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?

Outfit | Cobalt Blue and Red Polka Dots

I'd like to introduce my new favourite dress; Matilda, the red polka dot swing-shirt-dress. She's the latest addition to my ever-growing collection of polka dot dresses, and don't tell the others, but she's quickly becoming one of my favourites.

She's one of those dresses that I fell in love with the moment I first saw her, and one I couldn't stop thinking about until I was able to snap her up. I don't know what it is, but there's just something about polka dot shirt dresses that I go crazy for, and this one tops them all. Matilda is the créme de la créme of polka dot shirt dresses, and since she's a Lindy Bop frock, I'm not surprised; their dresses are always so beautiful and high quality.

What sets Matilda apart from all the rest is that she is a swing shirt-dress, so she has an amazing full, flared skirt that gives a gorgeous silhouette, and also has plenty of room for a petticoat underneath, to make it even fuller. Unlike most shirt dresses, she is only buttoned to the waist, which I personally love because there's no worry of popping or losing a button and accidentally flashing your underwear to the world. She's made from good-quality cotton, but the fabric is still light enough to wear during the Summer. It's a sleeveless frock, too, so it's ideal for those hot sunny days. You can be sure that I'll be rocking this dress with pops of yellow when the weather gets warmer!

As it's still a bit early for wearing bright yellow, I've been wearing Matilda with bold cobalt blue, and a little bit of black. The colours of the dress and the blue pieces haven't been captured well in my photos, though. It was a cold and dull, grey day when I shot these photos, and the light kept changing from grey to dull yellow. I took over a hundred photos, but I'm not happy with how any of them came out. To be honest, I'm not pleased with the ones I'm sharing, but I decided to share them anyway, because I loved wearing this outfit and wanted to show you this dress before it sold out. So... just imagine that the dress is a really vibrant tomato red, and the blue shrug, belt, bracelet, and satchel are very bold shades of cobalt blue, because they are in real life.

I had so much fun wearing this outfit, which is just as well, as I had a nightmare with the sizing of the dress. I actually had to order Matilda three times, sizing up once more each time in determination to get the dress to fit! I  loved the dress too much to give up on it. I found my usual Lindy Bop size and the next size up too tight on the waist. They fitted nicely over the bust, but I still had problems with gaping buttons, as I always do with buttoned shirts. While I'm not very busty, I am naturally broad shouldered and chested, so I never get along with shirts. I almost always have to size up a few times to avoid gaping, so it's rare that I ever get to wear a properly fitted shirt. I'm wearing a dress three sizes larger than I generally wear here. It doesn't gape (hurray!), but it's not actually all that loose around the bust or waist. It isn't perfectly fitting, though; sizing up has meant the top button starts over the bust, and the waist is a little further down, but it's nothing that cinching in the fabric belt, and adding a stitch or two can't sort. Just bare that all in mind if you're broad shouldered or chested, and want to buy one. She really is worth persevering for, though!

She's a gem of a dress, comes in sizes 8-26 UK, and a bargain at just £29.99! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll be made in other colours; if she is, then I'd happily buy them all! I bloody love this dress!

Outfit Details

Dress- Lindy Bop // Shrug- M&Co (similar) // Satchel- ASOS // Brooch- Cath Kidston // 

Bracelet- Cath Kidston // Shoes- Fashion World* // Tights- Evans

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.

What I Wore | Rabbits, Foxes and Deer, Oh My!

There are a few facts I'd like to share with you before I reveal today's outfit:

1. I've avoided velvet for most of my life because the texture makes me shudder.

2. I rarely wear anything that shows my thighs.

3. I've never really braved a short skirt before.

4. I've never worn a peplum top or dress, at least not to my recollection.

5. I have an outfit to show you that includes a velvet short skirt that shows some thigh, with a peplum top tucked in to it! In doing so I've stepped out of my comfort zone, and dipped my toes in to a few things I've never embraced before. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Louise.

I'd kept these photos stored in my drafts for almost a week because I couldn't decide whether to share them or not. The photo quality is very poor and I looked a mess. I had just returned from a session of group physiotherapy which was gruelling, and I was sore and exhausted with little make up on. However, I had a delivery waiting for me when I got home and I wanted to try the top on before I retired to bed. I took a few photos, and have been debating about showing them ever since, and, well... here we are. I've decided to go ahead and blog about them. Well, my outfit posts are few and far between these days.

Both garments I'm wearing here were brand new additions to my wardrobe last week, and I love them both!

I bought the top from ASOS Curve just over a week ago as I'd found a discount code which brought it down to £17. I felt guilty for using my overdraft at the time, but I'm so very glad I did as it appears to be sold out now. 

I was led astray by the amazing woodland print. It has deer, rabbits, squirrels and foxes all across it! I've never seen a print quite like it before, and I'm a sucker for an animal motif. The top actually has a peplum on the hips, but I chose to tuck it in with this particular skirt. I'm sure I'll show you it properly soon. The fabric is so super soft that I thought it was made from cotton, but it's actually a thick jersey. It's very generously sized, and realistically a size down would have been more than adequate, but this is the smallest size ASOS Curve stock.

As I said, it's now sold out, but there's a polka dot version here.

The skirt is from New Look Inspire and was also bought with a discount code! Unbelievably this beauty retails at the insanely inexpensive price of £9.99, but I paid just £7.49 for it on promotion!

 I love all the velvet pieces I keep seeing on bloggers this season- Nita and Hannah wear velvet so well- but as I said before, I've not worn velvet since childhood as I struggle with the texture. I need to get over it, so I took the plunge and ordered the gorgeous cosmic skater skirt I'd been lusting over for weeks. And you know what? I've no problems with the texture of this one. It's a thick skirt, but the texture doesn't send shivers down my spine! Just as well, really, as I love it!

The photos don't show this very well, but the skirt is covered in little shiny rhinestones to hit two trends on the head- velvet and cosmic. (See the very last photo). It's elasticated at the waist, and flares out over my hips and thighs... so 'flattering' on my figure. If you don't have a lot of love for your hips and thighs, skater skirts may be the skirt for you. They skim over those areas many of us don't like drawing attention to. I personally don't feel confident in skirts that cling, but never let anyone tell you you have to flatter your shape. Wear what you feel comfortable in! I've worn it quite low on the waist to cover a little more leg, as that's how I'm comfortable, but it still shows more leg than I'm used to.

I was actually wearing dark purple tights here, not that you can tell!

Isn't the woodland print fantastic? ASOS should use it for lots of other pieces, too!

This is what the skirt looks like up close. Although the little rhinestones are actually golden.

There aren't many sizes left online, so get in fast, or pop in to your local New Look and see if you can snap one up. The skirt is fabulous and perfect for Christmas parties and gatherings. I'm planning to wear mine with a Christmas jumper on Christmas Day.

What I Wore

Top: ASOS Curve

Skirt: New Look Inspire

Tights: Evans

Do you like or loathe velvet, short skater skirts, and peplums?

Wrapped Up In Bows...

No need to adjust your screens, ladies and gentlemen; your eyes aren't deceiving you- this is really a Polka Spots and Freckle Dots outfit post! Not a very good quality one, but an outfit post all the same.

It's been several weeks since the last one, and I'm sorry for the absence. My back injuries make the most simple of every day tasks- (the ones we never give any thought to like dressing, sitting, standing, walking down a flight of stairs), difficult, and exhausting. I've spent most of the last couple of months in bed getting myself through the aftermath of each hydrotherapy session, and feeling like an old lady. And while I haven't been able to bring you outfit posts, I've been working night and day on the appearance and features of the blog. I still have a little more to do, but I'm pleased with how it's coming together.

When I haven't been working on my blog design, I've been online window shopping; drooling over all the pretty new season things I want to own. I picked up a few new frocks, like the one I'm wearing today...

I supplemented a Dorothy Perkins order with two additional dresses in case the one I wanted wasn't what I was hoping. This jersey bow print wrap-style dress was one of them, and I ended up keeping all three. Oops!

I'm not usually a big fan of jersey fabric, but I love this one on me. It moulds to my shape, without clinging or showing the lumps and bumps; which is something that always leaves me feeling self-conscious. The fabric is quite thick, and I love the bow print- I think it's one of few prints I didn't previously own in my ever-expanding collection of dresses. I sized up as I wasn't sure if the waist was fitted or not, and although the waist is stretchy, the dress is small fitting so I'd advise getting the next size up if you order it. As I sized up it's a little big around the arms, but I'm happy to report there's ample space for the girls.

The skirt is a wrap-style, it's sewn to the waist, but it shouldn't result in accidental flashing as the underneath part covers from hip to hip. I think I'll wear it with French knickers, just to be safe! The dress is currently just £17.00 in the sale, and I paid a little less with a discount code.

Apologies for the less than polished figure in the photos. I was just out of the shower, hair unstraightened, wonky fringe in desperate need of a cut (I haven't had a hair cut since December-eek!), and I was too sore to apply my face. I'm one of those girls who looks and feels much better with make up applied. As for the bad quality? It was raining a monsoon outside. Excuses, excuses!



I have three coats of my new MUA nail polish on my nails here; it just calls it 'shade 1' on the bottle. It's a very dark navy with discreet blue shimmer. I honestly can't believe it was just £1; it applied like a dream; it's chipped very little in four days; and it's a good shade. I found it in Superdrug.

I wore the ring to add a little colour to the outfit, and because I've not worn it much yet.



I added a few pearl bracelets, to match my pearl brooch.

And slipped my favourite blue ballet pumps on my feet. These came from New Look a year or two ago, and I've been slipping my feet in to them each time I've left the house recently. They're so comfortable and I love that the quilted style makes them a little different.

My Mum gave me the pearl brooch a few weeks ago. It's vintage. The woman she bought it from told her it was from the sixties, but my Mum, a sixties child, thinks the style is more fifties. I don't really mind either way; I just like pearls! Although like my bracelets, it's probably faux!

Dress: Dorothy Perkins

Cardigan: New Look

Tights: Evans

Shoes: New Look

Bracelets: Matalan (part of a set)

Ring: Evans

Brooch: Vintage

Nail Polish: MUA Shade 1

Just before I go, I thought I'd share with you the album sleeves I made for a couple of CDs I've burned for my bestie. We've been swapping music since we were eleven and cassettes were still the in thing. She lives up in Scotland now, but I still like sending her things to make her smile. I've never tried to make an album sleeve in the sixteen years we've been friends, but there's a first time for everything!

For the sleeves, I cut up some card by estimating the size against a CD case, glued it together, and used scrap-booking materials (I bought two years ago and have never used) to decorate it, and then covered them with wide sellotape to seal the design.

This is a copy of Ronan Keating's 'Fires'. I actually sent her an official copy, but couldn't afford to get her the deluxe edition, so I've burned it for her. I cut up some paisley Paperchase paper to turn in to fire to relate to the title.

And this is a copy of Linkin Park's 'Living Things'. I based the theme around the album title 'Living Things' by using adhesive flowers, some Cath Kidston stickers, and a purple and teal fabric which to me looks a little like plants (if I squint and don't look at it too close up).

They're not perfect, but I enjoyed giving them a go.

Do you still send your friends 'mix tapes' and write by snail mail?