The L.K.Bennett Event

I had the pleasure of aiding some fabulous shoppers the other week at L.K.Bennett's store in Marylebone High Street.  If you haven't had a walk down there, then do.  It's such a lovely little part of London that is so close to the hustle and bustle yet feels like miles away.  Think boutique, high end shops (it reminds me of the scenes in the movie Notting Hill for some reason) with some very good charity shops too!  

All about me!  (Right next to that gorgeous scarf!)

L.K's have some great work wear staples not to mention their shoes which covers you from flats to courts to boots.  If you are near, stop by and pay Natasha and her team a visit, they are all so friendly and helpful and know their stock very well. 

My favourite item from the night had to be these little bobby dazzlers which had me and a shopper mesmerised in conversation over them.  Team with a great boyfriend jean for a chic, understated  look.

The 'Tilly' £195

Over to what I wore for the evening.  I started with my feet and worked upwards!  My trusted L.K sandals were the basis for the colours of my outfit.  I wanted to wear a trouser as I feel my most comfortable in them when running around looking after clients.  Then I decided on a blazer to keep the ensemble smart.  It was the first outing for my bargain sparkly Topshop blazer (blogged about here) and I loved wearing it.  I then picked out the nude/pink from the shoes and popped that  colour underneath the blazer.  Please excuse the grainy, tired looking shots.  I took the photo around 11pm after a long day.

Blazer; Topshop
Top: Warehouse
Trousers; Topshop

Lastly I added some accessories.  This broach was my Nan's, its costume jewellery, not real diamonds but I am hugely sentimental when it comes to family items so it's worth a lot to me.  It's actually one broach that cleverly splits into two.  Just before I dashed out of the house leaving my Mum in charge of the girls (poor lady) she said I needed something else, so the broach it was.

(the netting either side of my blazer?  Yep, that's my pac-a-mac...)

You may see a glimpse above of my belt.  I am a sucker for an animal print and enjoy adding some for a bit of fun to my looks.  It's a black and white belt so sort of in-keeping with the over all colours and tones of my look.

Shoes: L.K. Bennett
Belt; Boden
Bracelets (in order top to bottom; Thomas Sabo, Annie Haak, Tiffany
Nailpolish; Chanel

PS Huge thank you to Charlie from the Marylebone Electric salon for curling my hair!  I wish I lived just around the corner from him and his team so I could drop by more often.  

L.K.Bennett, Marylebone High Street

I had the pleasure of being invited to an L.K.Bennett fashion evening at the beautiful Marylebone Hotel last week.  As with most things in my life, it was a rush to get out the house but once I got there I was greeted and welcomed with drinks and canapés (my favourite food, bite size little nibbles, keep them coming!).  The hotel is a little hidden gem if you are near the area and looking for a boutique style hotel, it's part of the exclusive Doyle Collection.  I have to say my favourite photo I took was that of the animal print chair in the toilets!  I do love an animal print.

Please can I have one???

Ok and on with more important things than interiors; the shoes, the clothes, the colour.  I want to go shopping!  I love that their pieces are individual enough to wear alone but still work well together.  The show was put together by the staff at their Marylebone High Street store themselves, how dedicated to have staff willing to do this?  I guess it speaks volumes about the brand.

NB I am not a photographer by trade, my photo's reflect that but you get the gist!

I love the blue and gold together

They match their clutches to their shoes oh so well

Colour pop court!

Sleek and sophisticated 

And on the model, stunning.  A timeless classic cut

Working those ankle boots with abstract print and bold colour

I LOVE this coat

Gorgeous striped fur, really adds some character to the dress

Working that tailored suit in the monochrome trend

Bright orange is still a key on trend colour

I love this look.  Chic pencil skirt with a twinkling pretty top

Hello purple!

Of course the show wouldn't have been complete without the staple LBD

Ooh la la!  Look at those leggings and spangly top!

Letting the rear view do the talking

I of course wore my L.K.Bennett shoes.  Their second airing in less than a week.  I wanted to dress them down slightly as I did have a commute to do (in ballet pumps!) so wore my Ralph Lauren chino's but picked out the pink/nude colours from the shoes in my Warehouse top.

Accessories were kept minimal, it was all about the shoes.  Just a few bracelets (Tiffany and Marc Jacobs)

Just peeping through is my Hugo Boss black belt, a charity shop find from Marylebone High Street!  (And Lizzie the cat getting in the way again). 

I love Marylebone High Street, it feels so different to the normal hustle and bustle of say Oxford Street. Like 'old London'.  Think fromagerie's, hidden parks (like the one at the end of the Notting Hill film when they are on the park bench!) and some great boutique style shops.  Drop into L.K.Bennett, you can be sure that Natasha (store manager) and her amazing team will give you a very warm welcome.  

PS this is not a sponsored post, I was just invited and I like to share.  Just in case anyone was thinking that this was a tarnished view!

Wedding Outfit & Some Vintage Accessories

So my last post was about leaving my outfit's until the last minute.  Well I can report I am consistent, I did the same on Friday.  Three dresses hung in front of me, 1 hour left to leave the house......the navy French Connection dress won.  I wanted something fitted, not loose that day.  I am mostly a simple dresser, I like to keep it classic.  So I threw in my vintage pale pink Chanel handbag, painted my nails pink (Chanel again!) and wore my L.K.Bennett snakeskin heels for the first time.  I love that they cover the soles of their shoes so they are not scuffed until the first wear - genius for saving them for the owner not the shoppers in store.  I added several other accessories then removed them all and just added some sparkle with a necklace.

Not the best of shots, you will know by now I'm not the best in front of the camera

Bows on the back

In a slightly better light (but the end of the day!)

It deserved a seat all of it's own

I love the ruffle detail on the shoulders of this dress

My accessories

Whilst driving to the wedding I took this photo to send to my family as the necklace was my late Nan's (RIP Nana W) and it was the first time I've worn it.  It's not real diamonds but my Mum polished it up and boy does it sparkle.  The hubby said, 'I wonder if our grand-daughters will be sat here one day calling your New Look/Primark costume jewellery vintage'.  Good point.  I'm thinking that my Nan's was well made back in the day and probably cost more then what I spend on token trend jewellery now.  This piece was obviously made to last, it must be 50-60 years old.  But I do wonder, will our costume jewellery one day be classed as vintage?

So tonight I am trying to plan my outfit to the Next Blogger Network Workshop.  Bad weather has stumped any plans I had.  At the moment I think it will be my Converse (seriously, I don't know how I survived without them before) for the commute then a quick change to some court shoes with skinny jeans.  As I have spent all week-end on another project (below!) I've neglected devoting any proper thought to my outfit for tomorrow.

This week-end I've been mainly painting my lounge furniture!

So my brain is not in the 'planning outfit' stage.  I've given up and done what I know will work, paint my nails.....then the rest will follow.  I love red nails.  Would I advise this way round for outfits to my clients?  Absolutely not, that's what I'm there for!

Helen E Cosmetics base coat & my favourite red Chanel

Wish me luck braving the storm whilst trying to remain fashionable!

A Bit Of A Shoe Thing Going On

I am known for being a little obsessive with things.  If I see something that's out of stock, I go on a mission to locate it.  If I buy something, I usually continue buying along the same lines, my current two obsessions being shoes and red clothing!  I like items to inspire me.  Shoes are doing that at the moment.  Especially suede ones!  London Fashion Week didn't do anything to dampen my mood, there were so many.  Some I loved, some were just outright mad but I still loved them!  So much so I felt they deserved their own special post.

Shoes do seem to be like buses for me, I don't see any for ages (that I like), then I go months of seeing them all!  I'm trying hard to be rational, I have two new pairs (for regular readers, the Zara and LK Bennett ones) not worn as there hasn't been the occasion.  So I feel I really need to justify future purchases.  That being said, I LOVE suede shoes and there are so many colourful courts around.  But where would I wear them?  I think I will just have to try the Topshop ones on, pray they don't fit (usually the case when I lust after something for a while) but if they do, run away!

My affordable favourites at the moment, Topshop's 'Gwenda' £58

I love all the colours! 

LK Bennett at Bicester Village, £250 down to £165

Not suede I know but loved these from Ugg, again Bicester Village, £225 down to £110

Ending on a Summer note, I do like to buy out of season.  I've harped on about Timberland's Earthkeeper range before, the comfort is amazing.  Now, are these a step to far?  Granny or not?  I can't decide!  Originally £90, down to £44.99 now £19.99, bargain yes but only if they are worn!  Mmmm....