Polka Dots & Lipstick with JBR Clothing

Happy Monday!  Personally, I think there's nothing quite like a strong red lip and a flouncy dress (especially a polka dotted one) to start the week on a good note.  One of my favorite retro retailers, JBR Clothing, was kind enough to send me this darling dress to review for my blog, and I was actually excited to get some colder weather so that I could wear it!  I chose this particular dress because 1) one can never have too many polka dotted pieces and 2) I don't currently own many long-sleeved dresses, and since it'll be freezing cold here for the next few months, I leapt at the chance to add one to my wardrobe.

I wasn't too familiar with H&R London, who makes this dress, prior to this review.  They're a wholesale company, so their items aren't available to purchase directly through their own website, but JBR carries a ton of their pieces.  To be perfectly honest, one of my favorite aspects about this brand is that it's quite inexpensive; this particular dress retails at around $50, and though it's easy to assume that would indicate an item of lesser quality, I am pleased to say that is not at all the case.  Retro reproduction pieces can really break the bank, and as someone who is trying to be more careful about her spending, I really appreciate companies that are providing viable options for gals who want to obtain a vintage-inspired look on a budget.

This dress is made of stretch cotton, so it's not the warmest of garments, but I found it to be very well-made and figure-flattering.  I sized up to accommodate my bust (which can often be a problem for dresses with button-down fronts), and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was absolutely no gaping!  And even the buttons on this dress are charming -- they're striped!  Because I went up a size, the shoulder portion of the dress is a tiny bit too big, but that's far less of an issue than gaping buttons.  This dress comes with a built-in crinoline along the hem, which wasn't evident from the photos provided, but it was actually nice to have the option of not wearing an additional petticoat.  Although the dress comes with a matching fabric belt, I opted to swap that out for one already in my closet for a more defined waistline.

One of the things that I love about JBR Clothing is that they're essentially a 1-stop shop for retro brands.  They carry tons of other brands that I love, including Hell Bunny, Stop Staring!, Voodoo Vixen, Tatyana, Folter, Steady Clothing, Heart of Haute and B.A.I.T. Footwear.  They also have lots of options for both straight and plus sizes, and have reliable size charts for each brand they carry.  I find that, more than any other style, retro-inspired brands seem to be the most dedicated to making women of all sizes feel beautiful and special -- which is one of the many reasons I love incorporating these pieces into my wardrobe.  JBR has seriously won over my heart with both their awesome dresses and the impeccable customer service I've received; not only do their orders ship within 1 business day, but they also offer free domestic returns.

But the best thing about JBR Clothing?  They're offering my readers a 15% discount now through December 15th!  Just use the code Soubrette15 at check-out!  It's the perfect time to snag some gifts for vintage-loving friends, or a holiday dress for yourself!  Here are just a few that I'm currently coveting:

a   //   b   //   c

Outfit Details

H&R London Corinne Dress: c/o JBR Clothing

The Best of Times Heel in Black: ModCloth

Lipstick brooch: c/o Modern Girl Blitz

Belt: from another dress

Thanks so much to JBR Clothing!  And be sure to let me know in the comments if you use the 15% off code -- part of staying on track with my spending is living vicariously through others!  ;)  

Have a marvelous Monday!

xox Sammi

Modern day mermaid

I had sort of accepted that I was unlucky when it came to giveaways, so I was ridiculously excited when I ended up winning a giveaway from I Love Crafty a few months ago.  I love all of Laura's creations (her donut line is to die for!), but I've always been very partial to her mermaid line -- and I ended up winning a wonderful set of sea-siren-inspired pieces!  I decided to remix my Nishe seashell dress (see another way I wore it here) for the cooler weather and utilize my ASOS seashell purses and Pinup Girl Clothing jelly wedges (because if mermaids had feet, they'd probably wear jelly shoes, amirite?).  

I also happened to luck out with the weather when I took these photos.  It's been cold this week (though not much snow in sight!), but it was nice to not have to wear heavy tights with this dress -- or make my way through the snow!  I dislike most of my shoe options for winter, as most of my practical boots don't look right with dresses.  I haven't had to worry too much about that as of yet, but we have 3+ more months of wintery weather to look forward to here.  I'm happy with having snow from the week before Christmas through New Year's Day... but in upstate New York, winter can last 'til April!  I guess I'll have to enjoy the lack of snow while I still can.

Outfit Details

Seashell We Dance? Dress: ModCloth (similar)

Mermaid necklace & ring: c/o I Love Crafty

Cardigan: Storevny (available here)

Jelly wedges: Pinup Girl Clothing

Shell purse: ASOS (similar)

Have a great Saturday!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #73

 Happy Friday!  The weeks are flying by lately.  I'm definitely getting into the holiday spirit (in fact, my mom and I are planning on getting our Christmas tree today -- our first real one in years!).  Here are some of the pieces that caught my eye this week:

Firstly, a new batch of novelty purses!

 a   //   b   //   c   //   d   //   e   //   f   //   g   //   h   //   i

 I love these sweet holiday sweatshirts!

 

a   //   b

 This Christmas pudding fascinator is darling!

 

And these Irregular Choice Santa shoes are so fun!

You could look like a walking Christmas tree this season with these little light earrings!

I really love this new version of Sourpuss Clothing's Christmas kitties dress:

I'm not often a t-shirt kind of gal, but I'm really into both of these:

1   //   2

DOGE-GLOBE!!!

I would feel quite foxy in this dress!  :)  Though I often go for bold prints, I love the subtlety of this particular one.  I've also been seeing lots of foxes around here lately, so it's timely!

I really need some more sweaters, since layering them over dresses has become a fun challenge for me.  I'm loving these ones in particular:

 1   //   2   //   3

This sweater is pretty rad, too:

I'm swooning over this sweet pink coat!

And speaking of pink... this Ducky tote is so great!

I'm a sucker for coats with little attached capelets, like this one:

I'm definitely getting into the holiday party spirit!  I have my Christmas Eve and Day dresses already set, so I'm sort of looking ahead to New Year's... but these unique LBDs would be great for any festive celebration!

a   //   b   //   c

I also love this dress for a more casual NYE option (it would be a great Chanukah dress, too):

I had never personally thought about decorating with a tapestry before, but this one is pretty enough for me to consider it:

And finally, this Up hair bow is wonderful!

That's all for this post!  I hope you have a fantastic Friday!

xox Sammi

Please note: This post contains affiliate links.  If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, I may receive a small commission, which helps to run my blog.  I link only to items I absolutely love, from companies I wholeheartedly support.  Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!

Crimson and clover

I'd been looking for a winter-y dress in a deep red color for a while.  My first choice was (and still is) something in velvet, but I saw this dress on the LuLu*s website and decided to order it.  I didn't realize at the time that it's actually made by Kling, a brand I really like.  The dress definitely runs large, and I really liked it at first, but in looking through the pictures, I realized that it's not really the most flattering for my body type.  It looks fine in the photos I ended up choosing, but despite the fact that it's such a pretty color and is very warm, I think I might end up listing it in my Shop My Closet store.  It'll look great on someone with less of a curvy figure than I have.  Live and learn, I guess!

Outfit Details

Dress: LuLu*s (available here)

Boots: ModCloth (similar)

Belt: from another dress

Hat: Target (similar)

Tights: similar

I don't have much else to say today, so have a happy Wednesday!

xox Sammi

Blogger Interview: Serli from Le Soleil Chic

Goodness gracious, it's already December 1st?!  November absolutely flew by, and luckily, I have the perfect post with which to usher in December.  Today's Q&A is with the adorable Serli from Le Soleil Chic.  I instantly took a liking to this sweet SoCal gal with a love of novelty prints and retro-inspired dresses.  Get to know more about Serli below, and be sure to follow her blog!

Name: Serli (pronounced like Sara-Lee)

Age: 24

Where do you blog?  I blog over at Le Soleil Chic, which is French for "The Stylish Sun."  I am weirdly obsessed with anything sun-related (sunflowers, sunshine, sunsets, etc.), so the name was perfectly-fitting!  When I created my blog, I strictly had fashion in mind, but over time I've started to incorporate my daily life and other interested into my posts.

How did you get into blogging?  I decided to start blogging fairly recently -- this past summer -- when I realized I wanted to share my style with more than those I saw in person every day.  Blogging has connected me with a whole community of stylish and inspiring ladies who share my tastes in fashion from all corners of the world.  Yay for the internets!

Where you work or what you study/studied in school:  I graduated from UCLA two years ago with a psychobiology degree and landed a job there soon after as a research assistant in a cancer research lab (where I currently work).  The job can get pretty science-heavy, so having a fashion hobby on the side is a fun and refreshing outlet!

What's your dream job?  To be a professional food taster.  I'm a huge foodie and love going to new restaurants.  Thankfully, Los Angeles has a diverse food scene!  I'd love to travel just so I could try foods from different countries.  At the moment though, I'm trying to get Elite status on Yelp.  Baby steps!

Your favorite musician, singer or band:  Coldplay.  I associate a lot of their songs with happy memories.  Their music is almost hypnotic and listening to them always lifts my mood.  I went to their concert last year and it was amazing.

Your favorite musical:  I have never actually been to a musical!  Le sigh.  I would love to see Wicked, but I miss it every time.

What's your favorite Disney movie?  Frozen (not to be cliche).  I love how it's centered on the love between two sisters!  It's a nice change from the usual prince-and-princess-live-happily-ever-after ending.  And who doesn't like warm hugs?!

What's your favorite guilty pleasure?  Shopping... online shopping.  Yay for the internets, part 2!  Speaking of which, I might or might not have gone a little crazy with all the Black Friday deals...

What's one thing that most people might not know about you?  I have grapheme synesthesia.  My brain perceives numbers and letters as colors.  I sound like a freak when I try to explain it, so usually I don't try to!

Drink of choice:  Berry lemonade from my favorite restaurant, Granville.  Why don't more restaurants put berries in their lemonade?

Favorite food in the world:  Fries, any kind.  Sweet potato.  Garlic.  Truffle.  I love 'em all!  Also, Cheesecake Factory has the best sweet corn tamale cakes.

What's your favorite season and why?  Summer, because I love sunshine and the warmth of the sun on my skin.  I'm spoiled living in Southern California -- it feels like summertime almost year-round here.  If we're lucky, we get rain a few times a year, and it's hilarious how everyone freaks out (myself included).

Fictional character with whom you identify:  My friends say I remind them of Jessica Day from New Girl (which is why I started watching it).  I guess it's because she's quirky, a bit naive, and just the right mix of feminine and feminist.  Also, she has an absolutely wonderful wardrobe!  She totally copied my style.  :)

Favorite TV show: The Office!  I can watch reruns for days.  Michael Scott is the best boss ever.  This makes me reconsider my answer to the "dream job" question.  My dream job would be working for Michael Scott!

Favorite book (from childhood or now): The Da Vinci Code.  I love a good mystery thriller novel.  The movie version doesn't do the book justice.

What's been your favorite post from your blog thus far?  My favorite post is this one.  Last Christmas, my boyfriend got me this polka dot skirt and chose the green top to go with it.  It's kind of funny that my favorite outfit is one I didn't buy myself.  I added the red heels and red necklace and created a look that reminded me of candy!  It's such a happy and vibrant combination.  I also love this outfit because it reminds me of the good time we had at the beautiful Balboa Park that day.

How would you describe your personal style?  I'd say it's vintage-inspired with a feminine, modern twist.  It can change depending on my mood or where I'm headed.  I love novelty prints, kitschy items and colorful outfits.  Oh, and I love details!  Like I'll wear an airplane-print skirt with an airplane necklace and airplane earrings.  [Didn't I tell you she was a girl after my own heart?  -Sammi]

What's the most beloved article of clothing or accessory you own?  I remember as a kid, my mom had this really cool snake ring made out of real gold that she would wear on special occasions.  She was very protective of it, so you can imagine how excited I was when she decided to give it to me!  It's a beautiful piece that holds sentimental value and I wear it all the time.  I truly cherish it.

What's your go-to accessory?  My black and white Sourpuss Floozy bag.  I sort of bought it on a whim, but it's become a staple in my wardrobe.  It's one of the most versatile purses ever, and I'm so glad I bought it!

Your favorite place to shop, favorite clothing brand or favorite designer:  Definitely Bernie Dexter.  Her dresses are of amazing quality and I love the unique prints.  No other dresses fit and flatter me as perfectly as hers do!  I can't wait to own more of her dresses, especially in the Veronique cut.

If you could live during any other time period, what would it be?  I'd love to experience the 1950s, if only for a day.  I can see myself wearing the snazziest retro outfit and sitting at a local diner enjoying a milkshake with one of those red and white swirly straws.  The feminist in me would hardly tolerate the whole women's rights struggle thing, so I don't think I'd like to stay for longer than a day!

Do you have a style icon?  If so, who?  I have so many!  A lot of the bloggers I follow have been huge style inspirations since I started my blogging journey.

Do you have a favorite fashion mantra or piece of style advice?  We don't have to have perfect bodies to look good and feel good.  Fashion is an important part of how we express ourselves, and it doesn't matter what your style is as long as you feel confident in it!  Also, money doesn't buy style.  It's about how you put your outfits together, not necessarily how much you spend on them.  Some of my favorite outfits are comprised of pieces I bought at a bargain.

What are some other blogs that you love?  I have so many!  Before I started blogging myself, I found the blogs of ladies whose styles I loved via the ModCloth Style Gallery.  One of these bloggers was Ashley of Southern (California) Belle.  I actually reached out to her with questions about the blogging process, and she was SO helpful and a huge motivator for me to start blogging (and I got to meet her in person too!).  A few other bloggers I'm inspired by are Kate from Scathingly Brilliant, Alexandra of Into The Woods, and Katie & Amanda of Junebugs and Georgia Peaches.  After starting my own blog, I discovered blogs like Sans Scrubs, Prefer to be Demure and of course, The Soubrette Brunette.  Those are only a few -- it's impossible to list all of them!

If you could wear only one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Something cute, and if I have to wear it forever, it'd have to be comfortable too.  I'm going with the outfit I'm wearing in the first photo of this post, but I'd switch out the heels for comfy flats.

Anything else you'd like to talk about?  As a fairly new blogger, I'm honored that Sammi chose me as her December interview subject.  I love her style, especially all her cute, unique bags!  I had so much fun answering these questions (I learned some things about myself, too)!  Please feel free to drop by my blog and say hello!  I love meeting new people.  <3

Have a great December 1st!

xox Sammi 

I plan on writing an epic poem about this gorgeous pie

I felt like this dress was the perfect piece for Thanksgiving, since the holiday is sort of just one big prelude to pumpkin pie for me.  I've worn this dress a few other times on the blog (see here and here), but it'll always be one of my favorites and I enjoy coming up with different ways to wear it.  I also recently finished watching Twin Peaks, and I love how important pie is on that show (hence the title of this post).  Plus, this outfit finally gave me the chance to wear my new brooch from Dainty Geekery!

I had a nice -- albeit uneventful -- Thanksgiving.  I ate too much, so my Weight Watchers points for the week are basically shot... but you can't win 'em all.  I bought a couple of things yesterday for Black Friday, but some of the Cyber Monday deals are actually better, so I'm waiting for that.  Other than that, I'm working a lot this weekend; the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra always has a weekend of Nutcracker performances with the Rochester City Ballet, so that means a lot of craziness for our box office.  At least I have a new nutcracker print dress to wear!  :)

Outfit Details

You're In Luck Dress in Pie: ModCloth

Cardigan: ModCloth (available here)

Paving Grace Heel: ModCloth

Pie brooch: Dainty Geekery

Pie ring: gift from Kate

Belt: from another dress

Have a great weekend!

xox Sammi