Blue hair flower: Arden
Faux pearl bow barrette: Dollar store
Gold toned hoop earrings: Claire's
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
1980s does 1950s blue dress: eBay
Dusty aqua knit shrug: Walmart
Rainbow crinoline: Pettiskirt Style
C. 1950s white gloves with floral embroidery: eBay
Vintage grey handbag: etsy seller Running Rabbit Studio
Nude seemed stockings: eBay
White pumps: Payless
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace
Photography by Antonio Cangiano
Without the tiniest whisper of a doubt, one of my very favourite undergarments is the trusty, beautiful crinoline (as long time readers may recall from various posts over the years, including this one back in 2010). Though I don't wear them every day, they're a tried and true love of mine that appear in various outfits throughout the year (such as this Canada Day ensemble and this festive pumpkin picking outfit from last October).
Interestingly, I find I reach for my modest sized collection of crinolines most frequently during the summer and winter months.
When the sun is out in full, blazing force, they had an especially feminine, at times even subtly whimsical flounce and sense of even greater airiness to sundresses and wide, breezy skirts. Come the bone chilling days of late autumn and into the winter, they provide a stellar layer of insulation against freezing cold winds (opaque tights, a crinoline, and a circle skirt, plus warm layers on top, is one of my most commonly reached for winter looks). No matter the season though, I adore crinolines and am always eager to both add more to my wardrobe and weave those that I have into new outfits.
A number of my crinolines (including those in the posts referenced above) hail from online crinoline retailer Pettiskirt Style. I discovered this site about three years ago and have been a steadfastly devoted fan ever since (Pettiskirt Style also has a great Facebook page that's bursting with photos of their products).
Not only do they provide an extensive array of different crinoline (aka, pettiskirt) styles, colours, and lengths (including a good many that work wonders for vintage looks), but their offerings are well photographed (this is a key point for me with any online clothing retailer), reasonably priced, and able to be shipped to Canada (and most other countries around the world - for more details, see their shipping policies page).
I was over-the-moon excited then, having already shopped with them before and been 100% satisfied with my purchases, when a lovely member of the Pettiskirt Style staff contacted me a little earlier this year to know if I'd be interested in receiving a complimentary crinoline (of my choosing) to wear and review here on my blog.
The idea of a multi-coloured rainbow crinoline is something that had appealed to me ever since I was a little girl, so when I saw that Pettiskirt Style had recently introduced one (actually, two - they have both a bright crinoline, pictured below, and a pastel rainbow coloured one in stock), I knew that was the lovely new tulle beauty that was destined to be mine.
More voluminous than any other crinoline (be it from Pettiskirt Style or elsewhere, vintage or modern) that I own, the Rainbow Bright Primary Colors Crinoline is a true delight to behold and wear. It's poufy, stable, comfortable, and warm (but certainly not stiflingly so - it was nearly +30C the day we took these photos and I didn't feel like I was overheating in the slightest), as well as being a true show stopper of a piece.
A majestic crinoline like this calls for a full skirted dress (or circle skirt) and plenty of 1950s inspired styling. To that end, I opted to wear it with the wonderful 1950s does 1980s Cerulean blue dress that I bought as my birthday present to myself this year and have been eager to debut here ever since I blogged about it (in this post).
The dress and the rainbow crinoline were definitely the stars of the shows, so I kept my accessories on the more understated side - a pair of white elbow length vintage gloves with delicate floral embroidery, dusty aqua hued knit shrug, matching blue hair flower, my beloved strand of pearls, small gold toned hoop earrings, vintage grey handbag, stockings, and classic white pumps.
For such a fun and dramatic outfit, an extra special location was in order, and we found ours that day in the stone shell foundational remains of the historic 1912 hotel in the neighbouring community of Kaleden. For as long as I've been coming to, and living in, the Okanagan, this hotel has been a ghost of its former self, instead of a functioning inn, but thankfully what remains has been well preserved and now stands as one of the oldest - at 103 years of age (despite it's name, it was actually built in 1910 and opened the following year) - partial structures in the Southern Okanagan.
From the warm, late summer sunshine to the Edwardian stone backdrop to the gloriously lovely crinoline I was sporting, this shoot, day and outfit were a total joy, and I know that I shall be slipping into this crinoline again many more times over the years - especially when an abundance of volume is called for underneath my skirt.
I have - and I am completely unbiased when I say this - nothing but the very best to say about Pettiskirt Style's beautiful crinolines. I've shopped from them before, was thrilled to receive this awesome rainbow crinoline as a review gift (thank you so very much, dear Pettiskirt Style team), and have no doubt that I will likely order from them again in the future.
Their line is constantly expanding, they have such a great selection, their products jive terrifically with my vintage style, and they fulfilled my adolescent dream of rainbow pettiskirt - what's not to adore?
If you're in the mood to do some crinoline shopping of your own, I am delighted to share a wonderful coupon code that with you today that will allow readers from around the world to save a substantial 20% off on your entire order from Pettiskirt Style until October 30, 2013. Just use Jessica20 when you check out and the discount will automatically be applied to your purchase.
Happy crinoline shopping and wearing, my dears!
If you're in the mood to do some crinoline shopping of your own, I am delighted to share a wonderful coupon code that with you today that will allow readers from around the world to save a substantial 20% off on your entire order from Pettiskirt Style until October 30, 2013. Just use Jessica20 when you check out and the discount will automatically be applied to your purchase.
Happy crinoline shopping and wearing, my dears!
