May Instagram Overload

So I guess that May 2012 will go down as the month I finally got accustomed to the ways of the iPhone (though there is still many an incomprehensible text) and got snap happy with the magic of Instagram.  Now, I've got enough apps to distract a small country and I'm gladly rediscovering some of my favourite 2007 music thanks to iTunes.  I wasn't sure at first if I'd take part in a regular pictorial round up, but after such a positive response to the last post, I've decided to do a post summarising all of my mobile goings on at the end of every month.  There's something about a mixture of photos collaged together randomly, that displays the way I capture things and hopefully I'll keep seeing things that excite me so much that I want to photograph them.  I do need to stop exclaiming 'Instagram!' at these moments though and be a little more stealth when doing so.

The Sonia Rykiel windows on Brook St - The view from my train window - Finding beauty in ripped Tube adverts in Euston  Realising the weather was finally getting better - This lead to a lunchtime escape - Visiting the V&A Ballgowns exhibition 

Baking fun at the QVC press day - Cath Kidston is going on tour - Prints at the Fashion & Textile Museum

Leathers at the short-lived Hermes Leather Forever exhibition - The view of Regent St from the Nelly party 

Finally voting - There is Jubilee stuff everywhere! - My favourite T-Shirt at the Mercy & Wild launch, all for a good cause

I didn't know you could buy such things in Selfridges - Carnaby Street looks a little different 
Shoreditch never takes itself too seriously 

Watching a live recording at Abbey Road Studios - Steps in Birmingham - The Drift Bar for Bloggers Boutique

Cups in Anthropologie - Kate Spade iPhone cases

I want an Hermes bag, life savings are overrated - Notebooks in Selfridges - Liberty print Doc Martens 

This top would complete my stripe collection  - I need to save for some Church's brogues - Tatty Devine posie necklaces 

Suspended chairs - Tropical Motel prints - Orla Kiely sample sale bags 

Storage to be proud of - Obsessing over a personalised Bottega Veneta tote - I need these jeans, hurry up and reduce yourselves!

Discovering MeatMarket - Pimms o'clock is my favourite time - All you can eat Sushi in Birmingham
Gorgeous cake from the Wish Magazine launch -  Burger and Lobster - Champers in the Tights Please limo
Steak and chips in The Cafe at Bluebird - Bouillabaisse - Meat Liquor burgers at the F&F press day
Finally got into Pitt Cue for ribs, third time's a charm - Colleague cupcake envy - New Rekorderlig flavours
They got my order wrong at Starbucks so I ended up with two drinks - Reliving my youth through confectionery

Double polka dots - Buying my Beyond Retro playsuit - My new name necklace has arrived

Spent my £15 Whistles Elle voucher - Wearing an Autumnal dress with clogs changes everything

Pretty in paisley - A casual outfit for the park (basically the summery version of this) - More clogs with socks

Stripe shoe alert - My favourite new ring - Organising my nail polishes with good old Ikea storage

Recently I've discovered these posts by Gala Darling and Krisatomic on how to improve iPhone photos and it's really helped me (and increased my app count).  Now, I no longer feel that leaving my DSLR at home is a wasted oppurtunity and love having a visual sort of diary on my phone that people can see.  I also love having a nosey at what everyone is doing and seeing the random elements that make up their lives, please say I'm not alone?  You really start to pick up on all the details that make up an individual and what they find interesting.  What have you been capturing this month?  It feels like May has gone so quickly and contained about three different seasons, so hopefully June will be more consistent!  Remember to follow me @fashionknitsta on Instagram to see all of my updates.

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Colour and Custard

Hooray, Summer has finally arrived in England!  I was beginning to give up and attempt to emigrate if temperatures didn't improve, but luckily I've been able to experience some sun and stay put.  The tricky thing when we're treated to a few days of nice weather, is knowing what to wear.  Finally my reserve stock of summer outfits can be worn but where to start?  Do I wear the blue spot dress, the white flamingo print dress or the neon skirt and stripy top? What if these are the only weather-worry-free days we get this year?  I don't know if I just make this seem more complicated than it really is, but I can't help getting various ideas throughout the year and hoping that one day it'll be warm enough to carry them off.  Eventually I managed to decide on some suitable summer attire for a Birmingham visit to see Winnie; she's been in Hong Kong for three months and we had a lot of catching-up to do!

Playsuit - Vintage via Beyond Retro

Flatforms - River Island

Necklace - Galibardy

Ring - V&A shop (yay you can buy it online)!

Sunglasses - c/o Polaroid

I do love a good vintage floral playsuit.  They bring back memories of wandering around New York all those years ago (okay, two years ago) and feeling as free as a bird.  I've noticed a lot of the vintage shops are starting to stock them now and after wandering into Beyond Retro and discovering a 'secret' sale, I was determined to find the perfect short-sleeved style.  Cue a lot of trying on and dismay at the torso proportions and crazy shoulder pads of certain versions until finally finding this one in navy and purple.  As it didn't have a price tag, I got it for the bargain sum of £8 and didn't think I'd be able to wear it so soon when I bought it on a drizzly Friday afternoon.  The flatforms are one of my first River Island purchases in a while.  I don't know if it's just me, but I find flatforms tricky to walk in due to their, well, flatness and I practically had to hobble to make my train as the left foot was determined to escape.  Fortunately I laced them up as tight as I possibly could and adjusted my walking style (heel-toe) so that they would stay put.  Panic over.  The ring I bought during my recent visit to the V&A has been a firm finger-favourite and it's great to finally be able to wear these Polaroid sunglasses that I chose back in chilly February.  What a difference a few months makes!

It was great to escape London for a few hours and take a peaceful journey to another city.  The Custard Factory area was as colourful as ever and I even remembered the Bead Shop sign from my first visit in 2010.  In true IWYTK fashion there was also plenty of food to be had and Winnie introduced me to a great all-you-can-eat sushi place which needs to be replicated in London (please say I'm wrong and there is one) at a reasonable price.  Chatting and enjoying the sun was the order of the day so I didn't do too much shopping, though I did manage to locate some Essie nail polishes and a striper nail art pen to get tackling some of the designs from the Wah Nails book.

How have you been enjoying the sun?

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Dressed for the Occasion

There's nothing quite like a bit of escapism on a dreary Tuesday morning.  When I first heard that Ballgowns - British Glamour since 1950 was to be the main exhibition at the V&A this year, I wasn't quite sure how I'd relate to it.  I do like a good designer retrospective and had hoped that the museum would treat us to one of those this time around, but nevertheless I was still excited to be invited to the press preview last week.  I must admit the fashion area of the V&A tends to be my first port of call when visiting the museum and it's long hiatus means that I've discovered a few other areas in its absence.  The gallery has had a bit of a refresh and it's wonderful to finally see some new pieces to learn more about. In keeping with the Cool Britannia theme of 2012, this exhibition focuses purely on British creations from the last 60 years.  Although much has changed within fashion during this period, ballgowns still continue to be relevant and reinvented with the country house occasions of yesteryear being replaced with red carpet events.

As you enter the space, you are transported into a world of sophistication with the ground floor displaying over 30 gowns from the museum's permanent collection laid out as if you've just managed to sneak into a secret dressing room.  The traditional layout complements the dresses within this section, though I was partial to the open space of the mezzanine level featuring gowns from 30 more recent designers and a stunning ceiling. Finally, I was able to be within touching distance (though of course I didn't) of the McQueen dress Daphne Guinness wore at the Met Gala all those years ago and the Christopher Kane dress Shailene Woodley wore just a couple of weeks ago. 

In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by the exhibition and came away with a few favourite designs.  You have to really appreciate the amount of knowledge and craftsmanship that goes into making such a piece and it really does give modern designers the chance to show off their skills in a world where fast-fashion is so popular. One metallic-leather piece by Gareth Pugh was even created specifically for the exhibition and there is a lace-printed latex gown by Atsuko Kudo (you can see a hint of in the picture above), which is an interesting take on the traditional concept.  I've never really thought about the evolution of ballgowns much before but it'll be intriguing to see how they adapt with changing trends and whether new events will arise.

One think I love about going to exhibitions is having a mooch around the shop afterwards and buying some affordable memorabilia.  The Fashion gallery now has it's own dedicated shop, which isn't as vast or chaotic as the main one next door, but still worth a look.  I'd pretty much given up trying to get one of these bow rings after hearing that the Whistles version sold out way before Christmas, but lo and behold they were in the V&A shop in silver and gold for a mere 8 quid! It was the ideal memento of the morning and really made my day.  Expect to see it featured here on a regular basis...

Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950 takes place in the fashion gallery until the 6th of January 2013, giving you plenty of time to catch it before it goes.  I think it's worth a look due to the pure fantasy element and hopefully one day I'll have an occasion where I can wear such a dress and am forced to be a bit graceful!

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Legs and Lobster

It's always tricky trying to work out when to go bare-legged in this country.  My threshold is usually 23 degrees but this year I'm willing to make an exception as you never know what's around the corner.  In this country's case, it's probably Autumn.  It's become quite tricky to pair the right tights with my outfits and as Carrie and Lucy have proved in the past, some things just look better with bare legs.  This was my outfit for a sunny Saturday afternoon, in no way was it comparable to the heatwaves that are a rarity in this country, but I felt particularly brave on this occasion.  Have you been getting your legs out recently?

T-shirt - House of Holland

Skirt - Monki

Shoes - Swedish Hasbeens c/o Spartoo

Jewellery - Forever 21, Marc by Marc Jacobs

Socks - Tabio

This House of Holland tee is another one of those AW11 sale finds that I never got around to blogging about, but I'm finding it quite suitable for SS12.  Somehow this granny square adorned tee seemed more appealing at half price as in the past I've tried and failed to crochet a few myself.  I couldn't resist picking up this skirt in Monki as I've been searching for a replacement for this too-short American Apparel number I sold recently.  Am I getting a bit sensible with my skirt lengths these days?  I think my days of awkwardly tugging my hems are over.  I've been wearing my new clogs with tights for the past few weeks, so it was finally nice to ditch them and pair them with some cute ankle socks.  My Mum despaired at another pair of Hasbeens as they're not particularly alluring and might seem reminiscent of the clogs I had when I was younger, but I love them anyway.  They're extremely comfortable (don't be fooled by the wobbles) and I'd take these over your typical stilettos any day.

After visiting the Dover Street Market sample sale, I finally managed to get to Burger and Lobster with Stella (see her review here) and am counting the days until my next visit.  It's not very often that I can afford to eat in Mayfair, but at £20 for a whole lobster (aka the gift that keeps on giving) and unlimited chips and salad, you definitely get a lot for your money.  I'm attempting to become a bit more of a foodie these days (methinks it's a result of all the tantalising Instagram photos floating about on a daily basis) and trying to discover new places to eat in London instead of relying on old favourites.  In typical 2012 fashion, I've made a Google Map to keep me on track when deciding on places to eat when on the move and I'm hoping to cover most of the list this Summer.  I hope it helps any of you that are around the capital and I'm open to any more recommendations.

The winner of the Wah Nails book giveaway is Azra, congrats!

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A Wish Party

Have you ever wondered how your blog might look if it were a party?  I'm sure mine would be suitably chaotic, with plenty of things going on (nail art, photobooths, exhibitions) and about several different cuisines to choose from.  Last Sunday, when the whether was particularly sunny, I went to a party that combined the aesthetics of Carrie and Lucy's blogs to celebrate Wish Magazine.  The content and layout represents the things they love and is the perfect antithesis to all of the airbrushing and diet obsessions of modern magazines.  As you can imagine, there were photo opportunities around every corner and it took a good while to whittle down the amount of photos to give you a sense of the afternoon.  Described as a 'children's book for adults' the issue allows for dreaming and boasts plenty of inspiring interviews, illustrations and lifestyle features and even some gold stars for a bit of interactivity.  Although I seem to inhabit the online world more than the average person, I'm definitely welcoming buying more special magazines that perhaps come out twice a year and offer something more worthwhile than your typical gossipy title.  I can't wait to get my hands on the first issue and I hope there will be many more as it seems there's an important message to be spread.

Everyone dressed suitably for the occasion and it was the ideal time to bring out any sundresses that had been languishing in the depths of the wardrobe due to miserable weather.  I wonder if turning the things you blog about into some kind of offline brand is the future of blogging.  I can't help thinking that in ten years time, some of the blogger friends I've made might be the editors, journalists, stylists, designers and creatives shaping popular culture.

I decided to bake some Red Velvet cupcakes as my contribution to the party.  I tried to make them look as professional as possible but luckily they tasted better than they looked and disappeared throughout the course of the afternoon.  Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to start making them four hours before the party started and I did end up being slightly late, but it was definitely worth it (although my Mum wasn't too happy I turned the kitchen red)...

Wish magazine is available here from Monday 21st of May.  Will you be buying a copy?

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