All about a dress

Hello twinkly icicles, hope everyone is well this Tuesday : ) Today was a very long day for me, full teaching day and then parents evening until half 6, home at half 7, pyjamas on, takeaway and Eastenders! Good times ; ) Today's post is about a mini-obsession of mine, an item which I think epitomises glamour and femininity, but can be easy and carefree too... I am talking about the not-so-humble wardrobe staple, the dress!

As a historian and fashion fanatic, the history of fashion and clothing style has been of interest to me for many years. One of my favourite past-times is visiting art galleries and gazing at the beautiful detail and sheer opulence of the full dresses, as well as the change in necklines, fabric, bodice style and colour as time has passed by. I particularly enjoy studying fashions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the transition from the full skirted, puff-sleeved dress to the lean and lithe silhouette of the early 20th century. Add into the mix the beautiful beaded, above the-knee gowns of the Flapper girls, the Conservative and thrifty looks of the 50s, swinging into the 60s with the birth of the mini-skirt, fashion has advanced and evolved in clear and definitive ways.

1900s evening dress, velvet, chiffon, satin, lace and chenille embroidered and decorated with applique.

Flapper girls of the 1920s, shorter hem-lines and shorter hair!

Mini-skirts of the 1960s, out in force.

One distinctive feature of women's fashion throughout the ages though is the perpetuation of the dress. It is certainly true that strong-willed women fought for many years to quite literally,  'wear the trousers', however, within this, the right to choose remained stead-fast and constant. So the dress has continued to dominate, both the catwalks and the everyday lives of women the world over. As a 21st century woman I am grateful to my ancestors for this battle, for their gutsiness and determination to allow women to decide how they wish to appear, whilst retaining control over their everyday lives.

Going back to my former most point, I absolutely adore dresses. I love the ease at which a dress can be literally 'thrown on', styled with some chic accessories and heels, and off you go. I wear dresses to work on almost a daily basis, I find it quicker and easier in the morning, and love the simplicity of the look. In the spirit of celebrating this fabulous fashion item, I am going to post some of my favourite dresses from recent occasions for your perusal : )

Cream silk dress with cut out side panels from asos.com.  I wore this dress on honeymoon in Thailand. I loved the look of the dress, particularly against tanned skin, and styled the dress with an oversized gold necklace and bangles. 

The picture quality is terrible as it was dark and hubby took this on my iPhone, but I had to post this because I LOVE this dress! I bought this in Primark and wasn't massively impressed when it was on the hanger... I completely fell in love with it when I tried it on though, and was complimented so many times on holiday in this! The bodice is covered in tiny chintzy style floral patterns, and I love the black straps which match the full black skirt. The tan belt is a gorgeous finishing touch.

Another not-so-brilliant quality picture (blame the iPhone again!)  I loved this dress, it was a bit of a honeymoon splurge from French Connection and was a black, pure silk dress with a low neckline and ruffle detail... alas I did not wash this correctly when I got home and it went an odd grey colour with little bobbles over the front... RIP dress, dearly departed...

Classic Charlotte night-out dress... I still have this grecian style dress from Rare, love the classic one shoulder style and how it looks with my (natural!) tan (had just returned from Turkey!)

I bought this Zara dress this Summer, I love the clean lines and tiered style, I paired it with gold earrings and  emerald green Zara wedges.

And last but by no means least, how could I leave out my princess, uber-glamorous, crystal and swarovksi studded Wedding gown by Maggie Sottero? My ULTIMATE dress, worn on the happiest day of my life
: )

Well dolls, that's just a little selection of some of my favourite dresses, hope you enjoyed my picks XOXO

A summer's day in October

Hello Cupcakes, happy Sunday, hope you have all had a fabulous day and if you are in the UK, enjoyed the weather! I cannot believe that it is the second of October today and the weather is as beautiful as it is! Amazing. To make the most of the sunny weather, hubby and I decided to go to a castle quite near our home, about 30 minutes away or so. I had never been to Scotney castle but it was breathtakingly beautiful. There was so much to look at and it was a perfect time to go as the trees are all currently in their transition phase, with beautiful leaves in shades of crimson, rust and even pink! (my favourite!) Hubby and I spent a lovely few hours walking round and snapping some beautiful pictures, before stopping for snacks and ice cream! A perfect day : )

Beautiful sunshine on an October day

Loved this cute little house! I'm moving in ; )

Beautiful crimson leaves

Scotney Castle

I never thought I would still be wearing dresses and sandals in October! I decided to wear a dress that I bought in H & M yesterday, it was a bargainous £10 in a special promotion. My best friend bought the same dress too we liked it so much! I also wore my Warehouse toe post sandals, a simple pair of diamond studs and my Tiffany heart necklace that hubby bought me for Christmas a couple of years ago. Perfect for the warm weather!


More soon my loves enjoy the rest of Sunday. xoxo

A tribute to Miss Bradshaw

Hello dolls, hope you are all having a lovely week so far and the sun is shining where you are! I am on day 3 of the holidays and having a blast, relaxing, doing a few household tasks and catching up on some reading. Today I had planned to go shopping but I awoke with a horrible migraine coupled with nausea so decided a sofa day was best all round! I decided on a sex and the city marathon, and watched both of the movies back to back : ) I adore the films as much as the television series and all these years later, I am still in awe of Carrie and her amazing outfits!

The films got me thinking about my favourite Carrie dresses over the years, and the way her style evolved as each series passed. There are many things I love about Carrie's dress sense: the individuality she displays, the way she teams items that would not be normally thought of as a perfect match, and the fantastic mix of vintage and new. I love the way she is not driven by the top designers, yes these feature in her day to day wardrobe, but she is equally as comfortable in thrifted and vintage items. The way she incorporates such a mix into her wardrobe is eclectic and exactly what makes her the style icon she is.

I cannot post every single dress/outfit that I ever loved here as this post would go on all day! However, after much thought, I have singled out some of my favourite Carrie outfits:

From top to bottom:

1) Vintage John Galliano for Christian Dior dress and Christian Louboutin booties - Carrie wore this dress in the TV series and I love how they bought it back for the second film. This is one of my all time favourite dresses.

2) Carrie's classic tulle tutu - I think this item epitomises Carrie's style - laidback, care-free and luxe.

3) Vintage Halston Heritage mini dress, sparkly Christian Louboutin pumps and Chanel clutch - a great casual summer day look and I love the shades!

4) Vintage dress and a Fendi clutch - The print on this dress is gorgeous, this is the kind of thing I can imagine wearing to a wedding or christening. Love the sleek style of her hair too.

5) Vivienne Westwood dress, Manolo Blahnik shoes and a Salvatore Ferragamo clutch. I love the pink prom style of this dress. Carrie often upped the volume in the skirts she wore, creating a look of drama and opulence.

6) Vintage coat, dress and belt, Timmy Woods bag and Dior sandals. I adored this Tour Eiffel shaped bag when Carrie showcased it in the first SATC film. Love th tough black gladiator style sandals with the pretty dress too.

7) Halston Heritage maxi dress. Being a huge fan of the colour orange (view my own orange dress here, I adore the colour and style of this dress from the second SATC film. Perfect for a hot summer's day i'd say ; )

8) And last, but by no means least, how could I leave out Carrie's Vivienne Westwood wedding dress? Alas, she did not make it down the aisle in this gorgeous gown, but she looked stunning nonetheless. I love the fact that the dress was from a British designer too ; )

So there you have it, what do you think of Carrie's style, and do you have any particular favourite outfits or looks that have inspired you?? xoxo