Bank Holiday Fun #1

Dress/Tunic, Topshop

Jeans, Paige

Plimsolls, Keds

Leather Backpack, The Corner

"Two Wrongs Can Make a Riot": 2014 Wedding Season Picks

It's cold and rainy outside. That however is not stopping the on coming juggernaut that is 'The Wedding Season'. 

The ever pressing spring/Summer battle of what to wear on those long, often drunken weekends of celebrating the joyous nuptials of dear friends and family. I panic EVERY time. 

So I thought I would trawl through the best styles and outfits; fit for any possible occasion. To help you wade through 'The Wedding Season' without breaking a sweat. 

The first look is an easy & stylish fix if you are really in a sartorial bind. Lifted from the Man Repeller but on a slightly more affordable budget. I suggest accessorising with big, chunky jewellery to make this look more formal than a birthday lunch or dinner.

A maxi skirt and a plain shirt can work wonders. I am a particular fan of this look as you can kick off your heels towards the end of the night and still look as elegant as ever. Contrasting heels work well with this as you would occasionally flash your interesting shoes as you kick back at the reception table while shamelessly flirting with the male guests.

This works best with both a sleeveless shirt or an over sized button up, both are formal, yet relaxed (unbuttoned) enough to make you not look like you have just hopped out of bed and into the church.

The next look is an established, all round and well received wedding choice. The shift dress. It is always goes down well with the older guests who will always judge the Bride & Groom's choice of friends. This look allays their fears that their pride and joy is not fraternising with someone (relatively) unwholesome, without making you feel frumpy or dressed like your grandmother.

Go all out with this, Beehive, Cat's eye eye-liner, pale & slightly glossed lips. You will look great in the photos (if you are in any) and will make you look like a timeless beauty when you kick back and start doing 'The Twist' (You can't have a wedding WITHOUT that song!)

The final look is a little more Avant Garde for a traditional wedding but will work just as well if you are going to a rather modern urban wedding. It is sometimes said wearing white to a wedding is a bit of a no-no (out of politeness, I would consult with the bride) however I think this look is far too amazing to leave for yet another cocktail party.

If you want to look as sexy as hell to pull the attention of that grooms-man you've your eye on this will certainly do the trick & you'll feel as chic as aforementioned hell.

The humour of this wonderful (and well received) clutch from Anya Hindmarch will tone down the vampish-ness without you having to do without the red matte lipstick that this is begging for.

This look is not for the feint at heart and you will be noticed, for good and for bad (there are just too many rules for weddings - they should just be fun!) but if you are confident to go for it; this is the outfit that will outshine all others.

Pair beauty regime down for this look; the dress does enough of the talking for you. But a red lip is an absolute must. 

So there you have it. I hope you enjoy this 'Wedding Season' and hope you've the best time celebrating it. I know I will!

Just as an aside, I have found the best pieces of modern confetti 

(because, CONFETTI!)

Enjoy!

      Horse-Shoe News Print Confetti       Diamond Cut Confetti                Vintage Map Confetti

                                      Pipii                               Modern Confetti                                             Etsy

     
     

All Looks can be found here.

Kate Moss For Topshop

I, just like you have now seen all the pictures from the hotly anticipated launch, witnessed the queues and the flashbulbs as I trundled home from work. I am a fan of Kate Moss, but not of her latest collection. 

I had hoped that this new, higher end range sold at Topshop & Net-a-Porter would make me giddy with excitement and would make me want to spend the entirety of my rent and then some purchasing its delectable offerings but alas, it has left me a little cold. 

The collection, the first since 2010 is very Kate Moss, but not the Ms Moss I wanted to see. There is a lot of fringing and extra embellishments that Joe Bloggs (however fashion literate they claim to be) just cannot pull off. I have taken particular offence to the Diamante Velvet Top; It is clunky and boring; it all feels a little dated.  

I understand and can comprehend that Kate’s style and therefore collection is meant to be timeless however, her aesthetic has evolved from the ‘Glastonbury Glamour’ that this collection heavily relies on. It feels as if we have not left 2010 and I am still drifting through the sartorial sludge of my early twenties. 

The Pyjama collection is the most recent trend found in the range but even that feels a little contrived and out of place. (That being said, this is my favourite piece and I will purchase this as soon as I have finished typing) Some fabric choices are very trend led, however I suspect this has just been an effort to tie this in with the (in my opinion) far superior boutique collection and the patterned fabrics seen there rather than to create a cohesive capsule collection of it's own. 

It all seems very out of place within the current climes of SS14. 

Maybe I had hoped for too much, I had placed too much faith in the original magic of the collection & wanted it the replicate that excitement. Maybe I have just outgrown it, either way, my rent money is completely safe this month. That makes me want to cry. 

See the whole collection here.

#WantItWednesday (30/04/14)

Mary Katrantzou

I live in navy, grey & beige. I cannot get enough of the safest palette known to man. It's perfect for work, going out (with a few 'jazzy' accessories) or just slobbing about at a boozy brunch with friends. The colour palette is my best friend, my comfort and the easiest way to look chic on a daily basis. 

But then I saw this. This brightly coloured embellished piece of confection. The top MAKES me want to wear it and be impossibly glamorous. I want to go dancing and drink more colourful cocktails than I care to imagine this early on a Wednesday morning. 

It makes me want to be fun and it should make you too!

That's the beauty of Mary Katranzou and her impossibly fun collections. They make you want to be fun, all the time. They are cheerful and intricate and accentuate your best bits. 

This is part of a two piece (seen here)

This would be perfect as a luxurious wedding outfit.

I think the crop top is the most versatile piece and can be worn as an embellished casual piece or dressed up for maximum summer vamp appeal. 

If this can make me want out of the safest palette. I'm pretty sure it will make you too!

Casual Chic #7

Blouse, Uniqlo

Jacket, Isabel Marant

Jeans, 7 For All Mankind

Flats, Loeffler Randall

Handbag, Givenchy

#WantItWednesday (23/04/14)

Easter is over, summer is nearing and I am excited to shake off my jacket and start wearing lighter clothes, just like everyone else

This shirt will become an essential for the summer and possibly forever, not just because it's loose, gorgeous and endlessly versatile. It goes with anything. Fancy pairing a kimono jacket with jeans and plimsolls it's perfect for that.

If you want to be a little dramatic with a pair of heels and statement jewellery?

Peachy for that too!

If you fancy being a little bohemian(if you're so inclined), it will look great with a pair of harem pants.

It simply goes with everything, and then some. You can get this shirt you'll wish you already had here.

I am already a massive fan of Elizabeth & James; not just because I'm more than a little obsessed with it's creators, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen. The personify a style that is often attempted, never perfected. Casual Chic at it's utter finest. The label understands a sartorial need before you've even thought of it is typical of the label, Elizabeth & James. Easy, effortlessly chic and evokes luxury in a wonderfully subtle fashion. 

I would love to put all of Elizabeth & James on my #WantItWednesday list, but I will refrain (for now) and give you my top three in addition to the piece of confection above:

Clockwise (L-R) -Vivi Top, Shadia Dress, Eyre Bracelet

Have a look and you'll fall in love, if you haven't already! 

(FYI - all collages can be found here)

Easter Dressing

Dress, Free people

Jacket, Paper Dolls

Boots, Jeffrey Campbell

Clutch, Sophie Hulme

Necklace, SHOUROUK