The Big Count Down

Currently writing this on 30th December 2010 and this year has just flown by.
I will, as per usual, be spending the big New Years Eve with the family in my pj's drinking as much champagne as possible without throwing up (especially considering I have to work the next day ¬_¬ dammit). 

But I know many will be having that end of year outfit dilemma of whether to go all out with glitter, sequins and sparkles.

Or get comfy, wrapped up all warm and snug to ring in 2011 without shivering their bits off. 

So here's my two suggestions of what I would wear in each situation. 

Take it off by Defying_Gravity_xoxo featuring tan belts

Wishlist Item...

Chloe Pussybow silk crepe de Chine blouse

£690 from Net-a-porter

Perfect for the 70's trend that's coming up this Spring/Summer, in the colour of the season. It looks great under cardigans and jackets now, but will look amazing with tailored shorts/floral skirts and gladiator sandals in the summer.

Keep on Wishing...

R. xoxo

Wishlist Item...

McQ Ladder-knit sweater dress

£320 from Net-a-Porter

Another warm knit perfect for Christmas day. can be dressed down to slouch in after your Christmas turkey and dressed up with tights, statement necklace and killer ankle boots or pumps for those Christmas parties and up-coming New Years Eve celebrations. 

I'd love to find this under the tree tommorow but at £320 I find it highly unlikely...ah well a girl can dream.

And on a final note...

Merry Christmas to all :D 

Keep on Wishing...

R. xoxo

Wishlist Item...

Priestley's Vintage Natural Aran Cardigan

£140 from coggles.com

Yeah, really couldn't care less that this is a men's cardigan. It honestly looks like the most comfortable thing to wear ever, so on trend with it's chunky knit, and beyond perfect to snuggle up in this Christmas (a boyfriend in said cardigan to snuggle up to would be quite nice on Christmas Day too please Santa, Ta' ;D)

Keep on Wishing...

R. xoxo

Flat shoes, and heels, and boots Oh My!....The winter shoe dilemma

So it’s nearly Christmas and no doubt the party season is well and truly in full swing.

For many of us girls the dilemma lies not really in what to wear on our bodies…but on our feet.

The weather here in England is as erratic as Lady Gaga’s outfit choices, and this winter we’ve braved everything from rain, wind and heavy snow. So with such icy conditions I’ve asked myself the ultimate choice for any fashionista going out this Christmas…do we sacrifice style for comfort??

So I’ve narrowed down some of the best footwear to help you decide which will help stop you from face planting on the snowy pavement outside the club…

Wishlist Item...

Khaki fur hood padded parka

£85 from Topshop (topshop.com)

Because the one I own is too thin for this freezing weather in England, and I can re-use it when festival season comes round in the summer - cos y'know it'll be a washout like usual.

Keep on Wishing...

R. xoxo

Wishlist Item(s)...

A double wishlist item entry...

Ginger sheepskin shearling car coat

£350 from Topshop.com

and

Bernstock Speirs Cable Knit Pom Pom Hat

£69 from Farfetch.com

Wishlist Item...

Olympia Le Tan Clutch Bag in Brown

£919 from Collete.fr

Seriously the most adorable bag I have ever seen, it was (to my knowledge) first spotted in the spotlight at the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 London Premiere with Clemence Poesy. To those who can't understand the title of the book it's 'Beauty and the Beast'.

Clemence with the clutch bag at the HP7 Part 1 London Premiere

X Factor fashion round up – Cheryl vs Dannii

Not content to fight it out with their contestants the real X Factor fight this year was between Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole. After two great series Cheryl continuously trumped Dannii with her wardrobe of up and coming and classic designers, always with a modern twist. Last year Dannii caught up with her outfits sourced from her homeland Austrailia. 


But this year the style war between the two the intensified, with Dannii absent from the early audition stages and Cheryl out because of malaria, the Lives Shows were to turn into their first primary battle ground. 


Let the battle commence...

 

Wishlist Item...

 

J.Crew Alexis lace-trimmed silk dress

£120 on Net-a-porter

So perfect for any Christmas parties coming up, to wear with a cropped jacket and black/nude pumps. I love the lace details around the neckline and the shape of the dress will hide and early holiday spread starting to make an appearance ;D.

Keep on Wishing...

R.xoxo 

The X Factor fashion round up - The Boys

This year while the girls’s have outdone themselves and earned the title for the best-dressed year on the show, in my opinion anyway. The boys have also upped their game in the fashion stakes with equally fantastic (though sometimes horrific) results.

Aiden Grimshaw

My favourite guy for many reasons, from looks to voice and definitely his fashion sense. I loved his Morrisey/James Dean/hipster indie boy look, and it’s definitely something a little unusual for a competition like this. But I have to say his Jedward-esque glitter suit number in Elton John week?? Just, no Aiden. He did redeem himself with his geek glasses in the group song in the Sunday though (I'm such a sucker for a nerd), so at least that wasn’t my lasting memory of him.

X Factor fashion round up - The Girls

The girl contestants really brought upped the standard for fashion this year and the X Factor Glam Squad were definately pulling out all the stops with each act. 

Here were some highs and lows from the competition...   

Belle Amie

Their styling on the show has been a love/hate affair. At some points they looked like the stylists placed them in a locked room and let a bomb of TopShop clothing explode all over them. Style-wise there never seemed to be any cohesion between the members, though this may be to do with Simon’s agenda to not make them clones of each other wearing matching outfits. But even in, dare I say it?, Girls Aloud there was always elements that matched within the group that made them look like band. For me it was backstage and at judges house they shone. 
 

Clothes Show 2010

Before I start my posts about fashion in this year's X Factor I'd thought I'd mention...


On 5th Dec I went to the Clothes Show Live in Birmingham...

I think there's only one word to describe the experience...epic!

It was my first time up there and had no idea what to expect, I managed to win tickets at work (oh and on a completely different note - our hotel was paid for with free room service evening meal and breakfast! Oh yes it was good :D) and I went up with a colleague by train.

The shopping/exhibition area itself was huge, I think it took up about the 3 largest halls at the arena, with different areas: 'street' fashion, hair and beauty, high end/designer area. Plus hosting a new Dance Show Area (which I didn't visit, maybe next year) and the Fashion Theatre. 

The ticket's I'd managed to win were Platinum Pass tickets, which are normal around £40 normally, and included a free Clothes Show goody bag and premium seats for the fashion show. 

The X Factor fashion round up

So as X Factor finishes up this weekend many will be tuned in to find out who is the next biggest music sensation to follow the likes of Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, JLS, Diana Vickers and others who have found fame through the exposure they get on the show.

Me on the other hand, 

I’ll have tuned in for a last look of what the contestants (and judges) were wearing, who got it right and who go it so wrong.

I think its fair to say that this year we had some of the most fashion conscious and stylish contestants ever on the show, ever since Diana Vickers at least. Plus with the added tension of…what will Dannii and Cheryl wear this week. 


It's been a bumpy ride and I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little sad my weekly fashion fix is ending...ah well until next year


Keep on wishing
R. xoxo

Hello World...

...starting a blog is the toughest thing ever

...starting a fashion blog is even tougher

There's so many out there, how on earth do I even try to compete??

But ever since I found sites like LookBook, the now redundant 'I love fashion' blogs and the long list on the Vogue Blogs site I've been pretty certain I've wanted to start one. 

To those who know me in real life, I may not be the most obvious candidate to write a fashion blog. I did write for the college magazine about fashion, I have a job in a clothes store on the shopfloor and my coursework of Media A Level was about women in fashion. I do have an interest my own personal appearence and what clothes I own (with 50% staff discount how could I not).

But I guess my interest stems mainly from the glamourous allure of the industry itself. 

As the title of the blog suggests, I'm no different from every normal teenage girl who wishes she can afford a beautiful Burberry trenchcoat or an Oscar de la Renta dress. I buy fashion magazines not to get tips but to compile a wishlist for that day I can hand over that credit card at Harrods for a pair of Jimmy Choos...

So here it is, the start of that wish list plus a few extra bits and pieces

Keep on wishing

R. xoxo