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Links of London friendship bracelet

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Last night I was away to a wedding reception wearing the gorgeous silver and grey bracelet you see above...

I was kindly sent the bracelet to review by Links of London - it's from their range of sterling silver friendship bracelets, hand-woven and available in loads of colours so you can stack them or wear them alone to clash or coordinate with your outfit.

Two things I'm a big fan of, jewellery-wise: chunky statements and pieces you can wear effortlessly from day to night.


The grey and silver version I have is very easy to wear (the clever, adjustable clasp means you can slip it on and off - I usually spend hours trying to fasten most of my bracelets!) and the stylish, neutral colours go with absolutely anything.

But if I wanted to bling it up a bit more I could add another one or two bracelets in contrast colours, get it engraved on the back of the silver toggle or wear it one one of the friendship watches or cuffs also made by Links.

And if you've got a festival to go to in the next few weeks, I think a selection of these babies would create accessory perfection.


With thanks to Links of London

Emma Willis monochrome eviction outfit

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Last week I spilled the beans on Big Brother presenter Emma Willis and her foray into androgy (wearing a suit, no less) - so here's an update on her eviction outfit on Friday June 28th....

Taking a leaf out of Auntie Davina's book, Emma is going for the traditional black - but the monchrome statement of this Roksanda Ilinic mini dress keeps things up to date.

Serbian-born designer Ilinic loves a two tone design and Emma's simple stunner looks awesome with pillar box red heels by McQ Alexander McQueen.

Appaz, people were giving her stick on Twitter, saying she looked pregnant (!?)

Rubbish. She looks fabulous.

Isn't the little split in the dress, matching the shoes perfectly, cheekily perfect?

Images from Channel 5/Big Brother

Blame the garden...

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...for the lack of bloggage.


Who knew "shrubbing" would take my life over?


Ted Baker summer sale edit

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Sports day, office drama, builders, rainy queue at Wimbledon, bowls club membership (???)...this is shaping up to be anything but a quiet summer.

I've got a brand new Biba bag to show you, a gorgeous vintage outfit to shoot and various episodes of Nashville and Made in Chelsea to spraff about: but for right now this minute, I need to find an outfit for a leaving party I'm going to on Friday, and the Ted Baker sale is very tempting.

Here's my pick of the best bargains....

Ted Baker, £140

Ted Baker, £48

Ted Baker, £50

Ted Baker, £77

Ted Baker, £45

Ted Baker, £62

Images from Ted Baker

Petrol blue Biba bag

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I certainly am a lucky little fashion fan, you know.

Tomozza, I'm going on a (gulp) work's night out. First one for about, oooh, 11 years...

(The last one ended in an almost-punch-up outside the Bluebird and the loss of a job - less said about that the better.)

I actually like the people I'm working with now, so a good night beckons: and as I'm running a training course on Saturday I cannot, under any circumstances, a) drink too much, or b) stay out past 10pm.

If you catch me Tweeting booze-fuelled nonsense past midnight, I expect you to call the police. Or my mum.

Anyway, the knowledge that I must retain a certain sense of decorum leads me to choose something sweet and girly for the occasion: so I think I'll do my best Molly Ringwald impression in a pale pink vintage 80s frock and heeled ankle boots.

And I have just the accessory to go with. Thanks to the generous peeps at House of Fraser I got my hands on a beautiful Biba leather tote, in a gorgeous shade of petrol blue and embossed with the Biba logo no less.

I've been taking it to work every day and I am as in love with a bag as it's possible to be. (I've had loads of compliments about it too.)

Although it's a tote, it's not too big, so it's ideal if you're going straight out after work, but I can fit all the essentials in there each day.

Made with soft leather, this brilliant Biba handbag comes in purple too - but I think the deep teal is going to contrast fantastically with the candy floss dress.

I shall show you some piccies anon.

Now, if I can just avoid vodka shots and angry altercations, I might actually convince my colleagues that I'm a real lady!

Murray mania - on your nails?

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Appaz, we are now so crazy about Andy Murray (he'll always be Andy Curry in our house), us lady types have taken to adorning our nails with tennis related symbols.

The bespoke "Murray Manicure" above will be shown off by nailsgirls London during the UK's first Nail Art Festival, a free event taking place this weekend in Ilford. 

I'm feeling the "Go Andy" thumb and the mini rackets...but not sure I'd go for the whole hog. 

And can anyone work out what the little finger nail is?
 
Answers on a postcard (or in the comments section) pretty please.


Nails by nailsgirls London for The Nail Art Festival, 6 -7 July, London, Ilford Exchange Shopping Centre. 

Image by Justin Setterfield.

Surprise surprise

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So, it's a good job I gorra bit glammed up this morning to teach my training course, because my bloke done surprised me by turning up unannounced   (well, unless you count a text 10 mins before I finished work as "announced") and whisked me off for a pub crawl in deepest Bankside.

We've been to a v colourful establishment called The Lord Nelson and now we're further down Union Street at the Charles Dickens.

Man, London is cool in the heat.

And thank de Lawd I wore a nice dress!


Murray wins - and so does my Biba Bag

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What a day in London!

The skies were beautifully blue, the temperature sizzled.

Andy Murray won Wimbledon and although, in our excitement, we knocked our flying Beatle heads off the wall, nothing could take away from the sheer joy of his amazing victory (or bffs Bradley Cooper and Gerard Butler in matching blue suits).

It won't be a day we'll forget in a hurry.

AND I got to show off my new blue Biba bag all weekend. Isn't it a beaut?

As I mentioned previously, it's from House of Fraser and it's summer-perfect. Good job, because the weatherman says we're having the hot stuff all week.

Back of the net.

I've been doing plenty of lounging on that retro lounger today

With thanks to House of Fraser



Emma Willis white dress floral print

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Our weekly peek at Emma Willis' Big Brother eviction outfit...and isn't Friday's a classic?

In love with her white, floral print fitted dress (from Zara) and just gedda loada the turquoise Louboutin heels.

Wow factor in spades.



Images from Channel 5

Hyde Park summer cinema

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Here's just a little tip for the Londoners...if you're anywhere near Hyde Park tomorrow or Thursday afternoon, consider popping to the v cute open air cinema experience that's screening four films a day...

The Sky Movies Screen with Disney is brill for families and if today is anything to go by, it's a hidden little gem that you can really take advantage of.

I saw it advertised in Time Out, booked tickets for £3.50 a pop and hot-footed it down there (in jungle print trousers, natch) after work to see a screening of The Incredibles with the lads.

You get a blanket (or a beanbag if you're first in) to sit on, headphones to listen through and a v peaceful experience with kiddles playing, big blue skies (all week, so they say) and even a ride afterwards (warning: £3 a turn).

Drinks are overpriced, and the cash machines rob you blind for withdrawing your own money, so go prepared...but with Wall-E, Avengers Assemble and Sing-a-Long Jungle Book to choose from (as well as a "people's choice" finale on Thursday), well worth a visit.

Tomorrow: burlesque (no, really).

No trouble seeing the screen, then...I hope we get the same clear view of Keef on Saturday

Boo to a Goose vintage lace dress

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Before I tell you about the amazing evening I've just had at the Hippodrome Casino (think prawns like fingers, battered oysters, "snake eyes" cocktails, a steak bigger than my stomach and a full-on burlesque revue), let me tell you about the special dress I was wearing...

Embracing my love of pale pink - and my addiction to vintage - this is much more Mad Men than I'd usually plump for, but I'm into the look.

And it was certainly perfect for a burlesque show.

I got it from a natty vintage stall at the Crystal Palace festival last weekend, from a gorgeous lady called Lady Boo who runs Boo to a Goose, a personal vintage shopping and events service.

I adored everything Lady Boo had to offer - and I hear tell that you can make an appointment to visit her attic of vintage treasures and blow your budget one-to-one stylee (you will get a lot for your money, I promise).

I might just have to make a date with her and see if she'll let me photograph more of her must-have dresses to show you.

And don't forget to tune in tomorrow, when you'll not only find out how the dress went down (!) in the casino, but also what happens when Kitty Bang Bang sets her nipple tassells alight...

Steak & burlesque: Date night at the Heliot / Hippodrome

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Huge steaks and burlesque cabaret: that's got to be a good combination for date night, right? And last night, that's exactly what me and my fella-me-lad got at the fabulous Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square...

It wasn't our first visit to this unique and buzzing venue.

We originally popped in late one night last October. Celebrating a friend's 40th, we were looking for a classy place to drink late night cocktails...with its 24-hour licence, the wonderfully restored and refurbished Hippodrome is outstanding in that capacity.

My partner was an instant convert and has been in for drinks and a few gentle gambles on a couple of occasions since.

But he'd never eaten there or sampled the cabaret, fearing it would be too expensive and too "porny", respectively.

So when we were invited to a very special and exclusive dinner for two (to mark the first birthday of the Hippodrome Casino and the launch of a brand new menu in the Heliot Steakhouse on the first floor) followed by burlesque cabaret in the Matcham Theatre (residing within the casino) we absolutely jumped at the chance.

You've just got to try these

Integrated within the casino, and overlooking the main gaming room, the setting of the Heliot Steakhouse is treat enough. Add fantastic cuisine and out-of-this-world cocktails to the Vegas-style ambience, and you've got a great dining experience on the (poker) table.

Sampling as much as we could from the new menu, our (friendly and amazingly attentive) waiter recommended the prawn cocktail (classically British, very simple - with prawns as big as fingers) and the tempura fried oysters to start: gobsmackingly good.

Yum yum - ribs, wings and slaw

For main, I devoured as much of a mouth-watering rib eye steak as I could manage, given the fitted dress I was wearing (it was HUGE - the steak, not the dress) and Mister got his chops around the sticky shortrib and spicy wings, served with red cabbage slaw.

Being as we're such ridiculous Americaphiles, we loved the stateside touches mashed-up with British staples (the house fries, rocket salad and lemon crème brûlée are not to be missed) and the casino-inspired cocktails are to die for (don't you dare leave without trying the "Snake Eyes").

It's certainly not cheap, but given the sheer quality of the food and drink, it's not prohibitively expensive if you're after a dinner date with a difference. And as the casino itself smacks of old school, US-style elegance, the service is equally impeccable.

And the highlight of the evening? Scurrying through to the adjacent Matcham cabaret room, cocktails in hand, and being served an indulgent dessert as we absorbed the brilliance of the Soho Burlesque Club starring Jessica Rabbit lookalike (and cheeky Northerner) Miss Polly Rae.

Sexy, funny, risque, downright rude, innovative and slick; whether or not you're into the burlesque scene, there is something irresistible about such a playfully intimate live show in the centre of the city, served as you eat, drink and make merry at your table.

I don't want to give too much away, but you'll see "boylesque" acts flexing their muscles as well as the delightful Miss Rae (wearing some amazing dresses, as well as not very much at all) and friends giving it some burlesque magic with oodles of glamour, laughs and flaming (literally) nipple tassells (if you don't fall instantly in love with Kitty Bang Bang and her hilarious antics, burlesque just ain't for you, bitch).

You can catch the Soho Burlesque Club every Wednesday at 8:30pm, and there's an even raunchier late night version every Saturday at 11pm.

Good times.

And just a quick mention of the dress: as I explained in my sneaky peek last night, it's a vintage find from Lady Boo of Boo to a Goose and was absolutely bob on, I think, for the steak and boobies.

Dare I ask if you would agree?

Yes, my dress did indeed match the decor...you'd think I'd planned it that way

With thanks to Heliot Steakhouse and the Hippodrome Casino

A vintage(ish) dress for Jagger and Keef

Real vintage, real Rolling Stones

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No folks, you're not dreaming: I actually missed a day's bloggage yesterday.

I'm not going to tell you exactly why, because I think what happens at a Rolling Stones gig should very much stay at a Rolling Stones gig (note: this does not mean in any way that I got backstage, Queen Groupy stylee, and tried to get off with one of the lovely ol' fellas - those days are gone)....

What I will tell you is that a) Mick, Keef and co were absolutely stunning, b) I ended up dancing wildly to (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction at 1am in a Tooting Broadway pub garden and c) before the mayhem began, I managed to fit a mad dash to Oxford Circus into my day to buy something suitably aged and suitably summery for the glorious day we had.

As ever, Peekaboo Vintage came up trumps with a fabulous 1970s printed blue maxi dress, with a deep plunge back (£65).

I popped on a blue trilby (Topshop), a green apple necklace (a little homage to The Beatles) and light teal  gladiator sandals (Office), and I was rock 'n' roll ready.

Thanks to El, I have a couple of piccies to give you the gist (my hair's a bit frizzy innnit: I blame the humidity, like Monica Geller)...

I loaded up on bracelets for a grungy twist - and the Biba bag just had to be involved

Emma Willis eviction outfit Friday 12th July

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Time for our weekly peep at the outfit Emma Willis wore on Big Brother's Friday eviction show...

This might be my fave yet as I'm such a sucker for bright colours - and (good as she looks in black and white) I love it when lovely Emma dares to colour pop.

And with the weather the way it is, what better time to rock that neon?

Emma's yellow and green neon top, bright neon pink jacquard skirt and funky pink heels are all from Whistles...time to go shopping methinks.

Emma looks blatantly fabulous in this get-up
Images from Channel 5

Back garden bikini styles

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So it's the first time in the three point five years since Fashion Detective lifted off (ooh err) that I have been able to write, with a sense of some confidence, about bikinis for wearing AT HOME in your BACK GARDEN.

Imagine that.

Yes, with the spicy hot weather looking settled for at least another week, get some flesh out in your own back yard while you can.

May I suggest...

(As seen in first image) Urban Outfitters, £32

missguided.co.uk, £19.99

Accessorize, £19 (tankini top - matching bottoms available)

Bonprix, £16.99 (bikini top - matching bottoms available)

Seafolly @ John Lewis, £58 (halterneck top - matching bottoms available)

Images as credited

Guest post at mumdrum

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Last year, I helped to write some content for a new parenting website called The Mumdrum (it's related to hitched.co.uk, the wedding website where I'm freelance features editor).

It's a different kind of parenting site as the idea is you use it more like a social network than the usual mumsnet-style forum, with innovative features like Memory Books.

The thing I really liked about it is when they moved the existing Baby Talk forum across from hitched to the new site, lots of members were involved in creating their new home: a bit of people power on t'internet is never a bad thing.

Because I work quite closely with Sarah, co-founder and chief mumdrummer, I offered to do the first ever guest post for the site and in the spirit of socialism (?) we asked the mumdrum members to choose their fave of three topics I was keen to write about.

They chose summer holiday essentials for kids - so please do pop along and have a butcher's at the post, and the rest of the site (if you're a mum, obvs).

The weirdest thing about all this is that I was chatting to a colleague at work about Boden clothes on Monday, as she'd just done a haul for herself and her daughter, and when she showed me the dress her daughter had picked out for herself it was the gorgeous 50s-style shift above, as featured in the mumdrum guest post.

Great fashion minds think alike, whatever their age!

Sandals with a pink neon strap

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So here's the thing: one of my BFF's bought these ultra cool, gorgeous and comfy sandals from Debenhams for £28, which means I can't buy them...

...but you can.

Image from Debenhams

Vintage-inspired summer dresses - in the sale

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I challenge you to think of a weekend that has ever been more appropriate for a little summer vintage-inspired dress.

And there are so many sales on right now that you don;t have to break the bank to get your paws on one...

The 60's-inspired Boden dress above is just £26.70 in ivory (down from £89) and wouldn't it just sizzle with a pair of 60s kitten heels and oversized sunglasses....oooh I've immediately talked myself right into that look.

Or perhaps one of the following will take your fancy?

Coast, £75 (was £110)

Miss Selfridge, £32 (was £65)

Dorothy Perkins, £17 (was £32)

Little White Lies @ Urban Outfitters, £40 (was £90)

Multi-coloured pastel nails

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My friend is rocking fantabulous pastel nails this eve - a different shade on every nail.

Sorry, Gill - may have to blatantly copy...


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