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



 

Shopping for plus-size vintage; 5 tips and tricks

Hello once again lovelies! 
Hope you're all feeling fabulous and being kind to yourselves; as I've mentioned over on my facebook page  this week (11th - 17th May) is mental health awareness week in the UK. This means a great opportunity for plenty of self-care, mindfulness and looking after number one- yourself! One of my favourite forms of self care when i'm feeling blue is pampering. This can take many forms: whether it's a long soak in a Lush bubble bath, painting my nails, taking some empowering selfies or simply doing a bit of retail therapy. 

Bearing this in mind, today's blog post -as promised- is all about one of my favourite things- shopping for vintage fashion!

I've been a big lover of vintage ever since I was in my early teens. My first vintage clothing experience is one that will stay with me for the foreseeable- I was 15 and searching in Edinburgh for something fun to wear. I'd been looking all day and hadn't found ANYTHING to take my fancy; I was despondent but driven to find a magical garment to transform me into a queen (can you tell I've always had a flair for the dramatic?!) Finally, after hours of traipsing my poor mum around the high street there it was! In a box hidden deep at the back of a little Miss Selfridge shop hosting a vintage collection: The dress. Not just any dress, but the vintage dress of my dreams. Layers of peach and duck-egg blue tulle, internal corseting, floral print with delicate straps, a soft sweetheart neckline and the lightest of ruffles to accentuate the neckline. It was perfection, and as it transpired was also an absolute steal at only £25! That dress was the start of a life long love affair with vintage clothes and accessories which is exactly what I want to discuss today. 

A literal vintage Valhalla 

Unfortunately, not all vintage clothing is well sized. As a girl who can often be found rushing around vintage fairs looking for a bargain or endlessly searching the rails in my local vintage emporiums I know from experience there aren't nearly as many plus-size options as there are straight sized ones. Good quality plus-sized vintage isn't something that is always easy to come by, and it's quite easy to feel let down by the lack of options. 

Despair not however! I am here to tell you that there are options out there for you big and beautiful ladies. They might require a little extra sleuthing or thinking creatively about your clothing but you should not give up. Vintage should be accessible to everyone and my five little handy tips and tricks should help to make you realize that vintage clothing can work for you.

 

Searching the rails in "Beyond Retro" in Brighton

Bearing all of the above in mind, without further adieu here are my top five tips when shopping for plus-sized vintage: 

Tip number 1: Try things on! I honestly cannot emphasize this point enough to all of you beautiful voluptuous ladies out there. Vintage sizing is in itself a bit of a mystery; From personal experience I have personally been able to fit into vintage clothes marked from a size 12 (which I am most definitely not) up to a size 20. In short, vintage sizing is all over the place. If you see something beautiful at a vintage fair but it's marked as a size 16 when you're closer to a 20 - try it on! If you see a lovely blouse but it doesn't look like it'll contain your ample bosom- try it on! If you see anything at all that you fall in love with- try it on! Try it on, try it on, try it on!! You'll never know how an item looks on your body until you physically put it on and see yourself in it. Vintage clothes often don't look all that spectacular when on the hanger, but once on the body they transform and are brought to life which can be quite a magical thing to see! 

A 1940's vintage tea dress (size 14) circa 2011

Tip number 2: Elastic is your friend. Elastic is quite a marvelous creation, isn't it? Even more so when found in vintage clothes. One of my favourite items of vintage was picked up at a Judy's Affordable Vintage Sale that I attended whilst on holiday in Brighton last year. This item is a bright, colourful 80's style pleat skirt that has a pattern reminiscent of the opening scenes of "Saved by the Bell" and is more than likely handmade. There are no distinguishing markings, patterns or labels on this skirt aside from it's elasticated waistband which really was the cinch for me when making this purchase. There is nothing worse than a case of vintage regret (see tip number 5 for more details) and I really didn't want that happening with this skirt, I wasn't able to try it on at the time of purchase due to being in a rush but knowing that the waist was elasticated I was certain it would be a good fit. Was I right? Of course I was! Chances are, if an item looks to be similarly sized to you and has an elastic waist or empire line, you'll be able to make it work for you. 

My favourite vintage skirt, quickly styled with a Noel Fielding t-shirt & alternative normality hair piece

I just love how colourful this pattern is!

Tip number 3: Outerwear. Coats, Jackets, Blazers, Cardigans....never underestimate the power of a good piece of outerwear. For many plus-size women, finding well fitting vintage can be quite the struggle, however the great thing about outerwear is that it fits a far wider range of sizes than say blouses or dresses. Even if you can't find a beautiful vintage 1950's ballgown in your size, chances are you will still be able to find a beautiful faux-fur coat or astrakhan jacket that will suit you wonderfully- jackets and coats do not need to be worn done up either, which gives a bit of variety when deciding now to style them. 

If you're new to the world of vintage clothing, investing in a nice jacket or coat can be a brilliant way to revamp your style without going full 1940's or 50s. If you're a fan of the vintage aesthetic i'd suggest anything leopard print to make an instant statement (see below!)

My favourite vintage coat (circa 2010)

Tip number 4: Shop online. Unfortunately, not everyone has instant access to vintage shops, vintage fairs or even good quality second hand shops. I am fairly privileged to live within a stone's throw of both Edinburgh and Glasgow, meaning that when Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair comes to town it isn't any trouble making the pilgrimage through to raid the rails of vintage goodies. I'm also blessed to have easy access to huge vintage emporiums such as Mr Ben's and Armstrong's however I am aware that not everyone has this advantage. Luckily we do live in an online age where everything we need (well, mostly!) can be purchased at the click of a button. Buying vintage online is obviously a risky game, however sometimes it is the only port of call and the payoff can be immense. If you aren't able to get to a vintage store locally, I've added some hyperlinks to some lovely shops that sell beautiful and great quality plus size vintage!

Here are a few of my favourite online stores to find beautiful plus-size fashion:

1. Size is just a number 
2.Thrifty vintage kitten
3. Doll face Productions

Tip number 5: Don't get vintage regret! Vintage regret is a horrible phenomenon that occurs when you find a one of a kind beautiful piece of vintage clothing and don't end up purchasing it. This item of clothing then proceeds to haunt your dreams with you imagining every possible scenario in which you could wear it and the variety of ways in which you can style it but unfortunately, it is not yours. 

I can't count the amount of times that this has happened to me - most often when I put something down hoping to return to it later or spend time swithering over if it's worth the financial investment. Let me tell you - it is! There are few things more annoying that vintage regret and if you find a beautiful piece of clothing that fits you well and is one of a kind you should take the plunge and make that purchase!

Channeling my inner Nancy from "The Craft" in a vintage button-down tea dress 

Paisley princess 

Hopefully this information has given you a little bit of an insight into the world of plus-size vintage shopping. I hope that if anything this post will have given you a bit of hope to  explore the world of vintage- it isn't just for the straight sized gals amongst us! It is a wonderful cacophony of vivid prints, beautifully cut, well made and above all else, unique pieces of clothing. With a little bit of searching and creative thinking, vintage clothing can absolutely work for a multitude of plus size figures. 

Are you a fan of vintage clothing? Let me know what you think in the comments section!

Yours until next time, 

Lovelustloves x0