Dressing Like A Modern Pre-Raphaelite Muse

It is a sign that I have been spending so many hours this month to researching the Pre-Raphaelites that when I saw this lovely dress by Revival Retro I thought of John William Waterhouse's Miranda painting rather than the more obvious 1950s inspiration! This month on Patreon I have been do a series on the Pre-Raphaelites and right now I'm working on a post about how to dress like a modern Pre-Raphaelite muse and so that period in history is much more on my mind than more recent decades. The colors in these pictures especially bring Miranda to mind, although if I was truly trying to re-create the painting I'd need to be seaside and windswept! But for me I rarely try to re-create a historic look or painting perfectly; instead there's certain elements of an era that I want to introduce into my style. This dress while thoroughly modern fits the bill nicely as it has so many lovely elements (those perfectly pintucked sleeves) that feel timeless while also being understated. Very modern muse, especially when styled with an almost medieval style flower crown. I was very excited when Revival Retro approached me for a wee Instagram collaboration because their new in-house brand is lovely and is made in London; I really want to wear and support brands that are sourcing materials more ethically and producing clothes in safe conditions. Even the cotton they use is organic and certified to have the least negative impact on the environment. Cotton, like linen, is a natural fibre which means it breathes beautifully even in the midst of the heatwave we're experiencing. I used to feel like shopping more ethically meant changing my style, but lately so many lovely, vintage-inspired brands are adapting more ethical production. I'm wearing the Brighton dress and it's a really lovely piece. It's almost deceptively simple with its scoop neckline, wee sleeve detailing, and full skirt (which yes, has pockets!), but there's a lot of thought put into a beautiful well-made piece like this. It's easy to style a myriad of ways, hints at vintage without feeling like a costume, and flatters the figure.