Sweet Talk

So I started work this week, fairly ill. It's Thursday and I've had to have the day off because I feel so rubbish. I'm clearly not cut out for this work malarky but hopefully after my couple of weeks of go go go I'll be back on track and won't be coughing incessantly in the office. On the plus though I get to write a new blog post which is ever so exciting because I've been wanting to do one on polka dots for SO long. I've also had some really lovely comments from the friend pool so thanks guys, it means a lot to me that you like the stuff I'm banging on about =)

Dotty and spotty wear aside for the minute, I just want to say how excited I am for this musical collaboration: Burial and Massive Attack. Burial has only gone and remixed MA's unreleased 'Four Walls' and the big one from their "Heligoland" album, 'Paradise Circus'. Some of you may recognise this one as the theme to the BBCs series "Luther" which has the rather wonderful Idris Elba who plays the legendary Stringer Bell in "The Wire" which is one of my favourite TV series ever. So basically, this chain of events makes for one totally brilliant collab. Also, Burial for those that don't know, is an London ambient/dubstep musician. Here's one of my favourites for those who might like to suss him out:

Burial - 'Archangel' from the album "Untrue"

He's had 2 albums along with remixing the likes of Jamie Woon, Miike Snow, Thom Yorke and Bloc Party. The collaboration of these two sets of incredible British musicians therefore is definitely a cause for celebration. 'Four Walls/Paradise Circus' hasn't really been released anywhere for the general public other than the momentary pre-order of 1000 vinyl copies by The Vinyl Factory which have all immediately been snapped up for the generous sum of £25. For now however only the 11+ minute "video" to 'Four Walls' has been put up on YouTube. So here you go:

Burial/Massive Attack - 'Four Walls (Burial Remix)'

While I'm here, I will just mention a couple of other big songs in my life right now. They're in the charts and everything so no judging. Firstly:

Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris - 'We Found Love'

No official video yet. Funny story behind the video though if you haven't heard, check out the literary skills of the Daily Mail to read up on the antics of a very angry farmer. Also on my radar is this RAC remix of Sunday Girl's 'Love U More'. It sounds terrible, but it really isn't at all. Promise.

Sunday Girl - 'Love U More (RAC Remix)'

And finally to explain my title, Delilah of Chase & Status 'Time' fame has released her own music. Her new solo track 'Go' is currently number 17 in the charts and she's used some of the lyrics from Diana King's 'Ain't Nobody' but although you might be expecting a d'n'b note to it, it's just totally mellow. However I have since Soundcloud-ed faster remixes so if you're wanting something with more instrumentals, you know where to go. Until then though, I'm going to end my music bit with the official video. It's not an exciting one in the slightest, but enjoy all the same:

Delilah - 'Go'

But onto the polka dot trend. This is a trend that I didn't anticipate myself actually liking, but as it has begun to proliferate I've decided that I quite like it after all as long as you don't end up looking like Minnie Mouse. Which could happen. So who, what, why and how.

Who: D&G, Gucci, Stella McCartney and Oscar de la Renta

What: The best items to be adorned with the many many dots and spots include the standard blouses and dresses (as long as you don't look too much like your gran) but also trousers, belts and hosiery. Although you kind find the pattern on shorts and skirts, I kinda feel that you look a bit like you've regressed back to the frilly party skirts of your childhood. And since it's coming up to winter, shorts with printed dots are giving a bit of a desperate Summer vibe.

Why: Because they make being an adult fun! I know I just said that skirts adorned with them can end up looking a bit childish, but if you add them to some 70s style flared trousers or to a pussybow blouse then it gives the impression that yeah, you might like fashion (or not), but you're having fun too.

How: Here's the time for the photo bit and where I will try to find some more affordable items for you to add to your A/W wardrobe as well as a few ideas with what you could wear them with.

Blouses and Tops:

I'm going to start with this category mainly because it's the easiest one to source but equally hard to get just right. One of my favourite polka dot looks is the sheer blouse:

Reiss - Kara Bell Sleeve Shirt (nude) - £89

Sorry about the old price tag, I'm moving on to cheaper things noooow:

Whistles - Polka Dot Sleeveless Blouse - £30 (sale)

Warehouse - Pinspot Front Tie Blouse (bright green) - £45

Topshop - Navy Polka Dot Crochet Collar Swing Top - £34

So there we have a bit of a selection. I've also seen some lovely tops in New Look and H&M but the links for pictures on these sites are hard to do so go have a gander yourself. The tops I've chosen are mainly with the smaller dots than the giant ones that are about. I think the best larger polka dot tops you can get though are if you go for a rummage at vintage fairs or shops in your home or university town. Since the polka dot was pretty big in the 80s, you're bound to find some fantastic finds if you just go and look for the more original. I have a lovely vintage navy blue dotty blouse that I found in the depths of a basket at a vintage fair in Leeds so it can be done! Also, I wouldn't recommend mixing polka dots. Ie. dotty tops with dotty bottoms.

Dresses:

This is one of the best ways to incorporate polka dots into your wardrobe, but beware of the red and white look, because like I said before you will look like Minnie Mouse. I've seen some lovely dresses on the likes of Alexa Chung but I'm fairly sure that her's are vintage finds. If you're handy with a sewing machine the long vintage dresses that you usually find can easily be taken up by you handy self. When it comes to vintage, as a side note, check out Rokit as well as the obvious eBay and as I've just discovered, Oxfam have their own online shop now as well! If you're not into the vintage rummaging however, Boohoo has some real surprises in store. Here are my favourites:

Boohoo - Louise Polka Dot Skater Dress (mocha) - £20 (also available in navy, berry, mustard and rust, if you've seen my previous posts you'll know how much the colour names make me smile)

Boohoo - Rachel Polka Dot Flocked Sheer Bodycon Dress - £15

ASOS - Collar Spot Dress (nude) - £15 (sale)

So there you have some dotty dresses to get yourself started. The middle dress shows that you can wear them out in an evening too and still look seriously sexy. I love the collar on the bottom one and the top one is perfect for both casual and drinks out depending on how you want to dress it.

Trousers:

Yes. You can get polka dotted trousers. Are they for everyone? No. They certainly aren't for me, mostly because I don't think I'm brave enough but hey, you go for it! Here are some ideas if you fancy it:

Jaeger - Spot Jacquard Trouser - £130

Topshop - Polka Dot Wide Leg Trousers (oxblood) - £45

ASOS - Spot Peg Jersey Trousers - £25

I think if you were going to get me to wear polka dots on my legs, the bottom one's would be the way forward. The Topshop flares are a bit too much for me personally, but if you're blessed with height, do it. And the top ones are ideal for almost any occasion, bring some A/W flare to the office. But I think you'd need a job to afford the Jaeger ones in any case.

I'm going to end on an Accessories note. An area I'm not very good at as unlike many women, I'm not massively into shoes but I'm going to give a couple of polka dot shoes which can be a great way to add a bit of the trend to a plainer outfit as well as a couple of other bits and pieces:

Accessories:

ASOS - LOCO Spot Bow Ballet Shoes - £25

Topshop - Cross Over Platforms - £110

Miss KG by Kurt Geiger - Ash (black) - £50 (sale)

Boohoo - Liv Polka Dot lace Panelled Body - £16

Accessorize - Polka Dot Mini Bag - £18

Nordstrom - Commando 'Big Dot' Sheer Tights - £21.59

So there you have it, a beginners guide to Polka Dots. Go big or go small, or simply not at all. There's a fine line between adding a touch of childish charm to adult clothing and looking like you're heading off to a children's teddy bear picnic. And as much as the latter might be a lot more fun than real life, no 20 something looks good like that.

And so on that note, I'm going to dig out all my current polka dot stuff (tights and blouse) and see what I can do with them. And I will leave you to judge my music taste on the usual iTunes shuffle gamble:

Oh dear, it's a bad one. Sorry guys:

Slipknot - 'Duality' from the album "Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)"

I know I said that I'd be doing a lot more blogging last week. That didn't happen. But I've had some lovely feedback from the friends so thanks guys! There will be more name dropping in this post as promised but that comes later. I'm going to admit that some of this blog will be dedicated to a bit of bragging about a shiny new jumper and a find from the depths of my uni unpacking (yes, I still haven't unpacked everything yet). And maybe a cheeky photo or 2 of said items. Cindy asked me to do some Heritage this week. I will do my best but I don't know much about this trend so I'll be learning something too. I'll also do some work on aztec prints/Americana (you'll see why).

Heritage

So heritage. And no, this isn't all about museums and tweed, it's way more stylish (sorry Rachael).This seems to be a favourite of my history of art lover by night, TA by day friend Cindy. It is also amongst the eccentricities of Vivienne Westwood, Burberry Prorsum and Paul Smith. Therefore it isn't the hottest of trends as the bigger names seem to be less interested in the British outdoors, but this does not mean it's not worth channeling in order to look like your wellies have collected years and years' worth of mud on. So the key items to have include:

1. The Coat

Barbour - Womens Barbour Vintage Beadnell Waxed Jacket (Olive) - £229.95

This is may be one of the best Barbour jackets if you're looking for warm, waterproof and with the heritage streak. It may be a cliche, but it can also be called a classic. Barbour have their own Heritage collection ranging from the classic wax jacket, to tweed overcoats all the way down to trousers in the jodhpur style. Another coat to note would be this fetching tweed one:

Topshop - Tweed Boyfriend Coat (charcoal) - £85

Topshop is often one of the first places me and my friends often look for our Winter coats and it's not too hard to see why. My only issue is that the lining often falls apart and the pockets always develop holes, which means my prized 50p soon finds itself jangling around with my keys in the lining. If you have money to burn though, check this beauty out:

French Connection - Berry Tweed Short Blazer - £190

Ignore that price tag, you know it'll make you happy. This blazer is perfect for bringing this trend into the everyday office or night at a bar without looking like you're about to jump on a horse.

2. The Boots

Ted Baker - Illaria Rubber Wellington Boots (black) - £75

Really. Wellies are indeed the way forward for this trend to look completed. The good thing about this pair is that although you may be tempted with the price tag to go for a pair of good old fashioned Hunters, these don't have the branding that says 'countryside', the just look good. This means is that there is far less chance of you getting funny looks while you wear your wellies to work. If you are concerned though, then give these Topshop ones a go:

Topshop - Classic Riding Boots - £140

But, let's face it, with that price tag, you should go somewhere a bit more respectable for shoes... Pixie boots are better for those without endless legs though so try these for size:

River Island - Black Chelsea Boots - £40

With £100 knocked off the price and with a bit more versatility, go for it.

3. The Shirt

The right shirt seems to be a crucial point in these outfits. The coats are great for adding the trend to an outfit, but what happens when you take the coat off when you get to the pub with the open fire? Hopefully you'll be wearing something underneath said coat, and I would recommend one of these beauties:

American Apparel - Plaid Chiffon Oversized Button Up - £52

I love this one simply because since it's sheer it adds another modern touch to the whole heritage look. Also, the risk with heritage shirts is that if you pick the wrong print you can end up mixing Cowboys and Indians with aristocratic Britain. Whoops. This plaid print would look perfect with some stone coloured trousers, or possibly jodhpurs if you're feeling brave. If you aren't AA's greatest fan, Motel has one which is similar for £38 but it's a bit bluer.

Motel - Helter Blouse (plain biscuit) - £42

And speaking of Motel, got to love this shirt, it's absolutely perfect for the Heritage trend with the addition of the pussybow which I personally cannot get enough of. Except for the fact that the bows never seem to stay done up.

4. Skirts and Shorts:

I don't really think that dresses go especially well with this trend. A tweed like dress ends up looking a bit like you're entirely serious about heritage and that you live in a wing of a country house. Not that this isn't a good air to have about yourself but you're likely to disappoint people when you show them your semi in the suburbs. So here I'm just going to suggest a couple of items that could go with the shirts, boots and coats and make for one wonderful outfit.

Ted Baker - Dobbi Pleated Shorts (mustard) - £99

Sadtimes for the price tag. But look how unbelievably pretty they are. Ted Baker seems to get a bad rep for quality but I've never had any issues. Maybe I've been lucky or there have just been a run of stories. Obviously don't wear these with the pussybow shirt. Bows galore. A checked shirt would look super pretty or team with a plain black top plus some high boots and a tweed jacket/coat. Go go go.

Motel - Sally Skirt (wine) - £19

This price makes me a lot happier and the colour would look lovely with the Motel shirt I put up too. With a more masculine tweed coat you're on to a winner.

Rare - Mini Tulip Skirt (grey) - £10

Finally, a really rather reasonable price tag. This isn't quite as on trend but it's a lot easier to find. Also, as long as you team it with the right tweeds and wine, olive and navy/black colours, you'll find yourself a fantastic outfit. I'm just going to stick a warning tag on here:

Do not, under any circumstances, buy a tartan skirt.

So there we have a run down of Heritage and some key pieces to consider and work on yourself. It's best not to be head to toe in tweed or Barbour but find a couple of items that you really like and see what you can with them.

Now, just to share some ideas and items that I have regarding clothes and make up.

1. The Aztec cardi/thing.

While in Matalan today I stumbled across this. This was only the second time I have ever been in Matalan simply because it's not in the centre of Norwich so I kinda forget to visit it down by the river. I wasn't too hopeful in finding something but there it was. I had to settle for a 12 because obviously it's rather popular with the 8-10s. It's a fantastic item for Autumn and down to Winter because it's light but scarily warm. The aztec cardi is a really good way to bring some colour to an otherwise boring outfit. I'm a fan of the all black and now this will make me look less like I'm on the dark side and more on the fashion-y side of life. Cheeky photos ahead. It's still crazy hot here and a stripped off after an interview and still haven't got changed. Therefore I will tell you that I am wearing underwear, it just looks like I'm not.

It looks fairly shapeless here but the photo I took from the front had a bit of a flash of underwear. So here it is off me and on to the bed:

Matalan - Aztec Print Cardigan - £25

I also mentioned that I discovered a beauty in my uni bags of clothes. I bought this dress from eBay almost a year ago but I remember thinking it looked horrid but now it has the perfect use: to mature my wardrobe a bit. Also the camel colour is always a good one for autumn and winter. My new obsession is trying to find the perfect camel coloured coat.

Topshop Dress/eBay with Exposed Zip

So there you have this rather wonderful thing that I'm going to give another chance to. And here I would just like to have a brag about a dress that the man in my life bought for me. It isn't really on trend anymore, but I have this thing about florals and you could argue that this has a autumn floral feel to it. Also, it's just so darn pretty:

A present from the man

I always wanted this dress and tried it on about a year ago when it was in store but I had bigger boobs and it looked ridiculous. I settled for one like it recently for my BFF's birthday but had a mope that I couldn't get this one. Then my boyfriend presented me with a package a week or so later with this one inside. Big grin. It looks incredible on although I haven't had a chance to go out in it yet because we are all being middle aged and favouring wine and films to clubbing at the moment.

One other item to mention and recommend though. I hate buying foundation. It's on a par with buying new jeans. No no no. But I had a wander into M.A.C and actually asked for their help before they lept on me. This wonderful woman helped me narrow down my search:

I took some of her ideas with me to M.A.C and settled on this one:

M.A.C - Studio Fix Fluid w/SPF 15 (22) - £23

It may seem expensive but after having allergic reactions to my old one and with it clogging into my pores I thought the best way forward would be to invest in something special. I love it and it stays on for hours and hours. I use concealer too (Benefit's Erase Paste) but this has excellent cover and SPF factor if we happen to have anymore freak 30'C October days...

So that's all for today. I'm away for most of the week in London seeing my fantastic friends Elly and Charlie. And to have an assessment day for volunteering abroad. Eee. Just going to end with some recommendations song wise as well as the iTunes shuffle bonanza. Get these tunes:

Firstly, there isn't a video or anything of this one. It's a mash up by a fantastic guy who goes by the name of LeeDM101. It's called 'Jerk Me Around' and mashes 'Jerk it Out' by Caesar's Palace with Loleatta Holloway and Ben E King. This is his blog. If you Google the song name it comes up with download links.

Also: