Cut-Price Christmas Day Dressing

And in the twinkle of a fairylight, it's Christmas week! 

If like me, you feel that this year seems to have crept up on you even more stealthily than usual, you're probably also lacking a suitably stylish outfit to don on the big day. The good news? Because the Christmas sales start earlier and earlier every year, you can now bag your yuletide threads at a snip of the price. Disorganisation has never looked so smart!

If you're in need of a little Christmas Day dressing inspiration, here's our pick of the best bargains all with that all-important dash of festive sparkle!

Zara Embroidered Dress Was-HK$899 Now-HK$499

Karl Lagerfeld Natalie Wool-Blend Leather-Trimmed Cape Was-£395 Now-£277

J.Crew Adele Suede Ankle Boot Was-£295 Now-£207 

Edie Parker Oscar Glittered Acrylic Shoulder Bag Was-£1235 Now-£865

Aurelie Bidermann Gold-Plated Hoop Earrings Was-£191.67 Now-£115

Zara Velvet Dress Was-£499 Now-£299

Jil Sander Ribbed-knit wool and cashmere-blend cardigan Was-£940 Now-£564

Sophia Webster Amanda Embellished Satin Sandals Was-£420 Now-£210

Eugenia Kim Honey Wide-Brim Rabbit-Felt Hat Was-£310 Now-£186

Tom Ford Lipstick in Violet Fatale £38

1. Emilia Wickstead Poppins Geometric Print Silk-Organza Skirt 

Was-£1250 Now-£875

2. J.Crew Navy Perfect Cable Knit Sweater Was-HK$980 Now-HK$650

3. Zara Block Heel Satin Sandal Was-HK$599 Now-HK$399

4. Kenneth J Lane Rhodium Plated Earrings Was-£120.83 Now-£60.41

5. Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Bitch Perfect £23

The Only Travel Talisman You Need - Saint Luke

It's hard to believe that this time three weeks ago I was on a beach in Mozambique lolling under a parasol, lazily beckoning my private butler so that I could request my third gin & tonic of the afternoon...

One day soon I'll get around to editing the 3,000+ photos I snapped during my two week honeymoon, not least so that I can relay tales of safaris and sand dune picnics right here for your reading pleasure. Until then, an ode to the luggage that kept my stash of bikinis and camera kit safe while I whizzed around Botswana and Mozambique - The Saint Luke. 

During our two weeks in Africa we took eleven flights, including three in a teeny turboprop plane and two in a helicopter, which meant the need for a bag that was light, squishy and tough enough to chuck from plan to plane without spilling it's contents on the runway. 

My bulky old suitcases weren't going to cut it so I went on the hunt for a new holdall. It had to be sturdy, good looking and capable of whisking me around the world for many years to come (pretty much the same qualities I look for in a man...). So when I discovered Saint Luke, it was love at first sight. All those boxes checked and a very decent price tag to boot, with a short haul bag coming in at £125 and the frankly huge long haul version only a little more expensive at £185.  

Available in three different colourways, the red and white St Anton...

 

The navy and chocolate, St Ives...



And the jazzy, citrus-bright St Barts...

The trickiest part is working out which bag to bag... And just as I thought I couldn't love Saint Luke sacks anymore, I discovered what lay behind the reassuringly substantial zip... 

 

Yup! Pineapples!

Even if you're not sold by that totally tropical interior (but if you're not, you're really, really quite strange and probably shouldn't be allowed a Saint Luke anyway...) then the fact that Saint Luke packs some serious philanthropic punch should definitely seal the deal. For every bag sold, Saint Luke donates enough funds to Waves4Water to provide clean water to 40 people in underdeveloped parts of the world for 5 years. Pretty impressive stuff.

After much deliberation, I went for the St Ives. He really is as delicious in the flesh as he looks on the screen and served me incredibly well on my African adventures. 

Now I'm back and even the sight of a gaggle of pineapples can't ease the gloom of the post-holiday unpacking. I've decided the only thing for it is to get booking my next overseas jaunt. It's not my fault, it would be cruel to keep Saint Luke cooped up too long, he made me do it...  

Whit Woo Whistles...

With October in full swing, it's time we all unpack our snugly jumpers and get our winter wardrobe at the ready! If like me, you're less than excited at the prospect of unearthing last years pieces, then I strongly advise you get some new additions pronto!

Working in Soho I constantly pop into my high street favs on a lunchtime, however recently nothing has grabbed my attention enough to make a purchase - crazy?! I've got enough chunky cosy staples to last me a life time, what i'm missing are those pieces that 'make' an outfit. After numerous fruitless hunts I started to think it was time to give up and just live in cashmere and cables, BUT then Whistles saved the day! 

Make some space in your wardrobe, grab your MasterCard and take a look at these beauties...

I'm loving this tassle-tastic story...

The perfect lace cami...

Sensational sheepskin..

The timeless leather pencil skirt...

The staple snuggle jumper...

The everyday boyfriend shirt...

And that's just a small selection, Whistles we heart you!

New Label Lust: Rixo

Experiencing a bit of a mid-week slump? Only one way to cure that - a little e-spree! And what better place to flex your plastic than on a brand new website filled with beautiful bright pieces guaranteed to breathe a little life into your trans-seasonal wardrobe.

Say hello to Rixo London, a newly launched label which manages to feel fresh and modern yet still have a distinctly vintage vibe. The duo behind Rixo have pretty fashtastic CVs, being London College of Fashion Alumni who graduated to work as ASOS buyers before quitting to go solo. Having been super impressed by Finery London, a fellow new label born from the ASOS stable, we had high hopes when we heard about Rixo. And, after a quick flick through the lookbook,  let's just say our credit cards are whimpering at the mere suggestion of an 'R-I-X-O' being tapped out on our keyboards... 

Prices are pitched a couple of brackets above ASOS level but unlike that fast fashion machine, Rixo manufactures all its garments in British factories and handpaints each fabric print from scratch.

Take a look at a selection of our fav pieces from the debut collection and then go and shop your Wednesday better...

Top Tees & Smashing Sweats : Maison Labiche...

The sun may still be sporadically shining but we all know Winter isn't far away. Soon we'll be digging out those chunky scarves, crazily winding them around and around to keep that bitter cold out and diving into cosy pubs at every opportunity to hibernate with humongous glasses of Pinot Noir! Marvellous! 

So until that time comes we need to make the most of these transitional temperatures where a simple jumper will suffice!

In a bid to refresh my wardrobe but not fall straight into full-on winter mode, I've spied the perfect sweats to carry us through!

Maison Labiche have well ad truly hit the nail on the head. Their pieces are simple, quirky and cool whilst also managing to bring a element of humour to fashion!

If like me, you spend a lot of your time rocking a more casual vibe (my current daily 'go-to' pieces are a pair of Levi's 501CT, a grey marl 'v' tee and trainers), then you'll love Maison Labiche as much as I do! They specialise in tees, sweats and hoodies = perfection!

The brand was founded by two Parisians, Jenny and Marie, in 2010 and since launching has gone from strength to strength with their off duty laid back essentials. Sadly there aren't any UK outlets so you'll either have to make do with the online store or the small selection stocked on Matches...failing that you could always pop to Paris?!

Just in case here are my favourite picks...

Amour Stripe Tee, €70

The Greatest, €95

Crazy In Love, €55

The Dude, €95

LA, €95

And they've got the boys covered off too...

Luke Skywalker, €95

Heartbreaker, €55

Hashtag, €105

Love, €60

99 Problems, €55

Billionaire, €95

And if like me, you're also a TOTAL sucker for anything personalised, check out the option to write whatever takes your fancy in the 'Build Your Own' section....eeeeeee!!! The perfect opportunity to get '3BM' sweats going....?!