Wednesday Wishing

If you're feeling down about the weather then you've come to the right place. It's Wednesday, therefore the Wednesday Wish List is upon us and I've chosen some great new pieces for you this week. As if you needed another reason to shop!

1. I've been seeing photos of celebrities in all sorts of interesting tights soon and after having done my research, I came across Henry Holland's 'House of Holland' range, available online at tightsplease.co.uk. Plenty of original styles to choose from, my favourite so far are this patterned hold-up print pair for £11.95. I never want to wear trousers again!



2. Perhaps you could pair the above tights with this gorgeous black playsuit from River Island? Pretty reasonable for £39.99, I love the bow detail, would look great with a white shirt underneath for an alternative tuxedo look.



3. Unless you've been living in a cupboard for the past few months you'll know that capes are big news for AW. Initially not so keen on the idea myself, I'm coming round to the idea after seeing this French Connection camel cape, £180. Very sophisticated, pair with heeled boots and some retro 70's hair.



4. I'm all for wearing comfy shoes, and this season there are plenty of comfy heels gracing the high street stores. Case in point: these heeled loafers from New Look, £54.99. The rubber sole is ridged and chunky, giving you grip and a spring in your step. Wonderfully preppy and very work-wardrobe friendly.



5. Last up this week is this nude dress from Topshop for £65, soon to be my new Saturday night outfit. The draping is very flattering and nods to the Grecian look many a designer frock and nude is officially my favourite colour to wear at the moment. Glam it up with red lips and a touch of leopard print.



Images:
www.tightsplease.co.uk
www.riverisland.com
www.frenchconnection.com
www.newlook.com
www.topshop.com

Get Knitted

It's cold outside, almost October and the warmth of Summer has long gone. Having a fashion nightmare? Well don't, because warm clothes can be fun to wear too! It all depends on what you wear and how you wear it, i.e don't throw on tracksuit bottoms and Uggs to go anywhere other than to Tesco Metro.



I bring you the pick of the knitwear from this seasons high street collections. Knitwear doesn't have to be boring, as the above picture of Leighton Meester at NY Fashion Week proves. Layer them up under your camel coat and you're good to go. Mid-drift flashing optional.

If you only buy one piece of knitwear this AW then make it a chunky boyfriend cardigan. Go for a neutral colour like grey, navy or cream like this Topshop number, £48. Look for details like patterns in the knitting or interesting buttons and if your cardigan doesn't come with them, buy your own buttons and swap them over! eBay is a great place to look for vintage buttons on the cheap.



Fairisle print knitwear makes me feel warm just looking at it, conjuring up images of sitting by the fire with a nice cup of tea on a cold Sunday. This blue fairisle cardi from River Island (£39.99) is definitely on my radar, wear with loafers and a satchel bag for a day at the shops.



So that's your cardigans sorted, now onto jumpers, and there's no excuse for owning a boring one. Look for details to make it original; my favourites include this baggy black gem-embellished jumper from Topshop (£42) and this rather impressive camel jumper from Zara (£39.99) which comes with its own fur shoulder pads. Both jumpers will jazz up a plain pair of jeans and serve you well this season.





To round off your new knitwear collection, try a new shape: the maxi jumper dress. Much easier to wear than it looks, the knitted maxi dress will keep you warm (and stylish) from your neck to your ankles. Try this New Look number for £24.99, available in other colours but perfect in a classic grey.



Leighton Meester image from www.zimbio.com

Other images:
www.topshop.com
www.riverisland.com
www.zara.com
www.newlook.com

Alexa's Blue

Fresh from my (very brief) brush with Ms Chung at London Fashion Week, I am pleased to report that Alexa has been sporting my favourite nail colour of this past Summer, electric blue, at the Burberry Prorsum SS11 show this week. Great minds?!





Not only am I pleased to see her branching out from classic colours of red, black and nude, I am also pleased to inform you that you can get your hands on your piece of the trend-setting action at ASOS.com. Get buying this O.P.I nail varnish in 'Dating a Royal' for £9.95.

Images:
www.zimbio.com
www.asos.com

THE Wednesday Wish List

So it's Wednesday again... another busy week gone by, you know what that means! Yes, it's time for the Wednesday Wish List. In honour of the end of London Fashion Week, I bring you a very British-inspired wish list. Heritage, vintage-feel, casual chic, just like our home grown fashion icons.

1. First up, THE item to be seen in this season. Stash away your beloved skinny jeans in favour of a pair of leather (or leather imitation) trousers. This pair are great value for only £19.99 at H&M and are perfect for day wear.



2. Next up, this gorgeous floral lady-bag from Peacocks. Another bargain at only £10 and will perfectly compliment Autumn's key colours of camel, nude and greys.



3. This knitted cardi is Winter-wonderful! The on-trend stag print is on the right side of the border between cutesy and kitsch. Get yours for £30 at Dorothy Perkins.



4. Item number four is my favourite this week. These blue and tartan print brogues are perfectly in keeping with the Heritage trend and will look great for both a weekend in the country and shopping in the city. Online now at ASOS.com for £32.



5. The final item this week is this lovely red winter coat with faux-fur collar. Red is big news this season and this coat looks so warm and cosy I almost wish for those snowy Winter days... almost. Yours for £100 at Warehouse.



Images:
www.hm.com
www.peacocks.co.uk
www.dorothyperkins.com
www.asos.com
www.warehouse.com

Todd Lynn SS11

As mentioned in my previous post, I was lucky enough to be able to catch the Todd Lynn show on Day Five of London Fashion Week. Not being overly familiar with the designer beforehand other than the knowledge that he is a Canadian designer and a Central St Martins graduate, I took my seat at the show with an open mind.
The collection focused around tailoring with an edge; hues of dove and metallic grey, soft beige and classic black topped off with textured patches and even a mirrored half-cape here and there.Below are the images I managed to take during the show:








The models were all styled with scraped back, unwashed-looking hair and minimal makeup for a slightly robotic look, complimenting the simple colours of the collection and walked the runway in some impressive Louboutins in the same neutral colours.
Simple tailored jackets in shades of grey were adorned with patches of metallic grey and asymmetric collar details, the collection also featured a number of one shouldered tailored dresses, giving the models a sleek, streamlined sillouette. Sci-fi mixed with tailoring; the highlight of the collection being the soft grey dress with mirrored half-cape, the effect of the camera flashes bouncing off the material was an impressive sight.



All in all a powerful collection, ideal for the woman who wants to look smart and make a statement through clothing cuts not colours. A fresh, modern collection for Spring/Summer 2011.

Final image owned by londonist.com, all other images owned by runninginplatforms

Running at LFW

Thanks to my lovely friend Amy I was able to visit LFW today at Somerset House to people watch (*cough* Alexa Chung *cough*), browse the stalls and even see a show! I had a great day and will be posting a full catwalk report tomorrow but for now, here are a few pictures I took today around the venue of things that caught my eye. Enjoy.


David Koma show list


Beautiful Elliot Atkinson shoes


Soren Bach hats


French Sole ballet pumps


New Gen/Topshop exhibition wall


And a very happy me outside the main tent!

Apologies for the amateur photos, check back tomorrow for the full report.

Great Lengths

I have to say I'm really coming round to the new skirt length that is everywhere this season: the maxi. Whilst I was sceptical at first, the more I see of it, the more I like. Two celebs who've been wearing the look well are Alexa Chung; wearing a cream maxi skirt at the launch of her fashion line with US brand Madewell and Nicola Roberts at the launch of her latest products for Dainty Doll.





What both these ladies have in common is the relaxed way they've chosen to wear the skirt: both favouring a t-shirt tucked in with heels for extra height.

Copy their look with this black maxi skirt from Zara for £39.99 and wear it just above the waist, tucking in this printed tee from Topshop, £20. Throw on these on-trend hiker boots, £35 from Boohoo and you're good to go.





Images from:
www.zimbio.com
www.zara.com
www.topshop.com
www.boohoo.com

New boots?

... yes please!

Featured in this post are the lovely free boots I receieved at the Bertie Bloggers Event this week. If you like the look of them, why not get yourself a pair at www.bertieshoes.com for £125.

Bertie AW collection

On Tuesday of this week I was lucky enough to be at an event to showcase Bertie's new season shoes along with lots of other bloggers. We were treated to drinks and a rather tasty buffet in the new flagship store on South Molton Street and a lovely new pair of shoes (more on those later...)

The AW ad campaign centres around 'The Love Affair', the story of the founder falling in love with shoes whilst working as an airport cleaner, leading him to start the company in 1974. Black and white images centre around the shoes and how they are worn by the models.

As for the shoes themselves, there were many to lust after at the event and I snapped some pictures of the best of the collection. The overall feel of the collection was wearable yet unique, the soft and hard leathers of the boots and shoes were accompanied by interesting details including studs, chunky rubber soles and velvet laces.

Here are my favourites from the collection:

Everyone needs a pair of brogues this season and this pair are more interesting than your average. Love the stud detail on these 'Gateux B', £70.



Continuing with the stud-love, these studded fold down boots are so comfy and the perfect accompaniment to a rainy day in the city. 'Nickson B', £135.



If you buy one new pair of boots this season, make sure you get yourself some heeled hiking boots like this lovely pair. Warm and on-trend! 'Reagan', £125.



If you fancy splashing out on some new evening shoes then these are the pair to buy. Black and mega-strapped, will look perfect with a pair of leather shorts and a crisp white shirt accompanied by some bold lipstick. 'S Superstar, £110'.



Last, but definitely not least are my favourite pair of shoes from the event:



As displayed here by my good friend Amy of 'These Girls Turn Heads', these furry clogs are attention seeking in all the right ways. Not currently available on the website, but keep checking bertie.com for your chance to own a pair of these beauties!

All in all the event was a perfect platform to display the new collection and the new flagship store and I had a great time. Thanks to the team at Bertie for putting on a great show!

Check out www.bertieshoes.com for the full range.

It's Wednesday...

... and you know what that means! I've been trawling the shops, both literal and on-line to bring you the best bits to buy this week. Hope you like!

1. To kick us off this week I bring you this rather lovely zodiac sign bracelet from Urban Outfitters. One for each star sign - pictured here is my sign, Sagittarius, and available to buy for £16. A unique piece of jewellery that will add charm to any outfit this season.



2. Next on the list is this impressive quilted skirt with gem detail by KTZ at Topshop. Topshop are always on the ball with their designer collaborations, KTZ are a Macedonian designer duo and will be appearing at London Fashion Week this season. I'd wear this skirt with a simple tee and some killer heels. Yours for £190, check out the rest of the range for other awe-inspiring pieces.



3. In-keeping with the spangly look of the last item, I bring you this black sequin cardi from Monsoon Fusion, £55. Will look great now and even better at Christmas.



4. Yes, it's another spangly item for you at number four this week- this embellished, tasseled bag from River Island has really caught my eye and will add interest to a fair isle print jumper, jeans and winter boots outfit. £79.99 and the perfect mini-bag for Autumn.



5. Last on the list today is the most on-trend item to keep you warm in the chill; the cape is back in full force for AW10 and this one is my favourite so far. The bright red will look great against Autumn's colour palette. Yours for £68 at Miss Selfridge.



Images from:
www.urbanoutfitters.com
www.topshop.com
www.monsoon.co.uk
www.rivierisland.com
www.misselfridge.com