Collectif Are Taking Over My Wardrobe…

Some of you may have spotted a familiar face on my ‘Collectif’ advert and my blog banner. A face that looks rather like mine, when it is beautifully made up and ever so slightly photoshopped. And as those of you who follow my social streams will know, that is because recently I was given an absolutely amazing opportunity – I was asked to model for Collectif!

Having had three wonderful opportunities to be their flyer girl at the twice yearly ‘London Edge’ trade shows I could not have been more chuffed or honoured to have been asked, and I had an amazing day! The Collectif girls are such fun to be around and they made the day fly by.

The shoot was held in Joanna Krause’s home studio, and I absolutely loved working with her. She put me at ease and really made it a fun effortless shoot. Of course, I couldn’t have done it without hair and make up genius Monika Swiatek and my fellow bombshell and model, who was an inspiration to work with, and spurred me on throughout – Eliza Dotlittle.

As you may have seen in previous posts, I tend to favour just one style of dress from Collectif – the Dolores Doll. But the shoot gave my the opportunity to try several other styles that I had written off, and so of course, I had to fill my wardrobe up just a little bit fuller with some more fabulous Collectif clothes.

Naturally, two new Dolores Doll dresses were in order. My perfect Dolores Doll size is a 14. The dresses seem to be cut for a larger bust, and that is of course just what I need! The length is spot on, the neckline is fabulous and I even rather like the sleeves!
I fell in love with the Dolores Doll summer bouquet print dress – which says a lot, as yellow as never really been my thing!

However, there was another Doll that caught my eye – and she may be my favourite yet! The white and black Dolores Doll. Once again, the dress is not in a colour I would usually go for, but holy moley I adore it! I teamed it with my Hot Corsets petticoat and I never wanted to take it off!

One dress that I was really shocked by was the Gretel gingham swing dress.

I actually wore this dress at the most recent London Edge, and due to me winning a modelling contract that day, it has always held a special place in my heart.

And so, despite the halterneck straps, I decided to order this dress. I chose a size 18 and I absolutely adore it! I will need to alter to straps to make them more bra friendly, but other than that it is perfect. It’s a little shorter than the Doll dresses, but still hits the knee. the neckline is beautiful and extremely flattering. Small gingham print has always felt like ‘school uniform’ to me, but this dress could not be further from that!

Another new style for me, and indeed Collectif was the Phyllis Doll dress.

I went for this dress in a 20 as it has no stretch, and it is a great fit. The skirt is not a full circle, which is great on windy days! It fall nicely and gracefully, and I love the floral detail on the shoulder.

As you may have seen, I am a sucked for leopard print! And so I fell in love with the Paloma tiki leopard print dress.

Paloma is made of linen with no stretch, and the best fit for me was a size 20. The tulip skirt meant that it was perfect for daywear, and I adored the flowers. The neckline is rather low, but it is a fabulous dress.

One dress that I really did NOT expect to like is the Matilda doll flamingo print dress.

Pink is not a colour I am a huge fan of, and I have to say that the blue panel didn’t do many favours for me. However, after buying the dress in a size 18 and loosening a few buttons, I have become a huge fan of it. The buttons across the bust are rather tight for me, and so I sewed up the inside with a few simple stitches, and I feel a lot more secure and happy in the dress.

But of course, a girl cannot live on dresses alone! And so, I took the liberty of adding a little Collectif to my outerwear.

The Mariella cardigan in a size 18 seemed like the perfect buy to go with my Matilda. Regretfully, it is ever so slightly tight over the bust, but it’s nothing too severe. The black panelling at the waist helps give the illusion of an hourglass figure, and it’s lovely and soft.

And last, but by no means least I tried the Dietrich swing trench coat in baby blue, size 16. I’ve wanted this coat ever since I saw it at London Edge. A double breasted soft mac with an almost full circle skirt and flowers on the inside?! Count me in! I initially wanted the coat in black, but after seeing the delicious Kat from Collectif look hotDAMN in her blue version, I had to follow suit, and I am glad I did! It fits slightly snugly over the bust, but other than that I cannot fault it. I feel like a real style icon in it, and I’m half planning on getting the beige version…

As you can see, I have become quite the Collectif girl! I’m glad I took the chance to try some other pieces, as 12 Dolores Dolls is getting rather silly!

Are you also a fan of Collectif? Or has my post spurred you on to try some pieces? Let me know in the comments!
And if you do go to browse the site, you may spot me in a few other pieces, and hopefully you will be inspired to try some for yourself. Happy shopping!

Please note: Bar the shoes, all of the accessories and other items of clothing worn on the shoot can be found on the Collectif website. I had my What Katie Did Morticia corset on in all of the professional photos.
The belts and shoes seen in my own photos are various older items that I have picked up from eBay and other stores along the years.

My Recent Photo Shoots

The keener eyed readers amongst you will have noticed that I recently updated my blog’s header to include some recent images. Some of those images are from my latest shoot with My Boudoir and I thought it only right to share the full set with you!

My last experience with My Boudoir was absolutely amazing, and so you can imagine how excited I was to not only get the chance to return to Nicola’s magical house of wonderment, but also to be going with none other than Caroline CurvyWordy.

Nicola and Sarah were as lovely and welcoming as ever, and I cannot recommend My Boudoir highly enough! Caroline’s fantastic write up of the day just goes to show their consistent brilliance, and if you ever want a stunning set of photos, nude clothed or otherwise, then My Boudoir is the place for you.

And now, without further ado I’d like to share my images with you. All of the outfit details will be listed with the images.

My first outfit was my Collectif Dolores doll dress in a size 14 worn with a petticoat from Nicola’s boudoir wardrobe. As ever, I wore my trusty What Katie Did Morticia corset in a size 30 to help my achieve gorgeous curves! I loved posing on the floor in a ‘classic pin up’ pose, and then had a lot of fun being giggly and winky in front on Nicola’s wind machine – it also helped me cool off a little, as the bright lights can get very warm!

Next up I had some fun looking like a sultry goddess in the teal Ava from Pinup Girl Clothing, size 2XL. I loved how Sarah made me look a little vampier with my darker make up, and of course my hair looked magical! Those two images were my absolute favourite from the day, and I felt like I had been transported to another era.

Nicola and I then had some fun trying to force my thick mane of hair into one of her fabulous wigs, and I did my best to channel a busty Velma Kelly in that a my gorgeous size 32 Corsets UK curvaceous corset. You can read more about the highly curvaceous corset in my review.

Lastly, Caroline and I donned our matching XL Pinup Girl Clothing Erin dresses and had great fun pulling some sultry poses. As you can see, my Morticia corset made another appearance. Sometimes I wish I could tolerate wearing her all the time, the shape she gives me is amazing!

Another shoot that I saw the results of recently was my shoot for Volup2. I posed for the three hour shoot just hours after my 21 hour journey back from Vietnam, and so I was very interested to see the results…

I wore a mixture of my Collectif Dolores dolls dresses and my Pinup Girl Clothing Birdie and Haunted Housewife in rose. Of course I teamed these dresses with my What Katie Did Morticia corset and Freya Deco as always! Helped by hair artist Rachel Williamson and make up artist Laura Goodwin I became Velvet’s vision – a ‘hillbilly dolly’. She wanted me to move away from the pin up look, and boy did she nail it with this shoot! I flounced around the gorgeous Good Enough College, feeling a bit silly with my curly fringe and contoured nose. It’s lucky I trust Velvet – and of course, she made me look fabulous, and I needn’t have even entertained the idea of worrying! Trying something so different was very fun, and being able to wear my own amazing dresses made me feel a little more in my comfort zone.

I do have one more shoot to share with you. If you follow my on my social streams you will know which one I mean… but that will come with reviews of the items I wore, and so stay tuned for that in a few weeks!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the images from my latest shoots – it makes a change from me posing in my living room!

BIG BLOG GIVEAWAY: Introducing Collectif

I recently reviewed this gorgeous dress from Collectif and received am amazing reaction from you guys. Well, lucky for you they are donating a £25 voucher to my Big Blog Giveaway! Here is a little more about this gorgeous company…

Collectif clothing is an independent UK retailer that has been established for over 11 years, bringing the best in Forties and fifties reproduction and alternative style clothing, for women of all shapes and sizes!
Collectif offers a diverse range of unique and original designs and proudly dresses Pin-ups, rockabilly queens, psychobilly bitches, and rock n’ roll lovers throughout London and the worldwide.
Versatility and originality pervades Collectif’s design philosophy and is perfect for those looking for something different. We combine new fashion trends with classic Vintage styles and a splash of rock and roll! For us, our collections are more than fashion; they are about creating a timeless sense of romance and glamour set against an unconventional background.
Our designs cater and fit all shapes and sizes from petites to celebrating those with curves, and our range of Collectif models showcase this. Our timeless and classic styles are comfortable and flattering to wear, and compliment the female form.
You can find complete outfits to accent pieces, suitable for in the office, day and evening wear, and each piece will let you develop your own sense of self expression.
At Collectif our costumers are very important, our small team personally deals with every aspect of Collectif from design to production through to shipment and sale, we ensure that our customers not only receive only the highest quality products but a personalized service when shopping with us. We pride ourselves on delivering excellent costumer service and are on hand 6 days a week to answer any questions or queries you may have either though Facebook, Twitter, email or by calling us.
As well as our website and a huge range of online stockists you can find Collectif at many boutiques worldwide or why not pop in and say hi at our Camden or Covent Garden London stores.

We look forward to meeting you, Happy Shopping!
Collectif
xoxox