Polkadots, pink and peplums...

Although I'm a stripes girl at heart, more and more polkadots are creeping into my wardrobe recently and when Bon Marche asked if I wanted to review one of their lovely dresses, I have to admit, I was a little unsure (they're not known for dressing anyone younger than 50). This gorgeous polkadot print one, however, leapt out at me and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of things I found. I mean, this jumper is just gorgeous! I love the retro feel to the dress and although I was unsure about the peplum detail, I actually think it makes the dress more interesting. Jersey dresses are my go to for work as they are smart but still ridiculously comfy - you are definitely getting the best of both worlds! Paired with this super bright blazer, I felt super confident and it certainly seemed popular online too, there's nothing like nice comments to start your day on a good foot! I love this blazer but it always feels a bit wedding-y so I liked the fact that the monochrome helped to toughen it up a bit too...

Blazer: Tesco, dress: c/o Bon Marche, belt: taken from a H by Henry Holland playsuit, shoes: Hobbs
I felt that this dress had enough going on without adding fussy looking hair into the mix so for the first time since getting my hair chopped off, I decided to try tying it up. Bearing in mind it is really short, I did have to use about a million kirby grips but I managed and I was pretty pleased with the outcome. One thing to bear in mind if you get this dress is just how low cut it is. I'm not averse to a plunging neckline or two but for a work dress I was verging on obscene so I had to add a slip to make it more work appropriate. No bad thing but useful to know if you are thinking of purchasing it!

I wanted to wear a belt to break the pattern up a but man alive, was it difficult to find out where to put it! This dress has about 4 different places where it could feasibly sit so I just plumped for somewhere in the middle, figuring that people wouldn't notice as they'd be distracted by the peplum. I think it worked! ;)

I really don't wear these shoes enough, they were a graduation present from my parents and although I bring them out for work occasionally, they don't get worn as much as I like. Despite my best intentions though, in the end I swapped them for my pink flats. I just couldn't face a whole day in heels!

Are there any shops that you have been pleasantly surprised by recently?

P.S. This post was done in collaboration with Bon Marche.