Cocktail Jeans - Take a Walk on the Wild Side!

I love it. Sometimes I like to be experimental with my look and push the fashion boundaries. That's right, because i'm 'daring' like that (this is meant to sound tongue-in-cheek because anybody who knows me knows that for me, driving 5 mph over the speed limit is considered 'reckless'). But nonetheless, when it comes to fashion I like throwing the odd curve ball out there. Take coloured jeans. After seeing someone during my lunch hour in Bath rocking some skinny red jeans, I thought, "hey, I want to give that look a go!" So off I trotted to Topshop to swiftly purchase some gorgeous cherry red jeans for £38, paired here with a Wildfox vest (£60), Karen Millen bag (£160) and Primark cardigan (NB: I am not endorsing Minnie Mouse ears as part of this look, I happened to be in Disneyland at the time):



Anyway, I was pretty pleased with them. Until I realised they might have been a mistake for two reasons. Firstly, I got right royally mugged off by my friends for wearing them (thanks very much my lovely ladies!!) Insults ranged from, "Hey, Pat Sharp called - he wants his jeans back!" to "IT'S RONALD MCDONALD!" Being compared to a overgrown adult with a mullet/scary man/clown hybrid didn't do wonders for my faith in said jeans. Secondly, after washing them the dye managed to run...It was bad enough having lots of little faded patches on them, but the worst part was I completely ruined one of my fiance's best shirts and pretty much his entire collection of boxers. Error. From that point on, the jeans were dead to me.

However, that said, I am DESPERATE to embrace the new cocktail jeans trend for A/W. Current Elliot have a gorgeous selection of leopard print jeans (£200, Matchesfashion.com) and this pair are now firmly on my fashion Lust List.


I would advise something very simple on the top half, for example an oversized black shirt (35 Topshop). if you want to up the glamour another notch and make them suitable for a night out, then why not embrace this season's fetish trend and opt for a sheer black blouse (£19.99, Missguided.co.uk).

if £200 for a pair of jeans seems a little much then Oasis have some fab cherry red cocktail jeans (£45) or these fab grey stripy jeans (£20, Boohoo.com)

I refuse to be scarred by the name-calling or unfortunate washing-machine related accident. Though the biggest bit of advice I can offer is to take care when washing bright coloured denim..If not, at least make sure the contents of the washing machine are a) all yours or b) not expensive..I'm going to be cooking dinner for a long time to make up for my mishap!

Embrace the Lace!

Being a lover of all things lace, pearl and a little bit vintage I decided to incorporate some into my day and workwear. First stop was French Connection for a cute lace top (£52). Not content to stop here, the next shop to be graced by my presence was good old H&M for a simple yet sexy black pencil skirt (£14.99) Top it off with a long pearl necklace and voila! Vintage-style chic with minimal damage to the purse. Well, I say 'minimal damage'..My fiance is going to have a head-fit when he gets home from his work trip on Friday and looks at the bank statement. As I said to him at the weekend, "it's a necessity darling!" When strenuously declaring this on Saturday though, I did also claim that, "false eyelashes are a basic and bare essential." I think this might tip him over the edge..Anyway, well all's said and done clothes ARE a necessity. After all, nobody wants to leave the house and get arrested for indecent exposure, do they?!

On that note, as the other half is away all week I have been granted some invaluable online shopping time. During my surfing I couldn't help but notice that AX Paris have some fantastic items in their A/W collection. Continuing on the lace theme, I couldn't help but fall in love with this gorgeous lace dress (£28). A total bargain, and something that will no doubt become a good old wardrobe faithful as Autumn begins. As an added bonus, by registering with AX Paris you can also currently receive a 20% discount on your first order. Marvellous.

Enough is enough though. There's only so much spending I can defend. Unless I tell him (wide-eyed and innocently) that AX Paris was the name of the plumbing firm who came to fix the leaky tap in the kitchen..Yes..A flawless plan..

..Unless he's reading this of course ;)

Does Fun and Frivolity Mean Fashion Faux Pas?!

Ok, so the wonderful Pay Day arrived last week and what better way to celebrate a Bank Holiday weekend than to spend it on fun things to wear and put on my face?

A wardrobe beast/fashion dilemma hit early on in the weekend. On Sunday night I was due to attend a 30th birthday party at Weston-Super-Mare pier. The earlier part of the evening was to be dedicated to the funfair rides, and the latter part to a great big party in the function room. So, did I sacrifice my party look for maximum funfair frivolity, or did I sacrifice my dignity in a glam little black number?..

...Anyone who knows me will know which option I chose, and party chic won out in true and typical style.

So, on Saturday morning I took myself up to The Mall at Cribbs Causeway to desperate try and find a suitably glam outfit. Luck was on my side and I rapidly managed to snap up a gorgeous nude camisole with beaded embellishment from Miss Selfridge (£45). Paired with my trusty black Topshop body con skirt, I was good to go. As a tip, if (like me) you don't like wearing skirts that are a little on the short side, opt for one from the Tall range as it will come up a little longer. One pair of Eylure lashes and some new velcro rollers later and I was set and ready for Sunday evening. Naturally, I looked totally ridiculous tottering around in the Crazy House but, hey, at least nobody could see up my skirt - body con = oddly dignified and concealing of underwear:




My friend Jen also looked hot to trot in the Twiggie skater dress in 'wine' from online retailer Missguided (a bargain at £25.99)



Another purchase of the weekend was a gorgeous dress for an upcoming night out in London with the ladies. At £60 from River Island it was a steal, and it's grecian draping and cute gold waist belt will match perfectly with my chunky gold watch, earrings and muted gold Topshop stilettos.

On another fashion note, I am pleased to say that I ordered my wedding dress this weekend! I have also chosen my wedding shoes (Louboutins, natch). Of course, I would usually share details but the other half may be reading...For someone who 'claims' to not like anything girl-related, it's funny how I catch him reading both this and my copies of OK magazine occasonally...!

My evening as a (rather inexperienced) hair and make-up stylist..

I suppose I ought to explain..I am currently working for a website called MyStreetChic.com - a website for fashion and enthusiasts which covers catwalk and celebrity trends and how you can get the look on the high street. It provides 'how to wear it' guides which are tailored to show you how to wear the latest looks in accordance to your body shape, and the street style galleries offer a real world reflection on how different looks are being worn in your city. The site is fab, and I love being a part of it. Because of this I get to do lots of fun and exciting things - and today was no exception.

The focus of today was on a Collection Review for fashion brand Prodigy Red. In order to relate the clothing range to the key A/W looks we decided to focus on some of the trends and show how you could get each look within their affordable range. The shoot was great fun and we managed to successfully portray the sixties, seventies New York, forties, fetish and masculine tailoring looks with products starting from as little as £9.99. My favourite pieces from the shoot was the forties-style navy polka dot tea dress for £19.99 and the fetish-style black mesh sleeveless body suit for £9.99. I would love to share the pics and videos from the shoot but you will have to keep an eye on MyStreetChic.com for that i'm afraid...!

I was drafted in at the last minute to assist with hair styling and make-up. Yes, me. It's one thing doing my own hair and make-up (which is hardly amazing, to say the least!) The pressure was on. A quick Google search, some GHDs and some false eyelashes allowed me to blag my way through it reasonably well (to my extreme relief). Though I must say the saviour products of the day were, by far, Batiste dry shampoo and my faithful Tangle Teaser brush (even if everyone does call it my 'dog brush'). A couple of squirts of Batiste to give it a root boost and a bit of backcombing from the Tangle Teaser = perfectly volumised, yet smooth hair. The result on the girls was positively Cheryl-esque! Here's a pic of the effects they have on my own hair, as proof it works:



Tomorrow I am off the Boohoo.com A/W Press event and cannot wait..I'll make sure I share all the gossip in tomorrow's blog entry. I'm nice like that ;)

Why beauty products are like toys for grown-ups..

If ever I am a little bored with my wardrobe, too skint to go shopping (frequently as the end of the month approaches) or just bored in general I always turn to my trusty make up bag to have some fun and add another dimension to my look. Since the financial drain that was Marbella, I decided to 'try' be a little economical with my spending and instead of purchasing some new shoes, instead purchased a Barry M shatter effect nail polish. As a true dedicated lover of the grrrrreat leopard print (seriously, Pat Butcher has NOTHING on me) I decided to paint my nails with a nude base (Chanel) and the black crackle effect nail varnish. I LOVE the results! Even if my fiance did say, "Uh, babe? I think you have missed some bits on your nails..."



Now, on to my beloved Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick! You seriously cannot get better than this for a staple make-up bag item. It has proved invaluable since Marbella and has helped me emphasise my tan and give me a healthy glow. For cheeks I combine it with Dior Matte Bronzing Powder for a subtle touch of colour which creates the illusion of my (non-existent) cheekbones. It also doubles up as an eye shadow and highlighter. One of my favourite things to do is brush a tiny amount of the white highlighting strip just underneath my eyebrows:



Lastly, nothing pleases me more than whacking on a pair of false eyelashes. My favourite brand is Eylure. Just make sure you don't do what I do and end up putting one on, attempting to put the second on and throwing a temper tantrum because it KEEPS GOING WRONG! Blimey, if I totted up how many pairs I have wasted in the past I would easily be able to afford a pair of Louboutins...Finally, after enlisting the help of a pair of tweezers and always snipping off the inner centimetre of eyelash and merely placing them closer to the outer corner of the eye I have managed to master it. It's only taken 3 years...!



Hmmm, actually - check out my left eye..Perhaps this is a good example of how NOT to do it! ;)

Decisions decisions...Which A/W to go for?

So, the A/W trends have been released by the fashion powers that be and i'm now stuck with the task of deciding which trends to embrace in the new season. If I have learnt anything, it's that the best plan of action is to stick to a couple of trends and buy some key pieces that can be mixed and matched to create several different in-keeping looks.

The first trend I have decided to conquer is Fetish. When I casually informed my fiance of this his eyes lit up. He was pretty disappointed when I explained that I will not be rocking whips and chains and that the key to this trend is 'less is more'. My staple items will consist of my black leather-look skinny trousers from All Saints, a black leather mini skirt (£35 Miss Selfridge), floaty and sheer chiffon blouses (£36 Topshop) and a little black dress with mesh inserts. My black leather zip and stud embellished jacket from Topshop and treasured selection of trusty Alexander McQueen scarfs (£165, Net a Porter) will suffice in completing the look when the colder weather sets in:





Next up will be Sixties. I'm a big fan of a little shift dress (£60, Oasis) as they are perfect for pretty much every body shape. Monochrome with the occasional flash of mustard or red will be perfect. Smokey eyes, nude lips and big eyelashes will complete the look:




Hair-wise, I have been informed that the bob will be a key trend (phew!) but that sleek bobs will not be the order of the day and that the key look will be textured:



At least I can now welcome my bob with open in arms instead of suffering with long hair envy and insisting I am bald every two minutes..The hair extensions can remain in their box for another season..!

Staying Chic in the 40 degree heat

Tuesday was a very sad day in my life. It was the day I returned home from my beloved annual holiday of debauchery with friends to Marbella (or 'Marbs' as it's now commonly known). For the record - WOW - what a holiday! A week of hilarious girly banter, sangria and - best of all - SUMMER CLOTHES!

Ok, so everyone is (painfully) aware that we haven't really had a British summer this year. The High Street and catwalk have taunted us with gorgeous, floaty seventies pieces and colour blocking separates but there has rarely been a chance to crack it out of the wardrobe - particularly not when it's 10 degrees and lashing down with rain outside. You can imagine my delight at the thought of a hot and sunny week of Spanish shenanigans. This meant one thing: Holiday Shopping!

Combined with a golden tan from the 40 degree heat, I decided bold and bright colour-blocking would be my holiday fashion influence. One of my favourite items was a pair of raspberry coloured culottes from Topshop. The safe option would be to team them with a black or cream vest, however for true holiday style I paired them with an electric blue scalloped edge camisole vest from Topshop:




Another favourite outfit was my coral one-shouldered dress from Warehouse. Combined with an orange Angel Jackson belt it was a real summery statement look:





Colour pop lips were the favoured choice of all the girls and I, with shades varying from hot pink ('Chatter' by Mac) to coral ('Coralicious' by Max Factor) and orange:





Ah well. I had better get back to my post-holiday blues. Now to pack it all away in the back of my wardrobe...Bad times.