Bumping into Viv & Christmas shopping

I hope you're all having a great festive season. I love this time of year. Love it. Mr W said this week he thinks I'm having my own personal mini-festive festival! I've been out trying to enjoy all the wonderful things in London at this time of year - including going to the theatre this week, where I happened to be having a pre-play drink and Vivienne Westwood strolled in and stood next to me. I could have fainted! This isn't just name dropping - regular Edna readers will know that for me this is being in the vicinity of my fashion god. You'll be reassured to know I played it cool and didn't (a) hug her (b) cry, or (c) have an excitable wee!

Anyway, other than bumping into Viv, December is also full of Christmas shopping. I've almost finished mine - still some final bits and pieces but I feel reasonably calm about it all.

If you're still struggling for ideas, here are some little treasures. Sorry, ideas are only for women and little ones...men - fend for yourselves!

Emma Cook deer print pyjamas - £38

Prestat sea salt caramel truffles - £10.75

Asos Story heels - £40

Tatty Devine fox brooch - £35

Yellow patent leather scallop satchel - £66.88
(a bargain considering it's handmade, to order!)

REN Moroccan rose experience gift set - £32

 

Zara ballerina studded shoes - £59.99

The Little Paris Kitchen cookbook - £14

Dahlia navy double collar blouse
with sequin detail - £62

Agent Provocateur seam & heel
stretch hold-up - £25

Lulu Frost for Whistles Sandra earrings - £70

Hobbs NW3 Mr Duck shirt - £69

Minnie Boden appliqué pinnie - £24

Rosie’s Magic Horse - £9.09

Dress of the year...from Fearne Cotton?!

I blogged once before about the Fearne Cotton range for Very after my massive style crush (and fantasy best friend!) Claudia Winkleman wore a few dresses from the range when she was presenting Strictly it Takes Two. I’ve spotted the leopard print peter pan collar tunic dress in a few magazines and love it...
 

Peter pan collar tunic dress - £39

So thought I’d have a quick look on the website and have actually spotted a dress which comes close to being my dress of the year. I need this dress in my life!

Petal collar shift dress - £55

There are some other gems in the range, these are my other favourites.
 

Long sleeve swing dress - £39

Swing spot print dress - £39

 

Ruffle geometric print dress - £59

Cold & in need of a coat?

It’s getting cold. Hats are finally coming out. Gloves are on. We’re getting serious.

I don’t need a new winter coat. I have a few, most of which unfortunately need buttons sewn back on and the like, which I’m rubbish at. So at the moment I just seem to be wearing the lovely polka dot number my friend Lisa donated to me regardless of whether it works with the outfit underneath!

If I was in the market for a new coat, these would be on the list...though I think I'd just go into Zara, as the range of coats in store this winter is amazing. Too many to choose from.

Hobbs Unlimited swing jacket - £74 (down from £249)

 

Zara zip coat with quilted faux leather sleeves - £89.99

Warehouse colour block parka - £95

M&S Autograph notch lapel
textured wool coat - £99

Dahlia oversized navy boyfriend coat - £110

Zara leather biker coat - £119

Zara coat with appliqués on sleeve – £129

 

Asos longline military coat - £140

 

Mary Portas gold tweed coat with removable knit sleeves
£171 (down from £285)

Oasis heritage drop waist coat - £175

Too big for Laney May at the moment (and way too expensive) but this is lovely for little girls, from Monsoon.

Dannie duffel coat - £50

 
p.s. I broke my no shopping ban...in a charity shop. It was the stuff of shopping legend and I'll report back properly this weekend!

Leather skirt update!

A quick update on last night's blog. I spotted this absolute beauty in the window of Reiss this morning and had to add it to the favourites list. It would be pretty near the top. Olive green, a loose fit - so wearable. Another for the sales watch!

Reiss Susanna olive elastic waist leather skirt - £145

Leather skirts on the high street

After blogging about leather skirts a few weeks ago, I spotted an absolute beauty from Massimo Dutti in a magazine. It was black, knee length and quilted – an air of Chanel about it. I was already doing the run through of what it would go with and how I’d wear it for work...and putting it on my January sales watch.

I thought I’d feature it on Edna as part of a ‘my top five favourite leather skirts’...only I can’t find it on Massimo Dutti and can’t remember which magazine I spotted it in. So I’ve been thwarted! I may have to drop in store and see if I can see it in the flesh and will report back.
 
But in the meantime, these are my other high street favourites.
 

Zara leather effect rubberised skirt - £39.99
(not officially leather but still lovely)

Mango leather pencil skirt - £79.99

Asos Premium skirt in pleated leather - £90

M&S oxblood leather skirt - £109

 

Preen/Edition black leather panelled skirt - £140

Minnie Mouse jewellery

So far, I seem to be sticking to my 'no shopping until January' pledge with relative ease (admittedly Mr W has purchased me a dress over the past month, which has probably helped!). But there are times, such as today, when I spot something I've been lusting after for quite some time and it's now in the sale and my new austere ways chafe just a little!

Minnie ears necklace - £35 (down from £50)

This Minnie Mawi for Disney Couture necklace is part of a range of Minnie Mouse inspired jewellery from the glorious costume jewellery designer, Mawi.

I've lusted after this for a while and now it's in the sale, it's very difficult to keep my purse shut. I love pretty much everything in this range though - the small stud earrings are a close second to this necklace. Fingers crossed there'll still be a few pieces left come January!

JW Anderson for Topshop...in the office?!

A bit late to the party on this, as the JW Anderson range for Topshop launched a little while ago, but I’ve finally got around to having a look at it. You may have seen lots of photos of Alexa Chung sporting the bat sweater from the range around the time the collection was launched during London Fashion Week (it’s now sold out).
 

It would have be easy to look at the styling of the JW Anderson for Topshop shoot and just clicked back off, thinking that there’s nothing for a 35-year-old working mum. But, calm the styling down a little and there are some great pieces. I’m a massive fan of the matching skirts and tops in quilted fabrics. I know that there’s a worry that you could make yourself look bigger wearing any sort of quilted material but the fabric is silk, so I think it would have a softness and movement to it. I can really imagine these outfits at a day in the office, as a slightly quirky version of a skirt suit.

Quilted paisley silk skirt - £69.99

Quilted paisley top - £59.99

 

Quilted spider print skirt - £69.99

 

Quilted spider silk top - £59.99

My absolute favourite, however, is this tortoise print skirt, paired with a white shirt and heels this would also be great in the office (though I may have a serious think before wearing it to a board meeting!).

Tortoise print skirt - £39.99

Clarks wish list

Clarks makes a frequent appearance on Edna.  I’m a big fan. I’ve confessed before, I'll say it again. It has such a huge range of stock and lots of it can totally turn people off, especially if you’re under the age of 30 but over 5! But if you look closely enough, season-in, season-out, there are some gems. All well made. All really well priced. The Harris Tweed collection is gorgeous. Mary Portas has a great range, with more fashiony pieces (though I have to confess that the lime beauties I bought in the summer sale are a bit pinchy).

For Autumn/Winter 2012, these are my favourites.

Row 1: Camelia Crisp - £44.99; Hamble Oak Harris Tweed brogues - £49.99
Row 2: Dollar tango black patent shoes - £59.99; Jilli tweed in dark brown - £49.99
Row 3: Lulworth Beach teal suede - £59.99; La Catherine from the Mary Portas range - £120
Row 4: Cornish Ice shoes - £64.99; La Jolie from the Mary Portas range - £89.99
Row 5: Kelda Diva knee high boots - £99.99; La Mary black combination suede boots - £130
Row 6: Bea Karob black patent shoes - £64.99;  Pastel desert boots for little ones - £34 (which have Laney May's name written all over them!)

p.s. I've finally reached 50 members...welcome Edna's 50th! I hope you enjoy xx

Orla Kiely frock in the flesh

Hello lovely new Orla Kiely dress...

Orla Kiely for Uniqlo dress, Topshop ballet pumps,
Coccinelle handbag (that's so old it predates my nine
year relationship with my husband!

This is my 'rats are not the boss of me' dress! (though unfortunately they are still the boss of me). Still, one day soon I'll be skipping along in my gorgeous dress, with not a worry about a rodent even crossing my mind!

Orla Kiely dresses...for £19.90!

A quickie as it's late and I'm ill and desperate for the night nurse and my bed!

But I had to do a public service and blog about the latest Orla Kiely range at Uniqlo. It's glorious and a bargain. £19.90 for cotton tunic dresses in her signature prints, with contrast cuffs and Peter Pan collars. What's not to love?!

Mr W heard me making slightly choked noises about half an hour ago while doing a bit of Edna research and realised that my 'no shopping until 2013' ban was being tested to the limit! I stuck to my resolve and mournfully left the page...only for him to say he wanted to buy me one (as a treat for finally facing up to a decades long rodent phobia and going to get help!).

So at least next time I see evil in rodent form (i.e a rat), at least I can skip away (at speed) in a gorgeous dress!

This is the dress making its way to me as we speak...

Orla Kiely ¾ sleeve dress A - £19.90

These are the other dresses in the range but there are also tops, blouses and a scarf.

Orla Kiely ¾ sleeve dress B - £19.90

Orla Kiely ¾ sleeve dress C - £19.90

Orla Kiely ¾ sleeve dress D - £19.90

Orla Kiely ¾ sleeve dress E - £19.90