White out!

Wearing white is a luxury for Miss Magpie - with a beau so well versed in the art of spilling the vino tinto, it's a guaranteed disaster. However, not only is white one of the hottest colours - or non-colours - of the season, it's just so classic and utterly luxurious. I've recently spotted a slew of a-listers giving the hue a whirl and i'm not talking in the Paris Hilton 'i'm so innocent' way - they look totally gorge!

 Kylie Minogue in Givenchy

With a new baby nephew on the scene, Kylie better make the most of wearing this divine white number while she can. So relaxed yet so chic - i'm all over this look! I'm also hugely jealous of the lapping waves in the background and Kylie's sun-kissed skin - the most important accessories for any white ensemble.

 Blake Lively in Christian Dior

Ok, so this a wee bit 'butter-wouldn't-melt' but we'll let Blake off this once, afterall she's wearing a great classic shift dress, accessorized to perfection with Christian Louboutin's 2010 answer to the Mary-Jane. Totally love the fascinator, though she looks a bit more bride than couture show celeb, but that's really neither here nor there. Good look Blake.

Jessica Alba in Chanel

I would normally say that combining white, red and black together in the same outfit is totally tacksville, but Ms Alba has proven me wrong on this occasion. Kudos to the girl (or her stylist) for bringing together such random items. The bondage-esque caged Loubs are the antithesis of the angelic white dress, but they work together perfectly. Bravo.

Ooh, I want to wear white! Time for a girls only, red wine free day out methinks.

I want to join the couture club!

Where do designers go to let their imaginations run completely free and wild? Why, Couture Fashion Week of course. This season, our favourite couturiers did not disappoint. Karl Lagerfeld's giant lion, Valentino's gift wrap dresses, Christian Dior's giant flowers...there was so much for Miss Magpie to oggle, that she barely knows where to begin!

Here are my 5 highlights from Couture Week:

 Chanel Couture A/W'10

Karl's hit the jackpot; ding, ding, ding! What a totally fantastic stage he set up. A ginormous replica of a statue owned by Coco Chanel herself, Karl's lion stands loud and proud. And how befitting that the king of the catwalk chose the king of the jungle. Love it! The clothes? Yeh, they were ok too I suppose.

Christian Dior Couture A/W'10

A burst of colourful flowers played host to a jaw-droppingly, gorgeous collection of dresses. I would wear any single one of them, any day of the week, were I ever given the opportunity of course.

 Valentino A/W'10

You can always count on Valentino to come up with a collection that is super feminine and pretty. This look was the highlight for me, though i'm not quite sure how you are meant to hold your glass of champers - you know how important that is to me!

 Givenchy Couture A/W'10

Givenchy always provides the 'edge' that I crave. This dress is part glamourista, part mutant - who'd have thought that was a match made in heaven?!

Jean Paul Gaultier Couture A/W'10

It's the gorgeous Dita! Who cares what the clothes were like - hell, I don't even remember - when the finale is a bondage, corseted Dita von Teese? Amazing!

Cocktail chic

To celebrate our 'official' engagement, we thought it imperative that we throw a lavish cocktail party...and that I get to wear something totally indulgent! Celebrating with cocktails, champagne and canapes, and transforming our apartment in to London's hottest bar (!), this was like no other party we have thrown before. I knew exactly what I needed to pull out of my wardrobe for this once in a lifetime (hopefully) occasion.

Get a load of these:

Oh, Mr Louboutin how you excelled yourself when you came up with these beauties. And i'm going to let you in to a little secret, that you must promise not to tell anyone else - I bought these skyscrapers over a year ago at a sample sale, in anticipation of this event. I didn't mind waiting, I just knew I had to wear them to my engagement party. Sshhh! Don't tell anyone...especially my beau.

Anyway, here's the whole ensemble:

Remember this dress? Yep, it's the one my beau bought me the morning before he proposed to me in New York. I'd have normally bought something new for an event like this, but there was just no need this time - F.Y.I i'm as shocked as you are that i'm actually saying that. Miracles really do happen, it seems!

Sari central

It was saris at dawn last Saturday (quite literally) as my beau and I celebrated our 'official' engagement in true Indian traditional style. The ceremony is a simple affair, where the groom-to-be's family welcomes the bride-to-be in to their family, showering her with gifts, jewellery and saris. It's a tough job but someone's got to do it!

So, let's get down to basics... What did I wear? I opted for a very pale shimmering lilac sari decorated with silver crystals and bead work. It was the first sari I picked out on the mega shopping trip Nani Magpie took me on - I'd say it was love at first sight.

What do you think?

Then, during the ceremony my beau's sister draped me in a green sari - green being a very auspicious colour. Lucky me got to go sari shopping with my lovely new mother-in-law to find myself the sari of my dreams. This is what we selected together:

Made entirely out of net, this sari is the latest style (apparently) to hit the market. Covered in swirling sequins, this sari was definitely made for Miss Magpie!

And this is just the beginning - watch out for many more saris over the next year!

Better late than never...challenge complete!

Friday was the fifth and final day of my clothing revival challenge - I know that today is Monday, let's just say I had some technical problems and leave it at that, otherwise you'll see the wrath of Miss Magpie...and that's not a pretty sight!

Well, after unearthing and falling in love all over again with a pair of shoes, a shirt dress, a pair of sunnies and a maxi dress, my last find had to be a good one. I was on the hunt for a piece of jewellery to finish the collection and here's what I found:

This little (or rather large) gem of a statement necklace dates back to my University days. It was a post-finals gift for myself and I have worn it to death! It's had a bit of a break in recent times however, so I definitely think it is time to bring it back in to the spotlight. Isn't it just fab?

The beauty of this necklace is that it goes with everything. LBD? Deffo. Jeans and a top? Yep. Summer maxi? Certainly. Has to be a surefire hit.

In conclusion

1. Never throw anything away
2. Before you buy something new, check what you might have hanging in the back of your wardrobe
3. Everything (well, nearly everything) comes back in to fashion

And on that note, i'm going shopping...well I won't have any future golden oldies if I don't buy some in preparation, will I?!

Another day, another great find!

Day 4 of the great clothing revival.

It's Wimbledon.

I'm on center Court.

The Queen is gracing the championships with her super VIP presence, after 33 years away.
 
Today it was more than imperative that I find the best golden oldie that my wardrobe's back catalogue  
has to offer. With another scorchio day on the cards, I wanted something loose-fitting, flowing and bright. This morning I dug out a vintage maxi that had not seen the light of day for a good three years. I don't know why because i'm totally smitten!

 Probs should have taken the photo before my make-up melted and before I filled my bladder with champers...but you get the gist!

 The best bit. 

I heart the open criss-cross back - obvs the black strap is a necessary supportive device, not part of it.

I bagged this beaut on Ebay when I was studying in the States [Top Tip: American Ebay has loads more to offer than its Brit counterpart]. It cost a just a few dollars and was worth every penny i'd say. Welcome back maxi!

P.S. Wimbledon was fab.

Look what eye spotted today!

Day 3 of the big wardrobe revival...

I woke up this morning to glorious sunshine - an instant recipe for a good mood! And what do you need most when the sun has got its hat on? A pair of shades of course. Now, I have roughly 20 pairs of sunglasses, 19 of which I don't really wear. Today I thought it was time to shake things up a bit. Rummaging around my closet, I found my fave sunnies from Summer 2007. Round Chanel-alikes that I practically lived back then (most of my glasses stem from the high street as I am a notorious lens scratcher. My designer shades are reserved for only the most worthy occasions).

Voila:

 My H&M shades are resuscitated

 Unfortunately my 'To do' list is too long to keep posing in them all day long

And it seems that I am not the only one taking a trip down memory lane...

Nicole first wore her real Chanel (biatch), two-toned sunnies in Summer 2007 and was seen sporting them again only a couple of days ago. Snap! She may have actually led the trend the first time round, which is slightly cringe, but now that she has upped her standing in the style (and respectability) stakes, i'm quite proud to be her doppelganger this week.

Tomorrow i'm off to Wimbledon, so i'll have to pull something fab out of the bag. Yikes! Stay tuned to see what happens...

The Great Wardrobe Revival: Part 2

It's day 2 of the 'old clothes made new' challenge and i'm rather pleased with myself today! Lurking in the deepest, darkest depths of my wardrobe, was this totally on trend for SS'10's safari-chic shirt-dress:

It dates all the way back to 1999 (it's practically vintage), when I was sweet 16 and comes from Zara's teen collection. Woohoo! Who cares if anyone likes it - I can still get in to it!

And actually, I do quite like it. Had I not had an 'incident' with my razor this morning I would have ditched the leggings, done up one more button (gotta keep my modesty intact) and layered on the beaded necklaces. My zebra-print Loubs make the perfect safari footwear - a safari on the streets of London that is, probs not so practical in the Kenyan outback. Might have to plan a research trip for that though...


The moral to this story? Never throw anything away!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's (hopefully) fab find...

Miss Magpie - The Clothes Whisperer

It came to me in a moment of sheer inspiration, almost like some kind of divine intervention. There I was this morning, standing semi-naked in my walk-in with 'nothing' to wear. "Right, i'm calling in sick and going shopping," was my gut reaction. But then I spotted them. A pair of shoes I had completely forgotten I had. Four years ago I was madly in love with them, but then the season changed and off they went in to the vast abyss that is my wardrobe.Until now that is. What a perfect way to add some new life to my current wardrobe. Who needs to go shopping when I have a wealth of golden oldies right here in front of me that desperately need resurrecting from the clothing grave [plus, with a wedding on the cards, every penny counts].

Today, my outfit was saved (no exaggeration) with these hot pink beauts:

[Excuse dodgy Daily Mail carpet]

See! Aren't they brill. Fuschia satin criss-cross with a black patent heel and platform, Topshop circa. Summer 2006. How could I have forgotten about them?!

This episode got me thinking - I must have so many similar items, that a few years ago I loved and then fickly cast aside. Well, this week, I vow to bring back to life a different oldie every day. And you can all be my witnesses, as I will document them here every single day.

Ooh, isn't this exciting! Stay tuned for more Magpie revivals...

Magpie Spy 6

Miss Magpie's bed is a-calling, but just before I hit the hay for tonight, I wanted to share this absolute vision of perfection with you:

 Megan Fox in Armani Prive

Ooh-la-la! Megan looks totally and utterly gorgeous - I can't fault her on a single thing. I'm not normally one for a red dress - they can slip quite easily in to slutsville (N.B. very different from slut chic) - but how I wish I had this baby hanging in my wardrobe.

And on that note, I will rest my weary head with sweet dreams of my future Armani Prive dress. No doubt my beau will be falling asleep with sweet dreams of what is inside the dress. I guess I can allow that on this occasion!

Magpie round-up

Without wanting to bring up the obvious point that I haven't written for a whole week (shame on me!), I thought i'd give you a brief round-up of the week's top 5 most stylish happenings.

In at number 1...
The summer sales have started. Need I say any more? Only that this year they seem to particularly impressive. Check out these bargain buys:

 Vivienne Westwood Disco Fabric Mini Dress at Selfridges

Was £300 - Now £135

I need.

 Olivia Rubin Gaudi Belted Strapless Dress at My-Wardrobe.com

Was £230 - Now £115

A classic, long-lasting investment buy

Christopher Kane Tank Dress at Matches

Was £188 - Now £115

Comfy, moody and Kane. Perf.

And Harrods, Harvey Nichs, Browns and Net-a-Porter are all yet to start their sales. Bring on bargain central!

2. Isle Of Wight chic

Festival fashion is SO over done. If I see another celeb sporting Hunters and denim hot-pants, well, i'll get very annoyed. Thanks be to Paloma Faith then, who pulled out all the stops for the Isle of Wight Festival. You'd hardly know that she was surrounded by fans rolling around in mud and overflowing portaloos, in this Gaga-esque number. She's totally off her rockers and I love it!

 The OTT LBD: a new festival must-have?

3. The Power of Zara 

My fave high-street store (rather, the only high-street store I really bother visiting anymore) is on the up, up, up! With profits soaring and world domination not far away, I don't know why I was surprised to find THE bib necklace of my dreams lurking amongst the floral silk rails.

At £19.99, no wonder Zara is one step ahead of the competition.

4.A little lady love

Did you know that Sao Paulo Fashion Week is the fifth largest Fashion Week in the world after NYC, Paris, Milan and London. I guess with a country so large, it's not that surprising. Anyway, I digress... One person who got SPFW on the map this season was none other than Brazilian goddess, Gisele Bundchen - supermodel, mother, general butter-wouldn't-melt angel. You'd hardly guess that she gave birth 6 months ago! She's clearly got hold of a secret that us mere mortals are not privy to. Whatever it is, doesn't she just look sensational?

Ok, we're not here just to perve on Gisele. I'm mighty impressed by this little ensemble from the Colcci SS'11 collection (don't forget that their seasons are the opposite of ours). Lovely twist on a classic style, though not sure the hair was thought through.

5. Married in Matthew

Yikes...it's so much fun when you can actually look at wedding dresses and consider making a purchase. Last week saw the arrival of Matthew Williamson's first bridal collection at Net-a-Porter.com. Eek! Double eek! And triple eek, eek, eek! You'd never guess that I was excited by this would you?

Well, gorgeous though the dresses are, I shall not be wearing Matthew Williamson to my wedding. If you are looking for something simple and boho, then these are the dresses for you. But if like me, you're searching for a bit of bling and a lot of drama, these frocks will disappoint.

 

They are a bit too summer maxi dress and not enough "look at me - i'm the bride". I mean i'd definitely wear them on holiday for a fancy dinner, but to my wedding. Er, hell no!

So, there you go: 5 posts in one. I hope that makes up for my recent absence and I promise to pull up my socks this week.

Palaces, parties and pretty dresses

Darling Magpie fans,

I'm ever so sorry that i've been so slack on the old blog front. This engagement 'thing' takes up a lot of time - all fun of course...though I think I may have finally drunk enough champagne. For ever.

Since the big proposal we've had a series of celebrations with the family: my family, my beau's family and the Royal Family. Oh yes, Miss Magpie received a personal congratulations from none other than Prince Edward, whilst sipping champers with him at Buckingham Palace last night.

Ok, let me explain... Thanks to my beau's very clever cousin, we were invited to dine at the palace at a black tie event in honour of some very inspiring youngsters. Well I just had to go buy myself a new dress for this very special occasion didn't I? (And as luck would have it, I finally found the long gown i've spent months hunting for).

Voila:

Dress: John Charles, shoes: Christian Louboutin, box clutch: Kurt Geiger, diamond bracelet: gift, diamond ring: courtesy of my lovely beau, earrings: Erickson Beamon

I don't think I have ever felt more elegant and there's not a touch of slut-chic to be seen. Unfortunately we were forbidden from taking cameras in to the palace, but what a fashion show it was. And I must say it'd make a beautiful wedding venue...do you think they'll go for it? I'm practically family now!

So, while we were curtseying and minding our P's and Q's in London, a host of A-list (and some C-list) stars were also donning their finest clobber for the CFDA Fashion Awards 2010 across the pond in NYC.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Alexander McQueen

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! But then I wouldn't expect anything less from Mr McQueen (RIP). Loving the vivid colours, busy pattern, ultra flattering shape and big, big hair.

 Gwyneth Paltrow in Michael Kors

Not my fave look of the night, but certainly a beautiful dress. I'm all about the train right now - perhaps that's because wedding bells are currently ringing very loudly in my head. I'm also falling for the sweeping one-shoulder look - very glam.

Jessica Stam

Love the contrast of the transparent bottom and opaque top, the chunky necklace and the surfer chic hair braid.

Devon Aoki in Zac Posen

What a superb dress! Zac Posen is a master of the evening gown and i'd say that this is a complete triumph. What's not to like? Also loving Devon's chain mail gloves - how wonderfully subversive.

Rachel Zoe

Ok, so she might be the devil incarnate, but her dress is (for once) totally gorge. Absolutely magpielicious!

Since the Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards were celebrating the great talents in that world, we should probably give the following a round of applause:

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Marc Jacobs

Accessory Designer of the Year: Alexis Bittar

Swarovski award/womenswear: Jason Wu

Swarovski award/accessory design: Alexander Wang

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Kors

Fashion Icon: Iman

International Award: Christopher Bailey for Burberry

CFDA Board of Directors’ Special Tribute Award: Alexander McQueen

I whole-heartedly agree with the judges' descisions...just a shame Iman wore this frou-frou Giambattista Valli number to collect her award for 'Fashion Icon'. Oops!

Well, that's an awful lot of glam for a Monday night. I wonder what the rest of the week will bring?

Adieu for now!

Love Miss Magpie x 

New York, New York!

Well, last time I wrote, I told you about the secret weekend my handsome beau had lined up for me... A lot has happened since then.

MISS MAGPIE IS GOING TO BE MRS MAGPIE!!!

My darling beau whisked me off to New York after managing to keep me in the dark about the whole thing for months. Now, I pride myself on my nosiness, so I was a little disappointed in my skills for not finding out...but I would not have wanted to spoil this for the world.

He coaxed me on to a gondola and once we set sail, got down on bended knee and asked me the question every girl dreams of being asked: "I love you so much, will you marry me?" My answer? "Er, yeh! Are you sure?" Not quite the eloquence he'd probably anticipated! Mr Gondola Man had managed to get hold of my camera (beau and gondola man had arranged this weeks back) and snapped away as my beau proposed (see above). It was total cheeserama and I loved it!

And the ring? A beautiful, glistening princess cut diamond, with a diamond encrusted platinum band. It is the most Magpie-perfect ring I have ever seen and my beau had it custom made just for me! What do you think?

Obvs as soon as I found out that we were heading to NYC - one of the great fashion capitals of the world - I was mega excited. I'd planned stylehunter pics, lots of shopping and general fashion fun to regail you all with. The proposal put a bit of a stop to that...so you'll just have to make do with my outfits!

Thankfully our hotel came complete with a walk-in wardrobe, in which I could line up my selection of heels and hang my OTT frocks.

 There was never a more perfect occasion than this to debut my new Loubs. Don't you just love them!

This was my first outfit as an engaged gal. Purchased for me by my beau in New York from a boutique in Soho, I thought it a fabulous statement maker. The ruffles proved a little difficult when sitting down but bounced back to their full glory as soon as I stood up. The perfect LBD i'd say!

For our last evening, I mustered up all my magpie powers and slipped in to this pailette number. I was probably the most over-dressed person in New York on a Sunday night - but who cares!

I have to say, having just seen SATC 2, I was super excited about getting dressed up New York stylee...but all my visions of Carrie mini-me's were not to be. Where was all the NY chicness I had seen on previous trips?!

So I now write to you as a fiance. Get ready for lots of wedding talk - don't worry, it'll be primarily dresses and shoes - and lots of audience participation!

A day in the life... Part 3

New shoes, hot sunnies... What do you think was perfect way to round off this fabulous day? A preview of the new Sex and the City movie of course. Miss Magpie is a HUGE fan of SATC, so this really was the icing on the cake yesterday.

I won't spoil any of the story line for you, but I have to say that it wasn't the fab four's finest moment (and I rarely say anything bad about them). The storyline was sweet but totally cringe-worthy, the grasp of the Arabic culture somewhat ignorant and the acting certainly not Oscar winning. However, the costumes were a feast for the eyes, Mr Big a redeemed character and the ending happy, so I enjoyed it and still love all four girls.

 The brochure, my ticket, nail files and a body tattoo (random)

Seeing as you might not have seen it yet, here are some highlights (in alphabetical order, natch):

$20 shoes, abayas, Abu Dhabi, Arabic pringles, Aiden, 'All the single ladies', big gay Jewish wedding, black diamond, camels, camel toe, Carrie's prom skirt, Carrie's walk-in wardrobe, cocktails, condoms, cultural ignorance, dish-dashes, fun Miranda, gay Indian butler, glittery Louboutins, friendship, harem pants, hormones, hot milk,  inappropriate erection, Irish bra-less nanny, karaoke, Liza Minelli and her legs, menopause, Miranda's guide book, passport fiascoes, Patricia Fields' amazing styling, Penelope Cruz, red paint, ripped Hermes, Samantha's libido, Samantha's mega earrings (you'll know the ones), Samantha's studded red top, Samantha's swimsuit, silver fox, Smith Jared, tears, THE kiss, The New Yorker review, THE sofa, thigh-high slit, vintage Rolex, vintage Valentino, women's club, yellow shorts...

 

 A taster

Some expected, some unexpected, some totally random!! (And there are lots more but I have to rush off to my mystery weekend, so more soon...)

The verdict? You have to see it but take it for what it is and concentrate on the clothes.

A day in the life... Part 2

Once I got over the adrenaline rush of the Louboutin sample sale, it was time to head over to a little art gallery in the back streets of W1 for a party dedicated to sunglasses. How fab is that?! Miss Magpie loves a good pair of shades and an evening of wine and playing dress up with tonnes of different sunglasses styles is right up her street.

First came Australian brand, Le Specs. With a reasonable price point - between £30 and £60 - these glasses are young, fun, trendy and friendly on the old purse strings.

These are my absolute faves:

Angular Symphony

I would have showed you them on me, but the model is way hotter...in fact the whole look book and collection has that whole Aussie blonde bombshell, beach babe thing going on, making these sunnies a surefire hit this season.

The other brand on show (in little bird cages - how cute) was Karen Walker. This collection has to be the best yet and my lust-list is far too long for this blog, so here are my top 3 styles:

 Number One

Loving the retro vibe of these sunnies. I'm a sucker for tortoise shell and I love the modern twist on an old shape.

 The Village

How perfect are these for all those summer festivals coming up? The orange frames are really flattering - trust me on this one - and will have you at the centre of attention where ever you go. Shrinking violets need not apply (Miss Magpie is certainly not one of those).

 Rover

A round pair of sunnies = a must for every girl. Fullstop.

All we need now is for the sun to come back!

Karen Walker is available from Urban Outfitters, Asos.com, My Sugarland, Goodhood Boutique.

Le Specs is available at Urban Outfitters, Asos.com, Topshop, My Sugarland Boutique, Pop-Store at Whiteleys.

A day in the life... Part 1

Yesterday was perhaps one of the best days Miss Magpie has had in a long time. Yesterday was the one day of the year where every fashionista in London wakes up at the crack of dawn to queue for shoes. Yesterday was the the Christian Louboutin sample sale. Oh yes, yesterday was shoe heaven.

At last year's sale I succumbed to 3 pairs of Loubs, which I adore; my bank manager, not so much. Yesterday I was incredibly sensible and only came away with 1 pair - how very restrained and grown up of me, don't you think. But as they say, its quality and not quantity that counts, and let me tell you, these babies are all quality.

Ready for a peek?

Drum roll please...

Oh, don't you just love them? So pretty, so sparkling, so vertiginous; pretty much everything I look for in a shoe. Yesterday the shoe Gods were certainly shining down on me. I'm going to wear them this weekend with my Marc by Marc Jacobs purple tiered dress on the surprise weekend away that my beau has planned (when I know what this weekend holds, you'll be the first to know). Major shoe excitement!

And that was only 'Part 1'...