Red and Yellow Polka Dots

Ladies and gentlemen: do not adjust your screens; do not rush off to get your eyes tested; what you're seeing isn't a mirage or a trick of the eye. This really is an outfit post! I might just die of shock!

Today's outfit is a combination of three of my favourite things; polka dots, colour, and novelty handbags. A perfect combination if you ask me! 

This outfit came together organically; and it wasn't until I came to edit these photos that I realised I was channelling a bit of Minnie Mouse with my red polka dot dress and yellow shoes. She's a style icon, so I can live with that.

(I'm not feeling my looks at the moment, so I just wanted to hide away behind the clutch bag.)

I'm not sure if I've ever worn red and yellow together in my adult life, but I had a random urge to try yellow with this dress, and I really loved the result. Who knew red and yellow worked so well together? In my opinion, it's one of the best outfits I've worn in a really long time. I love everything about it; the colours, the patterns, the accessories, and of course, the dress!

This gorgeous red polka dot dress is a Lindy Bop "Audrey", which is one of those dresses I just had to have. Well, you know me with polka dots and full skirts! I was so smitten with the dress, that I visited the website every day until I was able to purchase one, just to check it was still available! Sad, I know. I snapped one up last month, but the cotton is so thick and heavy that I've been waiting for the weather to cool down just so I can wear it without passing out. The cotton is as thick as a medium-weight pair of jeans and it's also lined! While the quality of the fabric is fantastic, it's just not suited to weather above, say, 20'c; less if you get easily over-heated like me. It was about 25'c when I took these photos last weekend and I was roasting. It's definitely better suited to chilly Autumn and Winter weather, and I think it will be the perfect dress to keep warm in when it gets bitterly cold.

The deep, dark red of the dress is also more of a wintry colour; it's more crimson than it appears in these photos. I love wearing dark reds from Autumn to Spring, which is the reason I'm so in love with this dress. I think it would look great with mustard and forest green, but I don't own much of either at the moment. I thought I'd add bright yellow to have one last fling with summer brights before I retired them until next Spring.

The dress comes in sizes 8-26, and it's so affordable at just £29.99! I had to size up twice for a comfortable fit since I don't have a narrow waist, but other ladies say it's true to size, so check your measurements against their size guides! My dress is very loose on top because I've sized up, but I think I've disguised that reasonably well with the cardi. 

I accessorised the outfit with a sunny lemon wedge clutch bag by Monki, and a pair of yellow polka dot ballet pumps from New Look. As it's a midi dress that sits a couple of inches below the knee it would be more flattering with heels, but I have to keep my feet on the ground in flats because of my bad back. I hate the way my legs look, but c'est la vie.

I added my toadstool brooch from Cath Kidston, which I've had for about a year.

My red rose bracelet is also from Cath Kidston. It's one of my favourites.

Outfit Details

Dress- Lindy Bop // Cardigan- New Look // Shoes- New Look // Bag- Monki via ASOS // Brooch- Cath Kidston // Bracelet- Cath Kidston

I loved wearing this outfit and I'm pleased with how it all came together. The colours are so uplifting.

You'll be happy to know I'll be back with some more outfit posts really soon, and this dress will be making a reappearance!

Thanks for reading!

New Additions to My Novelty Handbag Collection

It's no secret that I love fun, kitsch accessories; I add at least one to almost every outfit. I like my style to have a sense of humour, and one of my favourite ways to achieve that is by accessorising with novelty handbags. I love them!

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember reading about my novelty handbag collection a little earlier in the year. Well, since that post I've added another two novelty bags to my small but ever-growing collection; both purchased during late Spring or early Summer. I was hoping to debut them on the blog in outfit posts this Summer, but that never happened, so I've decided to just give you a little peek at them today.

Fruit designs were one of Summer's biggest trends, adorning everything from dresses to handbags. You couldn't visit an online fashion retailer or scroll through Pinterest without coming in contact with a few dozen fruit-themed clothes or accessories. It was A-OK with me; I loved the trend! 

I couldn't resist the lemon and orange wedge clutch bags that Accessorize, ASOS and New Look brought out, and I treated myself to the lemon wedge clutch by Monki (via ASOS) back in May or June. It was too sweet to resist. The design is so summery, and it goes perfectly with summer sun-dresses, but equally adds a statement when worn with a pair of jeans and a blazer. It's made from faux-leather, and the quality isn't bad for a £15 bag. It's no longer available, unfortunately, but New Look have a very similar clutch bag in orange, which is still available here and costs less than a tenner!

My other Summer handbag purchase was this quirky camera-shaped bag from Accessorize! Isn't it amazing?! 

When I first laid eyes on it in the Spring, I was immediately smitten with it and knew I had to have it. I mean, it's a handbag shaped like a camera; what's not to love? Sure, it's not the greatest-quality bag I've ever owned, and the top part is noticeably wonky, but it's such a fun accessory. It has a chain cross-body strap, and just about enough room for a few essentials. I wish it was a little bigger because it doesn't hold all that much, but who needs something practical when you can have a camera as a handbag??

The camera bag is still available online, which you can find here for £29.

You can also read about the rest of my novelty bag collection here, if you'd like to.

Do you have either of these bags? Do you like novelty handbags as much as I do?

Thanks for reading!