If you haven’t already guessed it, I have pretty strong feelings about my personal style. I know what I like and what I don’t like, and generally go with what makes me happy. I actually prefer to shop alone – spending as long or as little time in a shop as I like, never looking for an outside opinion on whether or not something suits me. It took awhile for me to get comfortable in my shopping skin. So, you can imagine my feelings when it comes to someone else shopping for me…
A few weeks ago, one of my go-to shops for vintage-inspired fashion, Modern Millie, contacted me and asked if they could style an outfit for me. Although there’s aways a bit of trepidation when you hand over the fashion reigns to someone else, my experience with the Millie Girls is that (a) they really know their stuff and (b) they really know me. I always pop in for a visit whenever I’m in Salem, and every time I have they fill my dressing room with pieces I would have chosen for myself. So, I took a deep breath, sent them my measurements, and waited for the mail to arrive….
Well, Hot Tamales! I was not disappointed….
The Cindy Dress
IÂ knew I should never worry when Modern Millie is steering the ship. I opened my parcel and found treasure trove of spicy-themed retro goodness. There winking back at me was a Retrospec’d Cindy dress in South of the Border print, coupled with the cutest Hot Sauce Crossbody and red Chelsea Crew heels, finished with a turquoise western style belt. It was vibrant and colorful and was the perfect balance between something I might pick out for myself, but pushing me to try something new.
If you have never tried Retrospec’d dresses before, they are among my absolute favorite of the repro brands. They come in a range of flattering cuts and always have the most swoon-worthy prints. This is the Cindy dress, which boasts a crossover bust and short sleeves, with a full pleated skirt and a cinched waist. One thing I love about Modern Millie is that they provide measurements for their garments (a must for buying online) – they sent me the US 6 /Aus 10 of the Cindy (my usual Retrospec’d size), which corresponds to 36″ bust and 30″ waist. The dress was spot on to those measurements – At a 36″ bust and 27/28″ waist, I found it to be big in the waist and a little short waisted on me (mine measured 15.5″ shoulder to waist), but the belt immediately solved that problem. Plus, it was perfect in the bust – sizing down would have been way too tight.
This piece is made out of 100% cotton twill, which is lovely and breathable in summer (especially given it is hotter than HADES right now). The novelty print is so bright and vibrant  – in hues of red, yellow, blue and mint green – and has me itching to head out for tacos. The skirt falls 26.5″ from waist to hem, and handled two crinolines without issue. I can definitely see this getting some serious rotation in my wardrobe…
Chelsea Crew Sandals
As a tall gal, I have feet to match (you just can’t balance my height on little feet). As such, my size 9’s have kept me from indulging in any of the amazing vintage shoes I see in my travels. So, over the years, I’ve definitely zeroed in on my favorite vintage-inspired shoe brands – who give me the look without the need to pull a Cinderella Stepsister to fit into them.
Enter Chelsea Crew. I was so excited to see these 40’s inspired heels tucked into my parcel – Chelsea Crew always balances the cutest styles with extreme comfort. Made of man made uppers with a leather lining, these low heeled shoes we incredibly comfortable right out of the box. I loved the swirl detail on the toes, the t-strap, and the bright pop of color. If you haven’t taken the plunge on Chelsea Crew yet, Modern Millie has a range of their styles. I almost always get blisters from new shoes, but this is one of the few brands I know I can throw on immediately and my feet will still be speaking to me by the end of the day…
I found this style to run perfectly true to size – my size 9’s were a perfect fit, and they complimented the bright red hues in my dress perfectly.
The Finishing Touches
I am a firm believer that accessories make the outfit – the Hot Sauce Crossbody and western style cinch belt definitely polished off this look. Firstly, I’m a huge fan of novelty handbags – and if they approximate food of some sort, you might as well just take my money. Although I’m not a fan of spicy food in general, I can definitely get behind spicy accessories! This Hot Sauce bag is adorable – it’s made out of a thick sparkly vinyl material has an adjustable strap. Mine measured 5″ x 2.5″ x 12″, and was able to hold a small wallet and phone without an issue. It closes with a central zip and sort of expands width-wise. My favorite feature, in addition to being my first condiment bag, is that it is a glitter condiment bag! Aaaand drop the mic.
Then was the belt – as above, belts are my favorite trick for us long-waisted ladies when a waistline sits a bit too high. As I’ve said in previous posts, Modern Millie’s is one of my favorite shops for new belts to add to my collection. They always have a wide range of adorable, colorful belts (usually with stretch, which is always a win). I loved how well this belt complimented the theme of the look – from her bright teal color to the gold horseshoe-shaped buckle. This belt is made of 30% PU/70% elastic and ranges from 25.5″ up to 34″ in size. And if you already have too many teal belts (though I’m not sure why you would ever…), this belt also comes in red and navy.
With temperatures reaching well into the 90’s here in NC already, I find myself craving easy, breezy sundresses. I find in extreme heat I veer towards my vintage-inspired dresses over true vintage (much easier to clean!). If you’ve fallen in love with this entire outfit, you can scoop up the Retrospec’d Cindy dress in South of the Border print for $138, the red Chelsea Crew heels for $72, Hot Sauce Crossbody for $28 (currently sold out – but watch for restock any day now!), and turquoise western style belt for $10, all available from the Modern Millie website.
If you love the vintage look but haven’t quite been able to find the trifecta of true vintage at the right size and the right price, I can highly recommend Retrospec’d dresses. They bring in a bevy of amazing prints every season, and Modern Millie always stocks a range of sizes. If you’re not feeling the South of the Border, Modern Millie have a range of other styles in some seriously swoon worthy prints. And although I was unsure about someone else styling an entire look for me, I can say with utmost confidence those Millie Girls nailed it – they managed to simultaneously get my style while pushing me into a print I may not have tried otherwise. If you have an event coming up or simply want to feel fabulous on a Tuesday, I highly recommend getting in touch with Modern Millie and letting them put their styling prowess to work!
You can also keep up with all of the new styles sold by Modern Millie by following them on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, where you’ll get sneak peaks of what’s coming into the store! You can also buy directly from their Instagram (which I have done many times), should something not be on their website yet.
Hope everyone is staying cool this summer! Now, where are those tacos….
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Dress: Retrospec’d, c/o Modern Millie
Necklace: gift (similar)
Belt: Western style cinch belt, c/o Modern Millie
Handbag: Hot sauce crossbody, c/o Modern Millie
Shoes:Â Chelsea Crew, c/o Modern Millie
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Any items in a post marked with a “c/o” (courtesy of) a retailer mean I was provided with an item for free in exchange for a review on my blog. I always provide my honest opinion of any item I’m reviewing, regardless of whether it was sent to me as a courtesy item or if I purchased it myself. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links or ads on this site, I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase at no cost to you, which helps with the day-to-day running costs of my blog.