Dress Like Victoria Beckham ....but by spending a lot less cash and eating a lot more burgers.

Hello!

How is everyone?? I took a little break from blogging because working is hard and I was tired when I got home...welcome to the real world right? But I am back and ready to annoy you all again. I had a wonderful birthday filled with friendship and love. I received a camera so I can take pictures of stuff I think is cool. To start with, I bought a few random pieces of clothing and will show you them!!

Top left is a really colourful tribal skirt!! It was from New Look and I believe was about £15. It looks so cute with a white sheer shirt or a champagne coloured sheer shirt tucked in!! Loads of gold jewellery and tan wedges??? Oh, go on then. The maxi skirt is a gorgeous orange and is from none other than my love - Tesco. £12 I think and the quality is wonderful. I wore this with a yellow and white polka dot top and brown ballet flats. Finally the two little things underneath are a black and (although it looks salmon) neon pink boob bandeau!! These are a god send!! I may be a little slow on the uptake, but finally I have arrived at the boob bandeau platform. I LOVE sheer shirts with bras showing underneath...so sexy. BUT, some of us have slightly larger...assets.... than others and a bra on show could be a little terrifying. So instead invest in a couple of these (£2.99 from New Look). They can also be worn under baggy vest tops and things with low armholes. So cute under white sheer shirts though. Just adds that pop of colour needed!!

Also I bought a dress from the H&M Concious Collection. It was a bargain at £14.99 and is made of Lyocell - an eco-friendly manufactured fibre. The collection is really cute so if you havent looked yet...well what are you waiting for?!!!!

I made a completely ridiculous birthday list of things I would never hope to get: Louboutins, Chloe bag, Burberry trench, Louis Vuitton luggage. You know, the staples. It made me think. Am I going to go through life wishing I owned all the designer things I want, get really depressed that I dont have them and spend a substantially amount of money...and shame...eating and crying into a Terry's Chocolate Orange?? NO!!! Well hopefully not. Instead I have been looking up high street copies of all the things I want and dear friends, I will share them with you. Here are my favourites...

(Left) Matalan £14 vs (Right) Stella McCartney £955.

Mirror print is so in right now - Stella does the cutest pair of trousers and a top to go with this as well....

(L) Asda £8 vs (R) Victoria, Victoria Beckham £950 (Net-A-Porter).

Another great print, with just a slight variation in price...ahem. Bring a whole new meaning to crazy cat lady.

(L) Topshop £28 studded slippers vs (R) Louboutin (Net-A-Porter) £635.

Everyone has studded everything. Dont get left behind as the only one who doesnt go off when walking through the metal detector at the airport.

(Top) ASOS £35 vs (Bottom) Jil Sander £1,540

The ASOS trousers HAVE to be mine. I will buy them and I will love them more than anything. Like Kate Moss said - nothing tastes as good as paisley print feels...or something along those lines.

(Top) Zara £39.99 vs the oh so lovely (Bottom) Mary Katrantzou £1,105

I am her greatest fan and I would give the earth to have a piece of her clothing (literally it costs the earth) BUT you can find a whole host of Mary-a-likes at Zara. So look there and try not to cry too much when you walk past the neighbour you have that grows pretty flowers that remind you of MK's SS12 collection. Sigh. You will be mine, oh yes, you will be mine.

And those are my favs at the moment. Look hard enough and you can always find a good look-alike. Its all about being a ruthless...and penniless (boo) shopper. I will bring you more as and when I discover them.

Some tidbits for today before I go:

- In A/W look out for metal toed heels and pumps a la Chanel as these are an extension of the lady-like trend happening at the moment.

- Also look out for heels with see through sides as Beyonce was pictured wearing. These were in a few years ago and I had a gorge pair from New Look, which of course I gave away thinking they would never come back into fashion again. Alas, even I make mistakes.

- Tulisa was voted FHMs sexiest woman... think of this what you may, but she has taken a lot on the chin recently....

- Preen, Jenny Packham (pretty much 50% of Kate Middleton's wardrobe is by JP) and Roksanda Illincic (Colleen Rooney was seen wearing their 'it' dress of the season to the horse racing - it was hot pink and had massive sleeves) have all either done recently or are about to launch collections for Debenhams. They join the likes of Matthew Williamson who has been there for a good while now. Remember that collections such as these sell out quickly so keep your eyes peeled. They are not as heavily advertised as collaborations with H&M etc, so you have to do your research. Or wait for me to tell you and then buy me a gift as a thank you!!

- Tomorrow is voting day!! Remember to make sure you vote for someone you care about or not at all!! Dont just guess as we could end up with some nut job!! Remember fashion is only as pretty as the prime minister's wife that wears it...

Hope you all have had a good day!

Night xx

So I am wearing houndstooth leggings, get over it

Afternoon crazy ones.

We are today back to the alphabet - like Sesame Street but with more feathers and less child labour. Before that I feel it is my duty to tell you I am starting my internship in SIX DAYS AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! I am the most nervous. You may remember the sheer panic that was caused by me trying to find an interview outfit and that only got seen by one person....(she liked my shoes by the way) but the first day outfit will be seen by all...seen and judged. So you have to make the choice - do you:
Option One - Wear joggers and have everyone think you are a douchebag, hate you for being apparently unfashiony and resolve to give you the nickname Pat Sharpe. Everyone thinks you must be best friends with the CEO of the company to have gotten the job because you smell like Snookie and look like MC Hammer -  but then dazzle them a little bit each day by wearing something more fashiony and having them think you have been inspired by them...
Option Two - Wear the most fabulous black dress, black blazer, skyscraper black heels and black sunglasses inside so people think you are a douchebag and hate you for being pretentious. You will get the nickname Prada as in "The Devil Wears" - but then slowly start wearing less stern clothing each day causing people to possibly thaw out and stop putting salt in your coffee...
Option Three - Wear the most fashionable outfit you have - bordering on fashion insanity - people in the street look at you and think you are cool - people in the office think you are a douchebag and hate you for trying too hard. You will get the nickname Harper (not because of the fashion magazine) but because you look like you have a stylist dressing you like the Beckham's child. The other problem with this is people will expect you to dress as fashiony everyday and that is hard to keep up therefore you have to slowly un-dazzle them each day until you are eventually dressing as option one...
Option Four - Wear moderately fashiony clothes so you can go up or down in the fashion stakes each day. Remember everyone will hate you for the first week anyway because you are interning in fashion - but at least they will call you Becky.

P

Snakeskin Printed Denim
French Connection
£98

Fashion Trend: Printed Denim - You have to be loving this trend - it is basically any kind of denim with any kind of print. You can work mixed prints in a whole new way by wearing printed jeans with a normal printed top. It gives a whole new life to our staple blue jeans!! Literally EVERY store has jumped on this trend so you can spend as little as £15-£20 on getting a pair. If you are adventurous go for a crazy bright pattern that will draw the attention to the jean or if you want to be a little more subdued go for a darker pair with a darker print - you really have free reign when it comes to this trend. If you want to go darker then kill two trends with one stone and get the snakeskin print jeans from French Connection - the print is difficult to see on the picture but is obvious in real life. http://www.frenchconnection.com/product/Woman+Collections+Jeans/74XA7/Snakeskin+Printed+Denim.htm

Floral Skinny Jean
New Look
£22.99

If you are wanting to try a bold colour look no further than New Look who have really cute printed denim in all colours, prints and sizes. Not only can you look at printed denim, but also try acid washed denim and tie dye which are equally as cute! All New Look jeans from http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/jeans_20017?trail=1002%3Acat20017&icParent=subCategory&icCategory=cat20017&prodLimit=100&selectedFilterSize=&icStartPage=1&icSort=

Parisian Acid Wash Spotty Skinny Jeans
New Look £24.99

A.P.C Paisley Print
Cotton Dress
£250

Jil Sander Paisley Print
Jacket £1,160

Fashion Item: Paisley Printed Anything! - I suppose this is a tiny bit of a cheat because this should be in the trend section but I thought you guys would understand. Paisley will be a fad for a while but it is BIG at the moment. It was seen all over the runways on dresses, skirts, trousers, accessories, so you really can do what you want with it. No longer is that ugly old tie your dad wore ten years ago an embarrassment! Tie it in your hair, wear it as a belt, put it on your handbag, just be seen with it!! Liberty are doing a range of the most gorgeous paisley fabrics if you are daring and skilled enough to make something for yourself http://www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/dept/fabrics_paisley. If not why not try a Jil Sander jacket or an A.P.C dress. Both available (and pics) from http://www.net-a-porter.com/Shop/Search?keywords=paisley&x=0&y=0. The Stella McCartney pyjama suit I want is also blue paisley - yum - another double trend!

Highness 160 Suede Pumps
Louboutin £635
Net-A-Porter.com

High Power High Waisted
Briefs Spanx £34
Net-A-Porter.com

Store or Label: Porter group and by this I mean Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter. If you have never taken my advice and looked at these sites then I cannot even explain to you how magical they are. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk down Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, stroll down Miracle Mile in Chicago, totter down Madison Avenue in NYC or just flit through the stores in Paris? Well these beautiful people have made that a possibility without you ever having to leave your living room. They have stock as soon as possible after it being on the runway - my McCartney paisley pyjama suit is already on there for example... Every designer you have ever loved is on there (for men and women) from Acne through to Zac Posen. They have a huge range in price point, so don't think it is just for the rich gals and guys - they sell Hunter and J.Crew right alongside Louboutin and Chloe, so give it a look. I will warn you though it is addictive and it is best not to have your purse ANYWHERE near you if you can't afford anything.... All designers, pics and purchases from http://www.net-a-porter.com/Shop/AZDesigners

Celebrity or Designer: Paris Hilton - whether you love her or hate her (I secretly love her...shhhh) this girl knows what she is doing when it comes to getting media attention. Earlier this month she turned 31 and threw a bash for her and her closest friends - namely Wiz Khalifa, DJ Afrojack and others of the like. Paris not known for small birthday bashes hosted an 'Eyes Wide Shut' themed party where guests were invited to a modern masquerade ball. To be honest isn't pretty dresses and jewelled masks all of our fantasies! Tons of celebs, tons of booze and tons of fun no doubt. Masks were handed out on arrival and would have caused a lot of random hookups i'm sure... I just think on your birthday you should be who you want to be and wear what you want to wear - so go get it Paris!

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/inside-paris-hiltons-eyes-wide-shut-themed-birthday-bash-2012252

See you all tomorrow giggle monsters.
Becky xx

WWHD?

Have you seen the part in the Sex and the City movie where Big tells Carrie that he has bought that ridiculous pent house for them and she screams and runs at him due to undulated joy? Well my friends, I am here to tell you apartment hunting is not like that. I don't think I have ever been so stressed in my entire life....and i've done this whole scenario before but in a different country. I have been reduced to eating dark chocolate (possibly cooking chocolate??) because it reflects the bitter sweet situation I am in....nah it's because it is the only kind we have in the house. Did you know that when you try to find an apartment, you are not only looking for what you like, nor even what your flat-sharer will like, oh no, the entire family is involved. For those of you who don't know me, I am a white female, with a white family, yet during this house hunting situation I am pretty sure my relatives have turned into an Indian family. No no my mother has not started cooking bhajis while my father looks on charming a snake (please note this is a horrible generalisation but continue on with me), it is more like in the scene in 'Bend it Like Beckham' where Jess' entire family are involved in the pre wedding/wedding/post wedding....everything else.....of Jess' sister. I am in a metaphorical room with one cousin shouting 'Go to Brick Lane' and the other shouting 'Don't go to Golders Green - we aren't Jewish and you won't eat Kosher, remember the time you gave up shrimp for a month and started talking to yourself??!!' Then you have the word NEGOTIATE hanging in the air like a bad blintz (see I can be Jewish); which your family now uses more than your name. I will have to injure the next person to even utter it. "Can you negotiate your pay" - it's an internship, i'm not getting paid. "Can you negotiate rent?" - This isn't the dodgy part of Brooklyn where you can pay with ahem, favours. "Can you negotiate a better price on those Louboutin's? I live in Brooklyn you know...." I joke, I joke...All I am saying loved ones is that you must step back and smell the samosa. If I want to live in a seedy bedsit in Croydon I will, no one is asking you to live there....but if you could come round Tuesdays at 9am and flick the vacuum round, well it's much appreciated.

 And now, all the things I cannot afford but will doodle over my Liberty journal anyway...

H

http://www.prada.com/en#!/advertising-
campaign-ss12/woman-print-campaign

Fashion Trend: Hello Heels!! No, I am not copping out on you. What I mean is make your heels the statement piece of your outfit. Designers have gone crazy for the most wonderful shoes this season. I am seriously considering wearing pillowcases as dresses so I can afford a pair of the Prada flame ones. Glitter, feathers, odd shapes, skyscrapers - make sure it counts!! I am not one to shy away from wearing heels, so I LOVE that the higher the better at the moment. If that scares you then get something lower but make sure they scream look at me. If you aren't the best dressed at the party, what's the point in going?

Louis Vuitton £505

http://www.louisvuitton.co.uk/front/#/eng_GB

/Collections/Women/Shoes

Fashion Item: High Tops! Those of you that know me will likely judge me on this, because I have never worn this type of shoe...and it seems a bit odd seeing I just told you to go skyscraper in the bit above.... but I have found THE pair of hightops. They are gold and they are Louis Vuitton. Tell me you don't want them. You are a liar. Imagine them with any of the amazing coloured jeans out at the moment. Sheer shirt, Bayswater bag....oh, stop it babes.

Sequin Skirt £675 Haute Hippie - Harrods

http://www.harrods.com/brand/haute-

hippie/view-all?dept=az

Store or Label: Haute Hippie. This is an American brand which in terms of fashion is incredibly new - 2008 start date. They pretty much do what they say on the tin, mixing high end feel with Bohemian/hippie qualities. Their stuff is gorgeous and everyone from Harrods to Net-A-Porter is trying to get their hands on it. It has a very All Saints feel...but unfortunately at ten times the price. Their pieces are modern takes on classic beauties. They know what makes a woman feel sexy whether it be at coffee with a friend or having cocktails with a beau. I can see them being around for a long time, so start saving ladies - you won't regret it. Oh and they LOVE sequins, so naturally they are our best friends.

Celebrity or Designer: Helena Bonham Carter - she is always my H for anything!! She stands out from the rest and doesn't care what the fashion is. I will never get over her wearing two different coloured Vivienne Westwood shoes to an award ceremony. She is just a doll. When getting dressed think WWHD? What Would Helena Do? She would bin it - and I mean she would wear a bin bag, belt it and call it done. Colour me awe-inspired, she is my queen. Work it girl, crazy is the new black.

Go, pitch up a tent, it sure as heck must be easier.

Becky xx

Man, I Feel Like A Woman!

Good Afternoon all,

I have spent the morning doing what all should do on a grey sad day - staying in, reading Vogue and eating a Nutella and banana toasted sandwich on ... WHITE BREAD!!!! Shock horror I will never be admitted into the fashion world if I eat such things. To be honest I can think of worse foods to spend a lifetime on my hips than a Nutella and banana toasted sandwich. I can think of worse people to spend time there also...

I have been listening to the new 'IT' girl of music Lana Del Rey all morning after reading about her in March's issue of English Vogue. Lana, a girl with a porcelain face situated in the middle of fox red hair has the air of a model. She is one of the "my parents' sold their souls in exchange for me to be incredibly rich, talented and beautiful" club (along with the likes of Emma Watson and January Jones - come on you cant just be born with a body like that!!) ... jealous, me? Anyway, she will go far in the fashion world because Vogue says so: "I was convinced that she would be a great Vogue cover girl, even though she is probably one of the newest stars in her field that the magazine has ever had on the cover".

Lana Del Rey intrigues me a little bit. She has called her own look "gangster Nancy Sinatra" which I think is pretty hilarious. Her music videos have a certain 'home-made' quality to them, which I am loving. Very 'Etsy' of the music entertainment world. We all like the setting on our camera that makes the background fuzzy like we are in a dream, but it makes Lana look other worldly; this is why she will be snapped up quicker than you can say "have you had lip fillers?" as the face of a top brand. Especially because beautiful girls in normal settings taken by normal cameras seems to be the advertising tool of choice at the moment. Marc Jacobs started it and now everyone from Celine to Moschino are using models in pictures that look a bit like that one you took of your best friend that time you went on a day trip to Barry Island...obviously you need to squint a bit.

How far has the fashion world come now that glossy magazines often dont have a photo taken in a studio anywhere in them? If im going to shell out £600 for a pair of Louboutin's I want to know how they will hold up when I am chasing  my lover down the gravel drive of our London mansion as he drives off with Serephina our cleaner, not how they will look under the powerful lights of a studio with a 90lb girl in an awkward pose wearing them. Luckily the fashion world seems to be sharing my view now and is coming up with the most creative campaigns (often squeamishly funny situations for men) you have ever seen. Those who think women are demeaned by fashion photography, look at last year's Gucci campaign which saw non descript men serving beautiful women wearing power suits and then turn to the Givenchy shoot which sees the women in sinfully tailored cream trousers suits, with the men in the skirts. A cheeky wink wink to the powerful women of the world me thinks.

It has never been a more exciting time to be in fashion! The model in the Lacoste advert is yawning, the men have their faces covered by masks in Lanvin (another little hat tip perhaps) and the Balenciaga image looks like they have taken a poor college student, dragged her out of bed and dressed her in something she could only dream of owning! So unique and original!! Next step: put biker chic in a ballet studio, fairy tale costumes into wearable glamour (im talking luxury red capes a la Little Red Riding Hood, not creepy outfits you would find at Anne Summers....) and panniers under skirts!! Ok the last one is a joke...although Karl Lagerfeld did fabulous things not too dissimilar a few years ago.

So many ideas, so little time. Let's hope this interview goes well for me tomorrow!
Becky xx

PS - Jonathan Saunders has won the Vogue Designer Fashion Fund competition that they run every year awarding the winner £200,000 to make it big (or in most cases bigger). Think of what Erdem (a previous winner) has done for us ladies and then realise that this award showcases major talent...watch this space.