Lady Sybil Shows Her Dark Side...

Jessica Brown Findlay plays Lady Sybil in Downton Abbey, a soldiers nurse in World War 1 who fights for the right to marry her true love...her family's chauffeur! BUT what would Lord Grantham say if he saw these haunting pictures? 

Jessica is the new face of Dominic Jones Jewellery and with a painted white complexion and a heavy smoky eye the actress is miles from Downton Abbey. 

"She's a real English Rose" Jones says. "The collection is quite aristocratic and she was a perfect fit, she has a real natural beauty and is really engaging."

Style Me Vintage Clothes by Naomi Thompson : The Book Review

“Whether you want to go for complete retro glamour, or just introduce a few key vintage pieces into your day-to-day wardrobe, Style Me Vintage Clothes shows you how. Packed with tips on how to source the best vintage clothes and accessories to create an authentic and timeless look.”

I am so excited to share the Style Me Vintage Clothes book by Naomi Thompson with all of you. Naomi is a Vintage expert, stylist and personal shopper. Naomi paved the way for vintage online retailers like myself and I am lucky that Naomi has become a good friend, confidant and is one of my top supporters. I am so proud of this book and the fact she always shares her vintage secrets.

Now to the book...Style Me vintage is THE guide to sourcing and creating retro looks. With essential tips and tricks on what to look for when shopping for vintage clothing, what to avoid and how to spot a fake from a mile off! The book shows you how to re-create classic vintage looks, from the 1920s to the 1980s with easy to follow advice and inspirational photographs. I do believe even I learned a few things...

Style Me Vintage Clothes is a great book for a vintage beginner as it can direct and advise you on vintage decades and how to achieve the look without dressing like a character. It is also a great buy for any vintage lover as it can help you add to your chosen era or even help you become a specialist in your favourite decade. 

Naomi spills all her vintage secrets and contacts in the back of the book giving all readers and vintage fans the upper hand when it comes to what to look out for on dress labels, shopping for vintage online and even some fabulous reading recommendations.

If that was not enough...it makes one hell of a coffee table book! Available to buy on Amazon HERE.

Find Naomi at www.vintagesecret.com

Oscars 2012 : Best Dresses

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

Emma Stone in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture

Livia Firth in custom-made Valentino couture

Penelope Cruz in Giorgio Armani

Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace

Natalie Portman in Vintage Dior Haute Couture (1954)

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford

From Angelina's leg to Gwyneth's cape...the best dressed actress goes to...who? We cannot decide!

The Oscars are the creme de la creme of talent from all over the world and the red carpet is where they are judged for their stylists fashion choices. It is the one night of the year you can go big or go home. 

What did you think of the red carpet fashion this year? Did you watch the oscar ceremony? Agree with our list or is anyone missing? 

Estee Lauder Launching a Mad Men Beauty Collection

I swear everything is being launched at the same time recently...last week I wrote three posts to do with vintage undies, this week has been fashion week coverage and today seems to be all about beauty. In my last post I told you about the Marilyn Monroe inspired make -up collection by MAC cosmetics and this post is about how beauty brand, Estee Lauder is launching a "Mad Men" beauty collection for our beautiful faces. 

Finally you will have something to put into your Banana Republic "Mad Men" inspired purses! The Estee Lauder beauty collection for "Mad Men" is set to launch in March 2012 and will include a satin finish lipstick in a cherry hue for $25 and a cream colour rouge called evening rose for $40. Both will be packaged in gold - coloured boxes inspired by the Estee Lauder packaging from the 1960s. 

The collection will be available at Bloomingdales and at www.esteelauder.com for a limited time only. 

Marilyn Monroe Inspired Make-Up by MAC Cosmetics

MAC Cosmetics are paying tribute to Marilyn Monroe with a new Marilyn Monroe - inspired make-up collection, set to be released by MAC cosmetics later this year. 

You will be able to get Marilyn's iconic look in a limited edition beauty range that will include 30 custom-designed beauty buys priced from $15 to $27. The range will be mixed between eye shadow shades, nail polishes, eyeliners and lipsticks. 

The Marilyn Monroe collection by MAC cosmetics will be available worldwide from October 2012. What do you think? Can't wait? Couldn't care less? 

There is something about Kate...

There are blogs dedicated to fashion and then there are blogs dedicated to Kate's fashion. Kate Middleton mania is still in full force and is as manic as ever...I am curious though, who is buying every dress she wears? 
Who has the Duchess of Cambridge poised as a search time in their Google reader? With what Kate wears making headline news most days, there really is something about Kate.


I am no Royalist, but I cannot help, but be swept into Kate mania. The Royal wedding gave Britain a glimmer of hope and made us feel patriotic for a few days...it was nice. I along with millions of other women it seems like and appreciate Kate's Royal poise and her overly-talked about style. 


Kate chooses to wear British brands and the high street are falling over themselves to get her in one of their frocks. The dress Kate is wearing in this picture is the Orla Kiely "Dove" Dress coat and it has now sold out in every size. Originally £325 reduced to £162.50...my point is...women are buying these dresses as seen on Kate Middleton, not teens or tweens, but working women with families and they all want a bit of Kate.


This is not the first or the last time one of Kate's dresses has caused a shop to melt down under the pressure of limited stock.
A white £159 Reiss dress worn by the the Princess caused fashion - hysteria at one point, selling one a minute. Traffic to the website soared to 500% before the site crashed! So I have got to ask what is it about Kate? 


Are you buying into the Kate effect? What do you think of Kate's style and fashion choices? 

Don Draper is Back!

Don Draper and the rest of the Mad Men cast are back for series 5 on March 25th 2012. It has been too long...

Thatcher Windows for Anya Hindmarch

One of my favourite London stores and brands is Anya Hindmarch and for the release of the movie "The Iron Lady" last month, Anya gave her shop windows a Thatcher makeover. Dressing three mannequins in a mixture of UK brands; Marks and Spencer and Aquascutum. Complete with a Thatcher 'signature bouffant' wig each. Each Maggie has a bespoke Anya Hindmarch Ebury handbag - the ex Prime Minister's favourite style of bag. Both Thatcher and Meryl Streep own an Anya Hindmarch Ebury handbag. 

Anya Hindmarch collaborated with costume designer Tamar Zaig to create the Thatcher windows. Zaig famously created the looks for the Thatcher puppet on the satirical TV show Spitting Image.

Orla Kiely A/W 2012 Presentation

The themes in this years Orla Kiely A/W 2012 presentation was preppy tailoring, pretty prints and mixed textures with a 60s twist. 


Inspired by the film "To Sir with Love" the fashion presentation was in the style of an 'Afternoon Dance'. Models sat patiently on chairs clutching their retro style handbags and purses till they were asked to waltz, twist or side-step the floor which made for some fabulous photographs for the blogosphere! 

Picture courtesy of LFW designer profile.

Picture by Zimbio.

This range was a small departure from the usual Orla Kiely collection, with a brown leather shift dress and a glitter puff ball skirt. Boundaries pushed! (We kid). 

The prints this season are inspired by nature so expect to see lots of mini fox prints and autumnal colours. Apart from the fabulous twenties art deco feel to the presentation, I would say it is business as normal for Orla Kiely. 

Mulberry Launches The Del Rey Handbag!

Mulberry's creative director Emma Hill has done it again and created another "it" bag inspired by American pop singer Lana Del Rey. Sorry Alexa! In less than a couple of hours Mulberry will be showcasing their A/W 2012 collection at London Fashion Week and for me it is one of the most anticipated shows of the season. Mulberry is a great British brand and with Emma Hill's guidance they are going from strength to strength and in this economy it is refreshing to hear and see. 

Emma Hill met Lana Del Rey last year, and said she was taken with the singers voice and the vintage nostalgia of her “Video Games” video. “I love Lana’s nostalgic references to bygone glamour and the fact that her look is retrospective, yet so modern. This inspired us to create a bag that was timeless, refined, and elegant,” said Hill.

The rectangular Del Rey handbag comes in a variety of leathers and will be available from May at a cost of $1,000. The singer will be toting a white ostrich version of the Del Rey to the London Mulberry show and will be wearing a bespoke gown from the catwalk collection for her after-dinner performance for the brand. 

A New Collection from Ulyana Sergeenko

Spotted! More fabulous frocks from Russian photographer and designer; Ulyana Sergeenko. The new collection is full of velvet playsuits, bathrobes, full skirts, bell sleeves, hats and printed gowns. Here are just some of our favourites, but to see more from the collection visit Vogue, Russia.

Ralph Lauren A/W 2012 : Downton Abbey Meets Boardwalk Empire?

The Ralph Lauren catwalk is one of the first A/W 2012 collections that caught my eye this fashion season mainly as it is supposedly inspired by Downton Abbey. What could be better than that? 

The collection is full of Edwardian influences with well tailored tweed suits, flat caps, taxidermy bird brooches and fair isle sweaters. I can't help, but also spot the twenties influence in this entire range of looks...less flapper girl, more Boardwalk Empire? What do you think? 

Ralph Lauren's 2012 collection is bowler hat heavy and possibly only perfect for the Boxing day hunt or a casino robbery, but I am glad someone covered an alternative look for the less ladylike lady. Twenties fashion is going to be a huge influence on fashion this year, but what look will you be going for? 

Vintage Style Fashion Finds

I scour the internet for days, months and minutes to find the best in vintage fashion and vintage style so it feels only right I should start sharing with my dearly beloved...YOU, my dreamy readers, all that I find. I have good weeks and bad weeks like every one else - weeks where I find great authentic vintage dresses, accessories, furnishings and weeks where I find myself browsing ASOS and the high street for something to indulge my vintage style needs. Do you know the feeling? 


Here are this weeks vintage and vintage style fashion finds:

ASOS browsing again...guilty! I am obsessed with birds and bird cages at this moment. I love flighty prints, birdy embellishments, winged brooches and this handbag. Which comes in both pale pink and mint green for only £20. A great bag for whimsical days when you want to just want to soar through your workload. 

First it was 'Midnight in Paris', then 'The Artist' and soon it will be 'The Great Gatsby'. Twenties fashion and accessories are going to be huge this year and this Etsy enamoured necklace is just the ticket to find your inner flapper girl, all for just $39.

I am over white washed furniture and love this bright teal dressing table available at Retromodern. Retromodern are an Australian based company who source and hand restore mid-century furniture to create one off, like-new pieces with a retro appeal. 

The book clutch! Why has it taken so long? Natalie Portman was one of the first Hollywood stars to accessorise with an Olympia Le Tan book bag, choosing 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov for the 'Black Swan' New York premiere. Whilst Michelle Williams recently carried 'The Misfits' by Arthur Miller at an award ceremony this past week. Check out the other classic book titles in the book bag range online, but at $1,250 a bag I may just carry the book.

What did you find this week? Did you like my list? Is this something you would like to see more of on this blog? Let me know by posting a comment below.  

The 2012 Grammy Awards : Best Dressed List

Who needs a Grammy when they are this sparkly? Carrie Underwood wore a Gomez-Gracia gown and shined on this years Grammy red carpet. 

Katy Perry wore Ellie Saab and even though she looks like she has been frosted she manages to look elegant, pretty and demure. Do you prefer Katy Perry toned down or do you miss her cupcake bra's?

Sparkles were the theme of the night and Taylor Swift's gold Zuhair Murad gown did not disappoint. Taylor normally goes for the sweet strapless gown with ruffles so it was nice to see her looking polished, poised and chic.

Adele looked magnificent last night at the 2012 Grammy awards in another sparkly dress by Giorgio Armani. She looked her best, she performed her best and she went home with 6 Grammy awards. We love Adele.

Destiny who? Blue who? Kelly Rowland looked flawless in this Alberta Ferretti gown. 

Julianne Hough wearing a Kaufman Franco dress...is Julianne becoming new the new Jennifer Aniston? 

As always the Grammy Awards were full of controversy, this year it was that Chris brown was performing. Full of outrageous costumes...Nicki Minaj's plus one was a pope...

...but the Grammy awards are always filled with great musical performances and shining talent. Adele winning 6 Grammy awards was just the icing on the cake. 

Do you agree with my sparkly best dressed list for the Grammy Awards 2012? Anyone missing? Did you watch? 

Mia Wasikowsa's 'Restless' Vintage Styling - Get the Look!

I can not help, but mention the great fashion in Gus Van Sant's latest movie release 'Restless'. Starring Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper as two people who fall in love whilst dealing with life, loss and love. 

Annabel (Mia) is a terminal cancer patient with a deep love of life whilst Enoch (Hopper) is dealing with a great loss in his family. They meet by chance and find an unexpected common ground in their unique experiences of life. 

Mia's character, Annabel is sweet, cute and quirky and she has vintage style to match. We cannot help, but feel inspired by this leading lady's wardrobe. Annabel mixes fantastic hats with lashings of lace, pea coats, fur and loud accessories. 

I found this fabulous red cloche hat on Etsy for £97. Handmade with a large matching red felt corsage for a modern twist on a twenties look as worn by Mia's character in the film "Restless". Match with a cute waist length cardigan and bright red gloves to replicate Annabel's quirky vintage styling.  

The cape was big news this Autumn and it will still be around for Spring when the days get mild and the nights get lighter and longer. (Sounds like a dream right now). I love how Mia's character Annabel wore hers with a bold blue ribbon and bright blue gloves. Not too matchy and enough colour to make the dullest days brighter. I love this cape from Zara for $89. Wear with your own bright blue accessories to re-create this look...if a bow is too loud for you, why not try a bright and bold vintage brooch?  

Restless is out now on DVD courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Available on the 13th February 2012. 

The Baftas 2012 - Our Fashion Favourites!

Christina Hendricks chose one of her favourite designers and a British Institute, Dame Vivienne Westwood for this years Bafta Awards and va va voom. Always. 

We love Fearne Cotton and this Moschino dress was nothing more than spectacular. Fearne was presenting for E! on the red carpet and looked sensational with her 20s/70s bouffant hair. 

The Downton Abbey cast were out in full force on the Bafta red carpet, reminding Hollywood that Britain makes great television. Jessica Brown Findlay wore Alessandra Rich and we loved it, yes her entire body was covered, but do you know how cold it is in the UK?! 

One of our favourite Ladies from Downton Abbey, Elizabeth McGovern wearing British designer, Azagury. We love the fishtail.

Winner and Iron Lady wore Vivienne Westwood who is fast becoming her go to designer. Dame Vivienne had the monopoly of red carpet dresses for the Bafta awards. 

We could not...NOT mention Miss.Piggy who was wearing a Louis Vuitton ensemble and looked like Hollywood royalty.

Michelle Williams did not win last night, but she topped most people's best dressed list in this bespoke H&M dress. Matched with a clutch bag that resembles a book by none other Arthur Miller! Perfection.

What did you think of all the Bafta fashion? Anyone you loved or hated? Anyone missing off our list? 


For more information on who won what, click HERE.