The Rebecca Taylor Theory

I spend rather a lot of time browsing Net-A-Porter (probably an unhealthy amount, really) every week, and recently I've noticed I keep checking out Rebecca Taylor's S/S collection. Over and over again. My favourite piece is the poppy-print skirt.



Rebecca Taylorpieces all from Net-A-Porter
Up until now I've shown very little interest in the New York based, New Zealand born designer. I don't really do floral prints. Rebecca Taylor does. And it's kept us apart all these years.
But, for one thing it's summer, and it's nice to have a few flowers. And there are so many other fantastic mid-range labels out there (personal favourites include L'Agence, Isabel Marant and Maje) that have helped me make sense of Rebecca Taylor. If Marant is for the off-duty-model then Rebbeca Taylor is for Rachel Bilson. Simple.
I know models make up more of the population than Rachel Bilson does, so you can add in Rachel Bilson types into the lineup too. A Rachel Bilson type is someone who has a bit of a girly edge to their wardrobe (although not in a sickening Paris Hilton way) and does 'dressed down' but always in a pretty dress or a cute knit.
I can imagine Rachel wearing the poppy-print skirt exactly as it was styled on the S/S runway. Just add a pair of oversized shades and her BFF, Thurman Murman, and you've got a classic Bilson look.


Vanessa Hudgens is a bit of a Rachel Bilson type, as is Taylor Swift, and magically they've both worn Rebecca Taylor recently. Jessica Alba almost falls into this category too.
I'm still desperate for a simple L'Agence jersey maxi, but I think there's room in my wardrobe for a pretty Rebecca Taylor skirt too...

Are you a Rebecca Taylor fan? Or are her designs too 'pretty' for your taste?

images from style.com and net-a-porter.com

Hit and Miss of the Week: Emma's Playsuit

This week is almost as good as last weeks Hit & Miss. I even tried to find some more awful outfits to put into the round-up, but there were far too many interesting ones to include. Such as Rihanna's Dolce & Gabbana leopard print number, which I think is her best look of the year so far.
Then there was Sienna Miller, rocking her new fringe and hanging out with old friend Matthew Williamson. Mary-Kate then treated us to a fantastic example of Olsen styling, which I'm still obsessing over, and Emma Watson took to the red carpet in a Karl Lagerfeld playsuit. A great week, no? Well, great if you ignore Whitney Port's grand display of very 'blah' outfits and Jessica Simpson's latest red carpet mistake.







images from celebrity-gossip.net and thefashionspot.com

Want a Piece of Luella's Final Collection?

I know so many people were devastated by the news that Luella Bartley had to stop trading last year. Her last collection, S/S 2010, was sadly never put into production but the exciting news is invitation only fashion website Cocosa is giving away a pair of shoes from Luella’s final collection.


The Michael Lewis for Luella shoes are one of a kind and were even worn on the runway, so there’s nowhere else you can get hold of them. They’re a size 39 so if you’re a lucky UK 6, like me, it’s worth entering.

To become a member of Cocosa simply click on their banner, below, and enter the exclusive invite code: iwantshoes



If you’re already a member of Cocosa you don’t need to sign up to anything else in order to enter. Just log into your account on the 1st of June (the competition opens at noon, and closes the same time on June 4th) to make your entry.
Good luck!

Sex and the City Hits London

The Sex and the City cast worked the red carpet in London last night for the UK premiere of Sex and the City 2. Sarah Jessica Parker looked wonderfully over-the-top in an Alexander McQueen dress and a Philip Treacy hat. This is the exact combination she wore to the London premiere back in 2008. She got quite a lot of stick back then for her OTT headwear (I remember David Letterman making fun of it on The Late Show) but I find it rather flattering that she always saves her kookiest premiere outfit for London.



At the NYC premiere it was Kristen Davis who stole the show, especially in her vintage Balmain dress, but I wasn’t as keen on her London look. Although I do like that she has stuck with vintage dresses throughout the promotional tour.
Cynthia Nixton chose a lovely shade of blue for the red carpet (her dress was by Narcisco Rodriguez) but it wasn’t much to get excited over. Especially next to SJP’s beautiful McQueen dress.


Kim Cattrall also went for a simple design, choosing a strapless black gown by Thierry Mugler, but she looked amazingly hot. Much better than her NYC look. She was really working the red carpet last night, Samantha Jones style...

Who was your favourite SATC lady last night?

images from zimbio.com and celebrity-gossip.net

Kristen Stewart's ELLE UK Cover

I always look forward to the moment my copy of UK ELLE drops through the letterbox (or simply gets left on the doorstep - depending on how lazy the postman is feeling that day) but this month I am literally itching to get my hands on the new issue. Fingers crossed it arrives tomorrow.
I'm not a fan of Twilight, Robert Pattinson or anything remotely vampire themed, and up until today I didn't really like Kristen Stewart much either. You know how I feel about her red carpet style, and even though I liked her recent spread in US Vogue I still remained iffy about her. Until now. Look how beautiful she looks on the subscribers cover of ELLE. I'm obsessed.



The newstand cover is also beautiful - you can see it HERE - and I actually want both copies. The last newstand issue of ELLE that I bought had Natalie Portman on the cover, and I love Natalie Portman, so this is a huge deal! Matthias Vriens McGrath's ELLE photos of Kristen are definitely her best yet, don't you think? Her hair looks clean, she doesn't seem grumpy and the styling is perfect. I want to see more of this Kristen. Now I just wish the postman would hurry up with my copy...

What do you think of Kristen's ELLE cover?

image from thefashionspot.com

Katie's Great Maxi Moment

Last night Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise attended The National Movie Awards in London, and I think Katie looked amazing. It's been ages since Katie's made a real statement on the red carpet, so it was a lovely surprise to see her looking like her fabulous self again.
Although realistically Tom's hair was so bad last night that Katie could have worn a bin bag and still looked gorgeous next to him. But I'm pretty sure it was the dress, not Tom's creepy hair, that made her look so fantastic.
The striped maxi is from Katie's own line, Holmes & Yang, which she designs with stylist Jeanne Yang. The collection also includes children's clothing, so perhaps we'll be seeing Suri in a mini-maxi soon. I would love to see that as I'm oddly obsessed with Suri's style.
At the moment I'm really into maxi dresses and skirts. Apart from the fact you have to strategically plan your underwear, as most styles are really sheer, they're so easy to wear.


For the day I love the basic tank-style dresses (Topshop's grey dress and River Island's printed design are both fab pieces) and the Ossie Clark dress, which is currently discounted at The Outnet, would look beautiful in the evening. Acne's stiped maxi, available at Net-A-Porter, is easily one of the best pieces of the season though. It kind of out-maxis all the other maxis, if that makes any sense at all.

What did you think of Katie's look last night? And who else is loving the maxi dress look at the moment?

images from celebrity-gossip.net and product websites

Kirsten Dazzles in Louis Vuitton

Last night was the opening of the New Bond Street Louis Vuitton flagship store. While I was doing my work experience at Glamour magazine I walked past the boarded up LV store a lot, as it was being finished. But I haven't seen it in all its glory yet and it seems like the perfect excuse to do a spot of window shopping on Bond Street.
As you all know celebrities love Marc Jacobs - they appear in his campaigns, attend his parties and fight to sit in his front rows - so unsurprisingly there was a great celebrity turnout last night. Thandie, Gwyneth, Alexa... they were all there. But it was Kirsten Dunst who stood out from the crowd. She looked amazing.



I actually squealed this morning when I saw the pictures of her in the A/W 2010 Vuitton dress. It looks like it was made for her! And I thought Gemma Arterton looked fantastic too. I'm starting to really get into her style; she's definitely one to watch.


When I first saw the Louis Vuitton A/W collection I did wonder how it would translate onto the red carpet, as the dresses are at the awkward in-between length and the look isn't as flash and attention-grabbing as Vuitton can be. But the collection has gone down a treat. Rachel Bilson and Maggie Gyllenhaal both looked gorgeous at the Met Gala this May (it's been Rachel's best look of the year by a long run) and a handful of Vuitton frocks popped up in Cannes too.


I'd really like to see SJP in a Vuitton A/W dress, but between her promise of wearing a McQueen piece to the CFDA awards this Friday and her relationship with Halston it looks unlikely at the moment. Still, a girl can dream...

Did you like Kirsten and Gemma's Louis Vuitton looks last night? And who is your number one Vuitton lady? For me it's between Kirsten and Rachel.

images from celebrity-gossip.net, justjared.buzznet.com and style.com

The SATC Story That Never Ends

I'm sorry if you're completely bored of reading about Sex and the City by now. I am a little bit, and the film isn't even out yet. But on Monday I was invited to try the SKYY Vodka SATC cocktails at the Waldorf Hilton and they were very yummy. The five cocktails all have SATC themed names, from "New York Star" to "Park Avenue Princess" - but favourite was "Blonde Ambition".
The SATC/SKYY Vodka collaboration came about as Patricia Field has designed a limited edition SKYY Vodka Sex and the City 2 bottle, which is available at Harvey Nichols.


I must admit I'm sick of all the SATC collaborations hanging about at the moment (yesterday I received an email telling me I could 'get the SATC look at Sainsbury's - urm no thank you) but the SKKY Vodka collaboration sort of makes sense, as Field says, "so many of Sex and the City’s most stylish moments have been when the ladies were out in Manhattan, dressed to the nines, bonding over fun cocktails.” So if you're going to see the sequel with a group of girlfriends you may as well have your own SATC moment.

And in other SATC news (lets get it all into one post, hey?) Sarah Jessica Parker was on the Letterman show last night. She always gives a great interview on Letterman, and here's a cute little clip of her talking about James Wilkie last night. I still love the name James Wilkie.



Are you starting to get excited about the Sex and the City movie?

The Sex and the City After Party

I wasn't overly keen on any of the looks the SATC ladies wore to last nights NYC premiere, but the after party brought out some interesting dresses. Kristen Davis, who I think was the best dressed at the actual premiere, changed into a a vintage Balmain dress and Sarah Jessica Parker slipped into a lace Elie Saab number.



I feel like SJP could definitely have pulled off a shorter hemline, this dress looks a little too long, but the Nicholas Kirkwood's were a great choice of shoe. They seem to be her favourite pair at the moment - she was spotted wearing them last week too.
And Kristen simply looked beautiful in her sequined Balmain dress. This is the second time Kristen's worn a vintage Balmain piece to an event this month (see her first dress HERE) and I'm becoming very envious of her vintage collection. I can't wait to see what Kristen will wear to the London premiere, she's on a roll at the moment.

What did you think of the SATC red carpet? And who do you think had the best after party look, Kristen of SJP?

images from celebrity-gossip.net

Mission Shearling Jacket

I woke up this morning thinking I'd post about the Sex and the City premiere, yet all the red carpet dresses left me feeling completely uninspired, so I scrapped that plan. In an effort to cheer myself up I had a flick through the HOBBS A/W 2010 lookbook and somehow stumbled across what I've been searching for since February - a great shearling biker jacket.
I'm not normally the kind of person who plans my wardrobe seasons ahead, but I fell in love with the chocolate shearling biker jackets on the Autumn/Winter runways, and I knew I had to find one before Autumn arrives.



The N.W.3 shearling jacket from HOBBS (above) is the best highstreet shearling I've seen so far. It will sell in store for £349, which is rather pricey for highstreet but it's still a lot cheaper than Burberry's gorgeous jackets, which at £2,195 are totally out of the question for me. The N.W.3 jacket looks like it could possibly be the perfect investment piece for the A/W season.


The jackets at the Wunderkind A/W show were also deliciously covetable, and I loved how the pretty little silk dresses looked worn underneath. The mixture of delicate dresses and tough jackets always works a treat, don't you think?

Will you be looking for a shearling jacket this Autumn too? And what other A/W pieces are dying to get your hands on?

image HOBBS lookbook and style.com

Kate Beckinsale's Cannes Makeover

The Cannes Film Festival has finally come to an end for the year, and surprisingly the red carpet wardrobe I've been most impressed by belongs to Kate Beckinsale.
I've always quite liked Kate, but her red carpet choices are sometimes much too pretty and fluffy (see the Marchesa dress she wore in the first week of Cannes) and she does wear an awful lot of white.
Kate was in Cannes to act as a member of the jury (possibly the most stylish jury duty ever) this year, and once the Marchesa dress had its moment the really exciting frocks came out to play.


The Chanel dress with the sheer skirt was one of my favourite looks throughout the whole festival. I love how she's worn her hair loose and wavy, the relaxed vibe really compliments the dress. I also think she had managed to get the best Gucci Première dress, which I'm pretty sure was the only time she wore white at Cannes. Now that's a Kate Beckinsale record...


If the Chanel was my absolute favourite dress on Kate then the Nina Ricci gown is a clear second favourite. I'm obviously very drawn to black sheer dresses at the moment. I also love the asymmetric Gianfranco Ferré dress, mostly because it's such a treat to see Kate wearing anything black but also because it has that Halston vibe to it.

Kate is usually styled by Rachel Zoe, and I haven't heard anything about them parting ways, so I think it's fair to congratulate Rachel on putting together such a great selection of dresses.
There may not be much colour in Kate's Cannes wardrobe but she's looked fantastic time and time again. A great bit of red carpet styling.

What do you think of Kate's Cannes wardrobe? And which of her looks was your favourite?

images from celebrity-city and celebrity-paradise via thefashionspot.com

Hit and Miss of the Week: The Lovely Michelle Williams

Last week at The Cannes Film Festival there was a lot of Eva Longoria Parker. This week there was a lot of Michelle Williams. And I can say without a doubt that I preferred Michelle's week.
Not only has Michelle been rocking her new hairstyle (which I love, by the way) she's also been getting her legs out at every occasion, slipping into a great selection of mini dresses.
And speaking of mini dresses, check out Sarah Jessica Parker in Proenza Schouler and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld wearing Emilio de la Morena. Both ladies look fabulous, topping off a great week in celebrity fashion.
As always feel free to share your opinions on the outfits this week in the comments section. I love to seeing what everyone's loving and loathing.







images from thefashionspot.com and celebrity-gossip.net

Sienna and Jude Part Two



Sienna's wardrobe is on fire right now. I'm obsessed with paparazzi pictures of her once again. I hope Sienna and Jude make it through the summer, if only so we can swoon over her style, which is always at its best when she's loved up with Mr Law.
Are you liking her new hairstyle? I think the fringe looks great on her. It almost makes me want one myself...

image from justjared.buzznet.com

The Six Hot Weekend Buys

The weekend is finally here and (at the time of writing) it's sunny in London! I know that everyone loves a good weekend shopping trip, and if my bank balance wasn't recovering from a sneaky visit to a D&G sample sale this week I'd be hitting the shops too. For those of you looking for a weekend fashion treat these are some of the best buys I've found online today...


1. See by Chloe Cat-print cotton T-shirt - £21 - at The Outnet: There are still a few sizes of this tee left (it also comes in grey) which is a great piece to pair with cut-off shorts over the summer. As a cat person it instantly caught my eye.
2. Mint Green Nail Varnish - £5 - from Topshop: I'm really into pastel nails at the moment (I'm currently working he lilac look) and this pale green is a great alternative to Chanel's Jade.


3. Victoria2 Face Pumps - £25 - from Topshop: I'm always on the look-out for a cute ballet flat, and this pair is adorably quirky. I'd wear them with bare legs and a LBD.
4. McQ Zip-front pencil skirt - £60 - at The Outnet: I'm not really a pencil skirt kind of girl, but the combination of the bright blue shade and zip detailing on this McQ number has won me over. It would look great with a little black vest top.


5. Elizabeth and James Iris Blouse - £240 - from My-Wardrobe: I've been waiting for the weather to warm up for months now so I can wear this beautiful Elizabeth and James blouse. It's so light weight and summery. I'll be pairing it with Topshop's skinny combats and bright pink heels.
6. Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream: I promised myself I wouldn't buy anything this weekend, but it would be sad not to indulge in some ice cream seeing as the suns out, right?

What will you be buying this weekend? Or are you hoping to avoid the shops like me?

all images from store websites

Emily and Dree Shut it Down in Cannes



Emily Blunt and Dree Hemingway were both in Cannes last night for the amfAR’s Cinema Against AIDS Gala. Their dresses couldn't be more different but I'm equally in love with both.
Emily went for classic sophistication in a bright red Georges Chakra Edition dress and Dree was fashion-forward in a nude and neon yellow Valentino Couture piece.
There were so many stylish women at the event, from Diane Kruger to Naomi Campbell, but Emily and Dree were definitely the two women who stood out. In the words of Rachel Zoe they both "shut it down"...

What do you think of their dresses? Which is your favourite look?

images from celebrity-gossip.net and thefashionspot.com

Vogue is a Great Problem Solver

You know I hate Kristen Stewart's red carpet look, and you know I try very hard not too. Because I really do want to give her a 'hit' now and then. But the combination of bad posture and outfits she never looks comfortable in always stops me. In the new US ELLE she defends herself, explaining that the red carpet is not a friendly place to be:
“People say that I’m miserable all the time. It’s not that I’m miserable, it’s just that somebody’s yelling at me... I literally, sometimes, have to keep myself from crying... It’s a physical reaction to the energy that’s thrown at you.”
So I do feel bad for always giving her a hard time about her look. And, getting to the point, the new issue of US Vogue proves that she can look fabulous, fashionable and comfortable in front of the camera.


I don't know why nobody thought of it sooner, because it seems so obvious now: the perfect outfit for Kristen is the shirt and skirt combo.
It's feminine but at the same time it never looks girly because the buttoned-up shirt adds a masculine edge. Vogue and stylist Tabitha Simmons have really hit the nail on the head. Kristen looks great and totally comfortable. Although I doubt Patrick Demarchelier yelled at her during the shoot like the paps do - that must help.

Lets just hope Kristen chooses the shirt and skirt combo for any upcoming events. Because I really would love to give her a 'hit'...

What do you think of Kristen's Vogue look? And are you a fan of the shirt and skirt combo?

images from thefashionspot.com and net-a-porter.com

Meadham Kirchhoff is the Latest to Collaborate with Topshop
Put your hands up if you haven't done an exclusive collaboration with Topshop yet? It seems anyone who's anyone today is working with the highstreet giant, and I'm starting to lose count of the amount of designer collaborations Topshop has done.
It's good news for everyone involved though: the designers get financial support, Topshop gets great stock on their shop floors and we get designer clothes for a smaller price. Everyone's happy.
The latest designers to partner with Topshop are Ed Meadham and Ben Kirchhoff of Meadham Kirchhoff - their collection hits stores tomorrow.
Their A/W 2010 collection had a gothic edge, as always, but was also pretty playful, with a great use of layering. Meadham described the collection to style.com as "eclectic dressing-up-box pretty things" and this element has been brought to their Topshop collection too.



The Topshop pieces are all in a palette of nude, navy and black, and there are plenty of sequins. Most of the pieces look like they could be vintage, and there is the feeling that they could have been pulled out of a (very stylish) dressing-up-box.


My personal favourites are the dresses and jackets because I've always been a sucker for a pretty dress and a well-cut jacket. The prices start at £55 and go up to £300, which does seem like a lot, but then what isn't expensive today? And there are a lot of sequins...



What do you think of the Meadham Kirchhoff collection? Which pieces are on your whishlist?

images from style.com and topshop

Olivia Rubin A/W 2010

Yesterday I visited British designer Olivia Rubin at her London showroom for a sneak peek at her A/W 2010/11 collection.
Olivia’s designs always feature gorgeous prints (I’m a big fan of her ‘bug’ print) in yummy colours, and her celebrity fans include Jameela Jamil, Fearne Cotton, Cheryl Cole and, most recently, Diana Vickers.
The A/W collection was inspired by ‘Hardy’s nineteenth century romantic classics’ and the silhouettes remain fun, feminine and flattering.


As soon as I saw the silver brocade Rosaline skirt (above left) I instantly thought of Blair Waldorf. I imagine she (if real) would pair it with thick tights a pea coat and a beret to go ice skating at the Rockefeller Center.


Olivia’s trademark brick print also makes an appearance in the collection. It looks great worn with the monochrome Kitty jacket, above.
But my favourite print is the ditzy nude bug design. The Belle tunic (below left) was my favourite piece in the collection, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it on a celebrity sometime soon.


A/W also sees the launch of Olivia’s T-shirt range, Oli Rubin, which combines her statement prints with luxe jersey basics. My personal favourites were the zebra and brick prints.



I also got to take a look at the mood board for S/S 2011, which looks just as exciting.
If you want to know more about Olivia Rubin visit her website HERE. I've also just noticed a few of the dresses from her A/W 09 collection are on sale on her website for just £50, so if you love a bargain check them out HERE.

all images from Olivia Rubin