Fulfilling 1940s dreams in the Ella from Miss Candyfloss

In the past 12 months, the 1940s has been creeping into my wardrobe with an insatiable passion. Incredibly elegant and effortlessly classy, there is something about the 40s that speaks to me more than any era. From the suits, to the swing pants. The crisp cut blouses to the dresses. The 1940s truly makes my heart sing. Sadly though, it is a style of clothing that isn’t overly popular in the repro world. While most mainstream repro places pay their homage to the 1950s and 60s, the 40s can be forgotten at times or only given a small look in. A brand I’ve been umming and ahhing about for quite a while is Miss Candyfloss. Based in Sweden, our poor exchange rate made them quite expensive and I was nervous of spending my money and being unhappy. But when I saw that Australian stockist Ms Katts Kustom house had the Ella dress in, one I’d been eyeing off for quite some time, I knew it was time to take the plunge and I was not disappointed.

Beret ~ Vintage from Etsy
Gloves ~ Vintage
Brooch ~ Key to Erebor collectors pin from the Weta Workshop
Dress ~ Ella dress in raspberry and tartan by Miss Candy Floss from Ms Katts Kustom House
Shoes ~ Lacey heels in cream by B.A.I.T Footwear

Miss Candyfloss is a reproduction pinup brand based in Sweden with a focus on 1940s and 1950s styles. Having looked through their website on more than one occasion, I do love that there are a wide variety of 1940s style items as opposed to the small selection carried in most other stores. The Ella dress (designed in collaboration with Miss Victory Violet) caught my eye for the tartan accents with the solid colour. I’m a lover of darker earth tones so this dress ticked that box for me. I also like the fact the bust isn’t on display, which instantly makes this dress a great option for my workplace. So with Ms Katts having afterpay and some friendly help with the measuring tape I took the plunge and ordered this gorgeous dress.

The first thing I noticed when this dress arrived was the fabric. The quality of the fabric was incredible. Thick and soft to touch, I knew instantly this dress would wear beautifully on and be a comfortable wear. The construction of the bodice felt sturdy while still having give and the belt held its shape, unlike some belts that aren’t reinforced which bend and twist when worn. Overall I was incredibly impressed from the get go with the quality and the cut of this dress. For size reference, I'm wearing the large.

When I finally took the plunge and wore the dress for the first time, I was even more impressed. To wear it was as comfortable as I’d hoped. I knew very quickly I would be able to wear this dress with or without foundations if I wanted and it would still fit beautifully. I was thrilled to find that the sleeves weren’t tight at all. This is significant as this was something that was making me hold off purchasing in the past. Not only are the arms not tight, but I can comfortably fit some fingers in there still! The only thing I will note is that the head hole on this dress was a bit snug, but not so much that it ruined my hair or make up. It just took me a little maneuvering to get it on without coming out looking like the joker.

The Ella dress is easy enough to get on. It features a back zip that ends just below the collar and it comes on and off without too much of a hassle. This zip is a good quality zip too and it’s not an invisible zip, which I can have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with. The pop of Tartan in the belt helps to draw the waist in and break the solid colour that makes up this dress. I rarely wear the belts that came with specific dresses but with this one the match just felt perfect. I’m also excited to try different stocking colours with this gorgeous dress. A darker red would be lovely, as would brown. But for this shoot, I kept it bold and went black.

The tartan detailing is the hero of this dress. The scallop design and the bow at the bottom of this collar for me is a meshing of harder tartan style fabrics with feminine shaping and style. Having the same pattern at the sleeves really just completes the look.  I feel a bit like I’m gushing in this review but I am honestly so over the moon with this dress and its definitely inspired me to add more Miss Candy Floss to my wardrobe. For styling this look I took some inspiration from Ella’s shoot (we have the same shoes) but added my own flare with my Beret.

For this shoot I did however play to my inner geek and wore my new 'Key of Erebor' pin I got from the Weta Workshop in Wellington on my recent trip to New Zealand. A replica of the key from the Hobbit Movie series, I love how it seems to fit beautifully with this dress and provides a subtle statement.

The Ella dress is now sold out on the Miss Candy Floss website and Ms Katt’s Kustom House is also selling out fast of this style too! I’ve managed to track down some other stores that still have it in stock for you all, though they aren’t Australian based (Nostalgie Shop , Voluptuous Vintage, fraeuleinbackfisch) . I got my Ella dress for $199AU on afterpay which definitely made it more managable!

I hope you've all enjoyed this review lovelies!

Til next time!