30/07/2013 edition - Girl Meets Dress

This week's spotlight is on...Girl Meets Dress!

Link: http://www.girlmeetsdress.com/

What is it? First things first. I have to say that Girl Meets Dress is not strictly a shop. It is primarily a designer formal dress/gown rental service (although for some dresses, you can purchase at a reduced price if you don't mind it's been worn by others). I've chosen to blog about Girl Meets Dress as I came across my high school prom dress recently whilst tidying. Although I really like the dress, looking back now, it was a total waste of my (my Dad's to be accurate) £200 as I probably won't wear it again. Had I known about something like Girl Meets Dress back in the day, I would have turned to this and saved myself the stress of dress hunting!

How does it work? It's pretty simple and very like online buying: add to basket, pay for item with card and await delivery. The difference is that you need to select your event date and you have 2 or 7 days to return the dress. The longer you keep it, the more you pay (around £10 difference). They charge a high delivery cost of £9.95 for the standard UK price although returns will be free. The dress is delivered to you at least 1 day before your event. 

And why should you hire over buy? There are advantages and disadvantages of both which will be unique to yourself. A real advantage I can see with hiring is that if you want to wear real designer and do not want to shell out £2000+ for a gown, Girl Meets Dress is your friend. They have many many designer brands from Anna Sui to Chloe to Miu Miu to Temperly. There are other more boutique brands which you can see here. Generally, the more 'designer' the brand, the more the retail price will be and consequently the higher price of rental. 


Best Bits

I have chosen a few bold dresses with designs that you cannot buy so easily on the high street:  

 Alice and Olivia Black Peplum Lace Dress 

Size: 8-12

Hire price: £59-69 (RRP £340)

This dress is a real East-meets-West/femme fatale look. It is extremely feminine, pretty, yet oozing with sophistication. Anyone who wears this will no doubt be at the centre of attention all day and night!


Let the dress do the talking and go easy on shoes and accessories.

Aurelio Costarella Corsage Effect Gown

Size: 8 only

Hire Price: £79-89 (RRP £800)


This is another killer dress. While the colour is a bit meh, I chose this dress for the eye-catching shoulder detail. 

You can glam it up with a colourful bolero or keep it all subtle with more neutral/pastel accessories. 

Herve Leger Asymmetric Effect Bandeau Dress

Size: 8-10

Hire Price: £99-109 (RRP £1633)


A classic Herve Leger bandeau dress with a twist.
Pair sky-high heels up with this figure-hugging dress for an ultra-killer look. 













If you're looking for a designer bag, hat or jewellery, you can also rent from Girl Meets Dress and the rental works in the same way as the dresses! 

23/07/2013 edition - Summer Sale 2013 (Part II)

Seeing that the most popular post (by hits) on my blog seems to be 'Summer Sale 2013' from about a month ago, I thought it would be a good idea to list some more places to hunt for sale bargains, especially that items will now be further reduced as summer is (sadly) drawing to a close. 



You can try these relatively unknown fashion houses:

✤Apricot Sale (Sort 'price low-high' and you can find some seriously good sale stuff here).

✤Banana Republic Sale (A little more pricey but Banana Republic is great for basics/if you're looking for an understated look).

✤Bershka Sale (Rather edgy looks at really low prices). 

✤Desigual Sale (More expensive compared to the other shops in this list but a must-visit if you want to wow!)

✤French Connection Sale (This one is well known but I have included French Connection here as you can save really a lot here as many items are heavily reduced). 

✤Gilly Hicks Sale (Gilly Hicks is owned by A+F who also owns Hollister. I'm not a fan of the A+F style clothing but I find Gilly Hicks okay...Maybe because Gilly Hicks is so much cheaper than A+F and Hollister).

✤ Intimissimi Sale (For all your underwear and basics clothing needs).

✤Pull and Bear Sale (This shop has an adorable name and also has very classy and chic fashion pieces at very cheap prices that could give the likes of Zara and Mango a serious run for their money). 

✤The White Stuff Sale (If you want pretty and girly prints, this is the place to visit). 

*******

If you're an O2 customer, you can get *FREE* shoes from Office on O2 Priority at the moment. Ok, it's only a £10 espadrille but you really can't say no. I got these the other day (for free, of course). 

16/07/2013 edition - Select

This week's spotlight is on...Select! 

Link: Select (Online store)

What is it? I first heard of Select through seeing their adverts at bus stops and other random places a few years back. It used to really give off a really tacky and cheap image that definitely made Select a no-go zone! However, they've recently re-vamped themselves into something more trendy, competing with the likes of Mango and New Look by re-creating high fashion looks for the high street. While their image has certainly changed, their prices certainly haven't been touched. So, Select's cheap image may be long gone but their prices have stayed and are yet to stay. Well...somethings never change!

Best Bits 

Aztec Bodycon Dress

Size: 6-18 (UK)

Colour: A bit of everything!

Price: (Only) £10

I saw two people this week wearing these funky Aztec printed dresses and I've been keeping my eye out for one ever since! I love the colours of this dress - the soft colours give the dress an understated look while the crazy patterns and the bodycon style will really bring it to life once it's on you.

Wear with some gold jewellery or strappy sandals to be the bold one among the crowd!

Alternatively, try this mini-vest top (£5) and bodycon skirt (£5) with the same Aztec pattern. 

Playsuit with spotted collar 

Size: 8-18

Colour: Black

Price: £14

This playsuit caught my eye because its uber cute with the Peter Pan collar and also uber smart too! The cut is quite streamlined and along with the belt, it will really flatter your figure, whatever your figure may be like.

Wear this for a smart/formal occasion or for everyday wear. 

Team up with bright flat shoes to add a splash of colour and for an adorable look. 

Crochet open knit jumper

Size: 8-12

Colour: Rose pink and grey

Price: £16

This jumper is just so pretty and versatile for all year round wear, which is why I would highly recommend this. Wear in summer with just a bikini top underneath or with a vest top in the cooler summer evenings. In A/W, add cotton layers to this cosy baggy top!

If you're lucky enough for be a festival go-er this summer, try the festival wear pieces, as Selected by them (sorry, bad joke). 

As always, try their SALE before it's all gone! 

08/07/2013 edition - Missguided

I've finally found some time to blog once again, which is great! As is this hot weather we're having. This post is coming out a day early (lucky you, readers!) as I'm doing a full day of volunteering tomorrow with no computer access. 

This week's spotlight is on...Missguided 

Link: Missguided (UK online homepage)
What is it? I actually haven't heard of Missguided until very recently. It's basically your online ASOS (own brands) meets New Look prices. As far as I know, they don't have any physical stores. Their style is pretty quirky and makes for great casual wear. However, if you want something pretty formal, then Missguided may just be a little OTT? 

Best Bits 

Like everywhere else, there's currently a SALE on. I've chosen a few eye-catching pieces from the non-sale items however:

Crochet Swing Dress

Size: 6-14 (UK)

Colour: White and Peach 

Price: £19.99

Every girl needs a white dress for this time of year. Why? It's classy, sassy, smart and effortless, keeping you cool on a hot summer's day. This dress also makes for a perfect day dress; wear plain or jazz up with a funky hat or sandals. 

For a smarter evening look, wrap a bright coloured cardigan or shawl to stand up. 

Light Blue Denim Leggings

Size: 6-14 (UK)

Colour: Light denim and darker denim

Price: £14.99

I wear a lot of leggings throughout the year as an alternative to tights and trousers. I've been looking for a colourful yet non-conspicuous pair of leggings for a while and I've found these! 

The heels in this picture aren't attractive at all, but I'd be wearing these leggings with a pair of high-tops or flat pumps with a baggy floaty top.

Who says Hawaiian shirts are for men only? 

Size: 8-14(UK)

Colour: Tropical!

Price: £19.99

Yeah, who say's Hawaiian shirts are for men only? I love the design and the front slit of this shirt. It looks great for keeping cool in!

You don't want to look like you've made an outfit with some tropical printed cloths though, so keep the bottom half of you plain!






















So, enjoy Missguided and the sun! 

04/07/2013 - Quick Update

Dear readers,

I've been really busy (and tired!) with graduation and other random stuff. I promise to blog about something very cool ASAP. Hang in there!