Sep 23, 2012

Playing Dress Up – Somerset by Alice Temperley

Posted in Fashion.

Since snagging myself a pair of the Larch brogues, I’m become a tad obsessed with the Somerset by Alice Temperley collection at John Lewis. I have a real thing for heritage style at the moment – probably because I’m knee-deep in all things English Countryside as I plan my wedding. Seriously – give me a tweed skirt and a bowtie for my other half and I’m a happy woman.

With my current infatuation in mind, an email from the PR for the range couldn’t have come at a better time. I was asked to choose my favourite pieces from the look book (um, all of it please) and create three looks using pieces from the John Lewis site. If there’s a more enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon, I’ve yet to come across it.

Leather pencil skirt, Somerset by Alice Temperley | Jacquard jumper, NW3 by Hobbs | Suede platform ankle boots, Hobbs | Mulberry Dorset handbag

The first look I pulled together is what I’d wear if I worked in a formal (ish) office. Leather with knitwear is one of my favourite autumnal combinations, and this red wine shade will be dominating my wardrobe.

Oversized jumper, Somerset by Alice Temperley | Plain wool beret, John Lewis | Suede and leather ankle boots, Somerset by Alice Temperley

My perfect lazy weekend attire – a cute oversized jumper, flat boots, hat. Done. All I need for long walks in the park, curling up in front of a pub fire and enjoying a hearty Sunday roast. Of course, I’d be wearing tights, but adding them here would’ve messed up my lovely Photoshop collage.

Angel sleeve long dress, Somerset by Alice Temperley | Perspex lips clutch, Lulu Guinness | Mubara Shanga bracelets, Made | Hazel heels, Somerset by Alice Temperley

I love, love, love this look. The whole ‘boho luxe’ trend isn’t really me, but there’s something so decadent about this bronze goddess dress. Think loose finger waves, matte red lips and a dance that resembles The Charleston.

I’ll leave you with the promo video for the collection – it features model Lily Donaldson and her real-life sister, Aurelia, and I think it captures the classic, British feel of the range perfectly. Gorgeous!

The Somerset by Alice Temperley range is available in John Lewis now. What do you think – will you be making a purchase? Or maybe multiple purchases, like me?

Heads up – I was compensated for writing this post.

Grazia’s Street Fashion Week in Leeds

Posted in Fashion.

On Thursday 27th September I’ll be taking to the streets of Leeds… not to shop (as I normally would!) but to snap the city’s most stylish residents for Grazia’s Street Fashion Week. Woo hoo!

This is not me, just FYI.

If you’re a dab hand at dressing or you ace at accessorising, come find me in Leeds city centre next Thursday and strike your best Vogue pose. All my photos will be added to the Grazia website, so if you’re snapped you can bask in the glory of being officially stylish. And you can get your friends/family/vague acquaintances to vote for you for a chance to win some super awesome prizes from Warehouse and TONI&GUY. Pretty cool, right?

Grazia are looking for the UK’s Most Stylish City so if you’re not a Leeds lass or lad, check out the other locations and hot-foot it to your nearest. Although I must warn you – us Yorkshire girls never miss an opportunity to dress up, so competition will be FIERCE *Tyra Banks voice*.

On the day I’ll be tweeting my location as I travel around the city, so feel free to stalk my every movement on Twitter. You can also follow the hashtag #streetfashionweek and the Stylehunter feed for all the deets on what’s happening near you.

I’ll be starting my street style engines at Warehouse on Lands Lane (that’s opposite HMV in town, if you’re as terrible with street names as me) at 10am and will keep snapping ’til 7pm. Head to Warehouse between 11am-3pm and you could bag yourself a complimentary hair styling experience with TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe. Come on now – are you telling me you’ve got anything better to do on a Thursday? Work doesn’t count!

If you’re a Leeds local let me know and I’ll look out for you, and if not – will you be taking part in Street Fashion Week in any other city?

An Ode to TK Maxx

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

Oh TK Maxx, how do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…

Forgive me – things are about to get a bit soppy up in here. I think I’ve had a religious experience in TK Maxx, and now I need to declare my love.

A few weeks ago I was commissioned by Cosmopolitan to write a piece on the alternative LBD (that’s Little Black Dress, fact fans) and was given some TK Maxx vouchers to fund my ‘research’. Best. Job. Ever. I took myself off to the Crown Point Leeds store and came out an hour later, firm in my belief that it’s the best shop in the world.

This is the outfit I picked out – it’s all from TK Maxx, it’s all designer brands, and the whole thing was less than £160. I’m wearing a current season Clements Ribeiro blouse with sequin collar (RRP £95 now £29.99), DKNY black skinny jeans (RRP £95 now £19.99), current season Clements Ribeiro bouclé jacket (RRP £235, now £44.99), Radley nude leather heels (RRP £95 now £40) and a tasselled black Italian Leather clutch bag (RRP £33 now £24.99).

When picking out these pieces I felt like a kid in a sweet shop. The AW12 stock is fantastic – I’ve always preferred cold weather clothing so the rails of autumn/winter jumpers and cardigans mixed with floaty chiffon and tough leather was impossible to resist. I actually took 23 items to the fitting rooms (SRSLY). That’s how good it was.

Happily, the lovely folks at TK Maxx seem to like me too (although maybe not in the same obsessive way) and invited me to their AW12 press event last week, where their fab new TV ad was shown. Another thing I love about the brand – this ad features just one model (it’s the super hot guy, of course). The rest are stylish real people. And if you keep an eye out at 0:15, you’ll spot the blouse I’m wearing here on the buyer’s rail!

You can read my piece for Cosmopolitan here and check out some of TK Maxx’s AW12 collection here. And I know not everyone has great luck when hunting for bargains, so here’s a post I wrote last year with some tips for rooting through those rails. Let me know if you find anything amazing!

Do you shop in TK Maxx? Ever found treasure in your local store?

British Designer Brands on the High Street

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

I’m currently experiencing a bit of a pivotal moment in my fashion life. Look back into the Little Bird archives and a year ago, you’ll see I was almost always head-to-toe Primark, Zara or H&M. Fast fashion was my thing and my wardrobe was full of once-worn impulse buys.

In the last 6 months I’ve overhauled the way I think about clothing. I do still like trends and I’m far from a stranger to the Zara fitting rooms, but now I find myself looking for quality pieces that will last rather than the latest neon sheath coming out of East London. I love Whistles and NW3 by Hobbs, don’t understand the appeal of Nasty Gal (surely the name says it all?) and am already planning my second Mulberry purchase. It’d be easy to become a fashion snob, but rather than paying full whack for beautiful brands I hunt high and low for ways to save, which stops me from slipping into Made in Chelsea mode.

Dress, Uniqlo x Orla Kiely | Jacket, Clements Ribeiro via TK Maxx (c/o) | Brogues, Somerset by Alice Temperley at John Lewis (c/o) | Bag, Mulberry via factory shop | Bracelets and ring, H&M

In today’s outfit I’m wearing pretty much head-to-toe designer clothing… all of it purchased on the high street or at discount shops. The only item that cost more than £150 is the Mulberry bag, and even that was almost 50% off the original RRP.

Spending £500 on a shirt or £2,000 on a handbag is insane to me. I don’t have that kind of money, but even if I did I’d be reluctant to spend it on clothing – maybe it’s the Yorkshire lass in me. Capsule designer collections available on the high street, like Somerset by Alice Temperley at John Lewis or Orla Kiely at Uniqlo, mean I can wear the brands I love without remortgaging my house (and I don’t even own a house).

TK Maxx has long been a favourite of mine for snagging designer bargains at reduced prices – the Clements Ribeiro bouclé jacket I’m wearing here is current season and cost £44.99 down from £250. My Mulberry is from the York factory shop which I highly recommend if you want a piece from this beautiful British heritage brand – they also have factory shops in Somerset, Oxfordshire (Bicester Village) and Cheshire Oaks. The dress is from Orla Kiely’s range for Uniqlo and cost less than £20, and the brogues are Somerset by Alice Temperley at £130. You couldn’t get designer pieces for such low prices from a main collection, so these high street alternatives are an affordable way to wear the hottest names in British fashion.

Have you bought anything from a designer/high street collaboration collection? Ever found a high end bargain in TK Maxx or an outlet shop? Let me know what you think and share your advice on luxe for less shopping in the comments.

Things I’ve Learnt at London Fashion Week

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

I was at London Fashion Week from Friday to Sunday. Here are some things I learnt…

Corrie Nielson is the Queen of flattering, feminine pieces with a high fashion edge. Love the soft pastels, volumous details and sharp tailoring.

maria grachvogel ss13 lfw fishtail plaits

Fishtail plaits are my new favourite hair thing. Which is a shame, as my hair is short and my fingers are clumsy. I need help from the hair team behind Maria Grachvogel’s SS13 show, stat.

Leather will be key in my AW12 wardrobe. Mostly mixed with floaty chiffon, khaki and leopard print. Maybe some studs and a killer pair of sunglasses, too.