Fashion Friday Featuring Unique Vintage

Hello my lovely readers, how are all of you? I know its been absolute ages since I’ve posted anything! I’ve missed all of you and I’ve missed blogging. My life has undergone a few new changes mainly a new job (Hallelujah) so adjusting to my busier schedule has taken a bit, but here is hoping I’ve finally got things sorted so more regularly scheduled posts will happen! Okay enough of my excuses 😉 now onto this weeks feature!

The one the only Golightly Dress from Unique Vintage.

Praise be to He! Pockets in pretty dresses!!!
forever giggling with my little sis/photog

Glasses: Urban Outfitters

Dress: Unique Vintage The Golightly is made up of everything I love in a dress: 100% cotton, available in a variety of colors and patterns, flattering to all shapes and sizes, true to fit, has adjustable straps, a full skirt that is just begging for a hearty twirl, as well as some seriously adorable details going on, I mean just look at that bow, and best of all POCKETS!!!! Does anything top that? I’m seriously enamored with this dress, I love how easy this little number can be dressed up or down, and I know for certain its going to transition into fall and winter seamlessly. As I stated before this dress is true to size, but since my proportions are a bit off I found the waist to be a bit loose on me, so I threw on a belt to cinch it in and that works just fine, so if you have a similar shape but are worried about sizing no need to fret with just a tad of accessorizing or even alterations you’ll be golden. Oh also the Golightly in the red colourway and the navy and white gingham (which I own) are currently discounted so I say you oughtta snag yourself one while you still can.

Belt: H&M

Shoes: Miz Mooz/Similar

I hope you all enjoyed this post and that you have a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday my loves!

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.

If I Could Do Prom Over

Well its that time of year again, when all the department stores start busting out their formal dresses for prom, and in turn make me feel old and wish I had done my proms a little differently. Now my prom experiences are probably slightly different than most, because I was homeschooled. But being that I lived in the DFW metroplex I was able to go to the Texas Christian Homeschool Prom. It was a surprisingly large event, there were about 1000 kids there and the decorations and everything were quite beautiful, so if you’re a homeschooled kid who lives close to Dallas and want to experience a fairly traditional prom this is definitely something to look into (be warned though the music choices aren’t brilliant and the rules are very strict).

I have to admit I still have a few prom regrets, no not like those kinds of regrets, get your minds out of the gutter 😉 Mainly I regret going the super TRADITIONAL route in my attire, I went with a floor length black dress from Davids Bridal and whereas yes its not the kind of dress I’m ever going to think eeew what was I thinking, its definitely not what I would pic for myself now. I should’ve bought a dress from Unique Vintage  and I should have done my own hair, $60 only to have my hair fall was quite the rip off just sayin.

So if I could do prom over again what kind of dress would I choose you might ask? Well here are just a few ideas

The Brenda $122 I actually own this dress in the red colorway and the skirt on this dress is nothing short of heavenly, so to wear it in navy paired with some pearls would make the perfectly timeless and highly elegant prom look.The Two Heartz Dress $158 Hot cha cha! This dress definitely makes a statement and the statement is pure sass! I love this dress so much I’m tempted to make a grown ups only prom!

The Nataya $224 Positively Flaptastic! Wearing this 1920’s style beauty with some t-strap heels, a dramatic smokey eye, and a faux bob is one of the best ways to stand out from the crowd if you ask me.The First Date Dress $102 This dress is beyond sweet but never childish! I’d love to see this dress paired with a fabulous poodle do!

Bergman Maxi Dress $148 For those of you who want to embody the glamour of Old Hollywood! All this dress needs is some veronica lake waves and little bit of smolder to really create the affect.

Polka Dot Garden State Dress $138 Oh this dress though, is there any color more quintessentially spring than mint? Maybe mint paired with a hot pink hair flower and some gorgeous pincurls?

Ya I would really love to do prom over and pick a statement dress from UV. So if you’re about to go to your prom pick that stellar dress you love and don’t give two cents of care if it breaks tradition. There’s a time and a place for traditional, but when you’re in your teens and about to leave highschool it is not the time to cower into the sea of sameness! Besides how many proms do you get anyway? Have fun, be young, and most importantly be your darling self! Happy dress hunting and Happy Wednesday!

In Your Easter Bonnet…

Hallelujah it is spring (for those of you still dealing with freezing temps I’m sorry) but here in TX we’ve thawed nicely and to me nothing signifies spring more than warmer weather, easter Sunday, and lovely spring dresses. So before you head out to the overrun department stores to buy your Easter duds, check out a few of these options I’ve already picked  for you that can be bought in the comfort of your own home. Because who doesn’t like shopping in their jammies?

 

Unique Vintage.

Dress 1 Blue Chiffon Swing  Dress 2 Mustard Polka Dot  Dress 3 Black and White Floral

Queen of Heartz.

Dress 1 Hawaiian 2 pc Dress 2 Dolly Teal Dress 3 Fabi Green

 

Pinup Girl Clothing.

Dress 1 Maria Purple Floral Dress 2 Yellow Molly Dress 3 Cream Floral Vamp

 

So what do you guys think? Any of these dresses make it onto your must purchase list? Are you as excited for spring aka dress season as I am? I’d love to hear from you so be sure to drop me a line even if its just to say hi. Happy shopping and Happy Wednesday.

#iamunique

Hello my dears its been a while since I’ve posted anything that wasn’t a strictly fashion post. Yes this one will have to do with fashion but I promise it will be so much more than that.

One of my favorite companies in the world: Unique Vintage has started a campaign I could not be more pleased with. The #iamunique  campaign encourages people to really love themselves for who they are. Basically you use the hashtag and talk about what makes you different and why you love yourself for it…Sure it sounds simple enough but openly stating your truest self and your rawest emotions can be a little scary especially on the interwebs, where kindness, understanding, and acceptance aren’t exactly a common theme. But I felt called to take the plunge and put myself out there.

Basically I used to wear what was “in” and pretend to enjoy the things that “everyone else” did and in turn was miserable, truly miserable. By wearing what was “in” I felt ugly because #iamunique I have a less than common figure and most clothes aren’t designed to flatter someone with short yogi legs, a ridiculously long torso, and line backer shoulders. I only wish I could go back in time and talk to little Sarah who was crying in dressing rooms wishing to be like everybody else and tell her how happy she would become the moment she embraced her truest self.

I have loved the pinup style for most of my life, even at the age of 4 I worshiped Audrey Hepburn and her flawless glamour. But since pinup was considered over the top by so many I had resigned myself to boring socially acceptable clothes for far too many years. I was denying who I really was everytime I bought myself a pair of skinny jeans and a graphic t-shirt. But all of the denial stopped the very moment I slipped on my Unique Vintage wiggle dress “just for kicks”. Needless to say I bought the dress, but honestly it was so much more than that, it felt like I had bought myself the freedom to be ME.
My first real pinup dress changed everything for me.

By realizing how right I was about my fashion choices I carried that same confidence into other areas of my life. I no longer pretended to enjoy the music that everyone else was listening to, I would unashamedly tell people my big plans for the weekend consisted of  of staying home baking, marathoning Doctor Who, and and snuggling my dog, and if I found something funny I would laugh my witchy cackle and maybe snort a little too. I was no longer ashamed of who I was. I loved me and I didn’t have to fit societies rules to do so.

 Going steady dress

Brenda Dress.

I’m not like everybody else and that’s okay, in fact its more than okay, Its fan-freaking-tastic! By being my truest self I have had so many opportunities open up to me, I’ve become bolder, braver, happier and the people who have chosen to love me for the real me are absolutely irreplaceable. In all honesty I probably wouldn’t have half the friends I do now if I hadn’t started dressing pinup. I discovered myself, and a community of so many beautiful hearts and minds. I just want to extend a huge thank you to Unique Vintage for starting this campaign of self love as well as to my wonderful pinup community that inspires me daily and reaffirms me. Like I said in my #iamunique insta post “yes I am unique but that doesn’t mean I don’t belong”.

Fashion Friday Featuring Lady V London

Well Happy Halloween everyone. Today’s post is not the least bit scary or spooky unless you happen to get the creeps from fabulous dresses at fabulous prices haha.

This week I am featuring the lovely company Lady V London. Lady V is run by husband and wife team Sergio and Victoria whose commitment to their customers, community, and workers is outstanding. From the very start of their company Victoria and Sergio were determined to create beautiful vintage inspired pieces at affordable prices, this means all the products are designed in house, and up until 2013 all of their dresses were made in EU. As of June 2013 Lady V moved their production to London ensuring excellent working conditions, higher standards of construction, and a quicker turn around time producing new designs and stocking old favorites. Beautiful clothes that you can feel good about wearing? It doesn’t get better than that! This shoot was 90% giggles.Gotta do the twirl test, the Isabella passed with flying colors.Earrings: Sam Moon/Similar

Necklace: Sam Moon/Similar

Dress: Lady V London To me this dress is a prime example of why the pinup style is so fun and more practical than you might imagine. The versatility of this dress has got to be one of my favorite features. The bow detailing can be removed in order to change the feel of the dress. Plus the timeless design can easily transition from a casual day out by pairing it with a cardigan, ballet flats, and fun 50’s style pony tail, to an elegant night on the town by ditching the cardigan adding some heels, an updo, and some glitzy jewelry. Also in case you’re wondering the fit of this dress is superb, my measurements are 36″ 27.5″ 36″ so I went with a US size 6 (UK size 10) the dress has ample room for the simple things like moving and breathing 😉 but it doesn’t look the least bit sloppy, oh and my favorite part, it actually has sleeves that can handle my shoulders! Lady V London thank you for making such wonderful dresses ❤

Petticoat: Malco Modes

Gloves: Gift/Similar

Shoes: DSW/Similar

I hope you all enjoyed this post, that you have a very happy Halloween, and that you check out Lady V London.

Fashion Friday Heads to PUG

Happy Friday my lovelies! Words cannot express how excited I am to share this week’s post with you all. Last month I had the great fortune to take a trip to the Los Angeles area, I got to check out Hollywood, Venice, Santa Monica, a few other surrounding areas and best of all I got to visit Burbank! Now what is so special about Burbank you may ask? Well it just so happens to be where Pinup Girl Boutique is located! I did it, I lived the dream of every girl who loves pinup style, I actually got to walk through those magical doors that transport you back to days gone by simply by surrounding you in all things beautiful. I can only compare the experience to that of being a small child who just got their allowance and walked into a candy store. When I first arrived I hardly knew where to look first, there was something I “needed” everywhere my eyes landed, dress after beautiful dress, separates that were so beautiful they could make you cry, and accessories so fantastic you finally understood what it would be like to be an actual Barbie Doll.

   I was in my element you guys!

Seriously Pinup Girl Clothing has something no other stores have nowadays, not only are there clothes like that of days gone by, but there window displays are witty and beautiful, and they give you the individual attention that used to be the norm in our grandparents day and age. True customer service to go along with perfect products? Yes please! As soon as I walked in I was greeted with warm smiles and hello’s, while I was going through picking out dresses to try on, one of the lovely ladies of the store said she could go ahead and put them in the dressing room that way I didn’t have to carry them around while shopping, and while trying on the dresses I was praised with the sweetest of compliments, that truly made me feel beautiful and special. The girls of PUG are beautiful, sweet, and incredibly friendly and helpful if you ever have the chance to go to the boutique BY ALL MEANS GO! Oh also they’re having a yardsale this Sunday so if you’re in the area you certainly don’t want to miss it. If however you do not live in the area you can at least buy the clothes on line, and let me tell ya never in your life are you going to be able to buy ready made clothes that will flatter and fit this well! Yes PUG is a little on the higher end but in this case you’re not paying for a brand you are paying for true quality!

Now on to the dresses. I already knew what I wanted when I walked into the boutique. I am a planner shopper 😉 but I did try on a few things just for kicks, just a few things mind you. I knew if I tried on everything I would inadvertently want everything.

Now I knew that I wanted the Ella Dress but I wasn’t entirely sure what color I wanted. It was nearly impossible to choose they were all so beautiful, and never in my life was I more tempted to blow the budget and buy a second dress when I tried on the ever so sexy Vamp dress! I mean wowie wow wow! This dress does magical things for ones curves…I feel a future purchase coming on you guys. After lots of giggling, going back and forth with which dress I wanted, and conversing with the girls in shop over which Ella I should get I finally picked a color.

The Blue Ella! It was difficult to decide as all the Ellas were just delightfully beautiful, but there was just something about the blue I couldn’t pass up!Needless to say this dress made me feel like a star!I just cannot get over the skirt of this dress! So much glorious fabric, honestly this is why I didn’t feel the least bit sorry about buying this dress, not only is it beautiful, but when you think about how much the fabric would cost you if you were to make this garment yourself it would be well over the cost of this already constructed perfect masterpiece. Plus all of PUG’s pieces are made in the USA, now talk about feeling good about your purchase.Oh ya did I forget to mention? This dress has pocket!!!

Clearly happy about my purchase

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters

Dress: Pinup Girl Clothing How can words even do this dress justice? The colors are spectacular, the fabric quality is out of this world, the fit is superb and very much true to size, plus its just so pretty! The moment I walked out of the dressing room I couldn’t help but say “I feel like a princess” which is what every girl wants right? This dress is all about detail the gathered peasant bodice, grosgrain bow under the bust, wide waist band, and pockets make for such a glorious combination. I heard all sorts of incredible reviews on PUG pieces and I felt like maybe they were too good to be true. But it is absolutely true. PUG is quality and beauty wrapped up into the most perfect garments you will ever have the pleasure of wearing. Its easy to waste money on cheap pieces of clothing and make do, but wouldn’t you rather buy something that will last through trends as well as wear and tear? I say yes to investing in ourselves, our closets, and in a business that really listens to its customers, and caters to women of all shapes and sizes.

Petticoat: Malco Modes

Shoes: Payless not the exact pair I am wearing. The ones I bought were on clearance so they’re no longer available.

I really hope you all enjoyed this post and that you check out Pinup Girl Clothing. Happy Friday!

Fashion Friday featuring Heart of Haute pt 2

Hooray we’re finally getting around to part 2 of the Heart of Haute feature. The model for this week is my beautiful younger sister.

Heart of Haute was founded in the home of the mother daughter team Teresa and Amanda Becker in 2005, eventually the business grew to more employees and made its way into an office/warehouse in San Dimas California in 2008, then the very next year the demand grew so much the ladies had to double their warehouse space. The fact that this business started by supplying two local Los Angeles boutiques to over 300 businesses both local and international has got to say something…and it says that their clothing and customer service are positively fantastic. Find out more about this incredible company at http://heartofhaute.com/

Flower Clip: Claires

Dress: Heart of Haute Can we all talk about how adorable this swing dress is? The sweetheart neckline, belted waist, and the precious polka dot print make it the perfect pinup piece. My sister’s measurements are 30″ 25″ and hips don’t matter in a swing dress 😉 my sister should technically be wearing an extra small but she’s very tall (6ft) and has extremely broad shoulders, so the medium fits her everywhere but the bust, its a little too loose in that area. So keep height and broad shoulder in mind when it comes to sizing and if you have any question on sizing you can always ask the incredibly helpful ladies of Heart of Haute.

 

Hope you all enjoyed this post and that you check Heart of Haute out, their products are so beautiful and very affordably priced for the high quality you’re getting. Happy Friday guys I love you!

Fashion Friday Featuring JBR Clothing

This week’s Fashion Friday is featuring JBR Clothing, a company that carries all of your favorite pinup and vintage inspired brands, and also happens to have some of the best costumer service you will ever have the fortune to experience. When I was unsure about sizing for this particular dress I shot the JBR team an email, was helped immediately and because of their expert advice my dress fits me perfectly!

Check out this fantastic company here http://www.jbrclothing.com/default.asp

Dress: JBR Clothing Have you ever seen an article of clothing that was your personality made into a garment? Well this H & R London Polka dot dress was so me I knew we deserved each other 😉 With its black and white polka dot print, classic swing dress shape, tulle underskirt, and fantastic pleated collar this dress is the embodiment of pinup. Not only was this dress visually “me” but the fit is spectacular. The H&R London dresses have a tendency to run on the small side but they provide a size chart that is positively spot on, so need to worry about the dreaded size gambling game. My measurement are 36″ 27 1/2″ 36″ and the medium is a gorgeous fit.

High Heels: DSW yes yes I wear these shoes too much, but am I sorry? Absolutely not.

I hope you all enjoyed this post and that you have a very Happy Valentines! PS if you’re looking for a last minute gift you couldn’t go wrong with a gift certificate from JBR Clothing or you could even buy yourself your own Valentines gift. No need to wait around to get what you really want. Love you guys!

Fashion Friday Featuring Heart of Haute Pt. 1

This week I will be featuring Heart of Haute, an incredible clothing company who makes their pinup inspired pieces with “Love and No Regrets” meaning you can feel good about your purchases. No sweatshop labor and it’s all made in the USA! How stellar is that? This San Dimas California based company specializes in 50’s and 60’s style clothing, from tops to skirts and wiggle to swing dresses they have it all, and in a myriad of beautiful prints I might add 😉

Adorable with or without a cardigan…but 33 degrees without any extra covering is bit too intense for this southerner. trying desperately to stay warm.

Quick dress twirl then a dash inside to escape the cold.

Pearls: Macy’s

Cardigan: Old Navy bought it years ago but they still have similar ones available.

Dress: Heart of Haute  This dress is positively beautiful, I am so infatuated with the neckline! I love that just hanging on to the shoulder’s look, and because of the adjustable elastic sleeves it can be worn a little more off the shoulder if you’re looking to be extra daring 😉 The cut of this dress is phenomenal, it accentuates everything you want it to, yet hides what is typically not our best asset, if you want to make that previous statement into a pun feel free haha. Not only is this dress 100% cotton which I love, but its a sturdy cotton. Don’t you hate when your clothes are thin as crepe paper? This dress is built to last, quality construction, sturdy fabric, and a silhouette that will NEVER go out of style. I received a size small and because of the elastic in the arms it fits beautifully. My measurements are 36″ 27 1/2″ 36″ so I should technically be a medium but the small fits me just fine. However keep in mind if the dress you choose has “restricted” construction (no stretch) I’d go with what the size chart says just to be safe. I am absolutely thrilled with this dress and will be wearing it often.

Pantyhose: Nordstrom

Shoes: DSW  I know you’re probably tired of seeing these shoes but what can I say? They are my go to pinup shoes, not too high of heel, all weather wearability, and a lovely shade of red.

I hope you all enjoyed this post and that you check out Heart of Haute . Happy Friday I love you guys!