Daily Wear: Winter neons

Hi guys,
I think you have to celebrate the small victories. On Sunday, Wilbur let me get dressed without crying, and then go out for lunch and eat three full courses whilst he slept: the first time that's happened since he was born!

For the occasion I wore bright neons, but in an uber traditional way. A typical Sunday lunch outfit. I would say the format of this outfit is boringly stereotypical for this time of year: knee high boots, floral dress, blazer. Yawn. But the colours mean that it looked a little more interesting, and although it's not the best or most fashion-forward outfit I've ever worn, I was pleased with how it looked.
Dress - Warehouse. Jacket, belt and necklace - all H&M. Handbag - Betsey Johnson. Boots - Next.

The jacket and the dress were both January sales purchases. The dress is from Warehouse for just £15 and the jacket was from H&M for £10. With hindsight, I'm not that keen on how this jacket looks with the dress. But it will look amazing teamed with simple t-shirts or blouses and jeans when spring arrives.

My husband told me (once we'd already left the house!) that the outfit was too bright and garish. But I'm not sure I agree. What do you think of wearing neons to brighten up gloomy snowy days? Are you a fan of neons at all, and will you be wearing them this spring?

Love Tor x

The perfect seasonal shop window from Next

Hi guys,
In the latest in their series of festive themed competitions, Next are asking bloggers to create their perfect Christmassy shop window display. This time the competition is being hosted by the wonderful Jess over at Feeling Stylish.

I love shop window dressings (going to see the Selfridges Christmas windows is something of an annual tradition for me) so I couldn't resist throwing my hat into the ring and creating an entry. I've gone for a festive homespun-style window, complete with bunting, natural decorations, and cozy outfits perfect for snuggling up in under the Christmas tree. No constrictive party dresses and trousers that don't allow a second helping of turkey for me on Christmas day!!

Decorative robin, £10
Hand knit pattern cardigan, £75
Set of 2 bark Christmas trees, £12
Snowflake sequin sweater, £32
Fairisle pattern sweater, £20
Bell heart decorations, £10 for a set of three
Knitted slipper boots, £16
Button ballerina slippers, £10

The competition actually closes today (cutting it close to the wire I know!) but if you'd like to create your own entry, just head over to the Feeling Stylish blog for more info!

Are you ready for Christmas yet? And have you finished your Christmas shopping? We're all done here in the fabfrocks household, and already holed up at my mother in laws, ready to enjoy the festivities!

Love Tor x

Sponsored video: You can still get your presents from Next in time for Christmas!

Hi guys,
As you can probably tell by all my posts about them this month, I have a bit of a soft spot for Next. Fashion-wise they are an unsung high street brand, as far as I'm concerned. And don't even get me started on their baby clothes: I'm obsessed! I'm also slightly in love with my leopard print Next coat, which I've worn constantly for the past month. Basically, I'm a secret Next addict!

But at this time of year they also come into their own as a great place to pick up Christmas presents. And to celebrate this they've produced a fab video with Wallace and Gromit creators (it wouldn't be Christmas without them!) Aardman Animations. Here it is:

Cute huh? What's not to love about shoes that look good and dance better than I do, all by themselves?! I love Aardman Animations, and they really are as much a part as Christmas as turkey, mince pies, and the Eastenders Christmas special!

So why should you do your Christmas shopping with Next? Well frankly, because you can! If you place an order on next.co.uk before 9pm you'll get next day delivery to ensure all your presents arrive before Christmas. (At no extra charge: just the standard £3.99 delivery cost) Be quick though! The last order date for Christmas delivery is Friday 21st December.

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? Or do you tend to leave everything to the last minute? And what do you prefer for your last minute Christmas shopping: surfing from your sofa or hitting the shops?

Love Tor

*This post is sponsored by Next

Fabfrocks at Home: Stylized Christmas home envy!

Hi guys,
I'm a bit of an interiors obsessive: I love checking out other people's home decor, and am forever drooling over interiors blogs (I like to call it house porn!) And if there's one time it's especially nice to see what creative ideas people have for their homes it's Christmas. It's not just interior blogs jumping on this band wagons either: the big department stores are hopping all over it too!

I love checking out the photo shoots that the big department stores put out to promote their Christmas decorations and interior ranges. It used to be that preparing for Christmas meant putting up a Christmas tree. But now you can buy new Christmas throws and cushions, art work, kitchen utensils and even bedding. (Primark have some great Nordic reindeer-print bedding instore, and it's only £15) And I love it!

Here's some decorating inspiration gleamed from the stores you'll find on every highstreet:

Marks and Spencer

Next 

House of Fraser

How do you decorate your home for Christmas? Do you take interior inspiration from blogs and press images and go abit over the top (guilty as charged!) or do you think these things are going a bit too far?

I'll be showing you how we decorate our house for Christmas later in the month. But in the meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Love Tor xx

PS - Don't forget to enter my Christmas giveaway: there is a great selection of little prizes to be won!! 

The perfect Christmas day outfits for the whole family

Hi guys,
I normally resist writing about Christmas in November (believe me, you'll have enough of my Christmas posts to last a lifetime in December!) but I'm being beaten down by all the festive spirit everywhere and I just can't resist: The high street Christmas lights have been lit, Starbucks have their red cups out, and more importantly, I have seen the Coke Christmas ad on TV. Holidays are coming, my friends!

In honour of this, I started thinking about what I want myself and my boys to be wearing on Christmas day. This will be our first Christmas as a family of three (In fact, if he comes on time the boy will be less than a month old) so my usual laissez faire attitude to Christmas dressing is out of the window and instead been replaced by Christmas jumpers, cozy Santa accessories, and an unholy amount of red! Here are my picks from Next.co.uk of what I would like us to be wearing when the big day arrives:


Red skinny trousers, £26: Sparkle green sweater, £42: Nude and wine block platform shoes, £60: Colour block metal link belt, £12: Berry feather earrings, £7.50: Expandable bracelet, £12.


Straight leg burgandy chino, £20: Suede desert boots, £48: Burgandy patterned crew neck jumper, £30: Burgandy check scarf, £13: Black and orange leather strap watch, £30: Tan leather belt, £20.


I love santa suit, £11: Christmas bibs (2 pack), £4.50: Reindeer teddy bear, £9: Christmas pudding hat, £6: Knitted reindeer booties, £5.50

Of course in reality, Mike will wear his usual blue jeans and black Tshirt combo (it's tried and tested!) and I will wear something with an elasticated waist to make room for as much Christmas dinner as possible: but a girl can dream!! What do you wear on Christmas day? In my family's household we don't take off our PJs, but hubby's family get dressed up, so that will be a new experience for me this year!

Lovely blogger Northern Mum is collaborating with Next to giveaway a £500 voucher to the blogger who best styles a Christmas look for their family from the new season Next collection. The above is my entry to the competition - wish me luck!! 

Love Tor xx

Winter styling ideas from Next

Hi guys,
Winter is here. It's cozy up warm time, which means knitwear, party dresses, snuggly winter boots and of course the perfect winter coat. Yes, I'm talking about that again!

Finding the perfect winter coat is something of a life mission for me: I'm obsessed with coats and own more than twenty: Nope, that's not including jackets! But realistically, most people (quite rightly!) only have one in their wardrobe: understandable too. Those things are expensive! So using the latest collections from Next,  I'm going to show you how to take one perfect winter coat, and style it in three very different ways. I've opted for a fitted faux fur coat because they suit everyone, regardless of age and body type. And because I have one from Next which fits like a dream:


For a shopping spree and girly lunch

Leopard print faux fur coat, £65 - Black leather trousers, £110 - Pussy bow blouse, £28 - Black stud slippers, £30 - Black leather bag, £75 - Silver crystal watch, £28


For a walk in the park

Leopard print faux fur coat, £65 - grey bakerboy hat, £10 - Relaxed skinny jeans, £26 - Star jumper, £28 - Feather necklace, £10 - Ankle Boots, £70

For a night on the town

Leopard print faux fur coat, £65 - Black sequin dress, £65 - Hidden platform shoes, £38 - Gold stud clutch, £25 - Black and gold bangle, £12

I hope this proves that if you choose the right, versatile coat, you can wear it for every occasion and it will look great! Although I'm not sure it means I'll be taking my own advice and getting rid of my beloved coat collection...

Lovely blogger Amy Antoinette is collaborating with Next to giveaway a £500 voucher to the blogger who best styles three versatile looks from the new season Next collection. The above is my entry to the competition - wish me luck!! 

Love Tor x

The Twelve days of Christmas with Next

Hi guys,
Hope you're all having a great week! I've been in bed with a chest infection since the weekend, but last night was our works Christmas party and the lovely Aussie guys came and did our hair so we looked all fancy before we headed out. So my week has been a week of ups and downs (With my fancy hair being a definite up!)

Last week the folks at Next sent me these lovely 12 days of Christmas icons. Well, I thought they were so cute (and i'm obsessed with anything festive right now!) so I just had to use them in a post! Team that with the fact that although i've been thinking constantly about Christmas presents, I haven't thought about outfits at all yet: something that needed seriously vectifying. So here is the soloution. The first three of my twelve outfits of Christmas:

DAY ONE - And a partridge in a pear tree
Fringe Cardigan - £50, Black leggings, Dip hem butterfly top, High heeled clogs, £35
This is a great cozy outfit that would be comfy and slouchy, but is coordinated enough that when you add the heels you'd look dressy and put together at the same time. I'd wear this on Christmas eve when we have family dropping in and out for my mum's glorious festive buffet and I need stretchy mince pie trousers!!

DAY TWO - Two turtle doves
Pajama bottoms - £15, Pajama top - £8, Slippers, Black robe - £22.
In the Brierley household, Christmas day is a pajama day, so we all go to bed in our finest house clothes on Christmas eve: after all, even in your PJ's you want to look good for the camera! I avoided my personal preference of over-the-top reindeer PJs, and picked out these cuddly but grown up black separates with a pink accent.

DAY THREE - Three French hens
Shoe boots - £55, Striped dress, Boot flare jeans - £22, Vintage buckle belt - £18, Bangle set - £18
How could you do the French hens without a little Parisian chic?? This outfit is for the first day of hitting the sales: comfortable and relaxed for a little harmless shopping (and jostling) but smart enough to meet the girls for lunch afterwards. I would wear leggings with this but I added the jeans for warmth, and to make the look a little more casual.

I love putting together outfits: it's like dressing dolls but without the awkward unbending arms! There'll be more festive outfits coming in the run up to Christmas!

Love, Tor xx

My Vogue's Fashion Night Out

Hi Guys,
It was Vogue's fashion night out last night, and shops all over London were holding events for the occasion. I met with Jenny from The Style PA, and we started from Oxford Circus and worked our way around the shops; it was quite a mission! We started on the high street (Oxford Street) before heading to Bond Street, where they really know how to throw a party!

Most of the high street stores were hosting instore events; Oasis were holding a night of a thousand prizes, Warehouse were giving customers the opportunity to style models and win the outfits they picked, and River Island (shown above) had make up stands, a photo booth, and nail bar.

Pull and Bear embraced social media in a popular window display in which two bloggers were pitched against each other to style an outfit on models in the window, whilst the public looked on. The crowd were then given X stickers to put on the window of the bloggers outfit that they preferred. Of all the shops of Oxford Street I think this drew the biggest crowd.


In a moment of real surreality, one minute we were wandering along eating the most delicious cake pops I had ever tasted (courtesy of the gorgeous girl in Next, above) the next moment Jedward were running passed us at quite a speed: they were so quick I could only photograph the backs of their head (and I felt like a sad teenage fan doing it!) I have no idea which event they were heading too. After this we heading to Selfridges where we drank mini bottles of Champagne, and had our photos taken in the Chanel photo booth. (Click the link to see the photos!)


Both high street and high end stores opted for "living mannequins" as their window displays, with both Zara and Daks choosing this for their entertainment (shown above). We also went to Burberry (where we lusted after several coats), McQueen (where we lusted after everything), and DKNY, where we reminisced about the terrible DKNY purchases of our youth, and drank the most delicious cocktails; however by this stage I was having too much fun to remember to take photos! It was a great night out, and i'm already looking forward to next year.

What did you guys do for Fashion Night Out? Do you have any fun stories to share?

Love, Tor xx

The Topshop outlet revisited

I haven't been to the Topshop outlet for an age (not since just after Christmas) and I have to say that on that last visit the shop was very understocked, there was absolutely nothing special to write about, and I came out empty-handed.
Today my sister and I fancied a walk out but didn't want to head into town, so to the Topshop outlet we went: it is fairly equi-distant from our two homes. Today the store left me very impressed.
Everything is still buy one get one free, and they had a lot of maternity wear in today, as well as a a great selection of ordinary clothes in a wide range of sizes. They also had loads of the Christopher Kane stuff in (one of which is the fluro number lil sis is peaking from behind!) One of the things I always pick up in the outlet is tights: these gold and black spotty ones were £3 bogof, when originally they were £12 a pair! There is generally more in the 10-12 section, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty in the other sizes too. For £40 I got three dresses and a jumper: i'll show these off another time!!

I get so many emails asking, and I always forget to mention this in the posts, but the Topshop outlet is at the back of the Broadwalk centre in Edgeware (Which is at the end of the Northern line) Apparently they get deliveries every day except Sundays, but the quantity of stock delivered varies dramatically. Directions are here.
Also in the Broadwalk centre is a shop called Choice, which is a mostly Next but other brands too outlet store; they stock Mens, Womens, Kids, and even homewares at up to 70% off and they have regular sale events where they knock even more money off the price. I got a Chanel-esque Next cardi from here for £7.99 once, I often look in here for gifts for my mum, and before Christmas I picked up a gorgeous Kathryn Hamnett watch for my dad for just £14.99.

I do want to point out though, that the Broadwalk centre is a very small shopping centre with less than 30 shops in it, and aside from the two shops mentioned above the only other store I visit is poundland for the cleaning products! This is a place to come if you're passing or if you want to see the Topshop outlet, but I wouldn't recommend anyone treks across town expecting a day out! Brent Cross is only a 20 minute bus ride away though, so you could always incorporate it into a visit there? If you bag a bargain like I often do, it's worth the trip!

Love, Tor xx