Designer Doubles

Good things come to those who wait! Guinness was definitely onto something with that line. Unfortunately for them, I haven’t been waiting for a pint but French Connection’s Anna Lace Dress in ‘lake’ blue.

At £110 though, I was going to be waiting a long time. This is hardly expensive to some people but, as an unemployed ex-student on the waiting list for a job at Primark, it’s a luxury I cannot afford right now. For the past few weeks, I’ve had to walk past my local branch, trying to ignore the mannequin posing in my dress and laughing to her equally well clad friends in Spotlight Knit Cap Sleeve Dresses and Symphony Peep Toe Court Shoes.

Ergh, it’s enough to make you sick, only I have now found the economical edition of this lacy number from boohoo.com for a mere £20!

It’s desperately sad that I get my thrills from having one over on a plastic dummy but yeh who’s laughing now French Connection window mannequin?!

I realise it is not an exact copy but the darker tone will be perfect for winter and I love a skater skirt (young, fun and great for creating curves). Anyway, I'll be ordering my version and shall let you know how the quality compares.

Designer inspired High-Street products have also been catching my eye recently:



Alexander McQueen A/W 2011

  

All Saints Ayame Maxi Dress £180



Marc Jacobs A/W 2011



Topshop Spot Print Jacket £55



Moschino A/W 2011

River Island Black Colour Block Peplum Dress £45



 

Stella McCartney A/W 2011



Warehouse Spot Mesh Crepe Dress £60

What do you think? Would you go for quality over price? xx

New Best Friends

I have a feeling I have just found my new best friends; they’re practically twins except one fits my left foot and the other, you guessed it, fits the right.

Laced boots and fur are big for Winter

I bought these heeled hiking boots from River Island the other day for £39.99. No doubt the nearest I’ll get to hiking is climbing the broken down escalator at Green Park station but they are still so comfortable!

They may not be as stunning as those sparkly stilettos or snakeskin sandals but will probably have, had more wear by the end of Winter! Perhaps I’ll trek around Cambridge in them this weekend (my summer holiday). Laced boots were all over the catwalk but Rachel Roy embraced the hiking boot in her own special, though perhaps not completely practical, way.

(Courtesy of Vogue) Perhaps I have been ahead of the trend by tucking my bed socks into jogging bottoms

 I realise Summer isn’t even over but I’m already too excited about cosy knit cardigans, glitter and pussybow blouses.

What are you looking forward to? xx

The Primark Tea Party Skirt

My last post reminded me of some outfit shots I took a couple of weeks ago when I went to help at my auntie's Queen of Cakes event. She served afternoon tea to over forty women in aid of breast cancer; it was such a lovely day and we raised about £640!

Anyway, I got this skirt from Primark and used the event as an excuse to wear it. It combines the applique (look to Valentino) and sapphire blue trends. I'm not sure if it's a little too blue but, with my hair done up, I felt almost as elegent as a ballerina (unfortunately, I know I still have two left feet!)

The Atwood Effect

Should you find yourself falling down an unnaturally deep hole, after following a very punctual rabbit, firstly you should kick yourself for not seeing that coming, secondly you need to get onto Colleen Atwood to design your costumes for the adventures ahead!

As other adolescents spent the evening overturning bins and pillaging High Streets all over Britain, I joined in the madness by watching Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. It turns out the Madhatter actually makes more sense than yobs failing to break through bulletproof glass with a baseball bat.

Little Bit Vivienne Westwood?

Anyway, I found myself concentrating more on the outfits than what the Queen of Hearts had to say. If that is a crime then “off with my head!” but it turns out behind the beautiful creations lays a costume designing genius responsible for the outfits in a wide range of movies! From the kimonos in Memoirs of a Geisha to the historically accurate and might I say dapper pieces in the 1930’s gangster film Public Enemies. Atwood is not averse to dressing any time period, culture or fantasy world and has enabled some of the most loved characters to come to life.

Considering she has won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design three times at the Oscars (and been nominated nine times), I am probably the last to discover her artistic abilities but it is her attention to detail that is so interesting.

Did you notice the rabbit embroidery around the hem of Alice’s first dress, pre-empting her fall down the rabbit hole?

Atwood even made the underlayers a feature in Alice’s initial dress, knowing they would be seen as she falls, and provides us with the glimpse of a striped petticoat to add dimension for the 3D film.

Of course, the designer also had to contend with dressing someone who would not stop changing size. You know you have found an expert when they successfully design a dress that is strikingly beautiful despite having to look like it has been made by a mad milliner with a few scraps of material!

Who needs special effects when you can make a bow-tie rise and fall to reflect mood? Johnny Depp could control the movement of the colourful accessory to accentuate his changing disposition.

Atwood even played-up to the size of the Queen of Heart’s head by darkening the waist area on the costume. This gives the illusion of narrowing the smallest part of the body even further and making the head appear truly bulbous.

These details may seem menial but, for me, they are the signs of a truly accomplished expert who deserves recognition for the thought she puts into her creations. As Atwood said, "whether it's 'Public Enemies' or 'Nine' or 'Alice in Wonderland,' you take a world and you plug into it," and she has accomplished this so stylishly. My eyes were certainly transfixed on the outfits, though it did help that Johnny Depp wasn’t quite looking himself!

I’d love to hear about your favourite film or TV costume; whether it be that tutu from The Black Swan or every outfit from That 70’s Show!  xx

The Wonders of Wedges

Yesterday, I took a huge gamble. I wore a pair of heels for a day out in London without taking a spare pair of flats. I know, I have no idea what possessed me. Well I do...I just don’t want to admit I was running late for the bus again. Thankfully, they were wedges (I’m not that insane!) but the day was still spent putting them to the test, along with my ankles and, boy, were they tested!

Passing time at the station

Say hello to my New Look brogue wedges, bought in the sale for £8 (I’m ashamed to say this still gives me that slightly smug, sale-steal smile). Heeled brogues are perfect for those who want to try the androgynous look whilst maintaining femininity. Lacing also gives a little nod to the fetish trend, particularly if accompanied by a stiletto. Smart and sexy at the same time, this pair has dressed my feet for everything from work and interviews to nights out on the town.

Anyway, having now used myself as a personal test dummy, here are the results of my self-inflicted experiment to work the wedge all day. 

§  They are not suitable footwear in which to run for any form of public transport (I have tested both buses and trains, you can try planes but I don’t think it will make any difference). This is NO REFLECTION on the wedge itself, any heels are impossible to run in and require learning the art of ‘tottering seductively’. In fact, wearing wedges will encourage punctuality, to avoid public embarrassment, which looks really good on a CV!

Aldo Forward £65

§  Do not attempt to walk up a hill in them...or down for that matter. Perhaps, it is because I am tall but my attempt to saunter down slope did not so much have the grace of Grace Kelly as the uncontrolled hurtling of a runaway cart. I fought gravity I tell you! It just prevented me from rolling down the rest of the way, which would have relieved my feet but done nothing for self-respect.



Carvela Glitz NOW £89 from £140



§  Side note, check the weather forecast. I should have realised it was going to be the windiest day of the year so far when I decided to wear this dress. Wedges are perfect for avoiding puddles but I apologise to the public, this time in the vicinity of London Bridge, for another unanticipated viewing.

§  Another note for those well watered and reaching six foot tall; I know it is exciting being able to see your house from up there but you won’t hear your friends without providing them with a microphone. Great tip: sit down.

Jimmy Choo Ellie Leather and Mesh Sandals £995 (one can dream)

§  AVOID COBBLES AT ALL COSTS; the Romans did not consider very late women, attempting to totter seductively, when building the original roads. A ride in the ambulance may seem exciting but no doubt your Dad will use the elevated leg to open all the double doors in the hospital again and Prada hasn’t even designed its own line of plaster casts yet! 

However, despite these slight draw backs, the positives of wedges still outweight the negatives. Simply put, they make your legs look fantastic and will definitely stop traffic (thank-you Mr. Cycle Rickshaw Guy). Wedges may be the lazy girl's heels but you can still be standing eight hours later! xx 

Starry Eyed



After a night at Camden Proud, raising money for the Haiti earthquake with facepaint
(excuse the nose)

I'm starting to worry slightly about my sparkly obsession. I blogged the other day about the metallic trend and since writing an article on gold, I've been drawn to all things glittery...though I haven't quite reached the point of completely covering my face in gold foil! 

Vivienne Westwood Red Label A/W 2011 Collection

It may even overtake my love for animal print but with sparkle comes the dangerous risk of looking like a drag queen. Here's my article anyway

http://www.handbagfairy.co.uk/blog/fashion/golden-rules-to-sparkling-successfully/

Enjoy xx

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