My Passport To Style | Styles Up Age Of Reason Pocket Scarves

Age Of Reason ( UK accessory label) celebrated their first birthday at the end of March 2012 and as sensible as their silk scarves first appear to sound, these are not sensible air hostess type scarves, not unless you count pink ink splattered pugs adorned with safety pins or russian dolls caught up in a web of neon coloured chains. Age of Reason British designer Ali Mapletoft from Brighton, sent me three silk pocket scarves to style up differently featuring three of her russian doll designs in a variety of bright orange and turquoise colours. On closer inspection I noticed that one of the dolls was wearing a fetching leopard head scarf, great fun! Each doll on the pocket scarves is designed slightly differently exciting news for any silk scarf collectors out there. Age of Reason have just unveiled their commemorative jubilee pug scarf, in both their full sized neck scarf and a pocket square. I would love to see a certain member of the Royal family sporting this design to celebrate this years diamond jubilee, classic head scarf style! I guess we shall have  to wait and see... I decided to enlist a model for this challenge and as luck would have it I knew the perfect gal, the beautiful Nicole Wilson who was up for the challenge. Scroll down to see how working with Age of Reason inspired me!

I tied two contrasting pockets together to create a tie to wear with Nicoles plain grey shirt, the flash of neon orange on one side of her collar adds a nice twist.

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 I liked the idea of doubling up these pocket scarves and styled one as a short neck scarf on Nicole and the other as a belt for her jeans, leaving a triangular flap at the front made for a playful look.

 I updated Nicole's classic top knot by wrapping a pocket scarf over it and securing with some thin elastic, this look can be recreated to look casual or sleek depending on how loose or sleek you decide to wear your top knot. I love the windmill effect created by the pockets silk corners.

Using a Russian doll pocket scarf with neon orange accents quickly transformed my old large rose gold watch face into a fun time piece as modelled by Nicole!

To find out more or to buy an Age Of Reason original silk scarf go to

www.age-of-reason-studios.com   You can also find them at Matches Fashion, Coco De Mer & Whistles

Thanks to Nicole Wilson for modeling this collection styled and photographed by myself.

Credits for additional Age of Reason images go to www.capturefactory.co.uk

Hainsworth And Clarks Shoes Create The Stuff Of Legends

 

I noted with glee recently that high street shoe shop Clarks have gone all rebellious with their latest collection of shoes that reflect British rock royalty, shrugging of any last vestige of rumour that Clarks shoes are only for those of an age to grow bunions or small children in need of correctly fitted shoes. As someone who has had to endure pitying looks from friends in the past (when Clarks fashion cred was on a much smaller scale) when I confessed I was a fan and bought my shoes from there, as they actually provides stylish and comfortable fitting shoes for my five and a half duck shaped feet, even I was impressed by their latest collaboration with Yorkshire fabric mill Hainsworth who supplied the famous scarlet doeskin fabric used in the design of this seasons dessert boot that looks like it has stepped out of Sergeant Peppers LoneyHearts Club Band.

I Love Being Minted!

As soon as I saw this little mint topped biscuit with it's delicate scalloped edges studded with pure white pearls I felt myself yearning to play dress up and came over all frilly. These darling shoes and earrings are the result! Will you be working pastel shades this spring 2012 ?

Sign up to My Passport To Style fashion posts by top right of this blog, for more on this S/S  fashion trends and how to wear them.

  

photo credits -style bubble, the cake decorating company and anthropologie

Silken Favours | Animal Fantasy Collection Launches S/S Feb 2012

Five Minutes With Natures Own Poster Girl Victoria Murdoch

Having been pointed in the direction of dreamy new scarf label Silken Favours and its designer Vicki Murdoch I have been bursting at the seams with jumping jelly beans of excitement to share the labels new spring 2012 Animal Fantasy collection. You will understand shortly why that sentence flowed unprompted from my keyboard and out of my head. You see Silken Favours are not the type of scarves you tie on your handbag, rather like tying your pooche to a lamp post, while you go of and buy some cheese. These are the delicately captured blooms of a true daydreamer penned by an artist with great skill and a sense of humour that have a way of transporting you back to a time when the only thing that was important was revelling in your imagination. 

I was thrilled to discover that Vicki's whimsical scarves produced in the UK, are accompanied by poems that tell tales of far flung fantastical adventures penned by Gail Murdoch, Vickies mum, hence my excited ramblings above. Before I share my interview with Vicki and a sneak preview from Silken Favours Spring 2012 collection, here's a scarf from Vicki Murdochs current collection together with its poem.

BUTTERFLIES AND BEASTICLES

HOW CAN SOMETHING CATERPILLARY

METAMORPHOSE TO FRITILLARY?

IT'S JUST NOT BELIEVABLE THAT IT'S ACHIEVABLE THAT SOMETHING SO HAIRY TURNS INTO A FAIRY AND GLADDENS OUR HEARTS AS IT FLUTTERS AND DARTS LIKE THE ANGEL'S SHARE THAT JOINS THE AIR IN THE DISTILLERY

by Gail Murdoch

   

 Here's the preview of Vicki Murdochs spring 2012 collection which will see the launch of six of her exciting designs and can be found exclusively at Liberty at the end of February 2012, minus their poems as I don't want to completely spoil the surprise for you! 



Trippy Kitty






Flights Of The Imagination

 

Hope you had fun getting to know Vicki and her label Silken Favours, sign up to My Passport To Style by email top right of this blog to meet more new exciting accessory and fashion labels!

Me-Vicki, the images you create for your silk scarves are steeped in fantasy, do your designs relate to your childhood?Vicki I was a daydreamer when I was wee and still like to dabble , my designs are playful and I hope they make those that wear them think back to their childhood and their dreams.

Me-How did you come up with the label Silken Favours?Vicki-It started a year ago when I designed a surprise bespoke scarf as a gift for my parents. It had all the birds that came into their garden up in Scotland on it. They loved the design so much, it inspired me to create a collection with much loved British animals on them.

Me-Where did you gather inspiration for your spring 2012 collection?VickiI love day dreaming, and what's better to dream about than kittens riding unicorns in a tie-dye sky? The rest of the collection stemmed from that dream.

Me-How do choose your colour palette for each season?Vicki- tie dye dreams are mainly made up of pastel colours, so my choice was made for me.

Me-How important are the latest trends in fashion to your designs? Vicki- It is important to some extent, but I like to design prints that can be treasured forever not just for a season. Something that reminds one of their childhood or has a much loved creature on it.

Me-Your designs can be bought at Liberty, what advice would you offer to new designers wanting to get their fashion/accessory label out there?Vicki- You have to be passionate about your work and believe in it, This can be hard if there is no one else telling you it's great!  I would also say when going to show buyers you should have your product finished to a very high standard along with lookbook and packaging so they can imagine it going straight to the shop floor.

Me-What three words best describe you as a person? Vicki- imaginative, goofy, fun.

Me-I love the evocative poems that accompany your silken scarves in your press release, I believe your mum came up with the words, which are in my opinion a perfect fit for your flamboyant and charming pieces, do you plan to collaborate creatively with your mum on any other projects in the future?Vicki-  Yes she has a wonderful way with words. I have already made her my in-house Silken Favours poet, each scarf is accompanied by a wee poem written by her. The pressure is on Mum!

The Caviar Of Bags For Pro Fashion Bloggers?

This is fashion blogger Emily of Fashion Foie Gras holding a recent bag she collaborated on with Coach, it launched in November designed for buisy fashion bloggers. At £450.00 it is a considered purchase, but when a bag looks this stylish and houses everything from your laptop to your bulky camera and lense cap, secret compartment styley, well methinks it soon migrates from your wish list to your essentials list! For anybody with a love of documenting anything on the move in style, from fashion to photography never mind professional bloggers! So no more fumbling around in the equivalent of a dark giant cardboard box on your shoulder?!

Speaking of handbags, if this one is a little out of your reach, sign up to My Passport To Style by email top right of this blog and you could win this nifty red Gionni satchel below at the end of this month packed full of goodies from a vintage union jack cushion for your fave chair, to 3 pairs of folding leather Redfoot leather pumps, so maybe that bag will wait after all!

My Passport To Style | Style Tips For The Christmas Party Season

 I know that Christmas and the New Year can often be a busy time for most women and with the party season snapping at our heels, I thought I would play fairy godmother by rounding up my hottest style tips for adding polish to your party look without busting your budget. Red lipstick has had a revival and creates instant party glamour, if your thinking of wearing a red lipstick this party season, follow my two foolproof tips-

How To Wear Your Perfect Red Lipstick

Pull your lower lip out and match the colour red you select to the shade of the your skin tone on your lower lip. Remember to use a nude lip liner to stop any bleeding or feathering, apply your lipstick with a brush for best coverage, blot with tissue and reapply, this is the most important part- Put the first half of your index finger in your mouth and pucker up your lips whilst removing your finger. This will ensure that any access lipstick appears on your finger and not your teeth, when you smile!


One of the best ways to achieve instant glamour is with a hair up, this season the catwalks were awash with clean sophisticated hair ups a la Grace Kelly.

Don't Ditch The Doughnuts Just Yet!

Want to achieve the look but don't think your fine or shoulder length hair will allow you to reach those dizzy heights? You need a little boost with the greatest invention since a jammy dodger a foam doughnut, a small hair brush, a stack of long pins, some hair spray and a strong hair elastic.

 Using a small brush gather all your hair into a high pony tail, on the top of the back of your head, slide the doughnut over your ponytail, depending on your hair length in front of a mirror wrap the ends of your hair round the doughnut securing with the long pins to match your hair colour. Comb through some hair spray to the front and spray the back, voila your done.

High Brow

 Strong brows are essential for this seasons retro party feel and always add strength to the face, brow kits can cost £25.00 upwards, own a good waterproof eyeliner in a shade lighter than your brows? Then why try this budget busting grooming advice, purchase a baby sized tooth brush I usually opt for pink! Lightly stroke on your eyeliner following the shape of your brow, brush hairs backwards and then brush back into shape, dust with translucent powder and your good to go!

Who Needs A Manicure This Christmas Party Season!

For top to toe grooming I would generally advocate a full manicure, however with this season being all about full on glamour, I have the perfect style solution that will save you time and rescue you from feeling guilty about forgetting take care of your nails! For uber glamour, ditch your washing up gloves in favour of full length evening gloves in this seasons brightest colors! Spanx currently sell a vast range of mouth watering colours on Amazon.

Cette Hollywood -tightsplease

 Customize Your Look

Personalize your tights by layering an exsisting pair of opaque pair with a sheer glittery pair over the top, great for when the temperature drops! Try purple tights with a glittery silver finish or black tights with a purple finish and dark grey with a silver finish, for a sophisticated after dark look.

clutch bags catwalkfashion.co.uk

Clutch Control RULES! 

Finally do you have a whole array of soft clutch bags but want to update them a little? Brightly colored vintage style diamante brooches add instant chic to your clutch or why not glue some black marabou trim to the bottom edge of your bag or even a wide black Alice band if you fancy adding a bit of Audrey sparkle to your up do!

Art Deco Brilliance At Your Fingertips With BlingBacks!

My favourite trend this Winter 2011 is the return to full on glamour and elegance, move swiftly from the 40s to the 20s by swapping your tweed pencil skirt and detachable fur stole for a pearl collar and a simple flapper dress.

I love the ultimate shoe accessory of the season, BlingBacks, this is an ingenious way to give last year's heels a vintage art deco feel, well made and very dance floor friendly, but what I love most about BlingBacks, is the the silicone cushioning on the removable BlingBacks are designed to provide extra comfort and protection for the heels of your feet when your dancing, simply hook them over the back of your shoes. If like me your unlucky enough to have a whole half size difference between your two feet, you will know that a bit of extra cushioning can mean that the shoe which is slightly bigger on the foot does not rub as much. BlingBacks come in a wide range of styles but my favourites are these slightly irregular shaped sweet bows. Visit BlingBacks to see more designs 

I was sent some BlingBacks for the purposes of this review 

credits- whitneyonthewing.blogspot.com   brooklynexposed.com

My Passport To Style | Tights Please Review And Limited Edition House Of Holland Giveaway!

When tightsplease recently invited me to try some of their designer tights on for size, I decided to use the opportunity to not only check out the quality and the fit, but to also create some new looks to share here, using my existing wardrobe. As well as checking out my latest style inspiration using tights from tightsplease in this post, you can win the pair of limited edition Henry Holland tights featured. Just leave a comment or tweet about the competition and let me know here, be sure to leave your email address too, the winner will be announced here on Monday evening and contacted.Good luck! 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO UK AND OVERSEAS READERS

Win These Today!

Ask For The Moon At Tights Please And They Probably Stock It! 

I'm a big of British designer Henry Holland and his quirky designs, so I had to choose a pair of House of Holland crochet print tights, I also chose a pair of Ingie tights by Red or Dead in red, which to me is more a lovely raspberry pink, I love the naive Scandinavian style print. My third, very grow up choice was the Cette Oslo tights in grey, these are grey on the front with teeny tiny black polka dots and black on the back with grey polka dots, creating a two tone effect along the length of the outer and inner leg, which is sliming to the calf and thigh. Both the Cette Oslo and the Ingie tights come in an opaque finish and are very comfy to wear. They do cost a little more than some tights on the high street, but personally I would rather have one pair of tights that fit my style DNA perfectly and don't ladder within

ten minuite of wear, than five pairs of bland tights.

Four Fresh Looks I Created For My Winter Wardrobe Using Tights From Tights Please



Red Ingie Tights worn with maroon, gold & lilac tones



Mixing berry tones is a look I love right now, so for look 1 I teamed my maroon sweater with my biscuit A-line skirt, the raspberry ingie tights and a lilac flat bobble cap, I think the gold tone looks really pretty with pink.

red Ingie tights worn with blackcurrant and gold tones

 For look 2 I switched my 1940's inspired blackcurrant boiled wool short jacket with my maroon sweater and teamed it with my biscuit short A-line and ingie tights. The key to both looks is using natural fibres which reflect  the homespun look of these tights to create a luxe palette.

House Of Holland Crochet Tights Worn With Egg Yolk Yellow & Blackcurrant tones

 Look 3 is really casual and the House of Holland crochet pattern tights I chose, worked beautifully with my egg yolk yellow 60's tunic and the deep blackcurrant of my boiled wool jacket, the orange and grey tones in the tights work well with yellow and I love playing with the lines from a mix of eras, why not mix 40s and 60s together.

Cette Oslo Grey Polka Dot Tight,Worn With Emerald Green, Ivory & Black Texturing

 Look 4 was a Biba inspired Christmas party look and utilised my latest thrift shop gem, a George wrap dress with bold emerald green swirls on a black background worn with a Ivory and gold necklace from Top Shop, black suede Clarks wedges, a small angular black clutch bag from Coast and of course the grey Cette Oslo tights, I could have gone for black, but grey is softer and more interesting. I love all the strong deco lines in this look and the fun mix of smaller patterns and angular shapes created using these accessories , like the grosgrain ribbons spouting from my Coast clutch, the square perforations in my black suede shoes and of course the tiny polka dots on the Cette Oslo tights. Visit tightsplease to check out the other colours in this range or more designs.

 

Biba Inspired Christmas Party Look

*please note I was compensated for this review with tights from Tightsplease

My Passport To Style | Reviews Armery| The Solution To Arm Wobble?!

Mary Portas is taking the 40+ world by storm with her private fleet of red headed bobbed mannequins and her new range of clothing for women at the House of Fraser in London. Mary being Mary she's certainly not a follower of fashion, she is a innovator and as such has come up with some clever ideas regarding varied lighting in changing rooms to mimic office and daylight as well as a range of clothes that flatter a range of body shapes and reflect the need for the 40+ to be catered for.

So I was intrigued about Marys latest partnership with Charnos to produce a solution to dressing one of the areas of the body women hate most, their under arms, in a more flattering way. I had high hopes for what appears to be a really great solution to a problem which prevents some women from wearing sleeveless tops and dresses.

 armery comes in a variety of plain colours and black lace, I was sent a small to medium size of the black lace to review. The lace version has the added benefit of the length of the armery sleeves (which represent a pair of footless stocking with the gusset cut out) being able to be cut down to size at home without any fraying. I decided to try them on underneath a simple navy 60's style A-line dress.

To be fair I could have done with the next size up as I have quite long arms and fairly broad shoulders, I like the idea that wearing the armery helps create a firmer look to the arm rather like stocking but without the bulk of a long sleeved vest top under your dress, that would probably ride up and leave ridges under your garment or dress. However the armery left gaps around the front of my arm holes and dress, which looked frankly odd, which is a shame, if you look at the image of the armery being modelled, you might get a better idea of what I mean.

This piece world be fine for wearing under a t-shirt top but didn't work for me under and a basic sleeveless dress, if you can't wear it as flexibly as described because of the fit then you may as well use a fitted shrug to solve this style dilemma in my opinion. The size maybe a issue, but if you look at the models it appears that the fit does not hug the front of the shoulder line enough to provide adequate coverage when wearing a sleeveless dress. I would love to be proved wrong, so do try it out in the correct size, you can always return it if it doesn't work for you.


To find out more visit-   House Of Fraser 

My Passport To Style | Shares Mia Jafaris Unique Silk Scarf Designs

I was excited to discover scarf designer Mia Jafari, Mia is a London based Persian who combine themes symbolic of the British seaside with a delightful vivid technicolor palette and bold symmetrical design elements strongly associated with eastern architecture and decor that create a clean, calm, opulent feel ; little fairground horses prance in a circle around a hand with a heart in its palm against a sea of startling aqua blue silk on the Asia Manhattan scarf, the colour intensity of the aqua is so dazzling it almost makes my eyes ache! Purple buckets and spades, aqua lipstick bullets and bikinis punctuate the repeat lime medallions that boarder the central design of this silk scarf.

 This a feast of London and eastern culture, is almost baroque in its decadence, though the supreme skill of the design is the marriage of colour and symmetry which mean that the piece does not feel crowded and every element feels like it was destined to be included in the designers vision, like a great plate of food That must have fashion accessory the scarf, just got Karma!

The packaging is pretty decadent too and you might be surprised at the prices that represents such a unique labour of love.Delivary is free worldwide! Each scarf come with a swarovski encrusted swing tag.  To see more of Mias stunning designs visit  miajafari.co.uk

 

My Passport To Style | Charnos 75th Anniversary Range, Helps Women Get Leggy

If you have always hankered after legs up to your armpits then you might be pleased to know that Charnos have celebrated their 75th anniversary, by launching the most amazing stockings that are literally tailored to your personal leg shape, dressing does not get much more bespoke than this! As a Stylist that helps women find clothes that reflect who they are and that flatter their unique shape I am very aware of the variety of proportions that make up our leg shape, myself included! Below is their very useful guide to flattering your legs based on the six leg shapes above and how could anyone resist the gorgeous packaging, I plan on framing mine!  

The Athlete: You have fantastic muscle definition with shapely thighs, cavles and perfect ankles.

• Try the ‘Marilyn’ (RRP £17.00) – Classic and sexy these stockings are named after the one and only, 50s blonde bombshell, Marilyn Monroe. The luxury flocked lace top, complete with an elegant diamante velour bow will give The Athlete’s legs some ladylike glamour.


The Pillar: Straight up and down – define your ankles, elongate your legs, making them stand proud.


• Try the ‘Jackie’ (RRP £14.00)- Elegant and sophiticated, these tights are inspired by fashionable First Lady Jackie Kennedy. The ladylike backseam on these tights will elongate The Pillar’s legs, and the beautiful diamante bow will help define ankles.






The Compact: Just because you’re pint sized doesn’t mean you should go unnoticed. Good things come in small packages.


• Try the ‘Brigitte’ (RRP £18.00) – These fun and flirty tights are named after iconic 60’s sex symbol, Brigitte Bardot. These sexy sheer tights with fun mini spot pattern have an alluring Swarovski crystal dotted backseam, sure to get The Compact’s legs noticed.






The Flamingo: Long and slim, most would be envious but you’d like some more shape to make your legs stand out.


• Try the ‘Betty’ (RRP £17.00) – These bold and beautiful tights are a tribute to the number one pin-up of World War II, Betty Grable. The pretty filigree printed design will add shape and interest to The Flamingo’s slim legs.


The Show Girl: Perfect from tip to toe. You have the perfect pin proportions no matter your dress size.


• Try the ‘Katharine’ (RRP £16.00) – These strong and confident hold ups are a tribute to Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn. These sheer hold ups with a luxury flocked lace top will show off The Showgirl’s perfectly proportioned pins.

The Wine Glass: Heavy thighs can be a problem in some eyes, so accentuate your amazing ankles.




• Try the ‘Ava’ (RRP £20.00) – These sultry and sensual hold ups were inspired by Hollywood actress and style icon, Ava Gardner. The elegant printed floral backseam with a luxury flocked lace top will draw attention to The Wine Glass’s slim calves and ankles.


To find out more click here