I was recently contacted about the Ted Baker competition and here is my entry.
As spring is upon us but with a slight chill still in the air, i have chosen this amazing lace skirt in pink as the base for my office look. I would then add on a cute lightweight knit, the Anada is perfect with a subtle touch of sparkle and finished off with something playful, the Taxi cab print silk scarf is bright and fun and adds some colour to this simple outfit.
SS13 in the office would be the perfect catwalk for this polished look.
* Appropriate jewellery in Topshop - apparently i am dynamic amongst other things as i was born in the month of April. * Spring looks blog post - bring on the sun! Check it outhere in-case you missed it. * ASOS clutch, the most amazing design and print i have seen in ages and the best bargain £65 down to £19.50!!!! Wish the dress was still available.
* Lands' End - i have actually landed an fantastic new job, working for this amazing online/catalogue company as the assistant footwear buyer. I can't wait to work with their amazing product and leave the world of walking boots behind me. Just 2 weeks left until i start and i am so excited! Also getting the opportunity to work with an old boss of mine - the dream team back together.
* Cocktails and girly gossip, a fab night out with the ladies from work to celebrate new jobs and the future. * So sad at the end of Gossip Girl, my post "The end of XOXO" is an overview of my favourite fashion from the six seasons of New York glamour, check it out here. * New phone cover for my Samsung Galaxy S3 mini, simple classic but with a cute print (avaliable from EBAY seller ninjamobile). * The new Company Highstreet Edit, fully of all things summery, my sunday reading.
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So my 27th birthday was on the 18th and i had such a great couple of days celebrating. Lunch with friends, dinner with family and a day out shopping in London with my sister, Granny and Auntie. I was a very lucky girl this year with lots of great presents including new GHD's, since Willow decided to eat the cable on my current set! Plus my amazing husband got us tickets to see Wicked, which i have wanted to see for ages. A few more of my pressies are below along with the rest of my exciting month.
* The best birthday present - from the guys at work, a Ted Baker Make up bag. * Further additions to my extensive DVD collection - The Hobbit, Pitch Perfect, Lady and the Tramp (my favourite Disney film) and season 5 of Gossip Girl. * A collection of 3 fashion canvas's from my parents, need to find a blank wall to put them up on. * The best birthday card ever - one of my old colleagues has a very strange sense of humour, he once bought a One Direction card for his dad! * V&A Collaboration at Coast. My favourite dress is a grown up Tinkerbell gown that is simply stunning but at £550 i may have to save up. Plus the book that accompanies the V&A exhibition on Ballgowns that ended in January wish i had made it to the exhibition as if it was as good as the book i missed out on something special. * New spring nail colour - Essie Mint Candy Apple. I used to be a Barry M girl when it came to my nail colour however now Essie has taken over the nail polish drawer, especially the pastel shades. * Printed trousers are everywhere at the moment, and i never thought i would find a pair that suited me, but i did. These Ikat print tapered leg trousers are from New Look and a bargain at £16.99, i wore them during the brief weekend of sun we had earlier in the month and loved them, although my husband isn't sure about them and did ask why i was wearing my pj's! * New ASOS shift dress with an oversized animal print. Great for now and with bare legs and flip flops later.
All in all April has been a great month - celebrating my birthday and landing an amazing new job. Hoping that May will be just as exciting. Did you get up to anything exciting in April?
So the V&A have done it again - another truly stunning exhibition has ended after capturing the hearts of London. The collection of ballgowns, red carpet evening dresses and catwalk showstoppers featured more than sixty dresses designed for events such as parties, royal balls and state occasions. The exhibition ran from May 2012 to January 2013 and i am deeply disappointed i was unable to go and see this amazing collection of fashion history. If like me you were an-able to visit the ballgowns, click here for book that accompanies the V&A exhibition, which details the history behind the dresses and British Glamour, along with glossy photos of all the pieces on show and is a really nice coffee table book.
Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950
In celebration of this amazing exhibition, high street retailer Coast have collaborated with the V&A to present a collection of stunning ballgowns inspired by the contents of the fashion archives. "Six stunning dresses that reflect the glamour of the past century and capture a unique sense of contemporary style" is how the brand have sumed up the collection. All six pieces within the collection are unique, individual and beautifully crafted.
The collection prices range from £550 to £695, which for the highstreet retailer is expensive but for a collection built around couture history can you blame them for the higher end price points.
1. Cecily - the ultimate blend of simplicity and subtle clusters of jewels. 2. Lottie - created from silk and woven with modern yarns to give a contemporary twist. 3. Daphne - a tulle skirt and the bodice includes over 1000 jewels.
4. Phoebe - crafted from layers of softly structured organza tulle that creates volume and texture.
5. Blanche - features luxurious layers of scalloped tulle and organza with a sprinkling of beads and sequins on the petals of the skirt. 6. Patience - made from silk satin the dress is cut with a full hem to create movement. Shimmering silver satin embellished geometric hand sewn crystals along the neckline add elegance.
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My favourite gown from the collection is number 5 Blanche - a grown up Tinkerbell dress. In a gorgeous shade of mint green, with intricate details such as 280 petals and a full tulle skirt this would make any occasion special. If only i had a spare £550 to splash out on the ultimate party dress.
Followed as a close second by the Phoebe with its gorgeous layers of tulle, a couture cupcake!
Check out coast.com and also the flagship store on Oxford Street, London where these limited edition dresses are currently on sale. If anyone buys one of these masterpieces - please send me a picture.
Here's to a small piece of fashion history celebrated on the British highstreet.
So another hit show bites the dust! Not since SATC and Ugly Betty have we had such a fashionable TV series as Gossip Girl. For some reason the Americans do drama in the fashion world much better than the UK! Although the story lines are sometimes a little fluffy, the fashion and glamour of New York are the true focus and do capture the imagination. I have loved every season especially seeing how each character has grown up and developed their own individual style from the preppy school uniform they all doned in season one, whilst dealing with some of the most horrific and sometimes ridiculous situations.
When the show first started i was a Serena fan, loving her natural ease to look so put together even in the most casual of outfits, the kind of girl who can make anything look chic and effortless. However by season 3 my fashion allegiance had moved to the Blair camp, favouring her ladylike style and more polished take on life.
Here is a selection of my favourite Blair outfits, ranging from her Constance uniform to her take on maternity wear and from a dress worthy of meeting a prince in Paris to a business woman at her successful clothing launch. I love the spectrum of colour that Blair has in her wardrobe from black/white/nudes to bright yellow/cobalt blue and red and that someone over the age of 5 can own so many headbands and make them look chic and un-childlike.
She even manages to make pregnancy look chic with some stunning designer pieces. Picture 7, above is my favourite maternity look, a simple printed dress with heels, i will definatly be taking tips when i need to add maternity wear to my wardrobe.
One of the story lines i liked in the last season was Blair taking an active role in her mother's company and launching her own line B for Waldorf, which ultimately ended in her creating a collection based on her school uniform. So the plaid, pearls and headbands live on for the next Gossip Girl generation.
Next up is the lovely Serena, whose style has grown up but has always maintained her boho outlook on life with the use of bold colours and floaty fabrics. Only Serena Van Der Woodsen could pull off a yellow and black high neck ruffle dress! Although she is a designer label lover Serena manages to keep her look grounded and very everyday girl, even when she is dressed up in designer couture she adds a touch of everyday with a funky belt or piece of jewellery. She mixes her style up with lots of tough ankle boots, blazers and simple pieces layered with jewellery and scarves. Even a green Mulberry Taylor satchel made it into this upper east siders wardrobe. I particularly love her wardrobe shift when she hits the working world, smart and professional whilst adding a Serena twist.
My favourite Serena look is below - number 8. A mix of girly print, bold colour, nude heels and a beautiful British designer handbag.
Finally Jenny - the only character to completly re-invent her personal style. From naive blonde, imitating Blair and the Constance girls, pastels and headbands in season 1, to grunge rock chic in all black and fishnets by season 4. I have to say i prefer her look when she taking inspiration from both styles as full on black doesn't suit her pale complexion. I do like how the stylist on the show used Jenny as a clothes horse for a real mixture of designer, vintage and charity shop clothes, she is the only character i think with a truly individual style.
My favourite Jenny look is when she starts her own label and rocks a little Topshop dress with the most amazing boots (below pic 4). When this episode aired i tried everything i could to track down this dress but sadly no look.
For me the best part of any fashion driven drama, is the glamour of a wedding and between Blair and Serena were lucky enough to have three. I love that both brides were given their own identity and assigned a designer consistent with their style, Blair favouring simple, elegant pieces whist Serena makes more of an impact. Three weddings = 3 amazing dresses.
Blair - Vera Wang, Elie Sabb, Serena - Georges Chakra.
New York couture at it's best!
One thing i feel i should mention is just how stylish the Gossip Girl men are. They defiantly give the ladies a run for their money in the fashion stakes. From casual plaid shirts and boat shoes, to the highest quality suits, these men know how to dress. Even on their wedding days both Dan Humphrey and Chuck Bass scrub up well and do the ladies proud, only Chuck could pull of a powder blue suit without looking tragic. While this show is all about the fashionable ladies of the upper east side it is nice to see that their greatest accessories really do them proud.
So now i need to find something to fill this fashionable void - any suggestions?
I am excited to see the Carrie Diaries which has been pitched as the next big show, however as per usual with all good American shows i will have to wait for a few months for it to air in the UK. Although this show has a lot of expectation to live up to, as Sarah Jessica Parker's Manolo's are large shoes to fill it has been said that it is the perfect prequel to SATC.
I couldn't finish without including the final scene of this great TV series - for any of you that haven't seen it or those that wanna see it again.....enjoy.
So for the last time - "You know you love me XOXO Gossip Girl"
Spring is one of my favourite seasons, the start of summer pieces but cool enough to still layer in leather and lightweight knits. My usual trawl of Pinterest has found some really cute styles, a mixture of print, colour and textures, looks i will be incorporating into my own spring/summer wardrobe.
1. Playful monochrome printed skater dress.
2. A summer take on a leather skirt with bare legs and plum floppy brim hat.
3. Basic neutral pieces with a dressy necklace and pumps.
4. Floral blazer layered over a logo t-shirt, perfect with the designer bag.
5. Structured floral dress, perfect for a summer wedding. Yellow isn't within my normal colour pallete but this is a piece that caught my eye, nipped in at the waist and a midi length.
6. Bold orange stripe skirt with blue leather jacket and co-ordinating shoe boots. Great for the cooler summer weather in the city.
7. My favourite look - simple t-shirt, leather shorts, sleeveless khaki utility jacket with statement jewellery, textured bag and studded ankle boots.
What do you love about this time of year - do you have a go to piece?
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Sorry i have not been posting as much lately, i have been so busy the last couple of weeks with some new opportunities in the pipeline, but normal service will now resume, here on The Glitter Fashionista.
* My shiny new Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini, such a great phone and very chic in white/silver.
* My march reading: Paris Street Style: A guide to effortless chic and Confessions of a Fashionista the Good, the Bad and the Botox by Angela Clarke.
* Street style post - my favourite element of Fashion week. * Spot Wellingtons from Blacks, a bargain at £20, great for all this March snow we have been having. * Princess Willow taking first dibs on this months Vogue. * The strangest window display piece i have seen in a very long time - Monsoon's cat and mouse! Caught my eye 4 stuffed cats were very unexpected especially in a window display. * My march jewels£1.50 bracellet from Topshop, gotta love a sale purchase and a coral and gold statement number from Forever 21. * BEST dress ever from ASOS, great for layering now and bare legs when the sun finally comes out! Has already had its debut in the office. * Fabuloius birthday card for my granny - love the fashionable pug design and witty message: "Grandma You're like a big piece of fudge...really sweet and a little nutty!" Sums her up nicely.
* Such a happy moment when this dropped through my letter box - soon followed by a Twilight marathon, all 5 DVD's in one weekend....ahh bliss. * New Topshop pumps, great for the summer. * A United Colours of Benetton advert that caught my eye, using pink in a slightly grunge way. * My spring/summer wish list, check out the post here.... * Kate Spade @ Bicester Village - my new favourite shop, loving the unique jewellery wall. Plus my Kate Spade scarf. * Cath Kidston washbag, in a gorgeous spot print. Large enough for all those girly essentials. * My new inspiration board for the month. I collect so many images during the month i though it would make sense to show you guys the kind of things that inspire me. Here is my March board. * The best end to the month - a new pair of shoes. Simple enough in design but in an on trend colour that will look amazing in the office with a little black dress.
This month has been a bit crazy and a lot has happened - keep following to see what the new month brings.....and help me celebrate my 27th birthday.
Let me know if you have any exciting things planned for April.
