GIRLS AND GUYS

I clanked and clomped all the way to work in this but I felt I needed the accessories and big old boots to counteract the girliness of the dress. Turns out that Harley Davidson motorbike boots are a big hit amongst both girls and guys. I might try and wear them more often when this 50 day shoe challenge is over (on day 26 at the moment). 

Hat - H&M

Dress - Alexa Chung x Madewell 

Silver bracelets - H&M

Silver chunky bracelet - Assad Mounser 

Tights - Marks & Spencer 

Boots - Harley Davidson from charity shop back in my student days

VELVET

Love a bit of velvet in my winter wardrobe...but there's a girl my office who has a velvet phobia. She backs away from me in fear and will be doing so quite often over the next couple of months...from velvet coats to tops, dresses to shoes, I have a lot of the stuff going on right now. 

Top - Madewell 

Jeans - Current/Elliott 

Boots - Giuseppe Zanotti 

ZARA SNAKESKIN TROUSERS

Lord knows I'm not averse to leopard spots in my wardrobe, but I've got to say that snakeskin feels like the perfect update on animal print. I think I've already mentioned how much I love these Zara trousers, but seriously, I'm still totally enamoured with them. The ankle swingyness is perfect. 

Top - Madewell 

Trousers - Zara

Shoes - Solea

Silver bangles - Assad Mounser

Silver chain bracelet - Gogo Philip 

Rings - Topshop 

FLATFORM SHOES

These shoes are my new charity shop purchase. They help explain why I still put the time and effort into trawling the rails of just about every charity shop I pass. 

For £6 I have acquired a shoe / trainer hybrid so wrong they're right. I hate to use the word, but this season the 'flatform' is everywhere, from Prada brothel creeper brogues to Chanel's oriental tie sandal, and these feel like a modern space age take on the trend. I also perversely love that (like all the current 'flatforms', they remind me of the Spice Girls era with Buffalo Boots aplenty, which I am sure is probably when these babies originated. The mid 90's shoe is slowly on the way back. I can feel it in my bones. 

Top - Madewell 

Trousers - J Brand 

Shoes - Puma from charity shop

Double Velvet

Don't ask, I have no idea why my arms brought the crazy when I took these pictures... 

Dress - Alexa Chung for Madewell 

Tights - Marks & Spencer 

Slippers - Zara

Some Sparkle

Jacket - Frank Usher from Charity Shop 

Top - Madewell 

Trousers - Country Road

Boots - Opening Ceremony 

Madewell by Alexa Chung Velvet Dress

I do not really go in for the whole celebrity designed clothes thingamy bob that much, but whilst in New York back in September I stumbled across the Madewell store on Broadway. 


I vaguely recalled that I'd heard of Madewell through the blogosphere and as the window looked interesting (rust colours, Autumnal boots, youthful but not yoof) my Mum and I decided to have a look. We liked. The clothes were well made, reasonably priced and up to date without being throwaway fashionable. My Mum made a beeline for the shirts which she wears oversized as jackets in the Summer or as an extra layer when colder, and I started to hyperventilate over the velvet. As it turned out Madewell was the only 'proper shop' we shopped in during our stay - the rest of the time we plundered thrift stores.


Having already picked up a lovely grey velvet zip top on the ground floor I made my way upstairs to find the Madewell by Alexa Chung section. It was then I realised why I'd heard of Madewell in the first place. And in amongst the shorts, cropped pea coats and zippered jeans (all very Alexa) nestled this velvet dress with a peter pan collar. It's part Chanel and part Upstairs Downstairs, which are both good things. And unlike most high necks it doesn't make me look too booby. So, I don't care if I'm buying into the whole celebrity designed clothing gig, I LOVE this dress. 

Dress - Madewell by Alexa Chung

Tights - T.K.Maxx 

Shoes - Acne