What's Black & White And Read All Over...?

Hello hello hello! How has your week been my darlings? Full of joy and wonder I hope. It's been an exciting week for me, kicking off last Saturday evening at The Wam Bam Club (www.wambamclub.com), enjoying the delights of the esteemed Lady Alex and co as mentioned in last weeks blog, then melting into a week of dressing wonderful ladies for all sorts of splendid events and tailing off into a burlesque extravaganza on Friday evening at Indigo at the O2 for An Evening Of Burlesque featuring the gorgeous Folly Mixtures, Kiki Kaboom, Chrys Columbine, Kalki Hoops, Slinky Sparkles, Hotcake Kitty, Ginger Blush and incredible Amber Topaz! Phew, it was certainly a night to remember! FANTASTIC!!

Anyway, onto business, this weeks outfit is something a little grown up and sophisticated, so sit up straight ladies, it's time to pay attention...

Do not adjust yours sets....I know it's rather busy which may frighten a few readers, but don't be scared ladies, a little bit of monochrome can't hurt....As you'll see, it a gorgeous nipped waist, 3/4 sleeve jacket with matching pencil skirt. This suit was bought from H & M (www.hm.com/gb/) some years ago and I still enjoy wearing it as much as when I first got it. Both skirt and jacket are satin lined giving it a good quality feel and the cotton is quite thick so it holds shape really well. I think this suit is perfect for any age, depending on the occasion and never fails to offer me a lady like demeanor.

In the photo above I haven't added anything under the jacket, which is sometimes how I like to wear it, if I know I'm going somewhere which won't involve me getting too hot and needing me to remove my jacket, however, for those occasions such as a wedding etc when it's a long day and sitting down for a meal will be part of that, I like to wear a blouse underneath...

The blouse I've chosen is from Warehouse (www.warehouse.co.uk) and has a gorgeous cute out detail on the shoulders and chest, perfectly complementing the pattern on the skirt as it serves as an extension of the design; the silky black fabric against my pale skin looks beautiful and with such detail also looks expensive. I also like how the collar sits on my throat, the scalloped edge sitting perfectly above the collar on the jacket...

But what about accessories? Well a suit this busy speaks for itself, so shoes and bag wise, stick to something simple, a plain black court and a nice black handbag, I've gone for a clutch on this occasion as I'm dressing it for a more formal event, however, this suit could easily be worn in the daytime for something more casual like afternoon tea, in which case I'd perhaps opt for a leather doctor's style or bowling style bag...

So, as mentioned, I'm taking this look down the formal avenue, and ladies, I'm REALLY going formal, feast your eyes on this beauty...

C'est chick, oui? Now, I know fascinators are very popular right now, and while I adore the small cute ones and own a few myself, every once in a while I feel like going a little bit crazy and sticking something like this on my head, whether it's for a wedding, an evening of burlesque or simply just afternoon tea, I realise it's not understated or discreet, but I don't care! Sometimes it's nice to just go the whole hog with a look and not care about the sniggering oick's on the train platform!

What I love about this fascinator is that the disc is flat and doesn't have the dimple for the head to sit in which is the more common design. I also love that it's sheer, another little unusual quirk. Now a word to the wise, while these types of statement pieces are gorgeous, they don't come cheap when looking around regular hat shops, which is why I got mine from Ebay, you really can't beat it, I got this hat for about £25, a steal compared to the £100+ prices I'd seen elsewhere.

So, you've seen the outfit and the accessories, onto jewellery. Again, keep it simple, no fussy additions please, I'd suggest simple pearl earrings, I'm having somewhat a love in with my pearl earrings lately, they seem to go with almost anything and are just so elegant, if you don't have any, go buy a cheap pair, you'll be amazed how much you come to rely on them!

Another week, another outfit which I'm excited to share with you and I hope you love.

Please let me know what you think, I'd love to read your comments below.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter (LucilleVonFrock) & Facebook. If you need to contact me, then email me at helen@lucille-von-frock.co.uk or call me on 07547 635870 - don't be a stranger, get in touch! xx

Ps: Be sure to have a gander at my Von Frock's Vintage Hen's website (www.vonfrocksvintagehens.co.uk) and 'LIKE' it's page on Facebook!

Von Frock's Vintage Hens Facebook Page!

If you are coming to London for your Hen Night or birthday celebration and wish to indulge in some burlesque fun get in touch, I will come to your hotel, dress you and your friends, arrange for your hair & make up to be done in a vintage style in your hotel room then send you off with tickets to the top Burlesque cabaret show in London!! It's all so VERY exciting!

The versatility of leopard print....

Hello ladies (and gentlemen?) how are we today? Feline fine? Sorry, that was bad I know, but I had to shoe horn it in somewhere!

As you've guessed, today's look is all about leopard print and it's versatility, now some of you may immediately wince at the idea of looking like the Coronation Street icon that is, Bet Lynch, but believe me ladies, you need leopard print in your life, I am a HUGE fan of it and some would say I am bordering on the obsessive...which is why I've brought you two different looks, one for day and one for night...

So let's start with the daytime look...

You'll see I've teamed a gorgeous leopard print pencil skirt along with the shapewear black half sleeve top I've showcased before on here, both pieces are from TK Maxx (www.TKMaxx.com). I know a lot of people just can't get into the swing of shopping at TK Maxx, the whole process of trawling through the rails is just too much for them, but I love the feeling of finding a gem at a great price, especially if it's a designer label, if you've given up on it, give it another try, go on, you might just find a diamond in the rough!

Back to the outfit; to keep it casual and practical enough for daytime I've opted for some comfortable kitten heels from Next (www.next.co.uk), although I'm a big heels fan they're just not realistic to wear all day when you're out and about. I particularly love these shoes because they're totally in keeping with the vintage look, especially with the leopard print pattern on the inside.

Inevitably, in keeping with the image I've opted for my faithful old leather Vivienne Westwood bag, it's not too dressy but still exudes sophistication.

To tidy the outfit up I've added a wide elasticated belt which bonds the skirt and top. Furthermore, just as a little extra dressing to wear on a chilly afternoon I would furnish with a faux fur shrug for extra warmth...

To stay in keeping this look casual I'd stick with simple pearl earrings and a simple string of pearl's around the neck.

Now, let's turn this theme around and pep it up for an evening look with some va va voom...

MEOW!!!! This is truly a statement piece of leopard print which is actually an all in one body with built in corsetry from Agent Provocateur (www.agentprovocateur.com), making sure to hold me in in and push me out in all the right places. What I love about this piece is that although it screams VAMP it stays well clear of looking trashy with it's full length sleeves and high neck, not giving away an inch of flesh.  Although I've kept the skirt subdued with plain black, the satin fabric is another extension of the vampy vibe.

For me, the obvious choice of shoe in my wardrobe to wear with this outfit are my Carvela for Kurt Geiger (www.kurtgeiger.com) ponyskins with tassels worn with my Oasis (www.oasis-stores.com) black satin weave clutch bag...

Because the outfit is so sexy due to the figure hugging silhouette, the satin skirt texture and the bold leopard print these shoes are an extension of that, with their tassels swinging around when I walk there's something quite fetishist about them.

So, what does a vamp wear in the way of jewellery? Well, we know she's no shrinking violet and has expensive tastes, so the obvious choice is DIAMONDS!! Unfortunately, as I'm not married to a millionaire, my only option is to go for costume jewellery to pack a punch, for this look, the bigger and more ostentatious the better...

The earrings are from Betsey Johnson (www.betseyjohnson.com), the ring is from Swarovski (www.swarovski.com) and both are blingtastic! If these babies were real they would have been owned by Liz Taylor!

Another week, another couple of outfits which I'm excited to share with you and I hope you love like I do, so much so that I actually wore one just last night at burlesque cabaret evening Wam Bam Club (www.wambamclub.com), here's a pic...

Please let me know what you think, I'd love to read your comments below.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter (LucilleVonFrock) & Facebook. If you need to contact me, then email me at helen@lucille-von-frock.co.uk or call me on 07547 635870 - don't be a stranger, get in touch! xx

Ps: Be sure to have a gander at my Von Frock's Vintage Hen's website (www.vonfrocksvintagehens.co.uk) and 'LIKE' it's page on Facebook!

Von Frock's Vintage Hens Facebook Page!

If you are coming to London for your Hen Night or birthday celebration and wish to indulge in some burlesque fun get in touch, I will come to your hotel, dress you and your friends, arrange for your hair & make up to be done in a vintage style in your hotel room then send you off with tickets to the top Burlesque cabaret show in London!! It's all so VERY exciting!!

Hello Sailor!!

Hello my lovelies, another week, another blog update!

This week I've opted for a nautical theme, a slap bang, right between the eyes, full on, no apologies, nod to the pin up's of the 40's and 50's! This dress is fun, cheeky and incredibly sexy!

I'm afraid it doesn't look much in the photograph as the mannequin doesn't have sufficient curves to show the dress to it's best, but nevertheless, I think you get an idea of where I'm coming from...

As you'll see, it's a navy pencil dress with a white edged bib, which is what gives it the nautical concept. I feel great when I wear this dress as it's so flattering, the fabric clings in all the right places and holds in the bits I'm not so confident about and because it's a pencil skirt style and hangs to just below the knee, it gives me that extra wiggle when I walk!

The dress is from Bettie Page Clothing (www.bettiepageclothing.com), a label I love, it's such good quality and totally caters for those ladies who love the vintage look, I can't recommend it enough.

Accessorising this outfit, I would opt for either white accessories, or red just to push that 'hello sailor!' look further...

On this occasion, I've teamed the dress with white shoes and straw clutch bag which I've featured on my blog previously, the shoes are from River Island (www.riverisland.com), the bag is from ASOS (www.asos.com).

Because the dress is such a showstopper I've kept jewellery simple, I've opted for this cute pair of Accessorize (www.accessorize.com) diamante swallows for my ears, another nod to the nautical theme as swallows are a traditional tattoo for sailors as they represent the endeavour to be 'homeward bound'.

I don't usually dip my toe into how to wear the hair but on this occasion I'd like to stick my neck out to complete the full image and suggest victory rolls, a la the beautiful Dita Von Teese..

Victory rolls are the epitome of of old school glamour for the hair, seeing a girl with victory rolls leaves me with no doubt, no matter how she is dressed, that this is a girl who loves vintage styling. If you're not familiar with this way of styling the hair and would like to attempt it, I'd recommend having a look on YouTube, it's a fantastic source for tutorial's on all types of vintage hair and make up styling, so if you're new to vintage, take a look!

Another week, another outfit which I'm excited to share with you and I hope you love.

Please let me know what you think, I'd love to read your comments below.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter (LucilleVonFrock) & Facebook. If you need to contact me, then email me at helen@lucille-von-frock.co.uk or call me on 07547 635870 - don't be a stranger, get in touch! xx

Ps: Be sure to have a gander at my Von Frock's Vintage Hen's website (www.vonfrocksvintagehens.co.uk) and 'LIKE' it's page on Facebook!

Von Frock's Vintage Hens Facebook Page!

If you are coming to London for your Hen Night or birthday celebration and wish to indulge in some burlesque fun get in touch, I will come to your hotel, dress you and your friends, arrange for your hair & make up to be done in a vintage style in your hotel room then send you off with tickets to the top Burlesque cabaret show in London!! It's all so VERY exciting!

Hello, Marc Jacobs?

It's that time again and so glad you could join me for another dose of my blog!

So, how was your week? Did you enjoy the last gasps of summer before winter throttled it to death? I really do hope so, as I'm now looking to show you some more Autumn appropriate outfits, and this week to start off I've got a little something to make your eyes water, prepare yourself, you may need sunglasses...

Now, come on, you can tell me, you were expecting a colour palette of black, brown, navy or grey weren't you? Well, no siree, that's not what's on offer on my watch, I can't just go straight from sunshine to darkness, I have to be eased into it, so although the fabrics are thicker and more robust, the colours are still bright and cheerful!

As you can see, it's a 60's style suit, with green and black polka dot pencil skirt and mustard and black polka dot jacket /smock top which zips up at the back. The suit itself is from H & M (www.hm.com/gb/), bought very recently. As soon as I saw it I loved it, especially when I realised it looked very similar to a Marc Jacobs (www.marcjacobs.com) dress I'd seen as part of his Fall 2011 collection, as seen below on Beyonce...

Now, I get that they're different colours, but there's no mistaking where H & M got their inspiration from when designing this suit.

So, like Beyonce, I've styled mine in keeping with the sophisticated image that this outfit needs, not overdressing it too much and keeping it simple with a plain black stiletto and leather handbag...

Although this handbag is fine, I would prefer something slightly more structured, perhaps something like the bag below from ASOS (www.asos.com)...

I would even go so far as adding an elbow length leather glove for when the weather turns chilly, just for extra warmth, these are available from many places but I have found that Amazon (www.amazon.com) have quite a selection from numerous different sellers.

Jewellery wise, I would select a black button type earring, but as I'm yet to fully accessorise this outfit due to it's very recent purchase I've substituted that for classic pearl stud earrings as they always look understated and elegant.

Now, you've seen the outfit in it's glory for every day wear, here is a picture of the beautiful Myleene Klass modelling it for a photoshoot...

You see how the stylist has played on the quirkyness of the outfit, by adding more colours to the accessories; the blue hat; red gloves and white shoes? While I love what has been done here, I'm afraid this would only work for something like a photoshoot and not every day life, a classic shape like this suit doesn't come along at high street prices very often, so to make sure you get as much wear out of it as possible I'd stick to keeping the colour palette clean and uncluttered...no-one wants to look like a clown unless they have to!

Another week, another outfit which I'm excited to share with you and I hope you love.

Please let me know what you think, I'd love to read your comments below.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter (LucilleVonFrock) & Facebook. If you need to contact me, then email me at helen@lucille-von-frock.co.uk or call me on 07547 635870 - don't be a stranger, get in touch! xx

Ps: Be sure to have a gander at my Von Frock's Vintage Hen's website (www.vonfrocksvintagehens.co.uk) and 'LIKE' it's page on Facebook!

Von Frock's Vintage Hens Facebook Page!

If you are coming to London for your Hen Night and wish to indulge in some burlesque fun get in touch, I will come to your hotel, dress you and your friends, arrange for your hair & make up to be done in a vintage style in your hotel room then send you off with tickets to the top Burlesque cabaret show in London!! It's all so VERY exciting!

Au revoir my lovelies!!

The last squeeze of summer!

Surprised to see me back so soon after my little summer break? Have faith my lovelies, I'm back for good now!

So, before the temperature drops and we have to start wrapping up I thought I'd just squeeze in one more summer outfit for you to cast your eyes over, and this one is pretty special!

Now, you may be thinking "yes, it's s pretty white summer dress with red detailing, but what's the big deal?", well my sweet, the big deal is that not only is this a dress from Bettie Page Clothing, one of the most highly regarded and accurate label's for vintage inspired clothing, but it's also from the Gil Elvgren range of Bettie Page Clothing which is why I'm so excited about it!

Not sure who Gil Elvgren is? Well, let me fill you in,  American Gil Elvgren was, and remains in my opinion, the best pin up artist in the world. Between the mid 1930's up to 1972 Gil Elvgren produced over 500 paintings of beautiful women with sumptuous curves and a saucy twinkle in their eye, and more often than not flashing a stockinged thigh or two! If you haven't seen his cheeky pin up's, then I can guarantee you would have seen some of his illustrations for Coca Cola depicting the all American way of life. Nowadays, his influence can be seen everywhere, from tattoos (I have 2 of his ladies on me) to shampoo adverts. Have you realised I'm a fan yet?!

The dress is a replica from one of Elvgren's painting's called 'Pretty Please' and I think it's an honour to own a dress with the slightest link to this great artist...

For Bettie Page to create a range duplicating the dresses from these paintings is a stroke of genius; not only are they creating from a great archive and producing period accurate dresses, they're providing their clients with the opportunity to feel like a real pin up!

Now, I digress, back to the outfit...Although Bettie Page Clothing is an American label and I got this dress whilst I was out there, it is available in the UK, I know one place that stocks this brand is Stop Traffic Clothing (www.stoptrafficclothing.co.uk) and I believe it's also in the sale right now, so grab yourself a bargain!

As you'll see below, I've teamed it with white raffia wedges from New Look (www.newlook.com) as I think these keep with the casual daytime feel of the dress, for me, it's not really dressy enough for heels and an evening look.

Again, keeping the accessories simple I've chosen a leather weave detail barrel bag from Dorothy Perkins (www.dorothyperkins.com), I love this bag and team it with so many outfits, subsequently, I dread the day when it gets shabby and I can't use it any more...

I really like the different textures from shoe to handbag, I think it all adds to the casual feel of the outfit, rather than trying to be 'matchy matchy'.

For jewellery, I would also keep that simple and retro, I've opted for plastic red love heart studs, I'm not sure where they are from but I think they add to the kitsch/cute image that this dress exudes...

Another week, another outfit which I hope you love, obviously, you've probably guessed that this is a favourite of mine and I'm excited to share it with you.

Please let me know what you think, I'd love to read your comments below.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter (LucilleVonFrock) & Facebook. If you need to contact me, then email me at helen@lucille-von-frock.co.uk or call me on 07547 635870 - don't be a stranger, get in touch! xx

Ps: Be sure to have a gander at my Von Frock's Vintage Hen's website (www.vonfrocksvintagehens.co.uk) and 'LIKE' it's page on Facebook!

Von Frock's Vintage Hens Facebook Page!

If you are coming to London for your Hen Night and wish to indulge in some burlesque fun get in touch, I will come to your hotel, dress you and your friends, arrange for your hair & make up to be done in a vintage style then send you off with tickets to the top Burlesque show in London!! It's all so VERY exciting!

Au revoir  my lovelies!!

Better late than never!

Well, well well! How are you? I hope you have had a wonderful summer. Speaking of which, I know it is almost over and I have not been around for it but I can assure you, I have been busy, busy, busy researching more beautiful and exciting outfits for my blog, aswell as dealing with many lovely clients AND setting up my vintage hen nights business; Von Frock's Vintage Hens.

So, for any of you who are lucky enough to still have your 2011 sunshine holiday to look forward to, this week's blog will be perfect for you....

This is one of my very favourite holiday outfits, I wear it every time we go on holiday and I love it, not only is it cute, kitsch and 50's but very flattering too...

The dress is from Betsey Johnson (www.betseyjohnson.com) and is actually a skirt! Although, I've worn it as it should be a few times with a simple white vest, I really do prefer it as a dress. I adore the hawaiian style fruit/pineapple print in the striking  blue and white, while the fitted shape in the jersey material clings to all the right places!

As you see, to accentuate the female curves even more so, I've added an elasticated red belt, nothing too formal or severe and still making the outfit really comfortable.

To match the belt (although they look different shades in the photo, they don't in real life) I've teamed a cute red heart shaped handbag, a friend bought this for me from Topshop (www.topshop.com) years ago, but I've seen similar bags only just this summer in many shops.

Now shoe wise, I think the obvious choice is a red wedge; comfortable but still adding height and lengthening the leg...

You may remember these shoes from a previous blog, they're from Marks & Spencer (www.marksandspencer.com) and although they're no longer available now as the autumn/winter seasons are now in stock, I'm still seeing many similar types around the stores and most of them in the sale, so now is the time to grab a bargain!

As for jewellery, to keep with the hawaiian and beachy theme I opted for a a pair of synthetic shell type earrings and a 'surfer dude' shell necklace bought from a beach resort many years ago for about £2!

As a finishing touch, I like to pin my hair up and add a red flower to complete the look...

So, that's it for this week, I hope you like my 50's hawaiian outfit and are inspired to go for something similiar next time you're either on holiday or enjoying the 1 day of summer we get here in the UK!

Please let me know what you think, I'd love to read your comments below.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter (LucilleVonFrock) & Facebook. If you need to contact me, then email me at helen@lucille-von-frock.co.uk or call me on 07547 635870 - don't be a stranger, get in touch! xx

Ps: Be sure to have a gander at my Von Frock's Vintage Hen's  website (www.vonfrocksvintagehens.co.uk) and 'LIKE' it's page on Facebook!

Von Frock's Vintage Hens Facebook Page!

If you are coming to London for your Hen Night and wish to indulge in some burlesque fun get in touch, I will come to your hotel, dress you and your friends, arrange for your hair & make up to be done in a vintage style then send you off with tickets to the top Burlesque show in London!! It's all so VERY exciting!

The Simple White Shirt...

Apologies, apologies, apologies for not updating my blog last week lovely people - unfortunately, some swine out there gave me their contaminated germs which resulted in me having a stinker of a cold and taking to my boudoir for a few days, ghastly I know!!

Anyway, I'm here again, alive and well and ready give you my latest look for you gals about town!!!

As you'll see from the title above, this week is all about the simple white shirt, and how it can change a look completely....

To start with, here is a picture of one of my favourite dresses...

On first impact it's easy to pigeonhole this beautiful black & white polka dot dress from La Frock (www.lafrock.com) as something for the evening, thrown together with a pair of black heels, a cute clutch and slick of red lipstick and you're away for a night on the tiles...

However, add a crisp white shirt and a pair or black wedges and it's a different look altogether...

The shirt is from H & M (www.hm.com) and because of the short capped sleeves with the turn up detail I think it gives a vintage feel, aswell as being tied at the front, which never fails to give a rockabilly vibe...

The black wedges are from Marks & Spencer (www.marksandspencer.com) and are incredibly comfortable because of the slight platform, I like that they add polish to the outfit by adding height yet they're still very wearable, I've literally walked miles in them, making this outfit not only acceptable for a laid back evening out, but also for the daytime...

Accessories-wise, I would go for a simple hoop pair of earrings but leave the neck bare, adding a chunky bracelet on the wrist.

Now for 'arm candy', I would more or less say anything goes - apart from metallics, obviously a black bag, small or large, depending whether you're wearing the outfit for the daytime or evening, would be fine but I personally would add a brightly coloured bag so as to give a 'pop'.

I hope this week's post has shown you that although you may have a gorgeous dress in your wardrobe that you always wear with the same shoes and handbag, sometimes it's worth looking at it with fresh eyes and seeing if by adding something extra to it, it can transform it into a different outfit altogether, giving it more than one dimension.

So, another week, another look which I hope you love. Please let me know what you think, I'd love to read your comments below.

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter (LucilleVonFrock) & Facebook. If you need to contact me, then email me at helen@lucille-von-frock.co.uk or call me on 07547 635870 - don't be a stranger, get in touch! xx

Ps: I'm about to embark on a new adventure, all this talk of wedding's has given me the urge to make sure all you beautiful bride's to be out there have a Hen Night to remember, so Von Frock's Vintage Hen's is almost here!! If you are coming to London for your Hen Night and wish to indulge in some burlesque fun get in touch, I will come to your hotel, dress you and your friends, arrange for your hair & make up to be done in a vintage style then send you off with tickets to the top Burlesque show in London!! It's all so VERY exciting!