Monday 30 June 2014

Olivia Palermo's White Wedding

Wedding season is well and truly in full swing - but if you're one of those people who think that when you've seen one white wedding dress you've seen them all, think again. Olivia Palermo has only gone and changed the game.

Who'd have thought that New York's No. 1 style queen would go and get married with her hair scraped back in to a simple ponytail and wearing a cream cashmere jumper, but that's exactly what she did - and she looked absolutely fantastic doing it.

Olivia turned to Carolina Herrera to come up with a low-key take on a wedding ensemble for the secret ceremony in The Hamptons this weekend, and she ticked all the right boxes with the afore mentioned cashmere jumper paired with a billowing organza skirt - the circle hem perfectly positioned to show off those Manolo Blahniks - a pair of old favourites providing the bride's 'something blue'.

It just goes to show there's a lot to be said for keeping things simple - but if you were expecting more from Miss Palermo - or perhaps as I should now say, Mrs Heubl - apparently this is only part one of the celebrations, so we can look forward to more wedding outfits from the happy couple very soon...

Saturday 28 June 2014

Is This The Perfect Wedding Guest Dress?

Sometimes you have to search high and low for the perfect dress, but other times a lightening bolt strikes and you just know you've found 'the one' without even having to try.

When I saw this checked tea dress in the sale at M&S I didn't have to think twice about trying it on as I knew it would make the perfect wedding guest outfit with the addition of a fascinator and some heels.

Figure hugging, yet floaty in all the right places, the crepe material is well cut and gives a high quality finish. Now, I'm only 5'4'' so it is more of a midi dress on me - but I love that because it gives the dress a more vintage feel. Plus, you don't want to have the worry of whether your hemline is too short!

Everyone I know seems to be wedding planning at the moment so I know it'll get some wear on that front, but it would work just as well for a day at the races. With shoulders covered and a modest hemline it would even pass the Royal Ascot test.

M&S Checked Tea Dress, WAS £45 NOW £27

Monday 23 June 2014

National Pink Day

It often seems like there's now a holiday to celebrate absolutely everything - whether it be Pie Week or Pancake Day, Wool Week or Wine Wednesday - barely a day goes by that doesn't have some significant association of some type or other, but I must confess I've never actually heard of National Pink Day before.

Yes, for all those ignorant souls like me who didn't have 23rd June circled on the calendar in bright pink highlighter today is National Pink Day. A day to wear pink, drink pink, think pink? I'm not completely sure, but it does provide the perfect excuse for a Legally Blonde moment. Oh, and I might just end the day by raising a cheeky glass of white zinfandel to make a toast to all things pink.

Friday 20 June 2014

A Very Posh First Date Dress

It's the dress dilemma we'd all like to be confronted with, but have you ever wondered what Posh wore out on her first date with Becks? Remember this was back in 1997 and we're talking the Spice Girls hey day here - so maybe Victoria's favourite LBD come out for the occasion? Well the speculation can end because now we know...

Ahead of her 15th wedding anniversary Victoria Beckham shared her sartorial selection with the world via Twitter. She actually wore this orange suede mini-dress - see, I was half way there!

Whether it's more Austin Powers extra or Velma from Scooby-Doo is open to debate, but the simplicity of the 60s shift speaks volumes and I think Victoria could still pull off this look today.

The question now is what was David wearing that fateful night? Maybe he went for a splash of orange too and the couple's penchant for matchy-matchy outfits kicked-off from here on in...

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Extreme Accessories

Today, as part of Adult Education Week, I went along to a free taster course called Extreme Accessories. I wasn't sure precisely what I was letting myself in for - what exactly would be extreme about crafting your own accessories? As it turns out it was all about making a statement - a statement necklace made from paper beads in this case.

Once we had learned the technique of cutting,  rolling and gluing the corrugated card to make different shapes we were let loose to first make a pair of earrings and then design a necklace for a fashion show of students' work to be held on Saturday. I opted for a topical & tropical green and yellow Brazilian flag theme, whilst my sister made a gorgeous oxblood red necklace.

I'm hooked and think I'll be making lots more of these in the future - once I invest in a glue gun that is. Why not look out for courses near you and try something different?!

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Fearne's Floral Dress - Found!

If you've been wondering where you can find Fearne Cotton's cute floral skater dress, the mystery has been solved. At first I thought it might be a style from Fearne's collection for Very.co.uk - but no. Then I thought maybe it's vintage or even a super expensive luxury label - but no and again no. Here's the juice... it's actually from H&M and scrapes in at just under £30! It's also available without sleeves, but personally I like Fearne's version. With sleeves this dress will see you right through the uncertain British summertime and beyond.


Friday 13 June 2014

Beckham for Belstaff

If David Beckham's Amazon adventure wasn't enough of a treat this week, here's even more footage of Becks on a bike - this time it's the advertising campaign for Belstaff. Enjoy...


Thursday 12 June 2014

HEMA's London Launch

Dutch store HEMA has landed in London and it promises to be a treasure trove of bargain buys. Never heard of them? Well they've got over 600 stores in 7 countries - and now a Victoria flagship is one of their number. Fun fact of the day: 1 in 3 Dutch boys buy their boxers from HEMA don't you know, but there's much more to HEMA than pants. Dubbed the 'Posh Poundland', at HEMA you'll find everything from cosmetics to kitchenware - making it the perfect place to pop in for those everyday essentials. Take the sunglasses - just £5 will get you a pair of wayfarers, aviators or bug-eye shades.

Find HEMA at Victoria Place Shopping Centre, London. This first UK branch is sure to be one of many as Kingston and Bromley follow Victoria in July.

Thursday 5 June 2014

Who Wears Short Shorts?

Bradley Cooper, that's who! Ladies of a nervous disposition should look away now. Surely this is proof (if proof was needed) that no man can pull off short shorts...























And this the man who can make a bin bag look good! Calm down - before you think it's a strange fashion statement to impress Suki, I should add that Bradley is on the set of American Sniper. All beefed-up to play Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, the costume department have evidently left his shorts a little on the snug side to show off those buns of steel - but how he managed to film a training scene complete with stomach crunches and scissor kicks wearing these is beyond me!