bloomzy /

OOTD: My Beyond Retro Dream Vintage Dress

ootd-beyond-retro-my-dream-vintage-dressDress: Beyond Retro* | Backpack: ASOS | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban*

My dream dress is fitting, yet comfortable. It makes me look taller than my actual 5’3. It accentuates my curves, but isn’t overtly sexy. It’s casual, but can be dressed up easily. Hmm I don’t want much, right? Well I’m beginning to think that my style demands are not actually that obscene. As it would appear that I have found my dream dress. Well, my dream vintage dress at least.

When the lovely Plum from Beyond Retro invited me to their Dalston store I was eager to return to my old neighbourhood. Not only for nostalgia sake, but because she had promised to help me find my perfect vintage dress. Now usually when I buy items from vintage stores I never end up wearing them. Why? Well because I like to treat vintage items like pieces of art. Some are so beautiful I just have to own them, if only to look at them. This time though I was determined to find a dress I would get wear out of. I knew that if anyone could do it, it would be Plum. I mean after all, she did find me my ideal Christmas jumper. After trying on around 20 dresses – I kid you not – I was giving up hope. Until I found it. The perfect LBD (little black dress). No, my dream vintage dress.

Fancy winning a vintage wardrobe full of YOUR dream dresses? Beyond Retro are giving one lucky winner £250 to spend in one of their London stores, and an overnight stay at The Hoxton Hotel (with a friend). Enter at Beyond Retro.

Thank you to V.A who took the photos of me.

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bloomzy /

OOTD: Cherry Blossom Season

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Jacket: Primark | T-shirt: COS | Jeans: Topshop | Trainers: New Balance | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban*

Looking at me now, you’d never guess that my teenage years were spent mixing patterns and colours like an overly eccentric cat lady.  In fact I imagine 15 year old me would have detested the clothing I wear now. It’s funny really how our tastes and looks change. Just a quick peek at my Style Evolution post from a few years ago will show you how much my look has changed in recent years.

That doesn’t mean I’m unhappy with my current personal style at all though. In fact I love my more minimalist approach, as of late. It’s nice to feel stylish without having to worry about trying too hard. I like the idea of grabbing a t-shirt and jeans, and pulling on a leather jacket before rushing out the door (which is exactly what I did the morning these photos were taken). Knowing that actually you’re still going to feel pretty cool even though you didn’t stop to think about it. At the end of the day, I guess it says more about my wardrobe than anything. My resolution of “quality over quantity” (style AND substance) really is working.

 

Photos of me by V.A (chopstickpanorama)

bloomzy /

OOTD: All White on the Night

Shawl* – Oasap | Playsuit – Rare London | Sandals* – Fitflop | Sunglasses* – Ray-Ban | Bracelet – Marc by Marc Jacobs
 
The rainy spell that was cast on England has been lifted…well, for now anyway. The sun shone gloriously this weekend, and I made the most of it by tackling hoards of tourists in Central on Saturday. Thankfully Sunday was much more chilled, and a lot hotter! I knew the time had come to bring out my new playsuit from Rare London.
If you saw my Instagram last week, you’ll know that I find it hard to wear all white. So you’d be surprised that I fell for this lovely little playsuit. The layered top half means it will be flattering for most body shapes, and it gives it a little something extra. Admittedly I still felt slightly awkward when I wore it solo, but I resolved that problem quickly, by wearing my new shawl over top. Which is also good for keeping the sun off my skin (take care of your skin this Summer kids)! I went slightly overboard with accessories on this one – obviously the plain base frightened me slightly and sent my styling skills a little crazy.  Still, I love accessorising with this shawl and I think the simple silver and turquoise necklace goes together perfectly with the rest of the outfit. I threw on one too many rings, and my Marc Jacobs bracelet. My reasoning? I’ve barely worn it and I didn’t want it to feel left out. Finally I put on my favourite sandals, so it didn’t seem too dressy. It wasn’t my intention this time but I think this playsuit would also work well dressed up for the evening. That’s super handy if you’re lazy busy like me, and you don’t have the time to change during the day. Just bring a pair of heels and some statement earrings – boom, you’re done!
Did you make it to the end of this post without being blinded by my pasty white legs?
Well done to you, you get bonus points!
bloomzy /

OOTD: I Feel Blue

Top* – Persun | Trousers* – Persun | Bag* – Persun | Sandals* – FitFlop | Watch – Marc by Marc Jacobs

When you leave a bunch of bloggers alone together you know something is going to be photographed. This time round it meant an impromptu photo shoot at Netil 360, overlooking East London. Balloons and silly poses were the name of the game, as we tried to look as carefree and candid as you possibly can when you’re actually posing in front of a camera. Luckily I had some lovely blogger friends (Alex & Honey) on hand to help me laugh, and just generally act like a fool, whilst they took my outfit photos for me.
The weather was pretty warm on Saturday but it was also slightly deceptive. After spending most of my life in England I wasn’t to be fooled by the sun shining outside my window. Call me pessimistic if you will, but I knew that it was going to be a t-shirt and trouser kind of day. Luckily for me I had these gorgeous items from Persun just lying around, waiting for me to adorn myself with them. I got so many compliments on my ‘I Feel Blue’ top, which certainly didn’t leave me sad. It’s incredibly comfortable and left me feeling pretty chic, when paired with the trousers and more importantly the clutch! Yes, I actually went out for a whole day with only a clutch bag. That was not easy for someone who enjoys shoving their entire life into a bag, but I got by and I felt pretty cool in the process. I finished everything off with my new FitFlops – the comfiest sandals/flip-flops that you will ever find. They actually arrived that morning, which seemed to be a sign that yes, it would finally be warm enough to wear sandals. I love it when comfort meets fashion, because really I’m just an old lady inside who wants to walk around in a nightgown and memory foam slippers 24/7. Thankfully this outfit is slightly more fashionable though.
Thanks to Alex of alexianatouillia for taking these photos.
bloomzy /

OOTD: East London Calling

Sweater – H&M | Trousers – H&M | Bag – Zara | Sandals – Primark | Watch – Marc by Marc Jacobs | Sunglasses* – Ray-Ban

Hanging around East London isn’t anything new for me, I know. So you’d think that I’d be getting a little bored of the area by now, right? It becomes all the more exciting though when I get to share it with someone else. That’s exactly what happened when I met V.A (of Chopstickpanorama) for lunch at Onthebab. We had been meaning to meet for a while so we decided to take advantage of our time. Of course that meant an impromptu photoshoot around Shoreditch in East London. As if it could mean anything else when two bloggers are involved.
It was so nice having another blogger there to take my photos. V.A is a wonderful photographer so she knew exactly what to do. I very much appreciated her guidance and telling me to “stand straight.” I learnt a lot of things from that lovely little lady – thank you V.A. I think I’ve caught the photography bug all over again!
Photos taken by Chopstickpanorama
bloomzy /

Giveaway: Win a Pair of Ray-Ban Sunglasses

Ray-Ban 2132 Wayfarer Sunglasses*
Thankfully after a few days of rain and clouds, we’ve been seeing the sun again. So what better way to celebrate than with a giveaway for a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses? I have always wanted a pair of Ray-Bans. They’re the crème de la crème of sunglasses, so I was very happy when The Sunglasses Shop sent me a pair my way. I chose the Ray-Ban 2132 Wayfarer Sunglasses because I adore tortoiseshell, and it matches my glasses. You get to choose your size, which I didn’t think would make much of a difference. I went for small and when they arrived I was very aware of the size – sunglasses usually fall off my face and look a bit too big, but these were the perfect size for me! The logo on the front/side is subtle, but adds a little something to the sunglasses. The quality is apparent, and I have found myself browsing the site for my next pair already. My fiancé has already tried to steal these from me, so I know they’re a hit. I love them, and I’m so happy to finally have a pair.
What can you win?
1 Pair of Ray-Ban Sunglasses from the Sunglasses Shop.

How to enter:
+ Be a follower of ‘Bloomzy’ via Bloglovin
+ Earn extra entries on Twitter, Facebook etc.
– Entrants who do not follow the rules will be disqualified.
– Twitter accounts created purely for giveaways will be disqualified.
This giveaway is open internationally.
Running for 8 days (ending 19th April at 12am).
The prize is provided by and will be sent out by Sunglasses Shop.