Take a Hike with Banned Apparel

Pleats can be intimidating, especially as a curvier girl. They are something I’ve generally always steered clear of as I was always worried about how they’d look on my body.  But, when I saw the Take a Hike skirt arrive at Gwynnies, I felt myself caving. There was just something about it that looked so pretty. But then the question of what do I wear it with? So naturally, the Dream Master off white blouse became mine too.

Flowers ~ Jean double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Blue Marble Eclipse Studs from Revere Folie
Sunglasses ~ Jayjays (4 years old)
Beads ~ Baby blue necklace from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Miss Be Mine Brooch by Miss Lady A Broad
Handbag ~ Vintage inherited from my grandmother
belt ~ Kmart
Top ~ Dream Master off white blouse by Banned Apparel bought from Gwynnies
Skirt ~ Take a Hike skirt in red by Banned Apparel bought from Gwynnies
Shoes ~ Betty Sandals in brown by Miss L Fire from Royal Vintage Shoes

This blouse has quickly become one of my favourites. Its versatile, comfortable. The cut and style has a vintage feel and I like that it is an off white as oppose to a crisp white, as I find it less harsh with my skin tone. Plus, it’s also easier to keep clean! One thing to keep in mind when buying this blouse however that is it runs incredibly small. Though I was a medium according to the measurements, the buttons pulled terribly and I ended up selling my medium to buy it in a large to make it more comfortable and easier to wear. Now that I have sized up its one I love and I hope to invest in more colourways of this blouse in the future!

The Take a Hike Skirt in comparison, was more generous with its sizing. I bought the medium and it fits perfectly with a little room, so much so I can wear it without shapewear if I want to. The skirt is incredibly light weight which makes it great for warmer months but in winter I wear it with a slip to help make it a little warmer. The pleating means I can wear it without a crinoline or petticoat too, which is something I love as I don’t really wear them much anymore. It sits wonderfully, it wears beautifully and I adore that it can be accessorized with a lot of different colours.

I love the 1940s feel to these two items, whether they are styled together or separately. As they do have this feel I do like to play that up and style them with accessories that also hard to the 1940’s as well. For this look I went with hues of brown and red with a touch of blue for a softer pop of colour.

Brown Betty Sandals

Miss Be Mine Brooch from Miss Lady A Broad

Blue Marble Eclipse Studs from Revere Folie and Jean Double from Daisy Jean

 I wore my flatter Jean double for that dark red pop along with my gorgeous Eclipse studs in blue marble from Revere Folie for a softer pop of blue. These earrings compliment the blue of my Debstar Designs necklace so well and the final 1940’s finishing touch is my Miss Lady abroad brooch. Brown was for shoes and my belt. I stopped wearing brown when I became a pinup and have recently rediscovered it as a great colour for 1940’s styling. It’s so fun to add to outfits or to use as a base colour for a look. Expect to see more of it in my wardrobe!

The handbag I wore for this review is also something special. My grandmother passed away earlier this year and one of the few things I got from her was 3 of her vintage handbags. I love having these bags. Not only are they great for expanding my accessory wardrobe but they really make me feel connected to her as I still process losing her, which has been a really nice thing to have.

One thing that I love about Banned Apparel is its affordability. The Dream Master Blouse set me back $35AUD and the Take a Hike Skirt was a steal at just $50AUD. Also if you place an order with Gwynnies and your order is over $100AUD you get free domestic shipping! Winning! 

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this blog review and I cannot wait to bring you more next month! As always, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have in the comments or on my social media accounts!

Til next time darlings!