Monthly Archives: November 2009

Party season is almost here and we’re excited to start shopping for the very best partywear our bonus checks can buy!  My-Wardrobe, being the darlings that they are, have rounded up their Hot 100 Partywear items… and have then slashed 25% off their pricetags.  Gotta love that.  Simply enter promotional code PARTY25 at checkout to get your discount.

Since we love to make lists ourselves, we’ve picked out our top eight buys from the 100… product links below.

BCBG Max Azria navy strapless pocket dress, £205
House of Harlow three strand diamond headband, £189
Olivia Rubin embroidery tulip peplum dress, £200
Mawi oversized ivory pearl cocktail ring, £203
D&G Dolce & Gabbana black lace platform heels, £325
See by Chloe gold tiered dress, £580
Lulu Guinness black satin Pollyanna clutch, £150
Elizabeth and James Roselyn plum dress, £195

Love them or hate them (or were too young to remember them!), the 80s sure were an interesting decade.  Big hair, blue eyeshadow, cropped tops and lace gloves – those who lived it certainly won’t be forgetting the fashion trends in a hurry (and probably have high school yearbook photos that will continue to haunt them!)  Well, dear readers, the 80s have been making little appearances in recent years – in sportswear, in leggings(!) and in the silhouette making all the headlines lately – the bold shoulder.  And it’s here to stay.

If you’re a little bit scared about what this means – don’t be! – it’s not the hypercolour-filled, crimping-crazy fashion of old.  In it’s place is a more subtle trend that is merely 80s-inspired: think bold shoulders, colourful combinations, glitter, peplum skirts, shiny leggings and nipped-in waists (oversized decorative belts are key).

See what we mean, and shop the trend here!

Oh how we love his shoes – and so it’s no surprise to hear quite a few other people out there love Giuseppe Zanotti‘s fab footwear too!  The Italian shoemaker has been named ‘Footwear Designer of the Yea’r by Footwear News, a title previously held by luminaries such as Manolo Blahnik.

We suspect it is Zanotti’s penchant for bold, edgy designs, interesting fabrics and textures and intriguing embellishments which all add up to create shoes which make our feet look absolutely gorgeous… and we’re sure serial Zanotti-wearers Blake Lively, Kylie Minogue and Beyonce would agree.

SHOP GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI SHOES HERE.

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Collaborations are a dime a dozen these days, but every so often one comes along which REALLY grabs our attention.  Paul & Joe for theOutnet.com would definitely be one of those. We hear that the discount designer clothing site has teamed up with the chic Parisian brand to launch a collection of pieces made from Paul & Joe’s archive fabrics.  A-ma-zing!

Director of theOutnet.com, Stephanie Phair, says: “We are always on the lookout for special collaborations to offer our customers products that are not only at amazing prices but also just for theOutnet.com.

“Paul & Joe was the perfect partner for us as it caters to the modern woman who likes a laidback Parisian style.”

The collection, which boasts dresses, jackets and even bags, is said to be priced between £85 to £250 and will launch on 1 December, 2009 at theOutnet.com.  You can bet this date has duly been noted in our diary.

SHOP CURRENT SEASON PAUL & JOE NOW.

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Cheryl Cole and her fellow Girls Aloud bandmates (minus LA-based Nadine Coyle) hit the town on Saturday night in a double birthday celebration.  Sarah Harding and Kimberley Walsh both turned 28 three days apart, so of course, that calls for a good old knees-up!

The birthday girls opted for Little Black Dresses and sky-high heels, leaving it up to Nicola Roberts and Cheryl to brighten things up in shades of pink.  Chezza obviously had no time to get changed in between shooting the X Factor live show and heading out to the party afterwards, as she kept on the racy Giles Deacon dress which had raised a few eyebrows earlier in the evening.

Whose outfit do you like best?  We love that colour on Nicola, but for us it’s Kimberley who looks picture perfect!

[Images: Getty]

Normally we limit ourselves to just five hot products.  But either the cold, windy weather has started to get to us or there are just too many great chunky knits out there right now -or perhaps both!  Because we really couldn’t cut it down to five, we’ve decided to spoil you with EIGHT lovely knits to keep you warm this winter.

Product details as follows:

McQ Alexander McQueen hooded wool-blend cardigan, £330 from Net-a-Porter
French Connection Knobbly jumper, £85
Vince wool-blend cable-knit cardi coat, £295 from Net-a-Porter
Karen Millen chunky stripe knit, £120
Pringle 1815 hand-knitted cable relaxed cardigan, £195 from My-Wardrobe
Peacocks chunky boyfriend cardigan, £18
Chloe cropped knit sweater, £137.50 from TheOutnet
Manoush chunky-knit sweater, £110 from TheOutnet

Just six weeks after giving birth to her fourth child, supermodel superwoman Heidi Klum (above, centre) surprised all by treading the catwalk last night in skimpy lingerie for the annual Victoria’s Secret extravaganza.

There had been rumours swirling in recent days that the 36-year-old was getting her body back into shape ready for an appearance, but Heidi shot this down several times, saying before the show she was sticking to hosting duties: “[I] wasn’t quite ready yet. This kind of takes a lot of planning. When you have a baby, you can’t really know if in five weeks’ time you’re like everyone else.”

Other models who donned the famously elaborate costumes, included VS stalwarts Marissa Miller, Alessandra Ambrosio and Miranda Kerr, as well as newbies Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Chanel Iman, Candice Swanepoel, Lindsay Ellingson and Emanuela de Paula.

We felt somewhat inspired by the get-ups and decided to find some lush lingerie of our own…. if you fancy getting your hands on some too, check out our picks below (product details follow):

Peacocks green lace overlay bra and thong set, £5
Dolce & Gabbana leopard print bra, £59 from Yoox
Dolce & Gabbana leopard print briefs, £33 from TheOutnet
Elle MacPherson Intimates lace underwire bra, £60 from Net-a-Porter
Elle MacPherson Intimates lace thong, £30 from Net-a-Porter
Dolce & Gabbana bustier, £46 from Yoox
La Perla Venus Allure bra, £145 from Net-a-Porter
La Perla Venus Allure briefs, £125 from Net-a-Porter
Peacocks purple padded chemise, £12

As seen in their recent ad campaigns, Chloé have come up with a stunner of a bag in their python Paraty.  Yes, it’s python which = one gorgeously luxe bag.  But that also means it comes with a gorgeously luxe pricetag as you do with any exotic skins.  Ouch.

It’s an investment piece though and a definite keeper – the colour, classic shape and calfskin coating ensure that it remains classic and will match pretty much anything in your wardrobe you choose to throw at it.  You can shop it from Net-a-Porter here.

Something which we never get sick of seeing (especially as it gets closer to Christmas) is that good old word ‘discount’.  Especially when it comes to shoes.

That’s why we’re loving that Cloggs have got an Early Shopper Discount running until the 24th November 2009, which allows you 10% off your purchase on all boots and shoes (excluding FitFlops).  With great brands including UGG Australia, Firetrap, Dr Martens, Converse and Adidas, you will have plenty of fab shoes to choose from.

GET SHOPPING NOW!

As we’ve mentioned previously, one investment you will be wanting to make this winter is in the camel coat.  Whether you opt for a classic trench style like Alexa Chung, or go for a heavier wool version with a modern design twist (exaggerated shoulders and the like), a camel or beige coat will add that sophisticated edge to any outfit.

We love how Alexa has worked the Burberry trench as an important element of her outfit, rather than keeping it as simply a cover-up over her frock.  She’s teamed it with a LBD and some leg-lengthening wedge ankle boots for a stylish (and not to mention, easy-to-recreate) look.

CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW YOU CAN GET ALEXA’S LOOK ON YOUR OWN BUDGET.