Jumping into Nautical fun ~ The Ambleside Jumpsuit by Hell Bunny

As much as I've always loved the 'look' of jumpsuits, they are generally something I've always kept away from. Being rather robust in my lower half but incredibly petite in the shoulders has always had me worried that I'd have issues with upper body to lower body sizing and the idea of having to get something altered really just turns me off the whole idea. However, when I saw the absolutely gorgeous Ambleside Jumpsuit by Hell Bunny pop up on my instagram feed, in stock at Gwynnies I felt this fear crumble somewhat. Owning two pairs of the incredibly stretchy Nell pants I dropped Gwynnies a note and asked her if she could check the sizing for me. To my delight, they were a similar fit! So I bit the bullet, added them to my cart and said a little prayer to the online shopping gods.

Scarf ~ Repro nylon scarf in red
Earrings ~ Gold Glitter Hoops from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Beads: Yellow necklace from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Gold Fish brooch by Luxulite from Coconette Oz
Jumpsuit: Ambleside Jumpsuit by Hell Bunny from Gywnnies
Shoes ~ Lorraine heels in red from Royal Vintage Shoes (read review here)

My pretty jumpsuit arrived swiftly in my hands thanks to the amazing service from Gwynnies and I was so thrilled that it looked just like the photos. However, it not only looked like the photos I could also feel the stretchiness in the fabric, that this jumpsuit had a lot of give, which is something I always love! Due to its nautical theme, I held off wearing it til casual Friday at work (which is the day I normally break out the more fun stuff) and after a day of wear I was pleasantly surprised!

So I'll start with sizing darling! This jumpsuit is incredibly generous. As a smaller busted lass with a rather full behind, I bought my nell swing pants size which is a medium (this fabric has a LOT of give). Without foundation garments this jumpsuit still fits me fine without any discomfort in the legs or hip region. The only thing I will note is that the arms are a bit firm on me, though its not uncomfortable or paintful and there is a teeny bit of button strain on the top button, however I do feel if I'd sized up to the large this jumpsuit would have been MUCH too big in the shoulders. I wear a 36/38B cup, if you are larger than that I'd suggest sizing up to accommodate your bust.

One absolutely adorable thing about this jumpsuit is the incredible collar detail! Not only does it have a double white band around the arms but also a full sailor style collar around the back. This collar isn't a distraction, it doesn't move around too much and isn't a hindrance. One thing I will note though, is that I found the jumpsuit does take a little while to get out of for bathroom visits, which is something to keep in mind!

The front collar detailing follows over from the back and ends in a pointed collar in a V shape. The buttons on the front actually have little blue anchors on them, which is just adorable. It also comes with a matching fabric blue sash which I actually like wearing with it. 

I also love the styling possibilities with this dress. I previously only really had one nautical piece and felt like I I had to stick to the red, white and blue theme. But I've been learning that you can branch it out. For this shoot I decided to wear this adorable goldfish in a bag brooch made by Luxulite that came with my order from Coconette Oz, a great little Australian accessory store that ships worldwide. I love the pop of yellow while still keeping to a 'nautical/ocean' theme! I kept the red to my hair scarf and shoes while showing in a pop of yellow with my necklace, brooch and earrings.

My verdict on this jumpsuit is that I absolutely LOVE it. Its comfortable, practical and a great fun piece to accessorize! I bought this jumpsuit for $84.95 from Gwynnies which considering the quality I was more than happy to pay. 

I hope you've all enjoyed this review darlings! As always, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have in the comments!

Til next time darlings!

Karina Dress

Foreword: Firstly darlings, I apologise for my absence. I recently had some bad family news so took a week or so break from this blog space, but it feels good to be back.

You don’t know comfort darlings until you’ve worn a Karina dress. I mean this in the most sincere way. I had the pleasure of receiving my first Karina dress late last year (click here to read my review) and it was honestly amazing. It’s become a staple in my everyday wardrobe for its comfort, versatility and quality. I must say, I was incredible excited to receive my second Karina dress in the post!

Flowers ~ Red Rose Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Necklace ~ White Beads from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Margo Rita Brooch from Miss Lady A Broad
Dress ~ Trudy Dress from Karina Dresses
Shoes ~ Loraine Sandals by B.A.I.T from Royal Vintage Shoes (review coming soon!!)

The Trudy dress in the Crimson Branches is truly a work of art. I was so excited when this parcel arrived, the silky goodness of the fabric reminding me of seeing Harry Potter unwrap his invisibility cloak in his first year. The blue and red of this fabric is truly SO vibrant and you feel the comfort of this dress before its even on. As I recently parted ways with my only navy dress that I really had in my wardrobe, I figured it was time to welcome a new one into the fold.

So the fit darlings? I went with the M/L size, which is more than ample to allow me to pull this style over my head. As with my Megan dress, the Trudy doesn’t feature a zip or buttons. The fabric is stretchy enough to simply open it up and pull it over my head. I did find that due to the bust line in the Trudy, I could have sized down to the S/M, as I did find the bust to be quite roomy. But with the right bra it isn’t overly noticeable. The bust detailing of this dress combined with the sleeves for me really gives it a 1940s/1950s style which I truly adore!

The thing I probably love MOST about not just this dress but my Megan dress as well, is how good this dress looks with and without foundations. The last two summers, my skin decided it didn’t like the heat and on very warm days I can’t wear my beloved foundations anymore, due to how they make me sweat. What I love about Karina dresses is the fabric is quite breathable and I can wear them without super firm foundations and still look amazing!

The styling of the Trudy dress I found to be a lot of fun! The red and navy make it a super fun print to play with. You can match your accessorizes to the red or have a lot of fun like I did and use a bold block colour to contrast. Versatile items are something I adore and the Karina dress definitely calls into that category for me.

I opted to wear the gorgeous Margo Rita brooch from Miss Lady A Broad! I love the incredible detail of this brooch and its truly a compliment to the brand. Each piece is incredibly detailed and I always get compliments whenever I wear them. Designed and made in Melbourne.

The Trudy dress retails for $108US + postage which is $145.50AU + postage. For some ladies this might seem a lot to pay for a dress but its honestly the holy grail in terms of versatility and comfort. I’ve worn mine casually to the shops with no make up and flats, to work with my face and hair done as well as to dinner with a nice pair of heels. And I am yet to find a retro dress that is so comfortable and well fitting!

I hope you’ve like this review! I’ll be back tomorrow 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. 

Standing tall in Miss L Fire Lila heels from Royal Vintage Shoes

Its not secret I've become a bit obsessed with the 1940s era of clothing. I may have mentioned it once...twice...multiple times online and on this blog space! Its an era of a simple glamour about its ladies that I absolutely adore and while I am incredibly anti-war, I find the notion that these women stepped up to the plate to help get their nations through a time of hardship to be incredibly inspiring. As I'm starting to build my 1940s wardrobe a bit more, I honestly couldn't go past the incredible Lila 1940s platform heels from Royal Vintage Shoes, made by Miss L Fire.

I was so excited when these pretty shoes arrive in the box for me, all the way from the big USA. These are my second pair of Miss L Fire shoes, which without a doubt are the best pair of shoes I currently own!. So comfortable, practical and easy to wear I so super pumped for my next pair. The first thing I noticed was the height. After trotting around in my Betty sandals for most of the summer I suddenly felt like a giant! The height did take some getting used to but once I did I felt unstoppable.

Flowers ~ Red Rose Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Snood ~ Ebay
Brooch ~ Jubly Umph
Dress ~ Word from the bird

Firstly, lets talk about that all important breaking in period! You will need stockings for the first 4 or so wears. I personally found that on the third wear they gave my blisters around the ankle strap on the inside, but after another wear in stockings the inside fabric on the strap has softened enough to stop that happening. Aside from that I had no issues during the wear in period. No blisters around the back of the ankle and none in the front toe section. Incredibly comfortable from the word go.

Next up: detailing. The construction and detailing of these shoes is incredible! The front is black velvet featuring a small knot at the top of the foot. The heel base and platform are covered in small silver dots! How absolutely adorable is that! Such a great understated shoe that could easily be both formal and casual.

I did find the fit of these to be slightly bigger than my Betty Sandals. I bought the 7.5, which is the same size as my other Miss L Fire but find they do slip a bit on my smaller foot. While they do run a little big, I feel sizing down would have made them too small and its nothing a jelly insert in the back of the smaller heel cannot fit!

The price of these shoes, considering the quality, amazing construction and comfort is very reasonable. These babies price in at $120US which is $166AUD or 85 British pounds). Until I got my first pair of Miss L Fire shoes I was somewhat sceptical of their price but I can honestly say these shoes are in investment. Not only will the last but your feet will honestly thank you, especially if you are someone like me who gets a lot of tension and cramps in their feet when their feet aren't supported properly! Royal Vintage Shoes ships worldwide as well, so all ladies can have incredible shoes!

Also can we just take a quick moment to admire how beautiful this vintage dress is! Its my first ever vintage 1940s dress and I think I am honestly in love. I was unsure about the pleats originally but now I think they look amazing! Excited for Autumn to wear this baby! A big thank you to Word from the Bird which is where I purchased it from! Her vintage store is amazing and she stocks bigger sizes!

If you loved my little Jubly Umph brooch, keep your eyes peeled for a blog post of her new range on my blog over the weekend!

Thank you all so much for reading, I hope you've enjoyed it!

Til next time darlings!

I hope you all enjoyed this 

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. 

Vintage Vibes in the Megan Dress from Karina Dresses

Since the middle of last year, I've been having a growing obsession with the 1940's. Its not secret. I've talked about it before. I find women of the 1940's to be incredibly strong, sassy and badass. Women who were used to a man supporting the family going to work building planes and other equipment to help the war effort. I've recently been watching a lot of documentaries on the first and second world war (my knowledge was pretty shabby prior to this recent documentary binge) and I'm so honoured to be living in a world made possible by the men and women that gave their lives to fight in those wars. 

But darlings...lets get back to what we are here to talk about and that is CLOTHES! So, as I was saying before I got sidetracked, I've recently been on the hunt for dresses that hark to the 1940's era and when I got contacted by Karina Dresses wanting to collaborate, I knew instantly which dress I needed to have! 

Flower ~ Wine Rose Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Brooch ~ Cactus Brooch from Mira Mae Originals
Belt ~ Ebay
Dress ~ Megan dress in Wine with Tan dots from Karina Dresses
Shoes ~ BAIT from Royal Vintage Shoes

Firstly, this dress is incredibly comfortable to wear! It has no zip but is stretchy and is just pulled over the head. Even with this feature the waist is nicely structured and nips you in. As the fabric has quite a bit of stretch it would also allow for ladies with a bigger bust to wear it without too much difficulty. The sleeves are comfortable and give coverage while not being too long. I wore this dress on Monday when Sydney was experiencing a VERY hot day and it breathed really well. But I also feel it would be warm when worn with a cardigan and a slip. This dress is one that I believe could be worn all year round with ease, which is always a bonus when you are investing in a retro wardrobe.

The styling of this dress is incredibly versatile thanks to its block colour and dot pattern. I've worn it with both dark and light accessories and each time its looked lovely. For my shoot I wore it with a petticoat but it does give a truer vintage look when worn with a slip and back seamed stockings. For my shoot today though I decided to have some fun and wear it with a petticoat, which does also give a great 1950's shape! I wore mine today with white! My belt is from ebay and if you are curious about my thoughts on my Halina shoes you can read the review on them here. 

Plus petticoats are fun for twirl in! There is something incredibly fun and almost princess like in twirling in a full skirt with a petticoat! I've been known to do it in deserted shopping centre car parks myself. But honestly, all in all I'd give this dress a thumbs up. Its well made, versatile, comfortable and it breaths! For my American readers this dress retails at $108US (aussie ladies sadly the exchange rate does bring this dress to around $154AUD) and they do ship internationally. 

I wanted to also share a closer look at this adorable little brooch I'm wearing today! The Prickly Pear Cactus Brooch is an original Design of Mira Mae Originals . She is the most gorgeous little Aussie lady who not only makes brooches that are her own original design but tops as well! You can snap yourself up this brooch for $18AUD + postage too which is incredibly reasonable!

Thank you all so much for reading this post! It feels SO amazingly good to be back posting here and sharing my love of vintage and pinup styling with you all like I have always wanted to!

Stay safe 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. 

“Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure” ~ Harry Potter Goodness and Saddle Shoes

Its only really been this year I realised I was a bit of a geek, though apparently it was no secret to everyone else in my life! I've always had a love for learning. Even now I try and learn something new every day. During my school years I chewed through books and documentaries. I don't read anywhere near as much as I used to but I still chew through documentaries when I can! They are my background noise of choice when I'm working on stock for Daisy Jean. I love learning, I love finding out new things and I guess for that reason I've always felt a bit of an affinity with Ravenclaw as a house (hence my not so subtle tribute with my hair scarf). When my mum gifted me two Harry Potter tops for Christmas, I saw these as the perfect match for my new Saddle shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes!

Scarf ~ Closet Confessions Boutique
Top ~ Target
Skirt ~ Black Doris Skirt from Pin Up Girl Clothing
Shoes ~ Saddle Shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes

So saddle shoes. I know what you're thinking...they aren't exactly something that I've had a lot of in my wardrobe before now....in actual fact these are my first pair! Styling wise I've always been incredibly intimidated by this style of shoe because I just couldn't figure out how to work them into my look. That and the fact I was a little worried they'd make my legs look short due to the colouring. But, with the purchase of my first pair of Freddies of Pinewood Jeans (which with the help of healthy eating are starting to fit again after a rather indulgent holiday) I took the plunge and got them along with my Halina shoes! 

So lets start with the nitty gritty: breaking in! The first wear I wore sockets, which on my part was a complete amateur move (managed to get proper socks before a blister outbreak!) but in my defence, these are my first pair! Once wearing them with proper socks, they were stiff for the first two wears and loosened considerably after that. They are now comfortable enough to wear for upto 8 hours with only some slight rub at the back but this is only on my smaller foot (will discuss more in the sizing section).

So why am I liking these shoes? In short, they're fun. They are flat. They are comfortable and they are a great alternative for days I don't want to wear heels or ballet flats. I'd honestly LOVE to try these with some bobby socks at some point as I think they would look adorable! I am still struggling a little with the styling aspect of these but I think as I play with them more I'll become more confident. Its fun sometimes to step outside your comfort zone and take risks on things you originally thought wouldn't work.

So...sizing! I got the 7.5 as thats my normal size (I have narrow feet with a medium to high arch and over half a size difference between my feet). Initially they were SUPER snug on my bigger foot. I actually had to really push (with all the glamorous accompanying faces) to get it on. But once it was on and worn once, it loosened but pretty quick. I do find that on my smaller foot they did stretch a bit which now has given me a little rub at the back on that foot with long wear (more than 6 hours) so I just need to pop an insert into the back to help stop that problem. When worn with socks in the length shown I have no issues. For someone looking for a flat retro shoe that is practical these are definitely a pair to consider. I also love wearing these with wide leg jeans and I intend to give them a whirl very soon with my swing pants as well!

Price wise, these also don't break the bank! They are $65US ($93AUD) with international postage available averaging a 2 week delivery turn around. Considering the only saddle shoes I see in Australia are 'costume' shoes and look REALLY tacky, the price is worth the quality!

I hope you've enjoyed this little blog post! As usual, thank you so much to Royal Vintage Shoes for selecting me as a brand ambassador! I'm loving working with this amazing store and its one I can highly recommend!

Til next time! Stay safe 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. 

My growing 1940's obsession

1940s is a style that I've talked about a LOT this year, despite it never really popping up in any of my interests before. I'd never given much thought to the 1940's til I started seeing some of the amazing authentic vintage ladies online and slowly a bit of an obsession grew, especially around hats! Oh my god, my love for vintage 1940s hats is honestly incredible and its definitely something I am hoping to explore more in 2016.

While I've been struggling to find true 1940s vintage in my size, purely due to my large hip size, I have been delighted to find that there are some repro brands making some amazing 1940s inspired items recently and I knew I needed to get myself some! I thought today I'd review one of my favorite 1940s style sets I bought that I feel a bit like I'm currently living in and in love with.

The Heather blouse, retro belt in red and black Nell Pants from Hell Bunny, all available from Gwynnies in Australia. So why do I love this set? Well, Hell Bunny has been bringing out some INCREDIBLE 1940s inspired pieces! like I'm talking dresses, shirts, skirts and pants. I've been watching swing pants from afar and after buying the pair in navy, I took the plunge and bought the black. When Gwynnies stocked the Heather blouse I knew I needed it to match! Firstly the pants!

I normally size up in anything that is tight on the pants but there is an incredible amount of room in these and I was fine in a medium, a large would have been HUGE! These pants are incredibly comfortable and incredibly versatile. If you have a bit of a tummy like me, these pants are also incredible because the zip is in the front and the panel helps them to sit well. I've worn them in warm weather and cool and they work in both, which is awesome! I honestly cannot recommend these pants enough!

The Heather Blouse is just so darn pretty! The floral pattern of this blouse is so beautiful. The different mix of the colours within the florals means it can be worn SO many different ways. I bought the small, which is my normal blouse size and the fit is spot on. Plus I've worn in two different ways so far and I cannot wait to play more with it! Its such a versatile piece. I love all the different brooches I can wear with it because of the black base colour. For this review I accessorised it with my 'Beauty Queen' Brooch from Lulu and Lipstick which I absolutely adore!

 

I wear this set a LOT with varying belts, beads, flowers and brooches and each look has a different feel. Its such an amazing set and I honestly cannot recommend it enough! Also the price for pieces that you can wear so many different ways, its incredible.

Outfit Details:

Flowers - Jean's Beginners Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Earrings - Desperate Beatnick

Beads - White Debstar Designs Beads

Brooch - Beauty Queen from Lulu and Lipstick

Top - Heather Blouse from Hell Bunny

Belt - Retro belt in red from Hell Bunny

Pants - Nell pants in black from Hell Bunny

Shoes - Betty Shoes by Miss L Fire from Royal Vintage Shoes (read the review here)

I hope you all love this post and if you have any questions feel free to pop them in the comments!

More coming this week!

1940's Glamour ~ Miss L Fire Betty Shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes

Shoes. They seem, to have always been the last thing I think of when I put together an outfit. As someone with rather fussy feet, finding good pinup shoes has been hard and cheap ballet flats have, for the longest time been my go to. As someone who has over a half a size difference between my feet, buying heels has always been incredibly hard and the pairs I did have were too big which resulted in a lot of discomfort and blisters. Basically, for these reasons I rarely wore heels.

Earlier this year, I came cross Royal Vintage Shoes when they opened through a post made by Elinor of The Nylon Swish on Instagram! I intstantly fell in love with the styles but again, because of where I was at with my look and not being sure of fit, I drooled from afar. 

Royal Vintage shoes is a shoe store based in the big land of USA who specialise in selling reproduction shoes from the 1920's through to the 1940's. Their range of designs are durable with a variety of styles to suit all occasions. The sheer variety is a big part of what drew me to the Royal Vintage Store!

More and more amazing vintage styled shoes popped up on my feed, I felt more and more like my shoes were letting my outfits down and I soaked up reviews on fit and the best brands of shoes as I could. When I saw that Royal Vintage Shoes was looking for bloggers to collaborate with, I held my breath and sent an email! I was over the moon when I was contacted about being a brand ambassador and placed my first order to get my first pair!

For my first pair of shoes, I decided to go with the Miss L Fire Betty shoes in brown. I've been finding myself quite drawn to 1940s fashion in the last 4 or so months and figured these shoes would be a welcome addition to my wardrobe! I never expected them to be as versatile as they are!

Worn here with the Bianca Dress from Voodoo Vixen (review coming soon)

Being in Australia, shipping is estimated at 2-4 weeks but I was super stoked to see my shoes in my hands in a week on the dot from the ordering time! Which is super amazing for Australia post! I got them out of the box and could instantly see the workman ship that went into these shoes! For a closer look at them, you can see them in my weekly mail haul YouTube video from the week they arrived! So I wore these shoes for an entire week to be able to give the best review I can on the fit, comfort and general look. So here you go!

I have honestly fallen in love with these shoes! I love that they come in half sizes. I always find size 7's to be too small and size 8's to be too big so now days I tend to stay away from shoes that don't offer half sizes as I need the size up for my larger foot but no matter how much I pack the other with inserts my smaller foot always slips around. These being available in a 7.5 meant this wasn't an issue I had to worry about. I bought the 7.5 and while they were initially a bit snug, but after 2 wears they now fit like a dream.

The back strap on these shoes means I'm loving them this summer as they let me feet breath. The inside being made of printed leather truly does help with this. I've previously had issues with peep toes giving me blisters on my cuticle bed but I've had absolutely NO issues with these shoes in regards to that at all. The only time I've had any discomfort was when I had to run for the train and that was truly due to the impact of the run. Then again, these are heels, not cross country runners!

Now I did give these shoes a workout before writing this post. As an office worker who commutes via public transport, I'm on my feet a bit when I'm not at work. I can honestly attest aside from my first two wears, I didn't come home and quickly ditch my shoes because my feet were aching. In fact, on two evenings I didn't realise my shoes were still on til after an hour I got home, thanks to the comfort! If you are after a comfortable heel that you can wear all day, these are definitely one to consider!

I've also found them to be an incredibly versatile pair of shoes! I wore them with 7 different outfits last week (you can see those outfits by clicking here) and felt the shoes worked really well with 95% of the outfits!

Definitely a new favorite in my wardrobe! I hope you've enjoyed this blog! If you have any more questions about these shoes please feel free to put them in the comments! I'm more than happy to answer! 

Thank you to Russell Thomas for these gorgeous photos!

Its good to be back and I really look forward to bringing you more posts in the future!

Til tomorrow!

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.