Fridays are the new Saturdays, when it comes to hitting the shops as far as i'm concerned!

There's half the amount of people (except for when the clock chimes one and all the workers come out of their offices and storm the city centre) and therefore, there's double the amount of space in all the shops and you don't have to put up with getting pushed and pulled around the rails.

It must have been the combination of warm weather and sparse streets because I bought more than I had intended! Some of the goodies I purchased were:

• A pair of Carvela peep-toe heels - perfect with pretty much any summer dress or floaty skirt. The nude colour elongates the leg (which is great news for me, since I desperately wish I was a couple of inches longer in the leg) even though the heels are only a couple of inches high.
• A pair of Reiss slip-on heels and some of their flat sandals. The chain detailing around the ankle on the flat sandals was what sold them for me. It adds a bit of 'chunk' to an otherwise delicate sandal.
• A Vivienne Westwood tee. I love how the Queen of British fashion has once again managed to transform the most staple of all staple garments, the basic round-neck tee, into a cool and quirky item, but still 100% wearable. 
  
  
  Much love,
  A

DKNY's big day out!

Remember the gorgeous DKNY dress I told you about last month? The one that I was keeping in my wardrobe until the British weather gave me a warm, sunny day to wear it on? Well today is that day!

I bronzed my legs, slipped on some nude sling-back heels, a pretty gold necklace and popped on my Chanel sunnies. I felt a million dollars!

The dress has a wonderful way of making you feel super-feminine and sexy. The sunshine made the peacock-coloured motifs shimmer and glisten and the light breeze that was caressing the Bristol harbourside made the layered asymmetric skirt billow and float.

I couldn't resist taking a trip into Harvey Nic's (where I bought the dress from last month) to collect compliments - and my goodness, they were free-flowing! I also managed to 'collect' a lush Vivienne Westwood tee...

This dress was worth every penny of it's big price tag. No regrets here!

Much love,
A

Latest Fashion feature

Another fashion feature published, this time aimed towards men only!

Take a look and let me know what you think...

Much love,

A

Fashion LUST

The dresses I've been swooning over this week...

Erdem. Embroidered Lace crepe dress. £4,200.
The ultimate in femininity

Anna Sui. Embellished silk-chiffon mini dress. £495.
LBD with a hint of party sparkle

Bassike. One-shoulder stretch organic cotton T-shirt dress. £145
Everyday chic

Matthew Williamson. Printed Parachute silk dress. £895.
Stand out in the crowd

Much love,

A

Fashion & Fizz: The Photos

Check out the handful of shots I took while at the Bath Fashion Show on Thursday night. The images aren't great quality - I had to take them on my phone as my camera chose that evening to give up the ghost!

The venue was beautiful, really atmospheric and ideal for a warm spring evening.

 Much love,
A

Gifts galore!

My birthday is fast approaching - but what to ask for?

Everyone in my life tells me I'm a nightmare to buy for, and in some respects I see their point. I am terribly choosy, and just because I cooed over one pink blouse, doesn't mean that I'll like them all, but I always provide a comprehensive buying guide for friends and family! (aka My Birthday List). Another problem is my expensive taste - I feel guilty asking for designer goodies, but buying me something that's not on the list is just a complete waste of their hard-earned money. The third issue is that if I see something I want, I buy it. So there isn't an awful lot (apart from a BMW Z4, Dachshund and a huge diamond ring on a certain finger) left out there that I want, which I haven't already bought!

All this said, I've still compiled the annual compulsory buying list:

1. 
   Sam Edelman. Lorissa Embellished Studded peeptoe shoe. £180.
2. 
   Emporio Armani. White Ceramic Chronograph. £499.
3. 
   Charlotte Olympia. Pandora Plexiglas clutch. £395
4. 
   Sass & Bide. Never Forget Asymmetric Print dress. £275. 
5. 
   Smythson. Dreams and Thoughts leather notebook. £240.

Much love,

A

Subtle Shimmer

I fell in love with this unusual, lightweight cardi at first sight!

The tie-waist gives you the option - cinch yourself in if you're wearing over a LBD to a party, or let it hang open for a more casual day look. It's a great piece because it drips with sophistication, even just worn over a basic tee. You'll be batting back compliments with the classic line, "Oh, I just threw this on!"

The sequins and beads around the hem add to the understated chic, so much so that I would comfortably wear this cardi without any jewellery. 

I bought this for £169 from House of Fraser. It's part of DAY Birger et Mikkelsen's S/S11 collection.

Much love,

A

Add a little sparkle...

DEEPA GURNANI

BLACK SINGLE CRYSTAL ROW BAND

This picture really doesn't do this hair band justice...

I bought it at a reduced price (down from £42 to £29) from www.my-wardrobe.com - one of my favourite online shops. They stock a fantastic designers, from the classic big brands like Mulberry and D&G to the quirky contemporary designers like Sass & Bide or Acne. 

Deepa Gurnani is a fast-rising star, she's swiftly becoming a household name! She launched her hair accessories label in 2006, after spending her early career embellishing couture for Fendi and Alexander McQueen (wow). I love how versatile this hair band is. I'd wear it in voluptuous hair as happily as I would across my forehead. The rows of crystals beads will look gorgeous glistening in the sunshine in either style. Her hairbands have been cropping up on the heads of many celebrities over the past six months. I've heard on the grapevine that Cheryl Cole is a big fan...

Much love,

A

  

  

Fashion & Fizz. Yes please!

I can hardly wait!

The Roman Baths in Bath is an amazing place. It's mad to think that people have been using them for thousands of years - the heritage of the site is gob-smacking. I studied Classical Civilizations at sixth form and loved it and Rome is my favourite city in the world, I try to visit every year. Imagine my joy when I heard that two of my greatest passions are coming together for one night only - I booked tickets immediately!

The evening show is the headline event of Bath Fashion Week and as such, it takes place at the most iconic location in the city. Style and spa come together as the cream of Bath's independents show S/S11 fashions. I'm looking forward to watching a stunning fashion show, staged along the Roman pavements around the Baths. It's truly a once only chance to see fashion in this wonderful heritage arena.

The ticket price includes supper, fizz and a luxurious goodie bag. YES!

Note to self: Must remember to wear warm clothing...

To book tickets, visit www.visitbathshop.co.uk/Bath-in-Fashion-Fashion-n-Fizz-24-03-11

I'll let you know how it goes and try to take some half decent snaps!

Much love,

A

Be bold, be bright!

Everyone, meet Danielle, Danielle, meet everyone.

Reiss has decided to name this fabulous skirt 'Danielle', so I thought it rude to not introduce her by name! 

This maxi skirt ticks my boxes for so many reasons. To name but a few:

1. The colour. The rich reddy/corally shade is both utterly wearable and incredibly fashionable in equal measure. Bright colours swamped the S/S11 catwalks, and I can promise you that this skirt would have fitted right in alongside big names like Jil Sander and Christopher Kane. 
2. The length. I stand at a (some would say measly) 5ft5, so I have to keep a close eye on skirt length. Too short and well, I just look trashy (but that applies at any height!) and anything that falls in the mid-calf region makes me look like a long-lost member of the seven dwarves! So for best results, I stick to either mid-thigh or down to the ground. Plus, maxi's hide a multitude of sins...

At £110 from Reiss, this skirt is a great find for the high street. The sizes do seem to come up a little large, I bought a size 6 and i'd usually plump for an 8. I wore it last weekend, when my boyfriend and I spent a sunny Sunday afternoon pottering around Bath. I kept the rest of the outfit super-simple. A plain black tee with a long, gold, geometric necklace and some black pumps with gold details. Oh, and of course, my fave Chanel sunnies!

Much love,

A

DKNY dress

 

One word, one syllable - wow.

I had this little beauty ordered into my local Harvey Nic's from the Manchester store. The size 'small' just seemed to hang off me. I know with the 1920s shape, reminiscent of the exquisite flapper dress, which was designed to mask curves and create a more boyish silhouette, this dress isn't intended to be skin-tight, but the size 'small' was just TOO boxy. Luckily, Miss Karen was prepared for this problem, and had made a 'petite' version, which fit like it was made to measure.

With a £355 price tag, this dress isn't cheap. But the stunning geometric motifs in jewel colours and layers of delicate silk make you feel so enchantingly feminine and romantic that it's worth every penny. 

I'd wear this dress with sandals and some chunky gold bracelets - the first piece that springs to mind is a fabulous thick-chain Mulberry bracelet I have, which would strike a great contrast against the floaty hem and brings a subtle touch to the outfit that shows off my style. 

Sadly, the British weather hasn't been so kind as to warm up yet (and tights are just not an option with this dress) so for the time being, she's hanging patiently in my wardrobe, waiting for the sunshine to blaze through my window. 

Much love,

A

Get to know me better...

I thought it would be worthwhile taking a minute to introduce myself and explain my intentions!
My biggest life aspiration is to become the Fashion Editor of a monthly lifestyle glossy mag - Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Vogue and Tatler if you're listening, I'm open to offers!

I currently work as Editorial Assistant on Knit magazine, which may not sound especially glamorous, but my time there has been great fun and I've had a lot of fashion features published in that mag and our sister titles. I also work as the Editor of a brand new bi-annual fashion magazine - I can't wait until the summer when our next issue goes to print. On the side, I also do freelance writing. So if you need any fashion articles writing, all you've got to do is ask!

As for my intentions, this blog is going to track my biggest bad habit - shopping. Money burns a hole in my pocket if I don't blow it, and I don't want to ruin my favourite pair of Paige jeans, so I HAVE to buy beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories with it! Every time I buy something new, I'll update my blog with details of my latest purchase, telling you all about the item and why I couldn't resist it. Since this is my first post, I'll update the blog with details of the bits I've bought this past week, just to get the ball rolling. From then on, I'll keep you posted on the day of purchase, promise!

Hope you enjoy reading about my dabblings in all things designer!

Much love