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Wednesday 28 August 2013

Farewell Cocktails


To celebrate Camille getting into the University of Dundee, we donned our best frocks and went out for cocktails. Having a special dress in the back of your wardrobe always pays off on occasions like these. Often ornate and detailed dresses come with a huge price-tag but it doesn't seem cost effective considering how rarely you get the opportunity to wear them. Sales, charity shops and vintage fairs offer a cheaper alternative for evening wear. Camille's dress cost £3.50 in Cancer Research - a real bargain for a true vintage piece in immaculate condition. If you manage to spend this little on your dress it allows you to splurge a bit more on shoes and accessories. Camille's bag is from Accessorize here and shoes are from Zara here. My red dress was bought in Karen Millen's sale about ten years ago for a wedding. When buying a wedding outfit, a timeless dress is the perfect option as you can keep it and wear it for various occasions in the future. If your original shoes and bag are outdated it is easy to replace them to modernise the look. Here are some dresses that we think are worth investing in: 

 Sheer and opaque dressImage 1 of ASOS Velvet Skater DressImage 1 of ASOS Purple Flower Bardot Midi DressLace Skater Dress
From left to right 
Sheer and opaque dress Karen Millen 
Velvet Skater Dress ASOS  
Purple Flower Bardot Midi Dress ASOS  
Lace Skater Dress Oasis 
 
Camille's imminent move to Scotland means that our blog will have to evolve to suit the separation, we are not sure what the new format will be, but don't worry there will still be lots of fashion with a few new features too!








Sunday 25 August 2013

Belfast Fashion Week Preview




Fashion fans were out in their best A/W outfits for the launch of Belfast's 16th FASHIONWEEK event last week. The lavish launch took place in the stylish foyer of the Fitzwilliam Hotel and we were greeted with coffee, croissants and Diet Coke! The event was hosted by Fashionweek Director Cathy Martin and models showcased some key trends for A/W '13 including pink, shades of red and tartan. All proving that winter wear doesn't have to be dreary.

This season's events will run over 4 days from 10-13 October across various venues including the Ulster Museum. A full schedule is available online at www.belfastfashionweek.com and tickets are on sale now online and at the Belfast Welcome Centre.

Thanks for a super preview and for the delicious cupcake!










Wednesday 14 August 2013

Hello Sailor!


Nautical is a trend which comes to prominence without fail every Spring/Summer. Although there may be variations on the theme, the basics remain the same. The key colours are navy, white and red and the key pattern is stripes. Buy basics that fit these criteria and you will bring them out year after year. White jeans, a navy blazer and Breton top are all wardrobe staples which can easily be put together for a nautical look and worn separately too. This year there are a lot of clothes and accessories with anchor motifs. An anchor necklace or ship’s wheel brooch, for example, will add interesting detail to your look. If you find a statement piece that looks sea-worthy it is worth buying as it is a trend which, like the tide, is guaranteed to come in again.







Joanna's outfit : Stiped jersey blazer from Tommy Hilfiger S/S 2012, similar here, white cropped jeans from Primark, navy t-shirt (old) Autograph at Marks and Spencer, shoes from Pavers here, necklace (old - seen previously in Thoroughly Modern Midi here) from River Island, similar here.

Camille outfit : Striped top from Asda similar here, white jeans from River Island similar here, ship necklace from River Island similar here, tan sandals from ASOS similar here.

Red and white shoes from Zara sale currently in store.

Friday 9 August 2013

Travels with my Aunt

Jane Austen Exhibition


To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of the first edition of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Carrickfergus Museum are exhibiting original costumes from TV and film versions of her works.
Every girl has been captivated by one of Jane Austen's novels at some stage in her life and we are no different. Many of her novels have been adapted for television and film and Mr Darcy emerging from the water will always be a heart-stopping cinematic moment. If you want to see his costume and others worn by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts and Kate Winslett, then this is an exhibition not to be missed. The regency fashions of the Georgian period are often overlooked in favour of more recent vintage styles, but the details in clothes of that period are exquisite. Hand embroidery and fine details are authentically presented in the costumes on display. Having both worked as extras on film sets, we know the painstaking detail that goes into getting costumes and props camera ready and it is wonderful to see historic fashions diligently replicated. The exhibition runs until 17th August and is worth a visit to see the iconic costumes up close.







Joanna's outfit : red blazer from Mango here, red and white striped t-shirt also from Mango here (both currently in sale), white jeans from Primark, red leather satchel from Continental market (Belfast City Hall), red leather loafers from Heatons.

Camille's outfit : dress from Zara (old), shoes also from Zara (currently on sale), vintage bag, And Mary necklace from ASOS here.



Wednesday 7 August 2013

Take a Walk on the Wild Side


We are both major fans of animal prints- especially the big cat variety! Like our love of style, that of animal print has been  passed down through the family. Leopard print is the most popular option but tiger, snake giraffe and zebra are all widely available on the High Street. The wider range of prints and colours available make it more suitable for summer wear than ever. It is vital to stick to one animal print per outfit even in your accessories. Animal print accessories are everywhere and there are some great buys- they can take your outfit from blah to raaar! 





Camille's outfit : dress from ASOS can be found here (on sale), shoes (old) from Clarks similar here, rucksack from enerything5pounds similar can be found here, lion earrings from ASOS similar here.

Joanna's outfit : zebra top (old) from Asda, similar here, zebra print wedges (old) from Marks and Spencer, similar here, bermuda shorts from Mango Outlet here, bangle (old) similar here.

Monday 5 August 2013

Wedgwood China Dolls


Take inspiration from the traditional ivory and blue pottery of Wedgwood. The colours look refined together and cool for warm summer days. You have the choice to accessorize with either blue or white but don't be tempted to introduce a third colour. Simple and sophisticated is the key to getting this look just right. Simple jewellery is good but think minimalism- one statement piece is enough. If there is a pattern let it do the talking.





Camille's outfit : dress Ralph Lauren from TK Maxx (old) similar here, sunglasses from Pimark, earrings from New Look and can be found here

Joanna's outfit : dress (old) New Look, similar here, shoes worn in previous post Wimbledon White.

Friday 2 August 2013

Monochrome Madness


The fashion world has always been mad about black and white, but lately it has gone into overdrive. Geometric and abstract patterns were shown on this season's runways at Marc Jacobs and Giles, they have also incorporated a more 1960's Mod vibe. The key is to let bold patterns do the talking whilst keeping the cut simple. Don't be afraid to mix prints as the black and white palette stops this from being overbearing and adds to the eclectic vintage look.





Joanna's outfit : Black and white short suit (old) from Primark similar from Mango Outlet here and here, white vest top from Primark, black flatform sandals from Primark similar here, necklace from Miss Selfridge similar here.

Camille's outfit : dress from Primark, raincoat (old) from New Look, similar can be found here, bag (old) from Dunnes Stores similar here, shoes (old) similar here.

Wednesday 31 July 2013

Travels with my Aunt

Murder Mysteries


Last Saturday evening we were at Pizza Express providing the entertainment for a hen night. Joanna runs a murder mystery company- Play Dead - and we often perform together. As well as being enjoyable, it gives us opportunities to dress up in vintage and glamorous outfits from Victorian ladies and suffragettes, through 1920's flappers and 1950's belles to modern Bond girls. We also get to travel to interesting places including stately homes and grand hotels. The pictures shown are from Death of a Diva, which we performed on Saturday. It is set around the glamorous Hollywood of the 1940's with starlets behaving badly. It certainly gets the adrenaline going as it requires a lot of improvisation but it is worth it at the end when you know that everyone has had a good night joining in the fun. For pictures of the hen night at Pizza Express and other recent performances, check out Play Dead's Facebook page here. Aunty Jo has been collecting costumes from different eras for many years and gets some evening dresses from TK Maxx and many items from charity shops and vintage fairs, such as the Fashion Souk for details see their Facebook page here.