I’ve always loved fashion, and have great fun styling my outfits together so I thought i'd make this latest post an insight into my personal style!

When it comes down to personal style, we all have our favourite stores, you know the ones.....they're always the places you hit first when you're looking for that perfect "date" dress, those jeans that give you a JLo ass or that "must have" seasonal trend you know you can't live without!!

So I thought i'd take a moment to explain how I choose where I shop!!
Anyone who knows me will know I practically LIVE in Karen Millen!! Some may think it's because I love my labels (which I do) but there's far more to it than mearly being a "Label Queen"!
I'm very petite, both in height & build, and I find Karen Millen sizes tend to be very small, therefore making them one of the very few brands whose sizing seems to match my measurements!

However, what I really love about Karen Millen is their attention to detail, exquisite cuts & tailoring & luxurious fabric's! I love classically cut, chic clothes (think Audrey Hepburn) and KM Creative Director/Managing Director Gemma Metheringham takes classic design & turns it on it's head: with striking use of colour, pattern & texture, giving them a young, funky vibe, whilst retaining that classic feel!

For me it always comes down to the cut & fabric of a garment, and many high street stores compomise this in favour of cheaper prices.
Honestly, more often then not this is a false economy, good fabrics will sit & drape much better on the body, while an expertly cut dress will show off your best features & hide your worst! (In my case they show off curves even I didn't know I had!!!)

Karen Millen produce a core range of signature dresses every season which concentrate on cut, at a fraction of the price of Roland Mouret or a Victoria Beckham dress!
It's dresses like these I spend most of my time in, as they show off my petite frame & tiny waist perfectly, whilst creating the illusion of long legs, giving me a chance to show off my fabulous footwear!!

so here's just a small selection of my favourites!!

Photographic print dress (DJ063); Photographic print clutch (GJ093); Tropical Cuff (ZJ003)







(This outfit earned me a place as a finalist in The Balmoral Show, Best Dressed Competition, 2012!!)


Lastly, but by no means least........

(This outfit earned me a top 3 place in Grazia Magazine's Roland Mouret Catwalk Style Competition!!!)


Herve Leger dresses are also amazing for creating curves, and again this is another area that Karen Millen cover very well!

Anyone who's worn Herve Leger will tell you it's like getting a full body lift, they'll suck you in and push you out in all the right places, all due to their heavy bandage fabric!

Cheaper dresses will often be made of a much lighter fabric, and therefore don't have the same effect!
However Karen Millen bandage pieces are the closest i've found in fabric quality to Herve and with updated styles each season, I can't help but add to my collection!!
Thanks to these dresses I can kid myself into thinking i’ve a “Jessica Rabbit” body!
Below is a picture of my favourite one to date!



While the staple of my wardrobe is dresses, separates are always key to any girls capsule wardrobe. Over recent years, Karen Millen has moved away from it's image of Formal/Occasionwear & has been concentrating on providing customer's with a wide range of separates taking you from casual daywear, right through to that statement top, perfect with leggings & killer heels for a night of fabulous cocktails!!





Lastly I cannot finish without talking about Karen Millen's fantastic range of bags!
Whether it's a cute clutch or a day tote, they will have a bag to suit your needs! I've litterally lost count of the number of compliments i've gotten from my collection of Karen Millen handbags, but it's my Blue Ostrich bag from SS '10 which has been complimented most!! This has to be one of my all time favourite bags!!!


I am such a devotee to the brand that I was even asked to become a member of their exclusive VIP Karen Millen Black Scheme! I guess that means I buy rather a lot of KM (I'm in total denial of just how many clothes I own!!), but the quality of Karen Millen clothing means I find myself wearing pieces I bought over 10yrs ago!

Leather iPhone holder 30th Anniversary Edition (GM199)
(with Karen Millen Black Membership tag)

As for this season, well i've already had a chance to flip through their AW '12 Lookbook/Style File & girls we're in for some stunning pieces this upcoming season!!
So please check out their website!! www.karenmillen.com


Photographs 1,3,6,7,8
Photographed by & kindly provided by Stephen Potter

Photographs 2,4,5
Photographed by & kindly provided by Norm Keilty