Back to Hogwarts

Emmy Design Sweden is one of my all-time favorite vintage-inspired fashion designers. I've changed up what shops and brands I wear in the last few years partially in an effort to shop more ethically but also honestly because my style has shifted. One brand that always ticks all my boxes is Emmy Design. I love that her vintage reproduction pieces focus on very wearable, everyday clothes that don't feel costume-y. This autumn's collection is called "The Collegiate Collection" and it might be my favorite yet. In addition to her usual classic cardigans and wool skirts she also designed the most chic caped dresses and coats, tweed knickerbockers and preppy separates. Everything gives me dark academia vibes and a touch of Harry Potter nostalgia as well (as you can see in this outfit). As Halloween just happened I decided to lean into that influence and nostalgia, styling this dress like a vintage student or professor heading back to Hogwarts. I'm wearing the Glorious Gladrags dress in black (it also comes in dusty blue and bottle green) and it might remind you of the Beauxbatons Academy dress as well! It's a 1930s design and the capelet is detachable. I love this length dress but I normally would wear it with heels or ballet flats so that my legs would look a wee bit longer as I'm only 5'1" and I worry about looking short, but this is honestly cut so flattering it still looks good even with flat ankle boots! The silhouette is just stunning and if you're also petite do not be intimidated by longer dresses, but do look for ones cut in flattering lines like this one. I also saw on Emmy's Instagram that you should remove the simple belt loops that are on your dress when it arrives and wear the belt at your natural waistline. I really appreciated that she made that note, talking about how the belt loops are only there to keep the belt on for display in stores or during transport and the height is arbitrary. You're not too petite or too tall if the belt isn't sitting right with the loops, those belt loops are superfluous, so don't be afraid to remove them and wear the belt where you want. Also: yes this dress has pockets! I think all of Emmy Design's dresses and skirts do.

This was one of those days where things went a bit wrong but then things turned out better than planned! I first tried to take pictures in this outfit with my hair down, but as it was raining off and on my hair started to look pretty bad pretty quickly! So I went back home to dry off and ended up trying out this vintage inspired up-do with my beret. It wasn't what I had originally planned, but a solution to hide my wet hair and I think it looks way cuter and more period appropriate than my original hair style! I get so into a routine with styling my hair that sometimes I forget all the cute styles and options out there. This style didn't take long at all and it held up even as I continued to get rained on! The green and blue versions of this dress are made with crepe, but the black version is made with a brushed wool. It's not itchy at all but so warm so I didn't even mind the damp--and I love how the wool really holds the shape of the dress.

Emmy Design "Glorious Gladrags" dress gifted, vintage brooch & boots