September in Pictures

Putting on my favourite Mulberry and pearls for a fabulously decadent brunch at Bob Bob Ricard (‘Press for champagne!’) with girlfriends. Playing tourist in London never gets old. Putting on my new pink Prada heels to make household chores a little bit wonderful. Frequent trips to Chinatown for custard buns and watermelon bubble tea. A surprise delivery from Lulu Guinness (a new pink lips clutch that made me squeal with delight). Pretty pink cocktail earrings from ASOS to brighten up a day. Stopping to smell the roses on the way to the Parliament office. Adding a little extra sparkle at my desk with my favourite Chanel ring.

A serious ‘pinch me!’ moment in my blogging career: joining forces with Jimmy Choo for a fabulous Fashion Night Out party in London: shoes, cocktails and wonderful party-goers (thank you so much to everyone who came to say hello! I’m still grinning at the memory). Packing all my favourite clothes for London Fashion Week. My two favourite Fashion Week accessories: glittery and cake. Garden gnomes in a fantasy garden at the Mulberry show. Soaking up all the action backstage, on the runway and everywhere in between. Beautiful dresses that wardrobe dreams are made of at Erdem and Temperley. Getting to attend the shows of all my favourite designers (and not being able to wipe the smile off my face the entire week).

Making the most of the last of the Cambridge summertime. Evening bicycle rides are more fun when there is a baguette, a bunch of flowers and a Mulberry bag in my basket. The last of my summer days smelt of garden roses, Annick Goutal’s Petite Cherie perfume and Diptyque’s Mimosa candles. Sunny weekends spent lazing on the banks of the River Cam with picnics, good books, my sweetheart and picture-perfect views. Pastel dresses and girl dates at the ice cream parlour. Pretending I go to Hogwarts with Sunday lunches in the Kings College great hall (with a suitably bookish and witty Lulu Guinness clutch bag).

I hope you’ve all had a wonderful September! What are you most looking forward to in October?

Love, Miss B xx

Pearls, Champagne & Saturday Brunch

If there’s one after-work and weekend ritual I treasure, it’s fabulous dates with my girlfriends. I’m forever bemoaning the British lack of enthusiasm for weekend brunch (is it only Australians and Americans who embrace this weekend act?), so last weekend Dearne (my fellow Antipodean-in-England friend) and I gathered up our fellow blog friends, Anna and Sarah, and took our collective selves off to Bob Bob Ricard to try and stoke the brunch trend in this country.

Given the venue for our brunch date was Bob Bob Ricard, a moody den of 1920s glamour so evocative of the Orient Express (think metallic booths divided by heavy navy curtains, pink bowtied bellboys, and ‘press for champagne’ buttons at each table), it seemed only appropriate to put on a pair of heels and a sprinkling of pearls for the morning.

Shirt dresses are one of my favourite wardrobe pieces (for their knack of making the wearer look instantly chic + pulled together), and this cream silk version, with it’s sprinkling of tiny daisies and pearls, is proving perfect for brunch dates, cocktails, the office and everything in between when paired with a pair of equally wonderful heels, and I’ll be taking it through winter with a pair of opaque tights, a chic coat and a black bow tied around the waist. Instant outfit in one easy step!

Wearing: ASOS silk shirt dress (sold out, but similar style here), Mulberry heels and bag (similar styles here), Jimmy Choo sunglasses, Marc Jacobs belt (actually the chain strap from my Stam bag), Michael Kors (similar styles here), Mimco bangle, bracelet c/- Jersey Pearl.

Do you love getting dressed up for your girl dates too? And I would love to know your favourite brunch spots (wherever in the world you may be).

Love, Miss B xx

Thank you Dearne and Anna for helping with these photos

How to Dress for a Confused Summer

It seems that while the rest of the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing a heatwave, the English summer is currently on vacation in the South of France. Since I refuse to let the grey skies get me down, I’ve taken to pretending that it’s actually September and am thus doing a weird sartorial tango that flits somewhere between breezy summer whites and preppy autumnal layers.

I’ve mostly been in denial about the rainy skies and have been gadding about in florals and pastels galore, but some days practicality reigns supreme (yes, even for me!). I actually took these shots for my Jimmy Choo campaign back in May (the sky was grey that day too), but variations on this same look have been on high rotation for all manner of weekend errands, coffee dates, trips to the bookstore and bike rides since then on days when only a jacket, rather than a bottle of SPF, will do.

My motto for confused weather? Breton stripes, fun heels sunglasses and a blazer and you’re good to go! Wearing: Vintage Ralph Lauren blazer, Current/Elliott boyfriend jeans (old, but similar style here), Chanel bag, Boden top, Michael Kors watch, Mimco bow cuff and necklace, Jimmy Choo heels (on loan) and sunglasses (c/o).

I hope the sun is shining in your part of the world! And rain or shine, I’d love to know what you’re wearing this summer?

Love, Miss B xx