This dress was a bit of a post holiday blues cure purchase, after nearly two weeks off work the prospect of returning to students in full swing exam madness was terrifying. The bright flowers on this dress certainly perked me up and I wore this to a library conference on Friday. I did wear it with a cardigan because if you work in a library a cardigan is practically uniform and I had to cover up the open back which makes it a tad sassy for daywear. I wore this with flat shoes but I can't wait to wear this with some heels on a night out and pair it with a bright clutch bag.

Marks & Spencer launched their new collection yesterday and I was so happy to see a real focus on quality and style in the pieces.I'm a big fan of their current Limited Collection and it looks like we will be getting more clothes like that, exciting stuff!

M&S’s are making lots of upgrades to improve the quality of their clothes, having clearer and more compelling brands and aiming to be more fashionable by incorporating key trends from the catwalk into their ranges. The London Calling trend (my personal favourite) including red and black checks, leather and animal prints and the Modern Elegance trend with its simple tailoring, luxury fabrics and muted colours are both influenced by high fashion. You will start to see the changes from late July, when the new Autumn/Winter collections launch in-store and online.

John Dixon, Executive Director of General Merchandise said: “This is our focus going forward that will reassert our position as a leading, premium fashion retailer.” Do you think they have achieved that with this collection?:



I'm most looking forward to seeing the Best of British range which will use Scottish cashmere and Yorkshire cloths. A lot of high end companies like Vivienne Westwood and Chanel already use these types of traditional materials so it's great news that high street stores will also be making use of them. It's nice to know that all garments will be manufactured in the UK too.The new collections mark the launch of a three year partnership between M&S and the British Fashion Council, which puts more emphasis on British design and talent. The Best of British collection will be available from the 10th October.

My favourite items from the collection are a predictable mix of leopard print and tartan with 60's/rock and roll theme. I was obviously going to love the skirt, can't wait to get my hands on it.

1. 
   (all from ASOS)
   
   
   I've always had a thing about casinos. I think I watch too many movies with a casino theme like Ocean's Eleven (and Twelve … and Thirteen) or Croupier with the simmering Clive Owen, plus I'm a bit of a sucker for James Bond films. 

“...Its meaning is not necessarily that implied by the author. There is no authoritative voice. There are only multiple readings.” - David Bowie

On Thursday I went to the David Bowie is exhibition at the V&A in London and was more that a little blown away. It drew from Bowie’s personal archives and over 300 objects were selected to try and show what shaped David Bowie and how he has shaped modern culture. I am a pretty big Bowie fan so I was always going to love this exhibition but I think any music fan could go along and appreciate how important a figure he is. It was very multi-disciplinary with art from Andy Warhol, Fritz Lang movie posters, press from moon landings and fashion creations from the likes of McQueen.  I also got to learn a few new fact about Bowie, he had a tiny 26½ inch waist and his one eye is permanently dilated after a playground fight as a child.