Secondhand Sunday Best for Easter

Dinner at the inlaws on Easter Sunday called for a Sunday Best sort of outfit. Although the weather wasn't exactly summery I couldn't resist wearing this dress that has been sitting in the cupboard for a little while. It is Fahri by Nicole Fahri and I bought it with the tags still on for just £12 at a little secondhand shop I regularly pop into. I would never usually combine a such a light summery dress with black tights but thought I would give it a try (partly due to the necessity for warm legs and no other suitable colours of tights in my draw). I also added this black leather and suede obi belt which was handmade by the lovely Emma of Style to Wear. Actually I quite liked the combination of black and orange as it makes the dress slightly less summery for a coldish day. The locket was a present from my sister.

The first picture was taken as I spinned around in an attempt to show the fullness of the skirt and test out the sport mode on my camera. I am not sure how successful this was but you can kind of get the idea.





I didn't have any Easter egg this year apart from a few tiny morsels donated by the children. I did however get just a tiny bit of time to myself to indulge myself by with some Green and Blacks almond chocolate and by reading my newly delivered Vogue and Elle magazines. I was also very kindly sent a delicious and very stylish biscuit by Tesco's in the shape of their new 'iconic' Pagoda dress, to celebrate the launch of their new couture collection.

Supermarket Couture

With the high street shops constantly battling to prove how fashion forward they are, seems like the supermarkets are now following suit. Yesterday Tesco launched its new Florence and Fred Couture range. Initially I was very sceptical. Is it really going to be Couture or is it just a marketing ploy?

Couture has various definitions in the dictionary including fashionable custom made women's clothing (it isn't custom made), or an abreviation of Haute Couture, which has a very strict criteria that I am sure Tesco's do not fulfil. However despite its perhaps slightly misleading name, the collection is quite promising if quite expensive. Not having seen any of the 16 pieces from the collection up close, it is difficult to make a judgement on quality but there is clearly a lot more attention being paid to the construction of this range than the usual supermarket ranges of clothes with some interesting details like external zips and tiny buttons and loops to fasten.

I love the shapes and sculptural structures of some of the pieces including the pagoda dress and sequin jacket.

There are also some great custom prints such as the one featured on this silk dress and racer back top.

I also like the way Tesco are going in offering quality over quantity which is better for the environment. But I do find it slightly strange that the Pagoda dress is made from 100% polyester and many of the clothes have polyester linings, not really sure that I could justify paying £140 for a polyester dress. Using unsustainable materials in these clothes is also going against everything they are trying to say with their new recycled/ eco range. There are however some options in pure silk and cotton mixes.

Overall I quite like the designs and love the colour schemes but am struggling a bit with the price and synthetic materials. The 16 piece collection is only available online, so I won't be getting the opportunity to pop a bit of 'Tesco couture' in my shopping trolley along with my Coco Pops, not for now anyway!

Dolly Couture

As a child I loved my dolls and cared for them as if they were my own children. I especially liked getting them dressed up for a special occasion, perhaps a dolly's tea party. I loved the itsy bitsy clothes and teeny tiny details on them. Of course my dolls clothes weren't exactly couture, even though I would very much have liked them to be. I am guessing that I am not the only fashion and dolly lover around as their has been quite a bit of talk lately about Louboutin clad Barbies and other sorts of collaborations.

These couture clad dolly's really caught my eye though. They were created by Andrew Yang, artist and former Dennis Basso employee. He has previously made plenty of couture detailed dolls but these lovely little model dolls in mini versions of outfits from the ss10 collections are by far of the most interest to me. If you were wondering who would wear these clothes, now you know. The clothes are gorgeously intricate and detailed copies of Lanvin, Givenchy, Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh and Proenza Schouler to name but a few. They are available to buy at http://www.thekouklitas.com/ (if you love dolls, you have to check out this site) and if you don't see an outfit you like, you can get one made. Hmm I think one in a Luella heart dress would be lovely.

photos by Dan Forbes for The Block

Wraps by The Glamourai

There are some websites that I just have to avoid for fear of a humongous spend up. Shrimpton Couture is one of those websites but yesterday, I somehow managed to find my way there and unable to click away. I was entranced by the mix of luxury vintage pieces, reconstructed pieces and couture but some pieces that particularly caught my eye were the Glamour wraps by The Glamourai.

I am constantly amazed by the innovative ways designers rework old pieces into something equally if not more desireable than the original. The Glamour wraps are made of silk 1940s kimono with intricate hand painted designs achieving the perfect balance between traditional Japanese culture and modern style. Each wrap can be worn in a number of different ways including a vest, dress, belted jacket, cape or kimono. The site provides a really comprehensive guide on how to wear the wrap.

The Glamourai was founded by Kelly Framel, who combines a DIY spirit with a refined couture intelligence. The collection includes jewellery anc clothing, perfect for glamourising your life. I have managed to get away without spending money that I don't have, but with a brand new incentive to get saving for the new year.