Seeing Double (Denim) or Triple?

I seriously could not believe my eyes this morning.  As I walked into the Playground, there was friend A, 44, wearing jeans and a denim jacket in different shades of Indigo.  As we were walking out of school, I spotted, slightly ahead of us, C, usually in jodphurs and riding boots, wearing exactly the same (obviously had a business meeting or something), a denim jacket and jeans and then, low and behold, little Spanish R, in exactly the same ensemble!  My eyes were popping out of my head, seeing all these over forty somethings rocking a trend and not even knowing it, as they are the most unfashion conscious people you could wish to meet in normal circumstances, lovely but dowdy!
As A, S and I, walked out, I said "A, you won't believe this, but there is a huge trend this season known as "double denim" where you wear two different shades of denim at the same time ( I had to explain it in black and white obviously), and look at you, you are bang on trend and not just you, but look over there, C is doing exactly the same thing, as is Little R!". "I didn't realise when I got dressed this morning" said A.  "No, I gathered that" I replied (rather too quickly but it just slipped out) to which S made a loud miaowing noise. What the hell, they all know what I am like by now! 
A, (the bitch) has a figure to die for, but has a husband, who is like a 100 years old or something, so doesn't take any interest in fashion, as if she wears something showing just a tiny bit of cleavage or leg, he will make her get changed.  I mean Jesus, when she bought her winter coat from Zara, I nearly fainted and he was with her and paid for it for her birthday present! Fuck that, with his dosh, I would have wanted a coat from Marc Jacobs!  So I shall stick with having a 5 years younger than me, toyboy husband, being overweight but loving fashion, mind you, her old man does have a few bob.........

I think the school run double denim outfits were a sign, as when I logged on to NAP earlier, their online magazine is entitled Denimania and gives you loads of Jeanius facts and hot tips. In fact I have to admit I am totally in love with the styling of this picture, the Acne denim jacket, the Alexander Wang bag.....

So if I wanted to get down with the "cool mums" I would go for the one in the picture, the Acne denim jacket £200  from http://www.net-a-porter.com/

I had never really thought about a denim jacket to form part of my wardrobe "heros" but I really think I should get one, I shall give the shorts a miss though.......Wouldn't this look great with Khaki pants and Maxi dresses aswell?

Jealous Much? Hell Yes!

I admit I am getting caught up in a SATC frenzy.  Even though I have the box set, I keep recording the series on Comedy Central every night, 3 episodes and watching them whenever I can fit it in the next day which meant that getting up at 6am this morning (I couldn't get back to sleep after my husband,who gets up at five, left), meant that I could watch an episode before I had to wake Youngest Daughter and Little Man and start the usual breakfast and pack lunch making procedures.

Eldest Daughter took her double bed the other week so I now use her room for ironing and as there is a TV and DVD player in there, I thought I would watch the SATC movie, again, whilst I ploughed through a seemingly endless pile of work and school shirts. It was just that I thought it would serve as a good reminder of how the last film ended, before I watched the new one (like I didn't know!).

One thing that watching the movie again did confirm to me, was that no matter how many times I see Lily, Charlottes adopted daughter, sporting a Judith Lieber Crystal encrusted Cupcake bag to attend the wedding of Carrie and Big, I am (still) consumed with jealousy.  Loving a bit of Bling (as you do) and being a lover of all things "Cupcake" seeing that bag has me salivating, yes almost as if I could eat it!  I mean, little Lily is probably about five, right? and she has touched a Judith Leiber bag!  she has put Carrie's phone in it and done it up and put it over her arm! yes like I said she is about five years old for christsake, surely this shouldn't be allowed, should it?
To be honest even if I could afford one, I guess I would look pretty stupid with it, it is a young girls bag for sure, but that doesn't stop me admiring the designers vision and the use of beautiful and quality materials in such a quirky way as Judith Leiber does.

I don't think you can get the cupcake bag anymore, but whilst looking on net-a-porter I was quite drawn to the Owl. I can only think it is because my Mum has always loved Owls, God knows I hate all Birds and Animals, but I love the way if you were out till the early hours, this bag would serve as a reminder that you were on an Owls body clock and would need to sleep all day!  Owl is a weird word isn't it?

What a masterpiece! Available from http://www.net-a-porter.com/ £3,395 Yikes!  Who would actually pay that? Do you know anyone who owns a Judith Leiber?

I would love to have Tom Ford on my Lips....

I have always thought of myself as a bit of a "lipgloss bitch" get me anywhere near a high end beauty counter and I will have to buy a lipgloss but I have become really pissed off with them lately after buying 2 Chanel ones at £16 each, which when put on before the school run, quickly do a disappearing act in the 25 minutes I am out of the house and there is not a trace of them left when I get back home!  I really wouldn't mind, if I were in Starbucks slurping on a Latte, or grabbing a croissant from the co-op on the way home, but nothing is passing my lips during that time, what a complete waste of money!  So the news that Lipsticks would be making a bit of a comeback for spring/summer came as very welcome news and as usual, Tom Ford's Lipstick range launch is perfectly timed, but we wouldn't expect anything else from the Style Guru would we?
The collection consists of 12 colours and the formula contains rare ingredients including soja seed extract, Brazilian murumuru butter and chamomilla flower oil, which is said to give the lipsticks their ultra-creamy texture and smooth application. I love the names of the Black Orchid and Vanilla Suede although I don't think either of those colours would suit me and I would probably have to get Pink Dusk to work with my complexion.
At £35 each, I don't think I would be smearing these on for the school run, I would have to save for best and would need to pick up a cheap lipstick brush to get that last 1/3rd out, that is still sitting in the tube when you think the product has run out!
Having worn Gloss for so long now, I don't think I will be taking any chances by purchasing one online as would like to try out the colours first, but if you are more confident and can't wait to get to London to purchase one of these beauties in their opulent white and gold packaging, you can buy online from Selfridges.
I shall be slowing dealing with my gloss addiction and weaning myself off of the sticky stuff, in preparation for a visit to Selfridges on my next trip to London.  Would you pay £35 for a lipstick?

Could this be the "One"?

Eldest Daughter popped up last night and our conversation progressed to her 21st Birthday in June.  Luckily she decided a while back that she didn't want a party, which is a bit of a relief considering I had Middle Daughter (Uni Girls) party last June and have Youngest Daughters 18th party, hall and DJ booked for September, so it is a major payout year.  I have toyed with the idea of tickets to Paris for ED and her boyfriend as last time we spoke she was unsure what she wanted.  I would love to buy her a Cartier watch like mine, but now at almost Two Grand, it is an impossibility and I had to reach 40 before I was bestowed with such a classic and elegant timepiece. My next item of choice for her, if money were no object, would be a Chanel bag and I am wondering how much the smaller version of the 2.55 is, she could certainly do with a nice evening bag, so if anyone knows what the small ones retail at, do let me know please but last night she said, in light of the problems with her LV Musette, that she would like a day bag but not LV.  It has to be large and slouchy she said.  We had a look on net-a-porter and she said that nothing really grabbed her around the £500 price bracket.  So I found myself on the mission that the Grazia reader was in which I posted about the other day.  An investment bag for £500.  I pointed out the Halston number as worn by SJP, even though I know being Blue Suede it is not a practical everyday bag, but I think I was drawn to it as I could do that outfit Sarah Jessica wears so easily because I have the scarf and can easily roll up my jeans, although sporting a dark coloured bra under a white vest is a complete no no! but ED didn't really seem impressed even though it fulfills the Slouchy requirement and is such a good price.

Halston Heritage Bright Blue Slouchy ultrasuede Sac Bag, £350 from http://www.net-a-porter.com/

I also loved the Canvas version, with its beautiful bright colours, great for summer with a little dress and sandals and fab as a beach bag!

Canvas Slouchy Sac bag by Halston Heritage, £155 (what a bargain) from http://www.net-a-porter.com/

Then today I saw stylish friend and tamer of my locks E, http://snowysylista.blogspot.com/ who recently treated herself to the Mulberry Mitzy Hobo.  Now this bag ticks all the boxes! I loved it when I saw it online, but those pictures have nothing on it, compared to when you see it in the flesh, I have a case of serious bag envy and I don't know about buying it for ED's birthday, this is going on my wish list! well I guess ED could have it in Black like E, and I could go for the Oak!

Mulberry Mitzi Hobo £495 from my-wardrobe.com

Forget "it bags" this is a timeless classic, its huge, its stylish, and its within Budget!

But if you are still after the latest Fashionista Fix, then the leopard oak Alexa is back in stock!

Mulberry Oak Leopard Alexa £795 from my-wardrobe.com

You can keep your hat on...

When I first saw Sex and the City the movie, one of Carrie's looks I loved, was her sitting poolside, in a Panama hat.  I was fed up with covering my head to eliviate sun stroke and locks like Worzel Gummidge with a baseball cap and was determined to go for a holiday hat of stylish proportions and was lucky enough to pick this one up in the Marks and Spencer sale last summer for just £5!

If like me, you like to be a shady lady in the Sunshine, and are so "over" straw cowboy hats, then here are my Top picks of Trilbys and Panamas.

I love this straw like trilby with its neutral colourway, only £12 from Marks and Spencer

Or this one from Jigsaw £39 with its Nautical trend blue striped band.

This black one would look fab with a black bikini or swimsuit, £14 from Oasis

The only time I have spent over £100 on a hat was when I bought a Missoni Baker Boy Cap some years ago, but this Malene Birger Panama would look just as hot around town as it would poolside, a worthwhile investment at £145 from my-wardrobe.com

Will you be wearing a hat this summer?

Isabella Oliver 20% off until Midnight tonight

What an honour! Isabella Oliver has received a distinguished award from Her Majesty The Queen. A Queen's Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed on a UK company, and it is a fantastic recognition of the hard work everyone puts in at Isabella Oliver. Selected from the International Trade category, the company has been recognized for its significant growth and dedication overseas.
To celebrate the occasion, they are throwing a one day sale party. Treat yourself to 20% off Isabella Oliver until Midnight tonight (Wednesday 21st April) just enter discount code, QUEEN at the checkout. What a great time to grab yourself a piece of their beautiful new Summer collection like the Maxi Dress pictured which was featured in InStyle and which I posted about here.





Thank you for all your help along the way, support that has gone on to help us to win this award for outstanding UK businesses.

A few little Fashion Rants!

Been a busy day today trying to restore order to a house that has hardly had any housework done for the last two weeks, I still have Blogs to read, but after having a quick browse at today's Grazia, I felt I needed to post about a couple of things.

Firstly, how did I miss this picture of Coleen Rooney presenting the Prize for the most stylish lady at the Grand National the other week?

Before I even read the comments in the Magazine, thoughts of a 60 year old wedding guest came to mind!  Jesus, I wouldn't wear that if one of my girls got married and there is no doubt I am old enough to have given birth to Col!  I know you have had a Baby Love, but he is a baby still, not 55, and you are a young and normally stylish yummy mummy!  This is the second time I have critised you recently, firstly for your black "Clubbing" ensemble at Ladies Day and now this!   You normally wear great outfits to the races, brightly coloured ensembles with "to die" for accessories, I really don't know what is going on lately.  If Cricket in Liverpool has shut down, give net-a-porter a try! You could have embraced the Nude trend in a younger, fresher way, so many great dresses out there right now.  There is nothing "right" about it at all, the dress is too long, it all looks too "wishy, washy" with the pale coloured shoes, bag and light orange nails. I like your hair and earrings though, but come on girl, even George at Asda wouldn't want you now!

With your unlimited Fashion budget, if I'd have wanted Nude, I would have gone for this

Fendi £1,010 from net-a-porter

The other thing that really got my "goat" in my weekly fashion Mag of choice was the Style 118 section, and not one question but two!
Question One has a reader saying she normally buys two pairs of new jeans a year, one for summer and one for winter, but this year she only wants to buy one, so what style do they advise.  I agree with the answer that it should be a pair of Skinny jeans as you really need this style for tucking into boots in Winter and they look equally as good with gladiators as flares do, but come on Grazia, don't advise someone to buy Pale Denim or Black!  Pale Denim never, ever, looks smart enough for evening, even if teamed with £500 heels, and Black, hello wash fade and sun bleaching from the washing line, no no no no no Grazia, this lady wants dark Indigo, which looks fab even if teamed with a plain white t-shirt, tan belt and sandals for day or a pretty nude ruffle blouse and heels for evening.
Question Two has a reader saying she is usually a bargain hunter but she wants to spend up to £500 on an investment bag.  Paula Reed answers Marc by Marc Jacobs or See by Chloe, which I do agree with, wholeheartedly, but come on Paula you don't show a picture of a tan suede bag by Carven.  If anyone is going to invest in one good bag, it shouldn't be a) suede or b) pale in colour.  For an investment bag you really need to go for black or tan, which works whatever the season and I would also have recommended Louis Vuitton as there are plenty of styles in Monogram or Damier which are under £500, a good sized Speedy 30 is £430 which would leave you £70 to buy a nice dress.  I would also check out mid-season sales from high end websites such as Browns or Matches and keep your eye on theoutnet.com which has new stock every Tuesday and Thursday or wait for the summer sales where you will be able to "bag" a bargain.
Ok rant over, I want a new job answering the questions on 118 in Grazia, even without a fashion background I could do a far better job!

Hot on the High Street for your Holiday and beyond

Still not sure about Clogs? Then maybe these gorgeous strappy sandals from Marks and Spencer will satisfy your craving for High Street priced, on trend, summer shoes! I saw these being worn by a fellow blogger and they do look fantastic in the flesh.  They also come in black and at only £35, you might want to get both colours! 

I've mentioned before about my love of anything stripey, especially in Navy and White and about the dress I tried on in Whistles last summer, well I stumbled across this one at Phase Eight and am thinking that the style will cover a multitude of sins in the Tummy area, plus the dress (which is described as a top on the website) is made of viscose rather than Jersey (which is usually the Stripe fabric of choice for designers) so it will hang nicely.  All of these factors would make wearing a Stripe dress an easier option for most women who would, like me, usually avoid them like the Plague!

The dress looks great with Gladiators (as pictured)  but in my head I am seeing my new Nine West Ankle Cuff sandals by day, but I fancy it with those M&S Tan Sandals above, for lunch with the girls or holiday evenings, I think teaming Navy and White stripes with Tan this season, rather than red, is a welcome change and as the Nautical trend seems to make an appearance every spring and summer, this should become a good wardrobe "hero" for years to come.  Now if only Little Mans School fee's didn't need paying tomorrow......

The Science behind skincare

At the tender age of 20 and working in London, I began to develop a taste for all the finer things in life, I started to progress up the skincare ladder and swapped my trusty teenage soap and water/Nivea combo for Clinique.  It seemed like it cost a fortune at the time, but boy did I feel sophisticated!  I was just a tad gutted that the Toner prescribed for my skin type, was too harsh and burnt my skin, so I gave up on that and went on to Clarins which I used for many years.
The brands that I used the most for the rest of my twenties and early thirties were Estee Lauder and Lancome.  I was very impressed with the Estee Lauder Night Repair, after all, if it could heal burns on your hands then surely it would stop me getting wrinkles.  Sadly it didn't.
I had a stage in my life when I was obsessed by Liz Earle, do you remember her daytime programme?  anyway when she developed her own skincare range, I didn't need to be converted and bought into the brand immediatley.  The soft and easily abosobed Moisturiser was easily one of the nicest creams I had used but as the wrinkles appeared to get deeper and deeper a few years back, I began to wonder if this beautifully pure, organic range had been enough for my skin during a time when I needed something really high powered and was thinking that perhaps, I should have been investing in La Pairie or Revive (like Liz Jones).
Most recently, I have used Eve Lom and her cleanser, which along with Liz Earle, remain my firm favourites and although I loved the EL eye gel and moisturiser, I am not sure they have done anything positive to delay the signs of ageing and I am wondering whether I wouldn't just have been better off all these years to have used something like Olay and had more money to spend on clothes!
In desperation (always previously thinking I would "Grow old Gracefully")  I consulted a Botox Nurse at a local Beauty Salon.  I told her that it was the upper lip that needed work, as I understood Botox can't be used for the wrinkles under your eyes and my forehead is wrinkle free (except for one deep line between my brows, but I can live with that) she informed me that I would need "fillers" and that I would have to be numbed up first, as it is quite painful to inject in that area.  She said she would put some in the upper lip (not the actual lip but the bit, hairy people get waxed) and she would use what was left to put some in each side of my mouth as it was "turning down" which is a sure sign of ageing and that would bring the sides of my mouth up.  "Fucking hell" I thought "by the time this bitch has finished with me, I shall look like the Joker from Batman, sod that!".  OK, so now to cost.  Cough, splutter and bear in mind here that the brochure said "Botox from £100 for one area and I am thinking, naturally, that I only need one area, "£290" she says. Oh right that put paid to that then!  I could get a pair of Louboutins in the sale with that money!
Then I read an article about Creme de la Mer, and I got to thinking, that I never actually take a great deal of notice of the science behind the skincare. I usually just see an advertisement in a magazine and if it sounds like a product I need, I buy it, but I have never spent more than £50 on a pot of moisturiser and now I am wondering if I should.  Creme de la Mer has a huge Celeb following and is just about to celebrate its 10th birthday.  It was developed by Dr Max Huber, an aerospace scientist who had suffered deep facial scarring after an accident in his lab (they failed to tell you what the accident was) and after several years of research he created the Miracle Broth from Marine Algaes and minerals, that not only healed his disfigurement but was found to have a smoothing effect on lines and wrinkles.  The brand has expanded to include eye-creams, body creams and a concentrate that can treat super sensitive post surgical skin (no I won't be buying any to sort out the awful scar on Uni girls ear, she can have Bio Oil).  A new addition to the range has recently launched and for £210 you can buy The Regenerating Serum which supports the natural production of youth proteins like Collagen and elastin and contains tiny particals of gold which act as a h-tech skin conductor to Firm.  Sounds great doesn't it and according to most Beauty Editors and the Creams users, it really does work.  Have you tried it, if so what do you think? I may try the moisturiser but I doubt if I would ever pay £210 for a serum, afterall, Fillers and a "Jokers" mouth, would last much longer....
Creme de la mer is available from John Lewis
The very reasonably priced organic skincare range from Liz Earle is available here
and you can check out the Eve Lom Cult Cleanser and full range here

Looking for Limited Edition Fashion?

In celebration of their 40th Anniversary, Browns Fashion have joined forces with some of their top designers to create a limited edition collection which is available both online and instore. Pieces include the Christopher Kane red "Eva" dress (as pictured above) from his 2007 MA show and includes a total of 40 designers including Balenciaga, Burberry and Erdem.

Spring Haul

Cowboy Boots on sale from Kurt Geiger  was £95 now £39
Nine West Ankle Cuff sandals from Kurt Geiger  also from Amazon where they are also available in Black and they have more sizes in stock, were £75 now £39
Breton Top from John Lewis £15
Cape Style Cardigan from John Lewis was £49.50 now £20
Trousers by Gap from Asos £32.50
Khaki Bikini from Figleaves on sale £10.80! This is to scare the Magpies away from my garden.
I also ordered some Jeggings from John Lewis but they have to be returned as although a nice fit and a lovely quality, they were baggy around the knees!
The Gap trousers from Asos were weird, they came tied up - hence why they are so creased!
Still lusting after: A white shirt, clogs and some summer day dresses.
Have you bought any new stuff lately?

Novelty Footwear - is it really for the over forties?

Jimmy Choo Zappa Sandals

As much as I worship at the Church of Jimmy Choo (along with Louboutin & Gina), I can't help but think, shouldn't shoes with battery operated light up pink neon soles, be reserved for little people under the age of five?  Will the ever so stylish Tamara Mellon really be wearing these?  I bet lady Gaga will, but not so sure us  sophisticated and highly polished over forties (who am I kidding. I mean "old") will be coveting a pair, but if you really want to splash out £1,495 on Novelty shoes, you can do so here.  I wonder how long it will be before they do a version of Healeys, and put wheels on the platforms?