Back In Action!

Hello All!

So... where on earth have I been? Why have I seemingly abandoned this lovely blog? Well, it's been a strange old year. With too much work for not quite enough money, and plenty of hours taken up by finishing studies, there hasn't been too much time for the joys of shopping and general style adoration. But forget all that, it's time for this style dissection and appreciation lark to get back on track, and back to the fun!

I've been ferreting away writing regular articles for some other lovely blogs, all in the name of sharing fashion must haves, but from now on they'll be right here too. I don't need to tell you lot that fashion and style have evolved so very much since my last posts, and we all have some opinions that need airing!

Tune in regularly for the good, the bad and the downright flabbergasting! Thanks for having me back, ladies. xx

Gorgeous Sale bargains from Oli

Hi All! Happy New Year to everyone, and goodness... I can't apologise enough for the hiatus. You ever have those months where everything just happens at once? Anyway, enough of my wittering, it's time for the dreaded/beloved January Sales!

I've been shopping already, and boy has it been fun. So it's no surprise that I couldn't resist giving you all a little nod towards www.Oli.co.uk since their clothes and service have put a grin on my face this morning. Rarely would I ever advertise a company so willingly, but they really do treat a girl well!

I've picked three pieces that I fell in love with myself. Both the dresses are excellently tailored and of great quality. The mustard number feels luxurious and wonderfully lined, with a really gorgeous retro feel at an astonishing price. It's just a shame that the Jasmine Guinness item runs a little big on sizes, so beware when ordering! Finally, the Satin T-bars, which are gracing my feet at this very moment, make a gorgeously glamorous flat shoe that will translate easily into any day or night wardrobe. There's loads more online at Oli, but be quick or you'll be cursing your size going out of stock!

Jersey High Neck Dress, £14
Satin T-bar Shoes, £16
Jasmine Guinness Print Dress, £25

Where have I been? Working to horrible deadlines, damn it all!

Hello All!

This is just a little note to say a big Sorry for the lack of updates of late. Sometimes a Stylish Fille is unavoidably a very busy one too!

There'll be much more in the way of news, views and general fashion rants in the run up to Christmas and in the New Year.

I hope you're all getting into the festive spirit and buying gorgeous sparkly things to stave off the cold Winter thoughts.

x

When fashion gets it wrong: Fetish fashion brings us stud shoe mania

I'm a girl who seriously loves shoes. It's bordering on addiction, I mean... there's nothing that makes shopping more gratifying than the purchase of some gorgeous Mary Janes or a pair of classic trainers. It's hardly surprising then that shoe crimes make me sad inside.

The fashion lot have gone a bit crazy over a few trends this Autumn/Winter, but none worries me more than fetish fashion (except perhaps for the bizarre '80s revival, don't you just want to cry?). Some of the most wonderful shoe designers in the world have fallen foul of this nonsense, including the one whose shoes I most often lust after, Christian Louboutin.

Studs never looked good, not even when people where punching them onto the backs of leather jackets to write 'cool' slogans, so why are they ruining perfectly reasonable shoe designs in the here and now? I can't begin to understand. If you think I've lost it, and you love these pairs then let me know. And you can buy them from Net-a-Porter too. But when you're looking back and wondering what the hell you were thinking, don't say I didn't warn you...

Add a touch of festive sparkle with Christmas party dresses from Oli

Christmas is the best time of year for splashing out on loved ones, and that's a perfect excuse to treat yourself a little. There's nothing that makes me feel more Christmassy than getting my glad rags on, and it's the perfect time of year for gorgeous eveningwear.

The classic Christmas party dress has been ever increasing in its variety, and the wonderful Oli has a huge range of dresses perfect for just such an occasion. I've picked four of my favourites, perfect for dressing up or down, and there's one for every body shape too.

For the braver girls out there both black dresses are a great choice - the first (far left) has a daring hem to match it's sixties cut, and the second (far right) is a stunning figure hugger. For all of us who aren't model perfect, this dress will look fantastic with the right slimming undies too!

Whatever your favourite, view these dresses at Oli.co.uk, along with many more.

Product Details (from left to right):
Warehouse Embellished Back Detail Dress, £70
Vila Panel Dress, £35
60s Tunic Dress, £69
Satin Dress with Jewel Trim, £59

Make your own knitwear to die for with Weardowney Knit Couture

I absolutely adore knitwear, which probably explains my woolen dress shopping spree a couple of weeks ago. Far from being a dowdy and practical choice, knitwear can be some of the most fantastically sexy and, dare I say it, quirky items in a girl's wardrobe.

The best part is, you can make your own to rival designer pieces with the new book from Weardowney Knit Couture. This gorgeous little manual contains 20 hand knit designs, from dresses to sparkly vests, and even tells us plebs how to start from the very beginning.

Any knitwear or hand made clothes enthusiast should have this book. The designs are fantastic, the explanation made simple and the pictures a joy. I'm just off to buy myself some needles!

Get yours from Amazon online for just £14 in hardback, from Anova books.

Very Vintage Filles - Time of the Season by The Zombies

They just don't dress ladies like they used to, eh? Take a nostalgic stroll down the catwalks of decades gone by with me in this fantastic video for Time of the Season by The Zombies. I'm trying to hold back the jealousy...

Play Hard To Get with Tigi Bed Head's styling gel

Having just taken the plunge and opted for very very short hair indeed, I'm on the trawl for reliable hair styling products. A brand that I trust for great hair styling is Tigi's Bed Head range.

This funky range includes everything from conditioners for every hair colour and type, to hair gels, clays and serums. This Hard To Get texturising paste is top of my shopping list, promising lasting separation and hold. Perfect for short hair that needs definition, or any cutting edge 'do that needs some pizazz.

Get yours from The Hair Site for £10.95.

Get the Annie Hall look this season from the designer fashion crowd

With the huge prevalence of tailoring and wide leg trousers in this season's biggest fashions, it's no wonder that a few celebs have been seen sporting a very androgynous look. Reminiscent of Annie Hall, this is a look I adore, but one that's hard for us mere mortals to carry off. That's why I've chosen this look with a hint of femininity, to take this style trend that's come back into fashion again and again and keep it looking sexy.

The cardigan with shirt insert is from McQ and provides a casual yet stylish way to daring androgyny with its high neck and boyish cut. The skinny sleeves make it very wearable against the loose fitting body.

I've teamed this top with Marc by Marc Jacobs slim fit jeans, instead of opting for wide legs. This makes the whole outfit much easier to wear as the boyish feel isn't so strong, and if you've got a bum worth showing off there's no reason why not to. I've finished off with a pair of Marc Jacobs suede heels. This gorgeous pair are colour co-ordinated with the top and add a bit of glam to the otherwise casual outfit, without being over the top and girly.

Product Details:
McQ Double Layer Sweater, £260
Marc Jacobs M Pocket Jeans, £145
Marc Jacobs Suede Platform pumps, £257
All from Net-a-Porter

Joie Shoes' Veronica ticks all the right boxes

When a shoe makes me check my bank balance, I begin to worry. Unfortunately for me, they're my biggest weakness and I just plain don't have the bank balance to support it. This gorgeous pair of Mary Janes from Joie Shoes has me close to salivating.

With an unmistakable vintage style, these Veronica shoes tick a few current trend boxes too. Their chunky heel makes them perfect for this Autumn, and Mary Janes are blissfully going nowhere. I adore the round toe, so round it's almost cartoonish, and the high heel in a dark wood. This adorable pair are $215 from Shopbop. That's me saving, then.

Stylish Filles: Style Icons past and present - Lou Doillon

While many of my style influences tend to date back to gorgeous women from distant decades, every once in a while I see a girl in the here and now who instantly impresses in the style stakes.

Lou Doillon is a true stylish fille (she is French after all) with real individuality that impresses and influences even the fashionista crowd. The actress and model is, like her mother Jane Birkin, something of a sex siren and all the while wonderfully unconventional looking.

Lou's look is often defined by her personal individuality, mixing fashion forward trends with vintage influences and quirky accessories (what else can you call wearing a top hat on a red carpet?). Her long, tousled mane toes the line between unruly and 'styled to look messy' with grace.

Above all, what I love about Lou is, with true continental flair, she defines how to be stylish while so involved in the fashion world. While she knows how to be ahead in fashion, that doesn't stop her stamping out her personal style. She selects the trends which suit her body and personality best and gives them her own twist. The result? Effortless and enviable.

More stylish filles: Brigitte Bardot

Fun and stylish jewellery at extremely affordable prices

If you can't afford a whole new and 'cutting edge' wardrobe every season, I firmly believe that accessories can transform every outfit into whatever you see fit.

There's a huge range of great, quirky little jewellery items available at the moment. I've chosen some of my favourites from the high street and online. The best part being the affordably low prices. The best, for my money are the Hultquist Frog Earrings (left), which are perfect for wearing with a dressy evening outfit, or lifting a jeans and sweater out of boredom during the day. Get clicking to see how to buy these great wardrobe diversifiers!

Product Details:
Hultquist Frog Earrings, £15 from Oli
Large Enamel Flower Ring, now £3 from Miss Selfridge
Red Cameo Lady Brooch, £9 from Junkie Lovers
Butterfly Wood Pendant, £10 from Accessorize

Make your music the ultimate accessory with Stylz Earphones

Sick of your dull and ordinary black or white earphones? You can make your MP3 or media player a fashion statement with Stylz earphones. While I'd usually be in favour of can headphones as an earphone alternative, this variety of styles might just be right up your street.

Available in a huge variety of colours from electric blue to gold to hot pink you can accessorise your earphones with your handbag, if you're that sort of girl. Or if you'd prefer to make more of a statement, and have people wondering where on earth you got your hands on something so frankly bizarre, you can choose tiger or cow print. Some might call it funky, I'm more inclined to say tacky. Read more and find out where to buy yours from Stylz.

Urban Decay's Deluxe Eyeshadows add some sparkle to your look, and your makeup case

While my one must have in eye makeup terms is a black Kohl eyeliner, I must admit to a penchant for a touch of colour now and again.

If you're going to splash a little more interest into your makeup, then why not go all out with these fantastic eyeshadow compacts from Urban Decay?

Their Deluxe eyeshadows come in a range of great colours, with a touch of sparkle thrown in for good measure. Use them liberally or for just a hint of hue (especially fab if it matches your shoes!). They even look great on their own with their quirky little grafitti-inspired pot designs.

They're not too pricey for something so sturdy it's bound to give you your moneys worth. Each pot is £12 from Boots.

Fashion appraised: Paris Fashion Week - The Ridiculous

I've already told you all about what I really loved at this month's Paris Fashion Week, but what about the juicy part? I do enjoy pointing out the things that are fashion overhype, and even better the items that are just plain awful. Thankfully, there was plenty of that on offer.

The sorts of 'out there' fashions that probably get the most applause from pretentious fashionistas are always the ones that are entirely unwearable and serve absolutely no purpose but for our gawking pleasure. Louis Vuitton's show was so eye-poppingly unwearable couture that I've featured two of his creations (far left and far right). Alongside are John Galliano's odd bow-headed monstrosity and Alexander McQueen's... well, what is that all about?

While I get the feeling there might just be some humour in some designer fashion, the po-faced "I'll clap because I'm supposed to think he's simply a genius, darling" attitude is exactly what makes fashion so self important. Not one of these outfits would inspire any stylish female, nevermind actually being purchased by one. Yes, I'm aware catwalk fashion isn't meant for production, but inspiration? It should, and this doesn't.

[Images: Getty]

Shoemissy's personalised stacked platforms

I love original shoes, and when I spy one of my girly mates wearing a pair I've never seen before it generally produces a lot of "ooh"ing from me. Shoemissy, queens of bespoke and quirky shoes, have come up with a rather clever idea that can ensure you get the one offs you've been searching for.

The stacked sparkly platforms are emblazoned with your personal name/message/quip in satin, ensuring that it's there for good. I'm not sure if I'd be brave enough for these statement shoes, but they are very cool. Hands up who's getting a pair? Get yours for £50.

Fashion appraised: Paris Fashion Week - The Sublime

So one of the many weeks that the fashionistas live and die for has come to a close for another year - Paris Fashion Week. The place for top end designers to parade their wares and cutting edge ideas, which will inevitably influence the whole high street stock for the year to come.

This year's Spring/Summer collections featured a whole lot of labels we know, and a few less familiar names. All coming together to make a crazy collage of the sublime and the ridiculous. Now, I know that catwalk couture isn't supposed to be wearable, but it should at least hint at some sort of imagined style. Thankfully, a few designers managed to pull off this idea with aplomb, creating some fashion items that I would consider to be some of the most style friendly I've seen in a while.

These pieces by Anamika, Collette Dinnigan, Nina Ricci and Lanvin (left to right) are some of my favourites. There's no discernable 'must-have trend' throughout (a blessing), leading to originality and very stylish ideas overall. These four collections proved to be my favourites, particularly Anamika for its quirky folk style and Collette Dinnigan for classic elegance. The two designers have created collections which leave me feeling aspirational, rather than confused about couture as usual.


Coming up: The Ridiculous end of Paris Fashion Week

[Images: Getty]

Wonderful Winter coats from Oli

It makes me endlessly happy when I see the Autumn/Winter collections lately. Gone are the days when colder months meant drab and unflattering, in favour of rich fabrics and cool colours.

I've only recently let go of the notion that a coat should be a 'sensible' purchase, realising that it can still be wearable without being a drab plain black number. These coats are from Oli, a site which I love for their excitingly vast stock and their fantastic customer service (which is really quite important with online shopping for things you can't be sure to fit). While these are just a small snippet of the lovely coats and jackets they have to offer, they show off my point rather well - Just because it's cold doesn't mean you have to look frumpy. Snap one of these up and strut down the high street like it was the Champs Elysées.

Product Details:
Daisy Jacquard Coat, £65
Diesel Belted Coat, £160
Vila Tweed Coat, £55

Shoes that capture my heart: Sigerson Morrison's Belle assymetrical strap heels

How long it sometimes feels since I saw a shoe that looked exciting and original in a wearable way. While I'm a sucker for well done classics, it's so refreshing to see something different like this pair from Belle by Sigerson Morrison.

The asymmetrical strap is what attracted me first, they look amazing on the model on their site, and up close the colour looks good enough to eat.

Perfect for all year round these shoes would look fantastic with dresses, shorts, jeans, anything really! While I'd usually find these sorts of boot ankles off putting they seem to work here. Now all I need to do is save up $295 to buy my pair from Shopbop.

When fashion gets it wrong: Over hyped and over priced - Kate Moss for Topshop

Kate Moss' collection for high street big name Topshop was one of the most talked about fashion events of 2007. There were well documented scrambles for some of the pieces from her first range, and many restocks were required. But this is a perfect example of what I can't stand about fashion.

Her ranges have been, at best, very ordinary. Yet we have seen stars like Cameron Diaz wearing Kate's clothes on red carpets, and it can only be because of the celebrity name tag. Kate's second range for the store (selected pieces shown above) is no more designer than the shop's duller end of their range. Without discernible sparkle in most of the pieces, the rest is just plain unwearable and overpriced. This wet look maxi dress is something I would never be seen dead in, but more annoying is the chiffon blouse, which inexplicably costs £30 for something that will not stretch to regular wear in your wardrobe. Even the tie costs £20.

The mark ups fail to entice me into believing these are must have items for this season. While most of the range is cute and would make wonderful wardrobe staples, it seems as though Kate's 'people' got greedy. At prices like £120 for this frankly ugly green dress, this is one range that's hype won't sway girls with sense.

If you think I'm crazy, check out Kate's range for yourself at Topshop online.