floral

Theme 46. REVOLVE Outfits. Dresses for a Date and Summer Trips to Europe

Revolve Dresses on blogger Ulia Ali vs on models. Honest review on outfits for wedding and date night

Dear Online Girlfriend, every time I shop online I have no idea if I will look as good as the models pictured. Previously I shared a few articles with my reviews with side to side photos of me and the beautiful models (click here to access all honest Revolve reviews). After years of ordering from REVOLVE, I learnt what fabrics and cuts suits me the best and which styles I probably should avoid (those mini sweater dresses? Most of the time are too short on me, which I demonstrated in previous posts. Bear in mind, I am only 5’ 5” = 165 cm! ).

Right now, we are in the heat of the summer season and if lucky, vacations and trips to Europe. The outfits I am about to review will be perfect for all your hot weather and early fall romantic getaways, girls trips and date nights (and days). So get comfortable and plunge into this detailed photo review that I hope will help you shop and look even more dazzling.

And if you have any questions please DM me on Instagram @uliaali . It makes me tremendously happy when I get to connect with you, girls and feel useful.

Let us begin!

Lpa Bambina vintage style polka dot brown dress

Vintage Romance

Pack this perfect vintage style brown polka dot dress on a getaway to Italy or for a sumptuous al-fresco dinner date in your city.

CLICK HERE

I have been eyeing this vintage-style LPA polka dot dress for a bit, and when I finally put it on I immediately felt that this is the dress I will not get bored of for many many years!



It slightly reminds of the iconic Pretty Woman look, the one Julia Roberts wore for a polo match, and has a flattering cut that makes your waist look tiny. It is easy to adjust how tight you want your waistline to be snatched by the tie.

It is a bit on pricey side, but looks so chic and timeless that it will serve for a long time.

Buy it here before it sells out again!






Speaking of polka dots, I finally succumbed and got another bestselling Majorelle Brady Dress, and it looked better than I imagined!

While this sexy tube dress with a slit is flattering, there is a way less room to “breathe”. There is no zipper or buttons, so prepare to squeeze into the dress.

I wore it on my vacation on Mexico City. I also think it will be a wonderful addition in a wardrobe of a bride, whether for a honeymoon, bridal shower or bachelorette parties.

Other Polka Dot styles I love are below. I actually have the Bellah Mini dress and so happy to see it back in stock. Hands down one of my MOST worn summer mini dresses. Easy to put on, not to short and looks very pretty. I am giving it 10/10!

This Harmony dress by h:ours is definitely a risque choice, but it is a KILLER look for a sexy date with your man or a night out with friends if you are feeling daring.

The top part sits a bit higher than I wished for, but overall it is an amazingly seductive twist on a little black dress.

Floral Beauty

If you are ever looking for a high quality, beautiful, feminine, romantic dresses, I suggest you check out Hemant and Nandita brand.

I LOVE their dresses and I find them a very classy choice for a summer wedding.

I wore this dress on my trip to Cartagena, Columbia, and it is a available in a slightly different print: Veena Dress

All other Heman & Nandita styles HERE.

Michael Costello Set

I love a good two-piece set as you can wear them together and separately. The quality of this Costello set is good and it comes in a few colors (I love my green one, but the black one is a classic too).

Midi Skirt HERE

Top HERE

This is another original two-piece dress that is sexy, yet classy at the same time. It is sold together and, GOOD NEWS, it is now on major sale!

Lovers & Friends Midi Dress

I love wearing the navy top separately and it looks very stylish with white linen pants or classic denim jeans. Such a great find!




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Theme 42: Pennsylvania. A weekend in Gettysburg

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There has been an exciting change my life! I am now a proud owner of a beautiful white fluffy samoyed named Enzo (full name is Enzo Sir Lancelot of Pine, because let’s face it, I would never be satisfied with just one name!). We chose to get our samoyed from the breeder White Magic Samoyeds, and going to Pennsylvania to pick up our puppy was a main reason of my road trip adventure.

I have never been in Pennsylvania before, but there were quite a few places I was dying to explore. One of them was Fallingwater House designed by world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The house named “best all-time work of American architecture” was a little bit far from our final PA destination, so we opted to focus on exploring the city of Gettysburg and the nearby areas. 

If you follow me on Instagram or regularly read my blog, you might know that I am a big history buff, and as Gettysburg town played a significant role during the American Civil War, it has a great deal of historical monuments, wartime relics and is soaked with hair-raising ghost tales. Gettysburg also has this wonderful small-town charm, beautiful old Victorian style houses and one of the oldest inns in the whole America - The Historic Fairfileld Inn.

The Fairfield Inn that was built in 1757 was originally the Mansion House of Squire Miller, an original founder of town. The Inn is irresistibly charming and preserves all the flavors and details of the Revolutionary and Civil War eras. The Inn offers a few beautiful elegant and cozy rooms, but unfortunately, the Fairfield Inn was bully booked for the weekend we visited. I do recommend you to stay at the Inn (and I will certainly go back to do so!) as it is a unique and very romantic experience, and so much more intriguing than some little basic hotel room at a generic giant hotel chain.

Even though, Ben and I couldn’t stay at the Inn, we still wanted to explore it. Luckily the Inn has excellent dining options. We were lucky, and on the day of our visit there was a limited period dinner theatre experience, and I was obviously excited about it! 

The Inn was even more wonderful and detail-rich than I imagined, and as we arrived early, we had some great conversation with the host of the dinner theatre, Professor Kerrigan, who performs Civil War era magic, tells dramatic ghost stories, and is frankly, hilarious and fascinating at the same time!

The show was lovely, and truly gave us a little feeling of being immersed in another time. Food was beyond excellent! Don’t expect expensive fancy gourmet dishes as the Inn offers authentic, filling, delicious meals, that give you a taste of home. It is the kind of food your grandmother lovingly prepares specially for you when you visit, or what you imagine people eating on Christmas or big weddings in the 19th century. I had one of the most tasty soups I EVER had - a traditional Ham & Bean soup from the original recipe that was used to feed the Confederate Army in 1863! Then we tried Ribs and famous Chicken & Biscuits, that is prepared using the old recipe  passed through generations of innkeepers for centuries. But the absolute highlight of the my period dining experience was a freshly baked berry pie that I am craving every day since.

It was such a pleasant and warm visit, and now I really want to go back during Christmas time as they put out a beautiful Christmas tree and all the fireplaces are inviting you to warm yourself next to the crackling fire. How wonderful does it sound?

Discovering and sharing precious and under-the-radar places in America really gives me pleasure, and I can’t wait to explore more charming towns, rich with history and hospitality of their habitants. 

If you are interested to learn more about the historic Gettysburg, I recommend this history bus tour with an excellent guide (click here to learn more).

 

PROM AND WEDDING GUEST DRESSES 2017 SPECIAL.

Prom and wedding season is approaching, and females all around the world are on a hunt for a beautiful gown (or two). This Spring and Summer you are not only allowed, but encouraged to transform yourself into a fairytale creature; a nymph in a semi-transparent mesh dress, a princess in a ball gown, a mermaid who escaped dark waters to wear a sparkling gown!

SHOP OUR LOOKS:

Ulia is wearing - Jovani

Kate is wearing - Basix Black Label (this gown comes in 5 colors!)

This special photoshoot with my gorgeous friend and one of the top Russian bloggers, Kate from the Beauty Mark Lady, was shot in a lavish Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in Norwalk, Connecticut. The mansion is now open for public as a museum, but you probably have already seen it in Hollywood films (for example in the 2004's version of The Stepford Wives starring Nicole Kidman). 

Interesting fact is that the Lockwood-Matthews mansion was used by survivors and victims of the September 11 attacks.

At the end of this post I have linked the most desirable gowns and dresses of 2017. Some of the curated selection of dresses are under $100, so hurry up before your size is sold out. By the way, don't hesitate to email me at ulya.aliyeva@gmail.com if you need a help with choosing a prom dress or an evening gown. I will ALWAYS reply, and give you a personalised online styling session!

DREAM GOWNS 2017:

Week 23: La Semaine Française. Très chic

A plain, black turtleneck should be in every woman's wardrobe. I found mine at Land's End and I can't stop wearing it this fall. A black turtleneck looks chic and goes with practically any skirt or pair of jeans under the sun. For this photoshoot I decided to pair it with a dreamy, floral skirt from Make Me Chic and light pastel accessories.  I think my outfit turned out very flirty and original, and I was even photographed by Glamour magazine's street-style reporters!

SHOP THE LOOK:

Turtleneck - Land's End (more here) |  Skirt - Make Me Chic (also like this one) | Shoes - Pretty Ballerinas |

Bag - Rebecca Minkoff

Week 21: Greek. Porcelain Doll

As you may remember from this post from Grace Kelly Week, I really like dresses by Eliza J for their manifested fondness of feminine silhouettes and their delicate, beautiful fabrics. When I found this blue and white Eliza J dress, it reminded me of traditional Greek patterns, Mediterranean textiles and classic imperial blue and white porcelain vases. I knew I had to get it and wear it for the Greek Week Theme!

I will link to this gorgeous white dress with its dark blue floral pattern with a few other similar dresses at the end of this post. I think all of the selected styles are perfect for this surprisingly warm fall weather.

SHOP Eliza J dresses: