The Coolest Denim Jacket Ever.

I have a bit of an obsession with denim jackets, I've got red denim, pale, black, dark blue, customised, vests, and I always find myself eyeing up more. I recently got my hands on the coolest denim jacket ever and while unfortunately you can't buy it looking exactly like mine (sorry in advance!), I had to share it.

Isn't it amazing?! It's a reference to my favourite film True Romance. I won this jacket in a competition hosted by the lush Olivia Campbell and Simply Be. To enter you had to share your personal rewritten rule that you would get written on the back of your very own custom denim jacket. If it wasn't glaringly obvious, I'm a massive nerd and I spent years feeling really uncool and worrying about what people thought of me. You're So Cool became a little personal mantra for me. I might not be cool in the traditional ways, but I am cool in that I'll be your designated driver and make sure everyone gets home safe after a night out. Or if you ever need someone to answer questions about Pokemon or Buffy at a pub quiz, I'm your gal.

Fans of the movie will no doubt point out that Alabama Worley doesn't actually use the apostrophe in you're, and writes youre on the napkin she writes on. I just couldn't do it though. Can you imagine how many people would tell me I'd written it wrong and try to correct it whilst I tried to point out that it was a quote from a film and was actually correct? I do not have the energy for such nonsense!

So this blog post isn't literally just photos of a custom jacket you can't actually buy, here is an amazing mermaid shell bag by Skinnydip London that er... you also can't buy anymore. I nabbed this in the ASOS sale for £7, I just had to have it! I love Skinnydip bags but I have to admit, they tend to fall apart relatively quickly. The zips and fastenings always seem to fall apart. They are only good for occasional use, and I tend to only buy them on sale because I know they won't last well.

You can buy an unpainted version of the jacket from Simply Be, it's their Distressed Western Denim Jacket. It's a cropped sort of style, and a small fit, I'd recommend sizing up. I got it in my usual size and there is absolutely no way I am getting it done up ever. It's fine wearing it open which is how I tend to wear denim jackets, but if you want to do it up size up once, maybe even twice if you are particularly busty.

I took these photos in 30 degree heat and melted shortly after. Do not recommend! This is also why there are no photos of my face because I was a sweaty mess. I am also wearing the exact same dress I wore in my last outfit post. It's warm and the dress is super comfy and easy to throw on, highly recommend!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

The Friendship Break Up : Colourpop

My Favourite Outfits of 2016

This year has been a funny one for my fashion. My tastes have changed, I've gotten braver, but I also feel like I should have documented way more outfits, so I hope to change that in 2017! I can't resist sharing some of my favourite outfits from throughout the year.

2016 was the year I decided that I could get my legs out as much as I wanted, and this dress was a summer favourite. I plan to wear it non-stop once it gets warm again.

I adored the black version of this Jameela Jamil dress* when it came out, so when they released it in red I had to have it. Plus I finally started wearing heels again this year and embracing my height!

This long sleeved lace dress* requires no bra due to my lack of boobage, which makes it super comfy and easy to wear.

I fell in love with drapey layers this year, and these leggings are faves too.

I also discovered a love of jeans, along with my obsession with this Navabi cardigan*. I feel like 2017 will involve a serious hunt for the perfect pair of jeans as every pair I find fits so weirdly. I will find my perfect pair!

A wintery party dress is always a must and this Lady V London dress* is so damn cute.Vintage inspired perfection.

I became a plus size brand ambassador for the Tutu Factory* this year and I think this outfit has to be the best one I've styled with their tutus so far.

LovedRobe sent me this amazing floral maxi dress* for my hen do. It's so unlike anything I would usually wear, but I loved it.

I could basically have picked any and every outfit involving a CowCow dress* because I love the so much, but as this is my most recent addition, this is the one I'm sharing.

I feel like this year I started to finally be the real 'Kitty' in my fashion, and express myself more. There are more different colours in my wardrobe, and more variety and adventure. Long may this continue!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

*denotes an item that was gifted to me. In no way does this impact upon my opinions which are entirely my own.

Jameela Jamil for Simply Be*

When it comes to party dresses, Simply Be have got you covered. With lace and mesh, winter florals, abstract patterns and lush colours, they have so many different styles and designs that you are bound to be able to find the perfect Christmas party dress. I know, it's September, and I really did say the C word, but what can I say, I'm getting organised!

And when it comes to winter party dresses, red is the ultimate colour for me, so I just had to pick out this Jameela Jamil Ponte Red Midi Dress*! Released in black earlier in the year I fell in love with it but couldn't justify it at the time. So many of my favourite bloggers rocked it and I really pined for it. So when Simply Be asked me to style my favourite party dresses, the red version had to be mine. It's a dress that does all the talking, so simple was the way to go.

Some chunky platforms from Yours Clothing (available in up to a 10EEE!) to add a 90s feel, and not take too much attention away from the dress. The dotty mesh is the stand out detailing and I went with no jewellery save for my 'everyday' jewellery as it just doesn't need anything else.

Isn't it just a beaut? The full skirt and the mesh are so lovely. I'm 5ft 11 and this falls to a good length on me, on most it would be a true midi length rather than slightly below the knee. The arms are ever so slightly short on me but not in a way that bothers me. Someone needs to host a whole bunch of Christmas parties so I can wear this please!

And of course, one incredible bag is all this outfit needed to complete it. And this Mary Frances camera bag that my parents bought me for our wedding. The beading and details mimic a real camera to perfection and it's so precious to me. And how cute is the dotty mesh on this dress? I opted for a strapless bra so you couldn't see the straps under the mesh to distract from the lines of the dress.

The long sleeves make this ideal for the cooler months, I can just see this at a winter wedding!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

Give Me Lace Wingz : Curve Fashion Festival 2016

*denotes an item that was gifted for review purposes. In no way does this impact upon my opinions which are entirely my own.

PS. Didn't my Dad do a good job helping with my blog photos?

SimplyBe Surprises!*

Getting a surprise box in the post is always super exciting, so when SimplyBe told me they were sending a little something over, with no hint of what, I couldn't wait to get it!

What arrived was a beautiful box wrapped in silver ribbon, full of blue goodies! It's a really thick and fancy box that my cats promptly claimed as their own, such a lovely touch when things are sent in a great packaging.

The first thing to catch my eye is this lush blue Colour-Block Satchel Bag*. It's a sweet mix of sky blue and a brighter blue, with a pocket on the front.

It has gold hardware, a hand strap and a longer shoulder strap. It's a polyester material so perfect for veggies and vegans too!

Any company that puts Love Hearts in their packages has it right!

A real surprise was the Lipsy Glam* perfume. I pretty much stick to one perfume all the time so I was I was intrigued to try this. It has a a floral scent with touches of sweet, perfect for day time wear.

And how pretty is that bottle? It'd look so good on a vanity table out on display. I had no experience of the brand Lipsy, so some googling was required to find out if they were cruelty free or not. They are owned by Next PLC who operate a no animal testing policy you can read more about here.

Of course a cat wanted in on the attention and photos, this time it was our little old lady Patches.

I can't find this animal print scarf on their website, but it's soooooo soft. It's quite thin making it an ideal transitional piece for autumn. The neutral colours make it easy to match with a variety of looks.

This layered necklace has a coral gemstone, a geometric shape and a thin bar for detailing, all on a gold type chain. I'm not usually one for gold, but I like the layering and geometric trends so I'm sure I can make this work!

They also sent me an adorable dress, but I haven't had chance to photograph it yet, but I am sure it'll appear in an outfit post soon enough.

Thanks SimplyBe!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

CowCow Plus Cutie : SimplyBe Mesh Insert Dress Review

*these items were sent to me as a gift, in no way does this impact upon my opinions which are entirely my own.

SimplyBe Mesh Insert Skater Dress Review*

Autumn is finally coming on it's way! It's my favourite time of year, and I find the fashion so much more inspiring than I  do in the summer. Autumn fashion means layering and lush colours and fun.

I love a good party dress, so when I saw this dress it had to be mine! My teenage years of goth and punk have influenced my style a lot as I've gotten older, and when I spotted this dress it had my name all over it. This is the Mesh Insert Skater Dress* and it's so cute.

It's made of a scuba style fabric that is really soft, and has fishnet style detailing on the sleeves and neckline that are what really sold me on the dress. It's a punky twist on the LBD! I paired it with some ASOS mesh side leggings from last season and my Converse pride hi tops. I wore this for my Grandad's 80th birthday BBQ, which was a really rainy and cool day. Usually I'd have gone bare legged, but it was too chilly for that. The mesh cutouts matched in nicely with the dress.

The dress has the same mesh insert at the back of the dress which is a really cute touch, I love that sort of detail you don't expect. I'm 5ft 11, and the dress is definitely on the short side for me, but I'm not scared to flash some thigh! It does mean the waist section sits about 4 inches higher than my waist, but I tend to expect that in skater dresses. One day I dream of tall options in plus size!

How cute are those fishnet style inserts? I love that mesh and fishnet seems to be a trend for this autumn/winter. It's an easy way to make your wardrobe edgier and add a little something punky. While I dressed this outfit down with leggings and sneakers, you could easily vamp this up too. Imagine it with a deep berry lipstick, fishnets and silver heels! I think it's going to be a really versatile addition to my wardrobe.

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

A Cloudy OOTD : Plus Equals Win

* denotes an item that was gifted for review purposes. In no way does this impact upon my opinions which are entirely my own.

The Pineapple Dress of Dreams

Oh this dress. What a mission this dress was to even get my little chubby mitts on. I first ordered it at the beginning of March as a pre-order, only to find out 2 months later that it wasn't coming into stock. I was told it was an error, it had never been in stock and never would be. My dreams were dashed. Then I saw Lottie L'Amour post that she had it! What?! I messaged Simply Be who confirmed that the dress was now available after all, so order number 2 was placed and it finally arrived.

Ivory Fruit Print Sleeveless Swing Dress

I'm kind of obsessed with pineapple print, so this was always meant to be mine. I never wear white, so it's a big change for me! I saved it for the last few days of our honeymoon to show off whatever tan I managed to accidentally get. I wore factor 50 and sat in the shade all day and still ended up super tan, for me at least.

There are two key things to mention about this dress. The first is that it is seriously short. I wore my favourite Chaffree shorts underneath to preserve my dignity because I would have absolutely ended up flashing when I was walking around without them. I am 5ft 11 and was rocking a whole lot of leg. The second thing is how sheer the dress is. You can't tell in this photo, but I was wearing a lime green bra underneath it and you could totally see it. You need skin coloured underwear for sure. I still wore it out anyway because whatever, I was on holiday!

It has a high neck and a little key hole cut out in the back in a triangular sort of shape. I'm really broad so I opted to size up as there is no stretch to this at all and I am glad I did. It's a little loose around the arm holes but I'd rather that than a snug fit over the bust. I now need to host all the summer barbecues so I can wear this a whole bunch. It's adorable.

While it was a real mission to get hold of this dress, it was worth it in the end. There are several different prints in this style dress and for only £20 I might not be able to resist!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

A Lindy Bop Honeymoon Bargain : Keeping Cool in Turkey With Simply Be

Keeping Cool in Turkey With Simply Be*

When we picked Turkey for our honeymoon I was expecting it to be in the low-mid 30's in the evenings while we were there. Instead it turned out to be hitting 46 degrees on the regular which is just not remotely comparable to even the best of British summer heat. It meant a lot of my evening outfits were out of the question because it was still so damn hot you wanted to dress as cool as was possible.

And come to the rescue was this Simply Be halterneck dip hem maxi dress*. Simply Be very kindly sent me this for my honeymoon as a wedding present which was so sweet! I haven't owned a halterneck in years but the pattern on this really intrigued me so I picked this out.

The halterneck style meant a lot of shoulder out which totally helped keep me cool once the heat really hit the highs. I wore this twice because I also realised I could absolutely get away without a bra in this dress. Which was heaven! It's a super light material which only creased very lightly in the suitcase which was great. I took a few bits I ended up not being able to wear because of creasing and I wasn't about to pay for my clothes to be ironed. This dress has a shirred back which is always great for a comfy fit and allowing for extra room for those of you who are more blessed in the bust department than I am. I tied the halterneck up in a double knot and it didn't budge once tied, very reassuring!

The pattern on this dress is the real star of the show. It's a sort of zigzig patchwork and I love it. It's really quirky and different and both times I wore this I got so many compliments! The dip hem gave great movement when I was walking around, I love a dress that helps make me feel dramatic. This was the outfit that I wore on the hottest nights and I still felt totally adorable. I have to admit though, once we'd taken these photos my hair went up!

Thanks so much for the cute summer dress Simply Be!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

The Good, The Bad and The Bargains : A Honeymoon OOTD

*denotes an item that was gifted to me, In no way does this impact upon my opinions which are entirely my own.

My Fear Colour : With the Tutu Factory

Everyone has favourite colours they love to wear. I love black, red and purple,  black is generally the basis for most of my outfits! But I have a total fear colour, that I am just so scared to wear... Blue.  I never wear blue! I worry about how it looks on me, I don't even look at anything that is blue, and never, ever wear it. In fact, I bought a pair of blue jeans just before Christmas, my first pair in about 12 years. I don't know why I get so anxious about how I look in blue, but I do.

So when I received an amazing package of goodies from Tutu Factory, I was honestly thrilled to see it had blue in it! I have been wanting to get a blue outfit for a while to blog about. One of my aims for 2016 is to push myself and break those fears!

Chop to Crop Top* - SimplyBe

Denim jacket - New Look (last year's summer wardrobe)

Royal blue tutu* - Tutu Factory

Leggings - New Look

Boots - Demonia

Flower crown* - Tutu Factory

I was so tempted to put my black pleather jacket with this, but that wouldn't have meant I was really pushing myself! Instead I teamed the tutu with a tied up vest top and a blue denim jacket. I'd never actually worn this jacket before because I've been collecting pins for it, but it worked as is for now! 

I really enjoyed the contrast of the royal blue with the black. I actually really ended up loving this outfit, so I am so glad I was able to challenge myself to wear a colour that usually makes me so uncomfortable. I think the blue kinda worked for me, and I love how full that tutu is. It was so windy when I took these photos but the lining of the tutu meant I didn't have to worry about flashing my pants. They have an elasticated waist which meant it was really comfy, and they will custom make any size or length tutu, as well as having a huge plus size range as standard in sizes up to a 32. I absolutely adore a good tutu, but the UK seems to be lacking in them, so to see an indy company making them in sizes up to a 32, and even doing a kids range, is so so cool.

So now I am really curious, because I can't be the only person with a colour they are too scared to wear! So I want to see you guys wear those colours that make you nervous, and share them with me. I was convinced I didn't suit blue, but I did, and I know you could rock those colours that you avoid too.

Big thanks to the Tutu Factory for challenging me without even realising it!

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

*these items were gifted to me for review purposes. In no way does this impact upon my opinions of them, which are entirely my own.

Want to see the rest of the goodies I got from the Tutu Factory? Check out my YouTube haul.

Simply Be : Why do people take before and after photos?

A photo can share so many things, a beautiful memory, a silly moment, a cute new dress, but at this time of year, we are encouraged to share our before and after photos, and the diet industry is running rampant. Photos can be so important, but the kind of before and after photos that I want to see aren't of 'good' or 'bad' bodies, because all bodies are good bodies!

Simply Be asked me to write about why I love my body, and that was easy! You can read all about why I and several other bloggers love our bodies here.

I love that Simply Be want to see you take a negative and turn it into a positive. We put our bodies through so much. Did you get stretch marks when you were pregnant? Awesome! You were able to carry a life inside of you and have a baby. 

Do you have a strong nose you inherited from your Dad's side of the family? Kick ass! You can literally see your family history in the photos of your great-grandparents and their relatives.

Did you used to wear super flared jeans and trip over them smashing your face into a brick wall, requiring stitches in your face and being scarred for life? Amazing! You ended up with an adorable and unique facial scar that actually you really love. (That one is maybe sort of me. I am not looking forward to flares coming back into fashion).

You are worth so much more than the numbers on a scale. What makes you wonderful is what's on the inside. It's how you like to surprise your Grandparents with a visit, or that you always make sure your best friend has gotten home safe from a night out. It's that people know you are are available on the phone whenever they need you, and the way you can't resist rescuing just one more cat. That's what is important about you. Not the weight of your thighs or the wobble of your chin, it's the kindness in your heart that matters.

Your body is just your vessel, the thing that allows you to be the bad ass babe you are. So be good to yourself, and remember that the only kind of before and after photo that counts, is one in which you are smiling.

Much love,

Kitty xxxxx

Written in collaboration with Simply Be.

SimplyBe Outfit of the Day

 Last week my parents took me, Stu and one set of my grandparents out for dinner, and it seemed the perfect chance to rock a new dress. I've been hiding away in layers and not feeling like photographing my outfits with the cold, so it was time to look cute and dress up.

Dress - SimplyBe*

Jacket - Matalan

Leggings - New Look

Boots - Demonia

Necklace - Gift from my parents

I fell so in love with the monochrome print on this dress. It has long sleeves and a high neck, but is jersey material so not too warm, which is perfect for spring. Paired with a pleather jacket and boots it felt very me, just enough rock chick whilst still being cute.

My Mum and Dad bought me this necklace from a holiday of theirs and gave me it for Christmas. It is so different from anything I've ever seen. My rings are all by BloodyMary Metal, save for the black heart ring which is Pandora.

And the truly bad ass nail varnish is Hex Your Ex by Radioactive Unicorn. I have developed a serious obsession with them and need all of their colours like, yesterday.

And a selfie just because I'm cute and why not!

Hopefully now the weather will start to improve so outfits can be cuter. I always struggle in the winter.

Much love,

Kitty xxxx

*this dress was gifted to me by SimplyBe. In no way does this impact upon my opinions about it which are entirely my own.

Party Season OOTD : My Favourite Outfits of 2015

Check out my newest YouTube video here!

Dreaming of Dresses

I can't resist a cute dress. Now that AW2015 is starting to creep it's way into stores I'm loving the trends I'm seeing, here are some faves!

Simply Be High Neck Floral Skater Dress £45

The seventies are back in a big way, and this dress is an adorable play on that trend. I love the print on this so much. I think this would be really versatile too, great for the office or a night in the pub.

ASOS Curve Fit and Flare Spot Mesh Dress £58

I love a good polkadot dress, and this one does something genuinely different and is so cute. The skirt section has gorgeous movement.

Grazia Floral Print Hanky Hem Dress £70

Oh my, the hem and cut of this dress are just lush! The orange tones are perfect for late summer into autumn.

Simply Be Skater Dress £25

This is like, Wednesday Addams meets rockabilly. Also available in a lovely burgundy colour and another print, this is a dress I could easily have several colours in.

City Chic Monochrome Stripe Dress £60

City Chic is a huge brand in US plus size fashion, and seeing their range grow at Evans makes me really excited. They produce such gorgeous dresses, this is my current fave. I love an unusual hemline and the stripe pattern is so fun.

What dresses are you lusting after? Send me links!

Much love,

Kitty xxxxx