Sunday 27 May 2012

How I wore - the Primark car skirt

Another wardrobe premier today - this time with my Primark Prada-inspired car print pleated skirt in the spotlight.


Worn with a sheer silk top from Pyrus London via London Fashion Weekend and Swedish Hasbeens x H&M sandals.


A pleasing example of budget shopping for the win.

Saturday 26 May 2012

Peter Pan collar + ice cream necklace = win

The sun is out, my legs are out and the summer wardrobe is OUT! Very excited to - at last - have the opportunity to wear my mint green Peter Pan collar dress bought from Lovely's Vintage Boutique when the skies were decidedly greyer.


Paired with my Millie Pembleton '99' necklace and ASOS 'Woodstock' cardi, it's the perfect outfit to celebrate the start of summer.


Although perhaps, in hindsight, not the ideal attire for a windy roof-top tour of Embassy Court - one of the tallest buildings on Brighton seafront - helloooo knickers.


What summer pieces have enjoyed their first outing from your wardrobe this week?

Sunday 20 May 2012

It's all in the detail

Prints and patterns are seducing the fashion world this season, making us all peer at little closer at what each other are wearing and hunt out quirky pieces worth a second look for ourselves. Here, four of my recent second-hand finds reveal their secrets under the zoom lens. Click on photos to enlarge.



Hunting shirt - £5, Emmaus Stockholm



Gap peplum top - £4.50, British Heart Foundation, Brighton



Kate Moss Topshop shirt - £5, Loved, Worn & Reborn



Laura Lees at Topshop - £4, Loved, Worn & Reborn




Sunday 13 May 2012

Spa break and celeb spotting


It may seem a little like it's one long round of holidays for me at the moment, which is not completely untrue - I'm a lucky girl. But the fact of the matter is that work, www.vintagebrighton.com and various freelance projects have kept me so busy in between that there's no time left to blog about things other than that which merely require a quick download of mobile photos.

So this most recent batch is from Baliffscourt Hotel & Spa in Climping, West Sussex - a stunning countryside location complete with peacocks and next to a quiet beach. While the old building looks medieval, it was actually built in the 1920s for Lord Moyne of the Guinness brewing family, whose wife loved the style, and the low ceilings, wooden beams and mullioned windows quickly help transport you to a place far removed from the everyday.


An hour after a friend and I drove into the country for a night's stay at the luxury spot on a Friday afternoon, I couldn't have felt further away from work, and with little phone signal it was the perfect place to switch off.  We were also blessed with the best weather in months, meaning that the full facilities were taken advantage of - outdoor swimming pool and jacuzzi included.

Use of the spa, a massage, three-course dinner at the Michelin-rated restaurant, one night's stay in a four-poster bed and cooked breakfast was all just £200 thanks to a deal from Spa Break Direct. In that price we were also treated to some celebrity spotting, and I'm not talking about my usual Adrian-Chiles-in-Debenhams-type boasts. Universal Studios were holding press calls at nearby Arundel Castle for Kristen Stewart's new film Snow White and the Huntsman, so we were prepped for stars. But that didn't make us anymore cool and collected when K-Stew herself walked into the bar before dinner, with who else but Robert Pattinson!


When another rather handsome man smiled at us in the corridor it took me a few minutes to work out that it was Sam Clafin, who recently starred as Jack in the BBC's White Heat, and plays Prince William in the upcoming film. Very good-looking in real life, and with a cheeky glint in his eye.

Extra special times. I'd recommend the Hotel & Spa to anyone, even without the promise of celebrity appearances...

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Stockholm interior style

Sleek lines, simple silhouettes and a striking industrial aesthetic - Scandinavian style always seems fresh, clean and contemporary, despite having its roots firmly planted in the iconic Mid-Century Modern era.

Here are just a few of the inspirational yet everyday interior items I spotted during my visit to Stockholm: