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Impractical Work Wear Part 978

Monday 11 July 2011

This frock can look fairly normal. Crazy print, obviously, but otherwise quite normal.

Then I move my arms:

SLEEVES!

Fun eh? Wildly impractical for work/washing up/going to the loo etc but definitely fun. And I'm learning new sleeve slinging tricks by the minute. As I type this they're currently thrown back around my elbows like some eighteenth century lady pushing her ruffles back to write a letter. Earlier I twisted them round and shoved them under my armpits. Classy, moi?




Do excuse the gratuitous boob shot - it's the only decent closeup of the fabric. And yes, it is safety pinned together. Entirely too revealing otherwise.




Dress - Pearl Lowe @ Peacocks, sale
Shoes & ring & probably earrings too - Dorothy Perkins
Sunnies - Marks & Spencer


This is the first and probably only Pearl Lowe frock I've bought. It's not her designs I have a problem with, it's the awful shoddy fabric that the dresses are all made out of. This is a lovely jersey fabric but all the others look like Primark's absolute worst and I have no wish whatsoever to buy stuff that looks so cheap and nasty. I like this one though. Obviously, seeing as I bought it...

48 comments:

  1. Love love love it Alex! You do the 70s so well, this looks incredible on you xx

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  2. This looks amazing on you, love the flowy sleeves.. I can jsut picture you thrusting them back then getting your quill and parchment out! :) x

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  3. Well who'd thought those sleeves would be so spectacular! I love it.

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  4. You look like a lovely blue butterfly with your arms out. By the way in that close-up of your earring your hair looks in really good condition, unlike mine lol.

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  5. Ha I love it. I did a sound effect to go with the sleeve reveal, it went something like this...

    "BOOM! Sleeves!"

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  6. It may be impractical but it does look wonderful, those sleeves are amazing. The hippy top I just bought is very similarly awkward to actually do things in, as it has 3 foot long tassels dangling off the sleeves. I nearly set myself alight on the gas ring whilst cooking the dinner. Still, one must suffer for fashion.

    I have similar issues with yucky fabric, just walking through Primark makes me feel like I'm liable to stick to the walls there's so much static charge.

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  7. I love it! LOVE IT. Those sleeves are insane but such fun.

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  8. I love some good swishy sleeves!

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  9. Awww you look so pretty! I expect any bending over and practical tasks will be pretty darn interesting in that dress, though - hope you don't have to climb on any chairs to fix anything high up! :-)

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  10. Oh I am surprised it is Peacocks! Your right the rest of that shop are very cheap quality but this dress is so gorgeous!! x

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  11. Super frock, you look great in it! xxx

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  12. the dress is so pretty. It would be something I would def wear, especially with those fabulous sleeves! I'm glad I'm not the only one who's not into cleavage flashing. I am put off so many tops and dresses due to their low cut natures. Or even medium cut. I like polonecks, just to be safe.

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  13. oh my goodness Alex, every outfit of yours is just more and more awesome! x

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  14. Ha ha Alex, I have this dress too! as soon as I saw the picture I was like, Hmm, that looks like the Pearl Lowe dress I haven't had the guts to wear yet! I love the sleeves but they are a little too much for me (Mine was PL sale too!) esp as PL size 8 is a little big for me (weird!) It looks great on you!

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  15. My mum has a penchant for sleeves like that- she seems particularly enamoured with top with big sleeves for dinner parties....

    I on the other hand just like to wear a dress, just above the knee for climbing on/over desks and window sills and reaching to the ceiling for the power box...

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  16. love this dress! amazing!

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  17. Alex this is a truly stunning dress! I have real dress envy going on.

    Fantastic sleeves, but can understand why they would be a little impractical. Even so that wouldn't put me off wearing this beauty.

    X x

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  18. It is gorgeous! I agree about fabric but tis the way of the world that decent material costs and no one wants to really pay the true prices! xx

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  19. What a lovely dress - impractical but worth it in my opinion :) Sally x

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  20. Aagh, sleeve ambush! I am all in favour of impractical work wear :). Hippy, trippy and fabulous. x

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  21. Love the dress, very boho :-)

    Nat x

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  22. Simply amazing! I thought it was vintage at first.

    I'd definitely knock a pint over with those sleeves if I was drunk...xx

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  23. I am wayyyyy too in love with those sleeves, girl. I'm such a sucker for fierce sleeves!

    http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
    Twitter: @GlamKitten88

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  24. I've never seen any of Pearl Lowe's stuff in Peacocks actually, I have seen things online though and thought it is probably just a 20% price hike for her name but not any improved quality. This is fabulous Alex though! It looks like it could be pure vintage, not just copied. The sleeves are amazing!

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  25. Aah this is rather awesome! Totally loving the style, looks like a lovely vintage find :)

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  26. Mot beautiful dress I have ever seen! Its lovely!

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  27. Argh, I love it! I'd be flapping about like a big demented butterfly in it (then probably diping the sleeves in my soup) xxx

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  28. This dress is so lovely!! The sleeves are amazing, no matter how impractical!! Love it. I'm also loving your blog - I'm your newest follower. Would love if you'd visit mine and follow back :)
    xxx
    www.rosie-glow.blogspot.com

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  29. Lovely print and fab sleeves! I would never have guessed this was from Peacocks. Don't remember seeing it in the Pealr range, it's gorgeous. xx

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  30. Awesome sleeves! And the print is really cool too. Love the colour and you look brilliant. I like the idea of tucking them under your armpits, haha. And cartoon vampires are always good. xxx

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  31. Oh my- those sleeves are absolutely amazing!
    Such a pretty dress on you :)

    Florrie x

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  32. beautiful dress! Color are beautiful. I love vintage too :D I'm following

    Look my blog and follow me if you like :)

    xx

    www.sickbytrend.com

    sBt

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  33. Hi sweetie!
    I adore this frock,such a gorgeous print,the colour,and the SLEEVES are fabularsole!!! I used to have a thing for huge sleeves,and indeed,one is forced to find ways of not getting them into everything,especially the toilet!!!
    Re last post-LOVE the frock,it does look vintage,byt the fabric anyway!
    In NZ opshops tend to be on the steep side most definetly.There are still some bargains to be found,but they seem to be more about luck than anything! When I with sarah in Sydney,we were ina fairly posh suburb,and the opshops were pricing retro/vintage up to $100Aus!!! OUTRAGEOUS!!! I thought the point of such shops was that the poor could shop there?! I don't buy new because I have a mortgage and just can't spend that kind of money,AND the fabrics/standard of workmanship are usually shitola anyway!
    LOVE!!! XXXXXXX

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  34. Hahahaha, I loved your "SLEEVES!" comment. It made me want to shout in a big manly voice whilst reading! That is a seriously funky dress, you do retro styling very well. I have a top with sleeves like that but made the mistake of wearing it out for a meal. I stupidly ordered soup. Should have used your trick and tucked the sleeves under the armpits while I ate!

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  35. Not gonna disagree with you about the quality of the Pearl Lowe stuff. The design of this looks great though!

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  36. really love sleeves, I love it. I did a sound effect to go with the sleeve reveal, it went something like this...

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  37. Hola :)
    Me gusta mucho tu vestido, pero lo que mas las mangas , son geniales!! Un beso desde http://meritxell-calvo.blogspot.com/
    te sigo, sígueme.

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  38. You always surprise me time and time again with your wonderful frocks. The print is lovely and the sleeves are by far somewhat fabulous! And whoever said fashion was meant to be practical was of course a liar x

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  39. this dress is a dream! the sleeves totally makes it goddess-status.

    http://www.diyainherstilettos.com/

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  40. This. Is. AMAZING. I love this dress on you (oooh lala!). And maybe for a night out you can unsafety pin it. Rock what you got!!

    I need to seriously do some catch up on your blog! I haven't gotten to read my favorites in the past few weeks and I am VERY VERY behind. Expect a flurry of comments from me!!

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  41. The sleeves are fabulous! great print too

    Rianna xxxx

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  42. I really like the sleeves! I need to use tricks to get them out of the way if I ever wear anything like this though, or they crack me up!
    Love Amie

    www.creditcrunchchic.blogspot.com

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  43. I love love love the print! <3 and the 1970s sleeves are oh-so divine!

    x
    Lost in the Haze

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  44. Oh my, that is an amazing dress. Gives off plenty of "ju ju". A fancy expression I like to use on fab outfits. Not ju as in juice but ju as if you were French....try it.
    LOVE the way you took the pics to build up to an almighty crescendo of sleevage!
    Nice one love.
    Do you love it as much as a Double Decker? Ha!!!!

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  45. Then say "ju ju" whilst wearing it and shimmying around the room. Such larks!!!!

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  46. Dearest Alex, I meant to say in my last comment that I'm also one of those people tutting loudly at fabric quality. This however is FABULOUS!!! I love an angel sleeve and you look bloody gorgeous xx

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  47. Ha ha Alex, I have this dress too! as soon as I saw the picture I was like, Hmm, that looks like the Pearl Lowe dress I haven't had the guts to wear yet! I love the sleeves but they are a little too much for me (Mine was PL sale too!) esp as PL size 8 is a little big for me (weird!) It looks great on you!

    Safety Work Wear

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