Classic looks with Simply Be

As much as I love colour and patterns I'm also a really big fan of simplicity. Having bright hair and tattoos can sometimes be all the accessorising I need for an outfit.

I love this capsule skater dress from Simply Be because it's such a classic LBD  and it's so easy to dress up or down. I'm also a big fan of the skater dress as a larger fat because it's an easy look to create.

Having long sleeves this is probably going to be best worn in the coming cooler months but the material is really light and comfortable so I don't feel too weighed down. A heads up: the dress came up really short on me, I'm about 5"4 but I'm all belly, so I'd say maybe some leggings or just bare you chub rub shorts if you're feeling saucy.

As I said you can dress this up or down. Here I teamed it with this amazing jacket, also from Simply Be, for a casual rockabilly look.

I completed the look with some adorable polka dot pumps from Asda but you could just as easily wear some Converse, or some Dr Martens. Or something with a bit of a heel and some fancy accessories for a more 'evening' look. It's super versatile.

How would you style it?

Outfit deets: Dress and bomber: Simply Be

Pumps: Asda

Headscarf: Dotty and Dolly

Necklace: Suger and Vice

Birthday Wishlist

It's the big Three-Oh for me on July 4th. I've already been treated to a wonderful week away in Gower, and my mum is coming to visit me for a week. My first visitor since I moved down here! I'm also looking forward to it because I haven't seen my mum in over a year because the last time I went home for a visit the floods had destroyed the road so I couldn't get to her.

Birthdays usually entail gifts so here's a little birthday wishlist of stuff I've been fawning over.

Lindy Bop Bette swing dress  |  Sourpuss Bettie Page Centre Fold purse

T.U.K Pizza slip ons

Lady Luck's Boutique Kiki hair flower |  Lindy Bop 'Brigitte' Paris Stripe 

T.U.K Split Stack Nosebleeds

A girl can dream, right?

Christmas Belle: Featuring We Love Colours review and Lindy Bop.

I don't know about anyone else but this festive period has been oddly hectic for me, hence why I'm only sitting down now and doing my Christmas blog!

Given I'm a little tardy to the party I feel it's only fair I go super festive to make up.

I'm so festive I could vomit baubles. Though probably best I don't. Instead I'll just enjoy all the colours.

So Lindy Bop had a sale before Christmas and I took a punt on this top. Mostly because it's the dreaded dual sizing so I wasn't sure if I'd be comfortable.

This top is SO stretchy. I don't think you could go beyond a 26 in it but I fitted comfortably in it. The material isn't too heavy but substantial enough to feel secure in.

A couple of months ago I won a pair of tights from We Love Colours on one of their Instagram competitions. I was super excited because I've been lusting after a pair from them for so long and now I had a chance to pick a pair for FREE!

I opted for a block colour pair in the Kelly Green.

How's that for a splash of colour?! I got these in a size EE, which is the largest size they do. Their sizing chart goes by height and weight but as a rule I get the largest size wherever I shop. I'm a size 26 and these fit perfectly. They are huge. Honestly, I could pull them up right under my boobs and I reckon I could have gotten a little more out of them. Very impressed by the sizing.

What I really loved was how the depth of colour was not compromised by my big legs. On my thigh you can see a thin line. This seems to be where the material slightly changes. It feels a little thinner between the legs, and while I didn't wear them for the full day I could tell they might be an issue, which is a bit of a disaster with the old chub rub so I would highly suggest wearing some little shorts underneath. I know that kind of sucks with tights but I guess if you want longevity out of the product you gotta go what you gotta do.

While the colour is still thick they do still show tattoos so if you're trying to cover up you might want something thicker. You can still see a feint outline of my shin tattoo. But then you could always just distract them with this wild colour, right?!

Outfit deets:

Top: Lindy Bop

Skirt: Modcloth

Tights: We Love Colours

Shoes: Hush Puppies 

The Curve Fashion Festival 2015 (Part 1)

There's going to be a whole bunch of blog posts about this event going around by people vastly more prepared than me, who remembered to take notes and photographs. I am no such person. But I do want to make a point of writing more about my personal interactions at the event and I may later blog more about the event itself as there are things I wanted to talk about.
But I'm still buzzing from it all so I wanted to share all the good stuff first.
The biggest part of the day for me was how much fun I had in the company of fellow bloggers, most of whom I had not met before or had interacted very little with. The sense of excitement and community that was buzzing around the room was very difficult not to get wrapped up in.

I had the pleasure of travelling up with Sarah, Tanya, Sharon, and Becky. The night before we attended a swing dance class, with many laughs to be had as well as some questionable dancing skills from fellow attendees, before bedding down for the night ready for our 7am start. The whole day was just a mix of belly laughing, hugs, and excited chatter.

Before I even had the chance to go inside I became acquainted with a host of new, friendly faces who were generous with warm hugs and welcomes. That was a theme throughout the day. Despite barely knowing anyone it was understood that we were all there for a common goal: to celebrate each other and enjoy a moment that was for us, without judgement, and with love.

I had my reservations; being an new and unknown person in the plus blogging scene, I felt a little intimidated not knowing anyone and seeing the many groups all coming together. But my fears were easily laid to rest as I was pulled in for selfies, lavished with compliments, and chatting so easily with so many strangers.

Amazing dress from Lisa Riley's new range.

Met this fabulous babe, Kat Henry, for the first time

Some posi messages from Curvy Kaye's stall.

L-R Sarah, Nikki, Becky.

Lolly Likes

Of course it wasn't all about hanging out and there was a lot of amazing styles to be seen, from attendees as well as on the hangers. While I forgot to snap an OOTD Becky and I were paped by the SLiNK Magazine crew for theor streetstyle tag.

Image taken from SLiNK Magazine Instagram.

I will be reviewing this dress soon so keep your eyes peeled!

Alternative Curves: 90's Mall Witch

My first blog hop with Alternative Curves and this month it's 90's Mall Witch. It's no surprise I was looking up some inspiration from Buffy stills. Equal parts effortless cool to awful miss matching, I remember longing to have a mall I could skulk around, hanging with friends in the food court.

I think I'd have enjoyed staying up all hours in a school night researching ancient demons. Alas no demons and not even a mall. Or a proper shopping centre. Certainly no food court. 

Being a 90's teen in northern England, and a fat one one at that, my dreams of amazing dungarees and oversized grunge shirts were just that: a dream. 

But as with any of us of a generation getting older we take any opportunity to reminisce, and as this old bird is nearing the end of her twenties very soon this was a chance to live the uber cool gothy smoulder I'd had to bypass as a teen.

Even better I had all of this hiding out in my wardrobe. My old faithful clompers, not a treasure from my teenhood but another desperate attempt to be cool. I'd loved Demonia shoes, and now as an adult with disposable income I can totally justify buying these silly shoes. Suck it.

The skirt and shirt are oldies from Asos and cardigan is also old from New Look. 

Gratuitous and spooky jewellery accumilated from independent stalls and car boot sales over the years. 

I think 90's me would be very proud.