Birthday Dress

Back in January I was participating in the "Just Another Blogging Challenge" and I was talking about a floral dress that I had managed to grab from +Very.co.uk for the bargain price of £17.00.

Sadly this dress is no longer available so this post is a little like "here's what you could have won".  Sorry about that!

Anyhow, this is the picture of the dress as shown by Very at the time:

This is the dress that I chose to wear for my birthday last Saturday and I can honestly say that I have not felt as good in something for ages.  I absolutely adored it.  I am wearing with purple tights from +Yours Clothing and shoes from +schuh.  I'm not sure where the black shrug is from as I have had it forever.

Ethnic Print Jersey Dress

Morning all!

I was recently contacted by the lovely Stef of +Bonmarche and asked if I would like to review something from their new in range.  With an eye on the approaching Summer I chose the Ethnic Print Tab Front Jersey Dress which is priced at £29.50.

 

I really love the print on this dress and the colour of black, pink and cream works well.  The dress is comfortable to wear and bang on with sizing.

 

I have gone quite simply with the styling of a statement necklace and some sandals from +Dorothy Perkins (last season).  I am looking forward to trying out different looks with the dress too, such as toughing up the look with a leather jacket and ankle boots or really going out there with lots of accessories.

 

I can see this dress being a great go to for the upcoming Spring/Summer as it can easily be dressed up for the evening or thrown on for a wander around the park in the afternoon (yes I get dressed up for the park too).

Check out the New In section as they have some great pieces for the Summer.

Vicky xx



* This item has been gifted to me however all opinions are my own.

Bargain Dress

So, I accidentally bought myself a dress.  I really wasn't intending to as I am trying to be good at the moment (like that is ever going to happen!)

I was looking through Ebay in a bored moment on the bus however and came across this little beauty for the bargain price of £10.50 in an Ebay shop.  It was one of those moments where you don't actually think, you just buy because it is that perfect.

The dress came today and I was very impressed.  I love the blue cherry blossom pattern and the fit is just right for me.  I am wearing it with my favourite red shoes which always brings an added smile to my face.

Have you bought anything from Ebay lately?

Scarlett & Jo Feather Print Tunic Dress

I was recently contacted by the lovely Lucy of Scarlett & Jo and was asked if I wanted to review the Feather Print Tunic Dress.  Having seen pictures of the dress on the British Plus Size Fashion Weekend I already knew that I loved it and jumped at the chance.

The tunic dress comes with an underslip and then the chiffon over layer with the gorgeous feather print pattern.  The patterning is so beautiful but I wanted to try a different edge to my original idea of bare legs and sandals so I went with purple tights from +Yours Clothing and my new ankle boots from +Dorothy Perkins.

I like pieces that you can wear in different seasons with the aid of different accessories so until the weather warms up it will rocking the tights and boots look and then bare legs and pretty sandals in the Summer!

You can buy the tunic dress at +Evans here for £40.00   

* Item was sent for review, but all opinions are my own

The Magnificent 7th Challenge

We will be posting on the 7th of each month, and the aim of the challenge is to create an outfit to fit the theme, using clothes from our wardrobes, and yes that does mean digging deep into the depths and finding those long lost clothes! Hopefully one of us won’t end up in Narnia, but you never know with a bloggers wardrobe!

This month’s theme was Valentines Day.  Now as I am a single gal, I decided to use this month by choosing an outfit that I would like to wear to a Valentine’s Day meal.  Sadly I won't be attending no as nobody loves me (kidding).

This particular outfit has actually just been bought by me with the Capturing the Curves photo shoot in mind in March 2014 arranged by the incomparable Betty Pamper. Both the dress and shoes are from +Simply Be and together they form my new favourite outfit.

I can’t wait to combine the gorgeous dress with the vintage hair and makeup at the photo shoot and of course will putting the photographs here, and Facebook, and everywhere ha (sorry in advance for the spam)!

I would definitely wear this outfit for a Valentines Day meal as when I put them both on, I felt flirty and confident, just what you want for a special meal with your fella!

Luxe Print Prom Dress

Sole Diva Peep Toe Flared Heel

Aren't they perfect?   I am not sure I am going to be able to wait until the end of March to wear them so I may end up parading around the house in them.  The Capturing the Curve shoot is a 35th birthday present to myself and I want everything to look perfect.  This outfit will certainly help!

Check out the other ladies in the challenge (and hello and welcome to the new ladies who have joined us this month!

 

Barbecue Wear for Magnificent 7th!

Welcome back to the Magnificent 7th Challenge! 

We post on the 7th of each month, and the aim of the challenge is to create an outfit to fit the theme, using clothes from our wardrobes, and yes that does mean digging deep into the depths and finding those long lost clothes! Hopefully one of us won’t end up in Narnia, but you never know with a blogger's wardrobe!

This month’s theme is what to wear when going to a barbecue. 

I have a clear idea of what I do and don’t want in an outfit for a barbecue.

• A dress, something of a day to evening style as those are the normal barbecues I tend to go to.
• Something that looks good, but is still comfortable.  A bodycon dress is not the ideal thing here if you are going to be eating quantities of meat and bread!
• Something patterned.  I am a clumsy gal and invariably get some form of sauce on me.  Obviously you try and remove the stain at the time, but what normally happens with me is that you can still see traces of it, in the most visible places.  With something patterned, you can hide your clumsy mishaps!

So with the above in mind, here is what I chose.

The dress is from @So_Fab_Clothing at +Very.co.uk 

Cardigan from +Next 

Necklace from handmade stall at Skipton Market!

What do you wear to a barbecue?

Please check the other ladies involved in the challenge and their take on barbecue wear!

Beth
Kaye
Becky
Nicola
Gail
Kirsty
Mary
Kathryn
Nikki
Steph
Charley
Rebecca
Leah
Lindsey
Vicky
Christiana
Megan

Lady in Black

I haven’t worn an all black outfit in absolutely ages.  In fact I have consciously been shying away from wearing black, after wearing it constantly for so long.  I fell out of love with it.

 

Today though I was riffling through my wardrobe looking for something cool to wear to the office when I came across a black dress that had escaped the great purge of January 2013.  Rather than throw it into the donations bag that I am currently collating, I decided to try it on.

 

My love of black was reignited. 

 

It made me remember that black can look great.  It doesn’t have to be depressing and used as a way to cover up and hide yourself.  This dress certainly doesn’t cover up much of anything on me being sleeveless and with the low neckline!

 

I had forgotten the power of a little black dress. 

 

It is probably a little too revealing in the chest area for the office and indeed when I tried it on my first thought was “Vicky, your breasts look too big in this dress”.  Then I remembered that my breasts are not going to shrink, they are what they are.  It’s a boiling hot day and I want something cool to wear so I’m wearing it.  Screw it.

 

So here are a few photographs of me in the dress and I feel great in it, fat arms out and all.

 

The dress is an old collection from So Fabulous at +Very.co.uk

Hope you are enjoying the sunshine!

 

 

 

Review of Ruby Rocks Dress

I was recently lucky enough to be allowed to choose a few items from +Simply Be  for review.

I have had my eye on this Ruby Rocks Print Tie Tunic Dress for some time now and so this was the first item that I chose.  I love the midnight blue colour and the unusual pattern.  On me (5ft 4) the length is above the knee but not too much, and the keyhole at the neckline of the dress falls just right with being too low.

I was a little worried when I first got the dress out of the packaging that I may have to wait to review it until Autumn/Winter due to the colouring, but styling it with bare legs, open toed heels and some red lipstick solved any qualms I had. 

The material is dense enough that I didn’t need to worry about the sun making it see-through but not too thick that I was too warm.  The dress is true to size and really comfortable.

In Summer I would wear this dress at any evening party or event styled as below, and in Winter with opaque tights which will give it a completely different look, like having two dresses in one!

I was so impatient to try out this dress that I taken all the photos myself, fighting attacking plants in the garden and balancing my camera precariously on thin walls.  Note to self, buy a tripod.

Attack of the killer plants!

The Ruby Rocks Print Tie Neck Tunic Dress is currently on sale with SimplyBe for £28.00 so I urge you to rush over to the website and grab yourself a bargain.

* I was not paid to write this review and all my opinions are my own

Paisley & Lace - My Way

I saw Lace Paisley Maxi Dress dress weeks ago on +Simply Be and was instantly drawn to the gorgeous pinks and purples of the paisley patterning as well as the lace detailing to the top and bottom of the dress.

My only issue with it was that as a maxi dress, for me personally I knew that I would not get as much wear out of it as I would with a shorter dress. If I could have chopped off the bottom of the dress then I would have bought it instantly, however you don’t pay £45.00 for a dress and then cut it up!

Happily though when I saw the fabulous Becky wearing the dress on her blog MrsBeBeBlog she kindly noted at the end of the post that the dress was now on sale. I headed over to the SimplyBe website and found it for the absolute steal price of £18.50.

Now a £45.00 dress I wouldn’t cut up, but £18.50? Hell yes.

So with the help of my talented mum who can wield a sewing needle far better than I, we chopped the dress off at the knees. I have gained a dress that will work with me in a variety of situations and my mum has used the excess lace to fashion a lace wrap to go with one of her dresses. Result!

Earrings from +Dorothy Perkins 

Have you ever taken  the scissors to one of your dresses?

Planned Work OOTD

A quick #ootd that I am thinking about wearing for work tomorrow, a little different to the combinations I usually go for. 

I like this outfit although I feel I might be pushing it slightly as being acceptable for the office, but hey, I’m making the most of the sunshine!

I have featured the dress on the blog before and is from Savoir at Very.  It is cool and comfortable to be able to wear with ease all day although for me, at 5ft 4, it is a tiny bit too short to wear without leggings.  You can't tell that in the photos, but if I bent over I would be in danger of flashing my underwear, not the look you want for work!

When i originally bought the dress I had the idea of bare legs and sat outside in a beer garden but due to the length, a little more propriety is required!