Wallflower

"She never danced, not in the open

But once she closed her dark blue eyes

She was the centre of the party.

She heard the sounds of all the laughter

Glasses full or being filled,

She was the princess of the non-existing empire

Of the wallflowers that blossom on an extraordinary day"

~ Peter Heerings

A lot of my fashion dreams have come true recently; from getting hold of an almost exact replica of a vintage outfit I'd seen Kate Moss wear years ago (here), to wearing extraordinarily beautiful dresses on the red carpet at film premieres (here and here), it's fair to say that it's been a pretty exciting time on the fashion front. There was however, one fashion dream I never could have imagined coming true. I never thought I would get a second chance to own the one that got away; my Gucci dress of dreams.

A glorious floral masterpiece, the dress first appeared on the Gucci catwalk in Fall 2015. It was so far out of my price range, and sold out so quickly, that all I could do was gaze longingly at pictures of it and dream of wearing it. And then, two years later, the great Alessandro Michele reimagined some Gucci classics for an exclusive 20-piece collection for Net-a-Porter. In doing so, he inadvertently made my fashion dream come true.

There, amongst the beautiful pieces emblazoned with Herons in flight, the 19th century tapestry prints, the Dionysus bag and the Ace sneakers, was my floral Gucci dress. This time I didn't hesitate, I snapped this beauty up before I could even take a breath! Everything about this dress is everything I love in a dress; the floral print, the rich red colourway, the loose 70s inspired silhouette, the fluttering pleated ruffles. It is, to me, the perfect dress.

Get The Look:

Dress: Gucci Floral-print silk-georgette mini dress (similar here and here)

Shoes: Reiss 'Cedar' Wood Platforms in cognac (similar)

Earrings: Blue Nile Gold Hoop Earrings

Photos: Jason Connery ©

The Picture Fails: Blog Outtakes

"She would have her picture taken.
She came dressed beyond description,
Dressed in jewels and in satin
Far too gorgeous for an empress.

Grand, heroic was the notion:
Yet the picture failed entirely:
Failed, because she moved a little,
Moved, because she couldn't help it."
~ Lewis Carroll

Photos: John Uwins Photography ©

Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Mike Lawrence ©
Phill Griffith ©

It's A Wrap

"A cocoon of silk wraps the final breath of day

When feelings stir fantastically

Touching my dreams in mighty ways

Then softly clothing me"

~ Neva Flores Varga

I return to high street favourite Topshop time after time, season after season, and I always seem to find something special, without ever breaking the bank.

This adorable ditsy floral print dress is a case in point. It ticks so many boxes for me; vintage inspired, a figure flattering wrap-over style, flirty, feminine, frilly short sleeves. It's girlie summer dressing at its very best. The darker florals also make it a great transeasonal piece that will see me through Autumn and Winter; I will simply add some dark tights, cute ankle boots or brogues, and a cool leather jacket when the chillier days and nights arrive. Let's not wish the last of the Summer away though! For now, heels and a great bag is all I need. 

I styled my dress with a pair of 70s inspired shoes from Reiss. I bought them many seasons ago and they immediately became a staple in my wardrobe. They really compliment the vintage vibe of this lovely dress. I finished my look off with the lush 'Richmond' tote by handbag Queen Nadia Minkoff. It has become my go-to bag for everyday use. The perfect size for all my essentials, and a great colour that goes with absolutely everything; this arm candy is, quite simply, cool as heck!

Get The Look:

Dress: Topshop Ditsy Floral Wrap Dress

Bag: Nadia Minkoff 'The Richmond' Bag in cognac

Shoes: Reiss 'Cedar' Wood Platforms in cognac (similar)

Photos: John Uwins ©

I'm Wearing Your Dress

"I'm wearing your dress.

Found amongst the rails of second hand clothes,

bought for a second hand price.

I'm wondering who you were,

As I stroke the ancient fabric

With its tear-stained hem,

Alive with memories and a timeless charm.

Styles come and go but something beautiful remains,
Because I'm wearing your dress."

~ Fiona Ufton ©

Always late to the party, I am only just beginning to get into the idea of wearing vintage clothing. Given how much I love a 1970s look, this surprises everyone who knows me. Two things have always held me back though; 1. that second hand thing, and 2. there are just so many gorgeous 70s style clothes out there to buy brand spanking new.

I stumbled across Peekaboo, an online vintage boutique, completely by chance the other day (thank you Twitter!) and as I perused their very lovely range of clothing, I saw this absolutely adorable 1970s mini dress. Its ridiculously purse friendly price encouraged me to take a chance on a vintage purchase, so I ordered it. It arrived a couple of days later, beautifully packaged, and I am absolutely delighted with it. Quite besotted actually, it is lush!

A genuine vintage mini dress from the 1970s, it is brightly coloured in rich shades of reds, pinks and oranges. The all over pattern is one of olden day warriors battling on horse-back (I defy you to find anything like that on the High Street!). In a cute baby doll style with a deep v-neckline and long sleeves elasticated at the cuff, it is a one-off, completely unique dress that I am so happy to add to my increasingly eclectic wardrobe! I styled my pretty dress with another cool vintage piece (oh there's no stopping me now!), a gorgeous tan coloured, tooled finish 1970s shoulder bag. This was a great online find from Beyond Retro, the celebrity go-to vintage shop, and once again, the affordable price of such a beautiful bag was quite unbelievable.

Sticking with the 70s theme, I added a great pair of tan heels from Reiss; I bought these shoes many seasons ago, they are still going strong and they always add a cool, retro vibe to an outfit.

Get The Look:

Dress: Peekaboo Vintage 1970s Dress (similar)

Shoes: Reiss 'Cedar' Wood Platforms in cognac (similar)
Bag: Beyond Retro Vintage 1970s Tooled Finish Shoulder Bag in tan (similar)
Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Dina

"There is a lady out east

Named Dina, well at least

She is the mistress of beasts"

~ Aztlanquill

Ganni, a cool Danish label founded in 2000, describes itself as a brand that "mixes the best of past icons but tweaked for the modern everyday girls of today".

Their beautiful Pre-Spring/Summer 2015 collection was inspired by one of the most influential and iconic photographers of our times, Corrine Day. Kate and I have long been admirers of her raw, exposed work that changed fashion photography forever. Corinne's photographs were unexpected; they were edgy, unadorned, and had a vulnerability and a roughness about them. She could put something beautiful into an ordinary space and make it look interesting and exciting. It shouldn't work but it does and that was a huge inspiration when we photographed this dress for the blog.

Ganni's gorgeous 'Dina' dress; I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. I fell in love with the colour, the shape, the soft, sensuous velvety material. I love that it looks like it could have stepped out of a 1970s episode of Charlie's Angels or a 1990s episode of Sex And The City. In a delicious pink colour-way, it features a draped wrapped front, a deep V-neckline, a stretch waistband and elasticated cuffs.

I styled it with cool studded heels and a tiny gold clutch bag for a grungily beautiful look.

Get The Look:

Dress: Ganni 'Dina' Dress in pink

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Mad Mary' Shoes in cream (similar)

Bag: Reiss 1971 'Selvi' Gold Box Clutch Bag (similar)

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©