Shooting wth Starlet Fever Clothing!

Happy Saturday!

I hope its going great for you all and you are enjoying the weekend! Its post time!

This blog post is dedicated to fulfilling a dream! Its quite personal, so I hope you enjoy it and all take something from it.

When I first got into pinup modelling two years ago, I held dreams of modelling for a brand. I remember at the time it felt completely unobtainable! I felt like a nobody, still being a newbie (though I do often still feel like this to be honest) and I kind of shelved the idea. It was something I never thought would happen for me, thought it was something that always kind of haunted the back of my mind.

Then 2015 started! I'd pegged it as being my year at the end of 2014 but it ended up being a killer. I had a lot of issues with where I was living which caused a HUGE spike in my anxiety. I went back into full time work as well and my modelling came to a screaming HALT after 18 months of growth and traction. This, along with an 8kg weight gain from stress, left me feeling very down about myself and my body, especially when some of my favorite clothes stopped fitting me. 

In June, I decided to take back my motivation and my self confidence and make a big change: I went blonde. Something that initially petrified me. I'd been a proud red head for 3.5 years and the thought of such a big change felt really scary and uncomfortable. But I went ahead. I was feeling SO stagnant within myself I needed change. And going blonde would allow me to hit the water again after years of barely swimming due to my red bleeding when wet. So, I saw the lovely Miss Ruby Rabbit from Retrobillia and we took the plunge! (To read about my transition from red to blonde, click here) Little did I know, that taking this plunge would open up the opportunity for me to fulfil a dream and model for a brand!

In July, I had the pleasure of being sponsored an amazing new dress (review here) to review here on my blog. The quality of the dress is incredible and I instantly fell in love. A few weeks after receiving it they contacted me again to ask if I'd be interested in modelling for their website as a blonde. I remember initially being so nervous I didn't know how to reply straight away! Especially with the weight I'd gained in the past few months! But I soon did and the shoot day was organised for the day after I got my hair done blonde! We were shooting in the Wollongong Botanical gardens, which is a place I truly love.

So the day came and it meant a VERY early start! I drove down to Wollongong, to have the amazing Ruby take out the set we'd done the day before for the shoot. Then I went and had my make up professionally done before heading to the gardens and setting up to shoot.

Hair flowers are from Daisy Jean Floral Designs, Heels are all Pin Up Couture

The team were lovely! I was also stoked to finally be shooting with Cupcake Photography after we got rained out for our first real shoot together earlier in the year. We packed up our clothes rack of goodies we were shooting and the big collapsible change room and we headed to our first location!

The first outfit we shot was the Eleanor Dress in High Risk Red which is a dress I fell in love with! It was SO comfortable and with my amazing hair. It was a good dress to start with as red has always been my power colour!

The day pasted in a blur of pretty clothes and pretty poses. As I relaxed I felt more and more at ease and my poses became more natural!

Being adjusted by Suz

Suz working the angles for some amazing photos!

Behind the scenes snap

Playing with Shadows

Drink break! And all the glamourous expressions!

A day that started at 6.30am for me wrapped up at 4.30pm! It was a massive day but I honestly had such a blast shooting! It was such an incredible experience to get the opportunity to work for a brand and its a brand I can honestly say know their stuff. Their quality is incredible and I adore their products and their dedication to flattering pieces!

Here are some of the shots from the shoot which I adore!

The Marie Dress in Navy Blossom

Antoinette Blouse in Boysenberry and Adelaide Skirt in Antique Pink

 Antoinette Blouse in smokey blue and Adelaide skirt in Taupe

Delphine 3/4 Sleeve Blouse in Fuchsia and the Adelaide skirt in black floral

It was so incredibly exciting to see these pictures and more up on the Starlet Fever website and it definitely gave me the boost I needed to start taking my life back. Not only did this shoot fulfill a dream I never thought would eventuate, it also gave me my self confidence back, reminded me that I was more than my weight and that I can achieve amazing things, even if I don't think I can. Never doubt yourself, you are capable of SO much more than you give yourself credit for! 

I would truly like to thank Starlet fever for giving me the amazing opportunity you did to model for your company! The experience is truly one I will cherish for ever and I intend to add more Starlet Fever to my wardrobe in the coming months! Also a thank you to Suz of Cupcake Photography for being such a pleasure to shoot with!

Til Monday!

Frisky Friday ~ What Katie Did & the Nylon Swish

So....its Friday and I'm back at it with a new flare and understanding on how I can make blogger work for me to bring you even more content here!

So my second Frisky Friday! How exciting! As I said in my first Frisky Friday post, I wanted to start this segment for girls with bodies like mine. I'm not plus sized, but I'm not skinny either. I'm big butted and small busted and I struggle to find people with relateable body shapes to mine. The overwhelming response I got on my first post across social media on my first post told me I'd really made the right choice in starting this segment, so I've allocated time to make sure I do posts for you all once a fortnight on a new item for you all!

This week I decided to go with some staples in my everyday wardrobe and two things I'd definitely recommend to newbies looking for a place to start with vintage lingerie!

What Katie Did Harlow Bullet Bra ~ $56 (AU)

What Katie Did Harlow 6 Strap Deep Suspender Belt ~ $56 (AU)

True Vintage Nylons from the Nylon Swish ~ $28

What Katie Did Bullet Bra pads (Nylon Swish) ~ $9

I'm going to start with the bullet bra. This was my first ever bullet bra. I actually wore it initially for one of my favorite ever shoots, which was a Playboy inspired one done this time last year.

Photography by Lauren Horwood

It was really my first time ever wearing a bullet bra and while I felt banging in the shoot, I didn't really fill it, despite the next size down being too small. So, this beauty sat in my 'lingerie' tall boy until I came across the ever stunning Nylon Swish on instagram. This lady inspired me to wear this bra more often and after meeting her at the markets and buying the pads that fill the difference, I've worn it out 4 times in the past few months! 

As a girl who normally wears padded bras, wearing a bullet bra is very different. There is no push together. There is no roundness. There is perky points. I have certain shirts I want to try and wear this under, especially coming into winter! I also found this bra was a great starter as its soft cups mean I didn't feel overwhelmed by the 'pointy' shape when wearing. If like me, you find the cups a bit tricky to fill, What Katie Did sell fillers that you wear like chicken fillets that give it a more structured shape. I always wear mine with the bra and I am trying to wear it more.

Now honestly, for a beginner this suspender belt is magical. Its the one I wear 99% of the time if if I'm going to wear stockings. It has 6 straps which I feel is a great introduction to wearing suspenders without it being overwhelming (6 for me personally is my happy number). Its comfortable to wear and is adjustable in size (3 different eyehook closures on the back). I love this suspender belt. It was my first REAL suspender belt and its just SO incredibly comfortable! Its perfect for holding up stockings, the straps are adjustable and the garter clips are good quality! Definitely a recommendation and at $56 AU dollars its quality that won't break the budget for a first timer!

Now the stockings are something special. These are my first pair of full length vintage stockings that feature a keyhole and a back seam whereas my previous ones were all too short and were seamless. I was so ESTATIC when the Nylon Swish was at the last Sydney Rock n Roll Markets and made a point of purchasing a pair of her genuine vintage stockings! These stockings are SO incredibly comfortable! Like I honestly have no words to describe them. They fit better than any modern pair of stockings I've ever owned. I cannot WAIT to purchase more pairs in the future. They quality is incredible! Two months on and not even a nip or a tear or a run. They just don't make stockings like this anymore! I've definitely been converted and I know you will too once you try them!

Plus, I find with vintage lingerie there is also an element of feeling sexy. I'm learning to love my vintage lingerie. It makes me feel good and I'm trying to really change my thinking around how my body should look because I don't follow any other real mainstream trends....so why should I follow that one too! My body is fab and I like it wrapped in vintage goodness and that's good enough for me!

Where you can buy these from is linked at the top of the post. In this picture too you can see the bullet bra pads I wear with my bra!

I hope you have all loved this post and I'm looking forward to another Frisky Friday post in a fortnight from now!