Vanity Sizing – What Shops Fit You Best.
February 29, 2012Retro Chick Reviews: John Frieda Full Repair
March 5, 2012I have daffodils in my house.
That means it’s definitely spring, huzzah!
There’s certain things that seem appropriate when spring starts to creep into the air, and polka dots are one of them. I have a love hate relationship with polka dots. Much like cupcakes they are at times disturbingly and inexplicably linked to the word “vintage” in a way that is utterly bemusing and occasionally irritating. Like cupcakes, however, they can also be very tasty in the right time and place, and Spring is certainly a time that feels polka dotty to me.
So today’s Friday Frock Love is Polka Dots for any budget!
I can’t really afford new clothes but would like to buy some anyway
Dresses for under £50. I struggled a little with this category actually, the problem with cheaper frocks is they tend to be short, but in the end I came up with a couple!
Spot Print Belted Dress – Wallis – £40 – £32
First in the under £50 frock category is this lovely flippy number from Wallis that could work for anything from the 40s-60s depending on how you style it. They currently have a 20% off deal on, so it’s a fairly bargainous £32. It might be a bit on the short side, so I’d check your measurements if you’re tall.
Polka Dot Split Dress – Miss Selfridge – £39
For some reason this makes me think of 1930s beach pyjamas, but in dress form. I think it’d be all with the styling with this dress. An armful of bangles, some nice lace up wedge espadrilles and some round 30s style sunglasses and it could look fabulous.
I Want to spend money on something lovely
Dresses from £50-£100. Not cheap, but not insanely expensive. These are an investment that will last you a fair while rather than a one hit wonder.
Utility Dress – Tara Starlet – £75
Repro 1940s style in a really pretty fabric in tiny pin spot polka dots. This looks very spring like in pink, but I also lurve the green quite a lot.
Lora Dot Dress – People Tree – £75
Looks like a cute 50s style frock in a nice spring like coral colour. Plus it’s from people tree so is ethically made.
Budget? I don’t need no stinking Budget.
If you’ve money to burn, or a really special occasion to go to then maybe you want to splash out some serious dough. Or maybe you just like looking at pretty frocks even though you can’t afford them (yep!)
Fellini Dress – Lena Hoschek – £500
Fabulous vintage style Austrian designer Lena Hoschek has this gorgeous 50s strapless number with an embroidered waistband. I can imagine this at a late spring wedding, or garden party. I’m fairly sure it would earn you £500 worth of compliments and jealousy!
Polka Dot Silk Crepe Dress – Giuletta – £990
The blurb on this says it has a 60s feel, but I think that scalloped edging and the clean lines look quite 30s. I’d wear it with cream crochet gloves, a clutch and a little tilt hat. Or I would if I had £990 to spend on a dress (or at all).
8 Comments
That Miss Selfridge dress is like 1930s via 1990s. I’m curiously drawn to it, but I think it might remind me a bit too much of the ’90s gear I see in charity shops. The Lena Hoschek is definitely my favourite.
I love polka dots, stripes and novelty prints, but you’re right. They’re often the default ‘vintage’ style and that makes me resent them somewhat. Like cupcakes and victory rolls. I prefer to do one piece in spots, like a scarf or a skirt.
Yes, I spent ages looking at it trying to decide if it was too 90s!
In the end I decided I liked it better than the other one on my list and it would all be in how you styled it!
Oh gosh YES! I know exactly what you mean- I used to have several dresses of that exact style. I still like it though, I like the panels and cutaways.
I love the polka-dots at any budget! If I didn’t already have two polka-dot dresses, I’d be buying one of those…Another good place to check out is http://www.etsy.com. A lot of the sellers will custom make dresses from vintage patterns for around $100 US dollars.
They are all so pretty xx
Lena Hoschek is my favorite designer! Love every of her shows at Berlin FW. So pretty things in her store as well. Sadly a little out of my price range.
I’ve never understood the connection between cupcakes and vintage either, nor bunting and pastel polka dots either, but hey you’ve picked some lovely frocks here.
I love that Miss Selfridge frock! Oh I hate being a pauper *sad face*
Those Tara Starlet dresses -lovely though they are – that remind me of primary school summer dresses, haha! xx