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?

OOTD: Brown and Yellow Polka Dots

Today's outfit is one I wore back at the beginning of September when the weather was still hot and it still seemed acceptable to wear pastel yellow. It seems so long ago now!

I had been playing dress up that day, trying different colours with my new Lindy Bop brown polka dot Audrey dress. I don't usually find it difficult to pair colours together, but my wardrobe is lacking in colours that compliment brown, like rust, mustard, chocolate, and dusky pink, so I started experimenting with other colours. That's how this unconventional brown and yellow combo came about. 

And... I look like I'm wearing the Brownies uniform from the early nineties! I'm just missing the sash! Does anybody remember how vile the colour of the culottes and trousers was? It looked like bile! I remember always hating them, especially since my Mum made me wear the culottes and not the trousers. What kid wants to wear bile coloured culottes? Seriously? None of them do!

I've not worn culottes since my Brownies days (thank God), and I hadn't worn brown and yellow together, either, until this outfit happened in September... but I actually liked the result! I think the colours look okay together, and it was fun to try out a new colour combination. It seems a waste to leave this beautiful dress hanging in my wardrobe unworn until I buy some pieces that compliment it better. It deserves as much wear as possible; even if the most exciting place it gets worn is the garden and the only person I'm dressing up for is myself!

Outfit Details

Dress and Belt- Lindy Bop // Cardigan- New Look // 

Shoes- New Look // Bag- ASOS // Necklace- Giveaway Win

Would you wear brown and yellow together?

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!

It Must Have Been Love

For as long as I can remember, I've been dying to get my hands on a brown polka dot dress, just like the infamous frock Julia Roberts wore to the races in Pretty Woman. Show me a woman who didn't want that dress at one time or another!

This Summer I finally found my perfect brown polka dot dress; a swing dress by Lindy Bop, which I was able to snap up with some birthday money back in July. The fabric was far too thick and heavy for Summer, so I've had to wait until now to wear it, but it was definitely worth the wait.

The dress is beautiful, the quality is amazing, and it's so comfortable to wear. I feel great in it! The only way this dress could be better is if it was custom made to my measurements, but now I'm just being greedy!

I would have loved to have styled it like Vivian, but I don't own a boater hat, thick brown waist belt, or white shoes, and I've not owned a pair of white gloves since my first communion in 1992, so that was never going to happen. It also wouldn't have been very 'me'. This isn't the eighties anymore.

My first thought was to turn to some simple white pieces, since I'm lacking in colours which compliment brown. The dress came with the white belt, and I dug out an old cropped cardigan from New Look, which I think look okay together. Looking at these photos, I don't think the yellow polka dot ballet pumps or necklaces look great with the dress at all, but you win some, you lose some. I only chucked it together for a walk around the garden.

I need to invest in some black and tan shoes this Autumn (I have none!), and I'd like to hunt down some rust, mustard, and chocolate cardigans, jackets, and accessories to wear with this dress this Autumn and Winter. It's the perfect dress for AW because the fabric is about as thick as a medium-weight pair of jeans and it's lined, so it should keep me warm when it's freezing cold outside.

It's also wearable for every day, without looking ridiculously over-dressed, but it could be dressed up for a special occasion with a big tulle petticoat, heels, and some red lippy! I'd love to wear it with a petticoat every day, but I think I'd get a lot of odd glances in suburban Oxfordshire!

The Audrey dress comes in a huge selection of colours and patterns in sizes 8-26 for just £29.99! They are fantastically priced! I recently blogged about the red gingham and red polka dot Audreys in outfit posts, if you'd like to see them.

Outfit Details

Dress (inc. belt)- Lindy Bop // Cardigan- New Look // 

Shoes- New Look (Wide Fit) // Necklace- Rachel's giveaway

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!

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?

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?