If you go down to Leigh Woods today...

...you would have been in for a big surprise. My friend C is currently taking a photography course and she decided that Leigh Woods would be the prefect destination for a quirky shoot.

That's why on Sunday afternoon I was hauling a bag of jewellery, masks and other such props through the woods along with C and several of her friends, dressed in capes, Sgt. Pepper style jackets and boating hats. We certainly raised a few eyebrows amongst the families, walkers and cyclists enjoying a quiet Sunday stroll.

I can't give away too much about the shoot as C was working with film and hasn't yet developed her photos but above is a Polaroid I took of the quirky characters enjoying a mad hatter style tea party.

It was a fab afternoon and fingers crossed there will be plenty more projects like this coming up in the future...

Bristol Street Chic with OSOYOU.com

Bristol listen up. Your fair, fashionable city has been shortlisted as one of the style capitals of the UK on OSYOU.com. Obviously you and I know that Bristol is a fashion-forward city that could rival London or Manchester, and now we have a chance to prove it.

Last Thursday the folks behind high-street fashion website OSOYOU came to Cabot Circus to find and photograph the best of Bristol. Unfortunately, as they picked a weekday, I think they missed out on capturing many of Bristol's stylish residents but they did find some cracking shop workers and students, see below.

I particularly like Amie's look, above, with that gorgeous blush pink skirt and blouse combo - it's like the lovechild outfit of a prim and proper librarian and a rockabilly Gucci model. If you missed out on the event itself the fear not as you can still vote for your favourite Bristol gal to win, earning her some new threads and Bristol its rightful title of most stylish city.

You can go straight to the voting page for Bristol here. My money is on Amie but what does everyone else think?

Style History

My (soon to be) in-laws have been having a belated spring clean of their house and garage recently, which resulted in several boxes of the boyfriend's belongings turning up at our flat, competing for floor space against books, furniture, bags and whatever else gets thrown on the floor when I walk through the door.

To cut a long story short, the boyfriend inherited the task of dealing with his grandparents house after they passed away a few years ago and so it was that we found ourselves on the living room floor, sorting through boxes of stuff he had decided to keep at the time. While he tackled military memorabilia, I was trusted with the task of trawling through 50 odd years of photographs.

As something of a photography fanatic, I was delighted to see everything from Polaroid snaps in the 70s to tiny, passport photo-size snaps from his grandparents in the 1940s. M's grandmother Christina used to be a model and the snaps that you can see here are ones her husband took of her throughout the years.

Above: M's grandmother Chris, third from the left

This was long before the age of digital photography and yet there were literally hundreds of images like this of Chris posing on holiday, outside their home and with her friends. There were shots of her taking part in modelling competitions and on holiday in a kaftan Ossie Clark would be proud of.

One of the things I love about fashion, blogging in particular, is how important street style and different sub-cultures have become. Outfit posts are so common these days and while there are some blogs out there that excel at this (The Satorialist and What Katie Wore, for example) there are also many bloggers out there that deliver half-hearted attempts. I include myself in this majority, which is why you won't often see me posing in my new threads.

However, when I look at all the images of what were effectively outfit posts for a different generation, I am inspired by the relationship between subject and shooter. Some shots are candid, some staged but in each Chris has that glamorous appeal that I associate with this era.

Fresh faced but with immaculate hair, fitted outfits and simple accessories, these images could appear on any vintage fashion blog today. Although fashions and models of camera changed over the course of 50 years, her knack of style and her husband's love of photographing her remained the same.

I wish I could have been around to experience such important decades of fashion and photographic developments but for now I'll settle for seeing them through the lens of M's grandfather.

Prairie chic at Peacocks

I spent the afternoon with S in Broadmead and Cabot Circus, searching in vain for a decent pair of brogues to take my feet from summer to autumn and yet again I drew a blank. I did however, stumble across this delightful black dress, above, in the Peacocks sale.

With ruched puffball sleeves and a scallop hemline it isn't perhaps the most practical of purchases I could have made in October but I just couldn't resist. The scallop details and rose embroidery are very well finished and the shape - is very Little House on the Prairie. If I had found this £10 gem a couple of months ago it would have been worn with bare legs and gladiator sandals but I reckon it will look equally good with some opaque black tights and my new boots.

I also managed to sedate my current appetite for shoes by grabbing a new pair of ankle boots. Both previous pairs I had (gold moon boots and red Superman-style affairs) had more holes that Swiss cheese so as painful as it was, it was time to let go. The new pair are far more sturdy, with decent soles, a slight heel and chocolate brown leather - a fr more versatile than pillar box red or gold!

No picture unfortunately as my flat is a tip at the moment and you can hardly hang boots in front of a window now can you? So instead, her is a close up of the scalloped neckline and embroidery detail on the bust of my prairie chic dress...

The Wan and Only...

Due to other commitments I couldn't make it to the Fashion Weekender - the 2nd birthday celebrations of Cabot Circus - as mentioned last week, which I was gutted about as it meant missing out on a one-on-one chat with style guru Gok Wan.

Since rising to fame as the presenter of How to Look Good Naked in 2006, Gok has helped a nation of women overcome their fashion fears with encouragement, a pally approach and plenty of flattering underwear to boot. While some women I know aren't fans of his 'Aunty Gok' approach - the boyfriend is convinced he is straight and just camping it up as an excuse to feel up women - I think his approach is fantastic and far more forgiving than some other TV stylists I could mention (Trinny and Susannah, I'm looking at you).

Although I couldn't make it to see Gok in person, the lovely folks at Cabot Circus took the liberty of asking him a few questions on his style secrets and what he really thinks every fashionista should own...

Q. What is your greatest fashion indulgence?

A. My collection of vintage trainers and my favourite second hand leather jacket.

Q. What is your life’s motto?

A. It’s not what you know, it’s what you know when you know it!

Q. Best shopping experience?

A. They’re all great! I love to shop and I really feel my hard work and dedication has made me King of the Tills!

Q. What do you love about fashion?

A. It’s power to transform both your appearance and your mood.

Q. What are your favourite words or phrases?

A. Probably ‘gorgeous’ and ‘bangers’!

Q. What one item of clothing makes all women look good?

A. Every woman should own a little black dress - it's a timeless classic but it must suit you.

Q. What's the best thing for smoothing out lumps and bumps?

A. Good underwear!

Q. What is the best style advice you give to women?

A. Get your foundations right. You cannot dress anything unless what's underneath is all in the right proportion.

Q. Which celebrity's style do you admire the most?

A. I think SJP* is consistent and I also like what Florence from Florence + The Machine is doing

*Sadly I think the answer to this question applies to the other SJP... ;)

Something for the weekend... Gok Wan does Bristol

Channel 4's saviour of style Gok Wan is coming to Bristol this weekend to help Cabot Circus celebrate their second birthday. As part of the Fashion Weekender, Gok will be presenting catwalk shows in Cabot Circus on Saturday 25th September, while the fun continues on Sunday with catwalk shows from Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser.

The shows will preview the latest A/W 10 looks including animal prints, aviation and military, above, and there will of course be plenty of discounts and competitions on offer from participating stores too.

Cabot Circus has put Bristol on the map as one of the best shopping destinations in the South West and is the icing on the cake of Bristol's independent labels and boutiques. Speaking to Cabot Circus bigwigs last week Gok commented: “Since the opening of Cabot Circus Bristol now boasts the best shopping in the South West with an amazing mix of high-street and designer brands. Bristol has a very unique style – it’s urban, edgy and cool. I can’t wait to see what Bristol has to offer on 25^th September!”



Hopefully Gok will have time in his busy schedule to check out the other essential Bristol fashion destinations that give Bristol it's 'urban, edgy and cool' style. Unfortunately Ship-Shape wont be covering the event due to other fashionable commitments in Cardiff so make sure you get down there and check out the trends and tips for yourself!

All the Fashion Weekender events are free and the catwalk shows kick off at 11am on Saturday.

To get more information and find out how you could win a personal styling session with Gok visit www.cabotcircus.com.

Push: style without substance

For a while now I have seen some fast-paced fashion ads cropping up on Five's younger, cooler sister channel Fiver (where I get my regular fix of Aussie soap heaven) for new reality drama Push, and this afternoon I finally caved and watched the first episode on YouTube.

Before I divulge my own opinions on this series about a fashion writer trying to make it in London, let me give you a little background info. Lydia Harrison is a blonde twenty-something with a penchant for Topshop and her fashion blog, Style Push.

Lydia has made the move from Glasgow to make it big in the fashion world, dreaming of a job on a glossy magazine such as ELLE. She is currently living with her ice cold cousin Chloe, has a Scottish gay best friend Alex (who has also moved to London) and has left behind a Scottish rogue who cheated on her and broke her heart.

Set in trendy North East London, the show is described as a reality drama, whereby the main characters are played by actors but the assignments that Lydia takes on (writing for ELLEuk.com and Models 1) and the fashion industry insiders she meets along the way are very real.

Above: Lydia wearing Topshop, YSL and Beyond Retro from episode 3

I'm guessing, from the 'edgy' adverts, late night slot and mix of reality and scripted drama I've seen in the first couple of episodes, that the makers were going for mix of The Hills and Sex & The City, set in the gritty yet glamorous streets of London.

Combining real fashion industry brands, publications, websites and Lydia's very own fashion blog is a very canny move - brands get publication and advertising while the interactive nature of a blog and Twitter account involve the reader. The lovely people at Fiver have even complied soundtracks and a lookbook for each episode.

The pesky little weak point is that the show itself is, for want of a better word, a bit shit. The plots are unbelievable, the script is stilted and stale and describing the actors as 'wooden' is me being polite. The conversation doesn't flow, the scenarios feel beyond contrived and even the backdrop of Shoreditch and Covent Garden does little to save the show. After only two episodes (I had to give it a fair chance after all) I feel like I know where the storyline is heading and the fact that after a week in London the main character already has an in at ELLEuk.com is a little far-fetched.

Push is a fantastic piece of marketing for all involved, except perhaps for the actors, but it falls flat as the primary function of an entertaining, gripping drama. The producers have clearly gone for style over substance and other than the closet candy worn by Lydia and Chloe, there is very little worth tuning in for.

Push, Wednesdays at 11.25pm, on Fiver