What a terrible week so far. First Lucie went home on the X Factor (TRAVESTY) and now Luella has shut down. The whole thing, shop and all.

No heart-neckline dresses. My hairbows now feel like bad luck. Get all the details from Liberty London Girl because I am too lamed out to copy them.

I’m going to go and look at some bluebirds or something to stem the bad thoughts.

S

This frills trend is fabulous and I am so tremendously bored of everything I own I want to tear everything into rags, sell the rags and buy a sequinned zip-frill dress from Primark with the resulting £4. I will have to wear it every day because I’ll own no other clothes but as long as I retain some woollen tights and my duffle coat I won’t die of exposure.

 A better option for my party-season pennies might be this good look-alike of the Lanvin dress, above, from Asos., whose magazine I have started receiving in the post against my will but which I find strangely good reading. I do wonder how it is that Asos can get their magazine to me but Elle, which I actually want, has still failed to turn up.

I’m in the mood to look more glamorous than my duffle coat allows me to and as soon as I have clothes funds, I am going to go and buy a feel-good dress. I have been fantasising about something like the Oscar de la Renta dress Carrie wears in season 6 of Sex and the City. Hopefully you remember that big shiny box because this picture really doesn’t do the feeling justice. I would like my dress to come in big black shiny box too.

S

Courtesy popsugar.com

Before the 1920s women wore make-up but were much more reserved in their application, however when the 20s hit so did their cosmetic freedom of expression. In its rawest form, make-up from this era did not evoke much variety, but it was the stars of the silent movies such as Louse Brooks (below) that provided the inspiration for porcelain-white skin, bee-sting red lips with a highly defined cupids bow and blackened eyes. So far, it all sounds wonderful, but when you think of the ingredients of these cosmetics it is incredible what lengths the ladies would go to.

Mascara in its earliest incantation was melted wax that was applied to the lashes. The ‘kohl’ in the eye make-up consisted of either soot, lead or goose grease that was deeply smudged into the socket area to create the ‘vamp’ look. The powder to even out the skin tone was made up of rice powder in its palest form, and there was little variety in the shade of lipstick, with a red stain for all. I can’t wait to embrace all of the above (with modern products of course) however if I was to truly adhere to the era I would need to pluck my eyebrows painfully thin, drawing them in higher on my face, which just feels like a step too far!

I adore the glamour of the 20s, and cannot wait for the opportunity to relive it, if only for one night. It seems like modern women do not have the time, nor perhaps the inclination to express themselves through make-up as they once did, opting for the more natural look on a daily basis. Although of course it must be celebrated that we do now have more choice about whether we actually want to or not.

V

Lovely blog reader R went to Paris after winning the Eurostar competition and she was under strict instructions to write to us afterwards. Here are her splendid efforts.

Oh to be whisked away for a weekend, to float away to somewhere beautiful, to relax with a glass of wine and some fine chocolates. Sounds like a dream, no? But it is not, or was not in my case. After I shared my French icon Simone de Beauvoir with the folk of Disconap and wearesocial, I was ecstatic to discover that I was to go to PARIS, FIRST CLASS (Leisure Class) on the Eurostar to Paris! I read Garance Dore like all other good wannabe stylish people, I’ve seen the stillettos tripping across the Tuilleries on Jak and Jil. Paris would be cool for me now. What an amazing surprise!

My first thought when I realised I was actually going to Paris was as practical as it gets for me. What on earth shall I wear? With each passing moment it became increasingly important for me to look as Hollywood Parisian as possible using my own wardrobe. Actual Parisian is kind of simple and average and in my opinion not too different to the average London style, except with less Topshop. I wanted to be in sleek blacks and expensive camels, in spindley stilettos from Prada. After much soul searching I settled on an outfit that I could wear on both days of my trip. And flat shoes. Sob. This was very important as it meant I could just take a handbag with me, containing the essentials. I wore my Margiela high waist peg legs (peg legs sounds more piratey that pegged trousers, so I prefer it), some black top, and a J+ by Jil Sander coat. A bit of red lip liner made me feel smart and less touristy, more me. I hate feeling like a tourist. I prefer feeling like I do in London, like a cool explorer. Anyhow, outfit accomplished, I could set to actually going to Paris.

I went with my lovely friend Caitlin, for one wonderful warm night of wine and wandering. We spend two days walking from St Germaine to Marais to Les Halles to Les Champs Ellyses, back to the river, several trips to L’Ile St Louis and all the way round again. It was a weekend of trekking, of shiny exploration. We looked everywhere, up and down and around. Everywhere we looked we found more to admire. I loved the buildings, like English townhouses, but more frivolous, sillier and prettier. I still prefer our London Georgian splendour but I can appreciate a good balcony, or a nice pair of shutters, or an excellent French courtyard. We ate omelettes and macaroons and fondue with the best of them, all polished off with a little purchase from Longchamp and L’Artisan Parfumerie. Yes, I know you can buy from both shops here, but there is something special about buying from a shop where it’s supposed to be. Like buying Burberry in the UK and… something.. from New York. I now smell like a floral cup of Earl Grey, c’est bien!

So all thanks to the fabulouso A and S and wearesocial for showing me the wonders of one of the greatest cities in the world. I cannot wait to go back (and have more champagne on the train!). You cannot imagine how lucky I feel.

Au revoir!

You’re welcome, with love from A&S

I thought I better follow up Paris Part One quick sharp, before my holiday completely and utterly fades from my memory.

I explored the Marais, and all its fantastic shops, for the first time on this trip. I’ve obviously been missing out on something quite special for years. The first thing you notice are the mannequins in the window displays – much more interesting than the dull UK ones.

And the shopping was not cheap (I popped into APC for example) but it was lovely to look at and I even bought myself a little sumtin’ sumtin’ from Anna Rivka, a boutique jewellers.

The glamorous, friendly sales assistant

My new bracelet

Anna Rivka’s designs take their inspiration from vintage, but are reworked into modern looking pieces with a glamorous feel. She uses art deco shapes throughout her collection and this bracelet nearly lost the contest to this necklace. Her designs are available to buy at Paul & Joe boutiques in the UK.

And of course, I visited Laduree, the most important shop of all.

A

It has come to my attention that a few high street ‘trying to be high end with high prices’ shops do not offer refunds.

I know that shops don’t have to offer refunds but it is a sign that you value your customer and that you believe in the quality of your product. And surely, this customer trust is even more valuable during a recession? I hate the popular image of the woman who’ll just buy stuff because she’s a woman ‘who does that sort of thing’ and you needn’t worry too much about quality because she’ll be too embarassed to come back and complain.

I recently heard a story of someone who went to Reiss, clearly told them that she needed a work item but she was on a limited budget. The sales person did not tell her that there were no refunds until after the sale was made. Again, I know that in legal terms, this is not an issue but I think it should be more clearly stated. I can understand if you are a small, independent shop but there really is no excuse if you are a chain.

So, which shops deserve a name & shame in this department?

*Reiss

*American Apparel

Anyone else?

A

NB This blog post does not affect your statutory rights. Thank you.

Following S’ recent blog about Vintage Hair, I realised that I am intrigued about people’s haircuts, hair cutting habits and why we don’t think about our hair as much as we do about clothes/make-up.

Celebrities are always reinventing their hair, and because a hairdresser friend cuts my hair, I worry that I get complacent about it. Scarlett Johannsen’s change from blonde glamour to brown poker straight caused quite a tabloid stir:

I got my hair cut last week. I tend to do this every 8-10 weeks and I travel from London to Sussex, to see a friend of mine who just so happens to be a hairdresser. He has been cutting my hair for about five years now and I have stuck with him because he comes to my home. This means I don’t have to endure staring at myself in a large mirror; I don’t know what it is about those mirrors but no matter how much make-up I put on, the person looking back at me is usually dishevelled. It also means I avoid the inevitable questions about my holiday plans.

But when someone has been cutting your hair for this long you can get complacent because you’re in your comfort zone. I have been wearing my wavy hair in a jaw length bob for some time and due to a short attention span, I am constantly changing the way I style and colour it. I do this to reflect the seasons.

Celebrities do this a lot to keep up with the trends and it is a great way to reinvent your ‘look’. Rihanna is a great example:

Rihanna gets cool with her chic, short up do

Then there are celebs like Jennifer Aniston who really are known for their hairstyles, amongst other acting type things

From long...

...to bob.

It should be simple really, we wear our hair every day, so surely we should spend some decent dosh on it and to keep reinventing it in the same way we might our wardrobe. It is that one accessory or piece of clothing that can never be put aside, thinking well maybe I will wear it next season.

 V

I went to Paris a few weeks, and the  trip was accompanied by the usual quandaries about packing.  I knew the weather would be chilly (10 degrees) I plumped for my red coat with blue rosette.

On winter breaks, it is often your coat that ends up in all the photos so it is worth wearing something you love and feel comfortable in. This red coat, from United Colours of Benetton, was a ‘coming of age coat’ when purchased 4 years ago. I thought about it for ages before shelling out the most I had ever spent on a single item, and I have never regretted it.

My red coat

My travelling outfit (purple skirt and black top) didn’t make the cut because I got too hot and changed as soon as reached the hotel. Black shorts, chequered shirt and pumps served me well (although I need hardier footwear next time).

I wore an even more relaxed outfit on the second day – light grey Whistles jersey dress, sequinned top underneath with a purple Gap sweater over the top. This outfit was all about the details.

Trying to find creative ways to show you my outfit in Musee D'Orsay

And the third day saw me crack out my new favourite red Vanessa Bruno dress with brogues. There was a little bit of red overload but I’m hoping that anyone who saw me that day has now recovered.

Arty.

Parisian shabby chic

And then it was time to go home.

But that wasn’t so bad because I ate more cake when I got there.

A

I saw this and immediately felt drawn to it. It’s from Wallis, a shop I have never given the first thought to, but which is stocking a variety of snoods. Whence this sudden high street enthusiasm?

Snoods make you look like a hermit, forever roaming the dusty paths of 7th century Britain, or something. Sequins are always a good addition. So my new favourite look is Disco Hermit. If only I could find a picture of myself dressed as a wizard because that particular fancy dress costume had quite a lot in common with a 7th century hermit.

Speaking of costumes, I’m off to try and find my Hallowe’en costume.

S

I went to Kennington yesterday to the teeny-tiny gallery space of The Camera Club, a members-only photography club where you can hire studios and dark rooms, to see an exhibition of fashion photography. It slightly reignited my desire to do photography myself, as I used to really enjoy developing pictures back in the pre-digital days. I’m more designed to sit around in cafes reading Look magazine than I am to dedicate myself to art but regrettably the Club is too serious to have a cafe.

Kennington turned out to be pretty posh. I was under the impression it would contain mainly tower blocks and an air of menace but in fact it had a Pizza Express.

I mainly post in order to show you my new coat, brought all the way from New York’s Banana Republic. I know we have one here now but it’s quintessentially American y’all! It has a Mad Men/Gossip Girl feel because of the “bracelet-length” sleeves and lack of collar. My posing and British wintertime does its niceness no justice. I wanted to wear some original 60s vintage under it but it’s really hard to wear calf-length skirts in 2009 without feeling terribly frumpy.

The addition of some gloves would make this outfit the business. I already felt like an old lady from the 50s when I was tottering around Kennington with the coat buttoned up and with my Lulu Guinness cameo lady bag ramping up the twee factor. Buttoned-up old ladies are my idols. The brooch and the lace top are needed to stop this being gloomy. Maybe some silver lurex tights are what this outfit is really hankering after – something to reflect some light!

S