This Next

I adore this camel shift dress from Next. I’m not one to usually shop in there, but this dress has had a lot of press recently and it has opened my eyes to what I used to consider a mumsy high street shop (sorry Next!). This dress totally ties in with the Mad Men 1960s AW10 trend. A trend I love! The colours and details are very simplistic yet sophisticated; it’s Chanel reminiscent and ticking all my boxes. At the moment I am saving all my pennies for a New York Christmas trip so hopefully this will still be around in January!

Camel Ponté Dress £40

Bell Du Jour

Twiggy

The Hat of the season for me is the Cloche hat. The cloche, coming from the French word for bell resonates the feminine and luxurious style of the early 20th century. Did anyone use to watch the House of Eliott in the early 90s? My sister and I LOVED IT. It was a BBC programme set in the 1920s about two sisters owning a Haute Couture fashion house. These two stylish ladies were supporters of the Cloche.

I read somewhere that the partial reason that Angelina Jolie was chosen to play the part of Christine Collins in Changeling was because her face emulates the look of the time period. It's so true, she looks beautiful and so suited in the costumes.

Blair Warldorf in Gossip Girl is a serial Cloche wearer. It completely suits her preppy, polished look. I particularly love the grey-cloche-white-coat combo. She looks so sophisticated. Blair is definitely the best dressed Gossip Girl character.

A Fashionable Tail

Topshop Curve Sequin Shift Dress - £120.00

I recently saw this dress in topshop and thought it was absolutely beautiful. The scalloped pattern is what does it for me. It is a great look. Scallops in fashion will always remind of Marion Cottilard's Oscar dress in 2008. The Jean Paul Gaultier couture mermaid style dress was simply stunning and perhaps my favourite ever Oscar dress.

Marion Cottilard - 2008 Oscars - In Jean Paul Gaultier

Scallop cut fabric is a bit of a recurring trend. Check Blair Warldorf wearing the Marc By Marc Jacobs Joelle Scalloped Dress in Season 2 of Gossip Girl. More recently, Sienna Miller was spotted showcasing white scalloped edged shorts, part of her Twenty8Twelve Spring/Summer 2011 collection.



ASOS All Over Scalloped Mini Skirt



Mad Men: Style Icons

This Season, all that anybody can talk about is Mad Men. It is clear from many collections, from high end to high street, that the show has been a point of inspiration. Shift dresses, cinched waists and billowing skirts are key looks that will be carried on well into next year.

Betty Draper

Peggy Olson

Joan Holloway

London Haunt #3 The Albion

The Albion on Boundary Street, a stone's throw from Brick Lane, is a great place for a lunch date after shopping in the area. As you go in you will pass the bakery and farmer's market section. Great visuals to entice you in further. Once seated, tap water is offered straight away in a cute farmhouse jug. The food is delicious and the portions are appropriate for the price. Overall, a great spot.

Cape Town

I love this cape from Anthropologie. The Outer Hebrides Capelette has beautiful detail on the knit and is tapping into many winter trends. At £128 it's a little out of my budget but I can dream.

This cape however, from Fearne Cotton's A/W 2009 collection for Very.co.uk was a lot more affordable on Ebay for £12.00. Capes = Sherlock, cosy, red-riding, winter goodness.

Sailor Collars





Victorian Nautical :

A postcard from the Sailor Chic Exhibition at the Maritme Museum



A great look over the summer has been sailor chic. I love a nautical collar. It’s cute and flattering. One look can be worn in so many ways. They can have a Victorian seaside feel to them (See Emma Watson at Glastonbury pictured), or a wartime pin-up (Blair Waldorf, Kelly Brook). Lily and Mylene show that the look can be taken into the winter as well.

This vintage sailor blouse was a find on Ebay. A steal at £10, the top button was missing but easily replaced with a gold rope knot button.

London Haunt #2 Kitchen & Pantry, Elgin Crescent

This is a lovely quaint cafe off Portobello Road decked out with classic movie posters on the bare brick walls and chunky wooden tables and squishy leather seats. You can enjoy a great coffee and nice piece of cake here while listening to the chilled out soundtrack. It is also laptop and dog friendly.

Je T'aime

I just saw the new Gainsbourg film this week. I enjoyed it, mainly for the music, and chicness of the French (Brigitte Bardot is depicted). It reminded of that jumper Kate Moss was seen in a few years ago saying Ginsberg is God (Ginsberg being the musician’s original name). I think it is still available online but I bet you could make it somehow. C'est tres chic.

Click Your Heels Together Three Times

The Wizard of Oz. Hard to believe this film is 71 years old today! It hasn't really dated at all by remaining a family classic. The first polychromatic creation in film makes me feel nostalgic about my childhood. It is one of those iconic movies that when it's on TV at Christmas or Easter, you just have to sit down and watch it. It's inspired hundreds of stories since (The Wiz, Wicked, Australia to name a few). And it's responsible for one of the most famous movie quotes of all time. There certainly is no place like home.

Make Do and Mend

This poster is up on my bedroom wall. The wartime sentiment is there to remind me that I shouldn't spend crazy money (that I don't have) on clothes. I should try and make do with what I have. If you're feeling the strain of the recent recession or a student on a budget - Make do and Mend! Like many girls I face the age old problem, once quoted by Carrie Bradshaw herself - a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear. Instead of despairing, I'm trying to reinvent what I have. Cutting up old t-shirts, changing buttons, adjusting hems etc. Customising is the key to a healthier bank balance methinks.


My new kit from Cath Kidston (It was on sale).

Back To School

School girl satchels are everywhere at the moment. Not only are they a fashion statement, but if you carry your life in your handbag like me, the satchel bag is ultra convenient. I watched Confessions of a Shopaholic last night and was left lusting for a red Prada briefcase bag. Isla Fisher wore it during the scene where she goes for an interview. It is actually the perfect interview bag to keep your CV uncrumpled, and make you look both professional and stylish.




Leighton Meester was recently spotted wearing the Celine Box Bag in a blood red shade, an alternative to the slouchy soft tan leather bags out at the moment and just as appealing.















Here are few of my favourites that are out to buy now.






1. Large Push lock Leather Satchel - £90 – Topshop
2. PS1 Medium Leather Satchel - £1255 – Proenza Schouler
3. Deerskin Leather Tote - £995 – Miu Miu
4. Washed 2 Tab Satchel - £36 - Topshop
5. School Satchel - £46.00 – Urban Outfitters
6. Neely Leather Bag - £650 - Mulberry
7. Buckle Leather Strap Satchel - £85 – Topshop
8. Cambridge Satchel Company 15 INCH Satchel - £106 – Urban Outfitters
9. Alexa Leather Bag - £695 – Mulberry
10. Leather Twist Lock Satchel - £70 - ASOS

Mille-fielle

Blair Warldorf is my favourite character in Gossip Girl. I love her style. The recent picture of Leighton Meester wearing a millefeuille of red taffeta got me just a little excited for season four. The Oscar de la Renta dress is so glamourous, I can't wait to know Blair's occasion.

Layering and ruffles always make for a feminine style. You do run the risk of spilling into meringue territory, but done well, a bouffant dress can make you feel and look a million dollars. Marchesa in particular are famous for such creations. Their dresses epitomises girly layering. And you simply cannot think of a layered dress without thinking of Carrie Bradshaw's Versace dress of a thousand layers in Paris featured in the last episode of Sex and the City.

For a more affordable option, H&M's Garden Collection this past summer featured a fabulous ruffle style dress made from recycled materials. Who'd have thought old trash could turn into something so elegant? The dress came in red and cream, (I snapped up the cream one), and although it's sold out in store, you could probably get you hands on one on Ebay.