LFW it is a Wrap at Reiss

Last night I was invited to the end of London Fashion week party at Reiss's flagship store. Whilst I quite happily miss a show I'm too much of a party girl to miss a party. Even though my party days are really quite behind me! It was a perfect party plenty of booze if you wanted it, some good sounds and a crowd. I like it when stores open for fun.

 Stylist Isobel Kershaw with her new Michael Kors bag purchased in NYC, she loves it! I accessoriesed her with the Stella & Dot Leona Pendant necklace

 Moi with my fav Stella & Dot pieces the Valentina earrings and the Waverly 3 way bag, the limited edition Black Chantilly Lace cuff and my little bit of Kate Moss the £40 Belle Fleur ring

 Gorgeous new shoes in a coral which isn't shown to full effect in this photo - sorry!

 The obligatory self portrait shot with Isobel included and you can see the Belle Fleur ring in this one

Beautiful blouse, it is actually a darker blue in real life but my flash has lightened it.

How I loved this jumper (want!)

The lovely shop assistant Rochelle working hard clearing drinks and looking stunning in new season Reiss clobber.

Not yet in store but I also loved this Reiss print top

Bits & Bobs

Having to work again so soon after well...quitting, was frankly shocking. I managed to cover someone's work and spent two days in central London with heat and too many damn tourists! Still it did allow me to enjoy a lovely end to a working week catch up with friends on the Thames at Southbank. Not before I'd have a cheeky drink with fellow stylist Waceystyle at our secret haunt Dego near Market Place. It really does do the best Italian wines and nibbles in the capital. So keep it to yourselves - okay. En route to Market Place, Upper Regent Street was resplendent in Union Jack bunting. This dressing up on the Crown Property street is a big plus of the impending Royal Wedding, there is nothing quite like a bit of stylish dressing up, just don't get me started on the minus things!




Before I quaffed, I managed to try on a dress in Reiss I've been admiring for ages. It say Italy to me, particularly the Italian Riviera. I tried it on and it was very disappointing to find the cut didn't work on me. Mind you I'm not sure if it is because the cut isn't right or my body needs to be longer. What I found was the size 10 was really voluminous on top and nicely fitting on the hips. This is not a match made in heaven. I couldn't go down a size as my hips would have caused a strain and I certainly couldn't go up a size to ease off on the hip area. In fact the waist could have been higher too. Sizing perplexes me as surely the trick is to deliver well to the mean and get your percentages right from there for the other sizes. Or maybe I should have tried the next size up to be voluminous all over but then it would have an open window to the world of my bust area. It was a shame as one nice summer dress would have done the trick.


Because I had unexpectedly worked I felt flush and had allocated a portion of my fees to much needed new bras and since I was never going to get the leather jacket I decided to dip in to that fund to buy something new and the rest I needed to save. It was definitely a case I want to buy something! I was of course thinking summer, however I ended up buying a knit on an exceedingly hot April day. It is a very fine knit that has a neat ribbon tie at the nape of the neck and is like wearing a knight's gauze with sequins. I felt it was the perfect top to fling with all manner of things, for all manner of occasions.


I'm wearing the Jigsaw shimmer sparkle tie back sweater (£109) that I bought after snapping a quick changing room photo of the thing on me. It was more than I was intending to spend but less than the Reiss dress, (which was £169) so of course in my girlynomics head it was a saving of £60!

Anyway I am very pleased with my purchase and am hoping for an evening out to wear it. Maybe if it is a cooler day next Friday 29th of April I can wear it for the Royal Wedding for our evening barbecue with the neighbours.

Eleven items - one look

Now given the petit garcon broke my digital camera and Mr MDS is not known as Rankin in our house for good reasons, add in a little darkness and I've probably served you up the worst blog shots ever!

But I'm determined to share my purchases seeing as I've built it up so much....

Here are my new Gap skinny chinos (they are a very good fit) and a blue silk vest top from Reiss's 1971 range. It is super silky soft. I've done two looks with the same items teamed with my last years Pierre Hardy for Gap shoes. In the second pic I've put my hair up and added the bargain buy of the eleven purchases I made - a faux gold necklace for £12 from Dorothy Perkins.

Opps just noticed one of petit garcon's toy cars still on the floor!

Reiss A/W online

The good thing about a retailer like Reiss, if you tell them something they listen. I don't necessarily mean they listen to me but to feedback in general. Last season and the season before Reiss were very slow to tie in their internet retailing site with the store collection drops. But this season they've managed to beat the end of August deadline.

And this season Reiss is approaching the wow factor. I judge a stores wow factor on the fact one doesn't know what to try/touch first. I can't remember the last time I had wow factor and in fairness it is most usual in the shoe or handbag department, but with clothes I think I'd have to travel back in time to High Street Kensington market, which is now home to Wholefoods and others.

However, Reiss is a brand continually working towards the high street equivalent of the wow factor as are stores like Oasis and in their own way the team that deliver Limited Collection at M&S.**

Reiss has lifted the game with its superb and well timed 1971 collection. Now, I'm not convinced by using a year to brand a collection, and the choice is due to the year Mr Reiss* first began trading, but the look and feel of the collection is mighty fine. It has a nonchalant, yet stylish edge and whilst the reverie of all things Parisian is obvious - not just by the setting of the photo shoot and the video - more the fact the individual garments reflect Paris style, this doesn't detract from the collection.



One could imagine it being the look de jour for style shoots for attendees for Paris Fashion Week. The 1971 collection does reflect this seasons trend details of suede and studs that will saturate the high street but is mixes cut and colour well to create a more sophisticated edge to the look.

This is the choice for injecting freshness and youth into your wardrobe with quality befitting a stylish but knowing fashionista. Now there is just the matter of size 16...

* I once met David Reiss when he was visiting the Bristol store a few years ago and he is a very handsome man!
** PS Sir Phillip Green and Jane Shepard are to be thanked for this - though in my view Topshop is in need of a refresh to be a leader again. And Jane is striving towards excellence at Whistles but it is still to early to say if she's got it right.