Vintage royal blue nylon hair scarf: (Probably) eBay
White plastic rose earrings: Claire's
1980s does 1940s/50s red plastic beaded necklace: Gift with purchase years ago
Vintage inspired Dot Dash A-line Dress c/o: Love Ur Look
Royal blue cardigan: Garage Clothing
Red plastic bangle bracelet: Forever 21
Vintage wide yellow bangle bracelet: Thrifted
Vintage white plastic bangle bracelet: Thrifted
Red faux leather cross body bag: eBay
1950s white embroidered wrist length gloves: Unknown, had for years (likely eBay or Etsy)
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
Dark blue patent pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Photography by Tony Cangiano
♥ ♥ ♥
There are a substantial number of vintage reproduction and vintage inspired clothing lines that I've had massive crushes on for years now, but which - often because of pesky things like a weak Canadian dollar, shipping and import costs, and/or the items I love most from said brands selling out before I can get to them - I've not yet had the pleasure of adding any of their fine offerings to my closet.
One of those companies, whose offerings I've swooned up many a storm over for quite a while now, is the much adored European brand, Love Ur Look, who put out a modest sized, curated selection of beautiful offerings each year (and have some really commendable ethical business practises, as detailed on their About page).
Thus when I was contacted by them and kindly offered a choice of one of two of their latest warm weather frocks, I couldn't say yes quickly enough. I've been curious for ages now about the fit, quality, silhouette and other elements of this brand's products and let me just say, once I finally had one in my hands, I was impressed!
I opted for the Dot Dash A-line Dress, because it is both incredibly cute and also quite different than any other frock I currently own. Being short and curvy, I often steer clear of all, or predominately, white dresses and, really, garments in general, but I had a feeling that the cut and use of primary hues on this dress would help "save me", if you will, there and thankfully such was definitely the case.
You guys, seriously, I am ridiculously in love with this dress. Permit me then for a moment to extol some of its many, many virtues:
-Length: I just barely squeak in at 5'2" and where the hem hits here on me is my favourite length for a dress (or skirt). A little past mid-calf, but not quite ankle grazing - what is often called "tea length". It's long enough to add a crinoline underneath, though there is already a bit of one built into the skirt (as you can see in a couple of the snaps above), so you'd likely get a lot of fullness if you added more tulle beneath this relatively wide skirt. I could not be any happier with the length of this dress on me.
-Sleeveless: While I rarely bare my arms completely in public due to reasons of personal modesty, I flat out love it when dresses are sleeveless because it means less bulk when layering, something that I’m always conscious of given that my upper arms are not my best feature in the slightest.
-Matching fabric belt: Though there are no actual belt loops on this dress, it comes with a thin belt made out of matching fabric. If you didn't want to wear it around your waist, you could easily utilize it as a skinny hair tie/scarf instead, if so desired (or forgo using it entirely).
-It has pockets: I love, love, lovvvvvve it when dresses or skirts have pockets and this charmer includes two at a nice, natural hip height. So handy, so practical, soooo appreciated!
-Crisp colours: Though the fabric that this dress is made from is quite thin, thanks to the fact that it's 100% cotton, the colours on it are fabulously sharp, vibrant and beautiful.
-Awesome neckline: Seriously, this has to be one of my favourite necklines on any garment I've ever owned. From the wide shawl meets sailor shaded collar to the built in panel of red and white striped fabric, this neckline is fun, flattering, and fabulously unique.
-Fantastic nautical vibe: From the primarily colour palette of blue, red, and yellow set atop snow white to the mid-century modern-esque design of the pattern itself (which somewhat resembles highly stylized bunting flags) to the striped fabric at the neckline, there is such a charming, super vintage-y nautical vibe at work here that I just adore!
-Fit: I love the fit of this dress. From the bust to the waist to the arm holes, it fits me excellently and is quite true to size, in my opinion (plus its a-line shape is very becoming and would work well on most types of figures).
-Price: At £56.00, this dress is still within the reach of many folks and is what I'd call middle of the road in terms of price point for cotton vintage style dresses. Considering the built in tulle underskirt, awesome pattern, tea length skirt, exciting neckline, and warm weather versatility of the frock, I think its price is very fair and would genuinely have no problem paying that myself, had I purchased this dress, instead of receiving it as a review gift (thank you so much for it, Love Ur Look).
As you can no doubt gather, I am smitten with this dress. I wore it for a family get together at my sister's house on Mother's Day, to antiques & second hand auction last month, and am slipping it on more days than not when out running errands or just bopping around, as Tony and I were doing on the sunny afternoon recently when we captured these photos in the delightful little nearby town of Summerland (which, despite its proximity of less than 20 minutes from Penticton, we had somehow, entirely unintentionally, never done a shot in before).
It was a glorious late spring day - one of those days that you wish you could put it a jar and let out again come the dark evenings of January, when summer feels like it might as well be on another planet. To embrace the warm weather, I teamed this darling Love Ur Look dress with a vintage royal blue head nylon scarf, royal blue cardigan, a trio of plastic bangle bracelets, a red vintage necklace, my trusty white plastic rose earrings, wrist length white 1950s gloves, red cross body/shoulder bag, and dark blue pumps.
If I could only wear one vintage reproduction/inspired dress this summer, this gem from Love Ur Look would be it. It is perfect for the sun-kissed months and would come with me instantly, were I packing for a warm weather vacation anytime of the year. This is my first item from this popular UK line, and I wholeheartedly hope that it won't be my last - as I am beyond in love - quite fittingly give the brand's name - with this marvelously fun Dot Dash A-line Dress.
Do you own anything from Love Ur Look? How has your experience been with this wonderful brand's offerings?
