New Year, New Loot - Part Two

Welcome to New Year, New Loot - Part Two. If Part One was an insight to my fashion-forward mind pre-Christmas, then consider this post to be a look at how my brain works during the January sales.

Every year I read (and write) about how to shop successfully during the sales, what items to look for (the words 'classic' and 'wardrobe staples' spring to mind) and how to avoid the pitfalls and frenzy that only the January sales creates.

Then, every year I go and buy something like the layered vest top, below, simply because it costs a fiver and has a smiley face on it....

That's not to say I won't wear this vest (H&M) a lot - I will and it looks ace with black leggings - just that I get a little over excited at all those big red signs. This was my first purchase of a day out with some friends at Cabot Circus and while we were trying lace dresses and skater skirts I also came across this silk dress, below.

This has a tad more longevity and could work well as a dress or as a smart day-to-evening top when paired with some tailored trousers. The tie-dye pattern isn't something I would normally go for but that is a benefit of sales shopping - a price drop allows one to try out new styles, colours or patterns, without the fear of wasting a lot of money.

Once I'd warmed up a little I found The One, below, the dress that respects the rules of sales shopping and that made my heart skip a beat. It is a flattering, feminine shape, has a unique pattern, a vintage vibe and, crucially, goes with lots of other items I already own. Sadly as with all sale items there was one slight flaw - there was only one size left, and it was slightly smaller than I usually wear.
You can see it in the photo above so I obviously bought it. Does it fit? Well yes actually. Would it fit a little better if I were half a stone lighter? Probably, but at least this way I have a goal to aim for... at least that's what I'm telling myself...

New Year, New Loot - Part One

Thanks to a mystery bug I've had a fair bit of time on my hands today so, aside from napping and the odd bout of nausea, I've been playing with my camera and all the lovely new treats that came my way over Christmas*.

This year, Christmas stocking aside, Mother Ship-Shape took me shopping in Bournemouth to find a few festive goodies. I love surprises - planning them, being on the receiving end, knowing about somebody else's surprise (I'm not fussy) - and usually insist on knowing nothing about gifts that might be coming my way. Year after year I've had some cracking surprises but this year the shopping trip saved my poor mother from the hassle and panic of buying for a surprise-aholic and also guaranteed everything would fit properly.

I tried on numerous pairs of tailored jodhpur style trousers before finding this stone-coloured pair from New Look. Thanks to my pre-wedding health kick they suit sitting both high on the waist or lower on my hips. They also go rather nicely with my gorgeous new Dorothy Perkins blazer, below. I adore the slight ruching on the pockets and the slouchy feel of the lightweight cotton, and the taupe colour is close enough to beige to be a wardrobe staple, but far enough away from camel to make it too A/W 10.

I also finally managed to get myself a pair of brogues from River Island. A cross between a loafer and brogue, the hidden laces make these shoes far more versatile and I can't wait till Spring to pair them with bare legs and summer dresses.

Somewhat surprisingly, I gravitated towards very similar garments and came away from Christmas with a practically complete outfit - a rare feat for my shopping trips, as Part Two of this post will show you...

Slouchy pockets and turned up cuffs make a perfect S/S blazer

My new stone coloured trousers came complete with brown knotted belt

Brogue + loafer =?

*Sadly not the new Jamie Oliver cookbook - at the moment that is only adding to the nausea feeling : (

Cabot Circus Spring/Summer pt. 1

The fashion season has well and truly hit Bristol and this weekend is the turn of Cabot Circus to show us what we should be wearing this Spring. And Spring has well and truly sprung as shoppers crowed into the sunlit centre of Cabot - with a ceiling of blue skies lighting up the bright white catwalk outside House of Fraser.

After the success of their anniversary catwalk show in September, the fashionable brains at Cabot enlisted the help of stylist Ricky Partner to create the two shows that will rotate across the next two days, while choreographer Vicki Jackson ensured the models had the necessary moves to wow the crowds.

With scenes such as 'floral', 'mid America' and 'Italian Riviera' there were many trends to get through to what perhaps could have been one hour long show was split into two shorter segments, advertised as Show A and Show B. My stylish stallholder chum Amy accompanied me to Show A and we were treated to the best nautical, floral and boho chic looks from the likes of Ted Baker, A Wear, Urban Outfitters and River Island.

Men, women and kids were catered for, as were the diverse clientele of shoppers. I'm a bit of a sucker for the nautical trend which ticked all the boxes but I was pleasantly surprised at the 'Boho Chic' scene from Urban Outfitters, New Look and Dorothy Perkins. I was expecting the maxi skirts and off-shoulder tops circa 2004 but this new take on Sienna Miller's favourite fallback was refreshingly modern, with plenty of denim and boyfriend blazers thrown in for good measure.

The 'Mid America' and denim scenes were rather bland and could have benefited from more diversity and accessories but the geek chic scene was spot on, with heavy, black rimmed glasses and nervous, awkward expressions to compliment the buttoned up shirts and prim blouses.

This season Cabot Circus have gone for quality over quantity and while merging both shows might have been a little too long for the average shopper, it would have been great to see more trends per show without having to come back at a later time. However this did give us the opportunity to explore more of the offers and talks within the 'fashion and beauty playground' in neighbouring Quakers Friars.

If you want to be part of the action then head down today or tomorrow for catwalk shows, competitions and talks - all for free! For more info and show times, click here.

Nautical but nice: models show of their moves in this season's cream and navy combo

The men were kept in the loop with the 'Mid America' look from Guess, Republic and Urban Outfitters

Bold colours and patterns characterise the floral trend, courtesy of Monsoon and Ted Baker

Clear blue skies provide the perfect accompaniment to the florals scene

Urban Outfitters show how to do the new 'Boho Chic' with cut-off denim, floral prints and leather ankle boots

Models get the double denim treatment from Zara, Next, Reiss and Dorothy Perkins

Peaches and cream: 'Beauty and the Geek' for guys and girls. Accessorise with heavy black rimmed glasses

Ted Baker, Fred Perry and A Wear tackle geek chic with checked shirts and demure blouses

Military looks by House of Fraser

Cabot Circus Fashion Show

A new season in fashion is marked by events across the fashion capitals of the world. Although London Fashion Week has just ended, Bristol is catching up with shows across the city, from Stokes Croft to Cribbs Causeway. This weekend the fashionable folks at Cabot Circus are kicking things off...

A year ago today Cabot Circus opened it's doors to the public and as press I was lucky enough to watch the celebratory events unfold. One year on and Cabot Circus are celebrating with two days of catwalk shows, make-up demonstrations, competitions and give-aways. Today I went down to see the first of several catwalk shows taking place over the next two days and got a front row seat to see what the stores will be showcasing this season.

The show focused on five popular trends; biker chic, knitwear, countryside tweeds, 1940s and the the ever popular decade on the high street: electric 80s. First up were the biker models. Despite clothes from Guess, New Look, G-Star and French Connection, almost all the looks were styled with black wet-look leggings and biker boots. Nothing wrong there but it would have been nice to see a twist on this popular look. A studded black cardigan from French Connection was a highlight, as was the biker jacket from New Look, with it's studded shoulders, see below.

The knitwear portion of the show was fairly commercial, with looks to cater for all members of the audience, from students and young mums to middle aged women and businesswomen on their lunch break. The stand-out model was dressed by River Island, who have gone down a more edgy, expressive route in the last two years. The chunky bright necklace and fuchsia pink ankle boots gave more individuality to the look.

I particularly liked the 'Tweed and Tails' look that came next; with a mix of checks, tweeds and knits that echoed farmers wives and horse riding in the country. The stylists had paired tweed with tweed in the form of skirt/trouser suits but I would have liked to have seen a mix of layers to show how a fitted tweed jacket could enhance a number of more casual outfits such as skinny jeans or tea dresses for example.

To interject a dose of excitement the models performed dances with one another while parading down the catwalk and during the 'Fabulous Forties' section I was quite concerned that one model was showing off more than just her clothes! Luckily the model in question was wearing quite a fitted skirt but it goes to show that in shows like this it is not always wise to go for a front row seat! Once again many of the looks were very commercial but a pink feather shawl from Topshop (layered over a Kate Moss tea dress) proved that you can find unique, quality and on trend pieces for a reasonable price on the high street.

A surprise hit for me was the Dynasty-inspired finale. I'm not normally one for the 80's trend but there were some gorgeous shoes, jumpsuits and dresses on show from Topshop, Reiss, River Island and Karen Millen. My favourite item which is already on my Christmas wish list is a cropped sequined jacket from Dorothy Perkins - gorgeous! Below are some shots of the show - unfortunately mostly the later half as I spent ages sorting out the settings on my camera.

If you're interested in seeing the fashion show then get down to Cabot Circus tomorrow for more shows, give-aways and demonstrations, or click here for more info.