No Words Needed

(images courtesy of men's health)

Words, Words, Words

From 12th January to 1st March the Ultra Lounge on the lower ground floor of Selfridges London will be tansformed into a library as part of the store's Words, Words, Words theme. There will be classes and lectures such as story-telling workshops and hand-writing analysis but also special pop-ups from brands such as Tatty Devine. At Tatty Devine you can order a custom order name or letter necklace and watch it being made then and there, all you have to do is choose which colour perspex you want, add a chain and a charm and go.

And if you can't quite make up your mind then you can choose from a range of ready made name and phrase necklaces right here.

Shop all Words, Words, Words at Selfridges here.

A quick peek behind the scenes courtesy of Tatty Devine:

 

 

 

 

A New Look for the Hawaiian Shirt

Thankfully for us the Hawaiian print is one trend this summer that is easier for the girls to wear and get right, than it is for the boys. Mess this one up at your peril guys...

I happened to catch a glimpse of this little beauty at the New Look Spring/Summer '12 Press Day, and I don't know about you but I can't wait to get my hands on it. The faded colours make this incredibly easy to wear with just the right touch of flamingos.

I plan to team with cut off denim shorts and some western ankle boots for a kitsch rockabily vibe this summer. Now all I need is the sun.

See this and more new arrivals at New Look here.

Here Comes the Sun

I don't know about you but winter always brings me down. Dark when you get up, dark when you get home, just dark, dark, dark. Oh and cold.

So what better way to cheer ourselves up than by looking forward to the summer, hell just looking forward to the spring, with gusto. Thankfully the trends for spring/summer '12 are not just a breath of fresh air but full on Miami-style, in your face, tropical rays of sunshine.

Pick up a piece from our Miami mood-board, whatever your budget and help will on the sun in your own little way.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino at Selfridges £45 | Pink Tassle Boots at River Island | Printed Shirt at River Island £30 | Nars Blusher at Selfridges £20.50 | Baroque Printed Jeans at Motel £48 | Stella McCartney Palm Tree Brooch at Matches £315 | Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Candle at Selfridges £38 | September Charm Priti NYC Nail Varnish at Cult Beauty £8.95

5 Dress Trends for S/S '12 - Mermaids & More

UNDER THE SEA

Shimmery metallics, pearlescent sequins and fishtail detailing bring out your inner Ariel.

TFNC Sequin Dress with Long Sleeves £55 from ASOS

PRETTY IN PRINT

Christopher Kane no longer has the monotony on all things printed (although this little number is rather nice). Inspired by tropical, galactical, animal.

Christopher Kane Rainbow Dress £248 from Matches

WASHED NEON

Pin-up girl palettes, cat flicks and cropped denim, think mints and lilacs and rock it like Rizzo.

Acne Zip Back Heavy Tunic Dress £220 from My Wardrobe

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS

Versace for H&M and the come back of Ab Fab are just the beginning of a full on 90s rave Face magazine reading resurgence.

 

Coco Backless Dress in Baroque Print £35 from Motel Rocks

NEW NUDE

Goodbye nude hello Great Gatsby blushes and creams, a perfect trend for perfect ladies.

Elenor Technique Skirt Dress in Soft Cappuccino £225 from Reiss

Wildfox Western S/S12 Look Book - Even Cowgirls get the Blues

Every year Christmas seems to be over with more and more quickly, this year being no exception... One minute I was desperately looking forward to catching the train home at lunchtime and the next minute I'm packing up my suitcase again, this time full of iTunes and Boots vouchers. 

What better way to get through this miserable time of nothingness and endless grey days courtesy of January and February than to look forward to summer with gusto through the form of the new S/S12 look book from Wildfox.

I always deeply envious of the girls behind the brand, childhood friends Kimberly Gordon and Emily Faulstich. If you believe their bio, they spend their days 'visiting vintage shops and working out of their studio, where they spread peace and love through their design, inspired by sleepovers and fairies.'

Sounds like a very nice life to me although I'm sure if you look at their success things are now a little more hectic...

This season's collection is a nod to the Western film genre - big hair, cowboy boots, crosses, cow skulls with splashes of desert sun neon yellow, cactus cooler tangerine and the romanticism behind spaghetti westerns of the 1960s.

Find your summer inspiration below...

 

 

Wildfox is stocked at Harvey Nichols and Selfridges.

(images courtesy of wildfox)

5 Things I Liked About This Christmas

1. Still explaining parts of the plot of Love Actually to my mum, even though we've watched it every year for the last 4 years.

2. The come back of Patsy and Eddie.

3. My mum making up who gifts are from as she goes unwraps them because she can't be bothered to get her glasses and read the gift tags properly.

4. Giving presents more than receiving - the last thing I could have ever imagined aged ten.

5. Polishing off two bottles of Bollinger and one bottle of Laurent Perrier with my mum before lunch because no one else in the house drinks.

Sofa Sanity Sale Selection

For some reason unknown to even myself I ventured into town today to pick up THREE last minute Christmas presents. So unlike me to not a) buy everything online and b) not be militantly organised by September. It was not however as bad as I feared and I came back not only satisfied that I had pulled off last minute present buying without any 'that will have to do' moments but also with my sanity in tact. And he who dares wins - I also got a couple of gifts at a fraction of the price because everyone has gone steamrolling into sale.

Normally I only reserve my sale shopping for higher value items where you can make real savings (actually who am I kidding, I'm always skint) and avoid mid-range stores like the plague whilst they bring out 3 three year old stock from dusty warehouses... This year however whether you're out for a spree or hankering after a steal, there are some great pieces to be picked up and being the kind goodhearted person that I am, I have picked out the highlights for you...

Vampire Suck Tee from Urban Outfitters was £28 now £14

Sherry Dress from Motel Rocks was £38 now £17

See by Chloe Cardigan at My Wardrobe was £308 now £154

Parisan Stiletto Shoe at Miss Selfridge was £59 now £30

Sacha Maxi Dress at Boohoo was £20 now £5

Tan Saddle Bag at French Connection was £250 now £167.50

Christmas at Babington House with 40% off My Wardrobe

So this weekend we headed off to Babington House like the stereotypical Style reading Londoner's that we are, looking to escape the grey concrete and immerse ourselves in rolling green hills. That or just browse the internet and watch X-Factor in a more expensive living room than ours... And it was bliss.We could have easily stayed another day, week, month even.

My favourite part of the weekend was of course people watching - assessing who they were, if they really suited their other half, what labels they were wearing and my current fascination - what they do for a living when they aren't living it up at country spa's in Bath...and if they in fact did anything at all.

If like me, you feel like a bit of an impostor in situations like this, make your style choice from the shelves of My Wardrobe for that perfect warm cosy winter outfit that screams countryside whilst remaining stylish. And if you can't quite afford all this lot in one fell swoop, let My Wardrobe help you out with a whopping 40% off... Just enter SECRETSALE8 at the checkout.   

Theory Scotia Long Sleeve cardigan £385

J Brand Wine Skinny Zip Ankle Jodhpur £265

3.1 Phillip Lim Placket Front Sweater Sleeve Top £365

Eugenia Kim Hunter Green Lauren Velour Felt Hat £320

Ash Crosby Studded Curve Cowboy Ankle Boot £225

(images courtesy of Soho House Group) 

Stars & Stripes

 

Just my kind of thing. You've got to have something to get you through the cold dark grey months. Thank god for Stussy.