Lady in Red:Fashion Union

The closer to Christmas it is, the more inclined I am to wearing the colour red. I always see the colour as really powerful and empowering to women. As much as it's my favourite colour, my wardrobe doesn't have that many red items and I never seem to be able to find the perfect red dress. I was recently accepted on the Fashion Union blogger list on Etail PR and I was offered the opportunity to review one of their items. Having browsed through the list I picked out this little red number, in hope that this would be the perfect new addition to my wardrobe.

When the dress arrived I had very mixed opinions. It looks beautiful, feels effortless to wear, but as much as I wanted it to, it just doesn't do anything for my figure. This is no fault of Fashion Union, it's just I personally think this dress is meant for women that have less curves so it can add definition to their body. On my curvier size 8 figure, the dress grabs to my insecurities and makes me look a bit frumpy. The issue I had with this dress is the fact that it is incredibly low cut. I couldn't wear the dress without it bending over and exposing my dignity to everyone in sight. The way I got around this issue was by putting a stitch into the top. I did it quite loosely so that I can unpick it in the future, but for now it kept everything concealed. Another word of warning from this dress is the fact that it comes in pretty big sizes. I'm usually between a 6 to 10 on the high street and I ordered an extra small from Fashion Union. This dress felt incredibly big on me and I think that's another reason it didn't look too flattering on my body shape.I turned to my fiance for advice and although he is usually quite polite about what I wear, even he agreed that it made me look bigger than I actually am, however he's as disappointed as me because we both absolutely adore the colour of this dress.

If I had a different body shape, this dress would have 'me' written all over it. It's striking, bold and such a beautiful dress to wear. Would I shop at Fashion Union again? Of course I would. Fashion Union have some lovely dresses in, especially the glittery ones for Christmas. However, like with all clothes shopping every now and then you buy something that isn't necessarily for you.

The 'Red Wrap Over Chiffon Dress' can be bought for £19.00 from the Fashion Union Website.

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Party with Coast

Before I wax lyrical about the new range of beautiful party dresses Coast has in store, I will firstly admit that I haven't always been a fan. Over the last year or two I've been in and out of various Coast stores and thought much of the clothing looks drab or something that would only look wearable at a wedding. When I saw the latest range of clothes to be added to the Coast website I took all those statements back. I can't stop creating dream wishlists in my head or making up situations when I could wear the Savita dress - the one at the end with the fur. The truth is I haven't got any formal occasions planned this year and unless its a big event, I can't afford to spend £250 on a dress either. So like many bloggers do when they're dreaming of items they cannot simply afford at the moment, I've created a wishlist.

The 'Swirl Maxi' dress is the first on the list. I love the silver glitter detailing and the elegant soft lilac colouring. This dress makes me think of a modern cinderella going to a ball. It's so sophisticated and would look wonderful at a formal Christmas party or ball. The second dress I've mentioned is a beautiful gold colour. It looks smart, sassy and more like a dress that you would wear on any night out. I love the faux leather look at the top of the dress and the petticoat style skirt that makes me want to dance. The final dress in the above image is the previously mentioned Savita dress. Words cannot describe how much I would love that dress to be in my wardrobe. It looks different and a little bit out there, but at the same time very feminine and exquisite to look at. 

My next set of 'must haves' are formal black clothing that can be worn jazzed up on a night out or dressed down for work or a quiet evening. I've wanted a jumpsuit for as long as I can remember. Even as a child I wanted a jumpsuit, because I came across a picture of my mother wearing one in the 70s. My only issue is that I'm small and when height comes into the equation, jumpsuits are generally ruled out. I love the style of this one and it's another I'd like to try on when I'm nearer Coast. I won't give up trying to find the perfect jumpsuit, but so far it's taking a long time.  The other two items are a peplum laced top and a black cover up. Both these items are something I could definitely do with buying in the near future as I don't have much formal wear and I really need a cover up to keep me warm and looking sophisticated at the same time. 

I can easily see myself going into Coast this weekend to try on a few items, but for now I will make do with spying on the website.

Have you seen anything you like in Coast lately?

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Great Gatsby Inspired Outfit

Since I watched the Great Gatsby in the cinemas a few weeks ago, I've been craving a glittery dress. The whole film showcases the most elaborate sequins, beautiful flowing 20s style dresses and lots of bright colours. Whilst watching the film, I felt like I wanted to be transported to those parties and join in the fun. Unfortunately this is not the 1920s, so i'll have to find some glittery ensemble and recreate a Gatsby party myself.  A delightful PR lady dropped me an email to show me their latest Great Gatsby inspired clothing lines and I instantly felt drawn to this dress. Sometimes you have a gut feeling when you see a picture that the dress is meant for you and you know that it's definitely going to suit you. I've searched for a lot of glittery dresses in the past and apart from my beautiful French Connection Samantha dress, I haven't found another one I like. I'm really picky as when it comes to glitter dresses, there's a fine line between tacky and spectacular. The majority of the time, unless you can splurge a decent amount of money on a glittery outfit, you're stuck with something that looks a tiny bit shabby. 

I received this dress in the post on Thursday - having ran down to answer the door in my underwear to prevent the delivery driver taking it to the depot. It was quite an embarrassing moment and full of cheesy chat up lines from the rather embarrassed male, but alas, it was all worth it. Tacky? Falling apart? Of course not, this dress looked sewn to perfection. On my first introduction to Bon Prix, my initial stance was that the dresses suited a more mature lady and I probably wouldn't shop there myself. However, when my previous purple dress arrived, I was really happy with the quality and pricing that my opinion completely altered. The dresses are a little more demure - they cut below the knee and offer sophistication rather than a tight little mini skirt and I like that. I haven't had a bad experience with the company or their pr team and its become top of my bookmark list that I check almost every week. 

This sequinned bust dress can be purchased from Bon Prix for the affordable price tag of £29.99. On initial inspection of the dress, none of the sequins seemed lose - something I tend to find with a lot of sequin dresses, the sizing is pretty spacious and the dress overall is really well made. The only thing I would comment on is that fact that it is a very roomy size 6 - 8. I would never consider myself a size 6 and although I own a few size 6 items, I'd say they are more verging on a size 8. This dress seems to fit me easily, but I could see it might be a little big on a size 6. Apart from that, yet again, Bon Prix scores 5/5 for their clothing again. Having worn this at my partners garden party the other day and the sun shimmering off the gold, I was left with confidence. The dress was comfy and felt like a second skin - something that all clothing should feel like. 

http://www.bonprix.co.uk/

What do you think of the dress?

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A day in the sunshine

Last week the weather was cold and the rain was in heavy force, but this week, there has been such a drastic change. It finally feels like we're entering British Summer Time and for me, it's an opportunity to grab those beautiful summer dresses, chic wedged heels and drink plenty of cocktails. There's nothing like summer fun and having the freedom to venture out of the house without a coat on. My confidence feels at it's peak when it's sunny, because I can show off the figure I've worked damn well hard for the last few years, instead of adding layers to keep myself warm, which inevitably make me look chubby.

This burgundy skater dress from Brave Soul is one of my favourite daywear outfits. It's elegant, yet funky and looks really feminine.  Being a little bit of a 'rock chic', I love the fact that it has studded shoulder pads. It's great to wear to my local rock bar or for cocktails with the girls somewhere a little more high class. 

Bravesoul.co.uk has many great outfits available at such a low price range. This dress was only £25.00, which is great for any budget and there's plenty more dresses where this came from.

www.bravesoul.co.uk

What would you buy?

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