When Miriam Baker sent me the dramatic Vicki blouse for this month’s feature, it took a little village to prepare for our shoot. Thanks to ALLY Shoes for lending me a pair of their incredibly comfortable power heels, insurance broker Sam for suggesting the cheetah-print pants, and Becky from Violet’s Volition for sharing her gorgeous 1950’s gold foil pencil skirt. The Vicki blouse was gifted to Hourglassy from Miriam Baker. All opinions are our own, and clicking links in today’s and tomorrow’s posts will not result in commissions to Hourglassy.

As with the Rory dress, the fabric and construction quality were obvious before I even finished unfolding the Vicki blouse from the package. You can tell by the lavish sleeves and generous ties that Miriam Baker hasn’t skimped on details.

The overhead sun during our shoot means you can’t see the sparkle of the Swarovski crystal button, but you can see the sheen of the fine Italian fabric!
I’m wearing the size 10 in this blouse. I measure 40.5″ at my bust and 33″ at my waist, and I’m wearing a UK 32G bra.
The sleeves are too long on me, yet rolling them up would have obscured their special design. I could easily have shortened them by moving the cuff seam higher up my arm, but I wanted to preserve the length for someone taller–you’ll see her in tomorrow’s post.
I’m seeing the little gathers below the neckline everywhere this season, along with a looser, more relaxed profile.

The difference between the less fitted styles you see in stores and those you’ll find from Miriam Baker is that she begins with a block pattern for full-busted women. Styles that begin with a block for B cup women will flatten a D+ chest and pull at the armholes. Women with a big bust can size up to get more room at the chest, but they’ll also get more room where they don’t need it–at the shoulders. Even in a larger size, if the armholes haven’t been specifically cut for a larger chest, the space that’s allocated for the chest tends to come from the armhole. (This explains why something that is too big can still make you feel squirmy and uncomfortable.)

Finally, I got an entirely different look when I brought the ties forward and added a pencil skirt and black nylons. Which look do you prefer, and how would you style the Vicki blouse from Miriam Baker?