Fabfrocks loves: Statement rings

Hi guys,

I love chunky statement rings: it's the one piece of jewellery I throw on every day, and even if I'm just wearing jeans and a jumper, it makes me feel 'fashion-y'. What I don't love though are green fingers that look like you're suffering from an acute case of gangrene: which is what happens whenever I wear the aforementioned statement rings.

If I buy them from Topshop or Accessorize, I'm looking if I get 4-5 wears from each ring before my finger starts to look rotten. From Primark I can only wear a ring once or twice before people start wondering if I need to visit a hospital.

So my (mini) New Year's Resolution is to give up the cheap finger furniture. Have fewer pieces of better quality plated jewellery and fingers that look pink.

The beetle ring is by Kenneth Jay Lane. I got it in the Harvey Nicks sale just before Christmas, reduced from £115 to £32. The Juicy Couture flower ring (chavvy brand I know, but I do like their jewellery) was reduced to £29 in Bicester Village yesterday. In fact, Bicester Village yesterday was mayhem, but their were some amazing further reductions to be had!

If I can I'd like to get one more ring in a plain gold to add to my collection, so that I can wear it with anything. But my focus is definitely on quality rather than quantity, for a change. And my fingers have never been happier!

Love Tor x

Christmas: Lovely luxuries

Hi guys,

Well, Christmas is sadly over, although I'm not ready to hide the Quality Street tin just yet! I've had a fantastic Christmas. For me, Christmas is all about little luxuries. Having Harrods cheese instead of the usual Cathedral City (thanks Mum!), eating your body weight in yummy chocolates, wearing my favourite perfumes everyday (am I the only one that normally has a cheaper everyday perfume?), and having calorie laden snacks whenever you want them, guilt free!

Speaking of luxuries, I have received some seriously luxurious gifts:

I was treated to a new Steve Madden cover for my ipad, the Marc Jacobs watch I added to my Christmas gift list (the hints work!), two perfume gift sets, some gorgeous candles, Betsey Johnson pajamas and slippers, a new leather filofax (I couldn't live without mine), a Vivienne Westwood purse, a Lanvin pen, and much much more.

And the biggest luxury of all this Christmas? Taking time out without focusing on work, to just spend with my family. Especially the smallest member of all: meet little Bertie, who's just 7 weeks old! I am one very proud aunt!

I know I'm biased, but that is one seriously beautiful baby boy!

So, what did you get up to for Christmas? And did Santa bring you everything you wanted?

Love Tor xx

The Sarenza.co.uk sale starts today!!

Hi guys,
Christmas isn't even upon us yet, but it's already time to start talking about the post-Christmas sales! The Sarenza sale started today, and I have to say, it's a cracker! I'm a self-confessed shoe addict, so it doesn't take much to make me think about buying shoes: and a discount of up to 50% ought to do it!!

I love the January Sales (any idea why we still call them that when they start in the middle of December?) From around October I stop buying myself anything and add everything I see that I love to a mental checklist, then try to find as much of it as I can in the sales: I just can't resist a discount! With that in mind, here are my picks of some of the best pieces from the Sarenza sale right now:

1. Jeffrey Campbell brogues, £46.50 (50% off)
2. Moschino heart brogues, £160.30 (30% off)
3. Jeffrey Campbell heels, £58 (50% off)
4. Dune leopard print heels, £66.50 (30% off)
5. Swedish Hasbeens boots, £188.30 (30% off)
6. French Connection boots, £99 (40% off)

If none of these take your fancy, there are literally hundreds of other shoes over on the site for you to check out, and a massive selection of amazing sale handbags too. One of my favourite things about being a Sarenza brand ambassador is being given the excuse to spend hours every month trawling through their website and indulging in a little fantasy shoe shopping. And with a little help from the sales and some Christmas money, I'm about to make those shoe fantasies a reality!

I actually think I am going to pick up those Moschino Cheap and Chic heart brogues. I admired them when they were full price but couldn't justify the expense, so the 30% off is the perfect reason to pick them up now!

Love Tor xxx

Fabfrocks at Home: Decorating for Christmas

Hi guys,
It's that time of the year again! When I look out my window I can see the soft glow of Christmas tree lights in almost every flat and house around me: people are preparing for the big day, and so are we. My Christmas tree has been up for weeks! I love Christmas and I love decorating my house for Christmas: it's a relaxing ritual that prepares you and your home for the craziness to come!

My tree isn't exactly traditional: it's more of an eclectic mish-mash of all the things I like: hence the lights shaped like rabbits (a steal at just £5 from a local carboot sale) the skull and deer baubles (both available from Paperchase) and the ice cream cone bauble from Harrods. I think it's more important that you love each bauble or that they mean something that that everything matches.


As well as decorating my tree I also decorate my table. I have a big red Christmas table cloth, an Advent ring as my centre piece, Christmas place mats, and even salt and pepper shakers shaped like Santa! In the kitchen I have a Christmas dinner service (covered in Polar bears) and two sets of Christmas mugs (you can pick up similar ones from Debenhams if you're feeling inspired!)
Finally in a new addition for this Christmas, I built a sleigh using a cardboard box and some red and silver wrapping paper. We're hosting Christmas for the first time this year, meaning 6 people will be squeezed into my two bedroom flat. As well as looking fantastic (and perfect for my nephew's first Christmas) it has a practical function too: it will keep all the presents organised and in one place, rather than spread all over the house when we're so space-restricted!

What have you done to your house for Christmas? Have you put your tree up yet? I'd love to hear if you have any great ideas on how to make a big festive impact on a low budget too!

Love Tor xx

The return of the Christmas jumper!

Hi guys,
It's beginning to feel alot like Christmas! My family are arriving from 'tup 'North over the next couple of days, all my presents are wrapped and under the tree, and I've already eaten my body weight in mince pies! I cannot wait for the big day to arrive!

Even my outfits are taking a Christmassy turn. Today I am wearing my new Louche Gnome jumper from Zalando (Pictured above: although personally I think the gnome looks like Santa and so I refer to it as my Santa jumper) I've become slightly obsessed with online shopping lately (what's the point in going outside to get wet and cold when you can shop from your PC?) and Zalando is a new favourite! I also have a red santa apron, red jeans, and an army of red tops and cream knits to keep the festive theme going!

I've always loved Christmas jumpers, being the Christmas obsessive I am, but I've also always accepted that they're a bit naff. Sartorially speaking though, they're making a bit of a comeback this season. Christmas jumpers are everywhere!

-Vibrant snowflake jumper (£24) from ASOS
-Snowman jumper (£50) from Topshop
-Snowman jumper from Atom Retro (Vintage shops are great for Xmas jumpers!)
-Reindeer jumper dress (£31) by Anna Field.
-The reindeer sweater is also by Louche (£65) from Zalando
-Knitted snowflake jumper (£65) by Free People.

Do you have a special Christmas jumper, or are they just not cool, no matter what anyone else says? In which case, what will you be wearing over Christmas? And my final (very important) question is this: Can I wear my gnome-but-really-Santa jumper after Christmas, or will I never get away with calling him a gnome?

Love Tor xxx

Need a budget Christmas party dress? Think Primark!

Hi guys,
I know we're in the middle of a recession and times are tight, and restyling and reusing are very cool and fashionable. Whilst blatent consumerism just isn't. And I do reuse, and buy second hand, and even customise to save money. But, for me at least, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a brand new party frock!

If you agree and are dying to buy a new dress for the party season, but have a miniscule mice-sized budget, then I would recommend checking out Primark. They have an amazing range of budget partywear in store at the moment that doesn't look like it's been bought on a budget. Think simple shapes and styles in plain block colours that are just dying to be teamed with killer heels and your favourite accessories:




Gold batwing dress, £17
Mermaid tunic dress, £25
Fur coat, £30 and Playsuit, £15
Bronze pleated dress, £17

I actually picked up the gold batwing sleeved dress for my boyfriend's birthday 'do (which was last week) and it looked amazing on - it's fully lined too, which helps hide any lumps and bumps, and which you wouldn't expect for the money! I wore it teamed with my leather jacket and D&G wedges, and noone would ever have guessed it was Primark!

Have you bought a new party dress this year, or will you be restyling an old favourite? And would you buy partywear from Primark? I used to avoid their partywear like the plague, because I didn't want to be wearing the same dress that someone else was bound to wear (because everyone shops in Primark and Topshop!) but now I think with clever styling it really doesn't matter!

Love Tor xx

The Fabfrocks guide to stocking fillers....

....And they can all be found at your local TKMaxx store!

Hi guys,
As you already know, I'm a committed bargain hunter: I love the thrill of finding something special at a discounted price. That's why my favourite place to shop is Bicester Village, I'm addicted to car boot sales...and I just can't resist all of the Christmas stocking fillers from TKMaxx.

So I couldn't resist when, a couple of weeks ago (sadly, after I had bought most of my stocking fillers) TKMaxx invited me to their Charing Cross store to check out their selection and pick out some of my favourites to share with you guys. I already loved TKMaxx, and having seen the gifting section, I was more than impressed with the variety, quality, and the massive discounts!

Stocking fillers don't have to be just chocolate coins from M&S and socks with snowmen on from Gap. For the same money, you can get gorgeous presents your recipients will really love. With that in mind, here are my picks of presents that will cover nearly everyone on your list. And the best thing? They all cost under £20:

Stocking fillers for her




Cake making set, £12.99 (RRP £17.99)
Cookie tin filled with cookies, £4.99
Slippers, £7.00
Fondue set, £8.99 (RRP £16.99)
Make up set, £12.99 (RRP £44)
Leather gloves, £14.99 (RRP £35)
Boot liner socks, £5.99
Leather boots, £19.99

Stocking fillers for him



Ipod speakers, £12.99
Ipad stand, £14.99
Ipod speakers, £12.99
Leather wallet, £14.99

I was so impressed with the present selection that, after first going home to think about it, I popped back and picked up the biscuit tin (full of chocolate chip cookies) for my mum, and the ipod speaker dock for Mike!

I've already finished all of my Christmas shopping: in fact, I'm so organised I wrapped my last present this morning (smug much?)

The Christmas budget was pretty tight this year, but with some careful shopping, clever bargain hunting, and spreading the cost, I managed to get what I wanted for everyone. I think that's the key to Christmas shopping this year: most people are still buying as many presents as before, but they're being much more careful about what they're spending on them and where they're buying them from.

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? And worse still, have you started the dreaded wrapping?!

Love Tor xxx

All I want for Christmas is everything!

Hi guys,
I was going to put together a comprehensive Christmas gift guide, full of fabulous ideas for all those awkward people in your life. But picking presents for awkward people is, well, awkward, even for someone who shops as often as I do! So I decided instead to create the perfect Christmas gift guide for, erm, me!

I'm not sure how useful this will be if you still have Christmas shopping to do, but why not take a break and look at all of the pretty things instead? Oh, and if you need a present for a chubby fashion blogger with an animal obsession, here are my ideas:

Marc by Marc Jacobs watch, £250
Bunny jumper, Topshop, £38
Candy canes, M&S, 99p
Oh Lola 30ml, Debenhams, £33
Bunny ears ring, ASOS, £8
Vivienne Westwood bag, £290
HP Envy laptop, £1199
Disney couture "Believing is just the beginning" bracelet,£39
Leather skater skirt, Oasis, £95

I love Christmas, it's my favourite time of year. And actually that has nothing to do with the gifts, although they are an added bonus! I like spending time with my family, overindulging, and having the excuse to unwind and relax.

What will you be asking the chubby man in the red for this year? And I'm also interested to know if the recession has curbed your spending, or made you get a little more creative with presents?

Love Tor xx

PS - The winner of the Tesco Christmas dress competition is SamanthaB - Congratulations!!! Please email me to claim your prize!

Daily wear: Bobble up!

Hi guys,
Since the weather turned colder, I have been wearing my jeans more than ever before: someone could challenge the name of this blog under the trade descriptions act, because I'm now only wearing frocks a couple of times a week!

Jeans are just so easy to throw on and know that you'll be warm enough, whatever Jack Frost has in store for the weather that day! Just add a blouse and a cardigan or jumper and you're ready to go: which is why this has become my newest work uniform. I now own more blouses and knitwear than ever before:


The blouse is from Clothing at Tesco, the jeans are Topshop, and the boots are Rocket Dog, c/o Sarenza. I loved this bargain Tesco blouse (just £14) so much that I ordered it in navy blue too.

I love my outdoor clothes: coats and hats are a minor obsession. I think people often underestimate the importance of a good coat, and the difference it makes to your outfit in wintertime: I couldn't imagine owning just one! This coat is from Next, and the bobble hat is Topshop. Whenever I'm wearing a really plain or simple outfit like this one, I always add my leopard print coat: it's perfect for bringing colour, pattern and texture to what otherwise is a fairly snooze-worthy look.

Do you find your style changes alot with the seasons? I wouldn't dream of wearing trousers if the sun was shining, but now I'm never out of them!

Love Tor xx

Beautiful Berlin!

Hi guys,

As I mentioned last week, I just spent four wonderful days in Berlin exploring the city and visiting as many Christmas markets as possible. If you need a little help in feeling festive, I heartily recommend visiting a German Christmas Market (they're held all over the country if you don't want to make the trek to the Continent) and just soaking up the atmosphere. Think beautiful handicrafts and wonderful smelling foods, whilst warming yourself up with a glass of hot spiced cider (my favourite!)

I couldn't resist the beautiful Christmas decorations and ornament stalls. If I could have fit it all in my suitcase, I would've redecorated my whole house, just for the festive season! The wooden decorations and wooden toys in particular were beautifully well made and would make amazing presents. There were also stalls selling hats and scarfs in beautiful knits and faux fur: I fell in love with a fur and tweed muff, but sadly they didn't have it in the colour I wanted. I did however buy a glass bauble shaped like a crocodile dandy for my tree, and a traditional Nutcracker.

As well as overindulging at the markets (nutella and marzipan crepes are my latest food obsession) we also explored the city and its museums. Mike and I are both history buffs, so trips to the Topographies of Terror, The Holocaust memorial, The Sauchenheusen concentration camp (which is just 30km away from Berlin) and of course Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall were essential. Berlin is a city rich in history, and most of the museums are free or have only a minimal entry charge, making it the perfect way to bring everything you read about in your school textbooks to life.
My outfits from the trip don't make a particularly exciting post: It was so cold that I wore an oversized black jumper over each outfit, then covered that up with my coat, Vivienne Westwood scarf, fur hat, and mittens. I wore this every single day!

It was one of the best short trips I've ever been on, and if you're looking for a winter getaway that doesn't involve any winter sports, then Berlin would definitely be my first choice.

Tempted by all the market talk? Here's a site that will help you find the German Christmas market closest to you. And if you fancy the real thing, when we were in Berlin we stayed at the Marriott in Potsdamer Place, which I couldn't recommend more: this 5* hotel is the fanciest place I've ever slept!

Love Tor xx

Little black dresses: Yes, I’m an addict!

Hi guys,
I love little black dresses: I have a wardrobe full of them, and I just keep adding more!

I have a black dress for every occasion. There's my black dress that I wear for work meetings (guarenteed to make you feel good when you're having a fat day), my favourite black party dress, my staple black dress that looks good when it's accessorised to the max, and even my slinky black dress that I wear when I want to go dancing or to an online casino (not that I'm one for gambling). Seriously: there's nothing the right black dress can't do!

Spotted: LBD's from London Fashion Week.

And I refuse to accept that black dresses are boring: they may be classic, but they can also be fashion-forward. Just think about the all-black collections that Gareth Pugh sends down the catwalk every season!

The key to choosing the perfect black dress is getting the fit right: it needs to hug your figure in all the right places, and emphasise all your favourite bits of your body (whilst minimising the bits you want to hide, of course!) Choosing the right fabric is important too. Satin can be unforgiving on anyone without a model figure, whilst jersey, cotton, and tulle are my favourite fabrics for the perfect LBD.

I intend to dust down my favourite French Connection black dress this month, and take it out for a spin! I've never been to a UK casino before, but I am going to a casino night with friends during that funny bit between Christmas and New Year: obviously I will have overindulged, but hopefully I will be able to slip into that slinky little black dress and a stack of costume jewellery (whilst insisting Mike wears a tux, of course) and party the night away!

Love Tor x
*Contributed by casinotop10.net

Festive fun at Bicester Village

Hi guys,

Well my love of Bicester Village is well documented. Some of my favourite things are from there; including my Vivienne Westwood scarf (which I've worn every day for the last 3 months, making its cost-per-wear almost zero) and my Mulberry notebook. Last time we were there I went knitwear crazy, buying a lovely metallic cardigan from Karen Millen and a jumper with fur sleeves from French Connection. And don't even get me started on the Cath Kidston outlet: it's like heaven!!

Mike and I have already made our festive trip to Bicester, and picked up fab presents for everyone on our list. (Sadly those people read this site, so I can't ruin it by sharing more details!) It's such a lovely place to go at Christmas: they have lights, late night opening, and The Christmas Tree House, which is serving warm mulled wine: Yummy! I think the right Christmassy atmosphere is so important when you're doing your Christmas shopping: it helps keep you motivated when your feet start to get tired!

For the festive period, Bicester Village are launching a new campaign called Festive Secrets. This is an online competition where you can win 3 different types of prizes (by completing tasks associated with bronze, silver, and gold reindeer). I found a gold reindeer, which meant I was entered into a competition to win a shopping trip to Fidenza Village in Italy. If you share the Bicester Village Festive Secrets competition on Facebook you earn your bronze reindeer, which enters you into a competition to win one of 10 £100 Bicester Village gift cards. And you earn your silver reindeer by recommending the site to a friend: this gives you the chance to win gifts from some of the Village's most popular boutiques! Why not give it a go? As the old saying goes, you have to be in it to win it, and it would be a lovely Christmas treat to win one of the prizes (fingers crossed!)

Love Tor xxx

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The shoes of Christmas joy and wonder

Hi guys,
Behold my beautiful new Christmas shoes! They're gorgeous, they're wonderful, they're covered in tiny little silver stars, and I love them:

I have alot of Christmas parties, events, and gatherings to go to this year and I just don't have the tolerance to wear heels for several evenings in a row (I just love my feet too much to torture them too frequently) so I picked these Georgia Rose brogues as my flat party shoe alternative. I love their silver satin laces, the soft blue suede, and did I mention the tiny metal stars? As you can probably tell, I'm one seriously smitten kitten!

Do you love my yummy shoes? Or have your eyes on another pair from the Sarenza site perhaps? Then you might be interested in their latest twitter competition! Here's what you need to do:
1) Follow SarenzaUK on Twitter

2) Choose the shoes you’d love to get from your wish list this Christmas on and post them @SarenzaUK with the hashtag #AllIWantForChristmasIsShoes
3) And that’s it! The winner will be chosen from a prize draw on 14th December so all entries are valid up until then.

Love Tor xx

The Debenhams Spring/Summer press day

Hi guys,

It's time to intersperse the Christmas posts with another glimpse into the future; by which I mean, the clothes we'll be wearing next Spring!

I'm a big fan of Debenhams, especially their designer collaborations. I always love the H! by Henry Holland range (look out for the cute vintage style tea dress in the new collection) and all of the Editions designers, though my favourite is Preen.





Firstly, can I get a collective 'Oooh' for all the colours? I'm not really a big fan of pastels, so I'm delighted to report that this is the third S/S press day I've been to in the past fortnight where bold bright colours have been at the fore.

I loved the vintage 1950s-inspired swimwear (especially that blue swimsuit with the gorgeous bird print on it) and in a move not like me, I also liked the more mature Betty Jackson Black collection: think the blue coat over the patterned dress in the first image.


My favourite part of the whole press day though was the homeware collections, especially the new Editions @ Home range (complete with new designers) that is being introduced this Spring. In fact, I loved them so much I'm going to save them and show you the whole collection as soon as it launches.....


Love Tor xxx

PS - Happy 1st December everyone! Behold the new Christmassy header in its honour!!