Tiki Magic with Pinup Girl Clothing

We all know I love tiki. I think it comes from my love of the beach growing up. While I don’t get there anywhere near as much as I used to (thanks to adult life of work and running a small business) I still love sun, surf and water. I guess for me tiki is almost the pinup equivalent of celebrating things I love. Now I was unlucky enough to miss out on the amazing parrot tiki pants in PUG’s last tiki capsule and when I saw the awesome print of this releases trousers, like HELL I was missing out a second time. I parted ways with some things I hadn’t worn in forever and snapped myself up the HighWaisted Trousers in orange tiki print and the Harley top in Orange. 

Scarf ~ Baby Blue Nylon Scarf from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Hoops ~ Hollywood Hoops from Retro Resins
Brooch ~ Large Dew Drops brooch from Dottie Delite
Top ~ Orange Harley top from Pinup Girl Clothing
Pants ~ High Waisted Trousers in Orange Tiki Print from Pinup Girl Clothing
Shoes ~ Wooden Tiki mules by Pinup Couture (bought on ebay)

I was beyond excited when my parcel arrived just 3 days after placing my order. The speed of Fedex boggles my mind sometimes (I’m using to dealing with Australia Post) and the colours in the print were even prettier in person. The orange was definitely a great match, though I was originally a bit hesitant about the orange Harley due to not being sure I could style it with more (seemy how I styled it post here!).  The first thing I noticed, was that despite going off the size chart and getting the Large,  I was going to have the same issue with the Harley top as I had all those moons ago when I tried on a Harley dress: my shoulders are too small. While it fit me well on my waist, it was slightly too big in the bust and the shoulder section actually sat above my shoulders slightly as oppose to sitting on them (I really pulled and pulled it down to get it to sit right for this shoot, but it made it bunch around my waist).

Thankfully, this isn’t too big of an issue, my super padded bra did help with the bust size but I doubt I’ll buy another Harley top outside of this one. Its sad, they are great tops but I’m finding more and more that as a small busted gal with a bigger bottom half, there are some styles that are difficult on my shape. This is one of them. As I have similar issues with peasant tops (my shoulders are very rounded which means peasant tops end up halfway down my arms, making them not appropriate for a job that requires covered shoulders) so I picked a lesser of two evils. At least I don't have to worry about straps or sleeves sliding down on this one!

So body size/fit issues aside, this top is beautifully made. The straps are thick and can take a bit of strain for the bigger busted gals. Its lined and features a back zip for easy and comfortable wear. Because of my bigger hips, I do find the zip bunches a little at the bottom but it’s nothing major. The colour is super vibrant in person and is definitely more versatile than I initially expected. I’d recommend sizing up if you are between sizes though, as there isn’t much stretch in the fabric. But pear girls with smaller busts, be mindful that the fit will be a bit tricky. On a quick side note, a neat little trick for hiding bra straps with this is to wear a halter bra and pop a small hoop on the inside of either bust so you can tuck your strap into this hoop, which pulls it out of sight!

I had a bit more success with the fit of the pants. I own a pair of the High Waisted Trousers already but I know they have a bit of stretch to them from wear the past few years, so I opted to size up to the XL to play it safe. I’m glad I did. While they fit really well everywhere, the waist is loose. I knew this would be the case when I bought them and once my weight settles a bit more (those who follow me on Instagram know I’m currently in the process of dropping the excess weight I gained over the last 18 months) I’ll get some darts put in the waist. Its an easy fix. 

One feature I do love about these trousers is the back zip and elastic in the waistband at the back. It makes them a comfortable fit with a seamless from.  These pants are going to be such a fun pair over summer. These aren’t too thick which means I should be able to wear them in summer without much of a fuss. I’m excited to try and style it with other tops that aren’t orange, as the print allows for such versatility!

These gorgeous tiki pants retail for $88USD which equates to around $115.54AUD, depending on the day and the exchange rate. The Harley top (which comes in a variety of colours) retails for $66USD which equates to around $81.40AUD, depending on the day and the exchange rate. Despite the slight fit issues I absolutely adore this outfit and I cannot wait to wear it more and style the other pieces different ways!

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

Til next time darlings!

Paradise magic with Hell Bunny

Every pinup I’ve met has had a specific pinup style that first started their love affair, whether it be vintage, nautical, animal print….there are literally so many but it was just a style that caught your eye and made you fall in love. For me, it was the tiki look. Its therefore no surprise my first PUG dress was from their tropical range. It is however a style I sadly don’t wear as much anymore, mainly due to most tiki styles having thin straps or being strapless, things I can’t wear 95% of the time anymore due to my job. But when I saw the new Hell Bunny 50s Paradise dress, I knew I needed it in my wardrobe!

Flowers ~ Melody Bundle from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Bamboo Hoops - Ebay
Necklace & Bracelet ~ Lilac beads from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Large Dew Drop brooch in Orange from Dottie DeLite Jewellery
Dress ~ 50s Paradise dress by Hell Bunny bought from Natasha Marie Clothing
Belt ~ Kmart
Shoes ~ Kiki Sandals in green from Royal Vintage Shoes (Read Review here)

As much as I loved this dress, it isn’t one I jumped on straight away. For those who aren’t Australian based, the exchange rate has hardly been our friend in the last 12-18 months, after a drop of around $0.30 value off our dollar, it now costs us significantly more than it once did to buy from the USA and the UK. While I was seeing this dress EVERYWHERE online and loving it, the only places I could find it stocked where America and the UK. Postage combined with the exchange rate pushed the price up more than I was willing to pay, so I bide my time and waited. I was beyond ecstatic when I saw Natasha Marie was getting this dress in! As soon as I could fit it into my budget I bit the bullet and snapped this dress up and I have absolutely no regrets.

I had this dress the week after I made my purchase, which is normal for Australia post standard postage time frames. It arrived and I was instantly struck by how much prettier it is in person. The fabric pattern is such a beautiful soft print of tropical colours and it the stock photos really don’t do it justice. I was absolutely smitten! This dress is a reproduction of a 1950’s style shirt dress, which means it features a collar similar to a blouse, button detailing down the front and in this instance short sleeves. While it does have button detailing, it features a back zip for easy wear. The buttons on this particular dress are small round wooden ones which I feel just adds to the overall tiki vibe to this dress. I particularly love the top half of this dress. The waist is nipped perfectly and the cut is truly beautiful.

I bought this dress in a medium, which is my standard hell bunny open hip size, with the exception of the Ingrid and Jennifer dresses. I can wear it comfortably with or without shapewear which tells me its pretty true to size. While it was a little firm on my shoulders initially, with two wears I found this was no longer an issue. Something to note is that this dress is made of polyester, so it is incredibly thin! For winter wear I’ve been wearing it with a slip underneath as well as a crinoline to help me keep warm. This is definitely a summer dress and while I’m not wearing it much now as a result, I know it will get a LOT of wear when the warmer weather rolls around.

I chose to accessorise this gorgeous dress with colours I felt would complement the pattern. Lilac beads from Debstar Designs, a purple, yellow and orange hair flower from Daisy Jean floral Designs, green sandals from Royal Vintage Shoes and a tan brown belt with bamboo hoop earrings! Also, how incredible is this brooch!

This gorgeous Dew Drop brooch is made by Australian small business Dottie DeLite Jewellery. Based in Melbourne, the lovely Miss Dottie makes gorgeous 50’s inspired brooches in a range of colours and bead styles. I opted for this gorgeous brooch as I felt it would fit so well with this outfit as well as crossing over to my other cooler weather looks as well as my summer looks. It features a bronze glitter based and large orange beads! You can shop their store by clicking here.

I purchased this gorgeous dress for $79.95AUD + postage from Natasha Marie Clothing. If you are in the USA I have seen this dress stocked at Unique Vintage and as Hell Bunny is a UK brand I have no doubt there are re-sellers who stock it there (I am not as familiar with UK stockists due to the expensive exchange rate.

I hope you've all enjoyed this review! I certainly am in love with this dress and I wanted to show it in the perfect setting! 

Til tomorrow darlings!

Outfit of the day - Sunday 4th January 2015

Good morning everyone!

It's another absolute scorcher in Sydney today but I didn't let that stop me feeling absolutely adorable!! 

Hair orchids: Daisy Jean Floral Design

Earrings: Sparklelux

Brooch: Erstwilder

Top and skirt: Hellbunny

Belt: Pin Up Girl Clothing 

Shoes: Payless 

So today's outfit is literally one of my all time favorite summer outfits, especially on hot days!! It's a Hell Bunny two piece set (top is called Leena top and skirt is called the Candy Skirt) that I find perfect for hot weather or beach trips! I love the pattern on the fabric as it's so summer perfect and was so glad when I found this set on eBay! The swing skirt is ideal for summer weather, letting in a nice breeze and just generally being fabulous! The Leena top is super comfortable with an elastic back and it sits nicely on the body. The straps aren't too tight either so they don't dig in! I wore my same shoes as yesterday because they are just so comfortable and great for summer! Present me is very happy that past me bought these beauties! 

I chose bright accessories today to compliment the colours in my outfit. My purple belt is off my Pin Up Girl Clothing Lydia Dress in mermaid print. I think it throws a nice spash of colour among the pink, white and green. 

Feeling the summer vibe and being a total Erstwilder fan I naturally bought out one of my mermaid beauties today to wear with my outfit. This one is my absolute favorite brooch and I feel like against the pink she really stands out! 

My hair orchids I made myself and are available as a pair through my etsy store. Who doesn't love hair orchids! My gorgeous earrings are from Sparkelux and are my second pair. I'm wearing LimeCrime Utopia Velvetine today to match my belt and orchids!

I tried sometime different with my hair today and I am honestly loving it!! It's based on a tiki tutorial that I'll post info on next week!!! 

That's it for today, I'm off to try and keep cool in this heat but look fabulous at the same time! 

Til tomorrow

Missi aka Miss Osiria Rose

xXX