I fear I have a confession to make. I’m becoming addicted to Collectif Clothing. It’s terrible, I know. But their clothes are wonderfully boob-friendly! And they keep having all these sales. And I do adore polka dots. So, since I keep spending money at Collectif, I’ve decided I might as well justify it somewhat by sharing my recent purchases here 😉 I will probably split this into 3 or 4 separate posts, to spread out my numerous orders.
When I bought my Dietrich swing trench a few months ago, I also decided to buy a couple of basics for my wardrobe, starting with the famous Dolores Tops.
This is the Dolores Top Polka in Red/White, worn here with a black high-waisted pencil skirt from Excite Clothing and a basic H&M belt. Most of the Dolores styles are made with a stretchy fabric, and due to the openness of the upper section, the Dolores is surprisingly bust-friendly. I usually wear a 14-16 in most brands, but ideally I believe I would wear a 10 or 12 in this top. I can just get away with a 10 in the dresses, but the tops are slightly less generous than the dresses in the same colours, so I believe a 12 would be the best choice for me. However, due to me purchasing this during a sale, there was only a 16 in stock.
In the 16, I find there is space for a waist a few inches bigger than mine, and it could easily stretch to accommodate a much larger bust. However, it is still fairly form-fitting (not baggy by any means), and you wouldn’t suspect a thing when paired with a high-waisted skirt! The Dolores has some adorable little details which take this top from being a staple, to being a stand-out piece. I adore the puff sleeves and little buttons, and the sweetheart neckline is just so, well, sweet. Of course, I couldn’t limit myself to just one Dolores top…
…I had to get the Black/White, too. Can you tell this is one of my favourite sorts of outfit? I’ve paired the Dolores top here with an electric blue high-waisted pencil skirt (also from Excite Clothing), the same H&M belt, and apparently a lot of VPL 😛 Of course, there are many other ways to style these tops, such as with a swing skirt (I can’t begin to say how much I want that outfit!), a pair of high-waisted shorts in summer, or just with a simple pair of skinny jeans, giving a casual outfit a rockabilly edge. Again, I think a size 10 or 12 would be best in this shirt, but the closest size available was a 14.
Apologies for the photo quality! The Black/White colourway sports all of the same beautiful features as the Red, though in a much more versatile colour combination. Again, I adore this top, and I pair it with pencil skirts of every colour.
Finally, it is now December and the weather is chilly, which means a gal needs something to wrap up in. I decided to try out the Jo Cardigan Bluebird in a size 16.
A much more casual look, I paired the cardigan with a striped vest-top and some simple skinny jeans, both from New Look. I opted for the size 16 in this cardigan, though (as expected with anything button-down) the sizing isn’t perfect. The cardigan is too small on my 44-45 inch bust, and despite being stretchy, the buttons do pull somewhat when fastened. I would probably need an 18, if not 20, for this to be a good fit on my bust. However, you can also see in these pictures that the cardigan is too loose on my 30 inch waist, so the cardigan rides up and bags around me. Ideally I probably need a size 12 for the waist, so this is probably the best I’m going to get fit-wise. I would also prefer the cardigan to be 4 or so inches longer, as it hits an odd point on me, though I imagine other people would find it to be fine.
Stylistically, the cardigan is gorgeous. I wear a lot of black, red and electric blue, and the bluebird motif goes perfect with almost all of my outfits. The cardigan is thicker than expected (though still quite thin), and it’s fantastic for layering with my outfits. I usually wear the cardigan half unbuttoned to give my bust enough space, so if this is how you like to wear your cardigans, you could probably go down in size to get a better fit around the waist.
That’s my first lot of Collectif basics! I am amassing quite the collection of Collectif pieces, so I’m sure the next post will be coming soon. Are any of you Collectif fans? What’s your favourite piece from them? 
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I love your outfits with the Dolores top! I like almost everything I see at Collectif– I might have to take the plunge in 2014!