Esprit

On Wednesday, I popped along to the relaunch of the Esprit shop on Regent Street. I first became familiar with Esprit back when I lived in Belgium, but at the time, it wasn't really where I shopped (places like C&A and Etam were higher on my list). More recently, I was aware of it from seeing Gisele staring down at me on train platforms, all tousled waves and bronzed limbs. The clothed she wore looked cool, but perhaps not quite my style (I'm usually a bit quirkier and more tailored). 

The new Esprit flagship shop is absolutely massive but instead of having that undesirable warehouse feel of others of it's size, thoughtful additions of sketched point of sale, vintage-looking glassware and mood-setting imagery all made it feel homely and welcoming.

The product seems to have come on too with an impressive denim area (this time overseen by Erin Wasson) and accents of bold colour. I ended up buying a bright orange shift (at a very reasonable £41) and my housemate Laurel got a gorgeous oversized coral shirt. I will be going back for some jersey dresses (relaxed workwear) and more colourful dresses (just my thing). 

The launch party was fun too-along with some fruity cocktails, there were craft stations hosted by the Make Lounge where guests could decorate photo frames, print their own cotton tote or decorate a cupcake (unsurprisingly, the busiest station! Laurel and I had our photo taken and it was printed onto beautiful paper featuring pressed flowers. Natasha Beddingfield performed but unfortunately we couldn't stay to watch her as we had to head to Westminster for the P&G party.

These are tough times for retailers but it looks like Esprit have realised and reacted well, with a considered brand update and a really cool shop event. 

The new Esprit store is here:

178-182 Regent Street,

London

W1B 5AZ

 Lydia Bright with the dress I bought!

 I wore a Reiss dress to the event with New Look shoes

 Laurel bought this shirt

 Possible next purchase

 Great workwear

 Loved this raffia clutch...

 ...and this raffia hat (with a hole cut out of the middle like Kylie's circa the 80s!)

 Cool moodboard behind the till

We couldn't believe this was a vintage year!

T.A.N beats S.A.D

Okay so the weather might be patchy but that doesn't mean your skin should be. The only thing that is getting me through this untimely SAD is staring at my deeply bronzed forearms. Normally, the routine maintenance of this would involve me, my housemate and our seemingly endless bottles of fake tan. This time, I was fortunate enough to be able to take a break and have it sprayed on for a change. I popped south of the river to go and check out the Dove spa in Virgin Active, Canary Wharf. The friendly, knowledgeable team made the whole experience a pleasure and I emerged from the booth with the most even, natural looking tan of my life. No limb was left unturned and no white bits remained (oh yes, I ignored the paper pants). I have had some hit and miss spray tans in the past but this one was certainly the best and I plan to return until the sun puts his bloody hat back on. The photo above shows me before the colour guide had been washed off - it looked even better after a shower!

Aubrey England

I have just discovered this amazing new handbag brand. Designed by Isla Simpson, these stunning bags have all the class and sophistication of high-end designer brands (such as Anya Hindmarch) with far more manageable price tags (roughly £35 for a wallet, £100+ for handbags). I gauge the success of a bag by three main factors: 1) Is it leather? 2) Does it fit comfortably on my shoulder? 3) Does it look timeless? When I went to visit the Aubrey pop-up shop in Covent Garden, it would have been tricky to find a single piece that did not meet all three. I know I don’t technically need any more bags but by gads I want some of these.

Quintessentially Weddings

I popped along to 29 Portland Place for an evening of wedding networking. There were yummy champagne cocktails and martinis from Sparks and Ashton (champagne was literally on tap – amazing) and gorgeous canapés by Cinnamon Candy. Several cakes by the Little Venice Cake Company were on display. At first I thought they were too pretty to eat but greed got the better of me and a portion which began as a sliver ended as a block. Thanks for inviting me Weddings4Media!


Very much looking forward to seeing the upcoming book ‘The Secret Quintessentially Wedding Guide.’

Scratch Nail Awards

I went along to the Scratch Nail Industry awards on Sunday 20^th May. Held in Café de Paris, it was brilliant fun and there were lots of glam girls there! The event was hosted by Dan Lobb whose good looks had all the lasses aflutter. It’s great that this highly skilled industry is getting the recognition it deserves with a dedicated awards ceremony.

 Loved this outfit

 Dan Lobb

 Me

 Saz



Guess What I Love...

A touch Ariel the Little Mermaid and a whole lot lovely, this Guess necklace is just the thing I need to finish my luxe beach looks. I will actually be trying a bit harder this year, replacing my usual ratty sarong and vest with a white kaftan and oversized sun hat. I am going to Capri so style is of the essence. Turquoise against a tan is a match made in heaven.

Brand: Guess Jewellery

Price: £175

01604678940 / GUESS Stores

The Magic Big Boulder Upholder by Freya

For a long time now, the idea of wearing something strapless has been relegated to the drawer marked ‘Impossible and Nonsensical’ in my brain. All of the strapless bras I have encountered have sat feebly, atop my 34DD breasts. Everything jiggled around, seeming to giggle (or perhaps, ‘titter’ is more appropriate), “You think you can wear that strappy Roland Mouret number? You’ve got big boobies, lady it will never work.” The very idea that my big boys could be controlled by two nondescript, lightly padded cups has been pretty laughable to me as well as them. Entire days of tragedy/hilarity have been spent attempting to track something effective down. Even M&S, normally good for this sort of thing, let me down spectacularly. There was too much choice and not enough action. My friends, I am happy to report that those desperate days are gone. Initially unsure of the 3D-ness of it all (‘Boulder Holder’ sprang to mind), Freya’s ‘Deco’ strapless bra really does offer unrivalled support. It’s perfectly smooth and has ‘gripper elastic’ a terrifying-sounding, yet actually marvellous thing. Is it pretty? Hell no. It sits in the Spanx section of my underwear drawer (what I like to think of as the ‘Genius Section’). Does it work? Absolutely. I never thought I would report an evening of comfort in something strapless. I thought the term ‘strapless’ was synonymous with ‘hitching your bosom up all night long.’ 

This bra actually held me in place admirably and it was so comfortable that, for the first time ever, I will actually be using the straps included so I can wear it as a T-shirt bra during the day. It has a nude option too, ideal under a simple white tee or shirt. Gok Wan once said (and yes, I am quoting Gok) “A woman should have two types of underwear; Magic and Sexy.” Needless to say this falls into the former category. At the age of 27, I have finally unlocked that formidable section of my wardrobe deigned ‘unwearable’. The vintage Mouret is coming out, and so are the boob tubes. I will wear them for as long as is acceptable (35?), because now I can. Thank you Freya, you’ve done it again.

To experience more Freya amazingness, click here.