The Velvet Underground

Hello beauties, how're you all this morning? 

After a beautiful day yesterday consisting of Christmas Shopping (a.k.a buying for ourselves under the guise of hunting for others) with the lovely Laura, who now more than likely despairs of ever beleiving I'd be a good tour guide, followed by lovely outdoor food and stall browsing with my boyfriend - very romantic until your hands freeze solid - I'm feeling full of festive good will and happiness. 

Ah the cheesiness overwhelms.

Today I have for you another little peek into the land of luxury with an insight into one of the most fancy fabrics around:

Velvet

The fabric of long-ago Kings and Queens - Velvet possesses that instant ability to create a look that resonates luxury with the most minimal of efforts.

Thankfully, nowadays the beauty of a velvet frock is no longer restricted to monarchy and word would have it that it's availabilty has now even reached the high-street:

Topshop £46.00
H&M £7.99
Topshop £30.00 

 Aldo £20.00

New Look £27.99
Dorothy Perkins £42.00

 

Enjoy a little regal glamour.
<3

Celeb Looks For Less - 08/11/11

Heya honeys, hope you're all well. I'm off on a nature walk today with my class at the school so please keep your fingers crossed for me that it doesn't hammer it down whilst I'm looking for frogs ;)

On a much more glamorous note today's post is all about recreating some gorgeous celebrity style for less. Let's have a look who we've got today:

Rachel Bilson.

Bravely mixing prints and bright colour for a look that shows that bold is beautiful. Obsessed with her leopard print shoes!

1. Warehouse £25.00

2. Dorothy Perkins £20.00 

3. Baker Shoes £40.00  

4. Dorothy Perkins £17.00 

Beyonce Knowles

One hot mama-to-be Beyonce rocked this gorgeous fall friendly ensemble in New York this week. From her gorgeous red blazer to those killer booties she shows how to keep chic in the cold.

1. Jane Norman £16.00

2. Dorothy Perkins £30.00 

3. Peacocks £4.80

4. Boohoo £35.00 

5. H&M £20.00

Emmanuelle chriquiLooking absolutely gorgeous in metalics, Emmanuelle shows how to make sure it's not just your christmas decorations that sparkle this winter!

 

1. Dorothy Perkins £30.00

2. Infinity Shoes £44.00

3. New Look £3.99

4. Zara £40.00

5. Debenhams £18.00

There we are my loves - celeb style for a fraction of the price tag!

Have a lovely day 

<3

Feelin Lacy

Hey honey's! Happy Friday. Feels like this one has been a long time coming that's for sure. After the day from hell yesterday - Finance stress, two busses not turning up in the rain, having to pay for a taxi and pretty horrible family problems - I was not in the best of moods. However onwards and upwards they say and today the sun is shining, I'll be seeing my lovely boyfriend and having a nice long chat with my bestfriend later and I'm sure those two combined will make me a much happier bunny.


Sorry to ramble on anyways :p today I have for you a gorgeous trend that's quite frankly all over the place at the moment - much to my delight:

Lace

For me - the perfect mix of gothic, glamorous and ladylike with a decadent feel and effortless edge. A pretty intoxicating mix no?

Here are my favourite budget friendly lace pieces:

1. Warehouse £30.00 

(breastcancer awareness too <3)

2. Dorothy Perkins £22.00

3. Miss Selfridge £29.00 

4. Miss Selfridge £29.00 

5. Monsoon £45.00 

6. AX Paris £28.00 

So there we are my loves. Hope you like!
Happy Friday
<3

Monday Must Have (17/10/11)

Hi lovelies, hope you're all well this rather Autumnal Monday morning - literally ALL the leaves I can see are now bright orange which does rather make me feel like we're 'properly' there now - yay!

Today I've got another gorgeous Monday 'must have' for you which I've styled up in a few different ways to prove just how much you all need to go buy it (go on - then I wont feel guilty ha-ha). 

Let's have a look:

 Dorothy Perkins £25.00 
Dotty P's you've come up trumps!

I absolutely adore the slightly whimsical, vintage feel of this dress. The colour is beautiful and although it'd obviously be classed as a 'neutral' shade - I think the polka dot detail, the nipped in waist and the sleeve embellishment combine to make it anything but dreary.

Here are a couple of ways I've styled it to show you that pretty dresses aren't just for Summer styling:

Outfit One

 Firstly, let's forget the dress for a minute, how damn >cosy< does that jacket look? My goosebumps and I are craving it quite badly right now I can tell you. This outfit is very much about working a variety of Neutral shades together to create an interesting colour pallet. The boots and the jacket compliment each other perfectly with a slightly 'worn' feel whilst the gloves warm the outfit up with their richer shade. The bag adds a  lovely hint of colour to brighten up a dull day and the locket adds the perfect finishing touch. A little treasure on an Autumn morning.

Outfit Two

 Outfit Two is a little bit more foxy. A little bit more dark Autumn night. The rich textures and bold accessories work together to create a luxurious after dark compilation. The cocktail rings and the beautiful studded bag (desperate for one just like this!) pile on the glamour. Add some asymmetric earrings into the mix and you have yourself the perfectly brewed winter style concoction with a twist. Cheers.

Outfit Three

 It might just be me but I feel like outfit three makes you feel warmer just by looking at it. Those gorgeous fur lined boots teamed with that impossibly cosy looking fur gillet (H&M if you're interested) would keep you toasty as ... toast in the cold (gotta love my descriptive prowess) Piling on the accessories again and adding a warm toned clutch bag will warm the look of this outfit right up and hopefully keep the winter chill at bay. With the simple long sleeved black top underneath you'll be rocking the art of layering to perfection.

Outfit Four "The Blair"

Yes, I know I know - My other outfits don't have 'names' I'm being a very unfair stylist right now! But it would have just felt so very wrong not to name this after Miss Waldorf herself when I actually cannot look at this set without imagining her. -Breathes- this wasn't actually intentional I swear, I just wanted a more 'feminine' softer toned outfit to balance out the others. The bag was my starting point - absolutely adore the two tone colour and gorgeous chain. The shoes are probably one of the prettiest pairs I've seen this year and then as for the baby blue gloves - I just died! This is definitely not my personal 'style' but for any of you Preppy Upper-East-Side-Stylers - this ones for you! (Although I might have to 'borrow' the bag)


So there we are then honeys, hope you've enjoyed this weeks Monday Must Have!
For links to any of the items featured just leave me a comment below or tweet me and I'll get back to you ASAP.
<3

Get Skirty

Hello my lovelies I hope you're all well and good. Absolutely cannot beleive the weather we've been having (god you know I'm English do I EVER shut up about the weather?) and although I've been told it's not going to last (boo weatherman) I'm enjoying a last day of sitting out in the sunshine.

As most of you will know by now I am an unashamed dress obsessive - half of my wardrobe is made up of an absolutely huge variety of them and I can never pass up the oppurtunity to add to my collection. However, something quite amazing has happened to me this last few weeks... as I've been browsing the shops/internet/blogosphere I've found myself increasingly drawn to the absolutely amazing selection of skirts that are around at the moment.

Take a look at these selections from the trusty old high-street and see what I meen:

Pencil Skirts

Brimming with effortless elegance and the ultimate in retro glamour it's time to pencil in an appointment to pick up one of these beauties. Team with a tucked in shirt and platforms for a look that just screams chic.

1. Topshop £40.00

2. Dorothy Perkins £25.00

3. Warehouse £18.00 

4. Topshop £30.00

5. Tesco £18.00

6. River Island £25.00

Short'n'Sassy
Short skirts aren't just for Summer y'know. Team any of these babies with some cute  tights and pixie boots and you have the perfect sassy A/W look (plus no need to shave the legs - woo!)

1. Tesco £14.00

2. Dorothy Perkins £28.00

3. River Island £45.00

4. Topshop £65.00

5. Topshop £35.00

6. H&M £19.99

Maxi(mum)Glam

Classy, Sassy and definitely not just for warm weather Maxi's are well and truly here to stay. Update yours with a cosy knit jumper and some slouchy boots for perfect fall fashion (plus check out this amazing autumn colour pallet)

 1. Topshop £45.00
2. Topshop £90.00
3. River Island £25.00

4. Dorothy Perkins £10.00
5. River Island £25.00

There you are then ladies what's your take on getting Skirty this Autumn/Winter?
<3

Cape Town

Hello sugars, how're we all today? Currently waiting for Mr Postman to pay me a visit (does anyone else think this makes the day go ridiculously slow or am I just impatient?) Another freezing day in blustery Britain (I swear my alliteration is natural I need to stop ha-ha) so I've been on the hunt again for more cosey clothes.

Today we're going a little bit batman and focusing on the gorgeous Autumn/Winter key piece that is the cape. Versatile, stylish and perfect for indulging your inner super-hero, capes are fast swinging their way into the hearts of the fashionistapack.

Here's some gorgeous cape images from fashionweek:

Absolutely in lurve with the detailing / fabric contrasts.

And here are some budget friendly versions I've hunted down so you can all become caped crusaders this A/W ;) 

 

First we have this very regal looking beauty which also has a little bit of a military edge thanks to the gorgeous buttons. This has got to be my personal favourite as the colour and the cut just make it look so expensive and classic!
Romwe £37.00

 Next up we have this beautiful simple camel/caramel (that's a mouthful) coloured creation. Super cute with a quirky neck detail that sets it apart, this baby would look good over anything. (Personally imagining it over a LBD with some gorgeous winter boots)
Dorothy Perkins £55.00

 We then have this classic tie detailed cape which comes in such a beautiful cream colour (stay away from any mulled wine whilst in this beauty) again I can imagine this neutral lovely looking amazing with a range of colour palettes - blacks, blues and even as a softer shade over a gorgeous burgundy dress.
Tesco £35.00

 Next up we have our first little black number similar in detail to the cream number above, this baby turns up the volume with it's edgy button details and high collar = high glam. Best bit is the price and absolute snip at...

Tesco £35.00

 This little number is the most expensive of the bunch but with it's Rachel Zoe esque design and classic colour combination it would be the perfect investment piece to carry you all through Autumn and Winter in style (and warmth)
Topshop £85.00

Lastly we have another super budget friendly cutie in this cropped grey design. Minamlistic and effortlessly chic this would look gorgeous teamed with skinny jeans for a lighter Autumn look.
Tesco £30.00

So there we are my lovelies, will you be channelling your inner superhero this Autumn/Winter?
<3

Designer Knits for Less

Hello beauties, I hope  you're all well! As we all know (mainly because I wont stop banging on about it) the colder nights are drawing in (dark at 8:30 BOO) and the high-street is currently awash with a complete feast of Autumn/Winter goodies (YAY).

When I was browsing today (including the lovely Mia's website) I came across some really funky knitwear that totally reminded me of Proenza schouler and Missoni's gorgeous patterned designs. Here are some of these designer looks from  fashion week :

 Proenza Schouler 

Missoni

And here are some amazing 'copies' that I've spied on the high-street. They'd look absolutely fabulous as a gorgeous focal piece of any outfit (I especially love them teamed with black skinnies or leggings and long boots) and for an added bonus these babies come at an absolute fraction of the price :

 

1. Dorothy Perkins  £25.00

2. Dorothy Perkins £35.00

3. Topshop £65.00

4. Miss Selfridge £45.00

5. Dorothy Perkins £35.00

So there we are my loves a way to wrap up in super style but without the super cost!
Stay cosy!
<3

Autumn Colour Blocks

Hey sweeties, I do hope you're all well and good today - finally mid-week which that meens the countdown to the weekend has begun! Today I'm recooperating from a nasty bout of acid-reflux that had me up all night (most attractively) feeling like I was going to throw up any second and pacing my room to wait for the pain to subside. Sigh. I do hope your Tuesday nights were a lot less painfl and more glam than mine that's for sure!

Anyway, nothing like a little fashion goodness to cheer a poorly blogger up and today I've been waving my creative wand on Polyvore and scouring the high-street sections for a look at what lovely colours will be coming our way this Colder season. (I don't know why I called it this as we never seem to get a warmer season for the temperatures to drop from ha-ha)

Anyway here are some block sets of what I discovered (For a closer look at any of the featured items just click the photo and it will take you to my polyvore set list page):

Mustards and Custards

If you haven't thrown up (god I am vomit obsessed today?!) at the rather delicious sounding title above, feast your eyes on this selection of gorgeous yellow + brown earthy toned goodies all from the Great British High-Street. These colours are the very embodiment of Autumn style and scenery and I'm personally a little obsessed with the mustard platforms and the central brown bow coat. Perfection.

Red Red Wine

 

Ahhh, now if this collection doesn't make you think of sipping a delicious bottleglass of red whilst curled up infront of a toasty fire I don't know what will. This particular shade of red has to be one of the most beautiful colours around and I certainly cannot wait to get my hands on a couple of the items from above - namely the sheer shirt and skinny red belt (perfect for belting a cute vintage tea-dress)

Back to Black

As a bit of a black obsessive (literally - half my wardrobe - no joke) I'm more than thrilled that 'grown up goth' is making a comeback this Autumn/Winter. With Luxurious fabrics and incredible detail the items from the above collection combine ridiculously easy style (what can be simpler than black for a go-to all flattering look?) with a beautiful edge that meens I cannot wait to further develop my black-catalogue (ha-ha couldn't resist sorry)

So there we are my loves, a quick peek (again) at what we can expect on the good ole high-street this Autumn. What are you excited to shop for? Is there anything special that's caught your eye lately? 

<3