Todays outfit August 24 - Brights!

Better late than never people!! I wore this combo thinking it would be great for the sunny day ahead but unfortunately I spent the whole day either in the office or in a restaurant for a client meeting, typical!

Cardigan - ASOS £20

Blouse - Dorothy Perkins (petite) £26

Jeans - Blank NYC (in the sale) £42

Ballet pumps - Ebay £10

xxx

Todays outfit August 23

No guys, dont panic, time has not rewound.  I just never got any chance to do this post on Tuesday. Looking back on it I was definitely channeling my inner Audrey Hepburn! This maxi dress I got last week in the sale and it is perfect for days when you really should make an effort but you don't want to, as its t-shirt material but cut in a stylish and smart way. 


Coat - Asos White £70 (in the sale) 
Maxi Dress - Full Circle £22 (in the sale) 
Ballet pumps - Ebay £10 
Necklace - Banana Republic £20

xxx

Finally,The Angels have jumped over the pond...

Its been a long time coming, but finally Victoria Secrets have decided to launch in the UK, HURRRRAH!!!

I love VSecrets, not just for underwear but the bikinis,lounge-wear, cosmetics, shoes..basically everything! I have never bought anything that wasnt the right fit or looked differently to the UNBELIEVABLY hot models on the website.  Yes my body isnt as toned and perfect as theirs but the quality of the cut/fabric/colour is still as it is the picture that made me fall in love with it.  

It was actually started by a man, Roy Raymond, in 1977 after he was too embarrassed to buy underwear for his wife in a department store. The stores were meant to create a comfortable environment for me with helpful sales staff. Instead of racks of bras and panties in every size, there were single styles, men could browse for styles they like and sales staff would help estimate the appropriate size.  Sounds like Ray hit the nail on the head, as I know men who have been married for years and they couldn't tell me what their wives bra size, favourite colour or clothing size is!

Anyway he sold it in 1982 to Leslie Wexner who expanded and rebranded it to the amazing chain of stores we know today.  Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 15 years you would've heard of the legendary Victoria Secrets Fashion show that happens once a year and features the "Runway Angels".  These have had some of the most successful supermodels feature in it, including: Helena Christensen, Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum. It has amazing costumed underwear, music and glamorous background sets.  It always has the top celebs in the audience and different musicians perform every year.


One of my favourite purchases from V Secrets have been:

Its not as extravagant as the other bikinis/underwear I bought from the site, but it fits perfectly and is very flattering for a simple brown bikini. (God I look like casper next to my friend Elisba, get me to a hot country, now)!!


The brand is planning on opening a store in Bond Street at some point next year and Im sure it will be a huge hit, if you arent a fan now, you definitely will be! Check out the website in the meantime, im already looking at some new purchases...


www.victoriassecret.com

The debut of The Rachel Zoe Collection

If you havent heard of Rachel Zoe she is a bit of a controversial stylist in the US who has worked with Nicole Ritchie and Mischa Barton in the past and more recently Eva Mendes and Anne Hathaway.  She has been criticised for being too thin in the press and there was a catfight going on for a bit between her and Nicole R as she accused Rachel of pushing her to lose weight etc, blah blah blah. In regards to her style I have a mixed opinion, she LOVES the bohemian look and used to style all her clients like they were little clones of her.  However she has my respect on some of the outfits she wore during her pregnancy, including the killer heels!

Anyway this week was the launch of her clothing line in the US.  While I feel its overpriced for not a hugely exciting collection there are a few key pieces that I like:

pic courtesy of bloomingdales.com

pic courtesy of bloomingdales.com

pic courtesy of fashionista.com

pic courtesy of fashionista.com

I could only find prices on a few of the items but as mentioned they are pretty high, for example the beaded cardigan is £161 and the white jacket is £476.  I love the cut of red suit and the tan poncho style jacket, however I feel you could find very similar items elsewhere, especially places like Reiss, LK Bennett or Whistles, for not such purse painful prices and still with quality fabric and cut. 

To check out the full collection visit www.fashionista.com.  

What do you guys think? All opinions very welcome :)

xxx

To clutch or not to clutch??

Have you ever got ready on a night out, put together a wicked outfit, hairs done and curled/straightened just right for once, make up looks flawless, feeling pretty damn hot and then you reach for a handbag for the night and...(excuse this in advance but this is what I do in moments of frustration) BOLLOCKS!


Every girl needs a clutch bag in their life, because if you are struggling to find a bag, this is the fail-safe item you will need in your wardrobe. 
OK lets hear out the cons at least:

1. They are too small and I cant fit all my make up in there.
2. Its hassle to carry it under my arm or holding it.
3. I cant grab onto the handle of it if someone tries to run off with it...

Firstly:

1. Why do you need all that crap in your bag anyway?! You are on a night out to have fun, not to have to re-apply the war paint every five mins
2. Yes its weird not being able to swing a bag over your shoulder or hang it over your arm, however I have two words for "shoulder clutch bags" - HELL NO. I dont understand the short handle on these things, they always sit awkwardly.  For example the Mulberry Charlie bag, I love, as a clutch bag. Whats the point in that silly little (very ugly*) chain link handle they have on it?  Dont get me wrong, I like chain link handles, but on the right bag.  The Chanel Classic Flap Bag?   Yes yes yes! But thats a whole different kind of style and another blog post, and im getting off my point sorry...

Chanel Flap Bag  A.MAZ.ING

3. If you are going to the kind of club where someone will run past you and grab your bag or you will just dump it somewhere where its likely to be nicked then youre a bit of a donut in my book, stop hanging out in seedy places so you can embrace the clutch bag craze :)

There is so much choice out there as well, ranging from bargains to bankrupt prices, here's a few I love:

(Alexander Mcqueen) Knuckle clutch £1,265

(Lulu Guinness) Red Lips Clutch £275

(ASOS) Weave Envelope Clutch £30

(ASOS) Leather Portfolio Clutch £55

(Lulu Guinness) Black Studded Lips Clutch £450

(ASOS) feather clutch £25

And then just because this so different and so cute...

(Judith Leiber) Habibi Genie Lamp clutch $5995

Try not to choke on your lunch when reading the price to that last one!  

xxx


*GASP I know I insulted the all amazing Mulberry brand but it had to be said sorry

Style stalker!

Now when it comes to fashion and styling I try to always dress to my mood, and while I appreciate new trends I wont wear them unless I know they suit me or I feel comfortable in them. However one thing I will always do is take inspiration from other people whether its celebrities or people I know/meet.
So from now on I have decided to dedicate a little post to each stylish person I see, as everyone deserves a little recognition for their fashionable dress sense!

The first one is going to be the lovely Lucy Porter who I work with.  She constantly looks stylish, whether I see her queuing for breakfast in the canteen or going out to a meeting with clients, and she knows what suits her figure and how to show off some of her best assets (boobs and bum)!  Plus she loves colour and I applaud that as I can be a bit of a wimp when it comes to braving the brights...

Coral top from H&M

Belt from Aldo

Skirt from H&M

Bag from H&M

Jewellery from Aldo

Dress from Kate Moss Collection at Topshop

Sandals from Aldo

Bangle from Aldo

Ring from Saliba Boutique in Austrailia

Jacket and top from Topshop
Trousers are vintage (from my aunts wardrobe)
Pumps from Dorothy Perkins
All jewellery from Aldo
Bag from Mulberry

xxxx