A Very Unique Fashion Friday

Well hello my lovely readers. How have you been? Well I hope. I must say things with me have been pretty wonderful, lots of life changes seem to be happening all at once. Since we’ve last spoken I’ve moved into an apartment closer to work and my fella, I’ve had a birthday (24 now) got a raise at work whoop whoop, oh and ya…I GOT FREAKING ENGAGED! On February 12th I celebrated my birthday with my *then boyfriend* now fiance, we went to breakfast and he gave me the sweetest necklace of an acorn and thimble, if you’re a weirdo like me then you know the wonderful peter pan story that accompanies such a gift. Well after breakfast we went to work…sexy stuff I know. But it was the next day that made my birthday gift all the more special. I knew my sweet fella had a day long date planned and he seemed particularly excited about it so I thought I best dress the part, and I could think of no better company than Unique Vintage for my special birthday dress. I’ve always been a sucker for retro clothing and vintage dresses and particularly anything with a plentiful skirt, and if it just happens to be pale blue I have to have it. So it was a no brainer for me to pick the High Society Swing Dress… but oh man I could not have predicted how perfectly that dress would suit the day. Cause you see, my love had planned a peter pan themed scavenger hunt of sorts, and my dress is very reminiscent of Wendy.

In each little numbered box was a peter pan figurine and had a corresponding envelope with some sort of punny peter pan joke and instructions for which destinations to go to. The day started at my favorite coffee shop, then to one of my fave brunch spots, then we got pie cause anyone can do cake for a birthday but we all know pies really where its at, we then went to the butterfly gardens in Dallas which was beautiful, and then the last box and letter came for that one we were instructed to go to a park in downtown Plano. This park has always been dear to me, I celebrated my 8th birthday there and I remember seeing a couple get married in the gazebo and I think about them every birthday and how theyre doing…well it has now become a great deal nearer and dearer to me because this is where the love of my life asked me to marry him. The last box  had a single red feather in it

me looking way too focused about putting a red feather in my babes beanie.

and the letter was the most beautiful heartfelt speech/proposal in the world…its just a shame I was too swept up in emotion to remember a word of what was said after the fact…sorry babe.

Someone was having a little trouble opening the treasure chest that had the ring in it…and someone else had a terrible case of the giggles

after a very teary yes and a kiss he told me to turn around cause he had another surpriseMy face at seeing my dearest Amanda who lives all the way in Maryland taking pictures.

needless to say I was happy about that surprise…but he also made sure my family was there and even his parents my soon to be in laws flew out for the big event too!

I was all giggles and Dane was all types of smug 😉

couldn’t quite believe what had happened

and then of course we proceeded to act like weirdosI certainly have found my match

Cardigan: Doll Me Up Darling

Necklace: Hooligan Alley

Dress: Unique Vintage Thank you thank you a million times over for making me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world on the happiest day of my life! It never ceases to amaze me how accurate UV’s size chart is and how flattering their cuts and choices of fabric are. I always feel like a princess in their pieces and I would imagine anyone else would too!

Shoes: Miz Mooz/Similar

Photography: The incredible Amanda of Gilded Isle Photography I just wanted to say thank you again to my love for knowing how important it was for this moment to be captured and for knowing no one could do a better job than Amanda. Girl these pictures my frosty personality melt into a puddle of feels! You’re the greatest!

So basically I’ve been living in a state of I cannot believe this is my life…and how does one even plan a wedding? Haha so forgive me for the lack of posting consistency and the abundance of mushy pictures and posts but hey I’m in love and I’m not the least bit sorry about that. Happy Friday my dears and I hope you all have a beautiful weekend and that you buy yourself that Unique Vintage outfit you’ve been eyeing…because hey ya never know when the love of your life could propose and your best friend could be hiding behind a tree documenting it all so you want to look your best 😉

Fashion Friday featuring Queen of Heartz

Hello my loves and Happy Fashion Friday! This week I will be featuring one of my all time favorite pinup brands Queen of Heartz Apparel. 

Pearl Earring and Necklace set: Gift/Similar

Dress: Queen of Heartz Now I have a few dresses from QoH but I have to say this might be my most favorite. The 60’s silhouette is incredibly flattering and immediately evokes a seriously Joan Holloway vibe, and the bengaline material is both comfortable and supportive so hooray for smooth lines! Normally I end up ordering a Medium in most of Letty’s  pieces (my measurements are 36″ 27.5″ 36″) but I do find sometimes they can be just ever so slightly loose, so I opted to size down to a small since this dress is rather stretchy and I am glad I did because this little diddy fits like a glove! I also happen to think this dress would be the perfect holiday season dress, its sexy enough for glitzy parties but the higher neckline and beautiful navy blue color makes it appropriate enough for family gatherings, and who doesn’t like duel duty pieces?

Shoes: Gift from Miss Amy May (Tutorial) or Similar

I hope you all enjoyed this post and that you check out Queen of Heartz for all your holiday party dress needs! Cheers!

The Brit and The Belle: Hawaiian Hideaway

Sarah Forshaw (@Forshawsarah) and Miss Amy May  (@miss_amy_may) are southern belle and southern brit pinups, respectively, who found one another on Instagram part way through their pinup transformations in mid 2013, at which point they tentatively, then all of a sudden, become devoted and divine friends. Bonding over their urge to bring full on glamour to their every day lives, their shared opinions on cake, and their fierce nerd hearts, the two quickly began to look upon one another as fabulous sisters–who simply hadn’t met yet outside the confines of the interwebs. Due to finally meet IRL to share many squishy hugs and swing-skirted spins in fall 2015, they’re opening up their friendship and their closets to you in this shared blog post while they eagerly await their meeting. It’s been quite a while since my darling Sarah and I have been able to join forces for another installment in our The Brit & The Belle series, but finally we’re ready to share another joint post with you. Sarah and I are alike on many different levels, too many to list. Two of the easiest to focus on is our shared belief that a good dress is a terrible thing to waste by waiting for a good excuse to wear it, and our love for Pinup Girl Clothing. The combination of those two things means we both happen to own the same fabulous dress in the same colourway, the orange and purple Pinup Girl Clothing Hawaiian Hideaway dress. We don’t want to taunt you too much with this dress because unfortunately it’s now out of stock after going on super sale at $60 down from $160–yeah, no wonder that bad girl sold out, and fast. (Such a sale is part of the Pinup Girl Clothing Online Yard Sale, where no item is over $60 and the sale section is updated regularly.) So while we’d like to focus a little on the dress and it’s fit to give you PUG newbies an idea of the brand’s quality, we want to focus as well on the parts of us that aren’t so similar; our differing sizes, shapes, colouring and styles. I, Amy, am pale and red-headed compared to Sarah’s olive skin and rich brown hair. I’m an L/XL in most reproduction style clothing, curvy, modest of bust and generally quite soft around all my edges, while Sarah is, despite being my same height and curvy herself, much more slender, toned, and a touch broader of shoulder, a dainty size S-M. We admire each other’s styles but don’t often find our wardrobes overlap–in part, though, possibly due more to Sarah’s admirable shopping restraint and my lack thereof. To us, this dress is fun, classic, summery and stylish. In the L it fits me snugly without being uncomfortable, the pockets are handy (no pun intended,) and I feel a bit like a tropical princess despite the fact that where I live in England we have probably never had even a second’s worth of weather that can be deemed tropical. As my lovely counterpart stated it is not often she and I have the same pieces, because I tend to be more restrained in my spending (buyer’s remorse is a beast) and Amy is far bolder than me and is more likely to snap up what she wants. I feel the same could be said of our styling, I tend to be a bit more reserved and Amy lives by the motto “Go Big or Go Home…and then relax in your curlers and yoga pants.” To be completely honest she’s my hero. Despite these difference in our style and shopping habits neither one of us could resist the charms of the Hawaiian Hideaway.  I found the fit of this gem to be comparable to the fit of PUG’s Ella, decent room for the girls but not baggy, cinched waist but not suffocating, and the skirt is what dreams are made of. The Hawaiian Hideaway made me feel as lovely and as exotic as Dorothy Lamour. The cut of this dress is not only flattering on both of us, but the bold colouring works on both of us and our differing colourings; the bolero can be used as a safety blanket for ladies who are perhaps less happy with their arms, like Amy is, or simply for the killer style bonus that it is, while I’m happy to rock the dress bolero free and bare shouldered. In our differing sizes of S and L it looks just as lovely, and can be worn with petticoat and without. It’s an easy dress to save for vacations and tropical themed events, parties or restaurants, but we think it’s important that no woman stares at a dress in her closet and repeatedly pushes it aside because she doesn’t want people to stare, to think she’s tried too hard, to ponder where she’s going or to scoff and deign it ‘too much.’ None of that matters. If we give in to the notion that clothes are nothing more than a way to cover up our socially-deemed-unviewable body parts then we lose a rich, fun and wonderful way to express ourselves, not only our personalities but also our views on life. Wearing a dress you like when you like for no reason other than wanting to express that you like it is a tiny, unimportant, joyful act of rebellion, of stylish stubbornness, of expression and chicness and certainty. And we Brit and Belle both fully support all of those things.

Fashion Friday Featuring Queen of Heartz Pt 1.

Hello you lovely people you! This week on the blog I am featuring the always gorgeous and fabulously historically accurate Queen of Heartz. If you’re familiar with the blog then chances are you know how much I adore this LA based brand. I cannot say enough good things about this company, every design looks like its something my Grandma could have owned, theres no chic quite like granny chic, and I positively love the owner/designer Letty Tennant. Her brand has become such a staple among the pinup scene that it would be easy for her to stop working so hard and let her name and reputation carry the business, but Letty would never do such a thing. She is a woman dedicate to her craft and her customers. Honestly she’s my woman crush everyday!

I can’t tell you guys how ecstatic I am to be sharing this look. All the fun of a playsuit/romper without any of the…um…er…wedgie tendencies, hahaha sorry if thats TMI. But as a lady with a rather long torso rompers just never worked for me. But with the Mari Top and Skort I can get that summer fun look of a romper without any of the hassles.
Love that the shorts aren’t too short!

Wide waist tie to really complete the sarong look of this skort. Its all about the details.

Hair Flowers: H&M I bought two of the packs.

Earrings: A Greek Festival/Similar

Mari Top: Queen Heartz What’s not to love about this top? Adjustable halter, padded bust, wide waist band (super flattering), and vintage inspired buttons really make this top sing. Unfortunately I fall between sizes my measurements are 36″ 27.5″ 36″, I’m just too big for a small and slightly too small for a medium, so this top is ever so slightly loose on me but it will be easy enough to take up. One can’t blame a brand for not catering to weird proportions 😉

Mari Skort: Queen of Heartz Love love love! This skort is so perfect, I know I will be getting a lot of wear out of this bad boy this summer. It gets insanely hot here in TX so shorts, skirts, and skorts, are practically a necessity…but I’m a bit self conscious about my legs, from cellulite to the sheer size of my thighs finding anything to keep me cool yet still covered enough is quite the hassle. Til now that is. The Mari Skort is the perfect length for me, just long enough to cover up what I don’t particularly like, but short enough that I still look young and fun, and most importantly stay cool. Why can’t all bottoms be as flattering as the Mari?

Skinny Gold Bracelet: Gift/Similar

Statement Bracelet: Family Heirloom/Similar

Sandals: Miz Mooz

If you’re in the market for some truly vintage looking pieces you cannot find a better place than Queen of Heartz to fufill your desires. Seriously if you go to their site and don’t see anything you want you’re not of this world haha. Hope you all enjoyed this post and that you keep a look out for the next features. Until then Happy Friday darlings.

Fashion Friday Featuring: Harkin Headquarters

Well hello you gorgeous thing you, welcome to 2015! May this year be even better than last and may your fashion continue to grow in its fabulousness.

I must say I am was really excited to post this first Fashion Friday of the New Year. This is the time everyone is making goals and setting out to accomplish them, usually these goals deal with health and wealth. But I believe having fashion resolutions is just as important. This is why I could not be more thrilled to feature Harkin Headquarters. What makes Harkin Headquarters so special you might ask? Well first off the products offered are incredibly stylish, but the core value of HHQ is that of supporting independent artisans. In a world of mass production and shoddy quality its nice to know there are still businesses out there that care about people, quality, and of course style.

The variety of products offered by HHQ is phenomenal from ponchos to headdresses, tapestries to bracelets, this kickass company has it all. Including Keith Harkin merch, which was so wonderfully modeled by my stunning beauty of a sister, and okayishly modeled by me as well 😉

How is it even legal to be this beautiful?I love that this girl goes from glamazon to goof  in a matter of seconds.

Hat: Homemade/Similar

Sunglasses: Unique Vintage

Cardigan: Old Navy/Similar

Shirt: Harkin Headquarters 100% organic cotton, stellar design, great fit, and a great way to immediately convey to people you have excellent taste in music without having to say a word 😉

Bracelet: Vintage/Similar

Jeans: Academy poor girl has to buy men’s jeans to accommodate her super long legs, a problem I only wish I had *cuffs jeans in despair*.

Shoes: Converse/Similar

 

We laugh a lot.eating trees as one does…no? Just me? 

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters/Similar

Earrings: Gift/Similar

“Holy Moses Cardigan”: Cotton On/Similar oh and Harkin Headquarters has some amazing wraps too. Just sayin.

Shirt: Harkin Headquarters Again 100% organic cotton and there is absolutely no question as to what insanely talented musician you’re repping.

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: DSW/Similar

I hope you all enjoyed this post, that you check out Keith’s music, and the amazing company that is Harkin Headquarters. Cheers to you 2015, you’re already looking mighty fine.

Fashion Friday Featuring: Queen of Heartz Apparel

Hello my loves, I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. I originally had hoped to share the beautiful Brenda from Queen of Heartz before Christmas, because hello this dress just screams Happy Holidays in its gorgeous red…But we all know Christmas time means you never meet deadlines. However that doesn’t mean you have to wait til next Christmas to scoop up this beauty. I happen to think ringing the New Year in a ravishing red is an excellent idea…also Valentines is right around the corner, just sayin. Twirl test: A++ I mean would you just look at that skirt!

The look of a woman who keeps sinking her heels into the dirt.

Earrings: Sam Moon’s/Similar

Necklace: Sam Moon’s/Similar

Dress: Queen of Heartz I have long since been a fan of the Brenda, I lusted, I coveted, I pined after it, and now it is in my possession. Sometimes after wanting something for so long and finally getting it you feel a little let down, you built it up too high in your mind. But I can honestly say I’m more in love now than I ever was before. The Brenda is actual dress perfection, the skirt is HUGE and swings like a dream, the wide waist band is mind blowingly flattering, and the scalloped edged neckline is so similar to the masterpiece of a gown Rosemary Clooney wears while singing Love Didn’t Do Right By Me in White Christmas I could cry. Letty Tennant is a dress making goddess and every pinup should own at least one of her pieces…Because after the first you’ll be hooked 😉

Bracelet: Sam Moon’s/Similar

Petticoat: Malco Modes

Shoes: Charlotte Russe/Similar

I hope you all enjoyed this post and that you will check out Queen of Heartz, every woman deserves to feel this kind of glamour. Happy New Years! See you dolls in 2015!

XOXO

Sarah Forshaw

Restricted Shoes Holiday Look.

Goodness gracious! How is it almost Christmas? Where did the time go? I hope you’ve all got your shopping done and are able kick back, relax, and enjoy the Holiday Season.

Restricted Shoes and I wanted to help further that relaxation by partnering together to not only give you a couple of Holiday Party Outfit Inspirations, but also provide you with a discount that will definitely help you chill out. Simply use the code SF40 for 40% off sitewide now through January 31st. Andy Williams sings about how this is the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be the most expensive, so I know how a good bargain is a gift in and of itself.

It seems to me the 60’s look comes in every winter, I mean who doesn’t want to channel their inner Betty Draper at their next holiday party? But you can still stand out and not look like every other doll there. Break away from the traditional reds, greens, and golds and maybe go for a mint. Mint is totally winter acceptable, just look at the Starbucks menu, mint everything! Oh and be sure to add a heaping helping of sparkle, Christmas lights aren’t the only one’s who get to shine darling.

Earrings: Sam Moon’s/Similar

Dress: Pollypop

Clutch: Charming Charlie’s/Similar

Brooch: Gift/Similar

Bracelet: Sam Moon’s/Similar

Shoes: Restricted Shoes With their bow detailing and white accents these precious flats are going to make you feel lovelier than a Christmas gift wrapped by Martha Stewart herself. One doesn’t always have to don heels to be glam, and if you live somewhere that gets frequent snow or ice, heels can sometimes be a bit of a hazard. Now I’ll be honest, I didn’t find the material on these flats to be incredibly comfortable on the back of my ankles while bare skinned, but pairing them with tights took all discomfort away. Not mention tights are going to keep the cold at bay, and I’m sure with a bit of wearing in the flats will soften up quite nicely.

So if you’re still looking for the perfect “Cinderella” finishing touch to your outfit might I suggest you check Restricted Shoes.

Fashion Friday Featuring Kenley Collins

Hello my darlings. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are slowly but surely coming out of your turkey induced coma’s. Or if you’re one of those people who go Black Friday shopping I hope you got away without being trampled or having a panic attack. But I have to inform you there is one more thing that needs to be put on your Christmas list. You need to get yourself some Kenley Collins goodness.  Kenley is a prime example of why buying from a designer is such an excellent idea. All the cuts, lines, and silhouettes are carefully and artfully executed, because true designers understand that a fun print isn’t enough to carry a dress. But Kenley definitely likes her fun prints too, so if you like classic and flattering silhouettes but still want fun and unique prints and patterns look no further than Mrs Collins. Her new line an American Geisha is especially fun and unique, but is still classic enough to not look kooky. So do yourself a favor and check it out, odds are you need a new holiday party dress and while everyone else is wearing the bland LBD’s you can be rocking a colorful and lovely Kenley Collins original. Having a light snack of foliage…as one does.

and because there’s no such thing as too many silly photos.

Pearls: Gift/Similar

Dress: Kenley Collins Oh this dress though! As any woman knows getting a strapless dress that stays put and looks good is damn near impossible. But this dress flies in the face of reason and says ‘no I will stay put, I wont look like a towel wrapped around you post shower, I will be elegant and lovely, because I have wonderfully supportive boning in the bodice’. I could not be more in love with this dress, the construction is nothing short of miraculous, the print is BEAUTIFUL, size chart is totally on the money accurate, and the material 100% cotton so its machine washable!!! I know that may not seem like a big deal to some people but since I’m still a child I hate having to go to the drycleaners 😉 Thank you Kenley. I love you and your gorgeous (yet practical) designs!

Shoes: Miz Mooz

I hope you all enjoyed this post, and that you check out Kenley’s beautiful new line. Happy Friday my loves!

Fashion Friday Restricted Shoes Pt. 3

Hello cats and kittens, I hope you have all had a lovely week. I most certainly have, because I have been having a blast putting together blog posts for you all to (hopefully) enjoy, and I was particularly excited to share this final Restricted Shoes series feature with you, because man oh man these heels are stunning!

Necklace:Gift/Similar

Top: Onzie/Similar

Bracelet: Vintage/Similar

Skirt: Julie Mollo

Shoes: Restricted  See what I mean? Aren’t these babies gorgeous? To me they look like the kind of shoes Audrey Hepburn would wear, and if you know me at all that’s just about the highest compliment you could possibly receive. Again Restricted just knocks it out of the park with the pointed toe, which is so classically high fashion you cant help but feel tres chic, the heel height is just a bit taller than a kitten heel, which is great for me, because for some strange reason I stumble around more in a kitten heel than a stiletto. Please tell me I’m not the only one. Oh and the bow detailing adds just the perfect amount of playful femininity to put these heels in a category all their own. I’m really loving these heels, because they’re classy and grown up, but they’re not the least bit stuffy or tragically “practical”, and I happen to think these shoes will pair perfect with most party dresses this holiday season so that’s another bonus there.

I hope you all enjoyed this post, and the whole Restricted shoes series for that matter. Happy Friday and I will talk to you all again soon!

Oh and if you want to pick up a pair of shoes for yourself starting December 1st-31st use the discount code SARAHFORSHAW30 for 30% off of your purchase, how great is that?

 

Fashion Friday Featuring Restricted Shoes Pt 2.

Well a very happy November to you all! Oh gosh I just love that, wishing you a happy November!  Since we’re finally moving into “winter” Texas is getting the rain it so desperately needs and clearly I could not be more thrilled. I was ever so slightly concerned that it might dampen (haha see what I did there?) our photoshoot, but I think it just highlighted my gorgeous flats from Restricted Shoes all the more. Don’t you?

Hysterically happy about the rain! This is the face of a pluviophile.Earrings: Cracker Barrel/Similar

Shirt: Old Navy/Similar

Jeans: Old Navy

Shoes: Restricted Shoes What a fun spin on the classic oxford!!! The cutout detailing brings a breath of fresh air and a touch of edge to an old favorite, the pointed toe for me is synonymous with high fashion, and the color combo of white and mint keep these bad boys perfectly playful and oh so 50’s! I’m really enjoying these flats a great deal. I’ve had some really bad experiences with ballet flats causing gnarly blisters but the Gimmie is made from really soft faux leather so no blisters for me! Thank God! So I guess what I am saying is these are an all around great pair of flats ❤

I hope you all enjoyed this Pt 2 piece on Restricted Shoes and that you have a very Happy Friday!

Oh and if you’re thinking of getting a pair of shoes, starting December 1st- the 31st use the discount code SARAHFORSHAW30 for 30% off of your purchase.