Valentine’s ideas

Whether you’re buying for her or him, buying for Valentine’s Day is no longer just about a dozen roses, or a card with a ‘?’ – It’s about making a lasting impression, and being as inventive as possible with your cash.

With the January blues out of the way, it’s the perfect opportunity to cheer up a loved one with a gift, or maybe surprise your secret crush!

Giving gifts doesn’t have to break the bank – so we have picked a selection of some of the quirky and the downright gorgeous presents you can pick up this Valentine’s Day at Cabot Circus, leaving change in your pocket – swoon!

This Oliver Bonas cupcake set is so cute, and a snip at £12.50

Tell your rocker how you feel with this quirky mug, £5 by Linea at House of Fraser

Fall in love with the Uber feminine Love struck by Vera Wang, from £35, Harvey Nichols

Treat your man to this gorgeous watch, £115 at Fossil

Red Carpet Fashion

So silent film The Artist proved to be one of the winners at the 69th annual Golden Globes Awards, but there were also winners and losers on the red carpet. Kicking off the film awards season, The Golden Globes is THE first chance in the awards season for stars to shine and showcase their style credentials – and last night saw some truly stunning looks, with many opting for bright tones or ivory gowns.

We loved Angelina’s dress – adding her own unique style to the classic nude tone with flashes of scarlett. And the 40′s ruffle detail is bang on trend too.

Michelle Williams flew the flag for colour and neatly incorporated the velvet trend too… 

To get the red carpet look on a more realistic budget, Coast – available at House of Fraser in Cabot Circus has some great show-stopping gowns like this ‘Savannah’ maxi dress, £195.

Monsoon also have some great styles, like this ‘Honeysuckle’ dress for £160. Glamorous yet won’t break the bank!

A/W Photoshoot

We’ve been busy over the last few weeks shooting our winter brand campaign – here’s a taster of the photos that will soon be appearing in the magazines, newspapers and outdoor! All items featured are available from Bristol’s Cabot Circus now.

 

 

House of Fraser Fashion Show

To kick off the Cabot Circus A/W Fashion Tour, House of Fraser is holding an exclusive fashion evening at the Showcase Cinema De Lux on Thursday, 22nd September.

Guests will be treated to a fashion show of key A/W trends, featuring brands such as Biba, Pied a Terre and Label Lab all presented by top London stylist JP. Style advisors will be on hand to give advice on what to wear for your body shape and guests will also be welcomed with complimentary drinks and canapés, and sent home with a luxury goodie bag.

Tickets cost £5 and are available from House of Fraser (level 1 Buy and Collect desk) and the Cabot Circus Information Desk. £1 from every ticket sold will be donated to Guide Dogs for the Blind. Get your tickets before they all go!

A/W Trend Report

Cabot Circus will be welcoming the new season in stunning style with a weekend of free catwalk shows on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September, celebrating the hottest trends from the latest collections.

The ‘Autumn/Winter Fashion Tour’ is being held in association with the British Fashion Council and will bring together the best of the high-street and designer brands to showcase leading looks from the new season.

To give you a taste of what is to come on the catwalk, here are some of the key trends hitting the shops now for the autumn/winter season:

1.       Heritage

Ladies it’s time to don your barber jackets, riding boots and cable knits, and embrace the great outdoors… heritage chic is back for autumn winter 2011.

What to wear: Tweed, tartan and herringbone
Where to wear: Weekend in the countryside 

Get the look: Venetia Pussy Bow Blouse £45, Harley Hacking Jacket £85, Bea Babycord Short £35, Illinois tote £120, Dallas boots £65, Monsoon

2.       Fetish

Thanks to celebrities like Lady Gaga and Rihanna, corsets and leather are at the height of fashion and will be hitting the shops this season. 

What to wear: The key colour is black, of course
Where to wear: A night out with the girls


Get the look: Black leather top, £120, House of Fraser, black shorts, £75 from House of Fraser. Tan leather clutch, £95 from Pied a Terre at House of Fraser. 

3.       Boy/girl look

Sick of summer dresses and light floral patterns? If so the ‘borrowed from the boys’ look is one for you this season. The more structured fabrics and cuts will be perfect for the colder weather, and this look is a sure way to be taken seriously and command attention.

What to wear: Oversized blazers, ankle grazing trouser and loafers
Where to wear: Shopping or in the office

Get the look: shirt, £28, cerise trousers, £38, shoes, £55, Topshop

4.       Swinging sixties

The sixties look is going to be huge this season, from graphic printed shifts to jewel coloured tunics and mod coats. All you need now is big hair and a scooter.

What to wear: A-line shift dress
Where to wear: A night out or to dinner

Get the look: Dress, £70, leopard clutch, £45, leather gloves, £28, Warehouse

5.       Jewel box colours

This summer we saw an explosion of colour enter our wardrobes and as we approach autumn there are no signs of this fading. With fushia, orange, emerald, colbolt and purple leading the colour parade, you will not fail to stand out this winter.   

What to wear: Rock a block colour dress, contrast with brights heels to accentuate a plain outfit, or easiest of all, throw on a coat in a bright shade
Where to wear: Christmas party or to work

Get the look: Dress, £14.99, H&M

He’s back!

Gok Wan and his Channel 4 team will be bringing ’Gok’s Clothes Roadshow’ to Cabot Circus in September – he loved it so much in January that he’s coming back already! Last time thousands of shoppers came to show their support as he filmed the ‘high-street / designer catwalk face off’ and he was so impressed that he’s coming back for more.

As part of the new series, Gok is currently looking for a group of three women that feel that they are in need of a wardrobe re-vamp – you don’t have to be clueless about fashion, you might just be stuck in a rut or feel that you wear the same outfits all the time. If you fancy being made over by the nation’s favourite fashionista get in touch with the production team asap!

If you’re keen to be involved in the show but feel you’re already savvy in the style stakes, the team would also love to hear from you – they are looking for groups of six friends to become ‘road testers’ and put the latest trends to the test on the show.

Contact the production team asap for an application form on gokmakeover@endemoluk.com or call 0333 577 7776 if you fancy finding out more… 

The show will be filmed at Cabot Circus on 7 September and everyone is invited to attend.

New stores for Cabot Circus

We’re delighted to welcome two new stores to Cabot Circus – firstly Pandora, which has just opened on Brigstowe Street (near Next) and the soon-to-be-open Mango, which will also be located on Brigstowe Street.

Pandora’s modular designs offer easily interchangable part and allow you to select charms, bracelets, necklaces or beads for a variable look - giving you a classic option or tailored to your own personal style.

Pandora charm bracelet

Also coming soon is Mango, which like Zara is a Spanish fashion giant and a shop that we love. Until the store opens at the end of August, here’s an image from one of their recent campaigns…

Nails inc cracks it

Crackle nail varnishes have been a huge trend this year – it’s easy to see why, nails that have the WOW factor and a look that is super easy to achieve at home.

For anyone not already familiar with it, crackle polish creates a crackle / shatter effect letting any other colour underneath it show through. Each nail is individual and painting the crackle polish on in different ways, strokes and directions can also vary the look.

Nails inc has just launched a range of new colours and finishes in its Special Effects Crackle range, including a gold glitter crackle top coat which is amazing. The range is now available in a myriad of colours, we love the pink ‘Islington’ and ‘Hoxton’ (dark purple) – the coloured shades are easier to wear that the original black crackle and look much more summery too.

Visit the nails inc bars in House of Fraser or Harvey Nichols to find out more and check out the new shades.

And here’s some top tips for acheiving the perfect crackle finish at gome from the lovely people at Nails Inc:

1. Apply 1 coat of your favourite nails inc base coat
2. Apply 2 coats of your favourite nails inc polish. Leave to dry for 5 minutes
3. Apply 1 coat of your chosen crackle shade. Have fun with this – try painting in different directions as this will affect how your design will look. 
4. Wait and see your nail polish appear through the cracks!
5. Apply a top coat to get a glossy finish
6. Marvel at the amazing nail art design you have created with such minimal effort!

 

 

MyStreetChic sets World Record at Cabot Circus!

At Cabot Circus, we were delighted to host an event to mark the launch of new street-style inspired website MyStreetChic.com recently, and even more pleased that the team managed to set the World Record for the highest number of topknot hairstyles in one day!

The MyStreetChic team made fashion history with a little help from our experts at Cabot Circus, with Robin James Salon stylists on hand to create the hair, alongside make up artists from Bobbi Brown (both brands are based at House of Fraser). Sanctuary Spa - based in Quakers Friars - also provided shoppers with mini manicures and feel-good treats to ensure they went away feeling glam and relaxed. 

Have a look at highlights from the day here – and check out the MyStreetChic website soon, it contains heaps of fashion and beauty advice and features and shows how real people are interpreting the latest trends around the country.

Festival Fashion

Festival season is almost upon us, with the mother of all festivals, Glastonbury, set to kick things off in style next week!

However festival fashion can be tricky – especially when the weather is sunny one minute and pouring on us the next! What to pack eh? Our advice is to take lots of layers so you can wrap up warm when you need to and then strip off to make the most of the sunshine when the sun comes out. And make sure you pack both wellies and flip flops, of course.

Here’s our tips to help you stay looking stylish, come rain or shine…

Feathers and Playsuits!

Want to stand out in a crowd? You certainly won’t get lost in this feature headdress by Bitching and Junkfood at Urban Outfitters! Guaranteed to brighten up any outfit.

Playsuits look fab with tights or leggings and wellies, making sure you still look great even if it is muddy. We love this printed number from Ted Baker, which is now reduced to £60, from £119.

Hat & Sunglasses

You’ll definitely need a hat and some sunglasses if the weather is kind to us. Just how cute are this pair from Urban Outfitters? And at £16, they won’t break the bank either…

This year it’s all about the oversized hat, and this cream one from Warehouse will go with everything.

Shorts and Waistcoat

Take inspiration from Kate Moss and invest in a tasseled waistcoat for an on-trend rock-chick look, and wear with a great pair of denim shorts. If there’s one ‘must have’ festival fashion item, denim shorts are probably it! Ideal with a flowery top and sandals in the heat, equally as good with wellies.

Now only £20, this waistcoat is a steal from Label Lab at House of Fraser:

Coral is one of our favourite colours this year - love these shorts from Topshop!

Wellies!

Wellies are a must – thankfully the fashion world has cottoned on to this in recent years and you can now get them in a myriad of colours and styles, meaning you can be practical yet stylish. Perfect! We’re in love with this cobalt blue pair from Hunter, available in Topshop.