Tried & Tested: Jasmine Guinness ‘Queen of Hearts’ dress

I was recently invited by Very.co.uk to try an item of clothing from their website. I knew there’d be no problem finding something – with Holly Willougby’s curve-friendly collection and plenty of stylish stuff in the Love Label range, the most difficult thing was actually narrowing it down. I eventually decided to go for something a bit special from vintage fiend Jasmine Guinness, and picked her ‘Queen of Hearts’ dress, a 50s style number with a cute heart-print peekaboo hemline that was very Alice in Wonderland…

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…

Things to get excited about: Red or Dead swimwear

Friends and longterm followers will know I’m a huge fan of pin-up inspired style (in fact, I love just about any look from the 30s to the early 60s). Retro swimwear, in particular, is something of a speciality of mine. I’m so excited that after years of nothing but skimpy triangle bikinis and badly-fitting styles, brands are slowly branching out into vintage-inspired pieces. Swimsuits are no longer the frumpy option which is great news for those who prefer a bit of extra coverage.

In fact, 40s-inspired cossies with ruched detail, concealed panels and pull-down skirted styles are becoming a really stylish alternative to the modern bikini, and the best news is this style looks much better on a curvier woman than it does on someone with no hips! Think Marilyn Monroe on a beach in her white swimsuit – this is all about voluptuous glamour…

Big Girl’s Babe: Christina Hendricks

Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks may not be plus size, but with that gravity-defying bosom and handspan waist, she definitely embodies the kind of curvy girl we’d all love to be. With her Marilyn-esque proportions, she’s a poster girl for the curvaceous woman. Let’s face it, nobody pulls off a wiggle dress like Joan Holloway!