blogs x

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

Spring Time Fun With Zizzi And Yours

Finally after months of wet and cold weather we are starting to see some much wanted sunshine. With the change in the seasons we are starting to see people showing a little more skin and wearing the clothes that look great among the blossoming flowers and sunny days. I'm currently in a very casual mood these days and it's only now that I'm wanting to dress up a little more. Last weekend we had some really nice weather and a lot of people were out and about in t-shirts, shorts, skirts and the other items we associate with summer.

I decided that I would follow suit but still keep in mind the elements of spring and then when those clouds are around there can be a slight chill in the air. At the moment I'm really into dark and stone coloured tones with a splash of colour somewhere. For this look I wanted to keep it simple, fun and casual. This striped knit pencil skirt from Zizzi is really comfortable and warm to wear. I love the length and the print makes this one that can be worn across any season. The ruffled detail in the hem adds a little extra flair to the overall look and helps the skirt to cling to your frame without hitching. This one is currently available at Navabi. 

One of the great things about living where I live is having a close friend and fellow blogger within walking distance. Hanna and I take each other's outfit pictures all the time and she let me borrow her slogan t-shirt from Zizzi. This one came out last year, what I love about it is the message on it. 'There is no wrong way to be a woman', this quote from the gorgeous and stunning Denise Bidot really speaks to me, and I'm sure other women out there will feel the same. We are constantly being told what to look like, what we should say about certain things, what we should think etc. sometimes it feels like we women have been set an impossible set of standards to which we are supposed to follow. The sad thing is that we have become our own worst critics and more often than not we forget that there is no rule book about how to be a woman, we just are women in every sense. 

I like my t-shirts to be a little form fitting so that they don't look tent-like against my frame. I tied a small knot in the bottom corner with the help of Hanna and the look I was after was quickly achieved. Check out how Hanna styled it previously here. I wanted to wear some wedge shoes and so these platform wedge sandals from Yours Clothing were a must. The silver heel embellishment really works against the silver in the clothes and on top of everything else, these are so comfortable! My long length cardigan has been a god send lately. I love how such a simple basic item can work with so many different styles of outfit!

For accessories I only wanted a few so my hoop earrings and black bandana were my only additions to the outfit. Sometimes you just want to get up and go, no muss no fuss. I often dress for comfort with a little added style. Even when wearing simple styles I still like to feel somewhat put together for a little extra confidence. I find that when I look a certain way it can affect my mood. 

If like me you want to dress for the change in the season but want to feel prepared for that sudden chill that can hit the air then there are some fun things you can do. Wear the style of item you want but maybe select a thicker fabric, layer up with a cardigan or a jacket, something you can remove if you feel warm that can still tie into the look when the evening approaches. Have fun and play with your look!

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

It's All Yours! A Yours Clothing Review

Hey everyone, today's post is a little different to my usual outfit reviews. Hanna and I were contacted by Yours Clothing and was offered the chance to do a collaborative post. Blogging can be quite a solitary thing to do and when I first started out I was doing pretty much everything on my own, my mum was taking my outfit pictures and I didn't know that many bloggers closely. Hanna and I had met a couple of times, but it was at an event that we realised that we are neighbours! We have since been taking each other's outfit pictures and have become really close friends. I have to say it's so much fun having a close friend and fellow blogger just around the corner. She was a huge inspiration to me before we met so getting to know her so well over the past year has been a lot of fun and such a pleasure, I love this girl! 

When it comes to style our weekly photo sessions have become a lot of fun and we usually finish up over a coffee and loads of laughs. It's always fortunate when a good friend of yours is around the corner, you never know when you might wanna have a quick natter and as we are really similar in dress size we've been able to borrow the odd item of clothing from each other here and there. For me I've never had the luxury before, seeing as I'm the only plus size girl out of my old friends. 

We quicky became familiar with each others sense of style, angles and poses and she is one of the few people I 100% trust when it comes to my style. Some of you may have seen some previous posts I have written where I have worn outfits she has styled on me. This time around we were posing together with the help of Hanna's tripod and I really love how the pics came out. When it came to selecting our outfits I wanted something that would show off my personal style. My aim was to select something a little different that would also compliment Hanna's chosen outfit. We both ended up with acid wash jeans and sandals but my look is a little more dressy in it's overall style.

As some of you know I have a thing for Monochrome outfits and that's exactly what I was going for here. Even though we're now in the spring, there are some really great options out there for people who maybe want to keep things simple and add a splash of colour. In my case I wanted to add a little sassiness whilst keeping the shaded colours as the main focus. I selected the black and white sleeveless top with aysemtric hem, size 22-24. I have to say the cut and fit of this top is amazing and provides loads of room for boobs and your stomach area. 

The dark grey acid wash super stretch skinny jeans were a must for me. In truth I had never tried a pair of acid wash jeans before and these were great for my first pair. I'm wearing these in a 26 but a 24 would have been fine also. I always like to wear my jeans slightly too big so that I have plenty of room for my extra lumps and bumps. I find that if you wear jeans a little larger they are more flattering to your shape. 

Even though the sun is starting to shine brightly at the moment I still like that additional coverage to combat the chill that hangs in the air. I developed a love of longline cardigans a while ago. This black knitted cardigan with ladder stitch and fringing is so nice to wear. Despite the style it is really warm and adds a little to a style of clothing that would otherwise be very simple. Even though I have reams of confidence I, like many other women have those areas that I am not exactly in love with! The 3 quarter length sleeves cover the tops of my arms nicely which for me has ALWAYS been my problem area. I'm wearing this one in a size 22-24. 

I like my footwear to be simple and stylish and these gladiator sling back sandals caught my eye as soon as I saw them. Unfortunately the fit of them wasn't great on me and my feet kept sliding in them. The good news is after Hanna and I finished taking these pictures we of course tried on each other's outfits and we ended up swapping sandals. For more detail on Hanna's chosen outfit, be sure to head over to her blog for links. 

When it came to my choice of accessories I wanted to bring a little of my music taste into the mix. I'm sure those of you who read my blog from time to time will be aware that I am a huge Michael Jackson fan! It's not often that I can incorporate elements on his style into my own but when I get the chance I take it! I have had my white Fedora hat since I was 21! I don't wear it often as there's not many outfits I can include it with. I wanted that "Smooth Criminal" edge so in keeping with my usual style I added a black and white bandana underneath. Top this off with my MJ pendant and signature hoop earrings and my look was complete. 

You know what I always say, have fun with your look play around and wear what makes you feel amazing! I had a lot of fun putting this look together and working on this post with Hanna and I hope we get the chance to collaborate this way again in the future. It's always fun playing dress up with your friends and for me this was most definitely one of those times!

If you like these outfits and want to see what else is available from the new collection by Yours Clothing check out the website. Also Hanna has an amazing discount code which takes £10 off all orders starting from £20 with code BLOGGER21 (unfortunately this excludes all sale items and only works for newly registered email addresses). 

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