Bright & Beautiful at Collectif: Style Challenge Day 10

It was the Collectif 50% off sale the other day and despite my best attempts (they weren’t actually very good attempts), I put in an order. I blame Charlotte for alerting me to the sale as I hadn’t even realised before somehow, but now it’s less blaming and more thanking since I was really pleased with everything I ordered! I actually got yesterday’s dress from last year’s 50% sale, but I hadn’t been overwhelmed by a couple of other pieces I’d bought that time, so they’ve now gone to charity, but it was different this time.

This whole outfit came from the Collectif sale – well, the top and the skirt, but that makes an outfit for me! The Gail skirt is part of Collectif’s Bright & Beautiful range which is 60s and 70s inspired. I’ve often looked at pieces from the collection but this was my first purchase from it and I’m very impressed. The skirt is a gorgeous fabric to look at and to wear – it’s fairly thick and sturdy, so doesn’t crease easily, and it’s a really good and flattering fit on me. I went for my normal size 10 and it fits perfectly at a slightly lower point on my waist than most 50s inspired skirts do.
The Tempest top is from Collectif’s main line and is a really good basic – I love the U shaped scoop neckline which looks retro but isn’t annoyingly off the shoulder, which I love the look of but get annoyed at more recently because they’re difficult to wear under cardigans. It acts like a good basic black tee for me but is made from bengaline, one of Collectif’s favourite fabrics, which means that it has a little bit more structure than jersey or knit fabric and a smoother line. I really like it!
I bought another couple of things from the Collectif 50% off sale too, but those are waiting for another day on the blog!

This outfit has been my favourite of the whole year so far. I know it’s not that exciting, but I just feel really comfortable wearing it. I think it’s the flared shape of the skirt with the fit of the top, the fact that I can twirl in the skirt, plus the fact that it’s got a retro feel but isn’t over the top – it’s all just working with what I want to wear at the moment. I haven’t felt really good about an outfit in ages, so I was glad to finally find a good one! Now I’ve just got to figure out what worked about it and how I can replicate that in future outfits.

I also got new glasses! Two new pairs as Glasses Direct had an awesome offer where you could get one pair free and £30 off the other! These are Belladonna in tortoise shell – they’ve got super pretty gold wings and arms so have a bit of a retro feel to match the outfit too.

Have you ever shopped in Collectif’s 50% off sale? Don’t forget to check out my other Style Challenge outfits here!

Outfit Details

Tempest Top: Collectif | Gail Skirt: Collectif Bright & Beautiful | Ankle Boots: Dorothy Perkins via House of Fraser*