I've been a little distracted...

...because I got engaged!

And with only five months to the wedding I've been enjoying working myself up to a fever pitch looking at dresses online. I won't be giving you the blow-by-blow on SSS, because most of you aren't needing that advice, but you can expect regular (if non-specific) updates. I've decided to have something made, so if any of you know a confident, competent, lovely and reliable dressmaker (as opposed to a couturier, since I already have a pattern) - please let me know! I need to speak to her (or him) and find out how long it will take to make, so that we can count backwards from mid-August and I know how long I've got to try and shrink myself.

I can't show you the pattern - or the dress, but I will detail the search for something flattering; the sleeve-or-not dilemma; the underwear missions; and of course, the search for the perfect shoes.

And in between times, it should be business as usual: keep your shopping dilemmas coming in, and I'll do my best, along with keeping an eye out for the good and bad being made and sold for us to wear.

Not quite the look I'm going for!

Easy access for scooby snacks.

Ok magic Charlotte, I have another assignment for you after you inspired me to find a great dress for my birthday. I am going to the wedding of two very dear friends on the first of May. The bride is an absolute stunner and very stylish, so while of course no one will be trying to upstage her, I suspect that every female guest will be upping their game in terms of wedding outfits. This will really be the first big event I'll have been to since the baby was born and I want to wow, BUT I will also still be breastfeeding said baby, so will need something with at least passable access to norks (and something not too dependent on a decent bra, as nursing bras are all pretty crap support-wise). Any help you can give me much appreciated! You know my shape and colouring, I don't mind spending a bit on something good quality.

So, it was way back in November, on my second ever SSS mission, that I last helped this lovely lady find a frock, and I'm flattered that she's back for more. Of all the concerns in her dilemma, obviously the one that's most important is finding something gorgeous, stylish and flattering - but the other issues - of easy access and chunky bra needs - are utterly non-negotiable, and have to be my starting point. Now I've never had to combine a fab frock with breastfeeding, so my understanding may be theoretical, but I do have boobs and bras to consider.

All the normal methods for providing quick access to boobs, such as halter necks, or strappy tops that can be slipped, loosely, off the shoulder, are going to struggle to conceal a bra. A wrap dress will provide coverage, but it might be hard to access a boob without exposing a great deal more, by undoing the dress completely. My solution is buttons.

My first choice is by Oli. It comes in black, but also this sophisticated red, and costs £44. The tailoring at the waist will help define the boobs - important if the bra doesn't work terribly hard. The skirt looks to be cut on the bias, for extra flattery, and I think the silhouette is a little bit 'wartime glamour' - which could be accentuated by retro accessories or ignored in favour of sharper, contemporary styling. My friend is slim, but this dress is available up to a size 20.

I wouldn't often recommend brown for this kind of occasion, but the pink here is gorgeous and crying out to be accentuated through some lovely accessories. I'd go smart and sharp with shoes etc to really contrast with the slightly shabby-chic stylings of the dress. It's by French Connection (£70). Look out for the darling butterflies in the chintz design, and the buttons which go all the way to the hem - which should make feeding access no problem at all.

Seemingly unavoidable this spring/summer is the shirt dress. On the one hand, almost all of these feature button fronts, but I'm reluctant to recommend them wholeheartedly. There's something quite utilitarian in style about a shirt dress - and it's therefore quite hard to make them look elegant and glamorous. Taller, slimmer women will generally find that easier, and it helps if the frock itself is in a fabulous colour or luxury fabric. The one above is by M&S, and costs £35. It's not terribly special, and being linen, it's going to crumple rather badly through the day, but I've included it principally because it doesn't have pockets on the bust. Unless you have very small boobs, you want to stay away from chest pockets - bizarre, horrible effect. (Incidentally, Next have some wrap dresses at the moment which are almost carbon copies of last season's DVF designs... except for some misconceived reason, they've appended little military style pockets over the boob. I literally could not believe my eyes. Utter insanity).

Of course - if anyone more experienced has suggestions as to incorporating breastfeeding with glam frock, let us know!

Incidentally, remember my slightly-unsuccessful mission for a bright blue wrap dress? Looks like Dotty Perkins were paying attention!

April in Belgium

Charlotte, I have a sartorial enquiry which I am hoping you can assist me with, please? I am going to a wedding in Belgium on 4th April. Now, you know I'm an antipodean and prone to chill, so I'm a bit worried about wearing anything too skimpy. On the other hand I am also quite vain and so not wearing a lovely frock is outta the question.

The wedding is not hugely formal, so I'll probably get away with anything I like really. I'm thinking a frock with a nice wrap to keep me warm. But bearing in mind my arse/hips are a bit out of control at the mo with winter chubbiness, so something which will be kind to my chunky frame. However, I am hoping to go on a health kick before then - if this works, I'll need something that can cope with me being a few kilos lighter if need be, so not uber-tight or strapless, it'll be too cold for that anyways, I assume. I guess I should probably wait until closer to the time in case I trim down but the sales are so good at the moment, I think I should strike fast! I've been loving the 50s frocks lately, but am totally open to suggestions. Whaddya say, lady?? Thx in advance x

Let me first say to my readers that this lady is not 'chunky' by most definitions of the word - but doesn't that just go to show how just about everyone has parts that make them self-conscious. She also has a very particular type of fair colouring that I don't think would suit black near her face - so I'm going to be looking for gorgeous but subtle colours.

My first choice is by Wallis and costs £45. The flared shape is flattering over the bum and thighs, but it's a glamorous, fun length and has a dramatic neckline and some underbust tailoring to accentuate the boobs. The long sleeves make it perfect for spring - you should be able to forgo a warmer layer except when outdoors. If it is chilly, I'd wear it with some opaque tights to match the purple in the pattern, and some long boots. Wearing all that on the bottom should mean you don't feel the cold so much as a whole.

Even more glamorous is this spotty frock by Almost Famous (£29.99 reduced from £122!). Yes it's a little lightweight, but with a substantial shrug I promise you'll be nice and snug. Remember, you won't want to be too hot when you're strutting your stuff on the dancefloor. The profile is the same as the last dress - great for skimming bumpy bits without being shapeless. The colours are fantastic too - so many gorgeous shades to choose from when deciding your accent colour (the colour - or two - for your accessories, shoes, shrug etc). I quite like this pale 'old gold' shade, as regular readers will know (the choos!). It's very flattering to pale complexions, and glam without being OTT.

It's always worth a look on the Oli website for frocks, especially if you're a standard size. These two have very similar shapes, but they create a very different effect. The first is all glamorous sophistication (£65). The beading is gorgeous, and the Grecian neckline is classic and elegant. This kind of bodice works with anything up to average-sized boobs. It will make them look larger, but the beaded band at the empire line provides definition, and stops them looking droopy. The second dress is also probably only good up to a C cup, because it's a halterneck, and really, halterneck bras can be more trouble than they're worth. But never have I wished so hard for smaller boobs, because this dress is beautiful. It's altogether more casual, but then this isn't a particularly formal wedding. It's also a bargain at £35.

For most of these dresses of course, she's going to need something warm and cosy to cover up her arms. I feel really strongly about stoles / wraps / pashminas etc. The desired way of wearing them is covering the upper arm from just below the shoulder to sit in the crook of the elbow. Nice idea, but unless you give them your undivided attention, and don't try to move your arms much, what happens is that they constantly slip down to the elbows, leaving the upper arms chilly and exposed. You can't really dance and hold them in place, which may not matter much if you're wearing it for warmth but is a bit pointless if you're sensitive about your upper arms. Or you end up hooking the top over your shoulders, making the item a de facto shawl. Not a glam look.

Sorry - a bit of a rant.

So what, then? A shrug / bolero or cardigan is the answer, depending on the style of the dress, the formality of the event, and your figure. The names shrug and bolero are used interchangeably for a cropped cardigan or blouse - although a bolero may also be a cropped jacket. If you have a small waist you want to show off, or a dress with empire line tailoring, a bolero/shrug will be most flattering. Cardigans are best if you're wearing seperates, or an untailored / freeform dress. Be warned that a cardigan which finishes at the waist will draw attention to your bum and hips. If you don't want this, choose a longline cardi or a shrug. When fastening any of these items, big boobed girls should be very careful - do not fasten at all, or fasten only beneath the bust. Also, consider the detail of the dress or top you are covering. What shape is the neckline? How high is it? If you have beautiful detail like the Grecian dress above then you really shouldn't interfere with those lines at all - choose a cover up which can comfortably and attractively be left undone.

So, my first suggestion is super-glamorous, and would suit a simple, light dress such as the spotty one above. It's from Topshop (who have some absolutely brilliant coats and jackets at the moment, albeit in predictably limited sizes) - £60. The second is actually a maternity item, but it's a gorgeous colour and design (and it's £25 from Crave maternity - any mums to be). A bolero like this would work well over a very simple, tailored frock with a high neckline, like the Monsoon ones I mentioned here - sharp lines would clash with unstructured knitwear. The third (£36 - Monsoon), though, is the most versatile piece. I've chosen blue to coordinate with the third dress, but our girl may want to choose another colour as an accent (pewter? purple?) to add interest to the outfit. It's essentially just a fine-knit cardi with a shorter length: comfy and warm. If you're slim choose one in mohair or angora. But lightweight knits will enable you to keep the shrug on, even on the dancefloor.

I've been sitting on this mission for a couple of weeks - so apologies.


edit! Good lord, reading this back it had some horrible mistakes and missing links - please let me know about these... oh, the shame....

Vintage Wedding Challenge - The Shoes

Ok - remember Cerian of the Peach Wedding Undies? Oh, come on - it was only a few days ago! Anyway, part two of her quest was the perfect pair of shoes. Let's have a reminder of her dilemma:

...I've got my wedding dress - a gorgeous 1930's art deco gown. Ankle length, halter necked and backless, it's peach silk and cotton with black deco detailing on the bust. ...I'd ... like some shoes that would fit the period and are elegant and pretty but have a not-too-high heel as I will be walking on grass for most of the day!

Well, the good news is that thirties-style heels should be chunky, and for the most part they were what would now be termed mid-height; they will be suitable for walking on grass. I've had a look at some vintage shoes (top), but they don't age terribly well, compared to vintage frocks and the like. Also, choice is limited one size at a time, and shoes were available in a comparatively narrow colour palette except for the very wealthy. The pair on the left are circa 1930, and the other around 1940 - not much changes across the decade, and apart from the heel we're looking at some form of strap, and some deco-influenced structuring over the front of the foot.

Both of the shoes above were wedding shoes - everyday shoes in the 1930s were a deal more substantial, and it is this slightly heavy look, echoing tap shoes, which seems to be in fashion at the moment. Of this type, I did find two contenders, which I feel have enough elegance to suit the occasion.

The colour of these shoes is apparently 'coral', but surely they only call it that to make life harder for shopping bloggers - for anyone can see these are peach. It's a striking combination with the black - and the jet button on the front is a gorgeous period-inspired touch, which must echo the black Deco detailing on the dress. They are heavier than one might imagine a July bride to wear, but they recall the right era, and are smart and slender shoes. I also think Cerian would get a lot of wear from them after the wedding. They're £35 from Faith.

These dolly shoes are more 1920s, to be honest, but they wouldn't look out of place, and the very delicate peach will suit Cerian's palest of pale skin. They're brand new - but I found them on ebay, as they're past season. £32.99.

More along the lines of the vintage wedding shoes at the top are these Velvet Bee stack-heel sandal: £20 from £75. They're not peach, and perhaps the gold is a little glitzy, but shape-wise they're pretty good, and the pale gold is flattering to the skin. However - I've found some shoes that excited me so much, that I've already emailed Cerian, for fear that she'll miss out.

Oh my! look at those suede straps - they have a vintage look and are absolutely right for the era and instead of making a horizontal across the ankle, they encase the heel in long sweeping undulations. Very flattering. They are lightweight and open for a summer wedding, but with a wide enough heel to walk on grass. And they have sequins, godammit. (OK - this might be my thing, but come on - shoes with sequins versus shoes without?). But - and this is killing me here, they only have one pair left. And it's Cerian's size (if I remember rightly). And it's an absolute bargain. Cerian can't get online until tomorrow morning, and I'm so stressed about them being sold that I'm not even going to post the link, or the price - in case you track them down and snaffle them up before her! In fact, even my boyfriend has just been encouraging me to buy them for her 'just in case', which should give you a sense of my agitation. But I can't do it. It would be a bit pushy - and she might not think them as perfect as I do (it'll be those sequins - or the silver heel...), and she might feel obliged. Alternatively, the website might be lying, and they might have two pairs, either of those scenarios and I'll have a pair of shoes which are too big for me. Or I might have remembered her shoe size wrong. Hmm. On balance, I shall wait and see what happens. Que sera, sera - as dear old Dozza Day used to sing.

Vintage wedding challenge

The blushing bride.

Hi Charlotte,

Right, I've got my wedding dress - a gorgeous 1930's art deco gown. Ankle length, halter necked and backless, it's peach silk and cotton with black deco detailing on the bust. The thing is, like a lot of 1930's gowns it's a bit on the see-through side so I need a peach silk half slip to go under it. I'd also like some silk cami knickers in vintage style and some shoes that would fit the period and are elegant and pretty but have a not-too-high heel as I will be walking on grass for most of the day! For all these things I am open to either vintage or new as long as the style is right.
There's no hurry though - I've got until July to find these things! And just for you, you should check out www.vivienofholloway.com for dresses that I know you will love. I have one in red and white spots with a circle skirt and I think I'm going to get another with a pencil skirt.
Cerian xxx

Cerian is a friend of mine from acting school - a stunning blonde who is completely lovely and down-to-earth, as well as incredibly stylish. Silk underwear will really make the outfit feel special - and I'd guess that's pretty important for a bride. But what at first seemed to me a relatively interesting task that would throw up lots of options has proved tricky. Peach isn't so popular at the moment, and then of course most underwear is in poly-satin, rather than silk.

'High end' silk undies tend to come in seasonal collections - drawing on the designer's feelings for colour and style in the contemporary fashion. I saw some lovely french knickers in chocolate silk with pistachio trims, but not the classic elegance Cerian wants. Prices are somewhat eyewatering too - One of my closest finds was this Roseanna Ansaloni peach cami and french knickers set - is £85 - reduced from £120 - and is absolutely at the cheap end of 'designer'. It's only available in a size 12 (not sure what size Cerian is) and anyway she doesn't need the camisole - pretty as it is. Back to the drawing board.

There are, of course some cheaper options - Charlotte and co have these french knickers for a cheap 7.50 but they're rather boyish and a very pinky peach (I'm cheating anyway - they call that colour 'petal'). The option above right is by Lepel (£18), and while the colour is better, they're super-modern.

So if we want somthing older, howabout vintage? Both these pairs are unworn but original garments. The one on the left is from the twenties, and the other the forties, but things haven't changed terribly much in between. By the way, when my grandmother was a teenager they used to call this style of knickers 'easy feelers', which is rather fabulous, I think. The down side of vintage is threefold. Firstly, the biggest dealers in vintage undies are based in America, so shipping will be extra (although... how much can they weigh?) Secondly, these are rare items and priced accordingly. The older pair are $70, the other $45, and the exchange rate isn't what it was. Lastly, vintage clothes are individual items. The choice of size is the size they happen to be. Measure carefully before you buy: dress sizes have changed hugely over the years, and remember these have no elastic.

So if we're considering a transatlantic import, can I find the perfect items stateside? Not really. I like these, I really do - they're probably the loveliest modern french knickers (or 'tap pants' as they're known across the pond) I've seen in my quest, but the fact remains, they aren't peach: they're frappe, and we all know that means coffee.

No, I haven't really solved this one. I like the vintage ones, but getting a matching slip would be hard. Indeed, believe it or not I found only one long peach silk half slip on the entire net. And I'm not going to post a photo, because it's just horrible. They can make it in peach silk but the photo shows encrusting with nasty scratchy cheap lace. Have a link if you must: custom slip £50. I've discounted a couple of knickers for that reason too.

But I will not be beaten, so this is my suugestion: make your own.

My research has taught me that french knickers are pretty simple to sew, and a half slip must be easier than that. I really like the idea of sewing part of your trousseau, in an old fashioned kind of way - but if not, it's the sort of job an accommodating relation or local seamstress would be able to take on with no problem. Choose a beautiful silk - the perfect colour, weight, finish - and sew it to a vintage pattern. There are specialist websites like the one linked to, selling absolutely authentic patterns - but I rather think this more modern pattern is just the thing, combining as it does the slip and knickers in one coherant design. The patterns instruct a flattering and authenticly thirties bias cut, and Cerian can embellish it with some gorgeous old lace if she wants - or leave it plain for the smoothest line under her dress. If the size isn't right, there are some straightforward instructions on scaling patterns up and down on the internet.

I'm still working on the shoes. Watch this space...