Pantone New Colours

I get regular emails from Pantone and always get excited when they announce new colours (I mean, will they ever run out?!). So inspired by their new 175 colour additions, I thought I'd seek out the best pieces - designer and high street - in the latest colours.

1. 3.1 Phillip Lim £335
2. CLU £245
3. Paul & Joe £375
4. Christian Louboutin £645
5. River Island £45
6. DKNY £440
7. Current/Elliot £250
8. Paul Smith £69
9. Accessorize £6

Find out more about the colours and the research behind the project here.

Phoenix

I've just got back from a delightful afternoon playing dress up at Phoenix dress agency in Cobham. I was invited by Nicola to visit her at her placement where she's in charge of the shop's social media.

If you don't know what a dress agency is, it's a second hand designer shop where people sell their unwanted luxury items. When I say second hand, I really mean that it was bought brand new by somebody ridiculously rich who put it straight to the back of their vast wardrobe - often with tags intact - never to be worn and then given to Phoenix to sell at a reduced cost six months later. Brilliant idea.

The team at Phoenix were lovely. A bubbly, friendly group of women run the shop and they were all so welcoming. Nicola is doing a great job with the social media and after three weeks has considerably increased their Facebook and Twitter traffic.

After a mooch around the two floors of rails ranging from Alexander McQueen gowns to Mulberry handbags, I tried on a pair of nude lace Sportmax shorts (image below), a blue striped Joseph kaftan and a blush pink with navy sequins Tory Burch kaftan (image below). The Tory kaftan was lovely, £80, but sadly gone by the time we got back from lunch. I was desperate for the Joseph kaftan, £60, but decided that it was perhaps too much to spend on something to wear to the beach (says her who just bought a Missoni bikini). The Sportmax shorts were also great on and would be a wonderful addition to my wardrobe but just not a necessity at the moment. Maybe next time.

If, like me, your budget might not always stretch to the shop fresh article but you still have a penchant for designer, pop into Phoenix, I guarantee you won't leave empty handed. I didn't... PS. Have a look at this beautiful Balenciaga that just arrived this morning.

Tory Burch kaftan, £80 (sold) 

Anya Hindmarch clutches

Sportmax nude lace shorts, £60 

 I love the detail on this Christian Louboutin heel

...I couldn't resist. Nude, patent Rupert Sanderson sandals - my heel of the season.

Visit: http://www.phoenixcobham.co.uk/ 

Party Pieces

I haven't been feeling well for the last couple of days so have consequently spent most of the last 48 hrs in a horizontal position on the sofa.

I'm trying desperately to rest for the coming (birthday) weekend so have been willing my body into the party mood by doing some screen shopping.

Also great for the coming festive celebrations (ah six weeks!), these are a couple of bits and (party) pieces that have caught my eye:

Clockwise from left:

Gold ring, £7, Pieces at ASOS.com

Gold and black heels, £425, Christian Louboutin (PLEASE let these be in the January sale)

Clarins Jolie Rouge Lipstick in 700 Cedar Red, £16.50, Boots

Nails Inc in New Bond St., £11, Boots

Metallic clutch, £250, Burberry

Bracelet chain with gold spike drop, £6, ASOS.com

New Jeans

I ordered this pair of jeans from ASOS late last week and because of the bank holiday and delays to the post, I am still waiting for them.

Like with all new purchases, I've envisaged in my mind the plethora of combinations I can create from my existing wardrobe and with a good pair of jeans, the opportunities are endless. The last time I bought jeans was two years ago, an excruciatingly skinny pair from Hollister. And they've served me well. I still love them. But I was in need of a little denim injection so have gone for a different shape this time. We'll see how it works out but as with any new relationship, I intend to be with them as much as possible.

With that in mind, instead of sitting peering out the window, waiting eagerly for the postman, I thought I would at least try to be constructive with my time and play around with some different looks.

Now all I need is to get them...

Jeans - A/Wear at ASOS, jumper - H&M, boots - H&M, necklace - Halleh at net-a-porter.com, clutch - Anya Hindmarch

Jeans as before, shirt - Topshop, bowling bag - Zara, gold cuff - ASOS, cork wedges - Christian Louboutin

Jeans as before, t-shirt - 3.1 Phillip Lim, Chelsea boots - ASOS, leather belt - Dolce & Gabbana, bag - Coach

Currently Lusting

Wednesday already! Day off tomorrow? Yes please! I'm working at Fendi accessories in Harrods at the moment (come and say hello if you're in the area!) and although I have a lot of fun there, my feet and legs ache so much by the end of the day so I'm very grateful when my day off rolls around. Ok, enough moaning and onto the fashion.

Working in such a drool-worthy environment, I find myself making mental lists of all the things I'm going to buy when, oh say £20,000 rocks up in my bank account. Unfortunately I don't live in this fantasy world but I guess a girl can dream.

Here are just a handful of things on that list:

They are the ultimate really, aren't they? Go with everything colour to attempt some sort of justification.

Timeless, classic, extremely over priced. One day maybe...

I walked passed the Herve Leger concession today and may have slowed my walk briefly while I oggled the dresses.

I've wanted one of these for a while and although I'm not sure of the exact price, I know that its going to be in excess of £300. This small detail means it remains on the fantasy list and not in my jewellery box (or on my wrist).

SALE

Since I've started working in retail, the only thing I hear at the moment is SALE SALE SALE. I started at Hugo Boss, Bond Street today (Burberry on Sunday and Zenia Bond St. Saturday) and people really do go crazy for a bargain. Shopping hint: if you're in the market to buy a suit, HEAD TO HUGO BOSS. Most suits are reduced to about £300 which is a huge reduction from £800+! I know a lot of fashion insiders are skeptical of sales since some stores sell last seasons "tat" but I have to say, I've been particularly impressed with Hugo Boss. There are hundreds of suits on sale and all classic styles which will last season after season. The womenswear isn't too shabby either.

So with that in mind, I had a little trawl through net-a-porter.com and mrporter.com and have come up with my 5 designer sale picks for men and women.

Net-a-porter.com

Vanessa Bruno - was £280 now £140. I love this pretty skirt. Would be perfect teamed with a cream blouse or camisole for warm evenings.

Michael Kors - was £200 now £120. A great addition to your work wardrobe and the fringing adds extra detail.

Gucci - was £425 now £212.50. A classic skirt for work or smart occasion. Would look great with a navy blue crisp shirt or a loose white T.

Chloe - was £860 now £516. Perfect for work with simple wedges or with flat sandals to keep you cool on holiday.

Christian Louboutin - was £445 now £267. Christian. Louboutin. Sale. Enough said.

Mrporter.com

Burberry Brit - was £150 now £75. A great pair of basic jeans for casual with a simple T or a slightly smarter occasion worn with a shirt.

Rag & Bone - was £170 now £85. I love the colour. Would look sharp under a dark suit during winter.

Polo Ralph Lauren - was £405 now £202.50. With all these down pours we keep having, a rain jacket is a must.

Hartford - was £130 now £65. Simple colour, uncomplicated style. Throw on over a white T when it gets a little chilly.

Aubin & Wills - was £49 now £24.50. Not for everyone but I love the candy stripe pattern.

But be quick! They won't be there for long!!

Monochrome Mini

Dress - Blanco, blazer - Stradivarius, pumps - Primark

With the unpredictable weather at the moment, it's so difficult to get dressed in the morning. This outfit actually started off with black tights and patent black heels but with the arrival of the sun I whipped off the tights and slipped on these flats instead.

Wrap-a-round bracelet - Burberry, watch - vintage, ring - vintage (my Grandmother's), necklace - Tiffany & Co



I had my final stage interview for the Mary Portas/House of Fraser job today. Unfortunately I didn't get it in the end but they have said they might be able to employ me somewhere else in the business so we'll see what happens with that.

However, I actually have another job lined up anyway. It's with a luxury retail agency who send you out on temporary contracts with companies like Chanel, Fendi, Prada, Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Dior etc etc at places like Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols etc so that should be pretty exciting and I start next week. I hope it'll really help to boost my CV and give me a lot of experience with a whole range of luxury brands. The agency are constantly looking to employ new people so feel free to contact me if you are interested.

Shellac

First of all, I'll tell you a little bit about what Shellac is.

Shellac is a product for your nails that is applied like nail polish but cured using UV light. It dries instantly and rock hard and lasts for at least a week and a half, if not more on the hands and months on the toes without any scuffs or chips. Hard to believe - but it's true. It also stays super shiny for the whole time you have it on and is easy to remove by holding your nails in acetone for a few minutes to remove the polish (which you only have to do when the cuticle grows out).

The products also come in hundreds of colours which can actually be mixed to create hundreds more colours.

My very special friend Sarah is a highly esteemed beautician working on the Costa Del Sol (if you ever visit the Marbella area give her a call - you won't regret it!) who kindly applied Shellac on me. Visit her Facebook and website where you'll find her price list and any other information you need.

I chose a pinky gold colour (created by blending dull gold and nude colours) for my hands and a deep red for my toes (to match the red soles of my Louboutins which I'm wearing to a wedding next weekend).

These are the results. This photo was taken a week after she applied it so you can see that the incredible shine really doesn't fade. Another positive is that my nails which usually split and flake have grown stronger and longer underneath the protective layers plus I've saved myself hours not having to do my nails 3 times a week!



It's a little pricey to have done here in the UK but for a holiday or special event it's really worth it. Check out the Sweet Squared website to find a salon near you.

Purchases and Polyvore

Due to a horrible bout of flu, I am currently typing this from my bed in which I keep drifting in and out of sleep. Therefore, I am feeling particularly uninspired blog wise. However, on Friday, I had a wander round House of Fraser and ended up with two new pieces to add to my wardrobe.

The first is a cream, faux sheerling gilet which has turned out to be perfect for the inbetween season weather we've been having. And since it doesn't have sleeves, it should take me through to spring when you need just a little bit more than a long- sleeved t-shirt.

I've been experimenting with styling but because warmth and comfort is a priority at the moment, this is the way I'll be wearing it this week.


Gilet - OASIS at House of Fraser, top - Topshop, jeans - True Religion, boots - Balenciaga, bag - Anya Hindmarch (my new love affair)

I must add that although I (unfortunately) don't own these exact items, I do have similar pieces.

The second thing I bought is a nude/pink satin blazer with two front pockets. This is the kind of thing I've been looking for for the summer months as my trusty black blazer will be a bit heavy.

I don't think it's quite warm enough to wear it yet but hopefully come Easter time, the weather will have picked up.


Blazer - Vero Moda at House of Fraser, shirt - Karen Millen, jeans - True Religion, heels - Christian Louboutin, bag - Anya Hindmarch





Maria

Work Wear

I am lucky enough to be working with three companies over London fashion week - Anya Hindmarch, Burberry and Amanda Wakely. None of these companies are super strict about clothes but I want to make a good impression. I felt totally unprepared outfit wise as I do have a few smarter pieces - a blazor, a pencil skirt etc - but putting together more than one or two appropriate outfits from my existing wardrobe proved a little difficult. I bought a couple of things from Zara, an ivory chiffon blouse (which you can also see here) and a black cross-over dress.

.................THE DRESS......................................THE BLOUSE................


I have done a little bit of playing around on Polyvore to try to find a few versatile looks and these are what I came up with...


Jeans - Lee, boots - Dune at ASOS, bag - Anya Hindmarch, jacket - Topshop


Skirt - Harvery Nichols, bag - Chloé, shoes - Guiseppe Zanotti, blazer - Alexander McQueen


Trousers - Zara, shoes - veryeickhoff.com, trench coat - Burberry, bag - Jimmy Choo


Ribbed tights - Debenhams, shoes - Christian Louboutin, bag - Yves Saint Laurent, trench coat - Burberry, belt - Topshop


Bag - Loren Taylor Kalli at John Lewis, shoes - Kurt Geiger, blazer - Chloé, necklace - vintage


Belt - ASOS, bag - Jerome Dreyfuss, pumps - Topshop, cape - Topshop





Maria

Chichester

A while ago, I recieved an email about contributing to The Chichester News' fashion page. One month later and this is the finished article which Megan kindly sent to me.

Maria

First time for everything

Sunday was the day that will change my fashion life forever. That's right, I bought my first pair of designer shoes. By not just any designer but THE shoe designer, Christian Louboutin.

I have to say, I don't normally spend an obscene amount of money on anything but have been after some nice shoes for a while. I also cheated a little bit and I got them on sale so they actually had about £200 off as well. Still not cheap, but definitely not a months rent so I don't feel too guilty.

I plan to debut them at my cousin's wedding in June with a dress I bought at the French Connection sale.






I swoon over the sole











Maria