Black & White Summer

I don't know why, but I tend to take pictures in a particular way: Spring/Summer is colour photography while Autumn/Winter is black and white photography. It's such a weird habit to have because photography isn't built that way nor made that way. That's why I love photography so much, a picture can be taken in any circumstance and at any time of year; it has no rules, no structure or boundaries (unless you want it to), and it can and will thrive if you have passion behind it.

I decided to have a wander during one of my days off and headed to one of my favourite places. Shoreditch is great because you get the old with the new, the modern with the vintage, the light with the dark, and that's why it's on my go-to list of places that inspire me. I was really lucky because the sun was shining and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to break my habit and take black and white photos on a Summers day. Below are the results:

So much beauty in black and white photography in the sunshine. I'm definitely going to continue this break from my norm and take colour photos in the upcoming Autumn months (oh my goodness, Autumn is my favourite time of year so I simply cannot wait!). You can check out the full set on my Flickr page.

'til next time.

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

Ro, Ro, Ro Your Boat

Hehe, this post is not of a nautical nature, it's merely a dedication of love to my dear friend, Ro(hita). She was visiting from the land of Oz and the first thing we had to do was of course shop! On a horribly sticky summers day, we headed to Oxford Street for retail therapy funtimes. I was good and didn't buy a thing, but Ro got all the essentials needed to take back home with her.

I needed something light, airy and comfortable so turned to my ever adored Lady Vintage:

Dress: Lady Vintage London^

Cardigan: South (via Very)^

Sandals: Primark

Bag: Paperchase^

Sunglasses: Spitalfields Market

I love this dress because you very rarely see a white dress with polka dots on it; for some reason the white is always the dots so I was thrilled when I saw this online. My dream dress is white with red polka dots but the burgundy is so striking on this dress, I felt great and super cool throughout the day. I accessoried with some of the most comfortable sandals I've ever worn and my favourite tote bag - Geek for life!

Me and my lil' (although ridiculously taller than me!) Ro :) X

We ended the day right with gluttonous endeavours. These desserts were so good and pink lemonade has been my go-to drink all summer:

I loved having Ro visit and I'm super sad she's gone now, but we had the best day and I was wearing a fab outfit!

'til next time.

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

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Vintage Postcards with Love

It takes something pretty special for me to wear separates and this skirt is indeed that. I bought this a while ago while shopping in Primark and my eyes lit up when I saw it. The print screams 50s vintage to me and being a lover of writing correspondence rather than robotically typing on a key pad allowed me to hark back to a more simple time with the beautiful postcards.

Skirt: Primark

Vest: South (via Very)^

Cardigan: South (via Very)^

Shoes: Primark

Oh I love this print! <3

I love the cute red peep-toe flats. They compliment the skirt so well and stand out against the plain vest and cardigan; this is one of my summer favourites for sure and is a reminder for me to wear separates more often - I really don't do this enough because being a vintage bunny means that I love swing and circle stylings and thus, dresses always tend to get my vote. I do have an array of skirts though so maybe you'll see me experimenting a little more with my outfits.

I bought a few more gems during my Primark visit and they'll be appearing on the ol' blog soon enough.

'til next time.

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

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EVERYDAY Is Special - Blue Belle

This is yet another stunner from my EVERYDAY is special collection. I had admired the clothes from Pinup Girl Clothing for sometime. They are an American based company, formed in 1999 and deal with all things vintage inspired: clothes (dresses and separates), swimwear, body shapers, lingerie, shoes and accessories are all available for us vintage babes to drool over, and the best thing is, they have a designated plus size range with many items going up to a UK 30! Regular readers of my blog will know how much I love vintage and vintage inspired clothing, so Pinup Girl Clothing were always going to be a brand I would love. However, due to the overseas fees and customs charge, I'd resisted the urge to purchase anything. Then I saw this 1950s inspired wonder:

Dress: 'Heidi Dress', Pinup Girl Clothing

Cardigan: Collectif Clothing

Belt: Simply Be^

Shoes: Primark

Vintage Style Sunglasses: Spitalfields Market

Let's talk about the colour. The gorgeous deep Royal Blue is stunning and works so well with my skin tone. Royal Blue is actually my favourite colour with blue in general probably being the dominant colour in my wardrobe in its differing shades. The Heidi dress I ordered, incidentally, isn't from their plus size range, but it comes in many different colours in both the regular and plus size sections; however, there was no doubt which colour I was going to go for.

Another wonderful thing is the cut and fit of the dress. Made from stretch sateen, the dress almost felt specially crafted for my body. It adjusted and hugged me to accommodate my every curve so I felt nothing but comfortable all day. The lovely stretch is also handy if you don't have someone to zip you up (trying to wiggle a dress over big boobs and a tummy, is a nightmare!) and is easily manoeuvred. The quality is superb and it's no wonder why they are so popular all over the world, and as someone from the UK, I don't mind paying that little extra for high quality.

'Cat-Eye' shape shades are the best! <3

I love this dress and was tired of seeing it hang in my wardrobe, so I decided on a lovely summers day that I would pair it with my swallow Collectif cardigan and some cute gold accents in the form of a belt and sandals, and show off a tad. You really can't blame me, right?!

'til next time.

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

Key: The symbol ^ denotes an item no longer available. 

Yellow Haze

You know how it is. You have a dress that you love, but there's one thing that keeps you from wearing it - this was that dress for me. I bought it on sale from ASOS about two years ago but the thing that held me back was the top half.

To be blunt, I have a rather large bust and halter dresses and tops can be quite difficult to manage, so I left it unworn at the back of my wardrobe; but while having a bit of a cleanup from moving, I decided to try it again. I still loved it, but couldn't get over how my bosom (which had increased in size since buying the dress) all but spilt out of it! I was going to add it to my 'to sell' pile, but then I thought 'what if I use the belt to give myself a little more modesty?' I simply used the belt to cover my bust and adjusted the belt to accommodate the halter-top - a new dress was born!

Dress: ASOS^

Cardigan: South (via Very)^

Sandals: Dorothy Perkins

I now can't get over how much I love the new and improved look, and intend to sew the belt across the bust so I don't have to fiddle with it every time I want to wear it.

Closeup of the belt doing a fab job :)

The dress is so floaty and gorgeous. It's triple layered with a nude base which works so well with the yellow and green pattern. The length is perfect and the material is incredibly light - and yes, you do need to watch out for that wind! I paired it with a simple cardigan and the cutest Dorothy Perkins sandals - the perfect Summer outfit.

It just goes to show that with a little experimenting, something that never worked could actually turn out to be just wonderful.

'til next time!

Love and hugs,

Isha

xxx

Key: Symbol ^ denotes an item no longer available.