Wednesday 28 November 2012

Visit to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire





My outfit for my visit to BBC Radio Cambridgeshire today to talk about the Duchess of Cambridge, you can listen to the full interview here

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Fashion Fit For A Princess







She may have dated Prince William since 2002 but can anyone actually remember Kate Middleton when she was just plain old Kate Middleton? No me neither, and now? Well today is a very different story. 



November 16th 2012 a national treasure was born, the press called it a fairy tale but for me she was the perfect choice. It's hardly a rags to riches story, after all she met the young prince whilst studying at the University of St. Andrews. The press like to drag up her mining community connections but those roots are far gone and with her parents company said to be worth around £30 million I'd hardly put her in the working class category. If your a cynic you could say she was conveniently the savour of the Royal Family, after all the general public had lost interest in the Royals. The gap between the masses and the prestigious had left us feeling little in common, so step forward Miss Middleton. Her distant background makes her easy to portray as the girl next door and a figure that could finally get the Royals back in the heart of the public.

So why have we warmed to her so much and seemingly looked past her Public school background? For me it's her personal style, Ok she's been coiffed and glamed considerably but who in the public eye hasn't? And to be fair she's been styled just to the right amount. As perfect as she is they haven't took away that girl next door quality and so remained relatable.



Kate's style is very classic and very British. In hard times most savvy shoppers know to invest in key pieces that carry across the seasons and ultimately last for along time. Kate's look is all about those key pieces and wearing them right. She may have a model figure but every woman no matter their body type will benefit from tailoring and getting the fit of your clothes right. Tailoring can have as much of an impact as out there trends. I'm sure that most women would agree that Kate looks great and that it may be safe but her style always has impact. Kate doesn't follow trends and to be honest most average women don't either, and that's why she's so relatable she wears comfortable clothes, pieces that any woman can feel comfortable in, take the wrap dress that she sports so frequently, get your underwear right and this is a dress that flatters every shape.



The key to getting Kate's look is to invest in key pieces for your own wardrobe. A bright coloured mac may seem like a good choice on a whim but can you wear it day in day out? If you choose the right pieces you can use accessories to alternate your look on a daily basis. A capsule wardrobe should include a very British trench, a wool blend coat, a fitted blazer, a well fitting shirt, a good fitting pair of jeans and to top it off a pair of court shoes (heel height personal preference). I would advise picking up the more expensive pieces in the sale. My top sale tip is Reiss. Colours are vital for these pieces as you want to be able to wear them with a multitude of things so stick to blacks, greys, navy and creams its hard to go wrong.



For me the thing that takes Kate's style to the next level is her use of accessories, personally I'm a total magpie but Kate keeps its simple, her jewellery is non fussy but she understands the impact of a scarf or a hat. Most woman avoid hats for everyday use so I'd advise using scarfs to get maximum impact out of your outfits. 



But to be honest Kate's best accessory is her smile and that's because she feels confident. If your body conscious taking tips from Kate is a great way to go and luckily for the average woman the high street now is faultless. Gone are the days that high street means a lack of quality of ill fitting garments. Kate herself is a massive fan of the high street and can be frequently seen wearing items from Zara ( my personal favourite), French connection and Reiss.

 Kate wearing Zara


 If your on a budget stores such as M&S, H&M, Warehouse and Dorothy Perkins have all upped their game when it comes to quality and fit. I  think the high street has realised that women are more Savvy with their purchases and that women as a whole are more conscious of dressing to suit their shape, thank you Trinny, Susannah and Gok.

I think it's a positive thing that girls have a role model and a female figure to look up to that does keep it classy, it's great for young girls to see that a woman can look amazing without showing flesh or being provocative. There's a few young ladies out there that should take a leaf out of Kate's book and cover up a little bit.

If you're a fan of Kate's look see below for my favourites from the high street so whether you're wanting to invest or add a little bit of Kate to you're Wardrobe there's a choice for most women.

 Zara


Patent Court - £19.99


Tote Bag - £39.99


Scarf - £39.99


Blazer - £79.99


Dress (other colours available) - £35.99


Denim - £25.99


L.K Bennett



Wool Coat - £425

Patent Court - £175

Trench - £245


Bag - £395

H&M


Wool Blend Coat - £59.99


Fitted shirt (other colours available) - £12.99


Peplum Blazer - £29.99



Wool Blend Tweed Coat - £49.99


Dorothy Perkins


 Navy Blazer - £40




Ponte Dress - £35


Reiss


Wool Coat - £375


Wool Coat (Sale) - £122


Fitted Blouse - £110


Dress (other colours available) - £179



Cashmere Scarf - £45


Marks & Spencer


Dress - £39.50


Lace Overlay Dress - £49.50



Cashmere Jumper - £69.99


Nude Court (as worn by Kate) - £19.99


Lauren by Ralph Lauren

Silk Scarf (John Lewis) - £79


7 For All Mankind



Straight Leg Denim (John Lewis) - £170


Betty Barclay



Silk Scarf (John Lewis) - £35


Warehouse


Wool Blend Coat - £120


ASOS


Leather Gloves - £15




Dents Leather Gloves - £58

Sunday 18 November 2012

Office to the Bar in One Pair of Trousers






We all have basic pieces in our wardrobes like this grey tee I'm wearing, and they may seem like boring purchases but when you wear something like leather trousers they're a great way to tone down what would be a very in your face outfit. I wore this outfit for casual drinks on Friday evening and I think its the perfect choice for being stylish but not over done. Changing my work trousers to leather was a quick and easy way to go straight from the office to the bar.

Jacket, Trousers & Tee - H&M, Necklace - H&M Trend, Heels - Zara

Sunday 11 November 2012

Autumn Chill



The Chill in the air looks set to stick around now for the foreseeable future, but I'm secretly happy about it. Knitwear is my favourite item of clothing, I love all the different textures and colours. I purchased this cape from Zara in the 2012 Summer Sale, it's my first cape and I'm in love with it and I am now on the hunt to add to my cape collection.

Cape - Zara

Thursday 8 November 2012

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012

There are many arguements as to whether Kate Moss was the last Super Model. In my humble opinion the definintion of a Super Model today lies in one annual fashion show, walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show surely is the one gig that gives a model Super Status. This week saw the annual show based in New York. Now I'm an old fashioned girl I want to see Glamourzonians in my fashion magazines, if I wanted Betty average I'd watch TOWIE for fashion inspiration. I love the Victoria's Secret Models they're super for a reason. Surely they are the epitome of female perfection, long limbs, flowing locks, beautiful faces, killer bodies and they actually look like theyre having fun at work. And if I looked like that I'd never wear any clothes either! Check out Victoria's Ladies below and if Miranda Kerr wants to give me her secret I'm listening.



Miranda Kerr




Candice Swanepoel 




Adriana Lima




 Doutzen Kroes




Cara Delevingne  




Doutzen Kroes & Performer Rihanna



Erin Heatherton



Jasmine Tookes



Miranda Kerr &  Alessandra Ambrosio

 


Lily Aldridge



zabel Goulart, Lindsay Ellingson, Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima, Doutzen Kroes and Candice Swanepoel

Images Courtesy of www.Dailymail.co.uk