Thursday 22 August 2013

How to dress for meeting HER parents

No matter what kind of a person you are, meeting the in-laws is always going to be daunting and we all know that first impressions are important. So what exactly are you supposed to wear to such an occasion?

The best way to make sure you won’t end up wearing a suit to dinner with a family who enjoy Adidas a little too much is to ask your girlfriend what kind of clothes her dad or brothers usually wear. This gives you an idea of the dress-code so not to be feeling too over/underdressed on the night. However, don’t try too hard to look like her dad. Turning up in chino’s and a sweater-vest will probably be just as embarrassing and won’t be easy to phase out for the second meeting.

Secondly, ask a few of your friends what they wore to meet their girlfriend’s parents. If there seems to be a trend and their relationships are still going strong, you have your answer.

If all else fails, turn to the ever-so popular smart/casual code. A smart pair of jeans or coloured chinos with a shirt or polo is probably the safest option as it is always better to be a little overdressed than underdressed in this scenario.

It’s important to remember that your girlfriend will want her parents to like you so if she thinks your look isn’t quite right; she will probably let you know. Ask her in advance what she is wearing and see if you can plan something based on her choice as she will know their preferred attire and should be able to help you.

If you want to be sure to impress, be the best version of yourself and don’t arrive empty handed. You probably know by now that women never complain when it comes to unexpected gifts so a bunch of flowers for her mum will distract away from what you are wearing for a little while. Ask your girlfriend what her dads favourite drink is and bring him a bottle so he doesn’t feel left out.

With the outfit decided and the gifts given, all you need to worry about is making it through the evening without offending or insulting either of them. Throw in compliments as often as necessary, especially about how beautiful their home is and her mum’s cooking (if you’re there for dinner) but try not to over-do it so her dad thinks you are hitting on his wife. Swearing is a complete no-go, even if they use it and the rest is down to you.

What Twitter thinks

We asked the males of Twitter to give their opinions on what’s acceptable and not-so acceptable when meeting the in-laws for the first time:

@colinroweuk: view it like a job interview, better to be overdressed than underdressed.”

@rcurtin6: always wear socks! Some people get weird about feet and they could be 'shoes off in the house' people.”


@matt_hght: something smart but casual and comfortable at the same time.”

Celebrity Look of the Week

Jameela Jamil is always on point with her outfit selection and this weekend at V Festival was no different. Festivals create fantastic opportunities to show off your styling skills and Jameela has proven that it doesn’t always mean a new wardrobe by mixing and matching her favourite, past season pieces.

Representing tall ladies everywhere, the 27 year-old, Radio 1 DJ has admitted on Twitter that her outfit is made up mostly of Topshop and ASOS items making it every bit more desirable.

The dress, originally from ASOS, can be replaced by a casual black skater dress available from ASOS and most high street stores for around £20.

With the unpredictable weather, you can never be too prepared. Luckily, Topshop are offering a wide range of green and black parka coats in a variety of styles from £55-£99.

Patterned tights are available from almost every high street store so it won’t be too difficult to find the perfect pair to team with this outfit; however H&M have a black leopard print pair just like Jameela’s for £6.99.


To finish the look, add in a quirky Lulu Guinness box clutch or over-the-shoulder bag. The Black Doll Face Fifi clutch is just-as-odd yet just-as-fabulous as the telephone one Jameela is seen sporting. 

Tuesday 30 April 2013

Buys of the Week

Buys of the Week
Lime Dress: River Island £22
Kaleidoscope Top: River Island £25
S Initial Midi Ring: Topshop £4
Barry M Greenberry Gelly Polish: Boots £3.99
Rimmel Pro Matte Finish Topcoat: Boots £4.59

Friday 12 April 2013

What to wear

So it's my friends 21st coming up and we're heading to Brighton for a night out. To mark the occasion, I recently bought this dress and pair of heels from Topshop. To top it off, my Marc Jacobs watch and a black and gold clutch. 

Outfit of the night
Dress - £36 topshop.com
Heels - £85 topshop.com or £45 next2nowt.com
Watch - £185 various retailers

Thursday 4 April 2013

Is it okay to vent on Twitter?


When something happens to make me angry, I can’t help but pick up my phone and start putting together a Tweet to express my feelings. Even if 99% of the time I delete it before I send it, there is something about venting on Twitter that seems to relieve the anger and make me feel a little more calm about the situation. Luckily for me, if I do decide to expose the Tweet, I only have around 250 followers that are going to see it. So what happens when a celebrity decides to vent on Twitter?

Well a couple of our favourite Made in Chelsea characters and one very famous rapper have done just that. In an interview with Star magazine, Spencer Matthews let the world know his true feelings towards fellow cast member Millie Mackintosh. He made it clear that he isn’t her greatest fan and let’s be honest, after that incredible slap, you can’t really blame him, even if he did deserve it. In the first season of Made in Chelsea, Millie and Spencer were very close as Spencer was in love with her best friend Caggie Dunlop. The pair spent a lot of time together, along with Caggie and Hugo Taylor, who Millie then went on to date. The pair's friendship recently started to deteriorate when Spencer started dating another one of Millie's friends, Louise Thompson. When rumours escalated that he had cheated on her, Millie's commitment to Louise took over.

In the interview, Spencer referred to Millie as a ‘show pony’ who is only on the show to get involved in other people’s business and because of her celeb boyfriend Professor Green.
“We were very close when we were 16, but some people have really changed since doing the show. I have nothing nice to say about her.”

In light of Pro Green’s latest announcement of his engagement to the MIC star, Spencer told OK! magazine: “Poor bloke, I don’t know how he does it.”
Unhappy about Spencer’s attitude towards his fiancĂ©, Professor Green took to Twitter to let Mr Matthews know just how he felt:
“and as for @spencergeorgem – you’re vile, don’t utter a f***ing word about our engagement – it’s none of your f***ing business.”

“not into some silly pompous jumped up c*** yapping off at the mouth for some f***ing exposure. sick of f***ing idiots and their ‘opinions’.”

In reply, Spencer simply put “@professorgreen Does this mean I’m not invited to the wedding?” to which the rapper tweeted a photo of Spencer with a heavily made-up blonde woman with the message “not if she’s your +1.”

Has Pro Green gone a little too far with his abusive tweets? I’m not sure. Yes they are very strong but at least he had the decency to tag Spencer in them rather than doing it behind-his-back, unlike the playboy MIC star who did the interviews without so much as pre-warning Millie.

Let’s see how this unfolds in the new season of Made in Chelsea which starts on Monday.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

TRESemme Split Remedy Review


So I don’t really do reviews of hair and beauty products but I couldn’t resist.

I have been using the TRESemme Split, Mend and Protect Treatment for about three months now after using a tester that came in a magazine. The smell is incredible, just like the other ‘traditional’ TRESemme products and my hair feels a lot smoother since using it.
My hair usually goes really dry and frizzy when left to dry naturally. This is something that has definitely improved and it’s even better when it’s been styled.

The product can be used on damp or dry hair but I tend to put it on damp as it makes it dry better, taking away a bit of the frizz. The instruct using 2-3 pumps on the ends of your hair after every wash, and when used with the Split Remedy shampoo and conditioner, the added shine is definitely noticeable. I also bought the Split Remedy Sealing Serum to use as an every-day treatment when my hair was dry. Although I prefer the leave in treatment, the serum is good when styling without washing.

I always buy my hair products in Boots and they usually have the TRESemme products on offer for three for two or three for £9. Although I haven’t yet bought it individually, I believe it is around £5 a bottle. Definitely worth a try if you ask me. 

Millie Mac and Pro Green engaged!


It’s hard to find a bad thing to say about Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green’s relationship – and why should we?

They manage to keep their relationship private while still letting their fans in by posting photos of each other and having the odd Twitter conversation. Millie can always be spotted supporting him at gigs and appearances, and it seems a regular occurrence for the couple to be jetting off somewhere fancy, the latest stop being Paris.

While in Paris, Millie tweeted about being in her favourite restaurant - the perfect location for a proposal, surely? Well it seems our lovable Professor, real name Stephen Manderson, thought so too. He popped the question and of course, she said yes!
The ring came from Frost of London and is certainly a blinder. Millie announced the exciting news by tweeting a photo of the ring (below) with “If I could scream loud enough for the whole world to hear, I would.”
I don’t know about you but I couldn’t be happier for the couple. Let’s hope we get all the juicy gossip in the new series of MIC that is due to air soon. 

Saturday 23 March 2013

Easter Spirit: Speckled Nails

I'm not sure about you, but every Easter I subconsciously seem to paint my nails a nice pastel yellow to match the occasion. Well Illamasqua have gone one better than the simple pastel nail polish. 
Each polish contains matte black glitter flecks for a speckled, egg-like finish. So go on, get in the holiday spirit and head over to www.illamasqua.com to view the range, available at £14.50 a bottle, I'll definitely be purchasing one, or two. Colours above are Freckle, Speckle, Mottle, Fragile and Scarce (in order).

Thursday 21 March 2013

The Cara and Justin effect


It’s not unknown that the world has gone crazy for Cara Delevingne and Justin Timberlake as of late. But why these two?

If you type in Cara on Google, her name appears six times out of just ten results. Although she was already a well-known model before, Cara exploded all over London Fashion Week in February and since, she has been one of the most talked about models.
With her signature eyebrows recognised around the world, she has now had her name copyrighted and you’ll be sure to see plenty of girls sporting her ‘Queen Delevingne’ t-shirts. But where did she come from?

Born in London in 1992, Cara is now the face of both Burberry and YSL’s beauty campaigns. She has also featured in advertising campaigns for other brands including H&M, Zara and Chanel. Vogue described the young model as the ‘star face’ of the autumn/winter 2012-2013 shows having walked for Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Burberry, Chanel and many more. She has had huge success in both catwalk and magazine modelling winning the Model of the Year 2012 at British Fashion Awards.

Is it any surprise we can’t get enough of her?

And as for JT, well just the thought of him is enough to make most women swoon. With the release of his new album The 20/20 Experience, including collaborations with Jay Z, everyone has been talking about Justin Timberlake. In July, he is set to headline Wireless Festival on the Friday night with Jay Z headlining the Saturday night. After high demand, the pair are joining forces for an additional night on the Sunday.

However, it isn’t just his music that we are loving at the moment. JT seems to have had a winter wardrobe revamp and we must admit, he is looking incredibly dapper. He is topping best-dressed lists everywhere, coming in at number one at the 2013 SAG Awards. He seems to be making more of an appearance on social-networks, uploading photos to his Instagram before important events, the latest being a photo of his Louboutin shoes that he was wearing on stage that night. For anyone who doesn’t have Instagram, here’s a peak at what he’s been up to.




Tuesday 12 March 2013

Best-Dressed Male: February


When choosing the best-dressed man of the New Year, the competition wasn’t too tough. With the release of the official music video for Suit and Tie at the end of January, and his fantastic ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in LA, it had to be Justin Timberlake.
Spotted in a Tom Ford O’Connor suit with a brown gingham shirt, textured knit tie and the cherry on top, a Rose-Gold Cartier watch, Timberlake wowed the critics at the award show, with many naming him the best dressed at the event.

Now it’s not surprising that every woman wants her partner to look like JT. Although we can’t do anything about that ever-growing beer-gut and his denial about the nose hairs, we can tell you how to create Justin’s SAG Awards look without the hefty price tag.

ASOS.com has a perfect selection of brown tweed suits that will definitely do the job, especially when paired with a pastel brown shirt that you can find in Topman. Textured knitted ties are all the rage at the moment and can be found in a number of shops and online stores. Tiesplanet.com has a quirky collection all for under £20.

As most people know, no watch could quite compare to a Cartier and it would be almost insulting to try. However, for those who do not have £9,950 lying around, brands such as Seiko do offer a high-quality, stylish selection of leather strapped watches that will leave him feeling like the belle of the ball.

Thursday 17 January 2013

My recent craze


Due to my dissertation being based on GQ magazine, I’ve taken to reading it on a regular basis and I must admit – I absolutely love it. GQ magazine has been labelled the leading men’s magazine in Britain with an impressive 40 awards to their name so far, including Columnist, Cover, Writer and Editor of the Year, and 19 editions published worldwide. Launched in 1988, GQ has continued to shape the world of the men’s magazine market.

GQ was originally named ‘Vogue for Men’ and I can definitely see why. The style of the magazine is very similar to Vogue, just with less fashion talk and more cars! The articles are formal yet witty and writing a series of articles for them for my dissertation is something I’m very much looking forward to.

The men’s magazine section isn’t somewhere I usually find myself but wanting to take a different route with my work, doing a fashion course means Elle, Vogue and Cosmo are popular choices, I decided that choosing a high-end men’s magazine wouldn’t be so expected. The features vary in length; this gives me the opportunity to explore different subjects. Being a men’s magazine, I like that it differs from the audience I would usually write for, pushing me to work outside of my comfort zone. Although it has taken a little getting used to, especially as I’m not the biggest Vogue fan either, I am now familiar with the writing style and hope that it shows in my writing.

GQ has kept its appeal by sticking to either women or successful men on the cover, for example, Lana Del Rey and Daniel Craig were October and November 2012’s cover stars. This suits the house style and readership of the magazine as it features the men the readers want to be and the women they want to date.

For anyone who hasn’t read GQ before, especially those who are fans of Vogue, I highly recommend it. It mixes humour with politics, agony aunts and top hotel destinations so there is something for everyone. The fashion section is really interesting and a great way to keep up with the world of men’s fashion, the political features have added wit to make them more appealing and the real-life stories focus on people that have had real experiences that are far more serious than their girlfriend having an affair. I wonder if it’ll have the same effect on you. 



Wednesday 16 January 2013

The Golden Globes 2013


So it’s not exactly breaking news that one of the biggest events in Beverly Hills has just flown past – the Golden Globes. Although it might be known as an evening dedicated to honouring the finest actors and actresses to grace the planet, this year it was all about who wore what. With the title of best dressed looming, it was a no-expense-spared kind of evening.

Of course, everyone has their own unique tastes, therefore the winner of said category will never be set in stone but I couldn’t resist writing about my own favourites.

First up is Amanda Seyfried in a delicate Givenchy gown. This pale, floor-length lace gown suited her light skin perfectly and is why I crown her Golden Globes Best Dressed of 2013. Congrats Amanda (I know it’ll mean a lot to her).

Next in line for the crown is the gorgeous Kate Hudson in Alexander McQueen. I love everything about this look, the simplicity of the black gown against the statement gold neck and waist detail. It shows off her slim silhouette and hides the fact that Kate isn’t quite a Katie Price in the boob area.


Emily Blunt is also a close contender in this green/gold Michael Kors gown. I couldn’t imagine anyone else wearing this dress quite as well as Emily does, with the cut-outs sitting perfectly on her slim figure.

Two others that don’t quite make the top three but just couldn’t be missed are Kristen Bell and Isla Fisher.

Kristen Bell truly is glowing in this Jenny Packham gown. The fabulous detailing on the top half stops just at the right place to show off her baby bump and the colours suit her skin tone perfectly.


Isla Fisher looked equally as wonderful, if not slightly over-dosed on fake tan, in Reem Acra. The gown is absolutely gorgeous and has been accessorised to the minimum – perfect for such a detailed dress.


The images used are not my own.

Saturday 5 January 2013

Romeo Beckham Burberry video released


Burberry has released a short-film showing the making of its Quality Street inspired collection campaign starring the gorgeous Romeo Beckham. It seems Romeo is the next Beckham to have a career in the spotlight, as we see him jumping around, playing a fantastic role in the campaign.