Garden Wanders ~ 1940s styling with Vivien of Holloway

As a pear shaped gal who loved 1940’s styles, it can be hard. I spent a lot of my free time on the train or my break at work looking through sites like etsy at the amazing 1940’s true vintage pieces on there. There are hurdles of being a pear shape when it comes to this era though. The 1940’s were more of an A-Line skirt than a circle or swing, as fabric was often rationed which means they are a slimmer fit through the hips. Therefore, I find that most 1940’s items are too small in the hips but would fit perfectly in the upper body. It’s important to remember I think: the state of the world during the 1940’s. World War 2 didn’t end til 1945. The world was not as technologically advanced then and getting goods out to the people for the most part took time in both manufacture and transport, at least in stark comparison to today. With the war taking a good chunk of resources, a lot of people were on rations, which lead to a very trim frame for women. Flash forward to the modern world and that’s hardly the case in developed countries at least. So while I do still hunt for true vintage, I’ve been looking for reproduction 1940’s items that I can add to my wardrobe to wear regularly without fear of damaging them. Enter Vivien of Holloway, a brand with some truly amazing 1940’s pieces!

Scarf ~ Baby Pink nylon scarf from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Pastel pink/white eclipe studs from Revere Folie
Brooch ~ Sundae Brooch from Deer Arrow
Blouse ~ Raglan Blouse in Mint from Vivien of Holloway
Pants ~ 1940s Swing Trousers in Soft Sand from Vivien of Holloway
Shoes ~ Saddle shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes

Vivien of Holloway is an amazing brand that hails from the UK that stocks a large amount of 1940’s inspired stuff. One thing I’ve always admired about their stock is that it has an authentic feel to it, which is one of the main things that keeps drawing me back into their store. As I’ve gotten more and more interested in the 1940’s, my desire for an authentic polished look has grown.  Swing pants are something I’ve recently fallen in love with big time. For someone on the go a lot like me, they are amazing. Able to be dressed up for work or down for weekend business errands, this style of swing pants are quickly becoming a staple in my wardrobe. Blouses have also become a recent love, especially as my hunt of investing in more 1940’s suits continues. A blouse and swing pants combo felt like the perfect fit!

Starting with the blouse, I was absolutely smitten with the colour. Green is a favourite of mine and soft pastels even more so. I got the size 18, which is a 40 Bust and a 32 Waist, which is pretty close to my measurements. This blouse did fit a bit roomier than I was used to, namely to my rather narrow rounded shoulders but it wasn’t SO big it wasn’t unwearable. I actually found it a pleasant change compared to my firmer fitting tops and it’s a welcome alternative. I could easily size down though for a firmer look or stick to this size for a more relaxed fit. This blouse is made of poly cotton, which means it breathes quite well, which is a MUST for someone with sensitive skin like mine. 

The sleeves are comfortable and not too tight. Their Raglan blouse comes in an array of different prints and colours. Some of the other colourways I'm dreaming about are the birdie Raglan Blouse and the flamingo Raglon blouse. If long sleeves aren't your thing they also have to Jo-Jo blouse, which is the short sleeve version and I honestly cannot wait to get myself some of those in some of their fun prints for the coming Australian summer. My favorite Jo-Jo blouses atm are the pink spiral blouse and the blue crepe gingham. This blouse is truly everything I’d hoped it would be and its one I cannot wait to style in other ways as well as add more to my collection!

The Vivien of Holloway 1940’s Swing Trousers in soft sand are probably the best fitting pair of trousers I own! While many of my other swing trousers have required being taken up or are much too big in the waist, these ones just fit perfectly not just on my waist, but my hips as well. I’m wearing the 32 waist and 44 hip pair, which are almost exactly my measurements. I love how comfortable these are. The waist side button up also means the lines of these pants are incredibly smooth, as I personally find sometimes zips can bunch on me. I stepped outside my comfort zone with these are got a lighter colour than I normally be comfortable in. As a curvier girl I tend to stick to darker colours that are a bit kinder on the slimming factor, but I find with these pants it’s not an issue at all. Their design and the cut from the waist to the hips, along with the side buttons actually smooths across the front! This is amazing for helping to hide problem areas or bloating and is a feature that I find a lot of modern clothing lacks!

These pants are incredibly comfortable to wear and I cannot wait to get them in varying colours and style them in different ways. Their versatility is truly their winning point. Team them with a blouse or a knit top for a more work appropriate look or go casual with a statement tee or a halter top. I’d love to wear this with a halter top in summer. These pants are flowy enough they wouldn’t be too hot either! I’ll definitely be investing in these in some more colours and they do come in a big range too! The Bottle Green is to die for and I definitely need the burgundy pair as well!

The Raglan blouse retails for $66.13AUD and the Trousers are yours for $93.27AUD plus postage. Considering the quality these prices are very good, even with our poor Australian dollar at the moment. Vivien of Holloway do ship worldwide as well, so ladies outside of Australia, you can also snap yourself up this amazing outfit too!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this review. I’m honestly loving all the plush green leaves around home at the moment and they made such a great backdrop for this vibrant outfit. I was so grateful for a chance to work with Vivien of Holloway on this outfit for you all and you can expect to see it in something exciting that’s coming very soon to my blog!

Til next time darlings!

 Disclaimer: Whilst I received these items as part of a collaboration with Vivien of Holloway, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers. 

Step into swing with Pinup Girl Clothing Doris Pants

I’m going to start this blog post darlings, by saying you cannot believe how difficult swing pants are to get decent photos of! I’ve been trying for MONTHS to get good enough pictures of these incredible pants to review them and I just kept coming up short. These pants are so beautiful, with the flowing crepe and the wide leg, that they were hard to photograph so you could see their details, the little things that make them amazing. But, I finally managed it and here they are!

Flowers ~ Yellow double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Retro Hilary earrings in fine gold glitter from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Brooch ~ Yellow ribbon gold fish brooch by Luxulite from Coconette-Oz
Top ~ Robin top in antique green from Collectif
Pants ~ Doris Swing Pants in Black from Pinup Girl Clothing
Shoes ~ Saddle shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes

Have you ever seen a store you follow post a preview and know almost instantly how much you need it? Like the need is almost primal? That’s the reaction I had to those pants. From the moment I saw the sneak peak online, I knew I needed to have them! I put the notification reminder on my pinupgirlclothing account and when they were released I did a mini clear out of things I don’t wear anymore and used the money to take the plunge and buy them. My wait wasn’t long, with my fastest ever pug deliver EVER (ordered Thursday night and arrived Tuesday morning) and I was so incredibly excited when I unwrapped them once I was home. The crepe came flowing out of the bag like magic and I hurriedly put them on to find…my feet surrounded by a heap of extra fabric.

Now I had been expecting as much. I was nervous about the sizing, as I’m normally a large on the bottom half with PUG in skirts but pants have always been trickier to gauge. So I opted to size up to the XL to play it safe. Now for reference, I’m 165cm tall. So I’m not exactly short short but I’m hardly tall.  This meant that even with platform heels on, I still had drag on the bottom. So before I could wear them properly I took myself to the local alterations store and had them hemmed, so that I could wear them with flats as well as heels. The alterations set me back around $30, as the pants are lined so there were two layers and I was thrilled to have them back and fitting my shorter frame within 24 hours! I bought my Doris pants direct from Pinup girl clothing and with the exchange rate they cost me $173AUD ($128USD) + the $30US fedex.

So what can I tell you about the PUG Doris pants? Firstly, I can tell you they are amazingly comfortable. These pants are made of a pebble crepe which gives them a wonderful vintage feel. They are also fully lined which makes them an incredible winter pant as not only are they comfortable they are warm. They feature an elastic back and a rear zip, which leaves you looking smooth at the front while also allowing some give. I adore wearing these when I’m feeling a bit bloated as they smooth everything out and the elastic allows them to still fit comfortably. The Doris pants also feature POCKETS! Which we all know are a win for any girl. The pockets in the Doris pants are deep and practical because let’s be honest, no one likes impractical pockets! I am so incredibly happy I took the chance and bought them! Absolutely no regrets!

Goldfish brooch by Luxlite.

Yellow Rose Double and Hilary Retro earrings in Gold from Daisy Jean Floral Designs

The styling of these pants is also incredible! I’ve worn it dressed up with a more formal style top. I’ve worn it casual with a knit top or a retro tee. I’ve worn them with printed blouses. Their black colour makes them incredible versatile to style. The ultimate 1940’s pants for ladies who want a pair that can do it all! For my shoot I went casual with my styling, opting to team it with more muted tones of soft green and yellow and a more classic styling of a saddle shoe.

I hope you've all enjoyed this blog post! As always, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have in the comments on this post or on my social media pages! I truly do love these pants and hope to be bringing you some more PUG reviews soon!

Til next time darlings!

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. 

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!