Fashion thoughts of the day....

Photo shows: Madonna's daughter Lourdes, genuine dutch clog (say with accent), tricksy jumpsuit, banned diesel ad, and Lady Gaga dressed as a man

- No doubt you've read about it, but have you actually checked out Lourdes (as in Madonna's daughter) blog? It's not actually her blog I don't think, but the blog for the tween clothing collection the pair have launched - of the three posts so far my guess would be that she's written half of one. Effectively its a corporate blog designed to sell the collection, but I can't help but wonder if its the wrong decision to put Lourdes "out there" so much when she is only 13: blogging ultimately brings you closer to people (fans and critics) and I don't know if it's fair to ask someone so young to deal with that. Interested to know what you guys think about it!?

- I'm beginning to wonder if fashion is less about taste and more about habit. I remember wearing clogs shoes the first time round back in the nineties (my mum worried they'd warp my feet and my dad used to always ask if I was from Holland) and this left me very anti their revival. I was not cool in the nineties! At one point I even insisted it was a trend that I wasn't buying in to. (and there are very few of those) Until I saw clog sandals on every blogger and in every magazine and on passing feet on my way to work - at first I got used to them, then that acceptance turned to like, and the like to desire. So yesterday I bought a pair!

- Why are jumpsuits so impossible to remove when you really need to go to the loo?! I'm addicted to my jumpsuits on hot sunny days but find myself hopping around with my elbows bent like a contortionist trying to get them off whenever I need a wee. Is there some trick that i'm missing??

-Whenever you're told somethings been banned for being offensive, do you immediately want to know what it looks like? Diesel have had two posters banned: one showing a woman flashing a CCTV camera, and another showing a woman photographing her crotch. The text on both says "smart may have the brains but stupid has the balls. Be stupid. Diesel." All I can think about is how I wish I could see these banned ads: which is why it's in the picture above. I always think banned ads are great PR for companies - it's the only way you can get so many national papers talking about your brand and product.

- I love Lady Gaga and I love her even more now i've seen the pictures of her dressed up as a man! The pics are for Japan Vogue Homme, and I love her for having the balls (excuse the pun) to tackle the rumours that she is a man/hermaphrodite etc head on, and on her own terms. I also think she makes a seriously handsome man!

This are all little bits i've noticed or been thinking about today, but none of them are big enough to warrant a post of their own. I'm addicted to Glee and want to end this with a tribute to Sue Sylvester (That's how Tor sees it!) but i'm just not cool enough to pull it off! Maybe i'll mumble something cool in "youth speak" like Lourdes did instead.....

Love, Tor xx

Dresses: Got your GOAT

I normally immediately delete any email that's subject starts with the sentence "Victoria Beckham wears...." Victoria Beckham might or might not have excellent taste, but this isn't a celebrity blog, and unless she's designing it, i'm not writing about it. But, accidentally, I clicked open instead of delete, and i'm glad I did: but not for Victoria Beckham.

The yellow dress VB is wearing is the one above (which looks better on the model) and it's strikingly lovely: the colour, the length, the subtle ruffles. I coveted immediately (as I often do) then googled the GOAT website looking for more dresses. Nothing is as striking as the initial yellow burst, but I loved the shape and sharp shoulders of this pillar box red dress which I immediately wanted to team with opague tights and dolly shoes. The collection has a really 1960s feel, which I felt again in this white dress with its bib/peter pan collar, and the oversized buttons on the cashmere cardigan/jacket made me instantly think of Marc Jacobs then ponder how great it would look on my mum.

GOAT is certainly aimed at someone a little older than the Topshop generation: tailoring rather than gimmicks are king. My mum would look fabulous in all of this: tailoring and great cardigans are her trademarks. But I rather like it: luxy fabrics, great cuts and flattering fits, what's not to like? When the time inevitably comes for me to smarten up and stop dressing like i've been dragged through a hedge backwards, this is how i'll be doing it.

Love, Tor xx

Blog challenge: My yummy new Sarenza shoes!

You guys know how I feel about shoes: I sometimes think addict isn't a strong enough word! So you can imagine how delighted I was when Sarenza approached me and asked if I would like to take part in their bloggers challenge: the winner gets a shopping weekend in Paris and taking part in the challenge meant I would have to choose some shoes for them to send me. How could I say no?!

Well my shoes arrived last week, and I couldn't be more pleased. I couldn't decide whether to opt for sensible flats (I was torn between some lovely gladiators and a crazy pair of cowboy boots) but in the end my head was turned by the slightly less sensible sight of these snake skin wedges.

The shoes are from the Sarenza continental fashion findings collection: over 50 brands from all over Europe gathered together in one place including Paul and Joe sister, Miss Sixty, and Art. My lovely pair are from French brand Cosmo. I'd never heard of them before but I love their mix of colour and texture on both sensible flats and glam heels. When I saw these wedges I immediately thought of 50 outfits in my wardrobe they would look great with.

Ah the joys of the frowny self-taken photograph at 7am, not knowing what to do with my arms, and the pasty-white British winter legs! I am slightly in love with my dress and tulle skirted mac from the Topshop sale though.

And now on to the blogger challenge part of our programme: At the beginning of next month, the pics of me showing off in my new shoes will go onto the Sarenza blog .You'll be able to vote for me (and my excellent taste in shoes) and help me win that trip to Paris: once again, Fabfrocks needs you! (although of course i'll remind you all of that nearer the time!)

Love, Tor xx

Daily wears: Dresses and denim

My denim jacket has been getting a lot of wear over the past week or so. As the weather goes up and down i've found I need something to cover me up a little on the walk to work, but nothing too heavy to carry for the rest of the day when I won't want to wear it. Enter my denim jacket: the most hard-working item in my summer wardrobe. I love its light, almost white colouring, but sadly this means it needs washing all the time: I can't bear the wait whilst it's drying!

Here's how i've been wearing it over the past couple of weeks:

The left dress is from Simply Yours, the right dress is from New Look. The shoes are from faith, the belt is Topshop and my trusty jacket is last seasons Primark. The brooch on the jacket is an antique and was my decoy birthday present from Mike: I love it almost as much as I love my ring!

If we ignore my "i'm in the middle of a sentence" face, I really love this dress: It is from the New Look limited collection and was in the sale for £12. I picked it up about 6 weeks ago, and it's gotten loads of wear since. I love the panelling and zip details: i'm not wearing the best bra with it here though, my boobs look especially low and heavy.

Do you have any pieces of clothing you're wearing over and over again this summer? Maybe one you didn't expect to be wearing so often? Funnily enough I used to hate denim jackets (the time when I wore one every day in the late nineties just didn't seem far enough away) but now I can't get enough of them!

Love, Tor xx

Keeping your cool, or not feeling hot, hot, hot!

Whilst we're all in the pub 'watching' the football this afternoon (Come on you reds!....sorry, wrong game. Come on England!) the temperatures will reach a sweltering 28oC, which will feel even hotter in the city, due to the lack of wind, and smog trapping the heat. On Saturday the mercury is set to rise to 30oC. I've already started persuading Mike we need a trip to the coast this weekend, in a bid to stay cool, which gave me the idea of sharing these tips for how to stay cool in the sun.

1. More is more. Everyone always thinks when the sun comes out they need to strip down to skimpy vests and shorts. Not true. The sun on your skin will actually heat it, making you feel hotter. Opt for light loose cotton layers with sleeves if you want to protect your skin and keep your temperature down.

2. Wear light coloured clothing. Not only does white show off your tan, it will also reflect the sun, helping to keep you cool. Black absorbs the sun, so is best avoided on really hot days (Sob! This is the hardest rule to follow!)

Please note - if you wear all these white things together you will look like the Angel Gabriel. You have been warned.

3. Get ahead: get a hat. I always wanted to use that! But hats really are good for keeping you cool and protecting your head from the sun: I find when I don't drink enough water or go hat free I end up with terrible headaches from the sun. Hats also look really chic too, and can bring your outfit together. Here are my top 5 from the highstreet:

All of the hats chosen are in breathable weaves that let the air circulate. I find anything too tightly knit, such as a baseball cap, leaves you with a hot and sweaty head.

4. Protect your eyes. Sunglasses aren't just for wannabe wags (In winter, this is a whole other story!) The sun is bright, so wear sunglasses - simples!!

NB - All these tips are tried and tested. I have milky white skin which rarely tans combined with temperature sensitivity which sees me pass out when I overheat. Fabfrocks - Suffering since 1984, so you don't have to!

Love, Tor x

Etsy obsession of the week: Bring me robots!

Today's etsy obsession is on a theme, rather than from a particular shop. I have an inner geek that loves Star Wars, watching old cartoons, and robots: so imagine my delight when in the etsy "geekery" section I found a whole area dedicated to robots. I couldn't resist scouring through every single page, and oohing and ahhing over all the robot goodies I could fill my house with! Here are my three picks of the best robot shops that etsy has to offer:

Beatup creations Star Wars plates. I am so in love with these! The individual plates are around $40. The cake serving plate set with cake stand is $250. With a tea set like this i'd have tea parties every single day: and if anything is going to entice boys into enjoying the essentially girly activity of afternoon tea and cakes then it's got to be the heady mix of cake and Star Wars. I can't explain how excited I was when I saw these: I want it all!

Sweetheartsinner creations necklaces. These necklaces are all handmade using old movie posters: if you're not a robot geek like me you can also pick up Audrey Hepburn, pin up girls, Victoriana, and a whole host of wonderful black and white movies too. Each necklace comes in at $7.00, which is an absolute bargain: so good, you don't have to choose just one!

Stars and Robots pillows. The first thing you notice about these pillows is how cute their little robot faces are: it almost looks like they're smiling. The robots are made from left-over fabrics and recycled clothing and at $12 each, they'd make a really great present too!

I can't get enough of robots; I even bought robot fabric to make new pillows for our study/spare room. Now, if I get my way, they'll be making their way into the kitchen and living room too!

Love, Tor xx

What do you wear on a first holiday with a new boyfriend?

In the last installment of our "what do you wear" series I asked you guys to come up with other stressful situations that you have no idea what you should wear for! This post is taken from one of those and was thought up by the lovely Rai: "What do you wear on your first holiday with a new boyfriend?"

I loved this question because this time last year Mike and I went on our first holiday to Turkey together (the couple of nights in a tent in Yarmouth the year before don't count, as i'm trying to wipe the horror from my mind!) and it both made me smile, and make me remember the stress I had putting my suitcase together. So here are some suggestions. This post is working on the assumption that you're going on a typical beach holiday with a couple of "cultural" day trips. I'm going to do a city break one later in the month (based on lessons learnt from our trip last month to Paris)

I've tried to put together a capsule wardrobe, and I genuinely think this is all you need for a seven day break! Lots of pieces that work together and are easy to throw on are key, especially if you guys don't live together: he doesn't need to know it takes you an hour to get ready every morning. This way you can keep it bright, breezy, and speedy, because you don't have a hundred choices. Even now, when waiting hours for me to get ready for dinner, Mike laments that it didn't take me anywhere near as long when we were away. Lull him into thinking you're a low maintanance gal: then unleash the real you on him later!

I've made denim culottes the centrepiece of the wardrobe because they're so versitile: feminine and flattering they'll look good over a bikini, with sandals and a t shirt for a day of sightseeing, or dressed up for the evening. I've also used a neutral tan base colour because that way even if things don't quite match by the time you get to the end of the week it still looks put together. The satchel bag is perfect for sightseeing or evening. And everything else can be worn for any ocassion ensuring you always look hot!

I also went for bikinis that would mix and match well together - nothing worse than having to throw on bottoms that have a soggy gusset!

Love, Tor xx

Everything in the picture is from Topshop

On the problem of weddings and weight...

You would have to be blind to say that women aren't under pressure from the media to conform to certain weight ideals. I've always known that weight issues were everywhere: if Cheryl Cole loses or gains ten pounds then it will sell trash magazines. Barely a week goes by where bikini clad celebs are sprawled across the front pages branded too big or too skinny: noone is ever just right. As summer approaches we're all encouraged to get bikini fit. Last month Glamour promised we could "lose pounds without even noticing". Underneath all of this is the undercurrent that if you're not thin then you should be, you should strive to be. Only thin people are happy, running down the beach in their bikinis with the equally trim male models. Plus sized models (I'm wheeling out Crystal Renn again) and plus sized magazine issues have tried to balance the issue, but i've always felt this plus sized focus was a gimmick rather than a genuine rebellion against the super skinny model trend. Even if you aren't a magazine reader the pressure for women to be trim is everywhere, whether you overtly notice it or not: in TV advertising, and even your favourite shows.

But I have never felt under more pressure to lose weight or be perfect than since I got engaged. Every single wedding website has a partnership with a weight loss organisation. Every magazine I pick up has tips on how to shed pounds before your big day: it's pitched as a frenetic time controlled situation. Hurry! Only one month to go, get thin, be perfect, or your wedding will be ruined. This months Brides magazine even has a feature on brides that have had cosmetic surgery to look perfect for their big day, complete with links to the surgeons that can help and DIY tips if you can't afford the surgery. One lady said: "Without the surgery my wedding would've been ruined because i'd have walked down the aisle thinking everyone was staring at my imperfections." I wonder if i'm the only bride reading this and thinking how sad that is? Maybe I am, whilst all the others spend their life savings on boob jobs and starve themselves on various expensive plans.

Larger than life Dawn French dropped to a size 12 before she got married. She said she had no conception of a plus sized bride because all of the images in magazines and bridal shops were of skinny girls. She felt under pressure to be thin for her marriage to be perceived as valid, and so she lost weight. I'm no Dawn French, and i'm certainly not plus sized, but I know how she feels! It's hard to know what kind of dress will suit a girl with hips and boobs. Even the magazines which run "dress body" issues will show you the kind of dress they think would look great on an hourglass figure (my shape) on a size 0 model with no curves. It's hardly inspiring is it? I haven't seen a picture of a dress I like yet, because it's hard to imagine my body in a wedding dress. I have nothing to compare it to. And I know i'm not the only curvy bride out there, so I can't be the only one feeling like they're stuck in bridal no man's land: unable to relate to the mainstream bridal magazines, but too small for plus sized bridal collections.

Mike met and fell in love with a size 14 girl, and in thirteen months time he will marry one. I would like to tone up before the big day (I have upper arm issues too big to bore you all with) but I won't be running to the dieting hills screaming that I can't get married because my body's not perfect: this will be my wedding, on my terms, and I'll love my un-magazine featurable bridal body, in spite of all the pressure loaded on my not to. I'm also giving up on the bridal magazines that try to make me feel bad about myself - thats the complete opposite of how you should feel in the run up to your wedding, and only designed to make the magazines extra money. I hope that i'm not the only one who votes with my feet, stops buying into their rubbish, and walks away.

Love, Tor x

Fabfrocks wedding update: The date has been set...

As Make do Kate just reminded me, I haven't told you how it went with the vicar - not fashion related, but I hope you'll humour my occasional diversions! Well the answer is, it went very well, and we have set the date for the wedding! On 15th July 2011 I will become Mrs Tor Hampton and marry the football addict currently dominating my sofa. (Although if I have to watch football every night for the next month I might change my mind!) The vicar was a lovely man who didn't show any interest in my outfit (imagine!) despite my panic about putting it together, and seemed genuinely pleased to see us. The church is beautiful and I woke up this morning exhausted having spent the night walking up and down its aisle. I do think these stress situations make you behaving strangely though. I don't drink hot drinks (I don't like the feeling of hot water on my tongue) but when he asked if I wanted a cup of tea I said "yes please" and actually drank it too. I also forgot how to spell Mike's name whilst filling in the forms - I hope he realised it was nerves, rather than a sham wedding!

We're having the ceremony at Christ Church in Norwich, which is a stones throw from our old stomping ground and full of nostalgia. Did you know that it is often said of Norwich that there is a church for every Sunday of the year, and a pub for every evening: it's the only town I have ever been to that has a pub on the corner of every street. After a sneaky stiffening drink in our favourite pub (which is 100 yards away from the church!) we will then be following our guests to the Barnham Broom hotel, which is where we're having the reception. Everything is reserved, and as soon as our Banns payment is received and approved everything can be finalised: then I get to carry on with the fun stuff, such as choosing dresses, making favours, and of course creating invitations.

Believe it or not, this pile of paper and luxury card will be transformed into Alice in Wonderland-style invitations, save the date cards, and home made thank you paper. All it's going to take is hours of labourious work and the talents of my considerably more crafty sister: all because I decided on a whim that handmade stationery has a nicer feel. I'm even learning calligraphy! I'm also making all the favours myself, and am on a mission to buy a beautiful floral teacup for each place setting and teapots to hold my table centre flowers. I'm hoping if I buy them a couple at a time from charity/junk shops and car boot sales, and have the whole team working on it, it will only take us a couple of months to get everything together. In the end I know it will be worth it, but ask me in the middle and i'm sure i'll tell you I wish i'd never started!!

I'm going to try not to bore you too much with the wedding stuff, and get back to my very busy and important schedule of posting pictures of shoes and dresses, but if you would like to keep updated with the plans as they progress then you can follow the fabfrocks wedding blog as well: bridal tantrums guarenteed!

Love, Tor xx

Fashion maketh woman competition winner is....

The winner of the fashion maketh woman competition is.....Claire! Congratulations to Claire- if you drop me an email with your address/contact details asap I can send these to the event organiser who can get your tickets to you ahead of Thursday's event. Congratulations again, and maybe i'll see you there!

If you missed out then don't worry - I have another exciting competition from delightful muddle vintage coming up shortly.

Love, Tor xx

Question: What do you wear when you meet a vicar?

I haven't done one of my "what do you wear?" pieces for a while, and I admit that this one is pretty specific! But I decided that if it's a situation that I have no idea what I should wear for, then other people have probably struggled with it too! On Sunday (eek - that's tomorrow!) Mike and I are going to meet for "a chat" with the vicar that we hope will marry us.

I only generally go to church at Christmas/Easter or for weddings/christenings/funerals. All of these are specific occasions with their own dress codes. And I know that church goers tend to dress up for church on a Sunday. But what do you wear when your having a cup of tea with a man that will decide if you can get married where you want to, and will be intergral to your service?

Advice from all of my married friends has focused on one word: "conservative". But conservative doesn't have to mean boring, and if you're fashion conscious then I think that part of your personality needs to shine through too. So here are my ideas for what to wear to meet the vicar:

I have included big bags with both outfits because wedding visits generally mean you accumulate more brochures and bits of paper than you can carry: this way you have somewhere to put them!

The modern clergy is very different from its considerably more formal ancestors: I'm lead to believe that as long as you're a believer and you want to get married, anything goes! Most vicars I know wear jeans and shun their dog collars. I know there are some situations that can't be influenced by what you wear (it's not like your on a first date with the vicar and you want him to like your dress!)but I just think, as with most things, it's about making yourself feel good that's important, and looking good will help you do that. The two outfits above will help you fly through this situation, which is bound to make you feel nervous (I'm starting to get the jitters already!) and keep you looking and feeling confident.

I just hope I can manage to look good and maintain the illusion of confidence on Sunday!

Love, Tor xx

Ps - If you have any ideas for "what do you wear?" pieces i'd love to hear them!

M&S underwear: Like an old faithful friend

The Marks and Spencer sale started today, and within minutes, all of the underwear on the website was out of stock. This was two things: 1) Irritating because it meant I would have to pop to the store to pick up some cheap knickers and 2) A testiment to Marks and Spencers reputation as an underwear retailer that women would go so crazy so quickly to pick up some discounted goodies. Not that it's expensive in the first place: a bra and knicker set for around £20-25 is a bargain as far as i'm concerned!

If I can help it, I always wear Marks and Spencer underwear. It fits well, it washes well, it's good quality and it looks great. You can't really ask for more than that! It has a reputation for being a bit old fashioned (a lot of people use the phrase "granny bras") but I don't think that's true at all: some of it is pretty/sexy - it's just functional too! I went through a phase of wearing La Senza bras, but found they don't cut so well for a larger bust, and within a wash or two the wire was poking through and ready to pierce my chest. Not a good look!

So this morning I sprinted to the Oxford Street M&S, hoping that there would still me the pieces I had spotted on the website available in my size. There was still a mixed bag of sizes available but I couldn't get all five of the sets I wanted: I contented myself with these two from the sale, and a further two at full price. I had mentioned earlier in the week that I needed to buy new underwear anyway, so really this was a case of right place, right time:

There were about 8 stands of the size above containing "pretty" everyday, and slightly fancy underwear, and all but two of the bras had a large selection of sizes in the matching briefs or thongs. The bras started at £4, the briefs at £3. There was also a large stand at the other side of the lingerie section containing more practical underwear such as functional strapless bras and a massive selection of sports bras in all sizes starting at around £7.

Of course the Marks and Spencer sale has lots of other things going on: fashion, mens and childrenswear, and home wear too. But for me, it's all about the pants!

Love, Tor x

PS - If you're still waiting to get your sale fix then you'll be pleased to know that the Selfridges sale starts at 8am on Monday morning, both instore and online. Elbows sharpened ladies, and i'll race you to the shoes!

Fabfrocks picks from the New Look sale

Hi guys,

The New Look sale started at the end of last week, and my sister and I popped in and picked up some absolute bargains. However I didn't have time for a big try on session to share with you guys until today. Today there is certainly less stock, but still lots of great picks especially if your planning a summer holiday or obsessed with the peach and nude trend, and all of it half price or less.

I loved these two very prim and proper 50s style dresses, though the boob area on the pink one was pretty perculiar! The fit is perfect for body shapes like mine: all nipped in waist and flared skirt with a fitted bust. I'm also a sucker for polka dots, so both of these dresses had me at "hello." For a wedding/garden party/any other smart summer occasion both of these dresses would be perfect, and their so cheap you could splash out on a really great pair of shoes to wear with them: the pink dress is just £12 and the blue one is £15.

See what I mean about the abundance of peaches and nudes? (are we still allowed to call them nudes? That's a can of worms i'm not opening!) New Look must be predicting that the nude trend is going to go out of Vogue very quickly. I still really love it though, trend or not, and will be rocking nudes for a little while longer yet: there perfect for summer and look amazing with a tan. If you agree with me then the new look sale is the place for you: all of the tops above are less than £15 and they all look and feel fab!

NB: Please ignore my horrible hair in all of the photos above. I went for a swim before work this morning but forgot my swim cap, so I swam anyway and left my hair a tangled chlorine-stinking bush!

I would recommend that if you're looking for sale bargains and you're a New Look fan then get there sooner rather than later. The stock seems to be disapearing really quickly (in the Oxford street store at least) and the items you're looking for might not be there for long. If you're wardrobe is missing a casual jacket, hareem pants, super soft sweatshirts or raincoats then you should run to New Look: these are the highlights of the sale.

Love, Tor xx

PS - Don't forget to enter my competition to win two tickets to the Fashion Maketh Woman debate next week.

Competition: Fashion Maketh Woman

I'm going to a really interesting debate next week, and the best thing is, I have two tickets to give away so that one of you lovely readers and a friend can come along!

The debate is about the nature of fashion: It's importance to how we feel about and perceive ourselves. Here's the blurb:
Woman is born free but cannot escape the shackles of fashion. Her choices are an illusion, her purchases are dictated. Her self-worth is inextricably linked to her compulsion to look better, be better than everyone else. Happiness is both the conformity and the one-up(wo)manship that owning the latest bondage boots entails. This, at least, is the story told by those who scoff at fashion. But isn’t that just pursed-lipped envy? Isn’t it rather the case that fashion defines our Zeitgeist? That the brilliant designers in the fashion houses bring joy and vigour to an otherwise pedestrian world? And those who somehow think they’re above it all just end up looking drab and dull?
Speakers taking part in the debate include Paula Reed (Style director of Grazia magazine) Madalaine Levy (Editor in Chief of Bon Magazine) and the wonderful Grayson Perry (a man i've always wanted to meet).

To be in with a chance of winning you have to be a Fabfrocks follower (it's a simple click to the box on your right!) and leave a comment letting me know where you stand on the debate: does fashion maketh woman? Tell me something about your relationship with fashion. I often wonder if mine is healthy: I love to surround myself with fashion often at the expense of other aspects of my life (I bought shoes instead on a dining table. We still dont have one!)

The prize is two tickets to the debate which is taking place next Thursday in the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster. The doors open at 6pm, the debate starts at 6.45pm and is scheduled to finish at 8.30pm. The winner will be picked at random on Sunday.

If you'd like to attend the event anyway, then tickets are £25 each and available here. Good luck with the competition!

Love, Tor xx

Faith closing down sale...two days to go!

I wrote a little while ago that Faith had gone into consolidation and the time since then has really flown. This morning there is a sign in the window of the Oxford street store saying there are just two days to go until the store closes permenantly. I'm pretty sure this closing date will apply to stores nationwide too.

On Friday the 20% off everything had increased to 30% off everything. There was alos a big sale section with 50% or more off. I suspect that the percentage of discount will increase again in these final two days.

I picked up these cute 100% leather gold sandals for just £18. I've worn them every single day since I got them, and i've never had such a comfortable pair of sandals on my feet. I intend to wear these to death, and even toy with getting another pair for when I inevitably wear these out!

If you need new shoes then I would recommend popping down to your local Faith to check them out before it's too late: they have a great selection of sandals, loads of wedding and formal wear shoes, and even some shoe boots that would be great for saving for Autumn. As someone in the comments of my last post about this said, by supporting the company now and bagging yourself a bargain, you are helping ensure that their staff and other debtors get paid.

Love, Tor x

Something for nothing...the InStyle fashion hunt!

Now, i'm going to start this post with a disclaimer: I have never read a copy of InStyle magazine. Not because i've heard good or bad things about it, it's just never been on my fashion magazine radar. Interested to hear your thoughts? Here's a preview of the latest issue if you haven't seen it either!

Anyway, all that could change this week, because InStyle are hosting a fashion hunt, social media stylee. And all you need to win are a copy of the latest issue of InStyle, a twitter account, and a generous portion of good luck!

Sorry to all you guys in the regions, but the event is London-based. All you have to do is find the location of the InStyler, who will have a hamper of goodies to give out to the first person to find them and show them their InStyle July copy. There will be obvious clues on their website, twitter page and facebook page. (They're going social media crazy!) For example, if the InStyler was in Selfridges, they would tweet a picture of a yellow selfridges bag etc. Each day of the 5 days will be themed. Here is the list of themes from the press release:

Day1: Monday 7th June: Fashion Selfridge’s day: Oxford Street's most iconic store is kicking off our InStyle Fashion hunt by offering £500 to spend on the contemporary Fashion floor on the 3rd floor. You can win £500 to spend on designer brands on that floor including Alexandra Wang, Marc by Marc Jacobs, MCQ, Markus Lupfer and many more.

Day 2: Tuesday 8th June: Jewellery day: we have fabulous jewellery pieces to be won including an Alex Monroe peacock feather necklace, Erickson Beamon crystal embellished earrings, Zoe & Morgan tiger necklace and Monica Vinader black onyx nugget cuff.

Day 3: Wednesday 9th June: Handbag day: We are giving away designer handbags from Missoni, DKNY, Armani Exchange and GUESS, so get ready to win these fantastic summer fashion gems.

Day 4: Thursday 10th June: Beauty Day: Pamper yourself by winning beauty product hampers from Givenchy, Benefit, Versace, Burberry, Ruby& Mille, Topshop Make up, Nails Inc, Neil’s Yard, Cowshed, Leighton Denny, Charles Worthington, Fake bake, Field of Flowers and many many more.

Day 5: Friday 11th June: Fashion & Fashion Voucher day: win a luxurious fashion shopping spree of £500 to spend at my-wardrobe.com in addition on this day we are also giving away fashion items from J brand, Converse, Agent Provocateur and Mover Aderdeen.

Day 6: Monday 14th June: Fashion & Fashion Voucher day: £500 to spend at Jaeger.co.uk, in addition you also have the chance to win an Ovale Poncho and a Matthew Williamson studded python print belt from the Matthew Williamson Spring Summer 10 collection.

Day 7: Tuesday 15th June: Watch day: the final and last day of our Fashion Hunt we have three fantastic watches from Zadig & Voltaire for you to win.

So if you're going to be around central London next week, why not shove a copy of InStyle in your handbag, follow InStyle on twitter, and give it a go? I will be working on location about 10 yards from Selfridges on Monday, so I think I might buy a copy of the magazine and try my luck: I want to give it a read any way, now it's on the radar. It makes me feel dirty to think there's a fashion magazine I haven't at least tried!

Love, Tor xx

Sex and the City 2: The Movie review

Last night my sister and I went to see the new Sex and the City movie. I was looking forward to it, but apprehensively: every single review i'd read had been awful, so I didn't want to expect alot. I think that is the way to approach the film, because with my low expectations I actually found I had a great time!

In a recent interview SJP decribed the film as "a romp" and that's exactly what it was: I laughed out loud several times (usually at Samantha) I despaired at Carrie's hopelessness (and at the sometimes wince inducing plot) and I left the theatre feeling somewhat fulfilled. Some parts of the story were cut off too quickly, and the storyline that lead them to the Middle East in the first place was thin and patchy to say the least. But if you suspend your disbelief and accept it for what it is then I think you can still have a good night out with "the girls" (Isn't it ridiculous to call women in their 50s girls!?) The film franchise will never live up to the TV series for me, but in whatever way its nice to watch characters you love grow and develop, even if it isn't in the way you would've chosen for them.

The fashion though, was fabulous: it felt like some scenes had only been added as set pieces for Patrica Field to show what she could do. The big gay wedding (between two characters that hated each other - did I miss something?!) and the trekking across the desert on camels (yes, I felt your collective sigh) were costume high points, but plot-line low points. (Although Liza Minelli was incredible and we left the cinema still singing Beyonce because of her!) The scene where Miranda and Charlotte have a heart to heart about motherhood is touching, and could have been made much more of: the dresses they wear in that scene are fantastic too! SJP wears ALOT of Halston (predictably) and this actually means that for me she isn't the best or most interestingly dressed character in the film: look to the other ladies for your sartorial inspiration!

Speaking of the fashion, you might remember aages ago I showed you my Carrie Bradshaw-style Fabfrocks name necklace. Well Carrie still wears hers all the way through the latest film, and if you're still thinking of getting your hands on one (your name not Carries, unless you're a super-fan!) then I still recommend mynamenecklace who made mine. They're also started doing them in Arabic Script: yet more inspiration from the Sex and the City franchise! I wish i'd remembered to put mine on yesterday, but as we went straight from work we didn't get to dress up and do our homage to Bradshaw: next time (and there will be a next time: I predict that this franchise isn't dead yet!)

Have you been to see the film yet? I'd love to know what you think!
Love, Tor xx

I can't imagine a life without...perfume

I was suprised to discover i've only written about fragrance once or twice before: i'm a complete fragrance addict, and a spritz of a really good perfume can really brighten up my day. Last Thursday I left the house without putting any on, and didn't realise until i'd got to the ground floor of our block: I had to turn straight back round and apply some perfume, or my day would've been spoilt!!

I love sweet and feminine fragrances: I think my tastes are still a little young and girly. I read somewhere that your fragrance tastes mature as you get older because your sense of smell is continually changing, which is why people in their 40s+ tend to like musky fragrances and younger people like sweeter ones. Perhaps I have an immature nose! I love Anna Sui (almost every single fragrance, although I have a soft spot for flight of fancy) Vera Wang Princess, and the latest edition to my reportoire is Marc Jacobs Lola, which was a Christmas gift from my parents that I have since replaced, because I totally fell in love with it! Before it was discontinued Nina Ricci Les Belles de Ricci was my signiture scent, and I haven't found it's replacement yet: I wear a different fragrance every day, and they each make me feel different things.
I do want to secure a signature fragrance though, one you can smell and immediately associate with me. And as much as I love the Gwen Stefani perfumes, I think i'm a little old to be buying perfume based on the fact I like the doll on the bottle! I read in one of my many bridal magazines (sorry more wedding talk!) that you should buy a new perfume to wear on your wedding day, that way whenever you smell the scent it whisks you back to that day. I think this is a really good idea, especially if, like me, your sense of smell is strong and does help evoke happy memories.

So I need to find a wedding day scent. And I want that wedding day scent to become my signature scent: but I don't know where to even begin with finding it! When you walk through a perfume counter the smells are so overwhelming they all merge into one, and just end up giving me a headache! So i'm turning it over to you guys (you've always helped me out before!) What's your favourite perfume? Do you have any recommendations for a scent you could wear every day and never get bored? I need a new perfume anyway, so it would be nice to combine both shopping trips, and have a sense of purpose around the perfume counters for a change! All suggestions gratefully received!!

Love, Tor xx