Sporting the world's cutest kitty print dress from Pigtails & Pirates while being bathed in dreamy late fall sunshine

Outfit details

Pink beret: eBay
Vintage kitty cat brooch: unknown (likely thrifted)
Yellow orchid and pearl earrings: Save-On Foods
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
Smitten Kitten 1950s style dress: Pigtails & Pirates
Brown button front shirt: Banana Republic
1950s pink gloves: eBay
Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore
Camel coloured cross body purse: eBay
Teal blue tights: (New from) Value Village
Brown 1940s style heels: Walmart
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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When I look back over all of the dresses that I've had in my life - and I'm including those from my very early childhood in this mix, too - I honestly don't believe I've had had the pleasure of owning a more adorable one that this uber cute kitty print one from the awesome Australian vintage inspired clothing line Pigtails & Pirates.

Frequent readers of my blog may recall that earlier this fall while Tony and I were on holiday in Victoria, I had the opportunity to model the splendidly beautiful Blue Bloom skirt that I'd received as a review gift from this company, which I chatted about in a fun post called My gorgeous new Pigtails & Pirates skirt and the most stunning Victorian gate I've ever posed with.

In that post I mentioned that I'd soon be sharing another stellar Pigtails & Pirates offering with all of you and this ultra adorable 1950s style Smitten Kitten dress is just that garment. Fittingly given its name, I'm smitten, seriously, entirely, 100% smitten with this precious frock. Not only is it very well constructed (complete with a sturdy plastic zipper up the back, however I've been informed by the fine folks at P&P that the zipper is changing to a more subtle style, that will still work just as well, but be less noticeable), true to size, and immensely pretty, it also features tons of retro kitties all over it.

ALL OVER IT!!! Huge kitty fan, and devoted cat mama that I am, I can't get over how fabulous this dress is. I love its fit, becoming coming sweetheart neckline, hem length, and the high quality fabric used to create it with. Though it is more of a spring/summer frock, due in large part to the fact that it's sleeveless, I didn't let that deter me from wearing it in November (when these photos were taken) for one red second.

Instead - and this is a tip I highly recommend for helping to get extra mileage out of many of your warm weather dresses - I envisioned it as a jumper style dress and slipped a button front shirt beneath it for extra warmth. Had it been even a degree cooler (it was a couple below zero that day, if memory serves me right - so hence my pink nose and cheeks and somewhat squinty, watery eyes in these photos), a jacket or sweater over top would have been a must, too, for photos. I wanted to forgo one that day though, in order to show you the dress in its uncovered state so that you could see the full garment in its full kitty covered epicness! :)

To keep the feline theme going strong, I place a cute vintage kitty brooch on my pink beret. I love adoring hats with brooches and find that it's a styling trick that always garners compliments. Most people don't wear hats these days, let alone vintage or vintage style ones with pins attached to them, so when they see you sporting such, it jumps out at them all the more.

Interestingly, as much as I adore them, I only own two berets at present. This bubble gum pink number and a classic black one. They both get a fair bit of wear though, so I'm thinking I really should invest in at least a couple more colours in the near future. Perhaps a red, navy blue and/or grey one, as those are all hues I don frequently.

Both the weather and my own health have been less than ideal lately, so I haven't been able to do a lot of new photo shoots, but thankfully we got this one in on a rare day of frosty sunshine last month. We shot these photos down at the Okanagan Lake end of the River Channel, a manmade channel that connects the the two lakes (Okanagan and Skaha) that sandwich Penticton. It's a spot I've visited countless times throughout my life, especially as a youngster on my bike.

It struck me as extra fitting then that I'd model this dress, with its youthful, immensely charming print there, as I would have loved to have owned this dress every bit as much when I was a child as I adore calling it my own now. Should you happen to have a wee one who would go crazy for one of Pigtails & Pirates marvelous creations, you're in luck, as the line produces children's clothing as well and also accepts custom clothing orders, if there's something you've been dreaming about having made for you and/or your child.

This dress is like a majestic rainbow made from sparkles and candy with a flock of unicorns prancing around under it. It's so amazingly pretty that you almost can't believe it - or at least that's how it feels to me. I honoured that Pigtails & Pirates bestowed both it and the afore-blogged-about floral print pencil skirt on me and wish to thank them again very much for doing so.

Both of these gorgeous and very feminine pieces will be frequent players in my wardrobe the whole year through and I can't wait to wear the kitty print dress in the summer a few yards over on the beach at Okanagan Lake itself, where its sleeveless cut will be a blessing in the 40C weather of the dog days (or would that be cat days? :D) of the warmest chapter of the year.

Ten of the UK's best vintage reproduction clothing sources

After a month filled with much online vintage shopping (or at least a ton of virtual window shopping and a bit of buying) ,as I go about trying to fill in many of the gaps in my wardrobe, it seems fitting to wrap up the very last day of January with a post that ties into that fact.

On the other side of the giant pond, the fine folks in the UK know a thing or two about vintage reproduction clothing. In fact, I'd tentatively argue that the UK has more vintage repro clothing sellers than the US, and certainly more good ol' Canada (which is woefully lacking in this area).

For those vintage fashionistas who live in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, I'd imagine that this must be ultra handy and a great way to regularly update your closet with excellent old school style threads.

So long as we're willing to face somewhat steep exchange rates however, those of us outside of Europe can often avail of the products such UK vintage reproduction retailers offer online. In the past couple of months I've placed my first ever (but very long anticipated) orders with two such sellers, and had sparklingly wonderful transactions with both.

As such, I decided to put together a list of ten vintage reproduction clothing sellers, including the two I've ordered from myself (Freddies of Pinewood and Heyday Vintage, both of which had excellent customer service), as I know many of you are also continually on the prowl for good quality reproduction/vintage inspired styles from our favourite mid-twentieth century decades.

Here then is a roundup of ten terrific vintage reproduction clothing sellers from the UK. Happy wish list making and online shopping!

 

Big Beautiful Barbara Brown: Offers a wide selection of 1920s - 50s reproduction garments, plus some rockabilly wear, and even a handful of 60s and 70s styles, too. Vintage inspired pieces include high waisted trousers, playsuits, skirts, tops, suits, dresses (such as the darling ruffle sleeved Flirty Thirties frock pictured above), and shorts. Most items are available in an assortment of different types fabric and/or patterns in a wide array of sizes, and are made on a per-order basis.

 

Dolly Dagger: All sorts of delightful vintage inspired and rockabilly styles abound at this fun site, which houses skirts, jeans, dresses, sweaters (like the wonderfully cute Nautical Nancy sweater shown above) shoes, stockings, swimwear, coats, purses, jewelry, hair accessories, and much more.

 

Freddies of Pinewood: Known the vintage repro loving world over for their top-notch selection of both women's and men's denim (such as the classic side button jeans shown here), Freddie's also offers customers shirts, jackets, capri pants, overalls (dungarees), and accessories.

 

Heyday Vintage: Housing a roundup of really lovely 1940s and 50s inspired dresses, trousers, tops, and suits, Heyday is one of the vintage world's most loved sources of reproduction sites. I recently ordered their Fleur wrap dress (named after, and model by, well-known vintage blogger Fleur from Diary of a Vintage Girl) in the English Rose on white pattern and cannot gush about it enough!

 

Lady K Loves: To quote the homepage of this site itself, Lady K Love features "high quality clothes for rockabilly gals, pin up chicks, and kool katz". While many styles do channel an alluring pin-up vibe, others such as the 1940s inspired Rosie trousers shown here, have a somewhat more "every day" feel to them.

 

Puttin on the Ritz: With a name that instantly evokes images of chic, fabulously fashionable vintage nightlife, this high end vintage reproduction clothing seller offers a striking array of beautiful dresses, blouses, jackets, skirts, trousers, suits, coats (like the timelessly pretty April in Paris coat pictured here), eveningwear, and accessories, as well as a selection of garments for gentlemen, too.

 

Revival: With areas devoted to styles from the 20s, 30s, and 40s, plus swing dance and men's wear, too, Revival's assortment of old school inspired clothing and shoes is sure to provide you with a few new must-have items. If ever I wanted to tap into my inner 1920s flapper gal, I'd be highly tempted to pick up Revival's vibrant red Tango Dress shown above.

 

Tara Starlet: Boasting a highly pretty gathering of feminine vintage inspired looks in the form of dresses, tops, skirts (such as the wonderfully wearable Victory Skirt shown here in red and white houndstooth), playsuits, party dresses, bottoms, suits, outerwear, accessories, and more, Tara Starlet's pieces are just the ticket when you're in the mood to mix demure and alluring.

 

20th Century Foxy: Chocked full of pieces spanning looks from the 30s to 60s, this site is a vintage reproduction clothing lover's dream and includes items as diverse as crinolines (aka, petticoats, like the ruby red number shown here) to knitwear, hosiery to shoes, dresses, headwear, hair flowers, separates, coats and much more.

 

 

Vivian of Holloway: Undoubtedly one of the web's best known vintage reproduction sellers, Vivian of Holloway's inviting selection includes a bounty of dresses, tops, skirts, trousers, and accessories (such as snoods, jewelry, flowers, belts, and petticoats). I'm particularly smitten with their pinafore trousers in blue denim highlighted in the image here.

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This list certainly does not cover every last seller (be they a company or individual) who is currently producing vintage inspired garments in the UK, but it's a great jumping off point if you're looking to do some overseas shopping.

As time rolls on, I hope to shop with all of the sellers listed above, and would absolutely love to hear about your own experiences with these (and/or any other) online UK vintage reproduction sellers.

Oh, and should any of you happen to be, or know of, Canadian repro sources for 40s and 50s garments, definitely feel free to spill the beans!

Beat the heat in this beautiful vintage reproduction cotton eyelet sundress

✯ Day 214 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Toronto - and indeed many other parts of the North American continent - recently went through a heat wave that made the Sahara seem like a winter paradise. The lethal combination of heat and humidity that this part of Ontario gets hits with means that you can add about ten degrees (Celsius) to the temperature the thermostat read to get the "feels like" temperature, which hit a staggering 50C  for a few days here.

During those smelting (especially for those like myself who do not have A/C and must rely on fans, cool drinks, and as I turned to at absolute toastiest moments, ice packs from the freezer) days, the only thing in my wardrobe that I wore was vintage sundresses. The notion of pants or a two garment ensemble like a skirt and a blouse, was just as unbearable as I'd been asked to don a parka.

As the sun beat down unmercifully and the city sizzled like a collective piece of bacon, it was the cool, crisp cotton of these feminine frocks that clothed me day after day. Not, of course, that I'm complaining (about wearing dresses, I'll grip about the heat though ).

Dresses in general are my very favourite garment and I'll happily sport one, in the right seasonal fabric, any time of the year - whether it's +50 or -50 (and yes, Canadian vintageista that I am, I have worn dresses when the mercy dipped nearly that low).

I find that sundresses allow air to circulate more freely around your body than shorts, pants, blouses or t-shirts. If they're sleeveless (or, for those who enjoy the look, even strapless), as some of mine all, all the better. I know that for many of you, this beloved and classic item of clothing is a tried-and-true favourite, too.

Thus, I simply had to share a delightful vintage reproduction sundresses that I spied over at Blue Velvet Vintage recently. Just as sundresses are the summer wardrobe choice du jour, so too is timeless white eyelet one of the season's most integral fabrics. It's been in use for decades (if not centuries) during this piping hot season and remains as elegant and fitting today as a frosty class of ice tea.

 

At first glance one might think this dress channels a late '50s Marilyn Monroe vibe, and indeed it does, but I also see in it a sense of the 40s, thanks to the sweetheart neckline and simple, yet very becoming, tailoring.

Few hues can compare with white when it comes to helping keep at least some of the heat at bay, and this snowy coloured dresses will definitely help in that regard. It's neutral tone also ensures that you can dress it up or down and accessorize it to your heart's content.

Though a bit more structured than some vintage sundresses (it has some  boning in the bodice), the fact that it's strapless and not too long (it's tea dress length), ensures that you should still be quite comfortable on this days when the temperature shows no sign in slowing down its quest to break the record.

Available in modern ladies sizes 4 - 14 (though, at the time of writing, a couple of sizes are out of stock), this chic, wonderfully fresh, completely pretty white cotton eyelet sundress (which is available for $140.00 from Blue Velvet Vintage), is one of those pieces that is sure to get scores and scores of mileage summer after sunny summer.

While the absolute worst of the heat wave has slackened up here, we're just kicking off August and I know that I've got at least a few more weeks of wearing vintage sundresses to look forward - and that, sweet dears, is a positive side of this sweltering season, in my books.

Such a springtime-perfect 1950s style dress!

✯ Day 118 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

If there is one thing that I love perhaps more than all others about the return of spring, it is the fact that my warm weather wardrobe gets to come out of hiding (or at least be put into heavier rotation) once more.

While there is much to be said for snuggly cardigans, wool trousers, thick opaque tights and sturdy snow boots, after half a year of such really heavy-duty clothing, I'm positively itching to throw off the shackles off winter and dive head first into lightweight fabrics and pieces that instantly telegraph sunny weather once more.

Take for example, the incredibly pretty red and white gingham sundress below. It's precisely - in every way, right down to the gorgeous princess neckline - the kind of garment that sings of spring's return from the highest mountain peak.

I love this charming dress - which looks as though it could have easily been plucked right out of the pages of the youthful 1950s fashion magazine - for it's breezy cut, punchy (entirely picnic worthy!) colour palette, feminine tailoring, and the daydreams of delightfully warm afternoons spent outdoors that I envision when I look at it.

This happy-go-luck 1950s inspired frock (which is available in assorted modern British ladies sizes for £59.00 from UK seller Aspire Style) is not meant for January (in colder climates) and it makes no pretences of being so. It is fun, light, and bright, radiating a vibe of wonderful summertime happiness.

To me this girly dress is as lovely as a juicy May strawberry, as pretty as a June rose, and as as energizing as a fresh July sunrise. It's the antithesis of winter clothing and exactly the kind dress I'm be sporting until those pesky snowflakes come back into sight again next autumn!

A fabulous 1950s style aquamarine polka dot dress that is sure to steal your heart!

✯ Day 97 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

The gorgeous item of clothing at the centre of today's post is one of those stunning web finds that I chanced upon several weeks back, and was struck (yet again) with the thought of this morning that I should post about before it's too (one never knows, after all, how long an online retailer will keep a given item in stock).

I have a running list that I keep of things that I hope to incorporate into posts here on Chronically Vintage, and this dazzling frock has been calling out at me from said list all week long, so I knew I simply couldn't let another day pass without posting about it.

If I was ticking off the boxes beside the elements that I strive to find in a vintage dress (or vintage reproduction dress, as in the case of sublime number), this positively beautiful aqua hued frock would score very, very well thanks to its full skirt, timelessly wonderful colour (that just screams springtime to me!), terrifically pretty, dainty little black velvet bow, crisp white polka dot pattern, and immensely flattering square neckline (paired with wide shoulder straps - meaning you can actually wear a proper undergarment beneath it without running the risk of your bra straps poking out!).

Dubbed The Gidget, this enchantingly lovely dress - which is available for $165.00 (Australian) from online vintage clothing seller Hot Couture - is nothing shy of swoon-worthy (hmmm, can you tell I'm more than a little smitten with it?! :) ). It's the sort of terrifically feminine, utterly elegant, perfectly timeless dress that I could just as easily imagine wearing out on a date with my beloved hubby, as I can pairing it with a cute little cardigan and wearing to run errands or relax in as I nibble a June picnic under a willow tree.

Available in ladies sizes XS to XXXL (all of which, at the time of writing this post, are in stock), this amazing 1950s style vintage reproduction dress is the kind of wardrobe treasure that could see you through a myriad of events, from attending a causal spring wedding to a PTA meeting, antique shopping with your BBF to strolling hand-in-hand on a warm summer's eve with your sweetie.

It is classy, youthful, alluring, and down-right stunning - not to mention exactly the kind of vintage dress I go positively giddy over!

Vintage 365: Gorgeous Red Rose Swing Dress takes my breath away

✯ Day 37 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

There's no skirting around the fact that I'm a dress girl (pun intended) - always have been, forever will be. For my my whole life dresses have been my favourite article of clothing (in elementary school I even tried to launch a movement amongst my fellow female classmates to only wear dresses, but alas it seems my peers weren't quite as enamoured with frocks as I was and the "dress lovers club" only lasted for a few weeks), and I never tire of bopping around the internet looking at vintage and vintage inspired examples of this timelessly beautiful garment of clothing.

Sometimes when I chance upon a dress that particularly sets my heart aflutter, my mind will suddenly start playing the classic Top Gun song "Take my breath away", because that's what an amazing frock has the power to do to me.

There are a number of factors that can elicit that feeling of breathlessness for me, such as the time period the dress hails from (or is designed to look like it came from), colour (red, pink, black and teal are all perpetual faves), cut (generally speaking, the more feminine the better), neckline (I especially like princess necklines), and pattern (I'm such a sucker for florals).

Should a dress happen to sport one or more of these elements it usually grabs my attention right away, as the classically beautiful frock featured in today's post did.

 

The Red Rose Swing Dress is elegant vintage style at its most loveliest. Made of drapey black fabric that's bursting with a stunning red rose pattern, this fully lined frock boasts off-the-shoulder sleeves, fitted waist, alluring v-shaped neckline, and a full swing skirt that all ad up to one seriously gorgeous frock.

This breath-taking vintage inspired dress - which would be utterly perfect for Valentine's Day! - is available from Stop Staring for $150.00 in standard modern ladies sizes (though at the moment they only have XS and small in stock), and is a prime example of what dresses continue to me my absolute favourite item of clothing.