Several years ago I stated that I would never hide behind big baggy black clothing again.
Just had Twins
Bright, colourful, vibrant outfits were the way forward.
In fact, Big circle skirts, Doris Day dresses, high waisted trousers and lots of vintage hats.
Since then I have grown in both confidence and size. In fact, I am bigger now than I have ever been, partially down to COVID and also having an injury that has left me less mobile.
Living Large
That hasn’t stopped me from indulging my passion for those bright colours and I don’t think I have had anything quite as colourful as the Collectif X Modcloth collaboration, The Jill Rainbow dress.
Rainbow Lady
The rainbow dress is a vintage shaped dress with multiple box pleats, diagonal stripes and wide tapering shoulder straps. The sweetheart neckline is exceedingly flattering, as is the yellow belt that comes with it.
I was lucky enough to get the Rainbow dress in the Collectif sale, priced at only £41.30 there was an extra special discount of a further 50% off, which meant I only paid £20.65.
Jill, Melly and Tonya
And let me tell you something, this dress is so fabulous that I would happily order it at the full price of £59.00.
The quality is exceptional; bright white cotton with the prettiest colour stripes of red, pink, orange, yellow, green, fern, dark and pale blue. the diagonal pattern both flatters and highlights the shape of the body.
In Stratford
Having multiple box pleats gives the skirt a fullness which sits beautifully. It isn’t too ‘poo-fy’ so doesn’t make you look bigger than you actually are. I also think that the skirt could also look amazing with a 50’s style petticoat underneath to add a little something.
So, how did I accessorise the Jill dress? Well I had already bought a Lulu-Hun Melly rainbow bag and suitable shoes earlier in July, with some of my birthday money. Now was the chance to pair it with something perfect.
The Full Works
To be honest, one of my issues was having TOO many pairs of Lulu-Hun shoes that would match perfectly. The Lily wedge, The Tonya wedge or even The Giada wedge.
I admit to being torn between the Tonya and the Lily.
Lily Shoes in Yellow
All I needed was an occasion to wear the dress and this came around when I went to Stratford Upon Avon to watch ‘A Comedy of Errors’ at the RSC, with a friend.
The sun was shining, the day was very warm and this sundress was the perfect outfit. Eventually I added the bag and yellow Lily shoes, before popping an embroidered sunhat and round glasses on.
I love a good Mocktail
I included a green cropped cardigan for the evening, just in case.
Green Goddess
What was the end result?
Well, if I do say so myself I think it turned out pretty spectacular. I felt bright and happy, comfortable and also cool. The dress went well with the accessories and also the weather.
A Perfect Stack
Strolling along the riverside, I felt both joyous and joyful. I was on a mini-break with a friend, staying at a grand hotel and heading to the theatre to watch Shakespeare in his home town.
I will of course, be writing about the whole trip, but for now I am focusing on just the outfit.
Perfect Sundress
Although I usually wear a size 24/26, I opted to go for a size 28 in this dress as the sizing charts indicated that my normal size would be too small for my waist.
So was this the right decision?
Cheers!
To be honest, I probably could have fitted into a 26 comfortably, however having the 28 means it is super comfortable with no digging in or tight waistbands.
The underarm area is a little baggy, but this could easily be rectified with a dart or two and doesn’t actually detract from it in any way.
All the Colours
Given that I have a fair amount of lucite bangles, I added a stack and a pair of orange hoop earrings from Bow and Crossbones. After all if you are going to do colour, you might as well ‘do’ colour!
Rainbow Magic
I have to admit, I love this outfit so very much that it has become a strong contender for one of the days at Twinwood. Of course, this would rely on the weather being good and I have all my fingers crossed for that.
After all, this dress deserves to be shown off in the Sunshine as many times as possible.
Till next time,
SPSG xxx