Purchase of the Day!

Scarlett2 Nude Patent Peep toes

Where: Topshop

How Much: £62

Beautiful shoes you complete me, well you and some Compeed plasters!! A great nude shoe, perfect for that 'just in case' buy as they will literally go with everything.  The height on these shoes is great giving the leg great definition while combining comfort due to the platform.  If ordering online I would say they are a little on the small side so if you are between sizes make sure you go up.  Great added extra of elastic at the back which has minimised the blisters.  If you get these make sure you book a night out soon as these beauts deserve a night on the dance floor!

A day of Bliss!



A Saturday made of dreams...............a spa day? a day at the beach? Hitting Bluewater? ..... Nope........Wardrobe Detox!!  I love shopping but being a full time shopper can be draining on storage space!  I regularly feel like my wardrobe is about to give way, 'think the hulks T-shirt stylee' and with that image in mind, is it fair to inflict that confinement on my clothes?  When we first buy a product it is given the freedom it deserves swinging on a rail with just another four items, demonstrating the glory of it's fabric as it blows side to side near the open shop door, little does the garment know it is soon to be swept up and loaded onto a crowded rail where it will spend it's time in the dark confinements of an ikea wardrobe compressed between about another 60 item's!  Hardly a happy life and certainly not free range!  So apart from freeing up space and giving garments a little more room a clear out also has huge impacts on our style. 

We only regularly wear 20% of our wardrobe but that other 80% can get confusing,  so will this math so bare with me, if only 20% of it is frequently worn and another 20% is occasional wear what is that other 60%?  It comes down to three things..... the good, the bad and the ugly!

The good -  those clothes where we harbour our memories, the dress I met my husband in, that lucky interview top.....

The bad -  the clothes that don't fit or have been moth eaten, we hang onto them just in case......... in case of what we loose the weight??  Lets face it if we loose enough weight to drop a dress size we deserve new clothes! 

Then the last of course....... The Ugly, sale buys, days of extreme confidence when we thought pink Lycra trousers were our next secret style!  T

he ugly section is the most confusing although all three The good, The bad and The Ugly regularly impact our future buys.  Because we only regularly wear 2 of every ten items we have it is easy to confuse those other eight items with things we currently like, we are regularly changing our style and everyone is drawn to things they already have that are reliable, for example if a guy has a T-Shirt that is green with a graphic print and he is regularly complimented when wearing it, he will go on to buy more green T-shirts with graphic prints.  So this lack of wardrobe renewal can prevent us from growing our style and letting it evolve meaning we get stuck in a fashion circle where we try to change our look but are inevitably just end up with the same old!  The best way round this is the wardrobe detox, I aim to get rid of 50% of my wardrobe every three months and as soon as I do so my purchases are more me, more wearable and on top of this I don't feel bad because let's face it my wardrobe is empty I need that item!

Do it now clear your wardrobe out and find your real style right at the back of it!

Purchase of the Day!

Pins and Needles Breton Top
Where: Urban Outfitters
Price: £28
Colours: Coral, Gold, Green and Navy

Gorgeous Gorgeous Tee and infact a photo can not do this justice as the fabric is soft with it being 100% cotton.  Cute cropped sleeves and a box fit to give off a relaxed attitude.  I went for coral but it also comes in a navy an emerald green and a yellow gold.  Great everyday piece, a staple that every wardrobe deserves!

Bargain of the Day!

So the sales are upon us and let me tell you the economic downtown has equated to at upturn in my wardrobe due to bargains on the highstreet!  With people being cautious with thier cash sales this year have started early and as the high streets been struggling most styles are avalible in all sizes........ a sale first!  Now with the amount of goodies on sale it is difficult to pick a favourite......... but here it is....

Nadalia Trainers

Where: French Connection

Original Price: £35

Sale Price: £21 (However mine had a mark so I managed a another 8 pounds off!!)

Sale Tip: Online there are only size 37 left but in store there are full size ranges!

These great trainers are a nice alternative to the overseen Converse, a great way to stay practical but show off your glam side!  I am only 4 hours into my purchase but it's got to be said they are feeling pretty comfy right now!  Pop on a strippey tee and some 7/8th's jeans for a great Saturday look, however don't sport this look down Colchester Zoo tomorrow or we will look like twins!

Purchase of the day!

Kai Sandals
Where: All Saints
How Much: £85
Colours: Black and White

Hello sexy meets comfy, how can you be so beautiful and yet feel so good! Check out these gorgeous soft leather sandals from All Saints the hand finished sandals have a cushioned sole for comfort and an elastic back strap combined with studded insole and signature zip fastening to give them both the comfort and style edge.  Great with maxis or hot pants this is a sandal to get you noticed.  As the weather is still a little gloomy I went black but why not embrace the upcoming promised heatwave and go white!

Can the Internet turn me on?

Irrelevant of if I agree with it or not or even if I am happy with it or not, men and women everywhere regularly go online to get their kicks, an innocent download of a topless blonde girl, a busty brunette gyrating on a red velour sofa, an oiled up guy flexing his pecs..... if you want it it's out there!  However can someone like myself fuel their passion online or does cyberspace have a tendency of leaving me frustrated, unsatisfied and more importantly under serviced?  Let's face it when I go online late at night and hope no ones watching I am not looking for playgirls, guys in gimp suits or clips of local doggers instead I am in search of floral play suits, killer heels and the next big thing.  While Jenna Jameson might get you hot under the collar Jaeger and Jigsaw are more my thing!  While cyber-shopping and cyber-sex can feel miles apart the similarities seem uncanny when I am late night browsing........ you might hide the tissues while I hide my orders, you may spend that extra fiver to see a snatch while I'll be spending triple that on an extra accessory, when you're done you'll erase your history so your wife doesn't see meanwhile I'll be erasing mine so my husband doesn't either! 

With the cheap frill aside has this virtual exchange of money scratched my itch? No!  What is it I love about shopping?  It's the textures and the colours, seeing how clothes sit together, the service, the feeling of giving my credit card over, the weight of the bag as I leave the shop.  Has my late night rendez-vous with Topshop.com met any of my shopping credentials, yet again..... No.  I can't feel the product, I can't smell that new smell, I can't see the way the fabric skims my body and I have no shop assistants to tell me how great I look.  I have felt this way for a long time and the idea of shopping on the net has regularly disappointed me, poor images not displaying colours correctly, late deliveries, deliveries when your not in, queueing at the Post Office when none of them fitted, overspending because let's face it online transactions don't count!  However I am an addict and most shops are only open 9-6, I am no mathematician but even I know that equates to 15 hours cold turkey!!  This gives me no other option than to turn to the net as darkness falls.  As you can imagine this has led to many a fashion frustrated night but I guess this is no different to your average late night net searchers, yearning for the touch of those they're viewing, I am left with that same empty feeling when I look at the hole in my wardrobe where my new garments should be, however with the recent advancements in web browsing maybe all my prayers have been answered.  While it's a rarity to pay to watch a guy or girl online and follow it up with skin to skin advancements the following day online retail is doing just this.  Browse online, find what you want then get your local store to hold it, what a super idea and lets face it the best of both worlds.  A late night thrill when your search has all been worth while as you've fallen head over heels for a new garment, then the feeling of personalised service as you type your name in and your local store reserve it, then the all important look around the store comes the next day minus the disappointment of them not having your size and that empty space in your wardrobe is filled in less than 24 hours without a £7.95 delivery charge!

My complicated love triangle

I have been married for almost three years now and try my best to be a good wife and stick with my relationship through the ups and downs, there have been days when I have wanted to walk away but there have been far fewer of them than the days I go to bed smiling.  With that said on those days where it has all been too much and I have wondered after a heated argument if it really is the end of the road I have managed not to jump into bed with another man but why is it then that I can not remain brand faithful.  My relationship with retail remains deeper than most and I guess it mirrors the stages we all go through in life:

My First Love: Tammy Girl : My first pedal pushers, my first thong, my first graphic tee.............. my first real shopping trip.  From the moment I first took a Tammy silver shopper home I knew we had a relationship I would never forget about.

The One That Got Away: French Connection:  I used to be so keen on you but somewhere along 2007 you seemed to loose your way, as a result you were never on my shopping list and although you've matured and your product has improved in recent years I know I'll never get back what I once had with you even though I wish I could.

The Boring One: GAP: You always have what I need but you never have what I want! 

The Friend With Benefits: Primark:  Beautiful dress you say for a £5 go on then it's a win win for everyone!

The One Night Stand: River Island:  I got an amazing outfit from you once, I keep looking but nothing will ever top that dress! 

The Cheater: H&M: You look great sitting in the window ,maxi dress at £6.99, I get you home and you look good but after a few wears you change completely, you are all out of shape and your seams are going, however much I think you've changed it's always the same old you.

The Bad Guy: All Saints:  You look good, you are far too much for me but I can't help myself.  I can't lie I regularly put you on on a night out just to get noticed! 

The One: Topshop:  I have 5 minutes to find an outfit...... you'll be there and you'll deliver.    I am having a fat day......... you'll be there and you'll make me feel thin again.  I need an outfit for..... work/play/a wedding/a gig......... no matter the occasion you'll have just what I am looking for.  I feel down and I know the answer is you!

With the above in mind I should be happy with 'the one' alone however this is not the case!  While I have favourites, mine being Topshop and All Saints I have real enemies too, Jane Norman and Dorothy Perkins!  With the loves and loathes aside I still can not resist all those in between and this is my shopping downfall.  If I buy from my favourites I love the garments and get maximum wear out of them but when I buy from my one night stand or the cheater I end up being cynical of how it washes or the fit of the garment.  With that in mind why can we not then stay faithful to the good old faithfuls......... because our relationship is with fashion and not a single store alone.  While I know I would never cheat on fashion I think that staying a little more brand loyal and thinking up your own love triangle or even hexagon if your struggling to try and be picky would help alleviate those mistake buys and would help you achieve a more usable wardrobe.  Give it a go start a love hexagon, it's the only time you can share the love and not get in trouble!  I am going to stay faithful to Topshop but plan to flirt with All Saints and Warehouse, I might even give River Island a booty call I'd like to say I'll avoid H&M but lets face it us girls can't avoid the cheaters!

Enjoy your cheeky affair girls!

Purchase of the day!

Feather Print Bikini
Where: Warehouse
How Much: Bikini Top £14, Bikini Bottoms £12

The sun may have gone in but I am determined not let the dank weather effect my summer wardrobe hunt and what better way to show the weather I mean business than bikini shopping?  Although we are aware I am supposed to be on the Monokini track down I have managed to get side tracked by the two piece and to be honest I am glad with this little find!  The Feather Print bikini is a mixture of purple, green, yellow and red and would certainly not look out of place on some Spanish resorts dance floor!  The standout ruffle detailing gives the bikini a real luxurious feel making it hard to believe it is just £26.  It also comes with the added bonus of removable padding, but keep that secret girls!

Purchase of the day!

Plum Fusion Amourette 300 WHP
Where: Triumph
How Much: £26

Nothing says hello summer like this beautiful bra!  Totally fell in love with it!  Gorgeous fluorescent hot pink which is one of this seasons must have colours,  Comes in three styles padded, wired and non-wired so there's a style for every ones shape.  Let's face it it also gives me an excuse to shop as I'll have to find a top that colour now too!  Stocks seem to be selling fast so get down to Triumph fast if you fancy one!

WANTED: Marbs Monokini.

So I have always been a big hater of the monokini, is it a swimsuit? is it a bikini? The truth is it doesn't really know!  As we know anyone struggling to find their true being usually comes with baggage and the monokini is no exception to the rule, dodgy tan lines, tangles in the toilet and many a wardrobe malfunction!  Surely the last sentence is enough to put anyone off and it has kept me at bay for the last 4 years but........ after recently booking a trip to Marbella this summer with some girlfriends the competition is on for top pool party poser one-piece.  Apparently a glitzy bikini will no longer cut the mustard and instead the peek-a-boo cut out one-piece is the only way to go for fashionistas like myself.  While I've tried a few styles over the years it is becoming very apparent that the offending monokini has strategically placed holes for my love handles to protrude from, so for this reason the search is still on.  But with a new Spring/Summer a new search must begin and with celebs like Rhianna, Paris Hilton and Amy Childs sporting the look there are more on the high street than ever before.  While the monokini has only really been popular since 2009 it is already trending and regularly updating with the most sought after style this season being the bandage wrap style.
Although it feels like a fairly new trend as we all know the fashion loop is ever lasting and Grenreich's monokini (pictured above) which may be more familiar to your mother is unlike any of it's modern day offspring.  The swimsuit designed in the 60s was more like a highwasit panty with straps which reached around the shoulders leaving the breast exposed.  However even before this similar garments have been seen in ancient Egyptian paintings and in shaping garments used in the 15th century.
The main fascination of the now monkini is to appear sexy whereas the original monokini was designed to free the female breast from its corseted unnatural cups however whatever the purpose its caused controversy and captured wandering looks irrelevant of the century or decade and with that in mind I must have one, if it was good enough for Cleopatra it is certainly good enough for me.
Update to follow on my Monokini shopping trip!

Purchase of the day!

Blue Jersey Tiered Maxi Dress
Where: Topshop
How Much: £29

So a simple staple to get my daily shopping fix back off the ground.  This maxi dress looks basic but it is an incredibly good fit, rather than the usual jersey cling problems this one hugs you in all the right place.  With a thick band at the top it doesn't create overspill around the back or under the arms and then the elastic waist clinchers means there is no tummy hugging either.  The tier at the bottom is handy too as it creates a slight A-line which once again hides a multitude of sins on the thigh area.  So £29 is sounding like a bargain as this dress works as many wonders as a full week of liposuction.  My advice stick to the blue, it also comes in pink but the lighter colour is not so flattering on the figure.  Avoid the look pictured instead team with flats, sunglasses and a denim jacket, the belt added in the picture undoes all the figure enhancing this dress gives!  If you feel naked without accessories team a cool fringed bag and a chunky necklace as this doesn't cut the shape of the dress.

You thought it was over!

I put my hands up, I am guilty, guilty of being neglectful to my blog.  So I started a new job late last year and since then the hours have turned to days, days to weeks and weeks to months and as a result here I am almost halfway through 2011 and no blogging has occurred.  Some people, my husband especially may have like to think I have conquered my obsession of compulsive shopping and that was the reason for the muteness on my page.  I am both regretful and yet still very glad that in fact no miracles have occurred, I have not been going cold turkey my obsession is living on and can usually be found breeding on Oxford Circus Topshops Ground Floor!
In between work and shopping trips I have had a few people ask when my blog would be back so here I am, blogging my shops to make you feel less bad about your spends!  You know me, modern day hero!  So I vow to bring back the usual daily purchase and will continue to share my shopping stories.  Follow me on Blogspot, Facebook or Twitter!