Hello Miss Monica

The Monica Dress By Pinup Girl Clothing

 Lets all just take a moment.. 

To marvel at the utter brilliance that is this dress!

I have been drooling over the Monica for over a year now, wanting it in every amazing colour it has been released in (of course) but had never had the occasion to actually buy it.

So when we started planning our engagement party I knew that this was the dress!

Never having owned, let alone even tried on The Monica, I'd heard raving reviews from everyone who did. So with their knowledge and admiration for the dress I took a chance..

and when my FedEx package arrived (surprisingly quick too) I was head over heels in love.!

 Wearing Earrings from Lovisa

 Literally hugging your curves, The Monica moulds to the body with ease.

I bought the size small and whilst it is a squeeze to get on (i simply step into the dress and pull up..seemed a bit harder over the head) its surprisingly extremely comfortable.

Wearing it all night at our engagement party, I had no problems at all with the dress..

 well except trying to tell my sisters/cousins "no" to when they asked if they could please try it on. 

Admiring the Monica for so long there was several things I noticed when I first tried it on. First of all there was the side zip, for some silly reason I thought the dress was stretchy enough that it just slipped on. But the side zip is one of the key elements of the unique design, an invisible zip which sits right in with the touching of the dress, almost unnoticeable unless you lift you arm (as I did in the picture below).

Also there is an amazing lining in the bodice, 

which is a firmer material to really pull you in and 

help create that marilyn-like hourglass shape. 

Again it was something I didn't expect..but now I wish all my wiggle dresses had this feature!

 All photographs were taking by my amazing cousin Clair in Morpeth NSW.

The Monica comes in sizes XS-4XL and is one of those amazing dresses that truly does suit every shape and size, its like every single Monica is sewn with a little bit of PUG magic to make every one wearing it look like a screen siren.

Pinup Girl have created an Iconic dress and every women needs to own at least one Monica.. or two, or five!

The Monica comes in 13 different colours and they are all so perfect.

Check them out now 

pinupgirlclothing.com

I hope you enjoyed this post

Much Love 

Betté

xx

Our Engagement Party

We had our engagement party at the beginning of May, and I thought I would share some pictures from our amazing night. 

We chose early May as Jim's parents were visiting from England and it gave us the perfect opportunity for them to meet my family as well as all our friends.  The location of our party was at our friends bar 'The Blind monk' in Hamilton, NSW,  which is the cutest little place ever and has the most helpful bar staff.

Seeing as Jim and I have decided to do our wedding in Vegas (he's from England..I'm from Australia, so hey.. lets get married in an entirely different country haha) a lot of our friends and family won't be able to attend, so we wanted to do a big engagement party together.

It was the most fun I've had in ages, but man is it exhausting being the host of the party!

 I was running around trying to make sure I spent enough time talking to everyone, and almost lost my voice by the nights end!

For decorations we went simple, and I wanted something that represented both Jim and I... the bottles of his favourite craft beers used as vases for my favourite flowers was the perfect match and so simple and cheap too!! 

We also decided to do a cork board of photos of precious moments together and bought the cutest letter lights (pictured above and below) from Typo.

Inexpensive but effective :)

For my engagement party outfit I went with the Monica dress from Pinup Girl Clothing!

Knowing the whole time that I wanted to wear white, my heart was set on the Monica. 

Its such a perfect dress and I will be doing a full review on it this weekend!

My old workmates

My Mumma Bear

My sisters and cousins

Jim's mum and sister

All Pictures by my friend Alicia from Billy June Photography

Check out her amazing work!!

I hope you have enjoyed this more personal post, it was an amazing event in my life and Im thrilled to have the ability to share it all with you all.

Much Love

Betté

xx

Dapper Doll

The Elvy Dress By Daisy Dapper

My first ever Daisy Dapper dress... The Elvy dress in Sand!

Wearing this dress last weekend I actually had a lady come up to me and ask if it was 

true vintage!

Now this is an easy mistake to be made, especially with its 1940s design and the fact that it is made with the finest cotton/poly material.

Drooling over this dress on the Daisy Dapper website I knew it had to be mine, 

the tough part was choosing the colour! 

The Elvy comes in Plum, Sand and Salt/Pepper.

 Such perfect colours, it was literally like having to choose between my favourite children (not that I have any).. 

so maybe more like picking out a favourite icecream flavour... 

hahaha what am I saying its always chocolate!!! 

I have been searching for new clothes to wear for winter, and as I found out the hard way, the Elvy definitely keeps the heat it.  Being the thick cotton/poly blend and if I add stockings and a coat or cardigan, the Elvy will get me through the winter blues!

The Elvy features a high back and such a unique collar, the material has stretch and with perfectly positioned darts in the back, side and front, the dress moulds around your bodies  shape. With the assistance of the included belt, which draws in the waist, I was given a heavenly hourglass shape even without wearing a corset underneath.

Another thing I love about this dress is the the long zip at the back, it is an enclosed zip, so it doesn't open at the top, but DD have designed the zip to be long enough that the Elvy can be slipped on with ease.

I just love the detail on the Elvy

All Photographs were taken by my uncle Geoff and cousin clair, in my uncles backyard. Thank you so much to both of them for helping me out!

Daisy Dapper can be found on Instagram and Facebook, 
where they constantly tease a girl with perfect new designs.

And check out their amazing website for more unique designs

daisydapper.com

I hope you have enjoyed this post as much as I have! Please remember to send feedback or leave comments as I love to hear from you.

Much Love 

Betté

xx

Winter is definitely coming...

The Vivien Coat in Black by Hell Bunny

People who know me, know that I hate being cold. 

Living in South East coast of Australia it gets pretty damn cold, not freezing temperatures (although you can drive an hour to see snow) but we get the cold sea winds which sometimes feel like they are going to blow me away! 

So I have been searching for a coat that is thick enough to handle the weather but stylish enough that I don't look like the Michelin Man!

Say hello to the Vivien coat by Hell Bunny...

This coat literally makes me gasp every time I look at it, and when I wear it I feel like Elizabeth Taylor! Hell Bunny has truly outdone themselves with this one.

Now I actually received the Vivien Coat in Spring last year, and with our Spring being as hot as our Summer it has been sitting in my wardrobe, waiting patiently.... 

And with our last weeks of Autumn it was finally time to bring her our for her grand reveal!

 First up it's incredibly warm, the thickness of the coat, the longer length, faux fur collar and cuffs..  

I was a toasty marshmallow inside.

My favourite thing about the Vivien is the cut and silhouette, this dress was made to put over swing skirts and petticoats as the coat itself has a full skirt. 

Having a full skirt itself it also falls perfectly over wiggle dresses and skirts, as the coat brings in the waistline and creates perfect shape and lines at the bottom.

I truly can not find one flaw in this coat, its perfect and I'm in love.

Now I will be honest and say it was a little pricey, around the $200 (AUD) mark, but in saying that most quality coats are in that price range, and if I have to pay a little extra for quality and durability I wouldn't even hesitate. 

Much Love 

xx

Betté

Honour thy Hepburn

 SHOOTING FOR SARSPARILLY- PART 2

 Another gorgeous dress from my shoot for Sarsparilly

The Lady V London Hepburn dress.!!

Im so excited that I finally get to share all these pictures... this dress OMG this dress!

I truly felt like a princess wearing this dress, everything from the colour to the cotton sateen, the cut and silhouette... arghh I can not get enough!
Designed with a full flare skirt, high neckline and seams that mould to your body.
 The Hepburn just screams 1950s sheer elegance 

Worn in these pictures with a long Hell Bunny petticoat, you can see how the fullness at the base of the skirt really brings in the waistline, creating gorgeous shape.. and really, what girl doesn't like to accentuate her curves?  

Another thing I truly love about this dress is that it has a long zip at the back.

I find with some vintage repro dresses they have the side zip, which means I have to put the dress on before I finish doing my hair and makeup (which is a pet hate of mine)

With the Hepburn I simply can step right into the dress and away I go!!

Photography by Vesper Cave

Styled by Maria Murphy

Hair & Makeup by Me :)

Having seen this dress on women sized between 8-28 and it absolutely suits every shape and size, this dress is designed to sit just below the knees but because Im such a shorty it sits at tea length on me.. and so does every dress I wear haha.

Much Love

xx

Betté

Shop this dress and so much more 

sarsparilly.com

The Candy Apple Rain Dress

SHOOTING FOR SARSPARILLY- PART 1

I always feel so blessed when people ask me to do photo shoots in their products, I get to represent something that they have poured their heart and soul into.

Maria Murphy, owner/ designer of Newcastle based clothing label Sarsparilly, is one of the most genuine and beautiful people I have ever met. We work together at our day jobs and met through fellow co workers, both having a love affair with mid century fashion we were bound to get along and also both being shorties we definitely see eye to eye (yes I did crack myself up with that joke). 

Maria is a woman who can juggle it all, creating gorgeous dresses and accessories, working a full time job, being a wife, mother to the cutest little boy ever and about to pop with her second child! 

Sarsparilly dresses are all designed by Maria and made in Melbourne. Maria goes to the trouble of importing all material for her dresses, not only to get uniquely patterned material but also to get the best quality. 

Maria Murphy Owner/designer of Sarsparilly

The Candy Apple Rain Dress

This gorgeous Candy Apple Rain dress by Sarsparilly is beautifully made with the finest cotton, featuring a side zip, full skirt and bow detail at the back. I wore this dress to work last week and can honestly say (after 8 hours of wearing it) that it is one of the most comfortable dresses I have ever worn (and also one of the most complimented).

 The Back Bow Detail

Headband by Sarsparilly

This was one of the most fun photoshoots I have ever done, running up and down hills costume changes in the middle of the park and so many laughs. 

Chloe was our photographer, she is one of Maria's long time friends. She is so professional and such a sweet hearted person(Check out her Facebook page below). 

Please check out Sarsparillys website for all your pinup needs!!

Sarsparillys website not only sells Marias designs but also a huge range of pinup labels.

www.sarsparilly.com

Photography by Vesper Cave Photography

Photo Shoot Styled By Maria Murphy

Hair & Makeup By Me :)

Much Love 

Betté Boom

xx

Pigtails and Pirates

The lovely Laura Jones is owner/designer of Pigtails and Pirates, retro inspired clothing for women and children handmade in my home town of Newcastle, NSW, I first set eyes on Laura at a rockabilly function early last year where we both entered the best dressed competition. Laura was wearing one of her own designs (the batman swing dress if I remember correctly) and I just thought she looked absolutely stunning, Im a bit socially awkward sometimes...so I didn't introduce myself that night but instead left a comment on her Instagram saying how pretty she looked. Since then Laura has asked me to strut my stuff on the catwalk at a local exhibition, wearing the ever so pretty 'Flamingo Flare' dress and pinup posing my way through Jessie J's Bang Bang (gahh love that song) and also asked to model two new P&P dresses, the 'Into the night' lace dress and the 'Alice in Wonderland' dress (see below).

To get to know a bit more about Pigtails and Pirates and the lovely woman behind it all, I caught up with Laura to ask a few questions about how it all began and what inspires her designs...

Laura Jones- Owner & Designer of Pigtails and Pirates 

1. Laura please tell me a bit about yourself and how P&P started? 

I was a High School Chemistry Teacher ( a job that I loved!) I left teaching though to have my 2 children. It was when my children were 1 and 3 I needed to do something that was for myself. A friend showed me how to make a simple quilt. I had fabric left over from the quilt so I thought I should make some clothing for my children. I made a few things and someone suggested I should sell them - I came up with the name Pigtails and Pirates (a name that represents my daughter and son) and soon after  then my business was born. I decided to start making ladies clothes 1.5 years in as I loved all the prints I was using and wanted to become a more conscious shopper and stop buying mass produced clothing so I started to make myself some things. I first made a ladies skirt and shared it on social media, it received an extremely positive reaction - that was the turning point for me to change direction and start to concentrate on ladies wear more. I now cannot image doing anything else!!

2. Have you always loved vintage/retro clothing? 

It was a gradual progression for me. I grew up on a farm in the Central West of NSW Australia - I was never really that into fashion when I was young, I always took pride in my apperance but never really followed fashion trends - Just wore what I though looked great. I have always loved classic feminine styled clothing with great cuts. Im also a strong believer in having less but great quality clothing - thats really what drove me into the direction of 50's inspired fashion- that back then clothing was great quality and was valued by those that bought it - something I want my customers to think about Pigtails and Pirates clothing

3. What inspires your designs? 

Style of the 1950's early 60's obviously has a big influence on what I do. I love the timeless style and the feminitiy of the designs of that time. 1950's fashion represents an era of classic timeless styles that even over 60 years on still look fashionable

I also adore what I call Geek Chic such as star wars, superheros, pop culture. My children love these things aswell, my sons face when I made myself a dress with a batman print was priceless - he LOVED it. So obvioulsy my children have a big influence on my items

I am also inspired by nature you also see alot of birds and other wildlife in the prints that I use (maybe this is from my childhood growing up on a farm in the Central West)

4. What has been your favourite P&P creation so far?
Everytime we make something new I say it is my favourite as I generally love everything we make! I always show husband a new dress and say "How great is this!"

I do have a soft spot for our Flamingo Flare dress as it was one of the very first items we made and it was the first ladies dress that we actually sold! (I still remember the customers name!) It will be retired this year 

5. What's next for P&P? 

We have 3 new dress designs coming out. We will also be adding more circle skirts to the range and as always awesome new prints for our classic styles

Alice in Wonderland Dress

Photography By Bec Peterson - Inspired By Faith Photography

Hair and Makeup By Candy Nahnsen - Bon Bon Beaute

Into The Night Dress

Photography By Bec Peterson - Inspired By Faith Photography

Hair and Makeup By Candy Nahnsen - Bon Bon Beaute

I adored doing this shoot, it had a different feel to it than some of the previous shoots I have done. Also the shoot was set in a beautiful part of Newcastle, which Laura and I only discovered on the day thanks to our lovely photographer, Bec. 

Another highlight of the day was asking a stranger if we could steal their dog for the shoot, the poor thing got so scared as it thought its owners were abandoning it.

Laura handpicks only the finest material and everything is handmade to perfection.

Some P & P designs include wonder woman, marvel, star wars, to the more classic designs of swans, flamingos, flowers and birds. 

If your looking for a statement outfit, the perfect dress for a special occasion or a custom design.. 

Laura and the team at Pigtails and Pirates have exactly what you need.!

Check out Pigtails and Pirates NOW..

pigtailsandpirates.com

Much Love

Betté

xx