Christmas Adverts

It is, of course, that time of year again when Christmas is becoming eagerly anticipated, and accompanied with this excitement come all of the good, the bad and the ugly Christmas adverts.

This year I have to admit they have been surprisingly better than usual. 

After the Coca Cola advert was first sighted and Twitter went in to a frenzy there came the repetitive 'Mum stressing about the Christmas dinner' ones from every single supermarket and Pringles clearly showing that they are not doing so well as they have used the same advert from about 3 years ago! 

I have also recently questioned why Iceland feel the need to make everything in miniature form? Who really needs a bite size lasagne, I don't know! 

Of course, John Lewis have enthralled us all again with their romantic snowman advert with a heart rending version of 'The Power of Love', (just to make sure you still have your emotions intact) and Waitrose have done a slightly controversial 'unglamorous' advert with Delia and Heston.

One video that I was looking forward to was the first ever Topshop Christmas film, 'Winter Wonderland'. They have been ranting and raving about this on the website for the past few weeks and even launched a twitter teaser for fans to hashtag #whosthatgirl and guess who the 'famous face' would be. 

When it was finally revealed to be Kate Bosworth I thought to myself 'this is going to be good'. Unfortunately I was wrong and I have been extremely disappointed by my favourite high-street brand.

It has to be the most boring and pointless film that I have seen in a long time. 2 and a half minutes of my life wasted watching Kate Bosworth sing (not so well) a version of Walking in a Winter Wonderland.

I just don't understand the meaning behind it, I didn't see any Topshop clothing and it isn't even recognizable as a Christmas film until some awfully edited in fake snow begins to fall.

I even thought for a moment that some extra members of the crew in the background had been filmed by mistake until I realized that these randomers were actually supposed to be there in awe of her poorly sung performance.

She looks absolutely stunning of course and will make a great face for the brand but maybe stick to the day job with the singing, Kate. Not impressed. Judge the performance for yourself.

Birthday Suit

It always seems that the night is my calling, the time when I come alive and use the hours after 12 to scourer the internet and so forth.

On this particular night I have continued on my hunt for my 21st Birthday outfit and have in some ways had some success and even managed to piece together a whole outfit, all from my new favourite designer, Sass and Bide.

Firstly the centre piece of the whole outfit - the dress, which is very aptly named 'THE MEANING OF VICTORY' dress (if that's not a clear sign then I don't know what is).

I have searched high and low for a statement dress and this is just an abundance of all that I have been looking for. Extremely elegant with exposed shoulders and a flash of leg, and the glitter spot embellishment also adds that wow factor while being perfectly in keep with my 'winter' inspired theme.

To accessorize...

'OVER AND OVER AGAIN' belt and matching 'THE DISPOSTION' cuffs. One for each wrist would be ideal but at £175.00 perhaps just the one would be adequate. 

I love all the quirky names that accompany the Sass and Bide range so just had to feature those too. 

And because no outfit is complete without a bag...

'THE EXPERIMENT' bag. Please experiment this on me! 

My impeccable outfit and all for a mere £1,010. How will anything compare now? 

Dream on...

The Great Gatsby 2012

After first reading the book The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald I have waited patiently for 3 years for a new film adaptation of the novel to be released and it is finally nearly here! Very disappointingly the release date has been pushed back from Christmas to July 2013 which I am not particularly impressed with. 

However, with a fantastic cast of Carey Mulligan, Toby Macguire and my beloved Leonardo Dicaprio (obsessed since 1997), it will no doubt meet all expectations and be well worth the extra wait.

I love love love 1920's fashion and can't wait for this trend to emerge in stores next year. It is a particularly distinctive period in women's fashion as it signified liberation and restrictions deteriorating. In other words the ankles were now on show! 

From the cloche hat to the flapper dress, the outfits of the 1920's are instantly recognizable and make a clear fashion statement. 

In the re-make of the classic film the characters are of course set to be dressed head to toe by top designers. Miuccia Prada have reworked 40 dresses for the female cast members that depict the iconic era, while Tiffany and Co have provided all of the jewellery. Extreme envy of Carey Mulligan!

Prada have previously worked on another Baz Lurhmann film and designed a suit for Leonardo Dicaprio in Romeo and Juliet (coincidence?).

There are already traces of this trend hitting designer and high-street alike and I have spotted a few that are particularly stand out to me.

Metallic heels by Gucci

Tights by Bebaroque

Dress by George at Asda (a bargain at £16!!)

Cloche hat for a cheeky £7 in the River Island sale.

Miu Miu's 'Women's Tales'

The fourth installment of Miu Miu's 'Women's Tales' is set to hit the Venice film festival tomorrow night and I'm sure that it will not disappoint. 

The four short movies are produced by female directors from around the world aiming to provide exposure and support for young female filmmakers. Very feminist.  

The final installment - It's Getting Late - stars Patricia Clarkson, Aubrey Plaza, Rinko Kikuchi, Zola Jesus and our very own Gemma Arterton. 

It seems that Gemma will often disappear from our screens but then suddenly emerge again on top form. The previous Bond girl looks picturesque in the short teaser below, which depicts the girls getting ready for a night out in Hollywood (as you do), and I cannot wait to see the full version...

Williamson's Winter Wellies

What better way to kick start your winter than with a pair of wellies designed by Matthew Williamson! The designer has teamed up with footwear brand Havaianas to create two brightly coloured styles in celebration of the brands 50th anniversary which also coincides with Williamson's 15th anniversary.

Although Havaianas are renowned for flip-flops, Williamson decided on wellies to be in-keeping with his British heritage saying "In England, it's always raining and I feel like I'm an expert in that field... I wanted to bring some sunshine to the rainier season."

Please do! Maybe some actual sunshine would be nice too? Although when would we have the opportunity to wear our new decorative wellies if the infamous British rain didn't come!

KARL part.2

Karl Lagerfeld has today launched his second collection for 'KARL' on Net-a-Porter. It hardly seems 5 minutes since the first, but the King of Fashion never ceases his reign. I wonder whether he actually goes to sleep at night or just sits up manically sketching new designs to enthrall us with.

Panelled black and whites, tweed and biker gloves can only mean one thing... Winter is fast approaching. 

Rosie for Autograph Lingerie

Oh Rosie you beautiful specimen, if only I could look like you in the new Autograph range for M&S.

Smoldering and sexy, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is now a household name and will tomorrow be releasing her new range of lingerie - 'Rosie for Autograph' - at M&S. 

Once a place associated with OAP's, M&S has possibly had the biggest re-vamp since Burberry's radical comeback after the chav fiasco and whoever is responsible for this diversification strategy deserves a pat on the back. 

Now Ryan Reyonds and Rosie Huntington-Whitely are the beautiful faces and my boyfriend and I shop there on a regularly basis to stock up on knitwear! If someone had predicted this 20 years ago they probably would have been condemned.

M&S have always given us ladies a wonderful range of lingerie and I believe they initiated the craze of getting yourself measured a few years ago when it turned out pretty much every woman in the country was wearing the wrong sized bra!

The new Rosie range not only has the most striking advertising campaign with the model looking beautiful as ever, but it is also affordable AND would look good on someone other than a model!

                

My favourite designs in the collection have got to be these unique garden of Eden inspired pieces with delicate leaf patterns.

I also love this set with high-waisted underwear which not only looks lovely but will also hold you in in all the right places!

If I was going to wear a Teddy then it would definitely be one like this. Perhaps in the summer, however, I like to stick to my checkered pyjama bottoms from F&F at Tesco during the winter...

The collection is set to launch tomorrow where Rosie will be making a guest appearance at the M&S store in Oxford Circus which I discovered via the Twittersphere. 

Since I'm in London at the moment I feel that it would be rude of me not to go. Plus I want to get my hands on some of these pieces before they all go! Guessing I will have to fight off a throng of women but it will be worth it to get one step closer to looking like RHW. 

Images// www.fashion.telegraph.co.uk

My Birthday Wish List...

It is still only August and already I'm compiling my ever expanding list of dream presents for my 21st birthday in December. 

I seem to have got it in to my head that because this is quite a significant age, I can ask for anything and everything - regardless of price or materialistic value - and I will not be satisfied with anything less. No only joking... Half joking.

So these are the top 10 items on my rather expensive wish list...

1. MICHAEL by Michael Kors 'Jet Set Travel Shoulder Bag' - £155.00

2. Alexis Bittar 'Siyabona Gold Pyrite Panther ring' - £249.00

 3. Anya Hindmarch 'Joss Studded Heart Wallet' - £275.00

4. Jimmy Choo 'Beatrix Tan Nappa Leather Platform Sandals' - £595.00

or another slightly cheaper alternative which I would be equally happy with....

Jimmy Choo 'Cosmic Suede Platform shoes' - £435.00

5.  Barbour 'Classic Beadnell Waxed Jacket' - £199.95 (that 5p makes all the difference)

6. RayBan 'Clubmaster' sunglasses - £120.00

 7. KARL 'Amber Crystal and Bead Embellished Cotton Collar' - £140.00

8. Chanel 'Metal and Enamel Brooch embellished with Strass and Glass Pearls' (no price available which is never a sign of a bargain).

 9. Mulberry 'Oversized Postman's Lock Clutch' - £475.00

 10. Sara Berman 'Edie Suede Utility Jacket at ASOS' - £220.00 (reduced from £300! Cheap...)

A girl can dream...

Florence Welch at Reading and Leeds Festival

First and foremost, a very Happy Birthday to Florence Welch who today turns 26!

Hopefully she is having a day of rest after an epic performance at Reading and Leeds festival this weekend - which included her getting drenched in a sudden downpour while performing Spectrum. Typical English weather in August. 

Of course, she embraced this slight set back in a graceful, Florence-esque manner (jumping around and shaking her hair a lot). 

I am still yet to find a better live performer than Florence. During an intimate gig in Birmingham after the release of her first album 'Lungs' I was entranced by her sweet nature and the crowd stood in awe of her incredible voice that somehow sounded even better than the album version. No miming for Florence, unlike others that shall not be named (Cheryl Cole).

She succeeded herself at Reading and Leeds, however, and minus her soaking red locks, she looked absolutely stunning in a gown that couldn't be further from festival appropriate. 

This gothic inspired dress from the Marina Qureshi A/W '12 collection reflects Florence's eclectic style down to a T and encompassed the perfect combination of femininity, sultriness and mystery... Opting for flats was definitely a sensible choice given the weather conditions.

The fashion icon has wowed style critics with this dramatic number and impressed her music fans with an equally dramatic performance.

This is why she is BFF'S with Beyonce... 

Zara 'Fantasy Fabric and Chain' Coat

Zara have truly outdone themselves this year, their main triumph in revolutionizing the boucle jacket.

The classically tailored, finely textured jacket was first made popular by Chanel but the high-street have been utilizing it to the maximum this year, with Zara being particularly stand-out for having innovative styles and an array of the most beautiful colours including neon greens, yellows and oranges. They have also used gold chain detail to accompany a lot of their styles which further adds to the appeal and gives them a stunningly elegant allure. Zips have also been a poignant accompaniment and they have given the buyer the option to either wear the jacket in a cropped style or in a longer more casual way which makes it much more viable and the £70+ price tag acceptable.

This trend is also continuing in to Autumn/Winter, but with slightly more muted colours and thicker materials to keep you warm during those rainy winter days... can't wait for those to return!

Whilst waiting for a friend to arrive in Covent Garden yesterday I went for a little explore around the shops... It is never a good idea to leave me waiting alone where there are shops nearby!  

I could shop for hours in Zara and spend an absolute fortune... If I had a fortune. There was also a sale on so things were getting a little heated... I had someone fling a polar neck jumper at me at one point! 

Even though I have no money - so sale shopping should be all I'm doing -  I always tend to avoid them as i find it all a bit too stressful rummaging around. Plus the only sizes left are usually a 6 or 16! Whilst mingling around, I came across a GORGEOUS emerald coloured boucle coat which I have fallen in love with...

These images hardly do it justice as the colour is much bolder and the chain detail more obvious. So anyway off I went to the fitting room with it (along with about 6 other items) and when I tried it on it fit perfectly and looked great. I love the elegant length and green isn't often a colour I wear so that made a nice change. 

Unfortunately I then came to examine the price tag... £119.00 is just a little bit too expensive for an unpaid intern in London...

Luckily it is my 21st birthday in December so hopefully someone generous will treat me! Although my present list seems to be ever expanding at the moment and featuring such items as a Mulberry bag, Michael Kors bag, Jimmy Choos, Barbour coat... 

While in Zara I did get myself a couple of treats, however. 

Firstly was this simple grey t-shirt. I need some more casual tops in my wardrobe. Trying to find something beach appropriate seemed to prove increasingly difficult when I went on holiday last week.

This "don't wanna be your #2" t-shirt is simple yet interesting too with the hole detailing. I made the mistake of wearing with a white bra today, however, and had already got to work before realizing that you can see quite well through the holes... lesson for next time.

I also bought these black wax effect jeans. Black jeans are my essential wardrobe staple and these are almost a transition between jeans and leather trousers (I won't be getting leather trousers anytime soon, however... not very flattering on a more rounded bottom like mine).

I am actually wearing the whole outfit today as seen here below...

T-shirt: £17.99

Wax Skinny Jeans: £39.99 

Images// www.zara.com

V Festival - Best and Worst Dressed

I was so disappointed that I couldn't attend this years V festival due to money issues (ie. a lack of it), especially with my all time favourite band, The Killers, headlining. After torturing myself watching videos of them online I decided to cheer myself up and investigate the fashion that was going around the grounds instead.

Some better than others, these are, in my opinion, the best dressed...

Billie Piper 

A Chinese style maxi dress that looks elegant yet relaxed, yes please! This is the perfect festival attire - fun, comfortable and would certainly keep you warm during those cold nights.

Kelly Brook

Kelly looks straight from the 1950's in this fun and flirty floral dress. It also looks great teamed with these white ankle boots. Perhaps not advisable to wear white boots to a festival, however, unless like Kelly you are watching from the VIP section... 

Laura Whitmore

I loveeee Laura Whitmore and she looks fantastic here in a simple yet classic festival outfit. Her denim hotpants show off her enviably slim legs and the outfit is accessorized simply with a long-strap orange bag and wayfarer sunglasses. I want this skull printed shirt!

Zara Martin

The jewellary designer goes for a chic all black look and dresses down her studded hotpants with a simple black t-shirt. Not sure whether her roots were also in-keeping with the black theme... 

And now to the worst...

Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan

If we haven't already had enough Sugababes for one lifetime, the 'original' band are now set to reunite... Inventively named 'Mutya Keisha Siobhan' or 'MKS', the girls look almost as tragic here as they did when they first hit the scenes in 1998. Words cannot even describe Mutya's look but someone needs to burn her already partially shredded off-the-shoulder BatGirl t-shirt. Good grief. I certainly miss them like a hole in the head.

Sophie Ellis-Bexter

So disappointed with the once style icon, Sophie. If this mid-length striped dress wasn't bad enough her granny-esque shoes just top off the whole ancient look. I think she is about ready to board that boat she is sitting on...

Tulisa

With her new peroxide blonde/yellow hair and a pint in hand, Tulisa is the epitome of tack. Nothing about this outfit is flattering. The Aztec top has potential if it was worn with a completely different outfit but these cut-off denim boyfriend shorts are just plain awful and paired with red high tops (I loathe high-tops) is unforgivable. X from me Tulisa.

Images// www.stylist.co.uk

The Killers performing Mr Brightside at V Festival...

Balmain, Balmain, Balmain

I myself feel that you can never wear too much jewellary. During my 6am rush around this morning I very nearly forgot my watch, rings and earrings which would have been an absolute travesty! And this is why I am besotted with the Balmain A/W collection, and in particular the beautiful, heavily embellished dress worn by Joan Smalls at this years MET gala.

Accompanied by Balmain designer, Olivier Rousteing, Joan Smalls is picture perfect and bang on trend with this turtleneck style.

The detailing is exquisitely decorated and patterned with Balmain's signature style. The embellishments are heavily used without being overbearing and although you would perhaps have to be VERY careful with this piece (definitely not washing machine friendly) this dress is absolute perfection.

I am definitely going to be on the look out for a suitable high street alternative.

The rest of the collection is also continually breathtaking as you can view below...