An accidental Sunday shopping spree

Today has been a typical Sunday – chilled out and relaxed, with a trip to Fabric Land for bridesmaid dress fabric, a visit to the Bristol Museum for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition (amazing!) and an accidental trip to Primark.

All I wanted was a pair of socks – that’s all – and then I remembered I needed a new black vest top for yoga, then I was drawn to the lightweight layered jersey tops, and by the time I made my way to the till via the accessories department, I knew my resolve not to spend more than a fiver had all but disappeared. And did I get the pair of socks I actually needed? Nope.

But in my defence what I did get were some practical, versatile pieces that could be paired with skinny jeans, tailored jodhpurs or even a nice pair of denim cut-off shorts once the weather bucks its ideas up. The salmon pink colour, above, compliments my hair and skin tone and the cropped navy top, below, is baggy enough to give me cover while still looking great with a fitted pair of trousers or leggings. The red and tan faux leather satchel is small enough for popping out and about and may even be my festival bag for 2011. The rope necklace, above, was a bit frivolous but I love the nautical theme and it is a fail-safe option, along with florals, for this time of year.

At least that’s my rationale and I’m sticking to it : )

Navy Primark jersey top layered over a pale pink vest

Red Primark satchel with tan faux leather buckles

Lust Have:Topshop’s ladylike midi dress

Topshop's Tan Fifties Style Border Print Midi Dress

For most women a trip to Toshop is reminiscent of being a kid in a sweet shop: you want need everything. Now. If money were no object I think most of us would walk round the rails pushing a shopping trolley and filling it to the brim. Sadly I for one don’t have the time or money to do this every Saturday, and I’m not sure the staff would approve of a trolley dash anyway, so thank goodness for Topshop Edit.

Available online and making up part of the Oxford street store, Edit is a hand-picked selection of new season trends, aimed at a time-poor shopper with cash to splash. Along with leather briefcases and antique lace tops I spotted this gorgeous ladylike dress, above, when I paid a brief visit myself last Friday before The LOOK Show. Sophie Ellis-Bextor wore it with a cream cardigan to the show and looked, for want of a better phrase, just darling! Midi is the length of the season and the delicate blue floral print is both ordered and chaotic depending upon where your eye falls. The bow at the back is another nice detail and the 50s silhouette is no doubt inspired by the recent fascination with Mad Men. I feel it could make any girl feel feminine and be both smart and playful with the right accessories, want, want want!

The Topshop Edit store is located within the flagship London store on Oxford Street but if you want to wrestle with me for the last dress then try the Topshop store in Cabot Circus or Cribbs Causeway.
 

The LOOK Show SS/11: Part Two

As promised, here are a few more photos from my day at The LOOK Show SS/11…

NOTE: When I saw the flower displays I instantly thought how gorgeous they would look at a wedding – I wonder now I have been inflicted with the bride-to-be status that I will always feel this way when I see a flower arrangement I like – I can only hope this attention to detail passes once I’m hitched : )

Above: champagne and gorgeous flower arrangments

Above: Polly and I at the LOOK Show

Above: Alexis Jordan performs at the LOOK Show

Above: Retro print dress from Dorothy Perkins

Above: Boyish tailoring from Uniqlo

Above: Polly is OK

Above: Block colours from River Island

Above: The LOOK-Show goody bag

The LOOK Show SS/11

Between editing some of the 200+ photos I took on Friday and channeling Lady Gaga for a friend’s birthday celebrations, I had very little time left yesterday to actually write about the LOOK Show SS/11. Suffice to say it was so much fun, especially as my pal Polly came with me, and between celeb spotting (inc. Olivia Palermo and Sophie Ellis-Bextor) and champagne sipping we mingled with the other fashionable guests and dined out on nibbles by M&S – and that’s before the show even started.

I must say I wasn’t expecting the LOOK Show to be such a well rounded event – most Fashion Week shows are a fast-paced, get in and get out affair with very little room for mingling and canapes – in contrast LOOK magazine, in partnership with some of the best loved labels on the high street, put on one of the funnest shows of the season.

After arriving in London I met up with Polly and we queued dutifully outside Victoria House along with hoards of fashion-hungry women dressed in leather, heels and red lipstick. Fashion bloggers, members of the press and avid LOOK readers mingled with one another once inside, sipping champagne, dressing up for photobooth snaps and craning their necks to look at the next celebrity to step through the door. I stopped joining in after managing to cover a Hawaiian shirted waitress in several glasses of champagne, smashing the empty flutes over the painted concrete floor with aplomb…

Above: The fashion-hungry queue outside Victoria House

Above: The LOOK Show sign

LOOK's editor Ali Hall poses for the paps with Sophie Ellis Bextor

After picking shards of glass off the floor and apologising profusely, I took my seat and waited for the show to start, getting a glimpse of New York It girl Olivia Palermo, below, in the process. Once the lights went down and show began the ‘who’s who on the front row’ debate settled down and our attention fell on the catwalk. SS/11 trends of 70s glamour, Mad Men influenced tailoring and bright, clashing colours were evident at New Look, Warehouse and Mango while M&S and Monsoon provided a more classic outlook, with crisp white shirts and printed silk kaftans respectively.

French Connection busted out their ‘London’ dress, a special limited edition design created to celebrate London Fashion Week, along with tan leather skirts and bell-sleved blouses. H&M focused on blocks of bold colour with coral, orange, yellow and emerald green standing out while River Island, who got the largest cheer of the show, wowed with grown up tailoring and some lovely floral prints.

At the end of the show the three finalists of the LOOK/Lorraine Curvy Supermodel competition took to the catwalk with LOOK editor Ali Hall and GMTV’s Mark Heyes to reveal the winner, Lindsey O’Hagan, 19, who wore a refreshingly genuine look of surprise as she accepted her bouquet of flowers and hugs from the runners up. Although only a size 12, this victory for Lindsey will hopefully pave the way for more ‘plus size’ models to strut their stuff on British catwalks in future seasons.

After the show we made our way to the retro photobooth and with a little help from the lovely New Look folks we donned hats and sunglasses, making full use of the wind machine while we pulled faces in front of the camera. A few peach mojitos later and we were, sadly, ready to leave. I had an amazing day and met some lovely people and could still pinch myself that out of the 40,000 odd readers to apply for tickets I was lucky enough to win a pair.

I hope everyone had as much fun as Polly and I did and all I can say is roll on the LOOK Show AW/11! More photos to follow…

Olivia Palermo takes her seat for the show

H&M rainbow brights

French Connection limited edition 'London' dress

The finalists of the LOOK/Lorraine Curvy Supermodel competition

Mark Heyes congratulates winner Lindsey O'Hagan

Ship-Shape & Bristol Fashion is OK at LOOK

Peach mojitos and photobooth snaps

LFW/LOOK Show Eve

The Look Show SS11 tickets

It is the eve of London Fashion Week and just over 12 hours I’ll be on my way to the capital to attend The LOOK Show SS11 and get swept up in the first day of LFW madness.

My nails are painted, my tickets are packed and I’m currently reading up on Net-A-Porter’s guide to front row fashion in a bid to help me pick an outfit to wear. To say I’m excited is an understatement!

I’ve been to LFW fringe events before but the last show I went to was Amanda Wakeley a good six seasons ago so I’m looking forward to taking The LOOK Show, particularly as it is 100% high street.

Primark 2-in-1 chiffon dress

Brands taking to the runway include Next, River Island, New Look and Uniqlo – perfect for even my most modest blogger budget. Not only do we get to see their new season stock, there will also be the chance to buy it after the show so there is hope that I’ll finally get my hands on Primark’s chiffon 2-in-1 dress, above, that has so far eluded me.

It’s not  exactly on the same level as buying up half of Christopher Kane or PPQ but I’m looking forward to collections I can get my hands on right now, not pine for longingly for six months.

There will be plenty of other bloggers in attendance, including the five lucky winners of the LOOK blogging competition so I can’t wait to meet everyone – say hi if you see me : )

Oh and finally, you may have noticed I have moved to WordPress which I mentioned I might do recently. I’ve tried to tidy up my new home and make it presentable before you arrived but please bare with me while I get used to my surroundings and unpack my things. I hope I’ll like it here and I hope you’ll continue reading. If any other WordPress.com bloggers have any tips and tricks on how to get the best of it please comment below or email me!

Love Is In The Air…

Happy Valentine’s Day from Ship-Shape! Regardless of your relationship status and feelings towards this Hallmark Holiday, I hope you are having a fab 14th February.

For anyone wondering how love and romance can translate to the catwalk and high street, check out my article for the Bristol Pigeon entitled Love Is In The Air on romantic trends for S/S11.

Something for The Weekend… The Big Swish, Gimme Shelter Vintage Fair

This weekend is all about recycling, regeneration and pre-loved clothes as the Oxfam Big Swish clothes swap descends on the city. This Saturday you can get rid of your wardrobe hermits – you know, the kind of clothes that cling on for dear life to the sides of your closet, not wanting to be worn but not wanting to leave the comfort of those four walls – and get some new threads in the process.

Clothes swapping, or swishing as it is also known, has become big in recent years and given the economic downturn this country has faced it isn’t hard to see why. The Oxfam Big Swish is just one of the many events going on at the CREATE Centre, as part of their sustainable fashion programme.

If you want to take part simply drop off any unwanted clothes between 11-12, peruse the rails and be ready for a 1pm kick off. I’d love to go but have actually double booked with another clothes swap – my own! I’ve been inspired by all the clothes swaps that have been happening recently so a few friends and I are getting together on Saturday to exchange our unwanted goods – I’ll let you know how I get on : )

The Gimme Shelter vintage fair is back at the Lanes this Sunday with all the usual suspects including Motel, Cox & Baloney and Nylon Sky in attendance. Entry is free and there will be vintage clothes, shoes, jewellery and bags up for grabs, as well as plenty of vintage bric-a-brac and homewares.

If I have recovered from the excitement of my own clothes swapping sesh I’ll be heading down to find some bargains, though I’m not sure anything can compare to the cream dress I found a couple of weeks ago.

Have a great weekend and let me know if you’re planning your own fashion events by commenting here or emailing shipshape.bristolfashion@gmail.com.

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Reading List: Techy Tips

For a while now I’ve been contemplating a move from Blogger to WordPress and, as always, I’ve found making a pro/con list to be the most effective way to make the decision. Although this would be quite a big step for the blog, it got me thinking about all the little technical tips and tricks that bloggers (fashion or otherwise) use to get the best from their blogs.

So here are some of the blogs I’ve been reading this week, full of tips to get the best out your blog…

SVB – What have you done with my landscape, flooding the fields with this clone shape – For a style blog perhaps one of the most important factors is great photos. This post shows readers hour to get a hazy, vintage tinge to their pictures.

Pro Blogger – How Your About Page Can Make or Break Your Blog – a tad intimidating as a headline but as a post it actually makes a lot of sense – great for seasoned bloggers and novices alike.

Independent Fashion Bloggers – How Will Fashion Blogs Evolve in 2001? – A fantastic resource for any fashion blogger, IFB’s post on the changes we can inspect in fashion blogging over the next 12 months is comprehensive and insightful.

Dressful – 20 Sarcastic Tips to Become a Successful Fashion Blogger – an excellent tounge in cheek look at how to be a ‘successful’ fashion blogger from a site packed full of useful info on the fashion blogging scene.

Lust Have: Tatty Devine’s new collection. Yes, all of it.

I’m a big fan of Covent Garden (previously Brick Lane) based jewellery company Tatty Devine and their quirky, whimsical designs. Perhaps best know for their brightly coloured acrylic ‘name’ necklaces, I first came across TD in my teens, when their logo was tattooed across strings of guitar pick necklaces and bracelets. I love that with every season comes a completely new concept (previously including dinosaurs, cocktail umbrellas and Amelia Earhart) and their new season collection, Astral Haze, does not disappoint.

Myth and magic has cast its wand over the Tatty Devine studios, with jewel encrusted unicorn brooches and quartz inspired bibs taking centre stage, but my favourite piece has to be the Halcyon Skies necklace, above. With the nights gradually getting lighter and winter slowly making way for spring, this dreamy necklace would make the perfect addition to any S/S 11 wardrobe.

If you want something Devine for yourself check out the Soma Gallery in Clifton Village which stocks Tatty Devine as well as several other contemporary jewellery designers.