Alice in Wonderland

A bit different from our usual style icons, Alice in Wonderland certainly isn't an unlikely one. In fact, I think we've all wanted to be Alice a little bit. I certainly did. I read and re-read the original Lewis Carroll books as a child and, being a little blonde girl too, she was an obvious style crush. When Dundee jeweller Karen Smith contacted us to feature her beautiful jewellery we knew it was the perfect collab. We were already coveting her jewels so it was the perfect pairing! We first got to know Karen through her pop up at Time Boutique in Dundee, which is a fantastic regular event that they hold for the public to get to know the designers (we've been along to a few already).

Karen's jewellery has a really quirky design, with a delicate nod to steampunk through a running theme of keys, clocks and cogs. The pieces are weighty and beautifully crafted, each with its own story. She has chunkier statement pieces like the stunning pocket watch necklace I'm wearing but for me it's the more subtle pieces that draw me in to look closer. The beautiful cognitive heart 3D necklace is elegant and moves in a really satisfying way, reminding me of a spinner. It has a really detailed cog pattern on the pieces- but you'll have to look closely! The earrings too sway nicely so that you can see the workings without the piece feeling too overdone. And that key ring! It's just incredible. Definitely one for the wish list. I also completely adore the tiny key to my heart earrings (not pictured). Karen designs and crafts all the pieces herself in her studio in Dundee. And she does commissions! What's not to love?

Jumper | New Look
Skirt | made by Helen
Shoes | Zara
Jewellery | c/o Karen Smith
Scarf | Cleo Ferin Mercury


As with all our style icons, we try to steer clear of a 'costume' look in favour of a wearable nod to the style. For this I stuck to the Alice colour of pale blue and her hair bow, but I made it a little more me with a bit of a vintage housewife twist. Or rather, Helen made it a little more me by whipping up this space-age silver skirt. I've recently lost 20lbs(!) so the skirt was a tad big by the time I got round to wearing this (sorry, Helen!) but the circle shape and super shiny material is a really fun mix. I'm a futuristic Alice! I also like the longer shape, landing just below the knee. With a little resizing to fit my newly nipped waist it will be a great addition to my wardrobe. For this wintery shoot I paired the skirt with a chunky blue crop jumper I picked up in last year's January sales. Rather than a white rabbit I had a blue panda in the form of this sensational scarf from Cleo Ferin Mercury. It is the most fun- even if it is a little creased from being in my weekend bag. Wearing it up in a GIANT bow in my hair gave it another twist (and another nod to Alice) that I was really getting into. I need to wear more of my scarves in my hair- it's a great way to use them and hides a multitude of sins (read 'roots'). It also weirdly brings out the blue of my eyes.

Thanks again to Karen Smith for the inspiration and accessories for this shoot. This was such a dreamy combo and added to my Christmas wishlist for sure!

If you have a collaboration idea for us, please get in touch.