Part Three Road Trip | High Tea In Bath

 

High Tea In Bath 

 

So my idyllic tales of visiting the City of Bath continue and really you gotta love any place called Bath, it sounds so good in my northern dialect, as you may have guessed I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to history and old buildings, but tea rooms in Bath and high tea it self is a bit of an art form.

 

French Chefs And 1930's Glamour

 

 Walking the streets of Bath, I was dizzy with the vast choice of tea rooms and any thoughts of my chocolate allergy, yes I'm serious, got side lined fast! I got an amazing chocolate fix at the very French patisserie - Valerie established in 1926, it has a really glamorous 1930's feel, everywhere you look French chefs beam down at you from vivid coloured frames. I felt under dressed and in need of an up do and some vintage mother of pearl combs for my hair. I was good though, it was around 11am not really official tea time here in the UK, so I decided to temper all the chocolate with my favourite breakfast, eggs Benedict first.

Reconnecting With Your Sense Of Style

 

 

 

 

As someone women have called when they were in need of having their wardrobe resuscitated and their style tweaked, I now have a bit of an idea of what type of issues go some way to contributing to a wardrobe crisis and identity melt down. I thought it might be useful to share a little of my insight on these issues. Our identity and our sense of style are closely linked, so it’s probably no surprise to discover that we often feel uneasy when what we see in the mirror doesn’t fit with where we are currently in our lives.

 Some reasons why we might find ourselves doubting our sense of style are a change of job or roles, a change of relationship status or a changes in body shape, can you see a common theme; any change can shake things up and leave you feeling out of step with your wardrobe and your personal sense of style. Sometimes much smaller lifestyle issues such as having too narrow or wide a focus on fashion or having a very one dimensional busy lifestyle can have a negative effect too, stifling or overwhelming the creative process of enjoying fashion and style and leaving us feeling lost in a fashion wilderness.

 

Getting your Style mojo back is not about having tons of money to spend, although it helps to have some, it’s about understanding who and where you are in your life and reconnecting with the creativity of fashion and your own personal sense of style in a more relaxed way.

 Our sense of style can feel so fragile it becomes a whisper or a tiny flickering flame that needs fanning so it can burn brightly again and help us feel really alive and attractive again.

Wardrobe Mistress For Game Of Thrones?

 

 

 

Ever since I wangled my way out of being in the school play by offering to help put together the costumes for it, among my ideas using shower caps turned inside out for the women munitions workers caps in a shell factory. I have had fun with the idea of wearing things that remind me of iconic films and television dramas. Game Of Thrones is the perfect time and place to dwell if you love the fantasy of beautiful costumes and every time I come across a piece that I can imagine being on the set I get a tingle of excitement. Recently I came across an email from new accessory company Charm Nest I was smitten when I discovered the tiny prices and exotic fantasy led pieces that would make nice additions to the Game Of Thrones accessory wardrobe.   

 

 

 

 

My Misguided Route To Wearing A T-Shirt

 

 

Carey Mulligan

T-shirts the simplest garment we generally process in our wardrobes a staple top to turn to, worn with jeans when all else fails and more recently an item that has reached iconic status after being reinvented by countless designers and celebs in the name of charity and this season you can even get your hands on a leather one.

This is where the fairy tale ends annoyingly, at least for me anyway; I discovered some time back, that the average T-shirt does very little for my body shape, so while everyone else aspires to be an hourglass, I aspire to be a totem pole in the realm of T-shirt wearing, not just because we are nearing the festival season, but because, inverted triangular shapes (most men and models) and totem gals, those that are straight up and down make a T-shirt actually look like something.

 Sadly as soon as you introduce breasts and hips into the equation this element of style vanishes and me and my hour glass femme fatales, Kelly Osbourne, Carey Muligan and Kate Winslet among our number fill out the boxy shape a little too well and we look blunt, not edgy, just shapeless, with the added bonus that the short round scoop neck helps make our neck look stumpy too.

 So do we owe the humble T-shirt a debt of gratitude? No I think not, but if you still want to wear a t-shirt in some form here are my guidelines.-

I'm #Benefits New Poster Girl!

 

Using Peak Cap Tactics To Trick Dark Circles Into Submission

Lately I have been noticing dark circles under my eyes and its been bugging me, I was staggered by how much dark circles can sabotage what ever outfit choice you throw at them, I tried many options to try to disguise them a peaked cap, perhaps the natural shadows cast would disguise my own, who was I kidding, then the complete opposite a dazzling white scarf, although the light reflection helped, the suckers were still there,my next strategy,no eye make-up, just a slick of bright lipstick to draw the eye down my face, at this point I realised I was fighting a losing battle and remembered the more obvious choice in the art of concealment,the concealer!

Part Two Road Trip | Bath Fashion Museum

 

 

As promised here’s part two of my road trip in the UK and the reason I was wearing a bonnet, after some wild camping stop offs we headed for Bath and pulled onto a proper camp site for a couple of nights so we could explore the city properly, walking in along the river we passed a very pink barge and some plants and trees clad in lime green.

The Evolution Of Espadrilles

 

Hairy sandals that evoked macrame baskets turned me off rope heel sandals and espadrilles a while back, but now something miraculous has happened these slightly hobbit like soles have been elevated to a place that evokes fresh coconuts falling in soft sand, Latin beats, bright colours and sleek turbans and it's all good, these soles add comfort, luxe texture and an exotic vintage glamour.

 See how far this evolution of rope heels has come with this muted grey pair of  fringed sandals with matching grey heels, imagine how sharp they would look when worn with head to ankle bright orange or yellow and a large straw hat in the same colour. Happy Spring!

 

Grunge Stripes | Nautical Or Nasty?

 

You may remember I shared one of my birthday gifts with you here recently an espresso set with the exact same print as the canvas tote above, slightly bizarrely I received this tote from someone completely different from their trip to Edinburgh. So why am I sharing this? Well to be honest I love navy but more for the way it make other colours look pretty, I think black can sometimes be a little too hard as an accent and I like the idea of making my nautical stripes a little grungy.

 

 So I'm thinking of doing a diy dye job on these new stripey trousers and tote in matching yellow or liac. I wanted to know your thoughts, obviously the idea is the white will become the contast colour, have you done anything simular, what do you think of my colour choices and do you think I should take the grunge plunge?!

 

My Week On The Road Part 1 #Style #Architecture #Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So you may be wondering where I have been, or why I'm wearing a bonnet, more on that later. I decided to hire a camper van and sneak away for a much needed escape and to celebrate my birthday, which I proudly share with Vivienne Westwood. Not being much of a camper I confess I was slightly unsure about certain aspects of camper van life such as the loo and wardrobe space, A then told me there was no wardrobe and no ironing facilities, my stuff could be lovingly dumped on the back seat, thankfully I discovered the toilet/box could accommodate my generous derriere, so armed with a surplus of wool sweater dressers, which resist creasing and the cold, a pile of face and toilet wipes we headed for Cornwall.

How To Choose A Handbag

Hi Gals's I thought it would be fun today, to demonstrate how different handbags help define our signature look and then explore a few style tips around choosing the right handbag for you! I heard you gasp, how can there be a right or wrong bag, just falling in love with the one should be reason enough.Choosing you handbag using a mix of Style Psychology and accessory advice will ensure your look is balanced and adds the desired impact to your image and help avoid looking mismatched and out of step with the ocassion.

OK bag number 1, style personalty number 1, swirls of strawberry soft leather, convey sensuality and a romantic nature a great bag to use if you work in the beauty, lingerie or wedding sector.

In contrast bag number 2 this grey patent envelope clutch says you mean business, perfect for business lunch's, smart reporter's carrying just the essential notepad and lipstick.  Minimalist clean lines say you're not shy about being direct.

                                                                 My 3rd handbag selection and style personalty is someone who wants to wear a bag that says they are artistic and slightly edgy. I really like the giant safety pin detailing. Great worn by designer type's who are confident about quirk.

Next up for those who want to look approachable but still look well put together, this 4th handbag, will help achieve that delicate balance for you. Perhaps you work  informally with people, you maybe a life coach or a counsellor or maybe you work with families. 

Handbag number 5 the doctor bag shape, subdued colour and high definition stitching work, add up to a professional that carries a career that has a high level of management skill's and creativity, the perfect  bag for an architect, that wants to convey their creativity, whilst not being over the top with their accessory styling.

Last but not least this brief case in sheep skin and leather, is for those women who want to whisper softly, luxe and quality. Perhaps you negotiate with high flying client's or just want to reflect the status of you're luxury store.

Now You Have An Idea's Of The Type Of Bag That Fits Best With Your Image, Here Are A Few Top Style Tips On How To Wear Your Bag successfully.

1. Petite gals don't go for bags that you wear across the body, it will cut you in half!

2. Tall gals, you can wear most styles, avoid anything too small, or you will look unbalanced.

3. Big busted gals don't wear a bag on your shoulder or across the body, it emphasises the bust line.

4. If you have a pear shaped body wear larger hand held style's over the shoulder to balance your hip line and bust.