GOODBYE 2013

Dress and jacket - c/o Motel. Boots - Kurt Geiger

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. I spent mine eating far too much food and chilling with family.

I can’t believe 2013 has nearly come to an end. Time to make those New Years resolutions and reflect on the year gone by. As per usual I haven’t really thought of any resolutions yet but I am definitely going to make positive changes in 2014.

What about you?

If you’re planning to party away 2013, Motel is definitely one of those places for that party dress. I couldn’t resist this sequinned dress. With a more relaxed shape and cut out shoulders I think makes it a little more me, especially with a bomber jacket thrown over. On another subject how cute is this twin set! yes please.

I am also trying to achieve a faux bob here (not very well I might add) Although I don’t think I’m brave enough for such a chop, I would love a new style for 2014, What about a fringe?

I will be celebrating in London this year which is very exciting. Getting to see Wicked yesterday has already kicked the week off to a good start. Whatever your plans are, I hope you all have a brilliant New Year and see you all in 2014!

Love Cloth 

BLOGLOVIN - GFC - TWITTER - INSTAGRAM

what I wore:

SECRET SANTA

Secret Santa is one of the many surprises had around the festive period. So when M&S contacted me about taking part in a bloggers secret santa, how could I resist. The Budget was set at £20. I had to restrain myself not to buy 13 bags of Percy pigs but sense got the better of me and I headed over to the blog chosen for me by M&S to gather some other ideas.

After spending time reading through her blog, I was very nervous what to get. This girl was super fashionable, with lots of designer labels. One thing I knew instantly was she loved to accessorise… I went straight to M&S Gifts for her and Jewellery. Narrowing it down, I finally went for this statement necklace by Autograph.
I thought it would be perfect for a jackets and jeans combo or for that christmas party dress.

I was even more excited to receive my gift, this super snug hat. With a keen eye, my secret santa knows I love my hats and a perfect colour to tie into the rest of my outfits.

Thank you so much M&S and my secret Santa (who I will reveal soon)… it has been great fun to get involved.

What have you bought your secret santa? or can you guess who mine was?

BLOGLOVIN - GFC - TWITTER - INSTAGRAM

CLOTHES SHOW LIVE

Bloggy ladies at Echo Falls

Above - Mel, Lucy and myself

Hat - Urban Oufitters. Top and skirt Topshop. Boots - Whistles

A few weeks back saw me attend the Clothes Show Live. Having never been before I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I still can’t believe how HUGE the venue is. Although surprisingly I didn’t buy anything (christmas ban) I was especially tempted by the beauty area and the Models Own stand. Wow!
The CSL is a five day fashion festival. Packed with top fashion and beauty brands, hair and beauty demonstrations and non-stop catwalk shows. With numerous celebrities making an appearance throughout the weekend.
The best part of the day was getting to met some fellow bloggers, special shout out to Mel for these photos and Deborah for helping me out on a bloggy challenge.

I also gave my first attempt to the daunting world of filming. Thanks to the CSL I got to be featured on their Youtube channel here.. Make sure you give it a little thumbs up and subscribe for more.



For my outfit I wore my trusty Topshop quilted skirt, another fluffy jumper and burgundy fedora. A staple look of mine this winter it seems. I promise when this lifetime of darkness ends I will get out to snap some more outfit posts.

BLOGLOVIN - GFC - TWITTER - INSTAGRAM

Shop the post:

GIFTS FOR GUYS.

Tell me I am not alone in the fact I have NO presents bought eeeeppp! The hardest people to buy for are the guys in my life… brother, dad and boyfriend! (If your reading this hints would be helpful)

So why listen to a girl who hasn’t bought a single gift I hear you cry? Well, I have done a lot of window shopping, thats why!

1 - Ok, first on my list of presents is usually clothes for my boyfriend. He’s super easy to pick for and I normally can’t go wrong with a shirt. I love this one by swedish brand Our Legacy. They always do something a little different than the standard check or stripe. 
EVEN better Cloth have a competition running to win the shirt of your choice. 
OR 15% off international brand with Code:GLOBAL15

2 - A witty book. Personally I love getting a coffee table book, it's something that you wouldn't necessarily buy yourself. With nice photography, graphics or humour it can be a lovely treat. 

3 - Everyone has an mobile phone and everyone needs a case. SOLD!. It is christmas after all so it’s worth going for something a bit fancier than a clear plastic number and this beauty (I want myself) a Handmade leather case by Il Bussetto is perfect.

4 - Winter warmers are a must at christmas. Usually the colder weather doesn't stop at December as January/February can normally be freezing for us too. These are also great gift ideas when you don’t really know the size of the person you are buying for. A wooly hat from Oliver Spencer will certainly do the trick.

5 - Most boys I know love their gadgets and Lomography cameras can be a good place to start. With reasonable prices and lots of different designs, there is something for everyone.

6 - For something rather daper, cufflinks.. with Paul Smith launching his latest exhibition at the Design Museum these are most certainly in keeping for that stylish man in your life.

7 - Gadgets and games… these go hand in hand for boys. I spied this retro style table tennis set which could be the perfect little stocking filler from Asos, they have a whole host of great novelty gifts to help you along.


8 - Last but not least, an amazing print. I bought my bother a Peter Strain print for christmas and it was possibly the best gift I've gotten him to date, unfortunately I am always trying to top it. Peter has been featured in, Empire, Esquire and The Guardian. Not bad eh? There are lots to choose from here but I love this Anchorman one, perfect for the release of Anchorman 2 this week.


Dont forget you can always treat yourself with a new perfume via my giveaway here... Good luck and Happy Christmas hunting everyone.

BLOGLOVIN - GFC - TWITTER - INSTAGRAM

TALKING PERFUMES & A SPECIAL GIVEAWAY.

Every christmas without fail, I get a new perfume. Whether I treat myself or receive it as a gift, a new scent is the perfect Christmas gift.

Lately I was in a bit of a perfume rut. After wearing Emporio Armani She for a lifetime and then dabbling in all of the Calvin Klein collections. I was getting tired of what I had and couldn't find a new one I loved.

Until recently! Just when you find one, you find them all. The past year has seen me gather a whole host of new favourites. It started with Escentric Molecule 01, then Chanel Chance, followed recently by Gucci Premier and Stella McCartney's Lilly. 
Which leads me on to the fun part. I know it's hard to pick a perfume for someone else but if you like any of the perfumes mention above then the next part might interest you...

Thanks to the guys at Fragrance Direct they’ve given me my favourite to giveaway. I went for a Gucci Premiere Gift box. Filled with lots of special treats. Perfume, body lotion and I haven't came across a Vaporisateur before but this gift box has one and thats pretty darn exciting lol I feel like it should make things disappear but a las I think its merely just a smaller Eau De Parfum Spray.

Gucci Premier features top notes of Orange Blossom and Bergamot, middle notes of Musk and White Flowers and Leather and woodsy base notes.

I love these kind of rich smells, if you do too or know someone who does, this makes for a special gift.

As this is a little christmas treat to my readers, all you have to do is be a follower of my blog… I would love to hear what is on your christmas wish this year to so please leave a comment :)

Just use the Rafflecopter below. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CHRISTMAS STOCKING FILLERS

I love Christmas wish lists and gift guides round this time of year. It can be hard to think of ideas for everyone, so it's nice to get some inspiration in the hope something will jump out at you. Hopefully it will be that perfect gift you were looking for that special someone. I thought I would throw some ideas into the mix, in hope I can help you guys too. 

First up. Stocking fillers.

1. Topshop socks What christmas isn't complete without a new pair of socks?

2. Alexa Chung Book I think I am the only blogger on the planet who doesn't own this book, if your chumies are in the same boat as me, what a perfect gift. (hint hint)

3. Benefit Make up Make up sets are a great way to sample all what a brand has to offer before going for the big spends. Benefit always has the most prettiest packaging and this is no exception, filled with all their iconic pieces.

4. Paris Street Style OOOoo Oui Oui Perhaps your friend loves to travel, they're into fashion OR both. This book is filled with photographs and hand-drawn illustrations.

5. Audrey Hepburn print for something a little different how about a print for christmas and who could be better than Audrey to adorn the walls with.

6.Christmas Pudding Bobble hat could this hat from Claires be cuter to keep you warm? I want to wear it with my christmas jumper for complete christmas overload. Cute annnnnd practical. 

7. Breaking Bad Brooch Who wasn't a fan of breaking bad? it seems all the social media airwaves mentioned it a few months back, these brooches have to be the cutest depiction of crystal meth/science I've ever seen ha

8. BFF Mug says it all :)

Don't forget, there's still time to win yourself a little christmas treat. Just use the Rafflecopter below, its simple. Deciding to keep it for yourself or wrap it up for someone else this christmas may be the hard part.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AW13

Bobble Hat - Cloth. Coat - C/O SpoiledBrat. Jeans & jumper - Topshop. New Balance - Bank Clothing

AW13 is in full swing, it's time to get down to business. The business of layering. So last weekend when I was meeting up with the lovely Vicki from The Magpie Girl, on the agenda was most definitely wrapping up warm and staying cosy.
I always find winter dressing a lot harder than summer dressing. I normally end up in my jeans and wooly jumpers; dreaming I could afford a multitude of coats and footwear to change things up.
The latest addition the coat selection is this Monochrome Boyfriend Coat from Spoiledbrat. Wanting something a little smarter than my puffy Penfield, I was so pleasantly surprised when this arrived and it was thickly lined and super cosy. win.

Normally sticking to chunky boots and wanting some variety on my feet, the New Balance 410's from Bank have been a little slice of heaven. Having only owned converse before, I honestly feel like I can take on the world in these feather light beauties.
 

What I wore:

Above is on of my favourite shots I took of Vicki on the day, it was great to have a catch up in person and take some blog photos, even if there was some creepy man watching from a nearby seat.Don't forget my competition is ending this weekend to win an amazing Beara Beara backpack.

#Q7WEEKSOFCOLOUR

For the past week I have been getting involved in ‘Q7 Weeks of colour'. A blogger challenge which as seen me post a photo a day, every day for a week. It has been so much fun exploring colour with my Q7 and capturing moments on the go. Like the above, a crisp winter blue sky which I captured using the appropriately named scene mode: 'Blue sky'.

I can’t think of anything that faults the camera, it’s a perfect size which fits easily in the palm of your hand. Which is perfect to keep in your bag for on the go shooting in comparison to my bigger DSLR.

It's 12Pixels image quality is great (which I hope you can see in my photos) and it also hosts full HD Video. AS mentioned before it comes with a great interchangeable lens which I couldn't believe captured so much.
It has all the similar manual settings as my DSLR with, AC, TV and P but it also comes with a setting BC - blur control. (shown in the above two photos) Essentially blurring the background of any image and making the foreground object stand out more something I am always trying to capture manually on my normal camera. 

Alongside this is also has a dial on the front with a few other pre programmed settings, 

Smart Effects such as: 
Custom Image: Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Radiant, Muted, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome, Cross Processing.

Ok less of this techy business…If you want to find out more about the Pentax Q7 spec. check it out here, it also comes in ALOT of different colours too and retails for £369.99 which is a great price for a starting camera, if your into photography.

Fancy winning your very own Q7 from Ricoh Imaging UK? Then why not check out the #Q7weeksofcolour competition at www.facebook.com/RicohImagingUK

It's been a pleasure to take part in the #Q7weeksofcolour with Pentax and I hope you have enjoyed following my week in colour. 
I would love to hear your thoughts of what you think of my photos and hopefully I will also get a few more snaps of the camera itself up onto the blog :)

BLOGLOVIN - GFC - TWITTER - INSTAGRAM

Q7 WEEKS OF COLOUR

Today starts my 'week in colour' with the Pentax Q7 and I am very excited.
The aim of the game is to take a photo EVERY day this week, each day with a different colour theme in mind… Monday - blue, Tuesday - red etc etc 
I will be posting my photos I take each day onto my twitter feed (@lovecloth) and most likely my instagram too (@kimlovescloth) with the hashtag #Q7weeksofcolour

It’s such an exciting challenge, one in which will really take some time and effort. As not only will I be thinking about colour and composition like I normal do, I will also be learning how to use this new little beauty. Can I just add I’m already in love with it’s retro look and cute as a button size. So practical for on the go shooting. Hopefully it shoots as good as it looks.

I will be posting my final review of the camera next sunday, after my photo a day challenge is complete, so come back to hear how I got on and what I thought of the Pentax Q7 camera.

Don't forget to keep up to date with my daily photo uploads via my twitter page and follow the hash tag #Q7weeksofcolour for everyone else involved.

Now, What will my colour themes be?

BLOGLOVIN - GFC - TWITTER - INSTAGRAM

BREAKFAST WITH THE WHITEPEPPER.

A while back now I got invited to THE WHITEPEPPER HQ for a delicious breakfast and a sneak peek at the AW13 collection. Sounds pretty perfect right?
After a VERY early start to London (up since 4am) I arrived at the WHITEPEPPER looking slightly sleepy but very excited to say the least.
The breakfast was lovely and I finally I got to meet Katy, who after numerous emails it was great to put a face to a name.
Spending a lot of my day speaking to people and bloggers through a computer, its so nice to actually put a tone of voice to words on the screen, does anyone else get that?
Well, she was just as lovely in person as I read in her emails ha

First on the agenda was stuffing my face with pastries, so at ease chatting with Katy, I kept forgetting my photo was being taken, so I’m surprised to see these photos not containing a face full of crumbs. 

Then it was onto the main attraction, the AW13 collection and woo wee.
I have been a BIG fan of the brand since launching in 2011.The Angel dress is most definitely a staple wardrobe piece for any smock fans out there, recently acquiring the Embroidered Black angel dress myself.. I think the pink one from the new collection may just be next on my list.

Having a good try on of most things, like the oversized trench coat and eyeing up some shoes. For me, the stand out piece from the whole collection is the long check coat, (shown below) which I may have mentioned once or twice before oopsy. 

I just want to say a big thank you to THE WHITEPEPPER girls for having me and to read the full interview check out their latest Magazine.

What's your favourite piece from the new collection? Answers on a postcard or just via social media.

BLOGLOVIN - GFC - TWITTER - INSTAGRAM

TAKE 10 - CALL IT SPRING

Jumper - H&M. Skirt - Topshop. Boots - C/oCall It Spring

Call it spring seems far from what it felt like the day I took these snaps. More like ‘Call it gales force winds with sub zero temperatures' Ok, slight exaggeration and Call It Spring is actually the name of my new boots and this months Take 10 challenge.

Call it Spring is the sister company of Aldo, with more affordable prices I would say. They currently don't sell online but have lots of stores all over the Uk which I would highly recommend checking out.

Teamed with another leather skirt and a fluffy H&M jumper, my favourite combo of choice. H&M knitwear is really good at the minute, as you will see from up coming posts I've picked up quite a few from there this season. However, be warned if you come near me whilst wearing this jumper you will leave as though you've been holding a cat. (Super fluffy) I'm hoping after a wash it will be just fine.

As always you can check out how the other girls styled it be following the links below.

Paula - Pink Bow / Sherin - HiFashion / Mel - Media Marmalade / Vicki - Magpie Girl / Natasha - Girl in the lens/   Me - Love Cloth /  Lucy - Shiny Thoughts / Olivia - What Olivia Did / Sarah - We shop therefore we are   

Shop my look here:

WISHBONE.

Dress - YMC. Shoes - Office. Coat - Topshop

It's winter and I had a wedding to dress for... as you know from my summer struggle with 'What to wear to a wedding' post I find it very hard to dress for such occasions. I know I can't be alone in this. Am I?

Sometimes you're just not that sophisticated attire kind of person, I always want to be "wedding appropriate" but I find myself not wanting to be pigeonholed into the shops that do that look well.

Perhaps this YMC dress covered in bones isn't the most appropriate, but boy, once I tried this dress on in the YMC store there was nothing that would stop me. I just wish I could wear it every day. Firstly it's a lovely thick wool material that would keep me warm all day, the perfect length with a sleeve and a high neck. Win! Secondly the detailing on the heavy embroidery is insane but no matter how much we tried we couldn't capture it well. Apologies. 

Worn with that must have pink coat of AW13, this one I got from Topshop. Very girlie and fluffy which I felt softened the dress. It's definitely worth while to invest in a dressier coat, especially for a winter wedding. Although I didn't need to wear this all day I think in the coming weeks it would be needed for a cold winters day.

Lastly comfy shoes are a must at a wedding and I must say these peep toe Office shoes didn't hurt at all and I think complimented the fit and flare style of the dress. 
I can wait to get this dress on again over christmas. As well as it being very appropriate for halloween, it's like the one stop dress for all occasions Ha!

I'd love to know where do you guys shop for that wedding guest outfit?

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WISH LIST: COATS

The time is now… My winter coat hunt is on. I am no stranger to a coat or two but every year it’s nice to get a little wardrobe update and this year I’m going oversized or going home.

1. Straight to one of my favorite places, Free People.  Which isn’t hard to tell as 4 of the 7 coats are from there. I love this oversized knitted duster coat. Perhaps too similar to my Topshop jacket, but I want it all the same :)
2. HELLO THE WHITE PEPPER. I love this coat more than words and although it isn't online yet, it's worth the wait. I even had the pleasure of seeing it in person and it didn't disappoint.
3. I would love to add a splash of colour to my wardrobe with this French Connection coat, again in that oversized masculine style, I adore the bright red colour.
4 - 5. Back to FP with both these catching my eye. The Plaid fur coat and slouchy knitted jacket both look so cosy. I always prefer a more relaxed style of coat/jacket to throw on over a dress which I really think these would be perfect for.
6-7. For something more tailored these two coats fit the bill. This Warehouse Contrast Biker Coat has been on my mind for a while now, esp. being 5 in 1. Yes please. 
Finally this plaid cocoon coat is one of my favourite shapes this AW, perfect for skinny jeans and cosy knits.

Note to any FP fans:

Free People is providing a faster delivery option for our UK customers. Items will arrive within 3-6 working days for a flat fee of £7. YIPEE!

UNDER MY UMBRELLA.

Head to Toe - Topshop (oopsy)

After a very hectic past week, I’m finally getting back to blogging. Big congratulations to my bestie who tied the knot at the weekend. We had such an amazing day. 

Another post from London and back to one of my favourite spots, Borough Market, this time wandering around with some of my favourite bloggers, Kristabel, Dunya and Hayley. Sampling some food and taking in the sights.

This is one area I highly recommend, plenty to do and see but be warned this is not a place for the indecisive. It took us a good 20minutes before all choosing separate places to get food from. 

I think this day was the last for transitional weather, the final hurrah before we said goodbye to bare legs forever. Officially winter now.

I got this leather skirt from Topshop on a random whim but I think its something I will have forever, I love pairing it with oversized chunky knits and I’m now on the look out for some chunky brogues/monk shoes to warm my little toesy for winter.

Oh one last thing, I decided to dust off my Flickr account so if you fancy looking at more photos you can find them here. Enjoy.

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