Toujours Elegant

Sartorial Saturday–Suiting Up

It’s taken me close to a full year to write this blog post, and it took me almost that long to wear my Miss Candyfloss Verena-Bo blazer for the first time!

I ordered this blazer after Christmas last year, with a voucher similar to the one I used to purchase the Inga-Regina dress. And then it sat in my closet, because there was a catch…I had to order the blazer in a size up because that’s all they had left, and I just didn’t have an opportunity to have it tailored. But this fall I realized that if I waited to have it tailored to fit, I might never get around to wearing it, so even though it’s too big, I paired it with the Jolene-Plum dress (one of the two pieces I have that I knew the blazer would go with), to create a dress suit.

I kept my accessories simple…a pair of Splendette Duchess Bangles, an Erstwilder brooch, and a hat:

Aren’t the faux fur cuffs (and matching collar and pocket trim) lovely?

Yes, I admit that the Verena-Bo doesn’t fit quite as it should. The arms, in particular, are quite loose (and a bit long). But adding a belt to the look helps add some structure to the body of the jacket, and honestly, in the absence of actual tailoring, I’m pretty happy with how the look came together! Now I just need to style it with the Becky-Bo skirt (which is also a bit too big, but that’s a story for another time)!

Sartorial Saturday–Swing Pants

Over the last year-plus, I’ve ordered a little something of everything from Miss Candyfloss…dresses, jackets, a skirt, a blouse, a sunsuit, and even a beautiful dressing gown. But there was one item of clothing I was reluctant to buy…pants. Real talk time…I’ve had five c-sections, and I find that pants are pretty hard for me to wear, because the fit is never quite right., thanks to multiple abdominal surgeries. But Miss Candyfloss makes beautiful vintage-inspired pants, and I’ve been admiring various styles since I discovered the brand. An after-Christmas coupon was just the push I needed to give them a try, and to my surprise, I actually love the way they fit and look!

The Brindy-Dora swing pants are a lovely neutral tartan print. The color palette immediately brings autumn to mind, but not to the point that I’ll feel weird wearing them any other time of year.

I really like the way they look here with the purple and orange accents of my shirt, belt, Splendette duchess bangles stack, and Erstwilder brooch. The gold velvet gloves are a nice touch, too.

Here’s why I think these pants, in particular, work so well. They’re pleated, but they also have a flat front. I know, that sounds impossible. But the pleats start well below the waistline, which allows you to have the great look and swing of pleated pants without a lot of extra bulk on your stomach, which I greatly appreciate!

I have always been a fan of wide-leg pants (hello…I was a teenager in the 90s!), and these are wide-leg to the extreme!

I know I’m going to need to have them tailored, because even with heels, they’re a bit too long. But until I find a new tailor, I’ll make do!

I already have a few more ideas of how I want to style these pants…I’m so glad I took a chance on adding such a versatile piece to my wardrobe!

Sartorial Saturday–A Touch of Glamour for Christmas

Time for a look at something completely different!

I have always admired ladies in old TV shows and movies who wore beautiful, glamorous dressing gowns. Anyone can wear a robe, but a gorgeous gown made of satin and lace? That was always the dream!

This spring, Miss Candyfloss offered a beautiful dressing gown in a few lovely pastels. Since it was a new and special item, it was extremely limited, both in sizes and quantity, and I wasn’t able to purchase one. But then they surprised me with something that wasn’t in the autumn/winter lookbook, the lovely Chantilly-Violette and Chantilly-Pine, which is the same dressing gown, but in beautiful autumnal shades of purple and green. To be honest, the purple was my first choice…it is my favorite color after all! But it sold out in a flash, and I was happy to get the gown at all. In the end, this green is stunning, and especially nice around the holidays!

This gown isn’t just beautiful, it’s also extraordinarily well made. My parcel had a mishap somewhere between Sweden and my home, and when it was delivered, it was torn open, part of the gown was actually exposed to the elements, and the invoice inside was literally shredded. I was terrified to even look at the gown, because I was sure the lace had to be ruined based on the condition of the package and the paper invoice. But is flawless, which has got to be due to how well it was constructed!

I’m especially looking forward to wearing this over the Christmas season!

I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so glamorous!

I would also wear this outside of the house if I had a fancy enough event to attend. While it’s marketed as a dressing gown, it can also be worn as simply a gown…it isn’t too revealing and certainly doesn’t look like something that can be worn only around the house. I love a piece that’s both versatile and elegant, and makes my vintage glamour dreams come true!

Sartorial Saturday–Toujours Élégant

Time for a look at one more item from the Miss Candyfloss Toujours Élégant autumn/winter 2021 collection…the lovely Minette-Lou tartan swing dress!

I feel like I’ve been waiting for this dress forever. It was one of the very first pieces to catch my eye when I initially scrolled through the lookbook. It’s kind of funny, then, that it’s the last piece on my wishlist to be released, but at least it’s finally here!

Accessorizing was fun…I chose my pillbox hat, black lace gloves, a grey and yellow stack of Splendette duchess bangles, and my Erstwilder brooch that has become a wardrobe staple:

This dress is so lovely and easy to wear. It has tons of twirl, and I love that it looks like a jacket and skirt. The plaid accents on the collar, cuffs, and buttons are lovely additional details, too!

I have to admit, there’s almost a sense of letdown now that I have all the items I was dreaming of from the autumn/winter collection…it’s seems like a long time before I’ll get a glance at the spring/summer 2022 lookbook!

Sartorial Saturday–Tartan Shirtwaist

Thanks to Miss Candyfloss, I’ve discovered how much I love a shirtwaist dress, and I’m so excited that I now have the lovely Isolde-Sun tartan print in my wardrobe!

I’ve always loved the combination of grey and yellow, so this dress is perfect! I love that even though it’s a fall dress, it still has short sleeves, which come in handy around here as the temperature bounces up and down and back again.

Of course I added grey and yellow accessories, too, with a stack of Splendette duchess bangles and an Erstwilder brooch:

I especially love the full skirt and the pockets, and the fact that the buttons are covered in the same plaid!

There’s one more dress from the Miss Candyfloss Toujurs Élégant autumn/winter lookbook I’m hoping to order, and I hope it’s available soon!

Sartorial Saturday–Swinging into Fall

Time for a look at the Miss Candyfloss swing dress I almost didn’t order..the lovely Jolene-Plum!

I’m not even sure why this dress wasn’t originally on my radar, because the cut is beautiful, and I love the colors for fall, but I’m glad I decided I should give it a try, because it fits like a dream, has a great twirl, and is perfect paired with a cardigan as the temperatures get cooler!

I paired it with a navy hat, a plum and burgundy stack of Splendette duchess bangles, and the Slothertons, a pair of adorable Erstwilder brooches:

I love this whole look!

And since it’s not really fall quite yet, here’s a look at the dress minus the cardigan:

I’m already working on a plan for another way to style this beautiful dress once it cools off even more!

Sartorial Saturday–Inspired by Downton Abbey

“I am not ‘miss,’ I am Lady Mary Crawley.”

Most of my wardrobe consists of retro fashions, and most of those represent the 1940s-60s (but primarily the 1950s). There’s something about today’s look, featuring the Melania-Abalone blouse and Becky-Bo skirt from Miss Candyfloss, that just screams Downton Abbey and the 1920s to me, though!

I love the bishop sleeves on the blouse, and the skirt is so soft!

I think the paired hat, which I’ve had for years, but looks like it was made to go with the outfit, is a big part of the look. So is the Art Deco brooch from Erstwilder and a long string of pearls. And the details on the blouse, including the sweet bow and lovely buttons, also add to the opulent feeling that reflects that time so well:

This is my first pair of separates from Miss Candyfloss, and to be honest, in a reversal of my usual concern over fit when buying a dress for the first time, I was really worried about how these pieces would work. I followed the size chart, which recommended a size larger than my usual in the skirt, and I’ll be honest…that was unnecessary. The skirt is quite big in the waist, and I’ll need to have it tailored eventually. For now, though, a pin in the back was enough to adjust the fit. The blouse, on the other hand, fits perfectly, and I couldn’t love it more!

I love this color palette and these fabrics for fall, and I’m looking forward to finding different ways to wear these pieces!

Sartorial Saturday–Awaiting Autumn

I am so ready for fall!

Actually, I’ve pretty much been ready for fall ever since our first hot summer day, but now that school has started again, I’m really ready. Fortunately, Miss Candyfloss also appears to be ready for autumn, because not only have they released their new autumn/winter lookbook, Toujours Élégant, they’ve also already made a few of the pieces available! And one of my favorite looks, featuring the Phoebe-Amber tartan swing dress and Elke-Amber short blazer, was available in the very first release!

Don’t you love the fun sleeves on the blazer?!?

I love the color of the jacket (one that’s fairly unique in my wardrobe), and the lovely plaid.

Let’s be honest, though…it’s just not blazer season here yet, which is ok, because the dress is gorgeous on its own…the neckline is especially lovely:

The coordinating belt adds a nice extra pop of color:

I accessorized with a hat that is absolutely perfect with the dress, an Erstwilder brooch, and a fall-themed stack of Splendette duchess bangles:

I love every Miss Candyfloss dress I receive even more than the last, which is really saying something, because every piece I have ordered has been special and made me feel fantastic!