Tropical 1940s Florals from Karina Dresses

I think by now we all know my obsession with 1940's styling is well and truly beginning to thrive. As I've been shifting out 1950's items from my wardrobe that I knew I wouldn't wear anymore, I've been adding in more and more 1940's inspired items to my wardrobe and I've been absolutely loving the experience. There is something about the 1940's that just keeps drawing me in. Its elegance, its sophistication, its class. I always feel absolutely incredible in 1940s styling, so when I saw the Margaret Dress in Navy and White tropics, I knew I needed to make it mine!

The first thing that drew my to the margaret dress was this pattern! Karina dresses are available in multiple different patterns but this one for me just looked for incredibly true to the decade. As my 40's obsession grows, I've been doing a LOT of reading up on characteristics of patterns of that era and this one for me screamed 1940s. The pattern is actually even prettier in person than the pictures, the navy works so well with the fabric and the white really does pop beautifully! 

Flowers ~ Red Rose Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Bryona Earrings in Cobalt from Revere Folie
Necklace ~ Yellow beads from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Scotty Dog brooch from Miss Lady A Broad
Sunglasses ~ Jayjays 4 years ago
Dress ~ Margaret Dress in navy and white tropics from Karina Dresses
Shoes ~ Red Loraine heels from Royal Vintage Shoes

For those who aren't familar with Karina dresses, they are a stunning USA brand that make dresses that for me, hark back to the 1940s in their stying and they are iron free, as they dry crease free. Another feature I love about my Karina Dresses is they fit incredibly well thanks to them simply pulling over your head: no zips or bunching around zips which leads to a seamless silhouette. If I ever want comfort and class, Karina Dresses are my go to! I now have 4 of their gorgeous creations in my wardrobe and they get a lot of wear. 

  One thing I do adore about the Margaret dress is the length. The slightly longer length gives a more authentic shape to the dress as well as giving the wearer a nicer shape. The Margaret Dress also features a built in belt/sash of the same fabric, which I love using the cinch in the waist. The sleeve length is also ideal for ladies who, like me carry a bit of weight on their arms, as they are long enough and loose enough to help slim you down.

I'm wearing their M/L which is my regular size. I find this to be incredibly ample and in reality I could more than likely size down to the S/M without any issues as their dresses have a considerable amount of stretch. If you enjoy comfort and style, Karina dresses are a brand to keep you eyes on. These dresses are amazing for summer (they are incredibly light!!) but for winter I do wear a full slip with them, for that extra layer, ontop of my normal shapewear really does make a difference!

I love styling this dress. Red with the navy and white just absolutely pops and I often find myself throwing in hints of yellow as well to really lift it. For the styling of my shoot I opted for my red rose double from my business Daisy Jean Floral Designs. The red here tied in beautifully with the red background of my brooch and my shoes. The Scotty Dog brooch from Miss Lady A Broad is the perfect 1940's addition to my outfit. As I aim more for authentic styling, I find myself getting SO much wear out of my MIss Lady A Broad brooches. They have such a true vintage look about them and really do go with anything! I have a blog review of Miss Lady A Broad coming to my blog later this month!

Scotty Dog Brooch from Miss Lady A Broad

Bryona Earrings in cobalt and yellow beads

Loraine Heels from Royal Vintage Shoes

The Bryona earrings in cobalt from Revere Folie were also the perfect match for this outfit, as if they were made for it! I reviewed these gorgeous earrings recently on my blog, you can read the review by clicking here. My red Loraine heels were also a perfect red pop and I actually find myself wearing these shoes more and more as they just go with SO much!

The Margaret dress retails for $108US which is around $146AUS. I can give testament that these dresses are definitely worth the money and for pinups on the go Karina dresses would be ideal for their versatility and iron free maintenance! They ship worldwide and their styles are available in a range of different patterns!

I hope you've all enjoyed this blog! I'm endevouring at the moment to bring better blog posts to you all and I really feel like my blog is getting to where I always wanted it to be!

As always, I'm more than happy to answer questions and comments both on my posts and on my other social media pages!

Til next time 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. 

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. 

Judy dress

2016 is quickly shaping up to be the year of the 1940s for me. After a few years of fluffing around the 1950’s, more and more 1940s pieces have recently been sneaking into my wardrobe. The Judy dress is one 1940s style dress from Hell Bunny I’ve been eyeing off for quite some time…however only being able to find it overseas (with ridiculous exchange rates/postage costs attached) really meant it stayed on my wishlist, always feeling slightly unobtainable. Then one night I was browsing the Natasha Marie Clothing website and saw she had it in stock at a steal price so instantly snapped it up to add to my wardrobe.

Flowers ~ Daphne's Daffodils from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Beads ~ White bead necklace from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Spellbound Rose Brooch from Deer Arrow
Dress ~ Judy dress in Tobacco by Hell Bunny from Natasha Marie Clothing
Shoes ~ Betty heels in brown from Royal Vintage Shoes

I can honestly say, this dress blew me away on all levels. The cut, the fit, the comfort, the look. Its just a truly incredible dress. The dress features sleeves that go to the elbow that feature a cuff and 3 button detailing as well as pleating/ruffling along the bust along with buttons under the V neck. It also features a pleated skirt, which is great for wear without a petticoat for an authentic 1940's look.

The first time I wore this dress I got so many compliments from people to and from work. Despite being repro it does have quite an authentic 1940s look. I bought the medium, which is my normal size for Hell Bunny swing styles. I was a little worries about the arms being to tight when I first got it home but found that they had a surprising amount of stretch which was awesome. Made of polyester its incredibly comfortable and can give a little. I have worn this dress with and without shapewear and both are super flattering thanks to this amazing cut.

I love this dress in the tobacco colour. For some reason, for me it just gives it a more authentic look. Since going blonde I've found my interest in wanting to dress in a more authentic look, as it just feels more doable with blonde hair as oppose to fire engine red. Plus, I also feel like the block colour allows for a broader range when it comes to accessorising. For this shoot I decided to brighten it up with a yellow daffodil hair flower, white beads for a classic look and a pretty brooch.

I truly love this brooch from Deer Arrow. The spellbound rose brooch is a layered resin brooch that gives it a 3D effect. Reminiscent of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, this brooch is such a gorgeous finishing touch to any outfit. I love how the pink pops against the brown on this dress. They work so beautifully together. 

The price of this dress is an absolute steal! I snapped mine up from Natasha Marie for $34.95AUD + postage. Natasha had it in the post to me the next day and I was so excited when it arrived. I can highly recommend Natasha Marie for Australian pinup gals!

I hope you've all enjoyed this blog post and I'm loving being back!

More reviews coming this week and next so keep your eyes peeled! As always, happy to answer any questions left in the comments!

Til next time

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. 

See through curves and body confidence ~ My review of the CS-201 Mesh Corset from Orchard Corset

Hello darlings!

Welcome to my first real review of a foundation garment! I'm a bit nervous if I'm going to be 100% honest. As I said in my sneak peak last Friday, I've been a bit down on my body since mid 2015. I went through a period of high anxiety and stress. As a result I gained 15kg or 33lbs and it sadly really affected my self confidence. As I tried to get a grip on the situation I found myself in I lost my confidence behind the camera and stopped modelling, my clothes weren't fitting as well and I was generally feeling pretty blue. One of the things that has gotten me through the past 12 months and really helped me keep some of my self confidence is a reignited love of foundation wear, especially corsets.

I've loved corsets for as long as I can remember. When I was in year 6 (so I would have been around 12), I lived in a small town called Robertson, in the southern highlands. In this little town, Sydney Corset and steam punk store Gallery Serpentine had a store. I used to get sent to ride to the local store for bread and milk by my parents and this store was across the road from the general store. I remember standing at the window, nose pressed against the glass, looking at the beautiful displays. I was mersmised by these corsets and the shapes they created. I even got up the courage to go in and buy my senior formal outfit from there, knowing full well I'd be the odd one out but not caring because with the corset on I felt like I could take on the world! My Edwardian overbust was my first but it certainly wasn't my last!

18 year old me at my high school graduation! So different!

Now before I start this review, I want to state that I have been incredibly spoilt with corset quality. I was fortunate enough to get my What Katie Did Morticia Corset in a bulk buy off a stylist along with a lot of other What Katie Did goodies and my morticia corset is honestly out of this world. She's near death now but I'm hoping to replace her with another morticia mid year so will review her then. This meant that I did pick up on some things with the Orchard Corset that I otherwise wouldn't have thought that much on. Without further ah-do, lets start!

Now the Orchard Corset CS-201 mesh corset appealed to me because well simply, its mesh and Australia gets bloody hot! Especially in summer! More than once I was caught out not being able to wear my morticia (which is satin) purely because I was a bit worried I would self combust! It was SO humid! So I figured the CS-201 was a better option for those kinds of sticky humid days. I thought I'd give the smaller length corset a go, as I wanted one with more mobility for work. As per corsets I sized down 4 inches below my natural waist and got the 26 inch size and that feels to have been the right choice. I do naturally have quite a large hip to waist difference so it highlights my naturally smaller waist nicely. I've been wearing this corset with varying things over the past 2 weeks to be able to give it the best review I can.

The first thing I noticed was that despite being mesh, it still gave me a pleasant amount of reduction. For the hotter days, the mesh has definitely helped me stay cool, though I've still found I can get quite warm in it if its super humid, so its not a complete fail safe as some days are just too humid but it definitely helps! This corset in my opinion is best worn under swing styles, as I find without a girdle over the top, it does give me a funny bulge at my hips and tummy, which is very noticable under wiggle styles. If you do have a bit more to love in the tummy and hips, this is something to keep in mind with this style. Another thing to keep in mine is that this style does have a low back, so if you carry weight on your upper back you will get a bulge around where your bra fastens. This corset being shorter there isn't any reason it should get in the way of things like bathroom usage.

Best styles to wear this corset under:

- Swing styles! 

- If you are going to wear it with a wiggle style, I'd recommend wearing a girdle over it to reduce lines!

The other thing I noted with this corset is that the front is incredibly straight up and down. This is different to what I experience with my What Katie Did corsets which move with my bodies natural curve. As I have a bit of prodominent ribcage just below my bust, I found that wearing this corset for more than 7 hours or two days in a row, even with it only lightly laced, this part of my ribs was a bit achy due to how it sits at the front, which has really limited how often I can wear this corset. As someone who used to wear my morticia for 8+ hours a day and have only once had to take it off before I got home in 18 months of owning it, I was pretty bummed that on two occasions I've had to take this corset off as it became too uncomfortable to keep wearing. The busking at the base has also unstiched and the busk is now visible, so thats something I'm going to have to repair.

Now while my experience with this corset hasn't been 100% (as I said earlier, I've been spoilt!) I don't regret having it. Its a great option on hotter days or for when I just want a cinched waist. Its just sadly no where near as comfortable as my previous corsets have been for long periods of wear. I'd recommend this shape for someone with a slightly smaller waist to hip difference, purely to reduce the dig in.

That being said, Orchard corset are a good brand for those new to corset wearing and aren't sure if its for them yet or for someone looking for an entry level priced corset. When it comes to corsets you definitely get what you pay for. This corset retails atm for $65USD + postage. I've recently noticed they've changed their postage structure to offer better postage options which is good.

This corset comes in black and beige, for those who want something not as noticable under their clothes and is available from the Orchard Corset store by clicking here.

Happy to answer any questions you may have! Just leave them in the comments section!

I hope you've enjoyed this first review of one of my foundation garments!

More to come!

Til next time darlings

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas ~ The Voodoo Vixen Bernadette Dress

Living in Australia, you can kind of feel a bit out of tune with the rest of the world when Christmas rolls around. The Northern Hemisphere, in the throws of winter is for the most part sharing their winter Christmas posts of sweaters and mittens and snowmen, warm fires and snow angels. I’ve always dreamed of a white Christmas thanks to the media forever showing Christmas as winter. However, the reality here in Australia is very different. Most of our Santas used in adverts feature board shorts and thongs. Summer is sweltering hot, I normally swim or play cricket with my family and avoid the dreaded sunburn! It seems, without travelling abroad, a white Christmas could never be mine.

When Voodoo Vixen brought out the Bernadette dress, I knew I had to have it and I was thrilled they felt the same way too. I felt this dress would be the perfect way to throw some white Christmas vibes on an Australian Christmas without dying in the heat. When it arrived I was thrilled to find that the snow flake detailing as just as perfect in person as it looked online and instantly knew this dress would be a much loved addition to my wardrobe!

The Bernadette dress is made up of two layers, giving it a soft floaty feel. The underneath is a thin strap black dress, which has then been overlaid with a sheer black layer that features the snowflake embroidery. The dress features a centre back zip with a button closure at the top. A sweatheart neckline is present in the black underdress which is visible through the sheer upper layer. The sheer layer though allows this dress to be a bit more on the modest side, which for me makes it ideal to dual as a work dress.

The wearing of this dress I found incredibly comfortable. Its very flowy, there is some stretch in the fabric and it sits nicely when worn. The sheer top layer wasn’t too warm to wear on a hotter kind of day and I found that the fabric moved nicely when I walked. Wearing this dress to the shops after the photoshoot on the hunt for some lunch, I got a lot of compliments on it. It truly is beautiful in person. Its long enough that I can comfortably wear a petticoat or crinoline with it if I want to and I found this dress to be true to size (I’m wearing this dress in a medium).

The simple design and colours also make this dress a versatile number, which means you aren’t restricted to wearing it just to spread festive cheer!  I accessorized mine with white and two Christmas brooches (because two is better than one!) for the shoot, however I can see a lot of potential to accessorize this dress with a lot of different colours and I’m excited to see what I can come up with it in the next few weeks.

You can definitely expect to see this dress popping up in my outfit of the day photos as it truly is a stunning piece!

Outfit details:

Flowers – Daisy Jean Floral Designs White Gardenia Double

Beads – Debstar Designs White Beads

Brooches – Deer Arrow limited Edition Christmas Snow Flake and Erstwilder Deck the halls brooch

Dress – Bernadette Dress from Voodoo Vixen

Belt - off another dress I own

Shoes – kmart

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this post and I’m more than happy to answer any questions or feedback you may have in the comments!

Amazing photography done by Russell Thomas!

Thank you all so much for reading!

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.