Looking ahead: AW16, anyone?

dani's little book of fashion shoes - somanylovelythings.com

Oh, yeah, gimme red!

As Alanis Morissette would say: Isn’t it ironic? The weather is only just warming up (use that with caution) in almost mid-August but my ever wandering eyes cannot stop ogling over AW16.

I may even have bought a couple pieces… and GOSH kicked out the vibe providing me with amazing makeup for the season… So what do I have my eyes on?

Well… read on…

Cherry, vibrant red, I am looking at you. Yes. Not that I stopped wearing you, as you are my classic fave colour… but you are so in. Updated the sober autumnal look with that cherry pop.

Another colour you’re gonna have lots of for the season is pink. I don’t need to say how much I love that.

Sandals. Yes, sandals. I have just fallen in blind love with pop socks and it looks like they will stay with me with my winter sandals.

For the more conservative ones, pick less delicate sandals with block heels, and a counter. But those strappy ones you abused of in the summer are also in.

Socks, tights or both. Gucci AW16 lis the inspiration. Learn.

Matchy match bags and shoes was huge in the late nineties/early noughties. Well, it’s back. Live with it. My OCD thanks you, AW16.

Still on shoes, boots. Of course boots, for winter. Doh-oooh. But I am talking kinky books. Detailed, over the knee, tied-up, high-heeled statement boots.

vb-woolbustier

I’ll take the cut-out, thank you.

British heritage fabrics. Now, I find them hard t wear, being from Brazil and all… but with the re-vamped silhouettes this season, I think things will be easier. VB bustier anyone? Thanks.

slip-dress

Probably around 5 of those in my wardrobe right now…

The slip dress doesn’t seem to be going anywhere… especially when the silks are back with a revenge. Suits me right: slip dresses are easy to wear and dead comfortable.

08 Jan 2001, Los Angeles, California, USA --- Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, arriving at the 28th annual American Music Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium. --- Image by © Frank Trapper/Corbis

Hold on….Not going *that* far…

And while we are at the 90s, let’s talk about denim: I’ve been dodging it; bought a pair of jeans here, a shirt there…. but it’s already everywhere.

I am not going to discard the possibility of pulling a Justin and Britney. Ok, I will NEVER touch it *cringe*.

As we are talking denim, let’s not forget embroidery and badges. Huge. Still. Get sticking!

mcqueen-coat

DREAM COAT ALERT!

Talk about coats for AW is a bit silly. Of course there will be coats. Think trenches, capes, puffas… the usual suspects. But also pretty (embroided, hello!), shiny… Love.

Oh, and don’t forget the military.

I talked about this Alexander McQueen coat before. God, it’s dreamy.

velvet

Growing on me this velvet business…

Finally, velvet. I am torn when it comes to velvet: the texture is undeniably delicious, but it is quite unforgivable on the bumps.

Still, the opulence is undeniable. I think I like the vampy vibe. Might start slow, with a little crop or something. In black or navy. For now.

Like the bling? Well… spread the family jewels around. Hair, face jewellery, shoes, handbags… aplenty!

jewels

Crown me… crown me!

Embellishments are huge for AW16 – jewels, embroidery, badges, as already mentioned, but sequins, stones, crystals… Sometimes altogether. GO big or go home never made more sense.

What have you got an eye on for the new season (and I am hoping it takes a little while to arrive, honestly!)

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Making shopping easier

octer (4 of 11)Imagine finding everything you need to buy in one place – think shops, designers, fashion, home… From high street to high end.

Octer does just that. And a bit more. It actually compares different retailers so you can find the right colour, size and price.

And what’s more, you complete your transaction with the retailer itself, so you’re safe.

You can browse by category or store and you can see similar products to your selection – you never know when you’re gonna find a very similar item which is a bargain!

octer (5 of 11)

I was set on a wrap skirt for my holidays and after using the search to find them, I fell in love with this beautiful flowery one from New Look.

As I am already registered with New Look, the last part of my transaction was quick and smooth and I got it delivered at my local store, within the shop’s usual delivery conditions.

I teamed it up with this pretty peach frilly, off the should Forever 21 top, even though I bought the top to match the skirt too, and nude wedges I bought in Brazil a while ago.

While browsing, I was taken aback with the amount of products available; to make your life easier, you can browse by style once you’re in a category and styles are also split so you can browse bodycon dresses only!

A suggestion: maybe it would be nice to filter by brand too. But there is always the search box!

octer (10 of 11)You can then filter by price, store and choose to see sale items only!

But beware: the sheer volume of information in the site, which is amazing, can be a bit overwhelming at times.

I have to say, I was quite impressed to see Louboutins next to Linzi?! Octer does have something for everyone!

Go on and have a browse at Octer. Ah, you can also download the app!

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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

I’ll bag that, thank you very much!

biba-clutch bag-house-of-fraser - 5My life obsession has always been shoes. Ok, and makeup. Bags were not that much on top of my agenda, but in the past year I suddenly became a bit obsessed, and made a few extravagant purchases.

Because they don’t need to be super expensive to be oh-so-pretty, House of Fraser offers a huge variety of bags to suit all tastes, needs and very importantly, budgets.

biba-clutch bag-house-of-fraser - 2I recently got this gorgeous clutch from a brand I love, Biba, which is stocked by House of Fraser.

They have a fabulous range of Biba bags, and most some glimpses on the art deco style the brand was known for in the 60, but styled for today.

My choice, the Geometric Box Clutch, has it all. It’s golden, has some copper geometric snake skin panels. The shape is comfortable to hold, it has a great weight to it and a magnetic clasp with a big black jewel on.

biba-clutch bag-house-of-fraser - 4The inside is lined with the iconic Biba logo in black satin, and to make it even better, is also has a delicate, but sturdy, chain if you get tired of clutching it.

But Dani, what if I am not that into golden clutches? Fear not. Biba has loads of options and even better, at House of Fraser, you can find thousands of styles (in fact, at the moment, more than 4,000 on the website), from as little as £10! Yes, a tenner.

biba-clutch bag-house-of-fraser - 6This pretty and shiny, as well as super chic Biba Geometric Clutch bag costs £59.

Delivery was super speedy, well packaged to keep our treasured bags in tip-top shape. The website is easy to navigate, the purchase process very straight forward (I didn’t order this bag through it, but used it before for purchases) and you can search by all different criteria to help find the right thing for you.

Of course, you can always go to the shops and touch them all (not in a creepy way… *cough cough*); they stock handbags from high-street to premium brands like Mulberry and Lulu Guinness.

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This post contains PR samples. This review, however, is based on my experience with the product and reflects my honest opinion on them.

Famous at Ibis – glamour on a budget

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When you think Ibis hotel, luxury does not necessarily come to mind, but who said you cannot be stylish and glamourous on a budget?

Ibis has teamed up with stylist to the stars Alex Longmore to prove just that. I was lucky enoug to witness first hand how a great location, modern decor, comfort and great service do inject some glamour into everyday life.

ibis_blackfriars_roomI stayed at the Ibis London Blackfriars for a day of fashion and style. The Ibis Blackfriars is minutes walking from Southwark and Waterloo, walking distance to Southbank and super easy access to all tourist attractions. Very handy and pocket friendly.

The decor is contemporary and clean; rooms are simple but very well equipped, with comfort at their centre. Service was friendly and attentive, always with a smile.

ibis_blackfriars_receptionAlex talked about trends for the coming season, all high street and pocket friendly – and I must say I have already adopted a bomber jacket, from New Look, at an affordable £26).

After talking fashion, we were treated to a fab lunch at the hotel’s Fogg’s restaurant, which has delicious, filling and super affordable lunch and dinner options.

Ibis London Blackfriars H7943

After lunch, we were taken to explore the Vogue 100 exhibition at the British Library. Alex took us through the Vogue 100 years of fabulous photography, dousing her extensive knowledge of fashion, style and celebrities over us.

After that, we had some free time to explore the city, which I passed, as London is home, and shopping, which I welcomed, as I was eaget to put the Alex’s style tips into practice!

I had a friend’s birthday that evening and returned to spend the night at my comfy bed at the Ibis. Of course I had a Sweet Bed by Ibis, which offers extra comfort.

When I woke up, I was treated to an amazing breakfast – they even have guacamole, fruit or green smoothies, and the most delicious black rice and coconut rice pudding, healthy options alongside your traditional continental and cooked breakfast items such as bacon, eggs, pastries, and much more.

Even better, breakfast was available until midday (continental; cooked items available until 10).

ibis_blackfriars_loungeWith my tummy full, I returned to my room to do a bit of blogging and opted for a late check-out for extra relaxation.

After my experience, I did feel a little bit #FamousAtIbis! 🙂

The hotel is perfect for a night out in town, families, short breaks, business… it does cater for all needs with its great location, facilities and prices. Daily rates at the Ibis London Blackfriars (3*) start from £91!

Thank you so much Ibis for having me and looking after me so well and Alex for all the knowledge (it was great seeing you again!)

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I was invited to take part in this experience by Ibis, but opinions are my own.

Dani’s Little Book of Fashion: LFW, baby!

lfw_comb - 6This season was a weird one for me. With so much going on in my personal life, I decided to skip LFW AW16 altogether.

lfw_comb - 7I didn’t apply for accreditations, I didn’t request tickets, I didn’t RSVP to the ones I received. Life had been too crazy (and sad – which also justifies the lateness in posting this; I might or not write about it at some point) to fashion week.

I was just to ignore my FOMO and skip it altogether. Enter The Apartment and fabulous blogger Banké to change my mind.

lfw_comb - 3So I picked a day. Had the best time at The LFW Apartment, the brainchild of amazing Abisola (or AbiMarvel, as she is known online), the space if just fantastic. A haven for bloggers to hang out, rest, work and meet brands and other alike.

I can never thank them enough for having me – I got a wonderful blow dry by Mark Hill, stunning nails from Elegant Touch, discovered skincare brad Skin & Tonic London, the beautiful Caravelle NY watches, stationery wonderland kikki.K, got to know more of Urban Outfitter’s home products and was fed wonders from Aubaine, Sugartables London, Starbucks, Voss water, Zeo, Krispy Kreme and Take Eat Easy (which delivered amazing food!).

lfw_comb - 2And this time they have the great guys from Comb (a super cool photo search shopping app) taking lovely street style pictures of us – just book a session and, well, the result speaks for itself.

I took the cat theme (my beloved black Persian Thomas passed away recently, so that was my way of having him round) and ran with it.

The white cat collar shirt is from Miss Patina. I added a simple salopette dress from boohoo, tights from New Look, a cat-ear bowler hat from H&M, Christian Louboutin Pigalle shoes with a satin ribbon around the ankles and topped it off with my Chanel handbag.

Hair was worn down and blue “lipstick” is in fact GloRay eyeliner in Sky Breaker. Nails from Elegant Touch (Hall of Mirrors, the prettiest thing EVER).

lfw_comb - 1For walking around, I wore my trusty Zara boy-ish shoes. I dread the day they are no longer suitable to wear!

Next season I will put all the effort into it. I hope! Until September!

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Fall for Specsavers new addition: Love Moschino

I love my Specs. Many a times I said I grew into loving them, now I see tem as a fashion accessory.

My glasses choices vary every day. Some days, I pick a sharp cat-eye to look fierce. Other times, big thick black frames to look smarter or square frames to look more serious.

When I heard about the latest designer collection at Specsavers, my heart skipped a beat. That’s Moschino for a very affordable £125, and even better, on the 2-for-1.

The Love Moschino collection, exclusive for Specsavers, counts with 12 super wearable frames for prescription, for all occasions, and 3 prescription sunglasses, but with that cute and irreverent Moschino twist.

There are little heart prints, polka dots, tasteful jewels and lettering. They are just the right mix of cool and elegant.

My favourite has to be the cat-eye: black frames with a jewelled detail on the arms.

A close second is this gorgeous larger oval-shaped frames with adorable heart on the outside and polka dots on the inside of the legs. There you have it, my 2 for £125.

I could, however, also do with this gorgeous plum number and the fabulous white-framed prescription sunglasses.

Choosing is a hard task, especially when I tried them all at the amazing Light of Soho which, incidentally, had their art exhibition themed about love.

Impossible not to feel enamoured!

Best thing? You can get hold of yours now! Browse the oh-so-adorable Love Moschino collection on the Specsavers website and pop to a store for an eye test and quirky new specs! The hard party? Pick only 2!

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Purrrfect lingerie: Charlotte Olympia for Agent Provocateur

charlotteolympia_agentprovocateur2Well, well, well… if you were to be caught in a sexy web… it would look just like this.

Absolute no secret I love Charlotte Olympia. Everything the woman does, I am sold.

This collection for Agent Provocateur, launching today (18 Jan) at Charlotte Olympia and Agent Provocateur shops and online, as well as at Net-a-Porter, is no different.

“I almost have more lingerie than shoes! Both brands share similar sensibilities – we’re feminine, playful and love glamour” , says Olympia. And it shows. The pieces are sexy and flirtatious.

Obviously vintage inspired, modelled by Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and inspired on the likes of Anne Bancroft in The Graduate, the plays with Charlotte’s signature themes: cats, spider webs and leopard.

Somehow, it makes £95 for three cat knickers worth the money…. They are, after all, Purrrfect!

Here are my favourites.

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So Many Lovely Things style retrospective 2015

style_retrospective_somaylovelythingsOh, this year I went a bit crazy on the style front. I bought a few dream bags and shoes and also tried a few different things.

2015 also saw the birth of Dani’s Little Book of Fashion, a more structured approach to fashion on the blog.

It talks trends and style touches that are wearable and easy to incorporate. So which bits are my favourites? I am glad you asked…

Shoes

littlebookfashion_colour_dove (29 of 30)Stepping out of the black Louboutin world, I went for nude and won’t look back! The Christian Louboutin Pigalle 100 in nude patent is a wardrobe staple.

luxemme_party_dress - 15I always wanted some exotic leather shoes and when I saw the Christian Louboutin Pigalle Follies Mika Python, I just knew it had to be them; I’ve always had a think for snake skin… Although rather out there, they are quite neutral in a muted gold. Love.

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 16Flats are a bit of a downer for me, usually more a necessity rather than taste, but these super quirky Office Retreat boy-ish brogues are just too cool for school in silver leather, cow’s hair and pointy toes.

Bags

chanel_handbag - 1After much deliberation, I decided to invest in a Chanel handbag. I went for the classic shape, in a smaller size, with some seasonal quirks. Could not be happier with my choice!

luluguinness_lips - 1The first time I saw a Lulu Guinness Lips clutch I knew I had to have it. And I chose the black one, which is the perfect clutch.

Outfits

So hard to choose… here’s a small sample.

Summer outfit

littlebookfashion_colour_dove (21 of 30)Will have to be colour me pretty, on which I collaborate with Dove. It is a co-ord, it has bright colours, it says summer all over!

Winter outfit

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 19Quirky. I learnt to add a little bit more quirk to my wardrobe on a daily basis. This one has many ideas which can be used together or separately. All while warm!

Party outfit

That’s where it gets super hard. I’ve narrowed it down to three:

somanylovelythings - party outfitThe House of CB cut out pencil dress, ideal for clubbing or  sophisticated night out. Sexy, but not slutty. At least for me.

somanylovelythings - party outfitFor a red carpet vibe, the House of CB plunge evening dress. Plunging neckline, thigh high slit, tons of glamour. O be worn carefully. I was skilfully taped and nipple daisy-ed on this one.

luxemme_party_dress - 1For a family party, this Luxêmme white dress is perfect. Too pretty.

Trend outfit

70s trends - somanylovelythingsHas to be the 70s bohemian look. A tough one to pull off without looking fancy dress. The right elements in the right dose is the key for any era trend.

Casual outfit

somanylovelythings - casualOf course, my Sunday London Fashion Week outfit. Comfy and quirky, it had it all.

Work outfit

work outfit - somanylovelythingsAnother tough choice… I love this pinafore dress and bunny shirt, just too cute, and still dressy. Worn with courts in the office.

flowery suit - somanylovelythingsThis Matalan suit is great too. A suit, but not too serious and stiff.

Fancy dress outfit

Obviously, my freakishly scary clown for Halloween. Tons of makeup, white contacts and plenty of crimping action going on. Oh, and blood. Lots os it.

Chill outfit

Nothing says relax as a My Little Pony oversized fleece. This is two sizes too big and part of a pyjama set, but I just found the top at Primark, so bought it for £8 and couldn’t be happier.

Well, my Care Bear (grumpy, of course), is also a strong contender to this post! Both are so chilled the picture are crap!

What about you? What did you wear and fell in love with this year?

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This post mentions some press samples.

Stepping into another era in Camden, with Collectif Vintage Clothing

100 dresses. No, it is not number I go through every morning before deciding what to wear, silly. It is the number of Collectif dresses donned by lovely ladies at the Collectif Big Camden Party, which lived up to its “night of style, sass and swing” tagline wonderfully.

Choosing from seven beautiful Collectif vintage inspired dresses, we were treated to a fabulous retro hair do as well as a few glasses of prosecco and an unlimited amount of fun at the Collectif shop at Stables Market, in the heart of Camden Town.

I am a huge vintage inspired clothing fan. I don’t make it a lifestyle and don’t really stick to an era, but I pepper it around my own style; and the 50s are by far favourite time.

I love pencil skirts, cinched waists and I think that’s the best shape for my body; I feel comfortable and of course, pretty!

After squeezing myself into the gorgeous Yvonne Hanna Check Trim pencil dress and with my head suitably adorned with Victory rolls (by Lucy’s Vintage Hair) we moved on to Solomon’s Yard for the party.

And what a party it was. We were promised live bands, DJs, burlesque, magic, hoola hooping and Unicorns (yes, UNICORNS) ad boy, did they deliver that and more.

Welcomed by a vintage car and motorbikes, the stage was always filled with the most amazing acts: the Victory Sisters, an impeccable wartime vocal trio wearing pretty Collectif Maria Woodland Bloom Swing dresses.

There was beyond sassy burlesque from stunners The Folly Mixtures, with two cute and sexy acts, music spanning the eras between performances, courtesy of DJ Gem Precious and Diana Thompson.

Fabulous in orange drag queen Meth killed the comedy lip-syncing and got us all singing and laughing, and I even got some bonus spanking from the hilarious Levitating Elvis, with his boxing glove hair, an act so weird that is wonderful.

I do have to single out the not only gorgeous but super talented The Tootsie Rollers.

All five of them wore sultry siren Ingrid Fishtail evening dresses and left me smiling throughout the whole performance of pop sons with a swing twist. Extraordinary.

Finally, the unicorns. They came all the way from The Fabulus of Unicorns, a group of horn wearing, glitter-spreading people whose sole purpose is to disseminate love and happiness among humans. I mean, I just felt so happy around them that it’s not even funny.

I was of course, “kissed” by a unicorn and can still find glitter all over my house.

And there was dancing. Laughing. Such a fabulous atmosphere, fantastic happy people, all supporting a great brand with glamour that keeps giving.

My dress (and all the others I tried – sorry guys, you were fabulous and so kind trying to accommodate me) has an excellent finish and detailing, amazing cut, fits well and made me feel a million dollars.

All their clothes are amazing, the designs are obviously, vintage inspired, but very wearable. I have my eyes on a few little numbers, I tell you!

You can browse the beautiful Collectif Vintage Clothing collection on their website, I highly recommend it.

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Dani’s Little Book of Fashion: a little quirk

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 20I started this outfit with the shoes. There. I said it. I fell in love with these lovely boy-ish brogues in silver leather and cow’s hair (yes, how amazing is that?) from Office and had to style it.

Coords are another little obsession of mine and I am finding quite hard to find AW ones; but this Zara number fit the bill ok.

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 23The fabric is thicker and slightly textured; the trousers are super wearable. Although the sleeves are shorter than 3/4, it looks great under a little jacket! Also, I love the little buttoned up details on the back and the small roll neck.

Plus, it makes decent office wear, just add heels and voilá: it’s business proof!

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 7Bag wise, as I went for another little bit of quirk, I opted for my gorgeous Lulu Guinness Lips clutch, in black. I’ve wanted a LG lips clutch for forever, so I am glad I got one to call my own!

outfit_quirky_somanylovelythings - 12For the colder days, a fur coat, which is another obsession of mine. This one is short, from H&M, a discreet black ombré, with purple-burgundy “roots”.

Since I wore black lips for LFW, I’ve been dying to wear again. Admittedly, it is not a look that you can insert anywhere in your life, but I am trying to make some space for it.

That shift to striking lip colour really made me think more about different shades and purple was always something I wanted to wear. So I got my NYX Face Art Purple Blaze eyeliner and filled it in.

To amp it up, I added MAC’s impossibly bright Nicki Minaj Viva Glam pink in the middle, to create a subtle ombré.

Eyes were simple, with MAC’s Vex across the lid and brow bone and a little bit of MAC’s Iris, a fabulous lilac perfect for bringing out brown eyes (and lifting them when you are tired!) on the crease.

They were lined in a super flick with Urban Decay Ink for Eyes in Perversion and I added my super fave Eylure Fleur Loves lashes for a discreet flutter.

A comfortable, simple outfit with a few quirky twists; a very easy way to incorporate a different touch to you neutral daily outfits – a bag, a funky lip, striking shoes. Only one will make your outfit pop!

And I am still on the lookout for winter coords! Send them my way if you spot any!

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Styling and posing: Dani Dutra

Photography: Andy Edwards

Location: Stratford’s Gerry raffles square