What I Wore | Red And Green Should Never Be Seen

I've finally managed to take some photos of myself wearing my green polka dot Lola dress from Dolly and Dotty, and, as promised, I've recreated the outfit I wore on Christmas Day (minus a couple of festive accessories) for it's outfit debut.

I might look ridiculous dressed in red and green in February, but I like this outfit, so what the hell. We can always pretend it's an early St. Patrick's Day ensemble! (Even if I do look like a Christmas elf...)

Before we start, I'm sorry for the quality of today's photos; I took these on a rainy day, and my camera apparently didn't want to focus properly. Still, I figure they're better than nothing, though, right (?) since outfits are so scarce here these days! I hope you don't mind too much.

I bought the dress back in December, just after I discovered rockabilly brand Dolly and Dotty for the first time. I don't know how I'd never heard of them before (where have I been??), but I instantly fell head over heels in love with this dress and had to get it to wear on Christmas Day. It was not only my idea of the perfect Christmas dress, but the perfect green polka dot dress, too, which is something I'd been hunting for for years. (Green's my favourite colour, and you guys know how much I love polka dots, but good green polka dot dresses aren't as easy to find). I didn't need any more persuading, but the fact that the dress was only £14.99 on sale just sweetened the deal, and I snapped one up straight away.

It turned out to be even more perfect in the flesh- great-quality medium-weight cotton, very well made, beautiful colour, gorgeous design... practically perfect in every way, apart for one little detail- the sizing. My usual size swamped me, so I had to exchange it for a size smaller, but I'm happy to say that one fits me like a glove. So, size down with the Lola dresses, if you can (they come in UK sizes 6-24); the cut is very generous, and the fabric has some stretch, even at the waist (which is fitted). I should add it also has a zip to the back, but I can still get the dress over my head without unzipping it.

The colour is much darker and bolder than my photos show, more like a dark apple green. For some reason my camera won't capture the colour properly indoors or outdoors, but the colour in the stock photos is pretty spot on. If green isn't your thing, the Lola dress also comes in sixteen other colours, so there's an entire rainbow of Lola dresses to choose from! I love this dress so much I'm hoping to collect a few more of the colours over time, especially the teal, brown, yellow, and red. At just £27.99 each, a little collection of Lola's will hardly break the bank, so I think I can justify it! They even come with two free fabric belts (one matching, one plain) that actually fit, and a Dolly and Dotty red canvas bag. which is such a cute touch, and a bargain for the price. The dresses cost a little less than similar ones from Lindy Bop, and a lot less than those from Lady Vintage, but the quality is just as good!

I've worn this dress a couple of times now, and I absolutely adore it. I only wish I'd found it sooner. It got it's first wear on Christmas Day as I'd planned, which I wore with all of the pieces I'm wearing in today's photos- red cropped cardigan, red belt, toadstool brooch, rose bracelet, and ruby red slippers- but in addition, at Christmas, I accessorised it with a bauble-shaped clutch bag, cherry earrings, and a ring or two as well. I thought that was a bit OTT for a dreary February morning, so I kept things a lot simpler- although looking at these photos, I think the outfit could've done with a necklace to break the fabric up a little.

What I Wore

Dress- Dolly and Dotty // Belt- Dolly and Dotty (came with the dress) // Cardigan- M&CO

Shoes- Evans // Bracelet- Cath Kidston // Brooch- Cath Kidston

It was a really fun outfit to wear, even if I looked ridiculous wearing these colours together at this time of year. I don't care; life's too short to live in black and white. You can be sure that I'll be wearing this dress with lots of other colour-combos as we go in to Spring and Summer. Who knows what colour palette I'll go for next!

I have a feeling this won't be the last dress I buy from Dolly and Dotty or the last you'll hear about them from me!

Have you treated yourself to anything from Dolly and Dotty lately?

What I Wore | Tartan Revival

No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you; this is actually an outfit post! Yes, really! I don't know what happened either.

It's been far too long since I last blogged an outfit here on the blog. Aside from a couple of mirror shots, the last one I shared was back in March last year, which is crazy.

I used to share my outfits regularly until my health began to deteriorate a couple of years ago, but as the pain grew worse and became harder and harder to bear, the posts became less and less frequent until they fizzled out altogether.

For the record, I really hate using my health as an excuse, but the honest truth is it affects almost every part of my daily life, no matter how hard I try to fight against it or keep on powering through. The pain has become so intense that I've lost the strength to do normal stuff like shower, get dressed, put on make up, do my hair, and get outside to pose for a hundred plus photos to get one half-decent shot to blog, all in one go. I don't often have the strength or the pain tolerance for any of it, so if I've managed to shower, dry and brush my hair on the same day, it's been a good day.

I've basically spent most of the last couple of years living in my pyjamas, trying to stay as comfortable as possible, only really dressing in proper clothes when I've ventured out of the house, which hasn't been often. Combine that with the fact I've not had a lot of money to spend on clothes, I've just not had many outfits worth blogging about, so you really haven't missed out on much.

It does make me sad that my style has taken a back seat here because I always enjoyed sharing my outfits with you guys, and it was what I created Polka Spots and Freckle Dots for in the first place. Don't get me wrong; I love blogging about all of the other topics I do, but I miss talking about the outfits I wear. I want to get back to it. and I'm going to do my best to make it happen.

My aim for 2016 is to get out of my PJs more and in to proper clothes, make it outside regularly to soak up some vitamin D, and to share more outfits like I did in the olden days, and as you can see, I've made some progress already by combining all three!

I've actually taken outfit photos four times during the last couple of weeks, although I'm not sure if all four are blog-able yet. This one just about passes the test. It was grey, dreary, drizzly, and a little windy when I shot these photos, and the garden was a mess, so they're far from perfect. I also look a bit spaced-out because I was still feeling a little flu-ish when I took the photos, but the main thing is it's an outfit to share, which is one more than yesterday.

So, in these photos I'm wearing the tartan Audrey swing dress from Lindy Bop, which I bought over a year ago, but had never worn before. I'm not even sure why that is- looking at these photos, I really like the way it looks on me- and I don't often say that about what I wear! I felt great in it, too.

It's a beautiful dress with the most gorgeous tartan fabric, which is made up of yellow and white stripes and little green squares on a background of burgundy. The fabric is medium-weight cotton, and a little lighter than some of the other Audrey dresses I own- which is a good thing because I find the heavier ones too warm to wear unless it's freezing cold outside. (Though I am on fire pretty much 24/7). The tartan dress is still thick enough to keep you warm in the Winter, but I find it much more comfortable to wear and move around in. The skirt is lined, the fabric has a little stretch, and I'd say it's pretty true to size.



It's a little big on top on me, but that's a common problem since I'm only a c-cup, and it's nothing a cardigan or a jacket can't easily disguise. I'm not comfortable baring my upper arms in public anyway, so wearing one over it isn't a problem. I can deal with a little extra room around the girls. I love Lindy Bop's Audrey dresses too much to let that stop me! It's my favourite out of all of the dresses they make. I currently own five in different patterns and colours, but I'd own hundreds if I had more money to spend on clothes! (One day!) I love 'em! I just can't resist a good boat-neckline swing dress. Especially when they're fantastic quality and so affordable like Lindy Bop's are!

I decided not to go down the rockabilly route when I put this outfit together, and instead dressed it down with black pieces for a casual, every-day look. It's a simple outfit and only took me a minute to throw together, but I like the way it turned out, and I felt really confident in it.

What I Wore

Dress- Lindy Bop // Cardigan- New Look // Tights- Evans // Shoes- Fashion World* // Belt- Dorothy Perkins // Necklace- Maggie Angus // Black beaded bracelets- Dorothy Perkins // Silver and black bracelets- gifts from the bestie

I'll hopefully be back with another outfit post really soon!

How would you have styled this dress?

OOTD: Painting the Roses Blue with Bon Marché

I've spent most of the last few weeks living in my PJs, curled up in bed like a burrito, but I actually managed to dress on Wednesday; look- proper clothes, and everything! I even pushed the boat out and did my hair and make up, too! (Miracles do happen...) Since I got that far, I just had to get out in to the garden and snap a few photos to mark the occasion. And more importantly, so I could show you all the pretty Bon Marché dress I was wearing.

Bon Marché recently got in touch and invited me to pick out a piece to review. I had never shopped with Bon Marché before, and in all honesty, I had been under the impression that their clothes were aimed at the older lady. And while I suppose that is some what true, when I popped on over for a browse, I was pleasantly surprised to find so many beautiful clothes in gorgeous colours and patterns, and even a plus size range up to a UK size 32! They've seriously upped their game over the last few years.

I was particularly drawn to the dresses in their David Emanuel collection. If you're not familiar with the name, David Emanuel is the man who designed Princess Diana's wedding dress; one of the most iconic dresses in history. I figured, if his designs were good enough for a princess, then there must be something special about the clothes he makes, so I asked to review the rose and lace print side pleat dress. And, oh, is it a beauty!

When the dress arrived on my doorstep a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to see how pretty the dress was; it's far prettier than I'd imagined. It's made from the most beautiful cobalt blue and turquoise rose-print fabric, and has a monochrome background with leaves, lace, and more flowers filling the gaps in between. I love the combination of monochrome and bold pops of colour; it's so eye-catching.

The fabric itself is surprisingly thick and high-quality. The website describes it as stretch-jersey, but it feels more like viscose, and thankfully, doesn't cling against the skin like jersey often does. I presumed it was going to cling to my shape, so I made the mistake of sizing up to avoid that from happening; I definitely didn't need to. As you can probably see, the dress is far too big on me, especially around the arms and waist, so I'd suggest sticking to your usual size or even sizing down. It's generously cut.



I've been wearing a skinny belt on the waist to cinch in the excess fabric and get a bit more definition, and it solves the problem with zero effort. I didn't wear a belt in the photos, though, because I wanted to show you the true shape and sizing of the dress.

It sits a couple of inches below the knee on me (I'm 5'6''), so it is a long knee-length dress, and will obviously be longer on you shorter ladies. I'd wear a pair of (blue) heels to balance the length and flatter the legs, although the black studded pumps I'm wearing are only about an inch high because I can't wear heels right now with my bad back.

The good thing about this dress is that it has half length sleeves, so there's no need to wear a cardi or jacket over the top if you prefer to cover up your arms. It also has a flattering, pleated drape on the left hip.





It's so different to the fit and flare dresses I usually wear, but I love trying out new styles, and I felt very lady-like in this frock. I think it would be a great dress to wear for work, weddings, and other smart and formal social functions, as well as for looking glamorous every day.

The dress is available in sizes 10 to 24 here, and is reasonably priced at just £30.

What I Wore

Dress- Bon Marché* // Tights- Evans // Shoes- Fashion World* // Bag- Dorothy Perkins // Necklace- Giveaway Win // Ring- Evans

Have you shopped with Bon Marché recently?

*Bon Marché provided me with this dress in exchange for a review. As always, all words, thoughts, opinions, and photos are my own.

Lady Vintage Polka Dot Hepburn Dress Review

Hello, my name is Louise and I have a polka dot dress addiction. And water's wet. 

My wardrobe is packed full of dresses, and at least a dozen of them are polka dotted. You'd think that would be enough, but somehow I always manage to find room for one more when the perfect frock comes along.

That's exactly what happened when vintage reproduction brand Lady Vintage got in touch and invited me to review one of their beautiful dresses. I knew exactly which dress I wanted to review; a polka dot Hepburn swing dress! I'd been admiring the designs from afar for a long time, so I knew it had to be my first taste of Lady Vintage. I asked to review one in red or navy, and made some space in my wardrobe for one more dress.

I was sent the Hepburn polka dot dress in 'red wine'*, and ladies, let me tell you- this dress is absolute perfection! In the short time I've had this dress, it's already become a serious contender for my favourite dress of all time! At the very least, it's made the top three! Sure, I wear dresses every day, but it's not often I fall head over heels in love with one, like I have with this little number. It's beautiful! If it were a person, I'd happily walk down the aisle and marry it.

The style and fit of the dress makes me feel like a million dollars; something which doesn't happen all that often! I find the classic fifties-style swing shape really flattering on my figure; it disguises those areas I'm not particularly confident with showing, like my thighs, and hips, and nips me in at the right places. The style of the dress would suit most body shapes and sizes; it flaunts curves, flatters all sizes (yes, plus sizes, too!), and can create curves for ladies who have little, (but girls, remember, you're beautiful with or without curves!) .

Being unfamiliar with Lady Vintage's sizing, I used the size guide and size generator to determine which size I needed. I'm generally a size 20 for fitted clothes, but because of my broad waist, their generator told me I needed a size 26/28! I thought that couldn't possibly be right, so I compromised and went with the 22/24, and I'm glad I did. Apart from the usual issue of being a little loose on top, this dress fits me like a dream. It's fitted, but not skin tight (which is how I prefer it), and I have plenty of room left to breathe and move comfortably. Being comfortable is essential for me. 

Just as well that the fantastic quality fabric is super soft, then! It's made from a medium weight cotton, which has a good weight, and is neither too thin or two thick. Like baby bear's porridge, it's just right! 

I think this dress is ideal for wearing all year round. It's warm enough for Winter, and light enough for Summer; just add or subtract layers appropriately. The dark red is best suited to Autumn and Winter, though- and especially perfect for the Christmas season! I am aware that the colour clashes with my red hair, but I don't mind clashing when the dress is this beautiful.

I decided to shy away from a classic rockabilly look with this dress; mostly because it was far too cold for bare legs, and I'm crap at my hair! I gave my outfit a modern twist with some black pieces, studded slippers, and fun novelty accessories. Yes, it would look better without tights, but I didn't want to get frost-bite; it's bitterly cold here at the moment. The dress comes with a skinny black belt, which fits me with room to spare! I have it on loose in these photos intentionally to take the pressure off my bad back.

This is how the dress looks without a lovely tulle petticoat underneath. It still has a great shape, and I find dresses like this one much easier to wear for every day without one underneath. That being said, I'm dying to get myself a petticoat so I can play dress up! 

The Hepburn dress retails for £50, which is really reasonable for a high-quality vintage-reproduction dress. Quality vintage-style dresses under £50 are few and far between, and Lady V is definitely on the lower end of the scale.

You can find the dress here, but if red isn't you're thing, the dress also comes in black, navy, mocha, and purple. I have a few of them on my Christmas list! The Hepburn comes in lots of different patterns, too, and you can find them all here. The dresses come in sizes 8- 26/28 UK (some styles go up to a 30/32), which is absolutely fantastic. It's great to find another brand that isn't afraid to cater to plus sizes. I'd definitely recommend sizing up once, but check your measurements against the size guides to be sure.

I adore my Hepburn dress, and have so far been impressed with both the fit and quality of the dress. This may be my very first Lady Vintage dress, but it certainly won't be my last!

Dress and Belt*- c/o Lady Vintage // Shrug- New Look (similar) // Shoes*- c/o Fashion World // 

Bag- Accessorize // Bracelet- Cath Kidston // Brooch- Cath Kidston // Tights- Evans

Before I go, I just wanted to offer a quick apology to Lady V for the length of time it's taken me to get this post up. I'm mortified by how long it's been, and it's not okay! It wasn't my intention. I've had some physically demanding physiotherapy sessions over the last couple of months which have sent my pain levels through the roof, and repeatedly left me unable to get about unaided, As you can imagine, it's made it difficult to get outside to snap a few pictures and for that I'm so sorry! I hope you'll forgive me!

Are you a fan of Lady Vintage dresses?

Thanks for reading!

*Lady Vintage provided me with the dress in exchange for a review. As always all words, opinions, and photos are my own.

Polka Dots and Vampire Teeth

If you can believe your eyes, I have an outfit post for you today! I'm on a roll at the minute; a slowly moving one, but a roll just the same! I actually have a few more outfits snapped and ready to show you over the next few weeks! I'm spacing them out to make them last, since I never know when I'll have the strength to take some more, or even get out of my PJs long enough to wear outfits worth snapping.

This is an outfit I threw together a few weeks ago while I was waiting on a delivery. I thought it was best I didn't scare the courier by opening the door in my PJs! 

It was about 9am when I took these photos, and I'd only had about two hours sleep, so I look rough as hell in them- and felt it, too. I just had to take advantage of the bright sunny morning, though, and got myself in the garden with my camera while I listened out for the door.

The chiffon asymmetric dress I'm wearing is an old one from Matalan, but it's one of my favourites. I always feel great in it, so I return to it time and time again, as I do with almost all of my favourite clothes. I'll never be one of those girls who won't wear anything twice. One: I can't afford to live like that, and two: even if I could I wouldn't; I get too attached to my favourite clothes, and enjoy wearing them regularly! Plus I live in the real world, where it's normal to wear clothes and accessories again and again, until they fall apart. There's no shame in it!

This outfit, apart from the bag, is actually made up entirely of old pieces. I didn't realise it at the time; I was just focused on selecting pieces to wear that I thought would work with this amazing novelty clutch bag. It's a simple look, but I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Excuse the nails; I was half way through painting them when I fell asleep!

The best part of the outfit is definitely the amazing vampire lips clutch bag, which I'm pleased to say is a current line. It's one of ASOS's novelty Halloween pieces, and it's without a doubt the best novelty bag I've ever seen (or owned)! The novelty bag trend has become so popular over the last few months, and there are so many great bags to choose from, but what could be better than a lip-shaped clutch with vampire teeth?? Nothing!

It was one of those bags that had me squealing at my laptop screen and there was no question about it, I had to have it. For £20, it's so well priced, and the quality is surprisingly good for an inexpensive high-street clutch. It's well made and sturdy, and the design is just fantastic! There's also a surprising amount of room in it for the essentials. I can't afford a Lulu Guinness clutch, so this ASOS novelty is the next best thing!

If you want to embrace a little Halloween spirit but don't fancy dressing up this year, the vampire lips clutch is the perfect accessory for adding a little fright-night fun to your outfit. It makes a statement on it's own without needing the cape and fangs to go with it! It' definitely grabs people's attention, and it's a great conversation starter, too!

Looking back on these photos, the only thing I think the outfit was missing was a belt or a statement necklace. I forgot to add one or the other at the time, but two hours sleep will do that to you! 

I'm also not quite sure why my hair looks so dark in these photos; it's still the same bright red it's always been since I began this blog! I think my camera's just shit! 

Outfit Details

Dress- Matalan // Cardigan- TU at Sainsburys // Tights- Evans // 

Shoes- New Look // Brooch- Cath Kidston // Bag- ASOS // Glasses- Roxy

How would you style the vampire lips clutch bag?

Thanks for reading!

Hearts and Polka Dots

I've been meaning to blog about this outfit for a couple of weeks, after snapping the photos in the garden one sunny afternoon, but as I wasn't happy with any of the photos, I've been hesitant about sharing them. 

I can see too many flaws in my photos from the shadows on my face to one strap of the dress that had unknowingly slipped off my shoulder. The garden's a mess and I also have a wheelie bin in shot because it was the only angle of our one hundred foot long garden which didn't give me over exposed photos (it gets all the sunlight), and I physically couldn't move it out of view. I was going to re-shoot the photos, but I've not made it out of bed in nearly a fortnight now, so sod it, I'm just going to blog them anyway, flaws an' all.

A few weeks ago, I found this cute fit and flare dress when I was window shopping at Dorothy Perkins. I had been on the look out for some dresses that I could bare to wear on scorching hot, muggy summer days, and it was just what I was looking for. A light-weight cotton dress which is breathable and doesn't leave me too flustered and over-heated on hot days. 

It's a navy fit and flare dress with a polka dot and heart print print, a sweetheart neckline, and capped sleeves. It's a little shorter than I usually wear, as I'm not a fan of baring my thighs, but I feel comfortable and confident in this dress with tights or leggings underneath. The length hits me an inch or two above the knee (I'm 5'6''), but if you're much taller it will be quite a short dress, which may be good or bad depending on the skirt length you prefer to wear! The shorter length has actually been a god-send for me on several sweltering hot days already, when I've worn it bare-legged around the house and managed to remain fairly comfortable in the heat.

I purchased this navy heart print polka dot dress along with two others in the same design, including this cherry print dress, and this bow print frock. They are all such pretty dresses, and so inexpensive at just £18 each. I bought them while they were on promotion, and with a discount code, so they were fantastic bargains and well worth the price. The dresses come in sizes 6-22UK, and they have a lot of stretch to the fabric, so your usual size should be fine. 

I paired the dress with a red cardigan, black opaque tights, ruby red ballet pumps, a toadstool brooch, and an owl necklace.

The fabric is a darker navy than my camera captured, and it has a polka dot and heart print all over it. You just can't go wrong with polka dots, and when it's combined with another awesome print it's even better!

I've always loved red and white toadstools, and when I saw this Cath Kidston brooch last Autumn I couldn't resist making a cheeky purchase. It's no longer available online, but it could be worth checking your nearest Cath Kidston shop or outlet shop in case it's still available in store. It's such a cute little brooch.

The owl necklace was a gift from my older sister a couple of years ago. She bought it in Florida on one of her Disney holidays, but I've no idea who it's by or where it's from.

These shoes are always so difficult to photograph; they just don't translate well at all on (digital) film. They're actually dark ruby red in colour and extremely glittery; just like Dorothy's ruby red slippers, but without the heel. I bought them from Evans around seven or eight years ago, because I'd always wanted a pair of ruby red slippers and I fell in love with them the moment I saw them. They're such cute pumps, but after all these years they still severely butcher my feet every time I wear them. Why must pretty shoes hurt the most? I try to only wear them now when there's not much walking involved, or I will end up with bloody blistered feet.

Outfit Details

♥ Dress-Dorothy Perkins
♥ Cardigan-TU at Sainsburys
♥ Tights- Evans
♥ Shoes-Evans
♥ Brooch-Cath Kidston
♥ Necklace-Gift from Florida

What do you wear to keep cool in the summer heat?

It Sounds So Sweet Coming From the Lips of an Angel

Hello there!

Last week I finally got around to taking some photos of myself wearing the lip print skater dress from F&F at Tesco. (I know; don't all faint at once!) The dress is the second of two I purchased from Tesco using the F&F voucher I won in Naomi's giveaway a month or two ago, and, I'm glad I chose it.

The lip print skater dress was an obvious choice for me because I love quirky prints, and I was lured in by the funky red lips on this navy frock. Prints are one of my main weaknesses and I doubt I'll ever grow tired of them. There's something really satisfying about discovering a new print and adding it to my wardrobe of weird and wonderful oddities. Is it sad that I get excited about stuff like that? Probably!

I've also been needing to add some more casual pieces in to my wardrobe, because my wardrobe is lacking in casual clothes. Most of my clothes are quite dressy because I just love to dress up every day instead of saving fabulous clothes for special occasions- life's too short!- but sometimes those clothes just aren't appropriate and I'm left feeling a tad over-dressed and out of place. So, I've been keeping an eye open for casual dresses that I can wear for mundane tasks like supermarket shopping and trips to the doctors, and this dress won me over.

It's a cute casual dress and for £16 I personally think it was a bargain. It's made from light-weight jersey which is perfect for wearing throughout the year. It has short sleeves so it can be worn on it's own with sandals in the summer, and layered up with knitwear and / or a leather biker jacket and ankle boots in the winter. The length of the sleeves make me feel quite broad, so I've broken up the pattern with a cropped cardigan which pacifies my insecurities. 

It has a lot of stretch so there's no need to size up. I originally purchased a size up because I thought the waist was fitted, but it wasn't and the dress swamped me. I reordered my usual size, and to be honest it's still quite loose on me, and I would probably have been better with the size down. As it's a little too big, the waist sits lower than my waist, and the extra material around my boobs settles in to a crease, but it's rare that I get a good fit around them because I'm not very busty. I don't mind the relaxed fit, though, and it's easy enough to cinch in at the waist when I want it to look more fitted.

I dressed mine very simply with a navy cropped cardigan, black opaque tights (navy would look better, but I don't own a pair), black studded slippers, a strawberry pendant necklace, and some black beaded bracelets.

The strawberry necklace is several years old. I think I purchased it from a vintage shop in Camden called Berty and Gerty, or from their stall in the Lock Market.

The black bracelets were part of a set I bought from Dorothy Perkins four or five years ago. The black and silver were both gifts from my best friend a couple of years ago.

And the studded slippers came from New Look's wide-fit selection not quite two years ago.

Outfit Details

♥ Dress- F&F at Tesco 

♥ Cardigan- New Look (similar) 

♥ Slippers- New Look (similar) 

♥ Tights- Evans 

♥ Necklace- Berty and Gerty 

♥ Black Bracelets- Dorothy Perkins 

♥ Black and Silver Bracelets- Gifts From the Bestie

The dress is now on sale for just £8, but is only available in sizes 6-16 online now (here). I think it went up to a size 22, so it would be worth checking your nearest Tesco to see if they have any of the other sizes left. It's well worth a purchase.

Have you bought anything from F&F lately?

P.S. Apologies for the ugly recycling bins in my photos. Our garden is a mess because we've been having asbestos removed and guttering replaced, and the rest of the garden (including my usual spot) gets too much sunshine for photos on very sunny days. You'd think a hundred foot long garden would have some shade, but it gets none!

Coral Flamingos

Sometimes I love to return to past outfits and wear them exactly the way I did before. Sometimes it's nice to be able to recreate outfits I love, instead of constantly looking for new ways to wear them. Why fix something that ain't broke?

Today's outfit is one I've recreated a few times since I first wore it and gave it its blog debut in 2012. Wait a minute- has it really been two years since this outfit post?! Woah! It was the first or one of the very first times I showed my face on the blog, and I was absolutely terrified! I've no idea where those two years have gone, but I still love the dress and outfit I am about to show you!

Two years ago, I bought this flamingo print dress in two colours from Dorothy Perkins because I fell head over heels in love with the print; I'm a sucker for flamingo prints, and I just couldn't resist them. The other dress is exactly the same style, except it's cream with a navy flamingo print.

To this day, I still think they were both great purchases, even though the cut is a bit weird. The waist is too high up and as a result, it's a little odd-fitting around the boobs. (Yet still baggy, as usual). I wasn't the only person who found the fit to be less than perfect and I can only conclude that a mistake was made in production. If the waist was an inch or two further down it would be better but it never bothered me enough to return the dresses. I love(d) them too much. 

That said, I definitely don't wear these dresses as often as I should and need to make an effort to wear them more often. I tend to save this one for beautiful hot summer days, because it's so summery!

This dress is pale blue with a pattern of bold coral flamingos all over it, and the swishiest circle skirt. I always have to play with it whenever I wear it! The five year old in me just longs to twirl! I like to dress it with coral and turquoise pieces, and always seem to gravitate to my coral Lovedrobe shrug, a turquoise patent belt from Dorothy Perkins, and a very old pair of coral peep toe sandals from Evans. I like the way they all look together. I'd usually wear it with my flamingo locket which has a pearl chain, but it's needs repairing, and I have an old turquoise bangle that goes perfectly with it. This time, I decided to mix it up just a little and added my seaside themed charm bracelet from Abilu Creations, a lilac macaron ring from And Mary, and my coral saddle bag from Accessorize. I'm sorry to tell you everything I'm wearing is old. 

I've probably had these sandals for at least eight years, if not a decade. They're still in pristine condition because I've not given them regular wear, but I still love 'em all these years later. 

Here's a closer look at the pattern, and my coral shrug. The flamingo print is one of the best flamingo prints I've ever seen; I think it's absolutely perfect. The shrug is a little baggy, but it's got the cutest scalloped edging and the colour is so summery.

I bought this charm bracelet in Camden Lock Market several years ago, from an independent brand called Abilu Creations. I have a few of their unique accessories, which are all made by hand using cute and quirky charms (many of which are vintage), and are finished with their signature guitar plectrum. This particular bracelet is sea side themed, and there are some great charms on it including a lighthouse, starfish, fish, and shells. I assume they still have a stall just outside the indoor Lock Market in Camden (which is just over the canal), but it's been a few years since my last visit there. They also have a website now, which is well worth a browse! 

My macaron ring is by a brand called And Mary, which I bought off ASOS last year. It's on an adjustable band, and isn't it just the cutest ring you've ever seen?!

My coral saddle bag is by Accessorize, and is another purchase from 2012. I love to wear it with my favourite summer outfits, because it's so bright and cheerful.

Outfit Details

Dress-Dorothy Perkins // Shrug- Lovedrobe (similar) (similar)  // Shoes-Evans // 

Bag-Accessorize (similar) (similar) // Ring-And Mary (similar) // 

Bracelet-Abilu Creations (similar) // Belt-Dorothy Perkins

I will never be one of those people who wears everything just once before moving on to the next one. I love to wear my favourite pieces over and over again until they fall apart, and always shop with the intention of getting lots of wear out of my purchases. I can't afford to buy a new outfit for every day of the year, and to be honest, even if I could, I doubt I'd want to. I enjoy revisiting old favourites from the collections I've built up over the years and some of them, like this ensemble, have the power to make me feel happy time and time again. And that to me is a sure sign of a great outfit!

Do you wear some of your outfits again and again, or do you prefer to move on and never look back?