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In an English Country Garden

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Summer seemed to run really late this year, but it’s looking like Autumn has decided to roll up her sleeves and get to work at last. So I’m saying Au Revoir to the warmer temperatures with a quick post featuring my favourite dress of the Summer.

This dress from Joy has everything. Pockets, pleats, a twirly skirt and that gorgeous floral pattern. I was in love as soon as I saw it. And even better it’s now on sale – snap it up here.

As usual, my little self-made photoshoot was invaded by animals. Shadow came to say hello, and was swiftly followed by Milo. In typical cat fashion, Milo mithered me for ages and then as soon as I picked him up he couldn’t do enough to get away. He likes me really… I think.

Tall Girl, Small Dog

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I promised a while ago to show you the miracle jeggings I bought at the TallGirls.co.uk pop up. However, that turned out to be a bit more difficult than anticipated – you’ll see why when you scroll down.

It’s been that long since I visited the pop up that they’ve already released the dates for the A/W pop ups – you can find more info on these here.

The jeggings are a brand called e d c and you can find them on the TallGirls.co.uk website here. They are not only a great fit for my hips/waist but the perfect length for my legs (which sit somewhere between 34″-36″ in-seam, depending upon where I shop).

Top: F&F
Necklace: HBE
Sandals: Primark

With one thing and another though this post became a bit less ‘Clothes’ and a bit more ‘Dog’. Or to be more specific, ‘dogs’ – two of them.

Shadow and Cali make the best double act. She has adored him since day one and he got a new lease of life when she showed up – it was like he became a puppy all over again. He though, is more content to chill out in the back ground, whereas (as you can see below) she likes to be the centre of everyone’s attention…

Something for the Weekend: Manchester Art Gallery

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Last weekend I visited Manchester Art Gallery – one of my favourite places in Manchester. It’s not particularly big or prominent (as art galleries go) but it’s well worth a visit.

The ‘Vogue 100’ exhibition recently transferred here from the National Portrait Gallery and I wanted to take a look. Vogue is synonymous with fashion but I didn’t realise the scale of artistic influence in it’s pages until I saw this exhibition. It was fascinating to wander back through the decades and see the work of some of the greatest artists and photographers lifted from it’s pages.

Sadly photographs were prohibited within the exhibition – so you’ll just have to visit it for yourself to see what I mean. (Entry is free.) If you’re not in the area, don’t worry… you can see much of Vogue’s centenary celebrations online. Including it’s back catalogue of covers here.

I hadn’t planned on seeing much else while I was there – but I was directed out of the Vogue exhibiton and found myself in the most beautiful space – full of a separate exhibition on Modern Japanese Design. It was strangely beautiful and also well worth a look if you are in town.

The Art Gallery is also showcasing an exhibition called ‘Fashion and Freedom’ – sadly I ran out of time on my visit this time around to find out more about this but you can be sure I’ll be back in the future!

TallGirls.co.uk Pop-Up Shop

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*Update: A/W ’16 Pop Up Shop dates for your diary can now be found here.

Summer’s arrived… how did that happen so quickly?! Time seems to be flying by. I’ve been very aware lately that my poor blog has been a bit neglected this year (I blame the small fluffy one!) but I’m hoping to turn that around a bit now.

Several (oops) weeks ago I went to the TallGirls.co.uk pop up shop in Warrington. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I’d heard a bit about the brand but I’d never yet seen the clothes on my favourite tall blogs and no one I know had ever purchased from the site. So it was a bit of a shopping adventure into the unknown…

I’d also never attended a pop up shop before and wasn’t sure what to expect from the experience. While not everything was my personal style, the selection was huge and catered to so many different tastes.

I spent hours trekking to and from the changing rooms trying on different things. In the end though I behaved myself and came away with just a few items. (You can see one of them in this post)

I have to give a special mention to the jeans and jeggings – I’ve lamented before about the struggles of having a size 10 waist and size 12 hips – but Tall Girls provided so many different styles and fits that I now own 2 extra pairs.

I don’t have the usual shoe-woes of a tall girl but every now again I spot a style in a tall store that makes me wish I did (or that the store offered it in small sizes too.)

I am a bit behind the times with this post but many of the items below are still available online.
Happy Shopping! x

10 of the Best Checks

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The by-line for this blog has always been ‘Country Chick, City Chic’ – I came up with this because half of the time I can never decide what I like best.

Recently it’s a dilemma that’s affected more than just my wardrobe – but more on that later.

This post is most definitely for the the country bumpkins out there. I’ve rounded up 10 of my favourite checked pieces.

It’s a trend that I adore. It’s cute without being too young and has a fresh, clean summery feel to it. I always associate this style of fabric with summer picnics.

Sadly the weather in the UK is nowhere near warm enough for any of these items – but a girl can daydream right?

1st Row

Dress: Whistles / Dress: ASOS / Top: Warehouse

2nd Row

Dress: ChicWish / Crop Top & Skirt Set: ChicWish / Shirt Dress: Oasis

3rd Row

Dress: ASOS Tall / Shirt: Lee / Shorts: Mango / Dress: ASOS

3 British Jewellery Brands I’m Obsessed With

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Truth be told, I’m not the richest of girls, and those of us who know what it’s like to count the pennies know that sometimes the real deal isn’t necessary – imitation will do just fine.

For that reason I own very little in the way of precious metals or stones. Almost all of my jewellery is costume jewellery. There are 3 brands I absolutely adore for their unique items and I thought I’d share them with you today.

The first is Orelia – a brand I discovered in Topshop stores, but which is also stocked by ASOS. (I’m a bit obesessed with it as you can probably tell from the many photos below.) Their pieces tend to be dainty and delicate, there’s something very lady-like about them.

The second is Handmade by Emma. I met Emma at the Castlefield Market last Summer and she made me the silver diamond-shaped necklace below in the space of about 5 minutes. What I love about her designs is that they are all designed to work as single pieces or can be combined in layers. In addition she offers the option to have certain pieces personalised with a name or monogram.

And lastly, a brand I discovered just before Christmas: Mala London. She sources the most striking statement pieces, like the rose-gold-coloured necklace below.

Two Sale Steals from LTS

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I am a self confessed bargain-hunter. I like nothing better than shopping the sales – so when Long Tall Sally took an extra 20% off their sale stock a couple of weeks ago, I was helpless to resist!

It may well have been the first day of Spring recently, but Winter hasn’t shaken it’s grip on my part of the world just yet. I have a feeling I’ll be getting a lot of wear out of these pieces over the next few weeks.

The wool wrap jacket is exceptionally cosy with the perfect sleeve length. The fairisle print jumper may look a little out of season elsewhere in the world but with this lovely English weather behaving the way it is, it didn’t feel it. The black jeggings are an old faithful pair (if a little faded now) also from Long Tall Sally – in fact I think they were my first ever purchase from the original LTS Manchester store (you can read my review of the new store here).

The boots are another sale bargain – from F&F. Sadly these exact ones are no longer in stock (although I’m not surprised as they really were a great buy!) but they have something similar here.

Long Tall Sally’s New Manchester Store

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If you’ve been following Long Tall Sally’s Instagram lately you’ll know they recently launched a new store in Manchester (my hometown) with a brand new design. What you probably don’t know is that they sent customers in the area a 10% off voucher to celebrate the opening. A new store and a new summer wardrobe at 10% off? How could a girl refuse?!

I took ‘Mum in the Pretty Dress’ along to explore with me and we were both impressed. The space did feel a little smaller than in the previous store but the layout made everything much more accessible. The most noticeable improvement though has to be the changing rooms – they are so much more secluded and private than they previously were with a lovely plush carpet under foot. Finally there was a very thoughtful inclusion of in-store seating. Initially I thought this was for trying on shoes but there were a fair few men folk using them during our visit while their other halves took advantage of those lovely changing rooms.

If you’ve been itching to see more of the redesign here’s a sneak peek. (Complete with racks of the latest TTYA4LTS collaboration which snuck into the store here early!)

The Girl In The Pretty Dress Guide to Vintage Shopping

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One of my favourite purchases this year (and by no coincidence, one of my favourite outfit posts) was this fabulous canary-yellow vintage skirt. I was bitten by the vintage bug and I’ve been seeking out vintage sales ever since so I thought I’d share what I’ve learned so far…

1) Vintage shopping can be a tall shoppers heaven. The added length of yester-year’s dresses/skirts makes them perfect for those of us who are long and leggy. (Waist-height can still be tricky but it’s amazing what you can find if you’re prepared to rummage through the rails.) It’s also the perfect way to nail throw-back fashions like the current 70’s trends.

2) It’s about more than just the clothes. It’s a costume-jewellery paradise (I’ve never seen so many sparkly things in one place) and perfect if you’re looking for a one-off piece of furniture.

3) It pays to think about your underwear in advance of your shopping expedition. Most vintage sales have make-shift changing booths so make sure you’re covered just in case. At the last vintage sale I went to one of the booths was no more than a wicker screen…

4) There is always cake. I don’t know why but every vintage sale I’ve attended has had a cute little tea-and-cake cafe running in the corner. Which suits me just fine. The added bonus is that you can usually buy the seat you’re sitting on if it takes your fancy.

5) Do your research beforehand. Most vintage sales are one-off or annual events so it helps to follow vintage stores online to see where they’ll be showcasing their wares next. I’ve included some links below to get you started!

Vintage at Manchester Cathedral – Manchester (pictured below)
Pear Mill Vintage Emporium – Stockport
Rif Raf Furniture – Manchester
The Vintage Village – Stockport
Nells Loft – Liverpool
Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair – Newcastle
The Vintage Furniture Flea – London
Portobello Road – London
Judy’s Vintage Fair – Various locations and dates

LV Series 3

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I was walking down The Strand in London recently when something caught my eye… It had the words ‘Louis Vuitton’ and ‘free’ on it so I had to investigate further! What followed was a wonderful walk through the Louis Vuitton A/W 15 collection and the opportunity to see how it intertwines with the history of the brand.

In their own words: “Series 3 is a stand alone exhibition showcasing a designer and his creative process and influences. Far more than a simple collection it is a stream of consciousness, dreams and self-reflexive journeys. Inside a designers mind, muses intertwine with cherished memories and visions of new shapes, cuts and meticulous craftmanship. He sits between the past he embraced and the future. The designer’s careful thoughts pair with a delicate artisanal touch: a new moment of excellence born in this union. “Series 3” retraces Nicolas Ghesquiere Autumn/Winter 2015/2016 collection for Louis Vuitton. “Series 3″ is a sensorial journey, venturing deep into the designer’s soul and an artisan’s heart. An adventure along the emotional corridors of Louis Vuitton.”

There are regular tours through the exhibition (led by charmingly handsome tour guides in perfectly tailored suits) and along the way there’s the opportunity to meet one of the artisans who painstakingly manufactures each bag by hand.

This Louis Vuitton Series 3 exhibition has free admission (online reservation is recommended but not strictly necessary) and runs until the 18th October at 180 The Strand.

If fashion exhibitions are your thing, then you might also want to check out Chanel’s Mademoiselle Privé exhibition which will run at the Saatchi Gallery from 13th October-1st November.