So originally this was going to be a Valentine’s Day post but with all the crazy happenings towards the end of Pinup Doll Australia All-Stars prep, a lot of my ideas just got pushed onto the back burner. As I was deleting old blog ideas, this one still took me as something that’s relevant whether it is Valentines Day or not. So, here we are!

I love going out on a good old fashioned date; sure times have changed and what used to be dinner and a movie is normally take-out food in sweat pants on the couch but sometimes, on the rare occasion, date night is a little bit fancier. I don’t often talk about my private life but for those that know me in real life, will know my partner does not dress vintage at all. I often get asked if I would like him to dress vintage or if I secretly hope he would start dressing up on his own accord but the simple answer is ‘no because it’s not who he is’. My partner dresses very modernly and that’s totally fine because that’s who he is. I wouldn’t want him to dress up and feel uncomfortable or out of place. I don’t need him to become an accessory to my own outfits because he is his own person, with his own style and his own sense of fashion. Sure some people don’t get it, but we get it and it’s a relationship between us and we’re happy with it just the way it is.

Moving on because we all know I go off on tangents! Date night, the one not including the couch and Netflix is something very special to me and a chance to get a bit more dolled up. For this post, I have collaborated with vintage-inspired fashion brand,  Aisize to bring you three very vintage and romantic date night outfits ideas. Aisize was founded in 2018 with a mission to redefine a new vintage concept. They strive to retain basic and traditional retro style but adding modern pop elements and making retro clothing more concise and elegant. Aisize also specializes in the use of lace, woven fabrics, gunny rag and many other materials. Today, I will review three amazing dresses from their site and take you on a three-part date with me around my city.

Photos were taken by Caitlyn Jean.

Dress One: Vintage Ruffles Cocktail Pencil Dress
This is probably my favourite dress from this whole collaboration because it’s super flattering, romantic and well designed. I’m a particular fan of the peplum flaps and the cute little buttons. Because of its simple colouring, I chose the Beige option, you can add all sorts of fun colours in the way of belts, hats, gloves and other accessories to really make this dress your own.
The dress features a centre front faux button opening with a sweetheart neckline, two peplum petals at the waist, a fitted wiggle skirt and sleeves. The dress has a back zipper to get in and out of and is made from a polyester/spandex combination which feels like a crepe. This dress is so beautiful to wear and style, it was very comfortable and felt really special. This would be perfect to wear for special occasions or in a more professional setting.
For this date, I was taken to a tea house; always a winner with me. I love small, intimate and kooky places especially when most of their menu is tea. This date, in particular, was Chapels in Maylands where I highly recommend the Mango Oolong Ice Tea, it will change your life! It’s such a lovely space, the food is delicious and the staff are kind, efficient and generally just sweet.
Shop my outfit here.

Dress Two: Golden Bow Contrast Colour Wiggle Dress
So this dress comes in a great range of colours making it almost the perfect Christmas party dress with the gorgeous gold trim (if you get it in green or red especially). I opted for the navy blue which I thought was really beautiful and romantic. Out of this whole collaboration, this dress is the only one without a traditional ‘romantic’ colour pallet. I noticed so many pinups going for reds, pinks and white when it came to Valentines Day (myself included) so I thought by opting for this darker pallet, it’ll encourage you to try something different.
The dress is made from a spandex/polyester blend which feels like crepe and features a simple wiggle skirt and a gathered under the bust. This was very flattering and made me look and feel very curvy. The highlight feature of the dress is, of course, the gold trim around the neckline/collar, the golden bow and the trim around the sleeves. The dress has a side zipper and is really flattering on the body.
For this date, I would love to go to a wonderful picnic and a walk amongst the flowers. Ideally, locations such as Araluen are always a treat but due to time, we went to a different park instead. I really enjoy a date which involves food, flowers and tea; all of which can be found on a picnic.
Shop my outfit here.

Dress Three: Puff Sleeve V-Neck Cocktail
Out of all the dresses I received, this one was the most simple and casual. Of course, it always depends on how you style your date-night outfit which can elevate your look or give you a more casual feel. I chose this dress in the burgundy option as there’s nothing better than red tones for a romantic evening. I found the front bodice to be very flattering with the gathering under the bust lines and Waistline being triangular to fit really snug under the chest. The skirt was fell structured and fitted and the dress has a back zipper. Like the others, the dress is made from a spandex/polyester blend which feels like a crepe.
For this date, I was taken antiquing. An absolute favourite pass time of mine; it’s always exciting to explore, hunt around and see all the beautiful things from years past be put on display. I generally have a few choice locations I like to visit but for me, a bit of antiquing and vintage shopping is always a lovely treat.
Shop my outfit here.

Final Thoughts
All these dresses are wiggle dresses which I always find very romantic and a little bit more “sexy”. Well, at least for me as I normally wear swing dresses with big skirts so for a romantic evening, I try to lean towards something a little bit different and show my body off a little bit. The only issue I have with wiggle dresses is that having Endo, I do get Endo belly quite often so the first dress was definitely the most forgiving for such an occasion. Originally I did have a swing dress I wanted to review but was unable to receive it due to stock, so, unfortunately, I can’t comment about what Aisize’s swing dresses are like. Maybe next time.

Overall, the quality was absolutely amazing. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality I received in correspondence to the price of these dresses (between $35-40 AUD). Besides one or two threads that were sticking out, there was really no faults with any of the dresses. They were all flattering, comfortable and really easy to wear. They received heaps of compliments when they were worn and I was really happy with the correspondence between myself and Aisize. These dresses are perfect for someone getting into vintage/pinup who has a bit of a tighter budget but I can also see these dresses being altered for perhaps a Disneybound, cosplay or a costume. Each dress can be customized to suit the wearer which I think is always a plus.

All these dresses were a size Medium which fit me just fine. I made sure to look at the sizing chart before ordering and found the medium to be the best fit for me. For those unaware, the Aisize sizing chart looks at the correlation between your height and weight which although isn’t the most accurate, worked fine for me. I am quite tall but am a little curvy. Most dresses also have a normal size chart available to look at so I would recommend checking both to see if your sizing matches up and if you’re stuck, message the company and ask for assistance. I found their correspondence very quick, polite and they happily answered all my questions. On average, most of their dresses range from sizes small to XXLarge which is pretty great for inclusivity in general.

Shipping, from the time I was told my order was sent, took around 10-14 days but also note, the bushfires were delaying a lot of postage so it’s really hard to tell what is or isn’t delayed due to external factors. The dresses arrived individually sealed in bags adorned with the company logo and wrapped in tissue paper. There was no strange chemical smell or instantly noted damage or markings.

Shop Aisize here.
Photos taken by Caitlyn Jean.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way.