I do love a cute fluted sleeve, and when twinned with florals and lace I'll probably be swooning over it. That was how I felt when I spied this adorable Ladder Detail High Neck dress from Simply Be, and knew it'd be the perfect item as we slowly transition into spring.
I'm a huge fan of vintage repro styles, and Dolly and Dotty have fast become one of my favourite retailers since discovering them a few years ago. I love their swing dresses in particular, with a huge variety of styles and colours available at prices which won't melt your credit card. In the past I've picked up a couple of their dresses, mostly in the Darlene style but could not resist how utterly adorable this Sherry Rockabilly Diner Dress is, and had to give it a try.
Earlier this week, my hair and I had a real treat to help (quite literally) blow the January blues away. There isn't anything quite like a blow out to make you feel like the best version of yourself, and Hob Salons have take things to the next level with their Energy Blow Dry.
Regular readers of my blog will know that I am completely obsessed with capes. I have a bottle green vintage one which I will wear until the last polyblend fibres have rubbed themselves into oblivion, and will then probably pout. A lot.
Because I'm pretty annoying when I get upset, my darling boyfriend Lord Dicely brought me this stunning Brushed Wool Cape version from the recent ASOS sale. I've not been allowed to have it until my birthday next month, but as it is made from a thick wool and has a hood, mid-October is probably when I'd pull this bad boy out. Oh who am I kidding? We all know that if he hadn't hid it somewhere, I'd currently be sat typing away in it with the hood on high as we speak!
Unlike my thinner vintage cape, this one will be useful come the colder weather as it's fitted with a fairy tale worthy hood. You'd be hard pressed to not feel like you've stepped out of the Fables comics (or Once Upon A Time to you non-comic book fans) once on. When wandering through Hampstead Heath, I just might have to check that it's only squirrels following me home, and not an errant wolf or two.
This cape gives me real life heart-eyes-emoji-eyes. I don't know if it's the double breasted buttons or the fact that I can toss it in the washing machine which make me happiest, but quite frankly my birthday cannot come soon enough. One of the biggest downsides to having a very vintage orientated wardrobe is the freaking dry cleaning bills. Thank goodness for repro items like this!
There was a lot of complaining and sad animal sounds from me as I handed the cape over post shoot, but it's worth getting a year older just so I can run around like a vintage super hero all day. Which you know I will! With less than a month to go now, the cape-countdown is ON!
Regular readers of my blog will know that I am completely obsessed with capes. I have a bottle green vintage one which I will wear until the last polyblend fibres have rubbed themselves into oblivion, and will then probably pout. A lot.
Because I'm pretty annoying when I get upset, my darling boyfriend Lord Dicely brought me this stunning Brushed Wool Cape version from the recent ASOS sale. I've not been allowed to have it until my birthday next month, but as it is made from a thick wool and has a hood, mid-October is probably when I'd pull this bad boy out. Oh who am I kidding? We all know that if he hadn't hid it somewhere, I'd currently be sat typing away in it with the hood on high as we speak!
Unlike my thinner vintage cape, this one will be useful come the colder weather as it's fitted with a fairy tale worthy hood. You'd be hard pressed to not feel like you've stepped out of the Fables comics (or Once Upon A Time to you non-comic book fans) once on. When wandering through Hampstead Heath, I just might have to check that it's only squirrels following me home, and not an errant wolf or two.
This cape gives me real life heart-eyes-emoji-eyes. I don't know if it's the double breasted buttons or the fact that I can toss it in the washing machine which make me happiest, but quite frankly my birthday cannot come soon enough. One of the biggest downsides to having a very vintage orientated wardrobe is the freaking dry cleaning bills. Thank goodness for repro items like this!
There was a lot of complaining and sad animal sounds from me as I handed the cape over post shoot, but it's worth getting a year older just so I can run around like a vintage super hero all day. Which you know I will! With less than a month to go now, the cape-countdown is ON!
With our Summer being a complete wash-out at the moment, it's hard to know whether to leave home in sandals, boots or a wet suit! Layers have become my go-to option but it's difficult with temperatures soaring the second the rain stops. Summer is definitely clinging on by a thread, but I'm not quite ready to completely pack away the sandals and shorts just yet. It's all about those transitional pieces which straddle the seasons with ease, especially those picked up as cut-price bargains.
Department store House of Fraser really know how to put on a sale, with a plus size section filled to bursting with discounted dresses, shoes and more. I was kindly asked if I would like to review some of their items, and quickly found myself swooning over cute prints and pretty shapes. There were so many brilliant options that it was almost impossible to choose!
My first pick was this stunning floral print dress from Samya. The two things which struck me were the Autumn colour palette and how the full, vintage styled a-line shape was given a modern update with the gold exposed zip to the front. The material has a lot of stretch, so I was able to buy my usual size to fit my waist and not have to worry about it being too tight along my bust. It was also stiff without being too heavy, and teamed with leggings, boots and a cardigan, was a perfect option for an Autumn day.
The other item which caught my eye were these "sporty" sandals from Evans. House of Fraser have a huge selection of wide fit shoes and bootsavailable online, but I loved the versatility of these ones in particular. Extra wide for comfort, they have a padded sole and a zip back fastening but also work with everything from dresses to denim. They are the sort of shoes which you can walk in for hours and feel like you're merely cloud hopping! I'm off to the Lake District in just under two weeks, and am hoping that the weather dries out a little as these sandals would be perfect for exploring in. I love that they are both pretty and functional, and are the perfect run-around shoe for warm and busy days. There are lots of plus size bargains to be had on the House of Fraser website, so if you're looking for some new shoes or an outfit, click here!
Until next time,
A few weeks ago I was very fortunate to nab myself a spot as a tresses test subject for East London salon, Rockalily Cuts. The hair salon and barbershop is a vintage lovers dream, filled with all sorts of kitsch and cute oddments, with relics from bygone eras.
Based in Hoxton, the salon has just celebrated it's third Birthday and it's easy to see why. With talented staff skilled in coaxing vintage waves and pin-curled sculptures, it's difficult to not leave feeling like a silver screen starlet.
Located within easy reach of Hoxton and Old Street, the salon owned by blogger and entrepreneur ReeRee Rockette offers everything from highlights to grooming products. However it is their vintage hairdressing and colour transformations which have people flocking to the salon, with no wave or up-do too much trouble.
Being a test subject, I was surprised at how much control I had over what happened to my hair. One of the cuts being tested was layers, and I was very happy when they snipped them in a certain way to ensure my hair wouldn't be poking out when placed in pin-curls. The staff were friendly and attentive, never allowing my tea mug to run cold or dry with the session feeling casual and relaxing - almost like a 50s sleepover party!
These photos were taken several hours after my hair had been styled, and had been subjected to both wind and rain whilst running from meeting to meeting in London.
A photo posted by Diana (@grungekittyphotogeek) on
This image from Instagram probably shows the finish a little better as it was taken just before I left Rockalily Cuts. The curls lasted well - even after getting blown about, rained on and slept on, they were still bouncy the following the morning and retained their shape when smoothed out with a dressing brush.
With blow dries starting from just £25 and vintage styling from £35, Rockalily Cuts is the perfect place for a pick-me-up or for when you want to feel amazing for a special occasion. You can find out more about the salon, including their price list and how to book by clicking here.
A few weeks ago I was very fortunate to nab myself a spot as a tresses test subject for East London salon, Rockalily Cuts. The hair salon and barbershop is a vintage lovers dream, filled with all sorts of kitsch and cute oddments, with relics from bygone eras.
Based in Hoxton, the salon has just celebrated it's third Birthday and it's easy to see why. With talented staff skilled in coaxing vintage waves and pin-curled sculptures, it's difficult to not leave feeling like a silver screen starlet.
Located within easy reach of Hoxton and Old Street, the salon owned by blogger and entrepreneur ReeRee Rockette offers everything from highlights to grooming products. However it is their vintage hairdressing and colour transformations which have people flocking to the salon, with no wave or up-do too much trouble.
Being a test subject, I was surprised at how much control I had over what happened to my hair. One of the cuts being tested was layers, and I was very happy when they snipped them in a certain way to ensure my hair wouldn't be poking out when placed in pin-curls. The staff were friendly and attentive, never allowing my tea mug to run cold or dry with the session feeling casual and relaxing - almost like a 50s sleepover party!
These photos were taken several hours after my hair had been styled, and had been subjected to both wind and rain whilst running from meeting to meeting in London.
A photo posted by Diana (@grungekittyphotogeek) on
This image from Instagram probably shows the finish a little better as it was taken just before I left Rockalily Cuts. The curls lasted well - even after getting blown about, rained on and slept on, they were still bouncy the following the morning and retained their shape when smoothed out with a dressing brush.
With blow dries starting from just £25 and vintage styling from £35, Rockalily Cuts is the perfect place for a pick-me-up or for when you want to feel amazing for a special occasion. You can find out more about the salon, including their price list and how to book by clicking here.
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