All That Glitters - a plus sized party dress from Pink Clove

Sometimes, a girl just needs to sparkle! 

A Plus-Size (Almost) Little Black Dress

It's November, so I can officially say it: CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!
The next two months are filled with endless dinner dates, drinks with friends, fancy parties and black tie events.  This means my wardrobe gets a real rollicking and a new little black dress is always a welcome addition to see me through the winter months and this marble and black print dress from Elvi is a new take on the season's LBD. 

The Summer LBD

I have recently promised to make better use of my wardrobe.  Its part of my #PlusSizePromise and I do intend to keep them all - so, last weekend, when stuck for something to wear for meeting some completely amazing blogging gals, I decided to trudge to the back of my wardrobe and choose a piece that I don't wear very often!

Culotte Jumpsuit from New Look

A few weeks ago, I promised to experiment more with lengths - to play with crop tops and embrace the awkward length culottes.  You can read my promises here!
In an attempt to follow through on this promise, I ordered a cute little culotte jumpsuit that I'd seen on ASOS a few weeks before. 

Playful sleepwear from Marks & Spencer

So a few years ago, you'd say Marks & Spencer and I'd wrinkle my nose with distaste.  It was the land of frumpy cardigans, shapeless dresses, and shoes worthy of a bin bag! 
I remember my Mum taking me there for a bra fitting when I was about 16 and struggling to find bras that were appropriate to my age and size ... cue a wizened looking old lady with severe glasses forcing me into something that my grandma would wear.  It wasn't a fun experience. 
Yet, the other day, when forced into M&S for my husband to try on trousers, I found myself entranced by some of the ranges on offer - there was some smoking summer workwear that I soon hope to purchase and a range of capri pants more retro chic than old lady.  I was impressed! 
The lingerie section, surprisingly, really drew my eye and I came away with a bag full of goodies to share with you.   Today, I want to show you the cute and playful nightwear set that will make you swoon!

A Princess in McQueen

This weekend is my one year wedding anniversary - did you see my wedding dress?
To celebrate, the husband and I are currently in Stratford.  Hopefully, the weather is a delight and I'm eating ice cream on the river front.  More likely, we're sheltering from the rain in a pub and eating chips! 
As I promised my husband a weekend away from me tip tapping my nails across the keyboard, I thought I'd share with you a simple outfit post, inspired by my recent day out in London. 

70s vibes with Yours Clothing

The 70s are quite awesome - bell sleeves, flares, mini skirts, floppy hats and blunts fringes.  What isn't great about all these things?  

So when I saw this Yours Clothing Black paisley print wrap over dress, I just had to have it!

A curvy girl's Christmas wish list ...

Are you starting to feel festive yet?

I was late to the festive game this year, something to do with a busy work schedule interrupted by a fortnight in a tropical location has meant that I've found it difficult to over indulge in mince pies without any feelings of guilt!

However, on Sunday, the husband and I hit Winchester for the farmers market and Christmas fayre.  We bought a slab of venison ready for christmas day and I drank the most delicious mulled cider - the husband was driving so had to settle with watching me get squiggly.   I swooned over handcrafted wooden boxes (The Hobbit box now sits proudly on my mantle piece), ate the most delicious Water Buffalo steak roll, and bought vintage jewellery for much loved friends and family.

 

Masquerade!

Every year my work holds a Christmas party.  It normally involves lukewarm turkey, watery gravy, and abundance of cheap wine, a vaguely fancy party dress, and a whole lot of boogie!

Last year I wore an old favourite dress for such occasions - steel grey with heavily embellished shoulders and a sweeping neckline.  I thought I looked great until the pictures came out to reveal lank hair (it was terribly hot), dimply arms, and flushed skin - steely grey evidently isn't my colour!

The dress has since been sold on eBay and I'm sure has gone to a home that will love it far more than I do!

This year will be different - my new short hair doesn't allow for lank, I'll be tanned after a fortnight in the Indian Ocean, and my dress will be stellar (naturally)!

It helps that this year the theme will be MASQUERADE! Excuse the capitals but I'm terrible excited.

I set the style stakes high at work with my power dressing, body hugging dresses, sharp blazers and sky-high heels so upping the stakes for a work party is always hard work.  But this year I'll be able to go all out - a Masquerade screams out for lace, sequins, leather, red lipstick and unapologetic extravagance!

The moment I got the email I set about compiling my pinterest board of amazing looks - don't forget to check it out as its lustworthy (not to blow my own trumpet or anything).   And it wasn't long till I headed to Reading with a trusty pal and began trying on a plethora of full length gowns!

Clockwise from left:  Biba Embellished waist deep v maxis dress from House of Fraser; Myleen Klass Origami Maxi Dress from Very; Nigella Lawson; ASOS Peplum Plunge Maxi dress.

Black is an obvious choice for a Masquerade - it's chic, elegant, regal, and bewitching!  In the picture above I'm wearing a wonderful dress from Biba at House of Fraser.   The material is silky feeling and falls in soft folds around you.  It feels elegant and sophisticated - its easy to wear and hides a multitude of sins.  In this photo I'm wearing the size 16 and it fits like a glove!   If you have the budget to blow then astoundingly beautiful Forever Unique Lorna Maxi Dress from Simply Be is perfect for any girl with ample curves ...

Forever Unique Lorna Maxi Dress from Simply Be

I've always been just  little bit infatuated with emerald ... maybe it's something to with my love of The Wizard of Oz?

Left to Right: Cath Maxi Dress from Monsoon;  Biba Wrap over maxi dress in Bottle Green from House of Fraser; Christina Hendricks.

The Cath Maxi dress from Monsoon is to die for ... the ruching at the waist would make my waist oh-so-small and the deep v-neck will elongate the figure!  Unfortunately, I couldn't find it to try on in my latest shopping excursion but another Biba dress, the wrap over maxi dress is a close second.  It requires some shaping wear (which I am definitely not wearing this picture) or perhaps I need to raise it to a size 18 to avoid the unsightly bulging at the hips but the waist and neckline are fantastic on this.  You can't see it in the picture but there are tiny little buttons sitting just left of my hand that are simply adorable!

Easily my favourite dress of the day (and I tried on every full length gown I could find) was the Twilight Sequin Full Length dress by Collection 8 by Phase Eight.   It didn't immediately grab my eye, was drawn instead a the Gatsby-esque dress in deep green with subtle sequin detailing.  

My friend tried the Twilight on first but quickly ruled it out for herself.  I made a comment that it was more me than her and seconds later I found myself zipping myself up and strutting out on the red carpet (the changing room red carpet that is).

Twilight Full Length Dress from Collection 8 by Phase Eight

I was in love - I am in love!  The lace, the subtle sheen of the overlay, the nude slip, the plunging neck and cap sleeves.  It was even long enough for me to wear with killer heels (a rarity in a maxi dress).  Do I need to sell this dress more?

Unfortunately, I can't afford this dress.  As much as I would love to blow my money on this dress, I simply don't have that much so instead I shall dream and lust over the photos.

In the meantime, which mask shall I wear?  

And yes, I have dress but you'll just have to wait until after the night to see it!

C x x

Oh, what a night ... dancing, cocktails, and a flirtatious little outfit ...

Everyone loves a girl's night ... and with only one day left at work (small leap of joy), many of you will be making plans for the weekend and I hope those plans involve cocktails, high heels, and a splash of lipstick.

Unfortunately, mine don't!  Mine will consist of wellies, wax jackets, and a brood of manic spaniels trashing my house.  Luckily, my need for glamour was satisfied last weekend which was spent wandering the hall's of Oxford's Vintage Fair before dinner, cocktails, and dancing with the girls.

Playing with accessories at the Lou Lou's Vintage Fair - Oxford

A love affair with pleather

A few days ago I shared my love lust list for the coming autumn/winter season.  Top on my wish was a leather-look skirt and yesterday it arrived!

I cannot get enough of this skirt!  It sits a little lower than I had expected but the length is perfect.  The material flows without being light enough to blow away in the wind - no-one wants one of those Marilyn moments when walking out of the office.   

I paired the skirt with a simple, tight fitted t-shirt in grey with a slight boat neck.  I wore my favourite Carvela patent sling backs for a real 50's feel and a chunky pearl cuff for a bit of sparkle.  I wore simple gold studs and kept my hair sleek and simply to let the skirt do the talking. 

Clockwise from top left:  Peggy Pearl Bracelet by Coast; South Three-Quarter Sleeve Crew Neck Top from Very; 2 x Square Stud Pack by Accessorize; Black Peeptoe Heels by New Look;  Love Label Midi PU Length Skater Skirt from Very.

The leather-look of the skirt let me embrace my inner vamp so I teamed it with dark red nail polish and flash of vampiric red on the lips. 

This look is one of my favourites and will suit all heights and waistlines.  Just remember to keep the top sleek and simple, heels high - the addition of a peep toe gives it an added va-va-voom - and don't be scared to move across to the dark side!

C x

The Covet List

Today was the first day of Autumn, and my lord was it chilly this morning ... my big toe felt like it was going to drop off in my patent peep toes!

So, with the weather on the turn and the nights drawing in, I thought it was the perfect time to share my A/W wish list with y'all.

I love black - not because its slimming (although it is) but because its chic.  But my wardrobe is already filled with black shift dresses, pencil skirts, and cigarette pants so this season I decided to mix it up a bit by playing with textures and hues - think leather, velvet, and oxblood with gold embellishments.

Top on my list is a leather skirt (or a leather-look skirt if my budget won't allow).

Clockwise from Left: Love Label Midi PU Length Skater Skirt from Very; Jeffrey & Paula Midi Skirt from SimplyBe; ASOS Tall Pencil Skirt in Leather Look from ASOS; Definitions Leather Full Skirt from Very.

I've actually already ordered the Love Label midi skirt today (it's in the Very sale for a whole £14.50 so how's a girl to say no?).  I love the high waist and soft folds which will really enhance any girls waist and give a nod to an hourglass figure.   I plan to wear this with chunky heels and a slim fitting t-shirt tucked into the waist band.

SimplyBe's Pu Midi Skirt is amazing.  The soft shine on the material makes it a perfect piece for the evening and it goes from size 14 - 32.  The red leather-look skirt by ASOS is a must! It's part of ASOS's tall range, so if you're over 5ft10 (like me) then the portions will be perfect for you -no more hips sticking out where your thighs should start).



A must for any wardrobe come October is a pair of killer knee-high boots - and with these, I struggle year on year, especially if I want to be able to fit warm, wooly socks underneath let alone a pair of skinny jeans.  Lucky for us, this season brings a wealth of boots that are both on trend and come in a curvy calf.

Clockwise from left: Van Dal High Leg Boots from Curvissa; Bassey Platform knee-high boots from Duo Boots; Legroom Quilted High Leg Boot from Simply Be; Legroom Leather Boot with Gold Details from The Shoe Tailor.

The gold details on the Legroom Leather boots is to die for.  These boots will look great over skinny jeans and they have a block heel that means you can walk all day.  My favourites are the Oxblood Bassey boots from Duo - they tick every box on my A/W wishlist and I've already earmarked them as a Christmas present from my husband.  I'll be spending January in Canada for conferences and business meeting so these knee-high boots will keep me warm whilst looking stylish.  They'll go with everything from sharply tailored suits to my staple wear-to-work dress of a stylish wrap dress.


I love tailored trousers and my wardrobe is full of a variety of styles but all are in black, charcoal, or grey.  This year, I'm determined to go wild and buy a splash of colour (well, almost).

Clockwise from Left:  Tapered turn up trousers from La Redoute; Bright Blue Trousers from Next; ASOS Cigarette Trousers in Crepe from ASOS; Fearne Cotton Slim Leg Cropped Trousers from Very.

I plan on keeping the cut simple and slim as billows of brightly coloured material isn't really me.  The oxblood cigarette pants from ASOS will look great worn with a black camisole and a tailored blazer and I would love to wear the orange, cropped trousers with sky-high heels and a sheer blouse for a night out drinking cocktails with the girls.

The perfect top to accompany either my leather skirt or bright coloured trousers has to be a bardot body.  I love the scoop neckline and fitted form of these tops -  I think there's nothing sexy than a woman's collar bone and I love showing mine off.

Clockwise from top left: New Look Bardot Top from ASOS; South Three-Quarter Sleeve Bardot Top from Very; Short Sleeve Bardot Top from Matalan;  New Look Inspire Half Sleeve Bardot Top from ASOS.

I'll be topping off this season's wardrobe must have with a few essential accessories - an oversized hat, the furriest scarf imaginable, and a whole pile of golden jewellery.

Clockwise from top left: Mixed Mesh Bracelet Pack from Evans; Dark red oversized fedora hat from River Island; Vixen Tippet from Accessorize;  ASOS Curve enamel arrow ring multipack from ASOS.

Check back later in the week if you want to see the leather skirt in action.