Mini Post: Poodles in Paris - Clumsy Kate tee

I am back with another exciting installment on the blog - this adorable little poodle tee from Clumsy Kate. This company is but a mere 15 miles away from where I live and the owner, Kate (who is a self-proclaimed clumsy being!), designs and creates fun kitsch vintage and retro-inspired bits and bobs. There are a selection of tees including a tipsy pink elephant and a mexican pinata! She also has various other things to offer such as head scarves, purses, glasses case, jewellery and mugs.

'Wild Child' - Vivien of Holloway Jezebel dress

 Once I find a brand that I love, I get obssessed. So those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that I often feature Vivien of Holloway in my OOTD posts. I love them for their fit, quality and extensive range of colour and design choice. I was over the moon when they said they wanted to send me a little something to share with you guys on my blog!

Erstwilder at Christmas

Erstwilder is a much talked about brand over here on Alice in Retrospect, so I wanted to share my latest goodies with you guys over Christmas. The Erstwilder company is now closed for Christmas, so sit back and relax whilst you're eating your turkey (or veggies) and plan which Erstwilder piece(s) you're gonna get with your Christmas money - I've already got a long list ready for January!

The Golden Tiki - Review of She's Dynamite sarong dress

You may have been tricked into thinking Tiki is a summer style, but oh no... you are wrong! It might be cold out (not as cold as it should be for Christmas over here in the UK) but tiki is a style that can be rocked all year round, with added layers of course! This post is all about the tiki sarong from She's Dynamite.

The Prettiest Dress - Review of The Pretty Dress Company & Splendette

Today's blog post is about the beautiful Marnie pencil dress from The Pretty Dress Company. This online boutique is a UK-based company that brings vintage inspired garments to the modern woman. Their range is sizes 6-18 (6 and 18 are pre-order only) and priced from £49 and upwards with not only dresses on offer but skirts and bustiers, too! First impressions when browsing the website was how elegant each dress looked, whilst also many of the styles being available in different colours/prints.

A Merry Mid-Century Christmas!

Long time no blog! I am so sorry for being a bad blogger recently. Since starting my new job (actual big grown up job), my 12.5 hour shifts keep me both really busy and really tired! I hope you can forgive me with a slap on the wrist but I'm back on track. 

With Christmas fast approaching (it's the 1st December tomorrow, what the heck?!) I am getting into the festive mood on the blog. I think I might even be giving my blog a little festive theme! 

Lately, I have been trying to give my bedroom more of a mid-century look and it got me thinking, where on the high street can I get that 50s aesthetic without paying the expensive prices?

'Up To No Good' - Mischief Made Tees

Mischief Made is a company based in California, USA and is owned by the ever-so-lovely Yuri who is originally from Tokyo, Japan. She designed all the lovely t-shirts featured herself and has a great selection available in her Etsy shop. The designs have the feel of a mix of classic vintage and traditional tattoos - two things which I love! 

'Girls date' tee - I love the poodles that are enjoying their lunch!

I was lucky enough to be sent two of the new t-shirt designs: 'Harlequin Dancers' and 'Native American Girl'

Beatnik Babe - Goldie's Capri Pants

Bonjour! Here I am with my next installment of Goldie's magic! If you didn't see my recent post about the Cinderella dress from Goldie's Clothing then click here to have a ganders.

- Yes, that is the Grease soundtrack! -

Now...you've seen my princess side so it's time to show you my bad girl bombshell look with these drop dead gorgeous black capri pants from Goldie's, which can be bought directly here. They're so fitted you could kill a man just by wiggling your booty (believe me, I've done it!).

- One of the gorgeous models on Goldie's website -

The Cinderella Affair - Goldie's Clothing

Hello! Long time, no blog! I have been really busy over the past fortnight with my brand new grown up job so I apologise profusely for the lack of posts. I am now back in business now that I have settled into my new routine. 

Goldie's Clothing is a vintage and pinup inspired clothing company based in Barcelona, Spain. I wasn't sure what they were going to be sending me so I was excited to see what goodies would arrive in the post.
 

Erstwilder 'Eau de Toilette' - New Website Launch!

Erstwilder have just launched their BRAND NEW website which not only allows you to browse over 300 Erstwilder designs, but also lets you purchase them! WARNING: Incredibly dangerous for your savings! To visit the brand new site, click here. The new website is nice and simple to navigate and has a search option to bring you to 'yo thang'. You can also use the drop down menu under 'shop' to search themes, animals, colours etc.

The wonderful Erstwilder team were kind enough to send me some pieces to share with you guys to celebrate the new website launch. I shall be sharing all of these pieces over the next fortnight, starting with...

Marine Madness - Banjo & Cake

My collaboration with Banjo & Cake was something a little different to what I have done before as I wanted to feature their 'Sea Garden' collection, with both a skirt and...a bikini! These together made an adorable little three piece as they are matching prints. Banjo & Cake are a company very much inspired by the rockabilly, pinup and tattoo scene as noted with their polka dot prints, kitsch patches and juicy cherries! I wanted to choose a bikini because they are just so darn cute! Below are the two bikinis available to purchase from Too Fast.

 

Donna Bikini - Sea Garden

Donna Bikini - Bows and Anchors

Mini Post: Happy in Harlequin - Top 5 Wish List

 Ever since I first saw the harlequin Jenny skirts and dresses, I have fallen in love with the print. This blog post is all about where to find harlequin prints within the pinup fashion world...

- Me wearing the Pinup Girl harlequin Jenny skirt -

Much Ado About Milkshake - Erstwilder Brooches

Well, my blog ain't exactly Shakespeare quality but I do love a good milkshake! 
Erstwilder is an Australian company that specialises in incredible jewellery made out of resin. They have many of quirky and unique designs including animals and food in a range of bold and beautiful colours and patterns. Below are a couple of examples of some designs which I am dying to get my hands on! 

- Paige the Prancing Poodle & Farrah the French Cat -

A Glamorous Affair

I was looking for a pair of heels to wear to my fellow British Belle, Sophie's birthday party which holds the theme of 1950s Hollywood Glamour. I knew that I wanted original vintage as they always have a special feel to them, and to picture somebody wearing them 60 years ago to dance in and then giving them life makes me happy. My dress is a 1950s salmon pink prom dress, and as I was planning to wear pearl and silver accessories, I needed some silver shoes. 

Hollywood Haute - Style Icon's Closet LBD

Every woman needs a black dress in her closet. It has been a timeless piece of fashion for centuries. Marlene Dietrich and Audrey Hepburn show us below how to do evening elegance extravagance. 

Betsy Hatter - 'Elspeth' Straw Hat

The wonderful Betsy Hatter was kind enough to make me one of the hats from her range. Each piece is hand made by her in Norwich, East of England. Millinery is a beautiful craft which takes lots of time and skill and I was over the moon that she agreed to collaborate.

'Gemma' hat | Model: Samantha Skouros | Photo: Denise Bradley

Bespoke One Off Pieces | Model: Acid Doll | Photo: Onirique

Vintage Hair pincurl sculpture tool

Bonjour mes petit amis! Hopefully my YouTube tutorial isn't as bad as my French! 

A little while ago, the company Vintage Hair kindly sent me this little tool to review on my blog. The video is posted below (excuse my derpy face):

Mini Post - Tuesday's Tummy Treats!

Happy Tuesday!
I know we're all feeling a little glum to be back at work after the bank holiday weekend but if you need a little cheering up then carry on reading this post to fill your hunger because this post is all about food-themed clothes and accessories! Click the images to go to the websites.

Mini Post: Bangin' Bangles!

I have been going a little bangle crazy lately. Charity shops are choc-full of them so I always keep my eyes peeled for cute wooden or plastic ones. If you are super lucky you might get some Bakelite or lucite treasures. For the online shops, that are several places you can purchase some incredible bangles for a great price:

Banned Wanderlust Swing Dress

Now if you know me, I LOOOOOVE a little bit of tropical print. So when Banned said they were going to send me something from their new Spring Summer 2015 line, I was dead excited. Myself and several of the British Belles were lucky enough to see a sneak peek at the London Edge show and we were certainly not disappointed! Here are just a few snippets below of some of the incredible prints to offer: