Category Archives: Dresses

Oh, well, what could a girl wear?

Spring mood

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The fact that sun has been out (although temperatures are not that high) has put me into a spring mood.

I have hit the shops hard and bought lots of lovely pastels…Got lovely cream shorts and jacket, flowery shorts, a mint green lace  top and a cream lace top, all from H&M. From the spring/summer12 trends, the ones I am into the most are definitely girlie, with the lovely pastels and monochromes – to be honest, I have been a big fan of black and white for a long time! I am also loving shorts at the moment!

These are a few of the items I have bought recently…What about you? What is your favourite spring trend?

p.s – I have been really rubbish lately, have 2 lovely Nails of the week posts to add, and time has been so short… will post them when I get to Brazil, as I have 2 weeks of holidays!

Clothes swap party

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One of the items I bagged - love it!

I am very excited to say that, for the very first time, I did something I had wanted to do for ages: attend a clothes swap party. It was organised by a friend who, after having so much fun at one in the past, decided to host her own.

For me it was the perfect excuse to perform my biannual wardrobe season change – this is when, for pure lack of space (or as my boyfriend seems to suggest, too many items – crazy – you can’t have too many, right?!), I put all the bygone season clothes in suitcases and shove them in the loft. They then come out around six months later, and the cycle is complete! I often use the opportunity to review my collection and get rid of clothes that made in and out of the loft a couple of times and haven’t been worn. Usually, they end up in the charity shop, but this time they had a different destination.

Armed with some nibbles, I pulled a small suitcase packed with a mix of  clothes (some I really liked and had worn a fair bit, others a bought and didn’t sit well or were simply not my style) all the way to my friend’s house, where I was met by around eight other girls holding glasses of bubbly. Promising!

The format was pretty straight forward: you went in the middle of the room, opened your case, showed each item and the ladies interested asked to try them on. If there were no takers, the garment would join a pile on the floor, for later perusal or disposal. If two or more parts were interested, they would all try the disputed item and sometimes this alone would solve it, otherwise, negotiations would commence – all very friendly, flattering but honestly on how the other part looked to decide who the item was better suited for, with all the girls giving opinions! I pretty much got everything I wanted, and I have the feeling everyone was satisfied with their new acquisitions. I certainly took more items with me to the party than I brought home, and this was my intention from the offset!

The vast majority of my items were tried on by more than one girl (it feels nice when other people like your taste!), and two lovely dresses went to a good home – they were sexy numbers, and I am sure she will do them justice!

I ended up with a flower print full skirt dress, which I wore to work the day after, a pair of high heel grey boots, a wool wrap mini skirt, a pencil skirt with leather panels on the side, a skirt suit, a bright pink lipstick, a hair volumising spray and the best of all, three MAC brushes (227,212 and 275)!!!

A great experience altogether, I would certainly do it again. It worked very well and I loved it, plus,  it makes so much sense –  I cannot see a better way of recycling and exploring styles that you might not necessarily go for, as well as making new friends and most of all, having a LOT of fun. And the clothes which ended up unclaimed, were gathered by the hosts to be taken to the nearest charity shop. Nice!

NY Fashion Week – my picks

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Zac Posen evening gown

Zac Posen evening gown

Fashion Week season is on, and New York offers us the first glimpse of the Spring/Summer 12 collections on its catwalks.

For me,  so far, sharing the  “absolutely stunning” category is Zac Posen‘s collection, with some edgy yet feminine pieces, a great colour palette and fabulous evening gowns and Marchesa displaying fairytale dresses that sparkled and flowed across the Plaza Hotel. Absolutely beautiful.

Also amongst my favourites are Vera Wang‘s colourful Wonderland inspired pieces, Cushnie Et Ochs‘ white and black dresses and Monique Lhuillier‘ curve gripping ensembles. In common, these three have dramatic, geometric neck lines, sharp edges,  and structured pieces oozing with femininity  – all presented in a way I could actually see myself wearing. L’Wren Scott‘s line also had some fabulous dresses.

Some of Victoria Beckham‘s pieces also caught my eyes – the shades of blue in the collection were amazing, and I love the fact the models were styled wearing Louboutins.

Cushnie Et Ochs dress

Cushnie Et Ochs

Some of her pieces for this collection were less body skimming – apparently inspired by her recent pregnancy: loser pieces, to go with a fuller figure. I really like seeing designs on the catwalk that embrace  more realistic body shapes. I also heard she was looking fabulous back stage, wearing towering Louboutins and one of her handbags in tow.

I also enjoying looking at some tribal printed Donna Karan and some of Betsey Johnson exquisite pieces – I love the flowery prints and that goth vibe.

Zooming on the nails, I noticed a light beige shade, quite recurrent across different designers. It is for Spring/Summer 12, after all, so I have some time to tackle my lighter- shades-on- nails phobia!

Newsletter item of the week

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Miss Selfridge faux fur leopard trim coatThe gorgeous Miss Selfridge’s Leopard Faux fur trim coat, headlining their newsletter today, now features on my wish list – it is just perfect for me. I love everything about it: the taupe color, the leopard print faux fur trim and the cut. Could do with a higher wool percentage, but it is just too cute – and at £85 I think it is well priced.

Another items (or better, items) that caught my attention this week were the Quontum dresses being sold by Vestry. Although I did buy one in a similar style from Miss Selfridge (the Bengaline mesh dress, in green), I really like the colourful straps.

uontum dress

My favourite one is the Quontum Criss-cross strappy back dress –  it is a plain black dress when seen from the front, but as you pass, heads will definitely turn – hot! A great clubbing/partying dress but I think that at £60 and if you are going for the mesh one, the Miss Selfridge has an edge, at only £39.

Not from a newsletter, but this week I went to Aldo and saw their Opdyke bag, in several colours and a lovely fur trimmed flap. I really like the “cognac” and the black ones, but they have loads of different colours. Very cute, £38.

New season campaigns

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Sigrid Agren, Joan Smalls, Emily Baker and Abbey Lee, with boys Lenz Von Johnston, Anthon Wellsjo, Duco Ferwerda, photographed by Mert & Marcus. Just checked out this Vogue picture gallery on the best shots from this season’s advertising campaign.  Luxury brands, big names and great photographers – I really loved this selection.

The Gucci shot, by Mert & Marcus, is by far my favourite, I adore the colours – this is the kind of new season image I have in my head  – the outfits are luscious, there is fur, there is drama, (there is a guy!!!), the composition is great, the light, the make up… all so wonderful!  Yet, what I really love about this picture is that it oozes decadence.

I was also keen on the pictures from Armani (image 5) , Tom Ford (image 11) and this amazing dress from Donna Karan (image16), wow!

Must be noted though, as much as I like Helena Bonham-Carter/think she is a good choice for Marc Jacobs/the shot is indeed imaginative (image 22), to me, it looks a bit odd, as if she is a cut up mermaid and even though I think this was the intention, it just makes me feel a bit funny. Having said that,  the more I look at it, the more I like it,  in a very weird way – Bonham Carter is definitely the right choice for such a quirky snap!

Which one is your favourite?

My pre-A/W 11-12 wishlist

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midi River Island skirt

To midi or not to midi? Regardless of length, the colours are spot on!

As the shops tease poor souls like myself with brand new shop windows in anticipation to the new season, I have been making a wish list of items I think will be key in my wardrobe for the Autumn.

I have quickly warmed to the colours I have seen around and I am looking out for mustard, navy, cobalt and petrol blues, grey, rich golden beige, tan, burgundy, and jewel tones. Very pleased that colours will seep into the new season, and I look forward to explore palettes I haven’t before (like navy blue, weirdly). It also makes a great change from the usual mostly dark wear for the colder months.

From the wish list below, I have already bought a few but most are yet to be purchased, I am keeping an eye out for them – watch this space!

1. Midi length skirts – still not sure how I will fare on one, as I am quite short and the midi has always been a no-no (as far as my mirror tells me), but it really looks like midi will be the only length for the coming season, I may have to embrace.  Almost bought this cutie one from River Island, fell in love with the pattern, but sadly, after all the garments on my size were defective, I’ve gone off it a bit.  I am officially on midi skirts watch.

Primark mustard lace dress

Bargain!

2. A navy blue blazer – I am a big blazer fan (even though in the office they always ask me why I look so smart), and I have put an order in for a lovely one from H&M (have to say, their A/W collections is very nice!)

3. A checked jacket – it’s cute, exhales some countryside Englishness and can have a mix of all the colours I am into at the moment. H&M, once again, has a cute one for a unmissable £19.99!

4. A tailored coat  that has feminine details –  this one from H&M is pretty much what I want, as design goes, but doesn’t really seem that warm. I suppose I have to touch it, try it on and see, so I placed an order (not due until mid August).

5. Dresses – a mustard lace one, bought for a steal in Primark (£17), a burgundy, a cobalt blue and a purple-ish, still to be found!

6. Tan loafer heels – I bought some cheap ones from New Look, 10cm chunky heels, very Maggie Thatcher! Turned out to be a good fit, sizing is spot on and they are quite comfortable, as they are very square, so no squashed toes!

7. Flat tan leather boots – for the daily grind. Have my eyes on one from very.co.uk, the Love Label Dustin riding boots, a true staple. At the moment, site says it ships in five weeks, so might wait a bit to order.

8. Statement earrings – yes, they are back. I remember when I was about 16 and these massive, heavy American Indian heads, dangling with all sorts – metal feathers, beads, the kitchen sink, you name it – were all the rage. I love big earrings.

9. Statement rings – in the new season colours – don’t think I need to elaborate on this one, this post says it all.

10. A choker – I haven’t been big on necklaces lately, but want to jump on the choker bandwagon, my mum has always been a big fan. Not sure if I want a very flamboyant or a more demure one. Might love it so much and end up buying several.

Topshop Glam suede shoes in green

11. Emerald green heels – tried to bag a super bargain from Zara, but that proved to be a fiasco. Instead, went for the highly affordable Topshop Glam court shoes, in green suede, for £46.

12. Mustard and navy blue tights – tights tights tights, I really love tights. I remember when I arrived in England, I felt so cold, but so cold that I couldn’t even bear the thought of wearing tights in the winter (I used to wear four layers: 2 tights, leggings and jeans, 2 socks!). Nine years on, I don’t think I’ve worn trousers for the past two winters!

As we say goodbye to short sleeves and bare legs, I am sure more tendencies will catch my eye – I will be posting them avidly – but I think these are certainly a great flavour of what is yet to come, and will help me step into the new season in style!

A/W 11-12 trend alert: jewel tones

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Gemstones

Sparkle! Sparkle!

Really excited to read that jewel tones will be quite trendy for Autumn/Winter 2011-12. As a colour lover, this is great news; I can see a (yet another) new obsession coming.

I love the fact that emerald, amethyst, sapphire, topaz and ruby colour pallettes will be gracing our wardrobes – the fact most people dress in greys, browns and blacks in the colder months just makes it more miserable. A colour splash will certainly help to brighten up the day!

I had already spotted the trend, which started shy at the end of the summer collections,  at the back of the bright colour blocking bandwagon, and is growing as the new season collections come around – I have already purchased some items in line with it (mustard dress/tops and emerald green shoes) , and have my eyes on some sapphire-coloured pieces.

This is also a great excuse to buy statement rings with a massive stone!

Check Vogue’s picture gallery with the sparkling hues.

Rich!

Zac Posen sale items at the outnet.com

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Amazing, killer Zac Posen gowns going for 70% off at Outnet.com.

If you are looking for a very special dress for a very special occasion and have a bit of money to invest on it, I would definitely go for one of these.

My favourite is the Paneled Silk gown, so elegant in classic black and nude/grey (pictured),  I love the back detail – a true red carpet dress,  down from £4,210 to £1,230!

I also love the Pintucked stretch-silk gown in orange, the Assymetric chiffon gown in lavender, the Strapless crepe jersey gown in red and the One shoulder stretch silk gown in red.

The magical Jacques Townhouse

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Yesterday was the last day of the lovely Jacques Townhouse – Chando’s House got an apple and pear makeover into an indulgent girly hotel for this fabulous pop up venue by Jacques Cider.

I am very glad I made it – I certainly had a the most amazing time. Even thought they started the 10- day event with invitation only admission, they soon posted on their Facebook page that invitation was no longer necessary, and people would be served on a first come-first served basis within their daily 17:30 and 19:30 slots. When I first read it, I thought I’d never get in; that there would be long queues (and I really dislike queues, especially after a day at work!), so I decided not to go.  However, the fact that I saw the open invite first thing in the morning on Facebook was, to me, a clearl sign that I should not miss it.

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The entrance to Chandos House was deliciously decorated with apples and pears. Even though I got there at 17:28, there were only around 15 people waiting ahead of me. Soon after 17:30 a bright red lipped hostess came out with a clipboard and the queue started to move, with small groups of people being let in.

The perfect welcome was delivered by the front of house staff, including the fabulous Miss Monroe, in the hotel reception. They enthusiastically (and with impeccable posh accents) told us about the different rooms of the house and what we would in them: the Photo Studio, Wardrobe of Wonders, Trendtellers, Style Bar, Beauty Parlour and Enchanted Garden.

Each one of us was given a little key to the bar, which unlocked your 2 free refreshing Jacques ciders. We were also offered mini doughnuts and I had a bellboy escorting me up the stairs arm in arm to the Wardrobe of Wonders, which were very nice touches!

Keen to unveil the secrets behind each door, I entered the Wardrobe of Wonders, chose clothes from the racks and accessories, and posed for the camera (have to say, I do not think that this was my best shot from the 3 they took – it is not possible!!!). Waiters went around with trays laden with crispy cider, and girls (including myself) shrieked in excitement or burst into laughter when looking for accessories and trying on clothes.

After that, I went into the Trendtellers room, where I created a feather head band and stencilled my own Jacques canvas bag.

With my newly created items in tow, I went downstairs to the Style Bar, and claimed my first drink, an orchard fruits Jacques cider. Glass in hand, I moved on to the Enchanted Garden, exquisitely decorated with all sort of nick knacks. I was offered popcorn and sat around, soaking in the atmosphere and detail (and checking in on Facebook!).

I then moved to the Beauty Parlour, where I had fluttering eyelashes applied, and cheekily asked for a second treat, and spoiled for choice – between eye, lips or face make up, a massage, a hair do or nails painted –  I settled for eye make up. In hindsight, should have gone for a massage, which I really need – however, my “beauty before comfort” motto shouted louder.

With smokey eyes and lashes so fluttery I could have caused a tornado,  I  collected my second beverage, this time a fruits des bois Jacques cider, and went back to the garden, where I just sat and relaxed – until it was time to leave, but not before grabbing my goody bag, which contained another canvas bag and a bottle of cider!

So I made my way home, smiling and marvelling about all the weird and wonderful things I encountered, enchanted and looking forward to next year’s magical townhouse!

Lagerfeld for Macy’s

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So, I read on Vogue  Karl Lagerfeld is designing a line for Macy’s.

Now, that is exciting, not just because it is designer going high street, but because the prices also seem good – from only $50! I love designers, but my pocket not so much – I seek inspiration in high fashion, working my bargainous ways to make looks or trends my own (which I can wear to work and out, but mainly, afford!).

All I need is to get my hands on something, I am particularly enticed by the statement jackets!