Off to the Races!

Cheltenham Ladies Day Challenge

I have been invited to take part in the Cheltenham Ladies Day Social Voting Campaign via Ladbrokes and need your help!

I have been pitted against other fashion bloggers to put together the ultimate race-day outfit to wear to this year's Ladies Day at Cheltenham Festival on 12 March 2014. My challenge was to put together the perfect attire for this very special occasion and see if I could beat the strong competition.

I am up for the challenge.

CHELTENHAM

Off to the races! The Cheltenham Festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Race Course in Gloucestershire. Ladies Day is an opportunity to enjoy all of the exciting action on the course and wear a fantastic outfit. There is no dress code at Cheltenham but as March climates can be unpredictable, guests are advised to dress accordingly and with the weather in mind. This is quintessentially, brilliantly British - but us British women know that this is never an excuse not to have high fashion in mind. We laugh in the face of the weather.

THE LOOK

I wanted my look to be less traditional and more contemporary; to really project my appreciation and love of fashion. I wanted to keep it stylish and nail the new season look with a nod to the Spring / Summer 2014 trends with sartorial success in mind.

THE INFLUENCE

Primary colours and florals are exciting Spring / Summer 2014 trends. The bold shades of red and blue on the Peter Pilotto Red Floral / Check Print Dress are far too fun to ignore and with a splash of black thrown into the mix, as seen at Fendi, Prada and Céline, brights are more pared back. Florals are super-sized, bold and in bloom. The white belt is a nod to the understated Sports Luxe look.

Delicious candy colours are showing no signs of fading. A pop of candy pink on shoes and coat keeps it playful but chic - and who says clashing red and pink is wrong. The subtle fascinator hat? You simply cannot be at Cheltenham without a hat. 

THE COMPONENTS

From left to right 

1. Pink Coat by Zara 

An oversized coat is a bloggers favourite and still going strong for Spring / Summer (and this is England, so a coat is a must in chilly March).

2. Rivington Shiny Croc Pouch by Whistles

A place to keep all your Cheltenham essentials in on-trend reptile effect leather.

3.  Belted Dress - Red Floral / Check Print by Peter Pilotto for Target

Adored for its signature otherworldly prints and sculptural shapes, Peter Pilotto's beautiful designs are walking works of art. This is a perfect print from the hotly anticipated and limited-time only designer collection for Target.

4. Vintage Ring from Gigi's Dressing Room

All of my outfits usually include some form of vintage item. Gigi's Dressing Room in Wood Street Market, Walthamstow, London, E17 is a treasure trove of beautiful vintage clothes and jewellery.

5. Fine Mesh Fascinator by Whiteley for John Lewis

Made from two layers of fine, ivory mesh and trimmed with luxurious feathers, this is the perfect finishing touch to the all important Ladies Day Outfit.

6. Ariel Shoe from Coast

From Coast's new range of affordable, stylish footwear. The colours are classic but the stiletto heel and double strap ankle makes a sophisticated and fierce statement.

7. Charm Bracelet by Thomas Sabo

A classic charm in stylish black keeps jewellery minimal and stylish.

8.  Black necklace from South of the River, Crystal Palace, London, SE19

The detail on the necklace really stands out against the bright floral print without overpowering the overall look.

9. Brass Bangles Set in Gold by & Other Stories

In my opinion, & Other Stories the coolest place for jewellery on the high street.

BEAUTY

Less is more when it comes to easy every day glamour. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation helps to achieve a clean base and Benefit's World Famous Neutrals and Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner keeps eyes simple but impactful, finished off with Le Volume de Chanel Mascara in Noir. Lips and Nails stand out - Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Rebelle keeps lips hydrated but bold and nails painted with Chanel Le Vernis in Rouge Noir completes the look dramatically. Subtle sheen is provided by Benefit - High Beam on cheeks and Bathina body balm for a silky, glimmering effect.

VOTING

THE VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED ON THIS COMPETITION.

RACING

My dear Dad has been a dedicated race goer for many years, attending national and international meets and sometimes taking his family with him. If I win, it will make my Dad very happy indeed, so please vote. If I don't, he will still be happy as I am standing on a racecourse, with authentic binoculars and wearing a hat.

Photos by Mister Kirby

Cheltenham Festival: 11th - 14th March 2014. 

#CheltFashion

C by Covert and loving my iPad again.

'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful'. - William Morris

We are very close, my iPad and me. We spend a lot of time hanging out together you see. Long, late nights. Early mornings both of us up with the larks. Whiling away afternoons in cafés or taking a long train ride. Often a bar if we are feeling a bit flashy.

Like any close relationship though, things can get stale. Sometimes you need to spice things up a bit.

Oh, Hi COVERT Accessories.

Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited to receive a sample of a beautiful iPad case from COVERT Accessories, the UK's leading creator of fashion-led tech accessories that launched in 2013. I find the usual range of tablet cases on the market a little sterile and so I jumped at the chance to receive a stylish new case to transform my iPad.

It was waiting for me when I came home from a night out in London Town. Despite the late hour and a few cocktails consumed, I could not wait to open the envelope, its contents inside painstakingly wrapped. Beautifully encased in a stylish box and monogrammed exterior, the case was gorgeous.

COVERT combines lasting style with amazing craftsmanship and my new iPad looks and feels brand new such is the quality. High-end visually, but with an affordable price tag attached, there is no need to break the bank to style your tablet.

Fashion over practicality has always appealed to me. Plus, the products are British-designed which is always a winner.

There are three collections in the COVERT Accessories portfolio - COVERT, C by COVERT and Rosie Fortescue for COVERT. It was The C by COVERT collection that caught my eye. It focuses on understated luxe and contemporary classics with signature organic, subtle palettes. The simplistic detailing guarantees style, functionality and high quality.

I chose the Elwood for iPad, constructed from soft brushed canvas in stylish grey and tightly secured with a band in a fabulous pop of orange. It looks fantastic, but securely holds my iPad in place when I am on the move and I can stuff things into the discreet document pocket, rather than have clippings from magazines and receipts falling helplessly out of my bag.

Thanks COVERT. We are back in love again and ready to write.

The Elmwood iPad case is part of the C by COVERT Collection and is available to buy here.

www.covertaccessories.com

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You can read Material Whirl's commitment to product features here.

I look to Kate

I am Kate Moss's secret stalker. I am obsessed with her. I think I'm just like everyone else because we all wish we were one of her best friends - but we're not, so all we can do is wonder what that must be like.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Grazia UK, 13 January 2014

Kate Moss turns 40 this Thursday.

Ordinarily, that kind of news would induce a bit of a gloomy episode on my part. When one of your fashion icons, who fully deserves that often hackneyed label, advances in age and only a five-year gap separates you, cold hard reality reminds you are no spring chicken yourself. Where has the time disappeared to?

But instead, as Kate (I can't do 'Mossy' - way too impersonal for someone so enigmatic) prepares to celebrate reaching this fabulous milestone, reportedly on Necker Island, I am instead full of mirth, buoyant and commemorative. I am chilling the bubbles, dusting off the credit card, sharpening the old black kohl, digging out my skinny jeans and wearing a vintage cape in her honour. You can bet Kate will not let something as silly as becoming a quadragenarian get in her way of out-partying everyone with conviction and looking completely stunning in the process. Standard.

Kate has been at the top of her game since her iconic cover of The Face in 1990, photographed by the late Corinne Day. I have followed her style, her life, her loves and her London partying religiously ever since. She remains an inspiration to me, and if the truth be told, a mild obsession as I try my hardest to emulate her look - commensurate to my bank account and day job. She has crammed quite a lot into her 39 years to date and I am fascinated by the multi faceted roles that she plays. Supermodel, muse, designer, mother, lover, wife, friend, Londoner.

She remains suitably mysterious and elusive, keeping a tantalising silence and letting the photos do all the talking. She made the decision not to talk to the press, to never complain and to never explain. This is wonderfully refreshing in the age where younger models incessantly tweet, share and Instagram their selves to over-exposure. Conversely, Kate keeps us guessing, wanting more, secretly Googling, scouring Vogue and YouTube for the latest sighting to get a glimpse of what she is wearing, how she is wearing it, where she is.

Kate is my life / style comparator, my benchmark, my litmus paper if you will.  I look to Kate when I am considering my outfit choice in direct ratio to my age. Whether my clothes, behaviours and actions are age-appropriate if you like. For example:

• Question: Am I too old to wear leather trousers/shorts/jackets?
• Question: Will I look a total berk wearing over-sized sunglasses during the day?
• Question: Is my skirt too short?
• Question: Should I STILL be going to festivals, planning my outfit months in advance and wearing shorts that risk minor bum-exposure?
• Question: Should my skinny jeans be banished to the back of the wardrobe now, in favour of something a bit, um, looser?
• Question: Have I drunk too much given it is 3pm in the afternoon? On Sunday.
• Question: Am I too old to have numerous piercings, and in particular a helix piercing on both sides?
• Question: Will people think I am ridiculous, shallow and a bit eccentric for falling out of a bar whilst wearing a sparkly 1920s cape?
• Question: Should I now be shopping in Hobbs/Reiss/Coast rather than hunting around vintage stores, wearing gig t-shirts, skinny jeans and studded boots?
• Question: Should I save for a sofa rather than going away on holiday again /taking a city break?

Answers:

No. Kate would do it, or is doing it now, right this minute. Proceed.

That is the thing with Kate. She wouldn't even hesitate, she wouldn't care if people looked, nudged their mate, tutted, raised their eyes to heaven. She would just go ahead and do it. Admittedly, she is a supermodel with a sizeable wedge of cash in the bank and invested in fancy properties. Yes, she has a killer body and a hairdresser, stylist, makeup artist and dermatologist at her beck and call; but you see this is about attitude, this is about being.

Part of the appeal is that Kate permanently looks like she is on a bit of a bender. She is bohemian, debauched Rock 'n' roll hedonism immortalised. She is just too cool. She is incredibly beautiful with glowing skin and hair, yet it is her imperfections that make her even more stunning. She has always been a bit of an exception to the rule; just slightly below the standard model height, drinks and smokes liberally, possibly does not get that much sleep - but the endurable Kate carries on regardless to spectacular effect - and so she should. She is Kate Moss.

Twenty five fabulous years have come and gone.

Happy Birthday Kate, may the party continue long into the night (and the next day).

My favourite shots of Kate can be found in Vogue's Style File - Kate Moss.

 

Questions I would ask Carrie Bradshaw. If she was real.

The other weekend Mr Material Whirl was away with the lads so I self-indulged heavily in my favourite guilty pleasure - Sex and the City, specifically The Essential Collection. The ground-breaking show is fifteen years old this year and, in my humble opinion, just gets better with age. It is smart, hilarious, and still culturally relevant and I gorge on it greedily when time permits (and Alex is not present to protest or mock). You can keep Girls, Gossip Girl and the like. Impostors, give up and go home; silence your wannabe prose. Nothing can beat being broken up with on a Post-it (and getting arrested).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDxmooLg1IM&w=420&h=315]

At 2am on Saturday morning, still lounging on the sofa and unable to unfold my tired limbs from its comfy cushioned surface and leave the girls for the night, I realised that my addiction for the glamorous Manhattanites and their adventures in life, clever discourse and the men that play a subordinate role to their friendship hadn't waned, it was still very active; providing comfort, stimulation and the motivation to live and love life to the full. All while wearing a terrific dress.

It also got me thinking about how impactful the fictional 30-something Carrie Bradshaw had been on my last few formative years through both singledom and married loveliness. Carrie's an independent, cocktail-drinking, fashion-loving writer. I can claim, if you will kindly let me indulge, to have the first two in common but can only aspire to be the latter. Of course, we would all like to think we have our SATC-girl equal. I am well aware that my equivalent of Carrie typing on her (not backed-up) Mac with a cocktail wearing something fabulous is, pitifully, me in an old Topshop cardy retrieved from the murky depths of the dirty washing bin, drinking a mug of builder's tea, with the 257 to Leytonstone trundling past in the piddling rain. Manhattan it ain't, Carrie I'm certainly not.

However, if Carrie was real and our lives ever inexplicably collided (impossible, I know given SHE DOES NOT ACTUALLY EXIST) there are many questions I would like to pose to her. Over a cosmopolitan or three, natch.

Such as:

• How do you actually walk anywhere in those incredible shoes without crying or limping into Boots for emergency Compeed Blister Relief Plasters? I have been wearing ill-fitting, vertiginous heels since circa 1997 when the only way to gain entry to the Blue Orchid nightclub in Croydon and prevent the bouncers from knowing my real (under) age, was to don high heels, brandish my older sister's Drivers Licence and hope for the best. As a result, my feet have funny contours and have never remoulded back into their original shape since.

• Just how do you get away with wearing b*gger all walking down the street without getting unwanted attention from lechy men? If we flash even a whiff of an ankle in our Sexy Boyfriend Jeans the silly pervs on the High Street give us no end of grief. Twits. I am jealous of the chutzpah you possess to flash a toned arm or leg or wear tiny hot pants when hailing a yellow cab - and not give a hoot.

• How on this great earth do you make it back to your apartment safely after walking home alone at 2am (reference: leaving Big's house after a squabble, leaving the girls in a club to go see Big) in an aforementioned sassy outfit? London is not the most dangerous place in the world by far, but my city-sisters will know this kind of behaviour is neither sensible nor streetwise. Self-imposed rule: if the clock has struck past 10pm, I let the super efficient team at Central Cabs, Walthamstow (plug!) get me safely home. I take no chances, especially if, gasp, ankles are on show. I recall you once got mugged for your Loubs but even then you dashed into a salon and Miranda met a fit copper, so no real drama ensued. Despite this scary incident you were back street walking again the next night. Brave, liberal, fabulous. Or just a bit risky? I'm worried about you. Please take a cab.

• I apologise for my unequivocal fashion blasphemy but, ahem, don't people sometimes laugh when you mix up crazy prints /wear a Heidi outfit to Central Park / wear a belt around your rib cage ? I think you look incredible and aspire to have the creative courage to mix a print and rock a Galliano newspaper print dress like you (twice!). Unfortunately if I wore that on the Victoria Line or to drinks with the girls I would get laughed at in my face. Believe me I have flirted with it - crazy psychedelic cardigan paired with Pat Butcher chandelier earrings. Thank the Lord above for my sisters and friends and their constructive feedback.

• You brunch like, a lot, and are often seen munching on a pretzel or a doorstep wedge of pizza. Yet you have the stomach of a 12-year old and as far as I can recall I have only seen you at one yoga class, which you talked all the way through. What's the deal?

• Do you ever cook in that teeny kitchen? Believe me, I am no Nigella and I love dinner out as much as the next person but I have never seen you even turn a tap on! Is it a superfluous room in your apartment , purely for show? An area for mixing  cocktails with Stanford? Extra shoe storage perhaps? If the latter, excellent space-saving initiative.

• Can I borrow that Sonia Rykiel stripy dress please, you know the one you arrived in Paris in? Oh, and the ruffled rose Louboutins? Cheers.

• Can we hang out?

* Thank you to InStyle.com for this amazing article, full of inspiration.

I wish, I wish, I wish

'Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes'. 

Diana Vreeland

Here is my fashion wish list for this week. A panoply of delectable pieces that I wish were mine.

IRIDESCENT YELLOW

OUT OF THE COBALT BLUE (Lovely with Yellow)

HEAVY METAL

JUMP FOR YOUR (FASHION) LOVE 

I wish, I wish, I wish

'Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes'. 

Diana Vreeland

Here is my fashion wish list for this week. A panoply of delectable pieces that I wish were mine.

J.W. ANDERSON FOR TOPSHOP

NEON LIGHTS

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

ANIMAL MAGIC

INTO THE EAST

I wish, I wish, I wish...

'Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes'. 

Diana Vreeland

Here is my fashion wish list for this week. A panoply of delectable pieces that I wish were mine.

FABULOUS FLORALS

WHITER THAN WHITE

KEEP IN A STRAIGHT LINE

RIPPED JEANS, SKIN WAS SHOWING

CHUNKY JEWELLERY

FASHION TEES

Shop the Boutique range at www.boohoo.com - every week is Fashion Week.