Getting Ready For A Formal Wedding

Wedding season is in full swing isn't it ladies, and that means formal frocks at the ready.
The Italian wedding of a family member i'm attending is fast approaching (mid July) and I have pondered long and hard as to what to wear, (because this is me, and lets face it, when am i not thinking about clothes in some capacity), what accessories: to hat or fascinator and how I'm going to do my hair and what makeup.
I thought I'd share my thought process on getting ready for weddings as its something that i think we all put a lot of thought in to when they come around. We wanted to look our best and sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. So hopefully these simple steps and tidbits of advice will show the only things that you need to be doing to be immaculately wedding guest ready.
First up

The Dress

For me Coast Dresses are always perfect wedding attire.. you simply can't go wrong in a Coast dress. Whether you're mother, cousin, sister or friend a timeless classic cut and modern design will see you right. I have scoured the internet and whiled away many an hour looking for suitable wedding guest dresses, but i always, always come back to Coast. They just work and have a whole designated heading for Weddings on their website, they really are pro's at wedding guest dressing and if you're in need of a special little number, well you can pretty much guarantee you'll find one here.

  I mean..wow

Oh my word they have so many resplendent dresses i could barely choose just a few.
My favourite quite possibly being the first red patterned one, its just so different!
All available at Coast


With your dress finally sorted, its time to move on to

Accessories

To hat or not to hat? Or to half hat with a fascinator?

Fascinators

Now I know a lot of ladies who really don't feel comfortable in a hat, deeming it too ostentatious, uncomfortable, and out of their comfort zone. My advice would be to try a few, Yes you will feel a bit silly to begin with but once you have found a style that fits your head and face shape well, you can really start to work the trend.
Also in regards to it being out of the comfort zone, are weddings ever really in a comfort zone? I mean comfy to me implies my pj's and a big old bag of popcorn with my ass safely on my sofa. Weddings are that one time where you get to go all out and enjoy, and be a part of the splendour, so why not try it? I love to wear a fascinator, it just instantly makes me feel wedding ready.
Another tip would be to start smaller, with a hair clip or a small fascinator (like on the left) that can be discreet and also easy to manage.
I often will wear mine for the ceremony and photos, sometimes even the wedding breakfast and then take it off for the evening, give my hair a quick shcujj and feel freshly made for the evening events... Which leads me perfectly on to...

Hair

Hair up, hair down, half and half,curly or straight or even a bit wavy... choices choices.
The thing with hair is to make sure you feel you. I would never leave it to the day to try a complicated fishtail braid as its really not something i usually do. Go with a tried and tested style that you know will last the day through and still look great by the time you kick your shoes off at midnight.
I love a low bun, which works brilliantly for a a hair clip or fascinator to be added, and as the day goes on and it gets slightly messier, it still will look great in an un-done sexy dishevelled way;)

My second is curly.. Always my go to.  By using the Babyliss wand i take small sections and  curl the whole head of hair. I then liberally spray it with setting spray (my absolute favourite is by The Bardou as it smells incredible, keeps fuzz away in humidity and holds all day without feeling crunchy) and leave to set for 10 minutes. After 10 i take bristle brush to it and brush through to stop it looking poodle and more soft siren waves.
The waves last me all day and even in to the next day. I like the look of softer hair with a smart dress too, it adds a bit of contrast and saves the look from appearing over polished (altough some people rock that too.. i could never as i'm too clumsy to be polished.. exhibit a: below.. on the dress is a lipstick stain from where i banged my glass of vino against myself in excitement... none of the grace, but at least my hair and fascinator look nice;)

And lastly

Makeup

I think a great base that will last you the whole day and evening is important. Get your foundation right and the rest falls in to place. For me it is my Embryolisse BB Cream which has an amazing amount of coverage for a BB cream and finishes my complexion off well, making me still feel light and not claggy (if that makes sense?).
Tarte cosmetics are my favourite shades and for longevity in eyeshadow and blusher form, whilst my most favourite mascara ever ever is the W7 Lashtastic for full length and body lashes. But if tears may be on the cards for that particularly emosh day, try the Oh So WaterProof.
Finally of course a lipstick is the finishing touch, but so important that you wear one that lasts at least until the photos are all done and you can reapply ;)
I always opt for a matte when it comes to lasting wear as they cling to the lips much longer than a gloss or a silk. Colour preference is obviously personal as bright red won't be for everyone (always my favourite), but W7 have a great selection of mattes from nudes to berries and classic pillar box reds. My experience of wearing them (which is a lot as the Ruby red is my all time favourite lipstick) has always been great, they last as well as the high end brands (my Chanel lipsticks never lasted as long in fact!) And when they do fade its a done gradual leaving some colour remain, but not in a claggy way. Highly recommend.

Simple straight forward and not complicated, this is how i like to tackle weddings. To be yourself, but dressed as your very best self can be. I see no point in dressing in something you aren't comfy in or doing hair and makeup that is totally alien to you. That's why each of these tips are my tried and tested formulas that won't let me down come the day.

Do you have any wedding guest attire tips?

And are you off to any lovely weddings this year?

The Perfect Top to Rock this Festive Season

Ok ladies, I'm just putting this out there because the festive season will be upon us all in a blink of an eye. I don't know about you but November flies by at a rate of knots and before you know it it's sparkles, Christmas puddings and hangovers left right and centre.

For me this time of year is the absolute craziest, what with multiple children's Christmas concerts, works doo's, Christmas shindigs and of course the shopping for presents.

Having outfits on hand for such occasions is of vital importance.

Especially if like me you don't have more than a moment to chuck something on.

Between now and the first of January I have my birthday(yay), a wedding, my step sons birthday, Christmas party, Christmas day and of course New Years celebrations.

That's a lot of shindigs and I'm no major socialite, I can only imagine what other ladies have going on this time of year. Its enough to make your head spin!

So i have a clothing suggestion to make life easier. 

You know my theory of making an item of clothing work hard for you. That if it gets added in to the wardrobe, you have to invisage your self wearing it multiple times to justify the purchase. 

I've never done this in the past, hence why i ended up with so many redundant party frocks that never saw the light of day after their first  and only outing; that's the problem with dresses, they're easily spotted as being the same dress you wore to the last doo, when we put pics up on our Facebook we want to look like we've at least changed between functions.

I get it, i really do. Us ladies like to look good.

So this year I'm boxing clever.

I'm thinking a Special Top to see me through the festive season and beyond.

Something like this beautiful Sparkle Cold Shoulder top from Coast

Or in fact any in the main image (which incidentally are all from Coast.. they've got the Festive top nailed this year, i tell ya!)

Why I hear you ask, should we go for a top and not a dress?

Its simple mathematics, a remix equation.

Think of all the wears you will get out of this pretty top versus one christmas dress.

I love to remix, you know that what with my Capsule Wardobe. I love a workhorse of a piece. And this kind of top, promises to be just that.

I've included above all the ways I'm thinking of remixing this Festive top to see me through multiple occasions. Many of the bottom pieces I have similar already, making this even more of a viable option.

Lets take a closer look

Winter wedding formula:

I just love this outfit for a winter wedding. Pretty, covered against the cold, and still so occasion perfect. The sparkle of the top and the fullness of the skirt will make any women feel like a princess for the day.

Christmas Party Formula:

We want lace, we want sparkle and we want high heels for our Christmas party outfit. This is ideal for those Christmas meals/shows or evenings out.  The green in the skirt is perfect for the festive season.

Christmas Concert Formula:

Bringing a bit of sparkle in the day, because if you can't at Christmas, when can you? But it really works so well paired down this time with some skinny jeans (use black or dark indigo for a chic look) and some flats for running after your little one dressed as a donkey.

Evening out for NYE or Birthday celebrations for me:

Winter brings out the faux leather lover in me. Mixing textures with the knit, the sequins and leather this outfit is full of character and fun!

Christmas Day Formula:

Christmas day usually sees me cooking and playing on the floor with my son, comfort doesn't have to be dowdy. I love to dress up on Christmas day, I legitimately feel its the one day you can walk around your house with all the sparkle and your slippers. So the cold shoulder sparkle sweater is perfect, bringing a bit of glamour but with the berry faux leather trousers, you're still able to crawl around and play and cook (faux leather trousers= wipe clean: Result!)

This beautiful little top could really rock your socks off all season long.

So what do you think? 

A beautiful remixable top to see you through the festive season. 

Would it work for you?

Take one Special Top...

Now I don't know about you but there is nothing I hate more than a beautiful piece of clothing just hanging, longing in my wardrobe long after the event it was bought for has taken place. And with wedding season upon is it means fancy finery galore.
The one thing I decided to do last year regarding wedding attire, was to buy something that i actually could wear again and again. It was a beautiful teal dress that dressed with the right silver and sequinned accessories and a little fascinator it was church wedding perfection. But come summer i plan on donning it with some black lace-up sandals, a denim jacket and some big black framed sunglasses.
I no longer felt bad investing in the piece as I knew i would happily wear it again, and not just to weddings.
So i started looking for a piece for this year that could work in multiple ways.
I started perusing Coast as it's always my go-to for occasion wear (btw, check this beauty out.. Oh hello monochromatic perfection)
And after spending waaay too much time browsing the pretty dresses (they suck me in every time!), I found the most amazing little sequinned top.
It got the creative juices flowing as I sat there staring at it in all its beauty.
You know me by now, I am all about the remixing, and this pretty baby has potential.

Above are the 3 ways i came up with immediately.

Firstly for the occasion itself, I love the idea of it with a high waisted black skirt (which is also Coast) for full on glamour. A sweep of red lipstick a perfect little clutch and killer heels. I love this outfit for making a chic statement.

Then casually styled with some boyfriend jeans, with a  white vest underneath it and flat studded shoes.. Hello fun, fabulous and comfy. Perfect for lunch with the ladies.

Finally another smart occasion, but this could work with both smart shoes like the Clarks simple elegant nude pumps above, or with a pair of nude wedges. The cream wide leg trousers would work beautifully with the cropped boxy fit of the top.

I don;t know about you but I am totally sold and apparently have a gaping big sequin top hole in my wardrobe ;)

When you shop for fancy finery, do you buy with the mindset of a one off wear or to remix it again and again?

And what do you think of the sparkly top, how would you wear it?

Ladies Day & Hats

It's that time of year again where Ladies day at the races are happening. I've mentioned previously my love for Ladies Day at the races, what with the hats and  the perfect reason to get all dressed up. But did you know there's actually Ladies Day Etiquette? With ladies day possibly dating back as far as 1711 with Queen Anne, i think its very important to keep up the show old chap! 

Things like, don't bare all, don't wear a white long dress and don't overdo it on the champers are all just so historically you can't help but love it. I think a bit of tradition in an ever advancing and changing world is good and also, did i mention such great fun!

Not many times in life do you get to go by the rule of thumb; the bigger the hat the better, but with Ladies day, bring on the hats! Oh yes, hats, fascinator's or any fabulous head-wear goes at this event.

And here's what i would wear:

ladies day by rachel-the-hat featuring high heel shoes

Coast pink dress, $250 / Coast high heel shoes, $92 / Coast snake chain necklace, $58 / Satin mix trench coat | Luxury Women's outerwear | Karen Millen, $460 / Cutwork metallic clutch | Luxury Women's OccasionWear | Karen Millen, $185 / All Accessories | Yellows STRUCTURED BOW HAT | Coast Stores Limited, $75


I am loving the contrast between the yellow and the coraly-pink. It's a fun and funky combo. And the fascinator.. aggh... does it get any better? A huge yellow bow! Uh-maze-ing!!
Add to that a beautiful satin Trench coat for the unpredictable British weather and some statement jewels and i would be hot to trot, going the comfy and classy route rather than the the Valleys cast last year..ahem... say no more.

What would you wear to rub shoulders with celebs at Ladies Day?
Would you dare to wear a REALLY big hat?


*collaborative post but all hat views are obviously very much my own ;-)

Win: Ladies Day at the Races Tickets!

Ladies Day at the Races by rachel-the-hat featuring a zipper dress

Growing up i saw a lot horse racing, you see, it's my dad's thing. He loves the horses. I never used to pay much attention to the actual horses and their jockeys, but one thing that did pique my attention was Ladies day at the events like at the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Seeing the colours, the ladies out in their finest threads and the hats! Oh my the hats.. I mean does it get any better, an event that encourages ladies wear fabulous hats?!!
I haven't been to the races for years, but i can remember the atmosphere like it was yesterday, the excitement trilling through the air was tangible. So much fun!  As a grown up (and i use that term very loosely when referring to myself) i think i would love it even more. Especially the dressing up part.. Can you imagine!!
Well imagine no more! The great people at Ladbrokes are giving Bloggers the chance to win a pair of tickets to Cheltenham Ladies Day.
You could be rubbing shoulders with the finest clad ladies, have a chance to enter the Fashion Zone (where there's a MASSIVE prize for best dressed!) and feel the excitement of being at race day!
If you are a UK blogger, all you have to do is put together your best Ladies Day outfit like i have here above and enter here!
Get your friends and family to vote for your look and tweet with the #cheltfashion and you could be going!
I've just entered mine, so if you care to vote please that would be lovely. Let me know if you enter too and i shall be sure to cast a vote your way!
Best Of Luck Ladies!!!