Plain Girl by Norman Parkinson

Bristol fashionistas will get the chance to win tickets for a major exhibition of photographer Norman Parkinson’s work at MShed.

Recognised as one of the foremost photographers of the 1950s and 1960s, Parkinson was employed as a portrait and fashion photographer for Vogue.

The exhibition includes 60 rare and original vintage prints taken from over 200 images from the Angela Williams Archive: ‘Designers of British Fashion’ portfolio.

The exhibition is now on and runs to April 15, giving visitors the chance to see a selection of 1950s and 1960s images, objects and artefacts, including high street fashion and other objects from the museum’s own collections.

It is times to coincide with The Mall Cribbs Causeway’s Bristol Fashion Week, from March 21 to March 25, which will be showcasing its retailers’ 2012-spring/summer. There will be 18, hour-long catwalk fashion shows, fashion tips, make-up demonstrations and the chance to win tickets to the Norman Parkinson exhibition.

Maria Crayton, head of marketing at The Mall Cribbs Causeway, said: “We are so pleased to be working with MShed on this project. Fashions are often inspired by the previous decades and it’s quite apt that this season sees inspirations from the 1950s era.”

For more information about Bristol Fashion Week at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway visit: www.mallcribbs.com. For more information about An Eye for Fashion and M Shed visit: www.mshed.org

Cabot Circus

Retailers at Cabot Circus will be offering free treatments along with the diet, fitness, fashion and grooming tips at a ‘New Year, New You’ event on Saturday.

Starting at House of Fraser at 10am, a variety of retailers, including The Gym and JJB Sports, will be helping shoppers to make a new start whether it is sorting out their wardrobe, taking up more exercise or learning to eat more healthily.

Free treatments will also be on offer from Sanctuary Spa, which will treat shoppers to mini manicures and head, neck and shoulder massage,s and The Body Shop which will be offering hand massages.

House of Fraser will have representatives from their top brands on hand throughout the day including Molton Brown, Origins, Clinique, L’ancome, Estee Lauder and Decleor, who will be providing pampering treatments, advice and special offers. The Bra Doctors will also be offering fitting advice and referral cards.

Centre director Kevin Duffy said: “People have been getting used to being back at work and hopefully this event will help promote that extra feel good factor, and we encourage everyone to take advantage of the free services, pampering treatments and advice on offer throughout the day.”

Motel on Park Street is a treasure trove for trend hunters looking to recreate this season’s super sixties looks, writes MyStreetChic.com editor Gina Dyer

Sixties looks were all over the catwalks for Autumn/Winter 2011 – from Jean Paul Gaultier to Burberry Prorsum, everyone was doing it, and the look has since filtered through to the high street.

Stores like Dorothy Perkins and Topshop offered us an array of sixties shift dresses and monochrome mod-inspired numbers, but if you prefer to shop local, Motel on Park Street has a fabulous selection of sixties inspired gear to keep you going this season.

Since we love playing a bit of dress-up, the MyStreetChicas decided to put together these exclusive images to show off some simple, everyday ways to work a bit of sixties styling into your wardrobe. Simple shift dresses are an easy way to rock this look, but for those of you who like to mix it up, brightly coloured shorts with colour block tights and accessories offer a thoroughly modern twist to this classic style.

If you’re an hourglass shape, look for form fitting, structured dresses and go for ones with built in waist cinchers, or tuck yourself in with a chunky belt. Pear shaped ladies should opt for fit and flare dresses, or pencil skirts teamed with a simple vest and cute, round neck cardigan. Curvier girls should steer clear of the classic high necklines choose empire line dresses and tunics with low necklines to accentuate the bust.

Whatever your shape, there’s a sixties look for you and the good news is that fabulous fur coats really compliment this look – so you can stay warm and chic at the same time!

Clothing supplied by Motel 24 Park Street Bristol, Avon BS1 5JA, 0117 934 9173.

Photography: James Oluoch-Olunya 
Hair and make up: Grace Kingsley 
Hair and make up assistant: Coco Creme
Styling: Gina Dyer 
Styling assistant: Francesca Clayton
Model: Emma Tainton
With thanks to Big Chill Bar, Bristol

Stockist information:

Photo 1: Ozlem dress in colour block £32, belt £7, Motel; shoes, Boohoo.com; bangles, Primark

Photo 2: Gina paisley dress in black and latte £42 and sunglasses, Motel, shoes, model’s own

Photo 3: Carole shirt dress in city scene £42, Motel, fur coat and shoes, model’s own

Click here for picture information

Sequins and vintage styling provide the inspiration for Christmas partywear in Bristol, as shown in these fabulous images shot for MyStreetChic.com at Goldbrick House

This season’s catwalks were awash with vintage styles, from Downton Abbey-esque floor length gowns, to twenties style flapper dresses, so when we were asked to put together some show-stopping looks for Bristol to party in this year, we were in no doubt where the inspiration would come from.

Local designer Gilly Woo provided many of these amazing ballgowns, accessorised with funkier items from Boohoo.com to add a fresh, modern twist to this traditional look. Fur is a huge style statement taking over the high street this season, so we were keen to incorporate faux fur with this look as a nod to this year’s hottest winter trend.

For our male model Sean, we chose Mad Men inspired suits from Merc Clothing in a rich burgundy wine hue and also in a muted charcoal, which is flattering on most body shapes.

Hair stylist Mark Madsen of Essensuals at Clifton Triangle provided a modern twist on traditional vintage styles to reflect the young, carefree look of our models.

Meanwhile, make up artist Jessica Mills kept the complexions dewy, adding a hot mauve smoky eye for Alex, and those signature red lips for Francesca.

The great thing about most of the items photographed here is that these classic styles can remain in your wardrobe and be accessorised in a variety of different ways for years to come.

Photography: Charlotte Stone (www.charlottestonephoto.com)

Hair: Essensuals Bristol (www.essensuals-bristol.co.uk)

Make up: Jessica Mills (www.facebook.com/jessicamillsmakeup)

Styling: Gina Dyer

Models: Sean – Shoot DHS, Francesca – Room 3, Alex – Mustard Models

Shot on location at Goldbrick House

Get your party shoes on!

This Christmas, MyStreetChic.com is hosting a fabulous party and fashion show bringing together more than 100 bloggers from around the country to celebrate their style. Tickets are just £5 and you’ll meet some of our fabulous blogging MyStreetChicas from around the country. Goodie bags will be around and after the show, our Dj will be cracking out the tunes – so get your dancing shoes ready!

For more information, contact Gina Dyer gina@mystreetchic.com or Sian Hogan sian@mystreetchic.com

David Hasselhoff in Bristol with Gina Dyer, second from left, and the MyStreetChic girls

The MyStreetChic.com girls met David Hasselhoff to talk Christmas, dad duties and, er, fashion!

Panto season is going to be ‘Hoff the hook’ here in Bristol this year, as Hollywood star David Hasselhoff adds a little tinseltown glitter to the city.

Looking every inch the tanned, OTT celebrity dad we all wish we had, David Hasselhoff was in town this week to launch a new giant advent calendar at Cabot Circus and chat about his forthcoming stint as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at The Bristol Hippodrome from December 10.

With Welsh girlfriend Hayley Roberts in tow, the Hoff opened the first door on the Cabot Circus advent calendar and handed over a fabulous ‘weekend in Bristol’ prize to one lucky local, but not before the MyStreetChic.com girls cornered him for a chat about Christmas in the Hasselhoff house, his fabulous fashionista daughter and how he handles ‘dad’ duties.

Welcome to Bristol, David! What’s the reception been like so far?

I arrived here last night and went straight to the Hippodrome to see my billboard. It was so overwhelming and I was really proud. Doing Britain’s Got Talent was fun, but I love the theatre. I just feel really at home on stage. [The Hippodrome] is a beautiful theatre. The only problem is that panto involves two shows a day.

Do you need a lot of stamina to get through panto season?

It’s not that long and, just as you’re getting into it, it’s over! This year I’m well prepared, so it’ll be good.

Panto is a very British tradition. Was this a new concept for you, coming from the US?

My whole life is about people and I like to think I’m pretty approachable. I like audience interaction. I grew up acting in melodramas when I was in high school. I did a show called ‘love Rides the Rails’ where you’d play either the hero or the villain [at this point David repeats the name of the show in a booming voice, complete with hand gestures. It certainly lives up to the melodrama!].

When you’re the bad guy, the audience throws things at you. So panto is easy for me – it’s so well written and funny, and the costumes are great. It also helps that I’m much taller than everyone else (David towers over us at 6 ft 4 in.), so I stand out more!”

What’s Christmas like in the Hasselhoff household?

We already had Christmas in LA. I’ve got a Christmas spread coming out soon in Hello! Magazine. I surprised Hayley with decorations and a tree, and showed her how we do Christmas in America. The only difference was that it was sunny and hot, so we laid out in bathing suits on the porch with the house covered in Christmas lights. I think this year we’ll be spending Christmas day in Wales, but I don’t know the details – she has something planned. I have no idea what it is. I’m anxious to see what kind of food you guys eat here.

We have one day, and that’s the only day I have off, so we’re going to spend it together, and then my kids are coming over on the 26th from LA.

We have been following your daughter’s progress in the fashion world [David’s daughter Hayley Hasselhoff has become something of a plus size fashion icon, designing a range for online retailer Style 369]. What do you think of her work?

Hayley is so into fashion and is very stylish. When I saw what she did for Style 369, it was unbelievable. She’s a plus size, so she’s a good role model for believing in yourself no matter what size you are.

Her story is pretty amazing. It started when she was 14 – she was really heavy then and got chastised at school for it, and eventually we had to take her out of the school.

My agent suggested getting her into plus size modelling, but she was only 5ft 6 in. and you have to be 5ft 7in. to make it as a model, but she believed in it and she made me go to every opening, every fashion show I was there walking down the red carpet with her, trying to help her. And then somebody saw her picture and brought her in for a test and ‘pouf!’

Then she got her own TV series called ‘Huge’, which was about kids going to fat camp. It was really well written and won lots of awards, but then of course they cancelled it because it wasn’t about thin girls chasing basketball stars and getting laid. But her career is going from strength to strength and she’s quite well known now.

Catch David’s performance as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at The Bristol Hippodrome from December 10. The Cabot Circus advent calendar is located on the ground floor of Cabot Circus and will open every day. Log onto www.visitbristol.co.uk to discover the daily prize and enter the competition.

Aztec and Navajo prints are taking over the high street this season. The girls at MyStreetChic.com explain how to wear it for your figure

Walking down the high street this Winter you might be forgiven for thinking you’d accidentally stopped off in a native American tribal camp but fear not, this season’s surprise trend – Navajo and Aztec prints – can be worn by all body shapes with stylish aplomb.

We first saw this look on the catwalks at Missoni, where ethnic looks with geometric shapes sashayed down the runway. Gwen Stefani’s label L.A.M.B followed suit, releasing a range of Navajo style prints in an eye-catching combination of textures and colours.

For those on a slightly more modest budget, the high street offers plenty of chic tribal print options. For Aztec print leggings paired with oversized knitwear and biker boots, or print-perfect party numbers, head to ASOS and All Saints. If you just want to offer a subtle nod to this trend with rustic colours and feather and fringe embellished accessories, get yours from Accessorize.

Pear

Pear shapes should be careful when wearing prints on bottom halves – tribal prints with lots of lines can enhance problem areas and are best avoided. However, in the right style, tribal prints can also enhance in all the right places – as demonstrated with this lovely Aztec print skater dress from Asos. Wear with cool wedges to elongate legs.

Hourglass

Hourglass shapes should not afraid to embrace chunky knits this season. Avoid styles that cut you off at the hip and instead opt for oversized versions. To make the most of your gorgeous curves, belt in at the waist. Try it out with this lovely chunky poncho knit by Dorothy Perkins. Wear with skinny jeans and ankle boots.

Apple

Apple shapes should make the most of their lovely legs and adorn them with tribal print leggings. Cool and comfortable, these Urban Outfitters leggings look great when paired oversized t-shirts or black, empire line tops. Wear with wedge heels to elongate those legs.

Strawberry

When worn with a simple black vest or loose fitting silk tee, an embellished skirt can look great on a strawberry shape. This embellished tribal print skirt by All Saints is a tad on the pricey side, but is a great investment piece. The shape will add dimension to your frame and emphasise those lovely long legs. Wear with heels for the ultimate style statement.

Rectangle

Shift dresses are perfect for emphasising lovely long limbs on rectangle shapes. We adore this tribal print shift from River Island. To add extra curves, cinch in at the waist with a mis-matching waist belt. For off duty cool, wear with brogues and ankle socks.

To justify a fashion purchase, the saying goes that you should be able to think of three different ways to wear it. MyStreetChic.com’s Danielle Smith shows us how to recycle an old leopard print shirt three ways

Christmas is coming and we’re all trying to save a few pennies, so the MyStreetChic.com girls have been challenged to find three different ways of wearing one cherished item from their wardrobes. This week, I dug out this trusty leopard print shirt, which goes everywhere with me.

This shirt is from H&M and cost just £9.99, and it’s one of the most worn items in my wardrobe because I find it works with most outfits.

All the looks are created with clothes from the high street (apart from one designer item that I had to save and save and save for…sorry girls!)

Look one: Casual

This is one of my every day looks. I like mixing textures and fabrics.

Boots – Peacocks
Tights – Primark
Skirt – River island
Top – Me&yu www.meandyu.com
Necklace – Miss Selfridge

Look two: Evening

When going out I like to take a light layer that I can wear if its cold but also that small enough to fit in my clutch if I want to take it off.

Dress and tights – Primark
Headband – Accesorize
Clutch – Mulberry

Look three: Smart

This is as smart as I get, I’m a scruff at heart so pairing my shirt with some smart trousers and brogues is my idea of smart dressing. I added the brooch that I made myself to add some personality to the outfit.

Trousers- H&M
Cardi – Peacocks
Brooch – Homemade
Glasses – real prescription glasses bought via glassesdirect.com

From left, Gina models work, wedding and weekend outfits

We’re all pinching the pennies right now, so MyStreetChic.com Editor Gina Dyer shows us how to recycle those wardrobe staples to create new looks

The Eurozone isn’t the only one in financial crisis – our credit cards are maxed out in the run up to Christmas, which is why fashion savvy shoppers are looking for new ways to wear old stuff. Since polka dots are everywhere this season, I decided to start by finding three different looks based around one pair of spotty tights.

In the spirit of all things budget, these spotty suspender tights cost just £2.50 from Primark and all the clothes worn with them are high street.

Look one: Work

Spotty top: Dorothy Perkins, skirt: Topshop boutique; shoes: Primark

For my workwear look, I was inspired by Glee’s Rachel Berry (a.k.a Lea Michele) who always wears big bright buttons. The hemline is slightly shorter than most people would wear to work, but I thought I’d get away with it, working for a fashion website and all.

Received wisdom used to be that you shouldn’t wear clashing prints together, but I saw them all over the catwalk at Bristol Fashion Week this season, so I decided this polka dot top would make a good print clash with the tights. I have to say, this look did get me noticed but I’m not sure it was for the right reasons! My boss’s exact words were, “those buttons look like Jammie Dodgers”!

Look two: Wedding

Fascinator: Primark; Earrings and bracelet: Accessorize; Dress and shoes: Warehouse

Winter weddings can be a bit of a fashion conundrum, as many of the formal dresses you’d want to wear on these occasions don’t go with opaque tights. Patterned tights are a great option because they keep you warm, whilst adding interest to your outfit.

I actually wore this look to a friend’s wedding recently but I think it could work equally well for a posh Christmas party. The hem line of this dress is slightly longer, covering up the suspender design, thereby making it more ‘church friendly’!

“You look a bit like a Christmas present but overall I’d say thumbs up,” was the verdict from my friend Chris who is by no means a fashion expert but nonetheless very honest.

Look three: Weekend

Beret and skirt: Topshop; jacket and top: H&M; boots: John Rocha at Debenhams

Suede ankle boots are everywhere this season and they make a nice dressed down accompaniment to patterned tights. The leather jacket is my ‘go to’ wardrobe staple on milder weekends because it pretty much goes with everything. This is a slightly tougher look than the other two, which just goes to show how versatile the tights are – they can be worked to suit any look.

The verdict from my friends on this one? “You look like you’re waiting for a bus in this photo but the outfit is cute”. I think that’s a ‘yes’!

Overall I’d say the polka dot tights experiment was a success. No one noticed I had been wearing the same tights all week and I felt like I achieved some very contrasting looks with it. Not bad considering they were only £2.50!

Over the coming weeks, the MyStreetChic.com girls will be taking on my three way challenge, showing us different looks they can create with hot items in their wardrobes.

Charlotte James

The University of the West of England (UWE) has beaten its local rival Bristol University in a challenge to decide which has the city’s most stylish students.

Charlotte James, a third year fashion student at UWE, was crowned the most stylish student in fashion website MyStreetChic.com’s freshers’ week style off.

Users of the Bristol-based website voted for their favourite looks by hitting the ‘like’ button against the outfit they preferred.

Charlotte won with 86 votes, while her nearest rival, Natalie Macpherson (also a UWE student), walked away with 82 votes. In total, UWE scored 215 votes, whereas Bristol University scored just 72 altogether.

“I’m so excited to have won! It just goes to show that you don’t have to spend a fortune to look good – most of my clothes come from my mother’s wardrobe which she kept from when she was younger. I love vintage fashion and take my style inspiration from nineties looks, my friends and my travels,” said Charlotte.

Hannah Wood, a student fashion ambassador for MyStreetChic.com said: “When MyStreetChic.com set me this mission to spot the best street style at my university, I knew I was onto a winner. Students at UWE are very fashionable, so I was in no doubt that we’d take the title! I approached Charlotte because of her unique style, and I’m so happy for her that she’s won.”

Gina Dyer, Editor of MyStreetChic.com, added: “When we launched the competition, we knew there had always been a friendly rivalry between the two universities, but we had no idea how competitive it would get! After a lot of campaigning and debating on Twitter and Facebook, the votes are in and it seems that our users think UWE is the most stylish university in town.”

As winner of the freshers’ week style off, Charlotte gets £50 to spend at Merc Clothing, as well as an exclusive MyStreetChic.com beauty goodie bag.

The weather’s far from delightful, but that doesn’t mean your wardrobe shouldn’t be. MyStreetChic.com Editor Gina Dyer spots the items you’ll need to make a style statement this winter

Patterned tights

Prints are the new black when it comes to tights, so expect to see star prints, polka dots, leopard print and seamed tights strutting down a high street near you this season. Use them to jazz up your daytime wardrobe with suede ankle boots, or for the evening add a funky twist to your sixties style mini dress with a pair of stripy tights worn with ankle strap Mary Janes. Primark has a fabulous array of patterned tights priced from £3.50, or if you want to push the boat out, head to M&S where you’ll find them from £8.

A cocoon coat

If this season’s catwalks taught us anything, it’s that sixties styles are here to stay. Many high street stores are looking to Stella McCartney for inspiration and stocking cocoon coats. Look out for styles with three quarter length sleeves, large buttons and bold colours. These sleek, wider shaped coats are flattering on most body shapes and, happily, are perfect for covering up your post Christmas dinner tum!

We love this Limited Collection orange sixties style cocoon coat from M&S: http://www.marksandspencer.com/Limited-Collection-Sleeve-Cocoon-Coat/dp/B0055A8U7A

Next also stocks some fabulous cocoon styles from £65.

The Peter Pan collar

If you only buy one dress this season, make it a Peter Pan collared one. We saw them on the catwalk at Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and DKNY. On the high street, Topshop has a wide selection of Peter Pan collared blouses and dresses, but for a real bargain, check out ASOS.com, where a Peter Pan collared dress like the one pictured will set you back just £22.

http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-PETITE-Peterpan-Collar-Open-Back-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1372009&SearchQuery=peter%20pan%20collar%20dress&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Black

Fur

Way back in September, Bristol Fashion week’s celebrity stylist Mark Heyes told us that fur would be huge this season, but we had no idea how huge until now. Nearly every trend – from the swinging sixties daytime looks, to the Studio 54 clubwear, to the fabulous forties evening styles – has some element of fur in it. A soft faux fur collar like this one from H&M is the easiest way to get in on this trend, but you’ll also find an amazing array of fur trimmed coats, hats, dresses and cardis on the high street this winter.

http://www.hm.com/gb/product/93804?article=93804-C

Kinky boots

D&G, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy all showed us fetish inspired looks this season – from sheer dresses, to leather detailing and military hats, the runways were awash with naughtyness, and some of this has filtered through to the high street this season. For a more subtle way to work this trend, invest in a pair of knee high boots like these fabulous black lace ups from Kurt Geiger (£260). They might be pricey, but the attention is worth every penny!

http://www.kurtgeiger.com/women/shoes/boots/womaniser-1.html

A sassy satchel

Every season has an ‘It’ bag, but happily this time around it’s not an overpriced Birkin or Chloe that everyone wants, but a humble satchel, which (thank goodness!) you can pick up a decent version of at most high street stores. Not only are they a great style statement, but they’re immensely practical, with plenty of room for all the winter junk us ladies insist on carrying around. River Island is a great place to go for satchels with a bit of design flair – we love this dark red leather one, priced reasonably at £60.

http://www.riverisland.com/Online/women/bags–purses/leather-bags/dark-red-leather-padlock-satchel-bag-606048