Christmas Sale Crazy

My first post after Christmas and probably my last post of 2013 so it has to be good doesn't it? As we all finish cramming in the last of our turkey sandwiches and Quality Streets (the good ones obviously) it is time to focus on the only good thing that keeps us going through the post Christmas lull... sales!

There are two types of sale goer in this world, there is the hardcore type who sets up camp at 4am outside their favourite high street store practically pressing their noses against the glass ready to run as soon as the door opens. They are willing to search through an endless rail of last seasons clothes just to find a bargain which usually will never be worn and is £12 that probably could have been saved. I am referring to these people in third person because I certainly am not one of them.

This brings me on to the second type of sale goer which I fit more in to the category of. We sit on the sofa with a laptop or iPad and scroll through webpage after webpage of sale items to grab the best bargains from the comfort of our own home. If you ask anybody who knows me they will tell you I am a crazy shopper! The type that could eventually turn into a shopaholic. I am one of those who will take so many things to the fitting room that I'm not allowed to take it all in at once then stand in my cubicle adding up the total bill on my iPhone calculator to see just how far I can stretch my budget. Despite my undying love for shopping there is one kink in our relationship that I just cant straighten out; sale! I have no patience for the untidiness and unorganised chaos that a sale brings to a store, I like to see all of the items neatly laid out in front of me, organised into size order and separate sections for item categories. Not a pile of clothes for everybody to attack and hope for the best. Im so anal about it that I take one look through the doors of TK Max and Primark and think 'hmm I would rather not'. This is why online shopping in a complete saviour when it comes to the sales and even then I have to say I quickly scroll through and if it doesn't grab my attention straight away then I will move onto the next website. I know, I am so cruel!

I hope everybody that was brave enough to tackle the sales either in store or online grabbed themselves a bargain. A tip for you all is check out Ebay, I had a look today and there is some great bargains as everybody is clearing out the old to make space for the new.

Hopefully 2014 can bring us all lots of happy moments.

Happy New Year

Yours Fashionably
Sarah Victoria

UK Blog Awards

Hi all, I am a current contender in The National UK Blog Awards in the category Young Persons Blog Awards (18-25). As I spend a lot of my spare time writing for my blog it would be so nice to get some recognition for it! So if you enjoy reading my blog I would really appreciate you're vote! It is literally a two second job, just follow this link and give your name and click vote and its all done.

Thanks to everybody who reads my blog!

http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/blog-entries/fashion-alchemist/

Yours Fashionably
Sarah Victoria

Get Fresh Faced In The New Year

For those people who have been living under a rock and don’t know who Liz Earle is, she is your saviour! Liz Earle has an incredible beauty product range, from toners to face creams to lipstick her products have been long thought out for the most effective results. All of the products focus on keeping the goodness of the skin but tearing away the bad, it focusses on hydration of the skin and lips to give us all the clear complexion that we would die for.

Did you know that make-up removal wipes are so bad for your skin? Because I didn’t until a spokesperson for Liz Earle revealed that yes, they get your make-up off but they also take all of the natural oils with it leaving us with dry, damaged skin. Actually, we should be using a healthy cleanser and toner. Who knew?

Liz Earle products so far all have the same style of fresh, pastel colours that are suitable for all. However there is something to look forward too. There is a new range set to launch in March and April 2014. This is the indulgence range and let me tell you, you will definitely want to indulge. With a completely different ‘look’ it shows brighter colours of pink yellow and purple each representing a different flavour. Although it looks very different, the ethos is still the same of the use of natural ingredients and fair trade to bring the best possible skin care to us. Complete with body lotion, body scrub, shower gel and body butter all with a different smell for different occasions. This is the perfect gift as the products range from £12.50 to £16 they aren’t going to break the bank.

 The ideal treat for yourself or others, the indulgence range by Liz Earle is definitely worth your investment, so keep an eye out in March for their release and let me know which flavour you like most, I really can’t decide!


Yours Fashionably
Sarah Victoria

Style It Up - Tamaris

Shoes... A vital ingredient of any perfect outfit and with so many options of style (heels, wedges, boots, trainers etc) it is hard to not just keep adding to the collection. If you really think about it, shoes are everything to an outfit, they can make or break it and as style is so important to me, so are shoes!

So, as I am a blogger and I love a challenge, 'The Blogger Challenge' sounded like my kind of thing. Tamaris, an extremely popular German shoe brand set me a challenge which involved taking a shoe from their range and styling it up my way. It wasn't until it came to it that I realised how much time we actually spend considering what we wear. I am the worst culprit for changing my outfit a million times before deciding that my first choice was probably best. But this was fun, it is surprisingly easier when you have a statement item to style the rest of your look around, in this case a very beautiful item.

I was lucky enough to sport a gold, metallic, strappy sandal that literally ticked all the boxes. These shoes are not only amazingly stylish with the very in-style metallic colour to suit the latest trends but they are so unbelievably comfortable that I felt I could run a marathon.

I chose to style the shoe in two ways, to show the versatility of how it can be worn. In my first look I showed a more dressy style, this wasn't hard as the shoe speaks for itself. The bold style and colour really doesn't require much addition and I definitely believe that simplicity is key in showing off these shoes to the world. I opted for my long loved disco pants with a plain white, oversized vest to keep it simple but sexy. I also added a gold and red necklace to compliment the glitz of the shoe and insert a pop of colour to my outfit with the red. There is a fine line between simple and boring... and none of us want boring, right girls?





Secondly, I wanted to show the same heels but different look. I kept my disco pants as black is the best option when dealing with metallic colours, we don't want to blind anybody, however I added an oversized fluffy cardigan. The brown particularly complimented the gold shade of the shoe. I kept the rest of my outfit a little darker in terms of colour by only using brown and black so it, one; doesn't look too dressy and two; draws all attention to the shoe, which is definitely the statement piece. I felt this showed that the shoes could be dressed down with the right items. I feel this style just screams out 'City Girl'.

I can think of so many different ways this shoe can be styled to make the perfect outfit. Whether you like to keep things plain and simple or you are a lover of bold and bright, everybody can work it in their own special way!

I would love to hear what you think of my choices and what you would wear with these shoes! Leave me a comment and let me know.

Yours Fashionably
Sarah Victoria



 
 

Has Nick Knight Dug His Own Grave?

There are many highly accredited photographers that many people are completely fascinated by. With social media and internet use at an all-time high there are countless platforms for photographers to share their work. An example is Nick Knight, British fashion photographer now founder of ShowStudio.com a website that expresses fashion news and articles through visual media. He is keeping up with trends more than most as he recently shot an entire Diesel campaign with just his iPhone and a few image manipulation apps. His prestigious career so far has included Vogue covers, inclusion in the Olympic closing ceremony 2012 and has been awarded an OBE. But a reasonably large question mark was planted over his name after the release of the recent Bound 2 video with Kanye West. With such a highly accredited photographer as the director of this music video people can only assume that a naked Kim Kardashian sat on a still motorbike in front a green screen has to be a joke. Knight has worked with Kanye West on a number of occasions but none of the past projects have caused quite as much controversy. If it was a media uproar they wanted then Knight has done his job.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBAtAM7vtgc

Check it out and you decide?

Girl Power

Something I have noticed about myself recently is that I tend to crush on female celebs more than I crush on males. Don't get me wrong... if David Beckham invited me over for dinner I wouldn't say no but I find something much more admirable about other women.

I am massively into girl power and how us ladies should stick together rather than work against each other. So when flicking through my Instagram this morning to see the majority of profiles I follow are female I realised how much time and respect I have for other girls out there for so many different things! Who doesn't crush on Rhianna's style? Who doesn't want a body like Beyoncé?

I have always had a massive girl crush on Caggie Dunlop from Made in Chelsea as soon as I saw her in series one. I love her style, her hair and mostly how laid back she is. Since she left the show I continued to stalk her and keep up to date with her projects in music and fashion. The launch of ISWAI (It Starts With An Idea) sent my Caggie appreciation through the roof as she uses this brand to help new designers get their work out there and their names recognised. She says "ISWAI is a fashion brand I created because I was frustrated by the pretences of the fashion world. I wanted to create a community that was open to everyone. All you need to be involved in ISWAI is a creative and positive mind."

So let's team up girls. You would be surprised how much better it feels to recognize each others talents!


Yours Fashionably
Sarah Victoria

Isabel Marant For H&M Has Arrived

 

Isabel Marant, Parisian fashion designer is set to launch her collection for H&M on November 14. Pictures of the collection have finally been realised and I must say, they do not disappoint. Marant is known for her success with fringed boots, wedged trainers and shaggy knits which are loved by many. So, staying true to her style the collection oozes bohemian chic with embellished jackets, printed trousers and slouchy boots with her signature fringe detailing.

Of course the best part is, it is affordable for everybody. Most designers wince at the thought of their collections becoming 'wearable' but that's what makes Isabel Marant and this collection so great.

After racking up a long list of successful designer collaborations with the likes of; Martin Margiela, Jimmy Choo, Lanvin, Versace and many more and with faces such as David Beckham and Beyoncé for representation; the high street giant H&M is only showing signs of growing.

After the success of Karl Lagerfeld's collection for H&M in 2004 resulting in the stock selling out with one hour of realise we better get to our closest H&M as soon as possible on November 14 to give Isabel Marant's collection the appreciation it deserves.

Yours Fashionably
Sarah Victoria

Revival of Schiaparelli

Surely nobody can be upset about the revival of Schiaparelli. The announcement of Marco Zanini taking the role of creative director for the prêt-à-couture, the Parisian labels version of high-end ready-to-wear fills me with excitement.

The former creative director of Rochas says "The emotional link to this project is very strong for me and reflective of my admiration for the intelligent and innovative personality of Elsa Schiaparelli. Through her designs she was able to anticipate the trends of her time but with a relevance to daily living, approaching creativity from a different point of view. One which is still significant today. My wish is to revive the incredible aesthetic of this iconic Couture house".

After visiting the website I was reminded of how amazing Elsa Schiaparelli truly was in creating her surrealist, unconventional designs. The website is just as crazy as the brand as you are required to scroll UP where the reveal of new creative director is featured. Then, when clicking on the link to the full website we are provided with a video, in my eyes the video symbolises everything the brand stands for. It is a cartoon video (much in the illustrative style of the past fragrance advertisements) that involved a race between a group of women dressed in couture. There is reference to the signature lobster as a bracelet and just as the winner crosses the line she falls, she then stands up and takes the shoe that has slipped off her foot and places it on her head as a hat... it is so Schiaparelli!

The fashion house, owned by Diego Della Valle will stage a show during the Couture Fashion Week schedule for S/S14, planned for January 20 to January 23. They will be joined by other names such as Ralph & Russo and Serkan.

Elsa Schiaparelli, rival of Coco Chanel was appreciated for her ability to mix fashion and art in an extraordinary way and her unique approach to fashion for the times, inspiring many designers over the years right until today. Farida Khelfa, new face of the brand has shared her excitement to become an ambassador for such a creative fashion house. She comments 'It's with great enthusiasm and pride that I have decided to represent Elsa Schiaparelli'

With such big boots to fill and very high expectations for the newly revived house we can only hope that the new team can do it some justice and keep the bar at the standards set by Elsa Schiaparelli.






The famous 'Shoe-hat' created by Elsa Schiaparelli
and the signature Lobster dress below.






















Yours Fashionably
Sarah Victoria

Brand Scanner

Press Day Fun

After a mad dash across the bright lights of Picadilly Circus I finally arrived at the press day for Nicole Levy PR. With a full box of Krispy Crème donuts to choose from and the recent hyped up coconut water I began to browse the rails. Nicole Levy’s clients include London Lashes, Beach Riot, London loves LA and Dirty Pretty Things just to name a few.
 

I was a fan of the London loves LA collection, these items are a jersey, American style (clue is in the name) brand worn by cool kids such as Harry Styles and Ellie Goulding. With baggy Tees, basketball jerseys and American sport jackets this brand is in the now in terms of the laid back, cool, sporty look. All the popular kids in America are wearing this and so should we, and at such an affordable price I am happy to jump on the bandwagon.

If any of you lucky girls are jetting off somewhere exotic for Christmas then I definitely recommend Beach Riot. The luxury swimwear brand are literally bursting with colour with neon items all over the place. Celebrity fans include Ellie Goulding and the controversial Miley Cyrus. I suggest Beach Riot to the girls who are a little more daring than the polka dot bikini kind of girl. There were some incredible strapless items which I am definitely going to start saving for ready for my summer holidays. Ellie Goulding has been seen wearing one of the black, cut out swimming costumes at her show in Manchester so if you’re super daring these can be worn in an evening outfit.

Lashes of London, completely flipping it in relation to Beach Riot. This cutesy brand is super girly including playsuits, dresses and lots of pastel colour. Don’t get me wrong, the items are definitely in style but they are definitely sugar coated. You won’t find Miley Cyrus wearing this brand but current girl group Little Mix seem to love it. There is a few leather items which were definitely standing out especially the mix of black and white leather to create the perfect monochrome look. Best of all, its stocked in Topshop so it is available on our door step.

 

Ladies, this is the perfect Christmas gift... to yourself. I have a thing for underwear shopping so this brand is right up my street. With lace bodies and tiny thongs with matching bra and suspenders I could have bought it there and then. With a lot of black and neon colour with the occasional appearance of animal print there is something for everybody whether you’re a minimalist girl or you love to indulge in something bold and bright. Really, this is a treat for yourself more than anything.

Finally, Muther of All Things is a sporty swimwear brand with the added sex appeal. If you can’t surf yet you better book some lessons because this brand is enough to get you into it (even if it does mean flailing around in the sea for an hour or so) at least you will look good doing it. This is an Australian brand which oozes surfer chic with laser light prints across a range of dark colours. High necks in some costumes to keep you all ‘tucked in’ and some squared style bikinis.

Some great brands to check out here, there is something for everyone so keep your eyes peeled.

 

Yours Fashionably

Sarah Stoneley 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 

J. Crew choose London as first European store location

American casualwear giant J. Crew is set to open a store on London’s famous Regent Street. Following the success of the discreet opening of a small menswear store in Bloomsbury on the 10 October J. Crew are soon to open the UK flagship store on the 8 November which has taken much more attention of the public.

The store is set to stock both male and female clothing with separate entrances for each. As this is the first physical J. Crew store to open outside of North America the brand is taking a large step towards globalisation. J. Crew is a highly rated American brand known for its smart and expensive style and is appreciated by many including Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker and Bradley Cooper. After the success of catalogue and ecommerce in Canada and some European countries it was decided they would cross the pond and expand into the UK. Also set to open a Women’s Boutique in Chelsea at a later date J. Crew will have opened three new stores across London in the autumn season alone.

'It's the next chapter in our growth and our future. It's an important flagship location on arguably one of the most important streets in one of the most important locations in the world.' Millard “Mickey” Drexler, J. Crew’s chairman and chief executive officer told WWD.

Taking up two floors of the 17,000 square ft store previously occupied by Burberry J. Crew are set for success in the UK this Christmas, let’s just hope they keep it up in 2014.

Regent Street store

Menswear Store

Winter is Coming

Reminder: the clocks are moving back tomorrow and we all know what that means... an extra hour in bed. Result! However it also means that winter is here. Of course I love Summer. Warm, light evenings and summer holidays abroad (duty free fragrances) not forgetting festival fashion and the bikini shop that takes no less than a full day, high waisted? swim suit? strapless? It is a very important decision. However there is something special about Winter, I adore cosy nights in front of the fire snuggled up in a blanket and getting wrapped up in a thick coat and fury hat for a walk in the snow. Plus I am a Christmas freak! everything about it, I just can't get enough.

And now a very big Autumn/Winter decision is upon us. Winter coat, which one?

Three points we all have to take into account when making the selection:
1) The colour, will it go with one outfit and then clash with every other item of clothing
2) Warmth, is it actually going to do the job? (not that this usually stops us)
3) Most importantly, is it going to make me look fabulous?

I have done some scouting online and have found that Zara is nailing it this year, with a large variety there is literally a coat for any occasion. Here are a few that I found which I particularly liked and as I am making my purchase on Sunday I will keep these in mind.

Zara £89.99

Zara £99.99

 

Both of these look like they tick all three of my boxes, especially the black coat. On Sunday there is a very big chance I will be bragging about that purchase

 

 



River Island £60.00

I don't usually shop at River Island as the look is not really my style but I quite like this jacket. I think it could look cool with some plain black skinny jeans and some heeled boots. Plus you don't see many people around wearing a jacket of this style which is always a good thing. Unfortunately I don't think this would be warm enough once we hit December/January.



Topshop £85.00

This coat looks so cosy I just want to cuddle up to it. I imagine myself trialling the Christmas markets in this beauty, Wintery colours which is great and the fact it has browns and blacks in it I am sure it would go with most things. If I find this in store I will definitely be trying it on.

Happy Winter coat purchases bloggers!

Yours Fashionably
Sarah Victoria
 

Frank Bar

This weekend I took a trip home to see my family, friends and boyfriend. It is always weird when I go home to Cheshire as I expect there to have been a drastic change while I have been away, but everything is always exactly the same which I suppose is nice.

So I am sure most of you are subscribed to one of those voucher websites that send you roughly one million emails a day telling you that you get 40% off a memory foam mattress. Well I am signed up to Groupon, they are terrible for bombarding you with emails and I instantly regretted signing up when my inbox filled almost a minute after tapping in my email address. But occasionally, VERY occasionally they actually provide some very good deals and this was one of them.

Frank Bar and Diner - Shrewsbury

The Groupon included an appetiser platter and two cocktails which we could chose from the whole menu (very wide range of cocktails) so me and my boyfriend decided to get a bit dressed up and take our chances that it wasn't going to be a dive. Once we got in there it was actually very quirky. The theme was an American diner so there was booths and tall tables with stools. We went at 8pm so the lights were low and the music was fairly loud as it turned from café to bar in the evening.

 

I love places that are a little different, the décor was rock n roll style with spray painted car parts pinned to the wall and framed images of icons such as Amy Winehouse. When I went to the toilet I walked through one of the rooms and they had a projection wall with rock music videos playing as people relaxed with their drinks.

When our platter of BBQ ribs, pulled pork and cheesy nachos and mini burgers came we did agree it was a heart attack on a plate but we gave it our best shot after working our asses off in the gym all week. It can't be all work no play after all. I would recommend Frank Bar and Diner if you like to go somewhere with a bit of character but if you fancy a romantic, classy restaurant with nice food then this is not the place. The cocktails were delicious so I would head back here for drinks but I probably wouldn't eat again as I quite like my healthy heart!

Enjoying a well earned cocktail

He was happier than he looks

 
 
 
 
 

 

Some pictures from inside


 

Yours Fashionably

Sarah Victoria