Bunting Beauty

DSCF2095_2 DSCF2105_2 DSCF2106_2Dress: City Chic

Cardigan: Cocolatte

Shoes: Seychelles (via DSW)

I’ve been really good lately at not buying new items for my wardrobe, but I kind of fell off the wagon this week.

I finally popped my Modcloth cherry (there were these SHOES…!) and I also splurged on this totally unnecessary dress from City Chic’s current season. But I COULDN’T resist… It’s printed with BUNTING.

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It’s made of a lovely heavy cotton and is fully lined in cotton too. The back is elastic smocking so that the bodice fits snugly. I’m not usually a big fan of spaghetti straps, but they’re well placed so that black bra straps shouldn’t stand out too badly. And you can adjust the shoulder straps to wear the bodice high or low. If you’re smaller up top than me you might even be able to go sans-bra as there’s moulded cups sewn into the bodice itself.

I love the shape: the sweetheart neckline, the fitted bodice, the full a-line skirt. The fabric is heavy enough that the skirt falls out from my hips – similar to the silhouette of my favourite fit-and-flare skirt. On my 5’4″ frame the skirt hits perfectly at the knee, and the included blue belt sits right at my waist. To be honest, I’ve never had a dress at City Chic fit me this well before – I haven’t had any luck with their legendary skater dresses.

It’s still way too chilly to leave the house without long sleeves, so I picked up the yellow in the bunting flags with a bright yellow cardigan, and teamed it with the yellow pumps I bought in New York.

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Vote #1 Lilli and Mae!

Dress: Leona By Leona Edmiston (via Myer)

Cardigan: Cocolatte

Shoes: Milu

This pretty little daisy print number is from Leona Edmiston’s exclusive line for Myer. I’m going to be honest here, the quality’s not a patch on the regular Leona Edmiston clothing; the jersey’s already fluffing and pilling where it rubs against other items of clothing, and I’ve only worn it twice! But the fit’s good, the style’s lovely, and the print’s pretty cute too. Plus, it was much cheaper than the usual LE lines, so perhaps it’s a case of “you get what you paid for”.

It’s sleeveless, and will be excellent in summer, but it’s cold again in Melbourne at the moment, so I’m taking advantage of my bright yellow cardigan and shoes to pick out the yellow details in the daisies.

Meanwhile, today I discovered something really lovely.

One of my readers nominated me for the Navabi Curvy Blog Award!

This amazing competition is being run until the 30th of November, and the winner will be treated to London Fashion Week trip with a friend…. or a sister.

(This is where I start twisting your arm:)

My little sister, Mae, has never been overseas and one of her lifelong dreams is to see squirrels. One of MY lifelong dreams is to see plus size fashion not only embraced, but absorbed into the general fashion world, and Navabi’s been at the forefront of that. They’ve got a fabulous online boutique with serious designer names like Elena Miro, Robert Cavalli and Anna Scholz and they run a great magazine featuring plus size fashion spreads (where the models are actually CLOTHED! Amaze!)

Both squirrels, and Plus Size fashion are in London in February next year, and with your help (and hopefully if Mae’s chemotherapy schedule allows for it) so could my sister and I be.

I would love to take her.

And I would love to bring you back the exciting new things happening in the fashion industry on the other side of the world.

Would you vote for me? Please? You don’t have to do anything dodgy like give them your email address, or “like” them on Facebook. I’m number 190. All you have to do is click.

navabi Curvy Blog Award 2012