Mini me treats

'Tis the season to be jolly! Oh my goodness, we're almost there. There are more windows on my calender open than closed (maybe a couple were opened prematurely. That can happen when Vodka's involved) and people have started breaking into this weird expression in the morning - I didn't realise so many commuters had teeth!

The final piece of my Christmas gift guide lies with those little people that Christmas is all about. No, I don't mean dwarves....

I mean children! Those pudgy-faced delights that drive affection-starved gran to be jealous of inanimate objects like the X-box. It is the season where miracles happen, and even kids colour in between the lines for fear of upsetting the omnipresent almighty; and his mate Rudolph. So while they're playing it sweet, and you're temporarily blindsighted by the glorious combination of Bucks Fizz and pigs in blankets, let's all play happy families.

Kids are mini you and me's, so I think it's only right to dress them as such. As uncles, dads and the like hover with their camera ready and full of intent, you want to make sure the children aren't messing it up with weird wardrobe choices from deluded family-members who think homemade knitted jumpers RULES OK.

Likewise, fluffy dungarees with bears have no place on a child over three, so if you're still scratching you're head for what to buy little Trinity and Kayla, La Redote and Gant have some really cute pieces:




LaRedoute.co.uk




Gantuk.com

If you want to be really inappropriate though, and let's face it, who doesn't at Christmas, dress little Kai or Callum for that classic 'like father like son moment':



Revolting n'est pas?

Love to you all cupcakes,

Ho, ho, ho!
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Big chief chic chiffonier

Summer is no longer the holiday season. Package holidays in Benidorm are the white elephant of society....it's all about the festivals. You can't plan an available weekend what with the festival schedule jam packed full of talent, and the odd wedding thrown in the mix too.

Chic Chiffonier had a rather indulgent Glastonbury encounter, Isle of Wight was amaze, and roll on the Big Chill this weekend!

CC over the years has learned to classify and define a outrageously fun time by losing something, so it was with a little dismay, but with full knowledge of a bloody good time, did CC wake up on the bus back from Glastonbury with one foot looking more obscure than t'other. It would appear one foot seemed to have a shoe MIA.

Dilemma! What's a girl to do about festival appropriate footwear? CAT has a clue. Famed for industrial mechanics, their on-trend boots speak to me in a way like no other.



The Neosha - £69.99 @catfootwear.com

Step aside Pocahontas. Tick trends galore with this fringed, tribal number from CAT.

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Disco Inferno

Chic Chiffonier has been contemplating the mutual appreciation of art and fashion. You can't turn a page in a magazine without recognising the influence of one creative industry on another.

It has long been CC's intention to seek a range influenced by one of the most contemporary and socially-aware artists, Andy Warhol. Can you imagine the conceptual designs? Warhol circa Studio 54 has been a defining moment for our times, and in that, the decadence of that era should be recognised.

Along comes Halston Heritage, which has finally arrived at my-wardrobe.com. OMG, be still my heart. Luxe jersey dresses are a-go-go. Perfect for slinking around town. Tiered pleats, plunging necklines and jumpsuits to-die-for what's not to love. If further credentials are necessary, step forward Sarah Jessica Parker. She's the Halston Heritage president and chief creative officer dontcha know.

Justifying her paycheck on SATC 2, the Iris Pleated Dress looks pretty killer on screen.



If everyone's famous for 15 minutes, can we use up ours to bag enough cash for the whole collection?

Managed to secure a couple of minutes for someone to read this....are ther 13 minutes going spare?

CC
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Brighton Belles

Chic Chiffonier went off for a little jaunt to Brighton at the weekend. Oh we do love to be beside the seaside, oh we do love to be beside the sea..... or not.

We arrived at the station to be greeted by a rather overcast skyline and dreary ether. Bonne mini-vacance ladies and gentleman! I have it on very good authority from our charming cabbie that the previous weekends were absolutely glorious, and we had brought the poor weather along with us like an uneccessary accessory. Au revoir tentative splashes sur la plage.

Luckliy there's a diversion which can be enjoyed whatever the weather....shopping! I must confess I've fallen out of love with vintage, but the shops in Brighton have such a lovely selection, it was rude not to. After a whistlestop tour of all retail stores, I came away a happy girl. Lace blazer. Check. Retro dress. Check. Stripes. Check. Western-inspired boots. Check. AMAZE!!!!!!!!!!!



Art Company

I was pretty retailed out, so we stopped for an espressotini and natter. All aglow with the frivolity and gay abandon of purchases, we raised a glass, and with the decorum of a navvy, knocked back the glass and said hallelujah. A couple of Espressotini's later all I remember was being back in our accomodation singing along to Madonna's Material Girl as the sun began to pipe up.

Oh dear. Silly cocktails one, Chic Chiffonier's dignity, nil points.

At least the sun finally came out to jam!

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The Links Effect

Evolution my friends, is something to embrace and behold. With the launch of the new Apple Ithingy, it made me go all retro nostalgic. I'll raise your Acorn with an Apple. Walkman? Jog on with an Ipod. VCR? Go digital. Meet you by the steps at 2.30? C U in 5.

Dear readers, I saw the most beautiful example of evolution I'm likely to experience for a while. Keep your technology...I have old fashioned values. Like any simple, pure of heart kinda gal, I like pretty things. And lo and behold this was something stunning. Any Ace of Base listening, kangol-cap wearing, Adidas-popper sporting girl in my day made their closet pals friendship bracelets. You'd buy the twine and have a little leaflet thing how to do it, and it meant, like, you were bestest friends for ever.

OMG I'll see your twine and raise you Links of London! They've out done themselves truly, and I'm not ashamed to say my heart skipped a beat when I saw these Fluoro Friendship bracelets. Hand-woven with yellow and orange fluoro thread, these sterling silver bracelets are to die for. Well done Links of London!

Inspired by hobbies of yesteryear, infusing the best of happy nostalgia, quality of design and sheer luxe desirability, resulting in Chic Chiffonier having a huge crush. A crush on a bracelet.





www.linksoflondon.com

The palpitations I hope should have started when you saw Fluoro in the title. It gets better. These little beauties glow in the dark! Be still my heart. Nostalgic, luxe and fun? It's too much for me to take. Charming, simply charming. Check out Link's You Tube for full on visuals of their burst of brilliance.



As a L'Oreal commercial would have it, now for the science bit. They are £105 each from www.linksoflondon.com with £5 from every sale going to support the fabulous work of the NSPCC. Do it for the kids!

Brings a whole new meaning to 'can we just be friends?' Hell yeah!

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I can't say I'm a staunch supporter of football. You know regular Spurs v Gunners talk, but even Chic Chiffonier's got to admit, there's a very curious national stirring come the World Cup, Euro...etc. Somewhere between national pride, love of the game, a united talking point and sniff of potential victory, it captures everyone's attention in some way.

The first two games admittedly weren't our finest performances. It's fair to say we have embarrassed ourselves a little over the past couple of games with sub-par performances, but for a nation that usually loves to root for the underdog, I can't help feeling it's châtiment divin of our involvement in the tournament.

How does a sort-of supporter but uber-consumer get behind their country? Buy stuff of course! To get me and the mister behind England on Wednesday, I've been clicking furiously to find some stuff to keep us tongue in cheek patriotic.

You wouldn't expect to view a Monet by candlelight would you? Get the best visual quality without paying a fortune and buy a new Freeview+ HD PVRs (personal video recorders). It combines up to five times higher picture quality and 5.1 surround sound with the power of a digital TV recorder all without the need for contracts, subscriptions or a satellite dish. So good it makes you feel like you're in South Africa! Okay not quite, but at least you can watch, stop and record in great quality.

In terms of apparel, football shirts et al are never going to be catwalk-appropriate, so I decided to embrace it and found he and I some cheeky England inspiring attire.

To fire the pre-match stokes, feel like you're putting on the Blitz instead of Ritz with these charming Winston Churchill inspired tees from Yukka.co.uk for only £11.99.



www.yukka.co.uk

Do your bit to help boost the troops in South Africa with Simply Be's Robert Indiana inspired tee. Only £20!



www.simplybe.co.uk

Take a little inspiration from the underwear as outwear trend, and look to the go-to men's brief, Calvin Klein.





www.cku.com

Also helps with the post match celebration, which is equally as important to morale.
(Insert your own pun about scoring on and off the pitch here)

Go En-ger-land!

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To Pops With Love...

I found out some outrageous news that apparently people in the UK spend much more on gifts for mum than dad. The average dad gets palmed off with a measly £10 present(stat from Dennison Greer law)! A curry usually costs more than that!

Chic Chiffonier always likes to buck a trend, so this Father's Day, I'm going all out and will deck daddy dearest in new duds top to toe (he needs direction bless him).

The high street is literally bursting at the seams with stuff. Phew! Where do I start? Small accessories like ties and socks are a father's day staple. It would be wrong for me to disregard such seemingly 'pedestrian' items, when these are the only source of frivolity for poor old pops has wearing his boring suit to work.

I like these tit bits from Austin Reed and Tie Rack.



Multi bright check mercericed socks £8 - www.austinreed.co.uk



Multi bright check mercericed socks £8 - www.austinreed.co.uk



Stripe braces £19.99 (OMG LOVE!!!) - www.tie-rack.co.uk

He can't wear this for work, but I can see him swinging his clubs on the fairway with this on....



Bakerboy Cap £14.99 - www.tie-rack.co.uk

Leading nicely to apres office attire, I think pops could give the whipper snappers a run for their money in this classic polo. Sure to slice a few years off...



Polo Jeans Ralph Lauren @ La Redoute £ 55 - www.laredoute.co.uk

Phew! Hope he remembers my generosity at Christmas!
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