Unlikely Style Icon: Mrs Claus

Only 4 days until Christmas and I'm feeling much more organised than I did previoulsy. I now know what I'm doing on the day and have most of my presents wrapped. Yay! After decorating the flat and watching endless festive films I'm getting into the spirit and am looking forward to catching up with friends and family and having a few days off of work. It sound so good already!

What the run up to the big day obviously needs is another Unlikely Style Icon. Over the past couple of years I've been inspired by trees and snowmen. This year I've opted for the often overlooked Mrs Claus. Maybe not quite as glamorous as Kimberley's tinsel get-up but after the M&S ad I feel like Santa's wife is stepping into the limelight.

If truth be told I mainly picked Mrs Claus because I'd just bought this red jumper and thought it would fit in nicely. I love that the jumper is festive without being covered in seasonal motifs and flashing lights. It's got a bit of sparkle to it but I'll certainly be wearing this long after December is over. I bundled up the festive red by adding my comfy and cosy coat and borrowed this sweet and sparkly hair clip from Kimberley. I added it to my beret because Mrs Claus should have some kind of headwear, don't you think? I kept it causal with some black jeans but added a touch more bling with gold boots and my trusty snowflake necklace -  it's a firm festive favourite. I do enjoy a themed accessory and this one works all through winter!




Jumper | H&M
Jeans | New Look
Boots | Primark
Necklace | c/o Bonnie Bling
Beret | Tiger
Candy Cane | Alternate Normality
Coat | Charity shop
Glasses | c/o Spex Pistols

Decorating a tree with gift bows is one of the more unusual things I've done for a blog post. There were certainly a few curious looks from the passers by. Don't worry, they were all removed from the park, we ain't litter bugs here at Wardrobe Conversations. I have had a bit of fun adding more bows in post production. The on site efforts looked a little sad when I was looking through the images. I think I need to work on my set design skills in 2017!



Whatever you get up to this Christmas, I hope you have a good one!

Unlikely Style Icon: Tinsel

When you've already dressed up as a Christmas present in the name of your (increasingly ridiculous) style blog, where else is there to go? Tinsel, clearly. This time round, I'm taking a slightly different approach to previous xmas editions of our Unlikely Style Icons, by having a dress made from the material. I adore an unusual fabric, or texture, and it can turn an otherwise ordinary item into something special. I bought this dress two years ago from Vintage Style Me and I absolutely love it. It's a little big now and, I'm not going to lie, it's pretty itchy around the cuffs. But it's so fun! The look didn't need much else added to it, so I kept everything else simple but layered on the pink with my lip colour and crown made of actual tinsel in my hair. I took a tip from last year's Icon, where I wore a Paperchase bow in my hair. Quirky accessories for the win!

I can't believe I haven't shared this dress before. I'm always surprised by how many things I own (and wear) that never make it onto the blog. I've still got more outfits in me, folks! I make an effort not to repeat too much on here, because I personally find it annoying when style bloggers are dressed in a variation of the same outfit, in a painting-by-numbers style. While I think I have found my style base, and I completely ascribe to the notion that we should buy less, its also possible to mix it up and use your things better. You don't need to be a plain Jane or have a hippie aesthetic to show you care about your consumption.


As I mentioned in my last post, I have an everyday work wear wardrobe and, although I could wear whatever I like, I prefer to wear something functional and plain so that I can concentrate on other things. It's minimalist but still accessorized, and is often commented on even though I think of it as my 'boring' clothes. When it comes to weekends, my outfits are louder and take a little more effort. I do own a lot of items, but many of these items are yeeears old. I tend to really enjoy something when it is new, and wear it regularly for that season, before I tuck it away for a bit so I don't tire of it. If you are choosing pieces wisely they shouldn't age too quickly. Or at all. As I rotate my wardrobe anyway (because I don't have wardrobe space for those winter woolies in summer), it's a nice way to pull out something you've not looked at in a while. I think not having an outfit in your eyeline everyday makes you appreciate it more when you come round to wearing it again. My terrible memory certainly helps! Good thing other people often remember my outfits ;)

Glitter Dress | Vintage Style Me
Shoes | Clarks
Snowflake Necklace | c/o Bonnie Bling
Ring | Anais Paulard
Glitter Lashes | Faux Lash

It was actually Helen who reminded me of this dress. Although I've had it for some time, I've just seen that Vintage Style Me has brought the style back for the Christmas period. You can be fit for the top of the tree too!

Also, remember how I was debating my work Christmas party outfit? I wore last year's unlikely style icon outfit! Dressing like a Christmas present was a winner on the day! You never know where the next outfit inspiration will come from...

Styled by Kimberley: Christmas Party Style with SoS15

Christmas party style is my forte. I love sparkle. And kitsch. And glamour. It goes hand-in-hand with my love for the whole Christmas season. So, while Helen went with all out sparkles for her Christmas Party Style, I'll be reserving my sequins for New Year and bringing out the GOLD instead. I love gold. It's rich and warm, but also borderline tacky. Just like my personal style. The balance in wearing gold lies in the tones that you use. Rose gold may be everywhere right now but there's still a place for classic yellow. And I happen to have more than a few options lying around. Most of which were vetoed. I had more bronze-y gold glitter shoes that completely clashed with the bag, and earrings that were too brassy to be classy. Trying near-matching colours on in natural daylight is a must, to be sure they don't clash. But then, maybe I'm just a little bit picky.

Following my recent foray into catwalk modelling for the Vintage Afternoon Fashion Show, I was ready to get my pin-up on for this cute party look. I've not been doing pin curls much lately, purely because of the time and effort they take. I didn't have time to do a proper wet set here either, so a quickly rolled 'do using heated rollers had to suffice. In hindsight I didn't do quite enough brushing either, as it actually looked better when I re-styled it later in the day. Half-arsed is how I do most of my hair and makeup, to be honest! No matter here though, it's still cute.When it wasn't covered in soapy faux-bubbles anyway...

You may recognize the dress, although this was its first outing. I tried it on at Lou Lou's Vintage Fair way back in February but didn't buy it. I really regretted missing out, so I tracked down the stallholder, April, a month later to see if it was still in stock. I randomly bought it via chatting on Facebook messenger of all places. The internet is a wonderful thing sometimes! The dress fits me even better now than it did then but I think it could still benefit from being hemmed. Skirts that fall below the knee just don't work well on me at all. More importantly, they're difficult for navigating stairs!

The SoS15 Blah bag is the real star of the show, and I couldn't think of a better one for me! Gold and sparkly, with 'blah blah blah' embroidered across it. It's almost like someone's trying to tell me I talk too much..? I love a good-sized clutch than you can actually fit things in, and this one was roomy enough for all my essentials. The bags are made to order in Saundra O'Shea's London studio, and one of my favourite parts was the lining. It was a total departure from the outside and a really fun print! Although I'd been admiring the designs on instagram for some time, I hadn't noticed that they also all have a zip pull detail. I do love a detail. This one has a heart-shaped zip pull, and it's a nice touch.

Coat | H! by Henry Holland
Dress | April's Vintage Emporium
Shoes | old
Cocktail hairclip | Alternate Normality
Blah Clutch | c/o SoS15

So, my work Christmas party is coming up, and I'm still undecided what to wear to that. Not this fabulous ensemble, unfortunately. It's an afternoon thing, with a meal. I like to make room for my dinner, so something slinky like this is a no-no. I also don't want to shock my colleagues with full glam when they're used to seeing my work capsule wardrobe. My work wardrobe is functional; it's essentially all grey or black, and includes a number of boring turtle necks. I jokingly describe it as my 'stage hand' look, or 'off-duty mime'. Despite being quite out-there on the blog, I like to blend in when it suits me. There's a time and a place for all looks. Still, I'm not the kind of girl to go for "jeans and a nice top" for a night out. What even is that?!

If you've been loving the SoS15 glitter bags, hope on over to their Instagram to catch some special offer codes. They're holding a 48hr flash sale with different discounts (Bowie bag at 20% off anyone?! Just enter code Bowie4Ever at checkout. You're welcome).
You'll have to be quick though- it ends at midnight tonight!



Hope your Christmas parties are free from outfit woes. And get those postcards sent in with suggestions for mine!

Styled by Helen: Christmas Party Style with SoS15

I'm a lover of glitter all year round but as soon as Christmas is approaching I go extra crazy for a bit of sparkle. Whenever I walk through a clothes shop at this time of year I head straight for the sequins. The same goes for anything velvet or faux fur. Winter just brings out the texture lover in me. There's something about the festive season that makes luxurious, over the top fabrics more acceptable, and I'm all about embracing that - as you can see from this outfit! 

SoS15 sent us a couple of amazing sparkly clutch bags that are perfect for the party season and I felt I needed an outfit to match the awesomeness of this Gin bag. I bought this jumpsuit for celebrating Hogmanay last year, because a new year needs sequins. It's slightly OTT for a Saturday afternoon around Edinburgh but I enjoyed being a walking, talking glitter ball for the day. Who needs to wait for nightfall to enjoy a bit of glitz?! I dressed it down a little with flat shoes and my Monki shirt. The idea was to go for a slightly masculine, tuxedo vibe because, in my head, gentlemen drink gin so I felt like it would fit with the bag. Silly really, since gin is my tipple of choice and I'm no gentleman. The clutch bag itself is super cute. It's a lovely bright shade of green and is a great wee size, making it very easy to carry. It fits a coin purse, keys, lipstick and phone perfectly - so pretty much all they essentials for a night out. The heart zip pull is the perfect finishing touch!

Jumpsuit | TK Maxx
Shirt | Monki
Shoes | Deichmann
Bag | c/o SoS15
Belt | Charity shop
Glasses | Spex Pistols





Saundra O'Shea is the designer behind SoS15 and she makes some fabulously show stopping bags. I spotted her creations on Instagram a while back and fell in love with her array of pop culture, glam and personalised clutches. I even featured one in a wishlist of mine back in July. All of the designs are drawn, cut and appliqued by hand in her London studio and the detail of the process is spot on. I've tried working with glitter fabric in the past and it can be a right pain so I take my hat off to her! As with all good bags, the inside matters and Saundra's designs hold wonderful surprise linings that don't mirror the full on glam of the outside but do feature some great patterns. I love the quirky touch it adds to the overall design.

So, if you're looking for a party clutch for the festive season (and on into 2017 and beyond) then check out SoS15's dazzling collection. If, like me, you love this little gin number then you're in for a treat - you can get £10 off with the code Tipple2 until midnight on Wednesday 14th December. Go, go, go!



Are you fan of all that shines? Which is your favoutite from SoS15's collection of sparkly goodness?

Stocking Fillers

You might think that shopping small is expensive and, to be honest, that's generally true. There's a certain price tag that comes with getting something handmade. It usually means the maker is paid fairly for their work, quality materials are used and there isn't going to be a million of that item out there in the world. We always try to buy from independent designers and makers as much as possible but we're not made of money. So we've hunted the internet for some lovely shop small items that won't break the bank. Perfect for small gifts, stocking fillers and secret Santa presents that are that bit more special.



1.) Sweet Tree Decorations | Kitschy Bling Things
Sweet colourful treats for the tree. We always enjoy receiving decorations for Christmas, it means we can add to our collection for next year and the decoration always reminds us of the person who gave it to us.

2.) Chocolate Sprouts | Melting House
This is certainly one way to get us to eat sprouts on for dinner! They look so realistic but are made of delicious chocolate.

3.) Gold Tooth Earrings | Finest Imaginary
Got to love a bit of glitter! These earrings would help remind us to take care of our teeth while consuming all those festive sweets (and chocolate sprouts).

4.) Gin & Tonic Lip Balm | Sweet Cecily's
In the cold weather we always try to take extra care of our lips and this balm just happens to taste of one of our go-to drinks, which makes it so much easier.

5.) Christmas Car Pin | Hello Sunshine
This pin says Christmas to us but without shouting it. Nicely festive but we would definitely be happy to wear this all year round.

6.) Cowgirl Christmas Decoration | Memo Helen
We love the colours of this screenprinted wild west decoration. It would look great on the tree or just hanging up in our homes to make everyday a cowgirl day.

7.) Skiing T-Rex Pin | Designosaur
Who doesn't want a skiing dinosaur for Christmas? This guy is super colourful, fun and cool, just look at those shades!

8.) Wild at Heart Camping Mug | Bahru
Winter weather means more opportunities for hot beverages so a pretty mug like this one is definitely a good idea.

9.) Swanning Around Notebook | Hello DODO
We love puns at any time of year but find them especially fun during the holidays. We'd love to extend the humour from the cracker jokes with this lovely notebook.

10.) Christmas Engraved Pencils | Trudy's Store
We find it's always good to have a pencil to hand and having some seasonally appropriate ones would be great for writing our thank you notes.

Vintage Afternoon Tea and Fashion Show

Two hundred of the most fabulous ladies of Dundee recently got together to enjoy a day of vintage clothing and entertainment in the name of charity, and we got to snoop behind the scenes!
A few months ago we were contacted by the Specifically Vintage organizers to attend their Vintage Afternoon Tea and Fashion Show held in The Quay, Dundee. Although Helen was busy with a family gathering, I headed along to model in the vintage fashion show and find out what else was going on. It was a packed event, selling out well in advance!

The event was set up to raise funds for Roxburghe House and Rachel House, and vintage collectors brought along their pieces. Everything was for sale- even the clothes on the models backs, alongside a raffle and silent auction of other goodies. I was walking in two fashion shows, so I only caught a glimpse once the party had started but the constant laughter and cheers tells me the ladies-only party was great fun. I did catch a bit of vocalist Miss Stephanie Mason.  Her pink polkadot dress was amazing! Vocal harmony group The Vintage Girls also sang beautifully together for the dancing crowd. I accidentally happened upon them rehearsing in the changing rooms beforehand, which was a pretty awesome private show while I was trying on last minute options.

The day centered around the two-part fashion show. The first featured 1920's to 1950's clothing and the second was 1960's to 1980's. I walked in both shows, wearing 30's and 80's. I enjoyed the fitting a couple of months ago, where I got to play dress up in the Nicely Eclectic studio with Pat, and April from April's Emporium. They already had a beautiful 1930's pink dressing gown in mind for me, with a floral nightdress underneath. It had lovely quilted trim, and I felt pretty dreamy in it. It must have been good because I heard it was sold before I even took it off!

My second look was very 1980's. The other models had already been fitted in the puffy ball gowns on offer, so I was given a more casual look that reminded me of a few wedding guest outfits my own mum wore back in the day. I was pretty sure I could pull it off... A heavily patterned dress with both shoulder pads and a peplum, along with fuchsia accessories, made for a very Pretty Woman look. To complement the Specifically Vintage clothes, we all had our hair and makeup done by The Beehive. I was especially impressed by the flawless finish of the makeup. Having a bit of a cold and throat infection in the lead up had left me feeling pretty un-glamorous, so this was the injection of sparkle I needed! It's amazing what some fake eyelashes can do.

The 80s hair and makeup, on the other hand, was as mad as the actual era. I laughed quite hard when I first saw it but I guess it is fierce..? All the models looked amazing too, and I was particularly impressed by the poise of the younger girls. They looked so elegant and were total pro's. I'd missed the rehearsals, due to work commitments, and I hadn't quite realised that we'd be walking (and dancing) solo around the whole room (and it was a big room), with a turn in the dance floor. That's a lot of tripping to avoid, especially with a floor littered in balloons. The energy of the room made the whole walk easy though, even if my dressing gown did flap wide open for half of it. Typical Kim!

I was on my own for the day, so had to grab just a few quick snaps in between changes. There were a few photographers on hand to snap all the guests in their outfits. Everyone had gone to such great effort with their looks, it was hard to tell who were guests and who were performers. Below is a small selection of my catwalk looks captured by Derek Gerrard but you can find the full album here.

Photographs by Derek Gerrard

The total raised for the charities is still being totalled but looks like a really healthy amount. You can find out about upcoming vintage events on the Specifically Vintage facebook page. Thanks again for inviting us along!

Christmas Wishlist

1.) WC X Esther Loves You Bunny Slippers | Lazy Oaf
I'm loving everything Lazy Oaf at the moment (those Disney drops though?!) but I have totally fallen for these cute fluffy bunny slippers. There are a number of rabbit slippers about (and I have a soft spot for the sexy high heeled Streetzies) but these top them all in the adorable stakes. It's like loafing around as a cartoon character with these on your toots.

2.) Geometric Earrings | Micapeet
Anything bold and geometric tick the gift boxes for this girl. Micapeet have been on my radar (aka Etsy wishlist) for a while, with their grid dot earrings but I like these galaxy prints too. And they are quite affordable!

3.) Dimensions Oversized T Shirt Dress | Dreamland Clothing
Dreamland Clothing gets my love of print perfectly. I already own the pink Duplex dress but it's too big for me now. I'd love to replace it with this wild but wearable white and pink version, or the wilder lilac one.

4.) Patti and Selma Fur Clutch | Skinnydip London x Simpsons
I'm not normally one for TV character collabs but there's something about this that really grabs me. Firstly, the pink faux fur, which is enough to make me want it anyway. And secondly because Selma and Patti are so unapologetically smutty. Who doesn't relate? I'd also love the Moe Tassle Clutch Bag for the same reason. Or 90% of Skinnydip stuff- you can't really go wrong.

5.) Temerity Jones Disco Ball Cup | ASOS
Rounding off my wishlist with a disco ball cup. Obviously. I feel a bit basic wanting one, because they're everywhere. But I'm fond of tacky things and I always drink from adult 'sippy' cups because I'm a klutz. Tis the season to sparkle, so why not?



1.) Shorty Top | Rowanjoy via Godiva
Rowan Joy sure knows how to pick a pattern. I absolutely love the bold print of this top, it's just so bright! The cropped shape may not be the most practical for this time of year but the print would certainly help me beat away any winter blues.

2.) Brushstroke Pendant | Tatty Devine
I recently visited Tate Modern for the first time and, after looking at the art, I had a good snoop around the gift shop. Tatty Devine's range of exclusive artistic designs was one of my highlights, especially this neon orange necklace.

3.) Oui / Non Earrings | Not the Kind
Even if I don't wear dangly earrings very often, I can't help but love these Jennifer Loiselle ones. In fact a similar pair have featured in my wishlist way back in March 2015. I can't quite decide which I prefer, these french pair or the Just Dance ones! They're both so fun and colourful.

4.) Tiny Cat Ring | Datter Industries
I very much like cats and I very much like Datter Industries jewellery. That pretty much makes this ring the perfect combination. Though, really any piece from this jewellery range would make me a happy lady.

5.) Classy Lady Zip Bag | Limpet
Clutch bags always draw my attention. They only ever make it out of my wardrobe on special occasions but I love my little collection and thing this one would be a great addition. Just look at that little face... and feet?

November Round Up

Watching: my favourite thing this month was Arrival. Sci-fi and linguistics? Double whammy of delight for the inner nerd in me. I like the way the experiences of the scientists were presented, as they were quite human and realistic rather than heroic. I also watched the sci-fi horror Under the Skin with Scarlett Johansson. It's set in Scotland, with the main character (an alien) picking up lone men in her van. The hidden camera style used for the van interior and curb crawling scenes made it feel quite claustrophobic and unpredictable. It was a lot of style over substance, but it was enjoyable. I'm more interested in reading the novel version, which is supposed to be quite different.

Doing: my flatmate is american and we hosted a Thanksgiving dinner together! She's been missing home lately, so we invited 6 friends to squeeze round our dining table and feast on her Latin American favourites. We had turkey and a veggie nut roast alongside green bean casserole, American stuffing, some weird potato thing, an amazing spinach and artichoke dip and 70s devilled eggs. Her mum sent over adorable decorations and we got our Pinterest on with some turkey leg shaped paper table settings, spiced oranges and a hot cranberry cider. It was quite the meal. We started cooking at 9am and watched the New York parade (and some Crufts-style dog show that's apparently popular?) while we prepped veg. It was a really relaxed and fun day. The dinner went down pretty well too!
I also spent a lovely weekend with my family for my mum's surprise birthday celebrations. My siblings and I haven't all been home together since last Christmas so it was really nice, and many old family friends popped along. After a problem with the photographer, I was tasked with the family portraits. We got something usable of my six toddler-aged nieces and nephews in the end but I do not envy child photographers!


Clicking: knitting patterns. Every year when the dark nights approach, I suddenly get a craving to knit. I'm a decent knitter (I almost started my own knitwear brand in fact) but I'm so unfocused that any project I start in winter is never finished before the nights start to lighten again. I discovered that Hilary Grant has written a knitting book with patterns. I adore her knitwear and the patterns in the book are based on her designs. It may have landed in my shopping basket already...

Buying: I actually didn't do any shopping this month, because I spent most of it in bed ill! I had no energy for trying on clothes. As I mentioned, there are a number of babies in my family, with three nieces and nephews born just this year so I've had to get my Christmas shopping started early with all my gifts for them. The older ones are fine, because I can buy toys and games that Auntie Kim wants to play with on Christmas Day, but the babies are quite difficult because they're always being spoilt. And their toys are boring. Hmmm. Send me ideas, people!

Helen

Watching: I had a bit of any Amy Adams double bill this month, seeing both Nocturnal Animals and Arrival in the same week. Both were really good but in very different ways. Nocturnal Animals was super stylish, slightly cold and a tad disturbing. It also had Jake Gyllenhaal in it, which is always a big plus in my book. Arrival was a subtle sci-fi that I really enjoyed, even if it was sadder than I was expecting. The visuals were great and I liked they way it portrayed the worlds reaction to the visitors.

Doing: It's been another busy month, including plenty of fun festive activities. I enjoyed some mulled wine and fireworks at Dundee's Winter Light Night and had a fun afternoon making an advent calendar at DCA.
I also took a trip down to Nottingham for my cousin's birthday party. While I was there I visited Nottingham Contemporary and really enjoyed Marguerite Humeau's surreal and moving exhibition. Plus I visited the Robin Hood statue, had a mulled cider in the oldest inn in England and took a look around the Winter Wonderland market. A busy but really enjoyable day!

Buying: While shopping for a birthday present for my nephew I spotted this fab little face pin. I recognised it straight away as being the work of Glasgow School of Art graduate Freya Adler. I saw her jewellery designs at the degree show earlier this year and loved them, so I jumped at the chance to purchase a piece. I opted for this little brass pin but I still have my eye on her bigger brooches and necklaces too.

Clicking: I've been getting in a festive mood by watching Christmas adverts online. I don't watch live TV so miss out on the ad breaks. This is usually a good thing but seasonal ads have become a bit more interesting so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I did enjoy the new M&S one but my favourite has to be the H&M ad. I mean, how could it not be when it's directed by Wes Anderson. I've also been doing some research into Christmas films to watch come December. In the same vein as my October horror movie challenge I'm going to try and watch a Christmas film every day in December, or at least up to the 25th. I want to make sure my list is full of good ones so I'm trying my best to plan my viewing.