'Librarian Chic!'

There is something rather appealing about cosy cashmere cardigans on snowy winter days. Of course, they're perhaps the most appealing when you're watching the snow fall from indoors (it was absolutely freezing outside), but I couldn't resist posing in this Elizabeth Lau knit in daylight, in order to do the colours justice.

Talking of colours, you'll have to excuse the matchy-matchy-ness of this outfit! Orange and pale blue are certainly not colours I would normally put together, but they work nicely thanks to the little heart details on the cardigan. My vintage beret (bought in Paris, no less!) and orange frame bag seemed to be obvious additions to the outfit, which I've decided to define as 'librarian chic'...

As if it couldn't get any more quaint, that's a little bag of hard-boiled sweets in my hand, bought at an old fashioned sweet shop - the type with shelves and shelves of twinkling glass jars, an old wooden counter with scales, and childlike excitement on the face of each customer that enters. :)

And now back to the cardigan: it's the second of my two cherished items from the designer Elizabeth Lau. It's so characteristic of her designs - cute and playful, retro yet modern, and of course, beautifully made. I can't wait to incorporate it into some more outfits - it looks great with a little white collar poking out from the top too!

Cardigan: Elizabeth Lau
Top: Topshop via eBay

Skirt: Laura Ashley via Charity shop
Tights: New Look
Shoes: Clarks

Hat, Belt and Bag: Vintage

Anyway, I want to know - do you avoid overly colour-matched outfits, or do you like to embrace simple colour palettes from time to time?

Sadie xxx

P.S. I'll be back soon with a sewing post! I'm just adding the finishing touches to a retro blouse I'm making!

Black and White

I'm home from uni for Christmas and it feels great! I have a new found appreciation of all the mod cons such as dishwashers and televisions, as well as fully stocked food cupboards and somewhere to do the laundry! To add to my list of home delights, my parents have just purchased a log burner, so I've been spending a lot of time huddled in front of that to warm up after trekking into town in the snow.

I've been waiting to show you this dress since the clothes show. Isn't it stunning? It's from Elizabeth Lau - and is one of Elizabeth's more sparkly designs! The dress itself is actually a tunic, but I think (hopefully!) I can get away with it as a dress. It hangs beautifully on its own, but I thought I'd cinch in the waist with a brown belt for added definition. I love how elegant oversized clothes look - this one especially, as it has a lovely off the shoulder detail and low back. Very demure. What do you think of it?

I'm going to chase after my boyfriend with this mistletoe tomorrow! hehe.

Lots of you have been wondering where my usual sewing/thrifty/outfit posts have been - well, they're back now! It's very difficult to sew at uni, not to mention the fact that I haven't even seen a charity shop for the last 3 months! Boohoo. But I'm back home now, sewing machine and retro patterns at the ready! So watch this space!

Sadie xxx

Elizabeth Lau @ Clothes Show Live

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be able to go to Clothes Show Live at the NEC in Birmingham. It was a welcome break from university work - I've just had a horrible week of deadlines so it was nice to indulge in a bit of retail therapy! Over the weekend, the exhibition centre was absolutely jam packed with people, so-much-so that it was hard to move in some areas! Luckily, the Elizabeth Lau stall provided a peaceful haven amongst the chaos, with its ever-beautiful clothing in soft pastel colours and with sweet little peter-pan details.

I first became aware of the brand at London Fashion Weekend, where I fell in love with a beautiful coat in their boutique. Elizabeth Lau's designs fit well with the much coveted chic 60s aesthetic, but always include a quirky modern twist - refreshingly managing to avoid the throwaway-fast-fashion-machine in favour of unique, high quality designs that will last forever. These designs certainly appeal to the inner English-eccentric in me!

Some of my AW 2010 favourites include this gorgeous coat (yes, I know I have too many coats!!), and the sparkly tiered dress below - very 1920s, don't you think?

Elizabeth Lau have also set up a Pop-Up shop in London, which I've seen gushing reviews for all over the blogosphere - have a little peep at its cuteness over at Style Slicker and The Style Crusader. Unfortunately I live to far away to visit, but if you're in London doing some Christmas shopping, definitely head over to Carnaby Street as, by the sounds of it, you won't be disappointed. Look at the stunning interior!

Address: Elizabeth Lau Christmas Pop up Boutique, 2 Ganton Street (just off Carnaby St.), London, W1F 7QL. - open until Christmas Eve!

I maaay just have come away from the stall with some items, but I will keep you in suspense until I return home for Christmas, where I can photograph them properly!

For the time being, I'll leave you with their charming SS11 Look Book video!




Sadie xxx

A Styling Challenge

I was recently tagged by the lovely Kirsty of Belle Fantaisie (make sure you check out her blog!) to take part in a Tesco styling challenge! I chose to style this lovely lace turtle-neck top from Tesco's Couture range. As demonstrated by the photo on the website, I think the top lends itself really well to a muted palette, and I thought these H&M Garden Collection shorts would be the perfect pairing. Quite a simple outfit, but with the shoulder pads as a (very!) prominant feature, I thought the top would look best with the rest of the outfit toned down!

I really like the top, the crochet-style lace seems very 60s, it's easy to wear, and I love the little details such as the mini buttons along the cuffs - it wouldn't look out of place on the rails of the original Biba!

I have to say, Tesco and Couture are not two words I would usually expect to appear in the same sentence! I'm not too sure what to make of their collection - it's certainly a little different to the usual supermarket ranges, and this particular collection seems to be making a slight reference to high-end designers such as Balmain. The clothes retail at between £40 and a whopping £120 - an interesting pricing decision for the Tesco brand, so I'd be interested to see how successful the range is!

What is your opinion on luxury, high priced supermarket clothing ranges?

Sadie xxx

P.S. I'm off to Clothes Show Live tomorrow! So you can expect a full report soon!