Review: Cahoots

I've been to Cahoots before and I really enjoyed it but I never really wrote a review. So you might have read in my last post that I organised an evening out for the girls on the 1940s/50s Most Marvellous Meet Ups group on Facebook. It was very well received and I was delighted with how many women wanted to come so I organised a date back in February.

For those of you less familiar, Cahoots is a 1940s London Underground war time themed bar located in the heart of the west end. ALL aspects of this bar appeal to me greatly; I work on the Underground, I love the fashion from the 1940s period and along with my love for cocktails, all three of these combined were pretty much a guarantee for this place to be my calling.

Once I got confirmation for the amount of people who wanted to come to Cahoots, I visited their website and made a booking. I found the process fairly simple and it took me a matter of a few minutes to complete a booking. I knew we had joined events with the Classic Car Boot Sale which was a day time event so I didn't want to make a booking that was too late as it will have been a long-ish day. So I booked for 17:45pm for 8 people. 

This is where it gets a bit funny and I feel the need to mention it just to be honest. The night before, I received a late night phone call from the bar. Our booking has mysteriously been changed and there was an utter mix up. I was so confused; it was late and I know I never changed our booking as it was so specific. Regardless, the person on the phone agreed to change it back.

In the morning, I checked my email and it said "Your booking has been changed to Saturday 16th April at 11:45pm". You can imagine my frustration when I explained on the phone the night before that our booking was specifically for 5:45pm and she hadn't listened, or perhaps was too busy to. I work in a customer service role so I understand that these things can happen, especially if you've had a long shift. So I called Cahoots again. I was in a fluster because Nicole was coming from Manchester and I had all these women counting on me for this booking! However, this time, I got a very different response. The person I spoke to on the phone was SO kind and understanding and even though she was perplexed by what happened, she was ever so helpful changing the booking back to original time and was very accommodating; she even said our party was to receive our first round of drinks for free. Now that's customer service! 

We arrived at Cahoots in a much more positive frame of mind, feeling like we had been listened to and were ready to forget the whole mix up.The bar itself is located in Kingly Court quietly tucked down away an alley. There was a queue when we got there, proving how popular it is.

When you step inside, it is literally like going back in time. Everything is from the 1940s, from the building, props even down to the staff who are in character with the time. You can see what a unique experience this bar is, something I've never seen before.

We were greeted by the most friendly staff; from the doorman, the "ticket office booking clerk" aka the cloakroom attendant to the person who seated us at our table. They truly couldn't have been more welcoming. Immediately we were greeted with an apology which felt very sincere so it was really lovely.

We knew we were going to get our first round of drinks on the house but we had no idea that they would bring us a glass of prosecco each so that was an amazing surprise! They seated us in the tube carriage part of the bar which I've ALWAYS wanted to sit in so I was really excited. What I loved about it was that it was slightly tucked away so you could properly enjoy your company while admiring the bar. 

We were feeling peckish so we decided to try some of their food. I ordered the fish finger toastie and I LOVED that it came in a rations tin along with a side of tomato sauce. It was so delicious and so classically British. As well as the food, the staff would always keep you topped up with popcorn to keep you snacking. They had their work cut out with us as we were so hungry we were constantly reaching for them. The food is reasonably priced here; snacks and sandwiches all cost under £10 so it won't set you back too much.

On to the drinks! The cocktails are on the expensive side of things but the way I see it is: Cahoots is a treat. It's not somewhere where you'd be able to pop in casually so this would be a one off occasion and for me, I don't mind paying for dearer drinks when the establishment is this special. The staff REALLY know the menu and they'll pick you something out you might like if you cannot decide. The menu has a vast range of drinks, most with some peculiar ingredients; these are definitely not your average cocktails. What I loved about ordering cocktails here is that it's always a surprise as to how your cocktail is going to come out. As you can see in the photos above, every cocktail is presented SO differently. I

Also available are a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails for those who don't drink and for those who don't like cocktails (who ARE you?!) there are also a selection of beers so there is variety and different people are included.

Myself and the girls has such a lovely evening, it was definitely fun picking out different cocktails from the faux newspaper menu. So despite the rocky start and potentially awful experience, thanks to Cahoots excellent customer relations, we ended up having the most fantastic time. I do adore this little spot and I thank the staff who went above and beyond to help us enjoy our evening!

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xo

Pinup Girl Clothing - Neverland skirt

Half of this outfit came back with me from America. In my first post of the year, I wrote about visiting the Pinup Girl boutique in Burbank, California which was amaaaazing. This was like reaching the motherland for me and it was an entirely spiritual experience. To be fair, I was walking around in a daze, touching things in ultimate wonder and happiness. No kidding, you probably know how much I adore Pinup Girl Clothing so to visit their boutique on the other side of the world to where I live is pretty incredible and something I will be trying to do again soon.

For me, the Jenny skirt is the perfect length but I do hear of people frequently having them taken up a few inches. Personally, I love that this skirt stops at my calves; I don't feel drowned or swamped in the length but instead I find them comfortable to wear in the colder weather as the majority of my legs are covered. I think it's worth pointing out that these skirts are quite thick in a sense as well which is another factor in them being good for wearing in winter and early cold-ish spring. My experience of these skirts are nothing but excellent (as with all PUG clothing). Aside from my fluctuating weight which is kind of tricky with the waistband that doesn't have much stretch, the fabric is always thick and of excellent quality. There's a feel to holding PUG clothes that you don't get with many other repro brands and that's most likely down to their ethical manufacturing. These skirts have always felt really special to me and I felt no different when I managed to pick up this 'Neverland' print whilst visiting the store.

I managed to find these pair of B.A.I.T shoes in the sale also in the PUG boutique which were only $32! I absolutely ADORE these sandal type heels as they are perfectly cute and both practical. They're so easy to wear and very comfortable due to the low heel. 

This is the outfit that has pulled me out of bad moods recently; it's so bright and colourful and it's definitely given me some looks from people when I've gone out but I'm mostly feeling too cute and sassy to care!

Top is from Lindy Bop, brooch by Luxulite and hair flower nicked from my Mum ;)

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xo

Bernie Dexter & BAIT

Well hello. It's me again! I bring forth this week three low-quality phone pictures of my outfit which I have now forgotten on which day I've worn. Lately my posts are far and few between and I have no reason other than being inexplicably tired and not very well.  It really sucks as I love this blog so much and I miss being more involved with the blogging community but I haven't had the energy. I hope any of you who read my blog don't mind my breaks in between posts! I really miss reading blogs as well actually, I feel very disconnected but I'm slowly getting back to it.

I'm really excited about sharing this outfit with you this week as this is my very first Bernie Dexter dress! I've been lusting after her dresses, particularly in this style, for almost two years but I could never justify the price and shipping to the UK. You might remember my last post in which I wrote all about my trip to the States. I stayed in San Diego, California and in the neighbourhood I was in was this cute little vintage repro shop called 'Temptress' fashion! This is where I found this gorgeous Bernie Dexter dress and because I was on holiday, I felt obliged to treat myself. I was quite lucky actually because the store was having a 25% off everything sale in store so I got this for even cheaper! I've always loved the print of this dress so I was super excited to nab this.

Admittedly, it needs a bit of an iron here but sometimes I don't have the times and I'm a very lazy person. Should I be embarrassed? probably but I'm not. I've put on quite a bit of weight since the holiday so the waist is a lot tighter than it was before. The straps however, are too big for my shoulders and fall down a lot so like here, I tend to wear a shrug or cardigan to wear over it.

The colours of the dress are vibrant and outstanding and the fabric is lovely, feels thick and good wearing. Because of the straps, I would feel hesitant about buying a dress full price (which is $159 and most likely down to them being made in America) but once a sale or discount code is released I look forward to seeing what my next purchase will be.

The belt is from an old Hell Bunny dress and the shoes are BAIT footwear. I love a chance to wear these shoes; they're so pretty, smart and very practical. The shrug is by Lindy Bop!

Thanks for catching up with me, I have another new post coming within the next week!

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xo

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Beauty: Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick and Palette

I haven't made an appearance to Oxford Street's Selfridges in such a long time that when I had a day off from work I decided I'd head up there and have a look at the Charlotte Tilbury counter. I've been wanting to try her make up for a long while now but I knew I could only make a decision on what to get if I tried the make up first in person before taking the risk of ordering online. 

I went full steam towards the concession stand and was utterly blown away by how beautiful it was. With the trademark burgandy/dark red and gold accents the brand is known for, you really feel fancy when you're having a nose around the make up. 

I ended up choosing the 'Red Carpet Red' lipstick in the Matte Revolution range which I found to be a beautiful deep red. I almost went for Glastonberry but I knew I couldn't stray away from my staple colour. The rose gold packaging is absolutely divine and so luxurious; so whilst the £23 price tag may be a bit expensive, you definitely get what you pay for. I do feel so posh when I pull this out of my hand bag to apply / reapply, it's so gorgeous. In terms of longevity, I find that it doesn't last as well as my cult favourite's MAC Ruby Woo and Russian Red but the formula is so creamy and not at all too drying, that's it's forgivable. You get what pay for with high end lipsticks like these; great pigmentation, creamy, non-drying and fairly long lasting. It's worth noting that the tip of the lipstick is fantastic and it's shaped to be similar to a lip brush to ensure precise application. We know how important it is to apply matte lipsticks very precisely as to not look messy, so this little bonus is a great help.

I then saw this palette called The Vintage Vamp which I absolutely fell in love with upon looking at it. The colours are beautiful and for me, I was utterly drawn to the shimmery gold shade and already couldn't wait to play around the with the palette to create some beautiful, sultry evening looks with it. The gorgeous burgundy and rose gold packaging screams luxury and although it's not everything I look for when I want to spend a lot of money on a beauty product, it does help to be very to look at. I often find that with some high end brands, they focus on making the packaging look luxurious and the product can end up being a bit rubbish as a result of it. However, these two products are absolute perfection and a dream to own. 

I took some photos to show you all how they look on. I know I'm a little bit rubbish at applying eyeshadow at the moment but since buying the palette, I've been practising more and more and getting a lot better. I'm really excited to improve my eyeshadow application and this palette has really gotten me motivated!

Books: The Girl In The Spider's Web

If I was shipped off to another island for the rest of my life and was held at gun point and forced to only take a few books (although that cliche of a fantasy situation is utterly ridiculous and we all know it) then the Millenium series is likely to be my ultimate first choice. But truth be told, I had no idea there was a fourth book in the series until a few weeks ago. When I found out, I almost screamed in delight. I haven't read much this year so I haven't kept up at all in the world of new book releases. 

So I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago that I had become *too* obsessed with the internet and my social media, to the point I stopped enjoying old hobbies like reading. So over the past couple of weeks, I've stopped spending so much time online and spent more of my free time reading books. The first one in a while being The Girl In The Spider's Web. 

For those of you less familiar with the Millenium series, they're crime novels based on two main characters called Lisbeth Salander, a computer hacker with a photographic memory and Mikael Blomkvist, an infamous investigative journalist whose is brought under scrutiny after he is charged and sentenced for libel against a billionaire. Despite being two people who are polar opposites in terms of characters, they team up together to solve a case of a missing person after being hired by the family member. Although I won't go into detail about the plots but they are fast paced, highly addictive novels which are not only incredibly easy to read but leave you engrossed into the characters and their lives.

Unfortunately the novel's author, Stieg Larsson, passed away in 2004 and despite there being rumours that the Millenium series was intended to be 10 books in total, only 3 were written by him. However, in 2013 Swedish publisher Norstedts allowed an author by the name of David Lagercrantz to write the fourth novel and so here we are!

So what are my thoughts on the fourth installment? well, to put it simply, having a well loved series be continued by a totally different author was always going to have it's criticisms and in no way did The Girl In The Spider's Web escape mine. Initial thoughts before I even started reading it were something along the lines of "Oh god, no! Why? just why?!" and "but what if he doesn't even write like Larsson, he'll completely ruin the series" so not to be overdramatic or anything, but yeah. I was nervous. I was also excited; excited at the fact I have a brand new story involving Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, both whom I've come to love. I finally got to bring them back to life in my mind and to see where the next journey leads them; a feeling I know all to well from growing up and waiting for each Harry Potter book to be released. But to say I was underwhelmed with it all is an understatement. I thought Lagercrantz' effort in continuing Larsson's short but sweet style of writing was great but the plot felt....boring. In parts, I really felt myself switching off and not paying attention to what I was reading and I did end up putting the book down for a whole week when I was about 20% way through. However when I picked it back up, I did get back into and the book and ended up finishing it within a couple days.

Whilst I did mostly enjoy the story and thought Lagercrantz made a good effort, there was a conscious part of me throughout reading the book that it just wasn't the same. Of course, to think that it would be totally the same with a different author would be naive but there was a constant feeling that there was something missing. I think the plot felt quite dry in parts and in my opinion, there wasn't enough of Lisbeth for me to ever be happy with it.

I honestly tried to not be loyal to Larsson's writing and started this book with a completely open mind but I would say it was an average attempt at best and it'll be interesting to see if the same author is allowed to continue the series any further. 

Cakestand & Crumb [picture heavy post]

So a couple of weeks ago I left London to stay at Jonny's for a little while before he went back out on tour. I had just found out about this small vintage tea shop in Ampthill which is probably about a mile walk from where he lives. I'd wondered WHY I hadn't discovered this place sooner but since I eventually did, I saw no point in wasting time in going and I persisted on dragging him with me. 

It's a lovely little walk up to this cafe with pretty houses and lots and lots of greenery which is definitely a far cry from living in south east London. Admittedly, I can be a bit of a lazy bug when it comes to walking but the weather was perking up so we decided to walk it anyway and get some fresh air. 

The cafe is located down a little alleyway just off of the main street; it's definitely tucked away which is most likely why it took me so long to know about it and even Jonny had no idea it was there. 

As you can see, it's absolutely adorable! I love coming to places like this because I feel right at home and it truly does feel like an escape from the norm of everywhere else on the high street. I have to admit I do love my trips to Costa Coffee but these little tea shops will always beat them, hands down. 

When we first arrived the cafe was so packed there weren't any seats inside but since it wasn't raining, we were more than happy to sit outside. Unfortunately, the seats were wet from the earlier rain but one of the cafe's staff were more than willing to find us something to sit on to avoid the rain. Thankfully, as we settled down, a pair of people left so we could go and enjoy sitting inside and take in the interior. 

The interior is just adorable; despite being quite small, I think this gives it an advantage as it makes the place seem more cosy and relaxed. The walls are adorned with cute and quirky vintage style signs as well as trinkets and homeware on display including lovely vintage tea cups. My immediate thought as we walked in and sat down was "well I feel right at home!"

I was so impressed by the cutlery and china. I'm not normally a tea drinker but whenever I go to a tea shop I always HAVE to have it because 1. I just adore vintage china and 2. for some reason, I like pretend I'm more elegant than I really am ;)

The last tearooms I went to (back in London) I wasn't particularly impressed with because the cake was all store bought, so very dry and the tea was simply just bog standard tea bags which I don't expect to get in a vintage cafe so the menu wasn't great. However, Cakestand & Crumb was right up my street because the cakes were all home baked and the tea was loose and absolutely delicious. I would definitely be an avid tea drinker if I could have it like this everyday!

After I was told the scones were sold out (I believe they have very high amount of orders and a small kitchen which makes it difficult for them to provide these on the day and it's better to book in advance, I'll keep that in mind for next time) , I decided to opt for the smoked salmon sandwich with crisps and salad on the side. It was very simple but delicious and exactly what I'd expected, I didn't want anything fancy but nice china to eat it from. I then couldn't resist going in for a slice of cake afterwards. As you can see in the photo, I went for a slice of blueberry and lemon cake; I cannot say enough good words, so moist! I'm just so impressed. 

I honestly cannot remember the price of the individual items on our order (I know, I'm a bad blogger) but our order of a pot of tea, soft drink, two slices of cake and a sandwich came to roughly about £14-15. Baring in mind that these are also very generous portions as well as plenty of hard work going into making the cakes from scratch, it's so reasonable. I felt plenty full and it was much nicer, and cheaper, than having a bog standard lunch elsewhere. 

I do like to keep my reviews balanced so I often point out things that I feel could have been improved, but I really struggled here. We had such a lovely afternoon that I couldn't fault it at all. 

I've gone away and I'm already trying to plan when I can go again. I'd love to take my Mum as we love doing these sorts of afternoons together but it's a bit far from our house to come just for an afternoon tea. Either way, it will be done and I'm sure this will become a regular haunt of mine now I know of it's existence.

http://www.cakestandandcrumb.co.uk/

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xo

*I was not paid, sponsored or gifted any items for this review. I wrote this based off of my own visit paid for by myself. 

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 :)

Review: The Oblong Box Shop Flamingo Skirt & Criss Cross Sweetheart top.

The Oblongbox Shop is a brand I'd heard of for a while through Instagram but had never gotten around to checking out properly. I always thought "well I can't spend this money so I might as well not bother looking" and so I didn't. For a while. Pay day arrived and I then found myself more curious than ever to check out their beautiful skirts I'd been spying online.

Now what sets The Oblong Box Shop apart is that owner, Denialle Von Fitch, handcrafts all of her skirts which includes down to the actual skirt illustrations. I think people tend appreciate little nuggets of information like this because it normally means that a lot of care and attention has gone into creating the item of clothing. Another thing I noticed was just how easy the website is to navigate; okay that may sound supeeer lame but this kind of thing is important to me. It's really fast, organised and visually SO pretty to look at. I suspect a lot of people wouldn't care but a crappy website bothers me and loses me as a customer faster than you can blink.

Browsing through their website was more tempting than I could have imagined. I had a little look through all of the clothing but what really caught my eye in particular was the collection of skirts. By far, my favourites are the novelty print skirts; since I bought my first Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt, I've absolutely fallen in love with kitsch printed clothing, so to me these were heaven to look at. 

I went with the flamingo design for a couple of reasons; one, the turquoise colour is vivid, stunning and totally eye catching.....which I really like despite actually loathing attention 99% of the time (I know I'm a weird one) and two, you may know that I have mentioned on the blog a few times now that I just adore flamingo prints. When it comes down to it, go with what you know! 

The skirt is made from 100% polyester which is something I've not experienced in a full skirt (or any skirt) before. For me, it's perfect though as I've since carried it around in my suitcase and it just doesn't crease. I'm only used to wearing cotton skirts so it did take a little getting used to but I feel that this will only make the skirt last a lot longer. It really is beautiful to look at; the colours are incredible and so vibrant and worth the $95 for that on it's own; but it also features a hidden side zipper with an adjustable waistline which is also another first for me! However, I could have easily downsized in this. As an inbetweenie, I tend to size up to be safe, especially when ordering from America. I've found it isn't too much of a bother because as you can see here, I've put my trusty ebay belt on to accentuate my waist and break up the colour.

Worn with the skirt, is also a top that is from The Oblong Box Shop. As far as I could tell, these tops aren't made by the brand but are from elsewhere. The selection is fantastic however, and SO CHEAP. When I made my order, I also bought this 'It's A Wrap' crossover top for $20 and the one I'm wearing here which is the 'Criss Cross Sweetheart Pinup Top' in baby blue at $19.50. They are both fantastic quality, especially for their price. I'm so used to pinup style seperates being stupidly expensive most of the time so it is refreshing to see affordable prices. 

What I love about this top though, which also comes in many different colours, is the variation. 

You can wear the neckline as a criss cross or just as normal straps like shown above. I might at some point try and tuck the straps under and wear it like a boob tube style top and see what that looks like, So it is versatile as well as being stretchy and very flattering on the body and bust. I suspect the built in cups are a bit useless for the bustier lady but are perfect for me. The colour also goes perfect with the skirt, they're like a match made in heaven!

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this review. As you can tell, I fully recommend making an order from The Oblong Box Company, especially as you'd be helping out a smaller business. The selection is really to die for so you won't regret it. 

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Hell Bunny - Souvenir dress.

Sunday was a beautiful day, I'd just gone to get my hair done and on my way home, I stopped by Greenwich Park to take some photos for this post. I remember feeling stupidly nervous about this as it was the first time that I was going to take blog photos out in public, on my own. Obviously a sensible choice was to pick a park, on a Sunday, when it was very warm and sunny; no, not my greatest decision but one I'm very glad I made. 

For a couple of weeks, I've been trying to think of a few ways to up my 'photo' game, as it were. I'm constantly looking for new ways to improve myself; through my photos, my writing and my blog in general. I'm quite lucky in the respect that I live in close distance of some beautiful parks, including my favourite - Greenwich Park. Everything about this place is stunning, the views are out of this world. 

So I'm not totally happy with how most of these photos came out. I was definitely nervous - what's not nerve racking about setting your camera and tri-pod up in the middle of a busy park and then set to striking poses? I was getting some looks but nothing too bad. I tend to feel I always make a bigger deal out of how people perceive me than what people do truthfully. 

So I'm totally in love with the surroundings here and I'm glad I can bring something new to the blog. I'm on annual leave for the next two weeks from work, and I'm so determined to scout new locations to shoot outfit photos! I'd love to have a partner in crime with me on these kinds of trips but I am looking forward to getting out on my own with just me, my camera and my tripod. 

On to the outfit, I've had this for a couple of weeks ago but I've only just gotten around to shooting it. The dress is described as the "Souvenir" dress from Hell Bunny. A brand I'm finding myself constantly going back to, as I'm in love with their kitsch designs. You may have seen this style dress in the form of my 'Larissa'. It's the same style but with a different print.

What I love about this dress is that makes me feel like I'm on holiday. I've worn this out a couple of times now and I've had some lovely compliments by strangers. It's a perfect summer dress for me as it is sleeveless but it doesn't give me the same exposure that I don't particularly like from say spaghetti straps. 

I am particularly fond of the fit of this dress; it is perfectly form fitting on the body and then comes out to a flowing skirt so it accentuates the curves of your body, this is enhanced with the belt that comes included; it can be used to pull you in at the waist - which I always love. 

The back of the dress goes down into a 'V' shape, like the front and features a hidden zip design. Made of 98% cotton and 2% spandex, there is a very tiny bit of stretch to this dress. The quality is fantastic so I couldn't fault the way the dress is made at all, and I think if different prints of this style dress continue to be made, I will buy them all. 

The dress is adorned with prints of signs of Fiji, flowers and maps; which gives the dress such a cute touristy feel and that's why you feel on holiday when you wear it. I've never been to Fiji but I'd love to now and I'd take this dress with me. 

Worn with my dress, is a cardigan from Primark. I accidentally bought it in a 18 so it looks quite odd and I have to tie it up quite hard to make it look less baggy.

Shoes are from B.A.I.T Footwear.