black and white and red all over (my necklace)

So much for "when I'm off between Christmas and New Year, I'll be catching up on my blog reading and I'll be writing loads of posts". Hmm, best laid plans. So whilst it is regrettable that I haven't got all caught up on that front, I have actually been having a lovely week of catching up with friends, catching up with the gym and drinking wine, on top of wine, on top of wine. Note to self - don't turn up drunk for a haircut - it's just not classy. Luckily I knew what I wanted and have an awesome hairdresser. Still, I'm a bit embarrassed.

Anyway, this post is all about back to business! The business of shoes! I am STILL almost constantly in my DMs (seriously, I am investing in another pair of docs this year so I can at least rotate if the weather goes down the shitter is unpleasant again next year). However, before the weather kicked in and kicked my shoe wearing challenge in the jaxi, I wore this little pair of pumps. Chanel-o! They're shoes #43 and are from schuh.

They're quite classic for me - I tend to be attracted to the glittery, patterned and colourful but I do enjoy a nice piece of monochrome (well, it's kind of cream rather than white but, stop splitting hairs will you?!) on occasion. Plus, these have patent on them, a cute bow and they were a bargain, as I recall.

dress: H&M, cardi: New Look, shoes: schuh, necklace: Lady Luck Rules OK

Uh-oh! Greasy fringe syndrome! I'd just finished a shift at Lush so was a bit wiped out by the time I took this. I may have mentioned before, but one of the things I enjoy about Lush is that the 'uniform' is just your wee apron then black and white. So within the black and white restriction, you can wear anything and it's fun being creative inside that criteria. Plus, you can wear coloured accessories (jewellery, scarves, shoes, tights), so it's pretty endless really!

I love this dress! The skirt is just full enough (so often 50s style 'full skirted' dresses from the high street just don't have full enough skirts on them and they tend to cup an ample bum rather than skim it and accentuate the waist, so well done H&M!) and I like to think it's kinda flattering and a wee bit ladylike - get me! Plus, I'm always a sucker for a nice floral.

Lady Luck Rules OK officially did some of the most ace jewellery ever. Some of my favourites pieces came from them and I'm still sad that the company is no more. I like the fact that this necklace feels like the polar opposite of the demure, ladylike dress. By contrast, it's brightly coloured and the mirrored acrylic really catches the light. Yeah, it's awesome. And on that note, please do have an utterly swell New Year! Bye!

New season style, old season price - yessss!

Now, if there's two things I love in this life, it's shiny things and bargains (well obv, my family, friends etc too. Urgh, I'm not THAT shallow!). So just imagine how excited I get when I bag a shiny bargain. Then picture that excitement when it's two shiny bargains. Then imagine the excitement when said bargains are next-season-appropriate brocade!! You get the picture - there's exponential expansion (ooh, first 3 letter alliteration - love it!) of excitement!

So what did I bag that elicited such unadulterated glee? Since you ask so nicely I'll share: these two purdy River Island dresses.


Check out that shimmering brocade! Balmain would be proud! Check out that ladylike silhouette - Louis Vuitton eat yer heart out! Double trend-a-licious! Check out my photography skills! I think Mario Testino was just sick in his mouth.

As usual RI have slightly over accessorised with the belts (though the gold one's actually cute - it's the pink one that's been dragged in from naffsville), but they're on the right track with the waist nipping. The green/gold dress is a really light brocade (and, truth be told, kinda itchy), with a short skirted take on the 50s lady look and a bold chunky visible zip up the back. The pink dress has a ruched front panel which bust boosts without chunking up the waist and is slightly boned. However, it's the back that really gets me. Again, there's a big unconcealed zip (I do love a big chunkamoid zip) which is trimmed with 3 big bows running up the top of the back. It's SO cute. And the price? £11.25 each down from £39.99 and £44.99 respectively. BARGAIN!

I'm so channeling the Tin Man this winter...

She's in fashion. Ooh, ooh, ooo-ooooh!

Now that there is a reference to popular 90s indie band Suede (Google 'em kids). I quite like them retrospectively but at the time, blinded as I was by loyalty to Damon Albarn who had a long running hate thing with them (him and Suede's Brett Anderson had both shagged Justine from Elastica who, let's be honest, looked a bit like a boy. Albeit a kinda hot Damon bagging boy), I simply couldn't consider enjoying Suede.

Anyway, The title refers not to my own sense of style or choice of clothes but the fact that I do indeed work in fashion. Therefore, I am in fashion. Ooh, ooh, oooo-ooh! And today saw our new season range review for a/w '10. Always a good chance to catch up with pals from across the country, have a free feed and make a shopping list the length of 5th Avenue. Plus, I always enjoying having a neb (Scottish word - it means being nosey, kind of) at what people are wearing. Being in fashion, you'd think it's be a joy to the eyes and often it is but you do get some slightly, er, how shall I put it...off the boil, looks too. Anyway, if I'm out there judging all and sundry, it's only fair you get to judge me too.

I'm sticking with the headless look for now and, bear in mind, this is about the pretty clothes, not my sexy figure or fabulous photography skills. I decided that, as we were at the a/w preview, I should channel and a/w look and I picked the 50s silhouette, as championed by Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton and Prada. Mad men had a lot to answer for. Here it is...

The dress is one I got AGES ago at Oasis and is part of their 'floral frocks' collection and is actually a reworking of a vintage 60s (I know - talk about fucking with my eras!) design featured in the Bath museum). It has a lovely v back, the skirt is beautifully full and it literally floats as you come down stairs. I swear, coming back from the loo I was in soft focus as I descended the stairs. Wonderful.

My cardi's a Primarni bargain, the tights are actually purple and from ASOS, the necklace is from Accessorize. I went for the 'cupcake' necklace as I love little gold necklaces AND I figured that, channelling the 50s housewife vibe, I was probably gonna head home and bake some cupcakes. I actually went to the pub but that's by the by...Anyway, the brooch is from a Coast dress I sold ages ago and the shoes are from schuh. I decided flats were called for as the day was standing room only and I adore the cameo detail on these pumps. Plus I'm a sucker for a clashed floral. The bag (below) is Accessorize and I love it so much (see leopard print obsession) that I'll have it til it's actual vintage and/or breaks. Anyway, here's the pictorial evidence. Enjoy and good night.