Downton abbey: Get the look

AW12 20's look trend.

Downton abbey is back for another series and i love it. It is set in the 1920's and has everyone hooked on the cue drop waists, cloche hats, intricate embroidery and amazing jewels. My favourite had to be Lady Mary's wedding dress which apparently cost £4000 to make. It’s a silver lace tabard fabric that goes into a train at the back, and underneath is a silk dress with silk sleeves. The detail at the back was lace going into a V at the back with tiny buttons and it’s completely edged with tiny rice pearls and Swarovski crystal. She looked stunning.

The 20s-esque shape is easy to master if you want to cast yourself as a modern-day Downton girl.

Saying goodbye to corsetry and structure, women of the era turned to less exaggerated silhouettes with shorter dresses that skimmed the hips and flattened the chest. The look was a sleek and slender silhouette, quite flat and boyish. Drop waists were the main trend of the 1920's which created a more extended frame. Also ankles on show became alot more fashionable.

Try to keep your look dramatically retro rather than fancy dress.Some retailers like River Island and Marks & Spencer have taken the Gucci black, gold and cream fringed dresses in a tribal direction.

Look for exaggerated fringing that looks more festival high summer than deco dance floor.

To go classic 20s, think flirty glamour with swinging tasselled trims, shimmering lavish beading, or sequins in Art Deco formations.

With accessories, the Downton girls like dainty pieces and lots of them. I would recommend avoiding the cliched look of long gloves and hair feathers, and to go for a simple thin headband, sparkly hair clips with long beaded necklaces.

Key pieces to add to your wardrobe:

• Dropped waist, sheer or sequined dresses
• Velvet evening coat, trimmed with faux fur
• Long beaded necklaces
• Embroidered, pearl or beaded clutch bag
• Mary Jane shoes
• Anything lace
• Cloche Hats

Lady Mary:

Lady mary's style is based on french 1920s fashion, with lace and elabroate jewels. She always ensures she looks glamourous and elegant, whether she is attending a formal dinner or taking a stroll in the gardens. Below i have taken her Casual outdoor look and shown you how to get her sofisticated look.

Lady Mary: Get The LooK by gemma-coy featuring vintage style watches

The Clouche hat is key to this look and comes from House of fraser. It is currently in the sale for £31 so get it quick! The coat is from Coggles.com and costs £470. Or you may like this modern version from Topshop at £98.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lady Edith

 

Hooded cape, £330 / Long pleated maxi skirt / A|Wear sequin camisole / ASOS leather pumps, £49 / FOSSIL leather shoulder bag / Charlotte Russe stud earrings, £3.75 / Straw cloche hat, £145 / Gift sets kit, £310

 

 

 

Vintage Lace

 Lady of the house

Scene to Street_Romantic Elegance by lollypop1 featuring beaded jewelry

Alexander McQueen knit jacket, £1,285 / Gabriella Rocha fancy shoes, £47 / Paul's Boutique pauls boutique / Monsoon beaded jewelry / Yohji Yamamoto wide brim hat / Monsoon lace glove / WiseDecor Live Preview

 

Knitted jumpers

Winter is coming...

 Best thing about autumn/ winter is cosying up in your favourite knitted jumper, scarves, socks, woolly hats etc. This season one of my trends are slouchy, eclectic knits. I like to pair them with boyfriend or skinny jeans, but the knitted jumper can be paired with pretty much anything. I also like to wear an over sized jumper with a pair of leggings and my favourite boots. For accessorising, you can not over-do the accessories and you have to stick to a few vintage rings, a pair of earrings, some personalised and unique bracelets or even a scarf head bow to spice up the outfit.

Vintage look

If you are on quite a budget or even want to own a real vintage knitted jumper, ask your grandparents, even your granddad, if they own any knitted jumpers from their younger years that they've saved. You may think that it is weird to wear what your grandparents wore 20-30 years ago, but all the vintage inspired clothing is coming back now and even with your grandparents old knitted jumper, you could be the next trend follower. Also, you could even go to the local charity, thrift or vintage clothing shop, where you can look for an old and vintage knitted jumper. Don't worry if the knitted jumper if over-sized or a size or a couple to big for you, because the over-sized effect is the secret to this trend.

Found this vintage 80's jumper from Asos market place for £18.00

 

If you are not really into the vintage trend but like the eclectic jumpers. I have searched high and low across the web to bring you my top three below:

Knitted bunny jumper £39
Miss selfridge
















Phoenix jumper £39
Miss Selfridge

Minkpink Triangle knit jumper £60
Urban outfitters

 

Another rose gold watch

Had a little rummage through tx maxx and was excited to find this beauty hiding behind some candles. Cost 15.00 (bargain) and is made by jules + James.

60's fashion: MOD trend 2012

 

 

 Modernist girls wore straight, knee-length skirts and male-style shirts, which would be worn with a box-shaped jacket, patent-leather shoes and three-quarter length suede coats. This was marked contrast to the traditional womens style of the 50's. They also had their own style of make-up (with the eyes being the prominent feature) using thick eyeliner, plucked eyebrows, and little or no lipstick.
As the fashion of mod girls changed from an underground into a more commercialized style it was developed by designers into something entirely modern. Models like Twiggy (who had been a mod herself) began to exemplify the high-fashion mod look, with the ever decreasing hem-line of the mini skirt, brightly coloured patterns and high boots becoming prevalent.




The Mod trend still returns to the fashion world every year. The Shift dress is the most popular item, that will never go out of fashion. Below is some key pieces I have added to my own MOD wish list:





From top left: Military coat £48 and blue zippered shift dress £80 Topshop.
Black and white shift dress on sale at £25.00 Joy
Dogtooth blouse £30.00 River island
Wine cigarette jeans £45 Urban outfitters






 

 A little extra statement piece you could also add is this bag from amazon at £31.99









* I dedicate this post to my dad. xx

What I got in my glossybox. September 2012.

This month's Glossybox was designed by illustrator Maggie Li to celebrate prints and it's really beautiful. The theme was 'Rising Stars'.

Autumn/ Winter trend

Gothic princess

Designers this year at fashion shows got dark and deadly for their Autumn collections with head to toe leathers, vicious studs and a Nordic Winter palette of black-on-black. Lace yourself up, strap yourself in, and prepare to live dangerously this season. Or at the very least to look like you do. Also with the release of Twilight: Breaking Dawn part 2 in november you could also release your inner vampire with fierce studding, black and glossy faux fur, or striking gothic makeup. Look to Givenchy, Versace and Alexander Wang for inspriation.

Here is my Autumn/ Winter Gothic wishlist:





Cutout lace and leather dress: £98 from Three Floors, Lace pendulm £30 Topshop, Lace Skirt £40 Topshop, Leather jacket £180 Topshop, Leather dress £40 New Look, Lace blouse £38 Topshop.



Do it yourself

 

Eyelash extensions

Eye lash extensions on average cost around £80 to get done professionally, but you dont have to spend a fortune to get beauitul long lashes. All you need to do this on the cheap is either an eyelash curler, mascara or false lashes. Here is my step by step guide on achieving knock em dead lashes:

1. If your lashes are short, try false lashes and mascara. First, curl your own lashes and then apply mascara.
2. Using tweezers, pick up the base strip of the false eyelashes, add glue and tilt your head back so you can see your lash line in the mirror. Carefully press them in place with the tipof the tweezers.
3. Or try using individual lashes, start at the outer corner of your eye and glue one in the first open spot between your lashes. Continue along the lash line,attaching the longest ones in the centre.
4. You can also boost your lashes using a volumising or lengthening mascara. Look down into a mirror, hold wand horizontally and apply from the roots, wiggling it up to the tips. Then turn the wand and stroke vertically up the lashes for more oomph.

My most highly recommend products to use to create va-va boom lashes are:

Max factor false lash effect

This mascara is designed to give you the look of false lashes without the tricky application hassle. It comes with a comfortable brush with flexible bristles for easily application from roots to tips. It lengthens and thickens lashes while special brush separates them for a perfect look like you are wearing false lashes. Your lashes look thicker, fuller, longer and more luscious, and your eye lashes look utterly fabulous all day without so much as a smudge. The never ending volume is the USP of this product. Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara is available in three shades – black, brown black and black waterproof.

Heated eyelash curlers

The Panasonic Heated Eyelash Curler has a special heat indicator built into the body of the curler. The product is used like an eyelash comb and the heat indicator lets you know when it is ready to curl. Due to its construction, the Panasonic Heated Eyelash Curler allows curling to take place from the base to the tips, without pulling or pinching.

  

Batiste dry shampoo review.

I recently purchased a small can of Batiste Dry Shampoo in Floral and Flirty Blush to try out. I wasn't too sure which scent to choose as there were quite a few but I went for this simply because it was pink and apparently makes your hair smell nice.

 

Batiste is shampoo in a can! It's a white powder that sprays onto your hair that absorbs the natural oils that build up in your hair over time. It reduces the appearance of dirty, greasy hair without the use of shampoo and water.
The dry shampoo is a god send for me as im a busy mum of two and sometimes i just dont get time to wash my hair. I found this product:

• Absorbs the oil from my hair in a crisis.
• Makes my hair look fresh and clean
• Very easy to use, quick spray, massage then brush
• Makes my hair smell beautiful

The only negative thing i have to say is that i find it gives my hair a slight dull/ greyish look even after brushing. We all have those days where we want to sleep in or we wake up late knowing we have to be out the door in a few minutes. This product is good to have when you haven't had the time to wash your hair and you need to be somewhere fast.
 I also notice that my fringe gets oily faster than the rest of my hair does because I touch my fringe a lot when I brush it off my face. The oil from your hands can cause your hair to be oily faster so this product is also nice to carry in your bag for a nice pick-me-up throughout the day.
I would recommend not to replace dry shampoo with your regular shampoo and conditioner. I would only use this product if I absolutely needed to.

Primark haul. Casual wear.

Super soft cropped jumper in pink. They also do grey or
 blue stripes
but im loving pink at the moment.
 Snapped this one up for £6.

3/4 sleeved pendulm tshirt. Was looking for a smart
 pendulm top but most i have found are more office/ evening wear.
Was really happy to find a nice casual version. This one was £5.

My winter essential, Black wellies.
Love the dogtooth pattern inside and they are really comfy.

Mint icecream knitted jumper with rolled up 3/4 sleeves.
 Love the colour of this jumper and was a good price at £14.

Long Sleeve stripey tshirt. Feels really soft and is perfect
 for my winter wardrobe. Cost £4 from Primark.