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.
Fuller Figure Fuller Bust 