Tag Archives: Fashion

Layering for Work with Modcloth

Posted on January 21, 2015 | 5 comments

Smart Casual ModCloth by alleyhopes

Guys, how much do you love ModCloth? If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a US site, which ships to the UK, selling awesome threads and accessories, cute and quirky homewares and it caters to all sizes. When I was contacted recently to put together a layered style board, I was only too happy to spend an evening pursuing the site (and making a good old Polyvore board)

Since I’ve started a new job recently, I’ve been navigating the dreaded ‘smart casual’ minefield (too smart? Too casual? Every office seems to differ). Plus, being January, it’s bloody freezing ’till about 1pm when the heating kicks on. Layers are needed!

My starting point was the rather cozy looking velvet leggings in a nice deep red – possible to dress up or down and adds a pop of colour. Next a longline shirt would be great for keeping things smart when the CEO’s about and cool when’s it’s needed. A neat scarf is handy to throw on if you’re getting a draft, or venturing to the photocopier room (why is it always freezing in there?! Just me?), while the monochrome cardigan will keep you snug on the tea run. Modcloth know the benefits of a good cardi so have all bases covered (I was tempted by this jawsome shark one but thought it wasn’t really in keeping with the theme!) check them all out here. Smart-casual achieved.

Check out the links below. And tell me, what’s your typical workday outfit?

Black white cardigan
£40 – modcloth.com

Shirts blouse
£23 – modcloth.com

Skinny pants
£20 – modcloth.com

Black shoes
£30 – modcloth.com

Wooden Ships chevron scarf
£36 – modcloth.com

Kikkerland office accessory
£8.57 – modcloth.com

5 Comments

Posted in Home, Wear

Tagged Accessories, Clothes, Fashion, Modcloth, polyvore, Shoes, Style, Wear, Wearing, Wishlist

Disaster Designs Book Club | StreetHub Competition

Posted on December 16, 2014 | 3 comments

Disaster Designs Lost in the Apothecary Book Clutch I have always been a bag addict. For some women it’s all about the shoes, for others, it’s jewellery, but for me, my accessory of choice has always been the bag. And top of my wishlist for a while now has been a book clutch. So when StreetHub offered to send me one by Disaster Designs, I was pretty chuffed.

StreetHub is a website that gathers together local designers, making it easy to shop small online as well as discover independent sellers. Currently, they are based in London and Brighton but have plans to extend into more cities.

Disaster Designs Lost in the Apothecary Book Clutch

On to the bag. I love the vintage style of book that’s been chosen. The antique gold with the filigree and floral lilac design printed on the red leather-look PVC are a perfect complement to the “Lost in the Apothecary” title. It can be worn in three ways – as a clutch, using the wrist strap or using the shoulder strap provided. I like the flexibility that this provides and as the straps are both thin, you can take them with you in case you want to switch it up.

Disaster Designs Lost in the Apothecary Book Clutch

This one is a good size with the large compartment separated into two by a zippered pouch. The book theme continues inside with the lining patterned with book pages and a book plate logo.

Disaster Designs Lost in the Apothecary Book Clutch

I’d wear it wristlet style with a plain black dress (Primark), my Duo Preston boots*, a studded belt (Missguided) and a skull print fur lined shawl (River Island). Perfect for a late night event at the museum or casual drinks with the ladies.

The Lost in the Apothecary Book Club Clutch* is available here for £37.50. StreetHub also have a pretty fab Pinterest page (where I’m submitting an image from this post to enter a competition) so check it out here for inspiration of all kinds, from personal style to interiors.

3 Comments

Posted in Home, Wear

Tagged Accessories, Bag, Fashion, OOTD, Outfit, Style, Wear, WIWT

Christmas Gift Guide | For Her

Posted on November 26, 2014 | 1 comment

Christmas Gift Guide for Her 2014

Top row, left to right: Matalan Alphabet Scarf (£10); Yankee Candle Candy Cane Lane Large Jar (£19.99); Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham (£16.99); Ohh Deer Hope Cushion by Chris Wharton (£34.95).

A scarf is always a good bet for Christmas – it is cold after all – and this year it’s all about the preppy initial scarf from Matalan. 100% of the profits go to Alder Hay Children’s Hospital, so not only are you getting someone a celebrity favourite, but you’re helping out a good cause too. Warm fuzzy feeling commence. I am a bit obsessed with Yankee Candle at the moment, I honestly sit and watch their slots on QVC all the time. My current festive favourite is Candy Cane Lane – a sweet combo of peppermint and vanilla. I’m sure it’ll have universal appeal. Lena Dunham’s memoirs have provoked quite a bit of controversy so whether you’re a fan or not, Not That Kind of Girl is an interesting read. Call me sexist, but I’ve never met a woman that doesn’t love a good throw cushion. The Ohh Deer website has lots of great options from popular artists. They’re pricey for a cushion, but a real treat for an illustration fan. I obviously love the one with my name on it.

Bottom row, left to right: Paperchase Noted Black Leather Notebook (£25), Dark Romance Gold Hole Punch (£5) and Dark Romance Gold Stapler (£6); Frends Layla Headphones in Rose Gold (£129); River Island Black Studded Tote Bag (£50); Chelsea Peers Snow Rabbit Christmas Lounge Top and Pant Set (£35).

A good quality notebook or diary is always well received and Paperchase have a great selection. You can go for pretty, glittery, or classic like the one above and everything in between. For frivolities sake, why not chuck in gold desk accessories. Paperchase list them as “essentials” so there you go. Sticking with the theme of frivolity, the Frends Layla rose gold headphones are so beautiful and a real luxury item. Fashionable and functional, they’ll turn heads for sure. River Island do some great bags and I think that this black studded on will appeal to a lot of ladies. It’s a safe option if you’re not too sure of someone’s preference but still stylish. And lastly, if in doubt, go for jammies! If you’re on a budget, Primark do really great sets, but if you have slightly more to spend, these Chelsea Peers ones are gorgeous. Always go festive!

If the “her” you’re buying for loves beauty, check out my guide here, or for a foodie lady, click here.

Tomorrow we’ll be thinking about the guys in the snappily titled “for Him” gift guide. See you there!

1 Comment

Posted in Home, Live, Love

Tagged Accessories, Christmas, Christmas Gift Guide, Fashion, For Her, Gift Guide, Gifts, Homewares, Stationery

Christmas Gift Guide | Beauty Lover

Posted on November 24, 2014 | 3 comments

Welcome to the first instalment of my Christmas Gift Guides for 2014. The the next week I’ll be posting guide daily themed around the following categories: Beauty Lover; Foodies; For Her; For Him; For the Kids; Secret Santa/Stocking Fillers; and finally Etsy Favourites. I hope it’ll give you a few idea for your loved ones, or if you’re super organised already, maybe a wee treat for yourself.

To kick things off, here are my beauty picks:

Beauty Gift Guide 1

Top row, left to right: Lush Father Christmas (£3.50), Snow Fairy (from £3.75), Candy Mountain (£2.75); Benefit Sweet Tintations (£19.50); Sali Hughes, Pretty Honest:The Straight Talking Beauty Companion (£22).

I’m sure that Lush have something for every beauty lover. The pre-boxed sets are awesome, but if you’re on a bit of a budget I think it’s a really nice idea to go in and pick up a few bits you think will appeal to your giftee. The three I have picked are ace for someone who loves sweet scents and enjoys both baths and showers. Or you might want to go for just shower stuff, or a spicier scent – just ask, the staff will keep you right! I love the Benefit sets this year and I think the Sweet Tintations is my absolute fave. I love the balms, they feel great, look great and I think will have mass appeal, while the tints are absolute classics. If you’re not sure about what product someone might like I absolutely recommend a beauty book. Pretty Honest has a lot of content, unlike many beauty books which are mainly pictures, so a great choice for a beauty obsessive.

Bottom row, left to right: Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette (£56); The Body Shop Glazed Apple Tin of Treasures (£17); Real Techniques Nic’s Picks (£30).

The Hourglass palette is just beautiful and a truly luxurious treat for someone special. It’s pricey but does offer good value in terms of Hourglass products. The Body Shop have some great gifts this year and as I’ve mentioned before, for every set they sell, they’ll donate a lesson to a child in need with War Child, so definitely worth checking out. The Glazed Apple is my favourite of their limited edition Christmas scents, it’s sweet and sour, like a Granny Smith! If nothing else, you can’t beat the presentation of the apple shaped tin. Real Techniques produce fabulous brushes at a reasonable price and I am a fan of this new set. It feature three new shapes and a combination of eye and face brushes, as well as one being a duo fibre brush. It’s currently on offer with £10 off at Superdrug, so snap it up!

Christmas Gift Guide Beauty 2 Top row, left to right: Alphabet Bags ‘Ta-Da!’ Canvas Pouch (£18); Bliss Triple Oxygen Treatment Kit (£30); DKNY Gold Delicious Sparkling Apple (£36.50).

Another good option if you want to steer away from a product is a makeup bag. Alphabet Bags do a amazing range of bags with fun slogans, the hardest part will be choosing which one to go for! The Bliss Triple Oxygen range is at the top of my own wishlist, it really is so effective. So, the apple theme is entirely coincidental, but I do love an apple fragrance. I think the DKNY Sparkling Apple perfumes are a great choice for Christmas, ’tis the season to add some glitter!

Bottom row, left to right: Emma Kisstina 7 Red Nail Polishes Fashion Illustration Art Poster (£21.93); OPI Nail Lacquer Coca Cola Collection: Trio Pack (£29.95) and The Bearest of Them All with Polar Bear Gift Set (£11.95); Paul & Joe Sister Dress in Lipstick Print (£195).

I love collecting art prints and I am really keen on the nail polish and lipstick collection prints by Emma Kisstina. This would make a really unique gift. To me, Coca Cola and Christmas go hand in hand, so I love this collaboration with OPI. That polar bear is so cute! Lastly, a lipstick print dress, the ultimate fashion statement for a beauty lover.

See you tomorrow for some delicious treats for foodies!

3 Comments

Posted in Beautify, Home, Live

Tagged Accessories, Art, Beautify, Beauty, Beauty Lovers, Christmas, Christmas Gift Guide, Fashion, Gift Guide, Gifts, Lush, Make Up, Makeup, Skincare

Duo Boots | #BootTribe

Posted on November 4, 2014 | 7 comments

Duo Boots #BootTribe

Recently I was lucky enough to be invited along to Duo‘s Castle Street store to explore their new lines for autumn and winter. While there, me and a group of fellow bloggers were asked to nail our colours to the mast and choose a Boot Tribe. Were you Team Ankle Boot like Alexa Chung, Team Knee High as championed by Kate Moss, or Team Over the Knee with the uber fashionable Olivia Palermo?

Duo Boots #BootTribe

As I, and many of the other bloggers, had never been to Duo before, the Boot Tribe campaign was a fantastic introduction to the brand. It clearly demonstrated that Duo are able to cater to a wide audience. It keeps up with the latest catwalk trends while also offering wearable, high quality, and most importantly, beautiful boots. The best thing about Duo? 21 calf sizes! Yep, 21. Maybe it’s just me and my pear shaped ways but I find boots the worst thing to shop for next to jeans. Duo takes away the dreaded leg-muffin-topping ensuring that your boots will fit perfectly. If you’re in the market for ankle boots this might not worry you too much, but you might like to know that Duo also offer three width fittings. Now, I always find that a lot of shoes in my size are wide. It seems as though some shops think that if you’re a size 6 or over your feet are basically massive. Well, I have size 7 feet, but they’re skinny and long – you see my problem here? Well Duo agree and say my feet are regular, not wide. You hear that? Not wide, thanks.

Ahem, back to Boot Tribe. After much umming and ahhing (and digging into the fizz and canapes!) I joined Team Ankle Boot. I selected the Preston ankle boot – a glossy black leather shoe with buckle detail. The small heel makes them smart enough for work occasions or evenings out, while the tread sole and fleece lining keeps them practical for being out and about in autumn and winter.

Duo Boots #BootTribe

So I bet you’re dying to know which tribe came out on top? Drumroll please… In third place:

Dita_Grey

The glorious Over the Knee Boot gained the support of 9% of the ladies, but what a fashionable 9% they were! These bad gals above are the Dita and are a real statement boot which lend some true class to the style. Sigh, one day I’ll have the pins for these boots *puts down Mars bar.

Halden_Black

The classic Knee High Tribe gained a respectable 38% of the vote. I love a biker boot and was very tempted by the Halden style. That quilting! Oooh might have to go back for a pay day treat…

Abel_Glitter

But the winner of the evening was, of course, Team Ankle Boot with 55%. You can’t deny the appeal of the versatility an ankle boot offers. For something a little less versatile, I love these black glitter Abel boots. If they’re not New Year party boots, I don’t know what is.

Massive thanks to Duo for a fantastic evening and for kick-starting my A/W wardrobe. The shop is absolutely beautiful and the team lovely, so if you have a Duo near you pop in, get fitted, and declare your Boot Tribe.

7 Comments

Posted in Home, Wear

Tagged A/W, Autumn, Boots, Edinburgh, Event, Fashion, Shoes, Shopping, Wear, Wearing, Winter

Shopping | White Stuff of George Street

Posted on September 1, 2014 | 3 comments

The White Stuff Edinburgh

Recently I was invited along to the White Stuff‘s flagship store on George Street for a tour and to hear about what was going on there. As well as their regular line-up of special events and promotions, during August they became a Fringe venue and hosted the Craft Scotland Summer Show.

The White Stuff Edinburgh Lucy Roscoe

The White Stuff Edinburgh Ursula Hunter

Taking place across the second floor, the Summer Show featured makers from all over Scotland specialising in everything from textiles, to ceramics, jewellery to papercrafts. The White Stuff also hosted Meet Your Maker events where the public were given the chance to hear a free programme of talks from selected artists.

The White Stuff Edinburgh

Next I got a tour of the changing rooms. Bit confusing as these are clearly wardrobes. However, each one is a Narnia, opening into an individually designed room. I don’t want to spoil the surprise but here are a few of my favourite details:

The last room – Under the Sea – and a few others were designed by kids in a competition. Their original drawings are hung on the door which is a really sweet gesture.

These kinds of gestures continue throughout the store. Everything is considered. As you first come into the store there is a tea-stop where you can rest your weary feet. There are chalkboards where the staff write about what else is happening in Edinburgh that week. By the changing rooms there is a fort for kids to play in and watch a cartoon. The men’s section boasts a vintage pool table. Dog bowls are available for our pooch pals. There’s a book club with books provided by the company. Overall, there is a real community spirit in the shop. There’s no hard sale here, it’s just very nice.

Another major plus is the sweet shop. You know me, can’t resist something sugary! In all seriousness though, the sweet shop, along with additional fundraising activity such as bake sales, raises money for Lothian Autistic Society. The store has raised over £16,000 since 2010 which is amazing.

And let’s not forget the clothes. The White Stuff is known for quality pieces with a focus on good design and construction and cheerful designs. With the season changing, let me tell you, there are many jumpers, scarves and jackets that I very firmly have my eye on.

The White Stuff team very kindly gifted me a goody bag which included two of the recent reads from their book club. What a great selection! Need to get myself on the waiting list.

16c93f24-c27c-45bc-8c98-b5c64b46a221-image_s

Lastly – the selfie mirror! This is located in the changing rooms and emails you your pic to share to Facebook (or your preferred form of digital communication) and instantly canvas opinions on your new outfit. Genius!

Massive thank you the entire team at George Street for inviting me along and especially to Vita (their fantastic Marketing intern) for the tour. The White Stuff is truly a unique shopping experience. The staff seem to really love working there and I think that is so important for the atmosphere of any shop. I highly recommend you pop along and check it out. With an eclectic mix of events (bit gutted I missed the free gin for National Gin Day), you’re guaranteed to stumble across something special happening, as well as some gorgeous clothes!

3 Comments

Posted in Home, Love

Tagged Clothes, Edinburgh, Events, Fashion, Life, Lifestyle, Live, Love, See & Do, Shop, Shopping

#BEDM | Wishlist

Posted on May 29, 2014 | Leave a comment

I love a good wishlist post, it’s basically guilt-free shopping. I don’t have too many things on my wishlist this time around – which is lucky as the items that are there are at the top of my budget. But they are luuush…

Ash Bowie hi-tops trainers navy

I’ve wanted a pair of Ash hi-tops for ages. The awesomely named Ooh Ruby Shoes in Bruntsfield sells and they are on 30% off until the 2nd June! Will have to go try them on, hope they are as comfy as they look. £155.

AshJungleTrainerLeopard-440x440

And I may have to get these Leopard slip ons while I’m there… £139.

Cassi Fatchel

There’s no two ways to say this, I need a Fatchel. Rhodesian of Edinburgh offer made to order wide satchels which are absolutely beautiful and practical. The above is the Cassi, a good medium sized bag and is available in a multitude of colours. I really want a lilac one like Hannah’s here. Rhodesian also donate £2 to charity for each sale – what good guys! From £125.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess

And one beauty product – I’ve been after a bottle of “summer holiday in a bottle” Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder for years but I keep leaving it too late before it goes off the shelves. This year will be my Bronze Goddess year! £47.

Well I do deserve a treat! What is at the top of your wishlist?