Tag Archives: dress

Love for Lurex + the great Heist

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I’ve got another double-header post for you today, with two UK based brands that I think are absolutely killing it at the moment: Elvi and Heist.

Dress: Elvi Clothing

Shoes: Rockport

 

First up is my favourite new inclusive clothing brand, Elvi. With classic styles, contemporary pieces, affordable prices, and a policy of doing every item in sizes from 8 to 28 Elvi has rocketed to the top of my shopping list lately.

They’re pitching themselves straight at the fashion-conscious 30+ market, which means that you get a lot of classic styles with a bit of an edge. There’s still the odd cold-shoulder (when will this trend die?) but by and large what’s on offer at Elvi is well designed, on-trend, clothes that are designed to be worn for more than one season, and I for one am here for it.

I’ve been ogling their clothes for a couple of seasons now, and have regretted many missed opportunities that live on wistfully in my Pinterest feed, but as soon as I saw this dress I knew I had to add it to my wardrobe.

I like pastels, and I like pink, and I really like pleats, and if you throw all three of those things into a dress, then make it glitter I will basically love you forever.

The Rica Toggle Dress from Elvi is a dreamy 70’s style blush confection with an elasticised waist, and functional golden toggles on the belt and sleeves that allow you to tighten and loosen at will. It’s collared, so you can throw a cardigan or sweater over the top and dress it down, but it’s the perfect dress for destination weddings (it doesn’t crush), picnics (it’s super comfortable), and candlelight dinners (it’s so sparkly).

If you’re imaging this little darling in your own wardrobe Elvi‘s given me a 20% off code to share – Lilli20% – which brings it down to a very reasonable $68AUD.

Or maybe you’re tempted by something else on the site? Right now I’m obsessing over the Aspanina blouse, the Fonic Maxi Dress, and the Evelyn Organza midi dress (which, note to self, would make an amazing and affordable wedding dress if you happened to be looking for something casual).

I don’t say this terribly often, but it’s well worth exploring the Elvi site beyond the shop, too. One of my favourite things about the brand is their commitment to a broad range of sizes – not just in offering them, providing product photos of both straight and plus size women wearing the same style, and making sure everyone’s paying the same price – but in including them in their marketing material.Take a look at the Elvi blog for some beautifully shot campaigns with models of all sizes, interviews with interesting women, and styling ideas.

 

So that’s Elvi.

The second half of my post today is about Heist, which I’m reviewing by popular demand.

Heist‘s been on my radar for a while now, but it seemed to be one of those too-good-to-be-true products. Tights that don’t cut in, roll down, or suffer from crotch creep? C’mon.

I’m a Sonsee devotee, as you know, and I’ll probably always be a Sonsee devotee, but… guys… Heist.

They’re UK based, they cost an arm and a leg, their stock levels are inconsistent, they only come in black and beige, and they’re so so good.

My ordering experience went like this:

‘Oh, that’s out of stock in my size….Oh that’s out of stock in my size too…. Hmn, so’s that. OK, so I can order those. and this one…. Sorry, it’s going to be how much? These tights had better be worth it.’

But, dear reader, they were.

Clearly a lot of the money is going into packaging, because what arrived on my doorstep a couple of weeks later was the most impeccably over the top packaged pantyhose I’ve ever seen.

First there was the box:

Inside the box were elegantly packaged envelopes:

Underneath the elegantly packaged parcels were individual linen drawstring bags:

And (I was quite excited by this point) inside the black envelopes were both my tights and instructions for how to put them on:

I live-tweeted it (I mentioned I was quite excited, right?)

It went:

And the next day, my verdict was:

So, nearly a month of consistent wear later, I’m delighted to say that the official verdict on Heist tights is: WORTH IT.

We’re at the start of tight season here in Australia. Do yourself a favour, and treat yourself to a pair. You won’t regret it.

Homesewn Hues

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Moneta Dress: DIY from Colette Patterns & Spoonflower fabric

Belt: Trenery

Cardigan: Princess Highway

Shoes: Funkis Melbourne

 

It has been such a pleasure to get back into my sewing again. I’ve been experimenting with some new patterns, having a go a frankensteining some of my own, and dusting off a few old favourites.This is one of the latter.

I’ve made, er, I think five Moneta dresses now: Black cats, cockatoos, whales, a plain black one, and now this one. The pattern is starting to get that really fragile feel to it, so I’m going to have to transcribe it onto new paper if I want to keep sewing it. Which, obviously, I do.

Since Gorman‘s collaboration with Australian artist Dana Kinter I’ve been on the look-out for fabric that features native floral motifs (ideally from an Australian artist). If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I recently discovered the mother-load with Nerida Hansen (oh my God, more on that in a future post), but for a knit fabric it’s really Spoonflower or bust.

I’ve had a lot of luck with Spoonflower in the past – it’s expensive, but the range is unparalleled, the quality is fine (usually), and artists from all over the work can sell their designs there.

The fabric that I picked for this version of the Moneta dress was from Kara Cooper of Mount Vic and Me. It’s a gorgeous graphic design that features brightly coloured Australian wildflowers, gum nuts, and blossoms and leaves on a rich black background.

Errr…. that’s a black background. Guys? Black?

This is not a black background. And this is not the result of overzealous washing either, it arrived in my mailbox this colour.

And, look, it’s fine. And I’m pretty sure it’s just the fabric that I picked (cotton-spandex jersey, for the record), but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was a bit cross. I don’t think I’ll be buying another black-pigmented fabric from Spoonflower again, or at least not in the cotton jersey.

Still, the design is everything I hoped it would be, and once I got over my disappointment I realised how nicely the muted colours worked with a blush cardigan (or a yellow cardigan, or a grey cardigan).

And it goes beautifully with my new yellow clogs.

I bought a pair of Swedish Hasbeen clogs a good five years ago from Modcloth, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I can probably count the number of times I’ve worn them on one hand. I knew they were going to be a commitment: You have to break them in, the internet told me, then they’ll be the most comfortable shoes you own. And I tried (sort of) but they were so uncomfortable after such short periods of time that I never got past the breaking-in stage.

I’d heard better reports from people about Funkis clogs, so when the team at Funkis Melbourne offered me a pair to road-test I thought I’d give them a whirl.

I got the Gertrude clogs in the mustard colour in my usual size 39 and guys, they’re great. Everything that I’d hoped for from the Hasbeens and more.

They have a thicker rubber sole than the Hasbeens, and I can barely feel the road through them when I’m striding. The thicker sole also means that you don’t get as much of that unmistakable clop-clop noise that usually accompanies clogs. The leather is a little bit softer, and softens more quickly, and they seem a little wider in the foot, which is good for me. The strap’s just a teensy bit shorter than I’d ideally like, but it’s loosening a bit with wear and I have very high arches, so it might not be an issue for many others.

The first day I wore them I packed a spare pair of shoes (just in case) but it turned out I didn’t need them. They were perfectly wearable from the first step, and only started rubbing a little by the end of a hot 9 hour day. Every day that I’ve worn them since they’ve been more and more comfortable. In fact I’m so enamoured with them I’m pretty tempted to treat myself to a second pair. What do you reckon? The Josefina, or the Tilda? Or both?