August 19, 2014

Voodoo Vixen love at first sight




Outfit details

Vintage pale pink nylon/chiffon scarf: eBay
Pink sparkly bow earrings: Payless
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
Turquoise cardigan: Cleo
Circa 1950s silver tone rose brooch: Miss Farfalla
Aqua and pink Flora dress: Voodoo Vixen
Pink plastic rose bangle bracelet: Walmart
Vintage straw handbag: Yard sale find
Nude seamed nude stockings:
White pumps: Payless
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Red
Nail colour: Sally Hansen Rogue Rush over Essie Pink Diamond


Photography by Tony Cangiano



















































 



A little earlier this summer, when I took the (massive - for shy little me at least!) plunge and decided to start filming YouTube videos, I knew that I wanted to wear something that really and truly represented my personal style. Various wardrobe options swirled through my head, but ultimately I happily opted to sport this uber charming vintage style pink and blue Flora dress from UK fashion brand Voodoo Vixen on video camera.

I had been contacted by a lovely rep from Voodoo Vixen a little earlier this year about collaborating on some product spotlight outfit posts and the company very kind sent me this dress, as well as a seriously darling ladybug cardigan (which I'll be featuring in a post unto itself here in a few weeks). I sincerely appreciate both pieces and have fallen head-over-heels in love with each of them.

Seriously in love, that is. I wouldn't have donned my new Flora dress as the key outfit component of my first YouTube video if I didn't have mad adoration for it! :)

This soft, comfortable cotton frock channels the spirit of the 1940s, but can easily be styled in a 1950s or more contemporary direction, too, if so desired. It's well constructed, true to size, made of very good quality materials, has darling cap sleeves with one pink button on each (the same kind of buttons that appear on the torso), and a flattering vee meets sweetheart sort of shaped neckline.

I'm also a big fan of its mid-calf length (on my 5'2" torso, that is) and the fact that the skirt on this dress has a wonderful amount of swing to it. Indeed, I could see being able to dance the night away, if one wanted, in this dress no problem. By the same token, you could take it in a fancier direction, adding gloves, a hat, perhaps a lace or crochet shawl, or anything else your heart desired for events such as weddings, garden fetes, baby showers, or a timelessly lovely tea party.

The moment I saw this dress on Voodoo Vixen's website, which is chalk-a-block with vintage inspired styles that are sure to provide no shortage of wishlist fodder for many a vintage loving, pinup, and rockabilly lass the world over, my heart skipped a beat. Its fabulously feminine colour palette and floral motif instantly reminded me of a similarly patterned wallpaper that hung in one of my childhood bedrooms (in the first house we lived in here in Penticton, actually). I adored that wallpaper and have found myself drawn to things that resemble it ever since.

In person, Flora was even more stunning and she and I hit it off splendidly! Though it wasn't a chilly day by any means when we were shooting (photos and a video!), I knew we'd be in the shade a bit (at the always stunning Guisachan Park in Kelowna), so I topped this lovely aqua and pink dress with a turquoise hued cardigan and pulled colours from its palette for my accessories and nail polish choices.

Interestingly, unlike many patterned dresses, there is no white, black, grey, red, or navy blue in this dress' design, which is relatively uncommon amongst the frocks in my closet and made me really give thought to what hues my accessories should me. As the dress itself is vibrant and eye-catching, I wanted to ensure it remained the star of the show that day and that it wasn't overpowered by darker accessories. Thus, I opted for pale coloured ones - specifically a classic pearl necklace, pale pink nylon/chiffon scarf, pink rose pattern plastic bangle, sparkly pink bow earrings, a silver tone vintage rose brooch, white shoes and a pale straw handbag.

Idea for spring, summer and the first few still-warm days of autumn on its own or topped with a lightweight cardigan, as I've done here, this dress could also be hugged by a pale hued (think cream, light grey, beige or taupe) fur wrap come the nippier days of the year. In fact, I can easily picture this dress and the person wearing it looking like a million dollar against a snow covered landscape, the gentle colours of the pattern popping all the more thanks to the marshmallow hued background.

You only get one first time for every new thing that you try, and for my inaugural YouTube video, I will always remember and be very happy that I had recently received such a gorgeous floral print vintage style dress from Voodoo Vixen, which I was able to wear on camera that day. It is me and my style to a tee and will forever remind me, in the loveliest of ways, when I wear or see it hanging in my closet, of the nerves, excitement and happiness of that majorly cool experience and exciting new step in my life.

45 comments:

  1. This dress is very cute! It seems to me that Voodoo Vixen is looking for a larger piece of the repro vintage consumer base. I've seen several bloggers in the last two weeks sporting clothing gifted to them from this company. I'd never heard of them before, but I'll be heading over to their site to check them out.

    Lisa.

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    1. I too have seen a big surge this summer in Voodoo Vixen's online presence, very much including on Instagram. Their items are really, really lovely, well made and super cute, so I totally hope this bump in exposure helps the brand grow and become one of the "repro household names", if you will.

      I think you'll really adore their offerings (including the uber darling ladybug cardigan I'll be rocking in a post here next month).

      Big hugs & many thanks for your comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. Delightful. You create a beautiful vintage vibe here.

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  3. Dress is amazing, I like colors and really fit you so good.

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  4. lovely dress, its perfect for summer :)

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  5. Such a lovely look and palette.That precious hairbow is my favorite accent.

    <3 Liz
    www.withwonderandwhimsy.com

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  6. You look fabulous! And what wonderful clothes!

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  7. I have this dress too, but it looks WAY better on you. I love it with the cardigan, and I may have to try styling it that way myself!

    xox Sammi

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    1. I love that we both have this same gorgeous dress! I Layering cardigans over short sleeved dresses (I'm anything but a fan of my upper arms), especially in darker colours, which can be quite flattering to one's figure, is one of my favourite styling techniques ever. Don't hesitate to tag me if you try wearing your "Flora" this way, too, I'd love to see it!

      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Love the shape and the detailing on that dress. The waist seaming is so interesting here, with both the drop and the empire waist. But that's a pretty classic 40s thing, isn't it? Or at least I feel like I read somewhere that it is...
    It looks like they have some items from the brand up on Amazon. I really like some of the cardigans that they have with the appliques, they're cute and pretty reasonably priced.

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    1. That's awesome! I wish more clothing brands would come to Amazon.ca, too. Right now, we have scare few there. Thankfully, and this has really just been in 2014 by and large, I'm noticing more of the ones that sell on Amazon.com shipping to Canada. I just bought my first Hell Bunny cardigan (their Foxy design in mint) from a pinup clothing type seller there last month. Shipping was a touch high for one garment, but not that bad compared to what some sites charge and it got here pretty quickly, so I would definitely order from them and give other sellers there a try, too.

      You bet, this combo was seen in plenty of 40s dresses (and some 50s ones as well). Great spotting!

      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Very nice, as always! And I totally can imagine you fell in love with the dress! It's beautiful!

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  10. I looked at their clothes recently and I really like this one on you - I'm sure I'll be ordering something from them soon.

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  11. I love Voodoo Vixen's dresses, there's a shop very local to me that sells them and I can't help going in now and then to admire them. I find repro dresses can sometimes look a bit too kitsch and costumey but Voodoo Vixen really seem to hit the nail on the head. I particularly love the dress you've chosen here, the fabric looks like a heavier good quality. I love how you've paired it, particularly with the turquoise cardigan really brings the colours of the dress out and makes it pop. You look as pretty as a picture!

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    1. You lucky duck, you!!! I wish we had a shop around these Canadian parts that stocked their awesome offerings, too. The fabric on this dress is very good quality for sure. It's strong, but very flexible and comfy as well. I wish more dresses - repro or otherwise - were made of better quality fabrics like this still these days.

      ♥ Jessica

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  12. You got your accessories and colours perfect :) Also, this outfit makes you look so tall!!

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Philippa, what a cool compliment! I love being petite most of the time, but it is nice to give off the illusion of being a smidgen taller every now and then. :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  13. Lovely lovely lovely my dear. Those colors look fantastic on you! Def have to check them out! xox

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  14. What a darling and feminine dress! The soft and pretty shades suit you so much. Congrats on your first youtube video! XXX

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Brooke. I could pretty much live in, and plaster my house with, these colours 24/7 - they're so immensely "me". :)

      It's such a cool new experience! I'm up to five videos on YouTube now and a sixth is coming down the pipeline lickety-split. If there's every a topic in particular that you'd like to see a video on, please don't hesitate to let me know. I love suggestions on that front!

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. Too too much pretty that colour is beautiful, I love the pink bow earrings that match the bakelite bangle and that rose brooch is so lovely! I love the print on the dress too.

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  16. Love the dress!
    Follow me on Instagram @balearaitzdesigns

    PS: maybe you could do a tutorial on your eyebrows! They are funky! :) Or in general vintage makeup looks.
    http://balearaitzart.blogspot.com.au/

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    1. Thank you, sweet gal! I really appreciate your video suggestions and love knowing that you like my brows. I have very little in the way of natural brow hair (and what I do is super pale blonde), so "drawing them on" is a must unless I want to have people asking "do you have eyebrows?" all the time, as I used to before I started to pencil them on several years ago now.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. Your dress is gorgeous, just like you! And I love the rose pin, too.

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    1. That's immensely sweet, dear Dawn, thank you deeply. I love this elegant vintage silver rose pin so much and wear it fairly often, but think this may well be its first blog appearance (no doubt, not it's last though!).

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. BEAUTIFUL! I've seen this dress around and it never stood out that much to me until seeing it here on you because you truly do it justice. I have been loving your youtube videos too - you have the sweetest voice and look even more stunning on film. I also really enjoyed the choice of topics you've discussed so far and look forward to more!

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    1. That really means a lot, sweet dear, thank you very much. I'm adoring the experience and that video allows me to share even more of myself - including the fact that in real life I'm usually very chipper and upbeat - and my passion for vintage with my lovely online friends and readers. A new video just went up today and I've already got ideas in mind for the next couple. :)

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. This color is divine on you Jessica!
    I also have noticed a surge of clothing sponsored posts, from all brands, on vintage blogs lately. I wish they would come find me...I want pretty dresses too!

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    1. Thank you very much, lovely lady! If the fine folks at Voodoo Vixen happen to ask me for referrals for other blogs to collaborate with, I will definitely pass your name along. I could see your rocking their feminine, beautiful garments awesomely!

      ♥ Jessica

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  20. Enourmous slapsh on invigorating feeling - that is what I felt when I saw this outfit. It's just so fresh, I just might dare call it "an energy booster".
    again and again: two thumbs up for your videos - keep 'em coming, Jess.

    Hug
    Marija

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  21. Ohh, Jessica, you look so fabulously lovely. The dress must have been made for you. :) It suits your colours and your hair so fantastic. I will write it on my wish list too. I also love your rose bangle and the bow earrings. Do you know what? I sewed myself a cotton petticoat today, and it is really nice. Three layers. The first was 120 cm long, the second 350 cm and the third 810 cm, so I have sewed almost 12 metres to make it crinkle. But is was worth it, it looks very pro. I think I have to brag about it on my blog. I just wanted you to be the first to know about my success. :) Wishing you a lovely day, dear.

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    1. Oooh, you really must (blog about it), sweet Sanne, it sounds gorgeous! Way to go on creating your own cotton petticoat. I'm surprised, really, that more repro brands haven't produced similar styles yet. I love the tulle ones of course, and wear them often, but sometimes a nice, lightweight cotton one for the summer months would be fantastic!

      Big hugs & many thanks for your great comments today,
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. So pretty! I always love this light pink paired with aqua/turquoise- so feminine and flattering to pretty much every skin tone and hair color! Those glittery bow earrings are especially cute! :-) Such a great outfit!
    -Melissa

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    1. Thank you very much, darling gal! Aren't those earrings super cute? I have them in gold, aqua and red as well (all from Payless last winter) and love how lightweight and fun they are.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. the dress looks really beautiful on you ...

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  24. what a wonderful outfit!
    love this colors on you! so fresh and cute!
    xxxxxxxx

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    1. Thank you very much, splendidly sweet Beate. I could, rather joyfully, live in this colour palette 24/7. It's so upbeat, girly and fun (just, I like to think, like me :)).

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  25. What a beautiful dress! It really suits you, Jessica. How interesting that there's no black or grey accents—that's pretty rare in a frock nowadays, period.

    All of your pink bow accents are perfect, so cute! And of course a classic straw bag for summer. :)

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  26. That is a very pretty dress, I like the waist details and the row of buttons. I like it paired with pale accessories, it lets the print speak for itself. That little straw bag was a good find.

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  27. Oh, that dress looks just stunning on you! I also recently discovered Voodoo Vixen's clothing, and while I like the dress I got quite a bit, the hem is a good bit shorter on me than it is on you! I love the details on the dress with the contrast buttons and piping... so chic!

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  28. Oh I love their clothes! I realised I saw one of their polka dot dresses in a charity shop quite recently. The pattern was fab but the dress not my size or style!

    Those are the happiest colours. You look lovely. I especially like the glittery nails. Woohoo for summer!

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  29. You look stunning! That dress has such a lovely colour palette, and it suits you to a T. I love the way you've styled this with the pastel accessories and pretty nails.

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  30. Those colours are just gorgeous on you! Perfectly pretty in every way x

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  31. I really do love these colors on you. That pale blue, cardi/dress, compliments your complexion and hair color. I've seen this dress around, that and hell bunny and collectif, are some of my favorite rockabilly repro companies.

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  32. Stunning dress! Pink and blue are a perfect matching!

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