The only way is dresses

Posted by spriglet On Thursday 28 February 2013 22:06 0 comments
First thing's first: I do not, nor have I ever watched TOWIE. It's just not my kind of thing - I'd much rather a good dose of sunshine in the form of Home and Away or camp drama like Revenge.

Now that that's out the way; when my friend introduced me to Lipstick Boutique, on first look I didn't think it was for me based on the names behind the range - that is, girls from The Only Way Is Essex. Lauren Pope, Amy Childs, Jessica Wright... all names I've seen when guiltily scrolling through the Daily Mail sidebar of shame but not ones I'd particularly copy the style of.

But then I saw dresses, and dresses are a bit of an addiction of mine. And after a quick browse, my first impression was quashed. The ranges are modelled by the girls themselves, and beyond the OTT make-up and fake lashes they all actually have quite curvy figures, which is refreshing for a fashion site and good for me in terms of knowing what will suit.

Most of the styles are a bit much for me - my curves aren't necessarily in the right places like these celebs (cue violin, please) so I can't pull off a skin-tight body con dress like some of them can. But once I'd scrolled past the ones which were a bit too WAG, I found some I really liked.

Of them all, Lydia's range is my favourite - her dresses are a little more girly, quirky and interesting, with a range of prints and shapes and there's something a bit retro about them too. 

I was offered the chance to try out one of the dresses and in minutes I'd picked the Georgia - a prom-like dress of black lace which is exactly my style for something that's a bit more formal; plus she's wearing a headband in the photo, so it had to be The One. 




I was surprised at how heavy it was when it arrived, not like the thin and flimsy dresses that usually sit in my wardrobe (side glance at H&M here) but when I slipped it on, I loved how it fit. Well made, perfect sizing and a gorgeous cut that skims hips and tightens in at the waist. 

Seeing as I have 6 weddings to attend this year this might just be one of my outfits, teamed with a pearly headband and dainty flats. I'll be keeping my eye on the new collections too... 

Disclosure: Dress was PR sample

What SATC taught me about life

Posted by spriglet On Saturday 16 February 2013 16:36 0 comments
Image from Channel5.com

I've just finished watching the Sex and the City boxset for the tenth (or maybe millionth) time, and realised just how much I like to think of it in everyday life. Though not quite so much as Friends. It's far cleaner and therefore more quotable...

Ahhh, SATC. The show that created my huge girl crush on Sarah Jessica Parker (she is stunning, has great style, and writes what she wants while affording aforementioned great style. Winning. At. Life.) and made me speak a little too freely about dating with my wonderful friends. From cool cocktails to good fashion sense, Carrie and co have definitely taught me a few things over the years...

1. Dress the part
Carrie teaches us that you must always dress for the occasion appropriately. Did someone mention Paris? Grab your beret quick and add 'le' in front of everything you say.

2. Be yourself
If a guy won't even let you drink your coffee how you like it, ditch him. Aleksandr, take your controlling ways and go annoy someone else. 

3. Sex before marriage is a good thing
Charlotte and Trey taught us that a test drive is always a good idea. Not to mention making sure the mother in law isn't called 'Bunny' and slightly insane (really, the alarm bells were always there). 

4. If you know a relationship is wrong, end it
Let's face it, Post-It-gate would never have happened if Carrie had stuck to her guns and dumped Berger when she realised they needed a 'bit' just to get through a day. 

5. You can be a mum and still be normal
One of my favourite storylines was Miranda and the baby. She showed that hating pregnancy and wanting the baby to be quiet for just five minutes doesn't make you a bad mother. You can also talk about stuff that doesn't involve babies - if someone could explain that to half my Facebook friends, that'd be awesome.

6. Country guys and city girls don't mix
Oh Aidan. He was perfect in every way except for the fact he was not perfect to Carrie. He should have taken Pete to that cabin and found a nice girl who lived in the woods to marry and build stuff with long before the affair stuff happened. If you prefer heels to hills, run for them if an Aidan comes your way.

7. Dildo models have feelings, too
Who knew?

8. You don't marry Mr Pussy
I can't believe I just wrote that sentence and hope mum isn't reading. But this is a valuable lesson; you don't settle down with the player who everyone's had a, er, play with. You have fun and then you find yourself a balding lawyer with a great sense of humour. Or something... 

9. Real friends will help with anything
From telling you what to do when a spot of DIY-bikini-dying goes wrong, to giving you a downpayment on your flat (this one still amazes me) to helping you when your birth control gets stuck (ditto this one), real friends won't bat an eyelid if you need a hand. 

10. You'll most likely meet The One when you look awful
Carrie met Big when she looked her worst (that hair... that make-up!) and when she dropped a clutch bag full of condoms on the street. Nice. Miranda met Steve when she rowed with Carrie on the phone. Charlotte met Harry when she was going through a nasty divorce (though to be fair, she rarely looks bad). So when you look like crap and you see that hot man in Tesco's? Yep, he could be it.

And a few things they got wrong:

1. If a boyfriend buys you a new Mac, even if it is shaped like a handbag, you keep it. No brainer!

2. Just because you have a flat stomach that any 20 year old would be jealous of, doesn't mean you have to get it out in public. Middle-aged midriff isn't hot. 

3. Don't give Geri Halliwell a part in an episode, no matter how big or small. Jeez.



Skater girl

Posted by spriglet On Sunday 10 February 2013 21:32 0 comments
Fashion isn't my usual blogging topic of choice, but given that I have a slight obsession for good dresses, great headbands and gorgeous earrings I've decided every so often I might share my favourite finds. 

My style has changed quite a bit over the last few years (I'm sure this is pretty common for anyone making their way through their twenties) but one shape I've discovered that's perfect for my fairly curvy frame is the skater dress. It nips you in at the waist, skims over wide hips and gives a flattering shape that balances out any curves. I love that dancer-like silhouette too - as a tall girl it's great to feel so feminine despite wearing flat shoes and being the same height as most men. 

Until now, I've mostly just bought every one that I can find on ASOS but last month I branched out and fell in love with a skirt. It's quite possibly my favourite item in my wardrobe and even better, it's still in the ASOS sale.

Image from ASOS


I absolutely adore black and gold together - half my wardrobe is made up of the colours - and so with this buy I went a bit co-ordinated-crazy. I teamed it with a black and gold sheer shirt, black pointed pumps with gold studs from New Look and a black lace bag from Miss Selfridge with gold chain handle. I may have also added a black and gold headband, naturally... 

The skirt is available now on ASOS here for £24.50.




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