Mango's Style Night!

Hi guys,
I love events where I get to meet new bloggers, and catch up with some of my favourite blogging friends. Last week I went to Mango's style night where I was invited, along with four other bloggers, to style an outfit at the event. We didn't know what we would be styling until the night when, on arrival, we were each presented with an envelope: very exciting!

My style challenge was an outfit for a girls night out. The first thing I spotted that I knew would be perfect for my outfit was a gorgeous gold blazer with a crackled effect. I loved it so much that I styled my whole outfit around it:

Jenny from The Style PA's challenge was the office Christmas party. Our mannequins look ready for a good night out together!

To the gorgeous jacket I added a fitted lace dress with long sleeves, an oversized chain effect necklace and a chunky black and gold bangle. I cinched in the waist of the jacket with a black leather and gold detailing belt. Then to break up the colour a little, because not everyone loves black and gold as much as I do, I added an orange suede bag with a gold Chanel-style chain handle. I'm sure it's not to everyone's taste, but this was my idea of the perfect girl's night out outfit!

Putting the outfit together gave me the chance to check out Mango's new Autumn/Winter collection. There was so much to covet, particularly in the evening wear department. They also had a great selection of oversized gold jewellery that I fell in love with: definitely worth checking out!

Love Tor xxx

Current obsession: Leather sleeved coats

Hi guys,
I always start the winter months by saying "I have enough coats, I really don't need to buy another" only to go out and buy another about 6 weeks in to the cold spell. Well this year I'm not going to say that: This winter I do need a new coat!

I had a massive wardrobe clear out, and ending up taking an embarrassingly large amount of clothes to a car boot sale, leaving me with just 5 coats in my wardrobe, and not a simple black one in sight! However I was left with enough money in my pocket (the bootsale profits) to buy myself a new coat without any guilt at all. And what I have my eyes on is something simple, slightly retro, but with leather sleeves.

In fact, what I have my eyes on is this coat, which I saw at the Oasis event last week:

I love it's sixties style swing shape, and massive pockets. However I worry that its double breasted nature emphasises my bust slightly. And the old lady in me has to admit that it's not the warmest coat in the world. Nonetheless, more than a week after I tried it on, I can't stop thinking about it.

If there's anything you've fallen in love with from Oasis at the moment, you can currently get 25% off on their site using the code GRAZIAAW11. Which, I must admit, is adding greatly to my coat temptation! What do you think? Should I get it, or keep on searching?

Love Tor x

PS - If you haven't already, I would love it if you could take just two minutes out of your day to vote for me in the Westfield Bloggers Competition. I'm currently in third place so I need your help (and probably a miracle!) to win!

Topshop Outlet bargain of the week: £5 shoes!

Hi guys,
...Well technically, they're actually £2.50 shoes, as they were £5, buy one get one free. So as well as the shoes, I also picked up an embroidered T shirt for a fiver. Then for £7 I got two simple silk shell tops: one in vibrant red and one in teal blue. Perfect for smartening up jeans and knitwear. But it was the shoes that were the biggest bargain, especially as they're leather, and bang on trend:

I really love this: they're a slightly more feminine take on the classic brogue, but the lack of laces means they look less chunky and more stremlined, making for slender calves (unlike the bulky leg look I often get with traditional brogues). The colour is a lovely milk chocolate brown, and they were just made to be teamed with tea dresses and tights (which is actually how I'm wearing them today!) I still can't believe how cheap they were!

This week in the Topshop outlet (I went in on Saturday) there were lots of shoes and trousers, but not a massive supply of dresses. The jewellery stand had been newly refreshed though (all the jewellery is £1.50 bogof) The girl behind the checkout told me that they are expecting alot of new stock in over the next fortnight though, as they will be getting everything that is in the current Topshop sale (exciting!)

If you'd like to check out the Topshop outlet for yourself, it is in The Broadwalk Centre in Edgware. Be warned though: it is a very small shop, and there often isn't a great deal of stock, so it probably isn't worth travelling too far to visit (I live just a 10 minute drive away, and it is next door to my local Sainsburys, hence my constant visits!)

Love, Tor xx

PS - If you haven't already, I would love it if you could take just two minutes out of your day to vote for me in the Westfield Bloggers Competition. I'm currently in third place so I need your help (and probably a miracle!) to win!

This blogger needs you!

Hi guys,
You may remember that almost a month ago I wrote a post that was my entry to the Westfield blogger competition: the prize being that you get to be the resident guest blogger on the Westfield site. Well, believe it or not, I have been shortlisted, and am in the final five!

Now though, I need your help. The winner is the blogger who gets the most votes on their profile over on the Westfield site, and I always do appallingly at these public votey thing! So I would love it if you would head over to the Westfield site and vote for me!

All you have to do is follow the link, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on the 'like on facebook' button. For this of course I will be eternally grateful, and will shower you all with love, kisses and imaginary presents (some of which are shoes!)

If you follow the link you'll also find a quick Q&A with me, as well as the other (fabulous) bloggers in the final five, so it's definitely worth checking out.

Sorry for the spammy post: normal service will resume tomorrow!
Love Tor xx

PS - Here is the link again!

Fabfrocks loves: Levis Made and Crafted

Hi guys,
Earlier this week I went to check out the new offering from Levis: Levis Made and Crafted. Well I say from Levis, but actually that would be wrong: Made and Crafted is developed by Levi’s XX,an independent, creative division of Levi Strauss & Co. that develops and manages the exclusive Levi's Vintage Clothing and Made and Crafted brands. So that clears that up!

The collection is the perfect mix of modern and heritage, and is positioned as much more premium than the usual Levis line. My favourite piece? The Military green parka from the mens range! However unlike the standard Levis range, this one is definitely tailored to women. Think fitted jackets, loose shirting and shirt dresses, and such a big range of premium denim that there's bound to be a pair to suit everyone. The whole collection was made to be mixed and matched then teamed with cute ankle boots for the perfect effortless weekend wardrobe:

Shirting was huge from the womenswear collection, with plenty of casual shirtdresses to lust after

I loved the distressed detailing on this jeans, which I have tried and tested, and can assure you they make the thighs look much slimmer!

Also part of what I went to see was the new high rise family (which lands in Harvey Nicks early next month): a collection of three high waisted jeans. They come in skinny fit, boot cut or flared shapes. I'm not normally a fan of high waisted jeans, as they aren't the most flattering cut. But actually these sit on just the right part of the waist meaning they're beautifully flattering, not too high, but high enough to have a lovely modern 70s feel. The skinny pair are by far my favourite, but made to be teamed with chiffon blouses and oversized knitwear.

The price points are higher than I would normally pay for denim (£130 + per pair) mostly because it's something I rarely wear. But the quality speaks for itself, and really does justify the higher price. I've only worn my Made and Crafted jeans once, but I'm already a convert, and compared to my usual Topshop pair, you really can tell the difference in the quality: outfit post to follow.....

Love Tor xx

Competition: Win one of two £50 vouchers from Showroom Prive!

Hi guys,
I love a good rummage on a car boot sale. But if you like to bag a bargain without having to rummage then designer fashion sales site Showroomprive.co.uk brings you exclusive designer offers without the hassle.

Originating and hugely popular in France, Showroomprive.co.uk sells designer clothing at amazing discounts – labels range from the likes of Diesel, Guess, DKNY, Valentino to some beautiful chic French brands such as Torrente, Axara and Inès de la Fressange. And now you can enter a competition to win one of two fabulous £50 vouchers for the site!

Simply sign up to receive a daily email alerts announcing the latest ‘flash sale’ – new designer sales launch every day and each sale lasts from 2-7 days. Just make sure you’re online early to get the pick of the best discounts! They’ll even treat you to £12 to spend on the site if you introduce a friend.

If you fancy exploring what Showroomprive.co.uk has to offer why not enter our competition and you could win a £50 voucher to spend on whatever you like from the site. I have two vouchers up for grabs.

To enter simply sign up to the Showroom Prive site and then leave me a comment with the names of two of the fashion brands with sales running on that day, along with the date you entered. I will be picking the two winners at random on 20th November.

Indulge in guilt free shopping, and good luck!

Love Tor xx

Fabfrocks reviews: Nails that cut the mustard

Hi guys,
For the past 4 weeks I have been hunting for the perfect mustard nail varnish. I love the warmth and vintage feel of the colour mustard and have been wearing it for years but it's current fashion popularity means it's so much easier to find now, so as well as buying a couple of new mustard dresses, I resolved to get myself some mustard fingers!

I don't normally spend alot of money on nail varnish, so first I tried Barry M. The nearest they had to mustard was an egg yolk yellow, and it was very very runny. Even after two coats it looked thin and streaky: often a problem with light coloured varnishes. I wiped it off and started again.

Then on Monday whilst in Topshop to check out their sale, I found this:


I've never tried Topshop make up before, and was dubious: I always am when fashion brands branch out and try other things. The colour is called 'cut the mustard' and as it was only £5 I decided to give it a go. The colour is really rich and although I did need the second coat to get a flawless finish, with two coats it has given a thick and glossy finish. I think it looks fantastic!

I've now had it on for two days and haven't suffered a single chip (admittedly I am wearing a base coat and top coat, which is probably helping). But for £5, I'm really impressed! Having been unsure about Topshop make up, on the nail varnish front at least, I'm a new convert.

Love Tor xx

Daily wear: Slouchy, comfy, stripey...

Hi guys,
This week my posts might seem pretty daily wear intensive, but that's only because I'm so excited to be able to wear some of the wintery things that have been sitting in my wardrobe for a while!

Lately I feel like something of a knitwear addict: I've gone from owning 2 cardigans and not a single jumper to being the proud owner of 6 chunky knit cardigans and 3 jumpers!

This is definitely my favourite time of year to dress for: it's not so cold that everything needs to be covered up with a big bulky coat, but I get to play with layers, and I finally get to wear my new Friis & Co boots from Sarenza, which I ordered 2 months ago, and have just been waiting to break out properly!


The rest of the outfit consists of my new-favourite leather panelled leggings from Topshop, a TK Maxx dress with a stripey Clothing at Tesco jumper thrown over the top (It's first outing), my Friis & Co satchel, See by Chloe bangles, and vintage brooch (a birthday present from Mike last year).

Today has been a good day. I've lusted at the Lulu Guinness press day, explored (and fallen in love with) Levis new Made and Crafted collection, brought 5 boxes of chocolates for just £20 from Thorntons (perfect for Christmas prezzies, and a complete mega-bargain) and now Mike is making homemade meatballs for dinner. Frankly, what more does anyone need?!

Love, Tor xx

Daily Wear: Lady Madonna

Hi guys,
I can't believe the weekend is almost over! Just a quick post to share my Madonna costume, which I wore to a friend's 80s-themed 30th birthday last night. When I think of 80s icons, Madonna immediately comes to mind, so I knew straight away that was a costume I was going to put together. And luckily, everything I needed I already had in my wardrobe: not sure what that says about my wardrobe!


Mike went as Suggs although as he isn't wearing his sunglasses or his hat you can't really tell!

And my outfit? Well, The pleather jacket is from Primark (I lopped the sleeves off last year for a Lady Gaga costume) the one shoulder dress is from Topshop, as are the flat ankle boots. The long lace gloves are from Accessorize, the hair bow is from Miss Selfridge, and the clutch bag is from Peacocks. A high street costume without spending a penny! I might actually reuse this for Halloween...I'm on something of an economy drive.....


Love Tor xxx

Daily Wear: Beating the pre-winter chills

Hi guys,

The beginning of winter is officially here, and I am busying myself by organising my wardrobe and working out which gaps I need to fill (on a very tight budget, as always). I also want to get a new winter coat: not so much a need, but a part of my winter routine that I've had since childhood, and I just can't imagine a winter without a lovely new coat. So far I'm fixated on this one from Topshop, but I just can't justify the expense.

In the meantime, I've been wearing one of my favourite casual Autumnal outfits. As you know, I'm addicted to car boot sales and antique markets: well this is the kind of outfit I wear when I'm trawling the stalls! Smart (as always) but still super comfortable.



The Ugg-looking boots are actually by BearPaw from The Nature Shop: super comfortable for slouchy weekend wear, but without looking too scruffy. They have a sheepskin lining with a cow suede outer and my feet have never felt so toasty. I'm trying not to let myself wear them too often, or my feet will never let me put them into proper shoes again!

The Nature Shop is a shop that sells "nature products" that are kind to the environment: I'm a big fan of sustainable fashion (I've written about it before) but only if it's something you'd wear anyway (I would never wear something unattractive just because it's sustainable; I'm far too vain!) The store also has a 10 % profit pledge of making charitable donations to the World Wildlife Fund, donations to kids charities (Heart Children and Canteen) and carbon credits purchased to achieve their carboNZero certification.

I've teamed my car boot boots with my torn light jeans from Topshop, my Vince short sleeved cardigan (which I got from the Selfridges sale last year) and my chiffon blouse from Debenhams. The bag is my favourite Friis & Co satchel, and the skinny bangle is from my See by Chloe set.

Sadly I have no car boot sale bargains to show from this week, but that's the nature of the beast: some weeks I come home with a pirates bounty and other weeks (like this one) I come home empty handed!

Love Tor x

Fabfrocks at Home: The perfect home fragrance

Hi guys,
My favourite smell is the smell of fresh sheets. I look forward to the days when I change my bed and get to crawl into clean and crisp smelling bedding. So you can imagine how delighted I was when Yankee Candle sent me some of their candles, and they included my favourite scents in the world: Two of the candles I was sent were Clean Cotton and Fluffy Towels, and I am now completely addicted to them.

They arrived yesterday, and I immediately lit the fluffy towels one (whilst sniffing clean cotton). Our whole living room was filled with a clean, lightly perfumed scent: like fabric softener but without any chemically tinge. It smelt like the inside of a warm airing cupboard, and it had this lovely comforting smell that reminded me of my mum's house on laundry day. I loved it!



The other candles I was sent were Garden Sweet Pea and Lilac Blossoms. These had a really authentic but gentle floral fragrance that was lovely, but just couldn't compare to the fresh linen scents of the other two, which were my favourites, and now have a permanent home on my side table where I can always smell them.

I think all homes should smell of fresh bedding and towels when you walk in: it's my idea of the perfect home fragrance!

I know Yankee Candles are more expensive than some you can find on the high street, but I think it's worth it for the natural scent, which doesn't have any of the chemical or synthetic fragrances you get with the slightly cheaper candles. I hadn't been in the habit of lighting candles when I get in from work, but I think it's a habit I'm about to start: I'm newly addicted!

PS - I have included the wide shot in the pictures as I wanted to show off my mosaic egg lamp. We got it on our honeymoon in Eygpt and it gives the whole room a lovely warm glow when it's lit. In conjunction with my new candles, my living room has never felt so homely!

Love Tor xx

The Bank press day and an age crisis!

Hi guys,
Have you ever walked into a shop and thought "I'm just too old to shop here"? Well that's how I felt at the bank press day yesterday. A mix of cool urban tops and tees designed to be teamed with jeans (and combat pants) hung alongside tiny dresses with sequins and cut out detailing: perfect for hitting your favourite club!

This isn't a critisism of the collections, by the way: 5 years ago I was hitting the clubs wearing tiny dresses and killer heels myself. But now I can't remember the last time I went clubbing: a couple of cocktails then running for the last tube is my idea of a fun Saturday night out!

The one dress I did really love is the gold sequinned ones shown below. It has a really great shape, and the low V and structured shoulders would give a really great shape. Here it is, as well as some of the other things I liked:





The shoes, I loved. You're never too old for cool shoes, thank God! There was a pair of ankle boots I had my eye on, and obviously I definitely couldn't resist the (admittedly slightly tacky but) very cool leopard print and red sandals with the bow detail.

Are there any shops you feel too old to shop in? Or to young for, for that matter?
Love Tor xx

M&S Lingerie: To keep you warm on long winter nights?

Hi guys,
Last week I was invited to breakfast at the Goring Hotel (where a certain Miss Middleton stayed the night before her wedding, if you care about these things!) to check out the Autumn/Winter collection from M&S lingerie: I'm having quite the love affair with M&S of late, aren't I?!

The collections were stunning: although lingerie often is when it's worn by beautiful models! It was mix of fun and colourful, with a nordic twist, and very vintage inspired:

I loved the very simple teal satin set, which is shown in the standard range style, but also comes in the M&S DD+ range. And the gown it was teamed with is gorgeous. I love the bold floral pattern and the rich aubergine colour. The DD+ range at M&S goes up to a G cup: not as large as the range at Debenhams or Bravissimo, but definitely big enough to fit the vast majority.

Cozy boots with lingerie isn't the sexiest look (and I can't see many people going for it!) but I love these cozy bootie slippers! They'd make great Christmas stocking fillers, and would be perfect teamed with snuggly loungewear for lazy weekends at home (or maybe it'd just me that doesn't like to get dressed on Sundays!)

I couldn't believe that the layered leopard print and pink tops were thermals! I am often spotted wearing plain black or white thermal tops under frocks in the winter, but would love to experiment with vibrant pattterned ones, so I'll definitely be picking this leopard print one up!

And can you believe the underwear in the final picture is shapewear? As a shapewear devotee, I can promise you I have nothing as pretty as that in my collection! The sheer panels make it look really surprisingly sexy and the super high waistline means you can be sure everything is held in place. Definitely one for the Christmas parties!

What do you think of the range? Has anything taken your fancy?
Love Tor xx

My new favourite shoes: Jeffrey Campbell wedges

Hi guys,
I have fallen in love. Not with a man, but more predictably, with a pair of shoes. As soon as I saw these Jeffrey Campbell wedges on the Sarenza website I knew that I would have to make them mine!

Sure, they're slightly ridiculous. And I think they repell men: the husband observed them with bewilderment and a bemused smile, whilst insisting i'd never wear them. Yes, they are very high. But they're just so pretty, and fashion-forward, and statement making that I'm prepared to take a little bit of mild shoe pain to wear them!

Behold! And note that even the box (in the top picture) is pretty:



Sarenza were showing off the brown and black zebra print version at their A/W event last week, but I much prefer the pattern and colour of these. The dalmation print is slightly more subtle, and they would look great teamed with jeans and a blouse for a night of cocktails with the girls. Because they're monochrome, you could literally wear them with anything!

So will I be wearing these shoes? Well I won't be wearing them for a hard days shopping or dancing all night: I don't think my feet could take it! But for dinner or drinks I will definitely be reaching for these to give my little black dress some impact. I already can't wait for our work Christmas party, where I will be showing them off all night! And in the meantime? I'm going to display them on top of the dresser in my bedroom, because they're just too beautiful not to see everyday!

Love them as much as I do? You can buy these beauties here.

Love Tor xx

Daily wear: Summer stripes

Hi guys,
I'm making the most of what the forecasters are calling the last day of our Indian Summer by wearing a light and airy summer dress. Although it's made of cotton, the button-up top part of the dress (It looks like separates but it isn't!) means that it's great for office-wear too. Obviously i've accessorised with black: when do I ever wear an outfit that doesn't have black in it?!



My chief photographer (aka Mike) wasn't working at his highest standard this morning, so the dress picture isn't the finest! I still hope you can see how vibrant the red is though.

The dress is from the Topshop outlet (a bargain £7), the belt is from Primark, the shoes are ASOS, my Friis & Co satchel is from Sarenza and I had the bracelet made when I was living in Beijing: I wanted one that sat much higher up my lower arm so that I could still type whilst wearing it!

I'd already packed all of my summer clothes and shoes away, so tearing up my wardrobe for something to wear lead me to these shoes which I got last summer, and haven't worn once this summer so far! I definitely need to have proper wardrobe clear out and shop what I already own: I'm forever finding things I love that I'd forgotten all about!

Love Tor xx

Mini post: These are not October feet!

Hi guys,

Today Mike and I went to the zoo. It was so hot that our ice creams melted before we'd eaten them, and we both have brown noses, despite wearing sun tan lotion. After nearly a month in my boots, I can wriggle my toes in sandals again.Our summer clothes, which I had packed and stored under the bed, have been taken out again and all my lovely Autumn/Winter clothes are hanging untouched. Most still have the labels on.

Tomorrow we're taking advantage of the weather (again) and washing the car. So you can imagine how bizarre it felt, when popping into Morrisons on the way home to pick up ice, to wander down the Christmas aisle and talk about the presents we would have to buy, and what food we needed.

If you too, like to save a little money on Christmas by planning things early, then Morrison's have their £10 tins of Quality Street, Roses, Heroes and Celebrations for the better-than-half-price price of £4.49. We picked up two tins, and I have stashed them away in our Christmas supply cupboard. The offer ends tomorrow though, so if you want to get involved get in quick! The offer is limited to 6 tins per customer, but frankly, who could eat that much chocolate?

There are only two paydays left until Christmas. I'm talking about where to buy my very first turkey from on the same day as eating zoo-cooked BBQ. Has the world gone mad?!

Love Tor xx