Style in the City

Personal shopper Laura Russell from Satisfashion

On Saturday I was invited to the launch of Style in the City at House of Fraser along with a few other lovely bloggers. The fashion event is part of the This Is Edinburgh campaign, and offers free styling sessions. These will be held at 'Dress-up Shops' which are popping up around the city centre on Saturdays - 5th, 12th and 19th of April. 

If you have bought a new piece of clothing for spring and aren't sure what to wear it with, help will be at hand from a team of stylists who will give you all the advice you need for free. Shoppers will also be photographed in their outfits, giving them a keepsake to take home. The Dress-up Shops are open 11am-5pm at Frasers (5th Floor) on Princes Street, Subercube on George Street and Grassmarket Community Project on Candlemaker Row. 

You can also pick up a free copy of the Edinburgh Style Map, which will help uncover some of the city's best shopping destinations. There are four routes you can take: Unique Boutiques, Designer Destinations, High Street Heroes and Old Town Indie Chic. There are a few shops marked out which I hadn't heard of before - and that's coming from a shopping addict! The maps are available at Lothian Buses travel shops, train stations and selected retailers. Go grab yourself one for your next shopping trip in Edinburgh.

Emily from Frankly-Ms-Shankly browsing the rails

For more information on the event, click here.

Love from Lou Lou

Pop-up Shopping

Pop-up shops seem to be popping up everywhere lately, and I would say it's the most exciting way to shop. You often find out about them through word of mouth or social media as if you're discovering a secret! The venues  are often quite unexpected - from churches to cocktail bars - and for what can be as little as a few hours, you find all sorts of clothing from boutiques and brands that may not normally be so accessible. 

On Thursday, I went to a vintage pop-up shop at a bar in Edinburgh called 99 Hanover Street. Most of the bar was filled with regulars, but at the back there were rails and tables covered in colourful clothing and accessories. Half of them belonged to Vi Nouveau, and the other half to Once Upon A Time. Both of these boutiques are available on ASOS Marketplace, but it was more fun seeing their pretty hand-picked pieces in real life. There were so many items that my friend and I loved, but after splurging too much this month, I allowed myself one stand out piece that made me gasp when I saw it! Take a look for yourself in the bottom picture. 

Do you know of any pop-up shops appearing in your area? Spread the word if you do!

Love from Lou Lou

Forever 21 Glasgow Launch

 On Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited to the Forever 21 press launch in Glasgow. I have been a fan of the American brand ever since it opened it's two stores in London. Now I don't have to travel nearly so far, as the new store is located on Buchanan street, just a couple of minutes away from Queen Street station. 

Upon arrival, we were greeted with Bellini cocktails and sweet little cupcakes. Then after meeting a couple of the representatives, we were given the grand tour. I couldn't get over how enormous the scale of the shop floors are, and we were informed that the store is even bigger than the one on Oxford Street. What also struck me was how it felt more like a designer department store rather than your average high street shop. This is because of the beautiful interiors, from the sparkling floors to the french looking tables. 

The clothing lines are well merchandised, with concepts such as their safari and monochrome trends all with their own separate space. There are also various ranges including Love 21 (their more premium range), men's clothing, children's clothing and their Plus Sizes range. I love that the accessory department resembles a boutique, with bangles displayed in glass bowels and silver candelabras on the tables. The lingerie section is also very pretty and reminds me of a boudoir! 

The pricing and quality of the clothing is on the same end of the scale as H&M and New Look. You can find a pair of jeans or a pretty dress for under £20, so if you are not wanting to splash out too much on a passing trend, this store is worth checking out. It is also worth noting that the clothing lines are not re-stocked so when you have your eye on something - you really need to get it before it's gone! I was kindly given a £25 voucher to spend although I didn't have quite enough time to decide what to purchase. It does however give me a good excuse to shop their again soon!

Love from Lou Lou

Vintage Heaven at The Corn Exchange

Last week, I took the train to Leeds for my third shopping trip there with one of my best friends who lives just outside the city. Our first (and favourite) stop was The Corn Exchange which has to be the most spectacular shopping centre I've ever seen. I'm a big fan of the Victorian era, so I love the architecture of the building and it's the perfect location for little vintage shops. More had popped up since my last visit which was really exciting! 

The photo above is of a display in Alice Found Treasure, where I bought three pieces of jewellery for just six to eight pounds each. I felt like buying the whole table of vintage gems! Shop their Marketplace site here.

Possibly the coolest looking shop I've ever seen is Candy Candy. The wallpaper, the furniture and the fortune teller set design added so much charm. We tried on almost all of their hairbands which featured glittery cherries and life-sized cupcakes. Too cute! Shop their hair accessories and jewellery online here.

I first visited Mad Elizabeth a couple of months after it opened, as you can see from my blog post. Now the vintage boutique is about to celebrate it's second birthday. Time flies! I was looking for a pair of sunglasses to add to my collection and found these beauties. Mad Elizabeth can also be found on Asos Marketplace here and if you hurry, you can use discount code MadElizabeth25 for 25% off. You know I love a good discount!

I now have a new dream, which is to set up a boutique with Kate, selling her hand-painted accessories and my selection of dresses and all things girly. How amazing would that be?

Love from Lou Lou

Shopping in Leeds

Yesterday I took the train down to Leeds for the first time, to see my old housemate Kate. We had a lovely catch up and a VERY successful shop! The high-street favourites had to be visited, including H&M where I bought a pair of faux leather paneled leggings for only £15! 

What I enjoyed the most though were the shops unique to Leeds. In kitsch boutique Culture Vulture we went crazy for the necklaces and were totally spoilt for choice, but whittled them down to two each. Mine were gold pendant necklaces with an Eiffel Tower and a stag. You can also buy Pop Tarts and Lucky Charms if you fancy an old-school breakfast! My favourite part of the boutique had to be their till which was covered with lego bricks and lego skeletons!

The best shop we visited by far was called Mad Elizabeth in the beautiful Corn Exchange. Although it was perhaps the smallest vintage shop I've been too - it had the best vintage pieces I've ever seen! I picked up a whole bundle to try on and in the end went for a chunky eighties cardigan with a purple rose design, a pleated electric blue skirt and a cameo necklace. If you're intending to shop in Leeds any time soon, I strongly recommend you pop into this shop. Below are a couple of pictures I took there.

Love from Lou Lou