A Darker Shade of Red

Autumn wear can be tricky to get right. It is not cold enough to wear winter coats yet, but not warm enough for bare legs and arms. It is, however, a great time of year to put knitwear on display as later it will be hidden underneath a coat. Seize the opportunity to walk out in long-sleeved dresses, cosy jumpers and patterned trousers. Blazers and coatigans are also invaluable transitional pieces. Dark shades of red are all over the high street at the moment and are great for this time of year as they look rich and warm. Although we are all eager to get into our new season clothes, winter is long enough, so the woollen tights and polo necks can wait a few more weeks!

Trousers and t-shirt both H&M here and here, necklace and heeled loafers (both old) Primark, Faux leather jacket (old) M&S.

Look out for Camille's post on Fresher's week in Dundee! Coming soon............

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 If your original shoes and bag are outdated it is easy to replace them to modernise the look.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: 

 

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.