Archive for May 2012

Home Archive for May 2012

I have already a month or so ago, confessed to being inanely fickle when it comes to all things fashion (truth be known I'm an embarrassingly fickle individual full stop but that's something my friends and family have to endure and the rest of you need merely be thankful you don't know me in real life)

Hence when I pontificated a while back that Print was the devil's work and should be confined to scarves and the odd item of clothing only, clearly I was talking out of my backside. I do believe though, at the time, I may have rambled on about some vague disclaimer, regarding reserving the right to change my mind like others change their undies. Et voila.

What I may have alluded to (or if not, I'm sure you've got the gist of), is that once I get a liking for something, I can't just have a little like and then walk away. Oh no, I've got to overdose on it. Insane. But fortunately a) I'm in the middle of nowhere and there is zero shopping opportunity of a fashion variety and b) as delivery is so quick these days, can't really order anything as won't be there to pick it up. And so I'm using my blog as therapy. A list of lustness that I would love but shan't be buying (this week anyway)

I've already featured a couple of things to give you an inkling of my current fashion fetish - the scarf print silk jacket from Zara (now complete with Ribena art - thank you RR3) and the scarf print maxi dress from Oasis which I do love but is just a step too far methinks.

It is everywhere on the high street and higher end (not entirely sure it's something I'd be spending a lot on unless money were no object. I'm on the fence as to whether it's going to be a one season wonder.) Having said that, the shirts featured at the end would probably be my choice of purchase, as they will definitely see you through to the A/W and I'm all about being able to wear something all year round.

However in this blog, I am going to devote scarf print in it's entirety to Next. Not a shop you see me mention very often (great for clothes for RR1 - perfect for that icky age between cute and hooker and can't fault footwear for RRs 2 and 3) but I will admit I've struggled recently with fit and quality. However, having checked the following out instore, I can say with gusto that they are all pretty impressive and I would happily wear any or all of them (legs depending - yawn yawn)

And speaking of legs, let's start with the Scarf Print Dress This is absolutely gorgeous. I just wish it were slightly longer. As much as I don't get my legs out, were this a couple (ok a couple of couple ie lots) of inches longer - to just somewhere near or below the knee, I would do something drastic with my legs and buy this in a heartbeat. A midi length (or hell, I might even go for on the knee) with strappy nude sandals (ie my Zara numbers) this would be perfect for my (yawnarama) wedding in Italy. However the length it is, on me, I would stand a high chance of getting either arrested or propositioned. (clearly the former) Perfect to wear a bra under - not too much flesh showing on top, beautiful rich colours and viscose that doesn't actually make you fear standing too near a naked flame. Lovely texture. In fact I'm not going to mention it again as all the scarf print "silks" featured are a decent quality feeling fabric.

They also do it in a Petite (but not a Tall....grrrrrrrrr errrrrrrrr Next??)

Next (boom boom) another Summer item. Clearly for those going abroad. The rest of confined to the UK for the foreseeable future should just accept that we've had Summer and start looking forward to A/W (if I say that enough times it won't come true - Jonah will not strike again - ok?) This scarf top is just gorgeous. Casual enough for the day but easily dressy enough for the evening. I love it. As a trouser addict, it definitely is on my list of might have to buys.

Again for the Summer, but this time, were I 10 year younger and didn't have boobs I could tuck into my jeans, this would definitely be on my wishlist. Simply lovely.

Probably far more age appropriate is the Scarf Print vest. This would be ideal for a dressier occasion under a blazer or for those who do like some extra coverage during the day. And absolutely perfect for work - how fabulous to take you from day to night?

Another quick number that would be perfect for a Summer work wardrobe (or A/W with tights - I know I know I'm a stuck record, but I just can't bring myself mostly to buy things you can only wear a couple of months of the year. Tight. Wad. Actually it's more that I will probably go off it in a year so need to get as much wear out of it as possible!) is this skirt. Again, perfect to wear more casually as well and great to dress up in the evenings with a little loose blouse or shell top. Gorgeous flattering shape and I love the colours.

Lastly, my collection of shirts. These are definitely the top contenders for making it into my wardrobe.

Blouse in the same pattern as the bandeau top above. Gorgeous with a navy blazer and faded denim skinnies and killer heels.

However this is my ultimate must have. Primarily because I think it would look lovely with my nude (ok so they're slightly peach) skinny jeans and an offwhite blazer that I plan on nabbing in the sale from Zara. Love the colours, absolutely love them. Not nearly as practical as the one above for all year but ah feck it. I love it.

This is only a smidge of the selection that there is at Next. Here is a great round up. Not everything is up my street, can I please point out, but impressively, there is more on that page I would buy than I've seen in Next for the past couple of years - every single Directory put together. Can't wait to see what they come up with for A/W!

Would love to know what you think of Scarf Print - one trick pony - or a print that's here to stay?

And now a dismal addition to the album that is the disaster of my holiday wardrobe. To be fair, this is the best of a bad bunch. It will all go horribly Pete Tong tomorrow - the forecasters are hedging their bets to say the least but it does seem clear that the weather I start from in Suffolk is completely different to the weather we'll end up with in Kent. Joy. I've given up caring and will rise like a phoenix from the ashes on Saturday.

Today though - like I say, didn't feel too bad at all and absolutely loved the blazer. Even The Husband said he thought it was lovely although did ask who I'd stolen it from as it was colour and he couldn't recall ever seeing me in something so bright. Cheeky git.

Excuse Annie Leibovitz Junior. Apparently the photo looked better if she tilted the camera. "That's what they do mummy". Remembering the absolutely crap quality of my photographs, who am I to argue?

Nude vest - Primark

Fuchsia linen t-shirt - Zara

Distressed biker jeans - By Malene Birger

Floral blazer - Zara

Clay Thelmas - Ash

White gold & diamond key pendant - Theo Fennell

Vanilla Roxanne - Mulberry

Sunglasses - Tom Ford

Looking forward to seeing how marmite scarf print is!

Let's just have a maxi dress round up. Now I'm a huge fan of maxi dresses, despite being ridiculously tall and therefore only 5% of them actually fit me. So many people have said to me over the years, that you can only wear a maxi dress if you're tall. Oh what a crock of balls. Not true in a million years! You only have to look at Nicole RIchie, Rachel Zoe and The Olsen Twins - all of whom are of a more diminutive stature and rock a maxi.

I would say, in fact, it's probably easier. You can have your pick of maxi dresses as you can have them shortened. For us Jolly Green G's out there, you can't add fabric. Although I've always toyed with the idea of teaming up with a shortie - sorry, petite person (be as rude as you like back - it's nothing we Gullivers haven't heard growing up - "ooh is it snowing up there?" Oh how we laughed) - and having an extra tier to my dress from theirs......There may well be milage in that.

If you are more petite then I would probably avoid the more voluminous maxi - I don't think acres of fabric are particularly flattering to a tinier frame - and add some super sturdy wedges. Personally I would avoid a thin heel at all costs and only wear a wedge or chunkytastic sandal.

I love them, as basically they cover my legs. I can't stand my legs. Cased in opaque - hell yes, I'll wear a skirt that just about makes me decent, - glorified belt anyone? - but naked? Not in a million years. I am sure I'll look back when I'm 70 and think what on earth was I faffing on about, but to be honest, I remember back to when I was 17 and I was Inter-railing, armed with a Revlon Sun Screen that also had fake tan in it (the first of it's kind prior to a Clarins one they bought out. We are talking. ahem, some time ago). I took 4 tubes with me - my holy grail tanning product of the time (there weren't many around then) And I distinctly remember the pasty whiteness of my legs, the poremarks from whichever hair removal method I tried (I have tried them all - I still get hideous poremarks), the slight doughiness to them. They weren't great. I do look back and think I was thin as a bloody thin thing and I thought I was on the large side. Oh yes, I want to slap my 17 year old face into eating lots but no, I still maintain that I have always had mingtastic legs.

Therefore I welcomed with open arms (and very very grateful legs) the advent of the Maxi a number of years ago. The answer to a less sweaty crotch. What's not to love for those of us who would rather not bare our legs to the public (or to myself - I wince when I catch sight of mine unless they are fake tanned within an inch of their lives and that is just too much effort on a day to day basis)

I have gathered a couple over the years, they actually have turned out to be a great investment. Some jersey ones from Cos (which are a bugger to wash as they shrink every time and much stretching attention- like making fecking pastry - has to be given regularly whilst they dry), a wonderful tobacco one from Reiss last year, an old faithful navy and white chevron one from Isabella Oliver and a cheeky bargain camel and navy striped one from New Look last year.

This year though, as I've already raved about, I am over the moon with my scarf print dress from Dorothy Perkins. I fear it has already sold out in the Tall and is only left in a size 18 online. However I have seen it instore in other sizes (not Tall though) But this Butterfly dress from Dorothy Perkins would definitely get my vote if they did it long enough for me. I love the way it has extra coverage up top and is (broken record alert) great to dress up or dress down. If you're of normal height (and they do it in petite as well!) then definitely check it out. I've seen someone out and about in it and it looked just gorgeous.

So a round up of other maxis that have caught my eye. Apologies in advance, as by blogging about summer dresses, I have rung the death knell for summer and it will now pour with rain till August. I will crack on with A/W preview stuff shortly to try and redeem myself and give us one last shot at a summer.

Keeping at the more affordable end of the scale, I would definitely be trying this Stripe Maxi dress from Next if they did it in a longer length.

Great for those (admittedly random) really hot days when it is just impossible to know what to wear. This would work a treat - jersey, so no creasing issues, not clingy round the stomach, no sweaty boobs, a fab dress to have in your wardrobe and to take on hols. Knock yourselves out the rest of you, I'll look on with envy.

Slightly more expensive is this stripe maxi dress with belt from Mango at ASOS I love the colours, more unusual but still a classic stripe. Love the looseness of it yet still clinched in at the waist (but not with a big sweaty belt) so flattering as well. In my experience, Mango maxi dresses come up very very long ie at 5ft10 they fit me. But of course if you're shorter, you can easily take it up. (gits)

The next is a slightly random addition from me - maybe I've had too much sun - but I do really love it. I am having a scary love affair (from afar mostly bar one Zara jacket that I have come clean about) with scarf print and so this fits neatly into my box of things to lust after. Oasis lengthwise are completely hit and miss - some are long, some are short. Go figure. I may watch for in the sale or, if the weather continues to be amazing (fat chance), I may have to succumb. The Oasis Scarf Print Maxi Dress

Actually with hindsight, it would look like a sack of poo on my non existent boobage so I'll pass, but I love the colour and the print and the handkerchief hem. Just more unusual than the deluge of floral numbers that are out there.

Moving slightly up the pound and shillings scale, we have another striped number from Denim & Supply by Ralph Lauren at Coggles You'd have this for absolutely years. A complete classic, the empire line makes it much more flattering with less cleavage on show (although to be fair, not the best if you need a bra - best for us bee sting booby girls) and the fuller skirt means you can go to a BBQ and not hold back on the portions. I don't think that bad for £80 as I'm assuming the quality is excellent (I have no knowledge of this - am being totally swayed by the fact it's RL which normally is pretty good stuff)

A cheeky number next - absolutely gorgeous Seafolly Coral Gladiator Maxi Dress from My Wardrobe.

I have a wedding to go to in Italy in August and I'm thinking this could easily be a contender. I love the colour (even though it is so not me in the slightest), I'm ignoring the slightly TOWIE edge to the straps at the front, as to focus on how much I like it disturbs me somewhat. I just think it's gorgeous. Only gripe, yawn, yawn, is it long enough?

Lastly, if money were no object then the Abondance leopard silk dress from By Malene Birger would be mine. Utterly divine in every way. Practical in absolutely none. Happily it is so hideously far out of my budget that it's not an issue I have to contend with.

Finishing with a last minute round up of what I've been wearing the last two days. Photos have been taken and selected by RR1, who, at the age of 7, is quite fancying herself as the next Annie Leibovitz. She does keep muttering something about the poor quality of the tools she has to work with (I'm not sure if she means me or the new iphone) but a quick threat of an icecream withdrawal puts her in check. Just can't get the staff these days.

Yesterday for a fantastic day at the Flavours of 2012, food and drink festival at Henham Park in Suffolk - no maxi dress due to long grass - maxi dress related nightmare. We all had the most amazing day and I am still stuffed to the gills.

Cream linen and crocheted top - By Malene Birger
White skinny jeans - Next
Cream bone and shell necklace - By Malene Birger
Dull gold Hav rip offs - Primark
Vanilla Roxanne - Mulberry

And today for a day on the beach with the kids, followed by an afternoon boating on the Meare at Thorpeness. Much ice-cream was consumed all day.