Swelegant Saturday Style

Returning from a horrible gastric flu to share with you some of the swelegantly stylish details I spied last Saturday at Offline in Brixton.  Offline is a free night put on by a mate of mine, and I was celebrating my birthday.  Some of the people you're going to see are my mates, others are total strangers who graciously consented to allowing me to photograph them for my blog.  If it's you - many thanks!

 

Let's start with this utterly fabulous glamazon look,  sported by a very fabulous friend of mine.  Rita Hayworth hair (natural colour!) isn't downplayed, but fully lived-up-to with this leopard-print 'wiggle' dress from Marks and Spencer. Utterly showstopping - but classy too, due to the higher neck and knee length hem.  You could wear this with a lightweight twinset-style cardigan in cream or dark chocolate, or a contrast such as scarlet, if you wanted to cover up a little.

A couple of gents, and a couple of dapper accessories.  I love this hat - they say that hats don't suit everyone, but I think some people just aren't trying.  This hat's a little bit retro, a little bit flash, and it's as flattering as hell.  To the right, I love these gloves: pure fun, but not in a 'Homer Simpson socks' kind of way.  Men's clothing presents few opportunities for fun and wit, but these do the trick.

 

Next we have some utterly gorgeous accessorising.  This retro dress is cute, but blue can be a bit 'safe'.  Fortunately it has tiny red details, allowing the wearer to accessorise with simple but splendid earrings and a pair of girlie pumps.  No necklace - a feature collar like this doesn't need one.

I met this lady on the night and developed a bit of a crush, to be honest.  She'd come straight from work, and was simply dressed in black, but my how stylish! The hair is sexy and sophisticated - hair like this makes me tempted to cut mine short - and perhaps you can't see from the photo, but her eyeliner was glossy jet black, winged for retro flair, and matched with scarlet lips.  The chunky, long jet necklace makes the simple outfit feel connected to the elegant face and 'do'.  Applause.

  

click for larger images
 

Another stylish stranger was the lady on the left - now, this look wouldn't work for most, as legs this good are a rarity, but I'm showing it to you because of my post the other day about fashion and tights.  The lace tights are covered up with socks, leaving a tantalising band of lace-covered thigh rather than the curious blotchy-leg look you can get if the whole leg is floral, and see how the dark opaque works with lighter, open toed sandals? Great hair too - I love a bit of backcombing, and heavier readers take note: a half-hive balances out weight below.  On the subject of tights, how much fun are these purple lurex ones?

 

This rock chick was one of the DJs on the night, and I'm including her, primarily because she looks so good in her jumper dress.  The fine knit is flattering, and those three-quarter length sleeves are elegant and provide great coverage.  Ideally I'd have asked her where she got it, but even if I had, I may have been too 'refreshed' to remember... she reads the blog, though, so perhaps she'll tell us.  I also love this ultra-girly, flamingo pink resin ring when worn with the short 'rock' nails and seventies-style parka.  Unadulterated 'serious' black is too grown-up to be swelegant.

I mentioned them on the recent post about men's dressing, but I'm really getting into a fine crombie-style overcoat for men, recently.  Lighter colours such as grey or camel with a darker collar are most stylish - and if you're tall and slim then you might prefer a double-breasted style, as here, as it gives a 'boxier' look.

 

I actually wanted to take a front-facing shot of this spectacular frock so I could show you the brilliant forties-style shoulders and slim V neckline.  Unfortunately, the conversation between inebriated strangers in a noisy club wasn't terribly clear, and after two tries, I gave up.  Anyway, it's a great shot of this splendid Alexander Henry fabric - skulls and roses sewn up into a retro-femme frock.  I have a frock in this fabric: a gorgeously talented friend made it for herself and then sent it to me when she lost weight and it fitted her no more.  Mine's a more full-skirted style, though.

 

I loved this gorgeous black lurex cardie which I spotted on a lady by the loo.  It isn't just the sparkle that appealed to my magpie-eye,  but the short-pile white fur collar - which instantly evoked the jacket Marilyn Monroe wore when she married Joe DiMaggio.  Just a neat, contained bit of luxury, and the white will be kinder to some complexions than black on its own.

Finally, then, me.  But you've seen this look before (but not, I hope, posing poutily in the loo...).