It's too early for that dress -Post Pregnancy Fashion Dilemmas - Part 6

It's raining, it's been raining for weeks here in Bristol and it's cold too, so there shall be no bare skin on show or summer sandal wearing for me, this post mostly consists of cardigans and jackets and tights (to keep me warm!). It seems I have been wearing a lot of Tribal looks since my last post, lots of animal prints, safari styles and khaki colours.

My favourite leopard print dress from Topshop (about 3 years ago) and vintage brown leather belt thrifted.

Khaki coat and shorts worn with Sonic Youth tee, grey socks and Red Converse.

Leopard Print Mix Up

I am looking real tired in these photos so it's a good thing they are small. Having a 5 month old baby is taking it's toll on me, she still gets me up in the night and sleep deprivation is not helpful when you're trying to choose what to wear for the day or when you need to use your brain, a little, to write a blog!
Leopard print cardigan from Primark, leopard print top Topshop and Leopard print Converse low tops.

More cardigans and cut off denim shorts. This cardigan is also from Primark.

 Camouflage and lace
I love my camouflage jacket, I've had it for years, it's a wardrobe staple, I'm wearing it here with my lace bodycon dress which is actually the maternity bodycon dress bought for the weddings last summer.

Camouflage jacket - Army surplus store, lace dress - Asos.

Cute little Primark dress and H&M cardigan.

More khaki worn with stripes and the much needed waterproof DM boots!

Khaki poncho jacket - Primark, stripe top  - Topshop worn with basic leggings, long socks and Dr Marten boots.

Phil and I got to go out on our first date night since Sylvie was born, despite the rain and the fact I was accidentally given a meat pie ( I am a vegetarian and ate two mouthfuls before I got to the meat!!!) during our pub meal (who says romance is dead?) We then managed to get (the correct) meal and drinks for free before heading down to another bar on a bus that luckily just turned up when we needed it and then managed to get in free to a local bar to watch some bands as we knew the bloke on the door! I love it when things work out like that! Unfortunately when we got home Phil was rather sick, we blamed the vodka and coke that I made him drink following all those pints of beer but I have since found out there is a sickness bug doing the rounds.....I'm sure Phil still blames the Vodka and coke! Oops!

The outfit I'm wearing is from Vivien of Holloway (if you could only see it beneath the warm layers-damn this weather) The top is a gingham bustier top, I think I blogged it for the Vintage Americana post a few weeks back. The jeans are a new item for VOH they are cut from original 1950s patterns, I had trouble finding the right size for me (my figure is anything but a 1950s shape) but these jeans are so comfortable and make a change from all the skinnies that you still see everywhere! I thought I would accessorise by curling my hair and adding a headscarf (not seen in this pic) and cute ankle socks and Converse low tops. I shall attempt to get a better photo of the jeans for my next post as this pic isn't quite doing them justice.

Did you notice that I have become accustomed to a bit of photo shopping? Oooh check me out....it is a bit embarrassing but I am a total photoshop novice, before this cropping and resizing was my limit! That's how old I am, we didn't have computer lessons in school and if we did it was the whole class sat around one computer......CAD was a new thing when I was at Uni and I have to say it was not really my thing....I'm a fashion designer daaarrrrling, I work with fabrics.....and that...ND xx

Pinterest Obsession - Shorts & Festival style.

I was amazed to see the latest blog post from my friend and fellow blogger Dilly Foxtrot today, Dilly has posted about Pinterest and how she is obsessed with it - I know that she is as I'm always following her around pinterest re-pinning her pins!! Great minds always think alike they say, well I was, at that moment choosing images from my Pinterest to use for my next blog post about how I am obsessed with pinterest!  I spend more time pinning than blogging these days, so that I have enough images for my blog but never actually use them!?! Check out Dilly's post here, she is saying the same thing except a whole day before me and with different pins and subjects!! There is good reason that we are very good friends!! http://dillyfoxtrot.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/pinterest.html

The pins that I have chosen linked perfectly with my last post about the Dsquared2 ss12 festival inspired collection. It seems I have been collecting a vast number of fashion images of shorts worn with either tights or tube socks and boots. I love shorts and own so many pairs and tights and tube socks likewise. Check out these pins from my Fashion board which currently has no less than 86 followers, I'm very proud to say! Follow this link for more from my Pinterest Fashion board http://pinterest.com/nodebutante/fashion/

Georgia May Jagger in slouchy jumper and American Apparel tube socks looking like she has just stepped off the Dsquared2 catwalk. Can't actually see any shorts but the image just suits! Image

from becauseimaddicted.net. The other reason I love Pinterest for blogging is that it links your pins back to the original blog or site so I don't have to go searching for links for copyright reasons! Makes life easier!

Peter pan collar, high waisted shorts, & red lips. So cute! Image from chictopia.com

Love the low cut dungaree shorts and the skeleton tee. Image from hottopic.com                                      

 

Lace tights and Docs! Image From weheartit.com

                                     

Sweatshirt, shorts and aztec tights! From weheartit.com

                                       

Pastel cute. Image from f-a-s-s-h-o-n.tumblr.com     

                             

  Birmingham UK street style - Lovin these street style pins!! Great opaques, ankle socks and brothel creepers on this one! It's a great blog too. Images from thestylekaleidoscope.com

                    High waister denim cut offs and long knitted socks.

Phew! I feel like I have now made good use of all these Pinterest images that I have been randomly collecting for months. I must do this again very soon. I'm off to put some shorts on and pretend it hasn't been constantly raining in the UK since the beginning of April. ND xx

It's too early for that dress......Post Pregnancy Fashion Dilemmas - Part 2

The sun is shining and Spring is on the horizon and although I seem to miss my bump a little bit now, I am looking forward to spending the warmer months with my new little baby Sylvie (and all those boys - of course!). The other thing I am looking forward to is a Summer with no maternity clothes!! I can wear my Summer wardrobe - all being well, with me fitting into it, that is.

I have started to wear dresses again as the breast feeding starts to take a back seat (due to many issues that I won't go into now) I love dresses and I have missed wearing the ones I have, let alone buying more dresses. Dresses....aren't they great?

This is my brilliant Tatty Devine customised necklace. My husband Phil got it me for Christmas but I got to choose the font, colour, the word (obviously) and the type of chain and the wonderful Tatty Devine create your own bespoke necklace for you. You can get yours by following this link https://www.tattydevine.com/name-necklace-new.html

I chose 'bloody' font in black and a black chain....think I was having a dark day....there are loads of colours and styles to choose from and you can add charms too which is cute. The standard size comes to £27.50 (I think they only deliver these to the UK but please double-check that with Tatty  Devine). I have just had look at their website again and I want more already, I shall start hinting for Mothers Day, I think!

I do love a cardigan!  

DMs, long socks and turned up drainpipes....The UK TV series and film This Is England inspired me to buy some DMs a couple of years ago, they still look pretty new and need scuffing up a bit. I have been into the whole Skins look for years...Fred Perry's, braces, turn -up drainpipes, the whole look is so cool!!

Mix print shoes and socks to add contrast and texture to my otherwise (unusually for me) dark winter wardrobe. I still can't seem to shake the dark colours which I had taken to wearing when I was pregnant as they were more flattering by the end!

So I got an afternoon off from having the kids the other weekend and went to Primark...I spent a fortune....which is quite difficult to do in Primark as it's so damn cheap! I got this oversized cardigan and this cute sixties style mini dress with sailor style collar for about £22 (for both!!) I blew the rest of the money on kids clothes and even got Phil some stripey Breton style t-shirts....can't be bad!

I'm trying out something different with my hair, which is already getting out of control again! Damn I need a haircut every 3 weeks, my hair doesn't seem to grow it just gets out of control! Annoying! I'm going for the sixties style side sweep with a 1990s britpop girl hair grip.

I was wearing lots of layers and a maxi dress on this day but the photos came out blurred. Here's a good one of my footwear, you can just about see the maxi dress!

Here's Me and Sylvie, Im looking a bit more colourful here in my favourite old punk knit and digital print jersey trousers both from Topshop. Sylvie's wearing mostly Baby Gap and those expensive Boden tights (which I can't afford).

Look the sun came out today!!! I felt a fool taking this photo of myself in my garden, my neighbours are going to be wondering what on earth I'm doing. As i'm so pleased with my new dress I wore again, this time with jeans, I can still breast feed like this as my pants won't be on show when I lift up the dress! Winner!

 Phew! Doing this blog makes me realise I need to wear more of my clothes as I wouldn't want to bore my followers with the same old stuff..... . To be honest, although  I am a self confessed disposable fashion lover I do keep and wear alot of my clothes for years so I feel justified in my mass shopping!

I am back DJing at my club night Bang this Friday and I am having a fashion dilemma, as usual! I haven't DJ'd for months so I am very excited!!! My next post will possibly be a look back at previous Bang fashion moments so you can see what I look like when I have more than 10 minutes to get ready in the morning (yes this includes a shower)....I don't want to up your expectations too much though! ND xx

Dr Martens Autumn / Winter 2011 Campaign Featuring Agyness Deyn

I am loving the Dr Martens Autumn Winter 2011 First and Forever Campaign, it features Agyness Deyn (there's a little film and everything!) and the photographer is Gavin Watson who's images, for me, have hit the nail on the head for this 1980s / skinhead / scooter girl / This is Englandesque look, which is a style that has been close to my heart since I was a little kid in the 1980s. I have had to put aside my love / hate relationship with Agyness Deyn, I mean she looks great but she really isn't the first person to be androgynous, a little bit indie, to have short hair and wear Dr Martens!!! It's a little bit like Gwen Stefani pretty much thinking she was the first person to discover Harajuku Girls - 10 years too late.  Ok back to Agyness, she looks great in this campaign so I am back to loving her again.

All images are  from the Dr Martens Autumn Winter 2011 First and Forever

Campaign drmartens.co.uk

 and are credited to the photographer Gavin Watson.

Check out the tassled loafas, white socks and black leggings combo!

You have gotta love the donkey jackets, skinny turn up jeans and oxblood Docs.

Androgynous Perfection.

Unfortunately to be androgynous is not perfection in real life. When I'm having one of my dress like a boy days I generally face comments like

 'You look like you are wearing a school uniform'

I was wearing a Fred Perry Polo shirt and jeans....Other comments on the same outfit, the classic

 'You look like a Dyke'

and

 'why don't you wear normal maternity clothes?'

Don't even get me started on the last comment. ( I am actually pregnant to any new readers who are confused by this statement.)

 I'm just happy when people get it, sometimes I like to dress like a boy.....who wears make-up!

More of a grungy look here with the thick ribbed tights, rolled down socks and 8-eye DMs.
I personally prefer to do mine up.

 I'm off to buy more white socks, I love DM's!