Lindy Bop Archives » MelodyMae.co.uk

29th January 2019

Sparks Joy – Falling Back in Love with Old Clothes

Happy… Wednesday? Oops, I’ve been busy!

Sorry for the lateness on this post, guys! I’ve been lucky enough to be busy with a lot of different things with work and socialising that it’s been a little bit harder to get posts done as quickly as before! But that aside, how are you guys? How’s things going? Anyone else going for a ‘Sparks Joy’ sort of life?

So unless you’ve been living under a rock for a while now, you’ve probably heard of Marie Kondo and the “sparks joy” art of tidying she does. A few years back she wrote a book about tidying, and more recently has invaded Netflix with her show. Now, I’m not against stuff at all – I’m the messiest near-hoarder you’ll meet! But I’m completely into having my stuff organised and not on the floor where I can’t find it…

In my KonMari cleaning phase I’m going through, I’m really trying to fall back in love with some old clothes I have. I’m going through my wardrobe slowly at the moment, since I’ve got less than 6 months until I’ll be moving into a new place. And when moving into a new home, I think it’s important to only take what you love. Now back in the day, I did a spring cleaning your wardrobe post, which incidentally has some overlap with the KonMari method.

I’m very lucky that brands sponsor a lot of my clothing and accessories, I’m very aware. But it has given me a bit of a chip on my shoulder about only posting outfits with new items other people can buy. Which then means there’s things in my wardrobe that don’t get the love they deserve from me.

The ‘Sparks Joy’ test

So I’m making a pledge to myself to wear every item of clothing in my wardrobe. No matter how old or new it may be, I’ll be wearing it. And if it doesn’t “spark joy” or give me a good feeling, it will be donated, given away or sold. I’ve already sorted out bags of stuff ready to go since they don’t fit, and I’m sure more will follow. At the very least, I’ll be able to curate a great wardrobe full of things I love wearing.

And so I took one of my favourite dresses out for a walk in Gunnersbury Park the other week! This is actually a Lindy Bop dress from late 2015, and one that up until this year was in heavy rotation. The print is amazing, of course, but I honestly think it’s the only Audrey style that has ever truly suited me. There’s actually a few sizes left in this style! And I can’t recommend it more!

Keeping the boozy theme I have my well-loved The Crown Box Bag from Vendula London. And of course — the greatest cardigan Collectif ever brought out! I can’t believe this cardigan is already five years old, honestly. The quality of these cardigans in particular was above and beyond anything else Collectif has done!

I fancied being a bit more colourful, too! I think I’ve been in a bit of a colour rut and only ever want to wear black, so adding these We Love Color tights were a must!

Are you trying the KonMari method? Having a clear out at all? Let me know in the comments!

Cardigan; Old Collectif
Dress; Lindy Bop
Bangles; Splendette
Tights; We Love Colors
Shoes; Melissa

15th December 2018

Glamorous Gold with Lindy Bop Gina Dress

How are we feeling? Getting Christmassy at all?

I’m not feeling Christmas this year if I’m honest, and although I want to be Cindy Lou Who, I’m most certainly a Grinch at the moment. Bring on the mince pies and mulled wine, I say! I need a Christmas injection soon. But for now I’m serving some New Years Eve Glamour with the Lindy Bop Gina dress!

Remember when I showed you my favourite plus-size friendly party dresses? Well, you might remember the Lindy Bop Gina dress! I’ve now started a good collection of Lindy Bop dresses, which you’ve now seen most of. But one thing I didn’t have of theirs? Something really classical!

Now, I’m a total gold girl. I love gold everything – jewellery, gold phone, gold accessories, gold shoes. Before this dress I had no clothes that were gold though! Well, half gold. (The word gold has lost all meaning to me now) And isn’t it just so pretty?

How does it fit?

I took my usual 22 in this dress, and would say it’s roughly true to size. However, if you have a bigger bust or bigger arms, I’d definitely size up. My upper arms are quite big, and the sleeves were just that bit too tight. It doesn’t make the dress uncomfortable, luckily, but any tighter and there would’ve been an issue.

The waist was, if anything, a little larger than the bust would lead you to believe, actually! It fit well without a belt, which is the main thing.

As you can see in the photo below, the arms could do with an extra inch. There is some stretch, and it helps with the bust, but the sleeves don’t have too much give.

The bodice is made from buttery soft cotton sateen, and the skirt is a cotton twill. I love cotton twill because it’s the sort of fabric that could withstand a hurricane, which is offset nicely by the sateen. For those of you that don’t know fabric, the top has a sheen and some stretch, and the skirt keeps its shape amazingly well.

The surplice bodice is quite moveable, and the stretch means it would be a great breastfeeding dress! I had to move it to sit under my breast, though – remember that larger busts should size up! Or else fear the split-boob-look. Do you want that? No. No you do not.

There’s a bow at the side, too. It’s cute enough, but I really wished the ties were more structured, personally. I’ve loved massive bows ever since my lolita days, but I admit it’s my least favourite part of this dress. I may just take off the ties to rectify it, though!

I went for a slightly classic 50s look with this dress, wearing a gorgeous new-to-me halo pillbox hat. Although I suspect the hat is 80’s, it’s absolutely gorgeous and only cost me £3.50, too! I didn’t get great photos of it, but believe me on this one.

What do you think, guys?

I mean really, you cannot go wrong when this dress costs £38. Yes, it really is that cheap! And you’ll be stunned by the quality of it, I promise you. Now, who’s wearing it for New Years Eve?

Hat; Vintage
Cardigan; Collectif (Old)
Dress; C/O Lindy Bop (Disclaimer)
Bag; Vendula London (Old)
Shoes; ASOS

22nd September 2018

A Day At The Races – Goodwood Style

Happy Saturday! I hope you’re not quite as freezing as I am today?

How are we all feeling? I had a week at my mums, which was more about decorating her house instead of relaxing – but I came home with a fresher mind than before. If I get over this head cold I’ve accumulated, of course! On Thursday we looked at what was going on around the Goodwood Revival site. But we didn’t see much style, did we? So for Style Saturday we’re going to look at some Goodwood style!

If you read the last post, or happened to be on Instagram on the 8th September, you might of known I got invited to Goodwood Revival. I was invited to be an influencer with Mastercard’s Revival Fashion, which meant I got to sit front-row to their fashion show.

The production values for this show were out of this world. It followed a “High Flyer” through the Riviera life in the heyday of Goodwood’s racing. To remind you, that’s 1948-1966.

This show was made up of higher-priced items, mainly. Goodwood’s target market isn’t exactly working class, and this show really reflected that. After the show there was a dress mentioned to be from a shop “Just across from Harrods” and I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. But hey, fashion shows are for inspiration, right? At least there was some beautiful items from Revival Retro and Seamstress of Bloomsbury to see!

Revival Fashion by MasterCard

Out of the whole show, they did the 60’s best out of all the decades. I didn’t get a picture of her, but there was a singer that was amazing, wearing the most gorgeous pink lamé dress. Complete with beehive and big ol’ hoops, of course.

It was a great show of immaculately timed dancing and smug faces on the male lead, but it did come up a bit short on a few things. Mainly the men’s trousers – why does everyone think men work ankle grazers in the 50’s?!

But now let’s get on to my style!

I’ve had this Lindy Bop Marianne suit for a while, but for some reason never wore it before. I’ll never know why, because I love it! It was a sample I received a while back, which is possibly why I’d not reviewed it for fit before. I wouldn’t say the jacket is the best fit for me, but the fabric is forgiving in that respect, and the colour is great.

The Marianne suit doesn’t come in the flared version in royal blue anymore, although you can get a pencil version. The teal version is more gorgeous though, so I want to see someone with that!

I’ve come to realise that royal blue is my colour. I stick out like a sore thumb amongst people who were dressed more authentically. But it just looks so right on me, don’t you agree? Even these pedal cars made an effort to match!

Hair Flower; Lady Lucks Boutique
Dress and Jacket; Lindy Bop (Similar)
Necklace; Vintage (Similar)
Bangles; Vintage and Splendette
Shoes; Miss L Fire

15th September 2018

Clinging onto Summer – Plus Size Pin Up Style!

Happy Saturday friends! It’s so chilly at the moment, but I’m fully not ready to give up on Summer, yet.

Summer is my favourite season. Sure, I love autumn and being snuggly and crunching leaves, but I also love not wearing tights. And I love summery hair flowers. And also not wearing cardigans. So although autumn is clearly in the air, I’m clinging onto summer with some plus size pin up style!

I overdressed last week to walk the dog with this outfit last week. I had planned to go on a little adventure with my boyfriend, but neither of us could really be bothered once I’d gotten ready. So overly-glam dog walking it was!

You might remember this Lindy Bop skirt from one of my Japan trips before. It still stands as the only pink item in my wardrobe, yet is worn regularly through the year. I always think that pink and red never work, but adding black breaks it up just enough, don’t you think?

Part of the reason I’m not so ready to leave summer behind is that I just have too many hair flowers to still show off! I love wearing hair flowers, and the bigger the better! I find I wear less over the winter due to a more subdued colour palate, so I want to make sure

Here I’m wearing the Billie Orchid and Pink Lily hair flower from Lady Lucks Boutique. I’m also wearing an old single pink Paloma lily, which is now out of stock, although you can still get a double Paloma! The Billie hair flower is plenty big on its own, but I really feel like the extra bit of pink sets of the skirt well.

There’s a reason there’s so many entries in my Lady Lucks Boutique tag – her flowers are the best around! I’ve had some of my flowers for nearing on five years, and they’ve never broken or looked dull and old. And I say this from real experience, I have so many of their flowers!

Are you ready for summer to end? Or are you clinging on the last of summer too?

Let me know in the comments – and if you wear ‘summer’ hair accessories year round, I want to see them!

Hair Flowers; C/O Lady Lucks Boutique (Disclaimer)
Top; Primark
Brooch; Luxulite
Skirt; Lindy Bop (Similar)
Shoes; Yours Clothing (Similar)

18th July 2018

Wednesday Wishlist – Plus Size Pin Up Style on a Budget!

The UK has been a scorcher the last few weeks! And just in time, since the summer sales have begun. So I thought I’d use the Wednesday Wishlist as an excuse to give you my guide to plus size pin up style on a budget! I’m going to show you a few pieces from different shops this week – both high street and specialised. These will be items you can use in your current pin up wardrobe, or use it to start!

ASOS Curve

I’ll admit that I don’t care for ASOS that much. I’m happy they lead the way on high street plus sizes happening, but there’s never been too much I love on there. Until now, of course! I’m dying over that teal skirt – and the tea dress, for that matter! ASOS Curve also cater up to a 30, which is an impressive size range!

Boohoo Plus

I’ve mentioned so many times how much I love Boohoo. It’s not vintage in the slightest, but with good hair and styling you could easily see this selection on a plus size pinup! I loved the Cape Sleeve dress so much that I bought it. Their plus range goes up to a UK 26, too!

Lindy Bop

Lindy Bop, a favourite amongst the vintage-styled and budget-conscious! I’ve mentioned on a few of my Lindy Bop Posts that I’m constantly surprised by the quality versus the price. This is THE place to get pin-up perfect clothing at a good price all through the year. From sizes 8-26, it caters for most sizes.

Hell Bunny

Hell Bunny have some lovely pieces at the moment in their full price section. But even though they’re great quality at a decent price, their outlet part of the site means you can get some good deals in sizes 1XL-4XL!

What have you got your eye on in the sales?

21st April 2018

Sweet and Sour With A Lindy Bop Lemon Dress

Hey dolls! How are we all doing at the moment? I had a little mental health dip the end of last week which wasn’t easy to deal with. Luckily for me, my new medication is helping my through the rough patch. And then the sun came out! It’s been miserable in England recently, but the weather is looking more summery. And so this week I’m bringing some 50s summer style early with this Lindy Bop Lemon Dress!

I’ve mentioned my love for red and yellow colour combinations before. It’s one of those ones that people don’t believe work together (my mother, for instance) but is one of my favourites. It’s so bright and cheerful, why would you not love it? It means I can be seen from space, sure, but it just screams summer to me!

I’ve now got a few Audrey dresses from Lindy Bop, and I ordered my usual 22 size. It’s one of those things with Lindy Bop that you know sizing is a bit off, and although this 22 was better than the Drive In dress from last year, it’s not fitting so perfectly.

I think it’s safe to say that actually, the Audrey style might actually not be my ideal style from Lindy Bop. Because my breasts are bottom-heavy, the top of the bodice gapes, but flattens my bust a little. It’s such a shame it’s not the right shape for me, since I love the style! Don’t get me wrong, it suits some people beautifully – just not me. Boo.

However! I needed this dress in my life. I’ve become a fan of lemon prints over the years, and I really love the size of them lemons on this print compared to others. It’s made from 97% cotton which means it breathes wonderfully in the heat, with a little 3% elastane which would mean you possibly could size down in this if you’re not large-busted.

This is also one of the first dresses I’ve loved with the belt that comes with it! I do like Lindy Bop belts as they’re always big enough to fit me and then some, but usually I swap them out for a contrast. This one just looks too adorable to not wear.

Of course, I had to accessorise with one of the new Vendula London bags! I mentioned the Greengrocer Grace bag in my top picks post as being one of my favourites, and it just worked so perfectly with this dress! After using it just once, I can see this bag being used more often than my grab bags because of the amount of space inside. I’m not joking, I fit heels, a camera, a makeup bag and a purse inside the Grace before it got a bit crowded. I’m recommending it for those all-and-the-kitchen-sink sort of handbag users who find the grab just a touch too small!

So I hope you’ve been enjoying the UK sunshine, loves! Maybe my yellow maxi finally did coax the sun out!

Bolero; Collectif
Necklace&Bangles; Vintage
Brooch; Luxulite
Dress; C/O Lindy Bop (Disclaimer)
Shoes; Swedish Hasbeens
Bag; Vendula London (Disclaimer)

28th October 2017

{ Style } Life Is A Box Of Chocolates with Lindy Bop and Mars Chocolate

Dreams do come true – I got free chocolate! I have such a sweet tooth, so I was excited to be included in a new campaign between Lindy Bop and Mars. It includes chocolate and a limited Lindy Bop Lily Dress!

This is my best Forrest Gump impression. I’m going to go out on a whim and say I’m just a tad more glamorous, however! I certainly have more Resting Bitch Face than Forrest, but also more glamour. Right?

So in collaboration with Mars Chocolates, Lindy Bop have given one of their popular styles a special makeover. In a red and off-white polkadot, the Lily dress matches the iconic look of Maltesers chocolate packaging. And when you order this dress, you can receive a box of Maltesers Luxury chocolates – and the dress’ belt matches the shimmery box!

As with most of my Lindy Bop dresses I’ve reviewed, I took the Lily in my usual size, 22. And I’ll say this has been the best fit I’ve gotten from a LB dress so far!

Unlike other styles I have, this isn’t a cotton blend – it’s actually 97% Polyester. Now I know what you think, and I thought it too – it’s pretty high in polyester. But I’d go out on a whim and say that actually it works! The finish is a matte sheen, that adds a touch of luxury, and because of the 3% elastane you’ve got a good amount of stretch in there.

It’s pretty true to size for once, and unless you have a much larger bust I’d go for your usual in this version of the Lily. It’s also better for more average torso lengths than mine!

Honestly, the only thing that lets this dress down is that there’s no pockets. Other than that one specific thing I love in my dresses, it’s really great! So comfortable and classy – the perfect combination!

As I mentioned before, I have a real sweet tooth, so I couldn’t help but eat a few whilst shooting, although I will say I got some strange looks photographing myself eating!

It’s such a lovely little dress to add to your wardrobe, and £35 for a dress and free chocolate is a great deal! Head over to Lindy Bop’s site to grab this little polkadot wonder in sizes 8-26 today!

Hair Flower; Handmade
Bolero; Collectif (old)
Dress; C/O Lindy Bop (Disclaimer)
Stockings; What Katie Did | Shoes; Primark

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7th October 2017

{ Style } Looking Sharp With A Cactus Hat!

Last weekend I went to the wedding of the CENTURY. We headed up to Norwich to celebrate the gorgeous Rosie Alia get married. It was as colourful and amazing as her and her new husband, and we had so much fun I want to do it all over again! And since it was a wedding I could easily get away with a silly hat. And boy did I try! So I’ve got some plus size 50s style for you – with a cacti spin!

I’ve been holding onto these ‘hat bases’ for about a year and a half now. I’d seen the tie-on sun hats on various people over the years, and made in interesting discovery – they are actually place mats! So I bought a pack of four place mats from Wilko and added some cacti. Because cacti. They’re made from felt, sewn on with a prick stitch and embroidered.

It wasn’t quite as perfect in execution as I’d hoped, but it did catch the eye of a lot of people there, and you guys on Instagram loved it! Most importantly, I have a hat with cacti on it. That’s high on the priority list.

I’m actually going to put together a little tutorial for you guys to make your own tie on hat soon. So keep those eyes open!

I’ve had this Lindy Bop Lana dress for about a year now, originally bought as part of my Ariel Disneybound in Shanghai. The dress is great, don’t get me wrong, but I hardly wear it. Green can look a bit too festive against my hair, which is such a shame!

The original plan was to appliqué black cacti to the border of this dress to tie it all in. Because you guys know I just LOVE a theme! However, that never conspired, so I just went plain instead. I feel like I accidentally dressed as a witch, but hey, maybe there’s some Halloween inspiration in here?

Hat; Handmade | Earrings; Bow and Crossbones
Brooch; Luxulite | Bolero; Collectif (old)
Dress; Lindy Bop | Bangles; Splendette
Shoes; Primark (old)
Bag; Vendula London (Disclaimer)

16th September 2017

{ Style } Farewell To Summer With Lindy Bop

God knows what has happened to summer in this country! But after a disappointing August it looks like its over and autumn is in. So I thought I’d say goodbye to my favourite season in style. You may have seen this Lindy Bop Tiki print dress on my Instagram before, but it needed a last hoorah in a post!

I’ve reviewed a few Lindy Bop styles before, and you know now how much I love their novelty prints! But this? THIS IS THE ONE. It’s the Delta dress in Teal Tiki Print and it’s got to be my favourite! I’ll be honest when I say that the ‘Delta’ style of theirs is not the best shape for me, but the colours! The print! The fabric! It’s wonderful.

I took the 22 in this dress, which is generally my size in Lindy Bop styles. The bodice of this does come up a bit big, and there’s definitely stretch in it. If you’re bigger busted, go for your usual size. If you’re smaller busted, go a size down. As you can see above, because of my bust I’ve got some epic gaping in the bodice.

The Delta style has a waist panel, unlike most of the dress styles Lindy Bop have to offer. This is great news for those of you that have a longer waist! Unfortunately for me, I’ve got the smallest waist in the world, so it looks a little off. But does that really stop me from loving this dress? NOPE.

It features a neckline with a little notch and a V-shaped back, which is so sweet on this dress. Both necklines sit so well, the front is the perfect high neckline that keeps you covered without being too stuffy.

And the fabric for this dress is amazing, too. I wish you guys could feel it through the screen – 97% cotton makes this so soft! And for £36, I really don’t know why you haven’t jumped over and bought it, seriously.

Now. Let’s talk print. Want Moai heads? Tiki girls dancing? Hibiscus flowers and palm trees? Maybe also a few mountains? Because this print has it all on a lovely teal background! I don’t own much tiki-styled items, and initially the pale background was off-putting for me. I’ve mentioned elsewhere on my blog that pale colours don’t always suit my skin tone, but the bright colours in the print balance it out well.

The only sad thing about this dress? It came out so late in summer! Photographing this one was so not easy – it was taken in between showers of rain right at the end of the day. I need some good tips for winter photography!

Hair Flowers; Lady Luck’s Boutique
Necklace; Vintage | Brooch; Luxulite
Bolero; Collectif
Dress; C/O Lindy Bop (Disclaimer)
Bag; Banned
Shoes; Miss L Fire

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17th August 2017

{ Style } Museum Wandering At The V&A

Well hey there guys! How are we all doing? Last weekend a good friend of mine was in London and we went on a little museum adventure. We hit the Tate Modern to check out the new building on the Saturday, and on the Sunday we ventured into the V&A.

I wore this sample Lindy Bop dress that the ultra-babe Bethany gave to me (perks of having friends in high places 😉 ) back in May because it’s my favourite. I wish they had more in this style – it’s so comfortable! The 60’s style boat neck also features little bows on the sleeves, which is my favourite feature.

v&a

The V&A has the best fashion exhibition on for free, spanning five centuries and featuring a few of my favourite things. This 1700s Court Mantua leaves me speechless every time! First of all, the sheer size of the thing is gorgeous insanity. Then there’s the craftsmanship of the fabric itself with it’s metallic embroidery.
Also – SLEEVES.

V&A

Corsetry has fascinated me since I was young. These early 16/1700s stays are no exception! The bottom stay is probably my favourite historical corset of all time. It might not be the most supportive, but you have to love how it looks!

v&a

I’m a real sucker for bows on sleeves, evidently!

This Schiaparelli necklace is SO my thing! I’m on the lookout for plastic pinecones to make my own version for autumn, I love it that much.

There’s so much at the V&A that it’s impossible to look through all of it in one day, let alone post about it! But these are some of my favourite pieces. Have you been before?

Necklace&Bangles; Vintage
Dress; Lindy Bop (sample)
Brooch; Luxulite
Bag; Zatchels
Shoes; Rocket Originals