Reviewed – Lacey Burnout Kaftan from Boux Avenue

Posted on June 3, 2014 by fashion-mommy

My second review from Boux Avenue moves away from the lounge wear and sleepwear of the last review, and instead looks towards my summer holidays. This review is concerned with a piece I fell in love with the minute I saw it online, and then loved even more when I saw it in the flesh. The only problem was choosing which colour I liked best!

The Lacey Burnout Kaftan from Boux Avenue is a beautiful holiday cover-up. It comes in white and black, and a glorious raspberry shade of pink. I totally loved the pink, and am still really tempted to get it, but I opted for classic white, a colour I love to wear in Summer, and a choice that would go well with all my swimwear.

Lacey burn out kaftan
£28.00 click to visit Boux Avenue

The first thing I want to say about this item is just how soft the fabric is, it feels delicious. It has a semi circle pattern on it which means it isn’t as see-through as some cover-ups can be. The sleeves are a flattering length, and there is a drawstring which sits just under the bust to give an empire line to the kaftan.

Kaftan Boux Avenue
Necklace Wallis (past season)
swimsuit George at Asda (similar here)
Sandals Matalan

The bat-wing sleeves and the length of this kaftan mean that this is an item I would happily wear when having a beachside lunch without feeling seriously undressed. It is a lovely, feminine piece and will be easy to pack, the fabric (72% polyester 28% polyamide) is the sort that doesn’t crease, so it will come out of your case fresh and ready to wear. It is also machine washable, so when you return from hols, and this is covered in sand, you can simply through it in the washing machine.

Boux Avenue would not have been my first port of call when I was shopping for beach wear and cover-ups, but I have been really impressed with the quality and style of this product.

Reviewed – Rosie Crochet top from Boux Avenue

Posted on May 27, 2014 by fashion-mommy

I really enjoy a good shopping trip to The Bullring in Birmingham, and one of the places I most enjoy paying a visit to is Boux Avenue. Quite simply, Boux Avenue offers a lovely range of lingerie, sleep wear and beach wear, but also treats its customers to something a little bit more. The stores have boudoir styling, with a touch of retro elegance – underwear is kept in luxurious sets of drawers and there are gorgeous occasional tables and mirrors scattered throughout the stores. Tie in with this the attention to detail, your items are beautifully wrapped in pink floral paper, with scented petals placed in with your goods, and you have a feminine, girly store par excellence, and one that I just love to visit.

With Theo Paphitis at the Birmingham Boux Avenue launch

When I was given the opportunity to review items from Boux Avenue, I knew that I wanted to choose something from the sleep wear collection. I have got quite a few pieces of Boux Avenue underwear, but have yet to try the lovely sleepwear. I chose the Rosie Crochet Top, which I fell instantly in love with, but I decided that this was far too pretty just to be kept for bed, so I decided to buy it to wear as a top. I personally think it looks gorgeous!

Rosie crochet top
£16.00 click to visit Boux Avenue

The Rosie Crochet top comes in a lovely grey marl colour, and is 100% stretchy viscose. It has a rounded necklace and cap style sleeves which are made of gorgeous crochet detailing, a feature which also travels all the way around the back of the top. It is this detailing which I think makes this pyjama/lounging top into such a lovely piece to wear casually with jeans.

Rosie Crochet top Boux Avenue
Jeans F&F
Shoes Matalan
Necklace Vintage

This is a very feminine top that is also really comfortable to wear. I chose a size 18, but could probably have gone down one size as there is plenty of material in this top. The stretch, and the slightly longer length makes this a great choice if you carry weight on your stomach, whether you want to wear this for bed or day wear. The lace detail is just so eye-catching, especially on the back, a really gorgeous, dressy feature.

I teamed this with jeans and glossy red pumps – a nice contrast to the grey marl of the top. The round neckline lends itself perfectly to a statement necklace, but I opted for a neater vintage crystal necklace that I have recently acquired from my mom. I also added a snake print cardigan when it turned slightly cooler.

cardigan Dorothy Perkins

Of course, if you want to wear this as sleepwear, Boux Avenue suggests the top is the perfect match for Rosie vintage rose print pyjama pants. I have to agree, and these are a gorgeous pair of PJ bottoms, with a drawstring waist and very light, silky feel.

Rosie floral pyjama pants
£20.00 click to visit Boux Avenue

I will be bringing a second Boux Avenue review later this week, this time for a fantastic beach cover -up.

Louis Vuitton channels Elizabeth Taylor for the new season

Posted on August 16, 2013 by fashion-mommy

Flicking through my September Issue of Vogue, I found that I just kept turning the pages back to look at the stunning images from the Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2013 campaign. Made up of stunning photographs showing the likes of Karen Elson and Gisele Bundchen, almost unrecognisable in black wigs. The models are clad in sensible winter coats being worn over the wispiest of silk slips and shifts, and my mind was drawn to one of the ultimate style icons of the 20th century in two of her most famous, and also controversial, roles.

The looks from this collection, as photographed by Steven Meisel, are pure Elizabeth Taylor at the height of her 1950s beauty. Specifically they draw to mind two films where she made the slinkiest of undergarments, the shift, into an item of immense sensuality and style. In ‘Cat on a hot tin roof’ Maggie the Cat, as portrayed by Liz, spends much of her time in a white silk slip whilst trying to seduce her husband. Then, in the 1960 film Butterfield 8, her character Gloria, a high class call girl, again seems to live in a uniform of champagne coloured shifts and heels, teamed with more champagne, this time in the liquid form. Occasionally she throws on a luxurious coat, but underneath it she is wearing…well, not a lot if we’re being honest.

Elizabeth as Maggie the Cat

Elizabeth as Gloria in Butterfield 8

The images of Liz playing bad girls in delicate shifts drip glamour and decadence, and the photographs by Meisel are an almost haunting echo.

This season you could attempt the look for yourself with some seriously sexy chemises from Boux Avenue which you may decide to keep for the privacy of the bedroom, or may well wear whilst dancing on a table on a Saturday night. For the not so brave, Dorothy Perkins has a range of silky camisoles in a range of jewel colours, perfect for under a serious business suit for work, or under a chunky knit cardigan for a winter boho look.

Boux Avenue