The Jaegar runway report challenge!

Hi guys,
I'm never one to back away from a challenge, so when John Lewis challenged me to write a report on the Jaeger A/W catwalk collection, I just couldn't say no!

The dresses are always the first thing I look at from any catwalk collection (this blog isn't called fabfrocks for nothing!) and these certainly don't disappoint. I love the mustard coloured dress: and mustard is a colour that was used liberally throughout the collection. The lines are simple and clean: they remind me of simple 60s shifts, but with longer, Seventies-style hemlines.

Jaeger is a heritage brand, so it was no surprise that there was an old English heritage feel to the collection, but with a Seventies twist. From the skirts with their preppy below-the-knee skirts to the silk blouses and even the coats with the shearling collars, there was definitely a Seventies-retro feel to this collection.

The steal-the-show pieces though (for me at least) were the knits. They were chunky, heavy-looking and surprisingly simple: unlike the coats which wanted to take all the attention with their wide lapels, leather and shealing detailing, and unusual proportions. But I just couldn't stop thinking about snuggling up in those jumpers and cardigans, which looked perfectly ladylike, cinched in the middle with belts!

And as for my second-favourite obsession, the handbags? Think classic boxy shapes in shades of tan, black and blue, with vibrant orange detailing.

-Do you love Jaegar? Then there's good news! John Lewis are running a competition where you can win two tickets to the Jaegar show at LFW. All you have to do is follow the link and enter your details. Hurry though, as the competition closes at midnight on 8th September!

Love Tor x

Images courtesy of MPDClick.com

Sarenza: Friis & Company special!

Hi guys,

One of the things I love best about being a Sarenza brand ambassador is that I get introduced to new European brands (well, new to me!) that i'm now completely in love with, but had never heard of before.

One of these brands is Friis & Company, who I can definitely say are a new favourite. They're a Danish company that was set up just over 10 years ago, and what they can do with leather defies belief: I can't wait to get my hands on some of their heels!

I picked out a gorgeous pair of their black studded leather boots, and a matching black leather satchel. I'm breaking in the boots today, and so far, so very very comfortable:


The boots are £119 and the bag is £145. (Luckily I got in there before the Sarenza sale ended, so I paid a little less!)

One of the things I love about the brand is how lovely the packaging is. The boots came in a very pretty pink and black box, and each boot came in a satin dust bag, which is how the satchel arrived too.

The leather of both pieces is really soft, and the satchel is even more roomy than it looks: today it's holding my filofax, 2 notebooks and my camera with room to spare! And the boots are such a statement piece I don't have to make much effort with what I wear them with: today i've just thrown on my black jeans and a kimono.

Fashion week is just over a fortnight away, and I know these are going to be my go-to pieces when I want to look great and practical at the same time!

Love, Tor xx

Daily wears: Getting the weather all wrong!

Hi guys,
The thing I hate about rain, besides the fact that it ruins my hair and makes it go frizzy, is that it tricks me into thinking it's going to be much colder outside than it actually is, leaving me dressed for winter in the middle of August! And i'm not the only one: everyone's at it!

I actually saw a girl wearing a cropped fur coat on the tube this morning! I've made the mistake two days in a row now, and i'm melting. Tomorrow i'm wearing a sundress, whatever the weather!

Wednesday's outfit:

The dress is vintage (I got it in Paris for a bargain 10 euros!), The scarf is my new Bicester village Vivienne Westwood. The shoes are Vivienne Westwood Melissas and the bag is Friis and Co (Both from Sarenza) The necklace is from Primark (£5).

Today's outfit:

The leggings with the leather panels are Topshop, as is the jacket. The blouse is from boohoo.com (and looks much nicer in real life than it does in the picture) The satchel and necklace are the same as before, the boots are from Firetrap.

Maybe it's time to invest in a decent lightweight raincoat: I just don't know what to do with this weird summer weather anymore!

Love, Tor xx

Fabfrocks at Home: The fabric furniture tutorial

Hi guys,
Late last year one of my collegues tore an article out of one of the Sunday supplements for me about how to create your own fabric furniture. It has sat on my desk until last weekend, when I decided to give it a go on our old Ikea coffee table: it only cost £10, and it was so scratched we were going to throw it away anyway, so I had nothing to lose!

I'm delighted to say it turned out to be a roaring success! It's such a cheap and quick way to update and personalise your home. So although I can't take any credit for the idea, here's how I did it, so that you can give it ago yourself! I needed just two metres of fabric (which cost me £20, but will depend on the fabric you choose) and 1 bag of wallpaper paste, which cost £1:

- My first step was to measure the table top and cut a piece of fabric that was an exact fit for it. I then cut my remaining fabric into strips, approximately 3 inches wide.

-Once all the fabric was cut I mixed up the wallpaper paste, then I decided to start on the legs (its a good place to start as it's left noticable if you get it wrong!) I took a long strip of fabric, soaked it in the paste, then squeezed out the excess. I then wrapped it around the leg, smoothing it down as I went along

-For the top I used the same technique to soak the big piece of fabric, then lay it on the surface, using a paintbrush to smooth the fabric down, making sure there were no folds, or creases in the fabric.

- I used the same flat fabric technique to cover the sides of the table. And voila! That is literally all there is to it. It took around 24 hours to dry: if you want to use the furniture outside, you can apply a varnish at this point. And here's the finished product:

I love it-it doesn't look patchy at all when it dries! I know it's a bit much for your coffee table to match your table cloth and napkins, but I think it looks great. And the possibilities are endless: you can apply this to just about any piece of furniture: in the original article they did tables, chairs, and even a teapot! All you need is fabric and imagination!

Love, Tor xxx

And the Aussie Winners are....

Hi guys,
Just a super quick post to say that the lucky winners of my Aussie competition are:
Tamsin
Cho Cho
Kathryn
SuperluckyDi
Princess Janey
theswannys
mummy24

Congratulations to all of you! You're going to win an amazing Aussie goodie bag! If you could email me asap with your full name, postal address, and which Aussie product is your favourite, that would be great. You can choose from : take the heat (my personal favourite) luscious long, and miracle moist: lucky you!

Love, Tor x

An impromptu trip to Bicester Village

Hi guys,

On Saturday morning, whilst munching on cereals and talking about what to do with our day, we made a last minute decision to go to Bicester village. Now, the week before payday, that probably wasn't my wisest move, but I just can't resist a walk around Bicester, there are always so many great bargains to be had!

During August in the village, artist Lucy Strachan has created a series of Alice in Wonderland themed sculptures which have been placed at each entrance to the shopping area. They come in the shape of the White Rabbit's pocket watch (my favourite!), The Mad Hatter's hat, and a tea cup from the tea party, and if you're in Bicester it's definitely worth looking out for them!

But nevermind the artwork and on to the shopping! So what did I get?! Well here it is:

-I picked up a big Mulberry patent leather notebook for £25. I am a complete stationary whore (I have far too much) but I love the sense of possibility you get with a new notebook. I'll probably end up using it to write shopping lists, but who knows, I could start a brilliant novel and change my life!

-The Vivienne Westwood scarf is so soft, and so big I could wrap it around myself twice! I cost £48, but it matches the deep red French Connection coat I got last winter so perfectly, I just couldn't resist it. And when Autumn comes, it will look great teamed with my leather jacket too.

-I got a sequinned cardigan and a black dress from French Connection for £15 each: an absolute bargain! In fact, there were loads of great bargains in the French Connection outlet to be had, especially on sequinned dresses and cardigans (left over from last year's Christmas stock) but perfect if you like to plan ahead.

Other things worth noting about Bicester this week (if you're fancying a trip) are that the Monsoon/Accessorize outlets have shut down (sob!) so there's no more cheap jewellery to be had. The Cath Kidston outlet was as busy as ever, and lil sis picked up some massive homeware bargains: always worth a look. And Pringle have a massive 90% sale on right now: i've never seen discounts like it, so it's definitely worth a look!

Love, Tor xx

Welcome to the menagerie!!

Hi guys,
My love of anything with an animal on (especially jewellery) is so well documented that Mike can't walk past it without bringing it home for me. Not that i'm complaining about that, of course!! Yesterday when we were in Primark looking at the baby clothes for my lil sister's impending arrival, he went to town, and picked up every piece of animal jewellery in the store!

It's amazing how many animals have been immortalised in brass and enamel. The trend started with birds and tigers, but now almost no animal is immune! Here's what I got:

- Seahorse brooch, £1
- Turquoise and bird necklace, £3
- Massive owl necklace, £5
- Turtle necklace, £3

My favourite by far is the owl, which is massive and such an attention grabber! I also love the turtle, which is so unusual, and has a real vintage look about it. The Primark jewellery binge was the perfect end to a perfect day: we went to Bicester village where I got a Vivienne Westwood scarf, a big Mulberry notebook, and a dress and sequinned cardigan from French Connection...But that's tomorrow's post!

Love, Tor xxx

Obsession: Tatty Devine and Eley Kishimoto jewellery

Hi guys,

As soon as this press release landed in my inbox, I knew I was going to have to write about it. I took one look at the images, and became completely obsessed. Eley Kishimoto, famous for contemporary print and pattern design, have invited cult jewellery brand Tatty Devine to create a range of jewellery inspired by their latest prints: Batmosphere, Rush and Star Struck.

Tatty Devine have picked out individual elements from each print and recreated them in three-dimensional, shiny perspex, so they appear to pop right out of the original pattern. Materials include dazzling glitter and mirror perspex, with the addition of Swarovski crystals.

My favourites, by far, are the Batmosphere designs, which their oversized Batman bats and gold and pearl embellishments. I'm also slightly in love with those gorgeous bat tights. In fact, if I could just have this whole outfit delivered to my door by tomorrow, that would be super!

I love oversized jewellery: it's perfect for making a statement, especially if you're a plain dresser like me. Wear a simple white tee with harem trousers or a plain black dress then add oversized jewellery to look like you've made a big effort, when really you've just rolled out of bed and thrown on whatever was closest. Ahhh, my usual Saturday morning routine!

Love, Tor xx

Little Mistress A/W Preview!

Hi guys,
Until I was invited to the Little Mistress bloggers preview, it was a brand i'd never heard of, but last night I was submerged in their new A/W collection, and there was alot to like. They seem to specialise in partywear and are beloved of Katie Price; but don't let that put you off, because some of their dresses are really pretty, really wearable, and just perfect for a big night out!


Partywear was the order of the day, with sequins and heavy embellishment taking centre stage. The key colours were black, royal blue, and party gold. There were two completely sequinned dresses that would be perfect come party season, and the thickness of the sequins made them look expensive, despite the very modest price points.

This was by far my favourite dress. I loved the beautiful gold embellishment and the crazy vibrant pink colour, but the cut is pretty demure and perfect for showing off curves. Just add heels and go:

I would team this with a blazer, gold heels and an oversized clutch and party all night!

Little Mistress are also releasing a brand new range of jewellery, some of which I fell immediately in love with:

Note the chunky and oversized green and gold gemstone necklace and bracelet to the left of the pic, and be still my beating heart! That is exactly my kind of jewellery. There were also some oversized rings at undersized price points (just £5!) that I made a beeline for.

When it comes to Christmas time, Little Mistress will definitely be on my 'must check out' list!

Love, Tor xxxx

My hooded secret!

Hi guys,
I have a secret confession - I own a hooded top. Shhh, I know it's not very cool or glamourous. And a supposed fashion blog probably isn't the best place to admit it. But when i'm slouching about at home, or popping to the supermarket, or strolling on a Sunday morning, there's nothing more comfortable.

When I was a student you couldn't get me out of my UEA hoodie, which I wore with skirts instead of jeans, to be more 'fashion'. Yup, I was sooo damn cool! Although in my defence, everyone else on campus had one too!

Nowadays though there's more choice in the hooded top department than horrible sports brands or university logos. These hoodies for women are actually pretty cool, especially the Pauls Boutique ones, which I definitely wouldn't be ashamed to bump into my boss in Asda wearing, on a cold Saturday morning. Although nowadays I would definitely be teaming them with jeans and pumps, not dresses!

Hoodies are never going to be high fashion items, but they are wardrobe essentials. I don't know anyone that doesn't have a couple for rainy slouchy days: so why not make the couple you own cool ones?!

I'm definitely going to replace my fraying grey one with one of these considerably less embarrassing examples! Admit it - you have one and it's the comfiest item in your wardrobe! Am I right?!

Love, Tor xx

PS - Don't forget to scroll down to enter the COMPETITION to win an Aussie hair kit. It closes at midnight tonight!!

*Written in association with Bank

Competition: Win an Aussie Hair summer pack!

Hi guys,
Did you know that every day is a reason to celebrate? Aussie have launched their new Aussie-versary Limited Edition Range (because who doesn't need an excuse to buy their favourite shampoo in pretty bottles) to celebrate, erm, something Australian, and they're inviting everyone who has hair to celebrate with them. You can celebrate literally anything, no matter how big or small!

Today i'm celebrating the fact that my new Sarenza shoes have just been dispatched, and that I just ate soup for lunch without spilling it down my blouse!

What are you celebrating today? I have a whopping seven Aussie summer packs (including your choice of product from the Aussie-versary range) to give away, and all you have to do to win is follow the blog (using the box to your right) and tell me what's giving you cause for celebration.

But hurry! The deadline for entries is at midnight tomorrow (19th August 2011)

Love, Tor xx

PS - Even better, everyone who wins a pack will have the opportunity to take part in a challenge, with the chance of one person winning 10 tickets for themselves and 9 of their friends or followers to Aussie's HUGE Summer party in October!

Boohoo.com A/W press day

Hi guys,
Yesterday I popped over to the boohoo.com press day, where I bumped into Sherin from Hi Fashion, and lusted over a room full of lovely Autumn/Winter clothing. My new season fetish is being fulfilled and I've already planned several imaginary outfits i'm going to wear as soon as the weather gets warm enough. Of course, the nice thing about imaginary shopping in a place like Boohoo is that all the clothes and accessories are so cheap, I can actually afford to buy some!

Firstly there was the jewellery . Nothing earth shattering, but some pretty pieces nonetheless: I loved the peach rose bracelet and the big silver deco-style necklace.

Then came the handbags. I was surprised at how good the handbags looked, given how cheap they were, with boxy, lady-like bags and vibrant colour blocking ones at the fore. My favourite was the big tan and black bag in the second picture, which looked like real leather, and would go with just about every item in my A/W wardrobe:


Finally, I fell completely and utterly, head over heels-edly in love with the fur coats. I'm such a fur addict that I just can't resist! These pieces are from boohoo's more premium range meaning they're slightly more expensive, but they're still very purse-friendly, coming in at around £80:


As soon as I got back to my desk I whacked in the disc full of PR shots and indulged in some major fashion lust: always a sign of a good collection! And with the dresses and jackets (my two staple items) coming in at around £20 each, it's definitely worth a look: that's cheaper than ASOS! I've never shopped at boohoo before, it definitely won't be long until I can't say that anymore...

Love, Tor xx

Fabfrocks at Home: Feeling a little bit retro

Hi guys,

Homewares are my newest obsession. I always like to have a project (i'm too active to just sit around in front of the TV) and now that the wedding is over my new project is redecorating our flat. We rent, rather than own, which means all the work I can do is fairly superficial: new soft furnishings, reupholstering furniture, that sort of thing. But i'm really loving doing it! Which is why i'm going to start writing a new weekly post called 'Fabfrocks at Home' outlining my projects, lusting over beautiful homewares i've spotted and even how-to's on what i'm working on next. If you get to hate it and want the blog to go back to 100% fashion then just say!

First thing's first: my new living room vision. It sounds a bit poncy to say 'vision', but it's the easiest way I can think of to decribe it. I'm looking to demodernize the living room and instead go for a sixties retro feel: i'm getting rid of the empty feeling generic Ikea furniture and replacing it with heavier original period pieces, then i'm going for bright colourful fabrics like paisley: think Austin Powers' shag pad!

But I don't want it to look like a museum: it needs modern touches too. Which is why I ordered these gorgeous place mats from The Green Apple: they were hand drawn and hand printed, which is amazing considering they only cost £6.50 each!


And as for the shag pad paisley? I ordered this Kaffe Fassett for Liberty print fabric from ebay, and it cost just £9 per meter. Considering Liberty print fabric in Liberty is £31 per meter (which I just couldn't afford!) i've had quite a bargain! The colour is a little darker in reality than in the photo: it's actually on a black base. I'm using it to make a table cloth and napkins, cover a footstool, and I have also found a tutorial for using fabric to cover furniture. I'll be trying it on my coffee table and reporting back on it's success or failure. Fingers crossed!!

Love, Tor

Daily wear: Sunday lunch

Hi guys,
Well, today I went out for the nicest, and most expensive Sunday Lunch I have ever eaten! We went to The Beantree in Harpenden (such a pretty little town) and completely overindulged ourselves! Here's what I wore, and more importantly, what I ate:

Yes, you have seen this dress before! It's from the Topshop outlet yesterday. The cardigan is also Topshop (not outlet), the necklace is Blank, the shoes are my new Sarenza faves (again!) and finally my years-old slouchy leather bag. Basically I wanted to wear the dress (i'm like that when I have anything new)but it felt too fancy for a Sunday afternoon, so I dressed it down with the batwing cardigan and the tan bag. And for lunch:


My starter was a warm mozzarella and tomato tartlet with parma ham and an olive tapanade. My main was a classic pork sunday lunch: best roast parsnips ever! I finished off with a sticky toffee pudding with carmel sauce and cream (which I ate too quickly to photograph) and washed it all down with a large glass of wine. It was at least a million calories (yup, that's scientific fact) but absolutely worth it!

I hope you're all having an equally delicious weekend!

Love, Tor xx

The Topshop outlet revisited

Hi guys,
Well I had to start my reintroduction to shopping somewhere, and I decided to throw myself in at the deep end: with a trip to the rummaging chaos of the Topshop outlet! Here's what's hot in there this week:



1 Dress Up! Back in April, Topshop launched Dress Up! which was a brand new premium collection of statement dresses. And now those original dresses from the collection have all made their way to the Topshop outlet store! There are literally hundreds of dresses from this range in almost every size. I know it's a little soon, but my immediate thought when I saw them was that they'd be perfect for the party season. And that's the point about the outlet: the seasons of the stock in store is almost always wrong, so you have to think ahead a little!

The sequinned floral dress was £30 (bogof) and the layered flapper dress was £20 (bogof).


2. Shoes. The shoe selection is never really brilliant in store, but this week they have a wall full of shoes, ranging from heeled boots to brogues and pumps to heels and summer sandals. The pairs that really attracted my attention were the pink buckle up brogues (£20 bogof) and the cream heeled cowboy boots (£25 bogof). Both would be perfect for wearing this Autumn!

NB - Apologies for the fuzzy picture. You're *technically* not allowed to take photos in store, so I was being a little sneaky!


3 Winter. If you're looking for a knitted poncho, then this is the place to go! I counted four full rails full, all at £10 (bogof) each! There was also a wide selection of cardigans and chunky knit jumpers, knitted dresses (knitted dress above: £10 bogof) and woolen tees, but there wasn't a single coat in store: they had hundreds when I was last in there about a month ago, so I think their coat season has past!

Finally, there were loads of hats, scarves, and gloves at ludicrous prices, many of them making up matching sets. I picked up a lovely fairtrade cotton black hat with a snow flake print on with matching gloves Each item was £1 bogof, making them technically 50p each. Crazy! I went back and picked up several more sets: they'll make great stocking fillers this Christmas!


4. Marios. There was loads of the Marios Schwab collection in store at massive reductions: these trousers retailed at £180, but were just £30 bogof this weekend. I had a love hate relationship with these trousers, fluctuating from thinking they were either cool or ridiculous. I ended up putting them back, but now i'm sorely regretting it!

Love, Tor xxx

Primark A/W Look Book: Yum!

Hi guys,
Do you know that apart from buying bits for the house (using wedding gift vouchers and other lovely presents) I haven't been in a single shop since I got back from Eygpt. And it's been almost a fortnight: making it almost 5 weeks since I even went window shopping. This has to be some kind of a new world record for me!

However these pictures of the Primark A/W look book may just be enough to have me heading to Oxford Street to make sure it's not too good to be true. That's always my feeling when I see the Primark looks: I love the clothes, I love the styling, I get excited. Then I try and temper my excitement because I know they just won't look as lovely in real life. I hope i'm not right this time, because there are some pieces I definitely want to inject some new season style into my existing lovely winter wardrobe:

Ovoid coat £35 in store August. Patent vintage bag £7 in store July. Pink tights £2 in store August. White patent heels £12 in store now.

Cable button cardigan £12 in store August. Cable knit midi £12 in store September . Socks £2 in store October. Lace-up patent boots £18 in store September.

Limited Edition peterpan dress £23 in store September. Padlock mini crossbody £5 in store July . Socks £2 in store October. Loafers £16 in store August

Dalmation coat £45 in store September. Jeggings £6 in store July. Loafers £16 in store August

Check jacket £35 in store August. Cable knit jumper £14 in store September. Tailored dusty pink trousers £14 in store September. Socks £2 in store October. Loafers £16 in store August

What do you think? Anything grabbed your attention? I'm a faux fur addict, so i'm very interested to see what the dalmation coat looks like in the flesh!
Love, Tor xx

Label love: Electronic Sheep

Hi guys,

I love knitwear. I love getting cozy in oversized jumpers and slopping about in big cardigans. Buying new cardigans means that Autummn is coming, and I am so ready for Autumn: i'm sick of summer dresses and not being able to layer. I want to wear something more substantial! Which is probably why my introduction to the brand Electronic Sheep came at exactly the right time.

This is the label to make all your knitted dreams come true: think scarves, hats, and capes with bold graphic styles patterns in vibrant colours all over them. This isn't for the faint hearted: you'll find no plain and understated black or grey knits here. I can just imagine myself wrapped up in layers of clashing knits teamed with simple black frocks and slimline jackets: that's one of the reasons I love knitwear so much. It's perfect for adding drama and interest to my otherwise fairly boring black wardrobe.

Electronic Sheep are also launching a collaboration with female DJ group Broken Hearts this A/W. The results of this collaboration are the include the 'big fruit' patterned scarf, the ultra long 'Alchemist Foxtrot' patchwork scarf and the 'Swift and Cliff' hooded cape.

I have to get my hands on one of those hooded capes, which would look perfect with my brown fur hat for my December trip to Berlin: Mike and I have just booked a 4 day trip at the beginning of the month, so that we can explore the traditional Christmas markets. See, I told you I was out of the summer mindframe and already thinking about autumn/winter: and I just mentioned the dreaded 'C' word too: shame on me!

Love, Tor xx

Daily wear: Back to Black

Hi guys,
Well my brightly coloured holiday outfits have gone back in my wardrobe and I am officially back into my regular outfits on head to toe black. It feels bizarre to be wearing a jacket in the middle of August, but it's just been too chilly to leave the house without one!


I'm wearing a silk vest from River Island over a longer line Topshop vest. The jacket is Silence and Noise (from Urban Outfitters) the necklace is blank London, the bag and ring you've seen before in the last post, and the shoes are my newest Sarenza clogs.

I am slightly in love with these shoes: they look like proper heels, but the platform at the front is tall enough that my foot is actually flat. That makes them comfortable enough to wear all day long - and I haven't had them off this weekend! My other favourite thing about this outfit is the jacket: I got it from the Urban Outfitters sale about 2 years ago and it was only £10, but it is perfect for jazzing up plain black outfits and giving them some personality!

I've completely missed the summer sales this year: but I don't feel disappointed. I've had my wedding and summer holiday, so it feels like summer is over for me and i'm ready for Autumn to arrive. I've even started doing research for my new winter coat: not long to go now!

Love, Tor xx

Find me at Yahoo's Style it light!

Hi guys,
I meant to mention this ages ago, but as well as blogging here (of course!) you can now also find me blogging every week day on the Dress Up! blog: the exclusive blog for Style it Light, which is Diet Coke's new dedicated fashion hub on Yahoo.


Although I have a vested interest, I tell the truth when I say that it's actually a really good, and very readable fashion destination. You'll find features, columns from some of my fave bloggers and fashion writers, photo galleries to inspire (and make you feel serious wardrobe envy) and of course the blog, which I write in collaboration with Jen of The Style Crusader.

As the name implies, the blog is about dresses: dresses I covet, dresses I own, new trends and how to wear them! Why not pop over and say hello?!

Love, Tor x

PS - If that still isn't enough of my writing a week for you (i'm aware that at this point i'm only talking to my mum!) then don't forget that you can also finding me blogging for styleretail.com five times a week: talking about all things fashion and beauty, and usually compiling long shopping lists of things I wish I could buy!