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!
CC
x

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.

CCx

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
x

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!

CC
x

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!

CC
x

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!

CC
x

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!
CC
X

Kylie commotion

Sometimes you just can't argue with genetics. Kylie may have had a nip and a tuck on her visage, but you'd be hard pressed to believe she's had interference with her rear. It's just not fair! She's got a good few years on me and I can spin as much as I want but I can't keep it peachy like Kylie. As much as I have been won round by Dannii M and her passive aggressive X Factor shenanigans and style overhaul, even she struggles to compete with special K and has given up the ghost by getting up the duff.

Setting the benchmark for bums everywhere, I'll be using every trick in the book to try and keep up with Kylie. £22 and www.simplyyours.co.uk should help.




These are from Gok Wan's collection. Exclusive to Simply Yours, they're called the Slicker Knicker - kudos for the seriously sensational name. Since when did controlwear get sexy?

xx

SATC ain't what it used to be

So, revelation, the fashion world is a flutter as Sex and the City returns on the big screen. Being a traitor to my friends isn't in my nature, but Carrie and Co. are different people. Charactured to the max and a walking advert for brands they 'Executively Consult' for or whatever, they aren't the gals they used to be. It may have sealed the deal when I did one of those SATC quizzes. The outcome of which cited me as Charlotte. Charlotte? WTF??! I've always considered myself a hybrid of them all, but if I decide to embrace la quiz and fully Charlotte-ise myself, this will be my first port of call from Gant. Uber cute!



www.gantuk.com

It's all haute-y and shiny these days, with clothes too aspirational and the girls have lost their way from those characters I idolised and considered fictional friends. From SATC 2, the only part which I truly got all aflutter was the opening flashback scene. Carrie's channelling of Madonna and 80's prom dresses made my heart go pitty-pat. Check out Eucalyptus Clothing for an affordable GTL.



www.eucalyptusclothing.co.uk

So what with the out-of-my-price-range outfits, piss-poor plot and punchlines, the only character I'm giving the time of day to is the fifth lady of the show, Stanford. With his self-effacing charm, adorable outfits, and gay galpal confidante credentials, it had everyone seeking a 'Stanford' back in the day.

If you're lucky enough to have one, cherish. In an homage to the show that was fabulous in its day, but like all Hollywood broads has been pulled and stretched too far, take a cocktail or two and hit the highstreet for treats....





Paul Costelloe suit www.paulcostelloeman.co.uk



Lambretta shirt

As it's summer, swimwear for Stanford is a must. There's lots to chose from, but a kitch classic is the Speedo. You may want to draw inspiration from a scene in the film featuring a series of hot men...





Models not included with purchase...

xx

Palm Print-cess

So...the Bank holiday weekend hasn't been the complete wash out those poopooers and nay-sayers had predicted....which adds fuel to my fire that we are going to enjoy a scorcher of a summer this year in lil' ol' England. Two fingers to the continent and a raspberry to everyone south of the hemisphere, cos Blighty is where it's at! I can almost taste the carcinogens from boozy BBQs and visualise the glorious skyline as the summer sun sets as I type dear readers.

Chic Chiffonier was all inspired a few weeks ago from the sniff of sunshine, and promptly bought a masterpiece of a maxi dress, so my heart was all of a flutter about how best to navigate my 'all in the name of sunshine' inspiration. Whilst waiting at the most heinous of places next to hell, the train station, I mooched around the web pour un petit cadeau. Zut alors!

Don't you just die for the lovebomb of a feeling when you find something divine? Like a thunderbolt, I knew it was for me.



Lolita from Ringspun

I can see it now, espadrilles, sunnies and this palm print princess, sweet dreams are made of this. Never mind about the chicken skewers and corn on the cob, this season's BBQ's are all about Florida-style fabulous fashion. The 'Lolita' pictured, is from streetwear brand Ringspun, via ASOS. With hero pieces like this for £35, I'm going back for seconds!

CC
X

Hola to conceptual footwear!

Everyone's been talking about Kate Hudson's LV diamond pattern overcoat at The Killer Inside Me premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. I don't see what the huge deal is. She pulled it off with real aplomb. A slick of red lipstick, 80's inspired hair do and she looked A-MAZ-ING! Plus, the least the fash pack could do is give her kudos for, shock horror, colouring outside the lines a little.

Chic Chiffonier loves wearing something which has a real dynamic edge in its design. Different from the norm, a little more avant garde than you usually find on the high street.

Armed with directional intentions and inspired by La Hudson, I thought I would source such an opportunity online. Just an accessory or two you understand, trying to find a more purse friendly version of Kate's Louis seemed to be a big ask (but any ideas let me know!). After a little investigation, I discovered the Espanol is the destination when looking for something to make a style statement.

Never in all my days, but I love these from Art Footwear and Neosens!





www.the-art-company.com






www.neosens.com

Conceptual footwear? Ole!

xx

Glad tidings!

Whilst everyone has been busying themselves with the drama of Icelandic volcano eruptions, my attentions have been occupied on far more important things...the season of sandals is upon us! It's about time!

On account of lazy days and a mañana mañana attitude, the first purchase has to be a pair of flats - perfect for picnics in the park and a BBQ rendevouz or two. A gladiator is a Chic Chiffonier staple. Preferably soft leather and a little twist on the classic style usually does the trick. I found these little beauties from Maruti.



Love love love the stud detailing and ethnic elements of design, I reckon these look like they have the substance to last all season long, which makes a change!

These are available from Amazon, but check out www.marutidesign.com for lots of treats!

xx

No Balls neccessary...

So Lady Beckham owes Yogalosophy, not removing calories from her food, to maintain her lithe figure. Good on her, I only hope it's true but I have a hard time believing Lady V has the strength to slip from a downward dog to a sun salutation. But knowing Brand Beckham, she'll never let her mask of serenity slip, maintaining a poised and polished look.

Whilst Chic Chiffonier loves le gym, it can be tricky to maintain one's chicness following a hardcore session.

Chic Chiffonier + Gym = fugly mess

I did recently discover some kit which does assist in keeping the style stakes high, even when I'm pounding the treadmill. Enter No Balls (www.noballs.co.uk),sportswear with a fashion forward emphasis, thank goodness. The name isn't derived from a diehard feminist movement, but for those that enjoy all non-ball sports – gym bunnies unite!

It combines everything serious gym goers expect from their apparel - high specification moisture wicking fabrics - while catwalk queens will love the inspired colour palette of vibrant and tropical tones. Chic Chiffonier is having a moment with the harem pants. I love a drop crotch anyway, but they flatter evil post Easter Eggs tums and are made from Bamboo - the ultimate eco-friendly sportsfabric.

I might not look as pristine as Lady V apres a spin class, but I have a fighting shot at least in my eco-chic harems. She may have Goldenballs, but I've got No Balls...



Heart No Balls for chic gym escapades!
xx

Seek and ye shall find...

Who wants to look like a carbon copy of a high street mannequin? As much as I love Urban Outfitters and Reiss, there's nothing better that mixing your reliable wardrobe staples with a sprinkling of vintage and covetable, key designer pieces.

Last time I checked, in the majority of cases, Chanel and Lanvin are out of my price range. So happy days when I discovered Chicandseek.com, a newly-launched site designed to make top-end fashion uniqueness available to all. It's a kind of Portobello Road meets E-bay.

Perfect for fickle but fabulous like le Chic Chiffonier, you can find affordable one-of-a-kind designer pieces, wherever you live in the world, and 'redistribute' items you may have fallen out of love with.

The founder of Chicandseek.com was formerly the Wholesale Executive for Anya Hindmarch, so knows a thing or two about the importance of individual style.

There's so much cool stuff on show it's enough to get me in all of a fashion quiver. Makes a girl go a bit coo coo with the seriously style-scandalous selection of handbags. Touch the fringed pieces at your peril, they're mine...

xx

Street chic: hawking heritage

Strolling back from the gym,red faced, with a damp, post-hairdried, slightly frizzy bouffant,it's safe to say Chic Chiffonier felt a little less than chic.

Then, just as I imagined Moses must have felt during the whole burning bush scenario, CC had a moment. When you see an ensemble that you yourself wish you had rocked, I urge to embrace your inner style stalker. With gay abandon of looking like a tool, CC ran after le vision to capture le look. Suprisingly, Eva a medical student from Mile End wasn't too alarmed with CC's request for an imprompto shoot on the high street. Love, love, love the look.



As spring has yet to slap the sunshine to its senses, it's still weather-appropriate to style out a little heritage chic. The combination of collegiate-style blazer (in a deliciously regal deep emerald) and mini-plaid trousers is an obvious choice. Ditto the brogues and satchel tag teaming. So far, so safe; even the potential to be overkill, but wait.

The inspired styling warms up with the playful exposed sock/legwarmer over trouser touch, and really comes into its own with the floral vest and denim shirt peeping through.

Love, love, love.

Definitely more consideration should be taken apres gym sessions. If only to stop me running after people in the street. Help.
xx

Glossy Gossip

The most stylish show has returned following a ridiculousy long siesta from our screens...all hail Gossip Girl and all who behold her.

Back to kick all the young pretenders (namely 90210 and High Society) in to touch, preppy chic with bite...kudos Blair... is a favourite at Chic Chiffonier. We'll be tapping the look with cute cuts from Americana inspired Gant, Banana Republic and accesorising with Reiss.




www.gantuk.com

Hot on the heels of a fresh mid season injection from GG are newly-released images of Taylor Momsen fronting high-street humble New Look's ad campaigns. Hmmm. Inspired marketing strategy by New Look. They must have coughed up a lot $$$$$$ to secure Little J. As Momsen's star is on the rise, as sure as her eyes are the right shade of panda, her too cool-for-school style screams New Look are after an edgier image. While Taylor plays rock chick with her band The Pretty Reckless, soon to make their U.K debut, it seems it may be a fortunate alliance for her too.

The Chic Chiffonier reserves all rights to be cynical.

Anyone for a Kohl coaliltion?

xx