Red Gingham and Strawberries

When I first began blogging, I was happy to post photos of my outfits on my blog regardless of the quality of them. Grainy, shadowy, dark... I took what I got and just shared them. Now I have much higher standards, and try to use only the best photos my little point and shoot camera can take. (Which, let's face it still aren't great). I just like to do everything as best as I can. That's the control freak in me.

Today's photos have been sitting in my drafts for about a month. I wasn't going to share them because they're awful. I took them on an insanely hot sunny day during last month's heatwave, so they came out so over-exposed. Our garden doesn't get any shade from dawn til dusk. I had hoped to re-shoot this outfit, but I've not been physically able to, and I'm not sure when I will be, so I've decided to share them anyway. I wanted to show you guys this dress before Autumn starts creeping in because it is a real gem of a summer frock, and I'm too aware that summer is swiftly ticking away.

Introducing my very first Lindy Bop dress- the Audrey red check swing dress!

I adore it! 

I'd been on the hunt for the perfect red gingham dress for a couple of years, so when I found it and realised it came in my size, I just had to have it. I hadn't worn gingham since primary school and back then I was forced to wear a red gingham shirt dress every summer with a red sweatshirt and white socks. I loathed that uniform. When I left Primary school in 1996, I was determined never to wear gingham again... and for eighteen years I didn't... until last month when I found this dress and fell in love with it. I blame blogging; blogging has made me love gingham again! That and the fact this dress is an absolute beauty!

Sure, I may look like a table cloth threw up on me, or that I've just come from a 1950s village fete, but I love it. It makes me want to go picnic down by the river, make daisy chains and read old Enid Blyton novels.

What I love about the dress is that it's so beautifully made and high quality, yet so inexpensive. This dress was just £29.99! Lindy Bop is the most affordable vintage reproduction brand I've personally come across, and the quality is far greater than most dresses you can find on the high street for the same price. They're a great brand to start with if you're thinking of dabbling in rockabilly fashion but aren't quite sure what styles work for you yet, and they're equally great for anybody on a tight budget.

One size up // Two sizes up

What I didn't know before I bought this dress was that Lindy Bop cater to plus sizes! They stock UK sizes 8-22 with many pieces up to a 26, and instead of creating a separate plus size range, all clothes are available to all sizes they carry (well, at least up to a 22) with is fantastic. I'd always assumed that they wouldn't stock my size, so I had only admired them from afar. I could kick myself for not checking sooner! 

As for fit and sizing- I ordered a size up to begin with, as I usually do with fitted waist dresses, and as you can see in these photos, it fit well everywhere but was a little snug on the waist. Snug clothes hurt my spine so I decided to send it back and got the next size up, which was a much comfier fit on the waist, but as usual, baggy on top. 

It's rare that I get the perfect fit. I'm broad-shouldered, but only a c-cup, and my waist is only two or three inches narrower than my bust, so if I want a dress to fit comfortably on the waist, it will usually be loose on top. It's not a big deal to me because I always cover up with a cardi in public, but I think I'll probably get my tailor (read: Mum) to take this one in for me. (I really need to learn how to sew). 

I've seen other bloggers call this dress true to size, so all I can say is use the size guides on their website against your measurements if you're unsure. 

The good news is, if you need to exchange anything for a different size, you can send it back for a straight swap instead of having to return and reorder! My exchange was with me in less than a week. The bad news is, you have to pay the postage costs to return anything, which sucks.

I styled this dress with a strawberry necklace, strawberry cross-body bag, yellow polka dot pumps, and a red shrug. My only mistake was putting the cardigan on in 32'c heat for a couple of minutes. It wasn't my wisest move. I thought I was going to pass out! I started feeling sick and had to get a cold shower to cool my body down. I'm not the brightest crayon in the box.

The print would make a great table cloth, but it's an even better dress! I wish it came in other colours!

The strawberry necklace came from a vintage shop / stall in Camden called Berty and Gerty. I'm pretty sure it's not vintage, but I love it just the same.

The white flowers remind me of strawberry blossom, so I had to use it as a background for my strawberry bag. I think the bag is perfect with the gingham dress, because red gingham makes me think of summer picnics and you can't have a summer picnic without strawberries! 

The bag came from Accessorize about a year ago, so unfortunately it's not a current line.

I don't own the perfect pair of shoes for this dress, so I just wore my new yellow polka dot ballet pumps from New Look. Aren't they cute? They're from the wide fit section and were only £9.99, so naturally I had to buy them in navy as well. They're not available online anymore, but it could be worth checking your local store just in case.

Outfit Details

Dress- Lindy Bop. (Sizes 8-26).

Cardigan- M&Co. (Similar, sizes 8-22).

Necklace- Berty and Gerty.

Bag- Accessorize.

Shoes- New Look. (Wide fit sizes 3-8).

Since ordering this dress, I've purchased another two Audrey dresses- this one and this one- and I'm hooked. I'm coveting so many other Lindy Bop clothes that I know this is just the start of what will be a large collection. I can't wait to show you my two polka dot Audreys this Autumn!

Are you a Lindy Bop fan?