BEE HAPPY

My dad's birthday on Tuesday took us to Stoneyford Gardens in the heart of Cheshire, home to many a flora, fauna, beast and minibeast, including more bees than I've seen for a long time. This itself made me so happy as the fuzzy little critters are reportedly in decline, so it was wonderful to see so many happily buzzing around the flowers. It's dreadful to think that a few generations down the line may only see bees in photographs!

I'm so glad my dad chose there rather than any more rock 'n roll birthday activities (though at sixty-one, what do you expect? .. Ahem). It's the most beautiful garden, a labour of love by the family who live on the premises, simultaneously in the middle of nowhere yet close to my home town. It's the first time I've truly appreciated landscaping but I also loved the vivid colours of the flowers, the feeling of peace you got from wandering around the gardens, plus the huge amount of bees and butterflies picking up pollen, making the whole place self-perpetuating.

We sat for a while just looking out onto the garden. I'd like to say I was contemplating life or whatevs but I wasn't thinking anything, just feeling content. And excitement for the potential of a cream tea in the gardens' lovely tearooms!

NB: I didn't notice that my parents were wearing the-same-but-opposite top half. Gonna rip them for that now. Haha, happy birthday, dad!

I'm wearing:

French Connection fringed top

Cameo Rose leopard blazer

Zara camoflage trousers

Office shoes

Minkpink bag

Forever 21 necklace

Nostalgic Feather bracelet

EASY DRESSING

French Connection top Zara trousers Love Label boots Urban Outfitters sunglasses H&M necklace Dixi & BCBG rings Forever 21, Kenneth Jay Lane & vintage bracelets Jeans and a t-shirt, version 2.0. This has got to be my favourite top of all time - it's so baggy and mis-shapen, but the fringes move beautifully and it can be worn day or night. I deliberated about buying these trousers - would every blogger and their dog have them come September? - but in the end I am so happy I got them. They're my version of disco pants; the material sucks me in, acts like a Wonderbra on my (pretty much non-existent) bum and will undoubtedly become my go-to pair this winter.

I'm still without internet in my new flat, and in fact will be without it until the 21st of August. Currently I'm sat in Starbucks waiting for them to realise how much bandwidth I'm sapping uploading all these images. I'm in desperate need of new ways to procrastinate so please fire any suggestions my way! DIY tutorials, cool magazines, and new dance routines all welcome. FYI I don't have a TV, and reading feels far too productive. HELP.


Graceful as a newborn horse.

(Apologies for the new animated gif obsession. Clearly my lack of internet has regressed me back to a time when I had to ask my parents to use the computer)

DIY: Tying the Knot

I was on my weekly (who am I kidding, daily) window-shop in Zara a few weeks ago when my eyes fell on an interesting texture nestled within their all-white package. Heavy, with knots, fringes and weaves, all in the one non-colour. It wasn't love at first sight, but after a few more trips I realised it was the perfect beach-to-bar bohemian cover-up, that could easily be worn back in Manchester over a pastel dress or with neon jeans.

Sadly, this love was forever doomed to be unrequited. £60 for a Zara top will always be a bitter pill to swallow, love of my life or not. The more I studied it - daily visits, remember - the more I realised that actually, I could probably make an appropriation of this myself.

So I did.

I started with a mid-thigh length white jersey H&M t-shirt dress. I'd bought it well over a year ago and never worn it, as it was just a bit too see-through and clingy for my tastes.

I then cut up either side, and chopped the arms off. I cut really long fringes from the bottom hem right the way up to the top seam/collar - you should cut an even amount of fringes. Then I placed it over the back of a chair like it was being worn, but you could use a mannequin or a willing volunteer.

Work on one side first. Starting job is to tie each fringe to the one next to it. I used a very simple knot - I think it's called an ordinary knot but I imagine it's the one you're used to using. 

Once you've done that from one side to the other, take the second fringe in and tie it to the next fringe along to make a diamond shape. It's okay that one will be hanging loose at the side - we'll deal with that later.

Carry on doing this down one side (alternately including the outside fringes) until you feel you've gone far enough to put your arms through (this is where a volunteer or mannequin would be useful). I went this far:

Then turn it around and do the same on the other side. After you've reached the same point, you can now work all the way around the tee - start with the side fringes that you had to miss every other diamond. So to explain better - attach the front left side fringe to the back right side fringe, then carry on making your diamonds right the way around - get your volunteer to turn, or turn the tee around the chair - until you reach your desired length.

Et voila! A simple, unusual DIY that really didn't take long at all - this probably took me around twenty minutes. Do remember that this was once a dress so you lose a lot of length doing this. Also, it's easy to get muddled up with your fringes, so just remember that if you're making a diamond shape you're doing it right - but if you do do it wrong don't worry! It will just add to the pattern.

Worn with a Sweaty Betty sportsbra and a complete lack of make-up. Blergh
This was simply meant to be a practise and I didn't expect it to come out so well, but I may well be wearing this top as a beach cover-up on my holiday. I think this knotting effect would look lovely as a trim or a feature on a t-shirt, and I'm going to have a go at doing different types of knotting and weaving, too. Let me know if you have a go and post a picture of your result!

Big Green Saturday

Yesterday was the Chorlton Big Green Festival, and it certainly lived up to its name! I was pleasantly surprised just how much there was to do and how many people were in attendance. You could have a go at spinning wool, decoupage and woodwork, learn about everything from Greenpeace to organic dog food, and buy gorgeous, Fair Trade, preservative-free coffee, chocolate and ice cream. I took a tenner but could have easily spent that four times over.









I also popped in to see the Stitched Up gang to drop off three bulging bags of clothes and rifle through their wares. I went back just before leaving the festival to see if anything of mine had disappeared yet; turns out a lady had just taken an old Cos dress of mine that just never fit me right, and was overjoyed. Result!


Onto something not so green: Inditex, the company responsible for Zara, Pull & Bear, et al, pledged to join in with Earth Hour 2012.





This meant switching off all lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday 31st March, so Zara were to turn their window lights off for one hour last night. This picture was taken at 20:45 yesterday..



Whoops

I'm not sure of the efficacy of Earth Hour; the amount of energy used to switch said light bulbs back on at at 9.30 probably outweighs any benefit gained during that one hour. Still, it is a poor show considering their pledge. Better luck next year Zara - perhaps you could shut up for the day and pop along to Chorlton's Big Green Festival?

A Fashionable Mancunian 2012

Accessorize hat, ASOS tippet, French Connection Dress, Office boots, Zara bag, Versace for H&M scarf

A completely Christmas gifted outfit from Chris and my parents, bar the hat, which was my only foray into the ferocious sales

2012 is set to be an exciting year for Manchester fashion: confirmed so far are the Indulgent Trade Show, Spring Fashion Show, and Manchester Fashion Week - the latter I know as little as the next person, I'm afraid, but their mysterious marketing seems to have many champing at the bit for more information.

These events, plus many more (including something I may have up my sleeve for Oasis, but you didn't hear that from me) promise for substantial posts with all original content here at Fashion Dotty. Many thanks for your support in 2011 - it's been a whirlwind of a year for me - and I hope to continue informing and entertaining you throughout 2012!


Oh, and the aggressive 5ft alligator stolen from Stockport? Just another to add to my collection..

A Fashion Dotty Guide to Manchester

I was recently emailed by one of my followers, who was visiting Manchester, asking for a guide to the city. As I was typing a reply, I realised I knew more about my city than I thought! I've been a visitor for the past ten years, and lived here since May, so I thought I'd share my knowledge with you all. Hopefully you'll discover something new, whether you've lived here your whole life or are a visitor.

Manchester is a vibrant, exciting city, and you will find it is very different to London. It's a lot smaller and the city centre is over a condensed area. If you're coming in by train, you'll most likely pull into Piccadilly Station. From here, it's most logical to hit the Northern Quarter first. Here, you'll find many independent shops, many with vintage or handmade goods. Spend an afternoon wandering around Tib Street, Thomas Street, and Oldham Street.

Curiouser & Curiouser is an absolute beauty of a shop, along Tib Street. The store houses many unique pieces, some quite dramatic, but all can easily be dressed up or down, with the addition of a vertiginous heel, or a denim jacket. A lot of work has been put into the visuals of this place, with inspiration being taken from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

My friend Jenna's favourite piece was this leopard bustier with attached pleated maxi skirt. I preferred the leather bustier and nude skirt option.

Downstairs is its sister shop, The Shoe Box. Here, hand-picked exclusive labels are displayed in gorgeous surroundings. After I'd been in, Corrie's Michelle Keegan bought the nude heels from the photo, and earlier in the week, Chloe Sevigny paid a visit..!

A little further along Tib Street, there's Kiku, a bespoke corset maker. Definitely useful to know this one, whether you're a budding fashion designer, or buying your wedding dress.

Ready for a brew already?! Take a breather at Home Sweet Home, on Edge Street. The ginger cake there is something else.

Okay, once your tea and cake has digested, it's time to tackle the city centre. Manchester has amazing high-street shopping, and although most of these shops you will find in your local town centre or online, I would say that the Topshop in the Arndale centre is definitely worth a visit. It's big, but not as big as the Oxford Street store, and has a varied selection of items, including things that are only available in flagship stores or online.



There are three main department stores - Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and House of Fraser - and they are all worth a look in even if it's just to see the different brands and price points they carry. My personal favourite is Harvey Nichols. Their window displays are by far the best in Manchester (the biggest budget, perhaps?) and the average price-per-item in store is the highest, too! Go up to the second floor for fantastic in-store displays and amazingly beautiful clothing and accessories by Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Diane von Furstenberg, and many more.

Harvey Nichols is situated on New Cathedral Street, which houses some high-end flagship stores, such as Reiss, Ted Baker, and Burberry.

At the end of the street is Zara, which is my favourite high-street store in Manchester. The window displays are always interesting, and I love to wander around in my lunch hour, making a wish list in my head. So chic.

One of Manchester's best-kept secrets is Elite Dress Agency, down King Street West (next to House of Fraser). Unfortunately they had put their shutters down when I went to snap a picture, but rest assured they have an amazing selection of everything from Topshop to top names like Prada, all gently worn. There's a pair of Rodarte X Nicholas Kirkwood shoes in there right now that are breaking my heart - if they weren't three sizes too small I would've nabbed them long ago!

In the last stretch of our shopping trip, we head down to Manchester's new financial quarter, Spinningfields. The Avenue North has only opened this week, and has really cute illustrations, advertising it to prospective retailers. I'm excited to see who opens there! (I'd love it if someone could enlighten me as to who these illustrations are by)

In The Avenue, which is quite an established area now, you have more high-end flagships, like Flannels, Calvin Klein, Mulberry, and Kurt Geiger. Take a look at the awesome glass outer of the Armani shop.

And there we have it! You've pretty much toured all of the stores worth a look in Manchester. Do you have any favoured haunts of your own? Disagree with anything I've written? Write me a comment! Although fashion retail is my forté, I can also advise on eating & going-out, or know someone who can help. Enjoy your time in Manchester, and I hope you love the city as much as I do.