Vintage
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Rose Royce from White Stuff – quirky and wonderful
As a huge fan of White Stuff, I am always interested in what they will come up with next. After all, this is the brand that encourages you to wear a tea cosy on your head, so frankly, anything is possible. The latest collection in store is called Rose Royce, but it has nothing to do with ‘Car Wash’. This collection is all about the English Eccentric. Think the Mitford’s, the Queen with her headscarf and wellies at Sandringham, or the hunting and shooting set wearing their pearls and the family jewels over a beaten up Barbour. This is one of my favourite ever collections from White Stuff, full of…
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Handmade Boutique arrives in Birmingham’s Mailbox
If you have a love for shopping, but find that you want to discover something new, or quirky and original, it’s time to step into the Handmade Boutique, Birmingham’s newest shopping treasure. Based into the Birmingham Mailbox, in a prime position right next door to Harvey Nichols, Handmade Boutique combines the best of design, artistry and craft in a bright and beautiful setting, giving customers new and interesting choices in the run up to Christmas. The store was launched on Wednesday night with an exclusive preview hosted by Tracie Bedwood, owner of Birmingham’s Adage Modelling agency and also the talent behind Serendipity Candles, one of the highlights of the collective.…
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Lowie – Luxurious Winter knits
One of my favourite UK brands at the moment is the luxury knitwear company Lowie. Taking the finest soft wools, Lowie’s knitwear is hand-knitted, hand sen and often hand- embroidered, taking the finest traditions of handicrafts from across the world, and using them to create totally wonderful modern clothes and accessories that have a decidedly vintage slant. Lowie already have a celebrity following who have been enticed by the softness of the wool that is combined with bright, funky colours that can lift the darkness coat into serious style territory. Lily Cole, Fearne Cotton and Luella Bartley are all fans of the label, which is becoming one of the gems…
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Victorian Shopping style – The Paradise
I was glued to the TV last night as a new costume drama started on the BBC. ‘The Paradise’ is set in a very early version of a department store during the Victorian era. (I’m thinking of a cross between an early Whiteleys and Selfridges, although both came a little later than the period this is set in.) As you can imagine, the series looks beautiful, with a gorgeous leading lady, Denise, played by Joanne Vanderham, and handsome leading man. But what really catches the eye is the totally exquisite Paradise itself. I can’t imagine any woman who wouldn’t want to shop at The Paradise. Brocade covered, pastel coloured walls,…
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Next Key trends – it’s all about Gatsby
When Next announced a special network challenge in order to find a guest blogger for their ‘Style Secrets’ blog, I was immediately interested. I love to blog about the sort of clothes that I personally love to wear, especially those from one of my most visited High Street stores. I decided to take up the challenge to show Fashion-Mommy readers what I would choose as the five key pieces for A/W 2012 from the current Next collection. My picks were influenced by the most eagerly awaited film of the season – the Carey Mulligan/Leonardo Di Caprio vehicle ‘The Great Gatsby’. The latest Great Gatsby movie is released on Boxing day…
