Making Your Mind Up

We went to a very glamorous black tie Christmas party at the weekend. Yes, a Christmas party, in January! An absolutely inspired idea! The venue for the Do was Foxhills in Surrey; we stayed over & had the most wonderful time luxuriating in our beautiful surroundings.

For such a special night, I struggled to chose between the two dresses pictured above (I'd actually whittled my choices down from five to two so it could have been much worse!). In the end I chose the maxi dress as I felt it best suited the beautiful venue. I wore my hair up, a big change for me and I loved it.

Both dresses are long ago buys from High Street favourite Karen Millen and both have been lovingly worn a number of times over the years. The shoe options I had for the night were funky studded Louboutins for the silver dress and classic black Louboutins for the maxi. The bag is the iconic Red Lips bag by Lulu Guinness. I came this close to finishing off my outfit with my wedding tiara; I'll never know what stopped me!

Get The Look:

Maxi Dress: Karen Millen Maxi Dress in red/black (similar)

Short Dress: Karen Millen Prom Dress in silver (similar)

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Pigalle' Studded Shoes

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Very Prive' Peep-toe shoes

Bag: Lulu Guinness Red Lips Clutch

Pieces Of Silver

I've added another Emma Manley dress to my wardrobe. I know, I know; my name is Fifibaggins and I am a Manley addict! I just can't get enough of Emma's fantastic designs. They are so easy to wear, they are cool, they are different and I love how pieces from each collection are interchangeable. I'll be wearing these designs for years to come.

The stunning 'Lee' dress is my latest fix... er... purchase! It features a fantastic contrasting yoke and collar in a distressed metallic leather. The collar is hand cut with a scalloped edge and ensures that the dress is a real standout piece. One of my friends commented that it looked a little bit Country, a little bit Rock & Roll; the singer in me loves that! Cut in a flattering A-line shape, the dress features 3/4 length sleeves, silver button detailing to the front, an invisible side zip, dropped pockets on the front panel and is finished off with ties that can be tied back for a more fitted look.

I styled the dress with a pair of silver Miu Miu shoes I'd not worn for a while; I'd forgotten how fabulous they are & I can assure you I will be wearing them a lot now to make up for lost time! I finished the look off with a bright pink lipstick to add a burst of colour to my all silver ensemble.

Get The Look:

Dress: Manley 'Lee' Dress in silver

Shoes: Miu Miu Two Strap Shoes in silver (similar)

Lipstick: MAC 'Relentlessly Red' lipstick

I'm With The Band

In anticipation of the imminent release of my talented pal Steve Balsamo's new album, I treated myself to one of his cool band t-shirts. I love a great band tee, I have a little collection of them now, but this one is particularly special as it was designed by Steve himself. He's a talented Artist in every sense of the word! All his band merchandise is available to buy online from Dizzyjam; it's really worth checking out.

For a recent night out, rather aptly at a night of great live music, I wore my cool t-shirt with a faux-leather skirt by Irish design team Lennon Courtney (also blogged here). I love the contradictory mix of the ladylike, elegant skirt and the cool, casual rock 'n' roll tee. I added a classic pair of Christian Louboutin shoes and a bright, in-your-face, pink lipstick to complete my look.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Steve & his beautiful co-singer Rosalie great success with their latest musical adventure. It's going to be huge; I've got a feeling!! Check out this fantastic little film for a preview of what's to come on Balsamo/Deighton's highly anticipated debut album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq6oBdRl1k8&sns=em

Get The Look:

T-shirt: Balsamo/Deighton Bird Logo Band T-shirt

Skirt: Lennon Courtney Full Leather Skirt in black

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Rolando' Shoes in black

Lipstick: MAC 'Relentlessly Red' Lipstick

So Over-The-Knee

After literally years of searching I have at last found the perfect pair of over-the-knee boots for a short-ass like me; the fabulous 50/50 boots by Stuart Weitzman! Actually, it was my gorgeous Husband who found them; they were a wonderful Christmas present from him. Ahhh he knows me so well!

Made from buttersoft black leather, the boots feature a black stretch panel at the back for a perfect fit, a flat heel, an almond shaped toe and they simply pull on for absolute comfort and style.

We went for a lovely Wintery walk last weekend and I wore the boots with a great sale purchase from Maje; this wool & cashmere-blend cape inspired jumper, in a delicious Bordeaux shade, features a round neck with leather trim at neckline, bat-wing sleeves with cool, elongated leather panels, two faux zip pockets at front and a curved hem. It simply slips on.

My snugly Wintery look was finished off with a Louis Vuitton cashmere and silk scarf featuring Stephen Sprouse's iconic leopard print design (another great Christmas present a few years ago from my Husband), a simple black satchel and much needed warm woolly gloves!

Get The Look:

Boots: Stuart Weitzman 50/50 Over-the-Knee Boots in black

Jumper: Maje Leather Detail Jumper

Scarf: Louis Vuitton Leopard Print Scarf

Bag: Cambridge Satchel Co Classic 11" Satchel in black

Eton

I love this dress. If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be cool; it's a cool dress. It was designed by the fantastically talented Emma Manley whose phenomenal designs are literally taking over my wardrobe these days!

The 'Eton' dress is a split length maxi in a flatters-all-skin-tones shade of grey; it features long sleeves, a round neckline, a zipped back and two soft jersey layers, mini underneath with a maxi top layer. Two slits running up the centre of each leg give a sexy flash of leg with every single step.

In keeping with the modern, clean lines & muted tone of the dress, I paired it with a great black satchel from the Cambridge Satchel Co (my obsession with their amazing bags continues to grow by the day!) and a simple pair of black shoe boots. These funky boots were a great purchase from Christian Louboutin quite a few seasons ago & they continue to add the perfect finishing touch to so many outfits!

Get The Look:

Dress: Emma Manley 'Eaton' dress (similar)

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'C'est Moi' Shoe Boots in black (similar)

Bag: Cambridge Satchel Co Classic 11" Satchel in black

Another Angry Bird

It is only right that my first blog post of 2014 should feature two of my favourite Designers; Ireland's Emma Manley and Natalie B Coleman. The top, designed by Natalie, was a Christmas present from my Bestie & seriously, he couldn't have chosen a better gift for me! It is a beautiful, unique piece, featuring the same crazy Ostrich head with Monkey teeth (I know I know, a fantastic combination!) as my much loved Natalie B Coleman Ostrich dress (blogged here).

The Ostrich illustration is hand-drawn, water-coloured and digitally-printed onto a black background. Combined with the asymmetrical shape of the top, it is a perfect mix of grunge & ultra-modern cool. The top can be dressed up, dressed down & dressed every which way in between!

I paired it with a stunning Emma Manley skirt for a Christmas night out; the 'Dakota' leather skirt in beautiful metallic gold (also blogged here). It features a zip and snap fastener to the front and hand cut leather with a scalloped edge. The front of the skirt is shorter than the back making it the perfect party piece to show off long tanned legs!

I finished the outfit off with simple black suede court shoes, delicate jewellery (silver to clash subtly with the gold skirt) and a dark, berry lipstick.

Get The Look:

Top: Natalie B Coleman Asymmetrical Top (similar)

Skirt: Emma Manley 'Dakota' Leather Skirt (similar)

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Rolando' Shoes in black (similar)