29.04.2011- Weekend Wishes

This week's Weekend Wishes is a special royal edition! So, in a bit of a departure from the norm, this weekend, I'd like to wish the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge congratulations on their marriage and best wishes for the future. The ceremony was wonderful, Kate looked stunning (such a beautiful dress!) and it was so lovely to see the whole country enjoying the day. However you watched events unfold I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Did you watch the Royal Wedding? What did you think?

(Image credit: BBC. Photo edited using Picnik.)

29.04.2011- Wedding Dress(ed)

The Royal Wedding is upon us! This time tomorrow, Prince William and Kate Middleton will be married and I will probably have eaten twice my body weight in cake, scones and finger sandwiches in celebration of the big day. In a fashion focused celebration of Kate and Wills' nuptials, my lovely best friend Sarah of City Girl's Fashion Box set myself and a host of other bloggers the challenge of coming up with two outfits for the wedding, which we would wear if we had been invited (I still maintain that my invitation got lost in the post!)

Outfit number one is a dream designer look- what we'd wear if money was no object:

Round Frame Sunglasses, Tom Ford £108, Feather and Flower Hairband, Tarina Tarantino $163, Saskia Lace-Trimmed Silk Chiffon Dress, Erdem, £3920, Single Button Blazer, Paul by Paul Smith , £202, Satin Platform Pumps, Miu Miu, £340, Flower- Appliquéd Leather Ballerina Flats, Valentino, £370,  Arty Gold-Plated Glass Ring, Yves Saint Laurent, £120,  Lovebirds Ring, Alex Monroe, £155, Pink Champagne Alexa, Mulberry, £868.

I created this look around this stunning Erdem dress, which I've admired since I first saw it on the catwalk at London Fashion Week last September. As is routine with me, I've included a choice of two pairs of shoes- a high heeled pair of Miu Miu pumps and these gorgeous Valentino flats, as I'm hopeless in heels (and who needs sore feet when they're dancing, right?!) In view of the chill in the air at the moment, I've popped in a lovely blazer and kept the accessories simple with a much-lusted after Mulberry Alexa, some pretty rings, a cute hairband and the obligatory paparazzi-proof sunglasses. I haven't added up the total cost of this outfit, but suffice to say that it's probably a small fortune! Which leads me on to outfit number two....

Fleur's Penna Dress, Nadinoo, £145, Double Corsage Hairband, Debenhams, £9.60, Cream Jewelled Maribou Shrug, Debenhams, £52, Cyphert Bag, Aldo, £36, Powder Rose Ballet Pumps, H&M, £12.99, Spot Lace Glove with Frill, £10, Accessorize, Nude Knot Court Shoes, £33, Dorothy Perkins, Paul & Joe Lipstick, £15, asos.com, Marbled Stone Ring in Rectangle Case, £8.50, Topshop, Enamel Flower Earrings, Urban Outfitters.

On the lower end of the price spectrum, this pretty little lot was selected from the cream of the high street, as well as some online shops. I only discovered Nadinoo last week, and I'm already head-over-heels in love with their beautiful dresses. I love the pattern and cut of this dress, and put together a vintage inspired look around the cinched in waist and classic silhouette which it creates. I would wear this beautifully detailed shrug from Debehams over the dress, along with these elegant gloves from Accessorize, giving the outfit a 1940's flavour. Again, as with my designer picks, two pairs of shoes are essential, so I settled on these heels from Dorothy Perkins, and some cute flats from H&M. Accessories wise, I chose this cream bag from Aldo (which I've been lusting after for ages), corsage hairband from Debenhams and jewellery from high street favourites Topshop and Urban Outfitters. Add in a pop of fuchsia pink Paul & Joe lipstick, and you've got an affordable, vintage inspired outfit which I think is more than fit for a princess. 

I've really enjoyed putting this post together, and would like to say a massive thank you to Sarah for asking me to get involved, and for giving me something lovely to fill the post-dissertation boredom! Check out the picks of the other bloggers here:

Sarah, Emma, Lucy, Michelle, Hannah, Lucy, Hannah and Gem.

Happy Royal Wedding everyone!

(Image credit: polyvore.com and Sarah for creating the banner.)

Thursday Trend - Look for less

Hello Lovelies - here we are on the eve of yet another Bank Holiday! They seem to be coming thick and fast at the moment giving me lots of time to enjoy a little internet browsing. 

Today I have for you something that I'm really interested in - designer looks for less.
Whilst looking at gorgeous designer clothes ranks pretty high on my 'I'm bored and I have nothing better to do' radar, I unfortunately massively lack the funding to ever contemplate even considering purchasing anything. I also find the idea of spending obscene amounts of money on a simple tank top... obscene. This has lead to me searching high and low across the internet to try and find some budget friendly alternatives to designer pieces that have caught my eye recently.

I hope what I've found below inspires you that although the quality may not quite be the same it is possible to find High-street budget friendly alternatives to designer delights.

Here we go:

 Firstly we have this Balmain Tank top that whilst undoubtebly gorgeous in a laid back rock n roll chic ways retails at a staggering £845 which is impossible for most budgets.

 However this High-Street option has the same laid back chic feel and despite missing a few of Balmains defining details I feel it's a pretty decent substitute and at an absolute tiny fraction of the orignials price is more than worth a try.Topshop £18.00

 Then we have this absolutely gorgeous camisole which is the perfect pretty shade for Summer but at $310 from The Row it is again far too expensive for the regular girl on the street.

 Which is where this divine imitation comes in - incredibly similar infact I actually got confused over which was which whilst compiling this postTopshop £38.00

 Then we have these super hot platform strapped wedges which retail at £185 from Karen Millen making them less of a splurge than the previous items but still a little pricey for those on a real tight budget

Their High-Street counterparts however would be affordable to literally all and are pretty fierce in their own rightNew Look £15.00

 Then there's this gorgeous simple shirt from Net A Porter whicb although classicly gorgeous is a little too pricey for my taste at £205

 This High-Street replica however is right up my street and almost as gorgeous I think!
Topshop £18.00

 So there we have it, whilst I'm not claiming that these imitations are perfect they certainly offer an alternative to those who really cannot afford to drop hundreds of pounds on one item and frankly I think sometimes especially in the case of the pink camisole it's quite hard to tell the difference!

What's your opinion lovelies?
Do you think the High-street can ever compete? And how do you feel about spending the large amount of £ on designer items?

27.04.2011- My Week with Michelle

My Week with Marylin is one of the films which I'm really looking forward to seeing towards the tail end of the year, and I can't wait to see how Michelle Williams captures the magic of Marylin Monroe on screen. I've loved Michelle since I saw her in Brokeback Mountain, and I've admired her style ever since she wore that stunning Vera Wang gown to the Oscars in 2006. As if to cement her status as an up-and-coming style icon, Michelle is featured on the May cover of Interview magazine, starring in a shoot styled by Karl Templer and photographed by Mikael Jansson:

I love the Rosemary's Baby meets Hitchcock heroine feel of this shoot and Michelle looks beautiful as always. And, it seems, peter-pan collars are here to stay!

What do you think of this shoot? Are you a fan of Michelle? And are you looking forward to seeing My Week With Marylin? I wish they'd hurry up and release a trailer!

(Image credit: fashiongonerogue.)

Wednesday Wish List - 27/4/11

My god. Again it's Wednesday already. What with all the bank holidays and Easter and everything I feel all out of sync and routine, so much so that I almost forgot it was this torturous time of week again. Happily (or saddly depending on which way you look at it) I remembered and here are my picks for the week :

This gorgeous Grecian style number in the most perfect shade of Green which I've been searching for for ages now.

Topshop £38.00

 This amazing Rock chick distressed denim bleached shirt dress which is actually begging for me to buy it!

Asos £120.00

 

These amazing Sandals which manage to be loud but subtle at the same time and would jazz up any Summer outfit to actual perfection.

River Island £44.99

 This divine bohemian style coverup which I'm dreaming about pairing with everything in my wardrobe from Black distressed skinny jeans to gorgeous Floral dresses

Topshop £50.00

And finally this beautiful elegant shirt which could be dressed up or down depending on your mood

Republic £24.99

What do you lovelies think?
What are you dreaming of adding to your summer Wardrobes?

My Style Monday

Heya lovelies! 

Hope you're all good and full on Easter chocolate and that you've had a great weekend with family/friends.

I thought today I'd bring you an outfit post because I haven't done any for absolutely ages this is kind of a bit of a recycled post because I used a picture of this outfit on my slouchy tee post, but I feel that it really shows my style and what I like perfectly so it deserves a proper post.

Here I'm wearing - Slocuhy Tee from Topshop, Leather high waist skirt from H&M and my Miss Selfridge killer platform heels. Layered bracelets and a deep mauve lipstick.

I would describe my style as a mix between bohemian and rock n roll. I love mixing tough pieces such as this leather skirt with softer more laid back items like my slouchy tee. Mix and match is always my motto and I adore layering looks to come up with my perfect outfit - I'm very rarely seen without either a scarf or a waist-coat ha-ha.

How would you lovelies describe your styles? Do you go for simple and classic or layered and complex? Rock n roll or girly or a mix of both?
I'd love to hear from you I adore checking out others styles!
Hope you like!

24.04.2011- Make It Yourself: Royal Wedding Bunting

As you are probably all well aware, this coming Friday is the Royal Wedding. Although opinion on it seems to be divided, I'm really excited (which I put down to the fact that I've never been to any wedding, let alone a royal one!) and my mum and I are planning a little tea party in front of the telly for the day itself. Everywhere you look, whether it's on Regent Street or your local high street, signs of celebration are everywhere. In preparation for Friday and in an uncharacteristic fit of creativity, I decided to make my own bunting, and share with you what I came up with:

Royal Wedding Bunting

You will need:

• String
• Scissors
• Sellotape
• Printed patterns

Step One: Find some lovely floral/pretty/patriotic patterns online, and pop them into Word. Then place the triangle template on the pattern (you should be able to fit two on one page) to make the flags for the bunting. Once you have enough (I made mine with about eight flags), print your patterns off.

Step Two: After printing your templates, carefully cut out each triangle and arrange them in an order you like along a length of string. 

 Step Three: Once you've cut out your triangles and placed them, you can then attach them to the string. I found that the easiest way to do this was using very thinly cut strips of clear tape, which you stick on the top of the triangle, fold over the string and then attach to the back of the paper. 

Step Four: When finished, display your bunting!

So there you have it, a really easy way to get into the spirit of the Royal Wedding without breaking the bank! 

Are you looking forward to the Royal Wedding? How are you going to be spending the day? And are you going to make your own decorations?

(Image credit: Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission. Images edited using Picnik.)

Saturday Style - Floral In the Garden

Hello beauties, I hope you're all enjoying the glorious weather and the long weekend that Easter brings. Todays post comes curtesy of said weather - yesterday I was lucky enough to spend sometime at my grandparents house exploring the beautiful garden properly for the first time in many years. Saddly my Grandad passed away last November so there was of course something missing but other than that it was a perfect day. I took loads of pictures, climbed the tree like a pro (hello moss stains) and played tennis on the lawn - it was a real trip down memory lane and just what I needed.

I wont spam you with all of the pictures I took so here are a few of my faves:

The blooming of the garden stuck with me when I got home and brought me back to a trend that I've been obsessed with for many years :

Floral

Floral is such a versatile and gorgeous trend  it can be incredibly girly and pretty or in complete antithesis very grungey and edgy, or, it can be pretty much anything in between.

For Todays floral looks I took inspiration from my grandparents garden and went for some naturistic floral looks, here we are:

 Firstly we have this pretty Camisole with large tropical style flower patterning. Teamed with a simple pair of denim cuttoffs or a bodycon skirt this is one of those basic pieces that manage to be simple but jazz up any outfit at the same time.

Topshop £40.00

 Then we have this elegant playsuit which I feel has a slightly 50's esque look about it, the floral detail is simple yet stunning and it'd be a gorgeous piece for summer holidays.

Topshop £34.00

 Then there's this ditzy printed skirt which I think actually literally looks like a garden in Summer ha-ha. It's super cute and could literally be teamed with anything from a simple black tank top to an ornate embellished cami, and also (more forward planning) it'd be perfect over black tights to brighten up winter wardrobes.River Island £24.99

 Finally we have what I think is my favourite - This divine bohemian kaftan style dress which is just the embodiment of summer (and can't you just picture boho queen Nicole Richie in this?) It's just gooorgeous and like the skirt above could be carried through the seasons - definitely a must have! And also a complete steal at just...
River Island £25.00

And to finish off here's what I wore to enjoy the gorgeous weather (appologies for the crappy qual picture my lovely camerawoman Nat was saddly not around ha-ha)

You can probably already tell but my outfit consisted of:

Black Drapey Tank top with lacey back - New Look
Cream Bodycon Skirt - New Look
Black and Cream flats - ... New Look again
Hadn't realised how much I'd raided New-Look ha-ha.

So yeah, that was my day, my inspiration, my high-street finds and my crappy quality OOTD - I promise I'll be back with better ones soon!
Hope you lovelies like + enjoy the rest of your weekend!

22.04.2011- (Easter) Weekend Wishes

I hope you're all enjoying the glorious weather which we're being blessed with at the moment! Although the pessimist in me is certain that this will be the extent of 'British Summertime', there is no doubting that it's lovely to see the sunshine. So, with this in mind, my wish for this weekend is to spend it in my garden, à la Karen Elson:

Karen Elson by Bruce Weber for US Vogue March 2011, styled by Camilla Nickerson.

What have you got planned for this long weekend? I hope you all have a lovely Easter!

(Image credit: fashiongonerogue.)

Thursday Trend - Mustard

Hey lovelies, I hope you're all well and looking forward to your extended easter weekend! It's a gorgeous day here and I've well and truly got into the Spring mood by 'Spring Cleaning' my room. It's looking a heck of a lot better now and I have a lot more space ... which I'm planning to promptly re-fill with new goodies ;)

So as I was browsing online earlier I really noticed a subtle trend that seems to have crept onto the high-street - Mustard.

Mustard clothes seem to be everywhere right now and I must say I think it's a great shade for spring/summer, as shown here by some of Hollywoods elite fashionistas:

 

 Firstly the lovely Diane Kruger:

 

Working a divine mustard tone dress on the red carpet which is the epitome of unique vintage glamour and works perfectly with her skin tone - proving that Mustard is wearable for all skin tones.

Then we have the beautiful Kate Bosworth:

 

In a much more casual but none the less gorgeous vintage style number which teamed with tights and boots would make the perfect autumn-chic look (planning ahead now girls lol)

Then the ever chic Olivia Palermo

Wearing a gorgeous bright mustard toned skirt which I beleive shows the perfect way to wear mustard for summer - simple and clean lined creating a perfect sillohoutte. Not that we'd expect anything less from Miss Palermo.

 

 If you feel inspired by the lovely ladies above then I've sourced a few mustard items from the good old High-Street to help you achieve the look:

 

Firstly there's this gorgeous beachy style summer dress which for some reason really reminds me of pocahontas ha-ha. It's so casual but pretty It'd go with anything I think and look especially perfect with some pretty sandals and ethnic jewellery.
Topshop £32.00

 Then we have this simple slouchy Tee which is the most versatile style top ever and would work over or under anything or on it's own.
Topshop £12.00

 Lastly we have this gorgeous sheer shirt which I would personally style over a bikini on some gorgeous beach in the sun (yeah I can dream) with a waist-cincing belt and some more jewellery. Ahh dreaming of summer now!

Dorothy Perkins £25.00

So there we have it ladies a lovely new trend for the summery months!
What do you think of mustard? A MUST have or a MUST avoid?

Wednesday Wish List - 20/4/11

Another week, another Wednesday, another Wish-list to tempt me into sinfull spending!
Sometimes I do wonder why I do it to myself ha-ha.

This week I'm craving:

 This beautiful Rusty Orange Camisole - Having had red hair for the last 6 months I haven't really been able to wear colours like this but seeing as I'm planning to dye it dark brown again soon I'm desperate for something like this in my life!

Miss Selfridge £20.00

 Then there's this beautiful vintage looking skirt which has the potentual to be worn both elegantly and classicly or edgily depending on how you choose.
River Island £39.99

 Then there's these gorgeous boots - I think they'd be the perfect accompaniment to denim cuttoffs and a slouchy tee, or work great with a really pretty dress to add a little tough chic.

River Island £39.99

 I'm also drooling over this Jacket - Beautifully chic and as an added bonus perfect for unpredictable British summers where the weather can change in a second.

Oasis £140.00

And lastly - This elegant bag which would honestly go with pretty much anything I think (at least this is my excuse for seriously considering purchasing it as a pre-birthday treat)
River - Island £34.99

-Siiiighs-
That's what's making me drool this week. What about you lovelies?