Brown Shirred Maxi Dress + Style With a Smile Link Up

Usually one for bright colours, I found myself hellbent in buying some pieces for my holiday on shades of brown. It all started when I found a beautiful rust coloured kaftan style dress in TK Maxx, which sadly wasn’t my size. It was a beautifully soft fabric (maybe cheesecloth?) and was reduced to £50 – still rather pricey, but it was from the Gold Label section. I tried to remember the brand but of course it left my brain the moment I left the shop!

when I saw this brown shirred maxi dress…I thought it looked perfect for my holiday to Madeira

Anyway, that set me off on a quest. I began searching for similar dresses on Vinted and looking on the TK Maxx website in case I could locate one like I found in store. Sadly I couldn’t, but I did find a lovely cinnamon shirt dress on a subsequent visit. What I really wanted was a long floaty dress though, so when I saw this brown shirred maxi dress from New Look on Vinted, brand new with tags, I thought it looked perfect for my holiday to Madeira. Ok, it’s chocolate brown rather than rust, but it’s still a warm hue that looks good with a bit of a tan.

In the run up to going away I’d been using the Dove gradual tan body lotion, which is amazing! Whenever I apply fake tan I always get streaks and patches, but applying it gradually avoids that dilemma. (I use the medium to dark version.) Usually, I don’t like to buy a load of new stuff for a holiday but I did indulge myself by purchasing this dress and another maxi in a retro floral print on Vinted.

I hadn’t used this hat for a while, but it was useful to have one that goes with most outfits. As a birthday treat, I invested in a new American Tourister Soundbox suitcase in lilac. Ultimately, hardshell cases are better than softshell in terms of protection, but there’s less scope for expansion: in other words, don’t over stuff the case Emma or the zip might break! Actually, the case seems super sturdy, but I don’t want to risk it (or go over the weight allowance).

My Strive sandals were holiday heroes, keeping my feet comfortable and supported, even on those very steep Madeiran hills!

This Fabienne Chapot bag is quite heavy, but I really wanted to take it because it goes with everything. I did consider buying a new woven bag but I couldn’t really justify it when I already had one. For jewellery, I only took gold, although I still ended up taking about eight pairs of earrings – and I bought another pair while I was there! My Strive sandals were holiday heroes, keeping my feet comfortable and supported, even on those very steep Madeiran hills!