Wolf Whistle

Black and Orange are not just for Halloween

There is something quite costumey about this outfit, I think - like I'm playing dress up. And the black and orange colour scheme is incredibly Halloweenish, even though it's a month later. But, in all honesty, I don't think I care! I like this combination and I still, well over a year after I bought it, love this dress. It always gets comments from people and I just feel like it's incredibly me!

WHAT I'M WEARING

Orange maxi dress // ASOS (autumn 2009)
Suede fringe waistcoat // Secondhand (originally from Oasis)
Headband // Gift from Dear Oh Deer
Doc Martens // Gift from Resurrection Online

 Vote for this look on Chictopia!

Don't you love the headband? Di of Dear Oh Deer made it with massive feathers just for me! I like how the orange and black pattern of the headband and the pattern of the dress aren't matching but aren't exactly not matching, either.

Resurrection Online very kindly sent me these Doc Martens to review. They had originally offered to send me a dress (you know how I love dresses so!) but it sold out, sadly. They then sent me these gorgeous Doc Marten boots (you know how I love DM's so!) so it all worked out fine in the end.

The boots are amazing and incredibly me but I'm going to be truthful and say that a lot of the clothing on Resurrection is just not to my taste. I also think that the photography on the site is not selling the items to the best of their ability - which is sad really because there are some really cute things in there like this Sugarhill playsuit, this (almost sold out) Fairground dress and these super cute grey polka dot shorts by Vila. Love those shorts!

But, even if it's not all to my taste, I do think that the website is definitely worth a look. They also do menswear which I had a rifle through too - there's always something good in the mens department! There are also two things I really love about Resurrection:  1) their free next day delivery if you spend over £30 and 2) how, when you hover over an image, it shows you exactly what sizes they have in stock! It lessons that terrible moment of falling in love with something only to click through and see that they don't have your size.

 

I do love these Docs very much and can see myself wearing them to death -well, at least I will do once they are worn in and stop biting my heels... oh, that DM wearing in process - painful to begin with but worth it in the end. As well as being gloriously shiny they are perforated all over with little holes: I'll have to take a close-up picture soon so you can fully appreciate their glory!

Thank you very much, Resurrection Online.

Winter Florals

I've got nothing against wearing florals in the winter - in fact, I love it! A little sprig of flowery joy makes the barren earth seem a bit fresher to me, somehow, and especially so when it's a print of one of my favourite flowers - tulips.

But then again, I've got nothing against wearing whatever you want whenever you want, no matter what season it is. Well... nearly. I still hate those girls in hotpants and Uggs in the blazing summer!

WHAT  I'M WEARING

Cardigan // H&M
Tights // Calzedonia
Dress // Vintage via Ebay (years ago!)
Brogues // Sent from New Look (Thanks!)

 

Vote for this look on Chictopia!

I've made my Spring dress more appropriate for a very cold Winter by adding a cardigan that I bought with a voucher I won for Westfield shopping centre! I love this cardie: it's so snug. (My toes were still cold, though!)

I'm not sure what made me go for such a girly look when lately I've been dressing much tougher, but it just reminded me how much I love, have always loved and WILL always love this amazing vintage dress. Dresses forever!

The print is so gorgeous and it just fits me like a dream - especially now that I've lost 10lbs. TEN!
I'm so pleased with myself!

Playing Dress Up

I'm tired today and have blown off a fabulous fashion party to have eat lasagne, watch The X Files and have an early night. I'm rubbish, huh?

Forgive me for just doing a quick post but I wanted to show you this photo Charlie took of me and Alexxsia at their flat, while we were eating a delicious dinner cooked by Fiona and watching The Virgin Suicides... I sure do love my dream team girls!

I'm wearing a wonderful showpiece feather headdress made by Lexxi while she prats around in the background! And the brown and shearling amazing Doc Martens are second-hand PLATFORMS customised by Charlie for her final graduate show - check out her amazing stuff.

Platform lace up shearling Doc Martens! They are at least a size too big and I still want them... I want them for my own!

Untitled by Maison Martin Margiela

Last week I headed along to the Black and White room at the Charlotte Street Hotel to see - and more importantly, smell - a wide range of L'Oreals fragrances for men and women.

There were some beautiful fragrances and it was good to try some new things out. Despite loving some - esxpecially Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb - I feared I may remain a traditionalist and stick to my one signature fragrance. (Paco Rabanne's XS. I searched for years for the right perfume for me!)

...until I smelt Untitled by Maison Martin Margiela.

The only way I can think to explain the smell is that it smells like vintage grass with an orange tree growing nearby. Does that make any sense?

The Collette website describes it as:

This perfume includes of course the codes of the brand, while cultivating its personality. Based on green floral notes, we can smell galbanum, boxwood, mastic, incense, bitter orange ... as if they had been gathered after the rain.

 

And, as you can imagine, presentation means a lot to me... I loved the feathers, the black and white photos of the dressmakers dummies and mannequins and the fresh soft lime  colour of the perfume itself.

Unfortunately, all the MMM perfume had ran out by the time I left (that'll teach me for hanging around, drinking too much champagne and gossiping with my blogger friends Sarah and Carina) but I can't wait to get my hands on some of it!

Zara Lookbook November 2010

I think Zara are killing it this season, quite simply.

My wishlist from there is currently in double figures and I just keep falling in love with their simple and sophisticated twists on the key trends of the season. Leather - check. Camel - check. Leopard print - check... but none of it is too busy or too showy or too right-this-minute, meaning that it will carry over into spring and beyond. Well played!

(That little flirty skirt is too cute!)

Sorry if I've been a bit quiet around here the last couple of days. I've been busy and will be even busier tomorrow with press days and a launch party fitted around my full time job. I have LOADS to show you including events, press days, what I've bought and been wearing and a book review!

More from me very soon, I promise, including (at long last) the winner of my Clothing at Tesco competition!

Cranberry & Navy

There is a story about how I longed for this skirt for many many months before finally managing to own it... but I'll save that story for next time I wear it!

I love this outfit and especially love this colour combination! My boyfriend says that it feels so 90s (which I blame on the DM's) but he was right: I do feel a bit 90s  riot grrl in it. I wish Chictopia had 90s as one of their descriptions! And grunge too, for that matter. (This look is here.)

I wore this outfit to work and then to a dinner date/movie night with three of my hottest friends: Charlie, Alexxsia and Fiona. Fi made the most amazing stuffed mushrooms (with a stuffed pepper for me because I HATE mushrooms!) and we watched The Virgin Suicides. I'd half-forgotten how beautiful that film is. Dream team movie night!

 

WHAT I'M WEARING

Skirt // All Saints
Perfect tee // H&M
Tights // Calzedonia
Favourite cardigan // Vintage
Shoes // Doc Martens via Rubber Sole

 

Ready for the broken doll pose? I love my hair!

P.S. I will be announcing the winner of my £60 Clothing at Tesco competition TOMORROW, so now's your last chance to enter! Click here to find out more.

Happy Birthday To Me...

 

...although it's not for weeks yet! My boyfriend and my mum have both been asking me what I want for my birthday and it's probably just as well because what I want keeps selling out. I want these: Jeffrey Campbell Lita shoes. In this colour (cranberry, of course!)

 

 

I'm always a bit wary of buying patterned shoes and bags as I love to wear patterns and don't want to be too pattern clashing! Having said that, though, I did recently buy a crazy patterned cat  bag and I did change my mind a bit when I bought my secondhand floral Doc Martens. They're gorgeous and I wear them with everything, even though at first I was worried about the pattern matching. It's good to have some patterned shoes to stop myself getting so matchy matchy!

And you know how obsessed I am with this cranberry colour so it's not as if I won't MAKE them match with everything in my wardrobe anyway...

 

 

 

 

I also love these three colours - taupe, pewter glitter and black fur - but they're all sold out. But more are coming soon so: which of these colour do you think I should ask for?

Camel & Cranberry

I didn't like myself really in these photos but as I so loved this outfit that I wore yesterday, I wanted to document it. I got these shorts (I love the double wrap belt!) and this pussybow coat-cape as gifts from Vero Moda when their Oxford Street store launched. Thank you for my gold bag of goodies, VW!

Quick fur disclaimer as I know fur is a awkward topic: the fur is real and vintage. I bought it cheap and fixed it up and I do not mean to offend anyone by wearing it. I wouldn't buy new fur.

 

WHAT I'M WEARING

Camel cape-coat // gift from Vero Moda
Cropped jumper (slightly DIYed) // Topshop
Camel shorts (with belt) // gift from Vero Moda
Cranberry tights // Calzedonia
Patent ankle boots // Minimarket
Fur stole // Vintage

My boss said yesterday that this cape-coat is not camel but brown... but if you dear readers know anything by now, it's that Amy adores alliteration. Camel & cranberry - perfect!

 

This look is up on Chictopia if you'd care to vote!

 

And lastly, I wanted to mention how I was just tweeting with my blogging friend Monkey about 'niceness' in comments on outfit posts. If you ever have a suggestion or don't like what I'm wearing, please feel free to say so! I'm pretty thick-skinned, won't be offended and am genuinely interested in what you have to say.

But, on the other hand: it's my blog and I reserve the right to completely ignore it, too!

Opening Ceremony x TRON

If you don't like this then I'm not sure if we can be friends. Following on from their collection inspired by Where The Wild Things Are, Opening Ceremony have just launched their new range with the theme of the 1982 movie TRON! (Actually, it's because a new TRON is coming out but whatever. Let's get to the CLOTHES.)

I've never seen TRON but I know about it's wacky spaceness that it's not actually about space even thought this one woman wears this amazing cape that looks like a galaxy. I'm beginning to suspect that  having never seen it I've also never really lived. This collection is just FULLY AWESOME.

 

Simple and strong and striking and, joy of joys! ORANGE. It's like we're living in the future - this is totally how 2010 should be. It's like the Jetsons wardrobe.

 

There is also men's TRON: I love this two-tone jacket.

 

And these shoes are a NEOPRENE DREAM.

You can shop TRON here - get me a pair of the shoes while you're at it?

P.S. Does having orange hair mean I shouldn't wear orange? Because, errr.... NO.
Orange forever!

Eye of the Tiger

If you follow my Twitter (and if not, why don't you?), you'll already know that my path to the perfect orange hair is totally almost complete*! After wanting orange hair for so long and stripping the colour twice and then bleaching twice (yeah, I'm rubbish at doing the roots), I used Crazy Colours  in Apricot and got this. I am a more than a little bit in love with my hair today!

If you want to see full on orange in the daylight with the added bonus of my amazing £2 turban, check out my Twitpic from earlier. EPIC.

*I say almost complete because I'm not sure if I shouldn't tone it down to a slightly darker orange. After all, I'm job hunting at the moment!

 

 

WHAT I'M WEARING

Jumper dress // Vintage
Lamé leggings // American Apparel
Giant gold hoops // Gogo Philip
Cross ring // ASOS
Suede wedges // New Look

 

(I added eyeliner after these photos. This outfit needed eyeliner!)

Close up of the crazy gold foil tiger print:

I'm also FINALLY using Chictopia properly. Think I'm giving up on Lookbook as no-one ever pays me any attention at all on there. (Lol, what a vainface!) Chictopia just feels much friendlier!

This look is here if you want to vote for it! Also: let's be friends on there, yeah? I'm looooonely.

Vogue Italia - Short: The New Ease

Love this editorial from the October 2010 issue of Vogue Italia photographed by Craig McDean. I love the colours and the clean feel. How it's schoollike without being Lolita-esque and how it feels sporty somehow without being sporty...

...like the fashion editorial version of a blast of fresh air!

I love the pleated skirts (sheer and opaque), the slouchy socks, all the pushed up/rolled up sleeves and those gorgeous block heeled loafers.

Messy hair, pouty lips, red fignernails...

And, obviously, I love the orange and the cranberry here.  Delicious!


Can you believe that the winner of the latest America's Next Top Model will be in Italian Vogue?! That is LEAGUES away from Seventeen magazine, Tyra. You did good.

Stolen Girlfriends Club Autumn/Winter 2011

It threw me for a moment when I realised that this lookbook was Autumn/Winter 2011... but then I remembered that Stolen Girlfriends Club are a New Zealand export and therefore are working on an entirely different timeline to me. Oh, you topsy-turvy kids the other side of the world!

Only somehow it doesn't seem all that different: it's Autumn here and I want their Autumn stuff.  That makes sense, no? Well, it makes sense in the real world but sadly not the fashion world...

It's a shame these gorgeous things are all next seasons because I am saying yes  right now to layered cranberry dress (of course! It's cranberry!)/yes nude knee highs/yes big old clompy boots!

 

I think this fur/cotton/lace body is perfect. I want to wear it with my Vero Moda camel shorts and my new Sam Edelman boots that I uh, still haven't worn (scared of the 5 inches, maybe) but are PERFECT. Like my shorts are. Like this body is. Like they all would be together.

More hippy-luxe-dream-girl vibes here, holla!

I love the styling here but I just can't get behind the choker thing, you guys. I'm sorry. I know it's kinda key for the whole 2010-via-the-90s look but I just hate anything that close to my neck.

However: this dress! This black dress is something I can whole-heartedly get behind. It's just lovely. (And I love the layered socks!)

Images via Fashionising.

 

Lastly-but-not-leastly: I've decided to extend my Clothing at Tesco competition by a few days. I've had some gorgeous outfits but not enough so if you've been meaning to enter, get cracking!  Want to win £60 worth of clothes vouchers? Of course you do! Click here for details.

Layers and layers...

I'm not one who feels the cold easily but oh my gosh, has it been cold lately! Here's what I wore one day last week when it was absolutely freezing.

I think of this big brown furry hat as my Russian hat, even though that's a dreadful stereotype (sorry!). But you know what I'm like my naming my looks... I can't say that this one really has a name, though, unless 'something-cosy-comfy-and-hopefully-cute-that-will-stand-up-to-a-busy-twelve-hour-day' is a name - bit long-winded, though!

 

WHAT I'M WEARING

Boots // Primark
Tights // H&M
Jacket // Car boot
Ring // Gogo Philip
Necklace // House of Harlow
Cardigan // Courtesy of Debenhams
Dress // River Island (£4 in the sale!)
Hat // I can't remember! Car boot, I think

 

Debenhams gave me a gift voucher and I couldn't decide what to spend it on for agesss! I finally chose this gorgeous waterfall cardigan. I think it's something I wouldn't usually go for - I was kind of surprised how much I liked it! - but I'm so glad I got it as I really love it. It's grey, brown and black print means it goes with a surprisingly amount of things in my wardrobe, too.

The Primark boots had floor-sweeping tassles on them but I've recently cut them off. I attached them to clips so I can put them on again if I want to - and also so I can wear one around my neck like I keep absent-mindedly day-dreaming about.

I love my Gogo Philip ring! It's adjustable and it's so comfortable.

Speaking of Gogo Philip: shooting the lookbook for the new collection was why I wore this outfit for a long old twelve hour day! It was hard work but looked amazing. I took this sneaky behind the scenes picture for you.

Can't wait to see the finished lookbook!

Hello, Frida Gustavsson!

My, Frida: I love that hippyluxedreamgirl vibe you've got going on there! Fake fur, maxi, dark lips, splashes of orange... I'm seriously enjoying everything about this outfit. (Also: TWO It bags? Greedy...)

Do you always do that? Oh no... I see sometimes you dress like a hot Londoner in my current favourite combination of pussybow blouse/denim shorts/over the knee socks.

I repeat: HOT.

And then sometimes you dress like Blair from Blair on a Budget!

And then sometimes you do that gothic lace thing or that rich European thing.

 
And you can rock feminine AND androgynous. And you look cute in a trapper hat!
Is there a look you can't do, huh?

 

Frida, you're a beautiful model so you have a slight advantage but I love how you play with clothes, how you constantly mix it up and never get stuck in a style rut. And, most importantly: how comfortable and at home you seem in every look. Confidence is your greatest accessory, girl. Definitely inspirational!

J Crew Spring 2011

Absolutely styled to perfection: the J Crew Spring 2011 lookbook.

Basically, it's a bullet point list of joy:

1) softest denim shirt
2) sparkly maxi (sequins? lurex? whatever)

 3) perfect green button-up
4) orange (yes!) lipstick

4) side ponytail
5) peplum shorts (even if they are yellow)

6) orangeorangeorange
7) orangeorangeorange (repeat foreverrr)

8) silky lucious trenchcoat of wonder
9) the most delicious ice-cream sundae colours

9) beautiful nude shirtdress
And 10) Well... let's have my favourite once more, shall we?

Sigh. Too good!