Sponsored Post | The Crown Costumes

One of my Christmas traditions is always a trip to Liberty in London. It's a beautiful store at any time of the year but their Christmas Department is always one of my favourites. On this years trip I was able to admire costumes from Netflix's recent smash hit The Crown. The show is being talked about by everyone and everywhere but I've yet to hit play saving a binge for over the Christmas holidays and I can't wait.

The Crown is set as Queen Elizabeth II takes to the throne in the late 40's as hits my favourite fashion era, the 1950s. It won't escape anyones notice that many of the dresses I wear today have a nod to the 50s style with their fuller skirts which suit my figure and I would happily have taken any of the costumes on display home with me.

Emmy Award winning Michele Clapton, who you may know as one of the costume designers on Game of Thrones was tasked with both matching historically documented outfits and creating inspired pieces for the perfect wardrobe of the lead characters.

It's no surprise that the The Crown is one of the most expensive TV series' ever made due to Michel estimating that 95% of the principal characters costumes were custom made with only extras wearing authentic vintage clothing.

Michele has perfectly demonstrated through fashion the difference in style and position of both Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret such as in the evening gowns above and it was a great opportunity to be able to see them 'in real life'.

If you're a fan of vintage style and want to update your wardrobe with an original dress of the era than you must visit Rokit*. Rokit began with humble beginnings on Camden Market before their success meant demand required bricks and mortar stores and an online presence.

All items for Rokit are sourced and assessed by their team of vintage experts in the UK's biggest vintage warehouse and stock is sent daily to their four London stores. The stores and the website are a dream for the vintage connoisseur and if you're looking for something special and one of kind to wear for New Years Eve then you must check them out. I have my eye on this little number.

Would like to channel your inner 50's queen or perhaps your a 70's disco queen. What do you think of vintage fashion and have you seen The Crown yet?

*this post is in collaboration with Rokit

Sponsored Post | Daniel Footwear

After the success of my Michael Kors Pouch whilst on holiday earlier in the year I decided I needed another for my trip to Italy, a gold one to be specific. With a christening to attend and not wanting to incur Ryanair excess baggage charges and have multiple bags I thought that one of the Michael Kors Pouches would be perfect for both day and night events. After no luck at Lewis Yates another local stockist, Daniel Footwear had the bag in stock - I must add this was all decided a matter of days before departure - and my holiday wardrobe was saved from disaster.

Daniel Footwear is a brand familiar to me through the aforementioned local branch but they have a fantastic website stocking many luxury brands offering their footwear and handbag ranges such as Michael Kors. including at present, a silver coloured pouch in the style I've come to love.

One of my favourite features of the website is it's ability to search exactly what I might want or need. Earlier in the Summer I was trying to find a replacement for a pair of red sandals I love and it was so frustrating when I'd look online and often online retailers would not offer the full range of search options at first click, particularly in reference to colour. At Daniel Footwear I can easily search at any starting point whether its colour, size or style.

Daniel Footwear offer all style and design of shoes you could wish for, in fact as I write this post and am clicking back and forth on the site I'm making a rather long wish list. More comfort over style is the infamous Ugg brand. Typically I pick up Uggs in the US and was tempted with a black pair of Classic Short Uggs to wear this Winter but the exchange rate being what it was it didn't make sense to purchase on my recent trip to Las Vegas. Now I know I can hit 'add to bag' or pop down to the local brand and purchase a pair there. For now I'm making do with my love them or hate them leopard print version I brought a few years ago and wear about the house as slippers but perhaps I should just buy these instead.

*this post is sponsored by Daniel Footwear

Quiz Clothing in Menorca

Quiz Clothing was not a brand I had shopped with before. Their online presence not as dominant in the blogosphere as say BooHoo and when I'd pass the branch during my frequent trips to Westfield I wrote it off as being one of those shops girls somewhat younger than myself purchase from. In fact my most overriding 'memory' of Quiz Clothing was my friends and I being fascinated that they had a branch in The Dubai Mall. That is until recently when they got in touch and asked if I'd like to review something from their new Occasion Wear line.

Whilst I am always interested in trying something new I was a little apprehensive. I am not a fashion blogger, although keen to explore the opportunity but more importantly I was concerned my curvy figure can make picking the right clothing size problematic. And then of course would I like the clothing based on my previous misconceptions?

Whilst there were some fabulous looking evening dresses available I did not have any such occasion on the horizon but my trip to Menorca was looming so I chose the Aqua Flower Print Chiffon Maxi Dress* which I thought would be perfect for my trip.

I ordered in a size 16 which is my 'typical' size and it was a perfect fit and I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it on at how the dress felt in quality and appearance. I thought to myself how appropriate it would be for my holiday when I'd be indulging in food and drink and it's loose fit meant that I'd have some 'breathing room' for any extra holiday pounds I gained.

For travel it was ideal, the chiffon fabric did not crease and I was able to simply roll and pop into my suitcase safe in the knowledge there would be no need for an iron on arrival. Even better was the evening I put this on as we headed to the town of Binibeca my friends asked if the dress was Ted Baker. At £29.99 (although you can grab this at the sale price of £14.99) it was as far removed from the price of Ted Baker but I was quite pleased to note that on appearance it gave the impression it was.

I paired the dress with a chunky necklace in a peachy orange shade that complimented my Michael Kors pouch (my holiday essential!). I did try to investigate a belt to draw in my waist a little and in hindsight I wish I'd looked into a rope style as I think that would've worked although I was keen not to have too much going on.

In summary my first experience of Quiz Clothing has been positive. I often find that being a size 16 and have lumps and bumps to conceal that I need to spend a little more on my clothes to ensure thicker fabrics cover my sins but it has been proved this is not the case. In fact so taken am I with this dress I'm already eyeing up the Navy and Red option currently available. I think it's time to step into that Quiz branch at Westfield.

Have you shopped with Quiz before?

*this post contains press samples and affiliate links

My Handbag Collection Louis Vuitton Eclipse

Apologies in advance for what will appear to be my jumping on the current trend for bloggers sharing their designer handbag collections and unboxing of new purchases but I've had in mind to share my collection for some time and there are some long term readers who have been requesting this for some time. Yes Candypop I'm looking at you!

It seems the done thing is to offer disclaimers and various justification for such expensive purchases but I hope you don't mind I'm not going to do that and instead assume you all know me well enough by now to know this isn't designed to show off. I also hope the stories behind how they came to be in my collection will be somewhat interesting for you as I'm afraid rarely much thought is given to their purchase other than for aesthetic reasons!

Moving on. The first bag that came into my collection is the now discontinued Louis Vuitton Eclipse but before I discuss the bag itself I must take you back to explain why a Louis Vuitton bag was so coveted. As a child I had a friend whose mum owned a shop in our local high street. This was not just any shop, it was of course the 80s, Dynasty era and the shop she owned was a treasure trove of costume jewelry that sparkled. Who remembers those diamante spider brooches? Yes these were stocked in abundance.

For a young impressionable girl this mum was rather unique in both having her own business and also a rather special handbag I admired. It was a Dior print such as this and somewhere I'd aligned it with Louis Vuitton and so that became the brand I lusted for. The bag I wanted was the Alma which is rather a mature bag for a young girl to desire and I can even remember receiving a plain black version from Marks and Spencer for my birthday as it was the closest I could get to owning such a thing. I remember very clearly walking along holding the M&S 'dupe' as we could call it now and pretending it was the Louis Vuitton Alma. It was almost like I was practicing for the day it would be mine.

Fast forward a few more years and my love for Louis Vuitton had not changed but things were rather different then in that designer handbags, certainly not in the circles I mixed in, were not things girls in their early twenties were using or justified buying, so it seemed. Of course you'd spot older girls in clubs and bars using Louis Vuitton make up bags as clutches that were obviously all they could afford or had been pinched from their mums but it wasn't like today when I sit on a train and see all manner of designer labels of varying price ranges, adorning women of all ages.

One night my friends and I were in our local nightspot and discussing our love of Louis Vuitton I said I would marry any man that brought me a handbag from there. A gentleman in our group brazenly responded he would buy one. And many months later he did. Did I marry him? Sadly not although we were engaged for a brief time but the romance with my Louis Vuitton bag lasted longer so don't feel sorry for me.

I'm unsure why I picked the Louis Vuitton Eclipse over the once favoured Alma but I would suspect it was that it was similar in style, even today I usual lean towards top handled bags, but with a difference. And boy did I love that bag although I haven't used it for years. The photos for today's post were taken when visiting my brother and his family and my mum, who now has 'custody' of the bag, was accompanied by it.

The biggest downside for this bag is it's so structured and round that it doesn't allow for filling with all the daily essentials, particularly those of us that like to carry a book or similar size/shaped items which is why I have others in my collection which take preference. As a regular user of London Underground I tend to like a bag that I can zip for safety reasons. The other issue I often contend with, and why I like Louis Vuitton for it's repeated pattern is that I'm left handed meaning that to have the zip 'my side' often the design of the bag would be hidden or I'm exposing the zip to wandering hands I can't see behind me.

At the time this bag was about £300, oh to be able to find Louis Vuitton for that price now and it has since been discontinued which does make me enjoy it a little more. Perhaps it's time to remove it from my mum's clutches and give it another whirl.

OWL WATCHES | The dainty choice

Bloggers are blamed for many clichés and trends, none more so than the rose gold Michael Kors watch which yes, I own one too. For the most part it’s a watch I’ve enjoyed wearing but some outfits and occasions require something a little more delicate on my wrist. Luckily for me O.W.L Watches offered me the opportunity to try something from their brand therefore providing the perfect opportunity to test drive a more slender style.

O.W.L Watches are British brand founded by Annette Allen who decided to branch out from the well-known brands she was working for. Designing a collection of beautiful, feminine and trend drive watches featuring British elegance and contemporary styling with concepts found in such places as beautiful old towns and stately homes . Made from quality materials each watch is packaged in a Victorian inspired travel case making this the perfect gift, especially if you’re looking for Mother’s Day ideas.

The watch I decided to test run was the Greenwich Gold and Tort Multi Dial* as I couldn’t resist the tortoiseshell and gold stainless steel strap. I was also drawn to the 33mm face featuring three layered sunray dials combining day, date and 24 hour clock functions. I have a date function on my Michael Kors watch and I was surprised how used to looking at it I was so this is a feature I rate highly when picking a watch to wear.  I feel like I’m wearing a bracelet with this watch which is exactly what I was looking for. With lack of cocktail parties to attend to I’ve been wearing my O.W.L watch going about my usual business and I’ve not found I’m missing the chunkier style I was used to. Neither one will replace the other but it’s clear there was a place for different designs in my watch wardrobe and both styles are to be enjoyed.

Typically I would have written off a more slender style assuming my preference is for the chunkier style but this is proven to be not the case. In fact if I wanted a watch that was perhaps the combined efforts of the two it would be the Balmoral Rose Gold Vintage Style Watch. I’m sure that would be perfect for those of you want something less delicate than the Greenwich I picked but not as large as the Michael Kors designs.

You’ll find a two year guarantee with O.W.L watches and have no fear there is a substantial men’s range too for the man in your life.

What are your watch preferences?

*this post contains press samples 

Book Review | Farfetch Curates: Design coffee table book

For those of you with a penchant for the designer handbag like me you may have already found yourself over at the Farfetch website. Farfetch is where hundreds of designer boutiques gather in one online community to allow access to all the best fashion whether to decorate you or your home,

There is a rather decadent section on Farfetch with Art Books and Fashion Magazines for all your Pinterest desires featuring notebooks from Lavin Notebooks, The Big Book of Chic and many others including their own series, Farfetch Curates*. The second book in a series of three (the first on food) is on Design exploring the relationship between interior design and fashion.

I am currently in the midst of redecorating my living room so I'm absorbing any ideas I can and the Farfetch Curates Design book is a perfect addition to this project. With beautiful imagery throughout the book from all over the world it's enough to spark anyone with inspiration.

You can find the book online at Farfetch or in any of their stores priced at £16

*This post contains press samples.

Book Review | Farfetch Curates: Design coffee table book

For those of you with a penchant for the designer handbag like me you may have already found yourself over at the Farfetch website. Farfetch is where hundreds of designer boutiques gather in one online community to allow access to all the best fashion whether to decorate you or your home,

There is a rather decadent section on Farfetch with Art Books and Fashion Magazines for all your Pinterest desires featuring notebooks from Lavin Notebooks, The Big Book of Chic and many others including their own series, Farfetch Curates*. The second book in a series of three (the first on food) is on Design exploring the relationship between interior design and fashion.

I am currently in the midst of redecorating my living room so I'm absorbing any ideas I can and the Farfetch Curates Design book is a perfect addition to this project. With beautiful imagery throughout the book from all over the world it's enough to spark anyone with inspiration.

You can find the book online at Farfetch or in any of their stores priced at £16

*This post contains press samples.

#mydubai | Day 3

The problem with a much anticipated trip to somewhere like Dubai is that you put a lot of expectations on it. Someone like myself will research and plan to the letter including watching the second Sex and the City movie to get oneself in the mood.

Yes I realise that the film features a trip to Abu Dhabi and was in fact filmed in Morroco but still, I wanted that wow moment when they arrive at the hotel. Whilst our hotel, Le Royal Meridien was amazing and there was a wow moment, it was the wow moment. That came when we visited the Madinat Hotel, part of the Jumeriah brand.

As we pulled up in our taxi for dinner that evening I knew this was the arrival I was looking for. The hotel was the, maybe cliched, vision of Dubai I had in my head. The above photo is taken in the entrance to the hotel a space decorated with water features, plush sofas and traditionally dressed staff and a lot of horses!

Skirt & Top from Next

The hotel is huge and slightly difficult to navigate but that gave the perfect opportunity to soak up all the details of the hotel from more water features, huge sparkling chandeliers and beautiful flower decorations.

We eventually found our restaurant for the evening, Al Hambra

Al Hambra was a gorgeous and relaxed setting for our evening of Spanish tapas and it felt like we were in our own Spanish villa due to our outside seating area with few others around us. We went for the all you can eat option which gave us an opportunity to try a little of everything and it's safe to say we over ordered, ate too much and some of us drank a little too much sangria. 

The staff were fantastic and helped us make our selections and would bring additional plates as we requested and had the right mix of attentiveness whilst leaving us to chat and enjoy our food.

After dinner we went to enjoy our view and take in the gorgeous hotel - then we discovered the 'magic carpet' and much fun ensued from poses to serenading.

You'll see a lot more of the Madinat hotel  as we visited twice more during our trip so stay tuned for those posts. I should also mention this was the point I gave up carrying my camera with me and battling with the low mood lighting or trying to snap multiple photos of food. Any photos you see in further posts (and to be fair those previously) will be a mixture of iPhone snaps and those taken by our hand photographer Ben.

All that was left was to head home and start our tradition of an end of the night life selfie.

I hope you're enjoying these posts from my trip to Dubai and apologise for how long it's taking me but there are A LOT of photos to wade through!

Rocket Dog Footwear | The JAZZIN long legs

JAZZIN long legs in pink* by Rocket Dog link

Rocket Dog is a brand I was vaguely aware existed but never explored. Of course they caught my attention when they published photos of their flamingo print design on Twitter. After expressing my love for them the Rocket Dog team kindly sent me a pair to try out.

Firstly a little about Rocket Dog. Their brand originated in Southern California in 1997 and their inspiration (and logo!) an energetic pet dog named Max. The brand wanted to encapsulate the laid back Californian lifestyle and become the brand that all young females wanted to be seen it.

The ranges vary from wedges, flip flops to the Jazzin, a lace-up sneaker which I chose. You can pick from all manner of designs but of course as mentioned it was the long legged pink flamingo printed ones that captured my heart.

I admit I'm not one for wearing this type of shoe on a regular basis until recently but lazy Sunday's after a week in heels at work sometimes I just want something comfortable to throw on to pop to the supermarket and these sneakers are the perfect way to do this whilst injecting a little fun.

I've just recently picked up a pair of white jeans for Spring/Summer and they work perfectly with my pink flamingos and I hope to share some OOTD photos with you in due course.

Are you a Rocket Dog fan?

*PR Sample

The Tiger Jewellery Haul

Bill Skinner Jewellery link 

Christmas certainly followed an animal jewellery theme as along with my flamingo items I also added some from another love, tigers and animal prints. I haven't received so much jewellery since my Tiffany and Pandora days and whilst this doesn't feature in the high end category I much preferring this style of junk or shall we say costume jewellery.

Bill Skinner jewellery is fantastic, not 'cheap' but affordable and I feel I'm starting a trend. There are few more pieces that have already made their way onto my 2015 Wishlist board on Pinterest and will likely be called upon as birthday gifts. I'm very extreme and it's either big earrings or studs and these tiger heads look great in the ear without being too OTT for daily wear.

The Avon pieces I spotted in a magazine which I forget now and flashed under my mum's nose. She took notice and the necklace and earrings which fall into the OTT area made their way into my Christmas stocking. I'm not sure whether I would wear both together but certainly as individual pieces they will accompany many a black dress in my future. Unfortunately both items are now sold out but they were very competitive in pricing around the £7.50 mark.

This style of jewellery will not be for everyone and some might call it tacky but not me. I love it and will wear them often. It holds a nostalgic appeal for me also as I remember my dad buying my mum the tiger head clasp bracelets which were originally popular in the 80s and are making their comeback.

Are you a fan of this style of jewellery?