Paradise magic with Hell Bunny

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Til tomorrow darlings!

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. 

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

My Weekly Outfits ~ 11th January to 17th January

Hello darlings!

I hope you are all well! I can finally get back into regular outfit posts as I'm now back at work (and no longer sunburnt) which means I'm back to dressing in my pinup best 6-7 days a week again!

Also....I've not really been home in the past 2 months, I've been staying at my fella's as we talk through a lot of stuff so I've been living out of such a small section of my wardrobe! But I'm home next week so I'll be wearing SO many different outfits you guys haven't seen in a while! Its going to be amazing!

But in the meantime, here are this weeks outfits!

Monday!

Flowers ~ Red Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Brooch ~ Cactus Brooch from Mira Mae

Belt ~ Ebay

Dress ~ Megan Dress from Karina Dresses ~ Read the review here

Shoes ~ Betty Shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes ~ Read my review here

Tuesday

Flowers ~ Molly Double from Daisy Jean Designs

Beads ~ White bead necklace from Debstar Designs

Brooch ~ Brahminy Bryan Brooch from Erstwilder

Top & Skirt ~ Pink Dolores top and Mia skirt by Collectif

Belt ~ Ebay 

Shoes ~ Halina Shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes ~ Read my review here

Wednesday

Flowers ~ Daphne's Daffodil Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Beads ~ Purple beads from Debstar Designs

Brooch ~ Rainbow Lorie Brooch from Erstwilder 

Top, belt & Skirt ~ Green Doris Top and Tropical Doris Skirt (Discontinued) from Pinup Girl Clothing

Shoes ~ Betty Shoes by Royal Vintage Shoes

Thursday

Flowers ~ White Rose Double From Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Brooch ~ Deer Arrow Happily Ever After Globe by Deer Arrow

Dress ~ Mae West Dress by Hell Bunny from Natasha Marie Clothing

Shoes ~ Betty Shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes

Friday

Flowers ~ Jean's Beginner Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Brooch ~ Radio brooch in mink from Deer Arrow

Dress ~ Zelda Dress in Brown from Dolly and Dotty ~ Review Coming Soon

Shoes ~ Betty Shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes

Saturday

Flowers ~ Blue Rose Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Necklace ~ Blue bead necklace from Debstar Designs

Bangles ~ Splendette

Brooch ~ Overnight Essentials brooch from Erstwilder 

Top/Belt/Pants ~ Heather Blouse, Retro Belt in red & Nell pants in black by Hell Bunny from Gwynnies

Shoes ~ Betty shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes

Sunday

Flowers ~ Red Rose Double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Necklace ~ Blue bead necklace from Debstar Designs

Brooch ~ Sundae brooch from Deer Arrow

Top ~ Freddies of Pinewood discontinued top (ebay find)

Belt/Pants ~ Red Retro Belt and Nell pants in black by Hell Bunny from Gwynnies

Shoes ~ Saddle Shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes ~ Read Review here

I hope you've all enjoyed this weeks outfits! I'm looking forward to being home and trying some new outfit combos this coming week! ITs going to be awesome!

Til then!

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!

Tartan meets Corporate with the Lori Dress by Voodoo Vixen

Hello all,

Sorry for being so quite this week! I've been a bit under the weather which has really put a dampener on my blogging.

So tonight on the blog I'm bringing you the Lori dress from Voodoo Vixen! For ladies that like a versatile dress, this one is definitely one to add to your wardrobe!

 

First Impressions

When this dress first arrived was how vibrant the colours on this dress are. Its my second tartan piece and its truly stunning. This dress is of incredible quality. The zip is good quality, the fabric is comfortable to wear with vibrant colours and I couldn't wait to style this dress! I knew instantly as well the fabric would mean that it would be a great dress for work, as it has a corporate feel.

The Fit

I did find the fit of this dress to be a little small. The fabric I found had limited give, especially in the waist, which is something to keep in mine. The tie shoulders however made it very bust friendly, which meant I could either wear my padded bra to bust out for wear one of my vintage bras and it wasn't an issue. The dress length on me came to just below my knees without my crinoline and just at my knees with. The shoulder ties once tied were comfortable to wear and didn't come undone.

Styling

The versatility of this dress leaves it open to SO many options for styling! Being winter here in Australia and working in an office has meant I've been styling mine with sheer blouses of white and black. If I could find a red one, it would also look amazing but I haven't managed that one yet. In summer this style would be great without the undershirt as well, while still looking corporate enough. I also imagine this dress would look cute with a cotton long sleeve shirt, black stockings and heeled boots. 

For this shoot, I opted to go with my everyday styling that I've worn to work with this dress. This top is one I bought from Target years ago that I love to team with sleeveless dresses. A red Daisy Jean Signature Rose Double which goes beautifully with the red in this dress. These white Debstar Designs necklace has really become a staple for me when it comes to necklaces. Its simple, comfortable and well made and what pinup doesn't like beaded necklaces. The final touch is the Erstwilder Howling at the Moon brooch, which is such a pretty pop against the tartan. Backseam stockings and a pair of my 1940's styled TUK's finish the look.

For corporate pinup gals, this dress is a must!

As usual, photography by the amazing Russel J Thomas.

I've got more reviews lined up over the next two weeks! More Voodoo Vixen, Starlet Fever and Pin Up Girl Clothing, so keep your eyes out! I'm also going to be reviewing my Redrum Jeffrey Star Velour Lips, my newest Besame colour as well as planning a post on how I set my hair!

Til next week!

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.