The end of an era

We're mere hours away from entering 2010. It's not just a new year, but a new decade, which is pretty monumental. I've read a few articles about the ending of this terrible decade, which started with the 9/11 terror attacks and ended with a global recession. It's doubtful that this decade will be missed, but I think everyone who has experienced it will remember it forever. On a personal note, this decade has meant a lot of growth and development. In 2000, I was 14 years old so I have obviously come a long way from barely knowing myself to making my way in this world. I've finished my education (for now), loved and lost, discovered my passions and found some truly amazing friends along the way. So I think I will always smile when I think back to...what have 'they' called it now..the Noughties? But I'm glad to see it end. I'm off to Paris to celebrate the end of this decade, I felt it needed a good send off. I have a 3/4 hour car journey to ponder my resolutions. I only have one at the moment: To be more organised. I'm so time poor, but instead of complaining about it more, I want to do something about it. Work harder and make more time for blogging and friends. You know, the important things in life ;) What are your resolutions? Happy 2010! Lots of love, Reena x

Surviving the Boxing Day Sales

It's Boxing Day morning and the house is as quiet as a mouse. You can't hear a peep....except...for me sneaking out the door at an ungodly hour. Yep, it's sales time. Boxing Day sales are one of my most favourite rituals and I've been going to the sales for about 7 years now. There are two rules I swear by: be organised and shop smart. Being organised Know where you're going and how you're gonna get there - Check trains/tubes are running! If you're outside of London, double check what time the shopping centre opens It pays to arrive early, most people can't be bothered! Comfy flat shoes and comfy clothes are a must Shop smart It's so easy to buy current trend pieces which you will only wear for a couple of months. I prefer to shop next season's trends now, and very occasionally I shop for classic items. The trends I'm going to be keeping an eye out for are: * Neutral colours - Peaches, ice blues, dove greys, creams * Texture - Lace, chiffon, very light fabrics and Grecian draping * Shoulders - One shoulder or strapless dresses or jumpsuits. Though I think I might steer clear of dresses, my wardrobe is overflowing! * Shrinking hemlines - short shorts, shorter skirts and the shortest dresses * Embellishment - Sequins, beading, studding, anything. Extra points for anything with military or tribal influences L-R Jil Sander, Lanvin, Balmain, Balmain, Fendi, Christopher Kane * Images Style.com

Christmas Party dresses

Well, it's Christmas Eve and I'm so relieved. I know the big day is yet to come, but it means party season is over! Deciding where to go and what to wear for an entire month of partying is tiring! There were three trends which appealed to me when finding dresses: Short, one shouldered and sequins! Basically, anything which looks like it was influenced by Christophe Decarnin. One day, I will own some Balmain... For my work Christmas party, I had to tone it down just a tad. I feel that it's a bit inappropriate to be overly sexy at work dos, many people disagree but I think it's just going to attract trouble and gossip. The sequin dress by Rare was perfect. It had matt sequins so it wasn't overly glitzy and in your face but it has huge shoulder pads! Very fitting for someone who won the Fashion Icon of 2009 award during the end of year awards...I'm an icon darlings! I hope you have a fabulous Christmas and Santa brings you everything you wish for. If you're going to brave the sales, best of luck! I will post up my guide to surviving the Christmas sales on Boxing Day. Lots of love, Reena xx PS - The sale has now started, and my dress is on sale

Carvela Grind

Monsterous. In the very best way. * Source ASOS

Ethical...and warm!

Little known fact about me: I used to be vegetarian. To those who know me now and didn't know me then, that's a hilarious thought. But it's true, I was vegetarian. But I didn't draw the line at not eating meat, I became slightly obsessed with animal rights and became fully cruelty free. I stopped buying leather or anything made out of animal skin and refused to use cosmetics made by companies who were known to test on animals. It was really, really hard, ethical fashion ain't easy! That was 6 years ago and there weren't really that many ethical companies, I basically bought my smellies from The Body Shop and didn't buy new clothes! I even sold my leather jacket and most of my leather/suede shoes. These days it's a lot easier. People Tree's fairtrade designs are available in Topshop, Edun is loved my celebrities and even Primark sells organic tees. Don't get me wrong, I know it's not easy, but it's easier at least there are options. The hardest thing I always found were the shoes, which is why I was thrilled when eco-friendly shoe company Simple sent me some lovely boots. Simple make sustainable, eco-friendly and most importantly comfy shoes. They have been an absolute godsend during the snowy, icy conditions in Britain! Now, the little tinkers weren't exactly straightforward when sending me my gorgeous boots. I actually received one of my boots and someone else's boot! We eventually tracked each other down and arranged to get our rightful shoe back via Send Social.

Baby it's c-c-cold outside!

Ok so Winter has officially arrived in the UK! Most of the country was a-twitter about the snow and ice and frost and general coldness, my car kindly told me it was -3 Celsius!! I have officially given up wearing peep toes, functionality is more important than cold toes!! I just want to curl up and hibernate until Spring but unfortunately the show must go on and I have to leave the house on a daily basis! I'm so stocking up on some lovely winter warmers to get me through the subzero conditions. The upside to this sub-zero weather is definitely the accessorising! Scarves I love a chunky soft scarf. I love them even better if they have gloves or a hat attached. Multitasking at it's best! Hats My mum always lectured me in the importance of keeping my head warm. Knitted headbands appeal to me much more than hats, unless they're deer stalkers! Gloves/Armwarmers/Mittens/Mufflers I think gloves are pretty boring to be honest, which is why I prefer arm warmers. They have a little more personality and keep me warm while allowing me to play with my iPhone :D Mittens are uber-cute though, I love a good mitten. Mufflers are just too amazing, not enough places sell them! * All these are available at ASOS

London Fashion Weekend

While I'm taking this little trip down memory lane, I must remember London Fashion Weekend! After the madness of London Fashion Week has calmed down and normality starts to return, London Fashion Weekend hits, and is a much needed form of retail therapy! I always feel so inspired by the shows and love rummaging around for something extra special.

Dress - Random shop in Bulgaria Boots - Topshop

Like LFW, London Fashion Weekend has changed venue to Somerset House/180 Strand. Most of the good stuff was at 180 Strand, it felt like Ozzy and I spent forever looking around at, well, pretty much everything! There were so many pretty things, although I was slightly disgusted when he tried on a real rabbit fur jacket. Thankfully, the jacket stayed on the rails! I came away with just one item, this absolutely amazing sequin tutu by Reem. Reem is an Iraqi-born London designer who is famed for her distinctive costume exuberance and urban uniform aesthetic. There were so many lovely things at the Reem stand, but this skirt really caught my eye. I literally wore it on the first occasion I had, even though it meant wearing my beautiful skirt on the bus!

Jacket - River Island Top - ASOS Skirt - Reem Bag - Vintage Boots - Dune

Me, Fashion Scout & London Fashion Week

I was browsing the Fashion Scout blog, and found...me! I think this was taken while I was waiting outside for the Bryce D'anice Aime show to start. The photo evoked 2 emotions: 1. Happiness - Fond memories of LFW in Sept 2. Regret - I kind of miss my long hair now!

Dress - Primark! Tights - ASOS Shoes - New Look Belt - Topshop Can't say where all the jewellery is from, I was wearing a lot of it!

My Dream Day in Paris

Sometimes...just sometimes...dreaming in fashion isn't quite enough. When it's frosty, cold and I'm stressed, I dream in holidays. That's not to say the two can't be combined, Paris is known as one of the chicest cities in the world and it certainly didn't disappoint when I visited earlier this year with the lovely ladies at Wearesocial. They have invited me to take part in a competition with Le Noveau Paris to win an amazing weekend in Paris, I just need to describe what I would do in Paris with €1000 to spend. So...what would I do in my second favourite fashion city with enough disposable income for a pretty good time?! First thing's first, I would check into a fabulous hotel. I generally don't spend much of my holidays in the hotel, but it's always nice to know you have somewhere decadent to have a quick power nap before heading out again. Paris has plenty of super luxe hotels to choose from, but for me there is only one; the Plaza Athénée...better known as 'Carrie's hotel in Paris'. Ever since I saw it in the last couple of episodes of SATC, it's stuck in my mind as one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever seen and somewhere that I must visit, one day. I would loiter around Avenue Montaigne and Rue de Faubourg St. Honore, watching elegant Parisian woman indulge in some retail therapy. They are renowned for being impossibly chic, so I'm sure I could pick up a tip or two about being a bit more polished! I would definitely head over to Laduree to indulge on a macaroon or 10, while doing some more people watching. My inevitable sugar rush will almost certainly put me in the mood for window shopping. Paris is home to some ridiculously cool, iconic boutiques: Colette, Surface to Air and L'Eclaireur. Of course, no fashion trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to Chanel on Rue Cambon. The almost legendary building houses a Chanel store, haute couture dressing room, the workshop and Coco Chanel's apartment. It's such a beautiful building, here's a video from Vogue TV inside.... I'm sure a fair amount of time would be spent looking out for Karl Lagerfeld's yellow hummer, if I saw it I would probably throw myself at him! On a more affordable note, I would visit some of the markets and rummage around for some bargains. Marche aux Puces de Clignancourt is one of the largest markets in Europe, it's actually made up of 15-20 smaller markets and has over 2,000 stalls! For something a little more less crowded, I would head to Marche aux Puces de Vanves for some vintage clothes and costume jewellery. Last time I was in Paris, I had a whistle stop visit of the Madeleine Vionnet exhibition at Les Arts Decoratifs. The visit was cut short (champagne tasting...) but it is most definitely worth a second visit. The museum has a new exhibit starting next year, Histoire ideale de la mode contemporaire 1971-2008, which looks at the evolution of fashion. I think I will be all fashioned out by then, if that's even possible. My ideal evening would be spent at The Crazy Horse or the Moulin Rouge. I'm sure the Dior Institut spa, situated in the hotel, will be put to good use after that action packed day!! Of course, if I went during Paris Fashion Week it would be a different story. I would beg/borrow/barter my way into Balenciaga/Galliano/Dior/Chanel/McQueen shows...or at least hang out in the Jardin des Tuileries!

Vogue Paris 2010 Calendar

This year's pinup themed Paris Vogue calendar raised more than a few eyebrows. Louis Vuitton clad and Carine Roitfeld styled, the calendar was deemed super sexy. Next year's calendar, shot by Mario Sorrenti, only features 3 models (Iselin Steiro, Natasha Poly and Raquel Zimmerman) compared to this year's 14 but it has lost none of the sex appeal. In fact, the 2010 calendar practically makes the 2009 one look PG. This is burlesque/disco glamour at it's very, very best. The calendar comes as a supplement to the December/January issue of Paris Vogue, out now. * Source TFS