Throwing some sass with Lady K Loves

In the world of ‘body shapes’ I’m considered a pear shape, which means basically that my bust is smaller than my hips with a small waist. I’ve always struggled with body labels and being called a pear in my earlier twenties use to bring to my frustrated tears of denial as I didn’t want to be ‘labelled’ as something different. It was particularly hard coming from a family of women who were all pretty petite and column shaped as once puberty hit I always felt like the odd one out.  While pear shaped women are being represented more now than they ever were in the 1990’s and 2000’s (though the hourglass of a large bust and big hips still seems to take the centre outside of the more petitie ladies), I find the ‘pear shape’ is still twisted into something mostly unobtainable for most women, so I wanted to share these fun photos of me with my natural shape. Now don’t get me wrong: my love of shapewear isn’t due to self-loathing or self-hate now days. I love how fun it can be to tweak my shape to suit different looks or eras and it really helps me fit into clothes better as well as giving my shape neater lines, but I do find most brands don’t really cater for pear girls. I normally have to compromise waist size to fit my hips and my bust is normally left behind completely in firm fitting one pieces. So I was incredibly excited when I received an amazing parcel of UK Brand Lady K Loves to find these amazing gingham Wendy trousers (not that I own much of it but I’m actually gingham crazy!!) and finding that they fit my body without any smoothing or cinching. Pear ladies, these pants are a must!

Scarf ~ Baby Blue scarf from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ A few seasons ago blue earrings from Sparklelux
Beads ~Pastel Pink beads from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ War Paint brooch by Vixen by Micheline Pitt from Vintage Pip
Top ~ No brand Marilyn style top
Pants ~ Wendy Trousers in Blue Gingham from Lady K Loves
Shoes ~ Kmart

LadyK Loves is a UK based brand that make retro and vintage styled pieces in limited runs. When I first heard of Lady K Loves it was due to their incredible curve friendly jeans early last year. Upon further inspection I found they also stock a tops, playsuits, skirts and outfit sets as well as their well-known jeans. One thing I’ve noticed through looking through their Instagram and hashtag is that ladies of a variety of sizes and shapes wear their clothes, so their products aren’t just suited to the girls with bigger curves. Made with fun prints and patterns, they’ll have a piece for everyone’s tastes! I was incredibly excited for the Wendy Trousers in blue gingham and after wearing them a few times to be able to give you all the best feedback, I can honestly say I’m in love! 

Firstly, I actually love gingham print! One of my aims is to bring more gingham into my wardrobe over summer and it’s such a great summer colour too in pastel blue! Blue Gingham not for you? No problem, because the Wendy trousersalso come in Black and White Leopard, Cornflower Blue, Leopard, red gingham, rose red, black and a teal stripe pattern. The Wendy Trousers are made from what feels like a cotton (their website doesn’t say but they are super breathable!) and feature a darted high waist with a tapered cigarette style leg. This high darted waist is a lifesaver for gals with a small waist and a decent size difference between their hips, as it stops any gaping (especially at the back) and the belt loops allow for the option of throwing in a pop of colour and some extra cinching. 

The Wendy trousers are done up with an invisible side zip and button, which is another great feature for smoothing the figure. I tend to carry a fair bit of my weight on my tummy, but by moving the zip to the side it reduces the bulk on the front and smooths everything out. My tummy has never looked flatter in such a light coloured pair of pants and its one of my favourite things about them. These incredible trousers not only fit my tummy but they also fit my hips and booty, which is my biggest issue with firmer pants. They aren’t too firm on my hips or my thighs and I don’t get any pulling through the crotch area (awkward) when I sit down or bend over. This for me makes these pants TRULY awesome and is one of the reasons I cannot wait to add more to my wardrobe. 

The styling potential for these pants is huge! Being such a soft pastel blue I’ve loved teaming them with baby pink so far! But I’d love to try other colour matches once I invest in some more summer tops in the next few weeks! For this shoot I kept accessories simple in white and pink to let the Wendy’s truly shine. I don’t think I’ve ever loved a firm fitting pair of pants as much as I love these ones!  I’m actively trying to not wear them constantly (which is always a good sign right?!) and I cannot wait to add some more colourways into my wardrobe. 

For reference, at a 30/32 waist and a 44/45 hip I’m wearing the size large. Some of the colours have more stretch than others (make sure you check the description and size chart when ordering!!) so it depends on if you prefer a looser more casual look or a firmer fit. Wendy trousers are normally £48/$77AUD/$58USD but their older colour ways are currently on sale for £38/$61AUD/$46USD, so if you are loving these pants now is the time to snap yourself up a pair! I received my parcel from Lady K Loves in around 10 business days internationally and it was beautifully presented!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this review! I’ve got some more gorgeous Lady K Loves goodies coming your way very soon!

Til next time darlings!

Disclaimer: Whilst I received these pants as part of a sponsorship with Lady K Loves, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers. 

Tropical 1940s Florals from Karina Dresses

I think by now we all know my obsession with 1940's styling is well and truly beginning to thrive. As I've been shifting out 1950's items from my wardrobe that I knew I wouldn't wear anymore, I've been adding in more and more 1940's inspired items to my wardrobe and I've been absolutely loving the experience. There is something about the 1940's that just keeps drawing me in. Its elegance, its sophistication, its class. I always feel absolutely incredible in 1940s styling, so when I saw the Margaret Dress in Navy and White tropics, I knew I needed to make it mine!

The first thing that drew my to the margaret dress was this pattern! Karina dresses are available in multiple different patterns but this one for me just looked for incredibly true to the decade. As my 40's obsession grows, I've been doing a LOT of reading up on characteristics of patterns of that era and this one for me screamed 1940s. The pattern is actually even prettier in person than the pictures, the navy works so well with the fabric and the white really does pop beautifully! 

Flowers ~ Red Rose Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Bryona Earrings in Cobalt from Revere Folie
Necklace ~ Yellow beads from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Scotty Dog brooch from Miss Lady A Broad
Sunglasses ~ Jayjays 4 years ago
Dress ~ Margaret Dress in navy and white tropics from Karina Dresses
Shoes ~ Red Loraine heels from Royal Vintage Shoes

For those who aren't familar with Karina dresses, they are a stunning USA brand that make dresses that for me, hark back to the 1940s in their stying and they are iron free, as they dry crease free. Another feature I love about my Karina Dresses is they fit incredibly well thanks to them simply pulling over your head: no zips or bunching around zips which leads to a seamless silhouette. If I ever want comfort and class, Karina Dresses are my go to! I now have 4 of their gorgeous creations in my wardrobe and they get a lot of wear. 

  One thing I do adore about the Margaret dress is the length. The slightly longer length gives a more authentic shape to the dress as well as giving the wearer a nicer shape. The Margaret Dress also features a built in belt/sash of the same fabric, which I love using the cinch in the waist. The sleeve length is also ideal for ladies who, like me carry a bit of weight on their arms, as they are long enough and loose enough to help slim you down.

I'm wearing their M/L which is my regular size. I find this to be incredibly ample and in reality I could more than likely size down to the S/M without any issues as their dresses have a considerable amount of stretch. If you enjoy comfort and style, Karina dresses are a brand to keep you eyes on. These dresses are amazing for summer (they are incredibly light!!) but for winter I do wear a full slip with them, for that extra layer, ontop of my normal shapewear really does make a difference!

I love styling this dress. Red with the navy and white just absolutely pops and I often find myself throwing in hints of yellow as well to really lift it. For the styling of my shoot I opted for my red rose double from my business Daisy Jean Floral Designs. The red here tied in beautifully with the red background of my brooch and my shoes. The Scotty Dog brooch from Miss Lady A Broad is the perfect 1940's addition to my outfit. As I aim more for authentic styling, I find myself getting SO much wear out of my MIss Lady A Broad brooches. They have such a true vintage look about them and really do go with anything! I have a blog review of Miss Lady A Broad coming to my blog later this month!

Scotty Dog Brooch from Miss Lady A Broad

Bryona Earrings in cobalt and yellow beads

Loraine Heels from Royal Vintage Shoes

The Bryona earrings in cobalt from Revere Folie were also the perfect match for this outfit, as if they were made for it! I reviewed these gorgeous earrings recently on my blog, you can read the review by clicking here. My red Loraine heels were also a perfect red pop and I actually find myself wearing these shoes more and more as they just go with SO much!

The Margaret dress retails for $108US which is around $146AUS. I can give testament that these dresses are definitely worth the money and for pinups on the go Karina dresses would be ideal for their versatility and iron free maintenance! They ship worldwide and their styles are available in a range of different patterns!

I hope you've all enjoyed this blog! I'm endevouring at the moment to bring better blog posts to you all and I really feel like my blog is getting to where I always wanted it to be!

As always, I'm more than happy to answer questions and comments both on my posts and on my other social media pages!

Til next time darlings!

Disclaimer: Whilst I received these shoes as part of a sponsorship with Royal Vintage Shoes, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers. 

Resin accessories from Deluxe Creations

Deluxe Creations is an Australian Australian small business who I recently decided to make a purchase from, after seeing my friend Ruby purchase from them. As a small business owner myself, I decided to make a more active effort in 2016 to start supporting other small businesses and I must admit, my expectations were exceeded with Deluxe Creations.

Resin Dachshund brooch from Deluxe Creations 

Deluxe Creations comes to you from Perth Australia, created by the lovely Samantha and her husband. Their aim was to bring retro inspired jewelry that suit their vision to people and I think they did a marvellous job! I placed my first order for a pair of earrings and was delightfully surprised when my first order arrived and I found a cute little extra brooch had been sent along as well.

My parcel arrived in good time and I soon had my box of goodies in my hands! I was delighted to see such gorgeous packaging and attention to detail. They arrived beautifully wrapped in tissue paper and ribbon. I loved the different shape of the earrings. I purposely ordered earrings outside what I normally wear and what drew me to them was their gorgeous blend of colour. The adorable dachshund brooch was such a lovely added extra!

The earrings are made of resin, both clear and colored as well as glitter. They feature two tear drop shapes, one smaller for the ears and one that hangs down. I got mine in stud backs, as I have my ears pierced. The blue and pink glitter is blended at the front on a clear layer of resin with a solid pink colour resin in the back.

 

To wear I found them to be incredibly comfortable, which for me is really important. They didn’t impede on my ability to use the phone, which is a must for my work. The only downside was that my right earring had a habit of hanging sideways, but this is an issue with my ear more so than the earring. Overall I’m incredibly happy with my new earrings and hope to have opportunities to wear them more in the future!

It’s hard to believe with such a massive brooch collection in my drawer, that I didn’t own a dachshund brooch! But this lovely surprise from Samantha certainly fixed that! I wasn’t expecting anything other than my earrings and was pleasantly surprised when I opened it to find this little guy along with my earrings! His gold colouring makes him a versatile piece to style and I’ve been loving him with my more preppy styled outfits recently (see above). I cannot wait to try and style him different ways!

If you are after well-made resin jewelry with a vintage flare that are limited edition, than I strongly suggest you check Deluxe Creations out! I paid $12.60AUD for my earrings (using a 30% coupon code from one of their Instagram sales!) and shipping was $7.50AUD which came with tracking.

You can find deluxe creations on:

Etsy

Facebook

Instagram

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog review! As always, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have in the comments or on my other social media!

Til next time darlings!

Disclaimer: Whilst I received part of this order as a gift from Deluxe Creations, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers. 

Red hot curves in Vivacious Vixen Apparel

Curves are something that have been a part of my life since I was a teen. I developed relatively early in my teens and while my body has changed considerably since then, the fact I've been curvy has continued to be the case. Now days, I try and dress to flatter my curves as best as I can. As I've talked about in earlier posts, I gained weight last year and its only been in recent months I've been challenging myself to wear tighter styles, as they are something I've recently been shying away from. But, with some persistance and self love wiggle styles are making a comeback into my daily look, so when I was contacted by Vivacious Vixen Apparel to collaborate with them on one of their wiggle dress styles, I knew I couldn't say no!

Earrings ~ Gold Hoops from the Desperate Beatnik
Flowers ~ Red Roses from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Brooch ~ Señorita Sherry Blossom Brooch from Miss Lady A Broad
Dress ~ Reversible Aurora Dress from Vivacious Vixen Clothing
Shoes ~ Marco Gianni Black Suede heels

Vivacious Vixen Apparel is a Canadian brand of clothing which started with one woman sewing clothings that she wanted to suit her. She begun selling her creations on ebay and now has her own store! When she suggested the Aurora dress, I was instantly sold on its versatility. A dress for both the office and the evening! Who can say no to that!

The Aurora dress is the ultimate dress for pinup ladies who like to work hard and play harder as its actually two dresses in one! On one side, you have a boatneck front for the office, allowing you to mesh dangerous curves while still being conservative for the office. Flip it around the other way for evening wear and you have a plunging neckline. Made of a comfortable Poly spandex blend, this dress has no zippers and is simply pulled over the head. The fabric meshes to your body beautifully and if you carry a bit of weight on your tummy like I do, the peplum covers it beautifully.

I must admit, the day I wore this dress I felt incredible! It was so comfortable to wear, I felt like an absolute babe and I got a lot of compliments and looks! While the length is a little shorter than I'm used to, I love the overall look of the dress which for me balances it out. I'm wearing the large and it fits beautifully. The fabric has a lot of stretch and even when stretched out fits beautifully.

This amazing dress retails for $64.99CAD which works out to be $68.95AUD as the Canadian exchange rate is incredibly more forgiving than the US or the UK dollar! She does ship worldwide too!

You also have a chance to win this incredibly versatile dress for yourself as well! I've teamed up with Vivacious Vixen Apparel to offer one lucky winner a chance to win this dress for themselves! Simply head to my Instagram and share the competition image for your chance to go in the draw! The competition ends this weekend!

I do love the Senorita Sherry Blossom brooch from Miss Lady A Broad with this outfit. The red on red with her comb detailing. I have a blog post coming later this month about the incredible Miss Lady A Broad!

I hope you've all enjoyed this blog and good luck to all the ladies who have entered the competition! This month is shaping up to be an amazing blog month, so I hope you all enjoy the posts coming your way!

Til next time darlings!

Disclaimer: Whilst I received this dress as part of a collaboration with Vicacious Vixen Apparel, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers. 

Nautical Wiggles with Tatyana Boutique and Collectif ~ Embracing my curves

I've always been on the curvier side. Whether its at my smallest or my biggest. That has never changed. Probably never will and its something for the most part I'm ok with. I have found though, since putting on a bit of weight last year that I've been shying away from wiggle styles which is sad as they are a style I used to adore and wear very regularly. While I am trying to work a healthier lifestyle back into my recently changed life and hectic schedule, I have also made the decision that I don't want to let my insecurities rule me and as a result I've been trying to work wiggle styles back into my wardrobe.

Scarf ~ Repro red nylon scarf
Earrings ~ Gold glitter hoops from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Brooch ~ Happy Feet Brooch by Erstwilder From Coconette Oz
Top ~ Discontinued from Tatyana Boutique
Skirt ~ Agarva Linen Navy Skirt by Collectif bought from Gwynnies
Shoes ~ Loraine Heels in red from Royal Vintage Shoes 

I picked up this gorgeous nautical blouse by Tatyana Boutique on sale at the Sydney Rock n Roll markets quite a few months ago and didn't really have a whole lot to wear it with. I was hungering for a navy wiggle skirt to wear it with and had been attempting to hunt down the original skirt they made to match, however its been discontinued for quite some time and I wasn't successful. When snapping myself up a gorgeous jumper from Gwynnies recently, I saw the Agarva skirt by Collectif in the sale section, on a whim I added it to my cart with the idea of this combo in mind.

So this gorgeous skirt arrived and despite getting the large I remember holding it up to look at it and feeling rather unsure. It didn't look very big and the straps looked huge. I tried it on and while the skirt fit pleasantly well, despite being a little loose in the waist, the straps due to my teeny shoulders were HUGE. So I removed them (they attach with buttons) and wore the skirt as a stand alone piece.

When I wore them together I was absolutely thrilled that they went so perfectly together! So much so I’ve had a lot of comments about it looking like a dress. I love the dip in the front of the waist. It really does help accentuate the waist and really brings something different to the look. As I mentioned above, this skirt does come with matching straps that are attached via buttons. As I suspected, the large straps on the skirt would be too big, despite needing the large for hips. This is easily fixed though, as popping new button holes further up the straps will make them smaller and better for wear.

I must admit, putting this outfit on, I felt like an absolute babe. I had a wiggle in my walk and a wiggle in my talk. I felt incredible and that is something beautiful. It can be incredibly hard in the world today to feel good about how you look but sometimes all you need is a killer outfit to help make you feel that way. This outfit certainly helped do that for me. The Agarva skirt is currently on sale from Gwynnies for $52AUD. It’s a skirt I can see myself getting quite a bit of wear out of and its one I’d recommend!

To style this shoot I decided to mix and match my colours a bit. I wore a red scarf to pop the colour of my shoes. I wore my gold glitter hoops from Daisy Jean Floral Designs which are currently my favorite thing. And keeping with the nautical theme without being too clique I opted to wear the adorable Happy Feet penguin brooch by Erstwilder that I got from Coconette Oz! Who doesn’t love a happy penguin!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this post. As always, I’m happy to answer any questions you may want to leave in the comments!

Til next time lovelies!

A little black dress. Something so very timeless, classic and sexy about it, yet its something that up until recently has been incredibly under-represented in my wardrobe. In reality, I actually tend to steer clear of black. I find it to be a bit too bland for my liking and I prefer brighter happier colours. However, when seeing the Patti dress in black from Karina Dresses, I knew I had to give it a try!

Flowers ~ Red Rose Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Beads ~ Vintage
Brooch ~ Marilyn Brooch from Deer Arrow
Dress ~ Patti Dress in Black Pointe from Karina Dresses
Belt ~ Off another dress
Shoes ~ Red Lorraine Heels by B.A.I.T Footwear from Royal Vintage Shoes

The Patti dress is a straight cut dress made of black pointe. As with all Karina Dresses, this beauty is crease free with no need to iron. Simply hand to dry after a wash! Karina Dresses also don't have zips, you simply pull them on which is also a feature I adore as I find sometimes zips can bunch and wrinkle the fabric around them. This dress also features pockets, which is amazing for a wiggle style because honestly, who doesn't love pockets in anything!

The Patti dress also features a square neckline with short sleeves. I likes this shape as I found it could lend itself to both casual and formal looks, while being practical for work. The just above the knee length is also a great versatile length for functionality and practicality. 

I got this dress in a M/L, to accommodate my rather fuller lower half which is my normal size for my Karina dresses! Surprisingly, I didn't find the shoulders too loose which is a huge win as they normally are. This dress is comfortable to wear and flattering with or without foundations. 

I absolutely LOVE the styling options for this dress as well! For this shoot I decided to go with red and white, as I feel they contrast SO well against the black. By belting with such a bright colour it really does highlight the smaller waist. I also love how my Marilyn Brooch from Deer Arrow absolutely pops out from the black background of this dress. My red Daisy Jean Floral Designs Signature Rose Doubles also help bring this look into more of a formal feel.

This dress retails for $108USD which is around $142AUD. I can attest that the price tag is totally worth it! This is my third Karina Dresses dress and I absolutely love them! They are so incredibly comfortable, versatile and practical! And they do ship worldwide!

I hope you've all enjoyed this review! As always, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have if you pop them in the notes!

Til next time darlings!

Disclaimer: Whilst I received this dress as part of a sponsorship with Karina Dresses, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers.