Fat Face vs All Saints in Wales

Greetings from Wales! Ok, so I’m actually in Bristol right now, feeling ill and a bit sorry for myself, but for the August Bank Holiday weekend I went to cottage in the middle of the Welsh countryside, which is owned by my friend’s family.

I’ve been lucky enough to go to this cottage, formally a cowshed, every summer for the last few years, with a large group of friends. The agenda is always the same; cheese, hiking, boardgames wood burning fires and drunken singalong sessions. There is no radio, no TV and certainly no Wi-Fi, so a long weekend here is a great way to disconnect from the world for a few days.

I wouldn’t climb a mountain in this outfit but it’s great for pottering around the cottage. The chunky knit jumper is from Fat Face and the cream lace skirt is from All Saints. I’ve had the skirt for a few years and I remember that when I bought it, in London during a stint of interning at i-D magazine, I was nervous about spending so much money on one item. In reality the skirt only cost around £55 but at the time it seemed like such a huge amount of money to me.*

The jumper is a slightly newer purchase, from a shop that I rarely go in to, but I found it in the sale last spring and it’s so comfy and warm - perfect for this time of year when the weather is starting to turn. The scarf is one I picked up from the Ashton Gate vintage fair and the boots are my newest footwear purchase from Cotswold in Broadmead.

Being in Wales is so relaxing (apart from at mealtimes, when there is a scramble for the food!) and it’s really refreshing to be without a phone/computer/tv for a few days. I can’t wait to go back next summer!

*which it kind of does again, now that I’m a grown up with a mortgage and bills to pay!

Arrivederci Italy

This is the last outfit post from Italy, which saddens me as with it comes the return of hit and miss British weather! How lucky we’ve been over the past couple of weeks to see out the summer without any rain (or at least that’s been the case in the South West).

We were lucky enough to stay at our friend’s family house, which you can see below. It’s just a simple Italian home on the outskirts of a small town, but it is slowly being restored, rendered and tiled to bring it back to life. Further down this post you can see the incredible view from the back of the house, which looks over vineyards and lush green fields - surprising for such a hot, dry climate.

The outfit I’m wearing includes denim shorts from Primark, paired with a thick brown belt from H&M, and a beautiful embroidered blouse from Monsoon. I spotted it in the sale last year and I loved the scalloped edges and tiny string of bells at the end of each tie. Although I wore it to Italy, it makes me feel like I should be exploring a souk in Marrakech, thanks to it’s intricate details and 70s feel.

The sunglasses have actually been pinched from Mr Ship-Shape, and I picked the turquoise necklace up in Thailand a couple of years ago. This kind of outfit was ideal for the hot weather, which seems like a distant memory when I look out of my window now!

Ciao Ciao!

I’m looking forward to action packed day today as the Stokes Croft Market is taking place today, which I totally forgot to mention in my Something for The Weekend post, as is Bristol Doors Open Day, but before I head out I thought I’d share another holiday outfit from Italy.

These shots were taken in Ortona, a beautiful harbourside town that is packed with little cafes, ice cream parlours and a mix of architectural wonders, from pastel coloured apartment blocks to rickey old brickwork buildings like this one.

The dress I’m wearing is from Warehouse – I got it in the sale and I feel in love with the floral print and keyhole detail at the back of the dress. I picked up the sunglasses while in Italy, and the jewellery, an ampersand necklace and turquoise earrings, as a last minute impulse buy from the airport, along with a copy of The Great Gatsby. I loved the art deco inspired cover and I can’t wait to see the film version, directed by Baz Luhrmann, when it comes out at the end of the year : )

What are you up to this weekend?

Subtle Summer Florals

I’m excited to see florals featuring in A/W trends this season – though looking at said trends does make me mourn for summer a little – because floral prints are so versatile.

I took a mix of floral prints with me on my recent holiday to Italy, and this dress by H&M is one of them.

I found it in the sale last year for a mere fiver, and I love the fact that it not only has pockets but also boning, which helps give the top half of the dress a bit of well-needed structure – not bad for £5. I teamed it with this straw trilby hat from Next, and the tan woven sandals and sunglasses are from Primark.

I’ll be adding a pair of leggings and some ankle boots to this dress to see me through the season. What summer trends will you be wearing through till winter?

Rock The Week

Fashion related (and totally non-fashion related) things that have made my world go round over the last seven days…

• So much as happened since my last RTW post, most notably a break from blogging while I went to Italy, and then to deepest, darkest Wales on holiday. I’m still sorting through the squillions of photos I took but you can see my first outfit post, featuring the stunning view from our villa, here.
• Live music. On Thursday I caught up with some friends who have recently moved back to Bristol, and we went to The Cadbury Sisters, above, play at The Louisiana. I saw the sisters play at 2000 Trees festival back in July, so I was chuffed to see them again on the last date of their tour, supported by the lovely Andy Oliveri.

• Rich Kids of Instagram. I may be a bit late to the party, but a friend at work tipped me off about this Tumblr account this week. The collection of social media posts is half amusing and half terrifying when you think about what you could do with the cash these privileged kids drop on bottles of champagne, pool parties and Cartier bracelets. Their ostentatious spending of Mummy and Daddy’s cash is quite shocking – read at your peril.
• Run, rabbit, run. So you may have spotted on Twitter that I’m currently training for the Bristol Half Marathon. I’m honestly a little surprised at myself that I’m doing a second half, but the Olympic and Paralympic coverage has certainly given my training a bit of a boost, and today I ran 15k which is the longest distance I’ve completed since the Bath Half. My legs are aching and I have my fair share of blisters (ouch!), but I love being able to push my body to see what I can achieve.

What’s been rocking your world this week? Let me know by commenting below…

Sunshine and Italian wine

The title of this post pretty much sums up my recent holiday. I spent a blissful seven days in Southern Italy, reading books, drinking the local wine and eating LOTS of pasta!

The holiday started on a low note when I realised I’d left my DSLR battery at home, tucked into it’s charger after I ran it down taking photos at CLIC Sargant’s Fix Up Look Sharp launch. Fail.

For me, photography is a key part of any holiday (regardless of whether or not the results end up on Facebook, Flickr or anywhere else) and I was gutted not to be able to use my DSLR. Thankfully I was able to buy a cheap point-and-shoot in the local supermarket, which went some way to satisfying me need to capture every vaguely interesting field/pizza/building that came into my line of vision.

These shots were taken on the terrace of the house we were staying in, and waking up to a view of lush, green fields and clear blue skies each morning was wonderful.

This floral print maxi skirt from Accessorize kept the mosquitos at bay, and the pastel fringed scarf from Upper 5th kept me cool in the scorching heat. The vest top is from Zara‘s recent summer sale, and I love it! The detail on the back is so intricate but it the cut and pipping gives it a sporty/functional vibe too.

As much as I enjoy A/W dressing, I do love wearing such bright colours and clashing patterns – this maxi skirt only ever sees the light of day about three times a year!

Sneaky peek…

 

Ship-Shape and Bristol Fashion is back from holiday! I have a mountain of emails to go through and several hundred photos to edit, so before proper posts commence, I thought I’d share this holiday snap, which has been given a suitably dated look (new age fun with a vintage feel, anyone?).

I’m looking forward to ploughing through all the blogs I’ve missed reading for the last couple of weeks and, crucially, trying to pretend that summer isn’t almost over…

Hoist the Sails! Ship-Shape on Holiday

This is just a quick post to say that Ship-Shape & Bristol Fashion will be taking a well earned break to soak up some summer sun. Usual blogging service will commence in a couple of weeks. If you craving a bit of Ship-Shape in the meantime, check out a few of my most recent posts…  : )

Three Year Blogiversary

Rewind: Why I Heart Anna Piaggi

Oxfam Fashion: Banish Those Bobbles!

A Very Vintage Summer

Rock The Week

Fashion related (and totally non-fashion related) things that have made my world go round over the last seven days…

• Holidays. I always think it’s weird when you arrive back home after a holiday. More often than not, I feel like I’ve never been away, as if my trip was one long dream. I had a wonderful week in a farmhouse in the Dordogne (South West France) with twelve amazing friends, and filled my days with reading books, eating camembert, playing tennis, riding bikes, kayaking, cooking feasts, swatting bees, squealing at cricket balls, taking photos and playing board games. Bliss!
• Vintage love. While on holiday I road tested my new weekend bag and summer dress from Rokit. I still feel a bit shy when putting together outfit posts, but luckily the gorgeous scenery and my Diana+ Dreamer camera helped to accessorise the shoot. Do you take outfit shots? What’s your top tip for creating a good outfit post?

What’s been rocking your world this week? Did you join in with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations? Let me know by commenting below…

Rokit dresses and weekend bags

I’ve been on the quest for the perfect weekend bag since Christmas, after my old black patchwork bag began falling apart at the seams (literally). Like Goldilocks, I was rather picky about finding a replacement, keen to get one that would be just right. As someone who relies on public transport or my own two feet, one of my top priorities is a bag with a shoulder strap and/or strong handles, as I always find these seams are the first part of  a bag to deteriorate.

While I was in London last week, I had some time to kill before the Christopher Kane sample sale (more on that at a later date) and I soon found myself in the Covent Garden branch of  vintage chain, Rokit. Any shop where the clothes are coordinated by style AND colour is enough to excite me, so it wasn’t long before I was thumbing through the playsuits and summer dresses, before I spotted a bag at the back of the shop.

The colour of a malt chocolate milkshake and neither too big, nor too small, I knew this bag was the one for me. It was a bargain at £20, so I decided to treat myself to this summer dress, too.

The faded pastel pattern and lightweight cotton makes for an ideal holiday dress, perfect for exploring the local villages and eating baked camembert (surely the only thing that’s unsuitable for eating baked camembert in is a bodycon dress, non?) So here I am, wearing the Rokit dress in a field near our French farmhouse. I’ve spent the week experimenting with the pistachio coloured Diana+ Dreamer camera that Mr Ship-Shape bought for my birthday – I cant wait to get the photos developed once we get back from our holiday.