Rock The Week: Tobacco Factory Theatre, French Connection and Family

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

Rock The Week took an unexpected break last Sunday, so this post is a little longer than normal, but that’s because the last couple of weeks have kept me very busy indeed!

Twelfth Night

First up, a couple of weeks ago I was invited to watch Twelfth Night at the Tobacco Factory Theatre, which was just brilliant. The Tobacco Factory is a Southville landmark and boasts vintage fairs, great beer and the theatre space upstairs, which has recently had an upgrade in the seating department. Sound like a big deal this may not, but if you’ve ever seen a play or comedy performance there then you’ll be familiar with the squirming dance about an hour into the night, as the audience collectively shuffles around in a bid to make themselves more comfortable. The new bench-esque seating is not only lower back friendly but also allows for more people to fit into the theatre, too – hurrah!

Unfortunately Twelfth Night, performed by Filter Theatre, finished it’s run in Bristol a couple of weeks ago but it’s coming to theatres in London, Exeter and Aberystwyth in October and is well worth a look. The performance was certainly unique, with gold lamé shorts, tequila, velcro and pizza for the audience all making an appearance!

#sketchtostore

Last week, to coincide with LFW, French Connection in Quakers Friars held their #SketchToStore event, which I popped along to with Beautiful Plumage. It was nice to see so many local bloggers in attendance and ogle over All The Pretty Things, like pony print dresses, satsuma coloured cocoon coats and lace trimmed pleated skirts.

The event was to showcase A/W looks and take part in a style challenge – I fell for a navy chunky knit jumper from the men’s department but sadly it didn’t love my Heidi style braids and got tangled in my hair grips!

Family time

Last weekend Mr Ship-Shape and I spent the weekend in Dorset catching up with friends and family, including my two long-distance pets, Oscar and Archie, above. It was a well-needed break and one of my favourite parts (aside from eating a ridiculous amount of fish and chips) was a day trip to Hengistbury Head, one of the most picturesque parts of the south coast.

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This week I’ve been blogging about The Little Shop on Stokes Croft, cooking curries and playing heated games of Monopoly. Today my friend L  and I went to the Vintage Kilo Fair at the Paintworks – we left with lots of new vintage gems which I’ll be sharing on the blog soon!

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

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A Summer Sale Haul from Zara

I’m not sure I like using the term ‘haul’ as it isn’t technically accurate, but I guess you could say I and my friend Lou needed to haul ourselves out of Zara a couple of weeks ago, as we were there until the Cabot Circus shop was beginning to close!

Zara is one of my favourite places to source sale bargains as there is so much choice, from basic organic cotton t-shirts (£5.99) to more conceptual pieces such as digital print dresses and trousers (starting at £17.99). This time around I unwittingly found a complete outfit, where the colours, textures and silhouettes all go together – an unusual feat for me as I tend to veer towards mismatched impulse buys when it comes to sales shopping.

I was immediately taken with these high waisted balloon style shorts – perfect for this glorious summer weather – as they remind me of the pair of trousers a teddy bear wore in an old television show, the name of which I can’t recall. I feel like he was called Little Ted and possibly lived in a toy box…

Moving on, the grey marl top is ridiculously comfortable, with turned up sleeves and a faux blue and white striped shirt poking out from under the hem. It’s the kind of top one could pair with skinny jeans or wear lounging around the house with leggings, and the stripes remind me of the summer dresses I wore as part of my school uniform.

I have Lou to thank for the scarf – at £49.99 it was waaaay out of my price range but I was so taken with it that she persuaded me to take it to the till incase it had been mislabeled. I don’t know about you but that moment when you take a label-less item to the till is always a bit nerve-wracking, but I needn’t have worried as it was only £19.99, a bargain given how often I wear scarves, even in summer!

What’s your favourite place to shop during the sales?

Grey marl top, Blue and cream striped shorts and Cotton scarf – Zara / Plimsoles – c/o Toast / Silk headscarf – Grandma Ship-Shape / Sunglasses – Primark

Harvey Nichols Blogger Event pt. 2

On Thursday I posted about the first half of the Harvey Nichols fashion and beauty blogger event that I went to on Saturday, and today I wanted to write about the beauty hall, where the 12 of us were spoiled rotten with pampering mini treatments.

After our presentation of key spring/summer trends we were let loose  on the ground floor. Walking in a gaggle past perfume counters and make-up stations, it felt like a very fashionable school field trip, with Press & Marketing Manager Nada having organised a fantastic programme of events for everyone.

I was treated to a hand and arm massage at Jo Malone, a mini makeover from Space.NK. and a shape and polish at the Nails Inc Champagne Bar.

Although I’m familiar with the latter two, the Jo Malone experience – a guided tour of each fragrance, customising scents by mixing two together – was totally new. Each cologne (all the scents are unisex) sings with rich notes, from Earl Grey and Cucumber to Orange Blossom, Wild Bluebell and Red Rose.

A lovely Jo Malone representative guided me through the scents before picking out a hand wash, moisturiser  and cologne that would complement each other, before massaging my hands and arms. I left feeling supremely relaxed and am sorely tempted to treat myself to a cologne – if only I could narrow my favourite scent down to just one!

Next up was Space.NK. where Fiona guided me through a myriad of skincare and make-up products to help my dry, sensitive skin. As a make-up artist she was friendly, calming and full of knowledge and enthusiasm. She introduced me to Nude, Kevyn Aucoin and the Nars lip pencils I’d been eyeing up on my last Space.NK. visit.

After Fiona had worked her magic, the finished result – a light base and brick red lips – was perfect for me as it wasn’t too heavy but it toned down my red skin. As if a massage and mini makeover weren’t enough, I was also treated to a shape and polish at Nails Inc, and I plumped for a teal green shade.

Unfortunately the photos below, taken after the event, are the only bits of evidence I have of said manicure, as it only took a few hours before I’d chipped half of it off!

At the risk of gushing because I won a prize, below, and walked away with a bulging goody bag, thanks to Nada for organising the event and all the Harvey Nichols staff who spent time with us on the day. It was great to learn more about the individual brands that Harvey Nichols Bristol stocks and I look forward to my next visit.

Ship-Shape and Bristol Fashion has been shortlisted for a Bath in Fashion Blogger of the Year award! Please vote for me here. Voting is easy and requires no personal details or fiddly bits like that, so please pick up those laptops, phones and tablets and get voting! 

Harvey Nichols Blogger Event pt. 1

Harvey Nichols is a brand that can strike fear into the hearts of thrifty fashion hunters. It stocks designers and premium brands that I dream of owning one day; Stella McCartney, Mary Katrantzou, Erdem – swoon! – but although the clothes might be out of my reach, I’m a frequent visitor to the ground floor, which stocks make-up, skincare, accessories and plays home to a Nails Inc Champagne Bar and Strip Wax Bar.

On Saturday I was lucky enough to be invited to the fashion and beauty blogger event at Bristol’s very own Harvey Nichols, and along with 11 other bloggers, I enjoyed a very pampering morning.

The Quakers Friars store is much smaller than its London counterpart and as a result the brands it stocks have been tailored to fit West Country folk. After taking a seat with the other bloggers in the Personal Shopping area we were treated to a presentation on the latest S/S13 trends by Daniel Pollock, head of Womenswear at the Bristol store.

My favourite trend was the OTT prints, closely followed by the colour pop look, but I think my skin is a little too pale for neon yellow right now!

Having come from a position at Selfridges in London, I was eager to hear Daniel’s opinions on fashion in the South West, and he was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

Which S/S13 trends do you think will prove most popular with Bristol customers?

Colour Pop is the easiest trend to buy into this season – I say that as it can be as easy as carrying a hot neon pink clutch bag with your normal denim look, It also translates to all demographics as it is as easy to find something on the high street that is bang on trend as it is to buy into the higher end pieces such as Stella McCartney.

Print pants are also going to be one of the favourites this season, as most brands have done their own version, whether it be printed floral denim, or all over print elastic bottom hareem style pants – it’s the obvious way of saying ‘Im buying into all-over print this season!’

What brands are most popular with Bristol customers?

My most popular brand is Helmut Lang – easy relaxed pieces that are intricately cut in the best fabrics, appealing to ladies of all ages and styles. Christian Louboutin are by far the most desired shoe brand in store and we continue to have waiting lists for key styles of the season.

Various different areas around the country are known for having a particular ‘look’- London residents particular are known for having a strong sense of style – how do you think Bristol compares to that?

Bristol, like most cities outside of London, is slower to adopt the key trends and new designers, normally 12-18 months behind what is happening in London. Having said that, with more people travelling socially and with work, as well as greater access to online shopping and style information, the Bristol lady is becoming far more fashion savvy and closing that gap more and more.

Thanks Daniel! The day didn’t end with fashion – pop back tomorrow to read about the second half of the day, and why I heart Space.NK….

Ship-Shape and Bristol Fashion has been shortlisted for a Bath in Fashion Blogger of the Year award! Please vote for me here. Voting is easy and requires no personal details or fiddly bits like that, so please pick up those laptops, phones and tablets and get voting! 

48 Hour Fashion Fix at Cabot Circus

On Saturday I managed to avoid the Six Nations entirely by immersing myself in suitably girly activities, including heading down to Cabot Circus for their 48 Hour Fashion Fix.

Unlike previous years, where catwalk shows have taken place underneath the glass roof or in Quakers Friars to celebrate new season trends, individual brands, such as Oasis, Warehouse and Dorothy Perkins held ‘pop-up’ performances outside their own shops. As well as these performances there was also a giant red beauty bus (Hayley and Gina have decent photos of it) where Hayley and I were treated to hand massages and got the gossip on the latest Nails Inc trends while avoiding the wet weather.

As well as the bus and performances, there was a competition to ‘Hook-a-Handbag’ and I managed to win myself a red Jane Norman clutch, so I was a very happy bunny indeed! Apparently the crown jewel of the competition, a Marc Jacobs bag, had already gone earlier in the afternoon, but I was more than happy to take away this crimson beauty, below.

After the festivities had finished we headed to Piccolinos in Quakers Friars for champers and nibbles. Ending the day with a gossip and chocolate covered strawberries is something I could get used to!

Did you make it down to Cabot Circus this weekend? What did you think of their new concept, and did you win any goodies!? Let me know if the comments below.

Bristol Blogger Meet at Cabot Circus

Let me preface this post by saying that although I’ve started it with a whopping great big photo of the goody bag I received at Saturday’s Bristol Blogger Meet, or #bbmeet (yeah, it’s got it’s own hashtag, and what?), this post is about more than the goodies…

The weekend was one of the most fashion-packed I’ve had in ages, and it kicked off with the Bristol Blogger Meet at Cabot Circus on Saturday. After having a cheeky morning massage at the Sanctuary Spa in Quakers Friars, I hotfooted it over to Frankie & Benny’s to attend the meet, organised by Sasha and Alessia.

  Above: My outfit for the day; River Island dress, Topshop coat, Sweaty Betty leggings, M&S socks and Zara boots and Jen from Head of Feathers with her impressive goody bag

I bumped in to Jen and Grace on the way in and we took a seat at one of two tables filled with bloggers from across the South West. As with events like this, it was a hive of chatter, activity and LOTS of cameras, and although I didn’t get to meet everyone, I did chat to Gina and Carly – and preceded to kick myself for not ordering pancakes and bacon when I saw her breakfast arrive!

It was so nice to making new blogging friends and see old faces, and I think everyone who attended will agree that Sasha and Alessia did a terrific job of hosting the event, not to mention putting together the heaviest goody bags ever!

Blogging shouldn’t just be about the freebies – they are a perk of attending an event, but not an essential ingredient, especially from a blogger meet, so it’s always nice to take home a few goodies – from press releases and samples to nibbles and sweets (always a winner with me).

As a result, I don’t normally wax lyrical about the contents of said bags, but thought it only right to share some of the products here.

My #bbmeet goody bag* contained:

1. Samples of Blinc eyeliner and mascara
2. Aroma Squeeze Me lavender and bergamot stress ball
3. Benefit Fine One One lip and cheek trio
4. nspa Hot Cloth Polish
5. Dr Organic Virgin Coconut Oil hand & nail cream
6. The Little Bubble Co. Mango Delight shower gel (just seen)
7. Gardenia of London Lavender & Sweet Pea body spray
8. A selection of Metique Tea Tree Oil samples
9. Xen-Tan Luminous Gold Gel
10. The Vintage Cosmetic Company eyelash curlers
11. Red glitter bow hair clip from Jen, aka Head of Feathers
12. A selection of samples including Glam Glow Youth Mud, Vichy Deep Cleansing Gel, derma e cleanser and Aime Cooling Clay Mask
13. Makebelieve Enhance Luminize Skin Highlighter
14. Dr Organic Virgin Coconut Oil night cream + Moroccan Argan Oil day cream (not seen)
15. Avène Cleanance Gel
16. DGJ Organics Berutti Oil
17. Skincare samples from La Roche-Posay and Vichy
18. A hand written thank you note from Sasha and Alessia.

Phew, that lot should keep me busy for a while! Thanks again to Sasha and Alessia for such a fun afternoon. If any of you attended and I didn’t get a chance to meet you, please feel free to leave a link to your site in the comments, or come find me at @ShipShapeBF.

*I’m not sure if all of these products will suit my skin, so any samples that I wont use will be donated to Give and Makeup – if you have any unwanted new or nearly-new hair and beauty products, check them out as your unwanted goods could make a real difference to other women.

Something for The Weekend: Wrapping workshops and Christmas markets

Friday

It’s very nearly the last weekend before Christmas – eek! If you’ve finished your Christmas shopping (lucky you!) but need a hand with pimping up your presents, the lovely Making Things Club are on hand to help. This week their pop-up shop in Cabot Circus has been running wrapping workshops, and there are slots available tomorrow (Friday 21st) throughout the day. The event is free but booking is a must – email making.things.club@gmail.com or pop into the shop to book your place.

Saturday/Sunday

This weekend is your last chance to visit the Bath Christmas market before it closes on Sunday. I visited it with a few friends at the start of the month and it was heaving, so I recommend arriving early and catching the train unless you want to face looking for a parking space with hundreds of other Christmas shoppers! Stalls include foodie treats, Elise Belle jewellery, festive decorations, art, homewares and more.

Have I missed any other local events? What are you up to this weekend?

An Anti-Autumn H&M Shopping Spree

I don’t know about you, but I’m not adjusting well to to autumn. Since the clocks have changed and the weather has turned, I’ve been constantly telling anyone who would listen that it should be a legal requirement to hibernate from now until 24th December.

Sadly that idea hasn’t quite got off the ground yet, so I’ve had to ease my winter woes with a heady mix of vegetable crisps ( nowhere near as good for you as the name implies), giant bowls of pasta, snuggling under a blanket on the sofa and complaining, a lot. I’ve also taken the edge of this anti-autumn feeling with a spot of retail therapy…

Last weekend some of friends came to visit and on our way to see Skyfall at the Cinema de Lux in Cabot Circus, we fell in to H&M. Ok, we didn’t fall, she wanted to look for a new jumper, but somehow, 20 minutes later, I found myself clutching a mishmash of t-shirts, summer dresses and jumpers. Fortunately I managed to compose myself and put half of it back, but this eclectic bunch slipped through the net.

The grey t-shirt is a practical purchase as I never seem to have enough basic tees, but the striped dress, as much as I love it, isn’t exactly the most sensible purchase given we probably won’t see any sun for another six months. The bright green jumper does leave me feeling paranoid that I look like a pea pod on legs, but I really love the colour and the dense moss stitch.

Another downside of the dark days is that I’ve struggled to find the time (or light) to take outfit shots outside – hence the old school method of photography, that I haven’t practiced in ages. I’m thinking a way to remedy this might be using sparklers, floodlights, or something in between…

What A/W impulse purchases have you made recently? And do you love autumn, or are you with me on the hibernation idea?

Harvey Nichols A/W12 Show Highlights

A week ago I had the pleasure of attending the Harvey Nichols A/W12 Fashion Show. My budget doesn’t really extend to shopping sprees at this exclusive Quakers Friars address, except for the occasional Nails Inc manicure, but I was curious to get a closer look at the incredible designers the brand stocks, including Vivienne Westwood, Isabel Marant and Helmut Lang.

Turning up in bright floral trousers with S from Beautiful Plumage in tow, I felt a little out of place amongst a sea of women dressed in black, the only pop of colour being their sky-high neon heels. A couple of glasses of champagne helped us to relax as we waited for the show to begin on the ground floor, surrounded by Cambridge Satchel Company bags, Jo Malone scents and so-pretty-they-almost-make-me-want-one Marc jacobs iPad holders.

We were soon ushered upstairs to take our seats for the show, which took place towards the back of the womenswear department. Womenswear and menswear were both on display in scenes that gave a nod to winter florals, gothic and heritage trends, with gorgeous Barbour biker jackets and vintage capes, below, tickling my fancy.

The pieces from Vivienne Westwood’s Red Label were equally exquisit – I’ve always had a soft spot for her tailoring, and she’s definitely a designer I’d buy into if I could afford it. In this season’s Company High Street Edit magazine writer Lena de Casparis road-tests Westwood’s collection in the ‘real world’ (read: Shoreditch) which is actually worth a read if you’ve always lusted after this label.

Another outfit worth a mention was an incredible laser cut leather biker jacket by Muubaa paired with McQ printed leggings – sadly I didn’t get a good shot of it but you can see the jacket here. While I can’t stretch to the £490 price tag (despite what Jessie J says it actually is about the money) I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for a similar high street version this season.

If money were no object what big brands would you spend your cash on? Or perhaps you invest wisely in designer pieces already? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Harvey Nichols A/W Show programme

I love this Barbour biker jacket, with McQ skirt

Vintage Barbour cape paired with J Brand jeans and an olive green Burberry London shirt

Neon green Christian Louboutin heels strut down the catwalk

Want, want, want this Vivienne Westwood Red Label tweed cape

This Mary Katrantzou A/W12 Nebraska print dress features crystal and chess piece patterns

The latest A/W12 trends in Harvey Nichols, Bristol

These Joseph leather leggings tick the box for my current craving for leather, but I’m not sure I could pull them off as well as this model did!

S and I in the Harvey Nichols bar, overlooking Quakers Friars

New Shop Alert: Boux Avenue

Tomorrow sees the long awaited Boux Avenue open it’s doors. Located in the heart of Cabot Circus, next to House of Fraser on the ground floor, the luxury lingerie, swimwear and nightwear retailer is run by Dragon’s Den business mogul Theo Paphitis.

Set up in 2011, this is the brand’s thirteenth store and it promises a selection of beautifully made underwear from 30A to 40H. I’ll be interested to see if this size range carries across the store, as many high street lingerie brands promise this but those that are DD and up often find themselves at the back of the shop in a dark corner, surrounded by plain black and nude industrial looking bras.

However Boux Avenue have chosen size 16 Australian supermodel, Robyn Lawley, above, to front their Curves collection, so I’m hopeful that there will be a larger range on offer than you might find in somewhere like La Senza.

Boux Avenue opens it’s doors to the public at 1pm tomorrow, Thursday 13th September, but if you’re in Cabot Circus before that, you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the dragon himself, as Theo will be there to officially open the store.