GIVEAWAY // "The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress" from Le Bomb Shop! [CLOSED]

It's been a little while since I hosted a giveaway here on the blog, but I have a special one in store for you today! I've really enjoyed working with Le Bomb Shop in the past, so you can imagine my delight when they told me they had named a new dress after my little blog! The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress is an adorable retro frock that comes in several vibrant colors with a variety of pretty prints. Le Bomb Shop sent me two colors in the polka dotted style to showcase here, and the best part is: one lucky follower will win her choice of The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress!

Outfit Details

The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress in Fuchsia and Mint: c/o Le Bomb Shop

Necklace: Betsey Johnson  ||  Brooch: Kate Gabrielle

Flats: Aerosholes  ||  Heels: similar  ||  Belts: old

Firstly, since this is a completely new style for Le Bomb Shop, I wanted to include a brief review for sizing and quality. I'm wearing both the fuchsia and mint colorways of the polka dotted style (the other colors include black, royal blue, light pink, navy and red), and this same dress also comes in two lovely floral prints (a deep blue with pink roses and a green with yellow roses). All versions are unlined and are a cotton/spandex blend, which makes them ideal for the warmer months. The spandex already provides stretch, but there's also an elasticized waist panel in the back that makes them even stretchier; I'm wearing the size medium here, and there's still quite a bit of room (so much that I could have possibly sized down to a small!). Suffice it to say, this style definitely runs a bit large, but it's nice to not feel restricted and uncomfortable like I do in some of my vintage-inspired garb. The dress comes in sizes S-3X (but could potentially accommodate larger sizes because of said stretch), and I love the fact that it can be styled in so many different ways, as it can easily be dressed up or down. The quality is on par with many of the other dresses Le Bomb Shop carries, which means that they're an affordable, mid-level option that I'll wear quite a bit; I love my fancier, pricier items, but they don't get as much wear as some of my more casual cotton dresses. So are you excited to win one of your own?? Read the giveaway rules and enter below!

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. One (1) winner will be chosen at random through the widget, and will win her choice of "The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress," courtesy of Le Bomb Shop. Entrants must complete all mandatory entries in order to be considered eligible to win; entrants can choose to complete as many of the optional entries as they choose to increase their chances. Entrants must be a follower of The Soubrette Brunette to enter (no unfollowing after the giveaway ends, as this will disqualify you from future giveaways!). This giveaway starts at 12:01 a.m. EST on Monday, August 15th and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, August 21st. The giveaway is open worldwide. The winner will be contacted via e-mail (so be sure to provide a valid e-mail address!) and must respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. The winner will be publicly announced on the blog within one week of the giveaway's end, and only after the winner has sent a confirmation reply. Best of luck!! <3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lucky LBD

I've never liked wearing my hair up. With my round face and lingering insecurities, I tend to cling to my long hair and intertwine it with my femininity and level of attractiveness, even though I know it's all in my head (or rather, on it). But in my constant quest to get out of my comfort zone in the name of personal growth, I decided to try something a little different for these photos and try a polished-yet-lazy-slash-dirty-hair-'do – which I'd never normally show here on my blog out of sheer vanity. I don't usually get the best reactions from people when I wear my hair this way either (which isn't an attempt to fish for compliments, I promise), which made it even more surprising when I discovered, while editing these photos, that I was really happy with how they turned out. It just goes to show that you should always challenge yourself to try something new, even when (or especially when!) it scares you a little bit; a new hairstyle might not be as big of a risk as a career change or a new relationship, but you'll never know until you try – and in the end, it's only temporary.

I think it helps that this Luck Be A Lady dress from Le Bomb Shop has a pretty sexy silhouette, so it'd look great with almost any hairstyle. I'm kind of obsessed with off-the-shoulder pieces as of late (though finding the right bra to wear with them can be a trial), and this dress provides a lot of stretch and actually feels pretty casual, even though it'd be easy to dress it up for a more formal occasion. I wish it were a little more forgiving around the arms, but that's not a detail that bothered me all that much. I feel awesome in this dress (even with my hair up!), and I think it'll be my go-to LBD for summer nights out!

Outfit Details

Luck Be A Lady Dress in Noir: c/o Le Bomb Shop

Bandana: similar  ||  Belt: eBay

Heels: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Can you relate – is there something about your appearance you use as a security blanket? And do you like to push yourself to get beyond it? I'm making it a goal to keep getting outside of my comfort zone this summer!

Have a great start to your week!

Life is a circus

There's no truer statement to sum up my existences as of late than "life is a circus." I feel like it's hard for me not to get a little bit overwhelmed by what I'm doing and what I have to cross off my checklist. I have four performances left of Heathers, the Musical (we got a really nice review in one of the local papers, which you can read here if you're interested), and I've been nursing one of a few injuries sustained during the show on my off days. I dealt with a slight MacBook emergency earlier in the week (which luckily did not result in losing any of my data, thank goodness!), and once the show closes, I need to focus on making some pretty big changes in my life  – namely, finding a new job, getting a car of my own and moving to my own place. It's scary, but exciting... and definitely necessary. I've never been great at juggling several big tasks, but for now, I've got to keep all the balls in the air.

I'm still catching up on editing some newer sets of photos, so I'm finally getting a chance to post these ones I snapped a few months ago. Since I've started wearing separates more, I've tried to amp up my collections of basics, which include adorable t-shirts and plainer skirts. This red skirt from Le Bomb Shop has gotten a ton of wear; I love the stretchy scuba material, and it's an easy grab-and-go piece that retains its shape. It comes in a bunch of other colors, too! I thought this vibrant red went perfectly with this adorable, cozy tee from Miss Ladybug. I've featured a couple of other tops from Miss Ladybug, and the quality is always great – plus, I'm a sucker for anything carnival or circus themed! This outfit was incredibly comfortable, but still allowed me to feel totally put-together (which is an A+ in my book!).

Outfit Details

Life is a Circus tee: c/o Miss Ladybug

Twirl in a Circle Skirt in True Red: c/o Le Bomb Shop

Heels: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Have a great day!

Bowl-a-rama

Because I have this ever-present desire to look like I belong in the cast of any and every 50's movie-musical, I'm totally taken with Campbell/Crafts' adorable retro shirts. I really enjoyed their pastel diner themed collection, and their mint & pink bowling shirts are just as adorable! After putting on this outfit, I immediately got "Score Tonight (Let's Bowl)" from Grease 2 stuck in my head – which is kind of the exact reaction you want, really. If only this shirt would allow me to pirouette down a bowling lane... or at least let me get a good score without using bumpers.

If you're thinking of getting yourself one of these tops, they're made of a lightweight fabric and are pretty comfy to wear. It's prone to wrinkling (I had assumed they'd be a little stiffer), but it makes for a really nice casual piece, which is a welcome addition to my dressy wardrobe. I received the UK 14 in an attempt to accommodate my bust without having gaping in the buttons; I still experienced some, but sizing up again would make the shirt much too big in other areas, so I think I made the right choice. I decided to tie the bottom of the shirt in lieu of tucking it in to the skirt as I had planned, which is also a great option if you wanted to layer it over a dress or wear it with high-waisted pants.

Outfit Details

Ladies Bowling Shirt: c/o Campbell/Crafts

Twirl in a Circle Skirt in Black: c/o Le Bomb Shop

Bowling collar clips (DIY'd into brooches): similar

Flats: Aerosoles via Amazon

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Le Bomb Shop Instagram Giveaway! [CLOSED]

I normally run giveaways through my blog and Rafflecopter, but I'm trying something a little bit different today: I've teamed up with retro retailer Le Bomb Shop on an awesome Instagram-based giveaway! I've listed the rules of the giveaway here on the blog and on my Instagram account, but you'll have to hop over to Instagram to repost the image + follow the instructions to enter. (If you aren't an Instagram user, I promise I'll have another giveaway you can enter very soon!) Read on to find out more...

If you aren't already familiar with Le Bomb Shop, they carry all sorts of vintage-inspired pieces and pin up style staples (often for a better price than other retailers). They have tons of popular dresses, swing skirts (like the one I'm wearing here) and the cropped cardigans we all love, and they're often offered in multiple colorways and style variations. I like to have a good mix of affordable staples and higher-end pieces in my wardrobe, and Le Bomb Shop is always one of the first places I look for inexpensive items to supplement what I already have in my closet – especially if I'm looking for separates or layering pieces in a specific shade. There's so much variety to choose from, and one lucky person will win a $50 gift card to spend at Le Bomb Shop!

Outfit Details

Sail Away With Me Striped Top in Jailbird: c/o Le Bomb Shop

Twirl in a Circle Skirt in True Red: c/o Le Bomb Shop

Belt: from another dress  ||  Hat: eBay

Flats: Jessica Simpson via Amazon

INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY RULES:

One (1) person/user will win a $50 (USD) gift card from Le Bomb Shop! You must repost the image below on Instagram, follow @thesoubrettebrunette and @lebombshop, and write #soubretteLBSgiveaway in your caption in order to be eligible. Your Instagram account must be public (private entries will not be shown), and you can enter once every 24 hours until Friday, April 15th at 11:59 PM (EST). Winner will be chosen at random and contacted via Instagram direct message and notified (via tagging) in a winner announcement post. 

Good luck & have a great day!