Back to London

Source: Vogue

After a brief nearly 2 year stint in New York, I'm now back in London. While I'll miss the many beautiful friends I've made there, it's great to be back in London where Brittique is based and really get back into things.

I arrived back in the Ol' Blightly just in time for London Fashion Week. With the great coverage you get online these days, there's hardly a point to waiting out the incredible delays, sore feet and elbowing to get to shows. But one show I couldn't miss was Louise Amstrup's. I'm such a huge fan of her textured, high quality tailoring. And I've written here ad nauseam about the incredible fit - it really should be tried.

Louise Amstrup's AW09 collection did not disappoint and Vogue liked it too. It had a slightly harder feel with a more structured shape to the jackets and lots of leather details. Her print for the season is a black and white swirl with vibrant hints of fluro yellow and orange - perfect for accessorising with bright shoes and bags. As usual my only disappointment is that I can't wear the collection now!

No misstep for Agyness Dean

Agyness Dean is one of those people who always looks amazing - even with an eye patch following an incident with a mascara wand! In the March 2009 issue of British Vogue she looks breathtaking in this vivid silky gown and statement bangle. But I agree with ShinyStyle, what really makes this outfit is the shoes.

When Natalia at Bionda Castana first showed me these shoes I wanted them. They are just stunning and will liven any outfit from a plain dress to jeans. They are available in limited quantities at Brittique, the only place you can buy them in Europe. Pre-purchase yours now and you'll be wearing them in March.

Coming soon: sell your preloved Brittique purchases

I love this Basso & Brooke gown. I've worn it to every wedding I've been to since it came out in February 2007. It never fails to make me feel spectacular. But after so many weddings and special events it's done the circuit. People are going to start whispering that I own a boutique and yet wear the same dress over and over and over.

Inspired by the need to declutter, we are about to launch Brittique preloved. What better way to bulk up your bank balance and clear out your closet of unworn items than resell them? Just email us details of the items you wish to sell along with your price. Once it has sold you send out the item. When the customer is happy we'll send you the money. We don't charge you a commission, we'll add a little something on top of your price to cover our costs.

So start sorting those closets and email us.

Lily Allen wears Cooperative Designs

While there has been some speculation about Lily Allen's hair/hair extensions, there's no denying where she shops - Brittique of course. Lily shows her indie style here wearing the Aztec inspired Box Jumper from Cooperative Designs. Available now at Brittique.com.

Evie Belle on sale for just 24 hours

We won't be stocking Evie Belle anymore so we're giving you one last chance to purchase any item from the collection for 30% off. Purchase by Friday and enter EVIEBELLE at checkout to receive your discount.

Choose from tailored trousers and wonderfully soft jersey separates. These classics will be a fundamental addition to your recession proof wardrobe.

Perfect party dresses for under £100!!

UPDATE: TOFU now available up to size 14!!

Don't think you get buy a designer party dress for under £100? Think again! Introducing Tofu. New to Brittique Tofu offer feminine frocks with personality - and for a very good price. All the perfectly pretty party dresses above are under £100. The only dress that's more is the one featured in The London Paper this week. The Jerry Fish dress with it's layers of silk is still a recession proof £119. Check out their very cute coats too.

Great knits and fab fringed boots

As Metro said today, those of conservative disposition, look away: this knitwear is for rockers - and boots too! If you picked up a copy of the London commute essential, you would have seen the fab jumpsuit by Cooperative Designs. We just got this in last week and are awaiting the photos. We know for a fact that one very popular blonde model of the moment has one. I can't wait to see where she wears it.

These Camilla Staerk boots are rather daring too. Not feeling the fringe? Give them an instant update by removing the fringe and wearing them plain.

Always check your gauge

Every knitter's nightmare - you spend hours, weeks, months knitting away at a garment with a vision of how the finished jumper/vest/sweater will look. You take it off the needles and - voila! - it's too big or small. This just happened to me. I even knitted a gauge swatch and everything was fine. Must be a problem with the pattern. I've decided to try to wash it a bit and see if it will shrink rather than frogging and starting again. The worst thing is that I've run out of yarn. So now have to wait for Mr postman before I can finish.

The vest is beautiful though. It's from the Debbie Bliss premiere magazine and is knitted up in Debbie Bliss Como yarn. It's a nice bulky weight so knits up fast. I just added an extra cable repeat to make it into more of a tunic than shorter vest.

In other knitting news, I took a workshop with the infamous (if you're a knitter and addicted to Ravelry) Jared aka Brooklyn Tweed. Jared is the most incredible knitter and pattern designer. And because he's a photographer by trade the photos on his blog will inspire you to pick up the needles even if you're never before had the urge.

The workshop was on Jared's Hemlock Ring blanket. My blanket, when I finally get it finished, it going to look great thrown over one of my leather chairs in the lounge room next to the fireplace. Nice and snuggly for winter. Although it will probably be next winter!

To console myself that my vest is too big it's time for a cuppa and a couple of home made choc chip cookies. These are better than most cookies because they're made with oats and coconut. The coconut makes them really moist while the oats make them, ahh, umm, healthy?

It's tea time!

Google kindly email me notifications of all blogs and websites that link to Brittique. I check them all and enjoy discovering new blogs who have discovered Brittique. Recently a blogger had linked to the new Emma Cook collection and commented on all the items she wanted.

When I read through the blog though it was not just on fashion but a starvation journal. This poor, troubled girl dairied everything she ate (or didn't) while other disturbed people congratulated her on only eating 1 tablespoon of ice cream, half an apple and litres and litres of black coffee a day followed by hours at the gym. Of course she'd have major slipups - her body was starving! - and she would punish herself by eating less and exercising more.

The blogger's thinspiration was the many images of catwalk models with their skeletal figures plodding down the runways. The fashion industry has a responsibility and I hope all the press of the size zero model doesn't quiet down and more is done to promote a healthy image.

I'm doing my bit. I'm working at my desk with a a fresh warm slice of my homemade banana cake with a weak, black Earl Grey tea. Here's to the fashionistas who eat!

Deliciously dapper gents

Dressing a man is really hard work. I discovered this first hand recently when I grew weary of my man's wardrobe which was far too heavy on work wear and Abercrombie casuals.

First up, where do you actually go? There's the High Street but I generally have issues with the cut, quality and ethical production of my stores. So that really leaves designer boutiques and department stores. Most department stores are pretty boring with the same old world wear - great if he needed more suits. Macy's was just scary! All gangsta rapper and Ed Hardy. In the end we did manage to find a few good pieces in DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss. It was slim pickings though.

Help is here from deliciously dapper gentleman's stylist Mr Gammon. Advising viewers of the Vodcast what to wear for the season's festivities, Mr Gammon selected the new Peckham Rye for Brittique paisley scarf. The perfect paisley scarf is the ideal gift. And if you buy it for your man you can wear it too!

Ilse Crawford for Brittique

Remember the Sex and the City episode where Samantha is desperate to become a member of Soho House? Then she finds a membership card and sneaks in only to be discovered after she puts on a terrible British accent. Well Ilse Crawford is the vision behind the Soho House brand.

Ilse Crawford has teamed up with Volvo to design this stylish and practical travel bag. It's available exclusively on Brittique.com with only a few bags remaining.

One woman's trash is another's treasure

Just this evening I was throwing out my rubbish in our "trash receptacle" room when I saw this shiny gold silk in a bag in the paper recycling box. On closer inspection it was a gold jacquard silk Emporio Armani jacket! Someone on my floor had thrown it out!

It's a touch tight but in perfect condition. It's edged in snake skin leather and has amazing striped silk lining and a stand up collar. While it's labelled a size US6 It seems as if someone has accidentally washed it because it's really shrunk and is more like a 2 and the silk is really crumpled just like when you wet it. I'm pretty sure that if I send it to the dry cleaners they'll give it a good press and stretch it a bit and make it sit properly. What a find! Thank you neighbour! I'm just a bit afraid to wear it around now in case they see me in it and think I'm a scavenger...

D&G sample saleing

Vest Camilla Staerk, top Mango, scarf Salvatore Ferragamo, bag Chloe, trousers D&G, shoes vintage.

Dress D&G, cardigan Massimo Dutti, scarf Louis Vuitton, shoes vintage.

It's sample sale season. Prada's was a couple of weeks ago, Max Mara was this week as was D&G and Vivienne Westwood starts 10 November. I went along with come colleagues on my consulting job to D&G - WOW! It was cheap. Most items were 90% off. I got this black pencil dress for $127.50 and the tweed distressed trousers for $180. Just fab!

The dress has a patent leather attached belt and a large gold exposed zip up the back - and pockets! I do love a dress with pockets. The trousers have distressed raw seams on the leg and waist. They're uncuffed, a touch short and I think they look great rolled.

While a bit more conservatively dressed than usual, I've been consulting the past couple of weeks. Soon I'll be back to my usual style.

I also bought another denim corset style dress with an attached red patent leather belt and straps. It looked fine while i was fighting to see the mirror in the crowded communal dressing rooms, but i put it on at home and it's SOOO low. The vest nearly extends to my naval and I don't think it's my thing. I'll just write it off as a sample sale mistake. We all have those right?

Introducing Bionda Castana SS09 by Imelda

Nothing gets the heart racing like a new pair of shoes. Perhaps that's why shoes outsell clothing on Brittique. When I saw the new collection from Bionda Castana by pulse raced and I knew I had to have them. They're just so yummy! No wonder the designer's won the Vogue Italia's Who In On Next award. While not available until February, preorder yours now.

Since no one know's shoes like Imelda, see the superbly funny blog for details of my recent discussion with the one and only.

Louise Amstrup heads East

A huge congratulations to the exceptionally talented Louise Amstrup. She is heading to China to show her SS09 collection at Shanghai fashion week. Preen and Basso & Brooke are just two of the big names who have preceded her.

Louise Amstrup really is one of the most talented young designers. It is hard to beat the quality of her finish and I urge you to try the fit of the tailoring. Nothing fits me better which is why I'm always wearing it!

I recently placed our order for Louise's SS09 collection and I can tell you that it's her best yet. And Vogue agreed. Preorders will open soon but in the meantime if there's anything you really must have, just email us.