Isabella Oliver 365 rebrands as Baukjen

Hi guys,
I've been a fan of Isabella Oliver 365 since I reviewed one of their cashmere shirt coats back in 2010: I still wear it now! But I always felt they were slightly overshadowed by the Isabella Oliver name: for those of you not in the know, Isabella Oliver is more famous for their well fitting amazing quality maternity wear. There isn't a pregnant celeb who hasn't been spotted wearing an Isabella Oliver jersey dress: they're everywhere!

But now Isabella Oliver 365 have stepped out from behind their pregnant sisters shadow and rebranded as Baukjen. Brand new name, same amazing quality clothing! Here are some shots of the pieces I'm most lusting after from their look book:



I'm not saying these pieces are the most fashion-forward and aimed at the super-young and trendy: but they are well cut, versatile, and come in gorgeous buttery-soft fabrics. They're the kind of pieces that would suit literally everyone. I'm a huge fan of their jersey dresses: they're figure hugging but flattering at the same time, and they really hold their shape.

If you're looking for easy-to-wear, easy to throw on, mix-and-match pieces then I really think the new Baukjen website is worth checking out: I could stock up on all of my wardrobe staples in minutes! What do you think?

Love Tor xx

PS - To celebrate the start of London Fashion Week, if you enter the code LFW15 at checkout, you'll get 15% off the entire collection. Definitely worth a peek!

The Fabfrocks maternity wishlist

Hi guys,

Another glorious Monday! Monday is my favourite day to create shopping wishlists: it's amazing how a little harmless Monday lunchtime browsing can make the week suddenly seem manageable again, isn't it? All of my virtual shopping this week has been pregnancy related, and as I'm guessing you don't want to see which moses basket or crib I'm thinking of buying (and frankly, who can blame you!) I've decided to filter this down to all of my  current fashion wants.

In terms of my growing girth, I have reached the point where I can no longer zip up my fitted dresses/skirts/jeans. Which means it's time to hit the shops and check out some maternity clothes. Gulp. So here's everything I'm currently wishing for. Apart from my waistline back, of course:

Coral ruffle dress, New Look, £39.99
Swan collar dress, Topshop, £38
Sequin tunic, Isabella Oliver, £104.50
Aztec tshirt dress, Topshop, £28
M by Missoni maternity cardigan, Blossom mother and child, £278 
See by Chloe yellow camoflage tunic, Blossom mother and child, £377

Actually finding pretty maternity clothes on the highstreet is really hard. If you like jersey or plain t shirts you're in luck! But if you want anything like my normal wardrobe (tea dresses, lace tees, leather leggings perhaps) then you won't find a great deal. And if you do, tell me where, because I'm getting desperate! Topshop seems to be the best I've seen so far, in terms of sticking to the same styles/patterns as their mainline range. But frankly, I can't afford a whole new wardrobe from Topshop that I will only be able to wear for 5 more months! Time to look at my existing wardrobe and get creative, I think...

Love Tor xx

PS - Don't forget to enter my competition to win one of TEN St Tropez tanning sprays or lotions worth £26 each! 

Go shopping: Buy a dress, buy a top, buy a phone!

I feel like if I were a dictator of some kind, then the title above would definitely form a part of my ruling philosophy!Everyone would be well dressed and forced to shop for clothes, shoes, and occasional fashionable electricals. Not sure I can find any negatives in the thought of this dictatorship, actually. I'd get everyone to refer to me as the Tor-tator. If only I owned a small island!
If you are in the market to buy a top then Isabella Oliver are offering FabFrocks readers 20% off all their tops. Just enter TOPS20 at the check out to receive your discount; this offer is only valid until Sunday though, so probably time for some Friday shopping! I don't know why I think of Friday as a shopping day - if i'm honest I will shop on any day with a "y" in it!
If you feel like buying a new dress (who doesn't feel like buying dresses!) then as I command it, Topshop is running an amazing celebrity dress auction on 16th March following the 'Dress Me Up' hire project over Christmas. All proceeds go to charity... and you could get your hands on a dress previously owned by Kate Moss, Dita Von Teese or Scarlett Johansson... Or a dress donated by one of Topshop's designer friends, including Emma Cook and Christopher Kane. The auction prices start at £60, and although i'm sure the prices will go unaffordably crazy, its nice to dream that you could own one of these dresses for the price of a night out isn't it?! The auction takes place at 10.30 am and you can find out more about it here. Its also worth mentioning that its for a really good cause!
And as for the phone?? Well, I love gadgets and gizmos but i'm ashamed to say (given the job I do!) that i'm actually a bit of a technophobe: It takes me a little while to get to grips with new technologies. And the INQ Chat smart phone from Three mobile was no exception.I was kindly lent this phone to tweet during London Fashion Week: its a social media phone, meaning it's really easy to use twitter and facebook on it. Which believe me can turn you into a twitter addict! It also came in really handy for checking emails.

It comes with flash cards rather than a manual which look great and are probably all you need if you're a hip young thing, but it meant I had to return to the internet in order to do simple things like work out how to take the back off and insert the sim card. It also beeps all the time - i'm sure anyone with half a mind for technology could sort this immediately, but I found myself cradling it like a mother with a new born screaming "what do you want?? what do you want!!"

I won't be upgrading to this instead of the iphone i'm collecting next month, but for that kind of smart social media technology on a budget, I think its definitely worth a look.

So there you have it, everything you were promised: dresses, tops, and phones. I feel kind of cheated that I didn't throw shoes in there too though. Maybe next time.....

Love, Tor xxx

PS - My Stylecompare competition is now closed. The three finalists from Fabfrocks whose entries were submitted to the judges are: Gloria, Rachel (Kenners) and LoLo. Unfortunately I don't get to choose the winner, but good luck everyone. Would you guys like me to post the looks submitted by the finalists I chose by the way??

Isabella Oliver at New York fashion week

On Thursday night Isabella Oliver took part in the Red Dress Collection; a fabulous catwalk show at New York Fashion Week in aid of The Heart Truth. I've been thinking a lot about red dresses because Kate of Make do Style did her MA film about them, and I am going to see it on Thursday night (i'll tell you all about it on Friday morning!)
The event featured an array of fashion designers and a host of celebrities (whom i'd never heard of!) dressed in their creations.
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I always thought of red dresses as synonymous with ladies of the night and very 80s (think Pretty Woman). I've never owned a slinky red dress, and none of my friends do either. But this image could have changed my mind: the women look beautiful and empowered. And so glamorous! Especially US television personality Bethenny Frankel (no? me either!) who looked fabulous on the catwalk an Isabella Oliver Maternity Ruched One Shoulder Dress. Surely it isn't fair to other women to look that good when you're pregnant!

Could it be time to rethink red? It would certainly make a change from my usual "black for every special occasion" uniform!

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Love, Tor x

Fabfrocks reviews: Isabella Oliver 365 Shirt Coat

One of the best things about ordering something online is the anticipation of the package arriving. And the second best thing about ordering online is opening the parcel. In my experience, the better the quality of the packaging, the better the quality of the treasure inside. This was certainly the case with Isabella Oliver: the packaging was beautiful and had me excited before i'd even seen the coat: I was delighted when Isabella Oliver told me they were going to be sending me their Shirt Coat for review because its the perfect coat shape for me: a little fitted at the top but loose and masculine below the bust.

The sleeves are bracelet length, perfect for showing off pretty leather gloves or, when the weather warms up a little, a bracelet in the evening. The coat is made of 95% wool, 5% cashmere, and it's so soft it leaves all my other coats in the shadows. The buttons are metal and have a subtle military detail which I love: the devil is in the details! I love the swing shape, and the way it drapes longer at the back (like a mans shirt!) But because of this i've teamed it with skinny leggings and fitted boots: I think if you wore anything loose on your legs underneath this you could risk looking like a bag lady! Other than that, there's nothing not to love about this coat: unlike my other "fashion" coats this is simple, good quality, and could be a wardrobe staple for years to come. In fact, it makes me think it's time to have a clear out of all the others stuck hiding at the back of my wardrobe!

You can get your hands on your very own Shirt Coat from Isabella Oliver for £186.15 in their sale (was £219).

Love, Tor x

The Isabella Oliver end of season sale...

....And so it begins! The Isabella Oliver sale starts tomorrow, and there will be massive bargains to be had, as long as you're quick!!

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Obviously there are so many sales starting today I can barely mention them all. I will be hitting the high street and reporting back on the best bargains. Let me know what you find too - it's always good to know what people are picking up and it always amazes me how much prices on the high street can differ depending on your location! As usual, let me know if there are any particular sales you want me to review, however I might not be able to do as many shops as I usually do: unfortunately the bf and I are moving house in 2 days and that will be eating up a lot of my time. I will do my best though!

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Oh, and because I was distracted by my military-style sales chat I forgot to say: I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

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Love, Tor xxx