you can't beat a silly frilly film role

amy adams gives an utterly adorable performance in 'miss pettigrew lives for a day' (i know it's not new, i just happened to watch it again last week) as the beautiful but impossibly naive delysia lafosse, which got me thinking about similarly flighty female characters i love...

barbara windsor delights in the carry on films

rosamund pike as the stylish but silly helen in an education

amanda seyfried as the delightfully dim karen in mean girls

sample sales are shopping fails

now, don't get me wrong, i love a bargain as much as the next person - particularly when it comes to fashion. i love tk maxx - always have, always will. it's the thrill of the rummage, filled with hope of finding a one-off gem amongst the mountains of poorly displayed tat. it's no frills shopping at it's best and what really sets it apart from primark and the like is that you can purchase quality fashion at a reduced price which you are unlikely to see everyone from your 13 year old cousin to your great aunt sporting in the same week. this is the same reason i adore charity shop shopping - it's the thrill of what you might find. amongst my favourite charity shop finds are a brand new black versace cocktail dress for £11 (british heart fund shop, st andrews) and a handmade purple evening dress for £2 (oxfam, dalston).

and so it was with this in mind that i thought i would have found this morning's french connection sample sale thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding. after all, i'm a big fan of french connection - i like the combination of modernity and femininity which is central to their designs but often find their price point is just beyond what i'm willing (or able...!) to spend on regular wardrbe refreshment. having started a new job last week, however, i am keen to expand my 'smart/casual' collection.

with this is mind, i set my alarm and got myself along to french connection's camden offices bright and early on this bright and cold saturday morning. and i wasn't the only one hopeful of grabbing a bargain at the brand's sample sale. the queue snaked around the building and luckily i was there reasonably early and so only had to wait for around twenty minutes before getting into the building.

to say the sale was a disappointment would be an understatement. it's not that there wasn't plenty of choice, because there was. and the reductions were significant - not jaw-droppingly so, but significant nonetheless. instead of the exciting, treasure hunt-style shopping trip which i'd imagined, the whole experience was pretty rubbish.

despite the fact that we'd been standing in the freezing cold for the best part of half an hour, we had to leave our coats in the cloakroom. which would have been fine, except the sale took place in the building's studio, which was pretty cold too. clothes were strewn everywhere, signs and staff enforcing the 'no trying on' rule were in full force and there were way too many security guards for my liking.

i fully understand that managing and staffing the sample sale for such a popular brand must be seriously difficult and this being my first sample sale, i don't think this negative experience would be particular to french connection.
i do think, however, that for such a brand, the humble sample sale just goes to show how many other factors influence purchase decisions. i generally love shopping in french connection - their stores are spacious and well-lit, the clothes are always displayed nicely and attention to detail is clearly always paid when it comes to in-store publicity and packaging. strip these elements away, and there is no way i would consider paying full price for these garments. and obviously this is how a sample sale works. and i did buy a couple of garments which i had previously admired in store but found the spend difficult to justify. i bought a nice navy jumper for £20 and the above tee for £10. in retrospect, perhaps my decision to buy this top was representative of my feeling at that precise moment in time...!
and while i am happy with these two purchases, i don't think i'll be hurrying along to another sample sale anytime soon - at the end of the day, you're simply buying out-of-season high street garments at a slightly cheaper price. but you can't try it on first. and you can't exchange or refund the garments under any circumstances. in my view, shopping shouldn't come with so many conditions and snags.

give me the rummage at tk maxx or oxfam anyday.

florence is a machine

last night had the pleasure of watching florence + the machine play to a tiny audience at london's club 100 - possibly the teensiest gig venue i've eve been in. as ever, florence's vocals were stunning and her performance nothing short of amazing. snf the outfit? a black sequin batwing top and leather shorts. perfect.

this makes sense

"you know you have arrived when you have forgotten the discomfort of the journey"

there's a first time for everything

so last night i did something i've always wanted to do but never had the opportunity/courage, and that's go to a gig on my own. sure, i've watched headline acts at festivals alone (notably kasabian who were announced as last minute headliners of a teeny tiny tent at t in the park about 4 years ago), but the atmosphere at a festival is so friendly, so all-encompassing that you don't notice you're alone. everyone is consumed by the music, and has consumed so much cider that there is a real sense of affinity and belonging in a festival crowd. you're a part of something that's happening right there, at that very moment in time, and you're sharing it with those around you. and i realise that this is sometimes the case at gigs, but more often than not going to see a band/artist on tour is more like a night out; an experience you share with the people you go with rather than everyone there. for starters, crowds at gigs are so divided. while a festival crowd is levelled by the fact that no-one has showered for days and everyone is passionate about the music and excited to be a part of it, there exists many divisions in venues beyond the obvious seating vs. standing.

anyway, all this aside, i have always wanted to go to a gig on my own. not that it's something i imagine i need to be able to do for any particular reason, but rather because i want to know that i can do it. like going to the cinema, it makes sense to me that one can enjoy a gig alone. after all, you're there to see, watch, listen, enjoy the spectacle - none of which you need a companion for. so it was for this reason that i accepted a last minute offer of a ticket to see rihanna play brixton academy last night, in a one-off launch event organised by nokia. honestly? i'm not the world's biggest rihanna fan but i do enjoy her music and knew she would put on a good show. which she did. wearing a black leather leotard and fabulous grey leather glove complete with cuff, the starlet performed songs from her forthcoming album alongside chart hits including 'please don't stop the music', 'disturbia' and 'take a bow'. oh, and she was joined onstage by her mentor and hip hop hero jay z for 'run this town' and 'umbrella'. the music and performance was so stunning that i really didn't notice that i was alone.
okay, so obviously when i first arrived, i felt a little uncomfortable - should i buy a drink? should i stick to a corner spot or get further in in order to blend into the crowd? should i dance or just nod along? and what do i do with my hands...? but really, as soon as rihanna came on stage, i realised that no-one cared what i was doing there and why i was there alone. everyone else was enjoying the music too much to wonder about me. and i was enjoying the music too much to wonder about me too.

so i didn't buy a drink. i got myself a good spot within the crowd. i danced my socks off. and i didn't do anything with my hands - except clap and put them up, as per jay z's request.

all these things i've done

i've been so, so busy of late that sadly i've neglected my blog somewhat. with a whole week off ahead of me, today feels like the first time in a long time i've had time to get my life in order. first up : tidying my room. my room is a reflection of my lifestyle and right now it's messy, clothes are scattered everywhere and there are remnants of the past month scattered everywhere, in various guises. tickets, bags, cards and discarded party dresses depict my recent activities better than words ever could so i've taken some photos this morning and below is a brief history of my last month, according to the 'things' i've accumulated...

met ppq's percy parker and became the proud owner of this amazing carrier bag from the british design outfit. this bag is so fabulous, the picture just doesn't do it justice! i adore the playfulness of ppq, their designs are always so bold and they never shy away from colour. i particularly love the tribal vibe of their s/s 2010 collection and was impressed by their decision to use only black models in their catwalk - a fantastic way of ensuring their show made the headlines the next day.

worked on a one-off event for fashioin targets breast cancer at camden's proud galleries. read all about it here :

http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2009/11/04/party-alert-fashion-targets-breast-cancer.htm

now don't get me wrong, i like a good queue as much as the next brit, but i could never imagine myself queuing for hours in the novemeber chill to get my hands on the latest well-marketed must-have from a high street giant. lucky for me then that my lovely friend went to the gq party to launch the jimmy choo collection for h&m. and brought me a goody bag. no shoes, but i do now own a men's studded cuff which i'll wear to toughen up outfits.

became the proud owner of a beautiful lulu guinness charm bracelet - this has to be one of my favourite gifts ever. it's gorgeous and is definitely something i would have chosen for myself - the sign of a thoughtful gift-giver! thank you, thank you, thank you.

went to the company fashion awards, which were held in camden's gilgamesh. here my friend and i drank cocktails, chatted to henry holland about our favourite spice girl, discussed vodka with company editor vic white, sang britney on singstar, met two lovely ladies from the joy press office and went home happy. our goody bag contained a copy of the december issue of the magazine (with leona on the cover), along with lots of lovely beauty products from brands including pixi, nivea, carmex, mister mascara and o.p.i.

got myself a new job - the book above is a clue as to what industry i'll be working in... and i can't wait!

left the job i moved to london to start. i've had an amazing year and a half working with this company and made great friends and fabulous memories along the way but it's time for me to start something new, which i'm truly passionate about. so friday the 13th was my last day in the office and the team gave me a lovely little send off (which ended in a karaoke bar in clerkenwell with me and my colleague murdering sean kingston's beautiful girls with gusto). in these cards are kind words which make me sad to leave but at the same time confident and excited to start something new.

went to wembley for the first time ever to see coldplay, supported by jay-z, girls aloud and white lies. girls aloud were disappointingly average, jay-z was phenomenal and coldplay completely exceeded all expectations.

all sermons should start with scissorkicks

Being somewhat of a sucker for reality tv I stumbled across this little gem on the Discovery Channel on Saturday night. Let the title alarm you - Rampage is a nail biting series where crowds, riots and nature wreak havok. Trains, planes and automobiles spin out of control, destroying everything in their paths. It's not for the faint hearted but a welcomed change to Cheryl-Can-Do-No-Wrong- Cole's face on a Saturday night. Bet she can't do a scissorkick. Described as 'priests vs munks on the rampage'. What's not to love?

Launching a new product into an already crowded market is never an easy task and so I applaud Stylist magazine for bringing something new to the table in the world of female lifestyle titles. Granted, there is a fair amount of product placement which is nothing new for a women’s weekly mag but looking beyond the oversized image of this year’s ‘most wanted’ (read ‘most effectively PRed’) nail varnish, there truly is a lot of thoughtful comment and interesting articles in the title’s first issue. Personal highlights include a feature on why women are still earning less than men, with comments from female MPs, and the ‘Work Life’ page which features ‘a one-day diary from morning latte to lights out’ of a successful career woman.

This week we delved into the diary of Stephanie Phair, director of TheOutnet.com and former Vogue journalist, whose day rather predictably revolved entirely around fashion. Envious? Moi? Well, maybe a little, but mostly I just enjoyed this opportunity to further indulge my inner style voyeur. And I know I'm not alone in my fascination with finding out about the lifestyles of those working in the fashion industry. Take, for example, the presence of team ASOS on twitter. From the PR co-ordinator to the assistant buyer, the presence and collective following of the ASOS employees is impressive and hugely beneficial to the brand as a whole. The appeal of this (and the reason why Stephanie appearing in profile opps like 'Work Life' is so great for TheOutnet) is because we love to believe that we can relate to our favourite brands on a personal level. And whether that's simply by aspiring to dress like the Creative Director at Topshop or eat in the same restaurants as the CEO of People's Revolution, it is becoming apparent that well-heeled and well-versed employees can act as far more credible ambassadors than celebrities. Alexa Chung for New Look? Really? Anyone who admires Alexa Chung's fashion credentials knows that her style cannot be bought on the high street. And don't get me started on Cheryl Cole for L'Oreal...!

So while I eagerly await next week's installment of Stylist, I'll indulge my inner voyeur online with my favourite sartorial style blogs :

http://showmeyourwardrobe.blogspot.com/

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

http://fashionhedonism.blogspot.com/

http://www.whatkatiewore.com/

nobody likes a quitter

not that it would ever encourage me to take up smoking, i do absolutely love this picture, which hangs alongside two others in london's groucho club. try as they might, health boards and bodies cannot convince us that smoking is not cool, it seems the link between cigarettes and kudos just cannot be severed and artwork like this in exclusive haunts like the groucho only adds to this.

finally some sonia i can afford

going where matthew williamson, karl lagerfield and the lycra lovin' madonna have gone before, h&m today announced its upcoming collaboration with the inimitable 'queen of knits' sonia rykiel. her sweater dresses and bold designs have long since been causing a stir on the catwalks but until now her pieces have remained outwith the budgets of mere mortals like myself (even the sonia stuff @ urban outfitters is at the most expensive end of this pricey store). so suffice to say i'm VERY excited to see sonia's range for high street giant h&m. i like to think i'm not taken in by gimicky collaborations and celebrity lines and then a savvy brand like hennes goes and pulls on my heart strings... all i ask is that sonia's diffusion line retains her signature fun and vivacity. oh, and please don't make too many - i don't want to buy a bright, bold piece only to walk down the street and see three others wearing the exact same. oh, but please do make enough so that i don't have to queue overnight just to get whatever piece i will inevitably fall in love with...

some people have no shame

who on earth would give their beautiful wooden headboard in to an antique furniture store with their kinky cuffs still hooked up to the bedpost!? i have no idea but this find in a north london junk shop tickled me this afternoon. fetish fodder aside, this veritable aladdin's cave had lots of gorgeous 'pre-loved' furniture, books and lamps. i bought a much-needed curved mahogony wardrobe which will look perfect once filled.

a bar in a clothes store is a dangerous concept

okay, so it was for one night only, but the bar in oxford's street's new pull and bear store was pretty fun.

addicted to LOVE

loving (the second issue of katie hind's fashion and style bi-annual title) LOVE right now.

particular highlights include an interview with 21 year old porn star sasha grey and the willis sisters interview, in which rumer, scout and tallulah talk about having a hot stepdad and being called ugly (good one perez). i also love the adverts in this publication - page upon page of beautiful photography from campaigns including tom ford, mac, chanel and mcqueen.

jack's the lad

so last thursday i headed east to the house that jack built with a couple of friends to celebrate the launch of jacktv, a new and exciting venture from the lovely ladies and gentlemen behind the inimitable who's jack magazine. the party, which took place in an eastend warehouse, was attended by an array of trend-setting celebrities (namely bonnie wright, the pretender to emma watson's throne), media types and trend-setters. upon our arrival, we were provided with 3d glasses, music was provided by dj sam young and jazzy songstress victoria hart, who was wearing the most fabulous d&g dress. i bumped into her in the toilet (we had to use the loos in an old man's pub across the road, as apparently when jack built his house, toilets were something of an unneccessary luxury!) and she told me she has a great relationship with the lovely folk at d&g, and they lend her a different dress each week. jealous? me?

we drank mekhong whisky (which brought back memories of drinking from buckets in thailand) and ate i heart jack cupcakes as we read the first hard copy of the magazine and admired original photography which was on display. i particularly liked a shot of a santa passed out on a loo.

from the house that jack built, we headed on to whisky mist for a bit of a dance and awoke on friday feeling a little tender but excited about the imminent launch of jacktv. not entirely sure the whisky mist crowd thought much of our 3d glasses but you can't win 'em all...

she can do no wrong

well, in my eyes anyway

so i know she gets a bad rep and lots of stick about her career choices, but i still absolutely love lohan. i've been smitten since the parent trap and her recent stint in ugly betty has just reaffirmed my affection for the child star turned musician turned a-lister turned it-girl... and now look at her, gracing the latest cover of ELLE magazine looking nothing short of fabulous. and i'm not saying that she hasn't made mistakes (that stripper/slasher move, the hugely public rows with ronson...the list goes on) but she's still young and while i've never been photographed stumbling out of a nightclub sans pants or spoken about the breakdown of my relationship on Ellen, i've also never graced the front cover of one of the world's most respected fashion magazines. looking like that. in boots like those.

hopefully this marks a return to form for lohan, who's had a bit of a tough time from just about everyone in the last year...!

this diamond rocks...

having listened to some of Marina + The Diamonds' stuff following an enigmatic performance for Radio 1's huw stevens, i was really excited to see her perform at the aforementioned Ben & Jerry's sundae on the common festival last weekend. and she did not disappoint! with the voice of kate bush and a sparkly jacket collection to rival rachel bilson, i think it's safe to say i'm hooked already. expect big things from this little gem!

viola should have won bntm

saw all the girls at Cafe De Paris last night and she is just so striking. she was robbed.

anyway, it was a really fun night filled with lots of drinking and dancing. am now heading to the Ben & Jerry's festival in the hope that ice cream and music will cure this hangover...

so apparently i don't need my camera cable to upload photos...

main stage

friendly fires

best headphones going

florence

doves

cup return point : exchange old cups for 20p. we returned enough cups for a pint of cider which we felt pretty good about drinking after having done our bit to tidy the site

pet shop boys

blur

she should be blogging more

but I leant my camera and cable to my lovely friend Duncan who has returned the camera but not the cable. which is frustrating as i'd love to share photos of what i've been up to recently... namely enjoying the sunshine and musical delights at Scotland's biggest festival, T in the Park.

believe it or not the weather was beautiful (it only rained once in the middle of the night) and, as always, there was a great atmosphere the whole weekend as revellers enjoyed performances from over 170 acts including Kings of Leon, Lady GaGa and The Killers.

i promise to post photos just as soon as i can but for now, i thought i'd share with you my personal highlights...

Blur - they were an hour late as Graham Coxon had to be rushed to hospital with food poisoning. but they were well worth the wait and the perfect finish to a wonderful weekend.

Florence - this was the first time i've seen Florence live and she certainly didn't disappoint... headlining the Futures Tent at the same time as The Killers, Florence's voice was beautiful and i couldn't help but love her - especially when she asked the crowd for vodka and proceeded to swig from a fan's bottle of pre-mixed vodka coke!

Hospitality Toilets - clean, quiet and fully flushing, access to hospitality toilets was one little luxury which made all the difference

Pet Shop Boys 'Go West' - so i have to admit, seeing the Pet Shop Boys wasn't particularly high on our agenda, but we popped in just in time for this delightful performance which featured lycra-clad dancers, tetris graphics and enormous cubes being flung around the stage - talk about guilty pleasures.

Falafel & Humous Pitta - from the Healthy T section of the campsite. accompanied by a hot cup of tea, this delicious treat perked us up no end on Sunday morning when we woke up feeling dirty, tired and a little downbeat about the Saturday night showers

leap anywhere

here's just a little snapshot of the leap anywhere launch, which happened last night. leap anywhere is all about having a good time, while doing good.

the event can only be described as the most eccentric house party you can imagine, with outfits ranging from the fabulously extreme (there was one particularly snappy vintage leapord print catsuit on display) to the downright absurd (ladies dressed in lettuce bikinis). i'm so sad i didn't have my camera with me as i would have loved to photograph all of the outfits!

guests were invited to shop in the oxfam shop and be styled by an oxfam stylist (i fell in love with a supersize black bow hat, but was informed by my good friend matthew that it was a little too 'dynasty' for daywear. killjoy). there was also a table tennis tournament (apparently zoe salmon is a dab hand at the fast-paced game), a hot tub and a crepe stand, no less.

live music kept the crowd dancing all night - i left around 11pm but apparently the party went on until 3am with jade jagger, tamsin egerton, louise roe and co. all having an amazing time.

find out more about leap anywhere here... http://www.leapanywhere.com/home/homepage

last night

had lots and lots of fun at the TreeHouse Ambition gig at koko last night, with a performance from the fabulous Ladyhawke, DJ set from Mr Mark Ronson and a guest appearance from one of my favourite writers - Nick Hornby!

Ladyhawke's set was great and had everybody dancing. i especially liked her oversized denim waistcoat which was just the right side of hillbilly.

personal highlight was Ronson's opener - a customised version of Duran Duran's 'Rio' which went a little like this...

his name is ronson and he mixes with both hands

overall we had an amazing evening for a great cause
http://www.treehouse.org.uk/

every park should have it's own llama

this little beauty was grazing in regent's park, where his owner was charging unsuspecting sun-worshippers £2 for a photo. ror that price, he did offer customers a loan of his hat, so i guess it was worth it.

all clubs should have statement walls

for photo opps, of course

music, drinking, sequinned waistcoats, dancing, pinâtas... it seems it all got a little too much for one stylish stag & dagger goer. note that the poor little poppet removed her geek-chic glasses for a time-out amidst all of the commotion at the shoreditch festival organised by vice magazine. at least she kept her brogues on...

very personal training? no thanks

Is it just me, or does anyone else get really irritated by personal trainers when they're trying to work out? This morning, for example, my nice, not-too-tough not-too-easy workout was ruined by one such 'Very Personal Trainer' (the words on his t-shirt, not mine). There I was, minding my own business, vibrating away on the Powerplates after a 5k run, only to be ambushed by said VPT. The conversation went a little like this...

VPT: Are you new here?

(ouch)

Me: No, I've actually been a member for about 5 months...

VPT: And hows the training going?

Me: Yeah, okay.

(Interesting response, seeing as I'm not actually training for anything)

VPT: Well I used to train professional figure skaters and could work out a training programme for you if you like?

Me: Umm...

VPT: Or a nutrition programme...?

(read: diet)

Me: Oh...

VPT: Here, I'll give you my card, let me know if you're interested.

Me: Okay, thanks.

Thanks!? Thanks for giving me your business card whilst I'm on a vibrating plate, wearing all spandex and without pockets.

Thanks for approaching me whilst I'm hot, sweaty and have never felt less like meeting a VPT.

Thanks for telling me I don't come to the gym enough, that I ought to be training for something (who knows what...figure skating perhaps?) and that I need a nutrition programme.

Yeah, thanks a lot.

there are not enough wig shops in the world

How fun is this wig shop in North London? I say fun because it was daylight when I spotted it, I imagine the sight of a window-full of heads might terrify me after dark.