Purses at the ready!

If you haven't been to your local Matalan store, then now is the time! The newly added Et Vous range has arrived and my oh my is it good! The prices are fantastic for clothing that wouldn't look out of place at designers stores (and are much cheaper than Topshop and you get far superior quality!). My favourites and the things I bought:

- the brown wide leg turn up sailor pants- these delicious chocolate brown wide leg pants have sailor style button pockets and fit like a dream- all for £18! I wore them the evening I bought them and got so many compliments- I plan to wear them this summer with an orange tank top, flat brown gladiator sandals and a smile!
- the black sateen pleat front trousers- these again fit really well, are very long (anyone who usually needs longer length will be able to fit in them- mine need to be altered they're that long!) and the pleat front detailing creates a gorgeous wide leg yet flattering style- £22 and is the classic wardrobe essential
- the taupe ruffle neck tank- this taupe sleeveless tank is fantastic and has origami style pleated neck with ruffles around the front and back of the top and buttons up with 3 button detailing at the back- it goes from an average top to a high end piece and is comfy and stylish
- midnight blue satin pleated top- this midnight blue satin top has an elasticated hem and pleated neckline to create a voluminous shape- the colour is divine and looks amazing with jeans and the fit is just spot on. Its also available in sunshine yellow which is the perfect summer top
- black v neck tank with pleated neckline- this throw on black tank is gorgeous, the V neck shows off a great cleavage and the pleated detailing adds interest- this one looks great dressed up and down but i'll be wearing mine with full skirts and flat sandals!

These are just a few of the fantastic buys I got (all for a measy £77) but other mentions go to the navy blue gold button shift dress (so on trend it hurts), fuchsia pink ruffle blouse and denim sailor pants- if you can get to a matalan near you, i urge you to go and see if the Et Vous range is there- you won't be disappointed!

Pretty- its the name of the game!

Pretty-is what I for one want to be, whether its wearing 'pretty' make up or a pretty dress- just soft feminine pretty dresses, the kind you waft into a room in on a cloud of chiffon, organza, tulle or cotton, leaving women in your wake glaring enviously and a rather unflattering shade of green.

Erin Fetherson is the go to lady for pretty clothing- the New York by way of Paris designer likes elegant whimisical dresses and likes to wear silk cotton dresses by day and night with the highest of platforms by Miu Miu (this girl has taste! look at her with her white blonde hair, milky skin and gorgeous figure- not only does her dress suit her to a T but check out those shoes!) and began by designing couture, after studying as Parsons School of Design in Paris, then honing her craft under MIL who worked in the ateliers of YSL and Lanvin and switched to ready to wear in 2005.

Her current spring/summer 08 collection is full of gorgeous dresses in neutral pastels, greys and light silvers, while her fall 08 collection is a gorgeous mix of black, velvets, florals and plums- what more could a girl want? (Selma Blair would look delicious in the grey grecian ruffle edged dress)

New In!

After being rudely awoken by an early morning phone call and without anything to do for a few hours I decided to hit the net and look at pretty things and as always Topshop was on my port of call (I don't often buy from there but every now and again they have some great pieces- just ignore the tween stuff!)

This sequin mini skirt is very Elle MacPherson (goddess of minis and flat sandals- she wears them even in Winter!) and would look fantastic with bronzed skin, flat sandals (something simply) and a basic white t-shirt





Because I adore all things ruffley, this dress is pure indulgence for me- its red, ruffly and just looks like fun to wear! It would look amazing with thick black tights and mary janes and a black trench coat






Speaking of coats, I love this waterfall frill front belted coat- the mustard colour is very on trend and adds interest to an otherwise neutral outfit, the full skirt is just adorable especially with dress and mary janes or t bar shoes for a retro vibe. the puff sleeves are gorgeous and the frill front makes it look very designer (but alot cheaper!)







And finally are these light grey t bar heels- the light grey colour is a fantastic year round shade and the ruffle front detailing is gorgeous and will add interest to any outfit (they'd look fabulous with a black tea dress and tights- let the shoes do the talking!)

Boden

Now my love of Boden is no secret- not only did they produce my gorgeous leopard print ballet pumps but also my favourite floral coat, skirt AND dress as featured in my floral post and the latest catalogue has no shortage of divine pieces to tantalise and tickle your fashion taste buds. Now I wholeheartedly urge everyone to get the catalogue/go online and browse the whole collection for yourselves, but I thought I'd give you alittle taster of what on my current wish list!

This semi fitted belted coat in Sulphur is just stunning and the perfect finishing touch to any outfits (especially those neutral palettes!) Its 100% coated PU cotton with contast print lining and is also available in canvas and denim blue and makes damp british weather a pleasure!

This retro style boyleg swimsuit is divine- the polka dot print adds even more retro glamour, while the black just screams pin up. It features removable pads (to boost the bust which I definitely need!!), adjustable halter ties (halterneck to boost the bust and show off good shoulders and decolletage), a gentle scoop back and longer leg length leg shaping- the ultimate in classic, flattering swimsuits! There are also halterneck polka dot bikini tops with matching pants, a selection of ruffle detailied swimwear and a range of contract coloured pieces including bikini tops, tankinis, bikini pants and shorts.

This fitted jersey dress with bust pleating and full inverted pleat below the bust is gorgeous and the red palm leaf print is a fantastic spring/summer piece (follow their lead and pair with red suede peep toes for a fantastic outfit). Its also available in printed blue shell and neutrals of black and brown so theres something to suit everyone! For a classic timeless look, try the black version coupled with Boden's cerise jewelled peep toe slingbacks (shown above, also available in cocoa and jade and this quote from the website says it all 'I believe they call this a statement shoe- the statement being, ‘my God I have good taste in footwear, and am fully prepared to use it’) or the Thistle cork wedges below. Sadly the man doesnt come free with your order.

These cork wedges in suede with leather lining have fully padded soles for extra comfort and the Thistle shade is fantastic with blacks to add colour to your winter wardrobe and gorgeous with spring and summer fashions. They are also available in black and cocoa to compliment your whole wardrobe and a perfect new season investment. (They're also available in sizes 3-9)

Back to coats and this contrast trim coat is pure loveliness- its semi fitted and contrasting collar, front plackets, pockets, cuffs and hem details to add extra interest to an otherwise classic style. The Mole and turquoise combo is right on the money for me (I'm imagining a black full skirt dress just peeking out beneath it with patent ballet pumps), while the ivory and cocoa is the height of sophsication and the black with white detailing is a pure classic.

This ruffle cotton dress with fitted bust and full skirt is the essential timeless classic and is fully lined for modesty. It features pintuck and ruffle detailing and comes in a range of colours from summery coral and aqua to wardrobe staples of white and mole. (sadly again man and ice cream sold seperately!)

This star burst printed top with marbled beading neckline and pleated detailing is a gorgeous summer piece and would look as good now over a long sleeve black tee as it would against bare skin in the summer sun (spf and sun permitting!)

And just because you can never have too many wardrobe staple skirts, theres this button through chino skirt in a gentle a line style available in canvas, dark olive (both perfect to channel this summers safari trend without going OTT) and dark and vintage denim (a perfect alternative to jeans!). Just add a simple t-shirt (boden have a fantastic selection),shoes of your choice and a slouchy bag and off you go!

Now this is just a small selection of the stunning Boden catalogue so instead of taking my word for it, why not pop along yourself and have a gander (and tell them petticoat pirates sent you!)

New shiny things!

Well today I had a major set back- I tried to put on what I had planned to wear only for the trousers to be too small (the drawback of putting on 1.5 stone in 6 weeks is nothing fits including my 5 pairs of Killah black skinny tsubi lookalike trousers). I then tried on my jeans I was wearing only a few days ago- same problem except this time with overhang! I then tried my much loved tsubi lookalikeys and couldn't pull them past my knees- 7 pairs of jeans/trousers gone in an instant! (If there are any size 6 and 8 lovelies who are looking for some new trews including brand new Killah trousers and wants to make me an offer/get more info- just give me an email and look out on an ebay screen near you for my clothes *under my name blue_barbiekiller*. I've got 5 pairs of Killah black jeans to list (3 brand new, all size 26), one pair of black tsubi copies (size 6), one pair of black skinny jeans (size 8) that are a dream fit and a black and grey leopard print pencil skirt with zip detailing (size 8)- if you want any piccies/details etc, you know where to find me- plug over now!

So to console myself after 4 hours, 3 choc muffins and cream and 2 servings of roast lamb with the works, I'm very full and am pretty sure nothing else will fit soon! I did however receive my Boden Mini ballet pumps- check out these babies- best design feature ever- the bow is adjustable and tightening it actually changes the shape and size of the shoe to fit all feet/ankles so if they're abit loose, just pull the cord and hey presto they fit!

And I managed to get some great new season pieces from Sainsburys (I seem to get alot of my basic staples from there- I have a plethora of their tees and highly recommend the ruched v neck 3/4 sleeve tops, fairtrade cotton crew necks and 3/4 sleeve v necks). I bought this fabulous zebra print sweater in the sale for £7.50 which is just gorgeous and adds a little bit of life to an otherwise boring outfit. Safari is a HUGE trend this spring/summer so I knew I had to have this khaki military style fit and flare shirt and just because I adore nautical and cardis, I couldn't resist this longline black and white striped belted cardi (I also picked up 2 black 3/4 sleeve V necks and 2 Khakis and everything came to a massive budget friendly £54!)

It has spread!

Now when I joked about jumpsuits not once but twice, I really didn't expect it to go anywhere............BUT NO, the holy grail that is Net A Porter have now got a dedicated category to the damn things! Containing not 1 but 12 of them! (Ok I will admit that at least 2 of them are actually very nice and I would wear the Stella McCartney all in one, Paul & Joe Sister playsuit and the Marc by Marc Jacobs cotton playsuit with my gladiator sandals and rock it) but who would wear these:







I am shocked and sickened that Tibi, my beloved label would create this black 80's MC Hammer throwback and the Anti Batik printed number looks like an odd geometric clown suit! (And the yellow Paul & Joe jumpsuit is just gross!)

If designers could resume normal services of taste and decency soon that would be fantastic, until then could we just burn all the jumpsuits (*note Miss Lauren is not advocating or condoning pyromania or the burning of disgusting articles of clothing, which are pure crimes against fashion and women everywhere*)

Topshop Hits

As with any self respecting fashionista, when recovering from a late night theres no better way to pick yourself up than online shopping! So with that in mind, I hopped on over to Topshop (to find the pearl & anchor necklace) and found some smashing little pieces for you and me! (see I like to share!)

Up first is this adorable zip front bow print dress- now I realise its a hard cut to carry off for most women and will therefore only suit a select few as the front zip falls directly over the stomach and the ruching detail will only highlight the stomach and hips but I thought it was super cute and worth a mention (plus I'd quite like to see a curvy girl in that to give it real sex appeal- sadly me and my straight up, straight down body cant do that so its up to the rest of you!)

Or why not go for this chiffon bow print blouse fo lady like glamour in a much more wearable style? The keyhole cut on the bust adds that hint of sexiness along with the sheer chiffon, while the collar and puff sleeves add some ladylike secretary appeal- the perfect way to walk that sexy/ladylike line and win!

Next is this Richard Nicoll dress- its just divine- the cut with the pleated skirt and frill neckline, the stripe detail, the fact its richard nicoll (he designs for Kylie and we have the same industrial sewing machine!) make it a clear cut winner! Also for anyone afraid of the length (it looks short on the monitor) just add a pair of skinny or straight cut jeans and you've got the perfect ensemble, your still perfectly on trend and saving your dignity (no one wants to be britney and show the world your vajayjay)

And because you can never have too many black dresses- check out this frill front black dress and pleat front tea dress for on trend, designer inpired pieces that you can wear from now right through summer (with sandals, oversized sun hat and bright shades of course!) and back into autumn as black dresses never go out of fashion, no matter what the magazines try and tell you!

And just because its grey and ruffled means I was bound to adore this racer back ruffle tank top- the charcoal grey is the perfect foil to summer brights (and looks amazing with every womens wardrobe staple, black), the ruffles add much needed volume to the bust for flat chested girls, while the racer back shows off your shoulders and arms in the summer. For now try throwing it over a tight fine knit scoop or round neck jumper and jeans or over a crisp white shirt and pencil skirt

As I told you a few posts back, dip dye, the new tie dye, is going to be huge this summer but to avoid looking like a gyspy throwback, try going for unusual shades such as greys, blacks and reds (and be able to wear it now and be ahead of the fashion pack) like this skirt. Its absolutely gorgeous, very different and would look fantastic now with thick tights and some mary janes and then again with flat gladiator sandals and a tank top in the summer

And for the finishing touch to any outfit try this Abalone shell ring- perfect to add a summer touch to your winter wardrobe and perfectly suited for gorgeous (fake) tanned skin in the summer!

My Fall '08 loves

Well the pictures of the Fall '08 shows are slowly being posted online and I thought its only right and my duty to show you whats going to be hot next fall and show you a few of my favourite looks

First up is Balenciaga- his current floral warrior dress does nothing for me but I actually liked some of the fall 08 pieces including this dress above (note its black, a dress and has a ruffle so i was bound to love it). I adore the neckline and the fitted top which flows into a tulip skirt, the ruffle is just fabulous although personally I'd prefer the thigh split sewn up to create a much more elegant, breakfast at Tiffany's style dress!

Staying with Balenciaga is this- now nothing does too much for me here, the top is blah and I'm not overly keen on the choice of fabric for the pants but it was the cut that got me- skinny and cut at the ankle is my all time favourite cut for trousers (so much so I own 5 identical pairs of Killah black skinny ankle length trousers with side zips) and makes the legs look long and lean (and is the perfect way to show off your shoes without looking too tried hard, although be sure to get a pair that fits right otherwise you may end up looking like you've just bought too short trousers!). This is one trend I've already been rocking for the past 3 months and will continue to do so, so good to see the designers taking notes from me- i like it!

Next is this gorgeous ruched, twisted detailed olive green dress from Burberry- Burberry make some fantastic dresses (and with Agyness Deyn as their main model wants not to love!) and I thought everything was right about this one from the gorgeous colour, to the wearable shape (and i adore those bracelets, bags and shoes!).

Now our next designer was my first ever 'The jurys out post' with his candy shift dress but for fall '08 Isaac Mizrahi had some fantastic pieces including lots of bursts of colour which was great against so much of the black that was shown elsewhere (i know I'm a black obsessive but even I need colour sometimes!) First up is this fantastic sienna coloured dress with coral waist and bust detailing. I adore the full skirted style of this dress and the way the contrasting colour at the band not only draws your eye to the waist but the way the fit and full skirt makes you waist look tiny. Plus the neckline is a must for showing off a gorgeous decolletage and a fantastic piece of jewellery while the blouson sleeves make your arms look thinner (and keep you warm!) Personally I would have put this with very thick black tights to really make the colours pop (love the shoes though!)

Staying with Isaac, I adore this outfit- the full purple woolen skirt is just stunning (i want it so badly!), while the black leather belt is just the perfect contrast with the purple (without looking like a bruise) and again makes the waist look smaller when contrasted with the fullness of the skirt. My only criticism is again the tights (i don't do opaques- its thick black tights or nothing!) and I'm not overly keen on the top which reminds me of a ballet leotard- I would have gone for a scoop neck top- not overly original but its every women's staple and could have made the outfit appeal to us ordinary women. I'd also love to see this skirt in black, a red and a bold print as I think its one of the most versatile skirt shapes and one that makes women feel both feminine and sexy.

My final Isaac pick was this one above- its so un-me- the pastel colours aren't usually my think but i saw this and thought it was darling and very grease (but in a good way!). I adore the silhouette and think it just looks fabulous although maybe more of a spring outfit rather than for fall as I think adding a coat for warmth would swamp the outfit and it'd lose its shape and impact (I would adore a version of this in either all black or black and red or even black and white- just imagine how good that'd be!)

Now for a lady who I love- I adore Alice Temperley- i think shes fantastic and lovely and just amazing (plus shes a Somerset girl so I feel kinship with her!) so I had to make a few picks from her '08 show. The above dress is just gorgeous (although do ignore the blouse and boots which are horrid!)- I adore the colour and think it really perks up the winter mood (and would look fantastic with black accessories which are every women's winter staples) while the tiered tulip skirt is very fashion forward but still wearable. I would add a black cashmere or fine knit scoop neck top underneath it and some black patent ballet pumps (with thick black tights of course)

And these black leather trousers are just yummy- they're so Kate Moss and would be perfect for anyone daring enough to re-create her leather trouser/black tuxedo jacket ensemble- personally I'd just wear them with a simple white t-shirt and sweater and let the trousers do the talking (doesn't Lilly just look divine in them though and that hat really suits her! Not sure about the blouse and waistcoat though!)

(all photos courtesy of http://www.style.com/)