James and I have wanted to visit Hampstead Heath together for ages. When I saw Laila’s post about Pergola and Hill, I knew I had to take outfit photos there. Laila reckons that a lot of London bloggers use it for snaps – I can see why! I know I’m going to be constantly trying to spot this location in the background of blog photos now. Since I don’t live in London, I rarely use “popular” locations like Notting Hill for photos so it was fun to be able to join in with the trend. As I was posing, three girls walked past with suitcases, looking for a spot to take pictures. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen another blogger in the act of taking outfit photos before, so that was an exciting first! Hampstead Heath is really as close to countryside as you can get in London. In the forest, you could almost forget that you’re in a city, although it’s clearly very well kept and feels like the picturesque garden of an English country estate. It’s a beautiful – albeit very posh – area, and I can’t believe it’s taken us so long to visit. Pergola and Hill has real Secret Garden vibes. Have you seen the film? When I was little I dreamt of a magical hidden garden like that where I could grow plants and soar on the swings and play with the animals.
Outfit Details: Dress, Vintage (Armstrong’s, Edinburgh) / Jacket, UNIF (via Depop) / Shoes, Emilio Luca X Brantano / Sunglasses, Vintage (Beatnik Emporium, Southampton) / Lipstick, Lime Crime (Wicked)
This dress is from the King of all vintage shops – Armstrong’s in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh. I have a real pet hate of overly curated vintage shops. You know the ones – identical denim jackets and cut off shorts, all the shirts cut into the same sleeveless shape. I like to rummage when I’m vintage shopping – I don’t want a rail of identical clothes in different sizes. I want clothes that are strange and unusual and different to each other. I want gothy lace and weird 70s print and sequin pieces that look like costumes. Arstrong’s has all of that! The prices are amazing (excluding that floor length hand embroidered pastel pink coat for £300 that I pined over for a year) and the stock changes all the time. This dress cost me £12! I didn’t mean to buy anything, but I went in for a browse and it fit so well I couldn’t pass it up. I never feel guilty buying vintage clothes at that price – it’s second hand so it has a negligible impact on the environment, I’m not buying into sweatshop labour, and I could always sell it on if I fell out of love with it. Vintage wins every time.
Love your dress, Jess, once I tore my globes away from that glorious wisteria.
What a fabulous combination you chose for dress & location ~ thank you!
The flowers are incredible, aren’t they! Glad you enjoyed the post
Lovely dress and fabulous location! (:
Single Vegas Girl
http://singlevegasgirl.blogspot.com/
Thank you lovely!
So fun, and what a gorgeous location! Still dying to hop across the pond. We’ve started watching Sherlock which is only making it worse! hehe I love that you saw other bloggers there. I always get so self conscious on trips when I stop to take photos. Or even in my own city. hehe I need to get over that, because I like to have the photos!
XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
Oh you definitely should come for a UK visit, I could show you Scotland! I get self conscious to take photos too, but I try to push through it because I love photos so much, haha. I definitely have to be in the right mood though. James always gets embarrassed when we go out for food and I stand on a chair to take a picture of my dinner xx
such a pretty place (and you, of course)! i used to want my secret garden as well as a wee one, and to be honest i’d love one even now:-) i also used to pretend my own spot of garden behind all the bushes in my childhood home was a secret garden even though you could easily see in it if you walked round some bushes, haha. but i’ve started gardening from a very young age and tried planting my own flowers in this “garden” haha! xx
What I would do for a secret garden right now! Most of all I think I’d like a secure garden where I could keep a rescue rabbit. I miss having a pet so much! Ahw that’s so cute, children have amazing imaginations. I started “gardening” as a toddler too, but I’m not sure I kept anything alive…
Yay for Armstrongs, yay for Pergola Hill, yay for that dress, yay for you, basically I just love this post and everything in it
xxxxx
Thanks Laila, what amazing praise! xx