the soubrette brunette: Mane Message

I feel like I've unofficially made it my mission to own every novelty print dress Bernie Dexter makes. Her dog print dresses had been on my wish list for a long time, but I wasn't completely sold on this particular style (she has since started making a version of this dress in her Paris style). When Olivia from Mane Message contacted me about reviewing a couple of her pieces, I knew I wanted to style her dachshund brooch with this dress, so I decided to take a chance and order it. I was surprised with how much I liked the top portion of the dress; I was worried about how the shoulders would look on me, but it turns out that I had nothing to worry about! As much as I love Bernie's Paris style, the top portion isn't actually accommodating enough for my bust, so I adore the fact that this dress is a bit more covered up. And it doesn't hurt that it paired perfectly with both of my Mane Message pieces!

Mane Message is a small accessory company that specializes in hair ties, headbands, bobby pins, and (my favorite) vintage French barrettes. Because there are so many lovely pieces to choose from, it was really difficult to pick which ones to review from that collection. You can check out their full selection of vintage barrettes here (and I dare you to not fall in love!). I actually didn't realize that the dachshund was a brooch at first, but it was a wonderful surprise! Both the pin and the clip are made of sturdy metal, and I love the fact that they're true 1960's vintage but aren't overly delicate. I also have to add that working with Olivia has been an absolute joy; she's incredibly communicative and enthusiastic, and it's obvious (even from simply reading the product descriptions on her site) how much she cares about her work and her customers.