A New Old Frock

Yes. It's me. Wearing clothes!



Feels like about a million years since I've done an outfit post...



I bought this frock when shopping with Char a few weeks ago. It looks like an absolute sack on the hanger and I was expecting nothing from it but I liked the print an awful lot and it's always worth trying these things on, isn't it? Imagine the look of surprise on my face when it a) fitted and b) looked nice. That never happens!



Not convinced it photographs quite as well as it looks in real life but it's excellent fun to wear. It sort of pretends to be a bit of a 40s day dress with the floral print and the pleats in the skirt but then it's all HELLO with the mad 70s collar and polyester.



Pretty, isn't it? 





Also any chance to bust out heeled brogues is most welcome. They're amazing and they're too pretty to languish in a shoe rack all summer. Plus, ribbon on footwear = epic.



Dress - vintage
Cardi - Monsoon sale
Seamed tights - Marks & Spencer
Heeled brogues - New Look
Pearls - BoBijou

Petticoat...Check

I believe I may have mentioned my loathing of ironing a time or two.  It therefore won't come as a surprise when I confess that this rather cute shirt dress has been languishing at the bottom of the ironing basket since...ooh...last August?  I bought it in a charity shop because I liked the pattern, shoved it in the wash (not cos it was smelly, just cos I really don't like that washing powder that all charity shops seem to use) and promptly forgot about it.

It was jolly nice to rediscover it.  Not so nice to rediscover that it is a really odd shape.  It has belt loops at what you would assume to be normal waist height, but the actual waist is down below my hips and it looks very weird.  Only one thing for it.  Well, two things.  First, shove a big belt over the top to disguise the weirdness.  Second, poof the skirt out.

Ok, make that three things.  I had to make something to poof the skirt out with.  Twitter folk may have seen me beefing about doing battle with tulle last night but I think it was worth it in the end.  One mini petticoat!  It doesn't look like much but it does the trick.

Dress - Dorothy Perkins via charity shop

Cardi - Hawkshead

Belt - Primark

Shoes - Irregular Choice

Brooch - charity shop

Ring - Dorothy Perkins sale

Pearls - BoBijou

And for extra vintage styling, add ponytail and wear cardi in a different way:

Back To The Brick Wall

What's this? Outfit posts two days in a row? Don't go getting used to it now.

I just couldn't resist my beloved brick wall any longer. Some cheeky monkey had put a giant ice cream bin in my usual posing spot so that had to get rather inelegantly hauled into a corner before I could take the photos. Not an easy feat in 4 inch heels!

Dress - Tesco, via Oxfam (£2.99!)
Cardi - Gap sale
Heels & ring - Dorothy Perkins
Pearls - BoBijou

I decided to bust out this new (to me) frock today as I had to notetake at an important meeting and wanted to look vaguely smart. I am most pleased that it fits - a size 12 in this sort of fitted style is not something I can usually squeeze myself into. It could have done with a bit of an iron judging by the wrinkles in the skirt in these pics but could I be bothered with that at 7am this morning? No, I could not.

I'm also v. chuffed with my new shoes. They were a birthday present to self as I made the somewhat shocking discovery that I didn't own any proper plain black heels. Would you believe it? I waited till they were on a 30% off offer though. I don't know why anyone buys stuff full-price in Dorothy Perkins as they are constantly having discount weekends and suchlike.

The newly chopped hair is looking a bit wayward here but I'm pleased with that too (aren't I disgustingly happy with myself today?). Proper before and after pictures can be seen in Kelly's Salon Surgery as she was kind enough to give me some advice about what to ask for on the dreaded trip to the salon.

Hello to all my new followers by the way! I need to have a look through my followers list very soon and check out all your blogs but please don't be shy - drop me a comment and say hello.

Hastily Flung On

This is not what I had planned to wear. I pulled an outfit together before bed last night but had extreme thigh dramas this morning - no idea what changed in the space of 6 hours! So my new jeans were left in a heap on the bedroom floor and I flung on an assortment of random things instead. I feel prim and proper on top and slightly crazy on my lower half. I'm embracing it.

Jumper - Dorothy Perkins
Skirt - vintage, made in West Germany
Tights - Tesco, I think
Shoes - Irregular Choice via ebay
Pearls - BoBijou
Coat - H&M via ebay


I love my new coat. I had a sudden urge to buy spring jackets on ebay last week and the ebay iphone app is a terrible enabler. This was fairly cheap and doesn't look like it's ever been worn so I was super chuffed with it. I sense perhaps the sizing came up a little small for the original owner as it's labelled a 14 but fits my size 10 friend really nicely too. I will admit that it looks better with straighter line skirts and jeans than it does with today's outfit but it was the closest thing to hand today so on it went.

Mismatched Workwear & Giveaway Day 10

I've got to that utterly disorganised stage where everything needs ironing and all that's left in my wardrobe is the stuff that doesn't really fit and therefore doesn't get worn often. I should probably bin this sweater dress/elongated tank top/whatever the hell is the best description for it because it's 3 sizes too big for me now. This morning I just thought what the hell and chucked it on anyway. I've tried to take away from the fact that it doesn't fit by wearing as many patterns as possible with it. Stripes, chevrons, ruffles, polka dots, they're all in there. It looks a bit better in life than in the photos as the shirt is a lot darker than the camera makes it look...

It's my somewhat random version of workwear. I had a lovely frock lined up for today but realised I'd be helping with teas & coffees at a big meeting we're hosting today and it looked a tad French Maid-ish. Not really the look I was going for so it'll have to be saved for a different situation.

Really need to get my hair cut. It's annoying me so much.

Dress/top thing and belt - Primark
Shirt - River Island sale
Tights - absolutely no idea. I like them though.
Shoes - Irregular Choice via ebay
Pearls - BoBijou
Rings - part of a stacking set from H&M


On the tenth day of my giveaway, I will give to thee....

Another book! Quite frankly, this day was a bit of a bugger to find a prize for. Lords? Leaping?! Well I've gone for a Georgette Heyer novel (another of my favourite authors). These Old Shades is just amazing and check out that glorious early 60's cover! Justin is a Duke, not a Lord and he's not much of a leaper but it was the best I could do. If you win and you've already got this one, let me know and I'll see if I can find something else to send you.

Red Heels & Giveaway Day 2

I don't think I quite thought through this giveaway malarkey. The pressure of daily outfit blogging has already got to me and it's only day 2! I'm not overly enamoured with this outfit but I've got too much else on at the moment to spend hours faffing and trying things on. It's clean and it doesn't look too horrific so that will have to do me. Plus the shoes are great and that's always a bonus.

Cardi - Matalan

Skirt - Pink Haired Princess's blog sale
Shoes - Dorothy Perkins sale
Pearls - BoBijou


And onto the fun stuff:

On the second day of my giveaway, I will give to thee...


Some extremely pretty Sanderson Squirrel and Dove notecards, based on an original wallpaper design from the 1890's, and some grey nail varnish. They call it Grey Matter (vile name!) but it looks dove grey to me.