Reiss a/w 2011

Reiss is without a doubt one of my favourite high street brands, and whilst it can be a little pricey, it offers luxury and desirability with some fantastic workwear, and accessories. If ever theres a Reiss sale, I'm always the first in line! Or the last, in the case of the London Reiss sample sale yesterday for which hundreds queued... but I emerged with two pairs of absolute beauties at just £40 for both! (Outfit post soon to come). But, I digress, this post is about the autumn/winter 2011 collection. Similarly to Hobbs, the brand made a play for colour, with bold blazers in turquoise and magenta, as well as sleek eveningwear, a favourite piece being the sequinned trousers, and of course a number of staple winter pieces done in a very 'Reiss' way. Camel trench coats featured, as well as smart leather jackets and luxury wool coats. Additionally, the brand is releasing 15 limited edition anniversary pieces to celebrate its birthday, including luxury coats, evening wear, and plenty a glam accessory. For autumn/winter 2011, as always, Reiss is on top of its game.

Hobbs a/w 2011

So last week I went to a couple of press days, Hobbs being one of them. I've got to be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect, given that my Mother loves the brand, but was pleasantly surprised with the offering for Autumn/Winter 11. Hobbs made a play for print and colour, with some seriously great pieces I would buy in an instant. I love the tobacco brown dotty blazer, pulled in at the waist with a skinny belt and teamed with the black shorts= perfect work wear!

The knitwear and winter coats stood out to me, and I loved the use of fur collars and bold colour, sure to brighten up the dreary winter months. Accessories too were cute and quirky, favourites being the whippet dog and swallow pendants. Got to be getting me one of those! Oh, and last but definitely not least, the shoes are incredible, the black and white tassled menswear inspired brogues are a must buy, and for night time, the black ponyskin chelsea boots with chunky heel are perfection. Both are part of the 15 piece re-launch of Hobbs' original Italian leather shoes, a modern update of the styles first brought out when the brand launched in the 80's. Good work Hobbs.

p.s sorry the photo quality is a little dodgy on some, still getting to grips with my sexy new Canon SLR.

A Vintage Weekend

The first outfit post! Scary stuff. Please don't judge me for the awful posing/miserable looking face and general pastiness. I will try to get better at this, I promise!

The sunshine made me want to wear my pretty dotty 50's dress, a new purchase from Casino, a little independent/vintage shop in Stoke Newington. Worn on Saturday, with tan bag (vintage) and wooden wedges (H & M) and again on Sunday (spontaneously stayed at the boy's place) with my oversized denim shirt (Urban Renewal at Urban outfitters) tatty leggings, the same bag, and some old leopard print flats. Oh, and the sunnies are H & M. I Love their tortoiseshell effect and the overall shape. Pretty easy weekend dressing.

My heart belongs to Paris...

I went to Paris for my birthday this year, and well and truly fell head over heels in love. So in love, I still can't stop thinking about it, almost three months on. The romance, the architecture, the food, the sights, the sounds, the smells, and goes without saying, the impeccable style of Parisian women! I never thought I could find a city to rival my new hometown, London, but Paris really did. Hoping to return to the beautiful city next spring... and be able to speak better French! The couture pieces as pictured above are from the Musee de la Mode et du Textile, which houses an incredible collection from some of the biggest fashion houses in the world, and of course the major French houses. Chanel, Christian Dior, Lanvin, Tom Ford (for Gucci) are just a few of the many designers/brands featured. It really was something special.