The dress- floral prints

Image from Topshop.com Rose keyhole dress

I recently told myself that I should stick to classic styles i.e. plain block coloured dresses and tops, however I am increasingly becoming distracted by prints - especially prints on flowy dresses and silk shirts.

This caught my eye when the Topshop newsletter/promotion email came into my inbox, alas I had told myself to ignore these emails as I was working (freelance so allowed to browse!) but actually I have no regrets - this dress seems perfect, it was marketed as a transitional dress- I feel this can be a good staple for many years to come and isn't a throwaway fashion item.


A dark and romantic feminine dress  perfect for layering in Autumn & Winter and also for wearing in other seasons- Thank you Topshop! I'm sure this is a piece to treasure.

I recently have been going through my wardrobe which had clothing going back nearly 12 years and giving good items to my local Cancer Research shop, going forwards I only want to buy items as investments, i.e items that are of good quality and style that I can wear for many years and even pass down or gift to special persons in my life. I am finding that a lot of fast fashion pieces are unsustainable for the planet, are of poorer quality and simply do not last after a few washes.

I'm doing some freelance work while job hunting, not having a good regular income has made me really think about a lot of my bad and impulsive spending (stressing over eBay and worrying about Xmas outfits) I was into over the past decade, how much can you save by buying good quality , beautiful pieces that you can wear again and again in a versatile way while saving/creating time to do things that feed your soul and happiness?

Rodarte x & Other Stories colab

Rodarte Lace-Trimmed Lurex Dress

This dress from the Rodarte x & Other Stories colab makes me think of a starry night, science fiction meets femininity. 

Image from vogue.com :link to article

Vintage dreams chapter 1

sourced by Frock n Roll - vintage dress 60s-70s period, label unknown(model is not me, source ebay site)

I'm sure you have felt super excited when you came across something which you instantly love but you never knew existed before,  like a book you read that becomes your favourite, a poem that makes you feel better and reflective, a piece of jewellery that you happen you see when walking past shops and becomes your signature piece.....

Well I came across this dress and it kinda shrieked "this is so meeeee", sure it's not a dress to be worn often especially as my field of work is formal wear but it a dress for beautiful days. I have a few vintage clothes, some which I regret buying but this one is The Queen.

Recently I have been favouring simple colours and cuts, timeless pieces and simple designs as part of my day to day wardrobe. Scandanavian brands lead in the style type of  simple but classic plus some quirky cuts.

I'm in love.....Barbara Bela dresses

Valentino lace maxi dress - Hanelli

"I consider lace to be one of the prettiest imitations ever made of the fantasy of nature; lace always evokes for me those incomparable designs which the branches and leaves of trees embroider across the sky, and I do not think that any invention of the human spirit could have a more graceful or precise origin."

Coco Chanel, April 29, 1939

A dress I want to make.....

Porcelain blooms and whimsical silhouettes painted Erdem's picturesque SS12 campaign, and this floral-print chiffon dress captivated us on the runway. The pleated skirt beautifully sways with every move while the portrait neckline creates an elegant décolletage.
•Multicolored floral-print chiffon
•Portrait neck, boned crepe bodice, button-detailed placket, sheer three-quarter sleeves, pleated skirt, fully lined
•Concealed hook and zip fastening at back
•100% polyester; lining: 100% silk

Spring feeling not outside :( but yes embodied in a dress!

Here in Surrey, UK we have had such grey skies, rainy days and even cold weather!   I hope we will have some beautiful flowers this summer as a result of the abundant rain to make up for this!

Mary Katrantzou
Balalaika Dress
 http://www.lyst.com/clothing/mary-katrantzou-balalaika-dress-multicolour/?utm_source=175903&utm_medium=product&utm_campaign=link

The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings. I remember as a young girl listening to the Balalaika via Microsoft Encarta world music interaction page- Ah Microsoft Encarta, I loved you! Those days of reading, listening and watching through the screen was pure magic.

There is an good article in Tank magazine supplement (Spring 2012) about Mary Katrantzou, it was interesting to learn that while she creates a lot of patterned fashion designs she herself likes wearing black.  She creates lovely patterned dresses and this one reminds me of spring- the spring we should be having in the UK with lots of blooms and lilac-clear evening skies, warm enough to walk around outside without a jacket!! 

Beyond retro

Yes I like vintage clothes very much.....These are two finds from Beyond retro http://www.beyondretro.com/
I hope to receive these in the post soon :)   The magic of vintage is that one can wear unique pieces of unusual/pretty/fabulous prints and designs that may not be easy to find on the high street or in most shops.

I have a fascination for floral print on black/dark colours.  I look forward to late May when can buy lots of peonies and pain them with a rich dark oil colour backdrop........