Memory Lane, We're Here Again, Back to the Day.

Wearing: Heart Swing Dress from Carousel*,

Gold Brogues from Primark and Gloves are vintage.

How completely whimsical and fanciful is this beautiful dress from Carousel? Once again, while the world is completely roaring twenties mad because of The Great Gatsby, I'm still stuck in the fifties. I don't mind, I've always done things differently. When I knew this beautiful dress was on it's way to me I immediately knew when I was going to wear it and, last Saturday, I frolicked off to Wembley Arena for the very first time to spend the night singing and dancing to my favourite band McFly. Having read that  their theme was the 1950's I knew I wanted to dress up for it whether anyone else did or not and this dress was the perfect number as it reminded me of that stunning dress Lea Thompson wore as Lorraine Baines in Back to the Future. When I first stepped out in this Phil gave me a smile and told me how much I suited the style - I'm a lucky girl. 

It fits like an absolute dream! It has an elasticated back that lends to contouring to your body in the right places whilst making sure it flares out everywhere else. I love the beautiful peach/pink colour with the kitsch cream heart print which is also infused with tiny little polka dots. The fold over neckline, the ruched thick straps and the full knee length skirt are the perfect classic touches and, if you put all these features together you get an item of clothing that is really aesthetically pleasing! I've decided that I'm going to glam up this dress for Phil's cousin's wedding in a couple of weeks, so suggestions on a postcard please.

Carousel have some of the most beautiful dresses I've ever seen, no exaggeration. While adhering to and acknowledging current trends, Carousel choose to work with independent brands with unique styles and twists while remaining essentially classic meaning they offer things that you'll be hard pushed to find anywhere else. Their selection is stunning and rivals what the high street stores can churn out undoubtedly; an absolute must-peep for vintage styled lovers. 

The gig was amazing by the way, I won't go into it too much but as I get older I get softer and I was an emotional wreck. It's McFly's 10 year anniversary this year after all and I've grown up with them every step of the way. Anyone who has a band or a film or a following that means something to them will understand whether or not you agree on the 'thing' at hand.

Do you like little gem shops like this? Do you find it refreshing to find such different styles or do you simply prefer the high street? 

Google+ Hangout with Swimwear 365 and Stylist Helen Boyle.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to take part in a Google+ hangout with Swimwear365, beautiful stylist Helen Boyle and some wonderful bloggers to talk this years hot swimwear and holiday trends. If you're jetting off someplace nice but not sure what style swimwear to go for, then watch our little hangout below to get in the know. Everything from prints, colours, cuts and embellishments to skin tone, hair colour, body shapes and problem areas were covered. 

Swimwear 365 cater for a range of shapes and sizes with '100s of styles to suit every body'. They have a really handy shape calculator which need 3 simple measurements; bust, waist and hips, to tell you which body shape you are. Armed with this new information and a sudden brazen attitude to head for a bikini over a one piece for the very first time in my life, my key question to Helen was about what I should be looking out for, for a size 14/16 hourglass figure. During the chat it became apparent that vintage and retro styles are great for my figure as it matches the 'classic' 50's hourglass look, these styles are also great because they aren't too scary or garish. In order to keep myself in proportion and balanced, matching prints on the top and bottom are great and slightly draw attention away from my non perfect belly. With my pale skin I need to avoid really harsh extreme colours like white, black, neons or block colours; navy and white is much more gentle for my skin tone and blend beautifully rather than stand in stark contrast with one another. I'm a great student aren't I?

After the hangout we were invited over to the Swimwear 365 website and asked to choose ourselves a little something. After my mini consultation with Helen regarding what to go for I plucked up the courage in a now or never sense and headed straight for the bikini section. Taking Helen's advice I picked out this classic polka dot number, it's similar to the one she chose for me but with slightly wider sided bottoms to hold in all my wobbly bits. 

Lascana Navy Vintage Polka Dot Bikini*

I absolutely love it and it fits perfectly. As you'll see below I've a huge thing for vintage and retro swimwear styling so this is perfect. The quality of the fabric is fantastic, it's thick, lined and padded so no risk of nips being on show or thinking it'll go see through as soon as it touches water. The small strip of fabric between the cups is essential to bring some definition which is great for a bigger busted lady like myself, it's not only flattering but helps to keep the blighters where they belong! Keeping with security and the avoidable flip-flop fatalities, the straps are thick and secure which follow right under the arm to join with boned sides and a thick strip under the bust; there's also a great clasp at the back - no Carry On Camping moment for me!

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Swimwear365 are also hosting a wee competition over on their blog where you can win a spa day for two at a Bannatynes Spa, lovely! It closes on 20th May which is this Monday, so dive in if you want to get involved. You can find out more information here.

Lascana Vintage Polka Dot Bikini // Joe Browns Polka Dot 50's Tankini // White Bold Sunglasses;

Gold Coloured Pendent Necklace // Buffalo London Hot Pants // Joe Browns Gingham Dress;

Tamaris Beige Patent Wedge Sandals // City Walk White Lace Up Pumps // Lotus Cream Bow Bag;

I never tire of classic styles and, as Helen said in the styling session, classic vintage and retro styles never get old. Whenever I think vintage swimwear I always think of the beautiful 50's bathing suits and two pieces and, of course, the stunning Esther Williams. While the world is going roaring 20's crazy thanks to The Great Gatsby, I'm going all fabulous 50's and this is my sole inspiration for this collage. The bikini and tankini are two of my favourite retro style pieces Swimwear 365 has to offer; you can't beat polka dots or halter necks when trying to recreate this era. I'm utterly smitten with this gingham dress, it'd look perfect with a pair of classic wedges to enhance the 50's silhouette while the pumps would look cute when layering up either piece with a pair of shorts.  

What were your favourite pieces Helen showed? I hope you found this helpful, I certainly did! 

Swimwear365 January Guest Blogger

I think I may resign myself to hibernating with all this snow. I've got my night planned: a quick browse through blogs, put the bunnies to bed early despite their protests and go to bed to watch Crazy Stupid Love and have my Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone fix.

In contrast to this thick white stuff falling from the sky and finding its way up my nose, now would be a great time to let you all know that I have been a very lucky girl and have been chosen as Swimwear365's guest blogger of the month! I've written a little piece for them featuring some of their collection for a much needed, and unfortunately imaginary, warm break to the beautiful island of Antigua, you can see my post here. It would be much appreciated if you would take a peep, and if you enjoy it then that's a bonus. Sending you all warm thoughts!

Reese and Taylor bracelet giveaway!

Did you read my Reese and Taylor bracelet review and interview with the fab Audrey and Sue here? Even if you didn't, what with it being the season of good-will and whatnot, I'll be ever so nice and let you in on this here giveaway. Santa's nice list here I come! You can win one of these handmade beaded leather bracelets in either gold/brown or silver/black. Whether you want to win it as a little Christmas gift to yourself (well why not?) or as a stocking filler, little gift or secret Santa for someone else - simply enter via Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is open worldwide and will be running for 14 days. You are guaranteed at least 3 entries :) 

The lucky winner will be announced in a blog post by yours truly and on my Twitter (dottydotdot_) on Saturday 1st December. An email will shortly follow so you can claim your prize, yay!

If you have any other questions leave me a comment and I'll get back to you asap.

Important: Please, please, please make sure you leave me which colour you would like and don't forget, you need to be following R&T on Facebook as they are the brilliant ladies providing the prize -I'm just the host!

Good Luck and Love!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Introducing: Reese and Taylor

Giorgio Armani admirably noted that "Accessories are important and becoming more and more important every day. They can completely change the look of an outfit, and women like the idea of having a wardrobe that's versatile." How right was he? The ability for accessories to transform an outfit from one style to another, up or down is truly satisfying.  

I'm a real lucky bunny as I'm able to introduce you to a new jewellery and accessories company called Reese and Taylor. Ran by childhood best friends Audrey and Sue, based in the USA, they aim to offer trendy yet affordable jewellery to young women like our bloggy-selves. At the moment they're working on an online shop but they've an ever growing Etsy store which is absolutely worth checking out regularly as new designs are often introduced and their Facebook page is great for keeping up with updates about new designs in progress. If you are after something special for a friend for Christmas or don't quite like or can't wear a particular type of chain/tie then bespoke designs are happily offered. With both extensive business and fashion experience under their sparkly belts we are in good hands with Reese and Taylor! 

I was sent these two gorgeous leather bracelets which retail at £11.63 each which is a truly reasonable price taking in a recent experience of a craft fair that was selling simple threaded 'friendship' style bracelets for £30. No faffing about one-handedly trying to measure your wrist size is needed as these are fully adjustable and no, once the bead is pulled to where you want it, it doesn't seem to want to go anywhere so you don't need to panic about losing your latest arm candy. They are made of great quality leather as they certainly don't feel like they are going to snap or stretch and are ideal for the military, equestrian and glam rock inspired trends hitting the high streets. 

These bracelets won't be for you ladies who are vegan, vegetarian or those who simply don't like wearing leather- but don't turn away just yet, there are plenty of other items on offer like this gorgeous 'Two Birds on a Branch Necklace' or this sparkly 'Purse with Snap Closure and Chain Strap' ideal for festive parties and adding a little sparkle and personality to an outfit. 

I can't go chattering on all the time, so what better way to get to know the ins and outs of the company than a little interview? I caught up with the ladies behind the creations... 

Hi Ladies! Where did the name Reese and Taylor stem from?

We came up with the name Reese and Taylor after going through a hundred possible business names that we could use. Sue was the one who thought of it when trying to combine her favorite shopping places but to break them into words. We were narrowing it down to two business names and felt Reese and Taylor stuck better because it definitely sounded catchy and professional, so we chose that one!

So, what inspired you to get started?

Audrey and I have always wanted to open our own business but never took the leap of faith until now. I went to a beading store over the summer one day in downtown DC during my lunch break and saw the most beautiful beads in there. I immediately started to gather a bunch of beads and put them together along with the materials to make a bracelet. However, I have never been very crafty with my hands so when I went up to the counter and asked if they could make the bracelet for me, the storeowner said they only sell the materials, not make them for you. That is when I started brainstorming and realized that a niche is missing in today’s market. I immediately phoned Audrey and told her my idea, that we should start a jewelry business where we can customize orders for our customers. Audrey and I grew up together and knew each other since elementary school. I couldn’t have picked a better partner and since she has a background in fashion and my background is in business, we believe our company will be very successful. 

You obviously already have a lot of skills, but what have you learnt since this venture?

What we both have learned since this venture is that in order for any business to be successful, we must be patient and take it one step at a time. You hear stories all the time of failed businesses that try to do it all at once because they want to have success overnight and end up failing. We know that it definitely takes a lot of hard work, patience, and motivation to get where we want to be one day, but we also know where our limits are. We know that as long as we are there for one another and that it takes time for success to grow, we will make it in this business. 

How do your design processes begin? 

We both obviously do a lot of research and brainstorming, but in order for any process to begin, we must have a plan in place. We do market trend reports and find the gap out there. We also ask ourselves, if we were the buyer, what would we like to see out there? So, there is a lot of back and forth before we begin the design of a jewelry piece but we always make sure our customer is happy with the end results. That is where customization comes into place. We adjust the end results for our customers and able to make any changes for them.

How would you describe your personal styles?

Audrey’s style is very edgy and eccentric. She is always in the current trends and tailor her styles that way. She is very stylish and not afraid to take risks.

Me, on the other hand, tend to go for the more conservative, modest but yet trendy look. I sometimes hesitate to wear what may be risky for me or out of the norm in my closet. That is why Audrey and I make such good partners. She always encouraged me not to be afraid to wear what is fashionable and stylish out there.

What is your most worn and loved jewellery item? 

Our most worn and loved jewelry item are the ones that Audrey created for our clients. She made this beautiful double rhinestone necklace that was a best seller at our recent expo and we both wear it also. We get compliments on it all the time about how great it looks for the price that we sell it at!

Do the roles of business and design remain separate between the two of you or do you both like to contribute to each area?

Audrey has always made jewelry since she was a little girl and I still remember to this day that she made me a pair of beautiful, blue crystal dangly earrings. She gave them to me in sixth grade and I will always cherish that memory. She has always been the more fashionable, talented individual when it comes to making jewelry and to this day, she is the same person but better at what she does. She is just absolutely impeccable and a perfectionist when it comes to her designs. That is why she went to fashion school. 

I, on the other hand, am more business oriented and that is one of the reasons why I went to business school. I love coming up with new ideas and making those ideas happen. Every time I think of a cool idea, I immediately share it with Audrey, whether if its over the phone, text or email so I can get some feedback and to not lose that train of thought! We do at times share our thoughts and give each other feedback, so even though Audrey is more design oriented and I am more business oriented, we still compliment each other by giving each of our inputs. 

What’s next for Reese and Taylor?

We have so much more coming for Reese and Taylor and cannot wait to share with our fans! We are coming up with a jewelry kit where we will teach you how to make the jewelry that we are currently selling and also, we are working towards building our own website. What we will promise to our fans is, Reese and Taylor is not another jewelry store that sells trendy pieces for our targeted audience. We are a company that will offer conveienence and plenty of niches that people have never even thought of before, which will make us stand out in the jewelry business. 

We sincerely thank Claire for this interview, to our fans and anyone that is interested to see what Reese and Taylor will be offering and bringing into this market! 

Sue and Audrey will donate 10% of all profits during November to help victims of Hurricane Sandy - a beautiful gesture.

Would you like to win one of these gorgeous bracelets? Keep your eyes out for a giveaway that will follow shortly accompanied by a discount code!