The George party dress challenge

Hi guys,
Christmas and New Year are over, and for the highstreet that means party dresses are massively discouted, because we should all be thinking about our summer holidays not sequins. I've never understood why party clothes aren't popular in January: the lack of Christmas sparkle doesn't mean our diaries aren't full of fabulous dress-worthy events for 2012.

So when George (of Asda fame) got in touch and asked me to take a frock from their fab collection of evening dresses, then show you guys how I would style it, I jumped at the chance.

I'm not really the kind of gal that dresses up: I love sequins and glitter and lace and other evening clothes, but I always tend to dress them down. Which is exactly what I did with this outfit:

I was sent a cream lace dress with a Peter Pan collar. I wanted to show that partywear can be perfect for any occasion, so I wore it for afternoon tea at the Cadogen hotel with my mum and sisters, followed by a spot of shopping in Harrods.

I teamed it with my cropped leather jacket from Primark, Friis & Co boots (c/o Sarenza), Betty Jackson Black satchel and Vivienne Westwood scarf. I think this is the perfect way to take a dress that wouldn't look out of place at a cocktail party, and make it work for a daytime event.

What do you guys think? Do you ever wear evening wear as day wear?

Love Tor xx

Need a budget Christmas party dress? Think Primark!

Hi guys,
I know we're in the middle of a recession and times are tight, and restyling and reusing are very cool and fashionable. Whilst blatent consumerism just isn't. And I do reuse, and buy second hand, and even customise to save money. But, for me at least, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a brand new party frock!

If you agree and are dying to buy a new dress for the party season, but have a miniscule mice-sized budget, then I would recommend checking out Primark. They have an amazing range of budget partywear in store at the moment that doesn't look like it's been bought on a budget. Think simple shapes and styles in plain block colours that are just dying to be teamed with killer heels and your favourite accessories:




Gold batwing dress, £17
Mermaid tunic dress, £25
Fur coat, £30 and Playsuit, £15
Bronze pleated dress, £17

I actually picked up the gold batwing sleeved dress for my boyfriend's birthday 'do (which was last week) and it looked amazing on - it's fully lined too, which helps hide any lumps and bumps, and which you wouldn't expect for the money! I wore it teamed with my leather jacket and D&G wedges, and noone would ever have guessed it was Primark!

Have you bought a new party dress this year, or will you be restyling an old favourite? And would you buy partywear from Primark? I used to avoid their partywear like the plague, because I didn't want to be wearing the same dress that someone else was bound to wear (because everyone shops in Primark and Topshop!) but now I think with clever styling it really doesn't matter!

Love Tor xx

My favourite Christmas party dresses

Hi guys,

In the famous words of Noddy Holden; It's Chrriistmaaasss!!! Yes, the tree is up in our house and I've already started wrapping presents and hiding them under the tree. In fashion terms, that can mean only one thing: it's time to find the perfect Christmas party dress. Despite the fact I'd much rather stay at home on a Saturday night (sad but true) I love party dresses and have far too many of them, so finding the perfect frock is one of my favourite things about Christmas.

Here are some of the finest party dresses I've discovered so far, during my many hours of trawling through the interwebs. Of course, I'll always opt for the blackest dress I can find (I'm nothing if not predictable) but if you're more adventurous than me, this is a great season for colour:

1. Strapless brocade dress, Very.co.uk, £49

2. Yellow shift dress, Topshop Limited Edition, £165

3. One shoulder dress, ASOS, £48.50

4. Ballerina flower dress, Oasis, £110

5. Alice by Temperley dress, My-Wardrobe, £595

6. Rubens print dress, Vivienne Westwood, £480

7. Gold sequin party dress, Motel, £58

8.Embellished one shoulder dress, Clothing at Tesco, £36

9. Michael Kors ostrich feather dress, Net-a-porter, £305

If I could afford it, my first choice would be the Vivienne Westwood dress: the pattern is amazing, and it was just made for curves. On my budget though, my favourite dress is the brocade number from Very.co.uk. I love a good strapless dress, and if it's good enough for Holly Willoughby then it's good enough for me!

If you like the Motel dress (pictured above) or any of the other dresses they have on their site for that matter, then I have a special treat for you! Motel have kindly offered you guys 15% off anything on their website from today until Sunday 4th December. Just enter the code SEQUIN15 at the checkout!

Love Tor xx

PS - If you want to WIN a party dress rather than buy one, don't forget to enter my awesome Christmas party competition!

Christmas Competition: Win a new party dress and a make up masterclass!!

Hi guys,

I love to get dressed up at Christmas. Whether its a sparkly frock for a girls night out, something slick for the office Christmas 'do, or even my reindeer jumper for cosy Christmas eve walks, Christmas is the perfect time to invest in a new festive outfit or two, and try to look your best.

So as you can imagine, I was delighted when Clothing at Tesco got in touch and offered me the chance to choose a party dress from the massive selection on their site, AND a make up masterclass (in the comfort of my own home) for me and a gaggle of my girlfriends!

There were so many dresses to choose from (as you can see!) but in the end I opted for the Rise Boutique floral applique prom dress in the picture above. I can't wait for it to arrive so I can show it off to you all!

And because those lovely folks at Clothing at Tesco are feeling festively generous, and didn't want you to miss out, they'e offering you the chance to WIN any party dress from their site, and a make up masterclass for you and up to 9 friends from Jemma Kidd Make up masterclass @Home.

All you have to do to enter is 1) be a follower of the blog (follow using the box to your right) and 2) Leave a comment on this post detailing the dress you would like to win from the Clothing at Tesco site. Easy peasy!!

The winner will be picked at random on Friday 9th December at 12pm. Good luck!!

Love Tor xx

I am the woman. This is the dress.

I love the new French Connection campaign (Though admittedly not as much as Fi from Save our Shoes) The man is strangely, and remarkably, attractive! Today however, not only do I love the campaign, I now love this dress!

I can't remember the last time I tried on a dress and felt so immediately gorgeous: it nips in my waist and skims my hips, covers my arms but shows off my cleavage! It's very slightly tight on my boobs (sadly most dresses are!) and it's also £125, which is more than I would usually spend on a party dress.

But I think it's so versatile that I will wear it again and again: i'm trying to justify it to myself on a cost-per-wear basis, and with the party season approaching I could accessories it very differently and wear it over and over. I think by the end of the weekend, this dress will be mine!

Love, Tor xx

Christmas in July with Debenhams

As bizarre as they are, I love Christmas in July press days (the Mothercare one had toys, candy canes and sweets: way to my heart!) Last week I went to the Debenhams one to see what we would all be lusting after when the real festivities are upon us! The fashion area was very small, and I wasn't really taken with any of the very standard, traditional party-type dresses. But the accessories? I was in shoe and bag heaven!

This pony-skin satchel was my favourite piece: really chic and cool, it would go with just about anything, and as an added bonus, I think i'd just about fit my laptop in it. In fact, I would be happy if any of the bags appeared under the tree from Santa: lots of oversized, structure, and nudes and browns. All things I like in a bag! After the bags I enjoyed the shoes. The pair I liked most is the one pair I didn't actually photograph: a pair of blush pink satin stillettos (Red Herring Limited Edition) with a black high gloss stiletto heel and a black corsage on each foot.

However it's summer shoes that i'm thinking about right now. I spent my gift voucher from the event on new underwear (you can never have enough and the debenhams sale is now 70% off their underwear department. I got a Fantasie set, and they had lots of brands and a range of sizes, especially bigger cups) and on new shoes. I opted for these gorgeous snakeskin lace up gladiators:

I've now worn them twice, and they are surprisingly comfortable, given the laces which I don't usually get on with. They're also as versatile as a pair of black gladiators but considerably less boring: they go with everything in my wardrobe, but still make a great focal point. And at £17.50 in the sale, they were a bargain too! It's hard for me to plan seasons in advance, and although the Christmas press day should've inspired me to buy some new winter boots, I just couldn't resist the lure of new sandals!

Love, Tor x

Dress love: Two Birds dresses

My immediate thought when I saw the Two Birds press release was what an incredible idea it is! All but one of these pictures are of the same dress - thats because the Two Birds dress is one dress than can be worn in 15 different ways. The company got it's name because they kill two birds with one dress, and it was originally created as a bridesmaids dress but it's perfect for formal and eveningwear too: This means that you'll never get bored of wearing the same dress to functions over and over, because not only can you change your accessories, you can also change your straps, waist band, and neckline.

It comes in 18 colours and two different lengths (and if you want it for a bridesmaids dress they can colour match it for you too) They come in sizes 4-24, which means just about anyone can wear them too! I know i'm raving, but that's how good I think the idea is. Nobody wants to own more than one or two formal dresses unless you're a genuine princess or part of some royal circle (they just don't have a good cost per wear ratio!) but nobody wants to be known as the girl who always wears the same dress either - this seems like the perfect solution. I hate having to wear formal wear - I think it makes me too aware of myself and I always feel a little fraudulent when I look so fancy; like i'm pretending at being someone else. But I know what a difference finding the perfect dress can make: I have one floor length dress that's sat in my wardrobe for years but always makes me feel great when I slip it on.

Prices for the Two Birds dresses range from £200 -£300. I don't usually like dresses that come in jersey fabrics (they seem to cling in all the wrong places) but these look like they would be an exception to the rule.

My only concern would be that they look perfectly tied in the press release, but I wonder how easy they would be to tie and retie so professionally in real life. They also don't look too bra friendly in the pictures, which wouldn't work for me, but i'm sure there are ways to tie them that let you keep your underwear on, given that there are 15 different options! The dress was inspired by a 1970s Norma Kamali "Infinity" dress, which only endears it to me more!

Has anyone ever tried a Two Birds dress? I'd love to know what you think!

Love, Tor xx

PS - If you're based in the UK don't forget to enter my competition to win the new Reebok Easytone trainers and Reebok sports kit too. The competition closes tomorrow.

Party dress week. Day 3: Topshop.

No self respecting party dress week would be complete without a trip to Topshop; it is the place most 20-somethings head to when they know they need a new party frock, and i'm no exception to the rule.
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The theme of the Topshop Christmas collections seems to be a luxe rockchick. Everything is either black or nude with feathers, shaggy faux fur, sequins, and stud embellishments. The black sequin detail dress may be quite understated, but it is the favourite one i've tried on this week. I felt very pretty and also very thin! Here they are:

The black dress is actually from the tall section, which seemed to work because it meant there was a longer bodice for my bust. The feathered skirt is gorgeous although not neccessarily with the lace waistcoat I teamed it with. At £75 though, it doesn't come cheap and its cost per wear ratio can't be good! I adore the floral dress and although not dressy enough for a Christmas party, for £35 I think I will pick it up for other dinners and drinks that always pop up around the festive period. The nude dress was beautiful, but didn't work on me at all.

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I'm hoping to get to Brent Cross for a peek at the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection tomorrow - if I do i'll report back!

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Have a great weekend.

Love, Tor xx

Party dress week. Day 2: Dorothy Perkins

On the recommendation of Make Do Kate, today's picks of the party dresses will be from Dorothy Perkins. Like Kate, i'm a big fan of Dottie P's and although it doesn't have a reputation for being as fashion forward as its trend-led sister Topshop, I think the tables are turning. Dorothy Perkins nods at the trends without sacrificing the important things, like how the garment will fit on the body of a real woman.

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For those of you that liked Monday's little history lesson (I really am a geek when it comes to anything from the 60s!) here are some Dottie P facts. Dorothy Perkins was founded in 1909 and named after a rose. In the 1960s, Dorothy Perkins was controlled by the Farmer family and was best known for its underwear, tights and PJ's (like the M&S of the 90s, some might say!) The stores never really got to grips with sixties boutique culture. Author Margret Geraghty who worked there for a while in the late sixties remembers that all the sales staff had to wear nylon uniforms: 'They were cerise with a zip up the front. Forget dolly birds. They looked more like canteen assistants.' The exception was the store manageress, who was allowed to wear her own clothes.

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Leap forward half a century and Dorothy Perkins is a different proposition altogether. Here is my pick of their Christmas party dresses:

No trying on today, as I simply haven't had the time because of lovely mummy coming to stay. But I will be back to trying on tomorrow (I already have some pictured lined up and ready for editing)! As you can see, I have chosen dresses with sleeves today, for ladies (like me!) that aren't especially keen on showing off their upper arms; you can cover up and still be ready to party! Dorothy Perkins seem to be sticking to the Arcadia group's festive mix of sequins and jewelled embellishments, and electric blue is a key colour on their pallette, complimenting the obvious choice of black.
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Definitely a stongly contending collection from Dorothy Perkins. Tomorrow I think I will step away from the Arcadia group (although Topshop will get a mention as well!!) Where would you like to see me go now?

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Love, Tor x

Party dress week. Day 1: Miss Selfridge

In recent months Miss Selfridge have really up their game, and i'm impressed with almost everything in store. I used to view them as Topshop's younger, not-so-cool sister (because the clothes were always a bit too teenie) but they have definitely stepped out of the shadow.
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Funnily enough, Miss Selfridge is one of the few stores still in existence that featured in my dissertation; it began as the fashion section of Selfridges in 1966. It got its name because Charles Clore, the owner of Selfridges at the time, saw a window display in the Bonwit Teller store in New York which showed "Miss Bonwit" dresses aimed specifically at teenagers. The 60s was the birth of this youth culture when collections and stores were specifically aimed at the newly coined "teenagers". Some of the first dresses to be sold in Miss Selfridge were the famous paper dresses, which I have written about in the past.
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However the dresses in store now are definitely not made of paper. Here is my pick of the best party dresses in store now. I have taken pictures of them both on and off, because some of them look amazing on the hanger, but aren't really cut for boobs and there are some spillage incidents. Oh, and my budget went out of the window. Apparently even a £50 budget is too restrictive for this seasons party frocks:

Almost everything was very dark and black (with the occassional colour pop, as you can see) and embellishment and sequinning was massive; I suspect we will see alot of that on the highstreet this week. The tunic is the shape that suits me best and I actually quite like the first dress. The third dress is spectacular with amazing detail all over it. But like the rest of the Miss Selfridge dresses it probably looks better off the hanger than it does for me. They just don't seem to cut for boobs! But here they are:

Not a bad start to our party dress week! Any suggestions for where you'd like to see me go tomorrow? I'm very open to external influence!

Love, Tor x

Party dress week begins: with a word of warning

There is just a month to go until my office Christmas party, and with this in mind it seemed like the perfect time to start my annual party dress hunt: I will be going into a different high street store every day over the next week and trying on and reviewing the best dresses on offer. Usually I do this on a £30 budget, but as the cost of clothes on the high street has crept up dramatically I will be working to a £50 budget this year.
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But before they week of lovely dresses begins, i'd like to think about why we feel the need to go out and buy a new dress, just because it's Christmas. If you have the money then great, but if not then why the stress and worry? Why not save yourself the heartache of looking at dresses you cant (or would rather not) afford and shop your own wardrobe? I know that's what i'll be doing!

I got this dress in April to wear for my birthday party in May, and then decided to wear something else instead: it still has the tags on! I've teamed it with the Kurt Gieger shoes I wore for my graduation and a gorgeous French Connection angora shrug; all I need is big hair and lots of jewellery and i'm ready to hit the town!
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Christmas dresses are generally black, sparkly, and this year the trend is for sequins. If we're honest, party dress trends don't vary so often that your dress from last year (or the year before, or the year before that!) will look out of date. And a new bag, make up or jewellery can make the difference between an outfit that looks years old or bang up to date.

This week's Topshop newsletter said that cameo prints and jewellery will be big this Christmas, so I have thrown on an oversized cameo necklace with the black dress I wore for New Year's eve two years ago. Despite the dress not being new, I think the outfit looks modern and sexy (if you ignore the Sunday night hair and no make up!) and could take you to the party for the cost of a new necklace!

Here I have taken a normal black dress I wear for work at least once a month (i've had it for about 18 months)and thrown on a sparkly necklace I got in the topshop sale for £1 and a t shirt from primark for a fiver; the sparkle makes it perfect for post-work drinks (or a more casual party) and the shoulder detail is "this season's key trend". Everyone has a plain black dress in their wardrobe, and instead of shopping for its expensive replacement this season why not look for a sparkly clutch, chandelier earrings or gorgeous nail varnish? That way you have that special "this is new" feeling without the expense of buying a whole new outfit.
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I'm not saying that you shouldn't go out and buy a new dress if its something you always do and enjoy, and can afford, of course. I'm one of the biggest consumers I know - it would be silly for me to tell people not to go shopping! I'm just saying that maybe we should question why it is such an integral part of our December ritual, particularly this year when money is tight for so many people. I'm pretty sure noone is going to judge (or even notice) if your dress doesn't have a brand new topshop label hanging off the back! I have a wardrobe full to the brim with party dresses, and I definitely won't be buying a new one for this Christmas - leaving me much more money to spend in the sales in January!

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Having said that, party dress week starts tommorrow - all the best party dresses on the highstreet right now. I can't wait!
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Love, Tor x