Shop Savvy: four places on my radar for Autumn

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a bit predictable when it comes to the shops I buy my clothes from. For a long time, budget was the biggest issue, so a lot of stuff came from H&M, Primark, Dorothy Perkins, New Look or from eBay. This year, I’ve tried to buy less and invest more, though Peacocks have featured highly thanks to that amazing Pearl Lowe collection. I’ve bought a lot more from small boutiques, online shops and retro retailers, but I’m still a slave to the UK high street. Here are the places I’m most excited about at the moment…

Five shirts, five days: the ‘ladyshirt’ challenge!

The last time I wore a shirt was probably on my last day at school, so when The Savile Row Company got in touch to set me a bit of a wardrobe challenge, it was with slight trepidation that I took it on! They offered to send me a selection of shirts from their surprisingly vast women’s range, which I would then work into my own wardrobe to suit my style. Given that my usual way of creating an outfit involves picking a dress from the hundreds I own and proceeding to over-accessorise it, doing creative things with shirts was going to be tricky. But I’m always game for a challenge, and it turned out to be very interesting to see how these classic pieces can be taken far beyond their traditional home as workwear…

October must-haves: aviators, capes & velvet

My lack of enthusiasm for the new season has finally started to wane. Is it because I’m getting used to the Winter trends, or have the latest additions to the virtual rails been better than what we got in September? Perhaps it’s just the fact the temperature has dropped and I can finally see the need for a beautiful coat or a fabulous cape. Whatever the reason, I’m finally getting excited about what’s in the shops, and have picked out some of my favourites from a range of retailers. Top of my list is Miss Selfridge’s super-glam velvet coat with fur trim. It may not be the most practical piece of outerwear, but it’s definitely beautiful, and the rich, thick, stiff velvet is far nicer than the cheap stretchy stuff that can be found elsewhere…

Label Love: Closet at Dorothy Perkins & Oli

A chat the other day with Amber reminded me that though I’d tweeted about them, I’d yet to write about my latest dress discovery – a gorgeous brand called Closet that’s stocked in some larger Dorothy Perkins stores, as well as on their website and Oli.co.uk. As a rule their dresses tend to be quite structured and fitted, with more than a little inspiration coming from a certain Mrs Beckham. And they give you a waist like you wouldn’t believe!

Though I’d never really considered myself a fan of Posh’s style, she does know how to make dresses that flatter curves (ironic, considering her severe lack of them), and Closet have taken a few of her more iconic designs, along with plenty of generic but very pretty nipped-waist, tulip skirted shapes, and whacked them out in everything from heart print to classic black. It’s not exactly envelope-pushing fashion ingenuity, but it is really easy to wear and universally flattering.

August obsessions: fascinators, fragrance & frocks

With the sales finally coming to a close, I should be getting excited about new season shopping, but to be honest with you, I’m a bit scared by all the shearling gilets and harem pants, so my mind is still on Summer. With a foreign holiday in less than a week (yay!) I’m still indulging my swimwear obsession and hunting down things to buy in Duty Free, and also looking for some quirky last-minute finishing touches to a number of late Summer wedding outfits. Here’s what’s on my mind at the moment…

Ruby Belle at Evans tried on for size!

The long-awaited vintage-inspired Ruby Belle dresses have finally arrived at Evans, and I couldn’t wait to snap one up. I’ve been a fan of Fever Designs for a while, so I’m really glad they’ve teamed up with Evans to offer this range in larger sizes. Ruby Belle normally only goes up to a UK size 14 and while the size guide suggests that should fit me, my experiences trying on other Fever items suggests otherwise!

So I was waiting very impatiently for the dresses to be recut to Evans’ slightly more generous sizes – and given that it has a stretch top and full skirt, I bought the sailboat dress in a 14. And I love it!

Vintage reproduction clothing (Pin-up, burlesque & rockabilly) – The ultimate shopping list!

It’s not hard to see why so many curvaceous women turn to fashions from the 40s and 50s when it comes to making the most of their bodies. The era’s pin-up girls, ‘cheesecake’ models and Vargas girls all had waspish waists and sexy curves. Actresses had hourglass figures that their clothes could barely contain (think Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Dors) and all women wore girdles that sculpted their bodies to perfection and bullet bras that gave the appearance of a Joan Holloway-esque bosom on even a petite woman.

I know from reading comments and looking at search terms that many of us wish we could eschew badly-designed, poorly-fitting modern pieces for something more flattering from the past. But finding true vintage pieces from that era for a larger figure can be difficult. Most good pieces are expensive, and many come in very small sizes, especially on the waist.

So three cheers for the many great brands and retailers who’ve allowed us to get a bit of that old-fashioned glamour in modern sizing. Some of the labels below stock plus size, some don’t, but I’ve chosen to include them all for reference…

Top Ten: even more ‘buy now, wear later’

There’s no real link between these ten products except the fact I love them and I will be investing in some of them ready for when the Sun finally shows its face! This Summer, I’ll be eschewing the more off-the-wall catwalk trends (jogging pants? Leather shorts? I think not…) for something a bit more flattering.

On the relaxed, bohemian side there’ll be an update on last Summer’s gladiator sandals, pretty maxi dresses, nude wedge sandals, 50s sundresses and vintage-inspired doctors bags. For something a bit more dramatic, I’m thinking chandelier earrings, waterfall frills, graphic print dresses and military inspiration. All these items are available now, so get shopping before they sell out…

One dress, three ways

The team at TK Maxx recently got in touch to see if I’d like to take part in their bloggers challenge. It sounded like fun, so I threw my hat in the ring. For the challenge, I had to create three outfits around the same item, each outfit matching a scenario picked for me.

I find these kind of styling challenges quite difficult, but I’m always up for having a go! I have no problem putting an outfit together at home, but faced with every accessory on the internet I get incredibly matchy-matchy. Still, it was great fun to try creating different looks around the same dress, though I could have spent another three days looking for just the right things!

The dress TK Maxx picked was a bright coral dress with frilled trim – quite a statement frock which is totally my style. I’ve worked on the assumption that these outfits are for me, so though I’ve picked from mainstream stores rather than plus size this time around, I’ve gone for items that’ll look good on a curvier woman, so hopefully these outfits might provide some inspiration even if you don’t like the finished looks…

Buy now, wear later: five new things for Spring

The nights are getting lighter and it’s pouring with rain outside, which can mean only one thing, Spring has sprung! We’re finally through (the worst of) the freezing cold days of duffle coats and ugg boots, and we can start planning our warm weather wardrobes. Problem is, most shops have had their Spring stock in for weeks already, and if you want to invest in key pieces, you need to move fast.

To help you decide on what you’ll need to revamp your look (or just as a treat) I’ve picked a few key trends that can be adapted no matter what dress size you wear. Just one of these key items will jazz up all those old faithfuls a treat – but don’t wait around for too long. Before you know it the shops will have nothing but gladiator flats, vest tops and bikinis on the rails!