Topshop jeans, Thomas Pink shirt, New Look wedges, thrifted cardigan, H&M belt, vintage pearls
I feel like a little girl playing dress up in her mother’s wardrobe today. The formula for this whimsical trip down memory lane?
Take one oversized man’s shirt
Add a string of pearls that swing on down to your knees
Wear open toes with school girl socks
Voila! Instant seven year old chic. One of my favourite pastimes as a child was rootling through too-big clothes and parading about in all manner of outfits… which is actually not that dissimilar to my favourite pastimes as an adult! Between them, my mum and grandma had the most wonderful collection of couture, including a full length rabbit fur coat, a Versace suit in electric blue with gold buttons and killer shoulder pads and countless pairs of towering heels. The Holy Grail, however, was my mum’s wedding dress – a true 80s classic complete with billowing lace sleeves and 55 pearl buttons up the back (my sister and I counted).
I was a precocious child and forced my long-suffering siblings to act as groom (poor brother) and mother of the bride (poor YOUNGER sister!) many a time. We would clump up and down the garden path, often greeted by a shaggy dog acting as vicar. My dad filmed some of these special occasions and watching them back now makes me weep with laughter.
There are a number of pieces in my wardrobe that I know I’ll keep for my children’s dress up games. The LK Bennett dress I wore as a bridesmaid for my mum last year (second time around and no, she didn’t wear the original dress!), the Dune shoes with towering, glittery heels and the outrageous leopard print faux fur jacket I wore all last winter. Clothes like these deserve a second life as too-big costumes for excitable youngsters, not a lifetime of drudgery in a dusty storage box.
Do you have memories of dressing up as a child? Is there anything in your wardrobe you’ll donate to the dressing up box? I’d love to know!
Hi there-I love this outfit, every piece seems to work effortlessly with each other!! I’m not sure if I’ll pass anything on for dressing up, I’ve two sons, so they won’t benefit, LOL!!
Oh I love this looks, beautiful spring colours but with a little bit of edge. LOL at not wearing the dress second time around, I’m still wondering what on earth to do with mine…
You really can pull of any style Jen!
My sister and i always dressed up in my mothers clothes, we had a huge dressing up box and used to wear everything (including my mums suspenders on our heads, I shudder to think now but we didn’t know what they were!)
I still prefer wearing over sized clothes, plaits in my hair and knee high socks but since i’m so small and young looking I sort of pull it off and it’s become part of my style. I guess I just never wanna grow up!
Love, Amy Marie.
I’m loving the socks and wedges! I’ve always wanted to do socks and heels. With winter coming up I just might. I remember bein younger playing dress ups at the local library and the local paper was there and I got my photo taken…I made the front page. I think 80’s prom dressed are awesome for dress ups.
you look adorable, love the outfit!
On a completely unrelated and hopefully not stereotypical question, do you watch Dr Who? I finally got around to watching the end of Season 5, which I had been avoiding, and I am completely heartbroken.
Love the look Jen 🙂
I don’t remember dressing up that much, although I did get briefly obsessed with a pair of tap shoes that belonged to Mum when I was about 5. Then I fell down the stairs in them (they were like clown shoes on me) and our brief affair was well and truly over.
Oh Jen, I think my childhood was one BIG dress-up. We used to have big trunks with old clothes which were constantly raided. My poor brother was often dressed up as a girl by his 3 sisters (he’s very macho now… no wonder). But I don’t think your outfit looks like a little girl, I think the muted colour combination looks very chic. Also lovely, lovely skinny jeans!
i like this look!
awww so lucky having a mum with a wardrobe to dress in! My mum has always been a bit grungy and dressing up in scruffy big knit jumpers and long long plain dark dresses wasn’t fun… luckily i had an aunt who’d put Grease on and crimp my hair 😉
Hi Jen, Love the straps tied up over your jeans. Last time I did that, my friend said to me very seriously ‘you really are a little bit insane aren’t you’!!
i love the shoes and snadal pair up ^^
i love ur shirt too ^^
I love the look… so cool! Nice idea to add pearl with the chambray top. I will definitely use this look as a guide. xoxo
So adorable! I would never have thought of putting all these pieces together~ kudos to you:)
As a child, I love wearing princessy dresses and cute overalls! I remembered having a suspender checked shirt that I loved wearing to bits! Wish I had the grown up version now!
xx
you do look like a kid playing dress up! so adorable..especially with the string of pearls..tihheee!
i remember having my ‘own’ mini-dresser…with baby powder and my mom’s lipsticks…the small sample ones that i always thought were for kids..hehe.
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Oh man. I have many many good memories of dressing up. I sometimes even made my own dresses out of old sheets.
But the best was at my best friends house. Her mother owned a bridal shop, so you can imagine all the goodies we got to play with. Good times indeed.
LOVE those wedges!
Every day has to be a dressing-up day! I used to go to mufti days at school in mum’s old clothes from the 1960’s padding thetoes of her go-go boots and cutting the bottms off her snakeskin flares…my classmates mus have thought I was mad.
You look seriously cute in that get-up!
Vix
xxx
I love the way the pearls are here && the New Look wedges triumph again!
I remember raiding my Mums shoes collection, thinking they fitted me when really I was slomping out of them! In the end she bought me a pair of ‘plastic high heels’
Hi Jen, I am great collector of clothes, and was very fortunate to have an extremely stylish and well travelled Grandmother who left a precious collection of haute couture gowns which I share with my mother, she was also a mad collector of handbags, and I have a bag which I am too scared to ever use a Crocodile Hermes Kelly – can you just imagine. Thank so much for dropping by and I shall be a firm follower of you from now on x
I love the whole outfit. The wedges and the shirt look amazing.
This outfit looks great on you. I really love those wedges.
I remember playing dress up all the time when I was little. But back then my best friend at the time and I used to dress up like Spice Girls! 😛
Really cute outfit, love the pearls!
looking good Jen 🙂 x
Love the laid back look! I remember parading around in one of my mums old bridesmaid dresses alot when I was little.
These wedges. wow ! i love m !!!
Aw, I love the shirt – very cute!
I used to dress up in my mom’s high heels all the time – unfortunately, once I fell down the stairs as a child when wearing them!
Congratulations myl ove! You won Cafe Fashionista’s giveaway – stop by to find out how to claim your prize!! 🙂
I never dressed up as a child cause I was NEVER girly haha! Total tomboy! And I love how you work those socks with sandals, didn’t think they’d look that good! xx
i like the oversize shirt and the pearls!! i’m finally in italy! its great here, enjoying another atmosphere..hopefully will do some sightseeing soon in other parts of tuscany and take lots of picture 🙂
have a great one!!
xxjess
What a great casual outfit! I love the cardigan and beads 🙂 You look lovely!
Love,
Aya ( Strawberry Koi Blog )
I love this look, effortless and chic. And I would ALWAYS go into my mom’s closet to play dress up..I got my shoe obsession form her 🙂
http://www.sonyasark.blogspot.com
I love the shoes! And I love this outfit…it’s very different and refreshing!
Love this outfit, I’d say library chic! 🙂
The shirt looks great, and wedges with socks, good shout. I’m picking up some of them today to break out a new look.
There is a dodgy pic of me and my sister dressed up in mums ‘party’ clothes. I have oranges up my dress to um…fill it out!
Xxx
I LOVELOVELOVE socks and shoes! Ankle socks are so cute X
One always needs a faux leopard coat in the dressing up box!!
oh i love this look its so cool for spring..
great blog
xxx
http://bebiv.blogspot.com/
I really like that cardigan/vest.
I had oodles of fantasies about dressing up in drag as a child but had an ultra strict upbringing and the male role foisted upon me. Naturally i wound up doing all my dressing up as an older adult! Love your hands on hips pose.
That outfit looks lovely on you! I love playing dress up, I have lots of what I call dressing up clothes, silly things I probably wouldn’t wear out of the house =) x
the best dress up idea i think is to pick an item of clothing for your child…according to sex…like a dress from mom if its a girl or a shirt and tie from dad for a boy. then take pics of them wearing them once yearly until they grow into them! i saw it once and thought it was faboulous! your lk bennett dress would work great for that someday?