Archive for the ‘Fashion’ Category
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Return of the Style Advisor
Back in June I wrote about my excellent Summer 2008 experience with the Style Advisor service from Topshop. I was so pleased with the service that I booked in again for this summer. I am now very happy to report that this year’s Style Advisor experience was even better than the last…
Some of the greatest hits from this year's Style Advisor mission
Here’s how it works, shoppers
For those who haven’t been, Style Advisor is a free personal shopping service offered by Topshop.
Posted in Fashion
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The Mulberry handbag challenge – part 1
Mulberry bags are renowned for their quality and distinctly British style. Mulberry is a designer brand with a designer price tag… and now a reader named Kate has challenged us to find her a large Mulberry handbag for under £100.
A shot from an August 2009 Mulberry fashion show in Copenhagen
Eek! This could be a tricky one! In fact, it might be downright impossible, but hopefully that’s not the case. We’re so determined to deliver on Kate’s challenge that the three of us – StylishMoola, CannyMoola and yours truly – are taking it upon ourselves to turn London upside down until we find that handbag… or something even better, of course.
Posted in Fashion
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London Fashion Weekend 3 for 2 ticket offer
This year, London Fashion Week celebrates its 25th anniversary, so it’s not surprising the event is creating an even bigger buzz than usual with the fash pack. Opening on 18th September, the catwalk shows promise to deliver glamour and style as celebrated designers and new hopefuls showcase their latest collections.
With tickets to the catwalk shows dished out by the designers themselves, it can be tricky for even die-hard fashionistas to shimmy along to a show, unless by chance you are a fashion buyer, editor, or celeb.
By far the best way to get in on the action if you don’t happen to fit into one of the above categories, is to snap up tickets to the end of show celebration ‘London Fashion Weekend’. The show has a plush new home at Somerset House and Studio 180, where the catwalk shows are held, and is the place to find a fashion bargain. Savvy shoppers can pick up samples, exclusive event collections and even catch a catwalk show – all while sipping champagne!
Tickets to the event range from £12.50 to £37.50, and to celebrate the imminent arrival of London Fashion Week, London Fashion Weekend is offering Oola Moola readers a 3 for 2 offer on weekend tickets when they quote OOLAMOOLA upon checkout at www.londonfashionweekend.co.uk.
This offer is valid on Black tickets only (standard entry tickets) from 7th - 21st September and is subject to availability.
So, what are you waiting for? Call up the girls and enjoy a fab day of fashion!
For more information on London Fashion Weekend, visit www.londonfashionweekend.co.uk
Posted in Fashion
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My search for the perfect maxi dress
This summer I’ve spent a lot of time searching for the perfect maxi dress. I’ve hit up the high street and poked my head into haute couture, I’ve gone in-store and online, and I’ve shopped as far afield as Amsterdam and Paris, but no joy… until now.
Just the other week, on perhaps my hundredth try-on, I finally hit pay dirt, and at the most unlikely of places. This is a tale of shopping redemption, dear reader, and if you happen to be on the hunt for a maxi dress, may my tips and travails redeem you, too.
Maxi dresses look really easy to wear – just throw it on and out you go. But they’re a lot trickier to fit than you’d think. A few gathers in the wrong place and you look utterly tank-like; a slightly busy pattern and you’re all the eye can see for miles; a little extra fabric and you’re being offered a seat on the tube.
Posted in Bargains & Markets, Fashion
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Crafty times: chunky glass bracelets
I’m on some kind of crafting kick this month – first the fascinator and now these sparkly little beauties!
Eight homemade chunky glass bracelets
I have recently rediscovered the fabulousness of accessories. Yet at around about the same time, I also discovered that too many seemingly simple accessories (made of, say, string and a few beads) are overpriced to the point of craziness. As such, I thought I might try my hand at making my own.
Posted in Fashion
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Crafty times: the fascinator
A few weeks ago, I mentioned a recent challenge issued by a bare-headed lovely named Rachelle: make a unique headpiece for a special occasion… on a budget.
Now I am not the craftiest of cats, so I did a little research before I hit the shops for my supplies. ASOS was full of inspiration, and also a few shock-horror moments: I know Philip Treacy is a something of a deity to the be-hatted set, but really, £325 for a headpiece? Ye, gods!
Posted in Fashion
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Notes on New Challenges: Catwalk Fashion
Burberry
Rachelle has send us a challenge, and Oola Moola is on the case! She’s asked Oola Moola..
“…to recreate a very now on trend look straight from
the catwalk using pieces sourced only from charity shops … good
luck! x”Straight from the catwalk… hmmm, maybe I’m being a bit of an optimist…(& a fabulous copy cat!), but … Read full post
Posted in Bargains & Markets, Fashion, Vintage
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The (surprisingly affordable) gift of style
Doing a closet clearout chez Sassy and it’s got me thinking about style, and how much of it I possess (or don’t). In fact, it was around this time last year that I realised I had an embarrassing problem: I’m not a very fashionable person.
My uniform, until recently, was a variation on the theme ‘dressing like a twelve-year-old boy’: skinny jeans, flats and a plain t-shirt. Sometimes I mixed in heels or a jumper, maybe a skirt, but for the most part, my wardrobe was a no-fly zone for fashion.
Here’s a cross-section of the old SassyMoola’s colour scheme:
Boring, right? But no longer!
Last summer I was given the gift of style, and I can honestly say it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. It all started when a rather fashionable friend suggested we make a date at Topshop Style Advisor, the store’s free personal shopping service…
Fashionista Friend and I booked our appointments at the Oxford St flagship store. We were directed to the Style Advisor suite (plush private fitting rooms!) where our stylists offered us coffees and took notes on sizes, likes and dislikes before heading out on a thirty-minute power-shop.
FF and I followed suit, and after half an hour of browsing, we crept back into our fitting rooms. Let me tell you… it was a Christmas morning situation. Rack upon rack of bright, colourful, sexy, thrilling bits of clothing, all put together in clever little outfits your correspondent would never have come up with on her own.
Take a look at these fresh and gorgeous summer threads:
Hello, (slightly more) fashionable me!
After trying on all sorts of outfits, I felt a new sense of clothing confidence (“hey, I look great in these shorts!” and so forth) and I chose to buy a good chunk of stuff: four dresses, some tops, a skirt and a belt. (Like I said, things were looking near-Dickensian in my closet!) But I didn’t have to: there’s no obligation to buy, and my advisor was genuinely no-pressure.
The best bit of the experience, for me, was knowing that the clothing I bought actually fits and suits me. I wore it all summer. In fact, I still wear it – and that tells me I got great value for money. So if you’re a penny-conscious fashionista looking for a wardrobe fix, Style Advisor – or a service like it – offers an oola fabulous service.
Where to next?
I’d like to say I haven’t looked back, but as any twelve-year-old boy will attest, sometimes you’ve just gotta be comfortable. However, I now know how to accessorise my uniform, and I have the nerve – and know-how – to wear patterns, dresses and glittery capelets (really, I have one and I love it!).
For my moola, a personal shopping service like this is the way to go – in fact, FF and I just booked in for August. I’ll keep you posted…
A couple technical points: Style Advisor sessions are two hours long and the service is strictly by appointment. Evenings and weekends are tough to get, so be sure to book well in advance. I should also note that this post is not intended as advertising for Topshop; rather, I had a great experience with Style Advisor and I think the service offers brilliant value, which is why I’m recommending it.
Anyone else tried out Style Advisor or another personal shopping service? Anyone tempted to after reading this? I’d like to know what you think.
Posted in Fashion
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Make your own instant (bang-on-trend) wardrobe update for £5 or less.
Guess what? I’ve been using a needle and thread! (cue murmurings of shock and horror). And I’ve been using tea as a make-do method for home dyeing. Yes, I have. In fact, I discovered a good strong brew of proper builder’s tea is the key to this season’s predilection for nude and neutral shades!
After hitting the various haberdashery and cheap jewellery shops of London’s Soho I spent no more than £5 on a couple of bits and bobs to create my own bang-on-trend instant wardrobe updater.
So here’s a free tutorial of my (totally humble) take on this season’s key fringe trend. Wear the necklace with a plain vest or dress for instant fringing (and straight from the catwalk) style.
You will need:
• 1 plain link necklace (I got mine for £1.25 from one of the budget jewellery shops on Berwick Street in London.) For a tougher look, you could get a length of chain from the hardware store and tie it with a ribbon at the back of your neck.• Fringing of your choice (The minimum length I could purchase was one metre, which was enough for optional layers – or extra necklaces for thrifty gifts!) If you’re in London, I recommend visiting Kleins haberdashery at 5 Noel Street, W1 (Tel. 020 7437 6162).
• Needle and thread in a colour that matches your fringing.
• Optional: tea bag and white vinegar for dyeing.
How to make it:
1. The fringing I found at Kleins was actually a stark white with tiny gold beads. A little too Texan cowgirl for my liking. I couldn’t find the on-trend nude/neutral shade I was after, so I decided to experiment with some home tea dyeing.
2. To dye the white fringe an antique-y nude colour, soak it in a (cooled) cup (or bowl) of strong tea. Take it out every couple of minutes until it’s turned the exact shade you’re after. Five minutes did the job for me. Don’t leave it in for too long unless you want it quite brown! Take it out and set it in a cup of water with white vinegar . I’ve heard that salt is also quite effective for setting the colour. Leave to dry on a piece of kitchen towel.
3. Cut the fringing to the length of your choice – experiment by pinning it to the necklace to see what kind of effect you like best.
4. Thread the needle and carefully hand-sew the fringing to each link of the necklace. At the end of the length, secure it with a double knot. That’s it – you’re done.
Watch me make the necklace on the video below.
Make your own instant fashion update! from OolaMoola on Vimeo.
Total spent: £4.75 (1 metre of beaded fringing £3.50; Chain necklace £1.25)
Cost of similar-style fringe necklace on Net-a-porter: £215
Total saved: £210.25
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Make your own instant (bang-on-trend) wardrobe update for £5 or less.
Bang on trend, you say? For a fiver or less? And you want me to actually MAKE it myself? (*insert stunned silence whilst I pick myself up from dead faint*). Seriously guys, what are you trying to do to me?When I think of “wardrobe update” I think of hitting the nearest high street and shelling out the better part of £100. And you know I’m not exactly handy with a needle and thread (I managed to avoid using either in my last fashion-based DIY tutorial!).
So whilst I un-boggle my mind, let’s have a look at one of this season’s hottest trends for a wee bit of inspiration: fringing. The SS09 collections were a veritable fringe festival with designers from Alberta Ferretti to Alexander McQueen sending a flurry of feminine and flapper-esque frocks swinging down the catwalk.
I think I may just be able to do something with this – take a look at these utterly fabulous tiered fringe necklaces by ACB from Net-a-porter:
I like that these necklaces are not only (a) bang on trend, but (b) they’re both completely versatile and can be worn with several basic pieces (vest, t-shirt, dress) from last year’s wardrobe. Only thing is, they’ll set you back a cool £195. But I reckon I could have a stab at making something inspired by these pieces for less than £5. Maybe. I’m going to make a beeline for the nearest haberdashery now.
Check back here tomorrow to see how I go.
Images courtesy of Style.com and Net-a-porter.
