Monday 24 February 2014

Affordable Wedding Dresses - Gatsby Glamour

Twenties-Style Wedding Dresses on the Cheap


Great Gatsby Carey Mulligan

So this week's affordable wedding dresses are inspired by the flapper style of the twenties. Think decadence, freedom and lots of sequins. All of these twenties wedding dresses are under £600 so they won't break the bank.


1920 Vintage Wedding Flapper Dress


Vintage 1920s Affordable Wedding Dress


This lovely twenties wedding dress from Etsy shop Bonnie in Disguise is a genuine vintage flapper dress from the 1920s. It's perfect if you want the real deal. Apparently it belonged to the mother of Corrine Larson who was married to baseball legend Don Larson. This dress definitely has history to it.

Priced £301.15


Premium Flower Embellished Maxi Dress - ASOS


Flapper-style Cheap Wedding Dress from ASOS


This is a great flapper wedding dress from ASOS. It's more casual than some designs but it can be dressed up and it's ideal for a laid back wedding.

Flapper-style Cheap Wedding Dress from ASOS


It's great as it shows off the legs but in a subtle way. It's also backless which gives a slinky, stylish look.

Priced £120 - down from £150!


Phase Eight Ivory and Pewter Kensington Full Length Dress - Debenhams


Gatsby style affordable beaded wedding dress - Phase Eight


This full-length dress isn't the classic short flapper style, but it has the embellished feel of the twenties. The beads and sequins immediately draw the eye but I also love the nude colour; it makes it different to the generic white dress.

Priced £395


1920s Flapper Dress


Vintage 1920s Affordable Wedding Dress - Etsy


This Gatsby-style dress from Etsy seller Concetta's Closet is a classic twenties dress. It's another genuine vintage dress so you'd be wearing a piece of history.

Vintage 1920s Affordable Wedding Dress - Etsy


I absolutely love the sleeves and skirt, they make me want to spin!

Priced £584.07


Juliet Sequin Long Dress - Ariella London


1920s Style Gold Wedding Dress - Affordable Wedding Dresses



This is a great dress to finish on; the sequinned gown has all the glamour of the 1920s silent film era. Again, it's not white but it's ideal for someone who wants a glamorous wedding; gold sequins galore!

1920s Style Gold Wedding Dress - Affordable Wedding Dresses

Priced £249



Check back next week for some more affordable wedding dresses.






Friday 21 February 2014

If I Were A Rich (Wo)Man: ModCloth Dresses


This Week's Wishlist is Filled with ModCloth's Vintage-Style Dresses


I know my If I Were A Rich (Wo)Man wishlists are usually made up of items from several different retailers, but ModCloth, purveyor of vintage and vintage-inspired clothes, has so many beautiful dresses at the moment that I want them all.

I've made a collection of a few of my favourite ones, though it's difficult to narrow them down.


Two if by Tea Dress


Blue and White Two If By Tea Dress - ModCloth


This is possibly my favourite dress of the whole lot; the Two if by Tea Dress has a classic blue and white damask print. Just looking at it makes me think of summer. It's ideal for a lawn party, not that I go to many of them.

Price: $155.99


Sweetest Surprise Dress


Backless Dress - Sweetest Surprise - ModCloth

Another summery special, the Sweetest Surprise Dress is structured and flattering. I love the print and the 60s feel, plus, it has a great back design.

Backless Dress - Sweetest Surprise - ModCloth


Price: $124.99


See You Swoon Dress in Cream


Cream Maxi Dress - See You Swoon - ModCloth

This is a simple white dress but it's also stunning. See You Swoon Dress would actually be an ideal addition to my Affordable Wedding Dresses series, but I'd like to wear it for other occasions too. It looks perfect for a beach.

Cream Maxi Dress - See You Swoon - ModCloth

Price: $99.99


Mountain Dwelling Dress


Green Dress - Mountain Dwelling - ModCloth


This tunic-style Mountain Dwelling Dress is ideal for summer but I bet it also looks great in the winter with tights, boots and a chunky cardigan. I love dresses that you can wear all year round. I also really like the abstract mountain scenery design on the dress.

Price: $49.99


Train Station Platform Dress


Striped Dress - Train Station Platform - ModCloth


I love the classic simplicity of the Train Station Platform Dress, including the stripe design. It looks very cool and comfortable, plus, it's another one that can be worn all year round.

Striped Dress - Train Station Platform - ModCloth


$99.99


Before I go, can I just give praise to the ModCloth copywriters; have you seen the product descriptions for the clothing? Instead of just; a pretty dress with a fit and flare style, or whatever, they write full on stories. This last dress is described as:

"Standing beside the tracks, you spot the outbound train approaching the station and finally hear those long-awaited words - “all aboard!” You’ve been looking forward to your westward journey ever since you booked the tickets, and your excitement is elegantly exhibited in your ModCloth-exclusive striped dress!"

As a writer myself who often works on product descriptions I know how hard it is to come up with new and original descriptions, especially when you're writing the fiftieth one that day.

Kudos to ModCloth!


Tuesday 18 February 2014

Tattoo Trends - Roses

I haven't done a tattoo post in a while and I miss it. This time it's a classic theme; roses.

Roses are one of the oldest tattoo options; they have been popular since the beginning of the 20th century.

Vintage Rose Tattoo
Source: Imagination Foundation Tumblr
Rose tattoos are popular because of their symbolism of beauty and love; two of the most sort after of attributes in life.

A rose also often represents femininity and lots of men, especially sailors, used to get a rose tattooed on them to symbolise their girlfriends or mothers.

The rose is one of the most popular flowers and has been immortalised in art and literature; it makes sense that the rose is also captured in tattoo art as well.

However, rose tattoos can very easily become tacky, or just plain badly done.

Rose Tattoo Fail
Source: Tattooing Tattoo Designs

Or you could end up with roses tattooed all over your arse like Cheryl Cole.

Cheryl Cole Back and Bum Rose Tattoo

Seriously, what was she thinking?


But when rose tattoos are done right they can be just beautiful, whether they're little...

Rose Tattoo Finger
Source: Pinterest

...or large.

Back Rose Tattoo
Source: Thomas Cardiff Tumblr

Here are a few more lovely rose tattoos.

Arm Rose Tattoo
Source: Kings of Empty Castles

Chest Red Rose Tattoo
Source: Tales of the Ink

Arm Rose Tattoo
Source: Alice Carrier Flickr

Hand Watercolour Rose Tattoo
Source: Jenna Bumgardner Flickr

Behind the Ear Rose Tattoo
Source: Glam Bistro

Inner Arm Rose Tattoo
Source: Linnea Snow Tumblr

Shoulder Realistic Rose Tattoo
Source: BBC

Shoulders Rose Tattoo
tattoo by JohnnyJinx at Broken clover tattoo - Source: imgur

Thigh Rose Tattoo
Source: Tattoologist

Blue Red Rose Sleeve Tattoo for Women
Source: Gakkin Akkin Flickr

Men's Sleeve Tattoo - Rose and More
Source: Boys Life Tumblr


Monday 17 February 2014

Affordable Wedding Dresses - Lace

Kate Middleton Wedding Dress


Beautiful Lace Wedding Dresses on the Cheap


This is the second post in my new series on affordable wedding dresses. Last week's was short wedding dresses, this week it's lace. Lace is a classic look for a wedding that brings a vintage feel to any gown. Kate Middleton's wedding dress is probably the most famous lace wedding dress and shows off perfectly the beauty of lace.

Usually though, lace costs a fortune. But I've been hunting around and found some lovely lace dresses that are perfect for weddings and are all under £800.


Adelaide Lace Dress - Dream-ers


Adelaide Affordable Lace Wedding Dress - Dream-ers

This pretty lace dress is from an American brand called Dream-ers which creates lovely, affordable fashion and wedding dresses. I love the cut of this dress; classic but still ideal for a modern wedding. The lace panelling keeps it interesting and the capped sleeves are flattering on the arms.

Priced $696


Juliet Lace Dress - Free People


Juliet Affordable Lace Wedding Dress - Free People

This gypsy style wedding dress from Free People is ideal for a bohemian wedding. It is towards the more expensive end of affordable, but it's still under £1,000.

Juliet Affordable Lace Wedding Dress - Free People

The detailing of the lace is really pretty and very subtle. Also, you can change the style of the dress by wearing the sleeves on or off the shoulders.

Priced £727


Perla Lace Dress in Champagne - John Lewis


Perla Affordable Lace Wedding Dress - John Lewis

I love the colour of this cheap wedding dress from John Lewis; it's a gentle nude colour which makes a nice change from the usual white and ivory shades. I also love the delicate buttons down the back of the dress; they give a vintage feel and little touches like that make it extra-special.

Perla Affordable Lace Wedding Dress - John Lewis

Priced £180


Short Wedding Dress by Alesandra Paris - Etsy


Alesandra Paris Affordable Short Lace Wedding Dress - Etsy


This pretty lace wedding dress would have gone well on lasts week's list of short wedding dresses, but I wanted to include it this week as its main feature is an abundance of lace. It's got a bit of a '50s feel but would still look ideal for any theme of wedding.

Alesandra Paris Affordable Short Lace Wedding Dress - Etsy

It's made by a French company, Alesandro Paris, which I found via Etsy. I think the chic French style definitely shows in the design.

Priced from £357.32


Carlotta Bridal Dress


Carlotta Affordable Wedding Dress - Monsoon

Monsoon has a really great range of affordable wedding dresses and the Carlotta dress is an excellent example. It features delicate lace over a sheath skirt and a hand embellished belt.

Carlotta Affordable Wedding Dress - Monsoon


I particularly love the sleeves, I think they really make the dress stand out.

Priced £299


That's all the affordable wedding dresses for this week. I hope these have given you some inspiration if you are planning your own wedding, or just day dreaming.

Next Monday I'll be featuring affordable wedding dresses with a 1920s theme, so check back then.







Sunday 16 February 2014

Winter Olympics Curling vs Smack the Pony Curling

I cannot get Smack the Pony sketches out of my head when I watch the Sochi Winter Olympics. I already posted about the Smack the Pony kissing ice skaters sketch which always comes to mind whenever I watch the ice skaters at the Olympics waiting for their scores.


Now there's another one. I was watching the curling and this Smack the Pony sketch came to mind.




I know curling is a sport and people train for years to compete in it, but really all I think about when they are polishing the ice (or whatever it is they do with those sticks) is women trying to park a car.

It's probably because Smack the Pony was bloody awesome!



Friday 14 February 2014

If I Were A Rich (Wo)Man Wishlist - Valentine's Day Lingerie

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm not really a Valentine's Day fan, but I am a fan of lingerie. There's always an abundance of lovely lingerie on sale around Valentine's day. Here are few of my favourites.

They're not all red, I promise.


The Vintage Lingerie Set


Marlene Lingerie Set from What Katie Did


OK, this one is red, but it's not tacky and covered in hearts. The Marlene Lingerie Set from What Katy Did is based on a genuine '50s vintage design. The contrast of lipstick red and peach satin has a luxurious as well as fun feel. Go the whole hog and don a bit of red lipstick and retro curls with this lingerie set.

Priced: Marlene suspender belt £35.50, Marlene knickers £29.50, Marlene bullet bra £39.50


The Corset


Mercy Corset from Agent Provocateur


You don't always have to go for black or red, white lingerie can be just as sexy. The Mercy Corset in (appropriately named) Flesh from Agent Provocateur proves this point.


Mercy Corset from Agent Provocateur

This corset gives a classic '50s look with the hour glass style. The boning is very flattering and I particularly love the traditional lace up ties at the back.

Mercy Corset from Agent Provocateur

Priced: £345


The Teddy


Satin and Lace Teddy from Victoria's Secret

The colour is what caught me about this Satin and Lace Teddy from Victoria' Secret. The shade is called Hazy Lavender trimmed with Grace Lace. It's a lovely change from the usual lingerie colour plus it's a flattering shape.

Priced: $58


The Babydoll


Tamsin Lace Babydoll and Briefs from Boux Avenue

This is a very Valentine's Day lingerie set with the red and the lace, but it still manages to be classy. I love the mix of lace and satin in the Tamsin Lace Babydoll and Briefs set from Boux Avenue.

Tamsin Lace Babydoll and Briefs from Boux Avenue

It's a simple set but one that's sweet and sexy.

Priced: £35


That's all folks.