Outfit: The Dorothy Of SE London

A quick outfit throne together as well as being little miss frizz. Admittedly, I'm wearing these two items of clothing for the shame of them being in my wardrobe for the best part of a year and a half, only getting one wear in that time.

There's something about pastel blue and gingham that just makes me so happy. Perhaps I feel a bit like Dorothy; both sweet and elegant and I definitely feel like that in this outfit. The only thing I'm missing is a little dog and a basket full of baked goods. I'm just imagining it now!

Both parts of this outfit are slightly too big for me, especially the skirt which just looks awkward and in definite need of an iron which I sacrificed due to both lack of time and eagerness to wear blue gingham again which if you've seen previous posts, you'd know I love.

Top: Select Skirt: Hell Bunny Shoes: Primark

I decided to get a little dressy as with working so much recently, I really felt I wasn't dressing as "50s" as I'd usually like and to be honest, I have gotten very lazy recently. Lazy being an understatement; my life right now consists of work, sleep, eat and repeat. Only ever so often will I go out of my way to make an effort with my hair and make up for work but when you're getting up at 2:40am to go to work, you gotta pick - sleep or make up? Sleep always.

Anyway! So I'm contemplating going back to blonde but this time REALLY blonde, not the dirty blonde I pretended to like. I'm a little tired of being a redhead (who knows, I can always revisit this again at another time) and now I'm eager to be a 'blonde bombshell' - I think I'd kill it. What do you think?

Review: Lindy Bop 'Marlene' in blue gingham

So when I saw this dress on the Lindy Bop website, I literally jumped for joy! I've been looking for a dress in this exact style for ages now and the fact it was by an affordable repro company made me even happier. I don't think there's a feeling quite like the one you get when you find the dress you've been longing after all along and not only can you afford it, there was a 20% off sale at the same time. 

The 'Marlene' is out in 4 different colour-ways and I picked up this one and another one which you will see in another post. This is by far my favourite pattern of them all because I've just really grown to love gingham, especially since I bought the pink gingham cigarette trousers from Collectif. 

Taking blog photos can be a trying process, especially when I was trying to take these right in the middle of my parents setting up their party. but of course, when you buy a dress this beaaaaautiful, you have to instantly snap it right? right. Actually, I took them literally after breaking open the parcel because I really couldn't resist...woops. 

I would say this dress may be a bit of a struggle if you are on the bustier side but there is some slight stretch to the fabric with it being 3% elastane but as I'm on the smaller side, I don't know too much. about how big boobs fit in dresses! However, I will say that the chest area is very snug with the high neckline but as a smaller chested lady, I love this and suits me just nicely. The dress is 97% cotton so it's very light and soft which makes for a very comfortable wear. I'm personally a huge fan of spaghetti straps as well which is strange considering I use to hate having my arms out but I think this feature makes the dress a lovely and ideal one for an afternoon picnic (okay the weather hasn't been too great for that but we can always hope!). 

I do feel very Dorothy-esque in this dress but how I only wish I had a small dog as my companion. Really rubbish shinfo for you here, but in my Year 6 school play, I offered myself up to play Toto the dog in the Wizard of Oz so I could be in every scene, my headteacher bought me gardening shinpads so I wouldn't damage my knees...oh I'm too funny and desperate to be seen, clearly! Anyway, it's always lovely to feel pretty which is what this dress definitely makes me feel. 

The dress features a hidden zip at the back, which I admit I struggled a little bit unzipping because the back is a little high but that doesn't bother me at all. 

I ordered this in a size 14 and it's a perfect fit, I have no qualms with the sizing at all so I'd say it's pretty much true to size. I adore the fit and flare style of the chest to skirt; I find that when the body is fitted and the skirt is flared, it can accentuate your waistline making it appear a bit smaller. 

As you can see, I've paired the dress with one of my favourite pairs of flats from B.A.I.T footwear. You may or may not have noticed that I've worn these shoes in my last few reviews so I've either gotten really lazy with footwear or I just suddenly have a love for blue coloured clothing; maybe it's a bit of both?! These flats are very sturdy and comfortable after all. 

The belt comes as part of a set from Primark whilst the headscarf is from eBay. 

I hope you liked this review and possibly found it helpful. If you have any feedback or questions,please feel free to leave in the comments. 

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xo

This dress was not gifted or sent for review, I've purchased this with my own money :)

Love At First Cigarette Trousers.

I'm so excited that these trousers arrived and they're so perfect! I'd been lusting after them for months and when they finaaally got released, they sold out in my size so quickly I never even got a chance. I even popped down to the Collectif store in Brighton to see if they had them in stock but alas, they didn't. 

I remembered that Collectif aren't the only store that sells their own brand so I took a visit to the Audrey Star's Boutique website and I was delighted that they had my size in. 

 I have really been trying recently to incorporate more casual ~yet glam~ outfits into my wardrobe. I've found myself with more dresses than anything else but I know I'd love to keep mixing it up and form outfits on my own. Whilst dresses are fantastic for not really having to make many decisions on how your look goes, I do love how I feel when I mix and match separates because, although this sounds weird, I feel accomplished when I've put together a great outfit. 

What I love about these trousers is that they come with great stretch, there is room to breathe in them and so they make for an extremely comfortable wear. It's worth noting that these are my first ever pair of cigarette trousers so I wasn't really sure what to expect. The waist comes up really high which I love because I absolutely hate wearing trousers on my hips but I also love it because I can stick a waist cinching belt over it to break up the outfit and to create more curves.

With the trousers being lined, they feel and look really sophisticated and luckily for me, I have plenty of tops that they can go with them so I'm sure I'll have endless amount of possibilities mixing and matching.  I do feel I could have sized down in them but I always find Collectif's bottoms tend to be hit and miss for me sizing wise, so I tend to order up to be safe. My only real hope for the trousers was that they'd be a bit tighter around the ankles but I'm not fussy either so oh well! 

To wear out, they're so ridiculously comfortable

With the trousers, I also ordered this delightful bag from Sunjellies. I didn't intentionally buy them to match with each other but when I received the parcel it was only then I realise how well they go together. At £10 as well, you really cannot go wrong...just don't put loose change in it ;)

The bag itself is surprisingly strong for such a low-priced little bag. It's been my go-to for the past few days and I've yet to lose anything from the holes either. In the parcel, the bag arrives flat and then you clip it together at the sides. I had a few comments saying "Ooh do you remember those bags?!" but I honestly don't. If they were around in the 90s, I must have been under a rock! Anyway, they clip together really nicely and it holds well. I'm the kind of person who takes a million things out and about with me and so far, it's so good!

To finish off the outfit, with the trousers I wore a white bardot top from Primark which I've featured in my outfit posts plenty of times, a white waist belt from eBay and my gorgeous shoes from B.A.I.T footwear.

I feel SO cute, I cannot wait to wear this ensemble more often.

Trousers, £42 - Collectif  at Audrey Star's Boutique
Shoes, $72 - B.A.I.T
Bag, £10 - Sunjellies  at Audrey Star's Boutique
Top, around £3.50 - Primark
Belt, eBay

OOTD // Pinup Girl Clothing + Tara Starlet

I threw this outfit together because it was hot, I was going out into London for a meal and I was pretty much just throwing on the first bits of clothes I found in my wardrobe (floor). But seriously? I am so in love with this entire ensemble; I love a good accidental outfit! I've used this Zooey top by Pinup Couture in a few OOTD posts now but I just can't resist because it's a gorgeous cut and colour plus very versatile. Although a little loose for me in the breast area, I love the lined body as it fits perfectly to my shape.

The shorts are by Tara Starlet which I bought last year with the matching crop top. I don't think I've ever worn the crop top actually as I'm a little self concious of my midriff in it but I'm sure as I continue to lose weight (fingers crossed), I may find some more confidence. Although a little tight around the waist and the legs, there is no denying how stunning the floral print on these shorts are. And despite there being no stretch in the shorts whatsoever which made me a teeny tiny bit uncomfortable, they still looked so good so I wasn't complaining. Additionally, the shorts are very lightweight and I found that whenever I've worn them out, the bottom half of me stays very cool and the pockets have such good depth so I was carrying my phone and lipstick around without needing a bag - that's always a winner in my eyes.

I added the belt, bought recently in Primark, to pull me in at the waist. The belt size is small with a lovely zig zag pattern across the front with a gold coloured clasp that slide in together to create an effortless look. I really love the shape the combination of this outfit gives my body, it really makes me LOVE my waist, eek!

 This outfit did wonders for my confidence and self-esteem and I look forward to wearing it more over the summer! Sandals are also by Primark. 

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OOTD // Primark & Pinup Girl Clothing

I haven't done a OOTD post in a long while because I've been so busy! I meant to post this a couple of weeks back but I really have been tied up, so I do apologise for my lack of presence on the blog recently. 

What have I been up to? Well it's been a mixture of trying to balance my full time shift work on the Underground with going down the gym and trying to get fitter and there was a week Jonny came home from tour so I dedicated most of my free time seeing him as he's now away again for another 7 weeks. 

 I really do struggle to balance posting regularly on the blog alongside the shift work that I do; my hours are all over the place so I am challenged about which days I can and cannot shoot blog photos. I'm so much more productive when I have annual leave. My aim over the next few weeks is to find a better balance between working, socialising and blogging. I adore blogging far too much to not ever find time for it. 

Primark has had some incredible pin up inspired bits and pieces in their stores this summer; from sandals and tops, to even home ware!  

I picked up these cute white sandals in their Bromley store and I believe they retail at around £8, although I cannot properly remember that so they could be £6 or they could be £10; I know, I'm a very helpful blogger sometimes! Anyway, they are so gorgeous and I really believe they finish off an outfit.

An item I'm sure I've already featured, is the Bardot top which I also picked up in Primark; at £3.50 a top, it's so cheap so I picked up all the colours they had available. It makes such a handy separate for all your skirts and trousers. Unfortunately, I haven't yet found a way to make the neckline stay on my shoulders but I can deal with that.

This Jenny skirt by Pinup Girl Clothing is my favourite item of clothing in my wardrobe at the moment; it's so pretty and it pretty much goes with most things I have. I could have done with a petticoat underneath this as the skirt was feeling and looking a little flat; however, I love showing this skirt some love so I always wear it no matter what. 

The belt is by Vivien of Holloway and I would normally wear a wider one, I'm on a bit of a belt shortage at the moment so I used this one instead. I'd rather have a belt than none at all, hehe.

I've lost some weight since I've taken these photos and I can see the difference here just looking at myself. I'm so excited about my progress and I can't wait to post an update showing you all how far I've come along in just a few weeks. 

Hopefully I'll be able to find more time to post now!

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xo

OOTD | Stripes like candy...

Oh god, what a week for the weather? it has been so up and down. On the bright side, at least it's relatively warm now so I can start venturing out without a jacket on. Lately, I've been deciding to go back into my wardrobe to pull out pieces of clothing I haven't worn in a while, and I have to admit, I did forget I owned this adorable Tara Starlet skirt.

 I own the matching crop top to this skirt too but it is a little too big for me so I have decided to team the skirt with this white bardot top from Primark instead, finding them a perfect match. Underneath, I'm wearing my What Katie Did - Morticia corset to give myself some more shape, I felt so defined, it's nice feeling like you have a tiny waist!

 I wore this outfit to my Niece's 4th birthday party. As soon as I got there I received some really lovely compliments; and as it turns out, a lot of people within and around my family's circle still don't realise I dress vintage and rockabilly, so I got a lot of "Oh you've really changed!" comments still. I mean, are they saying that in a good way? I don't know, I'm not sure if I even care, I dress for myself and I'm pretty darn happy!

I'm so pleased I went deep into my wardrobe to pick out some old pieces of clothing I haven't worn in months. I find the combination of this skirt and the top which is a new recent purchase, delightful and one which I will be wearing more often especially over the summer. I also love the fact this outfit is finished off nicely with my B.A.I.T footwear shoes because I'd been looking for something to wear them with.

Top - Primark // Skirt - Tara Starlet // Shoes - B.A.I.T Footwear // Belt - Hell Bunny
 //  Corset  - What Katie Did

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OOTD | Primark, Lindy Bop, Vivien of Holloway & B.A.I.T footwear

 I am in love with this entire outfit. The top is a bardot by Primark and they have these in several different colours and patterns at the moment for just £3.50 each so I think I picked them all up. I needed a staple white top for my wardrobe and this one is perfect. 

You might have noticed I desperately tried to photoshop my nips out of these images but I think I've just drawn more attention to them hahahaha. Note to self: you can't always get away with not wearing a bra! I think it's pretty funny though, you can only laugh at yourself. 

The flower in my hair is from Vivien of Holloway in store as well as the red petticoat I'm wearing underneath; these are my dear mum's that I often steal from her as I can't afford to buy my own at the moment. It's a good job she's got good taste too, hey?! 

The belt is a patent one from Pinup Girl clothing that I wear in almost all of my OOTD posts. I think it cost about $12 and it's great quality so definitely worth an investment. 

My skirt is the 'Peggy full circle skirt' from Lindy Bop and at only £19.99 I think it's one of the best I've ever bought and at such a bargain price. It's so full and pretty and it's utterly graceful and gorgeous. Admittedly, I don't wear this as often as I should as I think it needs to be seen more often! 

Finally, my outfit is completed by my B.A.I.T footwear court shoes. I love these as they complete the elegant look and I find them so smart and EXTREMELY comfortable. 

Review: Pinup Girl Clothing 'Harley' Dress

Last weekend, I took my Niece out, along with one of my friends, to Bromley; we had a lovely afternoon of lunch and shopping. I managed to pick up a few bits and pieces in Primark, who are doing an incredible amount of pin-up inspired separates at the moment; you'll begin to see these more and more over my next few outfit posts.

I'm not sure if I've shown you all my Pinup Girl Clothing - 'Harley' dress yet - well I know I haven't done a proper review of it yet. It's a lovely bright yellow - a colour which reminds me of Belle's ball gown at the end of Beauty and The Beast. I've always admired this dress as I love the neckline, something just drew me to it. I wear this dress without a bra - one of the advantages of being small busted. My only criticism of this dress is that the waistline sits far too low on me. The belt should sit higher up on my body but I can't do that as it shows the line between the body and skirt; so what I've done is pull the skirt up and tucked it into the belt. It gets annoying as I'm constantly readjusting myself, but I don't really mind all that much.

Paired with the dress is the cropped cardigan which I found at Primark. I'm pretty sure it's not meant to tie up as it's an 18 it's a bit big for me so I used it to tie up at the front and I think it looks great; and for less than a fiver, what a bargain!

The sandals are what I went into Primark for; I've seen other vintage bloggers post about these and they're amazing! I wanted some other colours too but these were the only ones in stock in the Bromley store. I'm definitely going to be popping in for some other colours at some point.

Finally, I'm also wearing my dancing flamingo necklace that you may have read about in my post yesterday. It's gorgeous and unlike other necklaces I've worn and that have gotten on my nerves, this one stays in place and doesn't keep flipping.

This is who I am | *may contain odd swear words

Nope, I'm not wearing make-up, no my hair is not done and yes I look messy! This is me; this is my body and I AM beach ready.

For years, and it's still ongoing, I've been suffering with very low self-esteem. I rarely find much to love about myself and my body. I'm not classically beautiful, I know that and I struggle to deal with it. I've been between a size 10 and 16 for most of my life. Most recently, a 14-16. All of my weight is around my stomach and hips and none ever found it's way to my boobs, so I don't really count as a classically "beautiful" curvy girl either, I don't have the boobs every person seems to think every plus size girl has! I understand I'm on the smaller end of the plus sized scale, but I am sick and tired of hearing people tell me to lose weight. 

But. I'm not here to write about my body hang-ups. I'm here to write positive words. No one really wants to hear or read somebody talking bad about themselves. As much as I often dislike what I see in the mirror, I know one thing for sure: I am beautiful. Deep down inside, underneath all of that anger and resentment I hold for myself, I know. Which is why I get so fucking angry that we live in a world that tears us down for our bodies. It's like, I can say bad things about myself (even though I definitely shouldn't) but as soon as somebody else, especially if that somebody else is in the form of an aggressive advert (most likely dreamt up by a 30 year old white fuckboy), I go from 0-100 defending myself reeeeeeal quick. 

I work on the Underground so I was seeing so much of those awful Protein World adverts. At first, I wasn't bothered; it was like I was desensitized into the whole "healthy, fit bodies look like this" malarky, and so I didn't think much of it. However, the more I saw those adverts, the more annoyed I got. Essentially what the adverts boil down to is this: they ask passing women  "Are you beach body ready?" whilst presenting those women with a *clearly* photoshopped slim model with images of their weight loss products next to the model. It's basic maths. What they're basically saying is: "Oh. you're not "beach body ready?" well you better take these fucking weight loss pills and meal replacement shakes until you look like this digitally altered woman!"  It doesn't take a genius to work out that this is what they meant. Aside from the fact that I'm pretty sure those products aren't healthy for you (in fact I have friends that have used them and have said they work out and have made better progress without them), it's rather worrying that companies like these only have one view of what a fit, healthy person is. I am SURROUNDED by people in my life that are definitely fit, and healthy and don't look like the people we see in advert. I'm talking both male and female. Adverts like Protein World's, they couldn't give a care in the world about your health or fitness, they just want to prey on your insecurities and make money off of it. 

So here I am, Sarah Russell 23 year old woman, at 12 stone 6, this is my body. This is what I look like on a beach. I'm not ashamed and I'm not going to hide myself away because people in this life are so small minded as to what 'beauty' should look like. Sure, I'd like to lose some weight - but that's my OWN business and nobody else's. 

I've been following the #WeAreTheThey campaign started by Debz - it's been so inspiring seeing all of these wonderful and beautiful women come out of their shells and stand up and say "this is who we are and we're not going away" - I'm so chuffed. Beauty has no size and each persons health or fitness, is just that - the person's business. 

Bikini by Primark from about 2 years ago.