Autumn pinks

It's Autumn, my favourite season and it has suddenly started getting seriously nippy. We've had a long, sweaty summer and I'm ecstatic to see the back of it and get back into layers and big coats and boots. Now's a great time for a good feminine lipstick to add a pop of colour against the dark greys, navys and blacks that most people pull out during the colder seasons. I've finally found a perfect light pink lipstick by No 7 and it's called Classic Rose. It glides on smoothly and feels moisturising which is great as my lips have been seriously chapped of late. And with Boots Advantage points, you can grab this baby for a real bargain. Me with Classic Rose by No 7:

Abercrombie and Fitch - marketing genius or pure discrimination?

I have NEVER liked Abercrombie and Fitch, or Hollister. Out of principle, I have never even walked into the Hollister shop in my local Bluewater shopping centre. I guess the overly tanned 17 year old half-naked guy with a six pack just doesn't entice me in - can't think why... I find the whole method of 'scouting' their sales assistants and then labelling them as 'models' utterly pathetic and testament to the superficiality of society. If you don't fit into their narrow criteria, then clearly you are inadequate as a person. Why on earth would you want to shop with young, underweight, vacuous sales assistants wandering around with fake American accents? The whole ridiculousness of the situation is highlighted in my nearest store, which is located in Dartford - chav town if ever there was one. Fake Cali accents just don't cut it, I'm afraid.
However, regardless of all my ranting, it seems to work. There are always queues outside the store and I see countless young people with Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch bags, holding them as though they possess some sort of elevated status. I can only think that it is a sorry indictment of people's ambitions in life: the need to be seen as 'cool' or have the 'in' thing. Any business that openly states that they want 'no fat people' ( read: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/fashion-beauty/398018/No-fat-people-Abercrombie-Fitch-admit-not-wanting-larger-people-in-their-stores) is absolutely disgusting in my opinion. It can only aid to contribute to the negative body image that the media already promotes and exhibits a complete lack of responsibility.

A timeless staple: pearls

I used to think pearls were only for women 'of a certain age' and should be worn with boucle twin sets and sensible low heel shoes. However, I have completely changed my mind and believe that pearls exude a certain grace and elegance that suits women of all ages. The other night, a friend and I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time (the whole way through - yes, I know, this is indeed ridiculous) and obviously apart from being in love with Audrey Hepburn's gorgeous outfits, I suddenly developed an obsession with pearls. To be honest, I've been aware of their appeal for a while, and sometimes wear pearl hairbands when I'm in a (rare) ladylike mood.



For me, part of their appeal is that they're never too flashy or bling. Their sheer subtlety simply exudes class, whether it's a simple pearl necklace, earrings, hair accessories or even a beautiful pearl collar. I do still think they can look a little well-to-do older woman but this is why I try to mix them up with a slightly less girly/ stuffy outfit for a nice juxtaposition that is a more modern take on the classic look.

Joanne Stoker for Dune

It's the first day back from a lovely Easter weekend which consisted of lounging about, exploring London and afternoon teas and already, I'm wishing for it to be the weekend again - not ideal!

So to help me through the day, and it is dragging like crazy, I've been looking at lots of gorgeous shoes. I'm particularly a fan of Joanne Stoker's collection for Dune and my favourites are these two pairs. She's a young fashion designer whose signature look consists of “Graphic architectural heels mixed with classic forms and created using a multitude of materials such as perspex, foam, resins, stones, and textured leathers and fabrics.” Innovative and exciting, plus flying the flag for British designers!



I love the muted colour palette she uses, which makes the rather 'out there' style of the shoe appear classic and not at all garish. At £145, they're not exactly cheap but I think you could really create jazz up some plain outfits with these statement shoes. Looking forward to the weather perking up so I can tuck away the old black opaque tights and actually get the old legs out. I think I've forgotten how they look like, to be honest...

Dr Martens

Call me old fashioned, but I like my Dr Martens to be Dr Martens. You know, the brand that's known for its punk-influenced sturdy durable boot, favoured by those of a slightly alternative persuasion. I can see the logic behind pairing with Mancunian model Agyness Deyn - she's the 'alternative' model, with her androgynous short blonde crop and her penchant for edgy street style. However, it seems that her latest Spring Summer 2013 collection is just all sorts of wrong.



Chunky sandals with bows seems to be the overriding theme this collection and while it may suit a Ganguro girl in one of those 'kawaii' Japanese magazines, in reality it just looks unattractive and unappealing. It reminds me of those little shoes you wear when you're about 3 years old, which look cute purely because your feet are tiny. However, wearing these monstrosities as a fully grown woman is bizarre and I doubt even someone as attractive as Deyn could even pull it off.. Stick to the classics at Dr Marten. This sort of experimentation baffles my brain.

Staple work uniform

I've been a bit lazy of late. Early cold mornings have left me reaching for my 'work uniform' - my staples that I turn to when I can't be bothered to make a considered decision regarding my outfit. I work in PR so while I have to look smart, especially for client meetings, there is some leeway and I can go in looking less 'corporate' than many other people working in the City.

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that my 'uniform' tends to consist of a jumper (slightly baggy usually, I am a fan of the men's jumpers for their loose and more relaxed fit), a skirt (pencil when I feel more formal and A-Line but above the knee when I feel slightly less so), thick black tights and loafers. Top this off with a long black coat and a pashmina and that pretty much sums up the outfit I've been wearing for the last month or so. Rather uninspired, I know, but chic and practical... plus surely a nod to the minimalist trend that is pretty popular at the moment. So, clearly, I am not being lazy; I am actually being very on trend ;)

Model of the moment

It's great seeing ethnic diversity in the modelling world. Although there are a growing number of models of different ethnicities, there is still a very narrow beauty ideal in the modelling world. If you don't believe this, just look at this ridiculous story where they used an over-bronzed Caucasian model to pose for an 'African Queen' editorial' (available to read, or gawp at, here: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/02/critics-pan-french-mags-african-queen-spread-with-darkened-white-model/).

My favourite model at the moment is the gorgeous Sui He, a 23 year old girl from China. She was the fist Asian model to open a Ralph Lauren runway show and the second model of Chinese descent to appear in the famous Victoria Secrets show. She's also the face of one of my favourite makeup brands, Shiseido.

I love her bone structure and her versatility in her editorials, which can range from ethereal to edgy and I'm always excited to see her next campaigns. There definitely needs to be a greater variety of faces in the modelling world to widen the stupidly narrow perception of beauty the media has contributed to creating. Baby steps...