Tuesday 29 April 2008

Fingers crossed

The trouble with hurting your back is that you really are stuffed! Honestly I've spent the last two days shuffling about and morphing into Britney Spears. Seriously, I went to the supermarket today in tracksuit pants, t-shirt and cardigan. It was not a good look. I stocked up on painkillers in the hope that oesteopath visit and drugs will enable me to work tomorrow and Thursday.


The other problem is I need a dress for a style presentation to a group of women and fashion journalists from the dailies. My plan was to get one today but I've resorted to internet purchase instead. After a good trawl I finally made my selection from matchesfashion.com. It is a Max Mara number and it was price and colour that sold it to me. I've got three presentation events coming up from now until August where I have to inspire others to all things stylish. I'm hoping the colour will detract from the blah! Plus I can't get away with anything cheap and cheerful. Hence large spend on one item......

However I really hope it fits as I've got no time to get another one.
Which is why I tend to try and buy usually.

This internet shopping thing isn't a good idea as I also went one step further and bought a gorgeous towelling ponco for my little boy as well....I want one too!

Boy's sail strip towelling poncho £24 http://www.thewhitecompany.com/

I'll not be buying anything else from now until October as I've blown the budget.

Monday 28 April 2008

Tagged!!

Agh it has happened at last!

Wee Birdy has tagged me to reveal six unimportant things about myself. Ok here goes....

1. By complete coincidence I also, like Wee Birdy, hold my pen in a most unorthodox and downright ungainly manner
2. I pulled my back this morning whilst rubbing body lotion on my right leg, so I'm visiting the osteopath at 3:30pm today...
3. I'm currently addicted to the BBC's 'I'd do anything'. My favourite wanabee Nancy is Jodie.
4. I'd be strutting about in my white Gap high waisted sailor trousers if I hadn't done my back in.
5. My literary intake is on the up since joining the local library, my latest loan is Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
6. I love raspberries

In the spirt of tagging I'm opting for...
Observationmode
Dressed and Pressed
Everybody says don't
Coco's Tea Party
Mahalo Fashion
and
Flashy Shades

Saturday 26 April 2008

Maxx your budget


I had a 15 minute browse in TK Maxx today about 4 o'clock ish and bearing in mind this is in a small little one in Surrey I could have bought
Olive fifties style dress by MCQ by Alexander McQueen £39.99 (down from £400)
Summer evening jacket by Valentino £79.99 (reduced from £700 - ok it was a bit italiano but looked the biz)
Red slim fit Ralph Lauren polo shirt for £16.99
There was a surfeit of DKNY denim jackets and some lovely white short sleeve shirts with bow collar detail by Red or Dead.
If you can save your pennies and wait to buy designer pieces, which of course are random injections into the main stock, then you can snaffle bargins galore.

Wednesday 23 April 2008

Just add Daz


Walking into Gap on Oxford Street today I was greeted with the freshest whitest clothes I've ever seen. I felt a summer's breeze waft over me as I drank in the heady glow. I wanted to be the Andrex puppy and roll around in all the whiteness!

Photo and article from Brand Week

The nicest suprise of all was a selection of the American designer/vogue collabaration - v.good. I counted five different looks but I was dazed by the brightness of my surrounds, so there might have been more.

This latest selection of summer goodies is the best offering by Gap to date. Lots of Riviera chic and modern utilitarian wear and jolly good value. If you do grab a few whites then stock up on Daz* - it really is the biz for keeping them clean. If your a washing powder snob, dispense Daz into a John Lewis or Cath Kidston washing powder tin and pretend it's a find!

*US/Europe/Rest of world, Daz is a UK washing powder that is not packaged in the best possible taste and has quite dreadful adverts - basically it is trashy!

Monday 21 April 2008

Desperate times...

Living TV has been successfully supplying me with America's Next Top model for weeks - can't wait for next series which is on in US now! Don't tell me anything.....

Sadly, tonight I decided to fill the void with Britain's Next Top Model, which is not the same and really I should know better. I'm already being mean about the girls.....when really I should be practicing my etchings. 'Lisa mail' doesn't have a patch on 'Tara mail'!

Talking of etchings - how endearing are these Illustration by Kim Lee.

Sunday 20 April 2008

Ebay Sunday




It is my most erksome chore but ebay Sunday comes around for me about 4 times a year and this is one today. I just have to clear out left over photo shoot stuff, I always seem to end up with stuff that I store and after 12 months if it isn't used again the amber sticker turns red and onto ebay it goes!

One of my ebay number!

Friday 18 April 2008

Shoe lust - is it just me?

I love shoes. I could happily buy a pair a week as I'm beguiled and enthralled in eqaully measure by many a pair. My taste is dieverse and eclectic from classic numbers to truly bizarre. When it comes to shoes I'm smitten.

Recently, I encountered a lack of interest, not by me but by my personal styling clients. When it comes to magazine and film the models/actors just do - as supplied!

Currently I've probably got 10 pairs of shoes I'd love to buy ranging from £20 to £425. With the exception of one client who was delighted with a gorgeous pair of Chie Mihara from Fenwicks, most personal styling clients are displaying a less than enthusiastic interest in the many shoe offerings....and to back them up there are a lot not selling and sales galore.

Are shoes too expensive or are the current trends, shoes on sale off the mark for most? What do you think?

Monday 14 April 2008

Style makeover competition

Ok so my judge has narrowed the entries down to a final three.
See Style Makeover competition post on 20th of March.

The short list is:-

A. Is a mummy in need of a spring/summer wardrobe to dust the cobwebs and mothballs away from her sparse collection.
B. Is a divorcee, after a long drawn out divorce, this person needs some tlc to add va va voom to their look.
C. Is a Kiwi landed on our shores who lives in the back of beyond and feels a tad out of place when it comes to a UK look and is hankering after an update.

You, the readers can decide who gets styled! Just vote - poll at top right!!

Saturday 12 April 2008

The Late Post

Ah...full on four days of personal styling with four lovely ladies. Great workout walked many miles! But the high street and even the department stores are a hotch potch of trends.....
My top three items after much consideration are:-
1. Light Grey Cashmere t-shirt GAP £45
2. Grey pencil skirt Reiss £89
3. Silver strappy platform sandal French Connection £85

Number 1 is pure skin luxury, 2 is stylish and sexy and number 3 is statement - put all three together with fuschia pink lipstick and well...job done!

Monday 7 April 2008

Pure Pleasure



I don't know if it was my tipple in the Met Bar or downloading All Saint's greatest hits on to my ipod but I'm having a parka revival.

Shaznay Lewis is a much neglected female songwriter - I'd forgotton how much aural pleasure Pure Shores and Black Coffee could give. I just remembered the female feel good factor the girls - Natalie, Melanie, Nicole and Shaznay delivered. Most notable their love of glamour mixed with tomboy.

And I have to say when I choose my stiff upper east side princess look of shirt, skirt and courts it is perfectly complimented by a £35 New Look parka. It's the rolled up short sleeve vibe that sings.....

PS How's about this for an answer to a dreadful public divorce - Sir Paul McCartney on Linda

Thursday 3 April 2008

False economy

You know the bit about new financial year, good habits, pennies and punds etc....all those good bits of advice and clever budgeting to make savings......well all I can say is don't set foot out of the door! I've been in a bit of a bubble and thought a mid week evening out would do me good.

My usual modicome of awareness, sensibleness does seem to have had a dip. In fact a Met Bar bill of £29.25 and a Claridges bar bill of £31.08 dip in that order. Ok the Met Bar bill was worth it - the Claridges's one wasn't - more of this later.

The evening started so well, a jolly jaunt down South Molton street to the Kurt Geiger/Stella (Telegraph magazine) 20% off evening. Some refreshing pomegranate juice followed by a light champagne cocktail and the purchase of afore mentioned sandals (in white, navy has been withdrawn?). It was fun to encourage others in the purchase of a lovely azure blue Marc by Marc Jacobs large envelope clutch bag. It was all girlie and delightful and with my 20% off I should have skipped home.

But no...I'd brought a pal along, an American who is new to London and lovin' it! She's done the Jack the Ripper tour a few times already. So I though it would be nice for her to see Mayfair perhaps a little tipple at the Met Bar and then home.

Two martinis later I'm really ready to go home but my friend is only just starting. I've had nothing to eat and set about demolishing the wasabi peas and olives. I thought the wasabi peas were cheesy peas at first - and that was before the first martini. We vacate our bar stools at the Met and grab a taxi to Claridges bar as pal not been before. I'm happy to accomadate but point out pubs/restaurants on Shepard Street to no avail.

Taxi driver decides to pull up right outside Claridges Hotel and my friend and I get full on papped! I'm afraid it is my arse that gets the flash treatment as I pay cabbie - who along with other cabbie chums likes to sport with paps hence drop off outside hotel not bar entrance. It soon stopped when our nobody status was determined but if you do see an arse shot of wide legged denim jeans and black J Crew blazer then you know I've been a butt double for someone.

Then the joys of hotel bars were forced upon me - as in no joy only trouble. A few years ago a friend and I had innocently walked into the Harvey Nicks bar after a light supper in their cafe. It took us one drink and a few unwelcome stares from single women for us to realise that we'd inadvertently entered a hookers den. Ok, the old business men types should have alerted us as well, but a nice cocktail after burger and fat chips was all that was on our minds. Having never ventured back - obviously - I don't know what the newly refurbed Harvey Nicks bar is like now......but if it has changed, then then the girls have plonked themselves firmly in Claridges.

Again, it took one drink for me to get the measure of the place, the hard stares of single women and a rather old pinstripe number in our direction! Granted, there were some other groups, mainly men, one couple (they too were innocents abroad), Rupert the bear (foppish velvet jacket clad man who feigned Brideshead Revisited aura) and the staff. American friend was in mood to pour forth in between ordering drinks and asking me 'what those bitches were staring at' - full on American accent required.

By which time my pal was trollied and in for the night. I resigned myself to coffee, feigning indifference and keeping my fingers crossed. When two guys got too friendly I called for the bill/check and gathered giggling, crumpled friend up and firmly escorted her out of hotel via the foyer. This is the sanitised version believe me!

Moral of the story, choose Sky+ on a Wednesday night and a cup of coco - you'll be wealthier and less wise about the ways of the world. Mind you love the sandals!

Wednesday 2 April 2008

Bits & Bobs

A couple of people who bought books to enter Style Makeover competiton haven't forwarded receipt and info to kate.battrick@googlemail.com - please do asap as I don't want you to miss out on draw taking place over weekend!

Also as this is the start of the new financial year I'm going to get really focused on helping you make do and mend in style. This really is the new year - celebrate and think about what goals you'd like to achieve between now and next March. I've reduced my credit card limit to the lowest possible amount the provider will allow - they get quite sniffy about it so I've changed to another one. Posts will focus on fearsome budgetting!!

I'm skipping out tonight to a 20% off evening at Kurt Geiger to get my summer sandals - I've got my eyes on these in navy blue and saving £28 is not to be sniffed at. Mind you my pal and I are off to have a large cocktail in the Donovan bar before heading home so not such a saving afer all!

Tuesday 1 April 2008

A new phase



Ah the joys of internet browsing. My mind is made up no more Net-A-Porter, Matches, Topshop or Toast for me. now my heart and eye belongs to Phase 8.
This Sydney tunic is a stunner and something I can wear and wear again.