This Hobby is Becoming a Habit !

At this rate my weekly blog feature called Buy of the Week, will become Buy of the Day. And even so I'm not just buying one new bag, or piece of jewellery or a single garment, I'm buying whole new outfits that I don't necessarily have an occasion to buy or wear them for !

Does it look like I need more clothes ? 

No what I need is a bigger wardrobe ! 

So what on earth could I add to my ever growing vast collection that is my wardrobe ?

I absolutely love this tan brown satchel bag, I didn't think twice about picking this up because about 2 weeks ago I saw one very similar in one of my favourite vintage shops called Best Vintage in Manchester. And I told myself I didn't need it ! Then when I got back to Preston I realised I did need it ! But it was too late ! Someone had bought it !

This dress I picked up because I loved the pastel colour of the fabric and I really liked the bird print which I initially thought was horses for some reason. Even so I still loved it !

Buy of the Week ! # 2

So it's time for the Buy of the Week ! However this month it's plural !

They're black ! They're flat ! They're simple !

However, simple black ballet pumps are a must have in any womans closet. Never will they be out of style, but the ruffle fringing on the front of the shoes is a current trend !

I hope by mentioning this, that the idea doesn't stick, but these white brogues remind me of my dad's golfing shoes ! Hopefully as i walk by people they won't shout Fore ! I'm saving these shoes for when my next asos package is delivered, which will then be my Buy of the Week #3 ! 

Where's the I in Individuality ?

They've become the programmes series linked on our Sky Planner !

Gok's showing us how to look fashionable on a low budget and how to look good naked. Trinny and  Susannah are lifting, tucking and sucking us in so we know what to wear, whilst Jay Manuel wants to style her famous.

I see these programmes as good TV and they keep me entertained. However, it slightly angers me that these celebrity figures believe they have the right to become stylists and tell us what not to and what to wear. Do these people have any qualifications ? (Are they studying Fashion Promotion with Styling lol.) These people have become household names, however I think they're exploiting their fame and fans to cash in, instead of actually having any knowledge, interests or concerns for Fashion. I basically think there's someone behind the camera doing all the work then these celebrities are reading from a script ! Jean Paul Who ? They ask ! Gianfranco Ferre What ? They say !

So they're on our TV screens re writing the holy fashion bible, but now using their TV careers and apparent knowledge of season trends these celebrities have ventured into the world of endorsements. 

Hey and while their at it why not sign a lucrative book deal so when ever we feel we need help with an outfit we head for the bookshelf and have a gander at what Gok thinks !

   

I have nothing against the man, but why should I listen to him ? Because he's gay ? Because he seems to know what he's talking about ? Because he has his own TV show and book? or because he has good style ? 

I can't speak for anyone else but I don't want to be told what to wear, how to dress or be styled famous ! I'm sure there are those women who need help in the fashion department ! (Especially those who believe Crocs are stylish, trendy or cool) but why are we letting these celebrities (some not even A-List) tell us and what they are telling us, is what every other "TV stylists" is telling us to wear. 

Yes its good to know what are this seasons colours, textures, shapes, silhouettes etc. but from that it is up to us to take this information and interpret this how we see fit. To pick out what we like and what we thinks will look the best. This is called individuality. And this is important in Fashion ! Who wants to look like they've just come of a batch production conveyor belt (probably why i don't shop at Topshop lol) ? 

Not me !

Marilyn Quote of the Week ! #4

"It's not true that I had nothing on. I had the radio on." - Marilyn Monroe

There's No Business Like Show Business !

We've all seen her lifestory unfold !

When Lauren Conrad moved from the plush lifestyle of Laguna Beach to an even more lavish life in Los Angeles, to her finally departure when she'd finally had enough of the lime light ! This girl has had the luckiest breaks. Firstly being part of a somewhat "reality" TV show that has become the number one show in America, to her jobs with Teen Vogue and People's Revolution. And now having been lucky enough to establish her own clothing line.

My mind can't help but wonder (just realised how Carrie Bradshaw that sounded !) would Lauren have had the success she's had in the fashion industry if it weren't for an MTV crew and her TV popularity.

Lauren studied Merchandise Product Development as FIDM (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) but in my opinion starring on The Hills is not the equivalent of a degree in fashion design. It's evident that Lauren Conrad has good taste and an eye for fashion as she is always present on the best dressed lists of our magazines. So was it a shock to all that when in 2008, Lauren decided to launch her own clothing line, the collection failed due to poor sales. Lauren's "people" insist it was all down to the economic climate. However after watching her runway show from New York Fashion Week, 2008 the truth literallyi walks straight past you. Lauren Conrad - NY Fashion Week 2008 - Watch !

The collection is without a doubt over priced and not every woman is as fortunate as the Laguna Beach klan who can just as daddy for his plastic. Many of the garments were very L.C going to Las Deux in the The Hills, and the collection was overall a cute, girly, dress filled cohesive collection. However, in my opinion there was too much black in the collection, the print was very matronly, there was no interesting shapes or silhouettes and from a new and young designer I expected to be excited by seeing bright colours, and new, creative trends.

After vacating The Hills for a much more muted and private life Lauren is having a second attempt with her clothing line, collaborating with Kohls Department Store to release L.C Lauren Conrad.

L.C Lauren Conrad - Shop !

Hopefully this second collection will be a success, but if for some reason it isn't this high school student come reality tv star come fashion designer might find success in her new venture as an author !

Buy of the Week ! # 1

So I decided to create a new segment in my blog callehed - Buy of the Week ! I think it's very self-explanatory ! I won't bore you, so let's launch it's debut !

This week I must thank Manchester and its rain otherwise I don't think I would of made this purchase ! While shopping with my lovely mother, it started raining. I had examined the weather before getting dressed and due to the somewhat sunshine that was present, I decided to wear skinny jeans with a rose printed bat-wing top and jelly sandals. The raindrops started dripping !

Eventhough I am a huge Marilyn Monroe fan, I love old 1950's film. I love all the great actors and actresses of this era Betty Davis, Marlon Brando, Joan Crawford, Cary Grant, Clarke Gable and Audrey Hepburn !

So I bought this gorgeous umbrella, which I think adds instant style in between the showers !

Marilyn Quote of the Week ! #3

"The body is meant to be seen, not all covered up." - Marilyn Monroe

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The Joys of July !

The days of June have flown by and I hope my suggestions were of some help ! July is well and truly under way and I must apologise for this belated blog but I've just come back from two weeks of sunbathing and drinking unlimited amounts of gin, in Sharm El Sheikh ! So here's what I think should be your Joys of July !

1) If you go to one bar, go to Epernay ! This ever so stylish champagne and cocktail bar with its relaxed atmosphere is located in the fairly new Great North Tower, Watson Street, Manchester. Epernay serves over 130 different champagnes and more than 80 cocktails. I'm always spolit for choice when I go and should try something new but I stick to what I like best and have Mojitos ! 

2) If you're going to download a song, get Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg - California Gurls ! Already climbing its way up the iTunes Singles Chart, this song is the perfect summer holiday song ! The song is highly catchy and contagious, unfortunately I can't explain why its 'California Gurls' and not California Girls but I'm sure there's a reason behind the misspelling ! The video is definitely worth watching - bizarrely a mixture of Hansel and Gretel, Sex and The Wizard of Oz ! Funniest moment in the video must be the gummy bear giving Perry the finger ! Katy Perry Feat, Snoop Dogg - California Gurls ! Watch Me !

3) If you do one thing this month, go on holiday ! We are well and truly in the midst of Summertime, even if the weather doesn't agree ! So I'd recommend escaping the doom and gloom of rainy Manchester for a week, 10 days or if you're lucky two weeks ! I was one of the lucky ones and travelled to Sharm El Sheikh for two weeks of all inclusive alcohol, food, sun and relaxtion ! 

In a previous blog I posted called 'Sex and the City 2: Fashion Forward Heat Survival Guide', I wrote about my worry and almost fear of not being able to mix extensive heat with style ! Luckily I think I pulled this off, with my favourite outfit being a light weight cotton animal print jumpsuit which I wore with a small patent black waist belt and a straw over the shoulder bag ! 

Unfortunately after this picture was taken I accidentally fell over and put a hole in both my knee and in the jumpsuit ! R.I.P Jumpsuit you will be missed !

4) If you buy one skincare product, buy Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion ! 

I am an avid Clinique fan, and use both their skincare range and make up range. The moisturising lotion is a god send and not only can you use it on your face but as a body lotion to ! When applying fake tan I always mix a small amount of the lotion with my tanning cream to 1) hide the fake tan smell 2) stop me looking orange, giving me a more natural look and 3) adding extra moisture as some fake tans can dry out the skin.

5) If you could only have one drink this month, make it a Pimms and Lemonade ! I was never a fan of Pimms and Lemonade purely because I have a worrying addiction to Gin ! However, at a recent BBQ my friend Katie bought a bottle of Pimms round and well lets just say I have a newly found love for Pimms O'Clock ! 

Unfortunately, when we tried Pimms and Lemonade we were unprepared as the suggested way of drinking Pimms is with three parts Schweppes lemonade, with ice and garnished with mint and bits of orange, cucumber and strawberry. It truly is a British summer drink !

6) If you download one iPhone app, purchase style.com ! The online fashion website which provides the latest in all sections of fashion; trends, news, blogs, and runway shows is now available for your iPhone. The easy to use application allows you to easily and leisurely scroll through complete collections of every major collection, watch exclusive runway videos and read the latest fashion blogs and news from around the globe. My favourite part of this app is the 'look of the day' where you get the chance to vote on celebrity style ! To my surprise when i discovered this application, it's free ! 

 

Style.com - iPhone/iTouch and iPad Application !

7) If you go and watch one film, go and see The Twilight Saga - Eclipse ! The third installment of Stephanie Mayer's worldwide best selling books has been on everyones minds since seeing New Moon, where at the end Edward Cullen proposes to Bella ! Major cliffhanger for those who haven't read the book yet ! 

Official The Twilight Saga - Eclipse Trailer ! Watch Me !

So for all you twi-hard/twilighter fans, have you decided who's team your on yet ? Edward ? Jacob ? Or Riley ? 

8) If you follow one trend this month, it has to be stripes ! Make stripes a dominant feature of your outfit and you're well on the way, from nautical colours to clashing with other prints. Don't think of Stripes as just a clothing trend: you can work them into any part of an outfit (just not all at once!). Stripes can dominate an outfit in everything from hats to killer mini-dresses ! 

While Summer's navy and white striped fashion trend isn't a true take on navy inspired fashion, it's likely to appeal to those who are in to the nautical aesthetic. If that's you and you're after some inspiration look to Anja Rubik's sailor inspiration from the June 2010 issue of Vogue Korea. The shoot utilises the season's stripe trend in the form of a dominant blazer, but takes the nautical motifs to far less subtle proportions.

9) If you do any shopping, shop at Laura Jane Vintage Clothing ! Not only did I feel the need to help out a fellow fashion student but I had to make everyone aware of this website and its must have clothing and accessories ! Laura Jane, is a talented twenty three year old fashion design graduate who set up this online boutique selling vintage clothing, accessories and her own one off designs ! The ever so stylish website allows you to peruse through each section with ease ! It is easy to see care and attention has been taken even when it comes to the fine details such as background designer, font and even the sound of pages turning ! In Laura Jane's 'About Me' section she explains why she established the boutique "All I want to do is create beautiful clothing, jewellery and accessories that women can feel special and gorgeous when wearing them." Also in this section is the opportunity to browse through Laura Jane's designs and her collection.

Laura Jane Vintage Clothing ! Visit Me !

Marilyn Quote of the Week ! #2

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." - Marilyn Monroe