Monday 31 December 2012

Karen

 
Not my favourite dress although I did get some compliments.
It is a Karen Millen silk dress which I acquired on ebay just 
before Christmas for £10.01.
I am not sure whether it is the shape or the colour which doesn't suit me.
Either way it will be going back on ebay after Christmas.
Today marks the final day of Dressember and I am thrilled to have managed to complete the challenge of wearing a dress a day in December.
 
There will be more challenges to come in 2013 sartorial or otherwise, I am sure.
But before I sign off for another year may I take this opportunity of wishing you all health and happiness for the New Year.

Sunday 30 December 2012

Zara



I found this Zara dress on the rail at my local charity shop last summer.
This is the first time I have worn it as I felt it needed a wintry holiday to show it off at its best.
It is a small and a little too tight across the chest but it is the perfect length and I love the three quarter length sleeves.

Linking to Visible Monday.
 
Boots - Clarks
Dress - Zara

Saturday 29 December 2012

Loulou Christmas

 
Loulou again.
The third time this month.
It is just so easy to wear and fortunately Boden have reduced the dress in the sale.
I have just ordered a new one for 2013 using my Christmas money.
Today it comes adorned with Christmas gifts.
The lovely scarf is from my son's girlfriend, Sophie while the Cath Kidston mug was a "gift" from my daughter.
I say gift because she popped it into the trolley at Waitrose and said she wanted to buy it for me for Christmas.
She  said she would pay me back after Christmas.
I am still waiting.
 
Boots - Clarks
Dress - Boden
Scarf - New Look

Friday 28 December 2012

Sophia

I bought this dress nearly six years ago.


I wore it for the first time when I went to Rome for the weekend in April 2007, hence its Italian name.



It has also proved to be the perfect dress for wearing with my new wellies with.

 
They were a Christmas present from my husband, together with a lovely bottle of my favourite perfume, Pomegranate Noir by Jo Malone.
 
 
I couldn't be happier.
 
Boots - Clarks
Wellies - Hunter
Leggings - Marks and Spencer
Dress - Joe Brown

Thursday 27 December 2012

Bella

 
There is something a little gothic about this black maxi dress and biker style boots which is why the name, Bella comes to mind.
Luckily there were no vampires around as the bright pink must have scared them off.
While I have to admit it was an easy outfit to wear, I can see by the photos that it wasn't very flattering.
Once Dressember is over I think this jumper will look better with jeans or leggings or maybe after a hot wash as it is a little too slouchy.
 
Boots - Clarks
Dress - Miss Selfridge
Jumper - River Island

Velvet

 
My husband had seen me browsing the Saltwater catalogue and secretly bought it for me.
I must wear it more often.
I think this is only the fourth time I have worn it in three years.
 
Hope you are enjoying the holidays.
 
Dress: Saltwater
Boots - Clarks

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Holly

 
Happy Christmas to you all.
 
 

Shoes - Clarks
Dress - Dorothy Perkins

Monday 24 December 2012

Eve

 
Another charity shop find.
I bought this almost brand new Joe Brown's dress from my favourite charity shop for £2.95 and where the other day, I picked up a Toast coat for £8.95.
Happy Christmas to me.
As I have been blogging every Christmas since 2008 I thought I would share some Christmases Past with you.
 
 
 I think it is time to leave the computer now and enjoy Christmas Present.
I will sit on the sofa with my husband and four children to watch "It's A Wonderful Life."
Hope you and yours have a lovely Christmas, whatever you choose to do.
 
But  before I go I would like to share a Christmas gift to you.
This short passage from Lao Tzu was written in my Christmas card by my colleague, Steve.
Words of wisdom to ensure Christmases Future remain serene.
 
 
Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.
 
 
Wishing you all a serene Christmas, wherever you are.
 

Sunday 23 December 2012

Samantha

 
I have not named this dress after the sexy siren Samantha in Sex In The City.
No, I have called this dress Samantha in honour of my eldest son, Sam.
I bought this dress for his 21st birthday earlier this year (pictures below) and wanted to keep it for another special occasion.
 
 
Tonight I am out for a Christmas meal with my colleagues.
 
Last night our Scandinavian evening went well.
 
 
 
It was fun going out with a reindeer!
 
Picture 1
 Shoes - Clarks
Dress - Dorothy Perkins
 
Picture 2
Jumper and leggings - River Island
Shoes - Clarks

Saturday 22 December 2012

Scarlett Grey

 
Today was a flurry of activity.
Gym in the morning followed by last minute food shopping and this afternoon present wrapping.
Sticking to festive red and my faitfhful Scarlett dress I added a grey thermal body for extra warmth.
Hope your Christmases are on track whatever you choose to do.
Tonight we are off to my friend, Joy's house.
Joy lives in a beautiful, big Victorian villa which is rather, shall we say, on the draughty side.
I think her Scandinavian themed drinks party tonight is a very clever idea indeed.
I may have to give up on the dress for the evening as my chunky pink sweater doesn't look quite right.
 
Have you got any exciting plans this weekend?
 
 
Shoes - Clarks
Dress - H & M
Body - Marks & Spencer
 

Friday 21 December 2012

Kate

Kate
 
 
There can only be one name for this dress.
It combines the lace favoured by Kate Middleton.
It has the corset style and black/nude shades of Kate Moss's dress.
And the bodycon dresses (emphasising the child bearing hips) favoured by Kate Winslet.
I picked the dress up from Marks and Spencer's Autograph range in the Christmas sale two years ago.
It is made of a very heavy jersey and although I am carrying a little extra weight at the moment it is very forgiving.
 
 
I wore the dress for a Christmas meal out with the family and my son's girlfriend.
It still looked good after a four course meal!
 
 
Shoes - Clarks
Dress - Autograph
 
 

Thursday 20 December 2012

Dita

Dita

 
 
When I first wore this dress with a fascinator it had a retro feel to it.
I have worn it many times since but it always reminds me of Dita Von Teese - maybe the netting on the fascinator.
 


It cost less than £20 from Matalan and is made of a heavy cotton with a lovely tulle lining.
I always feel a bit special when I wear this dress.

Boots - Clarks
Dress - Matalan

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Petal

This is my first day dress.
It is the dress I wore to start my present job.
However, it reminded me of my first day when I was on placement at a High School.
I was terrified of forgetting the names of my class until a kindly old English teacher sat in my lesson and gave me some reassuring feedback.
At the bottom she had written "Don't worry about remembering their names, if you forget, just call them Petal."
While the advice may have worked with my year 7s, it wasn't much use with the burly bottom set of boys in year 10!
Still, the name Petal is one I find reassuring - just like this dress.

Dress -H & M
Boots - Clarks
Cardigan - Gap

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Clothes Show Giveaway Winner is....

 
 
Sorry no outfit photo post for the past few days as I caught my son's winter vomiting bug along with
my 12-year-old and spent the past two days in bed.
 
The two of us are almost recovered and normal service will resume tomorrow.
 
Congratulations to Vix, the parcel is on its way thanks to my husband who has popped out to the post office.
 

Sunday 16 December 2012

Hannah

 
According to my name book, Hannah is a gracious one.
Most of the Hannahs I have ever met have been thoroughly nice and thoughtful people.
On a busy day and feeling under the weather Hannah is a thoughtful and gracious dress.
She doesn't draw attention to the fact that I ate my  bodyweight in Chinese takeaway last night or remind me that every bump will be noticeable under the Christmas Party frocks I intend to wear next week.
Instead Hannah wraps her soft jersey around me and tells me I have nothing to worry about.
I am safe and loved under her warm fabric.
 
It is the final day today.
Linking to visible Monday.
 
Boots - Clarks
Dress - H & M
Red thermal top - Marks and Spencer
 
 

Saturday 15 December 2012

Belinda Black

 
Belinda's back.
I needed a quick go-to after a sleepless night looking after my 17-year-old son who has caught the Winter Vomiting Bug.
I am just praying no-one else gets it but if you don't see me for a while you will know where I am.
 
I hope those germs realise that this mother has got a Christmas to organise and she hasn't even written the Christmas Cards yet.
It took two days to get our artificial tree up this week.
I am hoping to buy the real one today.
 
Hope you have a germ-free weekend.
 
Boots - Clarks
Dress- Gap
Body - Marks and Spencer
Boot toppers from a local shop.

Friday 14 December 2012

Lucy

 
Meet Loulou's older sister, Lucy.
Lucy was my daytime LBD for a good few years before Loulou was born.
I can't remember how much I paid but it was under £20 and this dress has served me well.
It is the perfect length and hugs in all the right places, it always makes me feel loved, if you can be by a dress!
 
Over halfway through Dressember and I am only slightly starting to crave skirts. Not pants though. Not at all.
 
Don't forget to add your name to my Clothes Show giveaway.
 
Boots - Clarks
Body and Dress - Marks and Spencer
Belt - Top Shop

Thursday 13 December 2012

Mabel

I no longer like this dress.
It makes me feel like a middle-aged Mabel with a thick round waist.
Tunics do nothing for me.
If anyone wants to take this dress off my hands then just email me (thesmallfabric@gmail.com) and it could be yours.
Each email request will get a number and the random generator will draw out the winner after the close at midnight tomorrow.
It's a Marks and Spencer size 10.
 
Boots - Clarks
Dress - Marks and Spencer
T-shirt - Primark

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Rula

 
I hereby name this dress Rula.
The name represents my response to this stupid survey which I can only assume was compiled by an awkward 20-something who had fallen out with her stylish stepmother.
Who came up with rules such as by the age of 45 you can't wear knee-high boots?
Not to mention the diktats on mini skirts, braids and  red lipstick.
Thanks to Patti for sharing some wonderful examples of why this survey is utter rubbish.
If I used the product the company is trying to market with this survey I would boycott it.
Try dictating those rules to Vix who looks better in a mini than most girls half her age.
Or Catherine whose braids always look sensational.
If I had the hair or legs I would be rockin' those looks too.
Which just goes to show, the only rule I abide by is: "if you've got it, flaunt it."
 
So here's Rula who sets her own rules and if she wants to wear knee high boots then so she should.
 
Boots - Clarks
Dress - H & M
Body - Marks and Spencer

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Belinda

 
As soon as I saw the photograph of this dress the  name Belinda entered my head.
Apparently Belinda comes from the Italian, Bella, meaning beautiful.
I am feeling the Italisna vibe strongly at the moment as I have just finished the wonderful novel, The Italiam Matchmaker,  by Santa Montefiore.
Strangely, the only Belinda I have ever come across is Belinda Carlisle.
 
 
Either way this bella dress came from the sale rail at Gap (£9.99) a few years back and has been worn every season since.
 
Don't forget to enter my Cltohes Show giveaway here.
 
Boots - Clarks
Dress - Gap
Body - Marks and Spencer
 
 

Monday 10 December 2012

Clothes Show Report And Giveaway

I was first introduced to the clothes show in the late 1980s when it existed as a BBC programme.
Barely out of my teens and still at university I had finally found a programme that indulged my love of clothes with a relevant commentary on style and fashion in the form of presenter, Caryn Franklin.
And I was thrilled to discover she would be at the 2012 event.
 
As I boarded the Birmingham-bound coach wearing a coat that was older than most of my fellow passengers I felt reassured that I wouldn’t be alone in the vintage section.
And initially I wasn’t disappointed as the first talk my daughter and I attended was a presentation by Caryn, one of the co-founders of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk , an organisation which celebrates diversity and fashion.
 
She introduced a short film by Rankin which celebrated the relevance of fashion for women of all ages, shapes and sizes.
 I felt exhilarated.
There would be something for me amidst the sea of teenage fashionistas.
As Caryn left the stage there was a polite trickle of applause from the scattered audience and she cut a forlorn figure as she disappeared.
Fast forward three hours later and the seated area around the stage was standing room only as a jaunty model-like presenter introduced the special guest – Amy Childs.
And as the pneumatic red-head shuffled onto the stage Jessica Rabbit-style in her glittery frock I felt an overwhelming feeling of sadness as the crowd hung on her every ground-breaking utterance, from the revelation that her new friends, Jedward spoke to her every week on a shared phone to the "Shut Up" front page news that she had just finished filming a celebrity version of “Wedding Planna.”
 Still it was one show where I got a front row seat, having plonked myself down a good 30 minutes before to rest my weary old legs.
 
Next on the itinerary was the main event, THE FASHION SHOW, which I have to admit was a masterpiece of choreography played out against the theme of a day in the life of a fashion magazine.
However, there was only one walk on that catwalk and it belonged to a world where none of its inhabitants were under 5ft 9 or over 8 stone.
Still, my faith was restored in the form of eccentric inventor and 2011 Apprentice winner, Tom Pellerau who took time to talk to me about the creative impact his dyslexia has had on his career. He was a lovely man.
To celebrate my mixed bag of a day I am giving away a selection of items from my Clothes Show goody bags and a scarf I bought.
 
The contents are below but if you want be in the draw you just have to be a follower of my blog.
So follow my blog and leave a comment in the box.
If you are already a follower just leave your name.
This giveaway is open to international entries and I will do my best to get it to you by Christmas.
The closing date is midnight on December 17th when I will pull out the name of one winner.
 
 Giveaway
Canvas Bag
Tom Pellerau Emergency Stylfile
Sample of Womanity by Thierry Mugler
Pack of 50 Shine Absorbing Sheets
Ice Blue Barry M Kohl Pencil
Coral Barry M Kohl Pencil
Lime Green Barry M Kohl Pencil
Blue Jemma Kidd  Define Eyeliner

Dottie

 
I loved this dress as soon as I saw it in Primark.
The only problem is that it is a little too big.
Two sizes too big in fact.
Unfortunately, they had run out of size 10 and size 12 so I had to get a size 14.
I am hoping that a quick spin in the washing machine may help shrink it.
Still, the belt does help and with  the wintry weather about to come it means I can fit extra layers underneath.
 Linking to Visible Monday.
Boots - Whistles
Dress- Primark
Belt - Top Shop
Colar - Asos

Sunday 9 December 2012

Loulou (Again)


I am off to the Clothes Show today and will be wearing this dress.
I will update this post when I get back.
But before I go let me share some pictures of my Saturday adventures.
I went to New Brighton to meet up with my old pal, Peter Grant.
Peter was a fellow journalist at The Liverpool Echo and we sat opposite each other for several years.
He left the newspaper last year and has fulfilled a dream of opening a second hand bookshop with his partner, Cathy.
Way back in 2008 I wrote about our literary shenanigans here

There was an eclectic mix of folk at the grand opening including the legendary Ken Dodd who cut the official opening tape.
Although he is well into his 80s Doddy regaled us with a sensational stand-up routine.
He loved my red coat and called me Little Red Riding Hood. I was flattered that he insisted on a press photgrapher taking my picture with him.
Peter was showbusiness editor at the newspaper and his contacts are now good friends.

I couldn't leave empty-handed and picked up a Virago anthology of ghost stories.


Peter and Cathy plan a series of literary events at the bookshop and I can't wait to go again.
 
Boots - Clarks
Dress - Boden
Scarf - Tesco

Saturday 8 December 2012

Christine

This jersey wrap dress has something of a seventies vibe to it.
And no name sums up the seventies more for me than the name Christine.
I swear that every one of my friend's mums was called Christine.
I think if I'd been christened Christine I would have opted for Christie.
 
Much better to be associated with a supermodel than a psycho-car.
 
 
Here's another shot of my coat, this time with the hat.
Christine meets Cossack.
Boots - Clarks
Coat - Debenhams
Hat - Asos
Dress- Gap
 

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