Outfit: Shorts Suit

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Pearl

Today I am Wearing: Vivienne Westwood – Red Label tartan blazer, grey wool shorts, frill blouse; Gold Label Piped Court shoes in brown.

Just found this half finished post in my drafts, don’t know why it got waylay-ed! If you follow me on Instagram (@superelevated) and Facebook you might remember it was from a few weeks back. I really love this outfit, I know shorts and tartan aren’t suitable for everyone’s work wear but it is perfect for me. I am lucky to have that freedom. This is what I wear for an average smart work look, here I am in the museum carrying out some research and meetings. For something more formal I would switch the shorts for a pencil skirt. In fact that is what I wore for a recent conference, switched the shorts for a black fitted pencil skirt and the shoes for my black suede Animal Toe courts.

I actually really like wearing quite formal clothes, there is nothing better than a suit to make you feel more confidant. I don’t often have such extremely formal occasions to wear a full suit, so I usually wear them as separates. If you have a formal black or navy suit that only sees light of day for job intereviews, try wearing the skirt / trousers with a soft blouse or structured jumper for a smart but chic look. Blazers / jackets work to add a sleek edge to just about any outfit, over pretty dresses or with jeans.

I have been posting a lot on Instagram so let me know if you are on there too and I can follow you, don’t forget I am on YouTube now too, again let me know you channels so I can subscribe!

Illamasqua Make Over!

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Pearl

Couldn’t wait to share this amazing make over I got at Illamasqua. It isn’t a brand I had tried before, in fact I admit I avoided it with the scary looking bright colours – nope not for me, not at all…

The more I walked past the counter every time I visited Selfridges, I would edge closer, just out of intrigue you understand. The ethereal make up artists, with butterfly eyes so alluring, but no still not for me.

It started with a nail varnish. My friend Rich insisted I go and see them. They were exactly like mini-eggs and I do love mini-eggs. I tested a couple of colours on my nails, oh yes I agreed they were gorgeous. But still not for me.

Without plan we found ourselves at Selfridges Summer Beauty event. Chance to go round and talk with the MUA’s, learn some new tips. Suddenly I decided I wanted to try some of those butterfly eyes for myself. A pallet with mint green, pollen yellow, deep purple and a shimmering pewter caught my eye. How on earth do you use such colours? I had no idea what to expect as a result. But I didn’t have to change my entire make-up look at all, MUA Paddy created a sultry smoky eye yet made it pop with a dot of yellow in each corner. I was sold, I took home the pallet. Oh yes and those nail varnishes too.

Converted.

I simply adore this make up look, it is my summer party look for sure! All I need to add are my blond and pink hair extensions

a slick of nail polish and I’m done!

A Celebration of British Fashion & Beauty

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Pearl

┬á

The winners of the Queens Award for Enterprise, an honour given to British companies who have proven they are ÔÇ£outstanding in their fieldÔÇØ, have been announced recently with several hugely popular British companies gaining much-deserved recognition.

This has been a great moment for British fashion, among other categories of recipients, as it not only recognises the hard work and talent of those influencing British fashion today, but recognises the huge influence Britain has on the international fashion.

Brands within the fashion industry which have been recognised this year include the Cambridge Satchel Company, maternity fashion label Tiffany Rose, and nail polish masterminds Nails Inc.

The Cambridge Satchel Company has been recognised within the category of International Trade thanks to their contribution towards exports. This hugely popular company began on the founderÔÇÖs kitchen table in 2008 and has since grown into a huge international force to be reckoned with. It has graced the shoulders of celebrities like Zooey Deschanel, Fearne Cotton and Elle Fanning, and itÔÇÖs even been on the Christine Baranski┬áshoulders on the TV set of The Good Wife.

Tiffany Rose was also honoured within the International Trade accolade. The maternity label has experienced a massive growth in over sea sales over the past three years, in parts thanks to its celebrity fans.

Stars including Holly Willoughby, Emma Bunton and Myleene Klass have appeared on television and within magazines wearing the stunning clothing offered by Tiffany Rose, meaning international interest has soared.

Finally, Nails Inc was given the QueenÔÇÖs Award for Enterprise due to the international success of the brands. Established in 1999, the nail polish label creates and sells not only products for use at home, but has nail bars world-wide for customers to use and enjoy ÔÇô and the best thing about all these brands you ask, theyÔÇÖre all created on home soil!

See here for the list of the queens award recipients.

Man Wisdom: Brook Taverner Suit GIVEAWAY

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Pearl

┬áGiveaway! An Epsom Pinstripe Suit from Brook Taverner

┬áAmazingly Brook Taverner are giving you the chance to win a navy or gray Epsom pinstripe menÔÇÖs suit valued at ┬ú315!

The elegant pinstriped Brook Taverner Epsom suit is made from Super 110’s Wool, and is a classic fit, illustrating the expert tailoring the company have established.┬á For business, fashion-forward undercurrents from this yearÔÇÖs catwalk twists up the traditional striped menÔÇÖs suit with new detailing such as the new razor sharp slim line lapels. Details below:┬á┬á┬á

The Epsom suit features: Side vents, Two button, single breasted, Classic fit, Side vents, Five interior pockets, Fully lined, Four button cuff, Super 110’s Merino Wool, Plain front half lined trouser, Belt loops, Comfort stretch waistband, Clasp fastening, French bearer

Most men, from 20 to 60 plus, want comfort and ease whilst looking good, and Brook Taverner customers can get everything they need in once place online to look their best. Taking note of the seasons fashions, combined with traditional tailoring, the Epsome suit features razor sharp lapels and a classic fit, perfect for any occasion – and it could be yours.

Your Chance To Win

Simply answer the question and fill in your details, a winner will be chosen at random and contacted by Brook Taverner at the end of May!

How many buttons are on the cuff of the prize suit (hint read above)

A. Two button cuff

B. Three button cuff

C. Four button cuff

Full T&C’s

┬áBrook Taverner have been creating fine suits since they were established in 1912. The highly skilled tailors now have an online shop which caters to every wardrobe need, now you can get your Brook Taverner suit with the click of a button. From sharp, work suits, casual summer linen blazers, over coats to gilets they offer a wide, yet perfectly edited selection of menswear.

I know a lot of men shy away from tailoring, unless it’s forced upon them for a wedding! However a classic suit can be the foundation of your wardrobe. Once you have a beautifully fitted suit you won’t look back. Yes, wearing a full suit is rather formal, however you can wear it as separates too. The jacket will smarten up casual chinos and the pants can be worn with a soft wool jumper for a well turned out day time look.

Getting the right fit

They key to the perfect suit is in the fit, it needs to fit your body exactly. Brook Taverner know how important this is and have a detailed size guide, which includes video tutorials on how to take your measurements correctly. They offer alterations at no extra cost and returns are free too, to ensure you get only the best.

Customer Testimonials

“First purchase from you and it certainly wont be my last. My daughter in law was a quality control manager at Armani in Italy. Her comments were that these trousers were excellent quality.” Alan Farr

“Brook Taverner are taking over my wardrobe because of the excellent fit and quality of all of your clothes. I have suits, jackets, trousers and a shirt!!” Robert Dellow

“What a great service! Ordered two pairs of corduroy trousers from you, both size 34″ waist. One fitted me perfectly, the other (because my waist is actually 35″) was too small. I sent the smaller one back to you asking if you could find a slightly larger cut waist. These have now been returned to me and I was delighted to find that you have either fitted or altered the waistband to 35″. In this day and age I hardly dare to expect this kind of help, particularly with ‘direct’ merchandising and I would just like to say thank you very much indeed for your efforts – I shall certainly use your services again.” Brian McEvoy

Outfit: Squiggles, New & Old

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Pearl

New Vivienne Westwood Japanese Label Squiggle socks from Worlds End, plus original vintage 80s Westwood and McLaren Pirate collection Squiggle skirt, topped off with Gold Label Tits jumper and amethyst orb = perfect for a Sunday lounging around. No shoes, shocking I know! Not sure which ones I would have worn with this, perhaps my Roman 3-Strap sandals.

Vlog: Make-Up Haul Bobbi Brown & Harvey Nics

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Pearl

I’m not one to buy beauty products in bulk, in fact I’m not usually one to buy much make-up at all preferring to keep my cosmetics bag minimal. But I had gotten to that stage where everything seems to run out all at the same time, so went to stock up at Bobbi Brown in Harvey Nichols. Whilst I was there they had some special offers on which meant I got a freebie Bobbi Brown make-up bag with mini lip gloss and a special edition Fifi Lapin make-up bag packed with goodies! If you remember I’ve been using Bobbi Brown products since September ‘”Would you give up your make-up bag?‘ and ‘Putting Bobbi Brown Long Wear to the Test‘ I think it’s fair to say the products last really well. The thing I ran out of first was the concealer and now I am getting low on foundation and cleanser. There were also some new products I wanted to try, new eye shadows and the Retouching face powder, which I will review once I’ve tried them out.

Rebuys:

Long-wear even finish foundation SPF 15 ÔÇô Warm Ivory 1
Creamy Concealer Kit ÔÇô Warm Honey Creamy Concealer & Pale Yellow Sheer Finish Pressed Powder
Rich Lip Colour SPF 12 ÔÇô Old Hollywood 2
Hydrating Rich Cream Cleanser

New Buys:

Retouching Powder – White
Metallic Eye Shadow ÔÇô Forest 6 and Midnight 12

If you want to find out what think of these products and what I got in the rest of my haul check out the vlog!

I will do creating more vlogs soon, not just beauty but fashion too. At the moment I am trialing quite a few products including mascaras and lash primers, nail art and skin care. What I hope to find is a new facial serum, since my old fav’ was changed I can’t fine one I am impressed with. I am planning to hit up Selfridges beauty department and try a few out top of my list are Elizabeth Arden and Bobbi Brown, but I have been checking out creme de la mer from Beautique and I really want to try it after all the rave reviews. Not all the products are over ┬ú100 either like I presumed. Watch this space!

What the MET Gala 2013 Can Teach Us

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Pearl

┬áCommenting on trussed up celebs isn’t usually my game but I really couldn’t resist with this years MET Gala having a Punk theme. Having a theme for any event doesn’t usually bode well and the stars out last night fell victim trying to live up to it. Unless you are at a fancy dress party don’t change your style for anyone! Let’s have a look eh…

Starting with Dame Viv and date Lily Cole, if anyone had the right to turn up in pins and rips it was Viv but of course she has been there done that. Instead she chose a sumptuous taffeta dress and cape from AW12, voluminous with a dropped waist. Pinned to her breast was a photo of Wiki-leaks’ Bradley Manning. In a sea of tits and legs it was ironically the most punk look of them all.

Lily wore a Westwood gown of course, the design the same as the iconic Olympic dress however the corset of the MET dress crafted from Amazonian wild rubber, a natural material.When I first saw this dress I wasn’t aware of it’s construction, stating on Facebook how I wished it had been made of rubber! The reason this came to mind being the colour of the dress, recalling the colour of the original rubber and latex punk clothing sold at SEX. The photo I found about just shows up the contrast of the corset and skirts.

Both Vivienne and Lily wore Clomper shoes which I was immensely impressed with,Vivienne wore a runway version with ribbon ties and intricate embroidery. Had to LOL at the lady in blue carrying her heels down the staircase, not our Viv she can ride her bike in these baby’s.

Christina Ricci was the only other star to wear Westwood (god knows why, not a bondage suit in sight), her McAndrew tartan gown was incredible, but I think she styled it a little off kilter. I didn’t hate her look but I think she should have worn cobweb or pvc stockings to give it a little edge.

I think by the far the biggest mistake of the evening befell those choosing evening gloves, both Beyonce and Kim are stunning women but their Givenchy gowns swamped them.

Katy Perry and Linda Evangelista (Marchesa) look like the went on a journey with Bill and Ted, falling out of the wrong century! I do actually like Katy’s crown and Dolce & Gabbana frock but think the shoes make it frumpy.

Even when the gowns were that bad, so many of the girls looked like trussed up turkey, overly tanned, hair slick wit gel or stiff with spray. Many translated punk as 80s eye make up, more suited to Halloween.Julianna Moore’s quiff was just ridiculous.┬á Brit chic Cara Delevingne showed how to get it right with soft locks to balance out a smudged, smokey eye. Wanting to stand out from the crowd Jessica Biel donned a fake nose ring and Nichole Richie sported frosted hair – more Rocky Horror Show ladies.

Ok so I can’t leave out Madonna in her Givenchy outfit, yes it is pure Punk in a costumey sense,but if I’d seen someone wearing this on any other occasion I would have given serious hearts to it. The gilt pyramid studs, the tartan, the pop or fuchsia pink heels, even the damn wig. Gah I love it, I shouldn’t but I do and I don’t know why!

That’s not to say nodding to Punk fashion without looking like a pastiche is impossible, Miley Cyrus (Marc Jacobs), Cary Mulligan (Balenciaga), Alexa Chung (Erdem), Sienna Miller (Burberry) and Donatella Versace (Versace) all looked sleek and chic. I kind of wish Miley had slashed it across the bust, a la Courtney Love in THAT Dior dress. In fact, why they hell wasn’t Love there!!

The safest option was to flip the V’s to the dress code theme, Rooney Mara (Givenchy), Anna Wintour (Chanel) and Gwen Stefani (Margiela) all stuck to their tried and tested styles and looked fantastic.

Last but not least, Sarah Jessica Parker who stole the show, from faux-hawk Philip Treacy hat, Giles gown and thigh high Louboutin boot this was not a look for the feint hearted. What might have looked like over kill on anyone else, frankly looked freakin’ fabulous. She’s SJP and she can wear whatever she damn well pleases.

One thing I always wondered about the red carpet, is how celebs get their hair looking so perfect. Apparently they all wear temporary hair extensions! No wonder I could never get my thin locks to look as good. AmericanDreamExtensions.Com are UK specialists in hair extensions I’ve actually got some and have been trying them out, will show you how to in a post soon.

Tour My Closet – My Revamped YouTube Channel

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Pearl

I decided it was about time my long abandoned You Tube channel was revisited. I’ve had a few requests for vlogging content and I agree it does make some things easier to explain. My first video is a companion to one of my most popular posts ‘Vivienne Westwood Pirate Boots: History & How to Spot Fakes‘ where I can show details that genuine Vivienne Westwood Pirate boots have.

Next, the launch of my new regular shoes feature ‘Shoe Closet Tours’, I aim to eventually show all my shoe collection, each pair at a time! You can have a look through my channel, there are also some runway videos, but if you just want the new shoe action I have compiled them all into a Playlist, entitled ‘Shoes!’ Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel to get all my new videos. I will be doing some haul and review vlogs too. Of course if you have a channel, drop me the link so I can subscribe x

Shoes! Playlist:

Outfit: Squiggle Girl

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Pearl

Wearing: Vivienne Westwood – Worlds End ‘Gigot’ dress, Gold Label ‘Animal Toe Court shoes‘ and Japanese License ‘Squiggle’ socks

┬á These socks have been long awaited by all the squiggle fans. The length is longer than the original Pirate stockings but made from a cheese cloth so you still get that great slouch effect. My tip if you want to wear them over the knee, use some body-tape to hold them up, or even a suspender belt. If you want a pair best be quick and give Lisa a call as they will sell out fast, ┬ú45 from Worlds End. This is the first thing I have tried them with, obviously this is my favourite dress at the moment and my suede court shoes! But I can’t wait to try them with my other squiggle items. Here is some squiggle sock inspiration for you!

┬á┬á

Images via 430 Kings Road Tumblr

Vivienne Westwood Sample Sale Scores

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Pearl

Reflecting on the swag

I wasn’t really planning on showing my new stuff from the Vivienne Westwood sample sale until I happened to wear it but you, my friends, are so demanding! So here are a few snaps I just took whilst trying things on. I got a fair amount, two dress, two skirts, a coat, two necklaces, belt, lanyard, tights, legwarmers and some things for my mum. As much as I could carry really! Believe me I would have loved to get more, but what I did get are really incredible pieces.

My rather disheveled outfit on the way home

┬á

Taking my new coat and skirt for a whirl the day after sale worn with my Sack boots

┬á

I also got asked a few questions about how sample / warehouse sales work, its pretty simple. All the items are price by type, dresses are a set price, coats a set price and so on. The sale was dearer this year some example prices are large bags ┬ú140, red label dresses ┬ú70, t-shirts ┬ú20, with Gold Label being individually priced. It wasn’t dirt cheap Primark prices which some people bizarrely seem to expect, but it is a huge discount on what you would pay in store, even at the seasonal sales. The cheapest things I saw were Melissa shoes for ┬ú20 and plastic jewellery for ┬ú5, however getting a Red Carpet dress which can cost ┬ú3000 for ┬ú350 is still a bargain in my books, I guess it just depends on what you are looking for.

After last years crazy scrum of a sale, this year they controlled the amount of people allowed in at a time, I think around 20 people. This made queue times a bit longer but made the shopping experience so much easier and more pleasurable for customers and staff. There was plenty of time and space to have a good look around. I believe the average queue time was 1 hour which I don’t think is too bad considering, this was also the time most people gave themselves to get there early. The sale started at 10am and the queuing really began around 9am. If you don’t like to queue aim to get there around lunch time or on the 2nd day when it is quieter.There was absolutely plenty of stock, no need to panic but of course there was still some kerfuffle outside with idiots trying to queue jump. They were swiftly made to leave. You generally aren’t able to try things on at a sample sale, you can try shoes on if you can manage to do so standing on one leg. Some sales allow you to try clothes on over your own. A cloakroom is provided which means you can go in the sale with your hands free!┬á I guess the main tip for shopping sample sales is to have an idea of your size with the brand, if it’s not a brand you usually wear then try to go into a store and try on. There is nothing more frustrating than buying something fabulous to find it doesn’t fit. If I am unsure of a size I tend to go for the bigger size as you can always have something easily made smaller, it’s not so easy to make things bigger.

Huge thanks to all the staff for organising the sale <3

* Your Email Address:
┬á┬á┬á┬áFirst Name:
┬á┬á┬á┬áQuestion Answer:	A B C