New Years Party Dress

When it comes to buying a new party dress,  I am not really one for wearing sparkle and glitz.  Every time I have bought a sparkly dress for Christmas it invariably ends up sitting in my wardrobe for a year until I get it out the next Christmas and decide I need something new.

This year for New Year's Eve I wanted to find a party dress that had a wow factor but that I would still be able to wear to other parties and functions throughout the year.  Enter the beautiful Briar Rose Dress from Taking Shape

The dress is true to size and is 43" in length.  The attention to detail with the finishing of this dress for me what takes it over the edge into special.  The mesh cowl neck insert with beading into the v neck  and the way that the belt is stitched in order to create a perfect bow without having to try; I love it.

I am wearing the dress with some sparkly heels from +Simply Be  (I did give in to sparkle a little) and my gorgeous rose quartz necklace from +Joshua James Jewellery which I reviewed here

I cannot wait to wear this dress when I go out for New Years Eve.  I feel elegant and sophisticated in it and with the lovely swoosh this dress gives when you do a twirl, I may even take to the dancefloor!

* This item was gifted to me, but all opinions are my own.

New Dress Wishlist

It has been a while since I had a good look around at the various brands to see what new dresses catch my eye.  I had a bit of time to spare tonight so I decided to have a browse and do a little wishlist of my current favourites.

First up is a gorgeous red lovely from +Yours Clothing

I am a sucker for a red dress and I love the pattern of this Glitter Flocked Skater Dress and for £35.00, what a bargain!

Next up is the stunning Briar Rose Dress from Taking Shape.  I love the black accents and as you will know if you have read my blog before, give my a floral print and I am happy.  This is £99.00.

Next is the Claire Richards spot mesh prom dress from +Fashion World   This is such a classic look and would be perfect for the Christmas party season.  

Adding a little va va voom to my wishlist is the +ASOS Paper Dolls Plunge Neckline Pencil Dress priced at £58.00.  You cannot go wrong with a monochrome theme and the neckline detailing is just gorgeous.

Finally, I have a dress that I recently spotted on the beautiful George from FullerFigureFullerBust and I have been lusting after ever since.  This is the +Scarlett Jo red floral jersey dress from Evans which is currently on sale for £40.50.

That is it for my wishlist today, hope you have liked my choices!!

Magnificent 7th

We will be posting on the 7th of each month, and the aim of the challenge is to create an outfit to fit the theme, using clothes from our wardrobes, and yes that does mean digging deep into the depths and finding those long lost clothes! Hopefully one of us won’t end up in Narnia, but you never know with a bloggers wardrobe!

This month’s theme is dressing in the style of your favourite celebrity.  Now I can't really say that I have a favourite celebrity.  I don't particular immerse myself in celebrity culture or gossip magazines so am winging this a little.  I decided to go with Jennifer Lawrence in the end as I like her style, she seems to fall over a lot (like me) and seems to be the kind of girl that you would have a great time with.

When I have looked at Jennifer's style she always looks great in bright colours and isn't afraid to show a little cleavage so as such, I decided to show you a dress that I got some time ago, but haven't yet worn.

You can find the Enchanted Lands Dress at Taking Shape for £39.00.  On the website the dress looks a lot shorter than on me.  I am 5ft4 and the dress lands midway between my ankle and knee.  The sizing is spot on and the material is lovely and airy.

I love the vibrant colours of this dress and I don't even mind the hanky hem.  

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Taking Shape Tropica Maxi Dress

When I went to visit the Taking Shape Store in Southport a few weeks ago, one of the dresses that I ended up coming away with was the Tropica Maxi Dress  Not only was the dress right on the money for the tropical print, it also gave the illusion when I looked in the mirror that I was taller than I actually am.

This is not to be confused with Jurassic Park and the "dinosaurs are closer than they actually are" mirror sign.  I am not a dinosaur, just a short girl who likes to look tall.

Anyhow....... I was going out for a meal tonight and so decided to take a few pictures and show you what it looks like.  I may take the length up very slightly, not because there is anything wrong with it, but more than I can and will trip over anything remotely near my feet.

Sizing wise I would say that you can probably size down one.  I like to have roominess in my clothes so stayed to my usual.  For height reference with the length of the dress, I am 5ft4.  

As you can see, the neckline has some lovely beading detail which looks like a necklace, hence no need to wear one!  

I wore the dress today with some simple sparkly black flat sandals but you could easily take this dress from day to night by adding jewellery and a pair of heels.

I have a feeling that this is going to be my go to dress for the summer.  What to wear when you have five minutes to get out of the door and still look stylish?  The dress that does it all for you of course!

Taking Shape Store Visit

I was recently asked if I wanted to check out the Taking Shape Southport store to have an appointment with their personal stylist and try on some of their pieces. 

Now to start off I should say that I can't even remember the last time that I did a shopping trip in the high street. Where I live there is nowhere that I can shop and I have been buying online for probably the past six or seven years.  I had completely forgotten what the "in store" experience was like and I confess, I was more than a little nervous.

I need not have worried.  My stylist Sharon was absolutely lovely and immediately put me right at ease.  I had a look around the store prior to my styling session and was very impressed with what I saw.   What particularly impressed me was the amount of frankly fantastic jewellery available (I would wear all of it) and the fact that many of the clothing items had been styled with a necklace or accessory to give you an idea of how it would look like on.

After a restorative coffee we headed to the spacious changing rooms which were airy and well set out.  I still remember the horrors of changing rooms from years ago, ill shutting curtains, no room to move around etc etc!  There were lots of mirrors and a comfortable sofa which made you want to linger rather than hurriedly try something on and make a quick decision.

Here are some of the outfits I tried on.  I have tried to link where I can!

Cria Dress £39.00

I have previously seen this dress on Betty Pamper and it was my first choice for trying on.  The fit was just right and I loved the leopard print touches throughout the patterning.  It has gone on my "To Buy" List!

Honor Dress £39.00

This dress has a very strong floral print to it and makes quite a statement on, which I like.  This type of dress I would probably wear for work.  Yes, I dress up for work but hey, why not!

Tropical Maxi Dress £49.00
I loved loved loved this dress.  For some clever reason I can't tell you it makes me look taller and I loved the necklace detailing to the neckline.  This came home* with me, ready for Summer time frolics!

Enchanted Lands Dress £40.00

I am gutted that we didn't manage to get a great photograph of this dress as it was one of my favourites of the day and one that I took home* with me.

Lexa Dress - £45.00

I really wanted to try this dress as I haven't worn a stripe print before and was interested to see how it would look.  I really loved the dress and personally, I loved the stripes!

Annabell Pullover £35.00
Bella Vista Trousers £29.00

This was without a doubt the surprise outfit of the day.  I NEVER wear trousers and have never worn orange before but the combination just seemed to work perfectly.  I felt stylish and yet comfortable.  Both items have also gone on my shopping list as I regretted leaving them behind as soon as I got home!

Gigli Pullover £45.00
Summer Night's Necklace £15.00
Visa Versa Trousers £39.00

After trying the previous combination I then moved on to the above outfit.  I loved the trousers which were silky to the touch and had a drawstring at the bottom in order to create different looks.

Looming Necklace £10.00
Water Colour Dress £55.00

This was such a pretty dress and the picture doesn't quite do it justice.  It was a fabulously swooshy dress, yes, that's a word :)  I just wanted to spin around and around in it.

Olivia Dress £39.00

I absolutely love a paisley print but am not quite sure I can get away with it in this dress.  What do you think?

Uninhabited Tee £35.00

One thing I do want to talk about is the lengths of the dresses.  One constant irritant of mine is that so many of the dresses that have been around for the past few seasons are at that length where tights or leggings are needed.  

All of the dresses I tried on were knee length or just below, basically hitting me exactly where I wanted (I am 5ft4).  When wearing a pretty dress I don't want to wear leggings (just my personal preference) so I could happily wear any of these dresses bared legged, as I have in the photographs.

All in all I had a brilliant couple of hours at the Taking Shape store.  The theme tune to Pretty Woman was playing on repeat in my head and I have never had so much fun trying on clothes in a shop before.

Taking Shape's clothing is all about interesting cuts, bold prints and patterns and completely works with the way I love to dress.  If I ever win the lottery, just pack up the whole store and I would be good to go!

* I was not paid to write this review of the Taking Shape store, however I was gifted two items as denoted with the * above.

Taking Shape S/S Collection

I was recently contacted by Taking Shape and given the opportunity to check out their Spring/Summer collection in their latest lookbook.

 

Alla Buinowicz is the head of this brand and she has shared her styling tips for the upcoming season:

 

"This Spring shoppers should start with a single base colour. This could be black leggings, a top or a dress and then add brighter colour over the top layering items or statement jewellery for a more on trend look. Pieces like a colourful necklace and statement jacket give the outfit an injection of personality without becoming messy this way."

 

What I love about Taking Shape is that they are not just selling you clothes, they care about how they look on the customer and in fact offer free styling sessions in store.  For someone not yet sure of their own style, someone looking to change things up or even just to get another perspective, this is a fantastic service to offer.

 

I've had the opportunity to check out some of the clothes in their lookbook and there are some great pieces.  Their collection is full of bold prints and gorgeous patterns, just right for the woman who likes to stand out from the crowd and look confident while she is doing it!

 

Here are a few images I have been allowed to share from the lookbook, I am sure that you will love the rest of the collection too.

 

 

Cardinal Coat Review *

As a teenager and into my twenties I was never a fan of coats.  Maybe it is something to do with being a Northern girl, but outerwear and I never really agreed and I could never find a coat or jacket that enticed me to wear it.

Now I’ve reached my thirties my attitude has changed.  Quite possibly due to the number of years I have stood shivering at bus stops but these days, warm, cozy and stylish coats are always at the top of my wish list.

Today I have to show you a new grey and black speckled coat from Taking Shape.  I tend to wear a lot of different colours and patterns in my workwear and so was looking for a coat that would go with everything.

The Cardinal Coat has a large collar which keeps me warm in the cold months and the fabric is just the right thickness to be neither too cold or too warm.  The fit comes up a little bigger on me than usual but that said, I always like a little more room in my Winter coats to allow for the inevitably needed extra layers of clothing.

I am 5ft 4 and as you can see the coat falls to slightly below the knee.  There is stitch detailing to the sides and around the pockets and it has an asymmetric hemline.  For some reason every coat I have liked this season has not had pockets so it is a relief to have somewhere to put my gloves and MP3 player; essentials on a cold trip to work!

The only small downside that I have noticed about this coat is that there is only one large button to fasten it and on a windy day the coat does tend to fly open.  Also, due to my large bosom and very short waist the placement of the button doesn't sit well on my body.

I'm a firm believer that fashion should work for you, not the other way round.  I love the coat and would not let the placement of a button stop me wearing it so I decided to see what I could change.  The coat looks fantastic unbuttoned but also I found that by closing it at a lower point, this suited me much better.   As such, I have removed the button and have attached two inside press studs which close a few inches lower.

The result is as you see below.  The Cardinal coat works perfectly for me and I feel brilliant wearing it.  It goes with everything I have worn it with and have had compliments on how it looks.   

I'm sure on a different body shape the coat will look perfect off the rack, but this is how it worked best for me.  You can find the Cardinal Coat here priced at £125.00 which for at coat that will go with everything and is a timeless shape and colour, is a good investment piece.

* This coat was gifted to me by Taking Shape however the opinion and review is my own.

Kaleidoscope Dress Review

Towards the end of last year I was contacted by the lovely Sarah of Taking Shape asking if I wished to have a look at some of their pieces and of course, I jumped at the chance.

Taking Shape is a brand that has branched out from their Australian market over to the UK and I have been impressed with the range that they have available.  I am also told that they offer styling advice in each of their stores which is in a definite bonus in my book.

I chose this dress because I was immediately drawn to the vibrant pattern and the shaping of the dress which I thought would suit my shape.  I tend to be drawn towards dresses that are multi purpose and can be dressed up or down for a variety of occasions and the Kaleidoscope Dress all of the boxes for me.

I feel fantastic in this dress and have actually already worn it twice, once to a party and once dressed down a little to work (you know me, never knowingly underdressed!)

You can currently buy the dress on sale at Taking Shape for the bargain price of £19.00 so I would highly recommend that you and grab yourself a bargain!

*This dress has been gifted to me however all opinions are my own