People often (sometimes) ask me where I find my various bits and pieces that I wear and when I toss out the name of whatever retailer it is, they often (sometimes) say “Oh, I never think to look there!”, bringing me to today’s lesson, which is “don’t judge a book by its cover” or “don’t judge an online store by their models”.

Admittedly, this happened to me recently, when PrettyLittleThing got in touch for a collaboration on one of my all-time favourite wardrobe pieces: dresses. My first thought was “oh man, I am about 20 years older and 10 kilos heavier than their target demographic, I don’t know if this is going to work . . .” but I was pleasantly surprised to find not one, not two but THREE really nice and age-appropes dresses, which I present below.

As the cooler weather starts creeping in, I start looking for transeasonal pieces that can be warmed up with jackets and boots or worn as-is for those random still-warm days.

Double-duty always works for me, so this wrap dress is a winner, as a conventional dress:



And as a kimono (no wind fan required on this day!)



Shop it here

Is zebra the new leopard? Discuss.





Shop it here

Or is leopard leopard still the favourite?



Shop it here

I hadn't worn anything from PLT before so it was a great opportunity to experience their clothing. I found the quality to be pretty reasonable for fast fashion and the site often has sales, so you could definitely pick up some great pieces for donuts if you were so inclined.

Sure, most retailers have a fairly obvious target market but if you can dodge the generational messaging, then you might find yourself well-dressed for a bargain in something none of your peers will be wearing and looking great while doing so.

In closing, if you have the time, it pays to sift through the offerings of online stores you haven’t considered before - as a bonus, you don’t have to contend with aggressively loud beats or perky teens in-store. As I always say, make sure you check the size guides and returns policy before you buy, sign up for their welcome bonus and keep an eye out for those regular sale events.


Where have you shopped outside the box recently?
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Dresses kindly gifted by PrettyLittleThing. All images, opinions and windswept personages my own. Photography by @rvmp. For more information, please see my PR & Media policy.