MelodyMae.co.uk

2nd June 2018

A Floral Explosion With Florence Carousel Photography

Well hi there, friends! Sooo it’s Saturday, and I won’t lie to you – I’ve been lazy on the blogging front recently. I’ve been in one of those awful places recently where I’ve had to slow down a bit before I go off the rails. But the good news is that I’m doing as okay as possible at the moment working with what I’ve got. I’ve also got some more gorgeous photos from my shoot with Florence Carousel Photography to share with you! And let’s be honest – you care more for pretty photos, right?

The same day I did my One With The Cherry Blossoms shoot, me and Florence actually shot three different outfits. We wanted cherry blossoms in each shoot, because as I mentioned in the last post, we both adore them! But we also wanted a different feel for each shoot in order to differentiate between them.

To up the florals, I wore this Hell Bunny Rose dress with a gorgeous hair flower made by Florence herself! Just because who doesn’t love a floral explosion, right? The brightness really stands out against how sweet and pale the cherry blossoms are, too!

I love how just one change of clothing can change the whole feel of the shoot. I’m sure this is due to Florence being a photography boss, plus the change of location. But it seems like a completely different shoot with just one change of dress!

I’ve mentioned before that I love working with Florence, but it needs to be said furthermore – I’ve never worked with someone who makes me feel so comfortable. So I’d always recommend her to shoot with if you’re awkward like myself! Find her on Facebook and Instagram.

All photos are taken and belong to Florence Carousel Photography. Please contact Florence if you wish to use these photos.

Hair Flower; Handmade By Florence Carousel
Earrings; Bow and Crossbones
Necklace&Bangles; Vintage
Dress; Hell Bunny
Shoes; Primark (old)

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24th May 2018

Me Made May 2018 – Week Three is Freed!

Why oh why did I choose to rhyme these MMMay18 posts? I’m running out of interest, haha! But it’s midweek-ish, which means an update for my Me Made May pledge is due!

It’s funny, as someone who enjoys dressing up and documenting outfits, I’m finding being presentable the biggest challenge this year. Work and life is a bit harder than usual this month, so adding on a challenge to wear items I may not often wear is an added stress. This could also be due to my worry of looking good for social media, which is always an issue.

ANYWAY. Wednesday was the Big Ol’ Black Dress. Friday a two-parter with both the Wearable Mock Up top and Can I Be A Raccoon Dog skirt. Saturday old faithful the Last of the Summer Gingham dress (which needs to be repaired) came out to play. And finally, Sunday my When Life Gives You Lemons skirt with my new favourite top from Primark.

So what did I learn this week? Well, mainly that for the most part that I feel I’m moving to a slightly more casual style in daily wear. Mostly for the reason that all I want to wear is gingham skirts and trainers, but that’s because I’m getting lazy. I need to get my arse on the sewing machine and make some more gingham skirts! What colour should I go for next?

It does mean one of the Melody Made bingo cards are nearly complete! Let’s hope the sun comes back out for those last two! I love Me Made May for really making me think about what I wear like this. Who else is joining in?

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16th May 2018

Me Made May 2018 – Week Two is Through

Happy Humpday, beautiful people! It’s Wednesday and so it means Me Made May Day an update on what I’ve been wearing the last week. Also a time to look at me only know one single pose when in front of a mirror…

I clearly had a bit of a theme this week, going for ALL the ginghams! With the Gingham In Winter skirt on Monday for a bank holiday picnic and the Platform Closed Swirl Dress for work on Wednesday. Friday I got a little lazy, so I wore an almost identical outfit to Monday. But the All Hail The Gingham Queen Skirt is too good with this top! Saturday mixed things up with the P-P-Polkadots dress.

We did finally get two lines in our Melody Made Bingo, though! And the prize we all win is… Okay there’s no prize. Sorry about the second of false hope there, haha! But it does mean I’m doing well in my challenge, wearing nine out of twenty-two items so far. You can check the Pledge Page for the updates!

So what have I learned from my me-made wardrobe this week? I literally just love gingham so much I might as well make a full wardrobe of it. That’s about it. Boring lesson for the week, but who doesn’t love gingham?

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12th May 2018

We’re Getting Tight With Orchard Corset

Happy Saturday darlings! Okay, so this is possibly one of my favourite collaborations to date. I was quite fortunate to be asked to review an amazing piece, the Orchard Corset 426 Longline!

Before we get started, I wanted to dedicate a little paragraph to talking about body confidence in relation to corsets. I love corsets as a dramatisation of the figure, similar to how make up is the dramatisation of the face. I’m an every-now-and then corset wearer, sometimes I wear it every day for a week or two, sometimes I wear it for special occasions. I’m not tight-lacing to change my body, although there’s nothing wrong with that.

I do love my body in a corset, but I also love my body out of it. It’s just exaggerated, and doesn’t mean that one way or the other is good or bad. So now I’ve got that out of the way, welcome to a very full review of my Orchard Corset experience!

Choosing My Corset;

Orchard Corset has a wealth of information to help you decide what corset is best for you. From how firm or squishy you are, to how to measure yourself and even how to work out what length you’d need. Before I’d even chosen the corset I was going to review, Amber had sent me everything I needed to work out what was going to work with my body type. These videos are amazing, even as a semi-seasoned corset-wearer with corset-fitting training, these were incredibly helpful.

For a frame of reference, here are my measurements;

Underbust; 41”
Waist (taut); 39”
Waist (squished); 36”
Upper Hip; 56”
Torso (upright); 12”
Torso (sat); 10.75”

Together we worked out the 426 was the ideal shape, and I was asked to choose between the standard and the longline shapes. I will say that I was advised the longline may not work perfectly, and Amber would not ordinarily suggest it for a torso length under 11″. I chose it regardless, since I wanted a corset that would sit further down on my stomach than others.

It was also suggested to me to go for the 426 design with hip ties. These allow a little extra room for the hips as you get closer and closer to closing through training. It also means that you can allow easy readjusting throughout the day as your stomach expands or deflates. It’s good for loosening after eating a whole pizza to yourself, haha!

Seasoning My Corset;

The first thing I did after I opened my 426 Longline was re-lace. I’d read on other reviews about Orchard Corset lacing a hole above the middle, and my personal preference is the lacing meets in the exact middle. Then I got excited and tried to see how far this bad boy can go!

Obviously, I did as you usually do with corsets – for just over a week I wore it loosely laced for roughly an hour in the evenings. Each day, as it got used to my body shape and I got used to it, I laced it just a tad tighter.

Then came the real test! As you might have seen on my Instagram stories recently, I’ve been wearing my 426 at work. Why work? I’m out of the house between 11-13 hours of the day, I move a lot, and I have to bend and carry boxes around now and then. I wanted to see just how well this corset could cope with daily activities. This is always the best test for me, and I found that it was incredibly comfortable for wearing for long periods of time!

How I Feel About My Orchard Corset 426 Longline;

I love this corset, I really do. My other corset is a ReStyle.pl corset, which is super curvy in the hips, possibly moreso that this. However, this 426 is insanely comfortable in comparison! I’ve worn it for up to 13 hours in a day and it’s not affected my daily movement.

Laced tightly like this, the corset is perfect – but my daily wearing isn’t as tight as this. The 34″ would’ve been just that touch more comfortable, and you can see in the photo above the modesty panel doesn’t quite meet at the back even at it’s tightest.

I’d also like to put emphasis on Orchard Corset’s warning of the length of the 426 longline. I stupidly forgot that my torso from my underbust to waist is smaller than average, and although it’s a longer corset in the stomach, it’s just a tad too high! It doesn’t affect the wearing, however it does force me to sit a little too upright, which can feel awkward at times.

Final thoughts;

This is an amazing corset, robust with twelve steel bones plus a steel busk. Ideal for tight lacing and corset training in a smaller size, but I’d go for the size up for daily wear. Would I get another Orchard Corset again? Absolutely! I have my eye on the mesh 426 standard in a 34″ now I know my ideal sizing.

What do you guys think?

Orchard Corset’s corsets come in an amazing range of fabrics and shapes, most in sizes 16″ – 46″, which is an amazing size range. If you’re interested in purchasing a corset, simply send them an email to get a personalised recommendation!

Hairflower; Handmade
Dress; Boohoo Plus (Old, similar here)
Bra/Harness; Simply Be (Old, Similar here)
Corset; C/O Orchard Corset (Disclaimer)
Bangles; Vintage and Splendette

10th May 2018

Me Made May 2018 – Week One Is Done

Happy Wednesday darlings! I hope you’ve enjoyed your weekend and week so far! I spent one of my days off lying under a tree with a picnic at Alexandra Palace, which was glorious. Sad to be back at work when I desperately want to sleep for a week, but that’s how the cookie crumbles, I suppose. So now it’s May, and I’ve already manage to tick off a few Me Made May outfits!

Wednesday (the start of my work week) kicked off my MMMay pledge! I wanted to get the cooler-weather outfits out of the way before the UK sees a bit of a heatwave. Funnily enough, I have a grand total of four “winter” items I’ve made. First lesson of MMMay; more tartans.

So Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I wore the Twilight Tartan dress, Tartan Puns Are Hard and an unblogged tartan skirt respectively. You guys loved the Tartan pinafore on Instagram! Second lesson of Me Made May; more convertible pinafores. Watch as I go and make two in ginghams…

Speaking of gingham! The sun came out in the UK again, so Gingham came out of the wardrobe, because we all know I have a problem with check fabrics. I was also feeling the navy, so I had a weekend of Navy gingham. The Check Ah Check Ow Dress is a firm favourite, and the Strawberry Sundae Skirt got the casual treatment. I need more gingham.

So how are we doing on the bingo? Head over the Pledge Page to see!

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5th May 2018

Roses In The Courtyard With Voodoo Vixen Curve

Well, happy Saturday my lovelies! How are we all doing this week? I’ve been busy over on Instagram starting on my Me Made May Challenge and attempting to ‘get my life together’. That’s millennial speak for ‘maybe tidying my room and putting on a face mask’. Hahah! But away from that, I have a review of a gorgeous Voodoo Vixen Curve outfit for you today!

You may remember I worked with Voodoo Vixen Curve before, back in the Autumn. You can see the posts here and here. They’re still two of my most worn dresses, actually, because of how well they suit my body! For SS18, things have changed a little, and Voodoo Vixen aren’t splitting their straight and curve sizes to be completely different designs.

This season they’ve taken some of their straight-size designs and extended the sizing options to include the 1X-4X of Vixen Curve. Is it annoying that it’s not the full range? Sure, I’d love for all of their items to include the full sizing – however, I understand from a business point how a full range might not be financially viable. The problem with smaller brands trying to be inclusive is simply this;

If customers who want inclusivity of all sizes aren’t buying items at full price, brands may not see there is any point in expanding. Having worked with small brands for many years now, I see this happening a lot. So if you like it – please buy if possible! Support the brands that want to include us plus ladies!

That was a bit of a tangent, I realise! How about I get down to talking about this amazing outfit from Vixen Curve, then?

I was very grateful to receive the Rose Appliqué Cardigan and Sandy Skirt in green to review for you guys! First of all, I bloody love this cardigan. I’ve worn it so many times already because of how perfect it is. It’s just a tad over cropped length on the waist, and the sleeves sit at the perfect part of the forearm.

I took a 1XL in this cardigan, since I want a tight fit with my knitwear. It may look like it’s somewhat tighter than expected, but I really think that’s due to the loop buttonholes. Honestly, I’m not a fan of the thread loops, and it’s literally the one thing that would make me love this cardigan even more. As a result, I might add my own buttonholes in. I’ve already lost the top loop!

Moving on to the skirt! I took the Sandy skirt in a 2XL, which is a 38-40inch waist. It fits perfectly! not too loose, not too tight. Like baby bear’s porridge, it’s just right. This is a full circle, which makes for perfect draping and fullness. It also catches the wind a lot, so its good for that Marilyn moment! The most exciting part, honestly, is that it’s also such a great length, hitting mid-shin. I need to buy the black one, too!

Most noteworthy, as usual – IT HAS POCKETS. I feel like I should categorise clothes with pockets on this blog, because I know how important they are. I find the items that don’t have pockets don’t get worn in my wardrobe.

And finally, I was also asked to test out something Voodoo Vixen are trying out this season – VV accessories! You may or may not know, but I have a penchant for sunglasses. My eyes are really sensitive, so I will constantly be wearing sunglasses from April-October whenever the sun comes out.

These glasses are gorgeous, a cat eye with a difference since the corners aren’t cased. They’re comfortable on my giant moon face, and sit nicely on my cheeks. Plus, the most important factor for me is that they have black lenses that actually shield against the sun’s rays. Perfect summer accessory alert!

Personally, I bloody love this co-ordination – and it’s the first time I’ve not felt Christmassy in green! Hurrah Voodoo Vixen Curve!

Hair flower & Necklace; Handmade
Bangles; Splendette
Cardigan, Skirt & Glasses; C/O Voodoo Vixen curve (Disclaimer)
Shoes; Miss L Fire

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29th April 2018

One With The Cherry Blossoms – A Photoshoot with Florence Carousel Photography

Two posts in one weekend? I definitely have some good content for you lately! You might remember a year or so ago, I worked with Florence Carousel on a shoot. You can see the amazing photos from both shoots here and here. I was lucky to shoot with Florence again, and I wanted to show you the outcome in a post! I really hope you guys love them as much as we do! So – behold the glorious work of Florence Carousel Photography;

We’re both fans of Japan and Japanese culture. So, since its spring, she was desperate to have a shoot with cherry blossoms. Who was I to say no? What a gorgeous backdrop for these photos!

I love working with Florence. I’m quite awkward when posing (In life to, actually! HAHA) so her direction is always helpful. It also helps me in my own photography, but that’s not important. Because she made me look like the Disney Princess of my dreams!

How amazing are they? If you get the chance to shoot with her – PLEASE DO. In fact, contact her now. NOW. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram and on her website.

All photos are taken and belong to Florence Carousel. Please contact Florence if you wish to use these photos.

27th April 2018

A Me-Made Life, My Me Made May 2018 Pledge

One thing I’m not doing so much recently is sewing. It’s a real shame, honestly, because I love sewing and I love creating clothing that is 100% me. If you’re not part of the Sewing Blogiverse, you might not know about Me Made May 2018. Essentially it’s a self-appointed challenge based on clothing made by yourself.

MMMay is hosted by sewing blogger So, Zo, and has been for a while. The gist is this; You comment on the pledge page before April 30th with your pledge, and then you do it once May starts.

My pledge is to wear EVERY item I’ve made. Handily, I put together a ‘Sewing Wardrobe‘ page to show off what I’ve made! It turns out I actually have 21 handmade items in total that still fit. (RIP to the dresses my waistline has busted) This is actually a few more than I originally thought!

So through May, I’ll be updating not only the blog each week with the outfits I make – but you can follow the journey with me through Instagram and Facebook! And we’ll be playing MelodyMade Bingo! With each MMMay outfit worn, I’ll be crossing off the item on these images – let’s see how well I do, huh?

So guys, I’ll see you at the end of next week to see how well I’m getting on with the challenge. What do you think about it? And if you’re joining in – what’s your pledge?

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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)

14th April 2018

My Top Picks for Vendula London’s SS18 Range!

Well, good afternoon darlings! I hope you’re all well? I worked one long week, and I’m a little bit exhausted, oops. But regardless of that, I wanted to share with you a few of my favourite bags from Vendula London‘s Spring/Summer 18 range!

It might not quite be spring OR summer at the moment, but we’re looking for brighter days with some amazing new lines at Vendula London! If you don’t pay attention, I work in Vendula London’s Covent Garden boutique, where I stare at bags for five days a week. It’s awful, as you can imagine – staring at pretty bags for a living is no way for anyone to live, haha!

Greengrocers Grace Bag

First up on the list is from the Greengrocers range. Our shop Fronts have two new bag styles, the Mini Saddle Bag, and this, the Grace. The most popular SF bags are always the Grab styles, but we wanted to add a slightly larger bag into the mix for those (like me) who carry around everything and the kitchen sink.

I love the Greengrocers design for being fresh and lively, and the white and grey palette will look amazing all through the year! It can fit quite a bit, so it’s an ideal everyday bag. There’s also extenders on the sides to allow the opening to widen if you stuff it a bit too full… Which I’ve definitely not done. Nope. Plus, because it’s Vendula London, there’s also a shoulder strap to help you out when you don’t want to carry it anymore.

Birdhouse Backpack

I love a shaped backpack! I fell in love with my Russian Dolls bag over winter, so I was excited to see the Birdhouse range came in with this. Unlike last season’s bag, it doesn’t have removable straps, which I think is a shame, but its still super cute. It’s big enough for essentials, and I can imagine it would look adorable whilst you’re cycling through the countryside on a hazy summer evening. Sounds like bliss to me.

Coffee Truck Cup Shaped Bag

The Coffee Bar range is pretty adorable, but not quite “my” colours. However – as a coffee addict, the appeal of the Cup Shaped Bag was too cute to ignore. Personally, I probably wouldn’t use it because its pretty tiny. But for those of you that like small bags, this is small but sweet. I’d say it was an ideal festival or gig bag, even!

Tiki Bar Grab Bag

I’m going to be a bit biased with this design, because it was my suggestion. But GODDAMNIT I LOVE IT. Who wouldn’t like to wear a Tiki Bar on their body?

This range does come in the new Grace and Mini Saddle styles, but I think the classic Grab Bag is best! With pom pom trim on the roof, appliquéd palm leaves and Moai heads and colourful flowers, this is a perfect addition for you tiki lovers. Literally cannot wait to break out tropical outfits with this bag!

Prosecco Bar Truck Shaped Grab Bag

This bag was one of the stand-out pieces to me when we were showing them at trade shows last year. After the success of our Caravan bag, we added a boozy element – Prosecco! I feel like prosecco is a British institution these days, because we love drinking, and who doesn’t want fizzy wine? Or a cat driving a van, for that matter?

I mention a lot that I’m not really a pink person, but I’m happy to throw that out the window for this bag! It’s a shaped back with plenty of room for essentials, plus a detachable crossbody strap. And did I mention a cat driving a van?

Chelsea Square Tote Bag

Considering Chelsea Square is one of the smallest ranges we’ve done, this is my absolute favourite. Its even a bit simple for the usual Vendula style! But the simplicity and practicality makes this Number One for me. I carry my laptop to and from work constantly, and finding a cute bag to fit that beast is generally impossible. Until now! It fits my 15″ MacBook, wallet, diary and bottle of water with room to spare. And for my plus girls, the shoulder strap is long enough to fit over my big arms! This will be my daily bag through summer, I assure you!

And so that’s my top picks for our SS18 range! Have you seen all the ranges yet? What are your favourites?
Also – if you’re in London, why not pop into our Covent Garden shop and say hi?

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A Floral Explosion With Florence Carousel Photography

Me Made May 2018 – Week Three is Freed!

Me Made May 2018 – Week Two is Through