Designer fashion wishlist – Avenue 32

One of my biggest bugbears when shopping online is stores that have so much choice I fear placing an order in case I miss something brilliant in the process. A girl doesn’t have the three hours needed to look through everything on some of the big online retailers. Choice is excellent if you’re looking for something specific, but sometimes I crave an edit. That’s where sites like Avenue 32 come in. They take the stress out of the online hunt by doing the hard work for you, bringing shoppers cleverly chosen selections from a crop of must-have designers, rather than stocking everything under the sun just in case. With some of my favourite designers like Temperley, Phillip Lim and Giles in stock, this is pure designer fashion heaven. And even if you can’t afford to drop £1k on a dress, you can dream…here’s my current wishlist in action!

How to wear cropped trousers

There are certain styles that you never think will work for you, and cropped trousers have always been one of those for me. It wasn’t always that way – in my late teens I loved them, and had my fair share of black combat-style numbers that ended mid-calf. But pretty soon cropped trousers became last year’s trend and even my mother started buying them. During that time, I’d learned that there were alternatives for warm-weather dressing (like dresses, dresses and more dresses) and never really wore a pair of cropped trousers again. I was happy to leave them in the late 90s where they belonged, until now…

Five fab pairs of flat shoes for Spring

I have dozens of pairs of gorgeous heels, but the truth is I spend most of my time in flats. I love how heels look and I can bear the pain for long enough to wear them on a night out or for a quiet day at work, but I hate the way they slow you down. Even my low-heeled ankle boots cut down on how quickly I can get across London – and I love to walk everywhere. In this city you get about faster if you ditch the public transport and use your legs instead!

So I am always on the hunt for flats that look good, are practical, and work with my wardrobe. Here arefive pairs of fabulous flats….

Fitness fashion & a 30 Day Shred update

I have a confession to make. I’ve not done very well at the 30 Day Shred. By now I should be pushing towards day 30, showing off my abs and well into level 3. But the truth is I’ve only managed to get halfway to day 10. It’s not because I not enjoying it, it’s purely because my schedule has got in the way, and I keep finding excuses not to squeeze it in. I’m feeling very guilty – it’s only 30 days and the last two times I’ve done it I’ve managed to fit it around my life with only a couple of missed days. But for some reason I’m struggling this time.

But I’m not giving up. Next week, I start again, and this time I will persevere…

Wardrobe staples – the 10 things that’ll make your clothes work twice as hard!

I’m always surprised by the items in my wardrobe that I wear the most. Whether they’re classic styles, cool statement pieces that reflect my personal style, or just reliable clothes that wash and wear well, I’m a big believer in identifying those instant wardrobe staples – the old faithfuls that make all your other clothes that much easier to wear. These are the pieces that you take great care of, cling onto until they’re threadbare, and replace the instant they’re past their best. Here are my top tips on what makes my wardrobe that much more versatile…

Make your plus size dress hunt a bit easier

One of the biggest problems women face when hunting down the perfect dress if they don’t fit the average high street sizing chart, is the time it takes to find what you’re looking for. More and more stores are limiting their in-store sizing, so online is often the place to go. But often you’re either forced to scroll through loads of inappropriate styles due to bad navigation or site organisation, or you keep coming across things that aren’t available in your size as you hunt down the few that will work for you.

So I was interested to discover the range of Plus Size Dresses at www.plussize-dresses.com. Essentially, this site aggregates the best dress styles from various stores, to make your search that little bit easier if you’re size 12+.