Pasty Winter White? Work It To Your Advantage!

Hi Gals, I was inspired to write this post on this seasons colour trends after seeing Torie Jaynes striking Christmas confectionary - bird cage and houses all pretty in aqua and rose pastels. If your a sucker for romance like me, you have to canoodle with pastels this S/S season! Plus they really work for pasty winter faces so that's obviously a big bonus, that being said they look great against black skin tones too.

 Marc Jacobs managed to make his show for Louis Vuitton look pretty without looking sickly sweet, largely due to his famed use of modern fabrics, mainly plastics, ouch! As in Torie Jaynes Christmas display here, the trick is, if you do decide to mix pastels pieces together, is to be super stingy with using pinks and focus more on yellow, blues and fresh aqua tones, for baby soft pefection use soft greys along side your pastels, for freshness lots of textured whites and for edge shards of black to add a pretty punk feel.I had to share this photo with you from the Louis Vuitton S/S 2012 show, of Marc passionately kissing what looks like a very bored looking Kate Moss!!  

Sign up to My Passport To Style by email top right of this blog and win the Right Royal Handbag giveaway this January 2012, complete with red satchel, 3 pairs of leather folding Redfoot pumps, a cute vintage iphone case from Cloth Magpie and lots of other items for having a glam spring outing! x

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!

Anyone For Making A Meal Of Being On Wheels?

Long Architect Wheely Boot

Hi there! I might have just found a new mode of transport for you, that is a whole lot more elegant than the traditional roller scate and lives up to the rebel name Renegade Marmalade the store you can buy it from online or in Manchester! If your more inclined towards a short boot version see below! The designer Kei Kagami is Japanese and moved to London in the late 80s to work with fashion designer John Galliano.

Short Architect Wheely Boot

Nika Urbas | Hot New Designer On The Block!

If this label is not yet on your fashion radar sit up and take note because this designer label is one to watch! Maria Moderna is the perfect name for this very modern label. London based designer Nika Urbas who trained at St Martin's uses a special technique called flat quilting to create dynamic  shapes and blocks of colour on her garments. Her winter collection is the art deco of 2012, architecture for the body which uses strong geometric shapes, bold colours and contrasting textures combined with exquisite elegant cuts, she is a genius in my humble opinion. Her intuitive sense of colour and design is very sophisticated. I can't wait to see her spring collection, my favourite pieces featured here, are the four pocketed dress at the top and her white, silver and black fitted dress, I'm looking forward to sharing her spring collection here. You can find Nika at   http://www.mariamoderna.co.uk/ and at asos.

     

The One Gift I Won't Be Returning!




Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast At Tiffanys

 

I admit I made a small Christmas list for my husband this year and did not leave things to chance, after all how many boyfriends/husbands would think, ah I know what she needs is a silk pillow case I must get her one! I have a fetish for lux fabrics, silk, cashmere fabrics that feel good when you wear them. All my friends who know me, know that my bathroom is full of the littered corpses of anti frizz products that have simply not made the mark in terms of taming my unruly thick black wavy hair, I have tried everything from washing my hair just twice a week, to only washing hair in conditioner as well as practically every serum on the market. Like the elusive perfect mascara, I'm constantly on the hunt for the perfect product that will help me combat the annoying combination of damp northern weather and unruly hair. So when I stumbled across Silk Perfect in November, the silk pillowcase company that sells 100% pure mulberry silk pillowcases and claims that their silk pillow slips reduce the friction to your hair that causes frizz/bed head, put a stop to growing your wrinkles, aka pillow creases and reduces allergens (I have asthma) I thought to achieve all three would be a miracle and that this had to be up there as the perfect gift to feature on my Christmas list. For just £22.00 the Christmas elf, read husband was able to pick up 2 of these miraculous pillow slips with cotton on one side so they don't slip on the sheets.

  

I don't think I have ever looked forward to testing out an eco friendly beauty product as much, I even went to bed at 9pm just to try my Christmas present out! The first thing I noticed when I put my head on the silk perfect pillow was how cool it was, add to that the glamour factor and I was sold. After an unusually sound night's sleep, I raced to my dressing room and smirked at the mirror, no mad professor stared back at me, my hair was frizz free and my face crease free. I'm so glad I can ditch my hair serums that irritated my scalp, sleep better and perhaps even reduce the amount of night cream I slather on my face to avoid pillow ceasing.


Prevention rather than cure, is always more cost effective. So apart from being the most glam eco friendly beauty gift I have ever received, it has to be the top of my gift giving list, friends will thank you for a) making them feel glamorous, not everything is about what we wear! b) Saving them money on hair and face products after their Christmas blow out. c) helping them keep their cool on warm nights. My Christmas elf missed out, but right now Silk Perfect is offering a buy one get one free offer on their pur silk pillow slips, check it out here.

Did You Know?
•SilkPerfect silk comes from the Bombyx mori moth, which produces the finest and purest silk, due to a diet that consists only of chopped mulberry leaves. The silkworms are fed every half hour 48 times a day.

How To Solve Sale Rage

Ok, so we have all been there, sale fever hits, the changing rooms are heaving, you fear being buried alive beneath a mound of writhing leopard and faux fur coats, so you hastily bag that half price skirt or jumper without a backward glance, scrabble out the revolving door and run for your life! Once home do you try the item on? No, you get a call from your mum, asking have you thanked some distant aunt for your Christmas gift and that coupled with the fact that you then sit on a mouldy tangerine on your sofa leaving you with a soggy bum, means your momentarily distracted!

 Three days later you finally go to try the item on, only to discover that the cute little lace skirt you bought is far too tight at the waistband, unfortunately you also discover that you tossed your receipt aside and it is now lost! This is where a little lateral fashion thinking goes along way. A short full skirt makes for a great short cape, if it has a deep waistband which stands up, so much the better, you now have a dramatic short cape, perfect for spring and very couture, wear with a crisp shirt collar poking out in a contrasting colour and pencil skirt or cropped slim fit jeans or flares. Or you could look to investing in a pair of leggings, using the lovely Jens guide from a little bird told me.

 If you have grabbed a sweater and the sleeves are just too long, do what I have done and give them the chop, just slightly lower than where they are stitched onto the body of the jumper then hem the arm holes in thread of the same colour to create a tank top. Or why not add drama by using a contrasting thread and running a binding stitch around the arm holes to stop them unravelling.

 One of my all time favourite sale saviours, was changing the look of a fitted v-neck cardi that was simply to deep a v, by reversing the way I wore it (no sewing required) so it looked like a fitted 50's sweater with a sexy button up back, again this works well with pencil skirts or cropped slim jeans that are heading our way this spring. Have you turned a sales disaster into something you love? For my ultimate guide to surviving sales shopping click here

Sign up to emails here on My Passport To Style, top right of my blog and win a gorgeous red satchel and goodies including 3 pairs of leather folding red foot pumps to the value of £500.00!

I'm Inviting The Man Repeller,Style Bubble & Olivia P For A Wardrobe Workout!

 The thrill of the January sales has begun, the chase of that sometimes elusive bargin is here, will fate be kind and ensure that when you click on that designer coat you have waited all year to have, that your size will pop up and welcome you with open arms. I hope so. But in the meantime take a comfy seat in my virtual fitting room, pour yourself a nice hot cup of earl grey, while I play dress up with three of my favourite fashion bloggers each with a very different look. I have decided to select a pair of shoes or two, for each of them under £50.00 from the asos sales that best fits with their personal style, let me know if you think my shoe picks work for each of them or not! 

The Man Repeller

 I struggled to choose one pair, for this fiesty lady, in the end it was a toss up between this black sandal boot and these bling pair of metalic prince charming (my term) stacked loafers, I think she would work both really well.

Next up Style Bubble

Susie loves to mix things up layering prints and textures for dramatic effect, recently she has been chanelling lady like with high pointy heels and banished her glossy black top knot in favour of loose long hair, but I associate Susie and have to say prefer her slightly tomboy styling with a feminine twist. So these pink brogues with a mix of textured nude panelling might be a good compromise.

Olivia Palermo

And finally no wardrobe workout would be complete with out the polished Palermo, I totally associate Olivias style with the use of classic nudes with an intersting twist, in print or texture so I'm confident that she would dane to wear these shoes which I personally will be teaming with a flapper style dress to keep the look fresh and fuss free. 

Sign up to My Passport To Style emails (top right of this blog) today and win a satchel and goodies including 3 pairs of Redfoot folding leather pumps worth £500! 



My Passport To Style Wants You To Play Editor!

Hi Gals!

At the end of last year I took part in a fun fashion shoot which I styled  to showcase a handbag giveaway I wanted to run here on My Passport To Style and for a local poster campaign. The theme was a Right Royal Handbag Giveaway and the idea was that I looked like I could pass as a member of the Royal family, I promised to share the rest of the shots here with you, so here they are. What do you think? Do you think I look like a Royal lady? Would you offer me a cucumber sandwich with the crusts cut off and bob me a courtesy? 

 As a bit of fun, I would love to know which of the 5 shots featured here you would vote for? It would be great to get your sartorial opinion.You might need to click on the picture to get a really good look of all 5 photos!

 If you want to enter the handbag giveaway to win a red satchel and goodies there is still time, simply sign up to My Passport To Style emails top right of my blog. xx

Sharon Sahara wears -navy 50's style trousers, vintage leopard blouse in khaki green, royal blue sparkle lurex Topshop jumper, vintage red wool coat, gold Topshop chain, Redfoot- Diana pumps, pearl earrings, Pilot hat, white head scarf, royal blue driving gloves and harlequin vintage belt. Makeup, hair and photography by Roaniad Levesley

Happy 2012 Fashionable Frolickers!

Happy New Year Fashionable Frolickers!  I love the start of each New Year a crisp fresh page waiting for new ideas to be scrawled across it. What excites me most about life, is all the infinite possibilities that exist. Meeting new people with their own ideas on fashion, style and the universe, growing something from what seems like nothing, turning an item I might have thrown away, into a piece to cherish forever, watching and predicting how each New Year of fashion, will see the films we watch, the politics we are part of, the culture we live in and even the food we put into our mouths expressed in a unique and original way by fashion designers. Some of it we may love some of it we might not, but we will have an opinion on it, because generally each new trend we see in the shops and online at is made up of tiny fragments of living history that have been  transported to us as if by magic and brought together to tell a new story; from ruffles and feathers borrowed from the roaring 20s to the leather and buckles from biker culture, each new season  gives us the buzz of the potential to express who we are through how we dress, which is why fashion is so important to us, but more than that we love to keep reinventing our image, why not it's so fun! What will you be wearing this 2012? I would love to know. xx



Sketch by the talented Sophie Griotto



The Cheats Guide To Last Minuite Party Styling!

Hi Gals, its that time of year again, no, not when you fall over in bright tights and fab shoes, although you might do a little of that, it's time to celebrate New Years eve in style! If your anything like me you have probably scoffed the contents of a tin of quality street and consumed your own weight in turkey and stuffing over the last few days, add to that being kept buisy seeing friends and relatives and you probably have not had time to think about THE party dress and how your going to style it. So I have decided to play fairy god mother and come up with the cheats guide to looking party ready!

 A very happy New Year to all my lovely Fashionable Frolickers! 

 Lets start with the dress, cascading ruffles are great for hiding turkey belly!

Buisy patterns like this blue leopard print distract the eye from any Christmas wobble and the ruching over around the tummy prevents fabric from clinging in the wrong place. 

High waisted scater style dresses with clever side pleating skim curvy bottom, hips and thighs if that's where your trifle has chosen to lurk!

No time to trim hair or style hair at the salon? Slick short hair back with strong hair gel or scape back in a pony tail and add a pretty hairband. These are my favourite looks below.

Next up you necks looking a little bare, nothing says I have arrived, than a statement chunky necklace like this one below, if you don't have one, don't worry, find some necklaces in a variety of lengths and various of textures, pearls and gold chains work well or pretty glass beads.

 Next fasten each necklace and using each end as a loop, thread some pretty ribbon through each loop and each end then fasten round your neck, so you get a chunky double necklace effect, repeat with various lengths until you have depth of cascading chunky decadence you require. If you have long hair you won't see the rows of bows across your neck, if your hairs shorter it can look quite pretty, you could use bright colours to work with the colours in your dress, I like to use nude ribbon, which blends into my neckline.

No time for a last minuite manicure? Try some vampish short satin gloves, to create a well groomed look with a retro twist, you don't have to be a vintage girl to use this trick, try it with anything from a jumpsuit to your favourite jeans and bustier for a fun look.

 Last by not least if your legs are looking a bit pasty and your keen to shed your 60 denier black tights, these toeless Pretty Polly tights from Tights Please in natural, will allow you to wear peeptoe heels and leave your legs looking flawless with a subtle tan. Add an Art Deco, feel to your favourite comfy dance shoes, with these shoe brooches from Blingbacks.

You Shall Go To The Ball!

 The Beautiful Emma Watson, ready to party!

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