Hurrumph!
I'm beginning to think that some people are not meant to wear trousers. I think I am one of those people. In the past year or so I have tried out Tara Starlet's pedal pushers, Lady K Loves' sailor trousers, numerous trousers from Next, M&S, Jaeger, Zara...the list goes on quite a way. The bottom line is none of them fit properly! Whether they're too short, too tight on the waist, too tight across the crotch, too loose on the hips, the end result is exasperation.
I have ONE pair of trousers that fits me really well - grey swing trousers from Heyday, that I just sacrificed the turn-up to get the leg length. I love these trousers so much!
So, why not just buy another pair from Heyday?
Well I did. And guess what? They didn't fit!! (I actually sobbed. SOBBED.) I tried out the lovely new navy pair with the self-covered buttons, in the same size as my grey ones that do fit. But I think a combination of the slightly thinner fabric and an adjustment to the 'rise' in the new version meant that they gaped at my waist and were loose around my hips. Whilst still fitting my derriere snuggly, so I don't think I could go down a size.
In desperation, I ordered the Rosie trousers from Lady K Loves. When they arrived, they were blatantly not a 33" inside leg as stated on the website (I measured and they came up under 30"). So they had to go back too.
Overall, in lost postage costs, I think my experiments with trousers over the last year or so has cost me in excess of £30.
Never. Buying. Trousers. Again.
Is anyone else in trouser hell?
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Sale Treat!
Naughty but nice!
Lots of Kiss Me Deadly sale items around at the moment on Hepburn and Leigh, or Joanna's Wardrobe. I have purchased the DeVille longline bra, and the blue Alouette plunge bra is on it's way.
I've also made a Heyday purchase but you'll have to wait to see that one.
Is it nearly pay day yet?!
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Lippy Trial
A sneaky post on one of my now very, very precious days off!!
This is 'Carmine' from Besame. I normally steer clear of orangey reds, but I tried this one out just for fun and loved it! It was one of six included in my red lips set in a What Katie Did goodybag, so expect five more lipstick trial posts...
Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!
Miss P xx
This is 'Carmine' from Besame. I normally steer clear of orangey reds, but I tried this one out just for fun and loved it! It was one of six included in my red lips set in a What Katie Did goodybag, so expect five more lipstick trial posts...
Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!
Miss P xx
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Vintage Inspired Review: Tara Starlet Pedal Pushers
I have a spare ten minutes so can squeeze in a quick post! The 'Pedal Pushers' trousers from Tara Starlet are available in leopard, black, or orange and white stripe. I purchased the black along with the 'Victory' skirt that I posted about before Christmas. I was trying to channel the look of Christina Hendricks in Mad Men or Christina Ricci in Pan Am - both have worn black pedal pushers and they looked fabulous on both kinds of figures.
Price and Delivery - 3/5
£59 I thought wasn't too bad for trousers. Delivery was next day, costing £5.
Sizing - 1/5
Awful. I am normally a Tara Starlet size 12 (in both their 'Peggy' dress and their 'Dancing' skirt). But with these trousers the sizing was way, way off - the size 12 was ridiculously small. I sent it back and got the size 14, which I could just about zip up if I breathed in really hard, but it was honestly still about an inch too small on the waist to be comfortable to wear. Would I seriously be a size 16 in these trousers when I'm a size 12 in one of their dresses?! At the price I'd paid I didn't feel comfortable having a go at making some adjustments myself, and the attentions of a professional seamstress would have been an extra £20. I nearly cried, because otherwise I loved these trousers!
Fit - 2/5
Great fit on the legs, bum - but as mentioned above, the sizing on the waist and upper hips was ridiculously small for a size 14, especially when I'm a 12 in their other garments and my measurements are well within what's on their size guidlines. Nice length on the leg. These pics below are of the size 12 just to illustrate the huge difference in sizing between this and the size 12 Peggy dress, which fits me perfectly!
Fabric and Quality - 5/5
Lovely fabric with a nice stretch. The quality looks perfectly good, no issues there at all.
Online Description - 1/5
If a garment runs small, it would be really, really helpful to mailorder customers for this to be mentioned. It would also be nice to see more images of the trousers on a real person, from different angles. They are also longer than on the model pictured on the website, which was strange because I am 5'9'" with a 33" inside leg, so unless the model is super tall, the trousers have been rolled up for the photograph.
Postage Costs - 1/5
To return an item you have to send the parcel back by recorded delivery. I sent the first trousers back by Special Delivery, which cost me £7, but I wanted the insurance, as the parcel with the skirt and trousers was worth over £120, and recorded delivery only covers you up to £40 ish. The refund they must have forgotten about, because I had to email them some weeks later to remind them, and then it went through. The second lot of trousers then I returned by recorded delivery, it was a couple of quid, so all in all I've lost just over £20 in this escapade!
Customer Service - 4/5
Although my initial refund was delayed, the moment I contacted them I received an apology and the refund went straight through then.
Overall Score = 2/5
I'll be grieving over these trousers for a while.
Price and Delivery - 3/5
£59 I thought wasn't too bad for trousers. Delivery was next day, costing £5.
Sizing - 1/5
Awful. I am normally a Tara Starlet size 12 (in both their 'Peggy' dress and their 'Dancing' skirt). But with these trousers the sizing was way, way off - the size 12 was ridiculously small. I sent it back and got the size 14, which I could just about zip up if I breathed in really hard, but it was honestly still about an inch too small on the waist to be comfortable to wear. Would I seriously be a size 16 in these trousers when I'm a size 12 in one of their dresses?! At the price I'd paid I didn't feel comfortable having a go at making some adjustments myself, and the attentions of a professional seamstress would have been an extra £20. I nearly cried, because otherwise I loved these trousers!
Fit - 2/5
Great fit on the legs, bum - but as mentioned above, the sizing on the waist and upper hips was ridiculously small for a size 14, especially when I'm a 12 in their other garments and my measurements are well within what's on their size guidlines. Nice length on the leg. These pics below are of the size 12 just to illustrate the huge difference in sizing between this and the size 12 Peggy dress, which fits me perfectly!
Fabric and Quality - 5/5
Lovely fabric with a nice stretch. The quality looks perfectly good, no issues there at all.
Online Description - 1/5
If a garment runs small, it would be really, really helpful to mailorder customers for this to be mentioned. It would also be nice to see more images of the trousers on a real person, from different angles. They are also longer than on the model pictured on the website, which was strange because I am 5'9'" with a 33" inside leg, so unless the model is super tall, the trousers have been rolled up for the photograph.
Postage Costs - 1/5
To return an item you have to send the parcel back by recorded delivery. I sent the first trousers back by Special Delivery, which cost me £7, but I wanted the insurance, as the parcel with the skirt and trousers was worth over £120, and recorded delivery only covers you up to £40 ish. The refund they must have forgotten about, because I had to email them some weeks later to remind them, and then it went through. The second lot of trousers then I returned by recorded delivery, it was a couple of quid, so all in all I've lost just over £20 in this escapade!
Customer Service - 4/5
Although my initial refund was delayed, the moment I contacted them I received an apology and the refund went straight through then.
Overall Score = 2/5
I'll be grieving over these trousers for a while.
Monday, 2 January 2012
Happy 2012!
Happy New Year!
Did you all have a good festive break? Christmas for me was a very relaxed, quiet affair. We ate enough to sink a battleship, and I am still using up leftover Stilton, cranberries and such like. For me, the highlight had to be that I am the proud recipient of the coveted Golden Spoon, as I won the family baking competition with my yule log masterpiece! Having said that, none of us want to see a yule log ever again, as they are time-consuming to make and we had six of them to eat!
Here's a little pictorial summary: Me as an elf at a party; Christmas wreath; Present opening on the big day; The Yule Log entries; Golden Spoon Winner.
I'm afraid that this will be my only blog post for January - I start a new job tomorrow, and so for this month only will have a total of three jobs on the go. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Wishing you all a good start to 2012 - good luck with all of your resolutions!
Miss P xx
Did you all have a good festive break? Christmas for me was a very relaxed, quiet affair. We ate enough to sink a battleship, and I am still using up leftover Stilton, cranberries and such like. For me, the highlight had to be that I am the proud recipient of the coveted Golden Spoon, as I won the family baking competition with my yule log masterpiece! Having said that, none of us want to see a yule log ever again, as they are time-consuming to make and we had six of them to eat!
Here's a little pictorial summary: Me as an elf at a party; Christmas wreath; Present opening on the big day; The Yule Log entries; Golden Spoon Winner.
I'm afraid that this will be my only blog post for January - I start a new job tomorrow, and so for this month only will have a total of three jobs on the go. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Wishing you all a good start to 2012 - good luck with all of your resolutions!
Miss P xx
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Giveaway: Heyday Voucher!
A Christmas competition? Count me in! Over at the Heyday blog, Shona is giving away a £25 voucher to one lucky festive winner.
I'm currently eyeing a pair of black swing trousers (waiting for them to restock in my size), and the lovely Dynamite Mary dress (also out of stock!).
I'm currently eyeing a pair of black swing trousers (waiting for them to restock in my size), and the lovely Dynamite Mary dress (also out of stock!).
Friday, 9 December 2011
Puppini Sisters!
Earlier this week my other half took me on a date to see the Puppini Sisters! I got to wear the new Vivienne Westwood for Melissa shoes (off Ebay, you don't think I paid £130 do you?!), and I took a tip from Lipstick and Curls and just used a handful of hot sticks rather then the whole lot. I was really pleased with the results, what do you think? The lippy is a sheer red by Poppy King for Boots No.7, I haven't had time to try out the Besame reds yet, but will report back when I have!
The Puppini Sisters were fantastic, it was their first in a series of Christmas shows, and we left feeling very, very festive. I didn't know they were so funny as well as vocally talented, we had a good chuckle.
The Puppini Sisters were fantastic, it was their first in a series of Christmas shows, and we left feeling very, very festive. I didn't know they were so funny as well as vocally talented, we had a good chuckle.
Their first outfit involved a corset, cropped jackets, and some very nice black trousers that made me want to ask them where they got them from, given my trouble with trousers recently! (That's probably another story, for another time) Then they wore some sarong-style dresses, I'm guessing they were custom-made?
Hope you're all starting to feel festive - I've been ill this week but am determined to finish my Christmas shopping today!
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
London Adventures: The Third Grand Anarcho-Dandyist Ball & More!
My trip to London was really wonderful, with the highlight being the Chap Ball in Camden Town Hall. I wore a long dark red dress with a little black and white cape, black shoes and clutch bag, plus a big deco-style sunburst hair slide and an original deco pin on my dress. I felt more like Babooshka on the way there, wrapped up against the very cold evening, but once unwrapped and the flats swapped for heels, I did feel quite elegant.
My own photos are pretty terrible. Other people's are much nicer. There are photo albums of the ball here:
http://www.philrussellphotos.co.uk/ClientGallery11/Client_gallery_11.html
And here:
http://thechap.net/content/section_news/?p=879
By the end of the evening I wasn't looking so ladylike - the cape was off, a gin cocktail spilt down the front (the perils of drinking next to energetic jive dancers), the skirt was hitched up, the curls had mostly dropped out and were plastered to my face with sweat as I danced like a complete loon for hours on end. I had a bag of haribo stashed in my clutch to keep the energy levels up, and I only had a few drinks as I was more interested in dancing and exploring than getting drunk. It was the best night out I've had in a very, very long time.
Lots of faces from the vintage blogging scene were there - Fleur, Yesterday Girl, Gemma to name but a few - but I was far too shy to go and say hello to any of them, particularly in my sweaty state when they were all looking so composed!!
My favourite bit was the speakeasy bar - a little hatch that opened when the bell was rung to reveal white-gloved hands handing you a card telling you to put the money on the counter and keep your mouth shut! A gin cocktail in a teacup appeared and the hatch slammed shut afterwards.
On Sunday, I headed to the What Katie Did boutique for their 'Glamour and Seduction' workshop, which was a lot of fun. I got some great tips from Amanda from Lipstick & Curls (did you know if you're short of time you can just use 6 or so hot sticks in big sections of your hair rather than using the whole lot??), and then met the lovely Polly Rae, who gave us all a reminder on posture, faking confidence, and giving ourselves a bit more attention. Lovely cocktails in teacups again (the theme of the weekend I think!) and the most amazing little chocolate cupcakes.
The goodybag was a treat too - I now have a set of all 6 Besame reds to try out at home! I can't wait to wear one of them tonight, as I'm off to see the Puppini Sisters. It's definitely the party season!
Miss P xx
My own photos are pretty terrible. Other people's are much nicer. There are photo albums of the ball here:
http://www.philrussellphotos.co.uk/ClientGallery11/Client_gallery_11.html
And here:
http://thechap.net/content/section_news/?p=879
By the end of the evening I wasn't looking so ladylike - the cape was off, a gin cocktail spilt down the front (the perils of drinking next to energetic jive dancers), the skirt was hitched up, the curls had mostly dropped out and were plastered to my face with sweat as I danced like a complete loon for hours on end. I had a bag of haribo stashed in my clutch to keep the energy levels up, and I only had a few drinks as I was more interested in dancing and exploring than getting drunk. It was the best night out I've had in a very, very long time.
Lots of faces from the vintage blogging scene were there - Fleur, Yesterday Girl, Gemma to name but a few - but I was far too shy to go and say hello to any of them, particularly in my sweaty state when they were all looking so composed!!
My favourite bit was the speakeasy bar - a little hatch that opened when the bell was rung to reveal white-gloved hands handing you a card telling you to put the money on the counter and keep your mouth shut! A gin cocktail in a teacup appeared and the hatch slammed shut afterwards.
On Sunday, I headed to the What Katie Did boutique for their 'Glamour and Seduction' workshop, which was a lot of fun. I got some great tips from Amanda from Lipstick & Curls (did you know if you're short of time you can just use 6 or so hot sticks in big sections of your hair rather than using the whole lot??), and then met the lovely Polly Rae, who gave us all a reminder on posture, faking confidence, and giving ourselves a bit more attention. Lovely cocktails in teacups again (the theme of the weekend I think!) and the most amazing little chocolate cupcakes.
The goodybag was a treat too - I now have a set of all 6 Besame reds to try out at home! I can't wait to wear one of them tonight, as I'm off to see the Puppini Sisters. It's definitely the party season!
Miss P xx
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Vintage Inspired Review: Tara Starlet 'Victory' Skirt
The 'Victory' skirt from Tara Starlet is available in plain green, black and white gingham, and red and white houndstooth. I purchased the green. I also bought the pedal pusher trousers in black, but that's a tale for another post!
Price and Delivery - 3/5£65 is pricey. Delivery was next day, costing £5.
Sizing - 2/5
I am normally a Tara Starlet size 12 (in both their 'Peggy' dress and their 'Dancing' skirt). But with this skirt the sizing was off - I could do up the back zipper, but couldn't button the 2 little buttons above it. There is room to move the buttons across a bit.
Fit - 2/5
The main issue with this skirt on me is that there is too much fabric between hip and thigh, resulting in the skirt bunching up unattractively. Rather than a smooth silhouette I have ripples!
Fabric and Quality - 4/5
I think the colour is wonderful, and the fabric is nice, but I'm taking off a point because it's non-stretch, which is pretty essential in a fitted skirt if you want to be able to manoeuvre with any degree of grace. The quality looks perfectly good, no issues there at all.
Online Description - 2/5
It doesn't mention on the website what the fabric is, and whether it stretches or not. It only shows pictures from the front, but I would have liked to have seen a back view. It also doesn't mention that the 2 buttons at the back on the bottle green skirt are a bright, primary red (much brighter than the picture below shows). I got a bit of a shock when I opened the parcel.
Customer Service - 4/5
To return an item you have to send the parcel back by recorded delivery. I sent it back by Special Delivery, which cost me £7, but I wanted the insurance, as the parcel with the skirt and trousers was worth over £120, and recorded delivery only covers you up to £40 ish. The returns arrived with them on Monday, I had an email yesterday confirming my refund, and am just waiting for it to show up on my card.
I lose the original postage of £7, so I'm £14 down in total from returning the skirt and trousers.
Overall Score = 3/5
Would be a lovely skirt - on someone else!
Price and Delivery - 3/5£65 is pricey. Delivery was next day, costing £5.
Sizing - 2/5
I am normally a Tara Starlet size 12 (in both their 'Peggy' dress and their 'Dancing' skirt). But with this skirt the sizing was off - I could do up the back zipper, but couldn't button the 2 little buttons above it. There is room to move the buttons across a bit.
Fit - 2/5
The main issue with this skirt on me is that there is too much fabric between hip and thigh, resulting in the skirt bunching up unattractively. Rather than a smooth silhouette I have ripples!
Fabric and Quality - 4/5
I think the colour is wonderful, and the fabric is nice, but I'm taking off a point because it's non-stretch, which is pretty essential in a fitted skirt if you want to be able to manoeuvre with any degree of grace. The quality looks perfectly good, no issues there at all.
Online Description - 2/5
It doesn't mention on the website what the fabric is, and whether it stretches or not. It only shows pictures from the front, but I would have liked to have seen a back view. It also doesn't mention that the 2 buttons at the back on the bottle green skirt are a bright, primary red (much brighter than the picture below shows). I got a bit of a shock when I opened the parcel.
Customer Service - 4/5
To return an item you have to send the parcel back by recorded delivery. I sent it back by Special Delivery, which cost me £7, but I wanted the insurance, as the parcel with the skirt and trousers was worth over £120, and recorded delivery only covers you up to £40 ish. The returns arrived with them on Monday, I had an email yesterday confirming my refund, and am just waiting for it to show up on my card.
I lose the original postage of £7, so I'm £14 down in total from returning the skirt and trousers.
Overall Score = 3/5
Would be a lovely skirt - on someone else!
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Who's Going to the Anarcho-Dandyist Ball?
And more importantly, what will you be wearing?
I am going for a 1930s look with a long gown and a little cape, but my hair won't remotely look like it's from that era, as all my practice attempts recently have failed miserably!
x
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