Exciting Times as Circus visits Pure London!

February 10, 2015

Vintage Inspired Style at Pure London

We are just back from a whirlwind trip to the UK’s biggest and best fashion trade show Pure London. It has made us so excited for the year ahead! We traveled from Dublin to London to exhibit the Spring/Summer samples from our vintage inspired Circus range that you know and love. We also brought along our new leisurewear range Kyte, a laid back and casual line that you’ll be hearing more about very soon!

Circus Kyte exhibit at Pure London Trade Show

Circus is Growing!

We are always looking for ways to make the Circus range better for you. One of our goals of traveling to Pure London was to find other stockists for Circus, so that it is even easier for you to get your vintage inspired style fix. Thanks to our trip to Pure, traders in Belgium, Germany, Spain, Scotland and England will all now be stocking Circus! So keep an eye out for us in a town near you very soon!

Circus at Pure London Fashion Trade Show UK

Exciting collaborations!

We are also delighted to announce that we will be collaborating with one of our favorite online retailers Modcloth in the future. This will make it easier for our American customers to find their most adored Circus styles closer to home . Modcloth already stock some of our dresses, some of which are almost sold out they are so popular! We are greatly looking forward to seeing the results of this collaboration.

Circus Samples Spring Summer Pure London

As always, our main aim is to listen to and be influenced by the needs and wants of you, the customer. Expansion of Circus makes it possible to continue producing a vintage inspired range that does just that. This is exciting times for Circus, and we hope you will come along for the journey!

Summer Movie Style Inspiration – Look 3: Dirty Dancing

July 18, 2014

And now, for the last of our series of Summer Movie Style Inspiration, we look at the ultimate girly movie, Dirty Dancing.

It’s the summer of 1963. The sweet girl-next-door ,Frances ”Baby” Houseman, joins her family at a holiday resort run by a patient of her father’s. Baby plans to attend college that Autumn and then join the Peace Corps…that is until she meets the ridiculously handsome Johnny and all plans fall by the wayside as she falls head over heels for him (literally!)

When we first see Baby she wears embroidered white tops and denim shorts…the picture of simplicity and innocence. As the story progresses and Baby starts to dance with Johnny we are treated to some sumptuous dresses that are all fit and flare. These dresses embody the passionate romance of the movie…and they are all about the femininity.

We went away and put together our own Dirty Dancing inspired look for you. This fit and flare dress has all the femininity of Baby’s finale dress but is more wearable for daytime. Throw this beautifully soft cardigan around your shoulders and you’re ready to dance the mamba!

Summer Movie Style Inspiration – Look One: Grease!

July 9, 2014July 9, 2014

It’s the height of summer, and on those days when it’s just too warm to go outside, or you’ve already been out and about in the sun all day, we like to cool down by watching some of our favorite (and most stylish!) summer movies. Over the next few days, we will be revisiting our top 3 summer movies, and creating outfits inspired by each one! So first up is the colourful and rambunctious musical “Grease”!

A classic story about a good girl and bad boy falling in love, this movie is what we wish our summers in high school were like! Even though made in 1978, this movie still looked back to the 1950’s for it’s setting and style, and the outfits are to die for! With lots of retro fit and flare dresses, poodle skirts, cute little sweaters, bobby socks, and bad ass jackets, this movie is a treat for any vintage loving stylista.

Getting the Grease look for yourself isn’t too difficult. We really love lead character Sandy’s style throughout the movie. She has that classic prim 1950’s style – all big full circle skirts, petticoats and cardigans. To pay homage to the movies girl gang “The Pink Ladies” we’ve paired this cute pink polka dot shirt with this gorgeous anchor print full skirt. Just tie your hair into a prim ponytail, add a cardigan (worn on your shoulders only of course!) and a pristine pair of white bobby socks, and you have the Sandy look! If you want to represent Sandy’s “bad” (but oh so good!) side that emerges in the movie, you could pop the collar of your shirt and add these sassy vintage inspired cat eye sunglasses.

Check back soon for more of our favorite summer movie style – next up is “500 Days of Summer”!

Carousel xox

Trés Chic! Vintage Cannes Film Festival Style.

May 16, 2014May 16, 2014

In celebration of the beginning of the Cannes film festival 2014 this week, we’ve decided to take a look at some vintage Cannes style! This prestigious festival has always attracted the biggest stars from all over the world, and they really put their best fashion foot forward. Celebrities are mobbed by the paparazzi everywhere they go, and every minute spent there is turned into a photo opportunity. Cannes style seems to go from one extreme to the other, with no in between. It’s either laid back and casual chic as stars relax by the beach during the day, or all-out glitz and glamor as they strut the red carpet and attend parties at night. Here are some of our favorites:

From the beach…

Brigitte Bardot – barefoot and careless on the beach

Cary Grant – so dapper!

Grace Kelly relaxes in chic floral capri pants

Love this laid back all white look on Jane Birkin

…to the red carpet.

Sophia Loren stuns on the red carpet

Elizabeth Taylor doesn’t need a crown to prove she’s the queen of style!

Mitzi Gaynor and some delightful polka dots!

Grace Kelly’s polished ladylike evening look

Find your red carpet look with one of our modern vintage dresses, available here!

Carousel xox

Summer Essentials: Gorgeous new arrivals from Emily and Fin!

April 10, 2014

Seven new dresses have just arrived from Emily and Fin, and they are stunners!

We’ve been planning our wardrobes for better weather and summertime, and these new dresses are giving us lots of style inspiration! With a riot of patterns, colours, and gorgeous shapes to choose from, there is a dress for every occasion here. A classic polka dot dress can take you anywhere. You could easily wear these polka dot Emily and Fin dresses to work, a wedding, or a night out on the town. (You can find dress number 2 here, dress 4 here, and dress 5 here)

The two vibrant floral dresses from Emily and Fin will really get you in the mood for summer! Add a pop of colour to your wardrobe with the Sophie dress (here). We love its cinched waist – so flattering! Rock some vintage tropical vibes with the Scarlett dress (here). We’d add a big straw hat and sandals for summer. All we need now is a tropical beach!

Summer is always more fun than winter, and this year you can really up the fun factor with the Jessica and Lucy dresses from Emily and Fin. You’ll stay cool all summer long in the Jessica dress, with its ice lolly print and knock out shirt dress shape (available here)! We’d add some wedged sandals, cat eye shades and a retro hairstyle. Shake off the winter blues for good in the Lucy dress (available here), covered in energetic acrobats flying through the air. We love its longer length skirt, perfect if you want to stay cool with bare legs in the summer heat, but don’t like to show off too much leg!

We can’t decide which is our favorite – can we just have one of each?
Carousel xox

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

March 24, 2014March 24, 2014

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!

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.

Carousel xox

Spring Style: The Deirdre Dress is Back!

February 25, 2014February 25, 2014

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!

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!

February 21, 2014February 21, 2014

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!

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

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

Get the look at 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.

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.

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

Tropical Trends

July 24, 2013July 24, 2013

Tropical Trends

This has been the perfect summer to shine bright in some serious tropical trends. We’re thinking of learning how to hula dance just for the season. What do you think? And the most fun will probably be naming our outfits…

“The Annette and Frankie”

“Pineapple Princess”

“Back to the Beach, Baby”

Festival Fashion 2013

July 17, 2013

Festival Fashion 2013

Festival Fashion season is in full swing and we can’t wait to spend the weekend listening to bands and dancing in the gorgeous sunshine. Of course we’re gonna need some seriously stylish outfits to show off and we’ve got some must haves from Carousel!