As you may already know, I’ve had a lot of trouble with trousers. However, changing jobs this year has given me a little more time to explore outfit options. Having chucked out my ancient ill-fitting work trousers, I needed to look for a few new pairs that would go with my aesthetic and fit me like a glove.

Now, I’ve tried on trousers from Vivien of Holloway before and I basically resigned myself to the fact that they just didn’t look right on me. Then on a summer break trip to the shop, the ever-lovely Marie suggested that I try the ‘soft’ 1940s trousers. Feeling sceptical, I put them on in the belief that they just wouldn’t work on me. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my ‘I  told you so’ moment because they fit perfectly! Marie – I swear I won’t doubt you again.

As described by VOH,

Calling all hep-kittens!
These are our signature 1940s Trousers, which have been a real favourite with our customers for years. Based on an original WWII pattern, these super slacks feature an authentic long rise and high waist, cuffs, four side buttons and a little patch pocket.
Glamourpuss or girl next door, everyone can be a vintage vixen in a pair of these flattering trousers.

These trousers come in a variety of colours – I opted for trusty black but I also have my eye on the claret and the caramel colours too. These trousers are so easy to wear – they’re definitely a wardrobe staple.

For this post, I thought I’d pair these trousers with a gorgeous green-striped VOH slash-neck top. This outfit would be perfect for work or play. I accessorised it with a green beret and my comfy black Converse.

Feeling a little lazy, I just let me hair down for this shoot – I think I prefer my wet-sets but it’s good to try different things. Keeping things autumnal, I went for a dark lip with Kat Von D’s Damned liquid lipstick.

Keep an eye out for the next few ‘She Wears The Trousers’ posts. Which trousers would you recommend? Have you found your perfect fit yet?

Thanks as always to the fabulous @darktechsupport for these beautiful photos!

This September, both Flo and I started new jobs. We feel that the change has definitely been for the better but, speaking for myself, I was terribly anxious!

Why do we fear change though? As someone who loves to be prepared and in control, change scares me because it is unpredictable and unfamiliar. In my previous job,  I knew my routine, my colleagues, my families and my children. I’d got into my own rhythm and found what worked for me – it was comfortable.

If change is scary, why go through it? I’d been working in the same place for four years. For those four years, I woke up at 5.30am, left the house at 6.20am, got the train and then the bus into work for 7.15am. Every time I woke up, I’d immediately check train times because, if there were any cancellations or delays, I’d have to wake up my husband to give me a lift. Each morning put me in a panic. Then, when I would go to bed, I wouldn’t want to go to sleep because the next time I opened my eyes it would be morning again. I’d sleep on the train and the bus both to and from work – I felt sluggish all the time. Leaving work was exactly the same; on a good day I’d be home in fifty minutes but, at least once or twice a week, it would be over an hour and a half. I’d spend a day preparing for lessons every weekend because I was scared that I’d be delayed in the morning and not be able to sort things in time at school. My anxiety hit a high point at the beginning of my fourth year; I’d become tearful and withdrawn at home and my tiredness was beginning to affect my health. I had to make a change.

I’d been at my school since I qualified as a teacher – it was all I knew. Moving on would be scary but I had to put my family and my well-being first. To begin with, I had intense feelings of guilt about leaving my school; my colleagues and children were such a big part of my life. Once the guilt had subsided,  I had huge anxieties about the future. I kept wondering if people would see me as imperfect or a failure. It felt like my fears and panic would never leave me.

Now, it’s been over six weeks since I started at my new school. It’s a twenty minute walk from my home and it’s made such a difference! Yes, being a teacher is still hard and full on but my commuting anxieties have completely disappeared. I don’t have palpitations when my alarm goes off in the morning and I can have ten more minutes in bed without worrying about missing a connection. My home life is calmer and I don’t spend each day on the verge of tears. I’ve even changed the way I dress. At my old school I’d wear whatever was comfortable for my commute and close at hand in the morning, now I can really make use of my wardrobe and actually look like me at work.

Moving from a small pharmacy to a hospital has been a big change for Flo. She has taken on a great deal of responsibility and, being the fabulous geek I know her to be, she wants to do the best job possible. With that in mind, we had a discussion and felt it would be best for Flo to concentrate on her work. The blog will still continue and we’ll still get up to our usual adventures. However, well-being comes first and foremost and when you’re working over 12 hours a day – you need downtime. When things have settled down, Flo will be back blogging like a pro!

The fear of change is often what stops us from moving on in our lives but you won’t know if things can get better, if you don’t make a change. What would you like to change in your life? Have you made a change for the better? We’d love to hear from you!

This weekend was the celebration of @darktechsupport‘s and my best woman’s 30th birthday. We had a fabulous time at Cafe de Paris London, where we saw the most exciting and hilarious cabaret. Such a glamorous place needed a glamorous outfit – as always, Vivien of Holloway had the answer.

The Luxury Champagne Black Lace Halterneck dress as described by VOH:

This beautiful gown is fashioned from our favourite high-quality acetate satin, overlaid with an even more beautiful black Lace.

The classic Vivien of Holloway cut promises to sculpt your silhouette into that of a wasp-waisted bombshell, with uplifted bust and flattering halterneck.

I bought this dress years ago and I’ve worn it a few times – it never fails to get a compliment or two! It’s super comfortable to wear too!

For a long day out in London, I teamed it up with black tights, patent brogues, a black bolero and a cropped leather jacket.

I wet-set my hair the evening before and did my usual brush-out. During the day, I did my usual base with thick eyeliner flicks, then I added Kat Von D’s ‘Damned’ liquid lipstick for the evening.

What’s your go-to outfit for instant glamour? I love being inspired by other people’s style!

I’d heard of Lady V a couple of years ago but I’d never really considered buying anything. This all changed last Christmas when Lady V put on a great sale. One dress really stood out for me and that was the dress I bought: the Isabella dress in blue clock print.

I fell for this print because it gave me real Doctor Who vibes, as well as an Alice in Wonderland feel. The style reminded me of the Heidi dress by Pin-Up Girl Clothing so I knew it would look flattering on me.

The Isabella as described by Lady V:

• Cute Sweetheart Neckline with detachable bow
• 1950s style flared skirt
• Fastens with a zip at the back

One of the features that I really like about this dress is the back zip. When I’ve spent ages on my hair and have a tricky dress to put on, it can completely ruin my ‘do. It’s not an issue when I’m wearing the same  outfit all day but if I have a shoot or something else to do in the day, a back zip fastening is really helpful.

For the soft fairyland look, I paired this dress simply with a frothy white petticoat and white flats.

This style is really easy to wear and I’m sure I’ll be adding a few more Isabellas to my wardrobe in the future. Have you tried any other dress styles from Lady V? What would you recommend?

Flo loved this set so much – take a look at her latest post here.

Back in June Papow and I were lucky enough to shoot in an enchanted woodland set. As you are probably thinking this is a little different to the normal pin-up sets that we have visited in the past. However, it was time to embrace something a little different.

Now, obviously being Florence Flounce I had to bring in some kind of vintage/pin-up charm to the shoot so I opted for the Glamour Bunny Cindy-Gingham Rockabilly Dress.

What Glamour Bunny say:

•  “In a soft stretch cotton, this lovely little wiggle dress in a 50’s dress style”.
• “A great pin-up dress for that retro look”.
•  “Style: Pencil Dress, Wiggle Dress, Retro Dress, Pin-up Dress, Rockabilly Dress, Vintage Style, Retro Style, Pinup Clothing, Retro Clothing, Rockabilly Clothing”.

To complete the look I accessorized with my red hair scarf from eBay, red plastic bangles and hoops from George at Asda, the red 2 inch elasticated waist belt from Vivien of Holloway and my red suede court shoes from New Look.

I followed my normal pin-up makeup routine for this shoot (see my recent post “Face-to-Face: Pin-up Makeup for Different Skin Types and Tones – Florence Flounce“). I did, however add a set of Eylure Volume No 107 fake eye lashes  for extra impact on the day.

As for my hair, I did a heat pin-curl set the night before the shoot. Then in the morning I brushed this out and styled my hair into a single victory roll at the front of my head. I then pulled the rest of my hair up to the top of my head and pinned the curls into place. Finally I tied my hair scarf around my head.

As always a huge thank you goes out to Darktechsupport for his photography and editing. I had such a great day and the images are simply stunning, I hope you al like them. Please stay tuned for Papow’s installment on this shoot, where she will take you through her own outfit, hair, makeup and shots from the day.