To spend a penny...

Tomorrow sees the grand opening of a new online hotspot for your vintage fix. PennyFarthingVintage.com is unleashing its debut collection of old school finds and all for a reasonable price. It follows in the footsteps of vintage motherships like Beyond Retro and Rokit by hosting its collections online so now one doesn't have to scavenge through side street thrift stores, the best bits of times past come delivered straight to your door.

Pennyfarthingvintage.com goes live bright and early tomorrow morning but here are a few sneaky peaks to entice your tastebuds!

Here's a hat trick...

Just because it's chilly with the promise of snow doesn't mean one has to hide behind a woollen beanie 'til March, the humble tea cosy is making way for a more glamorous breed of headwear. The gates have been thrown open for everyone from the fourties inspired fedora to the floppy felt sun hat.

Alexa Chung modelling a leopard print floppy hat in November's Elle

Fearne Cotton in another leopard print felt sun hat

Both are much akin to this offering from Urban Outfitters for £40

Kate Moss makes her getaway in a Trillby

Daisy Lowe tops off her sheer outfit with a Fedora

I love the deep Maroon of this Trillby from Topshop £25

I really like the idea of a Trillby or Fedora adorned with feathers on the band, almost reminiscent of a 1940's journalist's hat where they would tuck their notes into the band.

 

Like so

I do like the above offering from Topshop, but I prefer my feathers to be a little more eyecatching. This is how I gave a simple £7.99 felt fedora from H&M a bit more kick..

Add peacock feathers bought from Ebay to said fedora by tucking into the band

And you have your own feather adorned fedora!

London loves Lanvin!

By now the dust has settled, the tills have been shut and the lights turned down in the country's many H&M stores. For today was the premier of the Lanvin collection for the high street store, and this is what the queue of eager shoppers looked like at 8am outside of the Regent Street branch..

But those who chose not to brave the cold and shop behind the comfort of their computer screen didn't fare well, as they were greeted with a message declaring "sorry we're really popular right now please try again later" then slapped with a "sold out" sign come 7:10 am.

Despite the restrictions placed in store to discourage fashion touting, including only being able to buy one of each item in one size, Ebay is full to the brim of people taking one's love of a Lanvin bargain for advantage. You can now buy the yellow one shouldered dress which was originally priced at £99.99 at a mere inflated sum of £210.


Wasn't the point of this highstreet / couture collaboration supposed to be the ability to afford a name that would usually be out of reach? Unfortunate that a few greedy ebayers snapped up the collection just to squeeze some money out of the fashion hungry.

(I liked the black ruffle sleeve more anyway, a snip at just £300 on ebay!) 

The complete collection, not that you can get your hands on it or anything...

Where are your manners?

Being ladylike is all the rage this season. Think demure knee skimming hemlines that give a fun and girly silhouette. I found just the place for all things girly and pretty at the Corsellis stall on Saturday...

To see that flash of red dress in more detail, click here

Click here for some refined inspiration

Today I'm coveting...

This feather collar from Zara

I'm really into feathers right now, and have just ordered some beautiful peacock feathers to customise my black bowler hat with. I'd love to add this collar to my collection of plumage, it would transform a high neck dress coat or a LBD, maybe I'll stick it on my christmas list...

Best place in town to pick up vinyl

I recently invested in an old and beautiful record player and am working on my record collection. The Music & Video exchange shop is the best place around for secondhand vinyl. I'm treating myself to a record a week, the best collections progress with patience!

 

Leather shorts on a Monday afternoon..

Shorts are a big hit this winter; think neutral colours in heavier winter fabrics such as mixes of wool and tweed. For an edgier look though, it's all about leather.

The lovely Elise teams her Topshop leather shorts with opaques, snowflake mittens and that all important Mulberry bag for a casual daytime look.