Bright, Beautiful and Fruity!

This year I've had the pleasure of shooting some amazing Bright and Beautiful coats but for a while now I've been lusting after their amazing prints and frocks. Being a huge fan of the Collectif Mainline I knew that the construction and attention to detail would be absolutely perfect just every other Collectif piece in my wardrobe.

Bright and Beautiful is just one of the many lines to be released under the Collectif core brand with a focus on more 60s/70s styles. Featuring lots of bell bottom jeans, amazing mod dresses, coats and skirts and a huge selection of flowing floral frocks. 

Bright and Beautiful Cathy Tropical Pineapple Dress - £62.50

So for my first B and B dress I went for the Cathy in the stunning tropical pineapple print.  This dress is a very light summer weight fabric with a fitted curves waist, kimono sleeves and a unique lace up bust. A flattering shape for all shapes and sizes but even more so for any plus size girl who wants to cover up her upper arms but still be cool in the summer.

I'm wearing a size 18 and it's very roomy at the waist and a little at the bust. I think give then shape and style I could easily size down to a 16 in this dress and if it is ever released in black I'll definitely be getting a smaller size in that! I was a little silly not knowing how deep the deep V bust went and did not choose the most appropriate bra but hey it works well with the colour and print so I'm OK showing a little bit of it. But if you are looking for a look more like the images shown on the website be sure to pair this with a plunge bra or even a very low cut nude style bra.  There is also no give in this fabric so be sure to double check the size chart.

From the moment I tried on this style I knew I would be living in it over the warmer months as it's both flattering and a an absolute joy to wear. This style would also work perfectly for the beach as a cover up or a beach to bar look. Just wear your favourite swimsuit beneath and thongs for the beach and then add some heels and a waist belt for the evening.

The bold pineapple floral print allows you to pair lots of colours with this dress so just pick one featured in the print and you'll match perfectly.

 

Bright and Beautiful Cathy Broderie Anglaise Dress - £76.50

Bright and Beautiful Cathy Floral Dress  - £62.50

Is the bright print a little too much for you? Well never fear there are two other stunning versions of his dress online right now. The Cathy Broderia Anglaise dress witch is an all white - perfect for a casual beach bride and the more soft and muted floral print which I absolutely adore.

This style is so easy and lovely to wear so lets hope they release more prints and colours in the future. Fingers crossed for black and dark green! Plus now that I know how this label fits I'll be lusting after more frocks and even their jumpsuits and let's face it I think I need the pineapple printed Lisa peasant style top as well.

I also wanted to sneak in this stunning look!  I think it's safe to say that I have a thing for fruit printed or fruit themed clothing. So when the stunning full melon frock was released I had to have it!

Collectif Mainline Jade Watermelon Swing Dress - £65.00 

Collectif Vintage Linda Cardigan in Antique Green - £40.50



A full skirted, thin strapped and absolutely adorable dress with a watermelon print and colour scheme. I'm wearing the Jade dress in as size 16 as it has lots of give and fits like a second skin in the bust and waist. I was worried at first but once I wiggled into it really was a perfect fit.

The Linda cardigan is an 18 but I actually prefer 16's in Collectif knitwear for firm fits. This is roomy yet really lovely to wear. The knit is soft and super stretchy and I love the shorter sleeve as it will be perfect in spring/summer.

 

Many Thanks to the amazing Brooke Orchard for snapping these images and capturing Collectif's  styles perfectly as always.

 

 

 

Atomic Spy

Each and every season I fall deep and hard for Collectif's new ranges and last year I marked the release of what has to be two of my all time favourite garments from both their core and the Bright and Beautiful range. While these styles sold like hotcakes on the Collectif website I've searched all over the internet to find more stock so be sure to snap them up before they sell out again!

Trixie Doll Dress in Atomic Star - $TBA

Pin Up Couture BETTIE-01 Yellow Faux Leather Platforms - $108.00

Oh Trixie how you rock my world! From red to teal, wiggle to the swing doll version I always trust the fit and flattering cut of the Trixie style dresses. This past season my favourite style was released in the Atomic Star print and it is perfection.

Why am I so in love with the Trixie? Well it all comes down to the fold over bust, 3/4 sleeves and the fabric which is super stretchy yet holds you firmly in all the right places.

This season I tried this style in a 18 as my bust has expanded but I think the 16 would be a much better fit as the fabric is really forgiving and I tend to love the bodice/bust areas of these dresses to really hold me in. I've worn everything from a 14 to 18 in Collectif and it's more about fit rather than the number on the tag. 

Can we take a moment to appreciate this atomic print? I'm usually not a huge fan of gold but this year I've added more and more of this precious colour into my collection and I'm loving it. 

If the atomic print is not up your alley then don't fret! There are lots of solid colour versions avaliable in the core range right now. You can find solid black and ruby red in a variety of sizes plus the wiggle version which is just as flattering in the same shades. 

Bright and Beautiful Sage Cord Coat in Burgundy  - $147.00

or alternatively here for number sizes.

Pin Up Couture BETTIE-01 Yellow Faux Leather Platforms - $108.00

There are a few things I'm fully addicted to and aside from shoes and leather gloves, coats are one of my most beloved items to purchase. I have a wardrobe purely for them as I adore styling and layering them in the cooler months. Collectif have always blown me away with their outerwear styles but I never knew how much I could love Cord until I wiggled my way into the Sage coat. Styling curves in winter can leave you shapeless but I find trench coats are perfect for an hourglass shape.

The Sage Coat features all the classic trench styling's with a figure flattering fit and roomy to layer in the sleeves when winter hits.  

I'm wearing the 18 in this coat and for the last 2 years or so I've been ordering size 18 in outerwear to accommodate my chest - there is nothing worse that buying a coat that won't button up over your boobies! The waist and bust fit wonderfully in this size and as I mentioned previously there is heaps of room for thicker sweaters to be layered underneath.

Metallic Green Real Scarab Beetle Junebug Sterling Silver Necklace - $66.61  (to be fully reviewed next week)

The burgundy cord is such a rich and lush colour and I love how well it pairs with both my accessories and the amazing Pin Up Couture BETTIE-01 Yellow Faux Leather Platforms. I think yellow, gold and burgundy might just be my new go to colours for Autumn/Winter 2017.

Miu Miu MU56RS 7OE6X1 - $368.95

Now lets focus on the most amazing sunglasses I've ever owned from Miu Miu. From the moment I laid eyes on this stunning pair of butterfly sunglasses I was hooked. With an antique Gold frames are made from Metal with Purple Brown Plastic lenses these are the so unique and beautiful. When I first saw this style I instantly thought of Vampira's gold bat glasses but with softer and more modern take on the bold shape.

These are lightweight yet full coverage and perfect for a heart shaped face such as mine. When it comes to glasses I'm either a cats eye or a oversized kind of girl and these are almost the perfect mixture of both shapes. These are definitely an investment and an amazing style that will never go out of fashion purely because of how bold and unique they are.

Having a longer fringe can really get annoying with larger shaped frames but these sit perfectly with out dinting or taking over my hair in any way and I just adore the shade of gold with my hair colour  and coat.







Now Melbourne can we please say goodbye to this hot weather so I can wear this constantly? Luckily these amazing glasses are perfect for all year round wear but now that I've paired the coat and the glasses I need to wear them all the time!

Many thanks to Damien Bowerman who worked with me on this shoot any many more images to come and for making the connection between this look at Dr. Strange - who would have thought?