I Got Stripes - Textured Skater Dress from Simply Be via JD Williams

This textured skater dress from Simply Be via JD Williams reminds me of the quintessential British seaside. Deckchair stripes, Neapolitan ice-cream and the perfect summer day.

The pretty pastels are perfect for sunshine fun, and the range of colours make it a dress which is easy to team with existing accessories. The dress has a fit and flare skater style shape, whilst the fabric has an almost waffle like texture. As soon as it went on sale I pounced on it, and it's been an easy to wear wardrobe staple as spring has blossomed into summer.

Dress: Textured Skater Dress fom Simply Be via JD Williams (£17, was £22).

Shoes: Silver ballet flats from New Look (aw15 stock).

Flower: Temptress of Waikikki.

Roller Necklace: Pip Jolley.

The only problem I have with this dress is that it always makes me hungry for ice-cream!

Until next time,

Diana x ❤ x

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

Pink Lady - Vintage Florals And Thriftstore Fun

I love a good 1980s-does-50s find, and this puffball of a floral dress felt like I'd hit the vintage jackpot! Found on a rail of dreariness in a Kentish Town charity shop, the bright colours caught my eye and I muttered silent prayers to the fashion gods that it might be in a size I could wriggle my way into!

The label showed that it was an 80s C&A creation, a company who really did the "modern" twist on 50s shapes well amidst all the shoulder pads and power suits. It always seems to be a C&A dress whenever I find something in near perfect condition from the 70s or 80s, so that must say something about the level of quality in their production!

Dress: Vintage from C&A

Cardigan: H&M

Flower: Pearls & Swine

Ring: Vintage Hello Kitty Pink Head from Tarina Tarantino

Roller Necklace: Pip Jolley

Ballet Flats: Primark

The dress is an absolute dream - it creates a soft tulip shape from the waist down which flutters as you walk, and I love the modest yet interesting neckline. It's a little tight around the bust for me, but I've sewn along the buttons in the hope that it'll keep the ladies contained. It's the perfect Summer dress for frolicking around in, and for a whole £6! As much as I love rummaging through rails of vintage, you sometimes cannot beat a charity shop bargain!

Until next time,

Diana xx

Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, Bloglovin and Facebook.
www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

Pink Lady - Vintage Florals And Thriftstore Fun

I love a good 1980s-does-50s find, and this puffball of a floral dress felt like I'd hit the vintage jackpot! Found on a rail of dreariness in a Kentish Town charity shop, the bright colours caught my eye and I muttered silent prayers to the fashion gods that it might be in a size I could wriggle my way into!

The label showed that it was an 80s C&A creation, a company who really did the "modern" twist on 50s shapes well amidst all the shoulder pads and power suits. It always seems to be a C&A dress whenever I find something in near perfect condition from the 70s or 80s, so that must say something about the level of quality in their production!

Dress: Vintage from C&A

Cardigan: H&M

Flower: Pearls & Swine

Ring: Vintage Hello Kitty Pink Head from Tarina Tarantino

Roller Necklace: Pip Jolley

Ballet Flats: Primark

The dress is an absolute dream - it creates a soft tulip shape from the waist down which flutters as you walk, and I love the modest yet interesting neckline. It's a little tight around the bust for me, but I've sewn along the buttons in the hope that it'll keep the ladies contained. It's the perfect Summer dress for frolicking around in, and for a whole £6! As much as I love rummaging through rails of vintage, you sometimes cannot beat a charity shop bargain!

Until next time,

Diana xx

Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, Bloglovin and Facebook.
www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

Spring Fling - A Sunshine Ready Dress from Collectif

London is pretty cold and blustery at the moment - lots of rain, wind and grey skies, with the odd flash of blue in between. I actually love the rain, but sometimes you need a burst of colour to lift you up so I've found myself currently gravitating towards spring colour palettes and floral prints.

Collectif are probably my favourite vintage repro brand, with a huge range of styles and fabrics. Their sales are the stuff of legend, and I managed to snap up this lovely floral sun dress for half it's original price. I was so glad I did, as I can't find anything in this shape or fabric currently on the website and I'm utterly in love with it.

Dress: Collectif

Bolero: George

Leggings: M&S

Lilac Flower: Pearls & Swine

Shoes: Yours Clothing

Pink Roller Necklace: Pip Jolley

Print aside, I adore the cut of the dress. The back has an elasticated panel which meant I could size down so the dress fit my waist rather than my chest and is a size smaller than what I would buy my usual Dolores style in.

It's the perfect sun dress, and one which will see lots of action once London gets a little warmer. In the meanwhile, I'll be using layers to get as much use out of it as possible as it's currently one of the most cheerful prints in my wardrobe!

Until next time,

Diana xx

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www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.) 

Grey Skies Are Gonna Clear Up - Grey Floral Summer Dress from George.

There's nothing quite like a lovely, simple Summer dress and I adored the sweet pink print set against the grey of this cute number from George at Asda. I've only recently discovered how wonderful they are for basic wardrobe staples and picked this dress up in the sale whilst browsing.

Dress: George

Belt: ASOS Curve

Necklace: Pip Jolley

Leggings: F&F

Shoes: New Look

Bracelet: Vintage.

The dress had it's first outing when Howard and I visited Hyde Park for their British Summertime show to see Neil Young and The National. It was incredibly humid with a promise of rain so I teamed the dress with my favourite wellies from Jileon and an old F&F cardigan along with F&F True leggings. I finished the outfit off with another belt from ASOS Curve, my Whiskey Kittens necklace from Bete Noire and the perfect gig sized bag from Primark. Sadly in this photo I'm squinting straight into the sun and am thinking much more about eating my ice-cream than posing!

Howard, AKA Lord Dicely watching The National at BST Hyde Park.

Even though we're running into Autumn, I'm still buying up Summer dresses in the sales when I see something I like. They're perfect for wearing with chunky cardigans and woolly tights for a grungy layered look when you're not quite sure what the weather's doing! Add some battered lace-up boots for some Daria-chic and you are all the better for stomping in those huge piles of crunchy leaves which we'll be seeing very soon!

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

In The Navy? Sailors vs Vikings For A Lazy Museum Saturday.

Last Saturday, I was so excited to finally get to see the Vikings exhibition at The British Museum! It had been on our to-do list ever since the collection was first announced, and it really didn't disappoint.

Vikings: Life & Legend was more than just a collection of artefacts. It featured many new archaeological discoveries alongside items from the British Museum's personal collection and that from other places across Britain and Ireland. It really made a point of showing Viking culture not just as raiders and traders, but as husbands, wives and a part of an overall community. It was fascinating to see the network built up between continents, where a mixture of religious, artistic and political ideas were combined as different influences sailed in tandem with loot, ornate weapons and plundered treasures.