Regency style in a Studio 8 Mac*

A few weeks ago I spoke about my complete love lust of the new Studio 8 collection, a luxury fashion range for the plus sized woman launched by the amazing Phase 8.  
I was lucky enough to be offered a piece to review from this really quite beautiful collection and spent ages trying to decide which item I love most! The Sonia, Becky, and Pippa were all strong contenders but, with a wardrobe of pretty floral dresses, I thought I would try something a little different.  

The Nicole Mac comes in a light stone colour with a soft waterfall hem and a coordinating tie belt for when the mac is closed. 

It comes in a light weight fabric with full lining which is perfect for cooler summer days.  It looks as though it's made from silk but is actually a very well made polyester/elastance blend but don't worry, I can promise you it doesn't cause those horrible sweaty polyester pits like so many fabrics of its kind do! 

I'm wearing the size 16 and it fits me beautifully! The shoulders sit straight and firm (so rare with tailored jackets) and the tie belt means I can really cinch this in at the waist if I really want to show off an hour glass figure.  

The coat comes in sizes 16 - 24 and, as there are no formal fastenings, may well stretch a size or two above that so give it a go if you like it!

When open, the soft waterfall shape elongates the figure and skims my waist of hips so my curves aren't hidden.   Tailoring like this is rare from normal high street shops and my friends swooned over the mac the moment they saw it! 

I felt the drapery and the soft stone colour just screamed modern British regency - so naturally, I had to find a suitable location to shoot the Nicole - the Jane Austen Museum in Alton, Hampshire was the perfect location.  The garden, if not the house, is so very impressive!

The jacket is priced at £135 which I feel is reasonable considering the tailoring, luxury feel fabric, and quality.  It is in the same price range as other luxury high street brands like sister company Phase Eight without quite reaching the dizzy prices of L. K. Bennett, Hobbs, and Jaegar. 

I am so please that plus sized women now have a luxury brand to turn to for those special occasions and I really hope that Studio 8 expand the range in terms of the number of items on offer and the breadth of sizes! I feel there is a huge market for this range and I really look forward to watching this brand take off! 

For a casual day out, swanning about the home counties, I paired the Nicole with my white, ASOS Curve Ridley jeans and a striped top from New Look.  I love white jeans with a striped top! 

Coat - Nicole Mac from Studio 8

Jeans - ASOS CURVE Ridley Skinny Jean in White

(reviewed here)

Striped Top - Past Season New Look (similar here)

Shoes - New Look Stone Ballet Pumps