Vanessa Kelly is a champion of the novelty print, and I love a good one myself – so needless to say her Madeline dress in cactus print was so much fun to style for today’s blog post! We couldn’t find a large enough group (or should I say a spike?) of cacti for the backdrop but we did stumble upon oodles of hydrangeas in full bloom which were almost as bobbly and far less aggressive. Please note that no hydrangeas were harmed for this shoot – the one I’m holding in some of our pics was found alone on the ground ❤ Read on for more about the Madeline dress!

A great dress perfect for those hot summer days, the Madeline dress is a slightly more casual piece than the Matilda dress but just as stylish! It features the same curved V neckline as the Matilda, but with a less full skirt (that will still comfortably accommodate a single layer petticoat) and the addition of pockets! The 100% cotton fabric is super adorable, with a bright cactus print in green, blue, and orange, printed on a white background.

I’m wearing an NZ size 8, which is the equivalent to the same size in the UK and Australia. As I’m usually a size 6 the fit was a little big on me (though not obviously so and nothing a belt couldn’t fix), which is a good indication that Vanessa’s garments are true to size. The Madeline dress is available in the full size range of 8 to 18, but there are limited quantities of each so they won’t last forever!

The Madeline dress can be purchased directly from the Vanessa Kelly Clothing website for $190NZD. Laybuy options are available, as is New Zealand-wide and international shipping. Over the summer you can also find Vanessa at local markets where you can try on and buy her creations in person.

Full outfit details:

Madeline dress in cactus print – c/o Vanessa Kelly Clothing

Necklace – thrifted

Belt – vintage

Heels – Chase & Chloe

A huge thank you to Vanessa for letting me style her lovely Madeline dress! Make sure to check her out on Instagram and Facebook to see her other prints and designs. And thank you to @cmjsnz for taking my picture in front of these amazing hydrangea bushes at the University of Auckland.

Miss Hero Holliday

xo