Guest post: Is it possible to become your own style icon?

While you are reading this, I am on holiday in Italy. I had a fantastic time there last year and have been looking forward to going back ever since I came home last year! However I haven't forgotten about my blog. While I am away I have lined up some lovely ladies to write some guest posts. First up is my fellow member of the Cardiff Blogs team, Sian.

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Having a style isn't easy. There are so many options to choose from as we are constantly bombarded with images of beautiful clothes for all pockets. We have programmes that help us decide what suits our shape, our colouring and even our age but we all buy the same things so how do we really develop our own style?

Customise! Accessorise!

I'm not a seamstress so making my own clothes is definitely out of the question but I like to embellish what I have and it's not expensive. Putting some clip-on earrings onto a pair of shoes, adding a bow to a plain t-shirt, or even something as simple as putting a kilt pin on the lapel of a jacket all help to make it your own.

I customised this by adding a clip-on earring

A top customised with a bow which was removed from a handbag

Kilt pin made by my Mum!

Accessorising your outfit can also make all the difference. The same black dress can be worn by a room full of women but different pieces of jewellery can make it look dramatically diverse! I'm very lucky in that my mother makes jewellery so I have a ready supply of accessories but having a custom piece made isn't pricey at all (depending on the materials you choose) and in my view is money well spent: you have a one-off piece that you helped design and that shows your style.

So I suppose what I'm trying to say is don't be afraid of finding something that you like and then quite easily turning it into something that you love. You'll end up with something unique and a style that is definitely you.

Office Shoes: Sale Bargains

Given my love of a pair of high-heels, it is perhaps not surprising that one of my favourite shops during sale time, is 'Office'. I always manage to pick up some great bargains in their sale. However this week, 'Office' have definitely surpassed themselves with their sale offering. I managed to pick up these two pairs of shoes for a grand total of £10 (£5 each) - saving £110! They caught my eye  as soon as I walked in, as I love the colours. And I couldn't believe my luck when I saw the price! The colours are very on trend for this season, which makes them even more of a bargain in my eyes.

Clarks Leopard Print Slippers

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then I am sure you will have realised by now that I have a slight obsession with animal prints, and particularly those of the leopard variety. Therefore I wasn't surprised when a pair of leopard print shoes jumped out at me when I was flicking through the pages of last month's 'Red' magazine. But what was surprising was that it wasn't a pair of leopard print heels, but a pair of leopard print slippers. Loafer style slippers are everywhere this season, but I was yet to purchase a pair as I didn't really think that they were my kind of thing. Until now that is.

In addition to my shock that I was actually coveting a pair of flats, I was also shocked to discover that they were from 'Clarks'. For me, 'Clarks' will forever be associated with trips to be fitted for new shoes when I was in Primary school. And as such, I haven't purchased a pair of shoes there since 1990!

I know that I am going to get a lot of wear out of these, as they are equally appropriate for a casual or a smart look. In addition to being a  great way to introduce a bit of print to an outfit, they are also really comfortable. From bitter experience I know that fashion and comfort do not always go hand in hand. So when the two come together, it is a wonderful thing!

These retail for just £39.99, but until 11th September you can save 20%, by using the code 'BEWNEW12' at the checkout. These have definitely put 'Clarks' back on my radar as a place to look for footwear, so I hope that they manage to keep up the good (and very stylish!) work!

Stylist Pick : My Choice

I recently posted about a great offer that was on Groupon - a voucher for £9.95 for your first purchase from Stylist Pick. I have been interested in the shoe and accessory subscription service since it began, so this was the perfect opportunity to try it.

In case you don't know about Stylist Pick, it is a site which offers a selection of shoes and accessories, which have been picked by stylists. When you sign up to the site you complete a short style questionnaire and it then selects products based on your answers. These are collated in the 'My Showroom' area of the site. However you can also order items which nearly made your showroom if you prefer.

I went for these t-bar shoes with a bow detail. I really liked the slightly vintage feel to them, and they were also a close match to a 'New Look' pair that I had seen on Laura Fantacci's blog ('Wearing it Today'), which I really liked. I ummed and ahed over the red and black colours, but the red wasn't available in my size, so the decision was made for me!

My parcel arrived within a couple of days. The shoebox comes wrapped with black ribbon and gift tags and comes in a bag, which adds to the feeling that you are treating yourself. It reminded me of the 'my-wardrobe' and 'Cocosa' packaging. I later noticed on the invoice that Stylist Pick is part of the same group as 'Cocosa', so I guess the company is taking tips from its older sister.

I was very impressed with the service I received from Stylist Pick. I had a query regarding placing an order, and I was pleasantly surprised to receive a response to my email within half an hour. The site has free delivery, and also offers a free return service.

Have you tried Stylist Pick? What did you think of the service?

Stylistpick: Only £9.95 for your first purchase

Just a quick post to let you know about a great offer on Groupon today. They are currently offering a voucher for £9.95, which is valid for your first purchase on Stylistpick. If you haven't heard of Stylistpick, it is a website which offers a range of shoes and accessories, personally selected by top fashion stylists. You answer a series of questions which identify your style personality, and the answers are used to tailor the selection just for you. By purchasing the voucher, you can potentially save up to 67%. Every month, you are sent an email with the latest suggestions for you.

Here are some of the items currently on the website, all retailing for £39.95:  

 

 

If you fancy trying the service out, then get over to Groupon now, as the offer ends tonight at midnight.

All That Glitters or 'How I Satisifed my Glitter Lust'

One of the shoes of the season which has featured in all of the style magazines is the Miu Miu glitter trompe d'oeil boot which gives the effect of wearing strappy shoes with some rather sparkly socks. Another variation on it was the gold and pink fan boots which didn't seem to be as widely featured. I don't know what it is about them but they just make me smile. And I know I'm not the only one, as lots of my favourite ladies on Twitter were raving about them, including A Girl, A Style and JenniferElleUK. However these are firmly out of my price range at £555, so I made do with lots of admiring glances at various blog posts and style magazines.

But try as I might I just couldn't shake the urge to get my glitter on. Which is where the Office sale stepped in. Lurking at the back of the shelf was one pair of black glitter pointed ballet pumps which kept calling me back. Now I'm not a big wearer of ballet pumps, and it's usually a case of 'the higher the heel the better' for me when it comes to shoes, but I felt like trying something different, so I picked these up.

These were originally £60, but had been reduced to £16. And thanks to Office's extra 20% off sale shoes, these only cost £12.80! I have had lots of comments on them and they do indeed make me smile when I put them on. They might not be as glamorous as the Miu Miu ones, but they have satisfied my need for a glitter fix......for now!

Guest Post: Shoes and Chanel

One of the things that I love about Twitter is that you get to meet people with similar interests that you otherwise might never meet in real life. One prime example of this is how I met today's guest blogger, Penny from Auckland, New Zealand. We had mutual Twitter friends, Donna Ida and Sam_Bottega, and before we knew it group tweets about our mutual love for all thing fashion were flying back and forth! Twitter is forever bringing up random connections, and it turns out that Penny is actually half-Welsh and has fond memories of visiting one of my favourite stores in Cardiff (Howell's), when she visited family here as a child.

Penny kindly agreed to write a post about two of our mutual passions: shoes and Chanel. I love this post, and not just because it's about two of my favourite things! For me, clothes aren't always just items of clothing, but can be tied up closely with my memories of people and places. So without further ado, here's the lovely Penny:

I love shoes  - that’s obvious I guess, and  I come by it honestly – for many years  at the beginning of every season my mother and I would go together to  “Dadleys” the best shoe shop in New Zealand in the 1980’s, to see the latest ranges from  those magic labels : Maud Frizon, Sergio Rossi, Pancaldi, Robert Clergerie, Charles Jourdan, and most magic of all, Tokio Kumagai.  We’d each buy two pairs, which would be carefully stacked with the other boxes in our wardrobes to await the appropriate weather when we’d be able to show them off.  

Tokio Kumagai

In the mid-eighties when I started making regular visits to the UK, I followed the Kings Road to Old Church Street and the magical suite of rooms that is Manolo Blahnik. I remember my first pair were gold flats that I wore and wore until they literally fell apart. At the same time I got my first pair of CHANEL ballet flats and I've had at least two pairs "on active  service" ever since.

We all look better in high heels, they make our legs look longer and make us walk more elegantly, but the truth for me is that I just can't move fast enough in anything except those Chanel ballet flats, even my Converse are not as comfortable! I don't drive so I walk to the station every day and my office is a space big enough for 170 of us - now I know there are people who can do all that backwards and in high heels (with platforms!), but not me. I'd never get through the day.

I've bought a few pairs of Manolo's over the years; my favourites are these black and white "sneaker" mules.

They are clearly still in excellent health because I can't wear them for more than half an hour at a time. My vintage Manolo collection is also growing thanks to Ebay and Trade Me.

Everytime I cross the threshold of a Chanel boutique I head for the shoes, lovingly picking up the latest models which are almost always heels, and then placing them carefully back on the shelf. Then I go to the classic ballet flat range where I select two pairs in a Size 38 - no need to try them on.

I am passionate about all things Chanel and the affair started with those ballet flats!

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LouLou says: Thanks for writing this envy-inducing post Penny. I just wish we were the same size feet so that I could try some of the fantastic shoes in your closet!