stylespotterfashionblogger

Sweetness And Light taster

2012-02-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

So, here is a little taste of things to come in STYLEetc S/S issue.

Photography, Layla Sailor

Hair and Make-up, Katie O'Dowd

Models, Emma B and Katy Ramsey at Industry People

Styling, Siobhan Cooper

Clothes, Selfridges, Topshop, H&M and Jeny & Amber Vintage

Location, Sugar Junction, Manchester (a place where you can fill your face with tasty cake)

Sweetness And Light

2012-01-24T15:06:00.000-08:00

A Video I worked on with Layla Regan and Katie O'Dowd!

Clothes, Selfridges Exchange Square and Jeny & Amber

Location, Sugar Junction, Manchester

Models, Emma B and Katy at Industry People

Test

2011-12-13T02:07:00.000-08:00

Photography, Craig Flemming

Make-up, Katie O'Dowd

Models Oli and Jourdana at Boss Model Management

STYLE etc, images that didn't make the mag

2011-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my favourite images from the shoot I styled for the current issue of STYLEetc. These particular ones didn't make the final editorial. I now know what Grace Coddington felt like in that scene in the September issue when Anna Wintour cuts out all the Rodarte images. However, as I am the editor of STYLEetc I cut the images out myself, mainly so I could include other outfits.. Oh well, these favourites are on my blog now.

The orange dress with knit collar and black skirt is Sonia and from Selfridges

The blue, red and white shift dress is an original Mary Quant from Jeny & Amber vintage, as is the red suitcase.

The cream heels are from Topshop, as are the tights.

All head and eyewear are my own (although I will sell them if a good price is offered-ha)

Here is the link to online version of the magazine with the final editorial http://content.yudu.com/A1url5/SE2

Photography, Amy Best

Make-up, Hayley Stott

Model, Tanya Beetham, Boss Model Management (check out her blog, http://tanyabeetham.blogspot.com/)

Styling, me

Assistant, Laura Grant

Editorial for STYLE etc.

2011-11-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

Editorial for STYLEetc website

Clothes with thanks to Harvey Nichols, Manchester and Black White Denim

Photography, Rachel Liggett

Make Up, Katie O'Dowd

Models, Kristie & Manachain at Boss Model Management

Styling, ME!

Assistant, Natalie Woodall.

Editorial Noir Magazine

2011-09-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

Stylist, me. (Siobhan Cooper)

Photographer, Amy Best.

Hair and Make-Up, Hayley Stott

Model, Natalie Green - was Natalie Fullard at time of shoot. CONGRATULATIONS NATALIE, he's a lucky man!

Girls With Style

2011-08-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

I have been photographing stylish girls for a feature in Noir Magazine. Here are two of them! The feature will have more than one picture of them and lots of details about their style inspiration - this is just a taster!

Emma is a blogger (Lolita Says So), magazine contributer, intern and student. Her style is well though-out, colourful but contemporary.

Katie is an intern (Karla Otto), Whistles shopgirl, student and big time partier. Her style is mish-mash and thrown together but always with lipstick.

Noir Magazine Editorial

2011-08-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

Apologies for a ridiculous lack of blogging but I have been snowed under with work - a good complaint for a freelancer! Anyway, my blog is what got me a lot of this work so I should not be neglecting it. My stats have taken a nose dive which is not good at all.

Here is a little of something that I have been working on while I haven't been blogging. My first proper editorial shoot! I obviously can't post all the photos as they are going to be published in Noir magazine but here are some that didn't make the edit.

Styling: Me

Photography: Amy Best

Hair and Make-up: Hayley Stott

Model: Natalie Fullard

Style Spot: Simple Shapes

2011-07-07T02:25:00.001-07:00

After weeks of no style spots, two in a row! Anyway, I couldn't not post this simple yet effective outfit. Loving the accessorising .... that watch. I also really liked the colours. They are not colours that I would ever wear but they really work. Pretty and sophisticated.

Style Spot: Cute hats and red lips

2011-07-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

Noir Magazine Features

2011-07-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

Here are images of the features I did for Noir Magazine, published yesterday. For a closer look please visit the magazine. My work is on page 70 and 100! All photography, writing, styling (when needed) etc done by me. Thank you to everyone who let me photograph them!

Current Favourite Bling

2011-06-28T05:23:00.001-07:00

Modern Black

2011-06-21T03:44:00.000-07:00

As much as I love colour (especially in the summer) nothing can beat plain old black. It's true that after each fashion week I coo over brands like Dries Van Noten and Missoni but at the end of the day, when I'm looking for everyday outfit building, I often go to black. It's easy and when it comes to dressing myself; I'm lazy. Plus designers are getting more and more creative with black (think Gareth Pugh, Hussein Chalayan). I hate it when people say black is boring, they need to take a look at some of these great designers. It's not boring in the slightest, its all about shapes and textures!!

Yesterday I finally got dressed ready to go to the supermarket. Turns out that getting dressed wiped me out and I never made it to the supermarket and had to go back to my horizontal position on the couch. On the plus side however it does mean I have an outfit to post!

My all black outfit consists of; Skirt, my mother made years ago. String vest, from a market stall. Jacket, H&M. Gold chain, Freedom at Topshop. Glasses, Chanel. Hightops, Primark.

INSPIRATION

Hussein Chalayan S/S '11

image from: style.com

Gareth Pugh A/W '11

image from: style.com

Simone Rocha

image from: Let Them Eat Cake

Chair by Richard Meier

image from: Another Magazine website

The Outfit Again

Resort Love: Celine

2011-06-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

I don't usually review collections.. I think that these can become a bit boring when done on blogs (unless the blogger is exceptional). Anyway, due to my current exhaustion I can't do outfit posts, getting dressed is a big effort and as for putting make up on etc...phew, I would need a nap after that. Plus, I love this collection so much I couldn't not blog about it. As per usual Phoebe Philo's designs are incredible. I am still waiting for that woman to slip up, she is a fashion genius. Also, I LOVE the styling. Does anyone know who does it?? I need to study their work. This is how I want to dress.

Anyway, I love, love, love this collection and judging by the black and white striped suit, the pyjama trend that I spoke about in my last post is going to be around for while.

images all style.com

Pyjama Style

2011-06-12T02:31:00.000-07:00

I have been laid up in bed and doing a lot of sleeping, which is very frustrating. I am sat in some grim pyjamas and my boyfriend's hoody wishing I was wealthy enough to have gorgeous chic clothes that could double up as pyjamas when necessary. I'm thinking silk, I'm thinking bright colours, I'm thinking Celine S/S '11. Clothes that you could put on in the morning and not have to change out of when you go to bed (apart from for obvious hygiene reasons). With pyjamas being so on trend this season, I could be sitting here thinking I may be ill but at least I'm still on trend... but no, I'm not in coloured silk but in grey cotton (pyjamas that could not be worn in public).

Louis Vuitton S/S 11

Haider Ackermann S/S '11
Topshop slipper shoes
Gorgeous Celine S/S '11 campaign

New Hair, New Lippy, Old Blouse

2011-06-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I have finally got back to blogging. I got stuck in to the Steig Larsson's Millennium series of books and could not put them down, plus I have been doing overtime to save money for the sales (Stella blouse, I have my eye on you).

Anyway, here is a quick outfit post!

New Lipstick: While I was at work when I bumped into a girl that I had never seen before, her lipstick screamed Jil sander S/S '11. I stopped her to ask her where she had got it from... Barry M. I had to have it and even better, I could afford it!

New Hair: Having had a recent discussion about how incredibly cool Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is, I thought I need to go back dark.

Old Blouse: I bought this silk blouse from Portabello market for about £2 ages ago. I didn't try it on and when I got home it didn't fit across my chest. I remembered I had it when I saw the Jil Sander S/S 11 as one of the skirts in the show had a similar print. Anyway, due to my incredible shrinking chest it now fits. Which means boo to the shrinking boobs but yay to the fitting blouse- there is a silver lining or in my case, a floral one!

Worn with my H&M tutu skirt, gold tatty bling and Dries Van Noten golden egg shoes.

The Look (apologies for the photos my photographer is away making music)

Blouse and Lippy Ispiration: Jil Sander S/S '11

Hair Inspiration: Karen O

Fruit Obsession: Fruit on Your Head!

2011-06-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

Two of my style icons are fruit fans. Notice any similarities between this image of Jessie J in Pop Magazine and an old Carmen Miranda poster? Would it be acceptable for me to place a fruit bowl on my head...? Perhaps it would be pushing the Spring/Summer fruit trend too far.

Holiday Style Part 3; H&M tutu skirt

2011-05-29T10:52:00.001-07:00

I heard about this pale pink tutu skirt in H&M and had to have it. With a dream of buying a gorgeous, slightly similar Chloe skirt which is way out of my price range, I settled for this one. My excuse for the purchase was that it was a suitable for my holiday wardrobe and I have worn it loads (taking a lot of care not to cover it with sun cream - greasy stains are not a good look). Anyway, it's pale, girly, soft, voluminous and a little impractical. It's been great to have a change from the bright colours in the rest of my holiday wardrobe, although I have mixed and matched. I tried to tone it down to be more like a Chloe girl (although a little bit of bling crept in), it was nice not to have the burn of cheap sun heated metal on my chest.

Outfit Number 1 (on left): Skirt, H&M. Swimsuit, Topshop. Sunglasses, Vintage. Headscarf, Vintage. Earrings, Vintage. Braclet, Topshop.

INSPIRATION

OUTFIT NUMBER 2: Skirt, H&M. Earrings and Necklace, Vintage. Braclet, Topshop. Top, Topshop. Shoes, 1st image, Miss Selfridge. Shoes, 2nd image, Topshop.

Holiday Style Part 2

2011-05-25T09:33:00.001-07:00

Another few days into my holiday and several strange looks on the beach... gold Mr.T like chains are not common. Anyway, here are two more outfits featuring lots of black and white stripes, a splash of colour, a little bit of gold and a lot of H&M - my one stop holiday shop (be warned that their bikinis are not secure for swimming).

Outfit number 1: Hat, New Look. Bling, Vintage and Primark. Orange cropped t-shirt, H&M. Maxi dress, H&M.

Outfit Number 2: Bling, Tophsop, vintage and Primark. Banana bikini, H&M. Shorts, By Malene Birger.

Christopher Waller - Simple and Chic

2011-05-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

More than anything, I am passionate about over the top brightly coloured, almost unwearable clothes.....but for my pound per wear pieces I have to admit that my blazers and well fitted t-shirts are top of the list. I have learnt that well selected simple items can be as effective as something in bright green banana print – as well as the fact you avoid the risk of looking back at photos and cringing (this happens to me quite regularly).

I still don’t like my staple pieces to be too basic though, I like them to have a quirk. Recently I have started to wear Cos and The Kooples but I have also discovered a great designer called Christopher Waller. I recently got a chance to try some of his A/W 11 samples and found that the quality of the fabric and detailing was great. The effect was simple yet chic. He has previously worked for John Richmond but I would say the look of his clothes is much simpler, more like Theory. It also reminded me of the Stella McCartney suiting and basic pieces - much more affordable though!

Below are some pics of his S/S 11 and this A/W 11 collections. I did try the clothes on myself but not being a sample size (I'm working on this) I did not do them justice so decided not to post pictures of myself jammed into them! If only I could resist the bling and colours and dress this effortlessly everyday!

Christopher Waller S/S 11

Christopher Waller A/W 11

The Campaign, I love the opening detail at the back of this top

http://www.christopherwaller.com/

Holiday Style Part 1

2011-05-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I am on holiday.....for the first time in years. Having not been on a warm holiday in over ten years I didn't have a lot of suitable clothes so I have been manically shopping, only to discover that most people take about 3 bikinis with them so my 5 and 2 swimsuits seems slightly excessive.

I have generally bought a lot of colour and gold bling. I saved the June issue of British Vogue to read on the plane and was delighted to see that Kate Phelan's 'Heat Wave' editorial seemed to have a similar vibe. Although it did leave me wishing that I have a body like Raquel Zimmermann, a Missoni bikini and some Stella McCartney S/S 11.

I started my outfit planning with maxi dresses, thinking that I would be tanned going into the latter days of the holiday. However, I had my tan done before I left and, due to my pale Irish skin, have had to layer on the factor 30 which has meant I am going paler and paler by the day.....leaving my hotpants firmly in the bottom of the suitcase.

Outfit Number 1: Headscarf, French Connection 2010. Sunglasses, Primark. Chain necklace, Primark. Bangles, Primark and Topshop. Striped Dress, H&M (a bit of a Marc by Marc look I thought). Green vintage style Bikini, ASOS. Golden Sandels, very old from Topshop.

Outfit Number 2: Hat, Newlook. 70's Style sunglasses, Portabello market (seen before in 3 posts ago). Chain Necklaces, Primark. Shawl, Primark. Gold Bangle, Topshop. Black Maxi, H&M. Sandels with leopard print fabric ankle tie, Miss Selfridge.
Holiday Outfits of my dreams. Racquel Zimmermann in the June issue of British Vogue. (A great read for anyone going holiday shopping)

A look at possible future outfits and my packing explosion

Met Gala Fashion

2011-05-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry if this is a bit of a boring post...everyone has seen the photos already but I love looking at the pictures of MET Ball fashion so much (even more than the Oscars) I thought I don't care if every other blogger has posted about the MET fashion, I will too.
Anyway, I think the girls that get it right at an occasion like this have done very very well. It's a hard balance to get that red carpet 'wow' factor without looking a) over the top or B) uncomfortable.
Here are some of my favourite looks...my general theory is that it helps to be a model.

Coco Rocha in McQueen

Hailee Steinfield in Stella McCartney

Thandie Newton in Stella McCartney

Christina Ricci in Zac Posen

Right: Constance Jablonski in Alexander McQueen

Emma Stone in Lanvin

Miranda Kerr in Marchesa

Cindy Sherman, Consuelo Castiglioni, Anouck Lepere and Giovanna Battaglia all in Marni

Mary-Kate Olsen in vintage Givenchy

Natalia Vodianova in Valentino

Jessica Chastain in Pucci

Karlie Kloss in Dior

Vera Wang in her own design

Karen Elson in Alexander McQueen

Naomi Campbell in Alexander McQueen

Daphne Guinness in Alexander McQueen

Joan Smalls in Tom Ford

Chanel Iman in Dolce & Gabbana

The Return Of The Crop Top

2011-05-02T04:03:00.000-07:00

For fear of looking like a member of the 1990's bands All Saints a lot of people are avoiding the Spring/Summer crop top trend. I finally popped to H&M and bought myself a bright orange loose crop top that I wore with a floor length skirt... yet again ending up looking like a Olsen twin wannabe. Anyway, I have become a fan of the look, especially the way Margarita Missoni wears it, just please don't do a Melanie Blatt and expose your pregnant belly - it's not a good look.

The 1990's Girl Band All Saints - Fashion Fail. Note to self, do not wear a fitted crop top with combats.

Salvatore Ferragamo

US Elle

Margherita Missoni

Today I'm Wearing; Jaeger Maxi

2011-04-25T04:35:00.000-07:00

I would love to think I wasn't inspired by The Olsen twins, then I look at pictures of them and can't help but think how cool they look. In this outfit post I must have been subconsciously inspired by their style as I pretty much look like a cheaper and slightly chubbier version of them.

I love this dress as it hides a multitude of sins. I am a huge fan of lazy dressing (should I admit as a fashion blogger???). Anyway, this dress is perfect for a sunny day when I have failed to exfoliate and tan my legs - to be honest I probably haven't even shaved them. It needs little accessorizing, I can wear it in flats and I don't have to worry about holding my tummy in.

I bought the dress seasons ago from the Jaeger sale. Jaeger is a British brand generally associated with old ladies in linen suits but they sell some great bits. The sunglasses I got in Portabello market and have a feeling that they won't leave my face all summer. The jacket isH&M from about two summers ago and the bag is Topshop.

Anyway, this is one of my favourite summer outfits even if I do look like I have fallen out of the Rachel Zoe school of styling.

The Olsen Twins; Famous for wearing, big sunglasses, maxi dresses, leather jackets and slouchy handbags

Rachel Zoe; Famous for styling LA A-Listers in maxi dresses with large handbags and sunglasses

Summer Mood Board

2011-04-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

I am currently shopping for my summer holiday wardrobe (with no money as per usual). Anyway, I am trying to get a few ideas of what will go with my current wardrobe and be wearable when I get back to the UK.

Of coarse the most sensible option would be to stick to plain maxis and accessorize but all I am drawn to in the shops is print and bright colours ... in my dream world I would be holidaying in S/S 11 Prada and Stella. This is obviously not going to happen, unless one of them takes me on as their muse or I win a large sum of money... yep, not going to happen.

As per usual Topshop have some tempting copies at a price point I could just about justify but really can't afford. The one thing I could afford today was a Primark sale bag (things must be bad when I'm hitting the Primark sale) and next pay day I am going to head to a fabric shop and dive into the bargain bin for some Turban making print fabric. I can wrap it round my head with fruit from the breakfast bar and call myself Carmen Miranda.

What I got; £3 Primark tribal print bag

The bits I spotted on my shopping trip but can't afford at the moment.... Jumpsuit in a shop I'm not telling you about incase you go and get it ( It's mine when I can afford it) & banana print Topshop top.

Inspiration from Stella, Prada, Stephen Miesel, Lula Mag, 10 Magazine and more

A Fruit Print Lovers Style Icon; Carmen Miranda

Mainline John Rocha NOT Rocha.John Rocha

2011-04-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Most people think of Debenhams when they think of John Rocha. I was aware that he did have a mainline collection but always associated it with with country boutiques where the clothes are all a bit dated and mumsy - although it's these boutiques that I blame for giving me this opinion because where I grew up, they were the ones that stocked him.

Anyway, turns out I was completely wrong. His mainline collection is in fact uber cool and high fashion. Being Irish I am ashamed that I wasn't aware of this already. It was in fact a trip to D&Me boutique that made me realise how cool it was when I pulled out a great black tweed dress, and exclaimed 'What! This is John Rocha but I LOVE IT.' (yes, I did scream the 'I love it' part ). Then having looked at some runway shows and after another trip to D&Me, I love it even more. He uses an amazing mix fabrics and his collections seem to be a great balance of wearable and edgy. Plus I love the Spring/Summer '11 shoes!

As D&Me goes live online sometime soon those of us who don't live near a stockist will be able to get our hands on it.. Goodie! On my next trip to London I am going to have to visit his Dover street store. So proud that his website is .ie !

Me in the dress at D&Me (apologies that this is a pic I have posted already)

Spring Summer 2011 Collection

image from catwalkqueen.tv

Image from famemagazine.co.uk

Autmun/Winter 2011/12 (also check out mydaily.co.uk they have a great slideshow of the collection)

The Glorious Shoes

American Retro A/W 2011 Collection Reminds Me Of Marianne Faithfull!

2011-04-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

On my visit to London to take pics for a magazine (more will be explained when it is published) I had the chance to pop in and see the girls of Dee Vesali Publicity and some of their fab collections.

Unsurprisingly with my love for vintage I loved the American Retro A/W 2011 collection, especially the fur and knitwear which for a moment made me long for winter again... (hmm we haven't even had summer yet and the fashion world are dreaming of fur jackets and raincoats).

The American Retro collection reminded me of a laid back seventies girl. A while back I did a post for Vintage Threads on Marianne Faithfull.. Her style definitely sprung to mind when looking at the sheepskin jacket and fur coats!

Anyway, here are some pics of the looks. I had to pull the clothes on over my own clothes as stripping off in public is not the done thing, but I hope they give you some sort of feel for the collection.

The American Retro Fall Winter Collection 11/12 Lookbook

Yes, this is a knitted all in one!!! I love it! It is perfect for a girl with legs up to her armpits...which is not me unfortunately.

My favourite look of the collection! A shorts and cardi suit. Which, definitely should be worn together! There was also a scarf to match! Ultimate cuteness and warmness in one outfit!

The American Retro winter warmers

Marianne Faithfull's Style

Previous Years of Fashion Fringe; Sarah Easom

2011-04-08T00:55:00.001-07:00

I have been looking back at previous years of Fashion Fringe and found Sarah Easom who was part of it in 2008. With my current obsession with colours and textiles I thought her collection was definitely worth posting. Here are some pics of her previous and graduate collections!Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeousness! They remind me of Meadham Kirchoff, Mary Katrantzou and Peter Pilotto!

H&M Rip Off Missoni

2011-04-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of Missoni. I love the current campaign - love, love, love it! I also have dreams of one day being able to afford the swimwear, which for the record you can't swim in, it is to be worn for looking good whilst sunbathing only! Anyway I have this glamorous idea in my head of lounging around the beach (in St.Barts or somewhere) wearing Missoni swimwear, a straw hat and massive sunglasses.

Given my current financial situation and doubting the bank will give me a loan for swimwear shopping, this glamorous idea is not going to become a reality and I will have to make do with low end high street instead. This isn't all bad though and, as much as I would love the real thing, I am finding some great rip offs (you may have seen my previous find of a Jil Sander rip off at Primark). On the swimwear front, I have found a super Missoni rip off bikini in H&M. They had it in purple, white and orange. The purple looked cheap, white swimwear is always a risky choice so I bought myself the orange one (which actually looks pretty good against my pale skin). It is nowhere near as nice as real Missoni but I will have to make do for the moment.

I apologise for not posting a photo of me in the bikini but I am not posting a picture of myself half naked on the internet until I stop eating chocolate krispies for breakfast. Please watch the Missoni video at the bottom of this post - it's great!

A close up of the bikini

The Missoni Campaign

The Campaign video, featuring fashion favourites like Andrea Della, Jasmine Guinness and Joan Burstein. Styled by Vanessa Reid.

Get Those Things Off My Legs

2011-04-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

Recently I was tempted by a pair of red graffiti patterned Isabel Marant jeans and in a moment of forgetting both (A) my own personal style and (B) the length of my legs, I tried them on.

After pushing, pulling and squeezing them on, one glance in the mirror and it was 'get them off' as fast as possible. All I needed was a band t-shirt to expose my muffin top and a rucksack covered with tippex to make me look like one of those emo kids.

You need to be a certain kind of cool to pull of this season's coloured jeans trend and I am definitely not it. I had dreams of looking like the Marant runway girls who manage to make graffiti jeans look ultra chic but it takes a certain length of leg and lack of arse to make them look that good. To be able to afford the head to toe Marant outfit also helps..

I apologise for lack of photo of myself in said jeans, I would not horror your eyes with such a thing. This summer I will opt for a looser fit coloured trouser instead!

Unsurprisingly Alexa looks great in coloured jeans

A Smelly Vintage Outfit

2011-03-31T02:54:00.000-07:00

I have had this dress sitting in my wardrobe for a while but hadn't got round to wearing it - I had been waiting for suitable shoes to be re-healed. Also I was a little worried that I would look a little too like a witch/goth/idiot when wearing it.

Anyway, yesterday I finally dragged it out, put it on and styled it up. Then, after having my boyfriend take the photos for my blog, I had to take it off again... it stank of musty vintage clothes shop (not very attractive when you are going on a dinner date). At first I thought I could ignore it and mask the smell with perfume but it didn't work. So now it is still waiting to be worn and is sitting in a pile of clothes waiting to visit the dry cleaners where the bill will probably be as much as the dress.

Although technically the dress hasn't really had an outing I decided to blog the photos anyway. I apologise for photographing myself wearing sunglasses indoors (I know that some of you will be laughing at this), but I did it to give full outfit affect. Also, I picked them up at a market stall and I love them so wanted to show them off! They remind me of the Alexander Wang ones which I have wanted for ages but at £10 they were a fraction of the price!

Total Outfit:

Sunglasses, Random Market Stall in The Arndale, Manchester

Dress, Vintage Threads Fair, Pillbox Vintage stall

Belt, Vintage Threads Fair

Shoes, Pour La Victoire

Handbag, Givenchy

The Wang Sunglasses I want... Way cooler than mine but you get what you pay for.

Outfit Inspiration: The Olsen Twins

Image taken from geometricsleep.com

image from community.livejournal.com

Spring/Summer at Black White Denim

2011-03-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

If you are a regular follower of my blog you may remember that I blogged about my first visit to Wilmslow boutique Black White Denim a few weeks ago.

Anyway, last week a friend and I took the trip out of Manchester to visit the boutique for a fashion show where they showcased their Spring/Summer collections. We just about got there -there was a moment when I didn't think we were going to make it due to very little petrol in the car (I can blame my boyfriend for that) but luckily I managed to chug to the Asda petrol pumps in time and we weren't left at the side of the road for the evening.

What I love about this boutique is that Jo (the owner) has considered every detail so carefully and as she talked us through the package you could see how much thought had gone into the buy. She has also managed to get big designer names to produce items that are exclusive to her shop, which is impressive considering the store is so new and based in the North West. A lot of the looks were casual, on-trend jeans styled with wearable t-shirts and leather jackets - very 'off-duty'.

As I stare at my wardrobe of brightly coloured O.T.T items wondering what I'm going to wear tomorrow, I am beginning to consider taking Jo's advice next time I'm shopping and stick to 'black, white and denim'. The gorgeous detailing and finishes of the items she has chosen for the shop manage not only to be practical but also to be as exciting as a shop full of Pucci print.

Unsurprisingly, as gorgeous as the jeans and trench coats were, my favourite looks were still the more over the top, not so everyday looks. For example, the Lara Bohinc heels as supposed to the Acne Pistol boots.

From Malene Birger Swimsuits, to Mark Fast fringed dresses and Audrey Hepburn style Preen dresses. Below are some of my favourite looks from the show. (Items are available on the website)

From a throw to a turban

2011-03-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

I love head scarves, although I'm not very good at keeping them on my head... as the pictures below show, they tend to end up a little squiffy and my hair sticks out where it shouldn't.

Anyway, I had bought a piece of fabric and was using it as a throw to cover a hamper in my bedroom. I am currently not earning much money which is means I have to figure out alternative ways of re-styling the same clothes over and over again. So, in a moment of genius/stupidity ( I still haven't decided), while figuring out some more options of styling my sequin jacket - a current favourite of mine, I cut the end off my throw to us it as a head scarf. Below is how it turned out, I think I was a bit tight with the fabric.

The original throw

The back of the throw... post chopping.

On my head!

Inspiration

Legs, bums and tums

2011-03-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

It's 11p.m. on a Saturday night and I have just got home from the gym - my life is rock 'n' roll. Well, to be honest over the past few days I had fallen off the gym wagon and fallen firmly onto the wine wagon, so getting back into fitness mode was a necessity.

I am going on a beach holiday in two months and having avoided showing my bare legs for the last two years, panic has set in. Do most people have the knee overhang fat..?

Anyway, after a little bit of sale shopping and holiday outfit browsing, a shock in the fitting room mirror has motivated me to go to the gym again. It has only been three days since my last treadmill session but in this short time I have managed to put on all the weight that it had taken 2 weeks to loose!

I have accepted that I will never have long legs (until they find a way of somehow stretching them), I will never look like a runway model or be super petite like Nicole Richie, so I have to work on what I've got. There isn't a lot of me but what there is, is quite wobbly - for years I have used clever dressing to disguise this..

My motivation for dieting and gym going is my love for clothes. I have bought this super amazing and very Jessie J, Mark Fast - Faster, jumpsuit (I found it for £13!) and have my eyes on a little shorts-suit from Topshop. Both outfits require a super-hot body, so I will have to continue my gym going - I write this while munching on a bag of crisps!

The Faster Jumpsuit - love this jumpsuit, even if my boyfriends facial expression said 'oh dear god, what is she going to wear now!' when I showed it to him.

The Topshop short suit

My Gym and Fashion Inspiration; Beyonce - 'Why Don't You Love Me' video & Jessie J on Graham Norton in an amazing skin tight number.

Sequins, Patterns & Leather

2011-03-18T01:38:00.000-07:00

Recently I went on a short trip to Liverpool to see the absolutely lovely Susie of Style Bubble and Stevie of Discotheque Confusion who were at Topshop giving a talk about blogging. The night before at about 11 o'clock I suddenly realised that I was in desperate need of a trip to the dry cleaners and finding anything to wear for the next few days was going to be a challenge - so finding something suitable to wear to meet two style icons was going to be even more difficult!

My current favourite (which also happens to be clean) outfit is the lightning outfit.A lightning print shirt and trousers from Whistles. The problem with this option was that Susie also has this outfit and recently posted about it whilst on a window dressing trip to Dolce & Gabanna.. So, for fear of looking like a stalker freak fan I couldn't wear this look . However, the lightening shirt was the only clean top that I had....

The Original Lightning Print Outfit

So, I decided to think beyond the lightening on lightening look and go for a clashing print instead of a matching print. It surprised me when this outfit worked, usually when I plan an outfit in my head it never looks so good on. In the end the only problem I had was that the lapels on the shirt got in the way of the neckline of the jacket.

The lightening shirt re-worked

Sequin Jacket, vintage from Vintage Threads Fair, Manchester. Lightning print shirt, Whistles. Chain belt, vintage from Vintage Threads Fair. Leather shorts, Topshop. Clogs, Topshop. Lipstick, MAC.

INSPIRATION

Ashish Spring/Summer 11 (image from elle.com)

Dolce and Gabbana Fall/Winter 11 (image, style.com)

Miu Miu Spring/Summer 10 (image style.com)

And the film I have been most influenced by, The Runaways. I love Cherrie's/Dakota's style in this film, sequins and bright colours with a rock and roll edge.

D&Me Love

2011-03-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

If I were to describe my dream shop, I would describe something with a mix of vintage and designer, with lots of outrageous brightly coloured pieces.... Who knew this shop actually existed?!! I was lucky enough to have a guided tour with their brand manager Jessica Hannan, whose quirky style fits perfectly with the shop fit (see the picture above).

It is situated in a dream location in Chelsea, opposite Chanel and beside Joseph. There are two floors of gorgeous vintage, their own brand One Vintage (re worked vintage pieces - you may have seen this on Net-A-P orter) and contemporary designerwear by Helmut Lang, Iro, John Rocha, Goat ( a Victoria Beckham favourite) and Charlotte Olympia to name but a few. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked the John Rocha pieces- why had I been under the impression this was a granny brand, it's not at all!

The whole shop is glorious, there is even a cabinet with several vintage Chanel bags inside -their speciality! It is the sort of shop that you could visit and buy your entire wardrobe each season, having something for every occasion and never bump into anyone in the same outfit.

Then there was the upstairs... the hidden away store and sewing room ( I was lucky enough to be allowed see it), with rails of their One Vintage stock about to be sent to Net A Porter, loads of vintage accessories and items waiting to hit the shop floor. It's like a massive fancy dress room and had I had more time I could have happily spent hours adorning myself with feather boas and gold chains!

I do believe this shop was made with me in mind. They even sell Helmut Lang jeans... the only brand that makes denim I can fit my sizable bottom into! Although if I had all this gorgeousness to pick from I think jeans would be the last thing on my wish list.

Not only was the product great but the shopgirls are lovely, stylish and are fellow bloggers,http://dandmeshopgirls.blogspot.com/

Some of the accessories

Rails of gorgeousness

Playing dress up in some of my favourite finds

The John Rocha dress - I want it! So cool with boots yet would be ultra chic with heels (I'm thinking YSL tributes)

Bling like Mr.T

2011-03-09T00:55:00.000-08:00

I am a massive fan of bling, I love anything gold and shiny that can hang from my neck. I once got accused of being like Mr.T at the security checkpoint in Dublin airport as I off loaded my numerous chains. It’s not only gold bling for the neck that I love but I have a secret weakness for Pat Butcher clip ons and 80's like bangles. On a more sophisticated style icon note I also admire how Catherine Baba layers her bangles, both vintage and designer.

I seem to have lost and broken a lot of this gold tat that used to weigh my neck down and I miss it a lot. It was great for lazy styling, the simplest outfit looks much more exciting with over the top accessories. This is why as I was flicking through photos I took at the Manchester Vintage fair; VintageThreads. I wondered how I only came home with sunglasses! I definitely hadn’t had enough caffeine (or perhaps money in my purse) that day or else my jewellery box would now be full to the brim.

Dear Personal Shopper

2011-03-08T03:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Personal Shoppers of my fantasy land,

I would really appreciate it if you could have your buyers order all the looks below in a size 8 ( I am working hard at the gym). I plan to look fantastic next Autumn/Winter and this would really help!

Kind Regards,

Siobhan

Someone once told me that they had thought about working in fashion but decided that they'd get a job where they would earn enough to buy great fashion. I think they may have been on to something.

Haider Ackermann

Mugler

Lanvin

Gareth Pugh

Ann Demeulmeester

Emanuel Ungaro

Stella McCartney

Chloe

Yves Saint Laurent

Black White Denim

2011-03-02T02:02:00.000-08:00

Well I finally made the trip to see new Wilmslow boutique Black White Denim. I had been meaning to get there for a while having heard wonderful things about it, so I picked up Fiona of FashionMusicEquals and braved the short car journey out of Manchester city centre (I have a terrible habit of never leaving unless it's to go to London) to visit their rails of gorgeousness! These rails are filled with easy to wear pieces from Acne, Preen Line and By Malene Birger to name but a few. All items are black, white or denim (the clue is in the name). As if what was on the rails was not enough to get my fashion taste buds going, I was delighted to find a great selection of Lara Bohinc accessories (I can't think of anywhere else nearby that stocks her) and a small selection of vintage designer sunglasses!

My favourite items were pretty much all of Acne, especially the lightweight coats and a sheer Zoe Tee's dress with splits up either side. Fiona is a massive fan of basics and was partial to the Splendid and Zoe Tee's t-shirts with cute detailing! Unsurprisingly I was attracted to the more extravagant pieces.

Beyond the shop floor rails was the personal shopping room upstairs, which contained the most gorgeous pricier pieces by Marios Shwab and Preen. There was a certain leather Shwab dress that I can't get out of my mind! It would look equally awesome with biker boots as it would with killer heels.....(there I go again trying to justify it to myself by calculating cost per wear). It is £2200 but worth every penny if you have it; unfortunately I don't.

There are lots of justifiable price points though. I spotted striped By Malene Birger shorts for £39. I am considering living on beans on toast for the rest of the month so I can have a small splurge.....Luckily I have managed to block the pin for my credit card so no damage could be done. If budget had not been a problem I would be ordering another wardrobe to contain my purchases!

For those of you who thought you could avoid the temptation because you live too far away, forget it!! You better have your wallets ready because their online shop goes live on the 17th of March.

On our guided tour with the Charlotte, the creative director of the online store.

The Denim Wall

A super cute By Malene Birger dress

Gorgeous, gorgeous accessories. There was even a small splash of colour here.

The Marios Shwab dream dress. I just love the details.

Fiona trying some far from boring basics.

My wish list; an Acne coat a sheer Zoe Tee's dress. (I apologise for my ridiculous facial expressions.)

I want to be the Dolce girl!

2011-02-28T02:51:00.000-08:00

I have loved so many of the A/W shows but if I had to choose one brand to wear next winter it would be Dolce. I am aware that the shows haven't finished and there may be others that might I prefer but I doubt it! The show was split into two sections, the feminine girls and the androgynous girls.

I would definitely opt for the girly look, the androgyny side reminded my of Agyness Deyn and is not something that I can pull off! However on the girly side, I loved the sparkle, prints and fur details. The looks were fun, stylish and for the most part easy(ish) to wear, although long legs are needed for flat brogues and ankle socks.

I am currently pulling pieces from my wardrobe to try and figure out how I will recreate the look myself without the budget of a Dolce customer. Turns out that without a star print dress and the quality of Dolce tailoring it is going to be pretty hard to do! I will get back to you when I have figured out how I am going to do it... I do have a hat, some fur and navy print trousers which is a start!

Some looks from the show (images all style.com)

Style in Manchester

2011-02-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

Two cute style spots! Love her collar. Love his boots!

A Jil Sander rip off at Primark

2011-02-22T07:32:00.000-08:00

I was cutting through Primark on the way to the gym when I spotted a ballooning blue and white striped maxi dress; Primark's take on a Jil Sander number. I am sure everyone who follows me knows that Jil Sander was my favourite Spring/Summer collection, the prints and shapes made me drool!

I had to have it and in fear that it would sell out I dashed to the till. Realising I didn't have my debit card on me, I went for the credit card but as I have never used it I proceeded to exceed my pin entries! I wasn't going to be able to make it back for two days and apparently Primark don't hold things for their customers (I'll be reporting this to Mary Portas). Anyway, the stress of the whole situation meant I even had a dream/nightmare that I quit my job to work for Primark... Lucky for me most people don't want to look like they are wearing a tent and Primark make hundreds of each item so the dress is now mine.

After the initial excitement wore off, I was left feeling guilty that I really should be supporting the designers and not buy cheap knock offs that have probably been made by some poor child... but unfortunately my budget does not allow me to think like that. I really really would have loved the original as I am sure it would look and feel glorious, plus the fabric would be heavier, less see through and it had pockets .... but until the euro millions is lucky for me I will have to make do with cheap knock off.

Black And White

2011-02-18T02:09:00.001-08:00

For those of you who have read this post on my other blog I apologise. I am now committing to this blog only so I am transferring my most recent post.

I was inspired by this super cute outfit I spotted on a girl at Vintage Threads at the beginning of the month. This season everyone is talking about bright colours but black and white is one of those looks that doesn't go out of fashion and although it hasn't been championed as a Spring/Summer trend it was seen at runway shows such as Givenchy and Chanel.

Her look reminds me of Gareth Pugh's Spring/Summer '11 collection with her hair pulled on top of her head. I absolutely love her Office shoes! I sometimes forget what a great high street store that is and in the miserable weather we had she was brave to wear heels. The cardi was great too, with stripes on one side, blocks on the other. It was the interesting details in the shoes and the cardi balanced with a block black dress that really made this outfit work. I like how she has added just a splash of colour with her red bag. It is nothing like anything I would ever carry, with a patchwork bag there is always a risk of looking like a 1990's hippie, but she pulled it off.

The crop

2011-02-16T01:45:00.000-08:00

Recently(ish) I had all my hair chopped off. For those of you who know me or have followed my blog for a long time you may have noticed that I am a fan of changing my hair. It has been pink, it has been bobbed, it has been long, it has been blonde!

Having had it really short I am trying to grow it out so I can get a perm as I have not had one of those yet. This is something I have been trying to do for quite a while now but keep getting impatient and chopping it all off again.

At the moment although it is still really short I have had it cut into a little Mia Farrow esque crop. It had previously been more similar to Sinead O'Connor which I loved but unfortunately, given the fact I am Irish it had caused much entertainment and mocking.

With this new crop I feel I should be elegant and sophisticated, like Mia Farrow and the two more current crop icons, Emma Watson and Carey Mulligan. For this reason I have decided not to colour it. (There was a panic that underneath the layers of hair dye it was grey, but it's growing out more of a mousey brown - exciting!) I am also experimenting with less make up, hoping that I look chic and stylish like the actresses mentioned above but I am a little bit scared that I may look more like a boy!

Both this haircut and the previous one were done at Trevor Sorbie Manchester.

Mia Farrow - so gorgeous!

Emma Watson
Carey Mulligan

Canary Yellow!

2011-02-01T02:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was sorting through the delivery at work (the most exciting part of the day) when I discovered a most gorgeous highlighter yellow Roskandra Ilincic dress on the rail. Behind this was a glowing canary colored piece by Jil Sander. My current love for nudes and creams disappeared in an instant!

After work I was flicking through Elle Collections whilst on the exercise bike at the gym. My eye was immediately drawn to the life in technicolour pages where Pantone 107U and 1205U shone out of the pages! I had a flash back to 2006 when Michelle Williams wore the stunning Vera Wang number to the oscars (yes it was that long ago, I was shocked too).

This summer I am going to have to brave the highlighter colour. I am not sure I'll be brave enough to mix it up with lace like Christopher Kane. (How does that man always manage to make something that should be so wrong look so right!) I will cheer myself up through the pretty grim British summer with a ray of sunshine dress! If anyone wants to treat me to a Roskandra number feel free!

Christopher Kane S/S '11

Jil Sander S/S 11

Miu Miu S/S 11

Roskanda Ilincic Resort '11

Luxury in Nudes and Whites

2011-01-27T03:39:00.001-08:00

I don’t want to wear black at the moment, nor am I feeling the bright 'pop' colours I usually crave for. One thing I am loving though is flesh and ivory tones in delicate chiffons and silks. My inspiration; the haute couture shows. I wish I was Daphne Guinness ordering dresses that only dreams are made of.

Karl Lagerfield's inspiration at Chanel came from 1920's ballet artist Marie Laurencin and brought a floaty feminine feel the brand. The Ellie Saab, Alexis Mabille and Valentino shows may not have been inspired by ballet but the dresses were so elegant and in such beautiful shades of nude and white that they just oozed luxury. As per usual there were a few wedding dress options that would cost more than most peoples weddings. Perhaps I could just buy a dress instead of having a wedding?

If the couture shows weren't enough for me to drool at, I am going to see The Black Swan this weekend where the designers of the moment, Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, have designed the costumes. I am so looking forward to seeing these dresses in motion. Also, if you have read the current issue of Lula magazine you will understand why I am obsessed with the layers of cream and whites in Rodarte's previous collections.

As I am usually a black or bright colours fan I don't have many of nudes in my wardrobe. I am going have to scour charity shops for wedding dresses to re-work into day dresses.

Rodarte Autumn/Winter 2010

Ellie Saab

Valentino

Chanel

Alexis Mabille

A very elegant cat fight.

2011-01-18T01:39:00.000-08:00

If you are going to have a cat fight do it in Lanvin.

It is perhaps unsurprising that I love the new Lanvin campaign. It pictures girls fighting over lusted after Lanvin bags and who could blame them, those bags look pretty gorgeous to me!

It is by far the most interesting campaign I have seen so far this season, filled with drama and with even the surrounding decor oozing glamour and decadence. I just hope no dresses got torn, that would have been a terrible waste.

Models: Iselin Steiro & Kinga Rajzak
Photographer: Steven Meisel
Stylist: Alber Elbaz
Hair: Guido Palau
Makeup: Pat Mcgrath

Frantic, style and dancing

2011-01-07T02:55:00.000-08:00

I watched the film Frantic the other night. The film was pretty poor but Emmanuelle Seigner's character was pretty great with an amazing leather dress (which reminded me of Balmain) and some fantastic dance moves (which I am going to practice for myself this weekend).

She isn't an actress that I had heard anything about but she reminded me of model Natalie Vodianova is never a bad thing. So to save you watching the entire film here are some pics and a video clip of the amazing dance moves.

Pixie Geldolf's style inspiration perhaps?

Vintage Thread's purchases

2011-01-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Over the last few months I have been blogging for Manchester Fashion Network's vintage market, Vintage Threads. I have been to a few of the fairs and spent a lot of time hunting through the stock for things that catch my eye. Some items I just photograph and others I just can’t resist...subsequently my wallet has become a bit emptier but my wardrobe much fuller.

I have bought an 80's sequined jacket, a 70's maxi dress and a fabulous hat amongst other items. As promised on the Vintage Thread's blog, over the next few days I will post about what I have bought and how I plan to wear them.

Item Number 1 : 1980's sequin floral jacket, £25. I have worn it once and have lots of other outfits planned with it. With a loose t-shirt, hotpants and boots, Spring/Summer '11 Ashish style, also over my floor length green Halston Heritage. It's a size 18 so needs whatever I wear underneath it to either, be fitted or show my legs.

On display at Vintage Threads

Worn the day I bought it with a skinny black top, sequin

Markus Lupfer leggings, a Topshop scarf, BCBG chainmail bag and vintage clip on earrings (£5)

Ashish Spring/Summer '11

Item Number 2 : Red and white striped dress from the Jeny and Amberstall at Vintage Threads, £10. I think this was made by the girls themselves. I've worn it once with a very large Urban Oufitters bow on my head, like Minnie Mouse.

Tom Ford SS '11

2011-01-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

I had seen the pictures in Harpers and heard all the hype but hadn't seen the video until reading DisneyRollerGirl's blog today.

All I can say is WOW. Fringing, animal print, sequins, headscarves and all manner of things I love. If one word could describe it, it would be 'GLAMOUR'.

I am buying two lottery tickets this Friday and when you see me swooshing around in the floor length fringed dress you will know that my numbers were lucky. Tom Ford, I salute you!

NYE OUTFIT!

2011-01-01T15:30:00.001-08:00

I purchased this Whistles blouse a while ago and had wanted the trousers to team with it but hadn't had the funds in the bank. To my absolute delight they went into the Selfridges sale and I had been given a gift card! Wahoo! I was going to wear them with Dries Van Noten gold shoes (as seen in the second pic) but opted for my cheap as chips Topshop clogs (as seen in the first pic) as a nod to one of the 2010's biggest footwear trend!

New Favourite Photographer, Saga Sig

2010-12-30T02:29:00.001-08:00

Recently I keep hearing about this young London based photographer Saga Sig, and looking at her work it is no surprise that everyone is singing her praises!Her work is relaxed and fresh, with lots of textures and colours and she has been collaborating with some great stylists!

(Images of girls from St.Martins styled by Sam Voulters)

(Styled by Jessica Hannan)

(Nazir Mazhar's hat collection styled by Matthew Josephs)

(Styled by Justine Josephs)

Harvey Nichols Christmas Add - Too Cute!

2010-12-16T04:02:00.000-08:00

This is my dream shop! Puppies and clothes!

2010-11-30T02:43:00.000-08:00

Some great youtube videos that have recently been shared with me! Genius!

A future Irish fashion designer?

I really want to do a shoot with this pony!

I am very excited

2010-11-22T03:39:00.000-08:00

I currently own only one piece of Lanvin due to my small wardrobe budget. It's a necklace that I bought in the sale last Christmas and I love it. However, tomorrow Lanvin for H&M launches at 9am; I will be dragging myself out of bed to H&M, via Starbucks!

I do have this horrible feeling that I will want it to be as nice as real Lanvin but as it is 1/5 of the price I doubt it will be. I also have that excited panicked feeling that I will want it all but will have to make decisions due to budget; do I choose the dress or the shoes?

I will be meeting the gorgeous, fellow blogger, Jo Teasdale first thing to get our place in the queue... I was tempted to make the online shopping choice but for fear of computer crashing etc, I think going to the shop is a safer idea. I have my fingers crossed that there will be a minority as sad as us to get up so early for our fix and that I will not have to battle for the best bits.

Why I Love Fashion

2010-11-01T13:47:00.001-07:00

I know.. I have already tweeted a link to this video and all you fashion lovers have most likely been to the shop and purchased your 10 magazine. However I am still obsessed with this video though and tweeting about it wasn't good enough, I needed to blog about it too!

Why such love you may ask?... I think you just have to watch it to find out. I love Anna Dello Russo I love that she has so much fun with fashion, I love all her bling and the way her shoes are just wow, wow, wow. I can never imagine her thinking 'I just need to buy myself some basics'. Plus, how good is her dog standing still for the photos!

I recently had all my hair chopped off and was having a bit of a 'style crisis' but watching this has cheered me up. I'm feeling much more inspired about searching through both my floordrobe and wardrobe for tomorrows outfit! I'm just wishing I had more than one piece of Lanvin to choose from.

BRITAIN'S NEXT TOP MODEL STYLE ICON WORKSHOP

2010-10-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

What a day... exhausting but fun! I was running two style icon workshops at Britain's Next Top Model Live. I presented three of the key trends of the season; leopard print, country chic and ladylike. I talked about 'wearing it your own way', taking current trends and adopting them to your own style rather than letting the trend take you over. More about them throughout the week on The Way To Wear It. For now here are some pictures of me (in my new Whistles blouse - love! Jealous that Suzie Bubble has the trousers to match -I'm saving!) with my Madonna microphone and some of the fabulous style around the show.

My Style Icon Workshop

Gemma Cairney, giving styling advice on how to keep warm with Global Cool at The Style Icon Workshops

Style Spotting

BRITAIN'S NEXT TOP MODEL LIVE

2010-10-23T12:12:00.001-07:00

After a very very long drive from Manchester I finally arrived at Britain’s Next Top Model Live. Yes, I know, a day after most people. As my style icon workshops aren’t until tomorrow I had the chance to wander about style spotting, shopping and taking in the sights.

The highlight of the day was the BNTM Catwalk show where the Britain’s Next Top Model fans can see their favourite girl walking, along with a great show and dancing.

There was a lot of style about and the three trends I have chosen for my wokshop were definitely being sported around the show, but more about them later (I will be blogging them on The Way To Wear It next week).For now I will post some pictures of the catwalk and my favourite style spots of the day!

THE STYLE

THE SHOW

Inspiration

2010-10-11T01:19:00.001-07:00

Style Inspiration; Sarah Cobb

2010-08-20T02:15:00.001-07:00

I have been thinking about how to dress this winter and have been inspired by stylist Sarah Cobb. I'm not sure how practical dressing like an editorial is though... also it would require a lot of shopping with no budget. I always think it is good to look beyond the obvious 'these are the trends for the season' when dressing. Here are some images of Sarah Cobb's work, they are all so luxorious and quirky.

The Way to Wear It; Glamour Goth

2010-08-08T03:05:00.000-07:00

Check out my new posts on my new blog The Way To Wear it There is a post on Simple everyday chic and a more recent one on glamour goth.

xxxx

Below are a few samples of images and the link is http://thewaytowearit.blogspot.com

The way To Wear It

2010-07-09T08:12:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone.

I have apologise for my lack of blogging recently. I am in the middle of moving house and have just started another blog so have had to put this one on the back burner for a while. Please check out my new blog http://thewaytowearit.blogspot.com/2010/07/way-to-wear-it-summer-prints.html. That is the link to the first post. It's a blog to help people wear and shop for styles and trends. My first blog is on summer prints with inspiration taken from some images like these. Please check it out and follow as it is going to be my main blog from now on. But don't worry I will have the occasional fashionblogger post too.

Models causing controversy

2010-06-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

There is, and always has been, an obsession with models and their behaviour, their eating habits, what keeps them and their bodies so beautiful. The start of the supermodel era brought in the sexy and demanding models. They drank Cristal, travelled by Concord and Linda Evangelista once famously said that she wouldn't get out of bed for less that $10000. It was the Versace era of glamour, where behaviour like Naomi Campbell’s was accepted and designers would do anything to get these girls in their shows. Their excessive partying and drinking was seen as cool.

Then came the 90's; glamour was out and grunge was in. Kate Moss was the favourite face on the front covers, but with this came more criticism. The press said they were too thin and this encouraged anorexia and drug taking, with Bill Clinton saying “fashion photos in the last few years have made heroin addiction seem glamorous and sexy and cool.”

After this it was Sophie Dahl and the Yves Saint Laurent Opium advert, which was seen as offensive and had over 740 complaints in the United States. She represented someone who had too much of everything; too much love, too much sex and too much food. There had been a growth in the economy and, with Tom Ford at the head of Gucci, glamour was back in.

More recently we have seen another group of young models come to the forefront. It had become all about new faces and older models found it difficult to keep work. In 2006 three models died from anorexia and under 16 models were banned from London Fashion week. However, it is now fashionable for models to have a personality and boobs, and although a lot of sample sizes will not fit some of the bigger name models, designers will work around them.

Sadly, there will always be controversy though. Even if models like Lara Stone represent a healthy body, when they take their clothes off there are always going to be some people who are offended.

The original supermodels walking for Versace

Kate Moss and the 'heroin chic' controversy

The infamous Opium Advert

The Gucci Ad where Carmen Kass had shaved her pubis hair into the shape of a G

Lara Stone on the front cover of LOVE magazine

The stylish way to get around

2010-06-17T01:41:00.000-07:00

The new stylish way to get around seems to be by bicycle. It's eco friendly, seems a little bit retro and gives you a chance to show off your outfit. It's quicker than walking and it is perhaps more comfortable to cycle in heels than to walk in them. In the recent hot weather I have seen lots of stylish cyclists out and about and have been tempted to give it a go. I have resisted as however glamorous they make it look I am pretty sure I'd end up on the concrete in a sweaty mess with my scarf caught in the chain and my heel snapped off by the peddle.

The guy that nearly sold me a bike before I remembered how clumsy I was... He sells ones similar to this on Thomas street in manchester for £32. Some are painted really bright colours!

My favourite cycling style icon, Catherine Baba. Cycling in YSL tributes made look easy! (Images taken from jakandjil.com)

Other fashion conscious cyclists.

Style at the CFDA Awards

2010-06-08T03:24:00.001-07:00

It's one of the most glamorous nights of the fashion year and it recognizes outstanding contributions made to American fashion by individuals. Below are some of my favourite looks from last nights CFDA awards.

And the winner is... Marc Jacobs, Womenswear designer of the year.

Marc Jacobs Autumn Winter 2010 collection

Mary-kate and Ashley in The Row. I always love how they layer, their style is 'thrown together chic' perfected.

So Summery! Jessica Biel in Diane von Furstenberg.

Simple yet very chic. Vera Wang in her own design.

Jessica Stam in Giambattista Valli. I'm not sure about her hair but I love, love, love the dress.

Dakota Fanning in Marchesa with a Jennifer Behr headpiece and Brian Atwood shoes. She looks so pretty and youthful! Sometimes it's difficult for younger celebs to get an age appropriate yet red carpet look but here, Dakota succeeds.
Vogue's Tanne Goodman, Eleanor Lambert Award Winner, in Michael Kors. I love the way she has styled a casual shirt an evening skirt, it was quite a risk for her to take!
Sarah Jessica Parker turns up wearing a pre-autumn 2010 Alexander McQueen dress. This beautifully colourful dress is part of McQueen pre-autumn range and was handppicked for her by Sarah Burton. I love the print, the colours and the shape!
Iris Apfel is proof that we can be stylish at any age! Here she is in Balenciaga and Alexis Bittar Jewelry, with Accessory designer of the year Alexis Bittar.

Coco Rocha

2010-06-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

My two all time favourite models are Coco Rocha and Karen Elson so I decided they both deserved a blog post! So, Coco first; The canadian model was spotted at the age of 14 at an Irish dancing competition by Charles Stuart, she has since worked for most of the top brands, from Dolce and Gabbana to Chanel to Jean Paul Gaultier. I have posted pictures and videos of her just to show how versatile yet unique she is.

Coco dancing down the Runway at the Gaultier Fall/Winter '07 show. She says Irish dancing really helped her with her confidence on the runway but she had to learn to loosen up with the top half of her body when being photographed.

Coco dancing in her earlier days.
Coco was photographed by Steven Meisel for her first Vogue Italia cover. She worked exclusively with him for a few months and he really helped promote her.

Clips of Coco on the Runway

A summery 70's floaty floral feeling!

2010-05-25T00:59:00.000-07:00

The influence of 70's fashion has been obvious this season. It has mainly been spoken about with the safari trend but floaty floral 'Ossie Clark inspired' looks have also been huge and now that the weather is nice this look will be seen on the street even more! Below are some images of this look as seen in the 70's and recent runway pieces that show a 70's influence. I have also posted a video of model turned singer Karen Elson singing her new song 'Cruel Summer'. I love the backdrop of this video, Karen always has a very feminine vintage feeling to her clothes.

As much as I love shoulder pads and a grunge image; Givenchy and Balmain style, sometimes it's nice to be a girly girl!

Natalia Vodianova in Spring/Summer 10 Stella McCartney

Roberto Cavalli Spring/Summer 10

Issey Miyake Spring/Summer 10

Kenzo Autumn/Winter '10

I love Ossie Clark

Sartorialist image of Danish supermodel Willy Van Rooy Paris 1970

The Birkin Family

2010-05-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

Having just read an interview in Harpers Bazaar with Jane Birkin, I thought I must blog about her, both her style and her incredibly interesting and also stylish daughters.

Jane first met the designer for Hermes whilst on a flight and at the time she was known for carrying a picnic basket instead of a bag. They got talking and when she explained why she didn't find bags practical he designed one especially for her; the much sought after Hermes Birkin Bag!! It perfectly embodies her personal style; practical chic! You can definitely see how her style has inspired her daughters!

JANE BIRKIN

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG

LOU DOILLON

Feeling Like a Magpie!

2010-05-12T11:09:00.001-07:00

There's nothing like a bit of sparkle, especially if you want to stand out in a crowd. Wearing some jewels or a sequin dress generally means that you will look smarter and will cheer you up on a dull day! Here are some of my favourite pictures of the look... done in a very elegant non tacky way....

Freja Beha Vogue Italia March 2010

Anna Della Russo's shoes!

Daphne Guinness in Vogue Italia September 2008

Lanvin Spring Summer '10

Prada Spring Summer '10

Chanel Resort '11

Anna Della Russo in Miu Miu

Marta Marzotto (a blogpost on this very stylish woman will come soon!)

Nicole Richie in Marc Jacobs

Chanel Iman in Michael Kors

The House Party

2010-05-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Another exciting house party in Kro bar was had, with lots of new faces and exciting tunes. I had a bit of a mission with my outfit as I had planned on a maxi dress summer look but the weather was not on my side so I opted for a more wintery look. I am loving Courtney Love at the moment so i was thinking of red lips and a bit of a grungy look... but it doesn't seem quite so effective without the peroxide hair.hmmm... this girl did the Courtney look much better than me!

STYLE SPOT OF THE NIGHT! These girls reminded me of the Daisy Lowe, Pixie Geldoff lot! With their little shorts and belly tops!

Some images that the girls above may be inspired by!

Underwear as Outwear Trend

2010-04-27T03:39:00.000-07:00

Its a massive trend for the season... and has been a massive trend of the past (think Madonna in Jean Paul Gaultier). If done right it looks chic and fabulous but if done wrong it can look hmm.... tacky! The trick is to wear clothes inspired by underwear rather than just underwear. If you do decide to show your actual underwear then only have just a little bit on show. To just dabble with the style perhaps try a sheer top with a beautiful bra (although make sure the bra isn't too sheer as well, no one should flash their n*pples!). Most importantly please remember one thing; Beyonce may be able to pull of a corset and knicker set on stage, but this is on stage and the look should not be copied for a night out with the girls! It also requires a certain body shape... flatter chests are a major plus!

THE TREND IN THE SPRING/SUMMER '10 SHOWS

Stella McCartney

Alexander Wang

Dolce and Gabanna

John Galliano

Jean Paul Gaultier
Versus (By Christopher Kane)
ON THE CELEBRITIES

WHEN DONE BADLY.....

HOW THE LOOK HAS BEEN SHOWN FOR NEXT SEASON
Dolce and Gabanna
Alexander Wang
Antonio Berardi
Preen

Shopgirl to Stylist Entry

2010-04-20T01:42:00.000-07:00

There is a competition on Elle UK called "Shopgirl to Stylist!" It's for shopgirls who want to be stylists... hence the name! To enter you have to answer a few questions and upload a picture of you (or a friend) in an outfit you have styled! I have now completed my entry and uploaded my picture so my fingers, eyes and toes are crossed!
The photo I choose to upload was a picture of me on a recent sunny day. The sun has gone to my head and I have been wearing lots of bright colours and have been opting for massive sunglasses in replace of my geek-chic spectacles!

Over the winter I was loving the Wang, Balmain, Helmut Lang look but right now all I want to wear (if only I could afford it) is Dries Van Noten and the current Miu Miu collection - which incase you hadn't noticed, I am slightly obsessed with!

Below are some pictures of me in the chosen outfit; I am wearing a French Connection scarf as a Turban (I think Turbans might turn into a bit of a theme for me this summer, they add instant chic to an outfit), H&M sunglasses and a vintage shirt which I got for £10 in Manchester's best vintage shop Rags to Bitches. My necklaces are from Topshop and the trousers are Topshop Unique. My bag is Miu Miu (and a very impractical colour in a city where it rains all the time...I didn't think that purchase through!), and my shiny golden shoes are Dries Van Noten, borrowed from my lovely friend Kim (who has the most amazing shoe collection)! Anyway please log on to http://shopgirl.elleuk.com/contestants/siobhan-cooper and vote for me if you love the look!

MY ENTRY OUTFIT!

MY INSPIRATIONS!

Miu Miu (current season)

Dries Van Noten (every season ever)

Loulou de la Falaise

Catherine Baba

Vika Gazinskaya

Grey Gardens

Double Denim. The trend that shouldn't work

2010-04-14T02:05:00.000-07:00

It's a trend of this season that really shouldn’t work, just cast your mind back to the late 90s when Britney and B*witched wore it oh so not so well. But this season it is back and it is stylish, be wary though because there is definitely a certain way to wear it. Please don’t take the denim jacket and boot-cut jeans route, and also steer clear of head to toe dark denim. It needs a rougher look, with relaxed styling and paler denims (although don't opt for white).

The new way to wear double denim

The looks that put us off Double Denim... and the scary thought; someone actually styled these people and got paid for doing it!