Donatella does Highstreet

Originally, my intention was to go to Oxford Street and hunt down the best designs by Versace that hit H&M stores last Thursday but unfortunately, I managed to wander up to Angel on Friday afternoon to find as little Versace as I would've had I gone into Sainsburys instead.

I can't say I looked very hard because as soon as I walked through the doors, the gorgeous party dresses for the new season were all around me with different materials ranging from net skirts to velvet in classy black and other jewel tones.

Keep a look out for the beige satin tulip dress, brocade shorts or go classic and chose from one of the many different LBDs on offer.

I decided on a pair of black ankle boots with a wide, wooden finish heel and two little gold buttons to finish them off. With them being both comfortable and the kind of style that will go with almost anything, they'll keep my wardrobe up to date for many seasons to follow.

Although you can't actually see the boots, I wore them here to watch Lee Evans back home in Wales.

Jacket, River Island £120
Handbag, River Island
Shorts, H&M £29.99
T-shirt, GAP £9.99 (sale)
Scarf, Zara £19.99 (not sure)


The scarf looks a bit pink but I left the cream one I was going to wear back home and it was too cold to go without !

Monki Say, Monki Do

Now an inhabitant of London, I have been exploring my new territory for fashion interest and the new shops available to me. While browsing around Selfriges yesterday, I came across the fashion label, Monki. I'm guessing originally Japanese or along that theme perhaps as I noticed the anime style about the place and the style of some of the clothes were really unique so here are some of the items on my wish list !

I love these leggings because not only does the material look comfortable and soft, the pattern on the calf is so unique but the effect is relaxed by the pastel tones, making them wearable for the daytime as well. Perfect to wear with a knitted jumper or old sweatshirt.


I put the rings up next because they follow the colour scheme and I thought they were really cute. On the description, they can be worn together to complete "a circle" or separately.













I liked this poncho because it looks so versatile, with a hood and draw string to look casual in the day time but then the colour and drama in the length means it could be worn in the evening and there's even buttons under the arms to create sleeves ! Personally ? Its genius !

The stacked bracelet is the kind of accessory that would make a little dress in the evening stand out and I love the way dulled silver colour looks against black. So contemporary and expensive.








The final piece is this kind of knitted cocoon. Available in grey and different colours as well, my favourite was red just because I thought that it made the jumper look so much more than a simple knitted top that is sold in nearly every high street store come this time of year. The colour was called "little red rocking girl" which I thought was quite sweet and fitting! When I saw it, I imagined it burning through cold winter days wrapped up with a scarf and hat, makes the scene seem so more enjoyable !

Check out Monki.com ! Now available to shop online so access to all :)

Ten Commandments of The Fashion Bible

The First Commandment.. 

Thou Shall Shop the Sales with Ease and Experience

Perhaps a little late for the Summer sales but as we all know, there will be far more to come and here are a few rules to go by to ensure a sensational sale shop !

1) Isn't there something with January sales and Next opening at 5 in the morning Boxing Day for the seriously dedicated bargain hunter ?! Going by the saying that the early bird catches the worm would be an understatement in this situation, however, this is not always the case. I suppose really, its classed as laziness but I find that going through racks and racks of clothes is made so much easier and less stressful at quieter periods in the day. I found a pair of River Island hot pants half price on the rack outside the changing rooms by chance about three o'clock one afternoon, perfect for my holiday and a lot less fuss !

 2) Don't go into sales with the mind set of finding little tops for holidays or the summer dress left-overs. With the British weather, it is always likely that shops will still stock jeans. This way, it is a real saving that is appreciated because staples of that type are the most expensive to buy full price. Department stores for more expensive jeans are sometimes best because they are better quality at really reasonable prices. Jewellery is also something to keep an eye out for in sales as something quirky that you would have overlooked before could be a lot more appealing at a smaller price.

3) Sales are often organised by size in order to make things easier for the shopper and categorize the clothes but remember, there are very few people that are, for example, a size 10 across the high street spectrum. Don't be afraid to look for the size smaller or bigger because how many times do things look better when they're a bit baggier or tighter or we walk into Topshop and struggle with 12 jeans then slide into Dorothy Perkins' 10s with ease ?! I found a size 6 top in the River Island sale (it was in the wrong place, I wasn't that hopeful) and due to the cut and shape, it fit me fine.

4) Always have a little peak outside of what you consider to be your comfort zone or things you would normally wear. When better to try something a little different and new than when its at its cheapest ?! If it doesn't work out, then at least you didn't spend stupid money on something that you don't see yourself ever wearing. At the same time, have some sense.. If you know deep down it is something you will NEVER wear, don;t buy it just because its a tenner off !

5)Don't go into a sale thinking that everything will be bargain bin prices at less than a fiver. If you imagine original prices in places like Zara and Topshop are up to £40 for an evening top, then £20 is actually great value. I have an awful habit of suddenly becoming shocked by price tags above £10 when I enter sale mode and I have to stop and remind myself that it is worth the money as half the time I would pay full price.

At the risk of adding a cheesy ending, the final rule is to just get shopping.. And take the right person ! You need someone prepared to walk around all day with limited breaks and a lot of patience if you're like me who needs to pick up everything before buying a single t-shirt.

Maxi Must Haves

Is it a reaction to the utilitarian theme of this season? Are we desperate to exercise our inner bohemian chick? Or are we actually enjoying the functional wardrobe Autumn/Winter has to offer that we are taking it further with a maxi skirt? I honestly couldn't tell you but I can assure you that for the first time I can think of, I NEED a maxi skirt!
Everything I have would look perfect with a maxi skirt: my ankle boots would give me some height and sophistication, my baggy crop top (as taken from Elle's Daily Outfit) and my new H&M Aviator jacket would pull the look from hippie festival to edgy glamorous. This seasons wardrobe is designed for this skirt and with a good pair of heels and some clever balancing of proportions, the maxi is designed for everyone and here are some of my favourites:

Oasis offers a simple black skirt and the genius this skirt offers is in the tailoring under the bum. The fit gives shape to your bum and flicks out slightly at the bottom to stop a cone effect happening.
This is currently in the sale for £10 from £20 but I'm guessing the old "while stocks last" applies to this number.

Talking of Elle's Instant Outfits, this skirt from Topshop for £40 was featured on the website very recently. The neutral colour is very on trend (although I hate that phrase) this season and the shape is a more exaggerated version of the Oasis example above. The lace trim at the bottom is also an interesting feature and added touch of femininity to piece.

TK Maxx has long been the outlet of guilty pleasure. The Donna Karen bag for only £20 or the McQueen top for £40, a bloody bargain and here they offer another! I'm guessing its not exactly a Westwood or Lagerfeld original but it does have a very attractive pattern that acts as almost a cross over piece from whimsical summer pieces and festival/holiday wear to harsher, more practical wear for Autumn/Winter with the darker colour and new shape. As well as this, the skirt is priced at only £11 so get rummaging.

New Look here and only £19.99. Horizontal stripes have been embedded into our minds as evil unless six foot tall and six inches wide but paired with a simple t-shirt and some ankle boots, a very urban, sophisticated style can be created. I think its definitely worth a trip to the changing rooms anyways, just for a look...

This is the most expensive of the selection at £45, found in Warehouse but I love the pattern so much and the colours are simply perfect and if you were having trouble with the more popular angry styles of A/W then maybe this is a welcome relief and the shape is looser all the way down with a definite, more obvious flare at the bottom. Shown with boots here in this picture, an example of how to wear for A/W, showing that it will still go with your other purchases in preparation for the changing season.

I hope this has opened the eyes of the maxi dress pessimists. Join me in my bid for full length!

Festival Feverr

So I may have put a bit of a downer on festival fashion on the highstreet before but that is because I see the stunning starlettes hitting the stage in perfect festival outfits and the stage is where this kind of costume belongs.

Watching Florence's emotional and gorgeous performance at Glastonbury this year, I have to admit, there aren't many times I almost don;t notice what someone is wearing when I see them but this time I have to say her singing of "You've got the Love" completely through me. It was only looking back over google that I was reminded of the white flowy leotard she donned for the occasion.

Ellie Goulding has been making statements in t-shirts this year with simple white tee's embellished perfectly to add to the toned down glamour of her sets at V Festival, Glastonbury and T4 on the beach.

Marina and the Diamonds followed suit (or tee) with an over-sized t-shirt with a cheeky bra and pants set embellished on the top (at Isle of Wight Festival), a Disney themed number and the red tiger shown here. I don't know about you but I love the casual and comfortable glamour of the t-shirt. This autumn, the comfortable statement seems to be the perfect one to me.

Check out http://www.gigwise.com/ for coverage of all this year's fesivals across the globe.