[main picture:  Basler Garden Florals]

As the rain starts to dissipate and the sun streams through we can finally indulge our floral fantasies, just as mother nature is. One of the biggest trends of SS12 on the catwalks was florals – they were seen on every runway from Betsey Johnson and Rodarte to Erdem, Clements Ribeiro and new celebrity darling Prabal Gurung.

Flower power continues to be popular as the designers reinvent the prints each year. Here is a little look at the fabulous florals available in the stores at the moment to make sure that you blossom at every opportunity.

1. Paint splash floral jumpsuit, £175 from Karen Millen.

2. Plastic trapped flower ring, £4 from Accessorize.

3.  Tory Burch’s silk-jersey Nicola dress, £340 from Selfridges.

4. Floral print shirt, £29.99 and  printed shorts, £29.99 from Zara.

5. This floaty Mia cape top, £65 from Oasis,  has sweet floral and sequin embellished detail to the body.

6. Etro’s floral printed silk dress, £699 from Harrods, will be sure to turn heads on sunny days.

7. Paul & Joe’s golden-yellow silk ’Galicie’ top, £290 from Net-A-Porter, will bring springtime looks into full bloom.

8. Floral print tall hem skirt, £34.99 from Mango.

9. Max C London Floral Purse,  £16 from Asos.

10. These cute Austin2 pumps by Nine West, £95 from Kurt Geiger, ensure you are putting your best foot forward.

11. The Gucci Flora Garden is a collection of refined fragrances, each inspired by a flower of the Flora pattern: the Gardenia, the Magnolia, and the Tuberose from £49 from Boots.com.

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.

A spectacular exhibition of more than 60 ballgowns from 1950 to the present day, Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 is the first exhibition in the newly renovated V&A Fashion Galleries and features beautiful ballgowns, red carpet evening gowns and catwalk showstoppers.

There is a strong British design tradition of creating sumptuous ballgowns, one that has been upheld in the late 20th and 21st centuries through the work of designers such as Hardy Amies, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. The exhibition covers more than 60 years of a tradition that continues to flourish.

Displayed over two floors, Ballgowns shows specially made designs for social events such as private parties, royal state occasions, debutante balls, opening nights and red carpet events. Tour de force evening wear from the V&A’s vast collection by designers such as Norman Hartnell, Victor Stiebel, Zandra Rhodes, Catherine Walker, Jonathan Saunders and Hussein Chalayan are on show, as well as dresses fresh from the catwalk shows of Roland Mouret, Giles, Erdem, Roksanda Illincic, Antonio Berardi and Mary Katrantzou. Innovative designer Gareth Pugh has created a stunning metallic leather dress especially for the exhibition.

Royal gowns, with their luxurious fabrics and exquisite embellishments, always make headlines. A selection of royal ballgowns are on display, including a Norman Hartnell gown designed for Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Diana’s ‘Elvis Dress’ designed by Catherine Walker. Dresses worn by actresses and celebrities including Sandra Bullock, Daphne Guinness, Elizabeth Hurley and Dame Helen Mirren are also on show. Ralph & Russo have recreated a crystal-covered dress worn by Beyoncé, especially for the display.

From Country House to Red Carpet
Since the 1950s, occasions for wearing formal attire have evolved from the private event to the public parade. In the post-war period, as Europe struggled toward recovery, extravagant, exclusive balls provided glittering backdrops for splendid couture gowns, so helping to stimulate sartorial consumption and aspiration in Britain. Coming out balls, where young women were formally introduced to society, were often the first occasion on which to wear a grand gown. The emergence of the charity ball in the 1980s provided a new platform for a wider society to dress to impress. More recently it is the red carpet that acts as the most important site of fashionable splendour. From the 1990s, couturiers have competed to dress stars for red carpet events which gather worldwide press interest. Moreover what the stars of a film wear to a premiere can sometimes deliver as many column inches as the film itself.

Preparing for the ball
The ground floor of the exhibition features over 30 ballgowns from the Museum’s permanent collection. Designs from 1950 to the early 2000s are on display, including gowns by Ossie Clark, Bill Gibb, Belleville Sassoon, Murray Arbeid, Bruce Oldfield and Julien MacDonald. The space has been designed and styled to evoke the excitement of preparing for a ball in a grand country house. The display includes film as well as contextual images and accessories such as elegant evening bags, gloves and shoes. Ballgowns continues from the ground floor onto the mezzanine, taking full advantage of the newly lit and restored Octagon Court, one of the most architecturally dramatic of the V&A’s galleries.

Contemporary opulence
The mezzanine level features a stylised ‘ballroom’ space, with around 30 evening gowns designed by contemporary UK-based makers on open display. It evokes the glamour of the red carpet or a couture presentation. The gowns stand under spectacular pavilions surrounded by oversized pearls. This display shows how ballgowns continue to be the ultimate fashion statement for contemporary designers, and includes unexpected interpretations such as a latex gown by Atsuko Kudo.

Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950, V&A’s fashion gallery, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL, 19 May 2012 – 6 January 2013. Open daily 10am – 5.45pm and until 10pm every Friday.

[picture credit: Carlos Jimenez,  Tim Walker, V&A Images, Christopher Moore, Catwalking.com]

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.

It seems that our bucket lists of things to do before we die have become more  introspective and closer to home than they used to be.  Whilst it may come as no surprise that travel tops the list,  gone are the goals of ‘have my fifteen minutes of fame’, and ‘run a marathon’ which seem to be more easily achievable these days with many of the other top ambitions focusing on personal development. There are also some achievements that were taken for granted in the past such as having a family or building a home that now appear on the list for Brits.

‘Seeing the seven wonders of the world’ tops the ultimate UK bucket list.. .but is followed by adventures a little closer to home. Smartbox, Europe’s leading gift experience company, conducted research into the things Brits most want to achieve before they die.

It found that 37% of those surveyed said they’d like to learn a new language; 31% put writing a book on  their bucket list and 30% said they’d like to start up their own business.

‘According to our research, 56% of Brits feel that they have lost their sense of adventure as they’ve grown older,’ says Emma Kopinska, spokesperson for Smartbox UK. ‘The results of our research highlight that, whilst travel remains our number one
ambition, there are plenty of life-enriching experiences to be enjoyed at home.’

The Top Ten

1. See the seven wonders of the world

2. Dine at a Michelin Starred restaurant

3. Learn a new language

4. Swim with dolphins

5. Write a book

6. Start up your dream business

7. Build your own house

8. Invent something cool

9. Learn to play an instrument

10. Have a family

What is on your bucket list?

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.

More Male Masseurs Coming Forward To Accuse John Travolta Of Sexual Advances
It seems that more and more men are speaking of actor John Travolta alleged inappropriate sexual advances. So far two unknown men have come forward with the claims seeking $2 million compensation. A third man, cruise ship worker Fabian Zanzi, has said that Travolta offered him money for sex while on a cruise in the Caribbean. A source also told The New York Daily News that there was another incident with Travolta and a masseur five years ago at an Arizona resort that was smoothed over by the star’s publicist. The allegations against Travolta by the first man have been questioned however after it was proven that Travolta in New York at the time that the mystery man claimed that the incident happened in LA. The man is now saying he got the dates wrong but also released a strange statement saying: ‘Even though Mr Travolta and his counsel are on opposing sides in this matter, I do wish them good health, happiness, and want them to be judged with absolute fairness as our great nation affords all citizens regardless of their wealth or station.’
A book released in 2010 also accused Travolta of being a spa sex pest. You’ll Never Spa in This Town Again dishes the dirt on the secret world of celebrity ‘gay spa sex.’ Author Robert Randolph says that John ‘makes Tiger Woods look like a boy scout.’
‘I met John in 1998, after he’d married Kelly,’ Robert told the Enquirer. ‘I believe the marriage is a total fraud because John is into guys and has been having sex with them behind Kelly’s back for years,’ he said. ‘He came on to me a number of times. I always turned him down. But there was always some guy who was willing to have sex with him. And John didn’t stop cheating on Kelly after either of their children was born.’
Now a former staff member at the five-star Peninsula Hotel on Fifth Avenue has said that the actor was banned for about three years for ‘inappropriate behaviour.’ It was claimed that  male staffers complained about Travolta removing his towel, grinding against the massage table and lifting his butt in the air. ’Travolta would always request a man for his massage, but after a while no one would take him because of his inappropriate behavior,’ Michael Caputo, a former masseuse at the hotel said. ‘It got to the point where they couldn’t find any men to take him, and they had to ban him,’ recalled the masseur who said he worked at the Peninsula from 1992-2008.
Meanwhile John’s wife Kelly Preston has given an interview saying she used to smoke, drink and do drugs but she opted to change her ways for the sake of the couple’s family. ‘I’m so different, now I don’t drink anymore. I don’t smoke anymore. I don’t do drugs anymore. All of those come with an “anymore.” I used to do everything and a lot of everything. With drinking, I just decided that I wasn’t always at my best. There were times where I drank too much, for sure,’ she said. While the interview with Amanda de Cadenet was filmed a couple of months ago, the release of it is interesting timing. Despite her confession, we don’t think it will do much to deflect from the accusations about her hubby!

Johnny Angry At Split Rumours
Johnny Depp shot down the rumours of his split from long-term girlfriend Vanessa Paradis at the premiere of his new movie Dark Shadows in London. The actor told The Sun that  ’the rumours are not true, they are absolutely not true.’ The actor was said to be seething when asked if he had indeed split from the mother of his two children Vanessa saying: ‘no way!’. He went on to say ’no matter what I say about this, people believe the opposite. I can’t say enough about it not being over. The rumours are not true, they are absolutely not true,’ he said. This supports what Vanessa said about the split in January: ‘It’s false — this rumour could cause a lot of harm to my family and my children.’ Despite this she hasn’t done much else to play down speculation about their relationship saying recently in an interview with Stylist magazine : ‘I have a problem with the term soul mates, it scares me a lot. It’s such a strong statement… it’s like a marriage contract. I believe in love, and I really want to believe that it lasts forever. But like everyone else, I have to take things a day at a time and you can never know what comes next. All you can do is hope, love and live.’ She was also notably absent from Johnny side at Dark Shadows as he was at the premiere of her movie Cafe de Flore in January.

Jennifer’s Family Finally Get Justice As Murderer Convicted
Actress and singer Jennifer Hudson has finally seen justice for her late mother, brother and seven-year-old nephew after her former brother-in-law William Balfour was found guilty of their murders. Balfour now faces life in jail after the conviction. It is thought that he flew into a jealous rage in 2008 after his ex, Julia Hudson, Jennifer’s sister, was send a balloon gift from her new boyfriend. Hudson broke down in tears when she testified in the trial last month, telling the court of Balfour, ‘We did not like how he treated [Julia], and I didn’t like how he treated my nephew.’ The couple were estranged at the time of the crime. Jennifer and her sister Julia said in a statement: ‘It is our prayer that the Lord will forgive Mr. Balfour of these heinous acts and bring his heart into repentance someday.’

Reese In Family Court Drama
Reese Witherspoon was in court last week to testify in the a bitter battle between her parents. Her mother Betty is accusing her father John of bigamy while being of diminished responsibility due to dementia. Betty filed the court papers against her husband of 42 years after he wed Tricianne Taylor in January and is seeking an annulment of his recent marriage and  a restraining order against Taylor barring her from using the last name Witherspoon for any purpose. While the hearing is closed to the public, Betty said in the petition: ‘No person in Tennessee can marry another while being married at the same time of the second marriage.’ The judge presiding over the case usually deals with cases  involving conservatorship and determining mental capacity and Betty claims in the petition that John, 70, has suffered a number of personal problems including alcohol abuse, hoarding, compulsive spending and recently lost his medical practice. It is believed that Reese and her brother who also attended the court asked the judge to place their father under conservatorship but the pregnant actress has released no statement regarding the case.

Ben Praises Wife For Mother’s Day
Ben Affleck has honoured his wife Jennifer Garner this weekend for Mother’s Day in America. He posted a heartfelt video on YouTube honouring his own mum Chris Affleck and his wife Jen, the mother of his two daughters Violet, six, and Seraphina, three, and his son Samuel, three-months. ‘I just want to say Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms in my life,” he said in the video. ‘My mom, Chris, and my amazing wife, Jennifer, who is an incredible, spectacular, world-class mom, and I want to thank her.’ He didn’t stop there however. He also used the opportunity to highlight the plight of mums in the Congo where he and his own mother went recently for his charity, the Eastern Congo Initiative, a charity that helps raise awareness and support for mums in the Eastern Congo to improve their lives and communities. ‘I want to say thank you to all the moms I’ve met in the Democratic Republic of Congo who are on this video. I urge you to share it . . . to celebrate all the moms in the world working at the very hardest job there is every single day.’ If only all guys were as vocal about the mums in their lives.

Guess Who – Secret Gossip
[BlindGossip] There have been many false reports about this actress in the past… but this time she really is pregnant!
She is not married to her Significant Other – and we are assuming that he is the baby’s father – so the couple will need to make a decision in the next few weeks. Since she is over the age of 30 and loves children, her friends believe that she will opt to keep the baby. We have heard that her S.O. is not especially eager to get married, so she may be going the single-parent route for now.
She is only approximately five weeks along, so there is nothing to see yet. But, with summer right around the corner, it will be difficult our actress to cover up the pregnancy once she does start showing. Given how slim she is, we expect that you’ll start to see a bump sooner rather than later, perhaps as early as the middle of June. Oh, and although it is too early to know the gender of the baby either, we predict that the couple will opt for a European-sounding name.

[picture credits: mysunshine; Nikki Nelson / WENN; Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.com; Axel Grousset/ WENN.com; Retna; WENN.com; wireimage; WingedWolf]

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.

 [Main Picture: London Rock stripe maxi dress, £175 from French Connection]

Bright cheery shades of yellow immediately brighten our mood and have us walking on sunshine and after a few seasons out of the limelight, shades of yellow are back to lighten the day.

And no matter what your skin tone, there is a yellow to suit everyone. From bright banana and lemon hues to soft butters and pale powdery parfaits we have chosen some of the sunniest shades and shapes to cheer you up, even if it is still raining cats and dogs outside.

1. Go sleek for the new season with Valextra’s leather wallet and card holder in canary yellow. This set is a stylish way to keep your cards and coins safe on the go, £680 from Selfridges.

2. Buttery soft yellow leather bomber-style jacket,  £265 from Massimo Dutti.

3. French Connection cotton gauze embellished shift dress is perfect for sixties sweethearts! Pair with candy colours for an on-trend look for SS12.

4. Bunch of bananas pendant, £6 from Accessorize.

5. In a fabulous yellow hue, Burberry London’s ribbed cotton and wool-blend coat is a bright and beautiful take on the classic trench design. Wear yours with tailored pants and pointed heels for a chic city look, knotting the belt off-center for a contemporary twist. £875 from Net-A-Porter.

6. Pleated maxi skirt in lemon, £44.99 from Mango.

7. River Island Daisy Tank Top, £25 from Asos.com, with 3D with applique flower detailing.

8. Reiss leather weave bracelet. in striking yellow leather is a chunky, tubular style. Featuring a gold t-bar fastening and faceted coin charm, it’s a stylish everyday piece, £25 from Reiss.

9. These beautiful satin t-bar shoes from Karen Millen in rich yellow will complement your looks this season, £125.

10. A beautifully designed suede tassel clutch, £125 from Karen Millen, can be worn casually or as part of an occasion wear look. Try it with suede sandals in red or purple for pops of colour.

11. Among the mythical flowers used in perfumery, the mimosa occupies a special place in perfumers’ hearts. Annick Goutal has combined imagination and emotion to offer a fragrance with sweet floral hues and a powdery strength, £75 from Harrods.

12. Add a citrus twist to a country classic with these yellow Hunter Original tall gloss Wellington boots, £85 from Asos.com.

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.

While I’ve enjoyed the delights of award-winning French Indian restaurant La Porte des Indes before, after seeing the contestants on Masterchef battle it out in the La Porte kitchens under the tutelage of executive chef Mehernosh Mody, I wish I was better with food so I too could have that amazing experience. Well now I can and all without the pressure to deliver to discerning diners. On the final Friday of every month, Mehernosh hosts an unmissable masterclass during which he demonstartes how to recreate La Porte des Indes’ fabulous dishes at home.

This is not just a show around the restaurant with a quick cookery display but a lesson is spices and exotic ingredients – how to use them, store them and where to find them – not just for the La Porte recipes but also in your own cooking.

On arrival at the restaurant we were warmly welcomed in their downstairs bar with a guava and coconut milk cocktail – something I will definitely be making at home.

Sherin Alexander, the general manager of the restaurant and Mehernosh’s wife (they met studying Hotel Management ,Hospitality and Catering Technology) gave us some history about the cuisine of  Pondichéry and other former French trading posts in Southern India that inspire the cuisine at the restaurant. She then gives us a fascinating tour of the relatively small kitchen including showing us the built in tandoori ovens and the giant mechanical pestle and mortar to ensure they get the best out of their spices.

We were shown how they quickly make naan bread by throwing it onto the wall of the oven – tasting it fresh from the oven was a pleasure indeed!

We then take our seats to learn from the master himself. First up Mehernosh  cooked Crab Malabar, a warm salad of crab, coconut milk and corn. He talked through his techniques giving us hints for when we cook them ourselves, some learnt the hard way! When the dish is finished, we are each given a taster plate, served in a crab shell.

It is at this stage that we are introduced to Viktor from Berkmann Wine Cellars. He shows a fabulous 2011 Australian Chardonnay from Deakin Estate that pairs beautifully with the crab and he encourages us to taste the different flavours in the wine before and after trying the crab.

Next Mehernosh cooks Kath Kohzi Mahe, a guinea fowl curry and Rougail d’Aubergine, a smokey aubergine dish. These are paired with a spectacular Chateau Serres Sainte Lucie, Corbieres 2009 red from Southern France and are absolutely delicious!

We had a lovely afternoon and learnt a lot but that was not all, we then enjoyed a three course taster meal before leaving with a goody bag that contained a signed copy of the La Porte des Indes cookbook and mix of fresh spices and pastes.

The best thing about all of this – including the goody bag – is that this VIP event is not just available to the lucky few but rather anyone can enjoy what we did for just £45!! Seriously!

It is a fantastic gift for a foodie or out-of-towner and you get to take a part of the restaurant home and hopefully add a couple of extra dishes to your own cooking repertoire.

The masterclasses are run on the last Friday of each month from 12pm until 1.30pm with the 3 course lunch from 1.30pm onwards. The price is £45 per person and guests will also receive a signed copy of the best-selling La Porte des Indes cookbook, a complimentary spice mix and a certificate of participation.

The next class will take place on Friday 25th May 2012. For more information visit their website.

La Porte des Indes, 32 Bryanston Street, London, W1H 7EG,  o20 7224  0055.

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.

Whether it is unwanted attention from a guy who just can’t take the hint or the sales department of a company who are trying to sell you something we’ve all had those persistent calls that drive us all crazy. No matter how many times you tell them you are just not interested they just keep calling. Well now there is a clever way to get them to give up  - by thinking the phone number is no longer in use.  RingTagz, the mobile ringtone app company, has now brought in an app that allows you set the ringtone people calling you hear to a ‘no longer in service’ tone for specific callers. Called Dead Tone, it is a quick and efficient way to let those callers know there is no point trying to call any more.

‘We think the Dead Tone feature is going to be huge,’ says Danielle Morgan, Head of Central Marketing at RingTagz. ‘We’ve all been there – a psycho ex partner, that debt collector you’ve been avoiding for months, the fling that really wasn’t a good idea, all calling you at inappropriate times and causing way more stress than necessary. With the introduction of the Dead Tone, mobile users will no longer have to go through the hassle of cancelling their number, they can just make them think it’s out of service!’

An early adopter of the newly launched Dead Tone is 22-year-old Jade Foster, who has used the service to stop her ex-boyfriend, 25-year-old Richard Danney from harassing her with constant phone calls.

‘Rich and I had been broken up for 6 months and I had a new boyfriend who I adored, but my ex just wouldn’t get the picture!’ Jade said. ‘He would call me constantly, especially after he’d been out for a few drinks. Putting my phone on silent or just pressing cancel was my only option, but it meant I was missing important calls from my mum or work.’

‘So when I heard about the Dead Tone I literally jumped at the chance. Since I’ve uploaded the Dead Tone, Richard has only called me once,’ Jade revealed. ‘As soon as he heard the Dead Tone, I guess he thought my phone was out of service and gave up! He has bombarded me with Facebook messages, but they are much easier to ignore! It’s definitely a service I’d use for other unwanted calls such as my local gym, I literally made one enquiry and get a sales call every week now!’

We have a few people we need to set this up for – and if you’re reading this here and are now getting the Dead Tone on my phone, sorry but you just didn’t get the message any other way!

The new feature allows any T-Mobile, Virgin or Orange customer to upload the tag, costing just £1.50 per month subscription and can be accessed by testing ‘DEADTONE’ to 88188. Visit their website for further information.

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.

It is National Honey Week this week and while we are sweet enough as we are, the complex flavours in honey add a wonderful depth of flavour to dishes whether they are sweet or savoury.

To celebrate the nectar of the gods we are going with this fabulously decadent dinner party recipe – it takes a serious amount of ingredients and preparation but it will have your guests talking for a long time after the event (half the ingredients for a smaller dinner party).

Makes 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

12 ducks, 4 pounds each

1/2 cup garlic, chopped, divided

3/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon saffron

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil

10 litres veal stock

1/3 cup coriander, ground

1/3 cup cinnamon, ground

1/3 cup ginger, ground

3 tablespoons cumin, ground

2 tablespoons turmeric, ground

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon nutmeg, ground

1 tablespoon black pepper, ground

3 pounds onions, chopped

2 1/4 pounds honey

3/4 cup water, rose

48 prunes, pitted

12 chervil sprigs

36 almonds, for garnish

1/3 cup sesame seeds, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. A day in advance, cut each duck into 2 legs and 2 boned breasts: trim excess skin and fat. Sprinkle duck with half the garlic; cover with cold water. Add lemon juice. Refrigerate 24 hours.

2. Soak saffron in hot water; reserve.

3. Remove duck pieces from liquid; discard liquid. Pat duck pieces dry; separate legs and breasts. Refrigerate breasts.

4. Heat olive oil and sear duck legs on all sides until crisp and brown, about 10 minutes. Remove duck legs; reserve. Pour all but 3 tablespoons fat from the pan. Deglaze with 3 quarts veal stock; reduce over high heat about 3 minutes. Stir in spices; cook, stirring, until mixture is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in onion and remaining garlic; cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

5. Add reserved duck legs to pan; turn to coat well with spice mixture. Add remaining veal stock; bring to a boil. Cover; cook at 350° F/ 180° C until tender, about 1 hour. Remove duck legs from pan; reserve. Stir in reserved saffron mixture, honey and rose flower water into sauce; reduce by about half. Reserve.

6. PER SERVING Over low heat, re-heat 1 duck leg and 4 prunes in 1 cup sauce.

7. Lightly score skin on 1 duck breast in a diamond pattern. Sear, skin side down, in a hot sauté pan until skin is browned. Turn breast over and cook until just firm to the touch (medium rare), about 6 minutes; keep warm.

8. Remove duck leg from sauce, brush with honey and glaze under grill.

9. Pool 1/2 cup sauce on a serving plate. Arrange duck leg in the center, prunes around the edge. Thinly slice duck breast on the diagonal; arrange slices around duck leg. Ladle remaining sauce over duck. Garnish with chervil sprig, almonds and sesame seeds. Serve with Mediterranean flat bread.

 [courtesy of US The National Honey Board]

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.

 [Main picture: Gingham dress available from Basler stores across UK]

Gingham always adds a fresh feel to summer but checks are often seen as heavy and wintery. That needn’t be the case. Vivienne Westwood and Burberry show perennially that a check can be light and fresh whether it is gingham or not.

Here we look at some fresh tartans and checks for everywhere from the beach to the boardroom.
1. Soft smock top in a preppy check with ribbon  belt gathered at waist, £44 from Hollister.

2. Turn heads on the beach in this bluebell gingham bikini, £28 from TopShop.

3. Understated subtle check camisole top in fine silk satin with a subtle light-reflecting shimmer, £150 from Burberry.

4. Vivienne Westwood Red Label re-imagines the classic suit in its own inimitable way with a coolly cropped asymmetric jacket and chicly draped skirt in a heritage-inspired Prince of Wales check. Wear this expertly tailored set with two-tone heels for a stylishly insouciant office look, £740 from Net A Porter.

5. Fashion meets function with Barbour’s cosy merino wool and cashmere–blend scarf, £90 from Selfridges.

6. Add some 50s chic with this full midi skirt in red check, £40 from ASOS.

7. Ladylike looks made a chic return to the runways for SS12, and Miu Miu’s candy-hued tweed shoulder bag is the perfect way to work the trend, £720 from Net-A-Porter.

8. Fall head over heels with these Darling H Gingham Peep Court Shoes, now £35 from House of Fraser.

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.

We’ve all had those days where our hair isn’t looking it’s best but we don’t have time to wash it and blowdry it to its normal perfection. Well now Headmasters has come up with a knots masterclass to ensure that we have an up-do that will look fabulous all day. With inspiration taken straight from the catwalk, these knots will suit you mood or your occasion. The tousled ’lazy girl’ knot sees tendrils of curls cascading messily from  the semi up-do just like the models from the Proenza Schoeler catwalk show. The classic ‘sleek chic’ knot will look as good at the office as it does at an event such as a cocktail party or wedding. While the ‘new age’ top knot as seen on Jen Kao is great for younger sporty girls.

I am not so good at styling my own hair so went to the talented Aaron Carlo, Art Director at Headmasters, for a little help and he did a gorgeous ‘lazy girl’ on me in no time. That evening I got asked if I was Irish, a little strange I thought but I said ‘no’, he said ‘oh, ok it is just you look like one of the Corrs’. Even if it was a chat-up line, that was good enough for me!

All three styles are simple to do (with a bit of practice) and will have you standing out from the crowd. Here we show you how to create the ‘sleek chic’ but all three styles are up on the Headmasters website.

1. Blow-dry the hair smooth using a Mason Pearson away from the hairline keeping the brush close to the head. To keep this look bang on trend create a deep middle parting to one side and spritz with L’Oréal Professionnel Tecni art Air Fix for extra hold.
2. Sweep the hair back into a low ponytail at the nape leaving a section of hair above the ear free.
3. Tie the hair into a knot and pin upwards around the base.
4. Using L’Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil smooth the ends and tuck into the knot.
5. Loosely pin the free section from above ear into the bun to give the knot some added interest. Finally apply a light mist of L’Oréal Professionnel Tecni Art Crystal Gloss over the knot for added shine.

If like me you are all thumbs with sophisticated styles, you can have them done in a Headmasters salon in just 45 minutes for £45.

©2012 Belle About Town. All Rights Reserved.