Posts Tagged ‘style’
Behind the bag, Behind the bag, Designer Fashions, Features, Handbags, Nostalgia, Uncategorized
By Daisy Buchanan on June 19th, 2013
Annie might work in fashion, but her most treasured handbag is navy, not neon. Annie learned early that fashion PRs are like successful drug dealers. They pedal the stuff, but they can’t touch it. Realistically, on 24 grand a year, she can’t. When she got her first assistant job (after three years of art history, a year of Style and Communication studies and 18 months of interning) she vowed that in five years she’d be an Account Director with a 2.55. But her thirties are looming, and unless Scary Cheryl leaves, or dies, she’s not getting the promotion or pay rise she needs any time soon. Scary Cheryl isn’t going to leave, because no major agency will tolerate an AD who buggers off for a ‘thinking nap’ every day at 4PM, or brings in her untrained Bichon Frise. So Annie bought a blue nylon Longchamp Derby, and duels daily with smokers who push her on the pavement and into the path of their corrosive ash trails.
Annie is a bit sick of compromising, actually. Which is why she needs to dump Jamie, even though talk of such a decision makes her friends splutter and spill their pinot grigio. “But you guys have been together for five years! You should be thinking about getting married!” The lack of romance in Annie’s life makes her long for a wedding – and sometimes, in unguarded moments, she catches herself making lists (“J. Crew. Diptyque Ciel tealights. NO BUNTING”). Then she thinks about pledging her troth to someone who leaves single, sweaty pieces of cycle gear on each individual stair and says ‘haitch’, and bursts into tears
Tags: "designer handbag", Daisy Buchanan, Longchamp, Longchamp Derby Verni, story, style
Posted in Behind the bag, Behind the bag, Designer Fashions, Features, Handbags, Nostalgia, Uncategorized | No Comments »
guess where this is from, How to Wear, Nostalgia, Opinion, Uncategorized, vintage
By Daisy Buchanan on June 3rd, 2013
Writer Janina Mathewson explains the rules of wearing something that has been loved before, and how a girl on a budget can avoid growing weary of the nearly new…
Sometimes in our lives we find it hard to stretch to a new pair of jeans. Sometimes we find it hard to stretch to a replacement pair of three pound sneakers. Sometimes we’re startled awake by the realisation that we don’t own a single piece of your own clothing that’s newer than three years old. That you have more hand me downs than you do clothes you’ve actually bought.
Once you start accruing hand me down clothes it can be difficult to stop. There are two reasons for this. The first is because if you’re going through a time where you know you may not be able to have a decent shop for a while, you start losing the ability to turn down free things. Someone might offer you a dress in just not at all your colour, and you’ll take it because you’re not sure when you’re going to manage to buy a dress yourself. The second reason is that once people realise that you’re open to receiving their leftovers, they start running them all by you before they take them to the charity shop.
This is obviously lovely; it’s splendid to be able to sit back and reflect on the fact that your friends won’t let you go completely naked, but there is a difficulty to be overcome. Because when you’re trying to choose something to wear, you want something that feels like you. Something that shows the most and best of you. And it’s really hard to achieve that with a wardrobe stocked with other people’s leavings.
This is easiest combated with the smaller items. Your skirts and shirts and cardies. In this case, it’s like mixing paint – you think yellow is too jaunty? Mix in some blue for a vintage pea-green. Think that shirt is a bit too prim and businessy for you? Chuck an old belt over it and wear it with a chunky necklace.
Dresses and such like are harder, as they’re kind of like a full outfit, but choice of boots and jackets can do a lot. It’ s all in what you do with it.
Yes, there will be some things that will always feel a little strange; like those boots you have to wear more than you want to because they’re the only footwear you own that keep out water, but you can still have a strong effect on the overall look. And if nothing else, you’ll learn more about what you don’t like to wear, for when your ship comes in and you can foist the whole lot off on someone else.
Follow Janina on Twitter @J9andIf
Tags: clothes, found, Janina Matthewson, second hand, style, vintage
Posted in guess where this is from, How to Wear, Nostalgia, Opinion, Uncategorized, vintage | No Comments »
Affordable Fashions, denim, Department Stores, dresses, Festivals, guess where this is from, Sleeves of the week
By Daisy Buchanan on May 6th, 2013
As we see it, the ultimate, tricksy, brow furrowing, chin stroking, difficult to solve 21st century dilemma is this: What’s a lady supposed to wear for weekend brunch?
Obviously there are proper dilemmas about wars and poverty and the disintegrating moral fabric of society, but we don’t have a hope in hell of solving those. The brunch one is like Sudoku – if we really put our minds to it, we can probably work it out with a pencil.
M&S Limited Collection Cotton Rich Fit & Flare Skater Denim Dress with Belt, £45
The thing is, unless you’re weepingly hungover and need someone to pour you into your tracksuit bottoms and lead you to McDonalds, brunch is a stealth formal affair. You’re still eating fried mushrooms smothered in ketchup, but the mushrooms were probably foraged by an artistic intern curating a Vine feed, and the ketchup has a bechamel quail base tempered with locally sourced botanicals. You need the outfit to match – something that’s all “threw this on AND WHAT?” but also something smoking enough to get the flat white and organic cupcake guy to give you the eye. And something that can stand a little quail ketchup spillage. Also, you’re going to want sleeves. You probably had your arms out last night – come the morning after, the standard practice is that you put the guns back in their holsters.
Where do you go for such a number? One of the Spitalfields boutiques staffed by ‘resting’ actresses who hand stitch wonky hems? Anthropologie, who have many brilliant brunch options for a mere three hundred quid a pop? The situation is frustrating enough to make you turn to gin, stained tracksuits and McDonalds, but all you need is this BRILLIANT M&S denim shirt dress that can be accessorised six ways ‘til Sunday and costs less than fifty quid. As it gets lighter and brighter, your hair can get bigger, your wedges will get fiercer and you can pop the buttons open until the flat white guy’s eyes pop out. On chilly, less reliable days, brogues, bright opaques and a snuggly knit will transform it faster than Madonna was transformed from garter flashing sex lady to Scottish Widow. If anyone feels like thanking Shiny Style for this invaluable wardrobe suggestion, we accept gifts of Anthropologie vouchers and organic cupcakes.
Tags: affordable, denim, dress, M&S, sleeves, style
Posted in Affordable Fashions, denim, Department Stores, dresses, Festivals, guess where this is from, Sleeves of the week | No Comments »
Accessories, Ad campaigns, Designers, dresses, Features, How to Wear, Opinion peice
By Daisy Buchanan on April 19th, 2013
Writer and elegant lady Janina Matthewson figures out that style isn’t about imitation – it’s about dancing.
You are probably not a style icon. I might be wrong about that, after all I can’t see you, but you probably aren’t. There are, in fact, precious few around; although almost every celebrity will be dubbed that at some point in their career, few manage to keep the label indefinitely. Style Icon status can’t really be ascribed until years down the line, long after a person’s ceased to care much about style at all. When someone says, long after you’re gone, “that dress is very so-and-so,” then, I think, then you truly deserve the name.
For most of us, of course, being a Style Icon is unimportant. We’ve other concerns, like what to have for lunch dessert and whether anyone can see last night’s red wine stains on our lips. But we definitely want to feel stylish. We want to feel that undefinable sense of looking good; looking different somehow, in an excellent way; looking like some fascinating being. We want people to fall in love with us at first sight, even if we believe that to be a myth. We want to be admired.
But how do you become an Audrey or a Marilyn, even on a domestic level? Because it’s not really about dressing fashionably. It’s not about dressing well. It’s about dressing as yourself. As the best yourself. It’s about stocking your life in such a way that every morning, with little thought, you can throw something on that’ll have you walking down the street confident in the knowledge that the world can see a little bit of who you are, and that they’ll like it.
There is, of course, an entire industry dedicated to trying to teach you how to be stylish. There are magazines and newspapers and websites. There are catwalks and red carpets. There are personal shoppers waiting for you at your nearest high street fashion store. But at the end of the day, it’s something a person has to figure out for him or herself.
One of the best pieces of shopping advice I’ve ever come across came courtesy of Helen Fielding in her Bridget Jones follow up, Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination. The advice was this: “Only buy clothes that make you feel like doing a small dance.” Now, you may or may not be the dancing kind, you may not even be the feeling like dancing kind, but it’s an easily translatable feeling. We’ve all felt it about something or other. The trick is, and it takes effort, to train yourself to expect it as a matter of course, and to hold out until it comes.
So down with buying jeans that are little more than “perfectly fine.” Down with dresses “that’ll do.” Down with “all right shoes,” and “passable tops,” and, “suitable skirts.” We will be dancing in our changing rooms or we’ll be remaining naked.
Follow Janina on Twitter @J9London
Tags: Bridget Jones, celebrity, confidence, dancing, Glamour, Helen Fielding, Janina Matthewson, Opinion, style, wellbeing
Posted in Accessories, Ad campaigns, Designers, dresses, Features, How to Wear, Opinion peice | No Comments »
Beauty, Beauty of our youth, Celebrity Style, Movie fashion, Style Icon, Uncategorized, vintage
By Daisy Buchanan on April 16th, 2013
Writer Janina Matthewson recalls her relationship with the most coveted hairstyle of the nineties…
Janina’s “Rachel”
Summer drew to a close. The new school year approached. I, a new teenager embarking on that mysterious era known as “high school,” was getting my first real haircut.
I’d had my hair cut before, obviously, but it had always been a trim of the two existing lengths: “long” and “fringe,” so I didn’t resemble a child of the brethren. But now it was to be different. I had chosen a “style.” I had chosen “The Rachel.”
Not since Farrah Fawcett had a hairstyle been so universally desired, and nothing’s matched it since. Jennifer Aniston’s hair for the first season of Friends was where the proverbial “it” was at, and I wanted it all over my head.
Why It Was A Bad Idea For Me To Get The Rachel:
Reason One: I come from a Large Family and my parents had government jobs. That meant we were bulk buy, home brand, budget option people.
Reason Two: I have wildly precocious hair. It’s unpredictable, it gets everywhere, it’s practically sentient. In all my life it’s been successfully blow dried twice; if I go to a costume party all I have to do to it is nothing, and I’ll be a raven haired Hermione.
So I turned up at Mr Snips to get my ten dollar haircut from the latest graduate of the hairdressing school Old Man McCutty runs out of his basement, a beam just all over my face. “I’d like The Rachel,” I said, blithely. The hairdresser blinked. Her scissors wobbled. She hadn’t heard of the most popular haircut in twenty years.
Even then, I was unafraid. I was young, I was optimistic, I’d never been burned.
I explained the haircut carefully, and she said she could do it. I sat in the chair, watching ribbons of hair fall away, revelling in the new lightness, feeling the ends swish against my neck.
It wasn’t until I was home that I really took it in.
My first “layered” haircut had precisely two layers: a quite thin one, that stopped just short of my shoulders, and a very thick one, at the bottom of my ears.
My head looked like a mushroom cloud. Or indeed, like a mushroom.
Obviously I cried.
We went back, explained that it was all wrong, and they did their best to fix it.
They couldn’t, obviously, it was a complete disaster, but they tried.
And they gave me a mullet.
Follow Janina on Twitter @J9London
Tags: disaster, fashion, Friends, hair cut, Jennifer Aniston, nostalgia, Rachel, style
Posted in Beauty, Beauty of our youth, Celebrity Style, Movie fashion, Style Icon, Uncategorized, vintage | No Comments »
Fashion Crush, Fashion News, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on September 26th, 2012
The falling leaves and rainy days mean winter is finally here and we’re extremely excited about finally being able to wear our AW wardrobe.
If you haven’t yet stocked up on this seasons’ style then Primark may just prove to be your new BFF, once again offering a range of high fashion daytime and evening looks at their trademark bargain prices.
We heart the range of boyfriend jeans and denim shirts, while mesh skirts, metallic dresses and sequined tops are a great option for those nights out.
See the gallery below for our top five looks.
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Tags: "Top Five", AW 2012, collection, Oxford Circus, Primark, style, trends
Posted in Fashion Crush, Fashion News, Gallery | No Comments »
Gallery, News
By Andrea Petrou on September 5th, 2012
We’ve always loved Michelle Obama’s sense of style and with the US political world hotting up over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a lot more of her fashion.
Yesterday the First Lady looked amaze in a stunning sleeveless Tracy Reese frock with a deep pink, printed bodice that gave way to silver at the skirt hem, while making a speech backing her husband, President Barack Obama, for another four-year White House term.
She finished the look with a set of matching J.Crew rose pumps.
However, this isn’t the first time she’s blown us away with her campaign style, opting for a range of patterned statement shift dresses to make her point.
See her campaign style below.
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Tags: campaign, dress, fashion, michelle obama, Obama, political campaign, President, speech, style
Posted in Gallery, News | No Comments »
Features, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on August 16th, 2012
Just when we thought the 50 Shades of Grey film rumours had calmed down, more whisperings of who will play Anastasia Steele have surfaced.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, author E.L James has hinted that she’d like Shailene Woodley to play the innocent Ana, quashing previous rumours that Emma Watson was the hot favourite.
Although Shailene isn’t as popular as the Harry Potter star, we think this would work in her favour- we admit we had a few reservations about watching Emma in this role after her stint in the wizard films.
And of course Shailene is no stranger to the acting world. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role as George Clooney’s daughter in The Descendants, and has appeared on numerous sitcoms.
We also think her style reflects Ana’s perfectly.
She the gallery below and let us know if you agree.
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Tags: 50 Shades of Grey, Anastasia Steele, E.L James, Emma Watson, films, Shailene Woodley, style
Posted in Features, Gallery | 2 Comments »
Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on August 6th, 2012
Earlier this year Keri-Anne Payne bagged herself the new face of Max Factor’s False Lash Effect Gold mascara title.
The Olympic swimmer, who we doubt will be wearing the product in the pool, gained the position at the make up brand after marketing top dogs spotted her feisty style, and we can see why.
In sporty mode Keri-Anne wears her swimming costume with style, as well as rocking the tailor made tracksuits.
However, away from the pool her style is more feminine consisting of long dresses for a special occasion, and jeans for a causal look.
See the gallery below for Keri-Anne’s style.
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Tags: gold medals, Keri Anne Payne, kit, london 2012, Olympics, style, swimmers, Team GB, winners
Posted in Gallery | No Comments »
Features, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on August 3rd, 2012
Track cyclist Victoria Pendleton has been one to watch both on and off the track.
As well as proving to be a top competitor at London 2012, the starlet has signed a deal with
Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek. She claims that the hair product is the secret to her swooshy, frizz-free locks, claiming: “Training outside everyday means the elements can play havoc with my hair, however the Smooth & Sleek range helps fight frizz and keeps my hair looking and feeling the healthiest it’s been.”
And it’s not just her hair that’s making waves, with Victoria’s style being a huge hit with us here at Shiny Towers.
A fan of red, the cyclist has been spotted in a range of frocks ranging from long to 50s short in this hue.
And whilst her fellow GB star Jessica Ennis hides her figure, Victoria isn’t afraid to flaunt it with a range of slinky bodycon dresses, tight skirts and cute blazers.
Great sportswoman, great style and great hair…is there anything Victoria doesn’t have?
See the gallery below for Victoria’s style file.
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Tags: "vintage dresses", fashion, female competitors, london 2012, Olympics, outfits, Panten, Shampoo, style, Team GB, Track cyclist, Victoria Pendleton
Posted in Features, Gallery | No Comments »
Features, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on August 2nd, 2012
With the Olympics dominating our TV screens, and causing a buzz around Britain, we thought it only fair that we paid tribute to some of our country’s young athletes.
And what better way than to look at their style – we are after all a fashion site.
To kick start this mini series we’ve decided today to focus on Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis.
Modelling the official team GB Adidas kit designed by Stella McCartney, it’s easy to see why Jessica was chosen as the ambassador for Olay earlier this year.
On the track Jessica wears what you’d expect, but away from the sporting spotlight her style emulates elegance.
Keeping to a classic look Jessica opts for below the knee to tea length frocks, while daring slinky dresses are given sleeves to keep in with this trend.
In our opinion this look may be a little old for Jess whose stunning figure lends itself to shorter and high fashion trends, however, it seems to be perfect for keeping it with Olay’s target audience.
See the gallery below for Jessica’s style file.
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Tags: Jessica Ennis, Olay, Olympics, Stella McCarthy, style, stylish Olympic althletes, Team GB Fashion
Posted in Features, Gallery | No Comments »
Celebrity Style, dresses, Festivals, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on July 10th, 2012
Katie Holmes has shuffled in and out of the style spotlight ever since her partnership with Tom Cruise.
However, after filing for divorce from the Mission Impossible actor last week, the actress’s style has never been in so much demand.
And it seems she’s quite aware of the media storm she’s created, ensuring she always looks polished.
On the day the divorce filing was announced, Katie was spotted in a simple navy blue blouse. However, as the days progressed she stepped up her style. White shorts and a red top, were the order of the second day, while a cute on-trend polka dot halterneck and skinny jeans made her stand out over the weekend.
A yellow summer dress teamed with a denim jacket also ensured the actress wasn’t missed on a day at her lawyers office.
Could this be the start of a new fashion era for the starlet? Only time will tell.
See the gallery below for Katie’s five days of post divorce announcement style.
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Tags: "Suri Cruise", Divorce, fashion, Katie Holmes, mission impossible, New York, style, Tom Cruise
Posted in Celebrity Style, dresses, Festivals, Gallery | 2 Comments »
Celebrity gossip, Celebrity Style, Gallery, News
By Andrea Petrou on June 22nd, 2012
Vanessa Paradis has made headlines this week over her split with Johnny Depp.
The pair are said to have separated on friendly terms after drifting apart.
Sources are citing the split on Johnny’s workload, as well as linking him to co-star Amber Heard. There are also claims that Vanessa felt overshadowed with her beau’s work life, while hers had taken a tumble.
However we don’t agree with the latter for one second with Vanessa being a hit on the fashion scene.
The actress/model/singer’s gap teeth made her a unique model for a range of high profile designers, while she was a muse of Karl Lagerfeld.
Therefore it’s no surprise that she’s a popular face on the Chanel catwalk and at events.
And let’s face it, any friend and inspiration of Karl Lagerfeld, is more than good enough for us.
See Vanessa’s style in the gallery below.
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Tags: Amber Heard, chanel, Johnny Depp, Karl Lagerfeld, muse, split, style, teeth, Vanessa Paradis
Posted in Celebrity gossip, Celebrity Style, Gallery, News | No Comments »
Celebrity Style, Gallery, Spotted
By Andrea Petrou on April 25th, 2012
A listers have been out and about this week, showing off all their latest styles.
First on our spotted list is Victoria Beckham who was spotted in a striped frock from her own line at the dVb fashion show in China.
Also caught on style camera was Rihanna who looked hot in a pink frock on a night out on the tiles, while Mila Kunis went for silver hotpants and a black blazer – we know it shouldn’t work but it does – at the Disney Dreamworks Marvel & Pixar presentation.
She was joined by new mum Jennifer Garner who looked cute in a pale pink lace tunic. Over in the LA hills Sandra Bullock was caught on camera in a casual cardi and jeans for the school run.
See all the pictures below.
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Tags: china, DVB, Jennifer Garner, Mila Kunis, Night out, Rihanna, sandra bullock, Spotted, style, Victoria Beckham
Posted in Celebrity Style, Gallery, Spotted | No Comments »
Celebrity Style, Fashion Crush, Features, Gallery, Style Icon, Style spotlight
By Andrea Petrou on April 24th, 2012
We’ve had our style eye on Jessie J for a while now, pinpointing her as the one to watch many moons ago.
And it seems we were right with the singer carving out a fashion niche for herself thanks to her love of Versacesque 80s patterns, skintight catsuits and cute hotpants.
Her new role as a judge on the BBC’s talent show – The Voice UK- has also done wonders for her style profile with many sitting up and taking note of this young singer.
One thing we heart about Jessie is that she’s not afraid to experiment with her look opting for some styles that could be seen as garish.
This includes a wardrobe of leopard print dresses and trousers in bright colours, however, the singer has a way of toning these down to make them items we all want to wear.
We want her as our new wardrobe sharing BFF.
See the gallery below for her style.
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Tags: 80s prints, fashion, Jessie J, judge, leopard print, style, The Voice UK, top five looks, Versace
Posted in Celebrity Style, Fashion Crush, Features, Gallery, Style Icon, Style spotlight | No Comments »
From:What does your selfie say about you?