The perfect seaside holiday outfit

 

Hello lovely people! 

I do hope this blog post finds you all well. I am very happy to report that I'm in good spirits and incredibly well rested after a much needed getaway at the weekend. My beautiful friend Leigh and I escaped to her family holiday home in the southwest of Scotland in the quaint little seaside town of Portpatrick. We had the most wonderful time exploring the beaches and climbing rocks, as well as eating lots of delicious seafood (and drinking plenty of wine)! 

We arrived in Portpatrick on Friday night at about 7.30pm after an afternoon of driving. After dropping off our suitcases we were both keen to see the sights and I wanted to find an outfit that was comfortable and practical for exploring, whilst still looking chic and stylish. Luckily i'd packed this incredible leopard print jumpsuit from Primark that really ticked all of the boxes and fit my criteria- so happily popped it on and went about our evening. 

I decided to pair the jumpsuit with some big gold hoop earrings- my latest obsession. I feel as though gold hoop earrings will be making their way into more and more of my fashion posts as I seem to be wearing them with everything right now! I also added an unusual gold triangle necklace that was gifted to me for my birthday last year as I thought this made my outfit a little more fancy, which was perfect for eating dinner in a lovely little seaside restaurant. 

Another necessity to this little outfit were some sunglasses. Unfortunately i'd overlooked these when hurriedly packing my suitcase (moral of the story, always pack and plan what you will be wearing in advance!) but my friend Leigh sorted me out by letting me borrow these sweet little circle lens glasses from Primark.

If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll remember me writing about being bolder with my fashion choices and trying new things, abolishing any presupposed "standard" or fashion "rules" I was following or had created for myself. This trend is something that really is only growing stronger as time goes on- I am practically living in jumpsuits and dungarees these days and am no longer afraid to show off my arms or tummy. Yay for continuous body positivity!!

This little leopard print number is no exception to that rule- it fits well, is remarkably comfortable and ultimately looks really good on! I'm wearing a size 18 here which fits my 45-36-45 frame nicely and doesn't pull or gape in the wrong places. I also love just how much attention it brings to my rather large posterior! For reference I am 5'7 and I find the legs to be a nice length when wearing flats, if I were wearing heels it may come up a little short, but I didn't need to worry about that on this trip. 

Another thing I love about this jumpsuit is that it has the holy grail of all fashion finds- pockets! Not only is this incredible practical, but the pockets are well sized to carry around your phone, car keys and lipstick and don't detract from the surprisingly good tailoring. As well as this, the jumpsuit also comes with a matching leopard belt that can be used to cinch the waist. The leopard print motif is also one that I simply adore. Often I find that leopard print can be a bit garish (not that it ever puts me off, haha!) but this particular print blends neatly and doesn't come off too strong. 

I do hope that you're enjoying the photos on this blog post- Portpatrick is without a doubt one of the most beautiful scenic places I've ever seen so I definitely took advantage of the surroundings and got camera happy!

One thing that I've been particularly struck by when writing this post and looking at these photos is how strong and confident I both look and feel. Truthfully I've been in somewhat of a confidence slump as of late, I've not been taking any photos of myself and have felt uninspired when it comes to my wardrobe. Luckily I think getting away for the weekend to the beautiful seaside has allowed me to reconnect with myself and my love of fashion and left me feeling uplifted and positive. 

If this outfit is something you like then you can find all of my assorted bits and pieces on the list below:

Outfit Details

Jumpsuit: Primark 

Sunglasses: Primark 

Earrings: Accessorize

Necklace: New Look

Shoes: New Look

 

 

And that's all for me for now beautiful people. I hope you enjoyed my wee outfit post and holiday pictures and please do check in on the blog for regular updates. 

Until next time darlings, 

Lovelustloves x0

Rainbows and Revolution

Hello beautiful people! 

I do hope that I find you all well today. Today's post is quite a special one to me. Not only am I talking about a killer outfit (I am, fear not!) but i'm also going to be discussing something that is very near and dear to my heart- Pride. 

Last Saturday the 30th June was the date of Edinburgh's Annual Pride. For those of you who aren't aware, Pride is an annual celebration held in large cities across the world aiming to bring together the LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans) community, as well as straight and cis friends and allies. We march in solidarity with our queer brothers and sisters in opposition to the years of oppression and hardship faced by this community and promote a clear message of equality for all. 

Pride is something that has special value to me; I am an openly bisexual woman and a strong advocate for LGBT+ rights both locally and nationally. I often volunteer with the incredible charity organisation Stonewall and work part-time supporting a local LGBT+ youth group. To me, Pride is so much more than just rainbows and parties- it's a political revolution. It's having our voices heard. It's queer liberation.  

I am lucky enough to be loved and supported for who I am by my family and friends, something that unfortunately cannot be said for all LGBT people. When people ask me why i'm involved in LGBT+ activism I tell them that it would be foolish for me not to be. In a world where 40% of homeless youth are LGBT, LGBT people are at much higher risk of suffering with mental illness and they face adversity, discrimination and difficulty accessing everyday services I believe it is not only my right, but also my duty to stand up and support my LGBT family, friends and community. 

I regularly attend pride events. In the past I've been to London, Brighton, Glasgow and Edinburgh prides and last year I even co-organised a Pride march in my hometown of West Lothian (if you like, you can read more about that here). This year's Edinburgh pride was however without a doubt my favourite one yet. In the wake of the horrors faced by the people of Orlando and PULSE nightclub, as well as increasing political uncertainty over human and equal rights within the United Kingdom Pride could not be more needed at this point in time. Signs declaring "We stand with Orlando" and "Love is love" were displayed proudly and there was a real air of positivity and sense of community. People were happily chatting, mingling and complementing one another - it was a truly humbling experience to be in amongst a movement that was so human, filled with raw emotion.

 

My time at Pride was spent proudly marching alongside upwards of 10,000 other incredible individuals through the City Centre and then followed by some volunteering with Stonewall's new #ByYourSide campaign- speaking to members of the public and letting them know all about this wonderful new initiative that brings people together and asks who supports you and allows you to be your truest self. 

Being able to talk to so many wonderful people was incredibly liberating and really helped me embrace the meaning of Pride and get into the spirit of things. Proudly sporting a rainbow scarf and some of my brightest clothes also helped me open dialogue with many people, allowing conversation to flow naturally as everyone embraced the joyous occasion. 

Pride at it's heart is about acceptance without exception, being true to who you are and feeling safe and supported to do that. I for one am a huge advocate of being your most authentic self at all times and wearing bright colours and loud clothing really helps me to accomplish that. For Pride, I decided to sport a flower crown, Ragged Priest scarf and my bright yellow Mary Blair skirt from Pinupgirl clothing. I also threw some glitter and stars on my face for good measure, because why the hell not?

Below are a few of the photos I took that I think really capture the essence of what Pride was for me- an incredible revolutionary day that was good for the mind, body and soul. Enjoy!

 

Outfit Details 
Flower Crown: Frankii Wilde

Scarf: The Ragged Priest
Top: New Look 
Skirt: Pinupgirl Clothing 

 

And that's all for now, darlings. If you have a Pride event coming up in your hometown or a city near you I would greatly encourage you to attend and embrace the rainbow revolution. 

Until next time, 

Lovelustloves x0

One dress, two ways

Hello my darlings,

I hope you're all enjoying the start of Autumn- it's well and truly here in Scotland now! Today's post is a quick review of a shirt-dress that's incredibly versatile and Autumn-friendly; and I'll be showing you two different ways to wear it. 

This dress comes from a clothing brand who until recently were completely off my radar- Monki. Monki are a Scandinavian-born fashion brand that promote a fun street-style aesthetic that is big on eclectic prints, beautiful basics and incredibly trendy pieces. Whilst they aren't an exclusively plus-size brand, many of Monki's clothes are loose-fitting and oversized, meaning they fit a wide variety of body shapes, types and sizes. To my knowledge Monki don't currently have any Scottish stores, but if you're a London gal they do have a reportedly fantastic store on Carnaby Street- well worth checking out!

This shirt-dress was first brought to my attention via the beautiful Bethany, of ArchedEyebrow.com fame. (For her review and styling of this Monki ensemble, please click here. I must admit that this piece didn't really capture my imagination when I first saw it online at ASOS.com, but after seeing it styled up and on a plus-size babe, I thought I'd take the leap and make this purchase. (huge kudos to my homegal Sarah for convincing me to buy this- I love my fashion enabling friends!)

 

#Monkistyle

If you're a regular purveyor of my blog or Instagram, you'll know that this look is a real far cry from my everyday style! As a girl who usually wears full-skirted, nipped-in-waist dresses that showcase my bust, this shirt-dress is almost diametrically opposed to my style norm, but after seeing the many different ways in which it could be styled it really struck my imagination.  If I'm being completely honest, first seeing this dress in its loose and free-flowing form it did strike me as being a little "Grandparents in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" although I am incredibly pleased to report this comparison existed only in my head, and doesn't translate when it's on my body and styled up with pretty accessories! 

As you can see from the photograph above, when nipped in with a waist belt this dress takes on a whole new shape and style- it really transforms it into a cute semi-structured and loosely-tailored outfit that is perfect for work and play. It's no secret that I'm an avid fan of a waist belt (they feature in nearly all of my outfits!) and I believe that this ensemble is tantamount to the power of the belt insofar as it's ability to transform an outfit. This is the first way to wear this shirt-dress, and I've included a few more photographs of this look below for your perusal: 

 

I'm in love with this bold print! 

 

To make this look cohesive, I decided to add some printed tights (another personal style signature) and some exceptionally high-heeled boots alongside some fun illuminati-inspired earrings I picked up from H&M. I think this really brings the style together and could be worn to a variety of places; this week already I've worn this outfit to work, to go for drinks and on a date - talk about versatile!

To focus quickly on sizing for a moment- as I mentioned earlier Monki clothes tend to be  deliberately loose-fitting and are generally available in XS, S, M or L (measured on their website as being a UK size 8, 10, 12 and 14 respectively.) I decided to purchase this shirt-dress in a size L, and the fit is incredibly accommodating. Fellow blogger babe Danielle Vanier recently wrote an article for The Debrief about Monki as a brand for plus-size people, so I'd recommend having a read of this here.

Arguably my favourite thing about this shirt-dress is the eclectic print, to me it's incredibly reminiscent of 60's wallpaper which oddly enough is of huge appeal! The ability to wear this dress more than one way is also hugely appealing, below I've posted photos of this look without the added belt to highlight how good it looks with or without - look number 2. I'm also absolutely infatuated with the finer details of the shirt, it even has concealed pockets which are fantastically practical - another great selling point.

 

Pockets! 

 

Another reason for this purchase (not that I need one, I've already sold this dress to myself four times over!) is that I'm slowly getting more involved in my local Northern Soul scene, and whilst I've never been able to fully embrace the 60's mini-dress silhouette I do believe that this is a step in the right direction. In actuality I cannot wait to tear up the dancefloor with this pretty little dress, grooving to the likes of Frankie Valli, The Supremes & Eddie Spencer.

I've really enjoyed taking this little step outside my comfort zone and this dress has fast become a wardrobe staple of mine - I hope you'll agree that it looks good both ways, either with or without a belt! 

Outfit Details

Shirt Dress: Monki (purchased via ASOS)

Belt:  New Look

Earrings: H&M

Shoes: Amazon

Tights: Primark

And so, that concludes another wee look at a fun, flirty outfit that I'm absolutely in love with. I hope you've enjoyed seeing how I've styled this lovely shirt-dress, and will keep it in mind for a cute autumnal style. What do you think of the brand Monki? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time angels,
Lovelustloves x0

Ava Maria

Hello darlings!

I've got a new frock and I'm incredibly excited about it!
The dress I'm going to be discussing today is one that is known, revered and loved by the pinup community and has been for a long time... none other than PinupGirlClothing's astounding Ava dress! 

The Ava dress is one that has been on my radar for a number of years. When it was first released in 2010 it instantly blew up amongst pinup and retro enthusiasts alike, due in part to the similarities between the style of the tight, fitted Ava dress and the beautiful ensembles worn by Christina Hendricks in Mad Men; this dress quickly became known amongst the community as the "Joan" a fitting homage to Hendricks' character.  

Not only is this dress absolutely breathtaking when on, but it also comes in a huge range of colours so there really is something to suit everyone! From the lovely plum hue that I'm showcasing here to teal, red, black, blush, peach and a whole host of rainbow shades - I feel no shame in wanting this dress in all the colours!

As you can see the Ava dress is incredibly big bust friendly!

When I first came across this beautiful frock I was only 18 and reasonably new to the rockabilly/pinup scene. My first thought (slightly embarrassing as it may be) when viewing the Ava in its stunning Plum hue was that it would make the perfect bridesmaid dress for my hypothetical future wedding. Fast forward a few years and I no longer have any rousing desire to actually get wed, however my love for the Ava dress has remained. 

I purchased this dress last year in advance of my 23rd birthday with hopes of wearing it out to celebrate. Unfortunately at the time I found that it didn't quite fit me right so it was sadly shelved. I found that my regular size of 2X in Pinupgirlclothing dresses was too tight across my bust in this dress and crammed my breasts together in a most unflattering way creating a "shelf" effect. It was also a little too tight across my midsection and generally didn't fit well overall -cue assorted boos and hisses-

Luckily enough, I recently re-discovered the Ava lurking at the back of my wardrobe and being a naturally curious person, I decided to try it on once more. Due in part to some recent weight loss this dress now fits me like a glove and I couldn't be happier with it! My advice to anyone considering purchasing this dress is to keep in mind that it has minimal stretch, so be sure to check the size chart vigilantly before making a purchase. 

Pretty in plum

Another great aspect of the Ava is that this dress is made from a luxurious shakira satin so has a lovely iridescence to it - the fabric looks so good in the sunshine! The tulip style skirt is incredibly flattering over my ample hips and the faux-wrap bustline is sexy without showing too much or being too risqué (not that this is something I ever bother myself thinking about!) 

Look at how the Shakira satin catches the light- I'm in love!

One thing I found quite difficult to wrap (haha, see what I did there?!) my head around was the sash of this dress. Luckily for me, the lovely Micheline from PinupGirlClothing was kind enough to make an explanatory YouTube video showing us the correct way to wrap. I've attached this below for anyone else who struggled as I did to get this just right:

Lastly, in terms of accessorizing this outfit, I wanted to keep things interesting so added a few key pieces to really make this dress pop. I added a fun statement handbag that I recently swiped in a Primark sale for the meagre sum of £3, a couple of my signature hair flowers in complimentary purple and grey/silver hues and some big glittery shoes. These platform wedge shoes are absolutely stunning but due to their sheer impracticality they don't get worn as often as they should- something I will need to duly rectify! 

Because this dress is such a statement piece on it's own I didn't think it needed too much accessorizing. I feel like this would be the perfect outfit to wear to a friend's wedding or a swanky awards ceremony- it's still very "me" but at the same time ticks all the right boxes of being bold, beautiful and fancy - a winning combination! 

Outfit Details

Dress: Pinupgirl Clothing

Tights: New Look

Shoes: Schuh

Handbag: Primark
Hair Flowers: George at Asda

Do you have an affinity for the Ava dress or something similar? Let me know in the comments section! 

Until next time my darlings, 

Lovelustloves x0

Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle

 

All hail the tiki Paloma dress! 

Hello beautiful people! I hope today's blog post finds you all well and enjoying yourselves as we peruse nicely into the summer months that will hopefully bless us with warm weather and lots of sunny days (keep in mind I'm Scottish- so this may be slightly optimistic on my part!)

 Please accept my sincerest apologies in the delay in writing this blog post- I was away in London last week and have been busy making preparations for my move into Glasgow come September time so I've been chasing my tail for the past week and a half. Luckily though I do have plenty to share with you so please keep your eyes peeled - today's post is all about something very near and dear to my heart- body positivity. I'll also be pulling the body positivity theme into an outfit of the day post featuring a stunning new frock from vintage reproduction favourites Collectif. 

Since discovering the world of tumblr back in 2011 I have been strongly involved in the body positive movement online. Discovering that there was a whole world out there for women to reclaim their identity and feel beautiful regardless of what societal standards and confines of beauty dictated was completely mind boggling to my not-so-little 19 year old self and to be honest couldn't have come at a better time. Full of anxieties and crippling self-doubt, I welcomed these powerful, beautiful women with bodies of all shapes and sizes into my life with open arms. Women with big bellies, small boobs, freckles, spots, tattoos, piercings, women of colour, trans-women, tall women, chubby women... each and every one of them gorgeous in their own way. Following blogs such as the Body Confidence Revolution and Chubby Bunnies  helped me to normalize not only my own body, but the bodies of all of my fellow women. 

This movement was a breath of fresh air to me- I began realizing that I, in my own quirky oddball little way could also be one of these women. I too could be viewed as strong, powerful, beautiful - all I had to do was believe in that notion. I began telling myself that I was a woman of worth, a woman who was strong, resilient,  kind and yes- even beautiful. I began to 

Enter 2015. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post I've recently been spending a little bit of time down in London and whilst on my travels I came across a vintage Valhalla - a mecca of all things bright, beautiful and oh-so my style - the Collectif Spitalfields store. I have previously visited the Brighton, Covent Garden and Camden Collectif stores but had never ventured across to this little gem nestled in the middle of Shoreditch before. I've spoken widely about my love of Collectif many a time, however this shopping trip happened to hold something very special for me. 

After perusing the rails of gorgeous Spring/Summer 2015 wear - my good friend Kirsten pulled out a dress that had taken her eye. This dress was absolutely breathtaking but most definitely outwith my regular comfort zone. Not only was the dress black (a colour I am almost never seen in) but it was a .... wiggle dress. 

Now, for a little bit of context I dress pretty much exclusively in swing dresses or swing skirts. I don't even own a pair of jeans or trousers! For as long as I can recall I've always felt more comfortable wearing a big floaty skirt with a petticoat or two underneath whilst the notion of wiggle dresses have always instilled a mild panic in me. As much as I consider myself a body positive activist and as much as I try to embody a positive self-view, I too still struggle with insecurities. One area of my body I've not been so comfortable with in the past is my stomach, which is the overarching factor in my wiggle dress fear. 

The benefits of dressing exclusively in dresses and skirts with lots of fabric is the ability to mask a great deal of perceived "flaws". Big bum? No problem! No one can tell in a full skirt. In a wiggle dress it's much harder to hide your lumps and bumps, however I'm nothing if not adventurous- It was about time to live dangerously and embrace the very thing that i'd been previously so afraid of. 

The moment that I tried on the Collectif Paloma dress in tiki print I knew I wasn't going to be leaving the shop without it. I'm almost certain that I let out a little squeal of excitement. This dress was drop dead gorgeous and flattering to boot- the way it skimmed and squeezed my curves made my figure look lovely- yes you could see my giant bum, tum and boobs but I actually enjoyed looking at what I seen in the mirror- I thought I looked hot!

I added a little black cardigan for when the weather isn't so nice (This is Scotland, after all!)

The dress I'm discussing is of course none other than the the inimitable Collectif "Paloma" which just so happens to have a number of wonderful features. Not a traditional wiggle dress- the Paloma hosts a lovely wrap-around sarong  skirt that creates a beautiful waterfall effect as well as a sweet detachable belt with a bamboo buckle. This dress also has thick straps and a gathered bust details- incredibly flattering on my 36G chest! 

I'm wearing this dress in a size 18 -my usual size- and it fits like a dream. The back zip was initially a little stiff but this is something that will ease off with wear. The dress is fitted without feeling too loose nor too tight - it's a bit of a Goldilocks situation; just right! 

  Wiggle wiggle wiggle 

A view of the Paloma dress from the back, featuring the giant butt I've been so afraid of hiding for so long!

I decided to pair this dress with lots of tropical accessories to add to the overall tiki vibe that this ensemble was giving me. I added some banana earrings that I picked up during my time in London at a delightful wee stall in Camden market. This stall was filled with unusual items masquerading as jewellery- barbie doll heads, toy legos and assorted plastic fruit to name only a few! I wish I could remember the name of the company but for the life of me I can't- I shall update in due time if this comes back to me. 

I also added a lovely little hair flower from my new favourite company ever Alternate Normality - this little gem lovingly referred to as the "tiki nights" flower features an assortment of brightly coloured flowers with a sweet tropical bird perched oh so gingerly on top. It has a crocodile back clip for easy hair placement and makes such a fun and whimsical addition to this outfit! I'd definitely recommend checking out Alternate Normality either via their online store or over on Instagram- they stock a wide variety of pinup style hair flowers and at incredibly reasonable prices (this lovely little flower was an absolute steal at only £8!) 

My final touches to this outfit were understated (not a word I use regarding myself very often!)- nude tights and plain black ballet pumps. I decided to keep this fairly simple and let the curves do the talking. This outfit has definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but I'm absolutely loving it! I'm more ready than ever to move onto the wiggle dress way of life and continue being a body positive warrior - perceived flaws and all!

Outfit details: 

Dress: Collectif 

Tights: George at ASDA

Hair flower: Alternate normality

Shoes: George at ASDA

Earrings: Camden Market

And so my darlings that it from me for another wee while! I'll make every endeavor to post more regularly as I have lots of fabulous outfits hidden up my sleeves to share with you all, as well as this month's Alternative Curves Blog Hop (it's a doozy!) 

Lots of light, love and positivity to you all!

Lovelustloves x0