My favourite shops of 2012

As 2012 draws to an end I thought I would share with you some of my favourite fashion finds of the year...

Independent Boutiques:

Despite now living in London and being able to find a large amount of the brands sold in these independent outlets, I would still rather travel and visit these shops than head to Harrods, it's much more personal and I love a good natter with the people that work there.  I am looking forward to searching all the nooks and crannies of London to discover some more hidden gems I can fall in love with. I think it is important to support independent traders so if you can check out these places below:

Rumpus Resort Beachwear, Wilmslow, Cheshire. http://www.rumpusresort.com/
Even if I am unable to make it back up to the North West before I go to Barcelona in June, I will be ordering all of my swimwear online from this fantastic beachwear shop on the outskirts of Manchester.  Stocking a range of well known swimwear from Vix and Missoni to Melissa Odabash, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable and if you are lucky you may even be treated to a glass of champagne whilst you are trying on their fabulous spoils.

Vix Bikini and Kaftan and Melissa Odabash Hat from Rumpus Resort

The Style Clinic, Allerton Road, Liverpool. http://www.styleclinic.co.uk/
This friendly and on trend boutique in the heart of Liverpool's Mossley Hill is great for unusual and edgy wear.  It stocks a range of smaller brands such as 18 and East and Ella Luna (my two favourites) as well as being a big stockist of Ash footwear (I have some of their wedged trainers and am hoping Santa will deliver some of their studded biker boots - well one can dream).  Follow them on Twitter @style_clinic and you may get some good offers on their stock.

Ash Studded Biker Boots available at both Style Clinic and Think Bubbles

Think Bubbles, Cleethorpes (no website but they are on Facebook).
Situated on Cleethorpes seafront this designer boutique is now stocking a range of labels that all the trendsetters in East London are going mad for due to their buyer being based in Shoreditch.  Marc Cain is still their biggest seller but if you are looking for a younger, more affordable look check out their stock of Wildfox, The Pretty Dress Company and MinkPink.  You can also find a range of this season's favourite platform boots by Jeffrey Campbell as well as Ash Footwear, previously mentioned above. They also stock a range of designer childrenswear (my favourite being their Baby Dior collection which is to die for)!


Sonia Rykiel Trench from Vintage Rose in Richmond and Jeffrey Campbell boots from Think Bubbles, Cleethorpes

Vintage Rose, Richmond Hill, Richmond (no website).
This fabulous designer vintage shop has given me some fantastic bargains from a Sonia Rykiel trench for a mere £65 and an amazing pair of Alexander McQueen heels at a fifth of the cost of their original £600 price tag.  You have to search regularly to grab a bargain and when you see something you like in your size consider it fate and snap it up immediately.  Currently in their window at the moment are a stunning pair of John Galliano heels, Louboutins and a tweed Chanel jacket for just £450.  It really is a label whore on a budget's treasure chest.

International Labels:

Cop Copine. http://www.cop-copine.com/
Chic, timeless, structured, classic, quality cuts are what spring to mind when thinking about this label.  Their clothes are all monochrome and are guaranteed to make you look and feel fabulous.  Their designers are Japanese but the brand is French and the fusion of these influences create a fabulous look.

Maje.
Keeping with my love for all things French, Maje is the home to my favourite purchases of 2012 in the yellow cape dress and jewellery I purchased for a wedding earlier in the year.  Although I stocked up in Lille and Paris there are plenty of stores splattered around London as well as being stocked on www.net-a-porter.com.  I guarantee you won't be disappointed with their collections.

High Street:

Zara and River Island remained my favourite High Street go to places this year.  Zara has a range of high end looks at affordable prices and River Island is the best for summer dresses at ridiculously cheap prices.  Of course when times are really hard and you still need a fashion fix Primark and H&M never disappoint.

A selection of dresses from Zara and River Island with my Maje cape dress at the top

Pollen Street Social Club

I've been a little quiet on my blog of late for a number of reasons. Firstly, I have been working pretty long hours and so have not had time to write about much and secondly, because I have been working such long hours I have not really been doing anything interesting to write about. My husband and I have also decided it is about time we should start thinking about getting on the property ladder and so have been trying to save rather than splurge, easier said than done when you live somewhere with so much choice in terms of places to shop, eat, drink and entertain oneself!

We did however have the chance a couple of weeks ago to meet some friends for dinner at the Pollen Street Social Club just off Regent's Street in Mayfair. For any foodies out there, Pollen Street Social Club is the flagship restaurant of leading chef Jason Atherton, the ex-Gordon Ramsey employee who oversaw the opening of Maze and his restuarant offers an exclusive à la carte dining experience at equally exclusive prices.

Of course, a new dress had to be on the menu in order to enjoy our evening out and, having spent the last few weeks eyeing up the dresses in the window of Cop Copine on Richmond Hill every evening on the way home from work, I thought a new LBD would be perfect for a night out dining in Mayfair.  As I have previously mentioned (I cannot remember whether on here or Twitter), I have been really impressed by the quality of material and cut of the clothes I have seen and their French/Japanese influences are pretty evident when you see the quality and structure of their clothes.  I tried on a few dresses but decided on one with a halter neck detail that went over the body of the dress and would do a good job of carefully disguising any bloating that may occur after enjoying a large meal and a few glasses of champagne! 



Dress: Cop Copine / Necklace and Earrings: Maje / Opaque Cashmere Tights: Marks and Spencers / Rings: From Qatar’s Souk / Bracelet: H&M / Watch: Gucci / Shoes: Christian Louboutin Bianca’s



I teamed the dress with some Maje jewellery, which I am still so glad I purchased in Lille earlier this year and my wedding shoes as I don’t have many an opportunity to wear them at the moment. I absolutely loved the outfit and I think I will wear the same for a press launch I am attending next week, although I may swap the Loubs for my Jeffrey Campbell sparkle boots.





The dinner at The Pollen Street Social Club was delicious.  Unfortunately for my figure I can never resist homemade bread and butter which were served before the starter, for which I had Cornish crab salad, avocado, wood sorrel ice, crab toastie.  It was a taste sensation, the ‘wood sorrel ice’ gave the avocado an unusual texture as it was so cold but it totally worked.  If you’ve ever had a meal where weeks later you are still thinking about the taste of something then you know it is good! For main I went for the roasted red mullet with Spanish prawn rice, cockles and samphire.  I had never tried red mullet before and it is quite a strong flavour but the Spanish prawn rice complimented it nicely.  My husband and his friend shared the 1kg of beef with duck fat chips and his wife decided on the roasted sea bass with celeriac truffle.

1kg of beef with duck fat chips

After the main courses were finished we were invited over to the bar for dessert where we were given a number of tasters to try, from lime cheesecake sorbet to little petit fours straight out of the oven.  I shared the cheese board for dessert whilst the other couple shared the 70% chocolate ganache.  We were then invited for a tour of the kitchen which, whilst spotlessly clean was ridiculously hot and I didn’t want to risk my makeup melting on my face so made a pretty hasty exit.  Not before being shown a truffle the size of a small rock but worth over £600!  It never ceases to amaze me how something which is grated over your food can cost the same as a precious metal, but people are obviously willing to pay for it!!



Red Mullet with Prawn and Cockles

I think, possibly the best thing about moving to London so far has been the fantastic choice of restaurants here that come in all shapes and sizes and for all budgets.  Although The Pollen Street Social Club definitely would be classed as a rare treat for us, next week we are trying out somewhere with a fantastic reputation at a price that won’t break the bank.  I’ll blog about it once we’ve been so watch this space.