Jump-suiting for joy!

Hello beautiful humans!   

I do hope that this blog post finds you all well. I've recently been hit with a huge burst of fashion inspiration and I've felt compelled to get my creative hat on and start thinking about fun topics and clothing to write about. For today's post I'll be focusing on something that until a few weeks ago was completely alien to me and lacking entirely from my wardrobe- the jumpsuit.

Jumpsuits are something that I've always admired, but never thought I could make work for my body shape. I've envied and coveted the likes of plus-size fashion bloggers ArchedEyebrow and Callie Thorpe rocking their beautiful jumpsuits, full of confidence and pride and wishing I too could find something so fabulous to fulfil my wishes. 

Enter, the retro jumpsuit from River Island: 

When I first stumbled upon this pretty little number in my local River Island, I actually didn't realise it was a jumpsuit. I had been in the market to pick up a fun printed shirt-dress for work and thought this might just do the trick; little did I know it would be the answer my prayers and put a quick end to my jumpsuit woes! 

There are many things that I really love about this wee gem of a jumpsuit, from the short shorts that are just the right length between modest and risqué, the printed belt that cinches the waist and the tiny gold buttons that add just the right amount of glam factor. One thing really stood out for me though....

The print. 
Isn't it simply divine?!
 I'm not usually one to be a fan of browns and beige shades, but the vibrancy of the 60's inspired print completely overrules any colour choices in my book! The large floral motifs read really nicely both closer up and farther away, giving this jumpsuit an interesting appeal.

If you read my blog regularly or know me either online or in real life, you'll know that I'm pretty much obsessed with prints. The stranger and more unusual the better! This ticked all of those boxes and more for me.

 

In regards to sizing, I'm wearing a UK size 16 here. Now- full disclaimer- I am definitely not a size 16. This jumpsuit is very generously sized and aside from a little gaping around the chest area, it fits more of less like a glove. I was very impressed with the generosity of sizing, particularly in the bum area as this is one region in which I am particularly blessed! 

If you're thinking of making a purchase of this lovely item (and why shouldn't you- it's currently on sale!) I'd recommend trying this on for size if that's an option for you, but if not I'd argue that you would be safe to size down. I've included a wee link to purchase at the end of this post for any interested parties!

 

Oh, and just in case you were wondering- it looks just as good (arguably if not better!) from behind:

To properly show off this beautiful outfit in all it's glory, I decided to enlist the help of my beautiful friend Leigh to organise a little impromptu photoshoot in my living room. We chose to go for a "you better werk" vibe which basically translates to me looking sassy as hell and channelling my inner bad-ass boss bitch- something that works really well with this jumpsuit! 

We were both overjoyed with the results, and hope that you like them too:

 

 

Outfit Details 

Hair Flower: George @ ASDA

Jumpsuit: River Island

Tights: H&M

Shoes: Primark

Et voilà! I hope you've enjoyed seeing my jumpsuit joy - is this something you'd wear, or do you have another wardrobe lust you're looking for? Let me know!

I've recently been fortunate enough to be blessed with something of a rarity for me these days- free time! So if you read and keep up to date with my blog you'll be seeing more of my face around- I promise! I've been involved with a few really exciting projects lately, including a collaboration with the beautiful Leyah Shanks of The Body Confidence Revolution which I'm hoping to post about soon! 

Until next time my darlings
Love and kisses, 
Lovelustloves xo

Ethereal garden nymph

 

Hello my beautiful flower children!

 

Hopefully you will all be well and enjoying your week- things have been ridiculously hectic for me as of late what with starting my new job as a trainee Educational Psychologist and studying towards my masters degree but as the old phrase goes- no rest for the wicked! (sidenote: if you're interested in what I do outwith the blogging/fashion community I have recently written a big "life update" on my Instagram account @ivorylovelust, feel free to follow me there and keep up to date with my miscellaneous posts and updates!)

 

Despite being ridiculously busy I've still been trying my very best to keep up with blogging and the world of fashion in general, and I was lucky enough to be asked to take a recent jaunt through to Edinburgh a few weeks ago to do a photoshoot with the lovely Micha Ferreri thus tying up my interests in a fun and creative way.

 

Micha is one of my favourite photographers who I've mentioned before in this post & this post - if you're based in central Scotland and in need of a brilliant photographer then you need look no further! Micha is fun, friendly and has a fantastic eye for details; she gives great direction when on shoot and my collaborations with her have resulted in some of my favourite photographs of all time, these included!

 

 

 

 I also got a new little Twin Peaks tattoo recently- sweet huh?

 

 

 

All of these images were shot in the Edinburgh Royal Botanical Gardens, this was my first time here but I'll definitely return soon- wandering around seeing all of the beautiful foliage & greenery made me feel like a sweet little wood nymph, I was definitely feeling my ethereal fantasy!

 

Knowing that we would be doing this photoshoot in such a nature-friendly location filled with gorgeous flowers, I chose to wear a new frock for the occasion- one that matched the setting insofar as being sweet & colourful, with a floral theme running throughout. This dress is the lovely Ella dress in "Mary Blair Lips and Roses" print from my all-time favourite vintage reproduction suppliers that i've mentioned many a time- Pinupgirlclothing. 

 

I bought the Ella dress in my usual size of 2X which I found to fit beautifully, it's tight enough that it hugs my ample curves in all the right places but still loose enough that I can get it on and off again with ease. I also added a simple black velvet waist belt from another of my Pinupgirlclothing dresses, which I feel really completes the look. For added volume I stuck on my old faithful OhMyHoney petticoat to fluff out my skirt, threw on a wee Primark flower crown and a set of dramatic false eyelashes!

 

 

 



 

 

As much as I love this beautiful Ella Dress, I thought I'd use the opportunity of shooting at the Royal Botanical Gardens to showcase another of my beautiful frocks- the Jenny Dress in Neverland Print. I have coveted this dress for the longest time; ever since seeing the beautiful Pinup Courtney Maylee rocking it at a recent photoshoot on her Facebook page. This dress is undoubtedly my new favourite acquisition of all time! Everything about this dress positively screams "me" - the colour, the kitschy print & the hugely voluminous skirt; as soon as I slipped this dress on I felt every inch a caricature of my every day self- something I always like to strive for with my personal style.

 

Whilst we were walking around taking photographs I also had many people coming up to me and commenting on how pretty my dress was- one little girl even remarked that I looked "like a princess" which is proof enough for me that this is the dress of my dreams!  

 

The main unique selling point of this dress for me was the print- for those who aren't aware it is a beautiful interpretation of the map to Peter Pan's "Neverland" as designed by pinup artist extraordinaire Micheline Pitt. Featuring recognisable characters such as Captain Hook, Tinkerbell and my personal favourite -a wee topless mermaid- all brought together by map markings and images from the original J.M.Barrie novel (note the depiction of skull rock, mermaid lagoon & the thimble and acorn motif!) this is fun, frivolous and most of all- fabulous. I am a sucker for any type of unusual print so this Jenny dress ticks all of my fashion must-have boxes!

 

 

 

 Never stop twirling

 

 

I was originally a little unsure about what size to purchase in this dress- i've heard incredibly mixed reviews about the Jenny, due in part to the structured boning and limited stretch of the print fabric. After posting for advice in the brilliant facebook group "PUG style pinups" (a lovely place dedicated to helping fellow pinups with everything from hair tutorials and winged eyeliner to dress fittings) I made the decision to order this dress in my regular 2X size, which I'm happy to report fits like a dream! It is slightly smaller than my other 2X dresses, but not so much so that it's uncomfortable to wear. Also, as I briefly mentioned earlier, the Jenny dress has boning sewn into the top that provides a great uplift that allows you to go braless if you so choose. The straps are fully adjustable too, allowing for the dress to be worn however you like - a great options to have!

 

I decided to style this dress with a sweet purple cardigan that I picked up in a Debenhams sale a number of years ago and a little yellow hair flower, the colours of the dress are so vivid I thought these tones would be particularly complimentary -I'll make sure to put links to this full outfit at the end of this post.

 

Ultimately, my experience of shooting in Edinburgh's Royal Botanical Gardens was fantastic- after starting such a dramatically new chapter of my life I am finding so much comfort in protecting a little time to pursue my own creative interests. Creating a concept for a shoot, styling it and seeing everything come to fruition at the end is so rewarding, and something I definitely won't be giving up any time soon! What do you think of the Ella and Jenny dresses- are they something you'd wear? Let me know in the comments section.

Outfit Details:

Dress: Pinupgirlclothing

Cardigan: Debenhams

Belt: Pinupgirlclothing

Hair Flower: Alternate Normality

Shoes: Schuh

Stockings: What Katie Did

 

 

And so my sweet things, that concludes another blog post!

Now as a disclaimer I'm under no guise that it is the middle of October and that Halloween is fast approaching! Next up on my blog I'll be focusing on all things scary and spooky, as well as having a wee retrospective look through my favourite Halloween outfits of all time- this is my absolute favourite time of the year so I do have a *slight* tendency to go all out! I do hope that you'll stick around and enjoy my up and coming spooky-fest.

 

Until next time angels,

Lovelustloves x0



 

Gary Crozier's Broken Dolls

Hello darlings!

Please accept my sincerest apologies at the lack of blog posts this month- things have been incredibly hectic for me as I've been co-organizing my local hometown's first ever LGBT pride event (which took place the other week and was a rousing success- but more on that later!) and amongst other things I've been preparing to start my Masters degree in Education Psychology (eep!)

But enough with the excuses! Today I'm talking about an amazing photoshoot that I did a couple of weeks ago in Edinburgh. Most people in the UK who are involved in the burlesque/pinup/vintage scene will have heard of the name Gary Crozier before. For those of you who haven't, he's an incredibly skilled photographer and digital artist that specializes in making people into "Broken Dolls" - beautiful images that are enhanced slightly and reminiscent of Margaret Keane's "big eyed waifs" with large eyes and doll-like features.

A beautiful example of Gary's Broken Dolls

I have had the pleasure of working with Gary on a number of occasions; when I was a young student living and working in Edinburgh I used to be employed as a makeup artist for the vintage boutique Miss Dixiebelle's where Gary often comes to shoot several times a year. Never quite gaining the confidence to venture in front of his camera, I instead made up the faces of beautiful women and watched in awe as they were transformed into Broken Dolls - something I have always wanted to experience for myself. (I actually did the lovely Joanne's makeup in the photograph you see above!)

Fast forward a few years to when I've got a little more disposable income, a lot more confidence and I finally decided the time had come- I was going to become one of Gary's Broken Dolls. I phoned up Miss Dixiebelle and spoke to the lovely Emma, paid a £30 deposit to book my slot and I was off! I began planning my outfits straight away, and packed a giant leopard print suitcase full of my favourite clothes. 

Lots of goodies ready for photographing!

The day itself arrived quickly and I boarded the train to Edinburgh with a bag full of beautiful things, a clear makeup-less face and my trusty sidekick, my gorgeous Persian cat Lux Interior (I've been dying to get some good photographs of us together for the longest time & this seemed like the perfect occasion!) I arrived at Miss Dixiebelle's Vintage Hair and Beauty Parlour just after 11am and was immediately whisked into the back of their gorgeous shop to look through some Vintage Life and Burlesque Bible magazines for some style inspiration, all whilst Lux was being pampered and preened by my mum and some adoring fans he picked up along our travels!

Lux waiting patiently in the parlour whilst I get my hair and makeup done

So, onto my hair and makeup; I came prepared to this shoot with a clear idea in my mind of what I wanted. My inspiration for this style was Beyonce circa "Dreamgirls" - one of my favourite films. Think huge waves of cascading curls with enough volume to lift off into space, a liberal application of atomic hold hairspray and a bright pop of colour. The lovely hair stylist Ariana set straight to work and left me with the big bouncy coiffure of my dreams, that ended up lasting two full days(!)

In terms of my makeup I wanted something bold. I'm a firm believer that my lips are my best feature and the gorgeous MUA Layla was more than happy to listen to what I wanted and create a dramatic style to suit both of my outfit plans (I of course had to have a costume change at some point throughout the day!)  We ended up going for a deep purple hued red lipstick that worked fantastically for both ensembles with a dark smoky eye with a sharp cut crease and a liberal dose of liquid eyeliner. Being a trained makeup artist myself I often find it quite difficult to allow others free reign over my face but I needn't have worried- Layla was a consummate professional and put me right at ease.

After hair and makeup it was time to get dressed - the piece de resistance!

My first look for my Broken Dolls shoot was again slightly inspired by the movie Dreamgirls- I chose to wear a lovely new dress that had yet to receive it's first outing; the Voodoo Vixen Dress in green lame by my vintage repro favourites PinupgirlClothing (Sidenote, for a fantastic in-depth review of this dress please check out the lovely Stina's blog Fatshion Peepshow). This dress fits like an absolute dream, it hugs my curves in all the right places and is definitely a bit of a show stopper! For reference I'm wearing my usual size of 2X and it fits perfectly on my 5'7 size 18 frame.

One of my favourite features of this dress is the unusual crossover bust detail, it's a natural cleavage enhancer and draws the eye right upwards and the shimmery effervescence of the lame is breathtaking- honestly I don't think my low quality phone photographs do this dress justice at all! Another favourite feature here is the asymmetric waterfall skirt - the kicked out pleats across one side of this dress give it a whole new dimension! Rather than being a simple wiggle dress, this dress is a true visual masterpiece and was the perfect choice for some bold Broken Doll photographs with Lux Interior by my side.  

Close up details of the show-stopping dress

After I'd shot in this gorgeous gown, it was time for a costume change! I decided to go a bit more risqué with this second look and opted to shoot in just my underwear - something I haven't done a whole lot of! Lots of Gary's Broken Doll models are Burlesque performers and look absolutely phenomenal in their skivvies, so I decided to take my inspiration from them and go for it! 

If you've been following this blog for a while you'll probably remember me talking about my body positive journey and how I am often afraid to step outside my comfort zone- well this was no exception! Standing in a shop full of people in your bra and pants is no mean feat but I decided to push my boundaries and really go for it- I was looking to get some sultry and dark atmospheric shots and the outfit I'd chosen to shoot in was perfect.

The underwear set that I decided to wear for my second photograph was a mixture of What Katie Did stockings, the sadly now discontinued Lulu Garter Belt and an old faithful Gossard Plunge Bra. I paired this with some show-stopping Pleaser Bordello high heels (link to purchase here) and I was ready to shoot! I chose to wear this lingerie set as I wanted to show off my tummy tattoo and it also has the added bonus of making me feeling incredibly sexy! I put any body hangups to the side and embraced my inner pinup fantasy.

The actual process of shooting with Gary was an absolute dream. Gary is a total expert and is more than happy to direct you into poses that he thinks will work well for the photographs he's trying to capture whilst listening to your own ideas. He isn't afraid to try out new poses, positions or styles and is incredibly patient and sweet- when we were shooting he even made a joke about Poison Ivy and Lux Interior (any fellow Cramps fan will get the reference!) 

So without any further waffling on from me, have a wee look at the beautiful images Gary and I were able to create together! I've ordered a couple of these as prints and can't wait to see them framed and hung up in my house.

 

Ta-da! 

If you're ever in need of a wee confidence boost or you're just looking to treat yourself, I'd definitely recommend booking a photoshoot with Gary. He can be contacted through his official website here  and for anyone local to Edinburgh he does shoots at Miss Dixiebelle as I've outlined in this post fairly regularly (you can check for updates here). 

Becoming a broken doll was such a wonderful experience, I really can't recommend it highly enough! Being primped and pampered in such a lovely place and made to feel like a queen is something that absolutely everyone should experience and I hope that this post has inspired you to release your inner broken doll too. 

Until next time darlings, 

Lovelustloves x0