A Peak at our Nostalgic Spring/Summer 2021 Collection

We’re all looking forward to brighter days and warmer weather. The team at Carousel are no different and this year we’ve created our happiest and most radiant collection yet! We wanted to create beautiful vintage style clothing that will put a smile on your face and a bounce in your step.

The Ava is a gorgeous shirt dress inspired by the glamour of the 1940s. Perfect your vintage style with elegant cap sleeves, a removable belt and a full a-line skirt. Featuring detailed yellow sunflowers printed on a rich blue cotton with teal undertones.
The Ava Midi Sunflower Dress, €79, Available Now

We’ve created a collection of vintage inspired clothing that celebrates our nostalgic memories of summer as a child. There is a reassuring comfort in remembering our childhoods fondly, and we all need a bit of comfort at the moment. When creating our prints we were inspired by moments such as; occupying ourselves picking flowers, spending our pocket money on penny sweets, splashing through puddles after a rain shower and of course trips to the seaside.

Splash through puddles in our Ingrid Umbrella Dress, €65, Available Now

We design our own brand “Circus” at Carousel that celebrates individuality, femininity and nostalgia. Our aim is to create fun and flattering clothing that empowers the wearer, with a touch of vintage flair. We’re very excited about our Spring/Summer 2021 collection and we can’t wait to hear what you think! A few items from the collection are available now. And the rest of the pieces will be available at ilovecarousel.com over the next few weeks.

The Nova is a brand new shape and will be your new go-to summer dress! It has a gorgeous relaxed shape that is so easy to wear. We designed this classic dress for everyday wear with an elasticated waist for added comfort. The vintage inspired Nova boasts a refreshing floral print on a sky blue cotton base for a vibrant, retro look.
The Nova Geo Floral Dress, €69, Available Now

We have created a selection of our Spring/Summer 2021 pieces using Organic Cotton. We’ve also started to introduce our new recyclable packaging. And of course, each piece of clothing is ethically made in our partner facory, Good Earth India.

Sweeten up your wardrobe with our Twiggy Lolly Dress, €65, Available Now

From the beginning of Carousel in 2001, we have focused on doing things the right way. We believe in order to deliver exceptional vintage style, we need to design our products alongside our values. And so our aim is to create excellent vintage inspired clothing for women to enjoy and feel good about wearing!

This quirky baby cactus design is printed on 100% organic cotton, a first for Circus this Spring/Summer. The Maude dress features a classic shirt bodice with a gathered skirt for a relaxed and flattering shape. We designed this dress for you to find the fun in expressing your individual style every day.
The Maude Baby Cactus Dress, Made from 100% Organic Cotton, €69, Available Now

All of these items and many more vintage inspired pieces will be arriving at m2.ilovecarousel.com over the next few weeks.

We would love to hear what you think of our new collection! Get in touch on Instagram @ilovecarousel or tag us using #ilovecarousel.

Serve Spring Style in our new Tennis Style Patterns!

Game, set, match! Spring is finally in the air, and that means new arrivals at Carousel. We are so excited to start sharing our latest styles from our Circus range, all designed in house here in Dublin, and produced ethically in collaboration with our factory in India.

We have lots of new patterns and colours now available, all in our popular, vintage inspired shapes of course. One new pattern we are very excited about is this fun and colourful tennis style pattern!

New tennis style Circus pattern

With a bright, multi colour print, this pattern looks great paired with bold, block colours for spring. This pattern makes us dream of summer. Watching tennis on a fresh lawn, sipping Prosecco and munching on some strawberries and cream

This gorgeously fun pattern is currently available in two dress shapes and a blouse. Lets take a closer look at these, and some styling ideas, below.

New Tennis style for Spring from Circus

Tennis Style – The Brigitte Dress

 In a timeless 1950’s inspired fit and flare shape, this dress reminds us of the simple but chic dress shapes favored by Audrey Hepburn.

Fit and Flare dress tennis style patternBrigitte Dress: €65Annabelle Cardigan: €49

Style it simply with a cute cardigan thrown over you shoulders for a laid back retro look. You could even layer a long sleeve polo or tee underneath for chillier days. Dress it up with an updo and some matching block colour pumps for fancier soirees. The Brigitte is so versatile, and that’s why we love it!

Tennis Style: The Anna Blouse

Spring is the perfect time for separates because they give you the opportunity to mix and match, and make endless outfits. This is also handy for Springs more, shall we say, temperamental, weather! You can layer up or layer down, dependent on the weather.

Our Anna blouse shape is a must have for your separates collection. You can wear it out loose over jeans for a laid back look, or tucked into a smart skirt for work. Peek the Anna’s necktie out over a jumper or cardi to add a darling detail to any look.

Tennis style separates look from CircusAnna blouse: €45, Marci Skirt: €59, Annabelle Cardigan: €49, Bag sold in-store only

We styled this look by pairing block colour pieces with our tennis style pattern, to really let the pattern speak for itself. We’ve kept the look bright and bold though, because we want our style to stand out this Spring! Stay with the tennis theme, and keep it comfy, by wearing this outfit with some white sneakers. This look is perfect for a shopping trip and some lunch with the girls.

Tennis Style: The Ingrid Dress

It’s always time for tea in our 1940’s inspired Ingrid dress. We can see ourselves sipping tea from vintage porcelain outside on a green lawn this summer in the gorgeous new Ingrid tennis dress. With cute details, like the button up bodice, fold over collar, and cap sleeves, this dress is so, so cute and unique.

Tennis style vintage inspired tea dressIngrid Dress: €59, Cardigan: €49

We’re complimenting this look with a darling sky blue cardigan, and would add other layers and accessories in dainty feminine shades, to let the colours of the pattern really stand out. This dress would look great paired with some retro sandals and straw hat this Spring/Summer season!

So, if you’re ready to serve some vintage inspired, tennis style this Spring, head over to m2.ilovecarousel.com now to net yourself one of these gorgeous styles!

 

 

 

The Circus Spring Summer 2016 Preview!

 

We recently hosted an in store event for members of the press to preview the new Circus Spring Summer 2016 range. Circus is a vintage style clothing range, and is Irish owned and designed in house by the team here at Carousel in Dublin. Needless to say, we are very proud of this line, and we were excited to get a chance to show off the new Spring Summer pieces to members of the press!

Models with vintage style dresses at Carousel Press night

Our lovely models headed to Makeup Forever on Clarendon Street to get their make-up done and get the build up to the event started.

Circus Spring Summer 2016 clothing range sneak peekAs make up was underway, back at our Exchequer street store we prepped our selected looks for fittings. We wanted to show a range that would best represent what Circus is all about  – vintage inspired, unique, feminine, fun, and with oodles of personality. There’s so many shapes we adore in the Circus range that it was hard to chose, but we eventually narrowed it down to nine.

Vintage style Brigitte fit and flare floral dressThe nine looks we featured included some best selling and timeless shapes, like the Brigitte dress above, which we have made available in a variety of colours and patterns. We think this dress’s popularity comes from its versatility – it’s so easy to style for all occasions!

Circus Ingrid Fern dress 1940s styleWe also wanted to preview some of our new patterns and vivid colours for Spring/Summer, many of which have already proven a hit with customers, such as this Ingrid fern print dress, above.

Circus vintage inspired blue dressIn Spring and Summer we like to reintroduce some of our sleeveless or strappy shapes, like the Sylvia and Claudette dresses. We will also shorten sleeves on our popular winter shapes, making them perfect for sunny weather!

Circus Spring Summer 2016 Claudette dress We got the show on the road once our guests had arrived and had some refreshments. Betty took everyone through each individual look, giving the details of each shape, their inspiration, and tips on how to style the pieces.

Circus spring summer 2016 range Charlotte dress

Green twiggy shift dress from CircusThe evening went off without a hitch, so of course we all felt like we deserved a glass of bubbly to celebrate! You can take a look at all the new Circus Spring Summer 2016 arrivals here, with more on the way next week.

Carousel staff and models celebrate press night wrap up

Circus-Carousel-iLoveCarousel-Vintage-Retro-Design-Dress-Ava Gardner

Circus Design & Inspiration Ideas, 2

We got some more swatches in to Carousel HQ this week and we’re having fun playing around with them for our new designs.

We narrowed it down to these two fabrics for our Ava dress and we’re really excited to find out what you think of them! One is a Fan design in two tones of purple with a little orange accent. The other swatch is a graphic floral design with a red base colour…almost like a painting.

Circus-Carousel-iLoveCarousel-Vintage-Retro-Design-Dress-Ava Gardner

Circus Design Inspiration: Fabric options for the Ava dress

Click the pic to see what versions of the Ava we currently have online. In the meantime leave a comment below letting us know what you think…purple or red?

Lots of Love, Carousel xoxo

Circus Design & Inspiration Ideas

We want to let you in on how our ‘Circus’ designs come to be.

Our design process is simple- we take inspiration from Vintage silhouettes and actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood ie. Audrey Hepburn, Joan Crawford. From this we get our dress shapes like the shift, the Teadress, and the classic A-Line.

Circus-Design-Inspiration-Twiggy-Carousel

Circus Design Inspiration Twiggy

We’re currently designing our Spring range so we’re picking from all these amazing fabrics. We’re thinking of one of these prints for our Twiggy dress. Small patterns are great for Spring while the pink and blue will still tie in well with your Winter wardrobe.

Let us know which fabric you prefer in the comments below.

All the best, Carousel xoxo

Gingham is Great! Get Inspired With One Of Our Favorite Patterns.

We’re taking a look at and getting inspired by one of our favorite patterns today – gingham!

With a history stretching back as far as the 1600’s, when it was first imported to Europe, gingham has always been a fashion staple. Fresh, fun, and easy to wear, it’s the perfect pattern to welcome spring into your wardrobe.

Gingham gained a new found popularity with style leaders during the 1940’s and 50’s. Featured in many movie wardrobes, such as on Katharine Hepburn in “The Philadelphia Song” (1940), and seen on many glamorous stars of old Hollywood, this checkered classic was having a stylish revival. Brigitte Bardot even got married in a gingham wedding dress, causing a shortage of the fabric in France! We’ve gathered together some of our favorite vintage gingham looks below, and we’ll show you how to get the look from Carousel!

vintage summer style inspiration carousel

summer dress style inspiration carousel

marilyn monroe style fashon carouselretro icon style hollywood carousel ginghamwedding dress style vintage carousel

Get some gorgeous gingham from Carousel!

We have a major crush on this adorable fit and flare dress from Circus! It’s cute checkered pattern and beautiful blue color will add a breath of fresh air to any wardrobe. Combined with it’s vintage inspired shape, this dress is an instant classic. Based on gingham’s rich and long history, you can’t go wrong with this fab frock! You can find out more about this dress here.
Circus clothing gingham vintage dress carousel

Carousel xox

Introducing Circus: A Unique New Vintage Inspired Label!

Introducing Circus!

We are so excited to stock this brand new label – we just had to share it with you! Circus make vintage inspired pieces for the modern woman, and is a result of collaboration between independent fashion retailers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Consisting of stylish separates and darling dresses galore, Circus is really something special!

Influenced by the classic and feminine shapes of the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s, Circus updates and puts a contemporary twist on old favorites. With colourful patterns, unique prints, shorter hemlines, comfortable fabrics, great fits, and a range of sizes, Circus is perfect for the modern vintage loving lady. The range includes a staple of fifteen shapes. More patterns and prints will be added all the time, mixing and matching as the line grows.

Circus vintage inspired dress retro carousel

Each piece is available in a size 8 – 14, and is so easy to wear. Circus make looking stylish and elegant a breeze! Made from cotton and cotton derivatives (such as rayon and viscose) these clothes hang beautifully, and haves a flowing, soft feel. This is especially evident in their dresses, many of which have full circle skirts. That extra swing makes them perfect for movement and dancing the night away!

Circus carousel retro dress style

We think Circus is made for the woman who knows what she wants. The collaborative nature of the Circus label means that retailers who can’t find the styles they are looking for can ask Circus to make them for them. Since independent retailers always love to get feedback and input from their customers, the clothing made by Circus is based on customers ideas and needs.

Circus clothing retro fashion carousel

Fun, unique, elegant, not afraid to be herself; a classic – does this sound like you? Then you’ll love Circus! Go here to see the full range, stocked exclusively in Ireland by Carousel!

Spring Style: The Deirdre Dress is Back!

One of our favorite styles of dress – the Deirdre – is back just in time for spring, and we just had to share it with you! With three gorgeous new floral prints to choose from, its the perfectly fresh update for your wardrobe. Whether you’re meeting the girls for a bite to eat in town, taking a stroll with an ice cream by the beach, or hitting the dance floor for a shimmy, this cute and comfortable dress can take you everywhere this spring summer season!

Spring Style floal dress carousel

Vintage Inspired Spring Style

With its mandarin style collar and adorable puffed sleeves, we think this dress has a 1940’s vintage vibe, but is kept thoroughly modern with its shorter length A line skirt and popping bright colours. With so much styling potential, you could make this dress extra pretty by adding a cardigan, sling back wedges and matching flowers in your hair. Alternatively, dress it down and grunge it up with some thick tights, boots and a denim jacket. Play around with your spring style with the Deirdre dress, because this dress is definitely made for fun! Available here.

Carousel xox

London Fashion Week 2014 Trends: Fabulous Floral!

We can’t get enough of floral!

We’re very fond of a gorgeous floral frock here at Carousel. It’s the trend that always comes back into fashion every spring/summer season. As the sun starts to peak out from behind the clouds, and the real flowers poke their heads up from beneath the soil, our thoughts turn to warmer days and spending more time outside. Slipping on an outfit that is inspired by nature is one of the best ways to induce happy spring feelings, even if the weather is still not the best. With the explosion of floral prints on the runway at the recent London Fashion Week, floral has again been confirmed as a wardrobe essential! As proved on the London runway, floral prints don’t always have to be dainty. They can be big, bright, and bold, or even mixed with other patterns for a look that makes an impact. Don’t be afraid to stand out!

floral trend spring summer runway

Vintage inspired florals on the Clements Ribeiro runway at London Fashion Week 2014

john rocha floral trend 2014 carousel

Gorgeous and bold florals on the John Rocha runway, London Fashion Week 2014

Get the look at Carousel

graphic black white floral dress carousel

Take a leaf out of London Fashion Weeks book with this bold and graphic floral print dress (above). It’s the perfect mix of tough and pretty, ideal for the transition from winter to spring. Get it here.

Bright floral pattern spring carousel

A vintage rose pattern gets a contemporary update with bright and unexpected colours.. With its flattering neckline and pleated skirt, this dress ticks all of the boxes, and is a spring wardrobe must have! Get it here.

floral shift dress carousel vintage

With an entire bouquet of colourful flowers floating and gathering around this dress, it’s as fresh as a spring breeze. Ideal for any special occasion! Get it here.

Keep your eyes peeled as we add more floral styles to our new arrivals section over the coming months!

Carousel xox

Spring Inspiration: Time To Dream About A Fresh New Season!

Escape the Monday Blues With Some Spring Inspiration!

The weather may still be dreary and cold, but in just a few days it will be February. In our neck of the woods that means it will be officially Spring! Now, we know that we’re not going to see great changes in the weather anytime soon, but we’ll take any excuse to dream about a fresh new season. Spring means flowers in bloom, sun on our skin, more time spent outside, colourful dresses and less bulky layers. We can’t wait! We’ve gathered together some images that give us that light and airy Spring feeling. So take a break from winter to look forward to some warmer and brighter days, they’ll be here soon, fingers crossed!

inspirational flowers quote carouselaudrey hepburn bicycle carouselspring inspiration shoes vintage carouselspring inspiration vintage dress carouselspring inspiration camera vintage carouselspring inspiration style vintage carouselspring inspiration ferris wheel carouselballoons model fashion carousel vintage

Check out our new arrivals section here where we will be adding fresh and inspiring new styles in the coming season.

Carousel xox