Lanvin ♥ H&M

Last year, a friend and I went to the Jimmy Choo event at H&M in Dundrum, Dublin. This year, it's the turn of Lanvin. Unfortunately, I couldn't accompany my friend as I'm currently working in Amsterdam.

Therefore we struck a deal. I would head to the H&M store in Kalvertorade while she headed to Dundrum back in Dublin. I think I definitely got the better end of the deal - she was queueing from midnight, getting No 6 in line, while I headed out at 6am and got No 30. God bless the lasstitude of the cloggy nation. It saved me from the overnight ordeal I would have experienced in Ireland.

I have to say that I found this even to be much more enjoyable than last year's Jimmy Choo event. While we were standing in the queue on Kalverstraat, we got treated to some free tea or coffee. In addition, early queuers also received a free Lanvin wool scarf (in navy, red or pink) and later when it started to drizzle slightly, we all received a H&M umbrella to keep us dry. Top marks for hospitality.

As I was an early arrival, I was able to gain admittance in the second group of shoppers (a whole hour ahead of my friend in Dublin due to the time difference). There was a really good selection of dresses, tops, jackets and coats. The yellow, pink, purple and floral dresses were the ones which featured heavily in the advertising campaigns, but to be honest, I was more intent on a black dress - something with a little more longevity.

I ended up purchasing the dress below - €149. The only fault I could find with the collection is that the largest dress size was a 42. This could be very disappointing for some folk, as a 42 really isn't all that big. All the dresses come with their own printed cloth dustcover and a chunky hanger.



A great collection of accessories and shoes accompanied the clothing. I nabbed these beauties below for €99, but I did have to go for a size 38 rather than my usual 37 as I did find them tight-fitting. Sunglasses (chunky a la Wayfarer) were flying off the shelves at €19.95 while I did hum and how over the lovely chunky red gothic style necklace at €39.95.

All of the shoes & accessories came packaged in lovely cardboard boxes which really added to the designer sense. Even the sunglasses came in a chunky little box. For the sake of comparison, the shoe box featured in the picture above compares well with my Miu Miu, Dior & Prada boxes at home.

All in all, I enjoyed this collection at H&M. I'm not a die-hard fashionista. I prefer style to fashion. And even though this collection was definitely fashionable, a few items were also quite stylish. And the carrier bag in which I received my purchases is nothing short of adorable. Well done!

Another Tadashi Dress

After the success of buying my first Tadashi dress, I went straight back onto eBay and bought another one. Originally priced at approx US$350, I bought it for about E75 including P&P. This one is more figure hugging (and is a bit of an incentive for me to continue on my diet) but it is as lovely and as flattering as the navy dress.

ASOS Body-Con Dress

I ordered this body-con dress recently from asos.co.uk for about £18 and it just arrived in the post. It's surprisingly nice and the thick fabric means that bulges etc don't show through too easily. It's a little too short for my liking, but winter is coming and that means black tights. :D

Tadashi Dress

We've been to one wedding already this summer and we're heading to another in October. The problem is that both weddings belong to the same set of people. This means that I can't wear the same dress to both weddings. Different outfits will be required.

I found a beautiful dress by Japanese designer Tadashi in a Dublin boutique which fitted beautifully but the €400 price tag was a bit rich. So I turned to my trusted shopping sidekick - eBay.

Now, I didn't find the dress that I had tried on, but I did find some other gorgeous Tadashi dresses and I purchased this beautiful silk taffeta and jersey navy dress.

It's absolutely stunning on with the jersey top fitting my bust beautifully while the silk taffeta silk flares out slightly stiffly. And the best part, the total cost inclding shipping from the states, came to about €75.

Coast Rodier Dress

I bought this dress in the sale at the Coast outlet in House of Fraser in Dundrum Town Centre. It was marked as €59, but when I went to pay at the till, there was a further 10% discount due to the exchange rate differences between sterling and the Euro.

It's a really nice simple dress and I'm thinking that it will make a great multi-purpose dress and will even do for work. All I need to find now in the sales are some nice cardigans and I'm sorted.

Leesburg Outlet Shopping

On our way from Harrisburg to Washington D.C., we stopped off at Leesburg Premium Outlets to do some shopping. In particular, I wanted to buy some jeans, and hopefully some shoes.

Leesburg has one of my favourite outlet shops, Saks 5th Avenue Off 5th, and it didn't disappoint this time. I headed straight for the shoe section where I picked up a pair of L.A.M.B. Gem shoes (a kind of platform Mary Jane) in tan leather for approximately $80 and a pair of Betsey Johnson Florina peep-toe platforms with adorable black and white leather hearts for approximately $55.



I was delighted with the shoes, but then I made a fabulous find while browsing the sale rack. A Diane von Furstenberg dress marked at $80 but with 50% off!! I couldn't believe it. I love the fabrics that von Furstenberg uses and this dress features a lovely black floral pattern on an off-white background. This is definitely one to go into the wardrobe for that next party.


I also picked up a fantastic black dress in Banana Republic for $25!! It's in the style of Roland Mouret and fits like a dream. At long last, I have the perfect little black dress.

A trip to the Tommy Hilfiger store and I got one pair of very comfortable boyfriend fit jeans and a lovely pink cashmere cardigan for approx $55 (40% off in store).

I just love shoping...

McCalls 3434

It's no secret that I have a thing for 50's dresses. They work on me and I love the shape and style inferred from wearing them. This McCalls pattern is just lovely, but what really caught my eye was the expression of the woman in the red version. Just what is up with the snooty finger held just below her lip? Is she saying that the lady in the foreground is just too much?

Oasis Poppy Print Dress

I got invited to a wedding at short notice, and I was desperately wondering what to wear. I have a wardrobe full of lovely beautiful dresses, but being in Brussels, working on a time-consuming project hasn't left my waistline with kind memories.

Anway, I was browsing in Debenhams in the Frascati Centre, Blackrock, when I came across this beauty on the sale rack in Oasis. It's a stunning 50's reproduction, inspired by prints at the Bath Fashion Museum. There is a little layer of tulle under the skirt to add a little body and there are lovely little bows on the shoulder straps to add a little focus to the neckline. The back is cut low for what appears to be a demure little dress. It's just adorable and I got it for the princely sum of €34!

Simplicity 2766

Doesn't this just look like the most adorable pattern. Bows are optional thankfully, because I do think that the bows on the hem are overkill - turning you into a Barbie. But I'd definitely keep the bow on the waist.

I'd really love to go back in time to the Rocking 50s and see the dresses that women wore then. Would they like up to these pattern illustrations or are we just lusting after something that never existed in the first place?

Advance 6016 - Christmas Party Dress

Our Christmas party venue, date, time and theme has already been announced. "Fire and Ice" that's the theme. Hmmm... do I have to dress according to this theme?

Anyway, I've been starting to think about the Christmas party dress. I just downright refuse to do floor-length evening gowns, and I don't subscribe to the theory that you need to buy a sophisticated dress which has the effect of adding 20 years to your age. It's amazing how many girls or young women do this, thus losing their personal style.

So I've been looking for vintage patterns on eBay and I recently bought this one. It's Advance 6016 and looks like it's from the 1950's. I love the dress, though I'm not too mad about the knot-tied bolero. It came from the eBay seller Oak Creek Dolls and Collectibles and arrived so well-packaged that it took me several minutes to open it. It's nice to know that sellers care so much about the items that they sell.


I'm going to make a trial run of the dress (sans bolero) and I'm thinking of using this fabric that I've just purchased (also from eBay - warning, eBay is dangerous stuff). I have a little bit of a thing for bears. I imagine that behind all that cuteness and fluffiness, they're plotting something.


I don't know when I'll have time over the next few weeks to knock together a trial run of the dress, but I'll post up some pictures when I get it together. Then will come the tough problem of deciding the fabric to make the party dress.

Fabulous Vintage Party Dress

Isn't this a lovely party dress? I just love the big floral print. Seeing dresses made with big prints makes me want to experiment and try something a little different the next time I go fabric shopping. When you see a bolt of cloth with a big print, you tend to think that will never work, but then you see a finished item, and it turns out that you were wrong.

This dress is currently for sale at Isabella's Vintage. The price is a bit steep for my liking but it's definitely giving me lots of ideas for my next fabric shopping trip.

Simplicity 1794

While browsing eBay for vintage patterns, I came across this one. It's nice with a lovely full skirt, but what really caught my eye was the main model in the illustration. Just look at the face on her! That is one determined lady. Arms akimbo, kohl-rimmed eyes giving you the determined stare. This girl is dressed for success and you're not getting in her way.

Diane von Furstenberg Mondrian dress

I was in New York recently on hols and had promised myself one designer item. What it would be, I did not know. I was ready to search and wait for the right dress/bag/shoes to present itself to me. I had money to spend and I was in one of the best cities in the world for shopping. What more excuses does any self-respecting lady need?

Now, I've never been a fan of Diane von Furstenberg's wrap dresses. Whichever fashionista said that wrap dresses are great for large-chested ladies clearly had had one too many mojitos. Wrap dresses divide the chest of larger ladies into two nice beanie bags, drawing attention to exactly the area you want to miminise. However, when I walked into the DvF outlet shop at Woodbury Commons, my perception of this designer completely changed. Fantastic patterns and colours filled the rails, and I loved her use of polyesters and man-made fabrics.

Browsing the sale rails (I know! Even in an outlet I'm still attracted to the sale rails) I found this stunning Mondrian-inspired shift-dress. I loved it from first sight. Have you ever seen the Mondrian paintings that inspired this dress? Up close, the tape that he used to block off the different sections has started to peel away from the canvas. However, from a distance, the simplicity of the paintings in their primary colours is amazing. That's the same feeling that this dress imparts.

One trip to the changing rooms and I was sold, hook, line and sinker. The best part? With sales tax included, the grand total was just over $160 or somewhere in the region of €100. The dress makes me feel unique and sleek and that is worth far more than €100. The only problem now is to find the right pair(s) of shoes to match the dress.