My Favourite Boden Purchases & What A/W Has In Store

When Boden bought out their Alice heels I was desperate for a pair.  Not only were they gorgeous but my second daughter is called Alice and I'm a sucker for things like that!  However, the voice of reason struck and I really didn't need more heels.  So when they released the flat version I was over the moon.  Even more so when the email flashed up that they were heavily reduced, plus I had a voucher - result!  (They also do a mid heel - see here).  

Alice flats £49.50 (other colours from £29.70)

I absolutely love them.  They come up true to size and are so comfortable.  I am a huge suede fan so that was the icing on the cake, plus the tassels in the pewter colour work perfectly alongside the black and grey.  I have a few pairs of ballet pumps so these are a great addition, they are more structured than a pump and feel more like a shoe as they aren't slip on.

I was having a double tassel kind of day!
Jeans and bag Topshop

I am sure I've featured this cardigan before but as it's coming into Autumn I wanted to remind you about their cashmere.  I bought this a while back, again it was reduced to around the £50 mark.  It is probably the best piece of cashmere I own as far as quality goes (I'm talking High Street cashmere here, I'm sure there's some amazing designers pieces out there too!).  It's hard to describe but it's like it's been knitted together tighter, a really well made piece.  I have worn and worn it, it's a proper work horse in my wardrobe.  They have this ribbed jumper in currently which I'm wondering if it will be of similar texture to my cardigan, I will definitely be keeping an eye on it in the sales!

A few photos from their press day earlier this year to follow.  There were some stand out pieces which I'm sharing with you however their basics crew neck cashmere (available in a variety of colours) still drew me in.  

I loved this cashmere jumper - the colour was just as gorgeous in the flesh.  £99

They are launching their new British Icons very soon (sign up here to hear about it first).  The cardigan and coat below were some of my favourite from the collection - I love it when there's a real story behind what a brand is bringing to us.  Even more so when there is going to be less available!

Finishing with a few pairs of shoes and a handbag!

I can't find these shoes online so I don't think they have been launched yet.  The gold are my favourite - you can jazz up a pair of jeans so easily with them.

 These flats were being 'papped' a lot! They have have them in navy and plum satin also.  £99

This fur bag was so soft and totally beautiful.  The leather straps were well made, I could see this being used as an every day chuck it all in bag, glamming up any outfit!  £139, available in two other colours, due in 5 weeks.

My Alice flats have really been worn so much, I hugely recommend them.  Next post will be some recent outfits - apologies in advance - they feature in most of them!

The McQueen Exhibit

I can't believe it's been a month since I went to the V&A to see this amazing exhibit and I've only just got round to sharing it with you, it's still as fresh as yesterday.  My friend is a huge McQueen fan so was desperate to see it and being a lover of fashion, I wasn't going to say no.  However, I wasn't really expecting to get what we got.  From the start to the finish, the amount of work and love poured into sharing the stories of the late Alexander Lee McQueen's creations was flawless.  It is on until the 2nd August however advance tickets online are now sold out so you have to try your luck on the day.  Go if you can, you won't be disappointed.  Here's a sneak peak of some (and I mean only some - you seriously got your monies worth) of my favourites.

The Black Swan gown - look at those feathers!

Cut leather

Glass beads

Appliqué embroidery and beads

The famous splattered paint dress that happened live at one of his shows

Dyed ostrich feathers and hand-painted glass microscope slides

His use of feathers was breath taking

McQueen was a genius in his field, always pushing the boundaries, he was fearless.  His use of materials was also so exciting, from crocodile heads to feathers, it was art in it's finest form.  I was utterly captivated walking around looking at the exhibit, feeling so privileged to be viewing his own thoughts in his masterpieces.  Being a slightly (!) emotional person I was also sad about this huge loss, not in the least to our world of fashion but also that of a human being who clearly had such creative passion in him.  This was further cemented when the same friend insisted we go to see the theatre show which was yet another creative masterpiece.  It was a short glimpse into McQueens life with dance, costumes and superb actors.  It's only having a short stint but if it tours - go and see it.