Get ready for spring with very.co.uk

Hi guys,

On Friday I made a flying visit to check out newest Spring/Summer offerings from very.co.uk. They are fast coming into their own, and could soon challenge ASOS as a one stop online shopping destination.

As a fashion blogger I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm always reluctant about shopping online when I don't know what the fabric or quality of the garment will be. I'm so tactile that I just can't bear to wear cheap fabrics against my skin. My mind was definitely put to rest on that front where Very is concerned though: I was very impressed!


These two floor length dresses are from the new LoveLabel Luxe range: higher end pieces from Very's own brand LoveLabel range. The gold sequinned dress is show stopping. It was the first piece to grab everyone's eyes as they entered the room.



I surprised myself by liking several pieces from ranges I wouldn't normally look at: the cobalt blue dress with the pleated skirt is from the Coleen Rooney range (there was also a buttery soft leather jacket in her range that I loved) And the red dress shown above is by DeeVee (Diana Vickers). It's definitely on my 'must have' list: I can't resist tunic dresses and Sixties details.

I'm still trying to save money by not hitting the shops (I'm especially avoiding impulse-based, trend-led purchases). Which is a shame. Because I think my money would be in serious danger on this website.....

Love Tor xx

Do you remember your first love?

Hi guys,

Do you remember your first love? Aside from chocolate biscuits, mine was a chap called Andy from Rotherham (yup, it's all glamour for me).

I was fifteen years old, and I thought he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I even thought the fact he came from Rotherham made him mysterious and exotic: oh the deluded power of love! When we broke up I thought I would never recover. We were the Romeo and Juliet of the North, and there was no way to get over it: for a month or two at least, until boyfriend number two came along!

Aside from to make you all cringe, why am I sharing my puppy love stories? Because of Dr Martens new campaign: #Firstandforever. They're inviting people to tell them about their firsts: first love, first heartbreak, first pair of Dr Martens....

I popped along for a sneak preview of the new campaign video last night, featuring Agyness Deyn looking unfeasibly beautiful. And now you can see it too. I promise this video will make you wish you were fifteen again:

I still remember my first pair of Dr Martens. They were shoes, not boots: black and clunky and ugly as hell. Especially when teamed with my gangly teenage legs! But I loved them: just as much as I love my chunky boots now. At least that's one love that did survive!!

Tell me about your first love!

Love Tor xx

TKMaxx Bridal: If only they'd invented it sooner!

Hi guys,
Do you ever see something awesome, but way after you needed it? Like the perfect swimming costume two days after you get back from your summer holiday. Or the perfect present for your mum three weeks after her birthday. Well that's how I felt when I saw the new wedding boutique launched by TKMaxx.

TKMaxx have added a wedding shop to their site, selling everything you'd need (fashion-wise) to have the perfect wedding. Think gorgeous wedding dresses, with prices starting from £39.99, bridal shoes, Mother of the Bride outfits, and bridesmaid's dresses. Believe me, when I was looking for my bridesmaid's dresses, this would have saved my life. Who says getting married has to break the bank, right?



To prove it I created outfits for the bride, the bridesmaid, and the mother of the bride, all from TKMaxx, with each outfit costing less than £100!!

I love the short lace-embellished wedding dress (which would be perfect if you were looking for an evening wedding dress you can dance in). I also really like the gold bridesmaid dress, which is so versatile and could be worn over and over for so many events.

If you've got a wedding coming up this year then why not check it out? We're attending two this summer, so I plan on popping down and seeing if they have as great a range of guest-wear too....

Love Tor x

Shapewear from Gok Wan and Simply Yours

Hi guys,

I've been singing the praises of Gok Wan's shapewear for years (I first reviewed it back in 2009). So I was delighted when I was invited to check out Gok's latest shapewear collection, and him in person.

This is Gok's 8th collection for Simply Yours, which consists of six pieces: the multi-way Banger Booster bra, the Pull Me in Pants, the Curve Controller body, the Slicker Knicker, the Sassy Slip and the Divine Outline multi-way slip. All six styles are available in 3 gorgeous colours: Crush, Sweet Slate and Blush.

I asked the man himself what his inspiration for the collection was. Gok said he'd gone back to basics with this range (which definitely oozed old-school Hollywood glamour). He also said he'd tailored it to real women's needs: and with the seamless panels, boning, and amazing structure that was easy to see.

When asked why he decided to design his shape wear collection, Gok said: "I just think it's really important that every woman deserves to look and feel truly fabulous, regardless of her budget, size and shape."

I think Gok probably has the best job in the world, so curiosity led me to ask him what he loved most about it. He said:"It probably sounds a bit cheesy but it's about helping others and inspiring them. I think the main obvious point is making women feel wonderful and fabulous about themselves. Seeing them transform from a very shy, insecure person to being vibrant, and confident and happy just because they have a brand new look! "

And for all you mummies out there (inspired by my sisters, who are both new mums) I also asked Gok for his thoughts on shapewear for mums. He said: "Over the last nine months your body has changed, because you've made a beautiful baby. You need to embrace your new body because there's a reason why it has changed. But if you want to create a silhouette that you are used to then maybe try shape wear instead of beating yourself up about your changed body and the way you look." Frankly that's not just advice for mums, that's advice for everyone!

I really loved the collection. And I think now is the perfect time to launch it: spring/summer is fast approaching, and if you're going to reveal a hint of bra under a strapping summer dress, you want it to be as pretty as these! Why should shape wear just come in black, white, or that horrible flesh colour anyway?

Just 10 minutes with Gok left me smitten. I can't decide what I love more: Gok or his shapewear. But he can rifle through my knicker drawer anytime!

Love Tor xx

January according to my iPhone

Hi guys,
Taking pictures of everything seems to be a cultural endemic: especially if you're a blogger. There's a reason the iPhone comes equipped with such a good camera! No shopping trip, lunch or cupcake is left unsnapped, and I'm just as guilty. If I think something looks good, interesting, or just worth sharing with my husband I whip out my phone and pap it! So I thought it would be fun to pick out some of my iPhone pictures from the month and share them with you.

This month I:
-Made chocolate brownies and ate ice cream in Harrods (diet be damned!)
-Cut my own fringe. And I'm getting pretty good at it!
-Lusted after all of the chintzy homewares at the M&S press day
-Picked up plenty of bargains in the sales
-Fell in love with baby Bertie (my nephew) all over again
-Tried on 6 different white shirts at TM Lewin.

What have you been up to this month? Anything exciting?

Love Tor xx

These aren't just any Valentines gifts....These are M&S Valentine's gifts!

Hi guys,
I always say that I'm not a big fan of Valentine's day. Who needs a special day to show someone you care about them, right? Having said that, if I didn't get a card I'd be gutted. Hypocrite, much!?

It's a fact that Valentine's day presents are usually pretty tacky (and as a general rule not great quality). Not true at M&S though, who's Valentine's offering I went to check out yesterday:




The heart bra set is traditional valentine's fare, but still devillishy pretty (and the fabric is a luxe-feeling satin). The stand out underwear set for me though was the gorgeous floral cotton longline bra and matching high rise briefs: this set has universal appeal that will last long after valentines day. And call me boring and practical, but because it's from M&S, at least you know if will wash well over and over again. And it's all available now.

Aside from the standard cakes and chocolates (always yummy!) the other gifts I loved were the household ones. Practical and pretty, who doesn't want a heart shaped cake mould or terrine? This Valentine's day I think I'll fill the house with pink and red kitsch and just finally embrace it. It's all too pretty not to!

Love Tor xx

Could you be the next Sarenza Ambassador?

A selection of some of my amazing Sarenza shoes

Hi guys,
As you guys know, I am a Sarenza brand ambassador, and I love it! What's not to love about reviewing shoes, buying new shoes, and taking photos of lovely shoes?! It's thanks to Sarenza that I've discovered great new brands (like Valensi, who make the most comfortable pumps I've ever worn) as well as experiment with old faithfuls, like Jeffrey Campbell.

And now I have great news, because Sarenza are recruiting for a new blogger brand ambassador! (This post is just for any readers that are also bloggers, I'm afraid)

As a Sarenza Ambassador you’ll receive a £150 voucher to spend on shoes EVERY MONTH which you will then review on your blog, as well as the chance to win an extra £50 voucher each month for the ‘Ambassador post of the month’. On top of that, you’ll also receive invitations to events in Paris and London, exclusive news and sales previews! Not bad,right?

If you'd like to be a Sarenza brand ambassador, all you have to do is write a short article on your favourite shoes from Sarenza on your blog. Then send a tweet to @SarenzaUK with a link to your article (so they know you've taken part!) and the hashtag #SarenzaAmbassador.

The deadline for entries is 27th January 2012. Five finalists will then be chosen by the Sarenza team, and compete in a battle to the death (or not!) on twitter, and the blogger with the most votes will win. Simple!!

Let me know if you enter: it would be amazing if one of my lovely readers made it to the final five!

Love Tor xx

Sneak peak: Primark S/S12 Collections

Hi guys,
It's cold. In fact, it's colder than cold. The sudden drop in temperature means that not only am I wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves, I'm also wearing a coatigan under my coat and tights under my leggings! But that doesn't mean I don't want to indulge in a little 'when it's warmer' fantasy, and look at some gorgeous S/S collections....

Whatever your stance on Primark, they always make their look books look amazing. The clothes are always bang on trend, massively wearable, and affordable too. Although I have noticed an increase in prices throughout the store: dresses that would have been £10-12 are now £17. It's still not a massive amount of money for a new dress, but I do hope as prices increase the quality continues to as well.

Here are some of my favourite pieces from their S/S collection, all of which will be landing in a store near you very soon:

Spotted blouse, £10, Yellow chinos, £11, Skinny belt, £2. Court shoes, £10.
Colour block shift dress, £17.

Bird print shift dress, £13
Contrast sleeve floral blouse, £12. Coral trousers, £12. Court shoes, £10.

Floral dress, £17. Rope belt, £2. Bag, £8.
Green shirt dress, £17.

I have been very good at sticking to my resolution not to buy faddy trends or make impulse buys of things I don't need. And I know I can resist the plethora of pretty dresses, as my wardrobe is already full of them. Nonetheless, I know that spotty blouse will be mine.....

As well as having an amazing selection of women's wear (who can argue after seeing the pictures above) they also stock gorgeous menswear, homewares, and kids' clothes too. I'm slightly obsessed with buying clothes for my niece at the moment, and often pop to Primark. I also love Emma Bunton's new kidswear range for Argos - particularly her girls clothing - and H&M have a too-cool-for-school selection too.

Have you had any great Primark purchases lately? And what are your thoughts on the upwardly shifting price tags?

Love Tor xxx

Dailywear: Sixties leopard print

Hi guys,
Another weekend has flown by and it's goodbye pajamas and comfy hooded tops, hello work clothes, once again! I know it's not a very fashionable thing to admit, but comfort is always my main priority when choosing what to wear: once I'm dressed I don't like to think about my clothes or feel restricted by them.

Today I've managed to combine an outfit that feels loose and comfortable and looks great at the same time: a double win!



I'm slightly in love with this Jarlo dress: it's double layered chiffon (making it seriously flattering) and it flares in a gorgeous Sixties style. Admittedly, it's very very short, but with leggings that really doesn't matter. The best thing is how versatile it is: with my boots it looks amazing during the day, but it would look just as fabulous for the evening teamed with heels and lipstick. It's from our newest Fabfrocks sponsor, a lovely brand called FashionPony, and it's been reduced in the sale to £48.

I've teamed it with my Primarni Owl necklace, Friis & Co bag, and knee high riding boots from Next. Actually I got these from the Next outlet store (called Choice) where they were reduced to £24.75. I never normally wear tall boots, but I think these ones look fab!

Love Tor xxx

Daily wear: Boyish charm

Hi guys,
I'm really enjoying this January's warmer approach to winter, which has meant for the past week I have been able to leave my winter accessories at home. Don't get me wrong I love my hats, but I also love not having frizzy hair when I get to the office!

As a general rule I'm far to curvy for the masculine trend, but today I'm looking quite boyish, and I like it! Time to invest in a bowtie, perhaps?



Today i'm wearing my new coat from Miss Selfridges, my favourite dress from River Island (I just wish it was more flattering!) my Moschino brogues, a stack of jewellery, and my Betty Jackson Black satchel.

I normally wear bangles religiously, but I picked up these leather wrist wraps at the Topshop outlet this weekend, and have been experimenting with them. I actually really like the way they look, and they have the added bonus of not constantly bashing against the keyboard when I type. Result!

Love Tor xx

It's not over 'til it's over.....

Hi guys,
Usually by now all of the sales are just about done and dusted. But this year, maybe because of the warmer than average weather and maybe because half of the country is flat broke, there are still a ton of bargains to be had. Some stores are advertising up to 70% off, and almost every high street store is offering further reductions. If you aren't in the flat broke half of the nation then hit the shops, because you're in for a treat! Here are my picks:

Metallic detail dress, Topshop, £40 (was £150)
Beige coat, Miss Selfridges, £30 (was £69)
Brogue ankle boots, Feaith @ Debenhams, £32.50 (was £65)
French connection bag, £64 (was £160)
Vintage apple ring, Accessorize, £1.80 (was £6)
Lanvin purse @ Harvey Nichols, £68 (was £170)
Marc by Marc mouse pumps @ Selfridges £149 (was £215)

Miss Selfridges has an amazing sale. I picked up this gorgeous leather (actually pleather) sleeved coat for just £30, and it's still available on their website. It looks so much better on than it does off - in a soft lightweight fabric and an amazing fit. I'll be showing it off soon!

As well as having up to 75% off all of their sale, all of French Connection's sale coats are now £89 or less. My tip would be to look for a classic style in a colour you love, so that you can buy and wear it now, but still wear and love it again next winter too: that way, you're actually saving money!

Have you had any amazing bargains from the January sales? Are their any other shops you'd recommend I check out?

Love Tor xxx

Daily Wear: A Casual Saturday

Hi guys,
I haven't posted an outfit post for weeks; mostly because over Christmas, all of my outfits have consisted of pajamas or hubby's cozy oversized jumpers. I defy anyone to look fashionable whilst watching movies and stuffing their faces with Quality Street!

Today is another casual day (no hair, no make up, no effort!) but at least I'm wearing clothes, as we popped out to check out the sales:

Today I'm wearing my orange cocoon coat from H&M, Topshop leather panel leggings, Moschino shoes, blue Primark blouse, Friis & co handbag, and beloved Marc Jacobs watch. I'm delighted by how well the new Moschino shoes match my studded handbag: a dream combo.

I love this coat, which I picked up from the H&M in Selfridges just before Christmas. I love their H&M concession: they pick all of the best pieces, which means I always want every single thing, and don't have to sift through the rails looking for the good stuff!

Love Tor xx

PS - I've just added more items to the Fabfrocks Shop, and will be adding some more items tomorrow.

The George party dress challenge

Hi guys,
Christmas and New Year are over, and for the highstreet that means party dresses are massively discouted, because we should all be thinking about our summer holidays not sequins. I've never understood why party clothes aren't popular in January: the lack of Christmas sparkle doesn't mean our diaries aren't full of fabulous dress-worthy events for 2012.

So when George (of Asda fame) got in touch and asked me to take a frock from their fab collection of evening dresses, then show you guys how I would style it, I jumped at the chance.

I'm not really the kind of gal that dresses up: I love sequins and glitter and lace and other evening clothes, but I always tend to dress them down. Which is exactly what I did with this outfit:

I was sent a cream lace dress with a Peter Pan collar. I wanted to show that partywear can be perfect for any occasion, so I wore it for afternoon tea at the Cadogen hotel with my mum and sisters, followed by a spot of shopping in Harrods.

I teamed it with my cropped leather jacket from Primark, Friis & Co boots (c/o Sarenza), Betty Jackson Black satchel and Vivienne Westwood scarf. I think this is the perfect way to take a dress that wouldn't look out of place at a cocktail party, and make it work for a daytime event.

What do you guys think? Do you ever wear evening wear as day wear?

Love Tor xx

Shoe love: the perfect brogues

Hi guys,
I may not be dancing around my living room like a far-too-chirpy penguin, but I have definitely got Happy Feet! My new Love Moschino brogues with the heart stud details from Sarenza have just arrived, and I am completely in love with them!

They were reduced by 30% in the sale, making them £160 rather than £229. And I don't think it would be an exageration to say they are my dream shoes. Although I love them, the fact is that I rarely wear heels during the day anymore: I just can't stand the discomfort when my day is already too busy and full of other things to think about. I tend to slip into my black pumps that match everything, but aren't exactly fashion-forward. So these comfortable brogues covered in attention grabbing gold heart-shaped studs (perfect for matching to all my jewellery and my two favourite handbags) are guarenteed to fit into my wardrobe perfectly, and make my everyday feet look a little more fashionable.

One of the best things about getting new shoes is mentally shopping your wardrobe for things you can team with them to create the perfect outfit and show them off!

I for one, will be very disappointed when the trend for masculine footwear disappears. Why should boys get all the comfy feet fun?! It's lovely to be able to run for the bus or spend hours scooting around the shops without having to worry about my ankles aching, or worse still, breaking them!

The Sarenza sale is still on, with up to 60% off and loads of great styles still available, so why not pop over and check it out? You never know, you might find your dream pair of shoes too!

Love, Tor xxx

Shop my wardrobe....and more?!

Hi guys,

As I said in my New Year's resolution post, I have far too many clothes: lovely, beautiful clothes. And shoes. And handbags. And....well, you get the idea! There are clothes that don't fit me any more, clothes that I've loved for years , and shoes that are so high I've never worn them: just looked at them and sighed. So I have decided to reopen the Fabfrocks shop and clear some space in my wardrobe!

Here are some of the pieces I've just added....

Monochrome Topshop dress, size 14, £10
Floral Topshop dress, size 16, £7
Carvella Wedges, size 6, £25

......If you want to see more, you'll have to check it out!!

I've starting by adding a few items, and I will be adding new items to the shop every day this week, so keep checking back! There are more Topshop dresses, vintage jackets and clutch bags, summer sandals, killer heels, and leather handbags still to come.

I'd love to know what you think of the shop idea - and also whether you would be interested in new stuff from the Topshop outlet store too? I know you aren't all a size 14/16 and don't all like second hand fashion, so thought this could widen the shop out a bit and make it interesting for everyone? I could cherry pick the best bits from the Topshop outlet store, and add it to the shop for you guys? It would also give me the excuse to shop there more often, so it's win-win really!!

Love Tor x

Fabfrocks at Home loves....Johan Potma

Hi guys,
When we are in Berlin last month, Mike and I interspersed our site seeing with visits to endless markets: both Christmas and otherwise. It was a wonderful way to spend a weekend, and I brought home far more than I should have.

One of the best things I brought home though was the picture above: it made me laugh, and I don't know about your house but in ours it's true too: we can never seem to pair our socks!

It's a print by Johan Potma, who is a Dutch painter and illustrator who lives and works in Berlin. Johan co-owns the Zozoville gallery in Berlin, and has worked with Pepsi, Playboy, and Nickelodeon. I love the way all of his illustrations have so much personality:


I admit they're a little geeky, and furry monsters aren't to everyone's taste. But I only paid 10 Euros for my print, which was a ridiculous bargain. And I like them so much, if I'd had the room and the wall space, I'd have brought home a couple more!

Want one of your own? You can see and buy more of Johan's illustrations on his website.

Love Tor xxx

Top tips for January Sales shopping

Hi guys,

Ahhh, it's that time of the year again! Not content with our Christmas consumerism, it's time to buy everything we didn't buy at Christmas, but at huge discounts. And use those Buy.com promotional codes before they expire! And who am I to argue with that?

In line with my money saving drive, I'm not hitting the sales in the mad way I usually do: instead I'm just looking for the perfect leather jacket at a huge discount (fingers crossed!!) But if you are looking to hit the sales with gusto, here are my top tips:

1. Make a wish list. Going into the sales without any idea of what you really want to buy means that you'll end up buying everything pretty thing you see, but probably don't need (and if you're anything like me then instantly regret it). Instead make a list of things you want and need. Make sure these are things you would buy at full price anyway, and fit in with your existing wardrobe. Remember that 50% off something you don't need it actually a waste of money!

2. Set a budget. And then stick to it! I know it's easier said than done, but when you hit the sales it's easy to forget how much you're spending, and spend much more than you wanted to. When I'm going sales shopping I take out the amount I'm prepared to spend in cash before I hit the shops: that way, I know exactly what I'm spending as I go (it's so easy to lose track with cards) and when it's gone, it's gone!

3. Don't forget to look online, but don't expect it to be simple. Sure, you don't have to queue to try things on, or wait for the shops to open in the rain, but you still have to be fast and organised. Once you've found something you want to buy, if you don't get to the online checkout fast enough, several stores will remove the item from your basket if another customer wants to buy it (I'm thinking of you River Island!) So being speedy and methodical are key: having accounts set up with the companies you want to shop with will make the process even faster.

4. Finally, don't give up! If you've got your heart set on something but it's sold out don't give up: just think outside the box. If you really wanted French Connection shoes but can't get them from French Connection, for example, try Sarenza or Zalando or any other website that sells big brand names. And for high street clothes, ASOS is a veritable gold mine of sale items that have sold out elsewhere: it's where I got that River Island dress I wanted last January that was sold out on their website!

And that's it! Happy shopping!

Have you been sales shopping yet? And did you get any amazing bargains, or have any more sales shopping tips to share?

Love Tor xx

Happy New Year! Let's make promises we won't keep!

Hi guys,

Happy New Year! I always like New Year: it feels like being reborn, and you get the chance to change your life and try again. Having said that, I make half-hearted resolutions every year, but they never last more than a fortnight. That probably means there isn't anything I dislike enough about my life to really make an effort to change!

This year though, I am making three small resolutions that will make a massive difference to my bank balance: helping contribute towards the bigger resolution of significantly bumping up our savings account in 2012.

- No more impulse purchases. I own more clothes than any three people would need in a lifetime. And I know I can't resolve to give up shopping: I love it too much and I don't have the willpower! But I am resolving to think about my purchases, and only buy things I need, will use, and will fit into my existing wardrobe. No more Primark sprees for things I don't need, or popping into Topshop at lunchtime when I'm having a bad day!

- Taking sandwiches to work. OK, so I know it's not fashion-related, but I would recommend this to anyone trying to save some pennies! Do you know I spend approx £150 a month on lunch? And I'm not talking fabulous lunches: I mean soggy sandwiches or soups, crisps and fruit from Pret or Eat. When you can buy more than a week's worth of apples for £1, why would you buy just one from a Sandwich shop for 50p? I reckon taking my own lunches can save over £100 a month! For inspiration, use cute, colorful food containers to pack your lunch, which are often on sale.

- Regular wardrobe clear-outs. Sometimes my wardrobe gets so overcrowded, I can't see the wood from the trees and it makes it impossible to decide what to wear everyday (because all I can see are the things that don't fit/I don't like). So I intend to make regular wardrobe clear-outs great not only for my sartorial style, I also plan on making them great for my bank balance. Think car boot sales, ebaying, and maybe even the return of the Fabfrocks Shop!

Are you making any New Year's resolutions? And how long do you predict you'll keep them?

Love Tor xx