Style Spot - Ashley Olsen

Growing up, I had a pretty eclectic dress sense. There were the chavy, Reebok trainer years, the hippy flared years (my friends called them my 'fag-end trousers' for their resemblance to the end of a Benson & Hedges cigarette butt), the gothic Morticia years, the club-hopping, Ibiza-loving, limited clothes-wearing years and most recently, a term I'd like to coin as my own, my polished grunge years (I love The Doors and any rock music but still like to wash my hair). As such, I've never had one sole style icon. I've certainly appreciated the style of many a celebrity/model/mother (the latter of which I look to as constant inspiration), over the years but I've found that as I get older and more 'worldly', inevitably life influences the way I dress. 

So to break down my newly termed style, my current crush and whose style I equally admire is Ashley Olsen, aka one half of the Olsen Twins. 

I find it slightly strange to admire someone who's younger than me, however the way she wears Jil Sander tailoring, sumptuous Rick Owens knits, a crocodile Fendi tote slung so insouciantly off the arm and who can forget the Prada black satin turban circa 2007? She just gets it right, every time. 

From the draped, goddess-like white backless gown she wore to the Costume Institute Gala, to her homage to YSL in a black cropped tux; even her recent outing wearing a minimalist black string dress gave me a hit of '90s nostalgia. 

So here's to AO. Until the next style milestone. 

Images courtesy of olsensanonymous.blogspot.com 

Holiday!

Having just touched down from a mini-break to sunny Spain, my post-holiday blues were reignited by In Style's dedicated bikini mini-feature in their August issue. Missoni's chevron-striped string triangle two-piece is the salt to my sartorial wounds, while the signature monochrome string-piece from Chanel, as modelled by Stella Tennant circa 1996, just fills me with swimwear envy!

Roll on November's honeymoon, more on that later...

Delicious

Recently I've developed a bit of a craving for red velvet cupcakes from Bea's of Bloomsbury. Decorated with cream cheese icing, they're not as sickly as some of the other confectionary boutiques and they're a Louboutin's throw from where I live! Anyway, while I adjust my Bottega buckle one more notch, one piece of fashion that won't be affected by size and one which is rather apt is Judith Leiber's crystal-embellished cupcake chain bag from Net-a-Porter. How fabulous? Beautiful, elegant and not a calorie in sight, mmmm.

Image courtesy of Net-a-Porter

Jungle Gym

Last week I popped into my local gym in a last-ditched effort to get myself in shape before heading off to sunny Spain. I'm not normally one to study fixtures and fittings in the home, let alone the gym, however I was caught off guard by the fluorescent orange and yellow leopard-print worktop veneer which looked remarkably similar to Christopher Kane's recent cashmere sweaters.  The resemblance is uncanny! Who'd have thought a central London gym could inspire such memorable wardrobe separates. 

Unlikely Style Icon - Wimbledon

I’ve always been a fan of military fashion: studded epaulets, frogging, shiny button fastenings and of course the commanding colour palettes of khaki, navy and red. However the military trend tends to be given the proverbial nudge into the back row during the summer months to make way for the perennial favourites: boho-chic and military’s closest ally, nautical. But it all looks set to change after watching today’s Wimbledon fashion-show where Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer marched onto court in white, heavily tailored, braided jackets replete with button-fastening cuffs. Smart and stylish and with a 21st century spin on the classic whites, military looks set to have a summer reprisal.

Images - Daily Mail

Maxed Out

After seeing recent shots of Ashley Olsen at The Hangover premier in a minimalist Calvin Klein-inspired black maxi dress, the hunt for my LBD (Long Black Dress) has further intensified. I have a 5-year old calf-length D&G dress from a Covent Garden charity shop but it's not quite the same. Whether it's worn to an A-list bash a la Ms. Olsen or barefooted on the beach back in Morgs' hometown of Perth, it's the easiest way to stay cool for summer and I can't believe my wardrobe has survived thus far without one!

Let me know if you see any out there x

Image - Olsens Anonymous

Jimmy Choo vs H&M

I missed out on Stella, I wasn't interested in Madonna, Matthew I loved but as dear old Sinead once sang, nothing compares to, well this. Jimmy Choo has just announced their collaboration with H&M. To quote Posh, this is major! Think sexy, spindly, strappy heels, bags and an extra-special clothing line at a fraction of the price of its Bond Street store. Tamara Mellon, president of Jimmy Choo today said she was honoured to be among the fashion greats to have collaborated with H&M.


"It's such a privilege to design a collection to appeal to fashion savvy, street smart women. Jimmy Choo will bring to H&M a sophisticated, fashion forward, accessible and glamorous collection - the perfect party pieces to wear out at night," she added.

Watch this space ladies, the new collection is set to drop on November 14th across the world.

Pictures courtesy of the Daily Mail.