Why weight?

If you're the kind of lady who feels a bit self conscious when shopping sometimes (I believe we're known as "human"), or you simply don't know how best to dress for your body shape, fear not - there is somewhere you can go for advice, and you don't even have to leave your house!

How cool is that? Not only do you get to have your questions answered by people who know their style stuff while sitting around in your PJs (or whatever you wear around the house...you could even be naked...no judgement here), but you could also get your hands on Debenhams vouchers to make shopping even sweeter! I wish all parties were done this way...

Will you be at the Twitter party tomorrow?

Much love,

Frankie

Swell Vintage

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Bologna Part One: What I Wore

If you follow me on Twitter, you will already know that a couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to travel to Bologna, Italy to be apart of their Blogville initiative. Blogville, created by the tourist board of the Emilia Romagna region, gives bloggers the opportunity to stay at an apartment in the centre of Bologna and Rimini and live as the locals do.

When I was introduced to the project by my good friend and fellow travel buddy Akeela Bhattay, I couldn't help but think the whole thing sounded a bit too good to be true! My sceptical horror movie-loving brain concluded that there had to be some sort of catch...either we were about to become the stars of Hostel 4 (how many of those films are there now? I'm very behind...), or we were going to sold into the black market of Italy. So I packed my bags and decided to go anyway - and boy, am I glad I did!

The UK blogger crew! From left to right: Katie Antoniou, me and Akeela Bhattay

I saw so much in the few days I was in Bologna, so instead of boring you with a single long winded 30 page blog post, I've decided to break them up into delicious bite-sized parts. I don't know how many parts there are going to be in total as I'm just not that organised, so keep your eyes peeled over the next couple of weeks!

This post is going to be all about what I wore on my travels around Bologna, as this is a fashion blog after all. I warn you now - there are outfit photos of me in this post. If you regularly read my blog (thanks for that, by the way), you'll know I never do outfit posts, but my thinking is that as this was a special trip, special allowances must be made. Don't worry, this won't happen often...

In order to keep my suitcase as light as possible, I decided to take staple pieces that I knew I could rely on whatever the weather. Arguably the most important piece in my travel wardrobe was this amazing maxi dress from HotSquash. Not only was it so comfortable and easy to wear, but it also features very clever material that keeps you cool in the heat! Genius or what? I really works too. I'll definitely be investing in more of their pieces for the summer...when we eventually get some heat!

I'm also so glad that I brought this hat from H&M, as it proved to be a hair lifesaver! My hair is naturally very curly and turns into Jane Austin-style ringlets at the slightest sign of moisture, so this hat covered up the mess and also kept my face out of the sun - perfect!

Photo by Katie Antoniou

I am officially in love with my London Retro prescription sunglasses. As someone who is a bit scared of contact lenses but still wants to be able to see in the sun, they really made my trip. I love the wayfarer style frame, and they were so comfortable to wear all day. I have the exact same frame (the 'Shoreditch' to fit my East London stereotype), and I can't recommend them enough. 

Photo by Akeela Bhattay

I also wore this paisley print maxi dress from Uttam, as I love the fullness of it. The low cut also meant that I could possible catch a little bit of sun, although with my pale skin reflecting the rays that was never very likely...

What are your summer travel staples? I'd love to hear them!

That's all from Bologna for now, folks! Keep your eyes peeled for more very soon...

Much love,

Frankie

Swell Vintage

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New Look AW12 Press Day

Last week I popped along to the New Look AW12 press day to see what goodies they have lined up for next season, and let me tell you - you are in for a treat!

If I had to describe New Look's Autumn/Winter collection in a single sentence, it would be "90s grunge glamour with a modern kick in the face". What does that mean, you ask? Take a look for yourself!

(I REALLY want this collar...argh, hurry up next season!)

Chunky knits, accents of leather and laser cutting, sharp studs and intricate embellishment - don't you just love it all? The whole collection is the perfect mix of 'My So-Called Life' crossed with a darker, edgier Blossom. New Look have always been known and dearly loved for their shoes, and this season they've really outdone themselves. Who knew you could get such high end styles without having to sell a kidney?! And don't get me started on their collars!

Oh dear, I appear to have gushed everywhere! What do you think of the New Look AW12 collection? Will you be shopping there next season?

Until next time...

Much love,

Frankie

Swell Vintage

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Scouting for style

Calling all fashionistas! Do you have a unique style that needs to be seen? Then I've got the perfect competition for you!

Super-cool new glasses label Scout are on the hunt to find a new fashionable face for their campaign. I know what you're thinking - oh no, not another model competition - but this one is different. The people are Scout aren't looking for a supermodel. You don't have to be 6ft, skinny or have perfect skin to win this prize. All you need is your own unique style! Here's what you could win:

I don't know about you, but as a glasses wearer myself a years supply of frames sounds pretty incredible to me! To enter, just tweet or email a photo of you in your favourite outfit to the good folks at Scout. Who knows - maybe I'll even give it a go!

Good luck!

Much love,

Frankie

Swell Vintage

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In Leather I Tust

On Friday, I was fortunate enough to visit the Tusting warehouse so see how they make their amazingly beautiful leather goods. I have been a fan of Tusting's incredible handbags for a while now, so I was extra excited to see how they are made.

As I have mentioned before, Tusting is over 130 years old and is a family run business. They're the second largest manufacturer in the UK, and each of their beautiful bags are lovingly made by a team of dedicated and skilled leatherworkers. Tusting pride themselves on using the finest quality leather for all of their goods, and this quality and attention to detail explains why they have been around for so long and why their bags are so covertable!

The whole day was so much fun. Not only was I in brilliant company surrounded by so many great bloggers, but the Tusting warehouse is, quite simply, a dream factory. I wish I could put into words how wonderful and intoxicating the rich aroma of leather is and how buttery soft each piece feels to touch, but hopefully these pictures will give you a rough idea of how amazing the whole experience was. For even more photos, visit the Swell Vintage Facebook page.

The whole gang! 

From left to right: Poppy of What I Wore Today, Lucy of Snippets of Shiny Thoughts, Jackie of Platform Princess, Becky from Push PR, Louisa of Lust & Found Magazine, Gillian of Tusting, Sarah-Hayley of Sarah-Hayley Owen, Ella of Coco's Tea Party, Matthew of Filep Motwary, Charlie of Girl a la Mode, Fiona of Save Our Shoes, Kit of Style Slicker and William Tusting

Thank you to Gillian and William Tusting for having us and for giving us a glimpse into your magical world, and Push PR for organising the trip! It was truly a great day and I can't wait for the day I own a Tusting bag of my very own.

Much love,

Frankie
Swell Vintage

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