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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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!

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?

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!!

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!

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