What I’m wearing this winter: Heartbreaker, Pinup Girl Clothing, Mode Merr, and Trashy Diva

Now that Thanksgiving is over and nighttime temperatures drops below 40 degrees Farenheit, it might as well be winter. That means it’s time for warm, vintage-style daywear and festive holiday frocks! This post is about the daytime stuff!

Known primarily for their sunny cotton dresses, Heartbreaker Fashion (soon to be “Heart of Haute”) brings you something entirely new this season: cozy flannel dresses and separates in great mix ‘n’ match color schemes.

I picked up the Margie skirt in red and the Gretta top in coordinating red check, which you can see at left. I got my regular Heartbreaker size, XL (42-32/33-48″). As usual with Heartbreaker, the Gretta top arms run on the lean side and the waist is roomy. The Margie skirt waist is true to the stated size chart measurements.

I wear mine with tights and a Deadly Dames velvet belt. Warm, comfortable, and festive!

If you’re more into neutrals, some of the new flannel items are available in gray, hunter green, and navy patterns, too! You can check those options out in the screenshot below…

Another winterable option from Heartbreaker is their new Terri top, a 3/4-sleeved knit top with a moderately high neckline.

Actually, it’s what I’d call an adjustable neckline, because the v-neck has shirring. That shirring can rest comfortably at mid-sternum or stretch down between your boobs, if that works for you.

Terri’s cozy enough to layer in cold weather, but not so stifling that it can’t work with capris or a lightweight cotton skirt during the warmer seasons, too.

Heartbreaker offers the Terri top in red or blue stripes and a gray houndstooth print. If you want basic solid colors, PInup Girl Clothing stocks them in white, black, and red.

I got the red/cream striped Terri straight from Heartbreaker, pictured at right with my Heartbreaker Gypsy skirt in cabernet and Remix Veronica platform heels (a great 1940s style). This is more of a summer configuration, but with tights, boots, and a sweater/coat, you can easily change it up for winter. Once again, I bought everything in my usual XL size.

NOTE: Heartbreaker Fashion is changing its name in January. The new company name will be “Heart of Haute.” For more information on the changes, see this blog post.

 

If you’re needing something warm and polished enough for work, here’s the Burana dress from Laura Byrnes at Pinup Girl Clothing (left).

Since discovering the joys of the Laura Byrnes Joanie top, I’ve wanted to try one of the “black label” dresses in the same high-end memory stretch knit. I got my chance several months ago with the Burana in black went on crazy sale!

I chose the 2x size instead of my usual XL on the advice of several friends. While I expected the top to fit stupid-big, it really wasn’t. There’s room, but the memory stretch lends a crispness to the line of the garment that a lesser knit just couldn’t deliver. You should probably size up in if you fall above any of the size chart measurements.

Burana is structured enough to look nice without a belt, but looks especially “50s” with a stretch belt. I’m wearing the 2.25″ Malco Modes stretch belt from Resashay.com. They come in a ton of colors and are generously sized, so check the size chart carefully (I wear a medium).

The Burana used to come in four colorways, but only black and blue are still listed on the Pinup Girl Clothing website. The blue’s out of stock now and the black is available in limited sizes. I’m assuming that they’ll restock eventually, possibly even in new colors, but one never knows. Similar options include the Laura Byrnes Marlene dress and Joanie dress, also out of stock but likely to return (at least in the Joanie’s case).

Another “work appropriate” outfit I’ve been wearing this fall features the Mode Merr Perfect Skirt, a great, high-waisted stretch pencil in a weighty gabardine-like fabric, and the Mode Merr Miss Ruth sweater (above and below).

The skirt comes in a variety of colors and waist options: high or natural. I chose high. After purchasing the same skirt in XXL from owner-designer Angela at Viva Las Vegas last year, the skirt fabric relaxed tremendously. Since the waistline – which had always been a bit big – was now way too big, I purchased the next size down (XL). I feared that my 48″ hip might cause problems with the XL, but I had no trouble at all.

The Miss Ruth sweater is very vintage-looking, 1950s-inspired piece made from a beautiful fudge-colored cottony boucle knit…that has almost no stretch whatsoever. This one’s got a lean fit at the waist and hip, so if you’re over the line – or even close – on any of the measurements, I’d size up. I got my usual Mode Merr XL and it fits fine in the bust and arms, but the waist and hip are close. It’s comfortable and it looks fine, but I might’ve sized up had I known.

Last on the daytime list is the Princess velvet coat from Trashy Diva, at right.

This one’s on final sale and only available in limited sizes, so jump on this one if you can.

With its adorable Peter Pan collar and buttons down the front, this is my favorite coat ever! The princes line works especially well over circle skirts and dresses, but beware! This one fits closely. My usual size 14 is great over dresses but gets lumpy over layers and poofy sweaters.

This is also not a super-warm coat.

While the velvet is weighty and the piece is lined, this one’s best suited for milder winter climates (like mine here in Northern California), or autumn in the colder climes.

I’m including the official Trashy Diva photo of the Princess coat so you can get a feel for the detailing…

And just because…