Dress Review: Dearest Crimson Clover

Here's a dress I've been meaning to review for a while

I got this Ashley dress in Crimson Clover back in March when Trashy Diva's Crimson Clover collection was first released.

Upon seeing Trashy Diva's Crimson Clover print I immediately swooned! I love the sweet pale and raspberry pinks against the rich navy blue. I also love the unobtrusive addition of green and white to the color scheme which pairs so sweetly and gently together in this print. Looking closely at the print, the shading in the flowers and leaves is so dainty and pleasant. For all of these reasons, I am reminded of illustrations in vintage children's books looking at this print. It's such a dear and charming print I could not let this one pass me by.

While this print is uniquely it's own, I will probably not be the first to admit that when I first saw the Crimson Clover collection I immediately made a connection of how similar this print is to the recent Deep Sea Coral print (which I last wore here). Both prints feature a predominately pink design against a navy blue background. However, the similarities end there. Even so, because I bought the previous Deep Sea Coral print in the 1940's cut I was sure to pick a different cut when picking a dress to buy in this collection. It was not hard choosing the Ashley cut in this print though.

The Ashley cut is an often picked fan favorite out of Trashy Diva's many dress cuts. It has a classic late 1930's to 1940's look which features slightly puffed cap sleeves, figure flattering darts along the shoulder which end in gathers under the bustline, a fitted waist, and an a-line skirt. The side zip on this dress ensures the top back of the dress to have an uninterrupted panel of fabric to best feature the print and to give the back a smooth look. Also, like most of Trashy Diva's dresses, this dress is made of a period appropriate rayon material which also gives this dress a great feel and flow.

As for fit, I found this dress to fit true to size for the Ashley cuts... basically any Trashy Diva cuts with a fitted band under the bust I usually size up one from my usual size 10 to give extra breathing room though it probably would have been possible to have squeezed into my usual size.  

If this is a print you've got to have, you can check out the entire collection here. But don't hesitate too long as most of Trashy Diva's dresses do tend to sell out in lots of sizes before too long.

Trashy Diva's Ashley dress in Crimson Clover- Front View

Trashy Diva's Ashley dress in Crimson Clover- Front View

Trashy Diva's Ashley dress in Crimson Clover- Side View

Trashy Diva's Ashley dress in Crimson Clover- Back View

Trashy Diva's Ashley dress in Crimson Clover- Close Up

Outfit of the Day: A Walk in the Woods and A Day With Keanu

Last weekend was a well spent one

On Saturday Tim and I took a walk around one of our nearby lakes, Don Castro Lake. This is one of my favorite lakes to walk around because the footpath becomes very narrow in places and is little more than a patch of worn bare dirt surrounded by trees and lush undergrowth for the better part of the path. Walking along this quiet lake, tramping through this densely grown footpath, it is easy to forget we are so close to civilization, and not hard to image we are deep in a forest somewhere.

On Sunday, we changed it up a bit by going to the nearby historic waterfront town of Alameda where we met up with a friend and saw the new Key and Peele cat comedy movie, Keanu, at the newly renovated historic Alameda theater. We all enjoyed the movie a lot. And then, for an extra treat, enjoyed playing at the 80's arcade, High Score, across the street.

It was a great weekend and was definitely good to get out in a relaxed kind of way.


Outfit of the Day (Saturday):
For the walk around the lake I picked my Trashy Diva Dorothy dress in Irish Polka. I love how easy to wear and how comfortable this dress is. Because we were going to do a lot of walking, I paired this with black Sketcher Go Walks, my go to shoes for heavy walking while in a dress.

Trashy Diva Dorothy dress in Irish Polka- Front View

Trashy Diva Dorothy dress in Irish Polka- Front View

Trashy Diva Dorothy dress in Irish Polka- Side View

Outfit of the Day (Sunday):
Because we were off to see a cat comedy I knew I had to dress in cat theme. I figured my Trashy Diva Cage dress in Smoke Leopard would be the perfect dress. After all, it was a gangster themed cat comedy. ;) I paired this with a black knit bolero by Elle which I got from Kohl's a couple years ago, and a pair of basic black flats. For a finishing touch, and to add some fun little cat details, I also wore this with a pair of oversized cat cameo stud earrings I got a couple years ago from a local retro shop, Vintage Alley, and a cute kitty brooch by Lumpy Buttons which I got c/o Cats Like Us last year. I also added a black sequin headband to my outfit to jazz things up even more.

Trashy Diva Cage dress in Smoke Leopard- Front View

Trashy Diva Cage dress in Smoke Leopard- Front View

Trashy Diva Cage dress in Smoke Leopard- Side View

Trashy Diva Cage dress in Smoke Leopard- Front View

Trashy Diva Cage dress in Smoke Leopard- Front View

Trashy Diva Cage dress in Smoke Leopard- Side View

Trashy Diva Cage dress in Smoke Leopard- Close Up

 

Outfit of the Day: Out and About

Like most of my Outfit of the Day posts this one is a hodge-podge of different outfits I've worn recently

Outfit of the Day (last last Sunday):

Last last weekend, Sunday was a very relaxing day for my husband and I. It feels like its been a while since we just got to relax and lounge around the house. Therefore we took full advantage of it when we had a free day on Sunday. While we weren't planning on leaving the house we did get hungry and decided to go to El Pollo Loco, a local fast food place, to pick up Mexican style tostada salads-- one of my favorites! I didn't bother with contacts or even putting on make up but since I had to change into day clothes I decided to throw on a dress I haven't worn for a while, my Trashy Diva L'amour in Red Waterlilies. I paired this with my red Ecco flats because they matched and luckily were right by the door. :) Now how's that for throw on and go? I love dresses for that reason!

Trashy Diva L'amour dress in Red Waterlilies- Front View

Trashy Diva L'amour dress in Red Waterlilies- Front View

Trashy Diva L'amour dress in Red Waterlilies- Side View

Outfit of the Day (Saturday):

This past weekend on Saturday I went out for brunch with some friends from high school. It was supposed to be a group of six of us but turned out to only be the three of us. No bother; it was still great to get to see some old friends, one I've known since middle school who I haven't seen for years and years, and another from high school who I've been lucky to have been able to keep in touch with pretty frequently. We went out for vegan brunch which was actually a lot more tasty than I was anticipating though it did leave me hungry. For this day I decided to wear a dress I haven't worn for ages, the Floating on Flair dress by Knitted Dove which I got from Modcloth years ago. I paired this with a navy cropped cardigan by MAK also from Modcloth from several years ago and a pair of navy flats by Rocket Dog, also from years ago from Zappos. For a finishing touch I wore a pair of cream colored flower studs from Forever 21, also from a few years ago.

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Front View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Front View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Side View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Front View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Front View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Side View

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Close Up

Knitted Dove Floating on Flair dress, Modcloth- Close Up

Outfit of the Day (Sunday):

On Sunday Tim and I didn't have any plans. We were up pretty early because the cats were making too much noise so we decided to get out of the house a bit and check out the mall and the outlet mall. I decided to wear my new Pinup Girl Clothing skirt, the Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print (you can see my recent review here). I thought since we were going to be out shopping it might be fun to wear this skirt and keep my eye out for more tops I can pair it with. I didn't have any luck looking that day but I don't mind it paired the way I did with a Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray. To balance out this look I wore this with a matching mustard colored cropped cardigan by MAK (which I got from Modcloth a while ago) and a matching pair of mustard colored peep toe flats from Target from several years ago. For a finishing touch I paired this with golden and white metal basket weave earrings (Modcloth, from a few years ago) and a white and yellow orchid hair flower (Ebay, from last year).

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Side View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border print, Trashy Diva Trixie top in Chambray- Side View

Golden and White metal basket weave earrings and white and yellow orchid hair flower- Close Up

Dress Review: Orange You Glad the Orange Branch Border Print is Back!

A little bit ago Pinup Girl Clothing decided to bring back some fan favorite prints that were previously out of stock

I was so happy to see that the Orange Branch Border print was one of the prints selected to return. A few weeks after this print was restocked I decided I'd better jump on it before it sold out again.

This print comes in both a skirt version and a dress version. Because the dress version has a solid white top (with the exception of orange straps), and I tend to shy away from wearing too much white, I decided the skirt would be the better option for me.

The Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border is a full gathered skirt. Like Pinup Girl Clothing's other Jenny skirts this one is super abundant in fabric! And not only is there a lot of volume to the skirt, the fabric is also very thick and sturdy, helping to give it a great shape. In fact, this skirt has so much volume I find it really isn't even necessary to wear a petticoat with it to get a great shape. Also, like other Jenny skirts, this one has pockets and a back zip. Length wise, I found it perfect for my 5'3" frame though if you have a few more inches on you I'm sure you will still find the length sufficient for that classic 50's look. Because it is a border print and would be very hard to hem, I was really glad it wasn't super long like I found the original Jenny skirts in Harlequin print to run.

Now for sizing, I did run into a bit of an issue here. I read through every single review published on the PUG website for this particular skirt and could not really come to a clear consensus as to if I should get this skirt in my usual size or size up. Some ladies said it ran small and so to size up while some other ladies said it ran snug but was still okay in their usual size. Almost everyone though said to pay careful attention to the size chart. One the size chart it said the large would fit a 28-29" waist while an extra large would fit a 30-31" waist. From these measurements it looks like this skirt was definitely running a whole size smaller and so I opted for the xl for my 30-31" waist. I was so surprised and sad when the skirt arrived and was too big! Measuring it flat I measured it to be 16" and therefore 32" around, not accounting any give the fabric would have when stretched a bit. I emailed customer service to see if I might want to exchange this skirt for my usual size but they confirmed that the mediums were measuring 14" flat, 14.5" stretched as far as it would go and thus, would only accommodate a 29" waist. They did however, go on to say that the xl skirts were measuring 15" flat and so it seems to me I possibly got an oddly made skirt or that some of these skirts were just not very consistent in their sizing. Since I was lucky enough to grab the very last xl skirt it was not possible to exchange my xl skirt for another xl in hopes I would get one that was actually measuring at 15".  Anyhow, I decided to keep the skirt that I got and make do. What I ended up having to do with this skirt (for an easy and temporary fix) is just safety pin it tighter at the waist by about an inch or two. Because of the gathers at the waist I didn't personally feel like it was too noticeable worn like that. I think to make a more permanent solution I will sew in a hook and eye at the waist to make that cinching more permanent and sturdy when worn.  

And now, let's talk about that print! What I really love about this skirt is the gorgeous print! It reminds me of an old classic 1950's Florida theme and since Florida is my original home state I figured it would be a real shame to miss out on this print! Aside from feeling a special attachment to this skirt because of the Florida oranges theme as well as the Florida state colors prevalent on the skirt, I also love that it's a fruit theme that features oranges which is pretty unusual in my book. Themes and motifs aside, I also just really love the design of the print. I love that it's a border print which is oh so vintage looking, and that the oranges hang on vertical vines and get bigger as they go down the skirt ensuring a good balance on the skirt as the skirt flairs out on the bottom. Overall, it's a great skirt! Just be careful with the sizing!

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Side View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Side View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Back View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print safety pinned tighter- Close Up

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print safety pinned tighter- Close Up (Back View)

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny skirt in Orange Branch Border Print- Close Up

Outfit of the Day: Grandparents in Town

Last week my grandparents were visiting from Florida

We celebrated their arrival with a Korean BBQ dinner at my mom's house during the week and then that weekend took them for a day trip to Yosemite! It was great having them here for a visit and it was a great time getting to spend it with them outdoors in the perfect weather we were having that weekend.

Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park

Another waterfall in Yosemite National Park

The small people, building, and van gives some scale to show how huge this cliff is

Deer in the meadow, Yosemite National Park

Outfit of the Day (Wednesday):

The day my grandparents flew in from Florida my mom hosted a Korean BBQ dinner. For the first day seeing my grandparent I decided my silk Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherries print would be the perfect dress for the occasion! I paired this with gingham wedges I had just received from Modcloth that day! (Available here on sale now!) I also paired this with a red cardigan to brighten up the outfit some more.

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Front View

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Side View

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Front View

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Side View

Trashy Diva Betty dress in Cherry print- Close Up

Outfit of the Day (Saturday):

On Saturday for our day trip to Yosemite I didn't really expect to get too much hiking in since we were all going to be there with my 80+ year old grandfather so I figured why not wear something super fun and springy? I decided my Trashy Diva circle skirt in Jade Watercolor would be perfect for the trip! I paired this with a green Tatyana sweater I just got on sale in Las Vegas during our last trip there. I also paired this with Sketcher Go Walk shoes for the bits that we would be walking and, to stay warm, a pair of brown sweater tights I got from Target earlier this wear.  It was the perfect cool spring day outfit for Yosemite.

Trashy Diva Circle skirt in Jade Watercolor, Tatyana Pullover Sweater in Green- Front View

Trashy Diva Circle skirt in Jade Watercolor, Tatyana Pullover Sweater in Green- Front View