Hits, Misses and Tumbles of the Brits 2015

The awards season is continuing and this time it's the Brits.  The names on the red carpet might not be quite as big as the Oscars, but the names of who they were wearing most definitely were, with red and black dominating the red carpet.

Check out the hits, misses and tumbles of The Brits 2015!

Hit - Not a hug fan of Paloma Faith's music, but Paloma has earnt some brownie points in this stunning red and black strapless gown, with a tulle overlay by Armani Prive.

Miss - Cara Delevingne - loving the Saint Laurent hat, but the effortless rock chic looks too try hard!

Miss - FKA Twigs - Bondage and embroided pom poms should never be on the same garment!

Hit - Taylor Swift wowing in Black with embroided Red feathers by Roberto Cavalli

Miss - Holly Willoughby looking amazing after having a baby - but this high neck, over embellished dress makes Holly look like a Christmas Tree!

Hit - Karlie Kloss wearing monochrome, cut out Tom Ford. BFFs Karli and Taylor clearly went shopping together!

Miss - Rebecca Ferguson aka Diana Ross!

Hit - Daisy Lowe wearing Emilio Fe La Morena - If Coco Chanel dressed Jessica Rabbit, this is how I imagine it would be!

And Finally, the tumble.........

Hit - Credit where credit's due - Madonna kept on going and managed not to break her hip!

Best Dressed - Oscars 2015

The Oscars have been and gone for another year and we know who has walked away with the coveted golden statues, so now it’s time to decide who won in the style stakes.  And while I couldn’t agree more with Reece Witherspoon’s #Askhermore campaign - discouraging reporters from only asking about the clothes women are wearing, and focusing more on their new ventures - it seems a shame to overlook the hard work and craftsmanship that has gone into the exquisite gowns.  Here are my top 5!

Lupita Nyong'o in Calvin Klein Collection

Rosamund Pike in Givenchy

Jennifer Lopez in Elie Saab

Dakota Johnson in Saint Laurent

And the Winner is............

Emma Stone in Elie Saab

Who was your favourite?

30 lessons in 30 years

It finally happened: I turned 30! I can honestly say that on this rare occasion my husband was right; the thought of turning 30 is far worse than actually turning 30. Life is not like Logan’s run: life is not over! Perhaps my days of clubbing every weekend are over, but with over a decade of this under my belt, that particular Cow has well and truly been milked!

Now that the inevitable has happened - and I am a not-so-wise 30 year old - I thought I would share with you 30 things that I have learnt in my 30 years. Here goes….

1. You don’t need to see your real friends every day; nothing will change.

2. Fashions will come and go, but style is forever.

3. It’s better to be different than boring.

4. Trying to sleep, will only stop you sleeping.

5. I am turning into my Mother.

6. Its fine to not be where you thought you would be - life will get you where you are supposed to be.

7. A good Umbrella does exist; you just have to spend more than £5.00.

8. All politicians really do lie.

9. Don’t talk on your phone on the bus, it’s annoying!

10. I will never grow out of eating chocolate spread from the jar.

11. Keep your morals and your manners; they are the only thing that is truly yours.

12. Travel! You will learn and grow as a person.

13. Never do anything to impress a man, it will only end it tears.

14. Never go out with a man whose jeans are smaller than yours, or who takes longer to get ready. This will also end in tears.

15. Cutting out carbs will never work, it will make you grumpy and eventually gorge.

16. Gyms suck!

17. It is unlikely I will ever be as thin as I was on my wedding day.  I simply don’t have the motivation any more.

18. Owning your own car will spoil you.

19. Always keep the receipt from an impulse purchase.

20. Smothering people with kindness will usually work, unless they are utter arseholes.

21. Marry your best friend (not literally)!

22. Don’t buy cheap - you will end up buying twice.

23. I need chocolate every day.

24. Take advice from others, but make your own decisions.

25. If someone tells you your outfit is interesting, they actually think it’s horrible!

26. Time goes too fast! I realised this when my husband told me that it had been seven years since Heath Ledger died.

27. Earn your own money!

28. Don’t compare yourself to others, they never show you their bad side.

29. Never listen to models: things do taste as good as skinny, clearly they have never tried Reece’s Pieces.

30. Most people are muddling their way through life, anyone who tells you otherwise is lying!  

Black Friday Warehouse Wish List!

A good friend asked me yesterday, whether I was excited about Black Friday, and I have to be honest, until this year, I always thought Black Friday was Black Eye Friday.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with this, this is the Friday before Christmas when all of the factory workers finish and drink all day; resulting in quite a few Black eyes – hence the name!   

I am now aware of what Black Friday actually is; The Friday after Thanksgiving when all of the stores have sales, (excuse the use of the words stores, but I thought I would go with the theme of using Americanisms/Traditions).  Obviously, it was only a matter of time before we took yet another American tradition, so here we are, and who am I to complain about discount clothes – hell, we have embraced traditions which are a lot worse.

So I thought, what better way to get involved, than to put together a Black Friday Warehouse Wish List!!!!  Health Warning - Only participate on-line, the stores are crazy!

Khaki Textured Oversized Coat £110.00

Longline Embellished Jacket £120.00

Sequin Bandeau Jumpsuit £90.00

Statement Half and Half Necklace £24.00

Embellished Yoke Jumper £45.00

Fedora Hat £25.00

Wisteria Printer Trousers £36.00

Top 5 Winter Boots!

Ladies, prepare yourself!  Rumour has it, winter 2014 is set to be the wettest on record for 33 years; there is only way to prepare for this, and that is to invest in a pair of  winter Boots, or several, if you simply can’t pick just one.  The High Street has an amazing selection this year and there are so many different styles that are on trend.  Whether you prefer knee high, thigh high, ankle boots, biker boots, heeled, platform or flats, there really is something for everyone.   Here are my top 5 that will have you looking stylish, dry and jumping in puddles (just don't forget your suede protector!).





Next Grey Suede Over The Knee boots £120.00

Zara High Heeled Printed leather Bootie £89.99



Next Chestnut Chelsea Boot £68.00




Kurt Geiger Vanessa Black Low Heel Knee High Boots £210



Zara Fur Lined Leather Ankle Boot £89.99

Winter Coats 2014

Coats, possibly my favourite piece of clothing. I have far too many to wear but I can never resist at least one purchase per year. Whether it be a Parka, Cape, Cocoon, Overcoat or Trench; there isn't one of these I don't own. As much as I miss the sun there is something comforting about watching the leaves change colour and fall, knowing that I will soon be snug in my new winter coat.

I keep putting off buying this years winter coat as I know what I am like; I will be desperate to wear it and I will be wishing for the arrival of Winter which isn't fair on anyone, but the high street is bursting at the seams, and my will power is being pushed to limit.

To ease my withdrawals I have been browsing on-line and the high street is full of A/W 14 trends; military, check, pastels and to get you through the awkward autumn temperatures - my favourite - the Cape.  What coats do you love and what will you be wearing this Winter???

ASOS Coat with military Detail

ASOS Cocoon Coat

Warehouse Heavy Wash PU Panel Parka

Warehouse Check Coat

Warehouse Check Cape

 

 

 

Fabulous Fulton!

It’s arrived! My Fulton Umbrella is here and it hasn’t had to wait long for its test run.

I was woken at 4am the other morning by the clattering rain against my bedroom window and it’s the first time I have even been excited to hear rain; I knew it meant I would get to christen the Fulton.

After many years of having one soaking wet hand from holding onto my Umbrellas to try and stop them from blowing inside out, being defeated by the wind and finally resulting in the Umbrellas being thrown unceremoniously into the bin on the way to work, I decided that a solid investment had to be made.

I had no idea where to start looking as I’ve always just picked up whatever I liked the look of for as little as possible. I was - like most other women out there - under the illusion that all Umbrellas broke. Good old trusted Google pointed me in the right direction and this is how I stumbled across Fulton Umbrellas . Fulton Umbrellas hold a Royal Warrant to HRH Queen Elizabeth II and are a firm favourite at Royal events, so I thought if it’s good enough for the Queen and Kate then it’s good enough for me.

 

 I decided to go for the Huntsman in black, which is typically for men, but I think they ooze style and sophistication so to hell with convention. I also needed an Umbrella would go with everything as unfortunately I have neither the money or the space to have one for each outfit, unlike HRH herself. 

After only a couple of outings I can already feel the difference in the quality of the material and this, accompanied with a strengthened double steel rib frame and genuine wood handle, makes it feel very sturdy. 

 

If you prefer something a bit smaller and feminine I would suggest Tiny-2 Blurred Blooms, or if you prefer a clear dome umbrella then look no further than the Birdcage-1 White, which has been used by the Queen herself!

I'm sure some of you out there will be dubiously reading this and asking yourself how can I be sure of an Umbrella that has only had two outings, but this is the first time in over a decade where I have been able to walk in the rain feeling confident that I my hair will still be in place and I am not going to start work resembling a drowned rat. But the best thing about the Fulton Umbrella is that it adds to my outfit; finally I have found an Umbrella that is fashionable, functional and goes with everything!