A Sunny Day and A Fringed Necklace

What difference a bit of sunshine makes to a photograph. It seems like ages since we have had bright sunshine and todays picture looks so much clearer and brighter than some of my recent photographs. I am sure if I actually worked out how to use my camera I could find a way to counteract the effects of poor light.

Todays outfit features a fringed necklace which I bought for about £5 in the Oasis sale just before Christmas. This is the first time I have worn it but I have a feeling it will be getting much more wear in the spring and summer (even though I can't stop thinking that it makes me look like I have a hairy chest!). I am also wearing some old tops from New Look and Dorothy Perkins and a pair of leggings with tiny multi coloured hearts from Topshop. The boots are by Po-Zu.

Despite the beautiful weather today, I am struggling to keep myself feeling sunny this week for a few different reasons:

1. I have just found out that Vintage at Goodwood is no longer going to be happening, instead there will be a vintage festival at the South Bank Centre arranged by Wayne and Geraldine Hemmingway. Whilst I am sure this is great news for Londoners, for many others including me it is not! We had invested in an old VW camper van partly so that we could transport kids and vintage outfits to camp for the whole weekend this year. It just wouldn't be the same for us in London, no camping, expensive hotels, no fun for the children, trains and tubes to get there.

2. I seem to be having huge problems buying clothes in the sales. I had some money for Christmas and decided to look for something designer that would be a good investment. So I looked at some different retailers/ websites to the ones that I  usually use. First I chose and tried to order some clothes on Coggles only to be told that they couldn't take my card payment online and I had to ring instead. After the discovery that the delivery was going to cost me nearly £10, I decided not to bother

3. Next I found something that I really liked on Liberty (A Helmut Lang top), I ordered and paid and waited but received nothing except an email saying the item I had ordered was out of stock and they couldn't get hold of any more so my order had been cancelled, then referring me to the T  & C's.

4. So finally today I found something I liked  (or actually 2 items) on the Outnet. When I went to place the order, I thought that tax was to be added on afterward - Thanks to Trying to Look Fab in Your Forties for pointing out in the comments that the tax is shown in the break down but not actually added on top of the prices. What a relief I can now place my order afterall.

I know in the scheme of things, not going to festivals and buying clothes is not the end of the world but I just felt like a bit of a moan. Why does buying designer clothes online have to be so difficult? I never seem to have these problems with the likes of Oasis and ASOS.

Hope you having a good week and I have not bored you too much with my whingeing. Any suggestions on good places to buy designer clothes online for the future would be appreciated.

With warmest wishes

Ceri X

Wolford Fringed and Henry Holland Tights

I probably make no secret of the fact that I am obsessed with tights. I am just completely fasinated by the huge variety of coloured, patterned, netted tights and now fringed tights that can be used to enhance or accessorise so many outfits. I think statement tights are fast becoming the latest must have accessory (much to the disgust of most men who much prefer stockings!).

These new fringed tights from Wolford (above) really caught my eye as they almost look like a pair of boots.

Whilst on the subject of tights, I am also loving Henry Hollands range of tights including these colour card ones which are available in black, blue, purple and pink.

Evening Shoe Heaven

I never fail to be amazed the innovative and groundbreaking fashion accessories that I manage to find whilst poking about on the internet. I am particularly amazed and pleased with myself for my latest discovery with has that winning combination of design excellence and affordability, something that you come across very often.

Dionne Gooding footwear has a range of unique shoe designs for both evening and casual. Her designs are embellished using studs, swarovski crystals and fabrics to give footwear that will most definitely become a key feature in any outfit and a talking point on a night out. My favourites:- the studded, the frilled, I think I am in love with them all.

The Dionne Gooding brand was established in 2008. Dionne studied Mixed Media Textiles at De Montfort University where she learned to incorporate her textiles techniques in footwear.

Fringe dress and other fringed clothes

Ever since fashion week when the SS09 collections were shown, I have been waiting for the fringe trend to filter onto the high street. With fringes and tassels apearing all over the catwalk including long fringe covered dresses at Jil Sander to strange hair fringes at Maison Martin Margiela.

I love the fringe trend and this is why:- fringes and tassels always hang downwards as gravity dictates, therefore they always create slimming vertical lines. Fringes are also a great way of disguising lumps and bumps, they hang over them rather than clinging to them. I love the texture and movement that fringes add to an outfit.

There are various ways to wear this seasons fringe trend from elegant fringe dresses to small bits of fringing around the edge of a piece of clothing or on accessories like bags and shoes. I love the bags and shoes idea for a bit of summer Boho, but for all out elegance, I have been searching high and low for a lovely but very affordable fringe dress. This cream Vila fringe dress at Dorothy Perkins is the answer to my prayers.

Whilst searching, I also found some other very gorgeous fringed pieces.

Blue Fringed Vest - Dorothy Perkins

Max C Cream Fringe Bag - Dorothy Perkins

Fringed Suede Skirt - Dorothy Perkins (again)

Paul and Joe Sister Tasseled Vest - My Wardrobe

Fringed Undercover Shorts - Yoox