How to... be a bargain shopper

• Sign up for any newsletter going for all of your favourite stores and more. If you don’t fancy having your inbox filled with "junk", why not open a new email account specifically for the pursuit of a bargain? I have an old account that I had to stop using for everyday as it is literally filled with vouchers and sales emails – so now I browse it when I need to shop!
• Stalk the shops. I mean it, the more you shop, the more you will know what you are after in the stores and therefore are more likely to be the first, or one of the first, to catch a sale.

You can read the rest of my guest post over on Thrifty and Shameless.

Guest Post: Monday Morning Pic-Me-Up

I'm back from my holidays today but before I touch down in the UK, another of my favourite bloggers, Jill of Street Style London, is guest posting this morning by showing us some of her favourite photos:

Jill told me these photos were, "from a walk with my husband and the friends we stayed with in Hastings for the weekend - in the most gorgeous park above the sea":

I hope you've enjoyed the guest blog series while I've been away. If you would like to be considered for next time I'm away, why not check out how to become a guest blogger?

Guest Post: The Power of being Well-Dressed

I am still on my holidays, so today I have asked another of my favourite bloggers, Shannon of The Simply Luxurious Life, to write today's post for me. You might remember that Shannon guest blogged for me last year - you can see the post here - and she answered my questions for a Christmas series I ran - you can see this post here. I gave Shannon completely free reign over what to write and I am so glad that I did as this post is inspired - the minute I read it, a smile spread over my face. So thank you so much Shannon. Now, everyone, enjoy:



Source: The Glitter Guide



“A woman is closest to being naked when she is well dressed.”

–Coco Chanel

Recently Oprah Winfrey broadcast her last makeover show with her devoted viewers, and in order to say good-bye in grand style, she invited many talented creative artists in their field such as Diane von Furstenberg, Michael Kors, Tory Burch and Bobbi Brown.

After watching the show,  I began to contemplate the goal of a makeover. Each one of us is only as beautiful, as deserving of the life we crave, as we believe ourselves to be.  No matter what we wear, that is a fact that doesn’t change simply by slipping into a nicer pair of shoes.  While it may for a moment, the true inner confidence of the woman wearing the shoes will be revealed.

Coco Chanel’s above quote is one of my favorites for this very reason. If a woman is well-dressed, it suggests that she is wearing something that is most flattering on her, that allows her to shine appropriately and allows others to see her as she truly is – thus, being the closest to naked one could ever be in dashing clothes.

Source: Vogue and Coffee

What we wear can say a million things, without a word being uttered. So as you go into your closet tomorrow morning and search for what to wear, ask yourself, what message do you want to convey, what energy to you want to project and thus have returned to you? Sometimes we do have to fake it until we make it, but it truly can all begin with wearing clothing that flatters the beautiful woman we’ve always been whether we've embraced her yet or not.

Source: Musings in Feminity

Here are a few of the most significant lessons gained from Oprah Winfrey’s last makeover show where each of the three designers shared their thoughts on fashion and makeovers in general.

1. Trends are not your friend if they don’t flatter your body type and skin tone. – Tory Burch

2. A makeover can’t truly be successful if the person being transformed doesn’t have the desire to handle the opportunity it may bring. – Diane von Furstenberg

3. The clothing and accessories should highlight the woman that is wearing them to reveal to the world her true beauty. After all, as Michael Kors stated, the most flattering compliment one truly desires is that the person themselves looks fantastic, and then the clothes that are being worn are mentioned second.

Thank you again to Shannon - and please do show her a warm welcome here by leaving her some lovely comments.

Post Swap Friend Friday #40: Blog Pet Peeves

As I am away sunning myself and celebrating my birthday, I have asked a few of my favourite bloggers to guest post for me. Today, France of Oranges and Apples and I have swapped Friend Friday posts - so you can find my post over at Franca's blog. But before you go read mine, make sure to check out Franca's post:

Unrelated photo that came up when I searched
flickr for ‘annoying’ via here.

Hello!

This is Franca from Oranges and Apples. Emily and I are swapping posts today, for Friend Friday, where the topic is top 5 things that annoy us about blogs we read. I’m probably going to come across quite harsh, so I just wanted to say right from the off that none of the things I will be talking about will make me immediately stop reading a particular blog, and I completely understand how and why they happen, but they are things I dislike and will make it less likely that I’ll return. Please excuse any rantiness!

1. Poor grammar, spelling and quality of writing. Writing is hugely important to me and I think any blogger should make the extra effort to make sure that their writing is coherent. I generally try to proofread everything a couple of times before I post. But I appreciate that that’s not always possible and I do post some pretty rushed stuff myself sometimes. I am much less bothered by typos than by mistakes that make me think the author actually doesn’t know any better. Top 3 offenders:

• Would of instead of would have. Where did this madness start, please? It somehow seems to have become acceptable, but it is not. It makes no sense, and it’s not even any shorter. If you can’t be bothered with would have, and even would’ve is too much effort, by all means write wouldve. I use didnt and wasnt occasionally, so I won’t judge. But I will judge people for making up a completely random alternative spelling. Desist.
• Wonder/wander. The world at large (including Mr. Oranges and Apples) seems to not realise wander exist. They’re not even pronounced the same!
• Their/They’re. Obvious.

Ooops, that was quite a lot in a oner! The rest of them are shorter, I promise.

2. Poor photography. You don’t need a great camera to take good pictures, and the internet is awash with outfit photography tips and there’s plenty of easy free editing software out there. Life’s too short for badly lit blurry photos in front of cluttered backgrounds.

3. Pop ups asking me to subscribe to the blog feed before I’ve even read the page. There is nothing that will make it less likely for me to actually subscribe. Follow options should be easily accessible, but pushing yourself onto unsuspecting readers is just rude.

4. No share buttons for posts. I didn’t appreciate just how annoying not having these is until I joined twitter. It drives me mad when I want to tweet a really good blog post, and then I have to go to an URL shortener site, and shorten the link manually, then go to twitter and write the thing. Chances are I won’t bother.

5. Personal bitchiness. I don’t mind people writing about their private life, I really enjoy some highly personal blogs, and neither do I mind people complaining about things (including things people have written on blogs) and having a bit of a rant. But bringing these two together and complaining about a specific person in your life that readers don’t know is just bizarre. It feels like being cornered by a stranger at a party who feels it’s ok to just offload all their weirdness. You have no idea who they’re talking about and you know that what you’re getting only one side of the story, but no idea what they other side might be and it’s just awkward. If you must bitch about specific people, please make it generic enough for other people to relate to. Complaining about people always cancelling plans at the last minute = OK, complaining about a particular friend and how they always let you down = not so much.

And those were my top 5 annoying things! Thanks Emily for having me!

Call for submissions

If you would like to guest post for Sugar & Spice next month, please send me your pitches.

Thank you :)

GUEST POST: STYLE ICON: Fearne Cotton

It's that time again, Style Icon time. This week's Style Icon comes from Eve Maria who writes my new blog must-read: A Handful of Dust. Be sure to check out Eve's polyvore sets which demonstrate of very cute sense of style and her Changing Room Subterfuge series.


Eve Maria is a philosophy post-grad student who blogs on the side, she told me,


"One of the reasons I love fashion blogging is that while my uni studies demand critical thinking, fashion blogging allows me to be creative and stimulates my artistic side. I've just (this week!) bought a Panasonic Lumix G10 DSLR so I'm looking forward to making outfit posts on the blog bigger and better."

This week Eve Maria has chosen Fearne Cotton as her Style Icon:

Source

Fearne Cotton is a British DJ and TV presenter, known for being the first female regular presenter of the BBC radio 1 chart show. She has been very successful in the role, and regularly presents telethons such as Red Nose Day for Comic Relief- being brave enough to don a swimsuit live on air for charity this year. As well as her success in broadcasting she is known by the media for her distinctive style, and has launched her own collection with Very.co.uk.

Sources (left to right): #1; and #2.

Fearne always looks comfortable in what she wears, and rarely flashes the flesh as celebrities are oft to do. She always manages to stay on trend, and never looks too old or young for her age- a true test of a style icon. Looks Fearne favours include jeans, leggings, converse, brights and prints. She can often be seen in festival wear, brightening up the mud with her trilbys, ladylike dresses and band tees. Fearne’s look is fresh, modern and original, and that’s why I love her.

Source

What do you think of Eve Maria's style? Who is your style icon?

If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.

I am seeking for bloggers who would like to write a guest post for this series (see here for previous guest bloggers on this site) about their Style Icon. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved. You can find out more here.

GUEST POST: STYLE ICON: Hedy Lamarr

This week's Style Icon post is from a fabulous blogger who I only discovered when she emailed me to ask if she could write this post. When I clicked over to her blog and discovered that she's just 16, I was more than a little impressed! Ten years ago (yes, I am 26) I was addicted to Dawson's Creek and wearing strange floral corduroy skirts - definitely not fashion blog territory.


Well, the blogger behind Through Tinted Glass, Nivedita is one fashion conscious blogger who has her head firmly screwed on. When I asked Nivedita to tell me a little about herself and the blog, she told me:


"Although I'd have liked to have studied specializing in fashion media/journalism or just literature in general, on my parents and teachers insistence and my own logical reasoning, I figured it'd be better to have a firm base of a degree in engineering or something so I'd have something to fall back on if my literary career bombshells. Science and Math are something I'm good at even though I don't like them as much as I like language."


So it should come as no real surprise that Nivedita has chosen a style icon with the formidable combination of brains and beauty:

Hedy Lamarr is known as “The Most Beautiful Woman in Films” and I must say, that is very true. Judge for yourself:

She was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler on November 9, 1914 in Vienna, Austria. At 17 years old Hedy starred in her first film. As if being a talented actress wasn’t enough, this woman was also a brilliant rocket scientist. She invented and patented a system called ‘frequency hopping’ that thwarted efforts to jam missile signals. No doubt it was useful in military communications in WWII, but today also, this system is used in mobile phones.

Whether experimenting in the lab, while receiving awards, hanging around at home or on the sets, this doe eyed beauty makes everything look so chic. Her makeup accentuates her naturally beautiful eyes and makes her lips pop. You can translate this look by trying a cat-eye and a fitting red shade of lip tint.

Her hair was always a shoulder length bob that framed her face. This cut is a great try for spring too, especially for those with a heart shaped face. She almost always wore dresses (unless the situation did not permit). Her go-to’s were either off shoulders or simple flattering A-lines with feminine touches like lace, pleats and florals.

Wherever she went she was classy and professional (her style can easily be translated into business dressing) and flaunted her most attractive aspect, her confidence.


What do you think of Nivedita's style? Who is your style icon?

If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.

I am seeking for bloggers who would like to write a guest post for this series (see here for previous guest bloggers on this site) about their Style Icon. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved. You can find out more here.

GUEST POST: STYLE ICON: Emily Henderson

Over the past few months I’ve made a call for submissions for the Style Icon series. It’s funny, but I have my particular style icons, who influence my decisions on what I wear every day but there are so many more style icons whose style and poise continue to impress upon me their right to be included too. I love to discover other people’s style icons, sometimes people I’d never have thought of, or haven’t even heard of in some cases!

When Emily of Simple Subtle Style contacted me and asked if she could submit a post about her style icon, Emily Henderson, how could I say no? As an Emily too, it all seemed pretty much fate that another Emily should ask to write about a third Emily!

Emily – the blogger, of Simple Subtle Style – is a girl after my own heart: she tells us that “Simplicity is more fashionable to me” and that “Overpaying is never fashionable. Real style doesn’t have a price tag. Thank goodness because otherwise, my bank account would not survive in this game.”

But enough of this Emily’s ramblings (that’s me!!), I’ll pass over to Emily (the other blogger) to tell us about her style icon, Emily:

Thanks to Emily for allowing me (Emily) to share my Style Icon, Emily Henderson!



Emily Henderson first came to fame as the winner of the 5th season of HGTV’s Design Star and is now the host of her own interior design show, Secrets of a Stylist. Her great taste shines in her home décor but also in her wardrobe.


Emily is my style icon because her outfits look great while still being simple and comfortable enough to wear every day. Most celebrity trend-setters are often too flashy or impractical and I can’t incorporate their style into my daily routines.


Emily wears a lot of comfortable jeans but really makes her outfits stand out by using various prints:


Source



Source

And bold, vivid colours:


Source



More importantly, she remixesher existing favourite items such as her Emerson Made Tweed jacket:

"I wear it 4-7 times a week, it goes with everything and while, yes, it isn't cheap ($238) is has solved many a problem. Absolutely worth the investment." - Emily Henderson



Source



Source



Lastly, she uses a lot of brown accessories to make her look more rustic, down-to-earth, and even a bit vintage.

Brown Oxford flats:



Source



Brown belt:



Source



Brown purse:



Source



Bottom line, Emily offers simple and subtle style. My blog is also called Simple Subtle Style. Kind of makes sense now, huh?

What do you think of Emily's style? Who is your style icon?

If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.

I am seeking for bloggers who would like to write a guest post for this series (see here for previous guest bloggers on this site) about their Style Icon. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved. You can find out more here.

GUEST POST: Style Icon: Kate Middleton

*This post was updated below on 1 May 2011.


This week’s style icon post is special for two reasons, the first is that this is a guest post from the lovely Lexie of The Stylista and the Frog, and second is that it kick starts a month of special posts celebrating the Royal Wedding that will take place at the end of the month, on Friday 29 April between today’s style icon, Catherine Middleton and Prince William.

Lexie explains: “The Stylista and the Frog is a fashion blog that was set up as a way to collate looks/trends/styles that have inspired me and the people I meet.” Lexie’s blog might only be a few months old but reading her posts, you’d think she had been blogging for years. Check out her latest street style pics – she certainly has an eye for spotting some v stylish young ladies!

Before, I finally hand over to Lexie to tell us about her style icon, I just want to thank Lexie and all of our guest bloggers and remind you that you can still email me with your style icon:

Source

Even before the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton was announced, many in the fashion industry (as well as us mere mortals) were looking over Kate's wardrobe with a magnifying glass. Over the past few months there has been a media frenzy over Kate and her 'look'. Magazines and fashion editors all over the world have commented on her hair, dress sense, make up and even the way she walks.

Kate said a while ago that she wasn't fussed about fashion, though it is clear to see over the years she has become careful about the way she is viewed by the public in regards to her outfit choices. I personally think she does have style and is very careful when putting an outfit together.

Looking back over the last 8 years of her being in the public eye while dating Prince William, there have been very few times that she has been seen looking drab and plain. Indeed she does have an air of simplicity to her style and doesn’t break fashion rules like Zara Phillips. Though it is clear that Kate has learned over the years what suits her shape and the colours that complement her skin tone. To me this is a clever way to play her cards.

Source

If we are to look back, in 2005, at her and William's graduation ceremony. She worn a short skirt under her gown which obviously raised a few eyebrows, however it was a see through dress that caught Williams eye at a university fashion show that prompted him to ask her out in the first place. So I wasn’t surprised with her dress choice on graduation was how any normal student would have dressed.

After graduation it was reported that Kate had stylist Leesa Whisker assist her outfit choices in the early days of dating William, to help her look more of a socialite rather than a student. It was clear through her opting for cardigans with floral print skirts, the image she was hoping to give off to the public. I am guessing that this is where the accusations of her looking like ''lamb dressed as mutton'' came from as many were expressing that she wasn’t dressing her age.

Source

However in 2006, Kate started to dress more for her age. At the wedding of the Duchess of Cornwall's daughter Laura, Kate opted for a gold brocade silk coat over a laced cream dress, complete with a matching feather fascinator and gold clutch purse. Sticking to a classy yet youthful image.

Source

Later that year in December she wore a bold scarlet red coat and black hat to watch William graduate from Sandhurst. As this was the first time she has been at a high-profile public event attended by the monarch and senior royals as William's guest I am sure she wanted to look elegant and classy. I thought she pulled off the look effortlessly, and this was the start of her showing that she was very capable of picking an outfit.

Source

Over the next couple of years it was clear that we were taking note of Miss Middleton's attire. The simple black and white patterned Topshop dress she wore to work on her 25th birthday in January 2007 sold out on the high street and was one of Topshop's best selling dresses for the year.

Source

However in 2008 there was one outfit that made me smile (as I too have worn an outfit very similar) though surprised many was the yellow hotpants, sequinned turquoise halterneck and florescent pink leg warmers she wore to a charity Day-Glo Midnight Roller Disco which she co-organised in 2008. When the papers picked up on the images of her lying on the floor after taking a tumble in the rink they led with the heading the next day of ''Kate's in a state''. A little bit harsh as it was Kate letting her hair down.

Source

Though even with this one night of neon leg warmers under her belt Kate has remained classic in her day to day dress sense. Opting for high street options rather than high end designer from stores such as Jigsaw, which is owned by family friends John and Belle Robinson, Whistles, French Connection and LK Bennett. She sticks to key items in different colours such as a fitted yet feminine dresses and knee length coats. Kate keeps her hair non-fussy, yet styled an glossy and keeps her make up and jewellery very simple, which is something that I feel the general public find attractive about her, as a person and her sense of style.

Source

Indeed all eyes are on Kate as the future princess in waiting, mainly to see how she takes to royal life and of course who will design her wedding dress. However I am sure she will take each event, outing, charity attendance as it comes and think carefully about her outfit choices and indeed be a stylish princess.

Source

UPDATE: On 29 April 2011 Miss Catherine Middleton married Prince William of Wales at Westminster Abbey and became, from that moment, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn and Baroness Carrickfergus.


On her wedding day, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge cemented her place as a style icon when her wedding dress was revealed and the designer confirmed at Sarah Burton, of Alexander McQueen:

Source: Press Association

Source: Press Association

Source: Press Association

For her evening reception at Buckingham Palace the Duchess changed her dress, opting for a slightly lower key gown - without the cumbersome train which might have impeded her first dance somewhat - by the same designer, Sarah Burton:

Source: Press Association

What do you think of Kate's style? Is her style fit for a princess? Who is your style icon?

If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.

I am seeking for bloggers who would like to write a guest post for this series (see here for previous guest bloggers on this site) about their Style Icon. Please get in touch if you would like to get involved. You can find out more here.

30 for 30 Challenge: Day 13

Today, Katy of ModlyChic (and Friend Friday fame!) and I are swapping blog posts! Katy - lucky girl - is away on a technology-free break. Doesn't that sound divine? So, if you want to see what I'm wearing for day 13 of the challenge you'll have to head over to Katy's blog to find out. But first, let us know what you think of Katy's:

Hi Sugar and Spice readers... I'm Katy from ModlyChic and today Emily and I are switching blogs.

We're both in the midst of the 30 for 30 challenge and I'm working on bringing more color into my dressing choices. This dress, outfit 13 of 30 for me, I usually wear with an off-white or jean jacket but that was too basic. Instead I went with this great pink jacket that I scored at a clothing swap. To be honest it smells a little funky - probably from sitting in storage for a while, but a little perfume helps cover the smell:

Want to see what Emily is looking like today? Check out ModlyChic.

GUEST BLOG: Style Icon: Sarah Jessica Parker

As regular readers will know, I have recently begun asking for Guest Bloggers to tell us about their favourite Style Icons. This week's Guest Blogger is Kileen of Cute and Little. Kileen describes herself as a "little Asian girl" and her blog as "my little world where I invite you to indulge in my daily fashion and makeup experiments". Cute and Little is a delightful mix of Outfit of the Day photos, reviews and musings. Kileen is currently taking part of the 30 for 30 Challenge that I failed earlier this year. For your daily fashion fix, make sure you head over and take a look. For now, though, over to Kileen and her Style Icon:

Source

First of all, thank you Emily for giving me this opportunity to guest post on her wonderful blog!  I wanted to share with you my style icon, Sarah Jessica Parker (SJP), and what it is about her fashion sense that makes her unique.  

Source

Although SJP became widely known for her fashionable Sex and the City character, Carrie Bradshaw, she has quite a unique style of her own.

Above all else, SJP is a risk-taker. She isn’t afraid to blaze new fashion trends and experiment with different styles.  But regardless of whether her adventures land her on the best dressed list or the worst dressed list, she always exudes a confidence that makes every outfit shine.

Sources: photo #1; photo #2; and photo #3.

With Sarah’s classic elegance, it is no surprise that she partnered with Coty to launch her own perfume, Lovely, in 2005.  

Sources: photo #1; and photo #2.

Sarah’s story of growing up in Nelsonville, Ohio as one of eight children is truly inspirational.  She is truly a hard worker with a strong sense of personal self - a rare find in these days of Hollywood tabloids.  SJP therefore leads by example and shows that all women can and should have fun with fashion!

If you are interested in reading more of my fashion blog, head over to my site.  

Thank you again, Emily!!

What do you think of Kileen's choice of Style Icon?

If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here. Of particular interest might be Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker's alter ego.

Tell me, who is your style icon?

I am also looking for bloggers who would like to write a guest post for this series, about their Style Icon, so if you would like to join Kileen as a guest blogger, please get in touch if you would like to get involved. You can find out more here.