Hello!
This is just a quick email to let you know that I’ve moved sites! You can now find me blogging at http://shipshapeandbristolfashion.com/
Thanks,
SJ x
Rock The Week #96
Fashion related (and totally non-fashion related) things that have made my world go round over the last seven days…
Hello 2014
Happy New Year! Did you have a lovely New Year’s Eve? We spent four blissful days in the Welsh countryside, with nothing but mountains, board games and a log fire for company. This little retreat was just the ticket after such a busy Christmas, and when I’ve managed to edit the photos I’ll be posting all about it!
#BristolBloggerMeet
Yesterday I enjoyed a very impromptu afternoon at the blogger meet arranged by Beky. I only found out about it on Friday and enjoyed an afternoon of shopping, eating and visits to Lush (can’t believe I’ve never been there before!) and the Benefit counter in Boots for some pampering, courtesy of Benebabe Ashton. Full post on the day to follow soon…
Diary doodling
Today I finally got my hands on a new diary and I’m taking great delight in filling it in with coloured pens, marking birthdays, anniversaries and trips we have planned. What can I say? Paperchase is a ridiculously fulfilling experience for me.
This week I’ve been…
Blogging about: My last post from 2013 – a round-up post of outfits worn (and blogged) over the last 12 months.
Listening to: This week I really enjoyed a Radio 4 podcast on the legacy Buffy the Vampire Slayer and strong female characters. Podcasts aren’t normally my thing but as a big Buffy fan in my teens, this was a very interesting listen, so I’d recommend it if you also had a girl crush on B.
Watching: 2013 beauty round-up videos. I’m a sucker for ‘favourites’ videos at the best of times and there have been so many ‘best of 2013’ videos, one of my favourites being this one from Essie Button.
Reading: Catching up on back issues of ELLE magazine and Sunday newspaper supplements from the comfort of our Welsh cottage.
What’s been rocking your world this week? Let me know by commenting below…
Filed under Rock The Week
2013: A Year in Outfit Posts
Is it just me or does every year pass by quicker than the last? When I was looking back at the last 12 months of outfit posts, I couldn’t believe the dresses, events and occasions that feel like a shiny new memory but belong back in the depths of January or February.
When I first started Ship-Shape and Bristol Fashion, I never used to appear in any photos, choosing instead to showcase new purchases in the huge window of our old flat, so this is the first year I’ve been able to summarise the year in twelve outfits. Here’s my 2013 in a stylish nutshell…
January – February – March
The year kicked off with a collaboration with Dr Martens, thoughts on ‘Sunday best’ beauty and a trip to London to see the new Tim Walker exhibition at Somerset House, which lead to finding this beautiful dress in Spitlefields Market. February had a Wild West theme as I found my first pair of heeled boots, and March was a fashion show affair, courtesy of Cabot Circus and Harvey Nichols.
April – May – June
April was the month I celebrated my birthday and being nominated for Bath in Fashion’s Blogger of The Year award. Even though I didn’t win, it was wonderful to be able to attend so many events – including a Norman Parkinson retrospective at Milsom Place – and work with brands such as Toast. In May Mr Ship-Shape and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary (didn’t he do well picking out this dress?) and caught some sun in this floral lace t-shirt and a vintage skirt. June was all about one thing for me; Glastonbury. This was my sixth year at the festival and to mark the event I took part in a Cabot Circus style challenge to find the perfect festival outfit. Mission accomplished!
July – August – September
Bristol thrives in summer and although I did jet off to Italy for a long weekend, there was plenty to keep me busy in Bristol, including St Paul’s Carnival and unleashing my inner ‘Sandy’ for Joules. August was full of more festivals, tips on how to photograph outfits in public and this blog’s fourth birthday. September saw me attend my fist ever vintage kilo sale which resulted in needing a major wardrobe reshuffle, and fantasies of running away to join the circus.
October – November – December
The last three months have been a whirlwind. In October I attended the Pretty Nostalgic Gathering at KingsWeston House and bought my first pair of Whistles trousers. In November we visited Berlin and took a vintage dress along for the ride and I also went a little bit overboard in Topshop, which leads us to December. This month was one of firsts – the first time wearing a cropped piece of clothing since I was in primary school, and our first time hosting Christmas. Now we’re about to ring in the New Year from the Welsh countryside with hot chocolate and long walks – bliss.
A big thank you to everyone who reads Ship-Shape and Bristol Fashion and I hope you stick around for 2014. I love reading round-up posts so if you’ve done something similar, please share your link in the comments below.
Happy (almost) New Year and see you in 2014!
Filed under outfits
Rock The Week #95 – The Christmas Edition
Hosting Christmas
Hello! A belated Merry Christmas from Ship-Shape and Bristol Fashion. I’ve reached that point in the festivities where I’m struggling to remember what day of the week it is, but needles to say, Christmas has been rocking my week in a big way.
This year, for the first time ever, Mr Ship-Shape and I hosted Christmas Day at our home. I spent two days cleaning the house, chopping vegetables and baking sweet and savoury snacks before cooking the most important lunch of the year. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t stressful but I’m so proud of the meal we produced and the afternoon of board games and festive films that followed.
Family time
After hosting the in-laws, we spent a couple of days with my family in Bournemouth. I must admit that after two days of playing hostess, I loved being a child again and not having to cook anything!
Spending time with family is what I’ve most been looking forward to this Christmas and I loved being at home, eating mince pies and chatting about everything and nothing at all. I also managed to visit a few friends as well as clearing out some old childhood toys from the attic and digging out the best board game ever.
This week I’ve been…
Blogging about: Absolutely nothing! But before the festive frenzy began, I did share a new vintage dress and my review of a naughty pre-Christmas NARS gift set splurge.
Listening to: White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours.
Watching: The odd spot of Christmas telly, including Home Alone 2 and The Muppets Christmas Carol (am I the only one that hasn’t seen this before?) plus a trip to the cinema to see the second instalment of The Hobbit.
Reading: The new books that I received this Christmas, including How to Bake by GBBO judge Paul Hollywood, Bossypants by Tina Fey and a new technical photography book.
What’s been rocking your world this week? Did you enjoy Christmas? Let me know by commenting below…
Filed under Uncategorized
NARS Guy Bourdin Promiscuous Lip Pencil Coffret
I think I might end up on Santa’s naughty list this year. Not only did I treat myself to an Origins Mask Marvels gift set a couple of weeks ago, I’ve also bought another gift for myself, this time from NARS.
Say hello to ‘Promiscuous’, the Guy Bourdin/NARS Lip Pencil Coffret. I’ve loved NARS lip pencils ever since buying a Velvet Gloss pencil in Mexican Rose back in January, following up with the deliciously deep red matte Cruella a few months later.
When I spotted this limited edition gift set, featuring four Velvet Matte Lip Pencils (Cruella, Sex Machine, Dolce Vita and Never Say Never) and one Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil (New Lover), I knew I couldn’t leave it to chance that it might appear under the Christmas tree.
The pencils come in a black make-up bag with a set of Lulu Guinness-esque electric blue lips on the front. At 1.8g each, they are approximately three quarters the size of a regular NARS lip pencil. Given that one full sized pencil alone costs £18, getting five almost full-size products for £30 is an absolute bargain.
Despite this, I was a little sceptical that all the shades would suit me, but I needn’t have worried as they are all absolutely beautiful. Want one for yourself? Here is a breakdown of what you get…
1. Dolce Vita, 2. Cruella, 3. Sex Machine, 4. Never Say Never, 5. New Lover
Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine
A pinkish nude and very creamy to apply – this is the most neutral shade of the bunch. I naturally have quite pigmented lips, so the photo doesn’t quite do this shade justice, but if you like natural lips with a slight shimmer then you’ll love this shade.
Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella
Cruella is such a rich, deep red with a hint of oxblood. I already own a full-size version of this (you can read the review here) and I love it, so having a smaller version to stash in my handbag is ideal.
Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Never Say Never
This rogue of a colour is the surprise favourite for me. From the packaging I was expecting a shimmering bubblegum pink but Never Say Never is a beautiful lilac raspberry shade. It glides on like a dream but leaves a perfectly matte finish in its wake. However, unlike the other shades in this set, I’d recommend wearing foundation or tinted moisturiser with this as it can accentuate any redness in your skin.
Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Docle Vita
Part rose gold, part red brick dust, this is a lovely warm shade with orange undertones. It’s not a ‘wow’ shade like Cruella or Never Say Never, but rather a shade that could be worn anywhere for any occasion – ‘your lips but better’ as the saying goes.
Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover
The glossy crayon of the set, I was apprehensive of the packaging as it looks like a pearlecent peach with gold flecks, but is actually a beautiful pinky peach on the lips. It has a shimmer finish and isn’t as long lasting as the matte pencils, but is great for a subtle bit of shimmer.
I purchased Promiscuous from the Space.NK concession in Harvey Nichols Bristol. It’s since sold out there but it’s worth hunting down in your local Space.NK as they’re exceptional value for money and are great for experimenting with new lip colours.
Have you tried any of the NARS lip pencils before and are their any NARS goodies on your Christmas list?
Filed under beauty
Vintage Dresses and Christmas Markets
Glastonbury Festival is the last place I’d expect to find decent, work-friendly vintage, but this summer I did just that when my friend Ceri and I stumbled across a stall selling all their vintage dresses for a fiver. Needless to say it didn’t take much convincing for me to have a rummage and unearth this beauty.
This geometric print, three quarter length sleeve dress – complete with pockets – was made by Hardob, a now defunct German clothing brand, from what I gather, and is most probably from the 1970s. It was in great condition and after attempting to try it on over my clothes while not covering it in an obligatory layer of mud, I decided it had to be mine.
The trade-off for buying garments from this decade is that they’re often made from polyester, which isn’t the most pleasing fabric out there, but it does mean that dresses like this won’t object to being thrown into the washing machine instead of hand washed.
I wore this dress, along with an H&M trench coat and Zara studded boots, to Saturday’s Picton Street Christmas Fair. The road was heaving and while we were there we saw some fantastic circus acts, including a trapeze artist and fire poi.
I don’t know if it’s the mild weather or the looming responsibility of cooking Christmas dinner, but I’m still not feeling especially ‘Christmassy’ yet – I suspect the numerous Christmas jumper themed parties coming up this week will change all that though!
Are you buying any gifts from Christmas markets this year?
Vintage Hardob dress – a Glastonbury festival stall / Trench coat – H&M / Cable knit socks – M&S / Green quilted shoulder bag – River Island / Studded tan brown cowboy boots – Zara
Rock The Week #94
Fashion related (and totally non-fashion related) things that have made my world go round over the last seven days…
Festive feasts
It’s no secret that I love my food, in particular large helpings of cheese and crackers. Add wine and all our Bristol friends to the mix and you have last Sunday afternoon. Ten of us crammed into our small living room to chat, drink and eat A LOT of cheese, enjoying a proper catch-up before we all go our separate ways for Christmas. It was such a fun evening, I’m only sorry that there wasn’t any cheese left the next day.
Populaire
This french film set in the 1950s has been on my radar since it was released in the UK earlier this year. From the quirky CMYK opening credits to the uh-mazing costumes, not to mention the colour coordinated nail varnish, I fell in love with this film. I wish I could dress like the lead character every day, and even attempted a beehive and feline flick eyeliner this morning!
This week I’ve been…
Blogging about: Hamilton House’s Coexist fashion show made an appearance on the blog this week, as did a cheeky Christmas wishlist. For the record, if you feel like buying me any of these gifts, I’d be perfectly ok with that.
Listening to: Christmas songs –yep, I’ve caved. Festive songs (albeit in small measure) have started to appear in my playlists and I’m not even sorry!
Watching: I finally caught up on Channel 4’s Liberty of London this week. It’s fascinating watching the all the different departments prepare for Christmas and the Managing Director try to squeeze every drop of selling space out of the iconic building.
Reading: At this time of year it’s easy to get carried away with shopping, and this article from George Monbiot about materialism is a sobering read. Another article from the Guardian caught my eye this week, all about Dawn O’Porter’s new vintage book. While I don’t agree that vintage ‘is about to have a big moment’ – I think it has been enjoying one for several years – the book and accompanying TV show definitely sound like my cup of tea.
What’s been rocking your world this week? Let me know by commenting below…
Filed under Rock The Week
Dear Santa… A Christmas Wishlist
Jo Malone fragrances in Earl Grey & Cucumber and Blackberry & Bay / Balega running socks / Deep red brogue Chelsea boots, River Island / Zara mens knitted hat / Listography Journal, Play.com / FujiFilm Instax 90, Photojojo/ Lipstick Queen Some Like it Hot gift set / 2014 diary, Paperchase
I know I said no gift guides this year but I couldn’t help putting together a little wishlist for myself, including a new camera – a girl can dream, right?
This year, for the very first time, Mr Ship-Shape and I taking the plunge and hosting Christmas ourselves. Given that we’ll be spending a fair chunk of money on keeping seven people in food and wine for a couple of days, we’ve decided just to give each other stockings this year, so I don’t expect I’ll find a FujiFilm Instax 90 or a new lens under the tree.
We’ll be using the red and white polka dot stockings that I made last Christmas and filling them with small but thoughtful gifts – I already have a couple stowed away that I hope he’ll like!
When I was younger I was all about the Christmas presents – even a few years ago I could barely get to sleep on Christmas Eve for all the excitement – but now I’m a little older, I’ve reached something of a tipping point. A stocking is lovely and I’ll never say no to a bottle of Jo Malone cologne or a pair of wine coloured Chelsea boots, but they can’t compare to family.
I really am just looking forward to spending time with our respective families, enjoying the company of those I see far too infrequently and setting some of our own Christmas traditions, which may or may not include devising a recipe for Baileys hot chocolate…
What are you wishing for most this Christmas?
Coexist Fashion Show 2013
Since the railings came down around Hamilton House five years ago, it’s become a strong part of Stokes Croft’s identity, with the Coexsist Canteen becoming a popular watering hole and floors of studio space for artists, designers and exercise classes. Each year Coexsist host their own fashion show and on Thursday I was lucky enough to be able to attend, courtesy of Banker and Benefit.
Banker and Benefit is a menswear brand designed by Marcus Royall, and its trademark collections involve using charity shop sourced fabric to customise basics such as t-shirts, resulting in every piece being unique. The palette on Thursday’s catwalk was a mix of military green, gold and burgundy, and the styling included woollen long-johns and golden grills – a so-wrong-it’s-right combination.
The event marked Banker & Benefit’s fashion show debut and the brand was in fine company, with some of Bristol’s stalwart independent designers showing their collections, including Katcha Bilek, whose accessories include the beautiful ‘Carmen’ satchel, above, and Puckoo Couture.
Here are some of my favourite designs to hit the Coexist catwalk…
Styled knitwear and quilted army green trousers from Banker and Benefit
A model strikes a pose in her sequin-drenched Pink Ace outfit
This scarlet red fringe dress was one of the many highlights from designer Trina
Vintage shirts paired with socks and gold sandals from Banker and Benefit
Local designer Frances Rennison designs bespoke tails using vintage fabric and quirky prints
A life-size crochet toilet roll doll from Pink Ace
The Banker and Benefit models get the crowds cheering
Beautiful tailored pieces from design duo Hannah Bartlett and Eloise Atwell, aka Jokoto
Filed under catwalk show
Rock The Week #93
Fashion related (and totally non-fashion related) things that have made my world go round over the last seven days…
Mademoiselle C
This documentary follows Carine Roitfeld on her journey from editor of French Vogue to founder, editor and stylist on her own magazine, CR Fashion. I was expecting a slightly frosty Roitfeld, à la Anna Wintour in The September Issue, but Carine was passionate and extremely maternal, gushing with pride over her pregnant daughter, Julia. I couldn’t find a cinema showing this in Bristol when it came out in September, but it’s now on LoveFilm Instant so if you like a little fashion with your documentaries, I recommend it.
#SWBloggersQuiz
On Tuesday night I popped along to Bristol’s Greenhouse for the South West Bloggers Network Christmas Quiz. Teaming up with Jo & Victoria, Lily and Josie, we tackled questions about Christmas, music and the fine city of Bristol, and we only chuffing won! It was lovely to catch up with everyone, not to mention share a cheeky bottle of celebratory wine, too.
Coexist Fashion Show
On Thursday I had the pleasure of attending the Coexist fashion show at Hamilton House, courtesy of Banker and Benefit. I’ll write more about the show when I’ve had a chance to edit my photos, but it was a great opportunity to see the work of local designers and crafters, plus support such a brilliant city arts space.
This week I’ve been…
Blogging about: Playing with proportions is an outfit post featuring Zara, Topshop and my rarely seen waistline. The local fashion design competition launched by Heartfelt Bristol – it’s got me wanting to dust off my old sketchbooks and start drawing again!
Listening to: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis playlists on repeat – I can’t get enough of their track Same Love, featuring Mary Lambert.
Watching: Aside from Mademoiselle C, I’ve been chuckling at the latest series of Fresh Meat – student house cringe comedy at its best.
Reading: I have a stack of magazines that are sat in my reading pile including Company, InStyle, Elle and Glamour that’ve barely made a dent in.
What’s been rocking your world this week? Let me know by commenting below…
Filed under Rock The Week
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