Trying Trousers with Vivien of Holloway

Fashion comfort zones. We all have ’em, right? Not to be confused with fashion uniforms (which to me, are something else entirely - but that’s best saved for another day!), I’m talking about those comfortable and familiar wardrobe habits that we tend to gravitate towards. The safe places, the sure bets, the items that have become so routine that we haven’t even noticed!

Take me for example: my fashion comfort zone is dresses. If in doubt, pull a frock out! No matter what occasion I am getting dressed for, you can be sure that it WILL be dress-shaped. Recently on the podcast, we were talking about things we wanted to achieve in the next year - no matter how big or small. I brought up the idea of busting out of my fashion comfort zone and having a fling with trousers, a statement that surprised myself almost as much as it surprised Elaine (causing a Joey Russo-esque WHOA! in disbelief).

You can count the number of times I’ve been seen in trousers over the last few years on one hand (unless you count pyjamas, which I don’t). I only really wear them when I know I’m going to be doing something physical, like help someone pack up their flat or do a big spring clean (I know, when is Bruce Springsteen going to write that album about my hard physical labour? I can put a red cap in my back pocket if that helps?). I just don’t ever see trousers as being fun, fancy or feminine enough to catch my eye.

So, when vintage-inspired fashionistas Vivien of Holloway got in touch and asked if I wanted to take some of their glamorous pieces for a spin, I put my willpower to the test and skipped their beautiful reproduction Duchess dresses and headed straight for their trousers. After all, if anyone knows how to make a gal feel feminine, it’s Vivien of Holloway!

With pedal pushers that wouldn’t look out of place on the set of Grease, 1950s jeans, capri pants and a whole lot more, I wasn’t just dipping my toe in the trousers pool - I had cannonballed right into the deep end…

Vivien of Holloway create vintage reproduction collections, cut for modern figures with the charm and glamour of a bygone era. I picked out these red 1940s swing trousers in red dogtooth, and felt that these would be great trousers to start with.

The first thing I noticed when trying them on was how flattering the shape was. I fell in love with the nipped-in high waist and, after trying them with heels and flats (they looked great with both!), I decided that I preferred them with my black and white Oxfords from Fred’s Shoes. The width of the trousers means that only a little bit of my shoes can be seen, and the design is based on an original WWII pattern.

The vivid red colour was much brighter then expected, making them an ideal statement piece for my regular rotation and proving that trousers don’t need to be boring!

I wore the trousers with one of Vivien of Holloway’s best-selling slash neck tops and my Karen Mabon poodle scarf, which in red and blue seemed like the perfect hair accessory for this outfit.

Soon after getting all dressed up, it started to pour with rain. C’est la vie! When you’re feeling like a vintage vixen, the best way to spend a rainy afternoon is listening to Elvis records if you ask me…

These soft slacks were the ideal way for me to get into the swing (sorry!) of wearing trousers, and I’m looking forward to wearing them with other items over the coming months!

Do you have a fashion comfort zone? Do you ever listen to Elvis on a rainy day?

Love, red lipstick and big bows…

 

With thanks and kisses to Vivien of Holloway

All photography by Gary at Trouble With Film