A Bittersweet Tale From Lady V London

It was love at first sight...BAM! On browsing Facebook a few weeks I was completely taken aback by the most beautiful sight. Rosetta was her name, she flaunted as many red roses as a sleazy Lothario on Valentine's Day. She flirtily enticed me to take a closer look and I was hooked.

Photo from Lady V London

Rosetta is of course this beautiful dress from Lady V London. Priced at £60 she's at the higher end of what I'd normally pay for a dress on account of me having so many I don't get enough use to justify the cost. Alas I was unable to resist. I knew she'd sell out quickly so I took the plunge. A few days later she arrived and I eagerly slipped her on...

I'd ordered my usual Lady V London size in the Rose Print Rosetta Swing Dress which is a UK 8. The size chart puts me at a 10 bust, 8 waist and 12 hips but I'd recommend working from your waist measurement if your figure is anything like mine. To ease the awkward 'which size do I order?' dilemma of the Rosetta Swing, you only need to take into account your bust and waist measurements since it's free at the hips. The Rosetta Swing Dress size chart below suggests a UK size 8 to be 33" bust and 27" hips. I'm currently sitting at 36" bust and 25.5" waist and the Rosetta fits fine, possibly because of the mock wrap bust line giving a bit more flexibility on size. The Rosetta Swing Dress sits a few inches below my knee. I'm 5'2" for reference. 

Rosetta Swing Size Chart from Lady V London

So let's take a look at Rosetta in full. Here I teamed her up with red accessories as I felt they worked best. My belt is from a random Chinese seller on eBay and my shoes are an old style from Debenhams. The clutch came from my local indoor market. I chose not to wear a petticoat as it doesn't necessarily need one, but you can add one if you like a more voluminous look. The neckline is definitely ideal for showcasing your cleavage and may not be suitable for those less inclined to flaunt 

Now as you may have gathered from the title of this post, this love story does not end well. It's visible on the middle photo above that one of the sleeves is slipping and that's with me posing in an attempt to prevent that happening. As I've discussed a number of times before, I often have issues with the fit of dresses and tops at the shoulders since I'm quite petite, causing straps to slip, gaping collars and a generally awkward fit. Rosetta, my love, this is where it all went wrong.

As you can see in the photo above, I'm not posing to make it look any worse, this is genuinely how much bigger than my shoulders the dress is. Sadly, the sleeves can't be altered easily as they are pleated and it would be quite a difficult job to do neatly so I'm told. This was the deal breaker for me. It's okay to have a bit of extra wiggle room in the waist, not quite enough in the bust, but the shoulders slipping, nope. 

I feel I need to throw in a disclaimer here that the dress itself is absolutely stunning and I would have kept it in a heartbeat,  but my petite shoulders let me down here, not the dress. If you're of a more standard build around the shoulder area then you'll more than likely find it will fit. Damn shoulders!

Rosetta is available from Lady V London for£60 in 7 different colours, sizes 8-20/22.

Photos from Lady V London

As an aside, if you love this dress but prefer a more streamlined silhouette, check out Loretta which has the same top half with a mock wrap tulip skirt.

Alas, I bid farewell to Rosetta. Please join me and my wardrobe in mourning this sad loss.

Bitter Lollipop tastes good to me!

Over the past few years more and more brands are popping up here and there to cater for the more busty amongst us, and in this post I'm going to introduce the latest off the cutting table; Bitter Lollipop, whom I also have the pleasure of reviewing a dress for!

Bitter lollipop specifically caters for sizes 8-14 in the two options of 'Busty' and 'Buxom'. Here's their size chart.

Bitter Lollipop was launched in September 2014 as a result of founder Kelly's passion for fashion and struggle to find dresses to fit her frame. The name Bitter Lollipop is a combination of her bitter feelings of the difficulties in dressing her own lollipop-shaped figure, in case you were wondering! 

Kelly is Chicago born and bred and moved to the UK a few years ago for her Masters degree, settling to set up Bitter Lollipop in Nottingham. Much like Made In Preston, Bitter Lollipop pieces are hand made here in the UK, promoting local industry and boosting the national economy. Kelly's designs are influenced by British culture as well as her American heritage , which are most apparent in her fabric choices. 

I was contacted by Kelly a while ago and to be honest, this was the first time I'd heard of Bitter Lollipop. Kelly asked if I'd like to review a dress from her launching collection, to which of course I jumped at the chance. I'd initially fallen in love with the fabric from the geometric print dress but I didn't think the shape would work for me as I prefer a more tailored fit, which is always difficult with my 36-25.5-40 figure, so I instead opted for the safer option hip-wise of the Olivia in the size 8 Busty.

The Olivia dress, prices at £79 is made in what I'd describe as an 'abstract floral' patterned fabric which I initially thought would be pretty for a garden party or a summer wedding, but now I have the dress in hand I can see it's quite versatile and could be worn casually and in the colder months too if you happen to be the kind of person who matches colours worn to the seasons.

Olivia close-up

My first impressions of the dress; impressed! The dress is made from quite a heavy combination of patterned stretch cotton mix and (I admit I was totally bowled over by this) a STRETCHY lining! In all my years I've often wondered why dresses are made in a stretch fabric only to have that cancelled out by having a non-stretch lining. Really, what's the point in that? The quality of the workmanship is excellent. The zip is nicely hidden at the back, the stitching is neat and tidy and a lot of thought has been given to drafting the pattern itself. 

The Olivia fits beautifully on my 25.5" waist and 36" bust, apart from a little gaping under the arms. As you can see from the side view below, my bra is slightly visible. I feel the underarm area could benefit from an extra dart to conceal my bra a bit better but that might just be how it fits on me and may well fit better on someone else. 

Of course, the dress does have it's downsides. You may have noticed I used the word 'heavy' to describe the fabric. Because of this I'd suggest the Olivia dress is more suitable for the colder months unless you're like me and gets goosebumps at the slightest of breeze! Also the weight of the fabric prevents the dress from flowing as you might expect. A twirly dress it's not. I'd suggest to remedy this, maybe the lining could be omitted from the skirt of the dress and just kept in the bodice perhaps? 

I admit I was concerned at how I was going to accessorise this dress, what with the fabric having a combination of pink, red, coral, black and a touch of pale blue too. I first thought the pattern was better suited to a summery outfit, but having tried it with both red accessories and black accessories, I'd suggest it suits the autumnal months equally. I'll go ahead and post a few different looks now to show the versatility. The black flamingo cardigan was from a charity shop, red clutch bag from my local market and hair flowers from ebay. Let me know which look you like best!

I've heard a few gripes online about the cost of Bitter Lollipop and I just want to stand up for Kelly here. Kelly has worked hard to set up her own business, Bitter Lollipop. Creating patterns, sourcing fabric and making the dresses , both fitting samples and making dresses for orders. Her heart and soul has gone into this and this is her baby. I support her integrity, creativity and passion for her business and hope you feel the same way.

Olivia is made to order and available from Bitter Lollipop at £79 in sizes 8 Busty & Buxom to 16 Busty & Buxom.

Build me up, Buttercup! Made In Preston's lovely lace creation!

I was recently contacted by Nikki Hesford of UK booby fashion brand Made In Preston asking if I'd like to review one of their products.

Firstly, let's discuss the brand in question. Made in Preston was launched in June 2013 as a fashion house catering for larger cup sizes. "So what's new about that? We have BiuBiu, Saint Bustier, Pepperberry, Urkye and DDAtelier amongst others" I hear you cry! Well, let me tell you, none of those have real edgy catwalk fashion, which is why ex glamour model and young mum Nikki decided to pursue her dream of owning her very own label. The fact that Made in Preston takes inspiration from the catwalk really sets them aside from other bigger bust brands meaning younger women aren't tied down to squeezing themselves into dresses and tops that don't fit from high street stores, boring (but admittedly very useful) 'classics' and often styles that aren't age appropriate for the wearer. The other thing I love about Made In Preston is that, as their name suggests, everything they make is manufactured in Preston, and that can only be a good thing for the local and national economy.

Nikki from Made In Preston (photo from lep.co.uk)

Not only do Made In Preston produce clothes for the bigger bust, they also do a range of funky lingerie, of which I'm excited to be reviewing today! Nikki has designed the lingerie in order to stand out, and boy does it do its job! With neon patterned lace fabrics, and blah blah blaaaaahhhhh, you'll be sure to find something for your more adventurous side at Made In Preston!

 

More from Made In Preston

Within a few days my bra arrived, wrapped up lovingly in branded tissue paper with heart stickers to secure. I'm a sucker for nice packaging, it really feels like you're getting a gift and therefore makes it easier to justify the odd splurge on yourself.... Well that's what I tell myself anyway!

On opening the package, I found Nikki had very kindly sent me this awesome buttercup yellow unpadded bra (currently at £34, matching knickers £10) in a 28H. As you may know from my previous post on the Cleo Marcie Babydoll, my boyfriend is a HUGE fan of anything yellow, so he was pretty happy Nikki chose this for me! The shade of yellow leans slightly more towards neon/green tones than the Marcie, which I would call a true buttercup yellow.

I don't tend to wear unpadded bras for anything other than dossing around the house, so I was slightly apprehensive about trialling the bra. On fitting the bra I noticed the band is nice and snug, like a true 28" should be. I'm currently measuring 27" so this is perfect. In fact it's by far the best 28" band I own. I also notice that it gives a rounded shape, not dissimilar to my all time favourite, the Deco by Freya, only without the epic cleavage, which is a good thing if you like the rounded shape but don't fancy having a cleavage for whatever reason. I normally wear a 28GG Deco and this is a 28H so bear this in mind when ordering.

The bra has a black lining with a yellow lace overlay meaning that if, like me, lace makes you itch, the lining prevents this happening.

My only criticisms are that the band only has a row of two hooks where I'm used to having three, although admittedly this doesn't appear to have made much difference with regards to support, although it might with a larger band and cup size due to the weight of the bust. What I have noticed is that the band rides up a little, so I don't know whether that could be to do with it not being wide enough or if I need to use the tighter hooks. Also the straps are a touch too thin for my liking, again not what I'm used to in bras with larger cups.

Strap comparison with the Curvy Kate Ritzy (left)

Having worn the bra for a couple of days I'm happy to report that I'm very fond of it! Like I said, I'm not a fan of padded bras and avoid wearing them wherever possible but this wonderful yellow creation will be one I hope to get more use out of.

This style of bra also comes in Monochrome, Powder Pink and Black and can be purchased here.

Emerald City; Sparkling With Amy Childs Collection Jasmine Dress

Firstly, I must apologise for my lack of blogging. Admittedly I am a hoarder of notable proportions, so continuing to blog regularly isn't helping my hoarding as this type of blogging relies on me buying clothes and lingerie, and well, I now have a HUGE excess of clothes!

Okay, now that's out of the way, I'll begin! Back in December I had the honour of attending my the Christmas party of my boyfriend's workplace, and of course I needed (and I use the word loosely) a new dress for the occasion. I narrowed my shortlist down to three and purchased, rather typically, the cheapest, a different dress to the one I'm reviewing today which I may review at a later date. After the Christmas Party, I couldn't stop thinking about the 'reject' dresses on my shortlist, notably the gorgeous Jasmine by Amy Childs. Then, tah-dahhh, it appeared for half price in the sale for £37.50 on the Amy Childs Official site! I used the poor excuse that "I need a dress for Valentine's night" to justify my purchase! Unfortunately the green has since sold out, but it's available in red here.

Now I'm not some kind of TOWIE fangirl, not by a long shot. In fact, I've never even seen the show and only vaguely know what it is, but I do admire Amy Childs' curves and her confidence to rock them. Here's Amy totally rocking the Jasmine dress.

*When purchasing from a brand new to yourself it's always worth checking online first for reviews on sizing and fit. That way you're less likely to have to deal with returns and disappointment. Just a little tip for you there ;o)

Onto the dress!
As I mentioned above, I checked reviews of this dress and many, if not all of them said to size up, so I ordered a size 10. When I tried the dress on it was still quite a squeeze, so when I say size up, REALLY do. Either go one size up for a snug fit or two up for a more comfortable fit. I can't comment on the fitting of this dress two sizes up (which would have been a size 12 for me) but I imagine it would have been a good fit on me.

I would recommend wearing a WYOB (Wear Your Own Bra) shapewear slip under this to make it easier to zip up, and because it's a fitted dress. If you don't have one, there are hundreds on eBay. I chose a M&S one in my usual dress size and it works perfectly. The bra I chose was an old faithful Freya Deco as it has a seamless appearance and gives a good shape.

Jasmine is a real head turner of a dress, covered in green matte sequins for a more sophisticated sparkle. It has the added detail of a spot of ruching to nip you in at the waist a bit more and create more of a curvy outline and sits at a nice length on me, just below my knee. I'm 5'2" for reference. I love the asymmetrical neckline, but be warned, you risk flashing a bra strap, so choose your lingerie wisely. Although the dress is fully lined, you still risk getting a few scratches from the sequins, so bear that in mind before you buy.

I don't have scoliosis by the way, I'm just standing wonkily!

As much as I love this dress, it doesn't come without a couple of issues. Firstly, the sizing as I've discussed already. It's a real annoyance to have to buy different sizes. Secondly, it doesn't offer a lot of stretch in the boob department and I was on the borderline of looking like I'd really squashed my boobs into the dress. And thirdly, the armholes are a bit bigger than I'd hoped for, thus flashing a bit of bra. It's nothing you busty ladies won't be familiar with.

If you've fallen in love with this dress in green, I apologise for not posting this review sooner and advise you to regularly check eBay as Amy's dresses are popping up on there all the time. I must admit I was slightly disappointed with the lack of boob room since Amy is very busty herself, but if you look through the Amy Childs Official store I'm sure you'll find something you'll love!

HATTY New Year!

Aside from my extensive collection of lingerie I'm also a bit of a hoarder of hats. Being a total wuss who feels the cold at the very sound of the word 'winter', they also serve a more practical use. My 'hatspiration' is definitely Gwen Stefani who rocks a slouchy beanie like nobody else, see? I adore this woman!

Pic courtesy of rdujour.com

Anyway, I was recently contacted by Ricefield Collective who offered me a hat of my choice in exchange for a blog post, which I naturally didn't refuse! I chose the simple 'Dreamer' hat in Peacoat, a navy blue and off-white knit. 

'Dreamer' hat in Peacoat

Priced at $36 (plus a $10 shipping fee outside of the USA), £27 is a bit more than I'd usually pay for a hat. However, Ricefield Collective are a far cry from your average company...

Ifugao knitters in indigenous dress

Who are Ricefield Collective?

Ricefield Collective hats and accessories are hand knitted by women in the Ifugao region of the Philippines. The idea was born when Meredith Ramirez Talusan visited Ifugao in 2011 and learned that locals were being forced to abandon their communities in order to seek higher wages in larger cities. Meredith then decided to help the women by teaching them to knit, the products of which they could then sell on to tourists to supplement their income. Ricefield Collective successfully funded their project via a Kickstarter campaign in April 2011 and thus, an Ifugao knitting school and wonderfully ethical company was born! 

Not only do they knit, they also model! Marietta models the 'Upward' hat she knitted

Made with love

My hat was beautifully packaged in a cloth dust bag with a photograph of the lady who'd knitted it! I loved this idea as it somehow made me happy knowing it wasn't made by a faceless machine and that someone who had spent hours hand knitting that very hat I was holding! Thank you Maricel!

Quite different than my usual reviews, and much more straight forward! I have quite a small head so most 'loose fit' beanies are baggy enough to keep me happy, and with it's soft blend of premium American wool and Alpaca wool it's comfortable and warm to wear.

Thanks for your wool sweet Alpaca!

Pic courtesy of wildlifeanimalz blog

What's a blog post from me without at least one self indulgent shot?! 

I see Ricefield Collective almost as a charity. You're donating to a good cause to empower a group of women to stay on their ancestral land, the Banaue Rice Terraces (a UNESCO Heritage Site) AND you're getting an awesome, hand-crafted hat to boot!

Happy New Year readers!

Lady V London's new collection!

So enthused was I on seeing Lady V London's new collection that I felt the need to write a post on them!

Relatively new to them is the gorgeous Roxie Rocks dress, with 3/4 sleeved mock wrap top section and swing skirt, it's ideal for all those Christmas parties you're all thinking about at this time of the year. It comes in red with black trim, black with red trim, purple with white trim and teal with white trim. I will say that I've tried this dress (but unfortunately didn't photograph myself in it) and was really disappointed with the sizing ON ME. It was just too big in the shoulders, a problem I often have with dresses and shirts on account of my petite frame. Roxie Rocks costs £40 and comes in sizes 8-22 and is made from a luxurious stretch satin type fabric.

Photo courtesy of Lady V London

Another new addition is the HD Swing Dress, which is the same as the previous range of swing dresses only it has the added detail of a contrast trim, which I'm a total sucker for! My favourite is the white with black polka dot, I'd wear it with red accessories as always. Priced at £45, the HD Swing Dress comes in a range of fabrics in sizes 8-22 and come with a matching headband too!

Photo courtesy of Lady V London

Next up, the delicious Dolly Darling. In sizes 8-26/28 and 5 different colours with contrasting trim and waist bow, you can turn yourself into a 50's pin up for just £45! My personal favourite is the Cobalt Blue, it's so pretty!

Photo courtesy of Lady V London

For those of you who prefer a less revealing neckline, how about Lady V's range of pretty Day Dresses? I LOVE the folded neckline and v-neck back. They cost just £30 and come in sizes 8-20 in a satisfying range of colours and prints.

Photo courtesy of Lady V London

Saving the best until last, Behold the AMAZING Isabella Dress! Drooooool...Erm, yes, I'm a sucker for polka dots AND red AND bows, and this particular dress has it all! It's sweetheart neckline and swing skirt are very similar to another favourite of mine, the Pinup Girl Clothing Heidi, so it's nice to have a cheaper alternative. Isabella is offered with 1/2 sleeves in purple (below), blue and black, and cap sleeves in Mocha polka dot, black with pink trim and black/white polka dot with red trim, comes in sizes 8-20/22 and costs £40. 

Photo courtesy of Lady V London

My only bugbear is that looking at the measurements, none of the Lady V dresses will fit me without alteration as the waist measurements generally come up between 1 and 3 inches bigger than my own. For this I'm GUTTED, but still very tempted to get this Isabella and have it altered.

For a limited time only (and I have no idea how long the offer is on) you can get a generous 15% off your entire order with Lady V London using the discount code WOW15 at checkout. GO!

Photo courtesy of Lady V London

Crop tops for busty gals? Can you, would you, dare you?

A few weeks ago Georgina of fullerfigurefullerbust tweeted that she'd tried on a crop top and since then I was curious about how they would look on me. As I was browsing in Primark one lunch hour, I saw a few I quite fancied and decided to give them a try just to see how they'd look.

I chose to team the crop tops up with a green jersey midi skirt, costing just £5. The skirt is available in red, blue, green and black. Primark didn't any have any in my usual skirt size 8 so the one in the photos is a size 10. I'm not overly keen with the midi length on me, but apparently it's THE length to wear so I guess I can live with it.

Unfortunately Primark don't have an online shop, although ASOS ave a small selection available. 

First up, a colourful Aztec print top in a size 6. Costing £6 (I think it was?) it's a cheap and easy way to work this seasons daring trend. The problem I had with this top is that besides making me look ALL boob, you could clearly see my bra straps.

                                         

You should all know by now that I'm a complete sucker for anything polka dot, so this black and white crop top immediately caught my eye. Costing £4, it's so tempting! Again, it makes me look very busty, but I kind of like how I look in this outfit and may well end up buying it. At just £9 fr both the top and skirt, I think I can justify it. My only issue is that the outfit might be a bit too young for me with me turning 32 in a month's time.

                                         

So, my curvy readers, what do you think? Would you dare to bare your midriff this summer for this latest fashion trend or is it all a bit too much for you? Would you avoid wearing fashions you know look good on you because you feel you're too old for them?

My Tights Plight

You all know by now that I'm short and curvy, so it probably doesn't shock you to learn that I struggle to find tights that fit me properly. I have a drawer overflowing with tights from over the years, from tartan to polka dot, floral to plain, fishnet to heart print. Most of them I buy from everyones favourite high street store of cheapness, Primark, for the measly sum of £3.50 at the most. I love tights but I can rarely be bothered to find an outfit worthy of showcasing the more interesting ones to their full potential, not to mention the effort of wearing heels, which I always like to do with tights. When I do wear them though, I have disasters...

 Yes, on more than one occasion I've completely wrecked my tights with the size of my behind, ending up looking as though I'd been pawed at by a tiger. Embarrassing, no? 

I recently split my tights AGAIN, and was kindly sent four pairs by Pamela Mann, a hosiery company I've long admired for their on-trend fashion tights and classic staples. They said I could choose a few pairs, but not wanting to appear greedy, I chose two; black and white polka dot (£8.99) and small dogtooth print (£8.49), again in black and white. To my sheer joy (see what I did there?), a representative from Pamela Mann sent me a message to say she'd thrown in another two pairs, these sheer dotty tights in black and nude & black (£8.99 per pair). Pamela Mann tights are mostly 'one size' from 8-14 rather than Primark's sizing of s/m m/l so I was reluctant that they'd work for me. There are a number of styles that go right up to a size 32, so be sure to check them out if you are plus sized.

The lovely selection Pamela Mann sent to me

With the weather being so random of late, I've only just managed to try these tights out. We're currently having a warm spell, meaning I'm able to wear sheer tights rather than my usual trousers or thick, fleece-lined tights. Last week was a bit too hot for the polka dot and dogtooth tights, so I chose the sheer dotty ones instead, and managed to wear both pairs on consecutive days.

The first thing I noticed about the black pair was that they're a little long in the leg on me. I'm not sure if this is something to do with the black dye/fabric but the nude ones are perfect. What I really love about them is that they come up really high on my waist, helping guard against those dreaded lumps and bumps I normally get when wearing tights. I think this is down to the 'one size' rule, something I assumed would work against me. I haven't managed to snag the tights yet, which is quite a feat for me since I'm a little clumsy and certainly don't take as much care and time as I should whilst pulling my tights up, particularly first thing in the morning! I did catch my heel on my tights once and caught them with the corner of some sharp, plastic packaging in my Tesco carrier bag, but they miraculously didn't ladder.

The Sheer Dotty tights with my New Look wide fit shoes (no longer available)

The polka dot and dogtooth print tights are more 'dense' than the sheer tights so are better for those days when it's not quite so hot outside, or for me, high summer at work inside this freezing building! Again, they are a smidge too long for me but not so much to stop me buying more.

Here are my five top picks from Pamela Mann's range;

Black Flocked Tiger Tights £6.99 (Sizes 8-14)

Black Sheer Skull Tights £7.99 (Sizes 8-14)

Tartan Camel Thomson Tights £7.99 (Sizes 8-14)

Signature Love Seamed Tights £7.99 (Sizes 8-14)

Blue Hibiscus Printed Tights £8.49 (sizes 8-32)

All in all, I LOVE Pamela Mann tights. They really push the boat out with new designs and don't limit themselves to a few colours in quite a few designs; they make the ENTIRE RAINBOW!! Take a look for yourself!