The Style PA

TREND - Underwear as Formalwear?

2009-11-30T20:10:00.006Z

Christopher Kane (via Net-a-Porter)

Yes, we've seen it on the likes of Lady Gaga for ages but this Spring/Summer we'll all be able to sport lingerie inspired garments because the look has been toned down for the high street. Even the safest of retailers are buying into the trend with sheer panels, structured corset style dresses and bralets. Dresses that appear to have the bra on the outside are going to be everywhere. Gym memberships are going to soar as we all try and lose the Christmas weight to fit into this revealing trend.

The images above were taken at the recent Debenhams press show. There's definitely a nod to Christopher Kane's structured lines but the garments are completely wearable and I can even see some of them at a summer wedding. This is going to be a season for either showing your skin or skimming over it with soft layers or delicate utility pieces. Here's my round up of some key parts of this obsession that fashion has with lingerie at the moment.

by The Style PA

Racy lace by The Style PA featuring Christian Louboutin shoes

Will you be working this trend? I'm most likely to go for the external seaming look. I think that's the most likely to give a slimming effect.

GIG - The Sounds at The Electric Ballroom

2009-11-29T19:56:00.006Z

I've had a hugely busy week this week but it's been fun. On Tuesday, my little sister came to London to stay with me as we were off to watch The Sounds perform at Camden's Electric Ballroom. The gig was amazing as always, I've already seen them twice - once at Brixton Academy and once at Digital in Brighton.

The support acts were possibly the craziest I'd ever had at a gig, but I'm pretty sure, in a good way. The first was a band called Foxy Shazam. Never before have I seen such energy from a band and I have seen a few. At one point, lead singer Eric was crawling on the floor at super speed and his Freddie Mercury inspired moves were only outdone by the keyboardist who was entirely on his own planet, and probably had some sort of split personality disorder - see their video below and you'll get what I mean...

Next up was New York based band, Matt & Kim. My first impression of these guys was that they reminded me of Will & Grace. Not sure if that's a good thing or not, but they did have some really good beats with a really scaled down set of equipment... Kim's drum kit has about 4 pieces! See one of their videos below...

But of course, we really came to see The Sounds and they didn't disappoint. Maja was on fine form and the crowd was much better than the last 'The Sounds' gig I went to (last time it was a bunch of very angry teens). See below for some pics or you can view them all on Flickr.

I also did a little 'Get the look' of Maja's outfit. Sheer panelled leggings, a cropped jacket and layered gold necklaces. Love the look!

by The Style PA

And if you fancy some more, here's their latest video...

HOSIERY - Damart Slimming Tights

2009-11-29T17:23:00.005Z

Recently I was given the opportunity to test out some slimming tights from home shopping brand Damart. These tights are made with Microcapsules of caffeine, green tea and red wine attached to the fibres of the fabric to release their slimming properties as you move. It seems a tall order but I was prepared to give it a go - anything that might combat the dreaded cellulite deserves to be investigated...

Quality:

The quality of the fabric is strong and lovely and soft too. They didn't look any different to usual tights which is what you would hope. My major issue with the tights is that they were far too short in the leg. Now, I am 5ft 3 (almost) and that makes me petite. I'm not sure how anyone with longer legs than me would get on with them. I wore them walking round the streets of Rochester, and ended up having to pull them up all the way round. I just don't think they had quite enough stretch to make them completely wearable, either that or my rather large behind is even bigger than I thought.

Results:

In order to get the results, I imagine you would have to wear them a lot. From what I've read about similar pairs, you'll get the most benefit from the added 'ingredients' in the first few wears - they surely can't work much after a few washes. If you wear tights all the time and have a small frame then these might work for you. Get a few pairs and give it a go. For me though, it just wasn't enough to tempt me away from cheaper tights. I'll just use the firming cream each evening instead because although my legs felt smoother after wearing these, I'm not sure you could see any more drastic results than that.

Buy at: www.damart.co.uk
Cost: £15

PARTY - Ultimate Strapless Party

2009-11-28T12:13:00.012Z

Me and the girls

Thursday night was the Ultimate Strapless Party, thrown by Wonderbra. They invited a bunch of lovely ladies down, some bloggers, some retailers and some competition winners, to Punk nightclub for an evening of fun and frolics. All of us were wearing our Ultimate Strapless bras of course and the dress code was strictly strapless (although I cheated slightly with a one-shoulder dress).

There was a free bar with Bellini's and passion fruit cocktails. We were treated to a catwalk show styled by celebrity stylist, Kirsty Drury (read her party style tips here) and the surprise of the evening was a performance by X Factor's Miss Frank who sounded amazing. I wasn't convinced on their choice of outfits though... they looked much better when they were on the show. See lots of pics over at Flickr.

There was a real mix of outfits from the guests and I was really impressed how glammed up everyone was. The powderpuff girls were on hand to offer make-up touch ups too. All in all, a good night was had by everyone. The club opened to the general public and we were invited to carry on our own party in the VIP area, which has been home to the likes of Kate Moss, Lady Gaga and Paris Hilton.

Miss Frank

Here is the look that I went for. I was surprised that I lasted the whole night in my new skyscraper, purple heels (reduced from £80 to £30 in Office).I wouldn't want to assume you like my look, but if you do you can click through to Polyvore and find out where to get your hands on it all.

My Ultimate Strapless party look by The Style PA

FITNESS - My First Power Plate Session

2009-11-21T21:04:00.000Z

Photo credit: banjaxx on Flickr.com

Last week I managed to talk myself into trialling a Power Plate machine at the lovely Virgin Active gym in Mayfair. All in the name of research and helping my readers find a fast way to fit into their Christmas party dress of course.

It didn't start that well, there was a mix-up and I turned up a day late... luckily my personal trainer was still on hand to put me through my paces. Before going I'd asked around and most people said Power Plate workouts easy so I went in thinking it was going to be quite laid-back.However, I was proved wrong by my trainer. Generally a Power Plate doesn't offer many options for cardio, but you can use it to really increase the heart rate by incorporating movement like jumps and dynamic lunges. And that is exactly what the trainer had me doing.

We worked on a number of moves. Deep squats, followed by side jumps on and off the machine. I then worked on some reverse lunges. I found these quite difficult, I think because of the height of the Power Plate. Short people may find the step up quite high. We also worked my abs using a medicine ball and did other combined exercises to give my whole body a mini workout including press ups to work my arms too.

The Power Plate works using vibration training, which I must say does feel really strange when you first step on. By doing exercises on the Power Plate, the muscles are contracting at very high frequencies which is why you feel muscle fatigue far sooner than with your usual exercises.

I left the gym with wobbly legs and very, very rosy cheeks. All achieved in a 20 minute workout. People aren't exaggerating when they say you can cut your workout time in half. I left feeling as if I had done 3 sets of each exercise, not 1 set of each. For anyone who struggles to find the time to workout, I'd definitely suggest that the Power Plate is a good option.

Reasons to try Power Plate

Studies have been done that link Power Plate to better weight loss than standard exercise (in conjunction with a healthy diet of course).
A long list of celebrities and sportsmen/women swear by Power Plate including: Kylie Minogue, Elle MacPherson, Hilary Swank, Natalie Imbruglia and the football players of Chealsea, Everton and Man Utd.
The concept was designed to keep Russian cosmonauts in peak physical condition - and if it's good enough for them...

Virgin Active in Mayfair also run lunchtime sessions. Three 20 min workout slots from 1-2pm. I thought this was a fab idea because it helps you fit exercise into your day effortlessly. Time can be a real barrier to exercising as much as we should, so anything that works to combat that problem is a good thing in my books. Membership of the Virgin Active gym does not come cheap, but it is a top class gym. Everything is clean, tidy and spacious. You'll never have to worry about broken air-con or having to squeeze past someone just to get to the last free stationary bike.

The Mayfair Virgin Active also has a really good class timetable and a Dove Spa. I reviewed treatments at the Dove Spa a while ago. Read about my Dove Spa experience.

Power Plate pros

Quick results
Easy to fit into your day

Power Plate cons

Not good for people who get queasy on moving surfaces
There are better cardio machines available

COMPETITION - Create an Aussie Outfit

2009-11-21T10:35:00.006Z

It's competition time. I've teamed up with Aussie to be one of their Aussie Angels and they've asked me to run a little contest so that one of you lovely people will win a fabulous prize.

Here is the brief...

We know you're really a clothes horse (not a hair horse) and we want to know what Aussie really means to you. What if Aussie were an outfit? What would it look like? What would the care label say? Show us what an Aussie tailor would produce.

To enter: Just tell or show me what an Aussie outfit would look like. Leave your description in a comment or you could take a photo or use Polyvore and link to it in a comment.

The competition closes on the 30th November and the prize is yet to be revealed. I'm sure it will be fabulous, so would love everyone to take part. There's not long to get your entry in, so hurry, hurry. I will pick a winner after the close of the competition.

Here is mine to give you some inspiration...

by The Style PA

Items in this set:
Madaboochoo.com.au dress, 200 AUD
Oasis coat, 80 GBP
Melissa boots, 95 EUR
Kara Ross clutch, 640 GBP
Luna ring, 6,600 GBP

A dress by an Australian website, shiny shoe boots, a coat with some volume, glossy lips, some statement jewellery, a practical bag and of course an umbrella to keep the rain off that gorgeous hair of yours.

CELEBRITY - Shirley Bassey is Hot

2009-11-19T21:22:00.003Z

When I saw these pictures of Dame Shirley Bassey I was pretty much amazed. Just like Tina Tuner, she could pass for a woman half her age. It makes me feel like I should make more of an effort to glam up every once in a while.

Dame Shirley Bassey, has been revealed as the guest for this Saturday’s Strictly Come Dancing and will be performing ‘This Time’, written by Gary Barlow. Judge, Alesha Dixon, is sure to be keen to compare notes with the veteran singer as her new single was also penned by the Take That star.

Watch it on Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One, Saturday 21st November 6.50pm

TIPS - 3 quick tips for today

2009-11-18T23:01:00.004Z

My top tips of today are...

1. Always wear a new bra on the last hook. If you've been fitted correctly that should be the perfect size and as bras stretch with time, you can move to the inner hooks further down the line.

2. If you suffer from static hair, spray your hairbrush with hairspray before touching your hair with it. Works a charm.

3. If you are ever given roses, be sure to dry the heads of the flowers out afterwards. You can put them in a pretty muslin bag with a tiny bit of fragrance oil to make a sweet gift for a friend.

HAIR - Behind The Scenes at Strictly Come Dancing

2009-11-14T16:22:00.007Z

You've heard about the make-up on Strictly Come Dancing in my earlier post, but now what about the hair? I got to hang around and chat to the hair stylists while dancers came and went through their Saturday afternoon hair routine. I mentioned before that each dancer has a folder with their dress designs in, any cuttings for hair and make-up ideas but certain dances tend to have accepted styles that go with them. Ballroom dances generally mean tied back or up-do style, whereas in Latin wavy hair is more the norm. For a dance like the Cha Cha, the hair is usually curly and bouncy to suit the mood of that particular dance.

Setting the curls

90% of the dancers have their hair set in rollers. Even if not wearing their hair particularly curly, this is the ideal starting point for most of their hair styles. Stars generally have 2 half hour slots to do their hair; they have the heated rollers put in and then get a (not so glamorous) hair net to wear while they go practice their dancing. Then it's back to the hair department to have the curls released. Sometimes a girl can go through this process up to 3 times if sweat and a vigourous dance routine causes the curls to fall out. The team can get everything done surprisingly quickly, we're told that on an editorial shoot double the time is usually allowed, but on Strictly there are lots of people to get through which means everyone has to be on their toes.

The team say it's always better to over-curl, rather than under-curl. You can always brush a curl out, but you can't put one in. Even so, some of the dancers still get a bit shocked to find they look like Shirley Temple straight after the curls come out. Most importantly though, doing hair for Strictly means hair has to work in 3D - this has got to look good from every angle and someone from the hair and make-up teams are present at the dress rehearsal to make sure everything looks fabulous.

Hair products

I ask the obvious question: How much hairspray do you get through? Apparently it's not as much as you'd expect but still probably equates to about 2 large cans each Saturday. L'Oreal Elnett is used for that final finishing spray but the hair team use a variety of products for hold including gel sprays and Tigi products. We gave the Tigi S Factor strawberry scented shine spray a sniff (it's lush) and they also swear by the Vivacious hairspray. When using the hot rollers they need a reliable setting product, usually Redkin's Spray Starch and L'Oreal's Tecni Pli.

Occasionally the team will cut or colour hair, but they try and avoid it to ensure everything runs smoothly - we're told that in last year's series, Vincent went out to perform with half a hair-cut. At the beginning of this series, Aliona was a blonde, but because there were already several blondes on the show, she volunteered to go redhead. Now she dyes it every couple of weeks. I was also keen to find out how many pins are in one of those complicated hair styles, and was told that Jade's from tonight's show had about 20. The stylists also use dental bands, tiny elastics that are usually clear, to fasten the pins into. These have to be cut out after the show though to avoid breaking the hair.

A chat with Katya

Katya told us that she genuinely loves every single dress she wears and that the designers on the show are incredibly talented. Everyone sits down at the start of the series to talk through what they like and don't like and the designers get things pretty spot on from there on in. "I like to cover my midriff and expose my legs" says Katya. When it comes to the hair Katya reckons having her hair up "makes a nice change" from wearing it down, which she tends to do most days.

The right hair style is important for a dancer's confidence too. "The last thing you want when you're dancing is to feel your hair moving, these guys are really good" Katya told us. I asked Katya if it was nice being able to try out all these products while on the show and she said "I'm making a list of all the things I want to get... I've been dancing since I was a kid... my mum used to do my make-up for shows... when I look back at the old show videos it's horrible." Her crime? Dark brown lip liner and pale lipstick, and I was sure to tell her she wasn't the only one who thought that looked good back in the day.

Katya admits it's sometimes hard to visualise everything coming together sometimes "I'm the worst" she says, "when I see my costume with no crystals or anything, I've got no imagination" but of course it all comes together in the end.

Hair accessories

Often celebs and dancers will have an accessory of some sort in their hair. These come from several brands. Most of the sparkly stuff is from Shefaly, and I look around and see boxes of these glittering beauties from slides, clips and hairbands to smaller twist-in jewels. Ali had some of these added to her hair while we were there. Other more fashion-led accessories are sourced from Topshop and Accessorize. This, we're told, is new for this series of Strictly as in the past they've just stuck with more of the classic styles.

Occasionally something a little different is required, and that's when the creativity of the hair stylists really steps up. For today's episode Mark made Natalie a hair bow which Claudia Winkleman mentioned after her performance. I got to see it close up and it really did just look perfect with her hair style.

It's hair design

Although the stylists take inspiration from photographs and magazines, this is really about designing a hair style. Generally they try to make sure that there are a variety of styles in any one show, and also to vary the styles on any one person throughout the series. Occasionally they can get away with the same style, but usually this will be on a blonde and a brunette. The same style can look completely different on each, with the detail of the style being much more visible on blonde hair.

The team find out about the dress usually on a Thursday which gives them only a couple of days to brainstorm and come up with an idea. Photos really help them get across their ideas as it's often quite hard to explain a style that someone hasn't seen before. It's a collaboration with the individual about what they'd like but at times the stylist takes control and has to do some convincing. Laila for example prefers her hair down and Aliona likes hers down and wavy, but that wouldn't work for a Foxtrot. For a dance like the Paso Doble or Tango, the hair is part of a character that the dancer has to play, it's a really important aspect of the story.

Practicality too

Sometimes a dancer can't have everything she wants. The most common case is the flowing locks V lip gloss scenario, and from what we hear the hair usually wins. It's a much harder thing to change the whole hair style than take off some lip gloss. Occasionally though hair does have to be restyled very quickly, particularly when a pro dancer has more than one dance to perform in different styles.

I asked about the condition of the hair, but the stylists stress that the girls' hair isn't going through much extra stress when you compare it to anyone who uses their hair straighteners every day. Katya mentions that she often uses a conditioning treatment 'it's like food for my hair' she said. And what about fine hair? The girls suggest going for an up-do rather than your hair down. On the show, someone with fine hair usually gets clip-in hair pieces if wearing their hair down.

My afternoon behind the scenes

I had a great afternoon chatting and seeing what went on behind the scenes. Everyone was really friendly and willing to tell us about their experiences - Eastenders' Ricky Groves jokingly tried to convince me that I'd be sent out through the gift shop and forced to buy a BBC bookmark which thankfully wasn't the case, and getting to see the celebs' costumes in the flesh was definitely a highlight too. A big thanks to the BBC for letting us come down and take a look around.

BEAUTY - Behind The Scenes at Strictly Come Dancing

2009-11-14T16:20:00.013Z

Occasionally as a blogger, an opportunity comes up that is just too good to miss, and today was one of those days. I was invited to go backstage at Strictly Come Dancing, to see the work that goes into getting make-up and hair to look fabulous for the show. It's not as easy as you might think. After getting shown around, myself and fellow blogger Lil, from A Storm in a Teacup, watched Kristina have the finishing touches done to her make-up. We chatted to Lisa Armstrong (Ant McPartlin's wife) who is head of make-up on the show about the work her team does.

Each contestant gets 1 hour in make-up she explained. Amazingly, at only 1 pm it seems most of the celebs have already had their make-up done. But they'll be in for a couple more touch-ups before the live show we're told. One minute the room is full and bustling, the next there's no one here. But the scheduling has to run like clockwork to ensure everyone is ready for the dress rehearsal so there's time to fix anything that doesn't work quite so well. Celebrities even get a few last-minute tips from their partners as we saw when Katya was critiquing Phil's posture while she was in make-up. I'll be watching to see if he keeps his arms up high.

The make-up artist's kit

Looking around the room, there are bags of product on every surface, from the well-stocked MAC palettes, to Bobbi Brown eyeliners and Chanel foundations. MAC is often favoured for stage and show make-up because of the high pigment levels. The Chanel base is liked by Lisa because it gives a strong coverage - but with anything like this, each dancer is different. Katya, dancing with Phil Tufnell, told us that the Chanel foundation caused her to breakout. She prefers to use an Armani base and bareMinerals products. The magpie in me though was instantly drawn to the bag full of glitters in every colour under the sun. If only make-up like this could be worn every day.

The routine

The routine for the dancers is to start with eye make-up. Eyeshadow first, then liner and false lashes. After this the under-eye area looks a little panda-like, but water toner is then used to cleanse the face under the eyes . At this point the make-up artist will put the base on. Any glitter used has to be mixed with something to ensure it sticks and won't fall all over the face after dancing, often very energetically. When I over-exert myself I tend to go the colour of a raspberry so I wondered why the dancers don't get the flushed look. Down to the make-up? Apparently, rose water astringent really helps reduce redness in the face and combats every make-up artist's foe... sweat! After a dress rehearsal make-up still tends to need re-doing though, it's just one of the pitfalls of this environment.

Choosing a make-up look

When it comes to choosing a make-up look, lots of things are considered. The dance that the star is doing and of course the costume and hair style are also both key. Each dancer has a folder (you can see Katya's above) with their dress designs in, any cuttings for hair and make-up ideas and their own eyeliner, mascara and lashes for the evening. We spotted quite a few pairs of Girls Aloud lashes, but Kristina gets her's from America. She did a lot of her make-up herself and her false lashes really were amazing and super-long.

The make-up artist's tips... use a line of glue very close to the lash line then wiggle the lashes in as close as possible to the lash line and not on the actual eyelid. Eyelids are oily and that's often what causes them to peel away. Once in place, fan the area for 10-20 seconds and then open the eye, pull the lower lid down and then push the lashes up and away from the eye. Kristina swears by putting her lashes on before eyeshadow so they stick better. To put it in perspective, by the end of the series the team will have gone through over 200 pairs of false eyelashes!

One of Lisa's favourite looks from this series was Ali Bastian's Paso Doble make-up in week 7 (See below). They went for a dramatic eye with 3 flicks of eyeliner in the corners. The upper lashes were quite spiky and Lisa's team added a lash to the lower lash line that flicked out at the side for a really wide-eyed and dramatic look.

Doing something different

Lisa tells us that Ali's pretty open to ideas for her make-up, tonight she has pink, green and yellow eyeshadow with stick-on crystals. It sounds crazy, but in this setting it totally works. It's really important for the team to have the trust of the person whose make-up is being done. After a few weeks everyone knows what people like and don't like and things become much easier.

Others like Jade, who don't tend to sit and have their make-up done as part of their day job can be a little harder to convince. Tonight Jade is wearing a bold tangerine/red lipstick which looks fab on her, but she's not someone who would usually wear lipstick. "Sometimes it takes you a while to get used to it" Lisa explains, it's a dramatic new-you when you look in the mirror. To keep thing fresh and interesting the make-up team swap around and don't keep doing the same people's make-up every week. Lisa says "We don't want things to look stale".

Others don't need any convincing. Aliona would happily have a little bit of everything when it comes to her make-up; colour, glitter, crystals... more glitter. Some even liken her to a Christmas tree but it's fun and she always looks fab. If you can't go OTT with make-up on Strictly Come Dancing, then when can you!

Make-up for the men

I asked what the men on the show need to have done make-up wise. Of course there's the anti-shine and powder which everyone needs on TV, but anyone exposing their chest is also like to need some bronzer. As we walked around the building, we just so happened to see a rather dashing Ricky Whittle hanging out in the corridor in a slit-to-the-waist top. The guys also get a little extra help looking fresh-faced with some under-eye concealer, after all they work really hard all week so by Saturday everyone's a little bit exhausted. More often that not it's making sure that they are clean shaven if it suits the dance or have a little bit of stubble that works better for the style they are doing.

High pressure work

The pressures on the make-up team are high though. The show is shot in HD and that means there's less margin for error. 'Everything has to be immaculate' Lisa says. The team are constantly covering up bruises from the celebs and dancers being thrown about and sometimes it's not until the costume's on that you can see what needs to be covered. When it comes to the face, Lisa uses the mirror to work as her camera, showing her where there might not be perfect symmetry.

Moisturisers and body glitters are used less than you'd think. The costumes the dancers wear are really expensive so anything with a colour in it is a no-go. A slight body shimmer mist is all they can get away with, and hair spray can be a problem too as it dulls the crystals on the gowns. Nail varnish has to be fast-drying in case someone is called on stage and nails can't be too long either - anything that makes it harder to fulfill a lift or hold just isn't going to happen.

The worst thing about the job has to be the constant brush cleaning. With that many people coming and going, clean brushes are vital. And the best thing about Lisa's job, "I can be really creative" she says.

Watch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC 1 each weekend or catch up on the iPlayer.

CELEBRITY - Katy Perry in Nippies and Marchesa

2009-11-11T20:18:00.009Z

In this SS10 lace Marchesa dress it's a good job that Katy Perry didn't 'nip out'. Her handy solution was nippies by Bristol 6, the American celebrity favourite to keep a level of modesty in even the most revealing dresses. It meant her MTV EMAs outfit was a fashion hit, not a fashion flop. Pink has been regularly spotted wearing them too. The use of quality fabrics like satin and lace means these stick on patches feel comfortable & look beautiful... with and without your clothes on.

Katy opted for the sequinned lace bridal Nippies... maybe she and Russell are saving the spare pair for another type of white dress? Anyone hear wedding bells?

JEWELLERY - Get The Gossip Girl Look

2009-11-10T18:34:00.000Z

I'm loving this necklace that has been featured on Blair in an episode of Gossip Girl. It's the St Petersburg Necklace available to buy online for the, not so cheap, sum of $360. Seriously, where do these little rich kids get all their money... I'd like some please. Then I could get me a gorgeous, tulle-covered, jet beaded necklace just like this. Available to buy online.

CELEBRITY - Lady Gaga Wears Orschel-Read

2009-11-09T21:16:00.003Z

Who would have guessed that the debut collection I went to see at London Fashion Week would attract the attention of Lady Gaga. Trousers from innovative designer Orschel-Read have just been spotted on the fashion icon, who wore his amazing garment for her recent appearance on popular television show ‘Wetten, Dass…?’ (see the video above).

Central St Martin’s graduate Orschel-Read presented his debut collection for Spring/Summer 2010 at On|Off last September to great success. The collection merges couture liberty fabrics with wearable silhouettes and accessible tailoring, marrying innovative leather work, contemporary pagan influences and organic materials. And yes, it's a menswear collection but we all know that's a minor detail that wouldn't stop someone like Gaga.

VIDEO - CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists

2009-11-09T20:23:00.002Z

Get up close and personal with the 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists in an exclusive video, now live on VOGUE.com. The finalists speak candidly about how fashion has shaped their lives, what it means to be a Fashion Fund finalist and what they would do if they won. The winner will be announced in NYC on November 16.

“Growing up in Orange County, we couldn’t afford the cool shoes,” says finalist, George Esquivel of Esquivel Shoes. “We always had the fakes, or not even shoes... it was just hand me downs from cousins or something like that... and I just kind of fell into shoes.”

“If I won, I would call my mom,” says finalist Wayne Lee of Wayne. “She has never really felt that this is what I should do and it would be very good news to let her know that hey, I got there, and this is where I’m gonna go.”

Visit Vogue.com to watch this video and others.

ACCESSORIES - Win a Bag With Kinder Bueno

2009-11-09T18:16:00.000Z

A new social group of young, fashion-conscious women is emerging from the economic downturn – the accessorista, women who accessorise and recycle their wardrobes with every season.

Recent Kinder Bueno research has revealed that women have become a lot more money conscious when buying for the new season. They are still shopping and buying into current trends, but in a different way – buying smaller treats, accessorising and bargain hunting rather than purchasing whole new outfits for their wardrobes.

Knowing how much girls love their accessories, Kinder Bueno is offering you for 100 days the chance to win your very own must-have designer bag in a daily prize draw. Running until December 2009, participants simply need to log onto www.bueno-designerbag.com to enter the free prize draw and win a little bit of what you fancy!

In a UK survey of 2,000 women, Kinder Bueno also found that:

Shoes are the most common treat, closely followed by jewellery, handbags and hair accessories.

Nearly 60% of women polled revealed that they tend to treat themselves when they need a positive boost.

And this spending is doing wonders for self esteem and positivity too - when asked “how does buying a little bit of what you fancy make you feel” – 60% said it boosted their confidence, enhanced their well being and mood and felt good because they had only spent a small amount of money, yet had a whole new outfit.

On the whole, accessorista’s are saving £127* – enough to put towards a new Hermes scarf, Jimmy Choo leather clutch or Miu Miu ballet pumps.

SHOES - Blue Inc Zebra Print Pumps

2009-11-08T18:29:00.007Z

Zebra Print Pumps - Blue Inc - £14.99

Unless you've been living under a rock you've probably heard about the Jimmy Choo collaboration with H&M. Personally I'm not that excited. H&M have already announced a wristband queuing system for shoppers and let's all be honest as to why... they have probably only bought a limited amount of stock, just like with the Matthew Williamson collection. If you bring a designer to the high street to make it more accessible for the masses, I don't think you should limit stock so most people never get a look in.

The reason I mention H&M is because you'll notice the use of zebra print in bags and shoes within the collection. Black and white is always a classy combination and as soon as I saw the zebra print I knew I needed to get something in that pattern. Their zebra pumps are £49.99 and they even have a note to say you should replace the soles before wearing. You what! They may be suede, but I don't want to spend money on repairing them before I start wearing them.

If standing in a queue is not your idea of a good time (it certainly isn't mine) grab yourself some cute zebra pumps from Blue Inc instead. A complete bargain at £14.99. I've partnered up with them to pick out some of my favourite bits and these flats were top of my list. I wore them last night with a sequin dress, leggings and a boyfriend blazer. So glad I didn't wear heels or I'd have been hobbling home from the festivities.

What do you think? It might have been overkill to wear them with my cheetah print scarf from South Africa, but I thought what the heck, let's go with the animal theme.

VIDEO - Stella McCartney's Gap range... for kids?

2009-11-04T23:02:00.006Z

I just had to share this video from Grazia Daily... can the girls fit into the new GAPKids range by Stella McCartney? There's only one way to find out. The proportions might not be quite right, but there are a few surprises.

FASHION - H! by Henry Holland for Debenhams

2009-11-03T22:12:00.004Z

Tonight was the press preview of Henry Holland's latest clothing range and this time it's on the high street. The H! by Henry Holland collection will be available at Debenhams from Spring/Summer 2010 and if you're curious as to what to expect then here's a sneak peak...

Prints...

Detail...

Accessories...

My Verdict

There was talk of inspiration from Clueless and I can definitely see that. There are some really covetable items, the brogues, the zip detail heels, the satchels and the ruffle bikinis all stood out. The jewellery was also really cute in a funky and fun yet wearable way. The clothing featured everything from edgy denim and leather look pieces (shorts and a zip up mini skirt) to tartan pyjama style separates, printed dresses, body suits and of course the occasional slogan T-shirt.

The whole range is perfect for colour-blocking and pattern mis-matching and I can see it on a lot of younger girls come summer. Some people may have wanted it to be more like his House of Holland designer range but I think it's great that this collection stands alone and would argue that there's loads of Henry's personality in there through the use of bold patterns and colours. It's also at a price that us mere mortals can afford which is always nice.

Henry Holland

You'll probably be wondering if Henry was holed up in a corner all night with his A-list friends? The answer is not at all. He's got to be the most approachable fashion designer, and all-round nice guy I've ever come across. Not only was he posing for photos, he was taking them on the funky disposable H! by Henry Holland cameras too. He's officially my new favourite and he seems as excited as everyone else about the new range - he said he can't wait for it to finally hit stores and to find out what everyone thinks.

On the menu...

Canapes included crab filled cones, asparagus baskets, stacks of beetroot, mini lemon meringue pies, and for drinks... pretty pink cocktails and white wine a plenty.

Keep your eyes peeled for more on Henry's new collection in February or head to the Debenhams blog for the latest news.

EVENT - Jacqueline Groag at FTM

2009-11-01T17:22:00.004Z

Jacqueline Groag was probably the most influential textile designer in Britain in the post WWII era and the FTM is pleased to be showcasing a small selection of her work from 23 October until February 2010 and entrance is free.

Originally Czech, Groag studied textile and pattern design in Austria and during the late twenties and early thirties designed textiles for the Wiener Werkstatte in Vienna. However, she and her husband were forced to flee to London in 1939 by the political situation in Europe. This didn’t stop her work and throughout the forties she was the leading designer of textiles in Britain and much of the contemporary style of the textiles and wallpapers shown at the 1951 Festival of Britain were heavily indebted to her influential designs of the previous decade.

Her work and influence included large corporations and exclusive couturiers but was familiar to the general public through stores and companies such as John Lewis, Liberty of London, David Whitehead, Edinburgh Weavers, Sandersons, Warerite and Formica.

Jacqueline Groag died in London in 1986 at the age of 83 and this small but insightful display provides a glimpse into the work of someone who was incredibly influential in shaping post-war design and is accompanied by a book Jacqueline Groag, Textile & Pattern Design; Wiener Werkstatte to American Modern.

There will also be a booking signing by the authors on Thursday 29th October.

Talk with the authors
Authors of the book, Geoffrey Rayner, Richard Chamberlain, and Annamarie Stapleton will be discussing the life and work of this talented and influential designer, the historical context in which she worked and the milieu of modern design of the era.
Date: Saturday 5th December / 2 - 4pm
Price: £10

Images reproduced from ‘Jacqueline Groag’ published by ACC Publishing Group

TIPS - Advice From Celeb Stylist Kirsty Drury

2009-10-31T11:34:00.005Z

Celebrity stylist Kirsty Drury has joined forces with Wonderbra to share her top tips for making Kylie, Rachel Stevens and Cat Deeley look their best for the party season. Don't forget to enter the Wonderbra competition to win a free bra and tickets to the Ultimate Strapless Party too.

Warehouse Christmas Collection

On buying the ultimate party dress...

If you’re splashing the cash on your ultimate party dress you want to be able to wear it again and again. Go for an exquisitely cut dress that accentuates your body’s curves in a luxe fabric.

It doesn’t want to be a glitzy ‘in your face’ dress, that will date after one season, as you’re going to vamp it up from party to party with on trend accessories.

You can find relatively cheap and ‘of the moment’ jewellery, bags, tights, belts, gloves on the Great British high street that will update this dress from season to season, keeping it bang on trend and keeping the cash in your purse for more fun nights out..

Strapless Digital Print Dress £38.00

Making the most of your strapless outfits...

Make the most of your strapless dress by getting your hands on Wonderbra’s Ultimate Strapless bra. It really is the ultimate party accessory. The new hand shaped structure means you get a great cleavage and it won’t slide down, so you can keep dancing all night.

Layer up an assortment of glam necklaces in the same colour palette as your dress – chunky sparkly beads, ethnic metal beads, chains, diamantes, long strands of stones. Raid your jewellery box and pile them on. More is definitely more with this look.

Oversized chandelier earrings that graze bare shoulders are sooooo sexy and look great with short hair. Long hair? A gorgeous updo is essential.

If you’re a minimal kind of girl when it comes to jewellery then let your dress do the talking and give a nod to the party season by carrying an oversized jewelled clutch

Warehouse Christmas Collection

Ways to update last year’s dress...

If it’s a mini dress that you’re reworking go warrior princess with OTK (over the knee) fantasy boots worn with same colour tights. Trust me, these are essential, as you really don’t want to rock that Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman look.

If your dress is short why not start the night wearing an oversized sharp-shouldered suit jacket with it? Haven’t got one yet? Shame on you! Get yourself down to a charity store quick speed and pick up a man’s double breasted tuxedo on the cheap. The contrast of a man’s suit jacket with a saucy little slip of a dress underneath is too sexy for words.

If you’re wanting to revive a solid coloured strapless dress add four diamante chain straps to each side of the bodice et voila you’ve got a very now Art Deco style strappy dress.

Buy a couple of metres of velvet ribbon two-three inches wide in the same colour as your dress. Make an oversized bow and sew (or get a dressmaker to) the ends onto the bodice of your dress and you have a brand new one shoulder dress.

If you wore that dress last year with bare legs then this year go for solid opaque tights finished off with a sexy on trend ankle boot. So cool, so modern, so now.

Now you’re party ready, grab your bag and head out of the door! For more style advice visit www.ultimatestrapless.co.uk

FASHION - Press preview at Warehouse

2009-10-29T19:52:00.006Z

I popped along to have a proper look at the Warehouse Christmas collection last week and get excited girls because it's full to brimming with embellishment and sparkle with a toughened up edge. There are several long months of winter before you even have to contemplate floaty ruffles and fairytale frocks, so until then go all out embellished! The range of mini dresses, bold shouldered shifts, sparkle jackets and everything else your winter wardrobe needs, is coming soon with a few pieces already available.

Studding has been hugely popular this season and nothing proves this more than Warehouse's studded Tuxedo jacket. The press have been all over it like a rash and I've gotta say after seeing it in the flesh, I can see why. The craftsmanship is really something. Not sure I could pull off the look myself, If you like the look but need something a bit more practical, then try the studded lapel version. The studded gloves were also a definite winner.

Another detail I was loving was the chain overlay on this fab clutch bag. Not bad at £35...

DIET - Nosh Detox Verdict

2009-10-26T20:05:00.007Z

Well I survived my 6 day detox compliments of Nosh. They kindly allowed me to trial the service and I've been recording my thoughts over on The Style PA at Home. Here's my verdict...

Convenience:

This service couldn't really be more convenient, especially if you work in an office like me. Food is delivered each evening for the following day and each bag or bottle is labelled and identified in your menu for that day. At the beginning of the week you get a daily time line of what you should be consuming when and there is never long between meals or snacks so it's quite easy to wait until the next bit of food. I was impressed with the freshness and quality of all the food, even though not all of it was exactly to my taste. I think it's a good idea to be clear about your likes and dislikes to get the most from the detox. Most of the meals can just be popped in the microwave, it's all been prepared for you.

Willpower:

Willpower is definitely required. Don't kid yourself into thinking that this is the quick and easy fix, it will require some determination. However, once you get over the first 3 days, it's plain sailing from there on in and actually I quite enjoyed it. You'll get much more than your 5 a day and feel better as a result. If you start the detox with a bad headache rest assured that's just your dependency on nasties found in your regular diet. My vice was caffeine but I'm so glad the detox forced me to cut down. There are a few extras you get with the food designed to help your body detox like teas, scrubs and supplements. The supplements take some getting used to... I suggest just hiding them in juice or soup.

Weight Loss:

You all want to know... how much weight did I lose? The answer is 4lb. Not bad for 6 days or willpower and yes, people can lose 4lb without resorting to a detox, but this was about more than losing a few lbs. It was more about giving myself a boost and stopping the cravings of all those foods that I eat without thinking and really shouldn't.

Other benefits:

The main benefit is that I need less now to feel satisfied. I've switched from diet coke to caffeine-free diet coke. Still not totally virtuous, but a step in the right direction. I've also not eaten a chocolate bar or sweets for 8 days. That for me is an achievement. I find myself turning to food to treat myself all the time, and I'm rarely actually hungry. Treating the body like a dustbin is not a good idea, and although I won't be giving up treats entirely, I'll be a lot more conscious about what I'm eating and whether I really need it.

Broccoli soup

Post detox Diet:

I'm sticking to cereal for breakfast, soup for lunch and then a dinner of protein, carbs and plenty of veg. I'm drinking about 2.5 litres of water a day and trying to only have one glass of caffeine-free diet coke. Let's hope this helps me build on the loss from the detox and shift a few more pounds.

STYLE - Painted Nails and Threaded Brows

2009-10-25T20:33:00.003Z

I'd never had my eyebrows threaded until this week. I didn't really get it, and I suppose you don't unless you watch and see how it's done. There have been mixed reactions from people I know who've had it done. Some say it hurts like hell, and others say it is 10 times easier than plucking. My verdict is that it was a little painful, but over so much quicker than tweezing and with a better finish too. Ever since I got my fringe I've been neglecting the brows, but in future I might look into paying someone else to tidy them up for me using the threading technique.

I also got my nails painted. I chose a very dark plum/black colour. I wanted grey but they didn't have any so I reckoned this was the next best thing to go with an Autumn wardrobe.

Thanks to the lovely ladies at Warehouse for their press preview (where I managed to try out these extra perks) Stay tuned for pics of their fab Christmas collection. Think beading, studding, Warrior Princess embellishment and shoulder detailing.

NEWS - New Guardian Online Fashion Store

2009-10-21T19:53:00.005+01:00

Guardian News & Media has today launched a new online fashion store - guardianfashionstore.co.uk – to link in with fashion editorial content from the Guardian and The Observer.

The new site's been created in partnership with LynkU.com and will enable Guardian and Observer readers to browse through over 150,000 fashion, beauty and homeware items across 2,000 brands and 300 retailers including AllSaints, Whistles, French Connection, Debenhams and Browns.

Rachel Dixon, Acting Life & Style editor for guardian.co.uk, said: "Now readers can buy the products recommended by our writers with the click of a mouse, or read about the latest trend and find the look in store in moments."

I personally see this as a wider trend within the publishing world as companies look to find more profit in their industry. The newspaper may be dwindling, but people are still materialistic and love to buy. It's just that by doing it this way, the publisher gets a cut of the money by being the middleman.

Good on them I say. We live in a digital world and the one's who embrace it will win.

FASHION - As Seen on Holly Willoughby

2009-10-20T22:01:00.007+01:00

I love Holly Willoughby's dress sense. She always looks feminine and knows how to show off her curves. I was quite excited, as you'll imagine, to get an email about the dress Holly wore on the Xtra Factor last weekend. Remember that vibrant hued, zip detail dress? Well I know where you can get your hands on the exact dress to steal her celebrity style...

The Zip Dress - Isabella Oliver 365 - £139

Wear it with skyscraper black heels for a look that will wow in the office or on your next night out. You can forget the jewellery, this dress accessorizes itself.