The Collectif Ginger Strawberry Print Wing Bust Dress

Dress from Collectif, also available at Top Vintage, Attitude and eBay, peeptoe slingback sandals from BHS, bamboo bangles from Collectif, handbag and pearl earrings are vintage

As soon as I set eyes on this adorable strawberry-print sundress from retro supershop Collectif, I knew I had to have it on my body and in my blog. The pattern is scrumptious – fruity red on a clean white background makes it super summery. The classic 1950s shape with its full swing skirt and nipped-in, belted waist is flattering as hell and the elasticated panel at the back means you can feel a little bit smug and size down.

As if this dress wasn’t giving you enough reasons to defy convention and marry it, the straps are adjustable so you can change your neckline whenever you fancy! I also love the attention to detail of the wing bust, which can be folded up or down depending on how vintage you’re feeling.

To summarise, I am a smitten kitten. So are lots of other vintage lovers so this one sold out quickly on the Collectif website. Don’t worry though, I’ve thoughtfully included multiple links at the start of this post to increase your odds of bagging one of these beauties for yourself.

The Summer Carnival Dress

Dress by Stop Staring, hair corsage from Accessorize, wedges from Amazon, handbag from Primark

Despite being girlier than diamante-studded pink fluff, this is a very practical outfit for a carnival as proved when I wore it at Notting Hill.

People said I couldn’t wear heels to a street party but they didn’t understand that if I was in flats I’d be too busy googling leg lengthering surgery to dance. I wore these wedges from the international designer label that is Amazon. They gave enough support to withstand the jostling crowds and they were so cheap I didn’t care if everyone went wild and spilled their drinks all over them.

The dress includes built in bra cups, which meant I didn’t need to wear a bra. Swept away by the mood of the carnival I felt liberated from all the constraints of everyday society, including underwear.

I chose a handbag with a shoulder strap to leave my hands free for expressive dance.

My New Favourite Maxi

Dress from ASOS, vintage handbag

In a 1970s-style maxi dress you can look glamorous even when you’re bloated with furry legs and swollen ankles, which is great news if you’re pregnant, or just lazy and greedy with poor circulation like me.

My favourite style is cap-sleeved, V-necked and tied at the back with a wide ribbon belt, just like the one I’m modelling here. This shape accentuates your waist while skimming over your tummy and covers up your legs while letting you secretly extend them via the power of wedges.

It’s sexy in a buxom milkmaid way, which I really like because I have always wanted to play saucy wenches who make bawdy jokes while squeezing udders in rural period dramas.

The Collectif Gretel Gingham Swing Dress

Dress from Collectif, wedges from New Look

This dress is part picnic rug and part Australian schoolgirl but somehow it works. The 1950s style halter neck and circle skirt are lovely and summery. And the heart-shaped buttons and lacy white trim elevate it from cute to adorable.

A word on sizing: If you’re blessed/burdened with big boobs, size up. I’m normally a 10 in Collectif dresses but the 10 in this style made my lady lumps look way too lumpy. Even in the 12, I’ve had to sew it up between the buttons to reduce the risk of accidentally flashing everyone.

Like me, Brigitte Sex Kitten Bardot couldn’t resist a bit of gingham. She of the magnificent bouffant loved it so much she even wore a pink gingham dress on her wedding day.

Here are a few flirty frocks to give you some of that Bardot style.

(From left to right) Heartbreaker, Hell Bunny, Heartbreaker, Hell Bunny, Bernie Dexter, Pin Up Girl Clothing

Vintage Essentials No.1: A Polka Dot Dress

Dress from Collectif, wedges and clutch from Primark

A polka dot dress is top of my list for building the perfect vintage wardrobe. It’s a fabulous outfit for day, night or day-to-night. When in doubt, whack your polka dots out!

These dotty, spotty, acne-ridden dresses are sexy but tongue-in-chic. They’re also cute and a bit cartoony. My red one makes me feel like a raunchy Minnie Mouse. Speaking of ladies with the initials M.M, Marilyn was another polka dot pro. They perfectly suited her unique blend of sex appeal and adorability.

This look exudes pure 1950s glamour. Choose a wiggle or circle dress for the most iconic silhouette. If you’re more of a 40s vixen, an A-line tea dress is just the ticket. Classic colours for polka dots are black, white, navy and red. I have at least one of each in my overstuffed wardrobe. Also look out for brighter shades to really get you noticed.

Such eye-catching frocks look best with neutral accessories – neutral in this case meaning black, white, nude and, the mother of all neutrals, leopard print.

Here is a selection of dresses for you to go dotty over.

red halter, baby blue, red and white, black, pink, white, navy, white wrap, red

My Girly Vintage Sundress

Vintage sundress from Unique Vintage, floral wedges from New Look, handbag from River Island

This 1950s vintage sundress has been in my wardrobe for years but I still yank it out every summer; I have to yank because it’s pretty crowded in there. I love its unapologetic girliness  – the pale pink cotton, the baby blue straps, the floral embroidery – it’s girlier than a fairytale princess sitting on a flowerbed eating candyfloss while softly weeping to her pet lamb. It makes me want to skip in meadows and make friends with tweeting birds. I never get those urges when I’m wearing a wiggle dress.

Here are some more super girly, super gorgeous vintage dresses for all you grown up princesses to swan around in.

pink gingham, blue halter, floral, candy pink, lilac, fuschia

A tan leather day bag and a pair of floral wedges complete the outfit. I’ve had a lifelong obsession with flowery shoes. I thought they were magical when I was a little girl and I stand by that assessment now. Below are some that are available right now, including a pair I couldn’t resist including that will make you look as fabulously fruity as Carmen Miranda, the bombshell with the banana fetish.

cream, pink, tan, red, black, fruity

A Guide To Vintage Summer Dresses

Pencil dresses are great if you’re happy to wiggle. But what about those days when you wake up yearning to skip, prance and do the splits? When I want to be able to use my legs as two separate body parts, I reach for a 1950s circle dress. Comfortable and feminine, this style is flattering to most shapes so you can get involved whether you’re an apple, a pear or a dodecahedron.

There are some stunning originals out there, sadly many of them in tiny sizes. Ladies used to be slimmer. And gorgeous but miniscule vintage dresses rub that in our fatter faces. Here are a few I’ve found, in various sizes, that made me swoon.

Virtual Vintage UK, Crush Vintage, Posh Girl Vintage

 

The Best Repro Vintage Sundresses

If you can’t find your summer soulmate on the vintage racks then try a reproduction frock instead.

 

For a flattering fit – Vivien of Holloway

pink polka dots, leopard print, black floral

I love these halterneck dresses, which come in a dizzying array of colours and patterns. They are supremely flattering because the wide straps hide any armpit-boob-overspill and balance out bigger arms (unlike spaghetti straps which actively encourage armpit tits and make chunky arms look gargantuan). If you still feel like your bingo wings are flapping about drawing attention to themselves, invest in a matching bolero or a cute little cardi to ensure your lack of muscle tone stays a stylishly kept secret. For the ultimate hourglass look you need to nip your waist in. If you feel it could be nipped further, just add a cinch belt in a complimentary colour.

 

For talking point prints – Bernie Dexter

geometric floral, cafe street scene, koi fish

Bernie Dexter, equally fond of 1950s circle dresses and sticking her elbow in the air, is a pin-up model who designs fabulous vintage-inspired dresses. Bernie’s range includes frocks adorned with Eiffel Towers, ice-cream sundaes and pampered poodles. They look like the kind of rare vintage finds that get you giddy. The bonus is that these treasures come in a range of sizes.

 

For bargains – the online high street

Oasis, Glamour Bunny, Unique Vintage

All of these babies are under £40. I like having a few high street fifties-style dresses in my wardrobe for comfy, flip-flop days (yes, I have those). As someone who normally wears vintage or pricylicious reproduction frocks, the fact that they’re not antiques and they don’t cost a fortune is quite liberating. Perfect for some spontaneous acrobatics in the sunshine. Just make sure you’re wearing massive pants.

Hello Dollface!

Dress by Stop Staring via Ebay, wedges from New Look, handbag from Primark, jewellery from Accessorize

Like everyone else in London, I was thrilled about the bank holiday heatwave. It provided some very welcome tanning time and helped me towards my dream of being as bronzed as Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra. I also wish I had her upper body strength.

Another reason I was excited was the unexpected opportunity to showcase my favourite vintage style summer dresses.

My frock’s called Dollface and I think it’s adorable. I have a wardrobe full of polka dots – they make me feel like a saucy Minnie Mouse. Along with stripes and old-fashioned florals, spots are an easy to wear print that instantly add vintage charm to your look.

Open-toe wedges are my shoe staple for hot weather. With cankles as sexy as mine, a bit of heel height is a must and these give me the required tilt but are still comfortable enough for summertime strolling. I’m always careful to find ones without ankle straps, which would chop my legs into chipolatas and make them look even stumpier and more hooflike than normal.

If you’re a fellow cankle-suffererer, firstly, I’m sorry – it’s hell, isn’t it? Secondly, here are a few pin-up-worthy wedges that should elongate your stems and downplay your sturdiness.

Left to right: Lands’ End, Lands’ End, LK Bennett, Pied a Terre, Dune