Friday 25 September 2015

This pinup is changing things up!

Firstly, I apologies for my lack of posts lately! I’m currently without a PC at home as mine gets repaired and it’s totally cramping my blogging big time! But here’s a post for you all today!

So since I got into pinup, I’ve been a repro girl. As a beginner I started at the ideal time: the exchange rate was good which meant it was affordable for me to buy direct from brands in the USA and UK, plus I worked in a store that stocked a lot of brands I love so I had easy access to them. Well, a lot has changed since then.

In August of this year the Australian Dollar dived and hit a 6 year low as China depreciated their currency. Needless to say, the drop in value of the Australian dollar has really hurt my pinup repro vibes, especially for brands like Pin Up Girl Clothing that are only stocked in limited styles in my country. I did my research and found that they aren’t expecting the Aussie Dollar to rise above where its sitting ($1.40AU equals $1USD) so that kind of popped PUG into the “for special occasions only” category in my wardrobe.

With all this in mind, I found myself drifting into the world of true vintage online and trawling through etsy looking up everything from clothes to hats and accessories in styles for the 1940’s and 1950’s, which ideally are my decades I feel most at home in. I know I was always a bit unsure of vintage with my very alternative red locks as I just didn’t feel I could pull an authentic look with my hair, especially with how hard it was to style when it was red, however now as a blonde I’ve been finding myself gravitating towards it more.

The rise of the cost of repro due to the exchange rate, has lead me to find that a lot of the true vintage pieces I like in my size are actually cheaper and have options like Layway available so you can pay it off over a certain period. For once, for me at least, true vintage is seemingly cheaper than my much loved repro. And its not just the clothes themselves I’ve found, but a wealth of vintage patterns in my size for some of the cuts of dress I cannot find in my size online!



So expect to start seeing some more true vintage in my wardrobe as well as posts about my sewing adventures! I honestly cannot wait!


Saturday 12 September 2015

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!









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!




Wednesday 9 September 2015

Wishlist Wednesday ~ the summer top edition

Hello all!

Its Wishlist Wednesday time!

So last summer, I was still working a lot less and as a result my wardrobe consisted of a lot of halter and tank style tops for summer. Flash forward 9 months and this is no longer the case. I now working full time in a corporate environment which means a lot of the dresses and tops I wore last summer won’t be appropriate this summer.

So begun the hunt for this week for sourcing some tops that I can wear to work. While I love my PUG tops, I find them a bit too boobilicious for a primary work top (doesn’t stop me wanting ALL the Sean tops though!) and I found myself stumbling across the Collectif website last week in search of an on sale knit and figured it couldn’t hurt to have a bit of a peek.

 I do own some collectif but nothing compared to my PUG or Hell Bunny collection. This is due to its fit not being quite right for my shape, especially in their wiggle styles in the past, though oddly the few styles I’ve bought recently I found to be a tad too big. So I figured, for more work appropriate simple tops they might be the go to, especially since I love the 3 Dolores tops I currently own (white, red and black).

Well when it comes to cut tops, jackpot hit! So many great tops that I can easily wear to work! Here are some of my favorites!

Plain Alice T-Shirt

Dolores Top in Pink

Eliza Blouse Plain White


Violet Watercolour Chiffon Blouse
As well as the amazing Robin Knit top in the below colours!





Special mention to this totally adorable pineapple print crop gypsie top I need as well!!
Looking forward to my first BIG collectif order next week!

Much love


Tuesday 8 September 2015

Be a Starlet ~ The Starlet Fever Vivien Dress in Classic Blue Review

Hello all!

Happy Tuesday! Its review time! I am so excited for today’s review!


In July, I was contacted by an AMAZING new Australian brand called Starlet Fever that makes vintage inspired dresses and seperates! I was beyond thrilled when they asked me to give one of their dresses a try. After feeling a bit overwhelmed by their incredible choices, I settled on the stunning Vivien dressin Classic blue. I’ve been trying to add blue back into my wardrobe, after wearing it SO much in my teens and this seemed like the perfect opportunity!


The dress arrived and it was perfect! I could instantly feel the quality in this dress. The colour was as vibrant as their website pictures depicted and the fabric felt incredible in my hands! The stitching was incredible and the little button detail was adorable! The invisible zip was a good quality one and didn’t snag or catch either with wear, which I loved. There is nothing that ruins a dress more for me than a crappy zip that constantly snags. From memory I pretty much wore it the very next day!

Photo taken by Cupcake Photography for Starlet Fever
The first thing I need to sing the praises for this dress about, outside of the quality which I’ve just talked about is how the wiggle portion of the skirt is sewn. As a girl with quite a booty, I struggle with wiggle skirts and some of my wiggle dresses. I’d had to have every wiggle skirt I own repaired at least once because by butt has ripped the seam above the split. And I find most dresses put a lot of pressure across my butt because of how they’re sewn. Not this pretty! This dress is sewn in such a way that it more hugs your butt instead of being sewn to sit flat across it. This made it INCREDIBLY comfortable to wear as there was no uncomfortable firmness.
Photo taken by Cupcake Photography for Starlet Fever
 I also found that the shoulders didn’t swim on me or that the bust didn’t gape. As I normally have to size up in to accommodate my backside and hips in wiggle dresses, I was pleasantly surprised that this dress fit both perfectly, which was such a great change! I also loved that this dress can be worn to work! Now days, with so much of my time spent in an office, I REALLY look for pieces that I can wear to work, which means halternecks and strappy dresses are not as prominent in my wardrobe anymore. This style fit perfectly into what I was looking for with my corporate pinup look!

 I bought the size 12, which was right for my measurements and it fit like a dream! This dress retails for $190.00AUD which considering the quality is definitely worth it! The fabric is beyond glamorous and whenever I wear this dress I get a LOT of compliments!
For this shoot I accessorised this amazing dress with pinks and peaches! My brooch is by Luxulite from Coconette-Oz and my flowers are Daisy Jean Floral Designs Signature Rose Double in peach!!


I also had the pleasure of modelling for the Starlet Fever website in August and will be doing a post about that amazing experience later this week! I honestly cannot sing the praises of this brand enough and look forward to adding more to my collection from their range before summer hits!

Photos (except those marked otherwise) were taken by the lovely Russell Thomas.
Looking forward to bringing you my post about shooting with Starlet Fever later this week!
If you have any other questions about this dress, please feel free to comment below.


Til tomorrow!


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

Friday 4 September 2015

REOW! ~ Pin Up Girl Clothing Vamp Two Piece in Tiger Print

Happy Friday!
Its review time again! This Friday I’m sharing my review of the absolutely AMAZING Vamp Swimsuit in Tiger Print from Pin Up Girl Clothing!


I am honestly such a lover of tiki styling and while animal print isn’t always my forte, I fell in love with this swimsuit the moment I laid eyes on it! I had to bide my time though, as my sizes sold out pretty quick but the moment I got the notification from PUG that they were restocked I snapped them right up before I missed out again! The thought  of missing out again, especially with me now swimming more than I ever have was a bit too much! Even though I’m currently a bit bigger than I normally am, I am still loving everything about this amazing swimsuit!



Now I love a good swimsuit and this pretty is my third PUG addition to my collection. Going off the fit of my last PUG two piece, I bought the top in a medium and the bottoms in a large, as I found the fit of the medium bottoms too firm across my backside.  The fit of the top was spot on. The cut is also super amazing for a smaller busted girl like me. I find most two piece tops lack the support to give me the look of a fuller bust and often just highlight my lack of boobage. This cut of bikini top, being the same as the Vamp top/dresses means that my bust is supported for a change which gives me a fuller cleavage look. There are 3 different size slots in the back and the top is fully lined for a comfortable fit!


The bottoms, like the top are amazing! They are also fully lined and I find they sit higher than my previous PUG bikini bottoms, which I find makes for a more comfortable and more figure flattering fit. The sides also feature gathered panels at the front, which I feel gives a nicer finish to the overlook look of this two piece. The waist band and leg bands are comfortable and doesn’t dig into my thighs to waist, which is a big thing for me with swimsuits, making this one a big win!


Having swum in this swimsuit I found it comfortable, durable and easy to swim in. It didn’t become heavy and uncomfortable when wet (which I have experienced with some swimsuits in the past) and I look forward to swimming in it A LOT in the future!
This swimsuit is a tiki lovers dream! For this review I opted to show that love by accessorizing this two piece with a poodle hair do, a tiki hair piece from Miz Smitten Kitten and skull jewellery accents from Debstar Designs!


I strongly recommend this swimsuit to any tiki or animal print loving pinup girls!
The top retails for $64USD and the bottoms are $48USD. Not too bad considering the quality of these garments! You can purchase this swimsuit from Pin Up Girl Clothing.


Thank you for reading and I look forward to bringing you more reviews next week!


Tuesday 1 September 2015

Loving Lina ~ A Voodoo Vixen Review

Morning all!

Its review time! Today I'm reviewing the amazing Lina Dress from Voodoo Vixen!
Now days I tend to look for clothes that I can easily make fit into both my work and my personal life. Working full time in an office now days means that my purchases of plunging neck lines and halterneck tops have really faltered in the past 6 months, as they simply aren’t appropriate to my line of work anymore. Sure I still buy them, but nowhere near as regularly as I once did. This gorgeous dress jumped out at me because I felt the simple two tone colour-ways made it a versatile little number! Easy to accessorize because of its block colours and create multiple looks. This pretty has become a much loved piece in my corporate wardrobe!

 In this blog post I'll be talking about the fit, quality, my thoughts on this dress and styling!

First Impressions

My first impressions of this dress was the I loved the colour! Growing up, I was such a SUCKER for blue.I wore pretty much exclusively blue from around 12-14 and I’ve been trying to incorporate it back into my wardrobe again. The lighter accents throughout the dress also stood out to me as really pretty touches and the bust line/capped sleeves meant it would be an appropriate work number for me.

The Fit


I found the fit of this dress to be spot on and true to size. I got the medium, which is my most common size in pinup repro clothes and it fit perfectly. I can comfortably wear it with or without my foundation garments but much prefer it with, as it really enhances the cut of the dress. The bustline of the dress I found to be comfortable, it sat high enough I wasn’t showing off my bust, which I feel is more work appropriate. The colour also gave it a more formal feel, lending it for a night out as well as a day at work. The capped sleeves also meant I was able to wear a dress with sleeves without having to worry about it being too tight/cutting in. The length was perfect for wearing with a crinoline for some extra volume as well as without.

Quality

I cannot fault the quality of this dress. The button detailing down the front is perfect, there were no imperfections in the sewing and there have been no issues with the zip. Overall, I have been very impressed with the quality from Voodoo Vixen! And the cuts of their designs are adorable!

Styling

This dress is a styling dream! Being made up of two block neutral colours, it means you can accessorise it in a lot of different colours! I’ve so far worn mine with red, white and pink. I’d love to try it with some other colours too! It can also be worn with patterns as well! For this shoot I opted for the white, as I love how crisp it looks against the dark! My hair flowers are from Daisy Jean’s Signature Rose collection! My brooch is from DeerArrow and my beads are from Debstar Designs! My shoes are the Pin Up Couture cutie heels in pink. My belt can be found on ebay.

If you are after a dress that'll work with most occasions, this one is a goer! I've fallen in love with this dress, its versatility, its functionality and its overall look.


Thats it for me today! If you have any other questions or comments feel free to leave a comment!

I hope you've enjoyed this review. The lovely photos were taken by Russell J Thomas.

Til tomorrow!


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