Wanting For Winter

“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” 
-Humbert Wolfe

Why is it that I spend all year wishing for summer and then half way through I get a burning desire to snuggle up in a jumper? In the hottest week of the year all I can think about is sitting by the fire drinking red wine. But then when you are actually sitting by the fire with red wine all you want to do is be sitting by the pool with an Aperol Spritz. However with a slight chill in the air today after the tail end of a hurricane, I feel I am justified in compiling a wish-list for the coming season.




APC Felt Trilby
Topshop Lace Crop
Eddie Borgo Necklace
Bionda Castana Red Heels
Antonio Marras Lace Top and Trousers
Olympia Le-Tan Clutch
Eugenia Kim Floral Headband
Ainea Faux Fur Coat
Ballet Beautiful Shoes
Charlotte Olympia Glance Alot Pouch
Merchant Archive Metallic Floral Jumpsuit

Tweet Pin It Now!

Fight Night

What to wear when you realise that you are about to spend an evening in the company of a load of glamorous and beautiful people out-dressing each other? It's been a while since I have been to a bit of a do...so I racked my brains to come up with something snazzy. As my friend pointed out, it's a boxing match...you don't have to look classy if you catch my drift! It ain't the opera. And in my opinion a touch of trash never hurt anyone.

I found inspiration in the unlikely guise of Victoria Beckham. I can honestly say I've never before looked to VB for good fashion ideas. The only thing in common I have with her is that I too keep my mouth closed while being photographed. But I saw pictures of her and Mr. Perfect at the Met Ball recently - simple in white and I knew exactly what to do....which was call my dry cleaners. I was thinking WHITE and I was thinking JEWELS and I was thinking FEATHERS.



 In the Reiss sale last Summer I bought a pure white jumpsuit sample which I found in a heap on the floor of the store collecting dust-bunnies. I took it to my beautiful laundrette and left it there.*
Until last week that is, when it came in to its own on the most beautiful night of the year so far.

*we have a storage arrangement as I have run out of hanging space and he's got loads.

VB & DB

This is the beautiful blogger Natalie Joos of Tales of Endearment.
She gave me the idea to add  feathers and go top to toe white.
 Follow her on Instagram!

The evening was The Charge Ball held at the glorious Syon Park in Chiswick in aid of Tusk - a really wonderful charity which funds wildlife conservation, community development and environmental programmes across Africa. To learn more about their work visit here

Syon Park

I was terrified of doing the white thing. All it takes is a bump, knock or elbow and it's game over. The last time I wore white, somebody sloshed a glass of rouge down the front. I spent the evening in a portaloo with a tin of table salt and a sympathetic friend. I proceeded to run the dress under a tap and then sat on a stray receipt which then imprinted the following on my bottom  'PERCY PIG X1 £2.50, LADIES TIGHTS 20 DENIER X1 £3.73, CASH TENDERED' etc etc. I had to go home.

The carrier bag contains a change of outfit in the event that there was a code-red wine incident. 

Or in case I got too close to the blood, sweat and tears.

Boxing. 

Then this happened, ringside. My life is complete. The style guru Marc-Francis Vandelli appeared like a vision in blue satin and kept growling at my feathers all evening, in a good way. Apart from my hand looking weird, this is one of my favourite pictures of all time. Hello new screensaver.

NBF

Apart from a small mark I came away relatively unscathed despite getting pretty close to the action and gallivanting until 3am. So it's going back to live at my laundrette until I feel another Posh Spice moment coming on.

Ciao for now!

Tweet Pin It Now!

Holidays

Craig & Karl for Le Specs
Earrings and Bangle - Aurelie Bidermann
Raffia Clutch - Anya Hindmarch
Straw Boater - Missoni
Floral Skirt and Camisole - Topshop
Snakeprint Esapdrilles - Prism
Leaf Print Bikini - Topshop
Bamboo Tote - Charlotte Olympia

Tweet Pin It Now!

Drunk Shopping

A comparison website recently found that 43% of the 2000 people they surveyed had shopped on-line after drinking. Had they included me in said survey last week I would have upped that percentage. A quarter of the once-inebriated respondents said they 'only bought the item because of the alcohol they had drunk'. A fifth could not even remember what they had bought (me) and that the most common purchases were clothes
and shoes (me).
A whopping 78% regretted their purchases. Not me!
Or so I thought...

 Luckily I woke up with no sense of regret but a sort of lovely, excited feeling and a headache. Surfing the net after a glass bottle or two of Lambrini and a wallet is a joyful experience! Oh the possibilities! There is a whole world out there and slome reeeally slovely dresshes. Despite the fact it was raining cats and rats outside...how about a 1940s silk tea dress and espadrilles? Yup! Click - straight in the basket! Grosgrain pale pink sun dress? Yes please. Click! Laser cut out shorts and cami combo? What is that? Sure, why not?! Would you like to checkout because you're seeing double because you're seeing double? Yah! Don't worry we've saved your card details from last time. So convenient...no time to scramble through my purse and change my mind/pass out. Gosh I love Topshop. I seem to especially love Topshop under the
affluence of incahol.

In the sober light of day, parcel by parcel by parcel arrived on my desk, accompanied by raised eyebrows from work colleagues. I shamefully checked my bank statement. And that's when my heart slightly sank - a socking great chunk of money meant for my water bill...had disappeared.
Most of it's being returned (white leather shorts? I mean, who does the drunk me think I am?) but a few delights are staying. Thank goodness we are able to return things without a hoo-ha these days. Mind you, clothes are one thing, a flight to China is quite another...as are mousetraps*

However, I fear Drunk Internet Shopping is just like drinking followed by a hangover: one quickly forgets the bad bits because it's so blinking fun and starts all over again. Gin and Tonic anyone?

This is what I kept. I can't even begin to tell you about the horrors that went back.

Floral Tea Dress by Topshop Boutique

Floral Beaded Clutch Bag from ASOS

Nars Lipstick in Roman Holiday from Space NK

Hayworth Raffia Shoes from Charlotte Olympia

Pearl Hairband courtesy of Louis Mariette

*After one too many Flaming Lamborghini's a panicked friend ordered 100 mousetraps (instead of 10) having spotted a rodent in her kitchen and wasn't allowed a refund. They're not even the kind of thing you can give as a present. 

Tweet Pin It Now!

Space Oddity

Sorry! Having said it's all about The Great Gatsby, it's actually all about David Bowie no?

The AMAZING exhibition at the V&A (beg, borrow or steal a ticket)...the INCREDIBLE documentary on the BBC...he's everywhere. In a good way. Opening the May edition of Vogues 'More Dash Than Cash' I was thrilled to see a feature on metallics and Burberry's SS13 collection. At first I thought it would be hard to do a bit of a Ziggy Stardust salute without looking a bit like an space oddity myself, but on second thoughts what with all the holographic, body-con, cut-out and metallic (Oh you) pretty things around at the moment it would be silly not to give a nod to Bowie's sartorial splendour while he's on trend. Ground control to a Major shopping spree I'd say. Sorry.

                 

If on the other hand you like something a little more subtle, maybe one of these will add some stardust to your ensemble: 

Headband from Topshop

Earrings from ASOS

Cosmic Sneakers from Nasty Gal

Lunatic Clutch from Charlotte Olympia

Glitter Clutch from Mawi

Starburst Ring by Kenneth Jay Lane

Wind Swept Wing Glasses by Jeremy Scott for Linda Farrow

If this absolutely isn't your vibe but you like a bit of Ziggy, then take your protein pills and put your helmet on and get yourself down to the Non Stop Party Shop and get one of these:

Or get your scissors out and get snipping...

Cut-out Dress from Topshop

Gem Shoes from Miu Miu

Gem Drop Earrings from ASOS

Bowie Paper Doll Book from here

Tweet Pin It Now!