Wear A Coat As Bright As Your Lipstick

I would like to take you beauts back in time, if I may? 

Back to the awesome Plus North 3, in a land far far away (Leeds, but still), where I first encountered this lovely coat, and the saw how the sample size coat fit my dear friend Katie, just made it even more imperative that I owned it!

I was sent the coat by the ace PR team behind Ann Harvey, and it was just a case of finding a good day to wear it. 

It's not a winter coat you see, it's an inbetweener kind of a coat. It's lined, which is awesome, but it's also very light weight otherwise.

I first wore it to the wedding rehearsal way back in December:

But felt the cold very much as I was rushing around Durham, so it got shelved a little bit until one of the North East's warmer days last month:

Eee, look at my face! It just sums up my sheer joy at wearing this coat! Although, the eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed my sleeves. For the arms do fall short on me, but by wearing a black cardigan underneath, this is easily resolved.

Matching your coat with your lipstick! Always a good move!

I have to say, Bon Marche did good with stocking this coat. It appeals so much to my 60s mod sid

e, whilst also being such a good fit!

And before you ask, yes it does fasten up completely, I am just not one to do my coat up! I'm 30 going on 3!! 

I got this coat in a 22, as I knew I wouldn't really want to fasten it, and that was how I wanted the coat to sit, but if I did want to wear anything thicker than a t shirt and cardigan, I would have had to size up. But I don't really wear jumpers so I'm alright on that score!

The lovely Katie from Lady From A Tramp had her Mam review this coat for her here, as pure coincidence!

Much love my lovelies, 

K x

F&F Colour Block Dress

In the run up to Christmas, I was lucky to win the #santaselfie competition ran by @clothingattesco which meant I got a £25 e voucher to spend online. 

The 'good thinking' part of my brain said to wait til the Sales to see if I could get more free clothes for my £££. I scouted the site and put a few items in my basket, but opted to wait and see.

  

And instead, I fell for a new item of clothing: The Colour Block Dress.

Oh my!

Peter Pan collar - CHECK

Flared skirt - CHECK

Bold colour - CHECK

60s style - CHECK

So reader, I ordered it!

It might look amazing, and different, and lovely but:

Look at my arms - rather tight and uncomfortable

The definition at my waist is lovely, but I can't really breath. 

The bust is clearly squashed. 

Also, the zip isn't even fully fastened at this point. 

Sad times indeed. If this was was available in a 24 (I'm wearing the 22 here), I would snap it up to try and hope it resolves most of the above. 

The dress itself is a heavy ponte material, but fully lined (so no stretch), but definitely worth the £28 price tag!

It was also worth using my voucher on to try this dress out.

If you are thinking of ordering this, I'd suggest sizing up, especially if you're a little on the busty side. But I will say one thing - you need to try this dress!

Much love my lovelies, 

K x

Barratts Lace Up Brogues and Pretty Dresses

A month ago, I was given the chance to choose a pair of shoes to review from the Barratts website.

I didn't have to think too hard on what type I was looking for - Brogues.

I am a sucker for a pretty dress and pair of brogues. Just something about that combination is my 'go to' for the office. I get to be feminine and efficient at the same time. Due to back problems, I can't do heels very often, so flats are my only option. And brogues? They take me back to a 1940s aesthetic, where comfort sees us out in the end!!

So which brogues have my feet been navigating the world in this past month?

These: a black pair of lace up leather brogues.

When they arrived, I was taken aback by the pretty floral inlay:

The leather laces are a nice touch, and rarely do I have to stop halfway through the day to tighten or re tie my laces. These are the shoes you attach to your feet and can almost forget they're there. Except when I walk across a non-carpeted surface - they have a satisfying sound as they hit tiled floors!

The month of May has seen them face deluges along my high street, hot Summer-like hours in the office, followed by Brownie meetings playing games and singing songs. 

As I mentioned before, I pair them with an assortment of dresses, but my latest pairing is my skater dress from Koko for Simply Be:

I am currently saving up for the dress in hot pink, but HAD to try in Aqua:

See, pretty dress, gorgeous brogues. Perfect combination!

The dress came with a thin belt, but as with some plus size dresses, the belt isn't actually big enough for the size 22 dress, but I felt the cut and fit of the dress meant I didn't need the belt. 

A lovely touch to the dress:

Was the PU leather collar. I felt this added a certain 60s flavour to the dress, and certainly took it from a plain skater dress which are around in force this season, to a skater dress with a difference!!

This outfit could easily have been worn in the middle of winter (adding a thick boyfriend cardigan) or the middle of a very British summer!

So thank you to lovely people at Barratts for keeping my feet dry and stylish this past month - and the shoes are still going strong!!

Much love my lovelies, 

K x

We are the MODs!

As you might be able to tell from my love of all things Vintage, as a teenager, and into my early twenties, I wished I could be a mod. A proper, modern gal, with vinyl, short hair and fierce dancing skills. I read things like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Kes, and Clockwork Orange. I listened to Nuggets, mix CDs with obscure cover versions and B sides. We regularly went to 60s club nights, and every month you would see me at a club night called Brighton Beach. 

Why am I telling you all this?

Because, even with all my dedication to the 'cause', I couldn't get the look right. And in Mod terms, the look was the whole sch-bang! Mod fashion and boobs didn't mix.Mod fashion and curves didn't mix either for that matter! It was all shift dresses and mini skirts. 

My outfit yesterday is the kind of outfit I **wish** I'd have worn 8 years ago. But better late than never:

Top: Wardrobe for Simply Be Contrast Jersey Top

Skirt: Domino Dollhouse Full Skirt in Back & White Stripe

Belt: Gifted from Caroline

And look - NEW HAIR! Since I was 20, and my short hair grew out, I swore I would not go down this route again. But to even my hair out, and to combat the humidity we've been having lately, I took the step! 

And this is the finished effect! 

I had an amazing night in Durham with my very good friend JM, with a lush tea in Chiquito (this is their Apple & Elderflower virgin cocktail), and wandered up to the Cathedral to see a band very close to my heart, the Futureheads play:

This was taken before the rains came, and the two photos below were my views in the Cathedral: 

Such a power venue, and two great 'support' acts in Natasha Haws and The Lake Poets.

Truly a night to remember on that score.

Much love my lovelies,

K x

MissTake 1

There is a reason I've called my blog MissKathrynsMissTakes - because I do make rather a lot of them! But otherwise, I'd never learn, right? :D

Okay, so maybe I start to learn!

Under the tutorledge of my very good friend Jackie, I've become schooled in the power of the mix CD. Not a playlist in Spotify thanks! And who has a tape player these days (Er, me...!).

So there may be someone I want to impress, and so when challanged to make a mix CD, I accepted the challange - quite gleefully in fact!

Now, I'm a little rusty, but this was my first attempt:

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a compilation album of American garage rock singles released in the mid- to late 1960s. It was assembled by Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra Records, and Lenny Kaye, later lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuggets:_Original_Artyfacts_from_the_First_Psychedelic_Era,_1965%E2%80%931968

Not all these songs came from Nuggets, but it was a kind of door opening into the world of 60s psych, pop, soul, funk etc:
1. 54 - 46 That's My Number The Maytals
2. The Clapping Song Shirley Ellis
3. Have Love Will Travel The Sonics
4. House That Jack Built Aretha Franklin
5. Sunshine of Your Love Spanky Wilson
6. Hush Joe South
7. I'm A Good Woman Barbara Lynn
8. I Got A Woman Ray Charles
9. Baby Please Don't Go The Amboy Dukes
10. Pictures of Matchstick Men The Status Quo
11. Nutbush City Limits Ike & Tina Turner
12. Respect Otis Reading
13. Victoria The Kinks
14. My Little Red Book Love
15. Gloria Patti Smith
16. Psychotic Reaction The Count Five
17. Hi-Heel Sneakers Tommy Tucker
18. Here Come the Girls Ernie K. Doe
19. Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White The Standells
20. Liar, Liar The Castaways
21. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) The Beatles

Now, yes, I provided the above text with the CD... and now I feel a little exposed!! Still, only time will tell.

And what did I get in return? Well, the opportunity to listen to Joy Division bootleg of course! No wonder I feel about 16. But that may be due to something else!

Much love my lovelies,

K xx