Collectif love

May 8, 2019May 8, 2019 catoinamsterdam2 Comments

My favourite pieces from the spring/summer collection 2019 of Collectif Clothing

Spring is here and although the weather has yet to warm up, I’m looking forward to wearing sleeveless dresses and flimsy skirts again. Of course, the clothes from Collectif are amongst my favourites! Collectif has been so kind to send me a few of the products from the collection to review.

My favourite dress of the new collection is the Candice red and white striped swing dress (shop here). I love that the stripes are vertical on the skirt and horizontal on the bodice. This dress is so versatile, you can accessorize it with high heels and a fun bag to dress it up or with a straw bag like the Heidi Summer bag (shop here) and some espadrilles to dress it down. Of course the fit and flare shape is a favourite of mine!

The second item that immediately caught my eye is the crab crossbody bag by Lulu Hun, also featured in the picture with the Candice dress. It’s so fun! I am an avid collector of novelty bags and this one is a perfect addition to my collection (shop here).

When I saw the Matilde Watermelon Gingham Swing Skirt, I had to have it. I mean, what’s not to like: a full swing skirt, gingham and a watermelon print (shop here)! I’m wearing it with the Lorena Plain Top in black (shop here), but you can easily wear it with other colours, like red and yellow (here and here). This versatile top will be a staple in my summer wardrobe!

There are a lot more gorgeous items in the new collection and quite a few of them are on my wishlist: here are a few examples:

Spring, spring, spring (dresses, dresses, dresses)!

May 3, 2018May 3, 2018 catoinamsterdamLeave a comment

It has started to warm up in the Netherlands so I have ditched the tights since a couple of days and cycle through Amsterdam bare-legged. I do use self-tanner to prevent people from getting blinded by my legs but I really don’t care if my skin is still in its winter shade.

Just in time for spring, a few gorgeous dresses came my way. And I’d like to share them with you……

Hearts and found

I can’t get over the quality of the dresses made by Heartsandfound. These dresses are made with such care, I love it. Big bonus for the wide selection of dresses to choose from and the fun fabrics they have. I get greedy every time I visit their shop on Etsy (here), it’s like a candy store for me!

Recently they made two dresses for me. One dress was even designed especially for me, since I wanted a fitted bodice with a boat neck:

How fun is this print?? The shape of the dress is everything I want in a dress. Shop the fabric here. The dress is a hybrid between this dress and this co-ord.

The second dress is their Penelope dress. The fabric is so fun and feminine. When I wear it, I feel like a southern belle, ready for a picnic with her beau!

The bodice had been made with double fabric, so no see through. The skirt is fully lined. The straps are of course adjustable. And it has pockets! Shop the fabric here and the dress here.

Palava

I have been a fan of the prints of Palava for a while. Each of their beautiful prints is hand drawn by their creator, Bryony. The SS18 collection was inspired by all things under the sea. When I saw this lobster dress, I was sold. The dress is called the Beatrice dress and comes in other beautiful prints too.

The dress is made of the softest cotton and fully lined. You can shop the dress here.

Zoe Vine

Zoe Vine make beautiful dresses inspired by vintage couture. The dress I picked has the most amazing print. It’s called the Maisy bandeau dress and comes in a butterfly print as well.

This Japanese garden print is so beautiful! The dress has sold out quickly but is still available in a few sizes and in a wide range of sizes in the butterfly print. Shop here.

Havren Clothing

Last year I received this gorgeous dress from Havren Clothing. I fell in love with the print and the shape.

This dress has been re-stocked! Shop here.

Then a couple of weeks ago Havren asked if I wanted to pick another dress. So I decided to ask for the same dress, in a different colour. This baby pink, or blush, is a beautiful shade for when I have a bit of a suntan.

This dress has the most beautiful details on the back, see here!

Now hopefully spring will be warm and sunny, can’t wait to wear these gorgeous dresses!

Accessories · Fashion

Accessories can be fun too – the sequel

April 8, 2018April 8, 2018 catoinamsterdam6 Comments

One of my first articles on here was about accessories. I felt it needed a follow up because the new shoes and bags have not stopped coming in since then. Here are some of my favourites for work, going out and everything in between.

Work bags

I don’t know about you, but I tend to bring half of my possessions to work, you know, just in case you need a brush/needle and thread/full makeup/banana/four different notebooks/receipts from the past five years….. A girl can never be too prepared!

A bag that was recently gifted to me is this beautiful pink and black bag made from the softest leather. It can hold all my treasures and comes with a belt (which I hardly ever use, I like to hold my bags).

The designer is Maria Cardelli (please visit her website: mariacardelli.com)

This next bag from Shoebakery is a sweet dream come true! It doubles as a work- and funbag.

This bag is sold out but is still available in different colours (here). The shoes are simple pumps which I embellished with pompom shoeclips.

Wicker bags

I have a gigantic collection of wicker/straw bags and baskets but this one had to be mine. I ditched the scarf that came with it to add my own scarves, depending on what I’m wearing.

I bought this one at Zara and it sold out since then, but you can buy the same one at Amazon (here)

A couple of days after the above featured basket arrived, I saw this round basket on Asos. I thought is was such a fun little basket and ordered it. It came with a tassel attached, which I cut off.

The basket sold out really fast, but here and here are some alternatives.

Bags for fun

My latest addition! Although this bag can be used for work (it’s big enough), I also use it for going out to dinner. I am so in love with the colours!

This bag is part of the 10-year anniversary collection of Topvintage.nl (here).

Furla is a favourite brand of mine. Their bags are not too pricey but the quality is excellent and their designs are fun and flirty.

This print is so beautiful! Shop this bag here or here.

Shoes

The shoes in the picture above are from Aldo (shop here). They come in different colours but this orange/red was my favourite.

Rainbow shoes! What more can I say….. (shop here). The bag is from Furla (similar here).

Have a wonderful new week!

Accessories · Fashion

I heart Valentine’s

January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 catoinamsterdamLeave a comment

To be honest, Valentine’s Day isn’t that big a deal in the Netherlands. Or maybe it is for single young people. You know, the opposite of me. If you’ve been together with your significant other for more than 15 years, it’s a day like any other. Except with a lot more hearts everywhere. And of course my dear mother’s V-Day card!

One thing I do like about Valentine’s Day is that I can go all out on my Instagram page. I love kitschy pictures and V-Day is the perfect excuse to look for love-themed accessories and clothes and to splatter my pictures with hearts. For at least 4 weeks…..

V-Day 2017: still in love with this outfit and this colour combination (shop similar items here, here and here).

I am so in love with this blue and red combination. The skirt is from Sheinside.com (here). The shoes were a DIY-project (you can buy pompoms and shoeclips here and here). Shop the beret and a similar bag here and here).

This dress is called Cupid’s Heart Dress. How very Valentine’s! It’s from Chicwish (shop here). The shoes can be found here.

I bought this skirt last year and never wore it. And now I have! It’s sold out, sorry. Cat bag (set of 2) can be found here.

Last year’s V-Day card from mum ;-). This gorgeous set is from Emily Lovelock (old).

I had this t-shirt printed at a website (here). I do this quite a lot if I can’t find a t-shirt with the print I’m looking for! Skirt is from Sheinside.com (shop here)

Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, I hope 14 February will be a wonderful day for you!