If you’re looking for beautiful vintage-inspired clothing that is made-to-measure, go no further than Heart My Closet. Owner, designer and maker Cynthia crafts high-quality pieces from true vintage patterns, bringing the glamour and elegance of old to the present day.

Cynthia suggested a few styles to me to choose from, including a goregous style from a vintage Vogue pattern. I fell completely in love with the neckline, as it was unlike anything I’d seen before. The only problem was that it was a wiggle style, one which I’m generally not too comfortable in, and I wanted to make sure this dress would be one I would reach for in the future. This was no problem for Cynthia though, and she was so accomodating around my request for a fuller skirt. Many of the styles on the Heart My Closet website can be adapted for wiggle or swing skirts, so you can note which you would prefer when you order.

As soon as I saw this dress in person I thought it would fit perfectly, and when I zipped it up my suspicions were confirmed! Cynthia made the dress exactly to my measurements, and she was very thorough when requesting them and provided links to visual examples so that I was getting her the measurements she needed. She even double checked my arm measurement (just as well, as I’d done it wrong!) and whether I really was that short in the waist (I am!), just to be extra sure that she was making the perfect garment for me.

I was able to request my desired total length which allowed me to control how long the skirt would be, and it hits at just the right length for me. The skirt is more A-line so I’m wearing a thinner petticoat than I would normally wear in this shoot, though I believe a fluffier petticoat would still work. I also customised the sleeve length, requesting them to be just above the elbow which I find very flattering and especially useful in the air conditioning at work.

The collar and neckline really are the stand-out features on this dress. The neckline is reasonably wide, and so Cynthia has kindly included bra strap keepers on the inside shoulders of the dress. There are four sweet little buttons up the front, and the dress zips up the back which makes it easy to get in and out of. Each dress is made in a mid-weight cotton blend, and you can choose from over 30 colours! This was a nearly impossible decision for me, but I eventually settled on this gorgeous medium purple as it’s a colour I felt I needed more of in my wardrobe. It’s red-based purple which matches perfectly with a number of accessories I have in the same shade, and I also look forward to pairing it with contrasting colours like red, turquoise, or mustard.

Heart My Closet prices start at around $88USD for vintage-inspired and celeb-inspired pieces, around $110USD for ladies suits, and you can recreate your favourite Mad Men looks for $140USD. They even do mens suits! I was also delighted to find that there is no additional charge for a choosing a custom fit over standard sizing as your garment will be made when you order, which also means that you can expect it to ship anywhere between 10-23 days. Heart My Closet ship worldwide for very reasonable rates, starting at $13USD and going up to a flat rate of $30USD for a $400USD+ order.

Full outfit details:

Dress – c/o Heart My Closet

Brooch & belt – vintage

Heels – Chelsea Crew via Royal Vintage Shoes (full review here)

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A huge thank you to Cynthia from Heart My Closet for this collaboration, to @cmjsnz for these lovely photos, and to his parents for allowing us to shoot outside their house!

Miss Hero Holliday

xo