Aintree Races - Fashion

So I am not even going to Aintree Races this year but have tons of outfit ideas!  If you need any inspiration read on.

I, myself, am getting bored with seeing dresses, flesh and poorly applied fake tan.  Flesh on a cold, dare I say snowy (it happened the first year I went!) day looks awful in my opinion pale or streaky. Dress for the occasion, dress for the weather.  The weather of that day, NOT the weather you would hope for in April.

A day at the races tends to start early, most of it you are standing around outside and ends with a meal and drinks in town afterwards so that could be something like 10+ hours. There's nothing worse than being cold and uncomfortable.

If I was going to Aintree this year, whether that be on the Thursday, Ladies Day or the Grand National I would be wearing high waisted, full length trousers.  I would tuck in a sheer or silky blouse and layer over that a blazer.  If bad weather was forcasted I would definitely wear a smart wool jacket or coat.   To accessorise, depending on the cut of the trouser, I would wear wedges but would take a pair of ballet pumps in a neutral oversized clutch bag.  I personally would wear a jewelled hair accessory but this look would be fine with a floppy J-Lo style hat or a fascinator.

 

If you must do a dress why not wear a maxi dress with a blazer.  Alternatives to dresses:- trousers, jumpsuits, playsuits and shorts with tights.  Nobody wants to wear black opaque tights in Spring but sometimes the weather calls for them.


Tips: - Use an oversized clutch bag to fit in a pair of ballet pumps, money, phone, keys, I.D etc take a plainish plastic bag to carry your wedges in later.

Visualisation

I've just read an interesting article in the March edition of Elle (UK) about visualisation. How if you visualise what you want to achieve, what you want your life to be you can achieve it.

I guess it is all about 100% believing in your dreams, believing in yourself. Positivity. Never doubting yourself.

This is a technique athletes use, Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis for one. Other people will do this without realising it is what they are doing. Positive people. Lucky people. The end goal doesn't have to be a gold medal, a record deal or a 100 caps for the England team. Everybody or anybody could do it for their hopes, their personal dreams.

The article writer was challenged to envisage what she wanted, what she would like to achieve in her life. Why had she yet to achieve these things? Did she believe these aspirations achievable? No. She didn't. Perhaps the negativity, the expected defeat was holding her back. . The lack of belief that the things she most wanted were ever likely to be hers.

Imagine the life you want and list the components in it that would make it complete.

Health - do you need to improve it? how can you?
Home - return to it, find it, make it?
Love - find it, keep it, work on it, cherish it?
Career - what do you want to do?
Travel - where do you want to go?

I have a few goals of my own for some of the above areas in my life. I believe all these things will happen. Why don't you try it? Good luck to you with yours.

Sale purchase

Dune Logan D leopard print pumps £39 reduced from £50

Not super cheap. Roughly the same cost of Converse but slightly thicker, not as rough on feet as canvas is also.

They will add character to an outfit. Leopard print & stripes is a combination that I've always loved. I will pair these with my skinny jeans & a striped tee. Black leggings & trainer socks with an oversized tee with a pendant & a leather jacket would look cute as another option.

Sales are not a good time for impulse purchases so check the returns policy before purchasing. If you do buy something, try it on with things from your wardrobe to make sure it fits into your look & works with items you already have. Do this before taking tags off, keep receipt & keep an eye on return limit. I don't set rules for myself when shopping but here are a few "should I shouldn't I keep it" points.

1. I've been thinking about purchasing for a while BUY

2. It's above what I want to spend by quite a bit DON'T BUY (my rough limit is £50 I try to stick to under that)

3. It's a stand out piece that will probably only get worn once or twice but I love it. DON'T BUY unless really cheap & then sell it on eBay.

4. It's classic, flattering & good quality BUY you can wear frequently or save for those occasions that require style. Think investment.

Happy shopping x

Overkill

I don't want to get too festive & be bored with it by mid-December. I don't want to save it all for the 3 days either. Saying all that, I am tempted to watch my box sets but just watch the Christmas episodes. These would include:

The Royale Family
Newlyweds - Nick & Jessica
The Big Bang Theory
Friends
The O.C
Glee maybe?

I don't think any of the Sex and the City box sets had Christmas episodes?! I can't remember any. The first movie had a Christmas but not the series. I have a shocking memory though.

Festive films:

Sleepless in Seattle
Love Actually
The Holiday
Home Alone 1 & 2
Sex and the City Movie 1
Santa Claus the Movie
Elf
Arthur Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street
Harry Potter 1-8

Today we watched Arthur Christmas. Sunday evening Fred Claus was on. Last Sunday it was Home Alone :) next Sunday Ch4 are putting Miracle on 34th Street on.

Going to buy our advent calendars tomorrow, Cadburys of course. Trying to hold off on eating mince pies until 1st December but I've started on the Christmas films I might as well eat a mince pie. When the Christmas songs first started in the shops I'd go into Boots as often as possible just to hear them! It's officially December on Saturday so maybe the Christmas songs will start on the radio.

It's lovely feeling festive. Going to make the most of it this year.

Today I wore..

After a Zumba workout, dog walk & shower, I finally dressed for the rest of the day. I chose colour to cheer up the weather & as a pick me up for my mood.

Blue v-neck sweater - Zara
Grey & white striped tee - French Connection
Dark denim cut off skirt - Oasis
Multicoloured striped scarf - Gap
Orange wooly hat - Warehouse

The finished look reminded me of a vintage Christmas Gap advert. Warm & comfortable for an afternoon of blogging & watching Arthur Christmas.

I know it's super late but..

Here are my Halloween costumes from this year.

Party no1: Louise's 26th birthday (Saturday before Halloween)

I decided on Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family after trailing through Google images. I fancied wearing a wig too (I'm blonde-ish) I had just returned a dress that would of been perfect for the Wednesday costume so had to go back for that. With a wig ordered & the dress bought, I experimented with make-up ideas deciding on pale foundation, black & white eyeliners (things I already had in my make-up bag).

On the night of the party my sister Emma helped plait the wig into two plaited bunches & pin it to my hair. I smudged black eyeliner under my eyes to emphasise the dark bags and paled my lips out with foundation. Finishing touches to the look were black opaque tights & shiny black patent brogues.

It was fun to dress up & I enjoyed the preparation of the costume. Originally I bought the dress for work uniform but found it was too short. It might be cute on a night out though with bare, tanned legs or floral fishnets?! We will see.

Party no2: Jess' 26th birthday
(Saturday after Halloween)

At the previous party I was the only person not to do a painted face! Although my Wednesday Addams costume was fab I felt the odd one out.

For Jess' party I decided on a skeleton. I bought black & white face paint & googled skeleton ideas. I was inspired by a girl's outfit I saw at the last party. White shirt, black blazer, black skinny trousers and to top it off, a black bow tie. Sexy look. I replaced the pants for black opaque tights & a black mesh tutu skirt I had made for a friend's hen night.

On the night of the party I was so excited to wear the outfit! I pulled my blonde-ish hair into a flicky ponytail so the face paint would be the main focus. It took a few costs to get the white as bright as I wanted and had a couple of false starts with the skeleton mouth but when I'd finished it looked great.

I was really pleases with the finished look but at the party would you know it, I was the only person with a painted face! Typical. I felt like I had a face mask on that was cracking & tight. Facial expressions were difficult! But to touch it felt normal.

Only after the party did I realise how similar the outfit & make-up was to Lady Gaga in the Born This Way video, a song I love.

Dressing up really was a lot of fun, maybe I'll do it again next year.

My must-see fashion films

Devil Wears Prada – I read the book first and loved it.  Author Lauren Weisberger is a former assistant of US Vogue Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.  From her year in the position, Weisberger was inspired to pen a novel on her experiences working for Wintour.  The film adaptation is wonderful, full of comedy, catwalks and cattiness from inside the fashion world.  With a first class cast including Anne Hathaway as leading lady Andy, Meryl Streep in the role of boss from hell Miranda Priestly, stylist Nigel played by Stanley Tucci and the introduction of Emily Blunt as first assistant Emily. The story revolves around Andy, an aspiring writer with little to no interest in fashion who ends up working at Runway (basically Vogue) which she sees as her gateway to the world of journalism.  The film follows her transformation from clumsy care-free Andy to stylish stress-head Andrea.  The transformation allows the audience to glimpse some amazing outfits and with guest appearances from model and presenter Heidi Klum and designer Valentino the film feels like a true portrayal of the fashion industry.  Renowned costume designer Patricia Field was responsible for one of the most beautiful, colour wardrobe of any film I have seen so far.  Who would expect any less? The original author of the novel Lauren Weisberger plays a none-speaking role in the film as the nanny to Miranda Priestly’s twins.

4/5

From this..

..to this.

Confessions of a Shopaholic – Once again I read the book first.  I love to read and if I can, I like to read the book before I see the film.  As I read further into the series, I started to love the main character Rebecca, who author Sophie Kinsella makes so likeable.  Girly girl Rebecca Bloomwood loves shopping, shopping for anything!  She has debts and bills and a busting wardrobe to prove it.  With the bank manager very interested to track her down, the film follows her attempts to avoid him and the debt she has accumulated.  Surprisingly, Rebecca is a financial journalist who clearly does not practise what she preachers.  Along the way her elaborate excuses and lies get out of hand and she could lose significant relationships if she carries on the way she is.  The character’s ultimate goal is to write for fashion magazine Alette and Rebecca will go to any lengths to do that.  The film is full of colourful fashion and the beautiful Isla Fisher, who plays leading lady Rebecca, makes all the outfits look even more powerful against her pale skin and copper hair.  Once again the amazingly talented Patricia Field held the position of costume designer for the Devil Wears Prada film.  Personally, I prefer the storyline within the book series.  It is more relatable to me as it is set in Britain, whereas the films are American, as are the films characters.  The books are funnier too, especially the relationship between Rebecca and her parents and the additional characters that pop up in the continuing book series. 

3/5

Clueless – This is a great 90s film about a popular teenager living in Beverley Hills. The film follows Cher Horowitz’ high school life experiences with her friends and step-brother.  There is plenty of fashion, parties, relationships and some bad driving. As superficial as Cher may initially seem, her innocence and caring nature comes through whether it is setting up lonely teachers, giving make-overs and doing charity work her intentions are all good.  Her moving closet and computer programme to help her put her outfits together give great entertainment for fashionistas watching as do the competitive high school fashion outfit wars day to day.  Pay particular attention to how the girls style their PE outfits.  Costume designer Mona May was responsible for the grunge 90s feel to some characters’ outfits and Cher’s unique fashion leader looks.

4.5/5

Sex and the City – The Movie  1+2 – Carrying on from the end of the TV series, the first movie catches up with Carrie and her friends a few years later.  Carrie and Mr. Big are to be married and you can imagine the wedding gown amongst all the other fabulous fashion statements made throughout this film especially with four leading ladies and Patricia Field as the film’s stylist.  An unfortunate comment slips out at an inopportune moment which leads Carrie jilted on her wedding day.  Her friends rally round her and insist on attending her honeymoon with her to get away from New York.  This exotic trip gives the audience the wonderful fashion show that is their holiday wardrobes, as does the second film.  Samantha whisks the girls to Abu Dhabi on an all expenses paid trip.  The styling is out of this world; Patricia Field has the most perfect attention to detail and forward thinking when it comes to fashion.  For me, these films, along with the TV series are a source of inspiration for putting outfits together and accessorising.

5/5

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Set in New York in the early 60s, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a classic film starring style icon Audrey Hepburn.  Leading lady Miss Holly Golightly works the party scene pocketing $50 bills from rich men for the powder room.  She is a beautiful brunette with a glamorous style.  She is popular with many men who are driven wild by her flippancy.  Holly is a troubled type who finds her escape at Tiffany’s.  Her flat has never been made a home by Holly’s unwillingness to unpack and her pet cat remains unnamed.  When a new neighbour moves into the building Holly develops a friendship with writer Paul Varjak as they have similarities in their lives and he reminds her of her brother Fred who is away at war.  Holly interests Paul, her life, her personality and spends more time with her and uncovers the real person beneath the glamorous exterior.  With the most famous black dress and pearls outfit at the start of the film, you would not be disappointed with the outfits throughout the rest of the film including classic Burberry Mac in the final scenes.  Designer Givenchy dressed Audrey Hepburn for Breakfast at Tiffany’s as he did for the majority of her career and personal life.  Hepburn was Givenchy’s muse.  A must see fashion film.

3.5/5