Tuesday 25 June 2013

Beth Hirst - Queen of Hats

I love a hat. I distinctly remember my cousin Charlotte's wedding as I wore a navy hat with white spots on it. A few years later (ok, ok many years later) I wore what can only be described as a Satellite Dish to my mate Lucy's wedding:








..and then to Sam&Jon's wedding as well...












 That summer I also rocked a headband. Don't judge me.
So with my love of hats firmly established, lets talk about Beth Hirst. A Couture Hat designer based in Leeds, Beth started her business in 2009 working out of her back bedroom. When demand grew she moved to the garage and now owns her own office space - not to be sniffed at in today's economic climate.





Hats in Beth's workshop

The detail is stunning


WOW them as you are walking away!




Trained at the Leeds College of Art & Design, Beth specialises in event head wear including races and Mother of the Bride hats, and she has been known to do the hats for the whole wedding party. WOW. Talk about talented! Prices start from £50 and range up to £200. Simply turn up with your ideas and Beth can design a hat or fascinator which is unique and undeniably 'you'.









After years in the biz she was kind enough to pass on her Hat Top Tips:


1.  When first getting into headwear and hats try lots of on - more than 10. You may be surprised what you like.
2.  Make sure the piece you choose is comfortable to wear, the piece should feel light and fit correctly. That way, you shouldn't even realise you are wearing it.
3.  Think about the colour of the hat/headpiece which is closest to your skin: lighter tones flatter all skin types but dark tones can be draining, especially on more mature skin.
4.  Always consider the event the hat/headpiece is for. If you are in the wedding party your day will be spent kissing, cuddling and greeting all the guests. Saucers and headpieces which sit off the face or pillbox hats are a great option.
5.  Don't over accessorise. You don't need hat, sunglasses, chunky neckalce, drop earrings and strong make-up. Just 2 or 3 will create a more elegant finish.
6.  Hats and headpieces are great for your posture: you will immediately stand up straighter with your shoulders back the minute you put it on.
7. Smaller framed people do not necessarily need to wear small hats. Larger pieces can look great and add height but avoid bigger than the width of your shoulders.
8.  Not really one for wearing hats but feel you have to for a certain event? Go for something off the face, to one side with feathers which add height and movement. This is infinitely better than a few feathers on a comb.
9.  A proper fitting hat/headpiece made by a milliner will be securely fixed to your head and will stay in place all day.
10.  The standard High Street hat fits a 22.5 inch head size but ladies heads can be between 21.5 and 23 inches. A milliner can make the perfect fit for your head size.









For more info about Beth and to contact her about a magnificent hat creations then you can access her website by clicking here. But for now...drink in the images...

Love the DRAMA of this...


Couldn't help myself...
We all love a "selfie" ...

Beth Hirst Couture Hats 

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Me and that bloke from Match of the Day

Barburrito 

The National Football Museum may not seem a likely place for The Wardrobe Angel to hang out but when I was invited to the kick off of the 2013 Hall of Fame celebrations I thought I would give it a whirl. Armed with a Barburrito (if you have never had one you are missing out. Click here to find out more) and my mate George we jogged along to the Urbis ...








Now George is a bit of a Newcastle fan (via her hubby) but to say I was out of my depth is an understatement! We went to check out the gallery of Hall of Famers and I knew about 3 blokes off the list ... so for more info on the Hall of Fame click here. And enjoy the photos!


Nice hair


Me and Becks. 

Thought my Zoe Karsson jumper was appropriate for such an evening. BOYS! (Purchased from Black White Denim)

That Whistles clutch again. Oh, and a Preen skirt from eBay.

Arty shot in the lift.




Me and Mark Lawrence. Yep. Match of the Day Man.

Mark and George. 

She's a happy soul!



Sunday 9 June 2013

Topshop and the over 30's woman...



LOVE the clutch



A couple of weeks ago I went to a Topshop event in Leeds to publicise their Personal Shopping service. Now, being a woman over 30 (holla!) I have steered away from Topshop in recent years as I always felt like a granny when I was in there. Plus the sizing was a bit on the small side for me. But in a room with interactive models I found my opinion starting to change....
I was pleasantly surprised by the name of the game the Personal Shoppers (PS) talking about: VERSATILITY and ways to wear - take to suit above for example. The PS ran through a list of ways to wear the suit: separate, together, shoulder robed. They were also fully aware of the fact that Topshop is popular with teenagers hence the PS experience is perfect for the older lady ...

Amazing neck candy

Amazing heels


In a cut throat retail environment where new lines are hitting down at a rate of knots, the Topshop team are offering up their styling services in a tranquil, calm shopping environment away from the shopfloor.




More amazing neck candy

Goody Bags. Why thank you, don't mind if I do.

What's on offer with Topshop Personal Shopping


You can ring up or email them for an appointment and when you arrive the room will be ready to fit your brief. They are doing a lot of hen do and honeymoon wardrobes at the moment. The BIG WOW could be something like a first date, the MIRACLE WORKER shows you how to dress something up and down, and the IN AND OUT is designed for those on a time budget.

What I wore: Zara Top, H&M Trend Jacket, Diesel Jeans, Whistles clutch

Word. 




Saturday 8 June 2013

My Values

What else? Let me see...I also:
  • Support and work with relevant businesses – no-one can go it alone! 
  • Empower women through my new project launching later this year called Angels Assembled.
  • Give something back by donating 1 day per month to a cause close to my heart. I currently volunteer at the Leeds Community clothing exchange, an awesome event each month which helps has the double whammy of promoting increased community spirit whilst making people more aware of unnecessary consumption at the same time. 
And how do I do all this? What makes me tick?

My Values: 

Stylishly fun, friendly, trustworthy and non-judgemental. Achieving and believing with awesomeness comes as standard!

Here endeth the post!