Pollock

P1020747_2 P1020756_2 P1020757_2 P1020758_2

 Blouse: Dorothy Perkins

Skirt: Eliza Parker (remixed)

Belt: DIY

Shoes: Marks & Spencer

I feel like I should apologise for how lax I’ve been with replying to comments for the last two posts! I’m really sorry – I love getting them, and I usually try and reply to everyone personally, but with the packing, and the selling, and the moving, and the back-at-working it’s one of the jobs that’s fallen by the wayside somewhat

Let me say thank you to everyone who takes the time to leave me a comment. Hopefully I can get a bit back to normal again soon, and it won’t be so one-sided.

This outfit looks a bit incomplete and unbalanced… I really needed a navy blue bead necklace to wear with the peter pan collared shirt, but ALAS the one that I strung around my neck suffered a critical failure and broke, sending beads helter skelter around the apartment as I was dashing out the door.

I left Suki knocking them under chairs and tables as I was running late, and didn’t collect them until the afternoon, which is why I’m sans necklace in todays outfit post.

Anyhoo, if I’m not looking entirely delighted with myself, it’s for that reason!

For what it’s worth I am still loving this skirt, and I’m so glad I made the decision to have it remixed from the original dress. The print on it reminds me a little of Jackson Pollock; his wonderful, exuberant, splashy paintings have a similar feel. It also reminds me a leeeeeetle of this dress, which I spotted in the Asos Curve range and decided I loved. It looks like it might have a petticoat attached (“layered skirt”. Means layers, right?) and the length’s quoted as being 37.5″ long, so it might be another case of the stock photo being crotch-flashingly short, while the hem of the real deal is actually much more friendly to the knee-shy. It’s happened before.

On that basis, I’m OH SO tempted to buy it, even though I have enough dresses to last a lifetime, and I’m moving in a matter of weeks. But guys! Wouldn’t it look great with a bright yellow cardigan? I have one of those… all I need is the dress!

I won’t try to bulldoze you all into trying to convince me to buy it (oh, go on then) so maybe someone else could buy it instead, then wear it with bright yellow accessories, and I could like vicariously? Yes?

Off topic, sorry. Meanwhile, did you see my belt? I made another ribbon bow belt just like the turquoise one, except this belt has a double bow.

P1020769_2

I’ve been toying with the idea of making them to order and selling them online in an attempt to supplement my pay check, since I’m trying VERY HARD to save up the money for a trip to New York some time in the Not Too Distant Future. I feel a bit squicky asking people to pay for my amateur fumblings at sewing, but I’m getting a bit more practiced at these belts now, and I’d probably pay money for them myself if I saw them at a craft market.

P1020770_2My earrings were a Christmas gift, and I LOVE them. They’re almost identical to a pair I gave the gifter last Christmas, and every time I saw her wearing them I wanted to snatch them from her earlobes and run down the street before she could catch me, so when she asked me what I wanted for Christmas I sheepishly admitted I wanted earring Just. Like. Hers. To my delight they suit me nearly as well as they suit her, and if they weren’t already in my earlobes I’d feel like performing a snatch-and-run on myself.

The Real Teal

Dress: Eliza Parker

Belt: DIY

Shoes: Chie Mihara

You’re seeing a bit of this belt, lately, aren’t you? And these shoes! I must be on a bit of a teal and blue trend.

This dress was very generously sent to me by Jessica Tenaglia from Eliza Parker for review at the same time as she sent the beautiful Portofino dress for my little sister. (Mae LOVES it, Jess – thank you so much!)

It’s the “Madrid” dress, and the colour block styling is very on trend at the moment. It’s also available in Magenta/Purple, Magenta/Black, Purple/Black and Royal/Black and is currently on sale.

The way Jess has constructed the dress – with the contrast colours in two bands down the sides – is designed to lengthen and slim the body. The fabric’s a soft and wearable ponti, and the dress just slips on over the head, making it comfortable and easy to wear.

I’m not too fussed about the “slimming” aspect of the dress, but comfort’s a definite plus – especially when you consider how office-appropriate the dress is. In my new job I’ve been spending a lot more time sitting at a desk, and in my usual attire I often find I’ve got a well-crumpled butt by the end of the day, and the waistbands on a lot of my dresses cut in when I’m sitting down. This dress is perfectly comfortable all day, and still looks good enough after eight hours at my desk that I can go straight to a party or dinner without having to go home and change first.

It’s definitely on the larger side of the size chart, so if you’re thinking about getting one, I’d definitely recommend sizing down.

And if you had your eye on this, or any of the other dresses on the site (like, oh, I don’t know… the WONDERFUL Vineyard dress) then I’d encourage you to hop to it, and place an order in the next day or so as Jessica’s offering a 35% discount with the code FRIDAYSAVE35, but it only runs until the 26th of November!

Finally, thank SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to vote in the Navabi Curvy Blogger competition. Public voting closed earlier today and I’m absolutely delighted to tell you all that I made it into the finals. I’m so blown away by the support that I’ve got from you guys – thank you so much! Now the top ten blogs go to a judging panel, so hopefully they like what they see here at Frocks and Frou Frou! I’ll keep you posted!