#LFW12 Hosts A Fashion #Retrospective

One of the highlights of London Fashion Week 2012 has to be Bourne and Hollingsworth first ever vintage catwalk show - Retrospective, journeyed through time and space plucking out the very best vintage pieces from names like Mary Quant, Dior, Ossie Clark, Chanel and Givenchy, recreating exciting fashion forward looks for SS 2013.The after party was full of theatre and a dazzling display of dance as a flash mob of flapper girls took to the floor whilst onlookers sipped Bourne and Hollingsworth cocktails dressed in their finest vintage attire. 

I first fell in love with Aquascutum years ago when I snagged a classic short cream 60s mac from a charity shop for the ridiculous price of £2.00, the cut was sublime and suited the 60's phase I was working at the time, it went everywhere with me, so I think this stunning red and navy Aquascutum mac from the 1970s has to be one of favourite pieces in this little line up together with the punchy and elegant bee stripe Ossie Clark dress from the 70s.Do you have a favourite look or piece from this little line up? Should Vintage fashions have a regular airing at London Fashion Week?     

Bronze Beauty #DiyFashion

Rain, rain and more rain left me with too much time on my hands and a box of dye which I decided to use to turn a plain vintage beige cardigan into this tie dye bronze beauty and in the words of Project Runways Tim Gun, make it work! Although its not quite sweater weather yet, it was fun to start planning out my A/W wardrobe. Excuse the shiny patches on my forehead, I'm still getting to grips with taking shots in an over lit room on a very overcast day.

I'm wearing - vintage tie dye cardigan, owl sweatshirt- Asda, button up long cotton shirt-vintage, Muji mushroom spot dress worn as a pencil skirt, taupe suede peep-toes from Clarks and a purple suede belt from Topshop.

Although it was'n't an intentional pairing, I like the fact that my cardigan buttons mirror the mushroom spots on my Muji skirt and the fact they look like posh smarties, call me mad, a little imagination is a dangerous thing!! The secret of this machine tie dye project is to use a cardigan that is a mix of synthetic and man made fibres and a dye which only works on synthetic fibres. My slightly baroque hair style was influenced by you guessed it Prince, must have been all that rain.      

Inside #Harvey Nichols Secret Vault - Manchester

Last Wednesday I was invited to Harvey Nichols 2012 A/W press day in Manchester.Once inside their SECRET VAULT the number of which will have to remain anonymous (whether your chasing your next horcrux or not I'm afraid) I peered round the vault er room and was impressed by the quality of the products and fashions to be had within the walls of Harvey Nichols.The lovely very knowledgeable Rebecca (kindly holding up the white shirt for my shot) explained that often buyers may just select one or two items from what is essentially a much larger designer range, that they feel will be popular with shoppers and that these are then used to create intimate in store boutiques, I really like this idea, kind of like a room within a room and besides too much choice can sometimes be a little exhausting when your buying gifts or clothes even!

Looking round at some of the fashion labels and creatively packaged items I could'n't resist thinking of some of my favourite fashion bloggers who would love to receive some of these delights under their Christmas tree this year. Rather than keep my suggestions to myself I thought I might spill the beans and share my gift ideas for each fashion blogger with you! You can of course disagree strongly if you are familiar with the bloggers already and think I have got them all wrong!   

1. I caught a glimpse of the bird detail on this mens pale blue Alexander Mcqueen shirt and thought of Jen @ A Little Bird Told Me she loves unusual prints and knows how to rock a shirt!

2.The packaging that I got most excited about was the large square Penhaligon gift sets these beautiful vivid oriental boxes look almost antique and house bottles of scent that look like they come from Victorian chemists.This I thought was a gift that stately home loving Pink Bow would be prepared to trade her pink bow for this Christmas.

3.The pretty pink florentines and newly launched perfume Florabotanica would have to go to fun loving Diamond Canopy I felt sure her sweet tooth would appreciate this twist on the classic florentine and she would be as thrilled as I was with a perfume bottle that reminds me of a piece of Everton rock (with stripes running the wrong way of course!) running through it and is packaged in such pretty floral box, although youthful it also has an art deco feel which is very classy too.    

 

4.Overseas elegant and luxe blogger Savvy Mode would swoon over the feel good factor of the Jo Malone hamper complete with black tissue and sprinkled with green leaves and blackberries.

5.I spied a round boxed candle with an image of the achingly hip James Dean, deep in conversation and the Benefit beauty set cleverly disguised to look like a novel complete with witty title would have to wend its way overseas to the adorable Vixen Vintage   

6. Did I miss something out?Oh that old thing,the Alexander Mcqueen floral De manta satin clutch you mean? Yep that's got my name on it, signed sealed and delivered and as sure as eggs as eggs that would be any girls Passport To Style. 

Choosing The Perfect Button #Style DIY

Hi Gals, got a bit of a style dilemma on my hands I found this brilliant online button shop which will cater to my embellishment addiction but I'm now left trying to decide which of these gorgeous buttons to use for either a baroque or army style DIY, which I will be sharing with you shortly. The top three on the diagonal are my baroque button choices and the bottom three are the ones I had in mind for an army look, any ideas? Do you have a favourite?

#DIY #Style Rooted In Renegade #Fashion

Dress VB

 Great Style Is In The Details

 

I love that the creative process that is fashion can take a functional detail that is pretty bog standard and elevates it to a new dimension that captures our imagination and reminds us that when it was first invented it was a pretty incredible thing to start with, one such detail is the zip, it was invented by Swedish scientist Sundback in1913 and patented as the hookless fastener. For many years in fashion the zip remained hidden from view a thing of modesty and practically, then punk rock arrived and with it what was then seen as extreme diy fashion emerged as clothes were shredded, deconstructed and rearranged to shock.

Renegade Fashionistas 

 Once Vivienne Westwood took hold of this trend and launched her first label Seditionaries the zipper was no longer insignificant but edgy. Since then we have seen many interpretations of the humble zipper as it has been used by fashion and accessory designers in new ways to add edge, sensuality and creativity to their labels, most prominently was the addition of a visible zipper to body con dresses such as Victoria Beckhams successful line, however the zipper was actually first used this way by Italian fashion visionary Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973). The London 2012 Olympics provided the perfect hothouse for growing fashions which incorporated the zippers functional attributes with designer fusion lines popping up everywhere and the predictable but welcome return of the classic biker jacket, whilst on the horizon of this A/W 2012 season we have come full circle as punk rock fashions make a strong return, hooray!

For more fashion history and musing on the world of style sign up to My Passport To Style top right of this page.

* photo credits -Trend Hunter

My Passport To Style | Owly Times

Owl Ring Vivienne Westwood 

Owl print top -Lagom

owl brooch Avalaya

I have been musing lately on the trend for owls and our obsession with them, first it was cats, then pandas and now owls. I get that we are a nation of animal lovers, but I feel our love of woodland creatures like the fox, has for most of us urban dwellers anyway, been nurtured more by visiting previous beautiful glossy Mulberry campaigns rather than perhaps bumping into these creatures on woodland walks with a crisp bite to the air and a bright blue sky overhead. Can you tell, I'm longing to escape the clutches of our very British soggy summer and return to our crisp autumn days again?

 Seeing as I like most of us have been suffering from the rather embarrassing symptoms of Harry Potter withdrawal since the last film was shown and all things magical came to an abrupt end, could this be a clue to owl mania?The  images of Harry Potter and Hedwig and the owlery was enough to have me planning a trip to mystical Moncaster castle in the hopes that I might be able to befriend an owl that looked vaguely like Hedwig! 

Then there is also the fact that baby owls look well, pretty cute with there huge round eyes and fluffy heads, anything with big eyes pandas our own species even and we're sold. So we have the mystical, the cute but the third point has to be my favourite and really fits with this A/W 2012 leaning towards gothic and punk. Owls are actually pretty fierce looking birds an aspect that silk scarf extraordinaire and Grazia award winner Ali Mapletoft of Age Of Reason (whose signature is a punk edge to her work) has illustrated to perfection in my opinion, she has created a very real looking owl, not a smudge of cuteness in sight and applied of the moment detailing such as the studs on the owls shoulder to create a sense of regal military fierceness which I adore. In fact I'm jumping on the Owl bandwagon right now! I am off to create a diy owl head band! Have you fallen under the spell of Owls yet and are you in camp cute or camp fierce?    

Temperley Launches #JLSomerset Range

Alice by Temperley

 Double Layer Lace Maxi

Pink Leopard Dress Fitted Leather Jacket  

Animal Print Silk Maxi 

Monochrome Cocoon Dress

Great to see for those of us that loved Alice Temperleys more affordable line Alice, that she has now launched a new range, Somerset at John Lewis, the sixty piece collection starting at £29.00 includes floaty 70's piece that show off her love of silk and lace as well as animal prints and this little cocoon dress that fits with her love of monochrome looks which I so want! 

  

#Diy #Peplum Top With A Detachable Belt

DIY PEPLUM TOP WITH DETACHABLE BELT

Peplum seems to be everywhere right now, so while I'm saving for a designer leather peplum belt, I thought I would have a little fun with this style diy - turning my old much loved TopShop tea dress into a swish peplum top with detachable peplum belt, two for the price of one so to speak! Florals with a dark background are a huge trend this A/W 2012 so thanks TopShop! I think the finished result looks pretty sweet with my trusty denim pencil skirt and when I want to mash up my patterns a bit more I can wear the belt with a fitted printed T-shirt. What do you think?

   Diy Peplum Top With A Detachable Belt

  You will need

 A belt with holes running almost end to end medium width

 Or a pair of punch pliers and a regular belt

 A floral dress or skirt (depending if you want to create a top with matching belt or just the peplum belt)    with a flounce hem/loose frill.

Sharp Scissors

Needle and thread

Sewing pins

What To Do

1. Taking your scissors cut the skirt off the dress about mid way down or if you are using just a skirt the same applies, I found this easiest to do by hanging my dress on a hanger on the back of my door first.

2. You should end up with two sections like these.

3. Hem the edge of the dress top, then turn the skirt inside out, you should find a double seam that will allow you to cut through the frill, if you cut carefully in between the two seams the fabric won't fray.

4. Now if you don't have a belt with end to end holes you will need a pair of punch pliers to punch some more holes that reach almost to the end of your belt, I bought mine from Amazon, alternatively  use a small screw driver.

5. Now open out the skirt hem right out, so it runs straight across, double fold the fabric, then place your belt so it is lying just above the seam of the flounce. Next fold the fabric again so the folded edge just meets the edge of the flounce seam. The seam should stand proud of the flounce not flat, pin the fabric in position if it helps, then anchor the folded fabric in place with a stitch along the length of the deep frill, sewing into the raised seam. This reduces the stitches visible on the outside of the finished belt.

6.You may find that the belt is a little short for your frill, rather like opening a pair of pleated curtains play around with the fabric till your happy with how your frill hangs from the belt, then pop on your top, tuck the hem into a fitted something of your choice, a pencil skirt works well and fasten up your peplum belt over the top so it flares just over your hip. Then swivel the belt around so the belt is fastened at the back of you and make sure you tuck in the end of the belt to the fabric sleeve. Voila! Mission complete, you can feel rather proud and reward yourself with a cup of tea and a slice of cake if there is any left in your cake tin!

Pants Of Power

Queen Of Spain high waisted pants by Lucile Lingerie

Queen Of Spain Gown by Lucile Lingerie

Pants Of Power 

I have been having difficulty writing this post today as it is slightly out of my comfort zone and not something I normally share on here, ok I'm waffling, its about my knicker drawer.I was talking to a friend the other day when I suddenly realised that their are three types of women, type a) Spend money on shoes and bags, type b) on clothes and types c)spend money on beautiful underwear. I'm somewhere between type a and b, so I got to analysing my knicker drawer, yes I KNOW!Looking at my limp bleached out faux satin knickers, frayed faux lace and bras that had lost their snap, I realised that my days of beautiful French knickers where long gone.

 So when and how did It happen that I traded beautiful underwear for a new dress? Well as much of a cliché as it sounds I guess its about the obvious things like being in a long term relationship where I feel comfortable, perhaps too comfortable if that's possible, but mainly its about being so busy and giving all day to everyone around me that only what is an immediate priority or need gets addressed,that includes this seasons pencil skirt and the instant gratification that comes from wearing it.

Which Type Are You?

Hearing my girl friend talk about how she feels about wearing beautiful underwear it stuck me that although she may have traded buying some killer heels for a new bra that few people will see lets face it (unless she decided to do a Madonna of course!) she was confident from the inside out, she felt good about going to the gym, because she had the right bra for the job, she felt confident at her last meeting not because she was wearing the most expensive shoes in the room, but because she had prioritised herself and here is the important part it was for nobody's benefit but herself, it was her way of purely indulging herself and as cheesy as it sounds cherishing her body.What was plain to see was this type C had a poise and inner confidence that I admired and whether she was going food shopping or cleaning her flat it was always done in scarlet silk or French lace.Each piece of her underwear was stored in it own special drawer and layered between pretty tissue paper, that she kept after it was wrapped in store for her.

Self Sabotage 

I have had opportunities to be bought pretty underwear which I nearly always sabotage as I become super fussy which is a turn off when your trying to be romantic and buy someone a gift, lets face it. So does this mean I'm going to ban slobbing out knickers from my knicker drawer? Your darn right it does!

A Sign From The Lingerie Fairy

 I think this must be a sign, the other day I discovered the most beautiful lingerie I think I have ever seen via a pr at Lucile it took my breath away, established in 1890 each piece is lovingly made to order here in the UK, can you imagine having lingerie made for you! When I saw these high waisted scarlet beauties, I thought with these pants on I could take on the world! At the moment I have been consumed with what dress to wear for the Cosmopolitan blog awards 2012, when I saw Luciles scarlet halter neck Queen of Spain gown, I thought why wear a dress this is perfect on its own! I could feel myself morphing into Dita Von Teese just thinking about wearing it.Which type are you? Do you think lingerie helps you to feel confident from the inside out? 

I'm Crushing On #Disney Bound

I have a serious crush on Disney Bound at the moment, the girl who was inspired by Disney to create her own Disney led aesthetic and her subsequent outfit posts based on the characters. I love her latest offering, who can resist grey docks, elephant earrings and a bright yellow belt! Me thinks London Fashion Week was a little inspired too!