Its Spring! So I'm going to take one last chance to celebrate the winter coat...

So I've been away for a few weeks and the weather has changed and so has my wardrobe. In the few weeks that I have been away from the blog I have put all my coats away, stored my super thick black tights and swapped my winter boots over for more dainty shoes. I am loving spring!

But I wanted to take one last minute to celebrate the winter coat.

Boy oh boy was the Collectif sale good this year, so good in fact that I bought 3 coats! But when they are around £35 each over 3 months it really doesn't seem like such a naughty thing... Maybe.

I though it was worthwhile mentioning this coat too as even though it is out of stock right now Collectif are really great at tweaking popular designs and releasing improved versions in new and exciting fabrics and colours. I for one hope a version of this coat comes back, in a navy blue!

So this coat is the Annabelle. It came in two colours; mint green and pink. I decided to get the green as I thought it was a simply gorgeous colour. 

It has a lovely sumptuous fur collar and cuffs too and a silky floral lining that makes it really comfortable. It is generally a warm coat but it is not quite as warm as the Rachel coat I showcased in this post and because of this I think it is the perfect coat for transitioning from winter to spring.

As always the Annabelle features a full skirted design which is great for fitting over full skirts like the Mary which I am wearing underneath ;)

One thing I will say is that this coat is small fitting. I was able to buy the Rachel in a size 12 and this size 14 Annabelle only just fits me so if they do re-release a similar style to this be wary when choosing your size.

Did I mention how much I am loving spring?

Outfit Details

Coat: Collectif

Jumper: Collectif

Skirt: Collectif

Shoes: Clarks

Have you made the wardrobe transition yet? What do you do to switch to spring? Do you do anything at all?!

The day I saw a random vintage 1950s caravan...

I visited my parents in Durham not long ago and while I was wandering around the city centre I came across this delight!

The folks at Beamish were out promoting their new development a 1950s area!! For those of you that don't know Beamish it is huge interactive museum that allows its visitors to experience living history. So far most of the developments have been areas based on the late 1890s and earlier 1900s. Which is brilliant in itself, but the fact they want to open a 1950s area is soooo exciting!

I also got to nip in and have a look inside the caravan and while I loved some of the decor...
































I wouldn't say I was enamoured with the facilities - just look at that sink!

A question vintage enthusiasts are often asked is whether they would rather live now, or in one of their chosen decades. I can certainly say I would rather live now than in the 1950s... I've watched enough Call the Midwife to know that!

What is also really cool about the whole development is that Beamish are running a competition for your house to be built in the area if it is a post-war semi. Because the North East was so damaged by bombing in WWII there are a lot of these types of houses in the area so I think it is a great chance to get involved. Here are the details.

If you haven't been to Beamish and you visit the North East I would highly recommend it. I've had a great time whenever I've been (I went for Halloween last year, you can read about that here).

The ladies that were promoting the new development were really nice, when I walked up to them one of them even said 'oh, you look like you should come work with us.'
Not exactly true but I appreciated the comment.

Here is what I was wearing:

Oh boy did the Collectif sale ruin me this month! I know I go on and on about this brand, but when you're a bigger lass it is sometimes really hard to find true vintage in your size. Both the jumper and skirt are from Collectif and this jumper is becoming a fast favourite of mine!

I also adore how swishy this skirt is!

Do you think you could spend a week in a vintage caravan?

Outfit details:

Jumper: Collectif

Skirt: Collectif

Hat: Accessorize

Shoes: Clarks

Rachel: A vintage style princess coat from Collectif

 I was looking back over my blog and the last batch of posts and I realised it was really cosplay heavy. Lucky for you though I have a lot of vintagey stuff to catch up on!

The first one is something I thought I'd share because not only is this coat bloomin' fantastic, it is also on sale for a bargain price in the Collectif sale!

I've had a bit of an obsession with skirted princess coats ever since I was a little girl, but they're not something that has been in fashion for many years and the true vintage ones are never in my price range or size.

However one of my favourite vintage style clothing brands Collectif have expanded their range of coats quite a lot and this year it was all about the princess coat. Fitted waists, full skirts, the only problem was trying to decide which coat to choose.

I ventured into the covent garden shop while I was passing through London a little before Christmas and I tried on a few of the coats. My favourite one was the Rachel herringbone houndstooth coat. It has a really sturdy feeling texture and a pleated padded lining that was perfect to keep my warm. The coat also had sumptuous faux fur around the collar and cuffs.

I have tried out this coat in the cold north and in the rain and it fairs well in all weather so far, although it did take a while to dry out the fur once it was wet, but it looked good as new once it did!

I think the double breasted style is really flattering and the matching belt nips in the waist even more that the cut of the coat already does. Perfect for those with a smaller waist and ample hips.

Look at the size of that skirt!

These pictures were taken in Scarbrough while I was visiting the in laws and I must admit, walking around the coast with this coat on in the wind really made me feel like a princess, all dolled up with the wind in my hair. It was lovely.

I found that the fit on this coat was fairly generous, I am normally a 14 in Collectif things and I could quite easily get away with a 12 in this coat.

Here is a picture of the cosy lining:

The smile on my face really illustrates how pleased I was with this coat!

Now here is the good news for you. The Rachel coat was originally £189, but the sizes they have left are on sale for £49!! Such a bargain (only sizes 12, 14 and 18 are left though)! I would highly recommend this coat for the winter months.

Outfit details:

Coat: Collectif

Dress: Monsoon

Hat: Accessorize

Tights: Accessorize

Boots: Doc Martens

Mary, Mary quite contrary: The Mary skirt from Collectif

So today I want to share my favourite Autumn skirt with you! October, November and December are my favourite months of the year (mostly since I do much better with winter layers than flimsy summer dresses) and I love the fashion that goes along with them.

Now I have a huge obsession with pinafore dresses/skirts (or jumpers as I believe the American's call them). In fact I have even made a couple of my own way back when where I spoke about my desire to own the fantastical Mary skirt from Collectif (read about it here and here). 

So I set aside a little bit of my October pay cheque for a visit to Collectif in London and try on the Mary skirt. To my utter delight, it fit beautifully!

The Mary comes in a few different colours a plain black and a navy and light blue flock. Navy is my go to colour so I decided to go with the navy flock, although I must say I would very much like this skirt in black too (I should stop being greedy...).

I think the style is super flattering to your waist, although I have found that it can emphasise your bust a lot. This can of course be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your destination.

Possibly the greatest thing about this skirt is that it has POCKETS!! I always love it when designers think to put pockets in garments as that are so vastly under appreciated in women's clothing and they are so useful! Give us pockets in everything darn-it!

Also the amount of fabric in this skirt is phenomenal. 

There are also some thoughtful details to ensure a good fit to this skirt. They have multiple button holes so you can get a good fit over the shoulders. This is perfect for me as I have a really short torso. You can also wear it crossed at the back, straight at the back or even strapless. Its so versatile which makes me super happy.

Of course since there is so much extra fabric in the skirt I couldn't resist giving it the spin test and it passed with flying colours. Its super swirly! 

To complete the outfit I work a blue 70s coat and beret style hat. I also had a tartan scarf that I got from a charity shop last winter. There is something glorious about tartan in winter part of me wishes I could wear something tartan in every winter outfit.

Skirt: Collectif

Jumper: Monsoon

Hat: Beret

Scarf: Vintage

Coat: Vintage

Bag: Vintage

Shoes: Dr Martens

Glasses: Glasses Direct

What are your favourite things to wear on a crisp Autumn day?

Outfit of the day: A camel coat and a collectif dress

As winter draws to a final close I am desperately trying to cram a few extra days of wear into the camel coat I bought at the end of February. It is a warm coat, but its not too much at the moment as long as I don't wear a cardigan too.

On a particularly sunny day my husband and I went for a walk through the park next to where we live and snapped a couple of pictures of my coat. I had previously had my hair in plaits (my latest favourite thing) and it was a terrible mess so I used the occasion to wear a lovely hat I got from Laura Ashley in October last year and haven't really got around to writing about yet.

I think the black/camel/teal combo is quite striking, but I feel that it is a combination that works really really well.

I got the teal dress on a recent trip to Brighton in the Collectif sale (which is great by the way, if you get a change to pop into the Brighton or London stores I believe it is still going on and there are super bargains to be had).

This dress is the Wilhemina dress which has a lovely 40s sort of shape with really pretty pleats and shoulders.

Here is a closer picture of the Laura Ashley hat. It isn't that old, but its style is very similar to some of the hats seen in episodes of Downton Abbey. It has a distinct early 20th century style.

Oh and last but not least, since I was in a park, I had to do at least one picture posing with a tree. Naturally.

Dress: Collectif

Coat: Thrifted

Shoes: Clarks

Hat: Laura Ashley (thrifted)

Scarf: Thrifted

Vintage Events: A Collectif Party

After an exhausting day packaging my brother onto a train back home for Christmas I decided to stop by the new Collectif London opening party at Old Spitalfields Market. A perfect location for the 50s style shop with its frequent vintage fairs and proximity to the thrift shops of Brick lane.

Spitalfields market

I have been a fan of Collectif ever since I stumbled upon their shop in Camden market a few years ago.

I’m not sure the clothing can be considered vintage reproduction as the measurements and sizes are not vintage (like say Vivien f Holloway) so when you try on a size 12, it really is a size 12. But the styles are certainly rockabilly and vintage 1950s inspired even if the colours and styles are somewhat exaggerated. But I really do love the over the top style!

I particularly like their doll dresses as they give you a great swing and they have a longer length to maintain your dignity even while doing an American Spin.

(A small word of caution when ordering online, their sizes are very variable so make sure you check their measurements!)

The party at the market was a fun event with music playing, pinup clientele and a sip of Sailor Jerry’s.

Folks in the party mood

Rails of the lovely dresses

There was also a pop up pin-up photo booth and make up service provided by Rockabetty Studios. They were able to provide ladies with the vintage look in no time and their photographer was downstairs to take photos in the lovely dresses.

Creating the vintage look...

...then capturing it on film

I have had my eye on the Tammy dress in navy for some time, however they only had the red available for me to try on.

Tammy dress in red

Although it was very nice, I do have several similar red dresses like this, so I will probably be ordering the navy version from their online store.

Collectif have also recently branched out in to winter dresses made of velvet, like the Trina. Although I am not typically a fan of this look, the shape of this dress is just so flattering! Sadly they didn’t have the dress in my size either… but at least I can order online!

Trina dress in sky... and a size too small :(

All in all it was a fun event, I wish I had arrived a little earlier so there wasn’t such a big queue for a photo session. Who knows, maybe I will have my own done some time?

P.S. I'd also like to mention the Lego Christmas tree in St. Pancras station. It was pretty cool!