Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life review

If you're looking for a last-minute Christmas present for a fashion-loving friend, you can't go wrong with Justine Picardie's captivating biography of legendary French fashion designer Coco Chanel.

Full of glorious images, thrilling tales of passionate love affairs and a well-researched account of Chanel's rise to the top, and the battles she faced along the way, this book has put Coco firmly on my list of my female heroes.

Read my review here.

Charity Christmas cards

Of course we all know that sending Christmas cards isn't considered very eco-friendly, but if you're a little bit obsessed with greetings cards, as I am, choosing charity Christmas cards helps to ease the guilt. My favourite this year are these vintage designs from Scope - just £2.99 for ten!

Tea cosy

I don't drink tea that often, but somehow I've managed to acquire more than one woman's fair share of tea sets and tea pots. They make for great kitsch decoration and I now feel like a proper hostess when people pop round. Milk and sugar everyone?

Rose print tea set - £4, Shelter, George Street

Tea set - £4, Sussex Beacon, St James' Street

1960S coffee pot - wedding present, floral tea pot - 99p Age Concern, St James' Street

1950s striped coffee set - 10 Euros, Amsterdam

Art Deco tea cup and saucer - £2.99, Ebay

Red metal teapot - £2, Shelter, Westen Road, coffee cup, part of above set

White metal teapot - wedding present

Brighton Open Houses - Cross Street

What better way than to spend a Sunday afternoon in the run-up to Christmas than visiting some of the Open Houses currently displaying art and gifts from local creative talent in our area.


Much more enjoyable than trudging down Western Road (when was the last time you were given complimentary mulled wine and snacks while browsing in Churchill Square?) these are the perfect places to pick up unique Christmas gifts, decorations and cards, or even just a little treat for yourself.

My nearest Open House is just round the corner on Cross Street, Hove, a wooden panelled workshop space used for mosaic and jewellery-making classes.

Cosy and kitsch, the studio is jam-packed with gorgeous handmade crafts including mosaic artwork, bunting, cards, jewellery, prints, brooches, pocket mirrors, leather purses, soft-toy animals, fabric pin boards and much more. Plenty to pour over while your generous hosts pour you another mulled wine...

To find your nearest Open House, visit the Artists Open Houses website.

Urban Outfitters opens in Brighton

After months of shielded building works, Churchill Square's old Borders store opened up as Brighton's first Urban Outfitters today. And it's well worth the wait.


The layout and offering of the huge upstairs women's section makes next door's H&M, and all of the other high-street chain shops in Brighton, look shabby and tired by comparison.

Boutique collections, a vintage section and homewares, books and gifts (check out this mini sewing machine) are presented as if in an eclectic designer bazaar, brought together by those with apparent excellent taste.

The dressing rooms are equally grown-up and spacious, and I spent an enjoyable ten minutes trying on some of the cutest Peter Pan collar pieces.


Left to right: t.b.a velvet antique collar dress, £150, Pins and Needles velvet collar blouse, £45, Cooperative school boy blouse, £42.

The shirt in the middle (currently sold out online) is so soft and versatile that it was swiftly added to my Christmas/January sales/whenever I have the money hit-list.

And to go with the 1960s/school-boy look I spotted some stunning box bags and satchels, such as the metal handle lady bag, flower tooled bag and old school olive satchel.

Of course, Urban Outfitters is that bit more expensive than its high street competitors, but the store experience and the unique pieces are worth saving up for.

M&S S/S 2011

Packed full of gorgeous vintage-style looks, it seems that M&S has raided the archives to inspire its s/s11 womenswear collection.

Chic and playful pieces recreate the styles of the roaring Twenties, swinging Sixties and bohemian Seventies, for directional looks that could help re-define your style for summer.

1920s

While the colours and embellishments may have been a bit fussy for Coco Chanel, I can imagine the famous guests at her chateau parties and Riveria trips wearing pieces not too dissimilar to these below.

Cute straw boaters, delicate beading and embellishment, sea-side stripes and pyjama-style satin trousers make for Art Deco elegance.






1960s

No doubt inspired by the Mad Men fever which has the fashion industry firmly in its grips, another of M&S's strongest threads looks to have taken Jackie O, Bridget Bardot and Audrey Hepburn as its fashion muses.

Choose from sophisticated swing jackets and shift dresses, gorgeous gingham, chic LBDs and monochrome and patent pieces.

Boxy lady-like bags, capri pants and canary yellow dresses also look set to be huge next season.










1970s

Boho is still beautiful for s/s11, with floaty chiffon shirts, bell sleeves, maxi dresses, jumpsuits and wide floppy hats proving that the 70s revival wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan trend last summer.

Stella McCartney-style denim skirts and dresses make for classic casual looks and layering slouchy jumpers over maxis brings this trend into 2011.

Elizabeth Lau cape coat from Oxfam

I put in the time, so it's only right that I should come across some extra special pieces in charity shops every now and then. And yesterday was one of those occasions. A brand new Elizabeth Lau coat, £49.99 in North Street Oxfam! This is why I spend half of my life riffling through second-hand clothes.


Having done all my Christmas shopping this month, I'm knew that I was without resource for such luxuries as summer coats in November, but I had to try it on, and it fit so well and looked so cute - the leather collar, diagonal button holes and polka dot lining add really unique detailing - that I came up with a plan.

The new husband didn't know what to buy me for Christmas, and for a while there he didn't know what he had bought me for Christmas. I saved him a job. How kind I am. And how thoughtful and clever he is to have got me a Sixties-style coat, with on-trend cape shaping, from one of my favourite designers and still have money left over for a few little surprises.


The cape coat has now been stashed away by said husband - who was quite pleased not to have to do his own Christmas shopping - but I'm so excited about it that I did some online research and came across Carrie of WishWishWish styling the Sherlock summer coat with cute Orla Kiely pieces. Exactly how it should be worn. I think there may have to be a few more layers involved in my outfits though as very much doubt I'll be able to wait till summer dress weather to wear my bargain find. I can hardly wait a month...