about your wellies: wet-weather wonders at Joules

I quite like the rain, which is handy since I live in the UK and I'm not agoraphobic (though I am so lazy that sometimes I wish I didn't have to leave the house).  I already have a lovely umbrella and a quite frankly excessive selection of hats, gloves and scarves, but my footwear choices in poor weather generally leave me feeling full of regret and very damp in the paws.  Hunters have seemingly become the go-to welly for ladies of a stylish disposition (having previously been the go-to welly for ladies of a horse-loving disposition) but I would like to present a better - and cheaper - alternative to you in the form of Joules.

Traditionally outfitters to the countryside crowd, Joules have more recently branched out into the world of fashion with an emphasis on the pretty, and their wellies are no exception.  Available in both full length and 'Wellibob' size, Joules' range of rainy-day/muddy field footwear offer a perfect solution to those who want to keep their feet both dry and pretty but are not rich enough to commission a pair of rubbery Jimmy Choos (or purchase said shoe magnate's collaboration with Hunter for a mere £255).  My favourite design by far is the aptly-named bow-detailed Poshwelly, which is available in three colours: Port...

...Dark Olive...

...and Marine Navy (which I prefer)...

The Poshwelly, being a bit posh, will set you back £59 but FRET NOT if you can't shell out that much; there are cheaper (but still very pretty) options available to you in the form of the Wellyprint (£35).  You can choose from five prints, but I'd struggle to decide between the light grey (because it's got a bird on it, obviously) and the polka-dotted taupe:

Best of all, there are new designs every season, so you can buy lots of different styles to fit in with your wardrobe!  There's no law which states you can only own one pair of wellies.  I've checked.

Nomday! about your shop: MaMagasin on Etsy

Unfortunately, a little bit of squabbling occurred in the About Your Dress blog offices this morning. It happened during our Very Important Weekly Meeting - What Amazing Subjects We'll Blog About, which starts at 9.30am every Monday, over delightful miniature pastries, cupcakes and cocktails and Really Good Coffee [or tea! - Ria], sitting opposite each other in shoes that you'd probably kill someone for over a really long mahogany desk surrounded by fabulous trinkets, exotic plants and absurd pets we have sourced from around the world, including an African Grey Parrot named Arnold that can speak four languages, my daschund named Fritz and Ria's Pug, Geoffrey-Chaucer.

Basically, we were at first just indulging in some friendly banter over who should write about today's featured supplier, who happens to cater in a unique way to the stylistic tastes of both Ria and I, until it all got a bit heated, some names were called, some hair pulling happened, a cocktail got thrown at an original artwork and somebody might have ended up in hospital with a flamingo umbrella inserted somewhere where the sun doesn't shine. Sure, it got dirty, but I feel I won the fight.* 

So here I am, telling you about fellow Twitterer @Magasinxstitch, who happens to be supremely talented and creates wonderful products featuring both cross stitch and moustaches which she sells on her Etsy site, MaMagasin. We'll begin with these brilliant hand-stitched cuff-links, which cost just £16. Cuff-links needn't be the reserve of gentlemen; I love wearing a crisp, tailored white shirt and if I paired it with these cuff-links, some smart tan brogues and a pair of safari trousers, I could easily walk about looking awesome and pretending I was some sort of colonial legend.

Equally, these wee earrings (did I mention that at your request, she'll stitch you a moustache in any colour, including ginger, she's not prejudiced) would look awesome and for the price of £12, you can't really imagine

complaining.

You can also get moustache themed bobby pins (£8), buttons (£8) and this pretty sweet platinum plated ring too for £14.

But you know what else? The girl's got range! Also extremely noteworthy are her range of accessories featuring pigeons (earrings, £14) and blue tits (ring, £18):

And look at these nautical cuff-links with an anchor motif (£16)! You all know how I feel about anything nautical. There are some sweet little sail boats too. Just head over and have a nosey, I've linked the hell out of this store already. Oh alright fine, sail boat earrings, sail boat bobby pins, and anchor ring.

*This elaborate opener is in fact a total lie in a blatant attempt to try and excite you into starting an internet rumour. Ria and I are the best of chums and we don't even have a flamingo umbrella.  KTHXBYE

about your (fancy) dress: Kigus!

If you don't know what a Kigu is, that's FINE.  I didn't until I met my dinosaur Kigu-owning boyfriend last year, and I am young, hip and cool spend a lot of time on the internet. In the words of the legends at www.kigu.co.uk:

The word ‘Kigu’ is short for ‘kigurumi’, which literally translates as ‘costumed animal character’ in Japanese. Kigurumi are already hugely popular in Japan, where they are worn as both streetwear and pyjamas, but they’ve never been sold outside Asia before. Kigu is proud to be the first and only company to bring these amazing animal suits to Europe.

Enough chit-chat; you need PICTURES.  As previously mentioned, you can be a dinosaur...

...or a wolf...

...or a kangaroo (complete with joey!)...

...or a tabby cat...

...or a penguin!  This is the one I shall be spending my hard-earned money on:

There are plenty of other animals available for the low low price of £39.99 and they add new styles all the time (the wolf and tabby cat, for example, are both new this month).  Hurry up and grab your own before the nice Kigu people realise they're not charging anywhere near enough for letting sensible grown up types embrace their inner beast.

about your papercut: Lyrics from Paper Panda Paper Cuts on Folksy

There is a lovely little shop I've found on Folksy which should tickle the fancy of all you music-loving papercut fans out there; to let you in on a secret, I found it a couple of weeks ago but I didn't think I could write about the beautiful works of art available at Paper Panda without serious consideration*.  This shop is particularly special because lady behind the panda facade will take your favourite lyric (or that of your loved one, if you're feeling generous) and make a paper cut out of it, just for you (or said loved one)!  Here's an example:

Your own personalised and framed lyric'd paper cut will cost £69.99, which isn't horrendous value for such a lovely and unique piece.  If you're stumped for inspiration, you could always buy one of the ready-made paper cuts available for £59.99.  For the beautiful tree alone (I'm not a massive Ian Brown fan), I'd recommend getting the F.E.A.R. (see what I did there?):

*After hours days of thinking, I have decided that I would go for the line 'Let it go, this too shall pass' from This Too Shall Pass by OK GO.  DON'T JUDGE ME; they make really good videos.

What lyrics would you choose?

about your dress: Galloping Horses dress at Whistles

I'm going to break the bad news now before we get any further; I'm sorry, but it's for your own good and I don't want you to be disappointed.  The dress featured in this post is - wait, are you sitting down?  Sit down, and maybe put the kettle on.  The dress featured in this post is £150.

I know that's a lot more than the clothes on About Your Dress usually cost, and it's entirely my own fault for venturing onto the Whistles website knowing I'd see something both lovely and completely out of my price range, but I think this Galloping Horses dress is worth it.  Here's a nice big picture so you can truly appreciate the pony print:

As you may know, I am a fan of stuff with stuff on it, and this is especially the case when the first 'stuff' is a pretty dress, and the second 'stuff' has eyes*.  This equine number ticks both boxes, and it is for this reason I'd happily shell out the required 150 big ones if I was a little bit more fiscally well-endowed.  Anyone fancy buying a kidney?  Semi-working order, one lady owner - yours for just £250 (because I'll need some new shoes as well).

*Not too many eyes though, that's just a bit freaky.

about your coat: Elaine Textured Bow Mac at A|Wear

I normally dread the time of year when it's too warm for winter coats but not quite warm enough for light summer jackets (some may refer to this as 'Spring') purely because I never know what to do for outerwear.  This is especially true on days like today, when it was quite nice until about 2pm when torrents of water (some may refer to this as 'rain') fell from the sky with not a care for my feelings.  I think this Elaine textured bow mac may be the stylish solution to my problems:

It's covered in pretty detailing, like the bow-style pockets and back, and I love the cute double collar (sometimes one collar simply isn't enough).  Available for £45 at A|Wear, I think Elaine and I could become good friends.  Bring it on, perculiar and unpredictable British weather!

about your dress: Louche Cross Stitch Flower dress at Joy

To continue the theme of cross stitch started by Nom's confession last week, I present to you this pretty cross stitch flower dress by Louche at Joy.

I've been coveting this dress for a while now, but it didn't really seem season-suitable when I popped into Joy for shelter from the frozen wastes of Islington.  HOWEVER, it's nearly February, and as February's the last month of Winter, that means it's nearly Spring, and Spring would be a very suitable season for wearing this dress indeed.  And those kind people at Joy have reduced it to £22.50 (that's half price), thus making it a bargain too!

It's still available in medium and large (sorry, small people), but I'd advise you to hurry; as soon as more cross stitchers start to come out of their aida-filled closets - thus marking the rise of the cross stitching trend - this pretty number will be gone faster than you can say "Please can you pass me my embroidery scissors?  No not those ones, the ones with the red handle.  No, NEXT to those.  Oh fine, I'll get them myself".

Nomday! about your stationery: notecards, pencils, rubbers and a protozoa wallchart

Having nice stationery reminds you of that first week of term, where life is full of possibilities, like the possibility that this school year, you won't get hit in the face by a netball during water polo because you're not allowed to wear your glasses in the swimming pool and you're essentially dyspraxic, or that Corin Pratt won't kick you in the shins with his steel toecap Doc Martins because Rosie Repton told him that you fancy him.  Love really does hurt.  Anyway, having nice stationery makes you feel both organised and a little bit cleverer than you used to feel with your scratty jotter and your Tippex embellished pencil case.

This is why I take a simple pleasure in having nice stationery items. My old boss knew this about me only too well, which is why when she spotted this Nautical Fancier's Stationery Set on Pedlars, she thought of me 'instantly'.  Delightfully, it's in the sale right now at £13.50. Presented in a lovely box (just the way I freaking like it baby), is a collection of 30 sheets of paper, 8 notelets, 20 envelopes and a notebook, brought to you by the Society Of Revisionist Typographers (SORT), all adorned with yet another one of my passions, nautical stampery. The anchor motif on the envelopes is probably my favourite.

Equally, when @presentcorrect started following me on Twitter this week, upon reviewing their website I began to let out high-pitched squeals of delight, which probably disturbed my housemates somewhat during their endless games of Fifa and CoD Black Ops. The Present and Correct website is full of clean and minimalist, beauteous things, created by the P&C team or sourced elsewhere, all of which I covet and desire, like the know it all pencil set, where each pencil has a friendly fact for you to wow your friends with, for the price of £11.50.

I also particularly like their rubber collection boxes, wittily titled the P&Correctional Facility, for £9 of your English pounds. See, six new and vintage rubbers come in this spiffy cardboard box for you to cherish and
pretend like you never make a mistake:

Finally, moving slightly away from stationery, but still on the topic of AWESOME, would you look at this German Protozoa Chart, which has come from an actual German classroom, for £70. I would have that on display in my library or playroom, which doesn't exist yet anywhere other than in the world of Naomi's Forms,
but let me tell you, when it does and I invite you over for wine, cheese and biscuits to show off my fancy pad, you're going to be so freaking jealous, you might just explode.

***

We are EXTREMELY pleased to announce Nom has agreed to become a regular poster on About Your Dress, so you can now look forward to her top tips and wonderful wit every Monday (because if you swap the first and third letters of said day she basically owns it).  Don't forget, you can follow her on Twitter (and you can also follow About Your Dress too) - be a doll and say hi!

about your necklace: Miniature Harmonica necklace at Love Hearts and Crosses

As someone who is constantly looking for new and exciting ways to annoy their boyfriend, I was particularly pleased to find this miniature harmonica necklace at the ever-wonderful Love Hearts and Crosses. 

Featuring a fully functional harmonica (which plays in the key of C, dontcha know), this piece of novelty jewellery could be my starting block for a glittering career in bluegrass music, and at a mere £6 per harm-lace* I could be persuaded to buy it in silver and gold as well:

I will personally thank all About Your Dress followers in the sleevenotes of my first album, which will probably feature the reinterpretation of classic 80s TV show themes through the medium of harmonica.

*I considered going with 'neck-lica', but that sounds weird when you say it out loud.  Try it.

about your shop: Accordion Apparel on Etsy

Being the fan of bears, beards and wordplay that I am, it stands to reason that I should love this 'I like your Bear'd' card by Sean Morris. 

It's been made available for purchase (for a mere £2.57) by a lovely lady called Sarah, who runs an equally lovely shop called Accordion Apparel.  You can find it here on Etsy, or here on Big Cartel, and the shop is full of pretty (yet fun) cards, pocket mirrors, badges and other things which you can put on or about your person.  I am a particular fan of this owl mirror (£3.21), which features a design by Brian Tighe AND is both a handy looking glass and good deed all in one, since all proceeds from the sale of this item go to the very worthy Leukaemia CARE:

You can tell the world about Accordion Apparel through the "accepted means" (your mouth-hole) OR you could do it the fun way - by shelling out £7.71 for this awesome tote bag!

Things always sound so much better when they come from a giraffe anyway.

about your gadgetry: Nano watches at Firebox

I held back a bit before writing this post because the product it features is not the About Your Dress norm, but then I had a quiet word with myself and decided to proceed!  For although this Griffin Slap Nano Wristband is pretty ridiculous, it's also pretty AWESOME. 

Online retailers Firebox put the reason behind their charm pretty well in their product description:

"Remember those slap-on bracelets that were all the rage a few years ago? Course you do ‘cos they were as entertaining as they were useless."

I personally don't have an iPod Nano, but if you do I insist you purchase one of these.  Simply fit your Nano snugly into the wristband, set it to the watch display (or whack on a bit of whatever tickles your musical delight), then - and this is the fun part - SLAP IT ON YOUR WRIST.  It's nineties meets... wait, what on Earth is the nickname for this decade?  Teens?  I'll go with that.  It's nineties meets teens, it's one of the best things I've ever seen done with silicone, and it's only £14.99.

If you're feeling a little more conservative, Firebox also offer this NanoWatch Strap for £16.99:

I just don't think it's as much fun without the novelty element, but that's coming from someone who used to think Inspector Gadget would make an ideal husband.  What?  You'd never be without a corkscrew!  That's a serious PRO in my book.

about your dress: Polka-Dot dress from Zara

I am currently a little bit all over this delightfully pretty polka-dot dress from Zara (you might find us gazing longingly into each other's eyes whilst picnic-ing):

I think it could be 'The One', especially since it's half price in the sale at £19.99.  They currently have all sizes left except large, but you'd better hurry (what with it being an absolute STEAL and all). 

If you need me, I'll be in the corner whispering sweet nothings into this dress's sleeve.

about your shoes: Heather shoes at Kate Kanzier

I went to Kate Kanzier's Leather Lane store a few months ago with the sole purpose of buying a pair of Heather shoes, but alas!  I was foiled by their absence.  I settled for a pair of the very lovely Izzies, but it wasn't the same.  I cried myself to sleep for weeks was a bit miffed, and this was only exacerbated when I noticed someone I pass regularly on the way to work has a pair of Heathers.  I bet she does it on purpose, the little tyke.  Anyway, I decided to check out what delights Kate Kanzier had in for the new season and what should I see on page 2 of the brogues section?  Only my dear Heathers themselves, in three glorious colours!  There's camel...

...brown...

...and black!

They're all £35, and I'll definitely be purchasing a pair come payday - which means I have less than two weeks to decide on the colour.  I may need more time...

about your cross stitch: guest poster Nom confesses

Okay, there’s no easy way to confess this… I love cross stitch. Yes, yes, I know, this makes me sound like a 50 year old lady, and this is probably-one-of-those-reasons-I’m-single, but the fact is, I love nothing more than making pretty pictures out of threads. And what I really like best is when I look at the back of my stitching, and it’s as neat and tidy as the front. This is somewhat miraculous and paradoxical, because I am not a neat and tidy person. But meh, I’m something of a contradiction in terms, and in the words of Britney, ‘That’s my prerogative.’

So, for ages it was super tricky to get cross stitch kits that weren’t uber-lame patterns of trains, landscapes or flowers.  In fact pretty much the coolest thing you could get were patterns for Forever Friends bears or Winnie the Pooh *gag* and who-the-hell needs or wants a Winnie the Pooh bookmark anyway? So imagine my (carefully kept secret) delight when cross stitching became retro and fun and not-something-to-be-ashamed-of anymore.

PopSoupSupplies on Etsy has some really fun patterns available, which you purchase for around a fiver – but you have to source the aida and threads yourself.  I particularly like this Pee Wee Herman cushion and the Warhol inspired 3 Monroes (both kits £4.53):

Another awesome supplier on Etsy is Bella Stitchery, retailer of super-cool retro Pin Up patterns like these (£4.56 each), which I'd painstakingly turn into cushions to adorn my home with:

If you want all materials included, you can get some awesome kits, like these beautiful Emily Peacock HUG and KISS cushion kits I spied on Hunkydory Home, also recently featured on my beloved Kirstie’s Homemade Homes:

For £54.99 you can have the small size, which is just right for a bed or sofa and the large costs £74.99, which is apparently big enough for two. Now, this might seem pricey, but I have considered it and there are many reasons to justify this purchase. You’d probably pay £60 for a nice looking cushion from a shop anyway, plus you’ll have the satisfaction of having made it yourself, plus £80 equates to one, maybe two nights in the pub, whereas the kit will keep you busy for many a night, so you’ll be richer AND thinner, as you won’t be drinking loads of lovely booze.  Plus, it’s awesome.  Okay?  Great I’m glad we’re agreed on that.

***

This was another guest post by the lovely Nom!  I know, I know - we totally spoil you.  Please check out her post about lovely laptops from last week if you haven't already.  If you fancy doing a guest post for About Your Dress, please email Ria at info@about-your-dress.com.

about your suitcase (and jewellery case): more upcycled goodies from Remixed Vintage

Remember a while back I featured a lovely Etsy shop called Remixed Vintage?  No?!  But it was my special edition 100th post!  You're lucky hyperlinks exist then, aren't you?  Hurry along and remind yourself so I don't have to write another intro detailing how much I admire shop owner Judy's wares (so to speak).  Don't forget to come back when you're done, though!

Back?  Good.  LOOK AT THIS:

Isn't she dreamy?  If you've just (re)visited my previous post on Remixed Vintage you'll know that Judy names all of her creations after ladies.  This is Ginny.  She's only £48.48 in English Etsy currency terms, which I think is pretty darn good for a one off piece of luggage this pretty.  And like all the best girls, Ginny's beautiful on the inside too:

You could also make friends with the lovely Vivian:

Obviously when I say 'make friends with' I mean 'keep your jewellery or other knick knacks of your choosing in'.  Obviously.  Anyway, Vivian can be yours for a mere £42.02 (plus just under a tenner for shipping, or less if you buy her and Ginny together - I suggest you do this and give them both to me).

about your dress: Rose print 1950s dress by Wentworth at Love Miss Daisy

If you're a size 8, continue reading.  If not, you might want to look away now so you don't face the kind of disappointment I faced when I found this stunning rose print 1950s dress on wonderful vintage emporium Love Miss Daisy:

I'm basically in love with it, and that must make it pretty special because it's been a while since I've made such a declaration (weeks, at least).  At £85 it could be considered bit on the pricey side, but I think it's such a unique piece it's worth it.  Anyway, when you've worn it to as many picnics and garden parties as is humanly possible, you can FRAME IT, or buy a mannequin and CREATE A SHRINE IN ITS HONOUR.  Or you could be normal and hang it in your wardrobe.  Whatever, your choice.  Just someone, please, buy it.

about this blog: show AYD your love

Just a quick not-post to inform/remind you that the wonderous goody bag of loveliness that is About Your Dress can be found on Facebook and now Twitter too!  Since I spend so much time on Twitter for my own nefarious purposes, I thought it only right that I give this blog its very own profile; that way, you can keep up to date without having to listen to my inane ramblings about what I'm having for my tea*.  Whenever anything is posted on About Your Dress, it'll automatically appear on both Twitter and Facebook (where I gather it will show up in your "home feed" if you "like" the AYD page), so you'll always be the first to know what delights are currently tickling my fancy.

In other news, I'm always interested in hearing from anyone who would like to do a guest post on this here blog, or who would like me to to a guest post for them.  You might have seen my lovely friend Nom's feature on laptop cases this week, and I'd love to do more of these, SO if you think you'd like to get involved (as they say), you can email me at info@about-your-dress.com - same goes for if you fancy sending me anything to review!

*Of course, if my culinary inadequacies do happen to interest you, you're more than welcome to follow @riaface too.

about your dress: Vila Agenda dress at Leila

Occasionally I somehow manage to fall into an ensamble of clothes which make me look "classy", but nine out of ten times this is quite accidental.  However, if I had this Vila Agenda dress I reckon I could make people think I'd done it on purpose:

It's also available in silver, and both colours are available from Leila here, for a mere 35 of your English pounds!

I'm sure if I watched Mad Man (please don't be shocked and stop reading; I'm sure if I ever saw more than one episode I'd immediately fall in love with it, propose whilst drunk and end up having its babies) I'd make some kind of reference to it here.  I don't, so if you could make one up yourself that'd be great...

Done that?  Awesome, you're hilarious.  Since you had to make up part of this post yourself, I promise I'll watch Mad Men next time the opportunity arises, just for you.