Saying hello to autumn's return with a beautiful retro frock from Dressific

Outfit details

C. 1930s/1940s black felt and cream faux pearl hat: Unknown, had for many years
Sparkly gold ribbon bow earrings: Claire's
Vintage style Elegant Me Floral Retro: c/o Dressific
C. 1960s - 1970s Victorian revival gold tone metal and amber hued plastic bow dangle brooch: Unknown, has for years (probably thrifted from Value Village)
C. 1980s does 1950s wide woven black bet: Unknown, has for years (probably thrifted from Value Village)
C. 1950s white gloves: Unknown, had for years (possibly a gift)
Vintage style molded black plastic rose bead stretch bracelet: Thrifted (Value Village)
Gold tone metal bangle bracelet: Payless
Mid-century black faux patent leather handbag: A Vintage Revival
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
1940s style black faux suede round toe pumps: Walmart (which, yes, I was actually wearing here - the tall grass obscured them)
Lip colour: MAC Partyline

Photography by Tony Cangiano

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Ooohh, you guys, am I tickled pink about today's vintage outfit post, as it is not only the very first (of several) that happened while on our recent holiday to Edmonton, but it's also the first of this autumn, and it stars one seriously charming vintage appropriate frock from Australia based online retailer Dressific.

I'm a huge fan of visiting new-to-me destinations, which Edmonton most certainly was, however one of the challenges of such can be finding locations to shoot in when you don't know much about the town/city and its layout. Add in the often very damp, cold and windy weather that accompanied us throughout our travels this time around and things got even more tricky for us on that front.

Fortunately though, in this day and age, between smart phones and GPS systems, shoot locations can be found on the fly, and the fenced field (attached to a park) that we took these photos in before it started to pour again late one windy afternoon (so hence the squinting) was just such a spot.

Earlier in the day we'd been doing a lot of exploring around town, though mostly to shops and downtown areas, few of which would have worked well, IMO, to highlight a retro style dress like this gorgeous offering from Dressific in.

I've had the pleasure of working with Dressific as a sidebar sponsor at various points over the years, but this is the first garment that I've received from them and I sincerely want to thank the fine folks at this thriving online retailer for the thoughtful review gift.

Dressific was launched by fellow vintage fashion adoring gal (and oldest of nine siblings!) Elena Sheen, who had a strong desire to combine what she saw as the best of both vintage and modern fashion, and to then deliver such in an affordable and highly accessible manner.

While Dressific's offerings are available "off the rack" in a wide range of sizes, awesomely - much like companies such as eShakti, Bow & Drape, and Black Lapel - they also provide a custom fit service, for no additional charge, on some of their special occasion dresses.

As so many of us fall between sizes or have specific areas that can be tricky to dress in the most flattering way possible, I know that I won't be alone in appreciating and applauding Dressific for offering this option to their customers.

Dressific is based out of Australia, with fulfillment centers both there and in China. Their listings are frequently updated, reasonably priced (if you signup for their email newsletter, you can ever receive a coupon code that will save you 10% off on your first order, thus making their prices even more inviting), fun and charming - plus, they have a 100% no knockoff garment guarantee, which is incredibly positive and inspiring to see these days.

I feel that Elena nailed things squarely on the head in terms of marrying old and new sartorial elements, as many of Dressific's products do indeed have the sort of yesteryear styling that instantly appeals to scores of vintage and repro wearers the world over.

I knew that my Dressific review item would be arriving around the start of the fall, so I opted to select a garment with a cut and colour palette that suited this time of the year really nicely: the Elegant Me Floral Retro Dress, which currently retails for $74.50 AUD.

It should be noted that this dress comes with a cute black faux leather and gold tone metal bow skinny belt, however I didn't feel like such was quite what I wanted for the over all scope of the outfit I created around the dress that day, so I went with a different (wider) belt of my own instead.

This dress is made from a medium weight stretch cotton that has a little bit of sheen to it. Elbow - 3/4 length sleeves (depending on the length and size of your arms), a side zipper, a becoming collar neckline, cute wooden buttons, poufy shoulders, and an eye-catchingly terrific floral pattern in tawny brown, white and black (or is it navy blue – honestly, it looks like both in different lights) add up to one seriously lovely garment.

Though I found this dress to be a little restrictive in the shoulder and underarm area (a true rarity for me, as I have tiny shoulders and usually garments have way too much excess material in that area for me), that is the only teeny point regarding that fit that arose for me.

I would note that I'm wearing a size medium here, which fits like a small (or even, these days, sometimes, an XS) in many other brands, so if you're between sizes or want a roomier garment, please keep in mind that this dress' sizing may run a little small and that you might want to size up.

Dressific provides easy to read size charts for all of their products though, so hopefully by referring to the chart for a given item, you can find the best fit for your body based on the measurements listed (personally I never give a toss about the number on a label, favouring an accurate fit a billion times over!).

I really like this dress. Its sleeve length makes it a great piece for the brief summer-into-fall weeks, whereas the fitted fabric enables you to easily layer this piece as the temperature plummets further. The fairly full skirt, inclusion of pockets, and arrestingly elegant floral print in a great autumnal colour palette all appeal to me immensely and ensure that this is a dress I'll wear many more times this year and beyond.

So while this shoot might not show you too much of Edmonton, others that follow will, and the park field here - with its lush green grass - provided a really nice neutral background against which to photograph this stylish, autumn perfect Dressific frock in. Thus making it a background location win in my books.


*PS* I should mention that I'm not blogging the shoots that we did in Edmonton in 100% sequential order and that they'll also be interspersed here and there with other newer shoots, particularly those starting festive fall/Thanksgiving/Halloween related outfits. They will, however, all be blogged and I can hardly wait to keep sharing more about our travels with all of you.

Nautical by nature

Outfit details

Anchors and Stripes Nautical Rockabilly Bandana: c/o Inkabilly
1950s red glitter resin earrings: Summer Blue Jewelry
Red long sleeved top: Urban Planet (I think; had for years)
1940s style denim overalls: Freddies of Pinewood
1940s/1950s enamel coated anchor brooch: Unknown, had for years
1950s corduroy bucket purse: Rue 23 Vintage Clothing Mid-century vintage style beaded charm bracelet: Handmade by me
1940s style brown leather shoes: Naturalizer
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Nail colour: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Red Carpet

Photography by Tony Cangiano

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Pattern matching is one thing, and I do dabble in such from time to time, but blending two distinctly different geographical styles as they relate to fashion is not something I dip my toes into very often.

Pulling such off can be tricky at best and look downright wonky at worse. That isn't to say it can't be done - and indeed, some fabulous styles have been born of such marriages - but, again, it's a risky zone and one that is best approached with some forethought.

A little earlier this year, as first mentioned in this fun camping outfit post last month, I had the great pleasure to begin a working relationship with the exciting British vintage/retro/rockabilly inspired fashion and housewares brand, Inkabilly.

I was drawn to Inkabilly's creations for a number of reasons. Not only are they vibrant, fun and very well made, but the company is helmed by a passionate husband and wife team (Lee and Karl).

This really resonated with me, as a lot of business related things that Tony and I do are shared together in a similar way (for example, we founded and have both subsequently run our free weekly new book email notification service, Any New Books, together for over six years now).

Lee and Karl kindly let me select a few of their stylish offerings to share about with all of you and this week I'm tickled pink - or, perhaps more like red and blue :) - to get the opportunity to highlight another of their excellent offerings here today.

Two of the items that they kindly sent me were their signature headscarves, of which is this is the second (the first stars darling, vibrantly hued flamingos).

Like many a vintage fashion fan the world over, I have a serious love for all things nautical related. From the colours to the imagery to actually being near the water, I flock to nautical related things and love when the chance to put together a new outfit based around such arises.

We're a few hours away from the actual (Pacific) ocean, but we are fortunate to live in a town with not one, but two, large lakes (plus numerous other lakes and rivers in the general area), which can serve as a good stand in for such.

In the case of this particular shoot, we opted to take snaps in the bright, warm late afternoon sunlight recently down at Rotary Park at Okanagan Lake here in Penticton. This is a spacious, lovely swath of grass and flowers that is popular as a lounging spot with locals and tourists alike.

We've shot here a small number of other times over the years and will likely return to it again and again in the future, as it offers up a slice of both grass (aka, the “nature” in my puntastic post title, which takes inspiration from the well known rap group, Naughty By Nature) and a large expanse of beautiful blue water.

My outfit was selected earlier in the day and the location determined later on, but I knew that as I had boldly opted to partner that most classic of farmyard staples, the humble denim overall, with nautical elements, that I wanted both turf and lake alike visible in my outfit snaps that day.

It struck me that I hadn't sported my Freddies of Pinewood overalls, which I love to the moon and back, here in ages (seriously - the last time may very well have been the spring of 2013), despite the fact that I live in them year round (they, like my other Freddies pants, are my staple dog park attire, as they hold up awesomely to the rigours of Annie and her energetic canine chums).

I was in the mood to wear them on camera again, but also wanted to highlight this fantastic anchor print headscarf from Inkabilly, and so this outfit - a mashup of land and sea - was born.

It's a casual, fun look and one that suits the unpredictable nature of our weather this summer really well (though, delightfully, we were treated to some gorgeous sunshine on the particular Sunday when we took these snaps).

To echo the anchor print in the headscarf (called the Anchors and Stripes Nautical Rockabilly Bandana, which retails for a very reasonable £6.99), I opted for a fun mid-century vintage enamel anchor shaped brooch and a made-by-me vintage inspired anchor charm bracelet.

Beyond that, a basic red top, plus a tawny hued vintage handbag and forties style shoes in the same colour round out the mix, both picking up the dark golden stitching in the overalls themselves.

Simple, in many ways as this outfit may be, I absolutely love it! I haven't dabbled in farm meets seafaring looks very often, but this ensemble has me thinking that I should delve into such a bit more frequently. Dark overalls like this, with their inky indigo shade, take to classic nautical shades like red and white extremely well and are reminiscent, colour wise, of classic navy blue sailors trousers.

I really like this charming nautical print headscarf from Inkabilly. It's lightweight, expertly made, has excellent colours, and would go with a million and one different nautical inspired looks. I could easily see packing it the next time we were headed to the ocean, but know that it will get plenty of wear around these landlocked parts as well, and want to sincerely thank Lee and Karl for sending this terrific vintage inspired accessory my way.

So while it might not be everyday that I meld two distinct styles like farm/land girl and nautical together, I must say, I'm very happy with the results of this experiment and love that I now have yet another styling technique to get even more mileage out of both my Freddies overalls and this great new anchor print headscarf alike.

Do you ever mix two (or more) unique styles as well? Would you wear a nautical meets farmland ensemble yourself?

The perfect summertime vintage style plaid sundress from Dolly & Dotty

Outfit details

1930s/1940s red straw wide brimmed hat: Frugal Frocks

1950s style blue glitter resin diamond shaped earrings: Summer Blue Jewelry

Navy blue thin knit shrug: Sears 

1950s white carnival milk glass beaded necklace: Orbsies

1940s style black cherry hued beaded brooch: Summer Blue Jewelry

1950s style red, white and navy blue plaid dress: c/o Dolly & Dotty

1940s/1950s white gloves: Unknown, had for years (possibly a gift)

C. 1950s navy blue handbag: Frugal Frocks

Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay

Red patent faux leather pumps: Payless

Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Nail colour: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Red Carpet

Photography by Tony Cangiano

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August kicks off here in Canada with a much needed civic holiday long weekend, which is akin to a bank holiday in Europe. It's a welcome spot of respite in a season that is rather devoid of nationwide festive celebrations and though technically a little shy of such, marks in a lot of ways, the halfway point of the summer.

However, with the immense amount of rain we experienced from mid-April to late July here, it has really only been in the past few days (which have been somewhat drier, though still by no means devoid of rain) that it's felt like this season has quasi-sprung to life at long last.

This is cause for celebration for sure and I knew exactly what I wanted to wear, the moment we saw a sunny Saturday. I love plaid. Love, love, lovvvvvvve plaid. It is, hands down, one of my favourite prints ever and I sport it all throughout the year.

Its connections with camping and the great outdoors, things that we not only associate with summer itself, but which are inextricably linked to Canada itself, always make it a natural choice for me come the August long weekend.

No matter what the weather has been up to, the review pieces that I received earlier this year from UK vintage inspired/repro/pinup style clothing line Dolly & Dotty have been welcome and wonderful companions, as well as a great jumping off point for multiple outfits, this summer.

This is the third Dolly & Dotty piece that I've blogged so far (see the previous two here and here) and there will be one or two more outfits featuring others coming down the pipeline still this season, which I'm really looking forward.

Like all of the Dolly & Dotty pieces that I've tried so far, this dress - which is called the May Vintage Inspired Swing Dress - is very well made, especially at its highly reasonable price point.

It's constructed from a lightweight, comfortable cotton and is lined in a thin cotton fabric as well. Yet even with the lining, is a treat to wear during the warm weeks of summer, as the two fabrics are very breathable.

This dress is sleeveless with wide, comfortable straps and boasts a becoming deep v-neck, which works well for a wide range of different figure types. The colours are crisp and the plaid, delightfully classic in its marriage of navy blue and red on a background of white.

This dress arrived, to my surprise and delight, with not one, but two different belts. One in the same fabric as the frock itself, the other the red one that you see.

Unfortunately the plaid belt is a little bit too big for me, even worn on the smallest hole, and the red one almost is as well, but I can wear it on the tiniest hole, so thankfully I was able to share it here with you today.

Much as with the previous Dolly & Dotty frock that I blogged about (in this recent post), I found the sizing to be on the smaller - but still easily wearable - side (do consider sizing up if you're ordering from D&D, especially if you're purchasing your first ever dress from them).

I really, really like this dress and want to sincerely thank the lovely team at Dolly & Dotty for sending it my way. It's a treat now for summer, but with some layering (likely including a camisole underneath), it could easily - and very prettily - work a treat for spring, fall, and even winter, too - the latter of which its colour palette would make for a perfect Christmastime look.

This time around, for mid-summer, I opted to pull on the navy and red hues for my shrug, jewelry, handbag, hat and shoe choices.

I teamed this dress with two fabulous mid-century style pieces from Etsy vintage inspired jewelry seller Summer Blue Jewelry (whose earrings are nickel-free, which means I can safely wear them - huzzah!!!). I'm a huge fan of Summer's creations and am gradually building my collection of such. She recent started putting out this year's fall and Halloween lines and I want every last item in them!

Plaid dresses are frequently vivacious and eye-catching unto themselves, so a solid coloured 1930s/40s red straw hat, a c. 1950s navy blue handbag, and a vintage appropriate pair of red pumps, as well as a mid-century pair of white gloves and a beautiful vintage white carnival glass beaded necklace round out this fun sunny weather look.

Often the marriage of navy, red and white telegraphs a nautical look, but I think that the black cherry hued 1940s style brooch helps to keep this ensemble more landlocked and tied back to the outdoors/camping associations that plaid is so connected to. Had I, however, sported a sailboat, anchor or ship's steering wheel shaped pin, I suspect this outfit would have looked a lot more ocean appropriate.

That wasn't what I was after that day however, as water wasn't factoring into the weekend's activities. Instead we married errand running with family visits and a bit of much needed R&R, and grabbed these snaps early on Saturday evening as the sun was starting to retreat behind the hills and the heat of the day had receded a touch.

I'm grateful to feel warmth again and really, really hope that the summertime weather sticks around now that it has - knock wood - returned for the time being. This coming weekend is Tony's birthday (on Saturday) and we're definitely crossing our fingers that it's a sunny one again, too.

It's awesome to be into the eighth month of the year and to know that, rain or no rain, there's still a fairly decent stretch left to go until Old Man Winter returns. Though I must say, I really do love the idea of sporting this frock during the Christmas season and could easily see myself partnering it with a red blazer or cardigan and some (perhaps navy blue) tights for a icy season look.

Not quite yet though, I want to do my best rock lounging lizard impression first and soak as much of the warmth, sunlight and carefree vibes of summer as I possibly can before we blink and we’re up to the brims of our vintage hats in snow once more.

   

It isn't every day that I wear cherries...

Outfit details

C. 1930s black plastic ball tipped hatpin: Unknown, had for many years
1930s/1940s wide brimmed green straw hat: Jardin Antiques
Glittery gold tone metal round shaped earrings: Claire's
Red cropped cardigan: Fairweather
Cherry print vintage style Hilda Dress (no longer in stock): c/o Voodoo Vixen
Green faux leather skinny belt: eBay
Green plastic bangle bracelet: Forever 21
Assorted vintage bangle bracelets: Most likely all thrifted from various sources
C. 1950s pink ruched gloves: Unknown, had for years
C. 1950s wicker, velvet and millinery cherry handbag: Lu Lou's Frou-Frou
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
Red patent faux leather pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Special Offer: Voodoo Vixen has very kindly extended a 20% off coupon code on all of their online merchandise to my readers. Use the coupon code Vintage20 at checkout between now and July 31st to save 20% on anything your heart desires from their wonderful website.


Photography by Tony Cangiano  

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But when I do, you better believe that I bring my crimson fruit filled A-game to the table! :D

I've never been the sort who follows trends or is drawn to overly common things - indeed, such is no small part of the reason why I opt to sport vintage fashion - and I will just about always cheer for the underdog. Thus, while I do very much adore cherries, given their immense commonality in the vintage/rockabilly/pinup girl/retro style world, I would say that I've somewhat sidestepped them, both consciously and subconsciously over the years.

That isn't to say that I haven't rocked cherries here before, because I have (e.g., in this fun 2013 outfit) - and I am very partial to cherry themed jewelry - but I don't reach for them everyday by any means. When I do, I like typically try to select pieces that have that little something to special to them, that helps to ensure they don't blend into a sea of basic red and black fruit prints.

This gorgeous and immensely feminine looking mid-century vintage style Hilda Dress from Voodoo Vixen nails that to an absolute tee for me.

Not only does its pattern go beyond the usual cherry print, but it includes the colour pink and the most adorable little jars of cherry jam on it (seriously, I can't even!).

I have very fond memories of picking and helping my mom to can, cook and bake with cherries when I was growing up (as detailed in this post from five years ago), so the moment I laid eyes on this beautiful dress, I knew that it had passed my cherry litmus test, so to speak.

I've had the pleasure of working with Voodoo Vixen here twice over the years (both times in 2014) and was really delighted when they recently contacted me about teaming up again this summer. They kindly sent me this enchanting Hilda dress, which - perhaps not surprisingly given how pretty it is - has already sold out, for review and I sincerely want to thank them for it.

On one of the very few sunny weekend days that we've had in the past couple of months, after a full and exciting day of vintage shopping, errand running, and MEC visiting (for Tony) in Kelowna, we returned home to Penticton and took a small trek on foot up part of the very first mile or so of the famous local KVR (Kettle Valley Railroad) Trail.

To my mind, the KVR Trail and the views that it offers are some of the most stunning sights to be seen and experienced around these parts, and I felt like they would suit my first vintage outfit post of the summer really nicely (likewise for this Voodoo Vixen dress itself).

It was early evening by the time we got there, but luckily the sun was still out and did a delightful job of bathing us in its golden warmth as the day wound down.

This dress, like the other two garments that I've received in the past from Voodoo Vixen, is well made from a medium weight fabric with a hint of stretch to it.

I should note that this dress came with a matching belt, however, even on the smallest hole, it was a good couple of inches too big for me and as it is a fabric belt, not a leather/faux leather one, I didn't want to damage it by piercing a tighter hole. Instead I'll wear it with garments like my denim capri pants that hit me lower down on my torso and thus not on the narrowest part of my waist.

Voodoo Vixen frocks aren't always super long, so before selecting this product, I spoke with my VV contact who confirmed that it would hit below my knees (for a sense of scale, I'm just barely 5'2" tall), which is a personal must for me with all dresses and skirts.

I wouldn't mind a few more inches of hem length here, but am equally okay with where it falls now and do very much appreciate a shorter hem length (by vintage standards at least) during the roasty-toasty summer months.

Having a fairly petite bone structure, garments are often too big for me in the shoulders. This dress has cap sleeves and is a little too big there, which while not tight, does make lifting my arms a bit tricky, as the cap sleeves become micro sleeves on my upper arms and restrict them a touch.

This is by no means a big issue at all (and I could always have them removed by a seamstress, if so desired) and I had no problem whatsoever comfortably wearing (and climbing a gentle hiking path in!) this dress for about ten hours straight on the day that these snaps were taken, so really, this is not an issue and I only mention it for the benefit of others who may be small shouldered as well.

This lovely vintage style frock is fun, sweet and just a blast to wear. I love the subtle keyhole detailing at the neckline, the functional pockets, the becoming a-line skirt, and of course the endlessly enjoyable red, white, pink and green cherry print that it is bedecked in from top to bottom. I'd recommend this dress to anyone and do so hope they bring it back into stock for those who may wish to add a "Hilda" to their own old school wardrobes, too.

A dress this vibrant and fully patterned doesn't need a ton of further embellishing, but naturally a few accessories were in order, including a wonderful c. 1950s wicker, velvet and millinery cherry purse that I've had for a few years now.

It's one of my favourite bags I've ever owned, however it is in rather delicate condition however, so I only bring it out once or twice a year, as a general rule. I couldn't think of a better dress to partner it with than this charming Voodoo Vixen one, so out it came to play in the warm June sunlight.

Vintage pink gloves, a quintet of bangle bracelets, one of my beloved 1950s Austrian glass fruit brooches, my equally adored green 1930s/40s wide brimmed straw hat, simple gold tone circle shaped earrings, and red pumps complete the look, which really does seem like such a fitting sartorial note to launch the summer - especially since local cherries are in season again right now.

It's true, I might not wear cherries all the time, but I love when I hit upon a piece that really stands out from the crowd for me and which I know I'll happily reach for many times over the years.

This whimsically sweet cherry print dress from Voodoo Vixen is just that and I look forward to spending many a happy summer in its company - this one very much included!