60s Glam

I love 1960s style and all things "mod" that that era produced, which is why Dear Creatures was such a great loss to the fashion world.  Dear Creatures was a 60s revival brand that very sadly went out of business in 2016.  I've been thrifting my favorite Dear Creatures pieces since that time and finally landed this lovely unicorn.  To be honest, I paid way too much for it, but I knew that was probably the only way I'd ever own it.  The last time I saw this dress listed for a reasonable price it sold within minutes.  So, I bit the bullet and paid a king's ransom for this dress.  I do love it though.  I wish all fashion design could be this good.

Outfit Info:  Dear Creatures Cecile Dress is thrifted

 

Eye of Newt & Tooth of Hound

I didn't start out this collaboration intending to have a theme for the week, but here we are and I am seeing the pattern.  All of my Dolly & Dotty dresses from this collaboration are things I chose because they are perfect for summer and the seasons ahead.  Maximum wearability is what I am all about.  

Houndstooth is an all-year-round kind of print, but this black and white dress in particular makes me think of fall and winter.  For autumn, I'll wear orange and rust colors with it, and for winter I'll switch to reds and greens.  It's the perfect base!

Maybe I'm jumping the gun a little, but it's the last day of August and that means that Autumn and Halloween are on the horizon.  And, while I do have a few holiday specific pieces, what I really love to do is bring out all my fall colors in September and wear them all season long.  And, that includes things that don't just fall into the orange/red/yellow palette, such as this Lily Houndstooth print dress from Dolly & Dotty.

You may not be in a fall frame of mind just yet, (I always look forward to the autum colors, but personally, I won't mind if the summer weather lingers for a few more weeks) which is why pieces like this are so great, they make that seasonal transition right along with you, whenever you're ready.  

I added a black petticoat underneath for a little more fullness to the skirt, but again, with this color palette, you could add any petticoat to match your 'fit and have it coordinate beautifully.  You really can't go wrong anytime of year with a Dolly & Dotty Dress.

Outfit Info:  Lily Houndstooth Sleeved Full Circle Dress in Black/White-£50 

from Dolly & Dotty

Feelin' Groovy

 Today's post brings with it a groovy new collaboration (please excuse my 60s vernacular, but the situation calls for it.)

When I saw this print, I knew how I would want to style it and I can now say that finally my summer of love dreams of this dress are coming together thanks to these slouchy white boots from my new collaboration with Sungtin and you can save an extra 20% off these lovelies with my code 20LQ8L2E. 

The thing I love most about collaborations is how they get me out of my style ruts.  When a company comes to me with a suggestion for something new to try, my creativity gets flowing and I try things I wouldn't normally think to put together.

These knee high boots fit true to size, are made of soft faux leather and are lined with manmade plush.  Sungtin's boots  draw in lots of super hero cosplayers, but I think they're also pretty perfect for my princessy dresses.

I spent some time playing around with different styles with these boots and the next things I'll try are definitely a mini pencil skirt and a sweater dress.

I've had so much fun trying new styles to go with my new slouchy boots from Sungtin.  I hope this is the first of many great collaborations with them.

Shopping Info:  Sungtin Women's Faux Leather Knee High Flat Slouch Boots-$45.99, Save an extra 20% with code 20LQ8L2E

Citrus Princess Dress-$22

Seven Strong

Time passes; people change.  I've just realized that I missed an important anniversary here on the blog which is of course, the blog's anniversary.  I've had this blog for seven full years and am starting eight.  It's kind of a big deal for me personally because I typically never hold any hobby longer than five.  And I've noticed that most of the people I began blogging with (not really with them but they were there and I was there) have fallen away to things like raising families or pursuing avenues of expression.

While I've definitely felt a shift in my focus and my style over the years, it's nice to have this body or work to look back on.  It's not perfect, as the tightly clenched reader who recently felt the need to comment on a single grammar error in a post from five years ago brought to light, but then no one and no blog is.  And, after nearly 2,000 posts (that breaks down to 285 posts per year) I don't really expect perfection and I don't sweat the small mistakes.

This blog started out as just a way for a shy, lonely, and rather creatively bored young woman to reach out to the world, have some fun, and challenge herself in the process, but it turned into something so much more.  This blog was a lifeboat when I was drowning.  I won't say it saved me, but it gave me something to hang onto and isn't that something we're all searching for?

I've changed my mode of communication just a bit as I finally expanded to Youtube last year, but I doubt I'll ever fully move there.  I like writing.  In fact, I prefer it.  And, I know I've complained a lot lately about getting up in the cold pre-dawn to take photos, but the truth is that I'm so pleased, so proud of these pics and these words that I wouldn't change a thing.

Thanks for being here, dear reader, whether it's been for seven years or seven minutes.  I'm glad you're here and I hope I'll be here for years more to come.

Cherish the Calm

The new year has dawned and I still have a little bit of hope that things will straighten up and turn out alright, the greater part of me feels like the world is in a tailspin and there's no pulling up.  That's for the world at large.  Personally I'm trying very hard to have order in my life, to make things better however I can.

After the calm comes the storm.  I suppose that's the reverse of how that old saying goes but for me it's not a matter of weathering the storms but expecting them.  It's that sense of unease when things are too quiet.  (This dress by the way, was one of my freebies from J.ING.  I'm so disappointed that they ended the $100 prize for submitting reviews!)

Anytime I get a nice little break from work or life in general it is immediately followed by a tempestuous season of high activity the likes of which a few days preemptive rest have barely readied me for. 

That's why I take my peace and quiet so seriously.  I know they won't last and if I don't make the most of them, I won't make it through the next storm with my health and sanity intact.

Right now I am in the middle of one of my busiest, and most physically demanding weeks of the year, so I am thankful for every morning I slept in, every healthy meal I took time to prepare, every quiet moment spent in reflection, staring out a window lost in thought.  I'll just have to hope that it's enough to get me through this crazy week so I can rest again and prepare for the next one on the way.

Shopping Info:  Melissa Black Bow Tie Dress-$69.99 from J.ING

Why I Wear Vintage

"Why do you wear vintage styles?"  It's not a question I've ever been asked.  I think people just take a look at the dress, see how great it looks, and say, "Wow, I love your dress."  No explanation necessary. Btw if you love this dress, you can get it for an extra 15% off with code lovevintage.

I would like to give you a little insight as to how it all began, because chances are some of you can still relate to my struggles that began my search for vintage styles, but maybe you haven't made the switch.  And, I thought today's collab with GownTown Vintage would be the perfect opportunity to tackle this topic.

I always loved the feminine styles of eras past, from the Victorians to the 1960s, those styles had so much elegance I remember looking at my own clothes, (purposely) ripped blue jeans, (ironically worn) polo shirt, chain wallet, chuck taylors, and it all just seemed so, stodgy and spiritless.  Never mind the fact that it looked shabby and the fit was non-existent beyond the fact that they stayed on my body. 

Then came the teen years when everything changed and I suddenly had a shape (pear shape to be precise) to deal with and that is rather difficult to style.  And, when I was growing in to my shape, the style trends were all based around girls with no curves at all, think teenage Paris Hilton because fashion designers certainly were, and nothing looked good on me.  

For a while I switched to boys clothes because the ultra-low-rise jeans and cropped tops weren't doing 90% of the population any favors and that included me.  I didn't just feel uncomfortable; I felt ugly.  I hated my body.  And, the worst part was I felt powerless to do anything about it.  I couldn't control style trends and I can't change my shape.  I can tone it up a little, but I'll always have this shape.

 

The first time I slipped on a 1960s swing dress with its fitted bodice and full skirt, I felt at home in my skin.  For the first time, I loved the way I looked.  The only question was, where could I find more styles like this.  

Way back then, it was true vintage or nothing, but wearing true vintage wasn't without its problems.  I quickly discovered that true vintage clothing was often too fragile for daily wear and also usually tailored to the original owner who was also typically much shorter than me.   So, while true vintage pieces were definitely a step in the right direction, they weren't the solution to my situation.

My next step was to try sewing my own clothes, but again those vintage reproduction sewing patterns hadn't been released to meet the trend, so I was stuck for a bit, guessing at how to make vintage clothes until the rest of the world caught on to this trend.  And, boy did it ever.  Suddenly there were vintage styles everywhere and it was difficult to find quality pieces at reasonable prices, until I found GownTown Vintage.

Vintage fashion styles like this Gingham Cape Collar Swing dress from GownTown Vintage make every body type look its very best.  Totally feminine and figure flattering.  The fabric is a thick, high quality material with stretch for a perfect fit.  The colors are crisp, and the details are wonderful, and all for less than $40.  Is it any wonder I fell in love with GownTown.

How can I not feel amazing in a dress like this.  This is why I am such a loyal fan of this brand.  There's more GownTown loveliness on the way, so check back with me to see more great picks from this brand.

Shopping Info:  GownTown Womens 1950s Cape Collar Vintage Swing Stretchy Dresses Save 15% with code lovevintage 5/14/2021 thru 5/18/2021, Chelsea Crew Mary Jane Oxford T Strap Heels

In the Lilacs

Every year I count on this little lilac bush to bloom and it has never let me down.....until this year.

The weather was a little too harsh for this dear old thing which has probably been growing here for 50 years or more.

Everyone needs a holiday now and then so, I suppose I'll forgive the lilac bush for taking a year off.  Hopefully she'll be back at her best next spring and I'll be here gathering blossoms again.

Sneakers and Dress from: SHEIN

Mod Alice

For today we're continuing our FemmeLuxe Week theme of Past, Present, Future.  Today's outfit theme is the Present. Perhaps present is a relative term but compared to the Victorian era it is something decidedly more modern in its styling or perhaps “Mod” is a better term. The term Mod originally comes from a subculture that emerged in London in the late 1950s. London became the fashion center of the world and Mod style became the defining style trend of the 1960s.

Noteworthy characteristics of Mod style included short skits, freer waistline in the form of baby doll dresses, high boots, and vinyl fabric cutouts. Several of these elements feature in BlackPU High Neck Mini Dress – Alice, which is probably why I was so drawn to it. The Alice dress has some of those standout style elements, with a few modern updates.

One thing I love about the Alice dress is that it doesn't follow the baby doll waistline. While I think the baby doll look is darling, I don't think it is flattering on most body types, and that's a problem. Something without a waist like a baby doll dress looks best on very curvy figures like an hourglass shape because that shape does so much of the work the clothes don't need to do much. I was not blessed with an hourglass shape, I'm more like a pear and for that reason I have to find clothes that work for me and my shape and I know that is the case for the vast majority of women out there.

This is why I love blogging so much and working with companies like FemmeLuxe to really show you not only the potential that well-fitting clothing can offer but also the potential your shape has to look dynamic without you feeling like you have to change yourself to meet some unreasonable standard.  In my opinion though, fashion that only suits a very narrow percentage of the body types out there is not good design. So, as much as I love Mod style and as much as I liked this Alice dress, there were a few reasons that made it a better than vintage dress.

When considering this Alice dress, I did take note of a few present day updates that I want to share with you so you'll know what to look for when you venture out to look for things that flatter your shape. Unlike true Mod, the Alice dress has a more defined waist which means the dress does some of the work for your body in either creating or accentuating the narrowest part of your waistline. That is what good design does, it removes the burden from the wearer

Another thing I want to mention is that this dress is surprisingly comfortable. Although I would like to note that I chose this dress in a size 8UK and could probably have sized down to a 6, I am still really pleased with the fit and feel. Vinyl doesn't seem like a comfortable fabric, but for the Alice dress, the vinyl is flexible and the inside was soft, as was the mesh for the cutout piece on the neckline. The neckline you'll notice is a mock turtle neck which is another great Mod element.

Just as the Alice dress is suggestive of a style without being a direct copy, when considering wearing something from one of the great style eras, I think it is important to have a good blend of vintage and modern style. If you go head to toe Mod you'll end up looking like you are wearing a costume instead of what you want which is to look stylish and chic in your own way. 

For example in this outfit there are many elements that are suggestive of Mod like the big hair bun and the natural makeup with emphasis on dark eyeliner. But, I scaled those things down by combining them with current trends like a bright lip color and no make up on the under eye so that it isn't that heavy make up from the 1960s. And instead of boots I chose a classic peep toe pump so everything stays in balance.

Tomorrow's post will wrap our FemmeLuxe Week theme and will feature a Futuristic style. See you there!

Shopping Info: Black PUHigh Neck Mini Dress—Alice from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk, Heels from Charlotte Russe