the soubrette brunette: Beary Cute

Every once in a while, I'll look back on my older blog photos to see how much my style has evolved. I've changed quite a bit physically, no doubt, and my photo quality has shifted over the years, too. Even though I've embraced that same style ethos – retro-inspired and kitschy femininity – ever since I started blogging, I've chosen to express it in many different ways. Sometimes, it's good to revisit your roots and remind yourself of why you started loving something (in this case, fashion) in the first place.

My outfit today feels a lot like the ones I wore a few years ago on my blog, with its youthful quirkiness. What's weird is that I didn't feel nearly as comfortable in this outfit as I do in other styles I currently wear, even though this is an ensemble that's so indicative of the early days of The Soubrette Brunette. Maybe it's the shorter hemline or maybe it's a reminder of older chapters in my life I'd prefer not to revisit. But after a little while, I started to loosen up and recall how much exuberance I felt with those early posts. I love my style now, and I love my style for what it was then. And I love this little Silly Old Sea Dog dress for allowing me to revisit other times in my life (as weird as that feels to write).

First of all, this bear print is the unbearably cute. I've worn Silly Old Sea Dog on my blog in the past (you can find my Christmas post featuring their Nutcracker print dress here), but it's been almost three years since I styled anything from this adorable, independent brand. All of their pieces are produced in the UK and they have some of the best novelty prints around. Their shipping time is quite quick for being across the pond, and they're also very size-inclusive (they stock U.S. sizes 2-20). While I do wish that their dresses were a bit longer, that really comes down to personal preference; that said, if you do plan to place an order and are on the taller side (I'm 5'7", for reference), the skirt length may be something to keep in mind.

Now is actually the perfect time to try out one of their dresses for yourself – not only do they have an amazing Christmas collection and tons of fun accessories, but they're also offering free worldwide shipping to all my readers with the code SOUBRETTE (valid through December 6th on orders over £30). So if you haven't gotten yourself a holiday dress yet, get on it!