Three wishes

I'm loving your blog very much. My dilemas are I want everyday type tops/jumpers , a new winter coat I was thinking a parka type? Ideally I would like a hood and to come past my bum. I also want to buy new jeans.

I'm 5ft 2 1/2
9st 6llb
I'm brunette with freckles
I really don't know what body shape I am...but I def have a bottom and hips.
I don't have a fave shop but I always end up in Urban Outfitters and normally find something I like.
I don't like to look 'in fashion'.

I always have a trauma trying to buy jeans as I need a 30inch leg which thankfully shops are starting to sell. Petite jeans come up too short.

Can i be helped ?

Almost certainly.

Firstly, everyday tops and jumpers. I have a lack of these too. It seems utterly ridiculous that someone who can't move in her flat for clothes should have a leack of anything, but most of my clothes are a bit too glam for work, and I've been neglecting separates in favour of frocks for a while...

It seems that fashion is favouring quite square shapes on the torso for spring, and that isn't really flattering to anyone - especially not if you are short, as the width: height ratio is more precarious to start with. Batwing sleeves, dropped waists and blouson styles are all horribly chunky. There are also a plethora of horizontal stripes. Although this mission is for a slim girl, I really can't see the appeal of widening stripes. However, there is hope. Betty Jackson at Debenhams have the gorgeous Oriental Spot kimono top at the top of this post for £32. Although I have recommended kimono tops for boobilicious girls before, it doesn't mean that they are a no go for other body shapes. Certainly the focus on the bust will draw attention from a more substantial bum and hips. You might like to try it without a vest - those with smaller boobs can get away with showing more cleavage while still looking quite classy. Also at Debenhams is the delightful flower stem embellished top above - £20, by Rocha. John Rocha. Its simplicity accomodates the applique detail without looking too fussy - the high neck rules it out for buxom girls, though. Lastly to Marks and Sparks for the gorgeous Spot Print Bow Top below (£29.50). This top might push the label 'everyday' to its limits, but why shouldn't every day be a carnival of cheer? Once again, attention will be drawn away from the bum and hips - and this style will look great with a longer line cardigan to coordinate with trousers or skirt, and elongate the overall effect.

A hooded winter coat, past bum length, next - not so easy to find this winter. I know a parka style has been suggested, but most of these seem to be 'dusty lilac' coloured, quilted, synthetic abominations. Bucking that trend, however, are the three below. The first is by Vero Moda at House of Fraser. It is a good length for a shorter girl, and cut witha feminine flare below the waist. The super cosy funnel neck is fiunished off with a practical hood and for £54 I think it's gorgeous. But if the lady wants a parka, I think the pick of them is this classic, clean-lined black version from Ben Sherman Online. Normally a pricey £130, it's reduced to an entirely fair £60. Lastly, because I can't resist a splash of colour, is this pretty blue coat from website Oli. Probably more spring than winter, truth be told, it's a bargain at £20.

Then new jeans. We want 30 inch leg, and I am firmly of the belief that we want a bootcut to balance out the bottom and hips. The ones below are bargains from New Look - only £10. They also come in black, or with pre-faded pattern. With jeans, no matter what the label says, you have to try them on. In view of this, the lady in question might like to know that there are 30" bootcut jeans at the following retailers: Vero Moda at House of Fraser, (£24); Crafted at Republic (£34), Peacocks (£12); and Dotty P's (£25)

Handbag-o-rama.

I'm not a handbag obsessive, but I do like a good quality, leather bag . I tend to only have one at a time, and I had been musing on finding a new one lately. Today I recieved an email from Secret Sales. Think TK Maxx but online. Their shtick is that you are a 'member', and that there can only be a limited number of members who are invited to their sales of 'designer' lines.

Like TKMaxx, the 'designery-ness' of these 'designer labels' is variable - and somewhat disappointingly in the many, many months since I've been a member, there's been precious little above a size 14. Today, though, that doesn't matter. For today they have a sale on Dents Handbags.

Dents are a brand with a longstanding reputation for quality in leather goods - particularly gloves - and this sale is choc full of well-sized, detail-designed leather bags. I bought the very retro red croc-effect bag at the top of this post for £46 - down from £125. Several others caught my eye, too - there's some serious retro fun, including a spot-the-difference homage to Hermes' Kelly Bag (above, £46 each from £125), and some funkier styles such as the Snake Leather Shoulder Tote below in 'Metallic Steel' (£56 from £135) - very Nu Eighties, as I imagine the fashionistas call it.

I'm fairly sure you can just show up at the Secret Sales main page and register yourself - but if not, and/or if you have time - use the contact form at the bottom of this blog to let me know you want to sign up and I can, as a member, invite you - for which they'll give me a £5 voucher if you do buy anything. Then when you're a member you can invite your friends with the same deal. You know how these things work.

And for a boy...

As promised I have a 'boy challenge' today.

This is Xan, guitarist by night and all round studmuffin.  He writes:

Hey missy!

[These] were meant to give me more of a rock n roll look (according to my dear big sister) for when I'm playing gigs.  They're faded black/grey, tight around the butt and thighs, but bootcut. They've been altered a little since those photos - slightly shorter, so they don't drag across the ground as much.

My sister recommends some kind of biker boots, but I'm looking for other suggestions too.

I have two suggestions for our boy.  Both of which are a little less 'bulky' than biker boots - and perhaps a little more 'showman'.  Firstly, my immediate impulse was a pair of razor-sharp black Cuban-heeled boots.

These are from an online store called Atom Retro, and sum up exactly what I mean.  Clean lines, presence - the heel gives swagger in your posture and emphasises the hips/guitar zone.  They're not cheap at £69 - so you may want to look around...  But beware - these are not cowboy boots - they finish at the ankle and have no stitching.  Think Ronnie Wood or Brett Anderson.  Maybe eschew the T shirt in favour of a fitted black shirt, open at the neck.

Or, alternatively - something younger and more casual.  Not trainers as such - trainers just aren't very rock and roll - but traditional baseball boots.  They don't have to be Converse - but these iconic All Star Hi Tops (Schuh, £34.12) are perfect in their profile - so look for something similar.  You want a boot, in case you need to sit down and cross your legs - a glimpse of sock is not Rock and Roll - but the kind of insubstantial, juvenile vibe of these glorified plimsoles is fun and somehow dynamic.  

I've chosen purple for those flashes of colour peeping out.  Red would be too bright, and suggest ill-coordination when worn with other colours, whereas purple is nearer to being a neutral.  If the idea of colour scares you, go with beige or off-white canvas.  Black looks a little odd, and Navy is wrong with jeans of any colour.  

One for my girls...

A SSS 'first', later (or possibly tomorrow): I have a mission from a boy!

But girlies first.

Hands up who likes sparkly things? Not just me, I know...

Butler and Wilson are a repository of spangled items - usually at breathtaking prices. I don't know why, but I expect glitzy stuff to be cheap, and Butler and Wilson generally isn't. Also, some of their items cross from kitsch into ugly, so gird yourself when looking at their sale. My picks would be this ultra bling large hair barrette for £13, and these cutie fairy earrings for £8. Postage and packaging is on the steep side, so you may want to see if anyone you know wants to order - or stock up for birthdays.

Happy New Year - a pair of recommendations

Lovely Sarah, prolific commentator on this blog, gave me a 'heads up' last week about Leia Lingerie. It stocks the full Bravissimo range of sizes, but with really much more significant sale savings.

It's funny - the more successful and established a company is, I guess the better they can predict their turnover, and so have less surplus stock to discount, and less desperation to do so - so the discounts aren't so serious. Not so Leia Lingerie.

You can search the sale by size, and I was able to stock up on some pretty bras for around £15-20 each - delivery was speedy and service was seamless.

My second recommendation is the sale at Pin Up Parade. This site is a small business run by a delightfully lovely lady who imports Dita Von Teese-style retro clothing from the big American companies in limited numbers. Prices are very reasonable (compared to the cost of importing yourself) - especially in the sale. Check the size charts for everything - retro reproduction clothing has very idiomatic sizing. The red dress above is so tempting, but the measurements look to be on the small side of an 18, and it's not going to accommodate my boobs. But, it's a handsome, curve-flattering frock - full of old Hollywood glamour - and someone should snap it up for £45 (net skirt not included). I'd love it to be one of you.

A steal at £40 - and available up to a size 18 (but again, no stretch in the bust) is this all-in-one work frock. I can just see this on a couple of my taller friends. But - really, I could be here all day. Take a look for yourself, and buy with confidence. I once asked the owner of this site if she had any plans to get in the Mode Merr 'Perfect Skirt' in a plain black cotton, and she was very sweet and communicative, and does indeed now stock it - my every transaction with her has been fault-free.

Worth a look...

There's a sale on at Dolly Dagger - a website with a part rockabilly / part artschool babe asthetic. The shoes above remind me (in a good way) of the eighties - I think it's the heel. They come in pink, red or black rosettes and cost only £11.25, reduced from £40.

I'm also quite taken with the knitted bow beret (£15) which comes in Red, Black or Grey and also have matching fingerless gloves (£12) and scarf (£16.50).

The rest of the sale tends toward the smaller sizes - but if you are petite, it's well worth a look for some fabulous discounts - particularly on rocakabilly frocks.

Bargain Boots!

Just a quickie before I head cross-country to the next stage of the family festivities: there's a sale on at Duo boots. For the uninitiated, Duo specialise in Calf fitted boots - I believe they cater for ladies with overly slender pins, but more relevantly, they are the bee's knees in making boots for larger calves.

They do have stores - but they started their buisness online, and have detailed instructions on how to measure yourself for the right fit. I've never splashed out - until today, when I picked up the impossibly smart Imperia boots above for £110.

Prices start at £60. Treat yourself.

A first look at the sales.

Well, I'm still up in coldest, darkest Lincolnshire, so until now I've been only able to observe the sales online, and I have to say I was deeply unimpressed. Perhaps inevitably, after discounting so heavily in the run up to Xmas, stores seem to have left themselves nowhere to go.

Bravissimo may be an exception - they've literally nothing for me, but if you're a different size you may do well. I know my friend Sarah has scored two bras, and if I were a size 16 or smaller I'd certainly have a look at reductions in clothing, as they appear to have some massive discounts, including this wrap dress for only £7.

It's a bit busy - pattern wise, but a perfect price to try out how well cut Bravissimo clothes are, and how flattering a wrap dress will be for anyone with bigger boobs than their tummy. Their plain black version is reduced to £34, too - which regular readers will know is one of my favourite wardrobe staples - and I happily paid £50 for it!

Today, however, I went into Lincoln with my Mother-Out-of-Law and had a look at some of the sales 'in person' so to speak. M&S was a bit of a non event, although I was amused to see many of the Patricia Field (designer for 'Sex and the City') frocks selling for under £30. Not in my size or I may have had a punt. Sadly, the cerise pussy bow blouse/jumper I mentioned a few posts back is a little cheap and nasty looking in the flesh - so that's a no-go (and it wasn't in the sale anyway).

Dorothy Perkins suffers in comparison to its excellent website. The site is so easy to use, and the (truth be told) rather low quality clothes are photographed so well, that it feels like a completely different retailer to the store. I saw a couple of nice corsages, but nothing else caught my eye.

The saviour of the day was Monsoon. Forget their online sale - it's poor. The little shop in Lincoln though, was jammed to the rafters with stock, almost all of which was 50% reduced. Monsoon do colour so well, and this season have had some particularly jewel-bright offerings. I spent a blissful half hour loading frocks over my arm, and then trying them on. Sadly, the three I bought are all so long past season that they are no longer on the website. Suffice to say that along with a brown and white wrap dress for work, I bought a kingfisher blue and black patterned empire line dress in silk and a Schiaparelli pink sleeveless number with a darling bow just below the bust. There are a plethora of weddings on the horizon, you see... Anyway, I'll have to get someone to lend me a camera soon, so that I can show them to you.

What I can tell you, is that there are three black party dresses in the sale with sleeves! Two are still on the website here (with sequins) and here (with silver empire line detail), but in a greater range of sizes instore (I tried on the second one in a size 20, while the website only shows availability up to a size 12). The third was also black, in a burnout/devore finish, but with similar sheer sleeves. I know a party frock with sleeves is something of a holy grail, so grab them while you can!

All I want for Christmas...

The boyfriend has finally gone out shopping, so I can comment on fantasy shopping without him thinking I'm hinting at things I think he should buy. Oscar Wilde may have been right when advising men never to buy anything for a woman that she can't wear in the evening, but I'm about to mention some truly costly things, and spending that kind of money doesn't come easily to him.

So - if money were no object...

Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dress in Confetti Red, up to US size 14 (approx UK 18) £306

Why? Well this dress is the perfect shape for me. It enables my hourglass curves while disguising my heavy upper arms. It's timeless and smart, but cute and fun at the same time. My favourite colours too.

Gina Zeta sandals reduced to £185, but only available in size 3.5 - otherwise, Gina sandals tend to be around £350.

Why? I don't know about you, but when wearing red-carpet couture, I always struggle with what to wear on the end of my bare legs. Or maybe not - but the principle remains the same. Many glam frocks require bare legs - these sandals elongate the apearance of your legs and are effortlessly spectacular. Gina sandals became de riguer for A-listers way back in the nineties, and haven't changed much since, and of course there are hordes of more bargainous imitators. Go for the old gold colours - silver contrasts too much with your fleshtone.

Vollers call this corset V1114, 'Little Miss Mischief' and certainly, it does seem a lot of fun.

Vollers are the last word in corsets, but a traditional overbust corset doesn't pull many punches if you're a boobilicious girl and can leave the assembled company wondering where to land their gazes if you sport them as outerwear. This design has a little more coverage and the contrasting darker fabric may make the boobs look slightly smaller - I can but dream... £155.

Merry Xmas to all of you, and I'll see you for the sales.

Strictly Hideous

The dresses in the last two series of 'Strictly Come Dancing' (that's 'Dancing with the Stars' for my international chums) have been becoming increasingly hideous and unflattering - and while you may not be about to go out and buy yourself a Foxtrot Frock, there are some lessons for us all.

This first picture is a horrorshow of design. Firstly Leticia Dean (left). Poor girl doesn't have much of a waist and fairly 'sturdy' legs. So why is this dress bad for her? the ruching creates a series of horizontal lines across her thighs, which, as we all know, makes her look wider. The dark blue is too much of a contrast with her legs - effectively shortening them - although the asymmetrical hem and waterfall sash do work to lengthen, the hem itself should be less solid - perhaps a more sheer fabric, or a fringe which would break over her thighs. The voluminous sleeves do not disguise heavy arms - rather they add bulk to the torso. The poor woman looks almost square. She's got great boobs - and they should have been a feature.

Stephanie Beecham's frock (right) is a little odd. I love those long ostrich feathers but I don't think they work in vertical ranks. A fishtail shaped skirt in the satin fabric and then trimmed horizontally at the hem with the feathers would have looked less like she'd burst her stuffing mid -thigh. Beecham has an amazing body, but like many women of a certain age, probably seeks to cover up her arms, as the skin there can look crepey on even the slender. Tight, tight sleeves, though, make your arms look like sausages about to burst - particularly in a shiny fabric. If you're anxious about the size of your upper arms, by the way - look for cover ups with sleeves that end above the wrist. If you draw attention to the narrowness of your wrists by ending a garment there, it will only make your upper arms look bigger in comparison. 3/4 or elbow length sleeves - preferably loose - are more forgiving, or if you want a full length sleeve, look for a flare at the wrist (bootcuts for your arms!).

I leave it there for today, but I may return to vent more spleen on the subject...