Spritzing

Is it cool to drink white wine spritzers?

I was out for dinner with the handsome hubbie last weekend and noted the restaurant had a "Berry Spritzer" on the menu - a combination of white wine, lemonade and chambord. Not being a wine drinker, I thought this seemed like a good alternative and opted to try this berry infused concoction.

I was shocked. I don't have the pallete for wine at all. I could probably stretch to half a glass of red at the odd black tie event but that's my limit. Champagne is a definite no no. But have I now discovered a way to join the vino collapso crew? It was like the vineyards had opened and welcomed me into their sour topnotes bosom! This drink was fantastic. It had a hint of wine about it, with a pleasurable fizz and all those gorgeous berry smells and favours oozing through. Topped off with mint it was refreshing and lovely.

But, wait. Aren't white wine spritzers the poison of middle-aged women of the 80's? Isn't it something that should only be ordered in dark musty pubs by "glamorous" Brenda with her Southernly cleavage and leather pencil skirt?

Please, someone enlighten me. Can I order this drink in the bars and clubs of London without being looked at like a weirdo or should I only reserve it for restaurants where they still serve Babycham?

Ladies, I await your guidance...

Survival Instincts

So the latest "key season fashion" is animal print. Its actually been around for over a year in the mainstream, but this Autumn/Winter the shops have gone wild (see what I did there?) with animal identification characteristics on everything from scarves, handbags, shoes, cardigans, leggings, coats and more. There also seems to be a shift away from the usual classic colours and we're now seeing red leopard print and illuminous pink snakeskin.

Personally I'm not one for looking like a Jungle Book character and tend to steer clear of anything vaguely animal related. I do, however, have a silk leopard print scarf which I got from Oasis last summer. I bought it for a fancy dress party at London Zoo and the theme, unsurprisingly, was animals. I decided to opt for a hint of animal as I didn't want to be parading around on the tube wearing a gorilla suit, particularly as it was a tea party in the middle of the afternoon. I didn't think I would ever wear the scarf again, but rather shockingly for me it has proved to be a very useful piece in my wardrobe.

I wear the scarf round my neck, tied into a double bow to the side when wearing a black shift dress. Its a good way to liven up the basic black of our working wardrobes and tends to look quite classy when worn with your hair up. It's also good to wear as a belt with jeans when relaxing at the weekend and works equally well as a headscarf/hairband when you're trying to pretend you are uber cool on your summer holiday (massive sunglasses, over-sized handbag and chunky bangles add to the pretence of uber cool - orange skin optional).

So to bring a bit of survival instinct into your work wardrobe, why not try touches of animal print rather than plastering yourself in it to avoid the risk of looking like Pat Butcher and her other Eastender friends. Tip Number Two:

Less is More - A pair of animal print shoes teamed with a plain block colour outfit can look fabulous, follow up with matching skinny belt or echo the theme in your jewellery. Or why not get that mock croc handbag you've been drooling over to add a dash of something to your otherwise muted (albeit professional) outfit.

Now time to go hunting ladies...

Nx

Virgin Blogger

Hello and welcome to my first ever blog! It’s the first time I’ve taken the bold step of “putting myself out there” on the web – I don’t update my Facebook status and have never tweeted in my life. However, I have decided to grab life by the horns and…well…create a blog. A diary of my thoughts on life, fashion, make-up, hair, handbags, office politics, family politics, social politics, conquering the world and generally making sure we all look fabulous along the way.

I was never aware of this “talent” of mine until I started temping at a Government department and met a team of lovely ladies, self-titled “The Ladies Central Bureau of Investigations” Every morning I would receive compliments on my outfit and questions on my style. Over a period of time I became known as “the fashionable one”; one Lady Investigator (Lady BK) commenting that I could make a “sack look like Burberry”. I was encouraged by another Lady Investigator (the Baroness) to offer tips to others and start publishing those tips online. Hence I find myself here.

Now I don’t profess to know a lot about fashion or have the ability to look good in a sack. I am no Gok Wan (although I do love that man!). I am, by no means, a trendsetter or dedicated follower of fashion. I don’t do funky/grungy/rock chick/bag lady, but I do know how to pull together a decent office outfit and avoid a dinner date dress disaster. I’m all about elegant, classic, glamour (with some key latest season fashions thrown in for a bang up to date look). I know what suits me and that I think is the key to putting together any look. So ladies, here is Tip Number One:

Know your body – try and figure out what kind of shapes suit you and stick with it. For example, if you are super petite then wearing a long flowy voluminous maxi dress is only going to drown you. If you have wide hips, don’t wear an A’line skirt as it will only make you look wider. Everything is about proportion, so learn how to make yourself look proportionate in the clothes you wear.

So girls, go stand in front of the mirror for a while and figure out your figure…

In the meantime, I look forward to receiving your thoughts and comments on my new blog.

Goodbye Everybody!
Nx