Pure by Romantica.

Having worked at Especially For You for a whole year now, I've seen my fair share of wedding dresses. However, there is one that constantly sticks in my head. We don't actually have it in stock, we have just borrowed it for a designer weekend before, but it is still by far my favorite dress. Its slightly unconventional, and not what many people would expect me to like, but it is simply stunning.  Have a look at this webpage, you'll see what I mean.It has a black satin top, with back lace applique all the way down the skirt. I know what you're thinking, "it's unlucky to wear black on you're wedding day". Well I'd beg to differ, we have had dresses with touches of black on before, and they have sold extremely well, and no bride has ever come to any misfortune because of it!

http://www.romanticaofdevon.co.uk/collections/pure-bridal/2012/pb2937/full

Got the blues...

This season, I don't know about you, but I'm obsessed with blue. Whether it be cobalt, indigo or ultramarine, every fashion label has a stream of blue fashion. It reminds me of what Meryl Streep says in The Devil Wears Prada,every colour on the high street has come from someone very high up deciding that we haven't seen azure in a while, so that is going to be this seasons must have, and a month later its plastered all other the shop floor. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a good thing for the fashion industry, it means the high street shoppers get a bit of designer-wear in every item they buy. I just think it takes just a smidgen too long to filter down the chain. I digress. Blue.

Spent too much money recently.

I very rarely actually go shopping, but every time I do, I seem to spend an exorbitant amount. I'll show you some of my less extravagant purchases over the last two weeks alone! As always, the links will be there.

This Red "Mock-Croc" clutch bag is perfect for fitting in everything you need on a night out. And it's only £12.99, so a bargain. http://www.newlook.com/shop/redclutchbag

I don't just buy clothes, I buy books too, in this case writing journals. I am planning to use this book as my people watching book, but I'm finding it hard to write in, as the pages are so beautifully decorated and illustrated. I bought it for £12.99 from Blackwell's Art Shop in Oxford, but you can get it from their website http://bookshop.blackwell.co.uk/vintagefashionjournal

Absolutely love these Miss KG shoes, they were £65, I bought them for £45 in the Debenhams sale, and now they are advertised at £33.75 on the website! A fashion steal for the comfiest shoes ever. http://m.debenhams.com/scarlettshoes

Miss Selfridge, was £45 now £30 http://www.missselfridge.com/2in1dress I would recommend getting a size up in this dress, as I am usually a 4 in their and I had to buy a size 6, it is quite neatly cut. Other people have said the same on the reviews.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Brand New Book

A Life in Frocks, by Kelly Doust has to be one of my favourite, only just discovered (because I can't call it new) books. I'll copy what's written on the back, and see whether it entices you to buy it.

 "A Life in Frocks is about the 'divine obsession' - a woman's love for clothes. In particular, it is a personal, entertaining, joyous - and seductive - exploration of the significant of clothes, filtered through one woman's lifelong sartorial infatuation."

I will insert a few links where you can purchase this book at a later stage.

If that didn't capture your attention - and frankly it should have done - then let me tell you a bit of what it's like inside. This may sound pretty cheesy, extremely cheesy in fact, but it's like going on a journey with the author, through her view of the world, and how her life has been accompanied all the way through with fashion.

    Aside from this, the pictures in this are gorgeous, and I love everything from the cover design to the kind of thick quality paper it is written on.

   It's not too expensive, £9.99 is the recommended retail price, a must read for lovers of fashion.

My amazing dress sense.

http://www.next.co.uk/x5026s1#785420x50

Actually had many compliments today about my amazing blazer/jacket/thing (technical term). It's from Next, and was £65 when I bought it, so not cheap. But I have to say it is super-comfortable and looks really great. I think there are a few different colours you can get, but I chose I lighter coloured one, which I'll post here --> with the link.

On the website, there is a cute outfit they have teamed together, which is further down on their page. I have to say the next website isn't the easiest thing to use, but I still think having it in the style of a brochure is a unique idea.

Brand New laptop

And I have to say I'm loving it. It's the new Samsung Ultrabook,with a Core i5 processor (hope you all realise that I'm just copying what is on the sticker on the keyboard, I don't know much about laptops!) Here's a picture! Sexy! Lots of exclamation marks!
Now I just need a sleeve.

This season's must haves...

        Now the summer sales are over, and the weather is getting worse (if that is physically possible), it is time for the new fall collection to spring out from behind the curtains. Over the next few weeks I will be blogging, daily hopefully, about what every girl needs in her wardrobe this season. Most of my observations are of the high street, but some designers who have contributed immensely to what us commoners wear will be mentioned.

Today - Cardigans! 

  I'll start with my visit to town at the weekend. Sooooo many cardigans!!! I have never seen so many, in varying styles and colours. My personal favourite is the oh so simple jade v-neck fine knit cardifrom H&M. It's from their Basics collection, so it is a bargain at only £9.99. If you check out the link below, you'll see there are tons of other colours to choose from if this own isn't for you. There were also plenty of round necks to try on, with possibly a larger colour choice. Finally at H&M there was a gorgeous, 100% Merino Wool cardigan. It's powder pinkwith sparkly buttons down the front, as seen in September's Vogue, for only £24.99. So if you want to stay warm this fall I suggest you give H&M a visit.
   Click Here For:
    Green  http://www.hm.com/gb/product/
    Powder Pink  http://www.hm.com/gb/product/2

If you're looking for something a little unique, look no further! This beautiful creation from Miss Selfridge is the perfect combination of practical and femine design. Following on from last years over sized knits, cardigans like this have become staple pieces in every girls wardrobe. This one is a little more expensive than the previous two at £36.00, but it is definitely worth it as an investment piece. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone would admit that paired with some statement leggings, a simple camisole and a cute pair of tucka boots this would make a knockout outfit. I'll put the link here...     
http://www.missselfridge.com/








Finally, this post would not be complete without, of course, the Aztec Cardigan. This one I have picked out from the Next website, but there are plenty of others from other brands that are equally as beautiful and practical. I chose this one specifically because I know that many people role their eyes when they see the word Aztec, and I can see them picturing a hideous colour mash up of random patterns and fabrics. I must therefore make two points about the Aztec cardigan.
   1) All designers, whether high street or not, design for people to buy, so technically all products are in some way appealing. (Personally, even though I've just written that, I myself don't believe that every item in every shop was worth the effort to produce, but that's for another day) And...
   2) Not all Aztec cardigans are blasts of colour, some are like the one pictured here, lovely 'grayscale' designs. Versatile, and complete an outfit. They are the statement piece this fall.


The cardigan pictured is £42 from Next, available at this website - http://www.next.co.uk/1

Thanks for reading, I will hopefully be able to write tomorrow, the subject is Sporty!

All prices correct at the time of publication.

Just had a bad experience

This is a day for a moan, I'm afraid. I just want to say I'm now kind of annoed at Dorothy Perkins. Basically, I ordered a product offline, and when it came I realised it was the wrong size. So I tried to get on my account and it said Password Incorrect, so I tried it again, and after three more goes they deactivated my account, which was fair enough. I emailed the customer services who were pretty prompt in sending me a reply and unlocking my account, whilst showing me a link to reset my password. I thought all was well, except when I went on the website again, typed in my details, and it claimed there was no account for this email address. I got annoyed, becasue without this I couldn't get a return slip offline so I could post the item back, so I decided to go to preston, my nearest city, only to find that they closed the store to weeks ago.... So, I'm officially piffed off! After much deliberation, baring in mind that the dress was on sale at £10.00 with £4.00 p&p, it's not like I've made a huge loss, so I think I'm just going to edit it a bit, maybe take it in, or turn it into a skirt and top, something like that. So watch this space, when in a few months time I'll do a Before and After blog. Moving On..
       For once, I haven't actually read this months edition of Vogue, so I cant do my normal little summary on the cover girl, which is a shame, but I have had so much to do I have barely got on here, let alone had time to read the big V. I shall try to read it cover to cover before the next blog, but I have to say I'm not promising anything.
      Also, just got some rambling to do about This Months Wardrobe Piece. This is a new feature I'm trialing, where I'm going to see if I can have a random box down the side of the page with my picks for the month, depending on the weather, of course, which probably means it'll only be useful for those of us Up North, as it seems like a different climate from the rest of the UK. At least its not raining (she says). If I can't have a little side box, I'll just stick the picture and information on the bottom of the blog, but it would be quite cute to have a little feature. The weathers been kind of cold in the North West of England, so the shorts have been left firmly at the back of the cupboard, so this month I've had to pick something a bit warmer than usual for mid April, but still...

Sorry Clarks, but Dorothy Perkins Won!

Wow! These are definitely the ones for me. Just have to work out how to walk in them now.

This shoe is called Aqua Twist Peep Toe, it was £38.00 but is now only £30.40! Limited time only!
http://www.dorothyperkins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33053&storeId=12552&productId=4812118&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208738&parent_categoryId=208609&pageSize=200&refinements=Price{2}~[30|45] and I know this link is long but what else can I do!!!!!!! Lots of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Small addiction

I realise that this isn't really actual fashion, but I have become quite attached to Style Boutique DS (also known as Style Savvy). For any of you that have the game, well done, for any of you that don't, the aim of the game is to run your own fashion boutique and make as much money as possible! Admittedly, the game does have some limitations, it is quite easy to finish and there aren't many downloadable updates, so it can get a bit tiresome. However, it does follow the seasons, and it does have over 10,000 products to buy, by any terms that is quite a large amount. Happy playing!

Blue Suede Shoes

I just wanted to draw the attention to blue for a moment. A week ago I walked into Clarks, and they were everywhere! I just wanted to show off some styles, as I am completely in love with them all!!

This one is called Camelia Kate in Midnight Blue. It's got beautiful shining leather on the heel and toe, giving it some more pizazz! Price: £44.99, bargain. See page: http://www.clarks.co.uk/p/20350479 

This shoe is called Cassie Shore, and is also in Midnight Blues. It is completely blue suede, with a wood effect heel. This was in Elle a couple of months back, and that's when it caught my attention. On the inside is a Liberty fabric, beautifully printed with a floral pattern. This shoe is a bit more expensive at £54.99, but I have to say it is worth it. See page:  http://www.clarks.co.uk/p/20349045   

So as you can see, blue is in this season, but if you want to buy these, you'll have to be quick, as soon the new summer collection will come in, and all these gorgeous shoes will be pushed aside.

Vogue has arrived!!!

And what an edition it is this month. Of course I have to mention Sienna Miller looking radiant on the cover, but I've not had chance to read the article yet, so I will comment no further. What I really wanted to talk about was last month's cover girl, Lana Del Rey. The article on her was truly insightful, she appeared a lot more sensitive than I was led to believe. It was nice to hear her side of events, because as soon as you mention the name Lana to anyone, most immediately take a sharp intake of breath. In my opinion, too many people judge her on her looks and style, described in her own words as "gangster Nancy Sinatra". She is sometimes shown as a fake, probably through pure jealousy of her voice. What I am saying is, just because her lips are the fullest natural ones you've ever seen, it doesn't mean that you should hate on her for her appearance. Thanks for letting me rant, Once I've read this months edition of Vogue I'll do another post, but until then.... anyone for a cuppa' tea?