A fashionable thought...part two

So...onto some of my other favourite designers...I'll stick them all into one post this time!

First up is a label I never really gave that much thought to - until I started to really look at their catwalk shows and realised how my perception was very much clouded by the branded items I wouldn't look twice at.

This label is D&G. Yes I do love Dolce & Gabbana, but I feel the little sister line deserves some credit for once. The feminine designs are quirky, young and original and I especially love the parade of dresses at the end of each show...beautiful.






The second label I want to pay some attention to has also been tarnished with the same brush as D&G, in fact much worse so, yet thankfully things have definitely started to change. Whilst in my second year of Uni I worked part time in the Leeds Harvey Nichols and spend a great deal of time working in this brand's section and discovered all of the good things alongside the bad. The bad being that ubiqutous check, splashed over everything. Guessed yet? Yep, Burberry. I spent many a weekend selling £100 t-shirts, kilts and scarves, yet amongst all of the checks, there were beautiful coats - trenches and duffles, supersoft knitwear and very desirable bags.

Since Christopher Bailey joined the label, things have really gone up and up and the Burberry Prorsum brand is full of some really beautiful pieces. Alongside the staple trench coats and knitwear, there are some great stand out dresses and separates as well as an impressive array of accessories - from studded belts to long leather gloves and chunky statement jewellery. I am a particular fan of the draped dresses teamed with tough black leather belts - the perfect mix between hard and soft. Love it.








As I realise I'm blabbered on a bit too much for one post, I'm going to be brief from now on! There are a few other designers who both inspire and interest me - and here they are...

Marc Jacobs - of course! I have always loved his designs, particularly Marc by Marc Jacobs, as it's very much my style - quite cute, feminine items with a bit of a quirky edge. (Click on the images to see them full size!)


Alexander Wang is a relative newcomer, but the influence he's already had is really impressive - just look at all of the celebrities in his designs. His menswear and sportswear inspired designs are cut incredibly well and have a real rock-chick feel to them.


Finally - Preen - who make the dresses I lust after every season. Their designs are simple, laid back and easy to wear - from draped dresses to masculine inspired shirts and coats - yet you can tell just how much work goes into them. If only I could afford it!



Who are your favourite designers...and why?

(all images via style.com)

Any takers? Accessories :)

Just a few extras before I stick them on ebay...let me know if you'd like them!

I'll make it nice and easy - each item is £1, and so is the postage. If you want more than one item from here or the previous post I will, of course, do a discount on the postage.

Just leave a comment and your paypal email and I will get it all sorted out for you :)


Freedom at Topshop clip-on earrings


Freedom at Topshop anchor necklace - SOLD


Freedom at Topshop flower necklace - SOLD


H&M glasses necklace


Black 'love' bangle, white 'love' bangle - PENDING


Urban Oufitters hair clips - pink or purple (or both for £1.50!)


Topshop brooch - SOLD

A fashionable thought...part one.

Seeing as it's London Fashion Week right now, I thought I'd take some time to show you some of my favourite designers...

A couple of years ago, whilst interning at Elle magazine, I got the opportunity to work as the fashion features researcher and editor's assistant on Elle Collections - the spring/summer 2008 issue.


This one!

This was a great experience for me - not only did I get the opportunity to all of the picture research for the magazine, but I was also able to really study all of the shows and help to develop the trends for the season. This is where I really began to find out who my favourite designers were and why.

I definitely have quite varied taste, but here I've chosen to show the labels that best reflect my personality and style...there are plenty of others that inspire me, particularly with the way they're able to design so well for women.

My first choice is a little bittersweet, as the future of the label is somewhat unknown. It is of course, Luella. Sadly last year it was announced that the label was losing it's financial backing and as yet, there's been no word as to what is next for Luella. This meant that the spring/summer 2010 collection wouldn't be going into production, which is such a shame as it was one of the best yet. Luella seems to have a real knack for designing for the typical British girl - tapping into their desire for feminine clothes with a bit of edge. Her dresses are designed to be worn with a bit of attitude - frills are teamed with tough jackets and florals are paired with chunky boots. Just think of Alexa Chung or Nicola Roberts - just a couple of celebrities who've championed Luella. Luella has also had a massive impact on the high street - just think of ditsy florals, prom dresses, frilly blouses, bows, boyish blazers...need I go on?

Here are some of my favourite looks from the past few years -

Any takers?

EDIT - Everything is on ebay now! (latecomers, if you're interested, I'll let you know my username!)

So...every few months I have a mini clearout of my wardrobe and put the clothes I don't give enough love to on ebay...so someone else can give them the love instead!

I thought this time, before I put them on ebay, I'd give you guys the chance to have a look and let me know if you want anything. Everything is well looked after, and I'm open to a bit of friendly haggling :)

If you're interested, leave me a comment with your paypal address and I will get it sorted. Postage will be £2, except for the H&M dress which will be £3.

So here's what's on show -


All Saints Sachi dress, size 12 - £20

I bought this to wear for a party, and haven't worn it since. It's a knitted, very short dress with cross over straps. It's in pretty much perfect condition and I love it - it's just not very me! It's currently £45 on the All Saints website so this is a bargain :)

note - I tried to take a decent photo of the dress but it's hard to pick up on the detailing - hence the official pic.



Cropped blouse, size 10, River Island - £7

I love this top, but I've only worn it once because it just isn't very me...I think it would look great with jeans or over bodycon skirt or dress. The front has a bow and the back is split with a button...it's in perfect condition.



Top, size 10, Topshop - £7

This top is a lovely colour - a little more vibrant than my camera shows. The front is a simple sleeveless shell shape, and the back is open with large buttons to hide your modesty (aka bra strap!). It looks great with jeans and is in really good condition.


Shirt dress, size 10, H&M - £8

This is a quite heavy plaid material, looks great with leggings or tights, as a dress or a long shirt. It has a low, dropped waist and pockets and is super comfy. I've worn this a few times but it's in great condition.


Topshop tee, size 10 - £7

This is another top I've bought and not worn much - as once again, it's not very 'me'! I think it looks great with a high waisted skirt, but would also look fab with jeans or leggings. It's in perfect condition.


Zara top, size S - £7

This purple top is lovely - again the colour is much more vibrant than it appears. The big draped bow detail neck is really pretty and it looks great with jeans or tucked into a skirt. I love it but I feel a bit funny having anything around my neck...so it's only been worn a few times. It's in great condition.



Topshop skirt, size 12 - £10

This skirt is high waisted with a crossover draped front, in a silver lurex threaded material with a zip back. Looks lovely with a simple tucked in black top, or with a quirky tee. I've worn it a few times but it's in really good condition.


American Apparel skirt, size M - SOLD

This is the classic AA, 'Alexa Chung' skirt. It's in charcoal grey jersey and works perfectly with a t-shirt tucked in. It has been well worn but is still in good condition.

NOTD

Barry M in Bright Pink = Barbie pink :)

Review - Revlon Colourstay Mineral Mousse

I actually bought this a couple of weeks ago but wanted to give it a bit of time in order to review it properly - so I've been using it everyday since.

I love the regular Colourstay so when I saw this on offer in Boots I decided to pick it up and try it out, just to make a change. I usually use Colourstay for Oily/Combination skin in Sand Beige, so I chose the shade 030 - Light. To be honest I was a little surprised by the lack of choice when it came to the colour - despite Halle Berry advertising the foundation, there is definitely nothing suitable for darker skintones which seems a little odd.

Anyway, onto the foundation itself. I'll be straight - the first time I used it, I hated it. The texture was odd (in between a thick liquid and a mousse - much heavier than Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse) and I wasn't quite sure how much to use. The answer? A lot. This definitely seems to be the kind of foundation you can't scrimp on, and I quickly learnt that more is more.

This is about how much I use - a decent blodge...to me at least.



When it comes to application, it goes on pretty well - like the original colourstay it dries quickly - very quickly, so you have to be careful to apply a little at a time, blend, then apply a little more. Coverage is pretty good but there's only so much you can put on, so I did have to touch up with concealer. The finish is definitely very matte (great for oily/combination skintypes, not so great for dry skin) and its staying power is pretty impressive.

But would I buy it again? Probably not. Although it is long lasting and the squeezy tube is a million times better than the glass bottles, to be honest I'm not really a fan of how it looks on my skin. I'm all for a bit of matt coverage but I feel as though it makes my skin look dull and one-dimensional.

Awful picture - but this hopefully gives you an idea...



So next time, I'll be picking up my usual - I'll be happily stubborn for a while longer :)

Top 5 things in my wardrobe...right now.

I'm a pretty fickle person when it comes to my wardrobe, but I definitely have a few pieces I always want to grab each weekend - and these are what they are...for now.


Topshop tunic - I bought this last summer and pick it up constantly. I tend to wear it with jeans and stacks of gold jewellery, I love the beaded neckline detail. After I bought this Topshop came up with it in several different colours, though this combination is still my favourite :)




Topshop dress - this is my favourite sales buy - I'd been eyeing up this dress for months but couldn't quite bring myself to spend £80 on it, so imagine my joy when I found just one (in my size) half price in the sales. The detailing around the neck is so pretty and I think it can be dresed up or down - with leggings and heels or tights and a chunky cardigan. Really versatile and really pretty.


Warehouse skirt - I got this in the sales and despite being a bargain - I've got more than my money's worth from it. I've been teaming it with casual t-shirts and vests to dress them up, and stop the sequins looking too OTT. I also like that unlike most sequinned skirts out there, the sequins are matt and therefore much less obvious.


H&M dress - This is a bit of a cheat as I only bought it last week but it has quickly risen up the charts. I really like the baggy off the shoulder fit and the embellishment - in case you haven't noticed I'm a bit of a fan of sparkle :)

I popped into the Bullring whilst waiting to meet a friend in Birmingham - it was one of the armful of items I hauled into the dresing room, I was really impressed by the range in H&M right now and had to stop myself buying anything else! I think I may have to pop in after my next payday to pick up some new work clothes...there are lots of lovely neutral dresses and seperates that are perfect for the office, without being too stuffy.


Topshop cardigan - this may not look too special on the hanger but I wear this constantly and love it. It's hard to see but the cardigan has shoulder pads which give it a great shape without being too 'eighties'. As I'm pretty conscious of my hips I find this really helps to balance out my shape and it works well to smarten up more casual outfits and add a bit of edge to a bit of a boring cardie.


Topshop tee - finally, my favourite t-shirt right now. First time this appeared online it sold out almost straight away so when I saw it in Westfields I had to get it. It's silly but I love it - and it looks great with leggings, jeans or tucked into a smarter skirt. And who doesn't love a hairy chest? :)

So...now I'm handing it over to you. What are your top 5 items in your wardrobe right now? Clothes only - acccessories will come later. I'd love to see what you're coveting right now...want to show me?

p.s. I'm sure there'll be another one of these soon...I am indeed notoriously fickle, as you'll see :)