The Fashion Closet Archives - Page 8 of 29

What I Wore: To My Birthday Dinner

I turned 40 this weekend, a huge milestone in one’s life and apparently as older people will tell you, it’s the point that things begin to take a downward slide. Totally not the case. In my case it’s when things get a whole lot more fun, I’m taking more risks than ever with fashion, I have an even bigger “fuck it” attitude towards most things, and I’ve kicked more stressful shit aside than ever. Being 40 is mint and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

My lovely husband Bo organised a surprise birthday dinner and gathered only the best members of our family to a venue that was shrouded in secrecy, I was told to dress however I wanted to and to keep warm as we’d have a little way to walk from the car. I have a bit of a love / hate relationship with surprises and Bo knows this, I really, really love them. But also really, really hate them, so knowing this, I was assured that this was one that I’d love and to just go with it.

An Image of Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum face on wearing a cat printed long sleeved midi dress with a necklace saying "Fuck You All" printed by Pop Up Studio in Low fell holding a Lady Dior bag at her 40th birthday dinner

So, the facts: a dinner, the best peeps, possibly some cold weather. I hit my middle floor closet and pulled together an outfit I’d put in the “Cute” category. A dress covered in space cats bought for me by Bo as a Christmas present (with pockets), opaque black tights, my M&S boots which I bought a few months ago now and have since sold out but I’ve literally never had them off my feet, and a custom made necklace given to me as a Christmas gift by Pop Up Studio in Low Fell which says “Fuck You All” – Yeah, they know me pretty well. Also, debuting my new shorter hair forced upon me by a pre-Christmas fuck up in the hair salon.

An image of Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum in a park next to a tree decorated with fairy doors. She is wearing a long sleeved cat print midi dress and buckled boots and holding a Lady Dior bag. she is facing the camera on the day of her 40th birthday ready to go out to dinner

A short car ride later and we were parked up on the Gateshead Quayside and walking in the direction of the old and now infamous Buffalo Joe’s and Baja Beach Club Sites. As we crossed the road and entered the new By The River Brew Co. site I knew instantly where we were headed, I’d been talking about visiting ever since reading Jay Rayner’s glowing review in The Guardian calling this place a “must visit” and possibly “one of the best restaurant’s in the UK”. As we entered Träkol (Swedish for Charcoal) the first thing that hit us was how dark and atmospheric the place is. We visited on an uber cold Winter’s night with the wind whipping our heels on the way in. The main source of light was a warm, low glow from a free standing Parkray fire in the middle of the main room.

An image of the underside of the Tyne Bridge stretching from the Gateshead Quayside to the Newcastle Quayside lit up purple against the night sky. Image taken by Pixie Tenenbaum

As this is an outfit post rather than a birthday dinner review, I won’t go into extreme detail as I’ll go way over my word count but let me say this, Träkol exceeded expectation. The whole thing, the ethos of nose to tail meant that the menu proposed dome difficult options but we needn’t have worried, everything we ordered was delicious. Even Plankton, our twelve year old son was able to order something and finish every last scrap of what he was presented with, the food served is divine. It’s prepared and presented with care and attention and every ounce of flavour can be tasted. We weren’t there as press, or Bloggers, we were simply there as a family who paid for a birthday dinner together and we’d highly recommend that you check them out if you’re in the area.

Pixie

Categories: The Fashion Closet, The Glorious North East

What I Wore: To Channel Sabrina The Teenage Witch

Actually, that title maybe a little misleading as this is perhaps more of a Weird Sisters look, I like to think of myself as more of a Sabrina by nature but a Prudence or a Dorkus in the style stakes. This is one of my favourite looks at the minute and it’s not too difficult to achieve right now as similar dresses are pretty easy to find on the highstreet.

It started as a microstyle on the runways maybe 18 months ago and as with everything in fashion, it takes time to trickle down and eventually hit the highstreet as what we know as a “trend”. The highstreet is great at picking out the “fast” and easily identifiable top level trends, i.e. the ones that will sell and “convert” into highstreet mass sales, – the ones that the highstreet as a whole will latch on to and buy en masse from overseas producers. Basically the ones that you’ll see in every shop window throughout Spring / Summer / Fall / Winter. Because fashion works as a domino effect.

What they’re not so great at, is recognising underlying trends, those are the ones that can take much longer to hit the rails, and often stores have no idea why they’re selling them, or where those looks came from. Because some buyer watched a show and took a risk on a look and bought up a cheaper production of it. This is one of those. It’s one you could very easily make, or customise too, I’ve done it to pretty great effect, all you need is a black shift dress and some heavy lace, you don’t even need to particularly skilled at stitching as it’s all hand stitching and it can all be hidden.

So, your best bet for finding this look on the cheap is Matalan. Matalan have a couple of similar styles in black, forest green and midnight blue complete with white fluted sleeves however there’s one caveat, they’re only produced in the brand’s petite range which means they’s smaller in every dimension, not just the length. If like me you’re tall, this option is out.

Elsewhere on the highstreet you’ll find similar (although poor quality) in New Look – currently in administration so be quick.

What I Wore: Sabrina The Teenage Witch 1

An image of Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum walking in a church yard wearing a black velvet mini dress in the style of The Weird Sisters with white detailing and glass buttons, carrying a Chanel quilted bag

The dress I’m wearing here is a FW18 Zara dress which I bought myself online (no previous affiliation). Normally I’d advise you to go into the store and try on because I’m an advocate for keeping our British highstreet alive and thriving, however in the case of Zara stores I’d strongly advise against it and suggest that you buy online at every opportunity. Staff are rude, obnoxious, unhelpful, patronising, unfriendly – and it’s not store specific. I’ve experienced this in every Zara store I’ve ever visited and a quick Twitter poll recently concluded that you Voyeurs feel exactly the same. My advice here is vote with your feet, buy online and use your home as your changing room, return anything you don’t need. Simples. I’ve styled this with opaque black tights (everyone owns opaques), my current favourite M&S boots which I bought around September-ish last year (also in this post), and one of my favourite Chanel quilted handbags which I just don’t get enough use out of so I’ve decided to use more this year.

Now, where’s my spellbook…..?

Pixie

Categories: The Fashion Closet

Styling Holly’s Must Haves at M&S for Winter 18/19

Once upon a time Marks and Spencer was somewhere you’d shop for food, maybe a t-shirt bra and the kids school uniform. These days however, things have changed. Marks and Spencer has a new Creative Director of Womenswear in post and things are really picking up for the high street giant.

With a new campaign and a national sweetheart fronting it, it seems Marks and Spencer has become pan-demographic in just one simple move. By putting Holly Willoughby front and centre and giving her one simple role; to pick out her favourite, key pieces from each Marks and Spencer drop and labelling it Holly’s Must Haves, before styling it and appearing in a very simple ‘Girl Next Door’ type campaign. Not over styled, not overshot, just very simple, worn as every girl buying off the peg would wear them. The idea? To create a complete capsule wardrobe from around 12-16 pieces to include clothing, accessories, shoes and outerwear. Simple.

Simple and lucrative. Very lucrative. With Holly’s star power rising by the day, especially since her stint on I’m A Celebrity – which is around the time this Winter edit first dropped, it seems everything she puts her name to is destined for success. So is this micro-collection any good? Remember, she hasn’t had any hand in the design process, it’s a simple edit of a wider collection. I was invited along for a private viewing the day before the collection launched at the Newcastle store and had the chance to try the pieces on and have a good look at the quality.

Actually, it’s exactly what you’d expect from M&S. It’s good quality, reliable, washable and affordable, as well as being reasonably ethical for something that’s pretty mass produced – Marks and Spencer have been named Most Ethical High street Retailer for Clothing since 2007. The trompe l’oeil A-line skirt is a standout piece for me, with its chunky belt it come’s in two lengths; regular or tall, I’ve opted for regular despite my 5’10.5 frame because the longer length looked a little frumpy on me and more like office wear. I’ve styled it exactly the same as the campaign shot, with the horizontal striped fine knit sweater tucked in. I also bought the fine knit pink roll neck which is a slightly finer grade knit and looks great with a high waisted denim jean.

Fashion Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum wears an A-Line skirt and striped sweater from the Winter 2018 edit of Holly's Must Haves from Marks & Spencer with a Dior bag for Fashion Voyeur

These are my favourite pieces from this edit, the smallest edit so far consisting of just 12 pieces. However if you’re looking for something a little more formal you’ll find a cool scale mustard button down shirt, a pale pink Victoriana style flat fronted blouson with zipper detail at the wrists, and some really great basic black trousers that come in different lengths and promise to take you from office to bar. The whole collection is available in sizes 6-24 (kudos Marks and Spencer) that’s a pretty great variety of sizes right there, and the shoes go right up to a size 9 and include a wider fit too.

In terms of accessories you’ll find circle bags in soft buttery leather, shoes and boots. There’s also a coatigan that may have been better placed with an early Spring drop but it’s sure to sell out regardless with the power of Holly Willoughby in its coat tails!

The great thing about these edits is that they aren’t limited edition, they’re core collection. That means that they’ll be reproduced within that season, they’ve been selected as part of an edit within a micro collection and will continue to be restocked so if you see a piece that you like, the likelihood is that you’ll be able to get it either instore or online and if there’s some kind of Sparks offer running, these pieces are included, they aren’t put on a pedestal and held at full price.

Pixie

Categories: The Fashion Closet

Sleigh the Ugly Christmas Jumper Trend with Boohoo

Let’s face it Voyeurs, Christmas jumpers are going nowhere, over the past decade or so, we’ve seen them skyrocket in popularity. What started off as a bit of a joke, has become an annual trend that gets bigger every year. Whether it’s an ugly Christmas jumper, a fairisle jumper, a sequinned beauty, something with a cheeky slogan, or a tinsel knit, everyone should have at least one Christmas jumper in their wardrobe.

There’s more than just hideous knitted sprouts and cheeky slogans behind us wearing our Christmas jumpers though. Each year children’s charity Save The Children nominate and set one Friday in December as national Christmas Jumper Day and children and adults alike pay a suggested minimum donation of £2 to wear their Christmas jumpers instead of their regulation uniforms and work clothing. (NB you can donate to this appeal any time throughout the year, not just on Christmas Jumper Day).

If you’re looking to sleigh the Christmas jumper trend and inject a little more glamour into your festive wardrobe, here’s a little gem I found during a recent team up I did with Boohoo.com on their Christmas campaign. It’s a Christmas jumper that still screams Christmas, but definitely not in the ugly Christmas jumper kind of way.

This is one that can be styled as an oversized piece or in your regular size and can be worn very casual with jeans or with your most glam party outfit. This one is wool but has tinsel threat throughout so it glitters under the light making it feel just special enough to wear with kick pleat skirts or PVC pants and glitter disco boots for Christmas and New Year’s parties.

As a party look I’ve layered it over a star embroidered dress from Topshop’s 2017 Halloween collection for a more witchy vibe (you know me) with some flat quilted Chanel boots although you can pick up some almost identical ones from Grenson Shoes – a brand which is super hot right now thanks to Holly Willoughby’s stint in the Australian jungle. Unfortunately I had to take these pictures on my landing because there was sleet, wind, all kinds of crappy weather outside and my autistic 11 year old having an almighty tantrum underneath the Christmas tree at the time – cue shrugging emoji.

So, if you’re looking to escape the ugly Christmas jumper trend this year, or just to add to your ever growing collection, I know that’s what I’m doing, then consider a tinselly piece to throw over your party outfit. Whatever you do, make sure you sleigh this season.

Pixie

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

Christmas Shopping with Metrocentre

Whilst most of the focus has been on the imminent closure of House of Fraser and the headline grabbing antics of Mike Ashley, you might have missed a whole batch of brand new stores that have popped up at Intu Metrocentre recently. See these guys don’t like to shout about it when they have us to do that for them…

This week Intu Metocentre invited eight of its centre Bloggers along to take a tour of some of the latest additions to the shopping mall and see some of those famous Christmas trees that go floor to glass ceiling. Sounds pretty good right? Well throw in one Santa Express Train and things just got awesome!

train Ticket for Snta Express at Intu Metrocentre December 2018

So, as we boarded the train, champagne flutes in hand, we set off on a tour like no other, with a few little surprises along the way. First stop, Hotel Chocolat, not a new store but with some beautifully festive windows and a quick refuel with some coconut ice-cream and mini chocolate reindeer, we were ready to head off to visit our first new store.

Jack Wills

This is a huge win for Intu Metrocentre, the varsity brand bridges a gap that appeals to teenagers and students as well as twenty somethings and beyond. In order to capitalise on the Christmas trade, a pop up store launched on the ground floor whilst the permanent store was being fitted ready to launch December 5th and I’m told the shop fit will be the typical Jack Wills aesthetic. Think dark wood flooring, monochrome tiling, exposed metal fixtures and those signature blue and pink stripes. If you’re looking for gifts for teenagers then you’re bound to find something here whether it’s a rugby shirt, a scarf or a simple beauty gift. On leaving the pop up store we were gifted a roll on perfume in handbag size which would make the perfect stocking filler, and a cute pair of thick ankle height socks, perfect for wearing with chelsea boots in the colder weather.

G-Star Raw
Jack Wills
G-Star Raw

G-Star Raw

I gotsta be honest Voyeurs, this is a store I know of because I see it on Tottenham Court Road when I’m working in London, but I never go in because I always thought it was a men’s store but after hearing a little bit more about it, it’s piqued my interest and here’s why. Sustainable Denim. That’s right, G-Star Raw is a huge part of the sustainable fashion movement and each piece it makes is ethically sourced and sustainably made. The store itself is a denim lovers paradise, the biggest hurdle is getting through the door and it’s easy to see why you might be put off because looking through and into the space it’s just piled high with denim. Once you’re in however, staff are helpful and knowledgable, cuts are easy to understand and sizing is generous. In terms of pricing for denim it’s middle of the road, the average pair of G-Star Raw jeans is £80 which is comparable to Seven for All Mankind, Paige or And/Or. Only with this brand, you’re part of a positive movement. You’ll find this store on the ground floor opposite Flannels and The Disney Store.

The Couture Club

You’ll find The Couture Club in the Red Mall towards Debenhams, its dark frontage and red logo make it stand out as a streetwear store. Once inside you’ll see the store is divided into premium and more affordable streetwear as well as some premium sportswear. The shop-fit is simple and dark with wire fixtures and decorative skulls, this one is definitely a brand for fans of wearing a logo.

Victoria’s Secret

This is the one you’ve been waiting for, so, it’s finally here, the store the North East has yearned for for years, Victoria’s Secret has landed and man is it good. The store itself is a double walkthrough store – meaning we get Victoria’s Secret and we get PINK and they link through into one 10,000sqft store which combine Victoria’s Secret, Victoria’s Secret Sport, PINK, PINK Sport, Sleep and Lounge wear as well as the whole beauty and makeup offering which is pretty amazing right?

The store offers free bra measuring and those girls will run around after you all day long if needs be to find you the right bra, or they’ll leave you in peace if you want to choose your own. Whatever you tell them, they’ll do. Victoria’s Secret has one method of training and it rolls out across all stores so as long as you make your wishes clear at the outset, these Angels will do what they can to make them come true.

There are also seasonal offers which change pretty frequently and they’re real good. from their recent two bras for £40 (yes you read that right) through to 30% off all sleepwear, there’s pretty much an offer on in-store everyday. If you’re not a fan of the lingerie, and there are some of you out there, then the gym wear can’t be beaten. Some of the best gym wear I’ve ever had is from Victoria’s Secret Sport and with three lines, that means three price points and even the entry level range is every bit as good as Nike’s Dri-Fit running tights. True story. There’s also the obligatory Victoria’s Secret Wings photo opportunity tucked away underneath the closest escalator to the store too, you’re welcome Voyeurs.

Quiz Clothing

This one is more of a mover than a brand new store, Quiz has taken a bit of a hiatus from Intu Metrocentre whilst the new store was being remodelled in the Red Mall. It’s come to be be known as a total sparkle-fest and when we arrive that’s evident as the store is piled high with sequinned Christmas party dresses and shimmery jumpsuits all endorsed by the girls of TOWIE (including my lush mate Chloe Lewis).

We were very kindly given £40 to spend in-store on a party piece and as you know sparkle isn’t really my thing, I make it my mission to find something Christmassy, but not with too much sparkle and end up going way over budget and spending an additional £34 of my own money too on a ridiculously sparkly and very off brief floor length skirt, a houndstooth check jersey dress and an amazing skirt that looks like a 3D Christmas tree which I never would have found if I hadn’t been invited to this event, so thank-you Intu Metrocentre.

So, if like me, you’re yet to even think about starting your Christmas shopping, then Intu Metrocentre is a pretty good bet. With all your usual festive favourites (err Marks & Spencer anyone??) as well as some brand new amazing destination stores such as Victoria’s Secret and Jack Wills to check out too.

Pixie

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