Frills 'n' Spills

There's something so easy about wearing a dress in the sunshine and this cute gingham dress from Matalan is a cute 1950s inspired addition to my wardrobe. Sales shopping can be dangerous but as promised, this dress is fun and practical and I have already got a lot of wear out of it. Monochrome can be tricky but I love it with a couple of splashes of hot pink as it just feels so fun! I didn't wear this outfit for any special occasion but I wanted to make the most of having bright weather before I retreat into the comfort of cosy jumpers and berry tones. These photos were so difficult to take, I am so pale that if I brightened them much more I was glowing onscreen, haha!

Whilst I love red lipstick, hot pink feels less serious and this Bourjois lipstick was a welcome addition of colour. I'm loving having shorter hair again, it is so much easier to straighten! Looking back over old posts, it strikes me how young I look in a lot of them and whilst I'm hardly old now, I look a lot closer to my age with short hair. I do sometimes miss having longer hair but cutting it all off was the best decision I made and I still love it a year and a half later!

You know how much I love a full skirt and this one is perfectly swooshy. I was going to wear my hot pink heels but I felt a bit too wedding-y with them on and I love the freedom you get with flats, especially when you are skipping around Tesco! 

Are you a fan of fifties frocks?

Black and white is not a colour combination I go for very often but monochrome does look very chic and these Uniqlo gingham trousers were just too good to resist! I have to admit that I do look more than a little pretentious in my sunglasses but it was so bright that it was next to impossible to see without them. With the cat eye sunglasses and the skinny gingham trousers, this outfit could have been quite 1950s in style but thanks to this oversized tunic top, it felt a little more modern. I have been scouring Pinterest for some sartorial inspiration and have a few ideas. Now I just need to feel confident enough to wear it with a white shirt knotted at the waist- wouldn't that look ace?!

I had been eyeing up these Uniqlo gingham trousers for a while but wasn't sure whether they would fit me. Luckily these are a trouser/legging hybrid and even have enough stretch to fit over my hips! ;) I never thought I would wear leggings so happily but paired with a loose blouse, they are surprisingly comfortable and I felt super sassy in them. I was worried that they would be super warm but they didn't feel too smothering, even in the heat. Now I just need to buy all of the different patterns and have them on permanent rotation... 

There are a few brands I really, really love and Joules is definitely up there on the list! I spotted (har har!) this beautiful Amelie polka dot dress  on Sarah a while ago and it was not long before I added it to my wardrobe. 1950s style dresses will always be my favourite shape to wear and I love how this one nips you in at the waist, the swooshy skirt is amazing and the pinky coral is super cheery too: this dress is definitely Maria approved! ;) I wore this out for a date night with Mark a few weeks ago but I will be definitely be wearing it all through the summer once the weather warms up again, it is far too pretty to 'save for best'! I was a little bit chilly in these photos but I haven't got a cardigan that matches. I am now on the hunt for a pale pink one, let me know if you have any recommendations, I'm not sure where to start looking for one...

Are you a Joules fan? What do you wear for date night?

I promised you that I would be sharing my George picks and I am so excited to be sharing this outfit with you. Certain things really put a spring in your step and this seaside dress is my new favourite thing in my wardrobe. Paired with my cat-eye sunglasses, I felt like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday when I was swooshing around in the park in this- what more could you ask for from a dress?! I just need Gregory Peck to whisk me around on a Vespa now! (swoon). 1950s style dresses are always flattering on me and this one fits me like a glove. It feels like a grown-up version of the infamous Venice dress that I loved all the way back at uni and I couldn't be happier with it. Mark and I have been exploring Cheltenham more recently and this wisteria-filled park was a nice change in backdrop- definitely expect to see it on the blog again soon!

I know I will get a lot of wear from this dress in the summer and I can't wait to pair it with my bright yellow bag and sandals or this navy pair, the beauty of a busy pattern like this means that there are plenty of colours that you can pick out! I was originally going to go for a classic red nail varnish but I decided to wear Essie 'Spin the Bottle' on my nails instead which is definitely my perfect nude shade!

You know I can't resist a full skirt and this one is deliciously swooshy. The extra material could be a little overwhelming but the nipped in waist stops me from drowning in fabric. A midi length like this would be better with heels but I actually love it with flats, not least because I could run around without any problems.

Are you a fan of fifties frocks?

Last weekend, Mark and I hopped into the car to head up to Chester to see one of my closest friends get married. I first met Ian on my internship four years ago and we have been friends ever since. I had never been to Chester before, despite my Grandad being a huge fan (it is where he went to college) and although we didn't get to see much time in the city itself, we will definitely be making a return visit. We stayed at a Travelodge the night before so we had plenty of time to get ready and these photos were taken in the car park- just be glad we managed to keep the Little Chef out of shot! The wedding itself was lovely and the reception was at Highfield Hall, a beautiful manor house in North Wales. Weddings can be tricky things to dress for and I wanted something a little different to the dresses that I wore to my cousin's and my best friend's wedding so I dug out my trusty 'prom dress' instead. I felt really comfortable in this dress and I think that shows in the pictures. There's nothing better than an outfit that make you feel like you can take on the world and this is certainly mine!

I bought this clutch bag in a moment of minor panic last week but I couldn't have been more thrilled when it arrived. The colour is ace, it matches my shoes perfectly and best of all, it is absolutely massive! It also makes me feel pretty cool so it definitely gets bonus points for that! Orange is one of my favourite colours and it made this dress seem more Autumn appropriate...

I couldn't write this post without giving a shoutout to these wonderful shoes. They are so comfy and the colour makes them super fun to wear. I just wish Clarks did them in ever colour!

Recently I have been buying less and less clothes from places like Primark and H&M, it wasn't a conscious decision but I felt like I had outgrown the majority of fast fashion, at least I thought so until I saw this stripy dress in H&M! ;) I can't resist cute summery frocks and you all know how much I love red so I was sold as soon as I saw this instore. The weather has been very warm recently and finding weather and work appropriate clothing is next to impossible especially when you add bare legs into the mix! I don't know why I look so unimpressed in these photos, I really loved this outfit and felt super pretty in it, I just wish my face would catch up with my brain!

Warm weather calls for lighter make-up and my Dr Jart+ Platinum BB Beauty Balm has really come into its own recently, I have never been more in love with a beauty product. I have definitely found my 'holy grail' base, you seriously have to go and buy it! When I was packing, I found this gorgeous red lipstick crayon from Poppy King and I have been wearing it ever since. I only wish I could find it online to repurchase!

I'm a fan of anything that makes my waist look smaller, especially as I have eaten far too much pizza recently and this dress has some natty detailing to nip you in. Paired with a cute cropped cardigan, I was well on my way to a 1950s silhouette- my favourite!

This may be an unpopular opinion and I hate to be that person who complains about the weather but I am not a fan of summer. I am always warm, I can't deal with the humidity and the heat inevitably leads to (whisper it) the dreaded chub rub. I have worn the H&M lace trimmed cycling shorts for the past few years and they are truly ace. I picked these ones up when I was in Edinburgh and have been searching for more colours but to no avail. If anyone sees them in their local stores, please let me know!

Do you have any tips for coping with the heat?

It is always difficult to know what to wear to family events, my family tend to go fairly dressy but you still have to keep things family appropriate so bodycon and low necklines are out. I have had this dress for a while and although I seem to have shrunk it in the wash (seriously even when I follow washing instructions, I still go wrong!) it is still the perfect spring dress and I decided to wear it for Mother's Day lunch. I really love the print on it but it does it is pretty twee (even for me!) so I decided to incorporate my beloved leather jacket and my new favourite shoes to add a bit of an edge. I don't wear this jacket as much as I used to but it is one of those items that I just can't let go of, I even wore it this weekend...

I have been playing around with different ways to style my hair recently and I decided that  it would be a good opportunity to debut my natural hair. The gale force winds didn't help but you can see how messy it is here. I tend to go for a sleeker look day-to-day but it's nice to know that I can shake things up if I want to. With more eyeliner, I imagine this would be an awesome way to style my hair for a night out...

The breeze also led to more than a few Marilyn moments, I guess short skirts and British weather are never a good combination! You may have already seen my new shoes as I have been wearing them a lot since I bought them a few weeks ago. They are the perfect height to make my legs look longer and comfy enough to wear all day. The triangular (!) rose good heel is gorgeous, I just wish they had had the red versions in my size too :( 

What is your favourite Spring outfit?

OK, so I lied in my last post, so far this is the last post with my old hair! Deciding what to wear in the heat has been utterly unbearable but this gorgeous monochrome Emily & Fin dress has been a lifesaver. I bought it from Ruby Cotton back in about March (check out their closing down sale for some bargains) and have been wearing it a lot over the past few weeks, there's nothing better than a really swooshy skirt! Emily & Fin are one of those brands that I absolutely love but can never find, the prints are gorgeous and best of all, the lengths aren't ridiculously short, never a bad thing in my book! I am always jealous of Sarah and her rather extensive collection, I just wish I could fit into it ;)

Who can resist a giant bow on the front of their dress? Not me, that's for sure! I really like the pattern on this dress and weirdly it makes the humongous bow more subtle as you can only see it at certain angles- definitely something worth dancing about!

I love the soft pleats on this skirt and I'm not even fazed by the midi length which is unusual for me! I probably should have worn a little block heel with this skirt but I loved the bright pink with the monochrome and comfort was definitely the order of the day. These Clarks shoes get a lot of wear but have worn really well, even though they are suede- no mean feat when you consider how clumsy I am!