Apple Spice and Everything Nice

As Melbourne starts to warm up and spring is in full bloom I'm inspired by new prints, colours and all detailed adorable accessories. But unlike most of my reviews which usually start with an item of clothing this post was based on my amazing Irregular Choice shoes.

With a floral and sparkling base, I created both a full outfit, and an amazing flat lay and I'm 100% in love with this outfit - from head to toe. There is something so satisfying about creating a full look and styling each and every piece - almost like telling a little story through your outfit.

Magnolia Blue Watercolour Floral Swing Dress - $71.00

Irregular Choice Apple Spice Gold Floral Heels - $189.00

Women's Cropped 3/4 Sleeves Cardigan Sweater in Honey - $36.00

Pastel Forest Picnic Rug - $190.00 

The base for this amazing outfit started with my Apple Spice Heels in gold floral from Irregular Choice. These stunning small heels feature a classically styled upper of roses are surrounded by glitter and finished with a grosgrain bow and triple layered matching rose fabric bow. I'm wearing these in a 42, and they fit like an absolute dream.

From the moment I saw these thoughts of cream buns, yummy wine and lots of fruit popped into mind so the flat lay was so simple to create! Mixing all my most loved items with these heels and the stunning blue floral fabric to create a soft and sweet look.

The soft floral paired with the glittering gold also inspired me to find the most perfect picnic rug and during my search I found my new favourite outdoor accessory company - Wandering Folk. A company that focuses on the things I hold dear, outdoor adventures, good friends and great food. They create picnic rugs, outdoor coolers, cushions, and glasswear and have all of your picnic, camping our outdoor needs covered in such a stunning and stylish way. 

This pastel picnic rug was the perfect choice to pair with this look and the comfort and stunning print make you want to lay in the park all day with a good book. This beautiful rug is completed with a weather proof base, 4 tassels an a brown woven strap which turns this piece into it's own carry bag I'm now counting down the days till summer so I can get out and about with this effortlessly stylish piece.

With the base sorted it was time to complete the full look with a beautiful blue floral print from Lindy Bop. The magnolia blue watercolour swing dress is so different for me but as I've mentioned in earlier posts this year 2019 is all about trying new colours for me!

The soft blue and white floral print is divine and so easy to style with a variety of colours. This piece features a deep fitted waistband, wrap around bust, lined bodice (for that extra level of comfort), a Vshaped pleated neckline and capped sleeves. The pleated bust is a brilliant feature for a larger cup girl like myself as it molds to fit your bust perfectly. I'm wearing this swing dress in a UK18, and the fit is amazing with a little stretch and room at the waist. Plus this piece also has pockets so you can sneak all the snacks into your picnic.

I've paired this amazing dress with my Yemak 3/4 cardigan in the shade Honey and a deep red belt. I love how well this blue floral print pairs with primary colours. 

I wear an XL in all Yemak cardigans and I tend to pair them with absolutely everything due to fit and colour range. 



Accessories wise other than the absolutely amazing footwear I've combined 3 of my brightest blooms from Miz Smitten Kitten. Grouping all of my complimentary pieces is my go to style at the moment - the bigger the better! 

I can't get enough of each and every piece in this outfit, and I can't wait to style each in the future. Thank you to my amazing husband for shooting these images with me. 

Bops and Berets

As the weather cools down my addiction to winter accessories returns and you see just how crazy I am for berets. This year however I'm a little early and I'm shooting some of my favourite cross season Lindy Bop looks with the amazing Elleni the Label.

So belt in and prepare for some bright colours, stunning prints and the worlds most adorable berets.

 

'Leesa' Black Rose Bloom Print Swing Dress -  £25.00

Bow Beret (Yellow & Magenta) - $50.00 AUD

Sweet Sweater in Burgundy - $40.00

I'm an absolute sucker for a dark floral print. There is something so graceful and classic about a black based floral fabric and the Leesa swing in black rose is absolutely darling. Featuring a full skirt, simple straps that are thick enough to hide any bra and a cheeky peak a boo bust with bow tie.

Now I'm wearing this style in a size 18 and it's very roomy almost too roomy at the waist. I would be more comfortable in a 16 or even 14 so if this is your standard size I highly suggest you go down one full size. There is no zip but the sheering panel at the back makes this a very roomy dress. It's listed as a 'comfy fit' so remember that when choosing your size and if you are an hourglass shape like myself the waist will be swimming on you in an 18.



The Leesa has recently hit the sale section of Lindy Bop so you can pick this up in for an awesome discounted price!

I've paired this with the deep maroon sweetie sweater from Heart of Haute and I love how this shade really compliments the floral fabric.

To make this look really pop I've worn my yellow and magenta beret. This stunning bright pop of yellow and deep pink works perfectly with the look and so well with my red hair. The large bow is bold and super cute and the little Elleni embroidered logo is freaking adorable.

The quality and design of Elleni The Brand products have blown me away. I'm proudly addicted to berets and these are by far the best I've ever owned. They sit perfectly no matter what hair style you choose to pair with it - I tend to go with messy curls or pigtails. The compliment every outfit and really make a statement and I can't wait for it to be chilly enough in Melbourne to wear them.

 

 

 

 

'Bella' Red Cherry Pie Print Swing Dress - £32.00

Cutie Pie Beret - $50.00 AUD

Vixen Wrap Top in Black Velvet - $56.00

The Bella dress is a Lindy Bop fan favourite and always sells like hotcakes when a new print is released. The stunning neckline, puffy sleeves and super flattering swing shape compliments all shapes and sizes.



This season the Cherry Pie print version has been released with an amazing twist on the traditional cherry print fabric. This new style print is a mixture of those bright and sweet cherries we all adore mixed in with some slices of pie! This new fabric is so cute and perfectly pairs with my amazing cherry pie beret - a fully pie themed look!! Yes, you read that right and you can see it too!

I
'm wearing a freaking cherry pie beret, and it's completely adorable!!!!! These are just the start of a life long addiction and love for this label and I'll not be happy until I own every single one from their store. You can expect to see more of these adorable pieces throughout winter.

 

Size wise I'm wearing an 18 and it's a perfect fit as per usual as I've worn many of this style before. The cap puff sleeve has a little stretch so it compliments my upper arms and comfortably sits without an pressure or tightness. I think this might actually be a new and improved sleeve as I've found others I've worn in this style a bit too tight. The bust is perfect, and the waist has a little room but the fabric also has a little give so it can accommodate wider waistlines and if you tend to fluctuate you'll rest assured that this dress will always fit comfortably.

I've paired the Bella with my Vixen by Micheline Pitt wrap top to show just how versatile this garment is and how it can be converted into a crap cardigan with ease. Plus the mixing of fabric adds a winter look to a very summery fabric!

I love that this dress can be worn in each and every season based purely on how you choose to style it. For this blog I've obviously gone with a winter touch but the styling for both frocks all year round is so simple.

Now to start my next lust list and get even more of these dresses. I swear I would wear Lindy Bop every day if I could

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lindy Boo-Bop!

Lindy Bop are absolutely killing it this year with Halloween prints and I've been lusting after ever single pattern and shape.  From darn and spooky locations to super cute kitties and jack'o'lantern fabrics the choices are endless.

'Delta' Green Witch Doctor Print Swing Dress  - AU$68.00

Heart of Haute Blue Sweet Sweater (sold out but click to find all other colours) - $42.00

So for this review I've picked my stand out favourite from the spooky Halloween collection and my must have lindy bop frock. If you don't already have these babies in your wardrobe then snap them up quick fast.

Being a redhead I'm a sucker for a green frock so when I discovered the Witch Doctor Swing I knew it must be mine. A swing dress with an adorable border print, fitted waist and a high neckline - perfect for this week at work as I count down to the 31st.



This is my first time trying the higher neckline items from Lindy Bop and at first I was worried about my GG's fitting into such a high neckline but in the 18 all of these fears were dismissed and I have extra room. This fits with ease and does not pull or strain over my chest like many higher necklines can.

The fit is very modest and great for office pinups. I'm actually that smitten with the shape and how flattering it is to my figure so I'll be snapping up any other versions of this dress, the Delta in the future. Oh and I nearly forgot to mention both dresses have pockets!! YAY!

Accessorizing is super easy with this dress as you can easily pick out a colour in the print and match your shoes and sweaters with it. While I'd usually got with black for both shoes and a cover up I wanted to add even more colour so I paired this look with my bright blue Sweet Sweater from Heart of Haute and I love the combo.



I honestly can't get enough of this and all of Lindy Bops prints. They are so cute and bright and I must collect them all!

'Corinna' Red Love Heart Print Swing Dress - Was: AU$60.00  Now on sale for AU$29.00

Red Sweet Sweater - $42.00

Now for my MUST HAVE dress from Lindy Bop - the Corinna. This is my second Corinna and I keep snapping this style up because it's pure magic. A full swing skirt, button up bust and a sweetheart neckline which is absolutely perfect for curves. With delicate little white ribbon features on the bust and pockets and the perfect fit due to the elastic back panel this dress is my go to in summer.  

I'm wearing an 18 and it's an amazing fit with a tiny amount of pull on the buttons. This is easily fixed with a little red thread and some hand sewing. I've actually sewn my Corinna up at the buttons as it's super stretchy and you don't need to undo them to get in and out of the dress.

The polka dot heart print is the cutest and I hope to see it released in black or other shades in the future.

If you are smaller chested and the same waist size as me you could even size down to a 16 with ease as that stretchy back panel really helps mold to your shape.

I opted to go full red for this look pairing the Corinna with a red Sweet Sweater and two velvet red roses from Miz Smitten Kitten. I think this may be my go to look for the summer you will definitely see me wearing this to death.

This review/shoot is going to play havoc on my wallet as I need to collect every possible print and fabric option in both dresses. I just searched on the website and found so many other fabrics so I'm set for the next three months!!

Many Thanks to the brilliant Liz from L12 Photography for capturing these amazing items and working with me on all things pinup and spooky this month.

BOP!

I have no idea why it has taken so very long to try Lindy Bop but now that I know my size, nothing will be holding me back from ordering up a storm. I've heard of this UK based brand for a while now but when I saw a cactus covered swing dress at Kurri Kurri this year (worn by the amazing Debstar) I had to hunt the store and dress down.

Now I've noticed many of these styles are out of stock due to an amazing sale but the joy of Lindy Bop products is the fact that so many resellers sell such stock and you'll be able to find these garments with a quick search of google.

'Bella' Black Cactus Swing Dress - $26.26

It took me mere moments to search the website and find the dress I had been lusting after the cutest print ever! An adorable swing style with cap sleeves, a sweetheart bustline and rouching in all the right places. This dress fits like a dream in an 16UK and I just adore the contrasting piping and buttons in bright emerald green. For all styles like this I seem to fit a 16 and for anything with a restrictive or button up front I need to size up - darn this giant rack of mine!!

             

The waist and bust are super roomy and fit my stats perfectly however the arms were a bit snug and as I'm not a huge fan of cap sleeves I removed the entire sleeve to get more wear out of the dress.

Most of my cardigans tend to show such sleeves but with a touch of tailoring I have now got the most perfect frock! I've paired this perfect print with the amazing Sweet Sweater from Heart of Haute.

'Hartley' Red Cardigan - $15.76

'Ohlson' Rose Print Circle Skirt - $24.51

Now with the success of the Bella dress, I wanted to try some separates. I was instantly drawn to the stunning floral of the Ohlson Rose Circle Skirt. I adore a bordered print on a swing style skirt and this black based floral fabric with a thick red border had my heart instantly.

It's a magical print and one of the most delicious styles I've worn this year! I did however not order the right size and this is an 18 which is too large in the waist. For a better fit I will be ordering the 16 in the future.

I paired the Ohlson skirt with the adorable Harley cardigan in red. An adorable soft red knit in a size large this is my new go to cardigan as it's brilliant to layer and adds a bright pop of colour to any outfit. My favourite features have to be the super cute heart-shaped pointelle pattern and heart-shaped white buttons.

'Caitlyn' Red Mac - $31.51

From one red hot garments to another!!! I have such an addiction to trenchcoats and while I have a closet filled with different colours, prints and shapes I'll be adding more as they are released as they are the best for hour glass shapes.

The Cailtyn is a Marilyn Monroe inspired, double breasted mackintosh with lapels with Polka dot lining. The waist detailing offers an almost swing style effect flattering your curves and accentuating all of your best features. I always tend to order up to accommodate my chest in jackets such as this and the 18 a great fit but if you have a much smaller chest I recommend sticking with the 16 if you are usually that size.

What I love most about the trenches available at lindy bop are the shades and prints on offer. No most basic black coats are needed when you can get navy, grey, red and prints such as hearts and peacock floral. The price point is also a brilliant feature from this range and fits in perfectly if you are a pinup up on a budget!

Many thanks to Liz at L12 Photography for snapping these brilliant shots with me!