Review: Oh You Pretty Things! Afternoon Tea at the Trafford Centre

Hey,

I had a fabulous little day out a couple of weeks ago - and at the Trafford Centre no less!

Usually the Trafford Centre on a weekend would be an absolute no go. I like to avoid stress and crowds on the weekends wherever possible, so the idea of pushing past crazy shoppers, hearing the cries of shrieking children and being blinded by artificial lighting isn't really my idea of a great time.

Did I mention that I'm getting married this year? (sarcastic lols) Well I've been dying for an opportune moment to be converted to the ways of Jo Malone, after hearing (and smelling) wonderful things from friends. As getting married seems to be a license for spending too much money on frivolous things (*cough*), I thought it seemed like a good time to splurge on a 'bridal' fragrance and so with one of my bridesmaids in tow, I booked in at the Selfridges Jo Malone counter.

We had the most fabulous Bridal Consultation appointment with the lovely, Kerry who picked out a number of fragrances for us both to try and gave us hand and arm massages, plus a glass of bubbly. I really loved their approach of trying to find a 'fit' by asking about your likes, dislikes and general personality. I was genuinely massively impressed that Kerry hit the nail on the head with the first fragrance she suggested for me! Walking out with a new perfume and smelling, frankly, incredible - we were ready to eat!

I'd been asked to try out Oh You Pretty Things* - a new champagne and cocktail bar on the top floor of The Orient and so it seemed like a good idea to turn our appointment into a fun girly day out.

For those familiar with the Trafford Centre, The Orient is where the Food Court is located - probably the busiest part of the whole centre in the early hours of the afternoon!

Feeling relaxed from our appointment at Jo Malone, stepping into the OYPT bar was in fact, the perfect transition.

The bar distinctly feels like it's very much for 'grown-ups'. There are a lot of family-style restaurants dotted around, even on the upper floor but OYPT feels like a real oasis away from the hustle and bustle.

Sitting down on the modern chrome and cream bar stools, I found myself wondering where else in the Trafford Centre could you go for a nice glass of prosecco or a great cocktail?

We were there to try OYPT's signature Afternoon Tea - a steal I would add at just £19.95 for two, or £24.95 with the addition of prosecco.

We started with a pot of tea, before the main event was brought out.

For the price, we were seriously impressed!

There was definitely an ample amount of food for the two of us. The sandwiches were a good size and well filled (I hate it when you get an afternoon tea with just one or two teeny sandwich each!).

The mini cakes on the top tier were also pleasant and the fresh berries were a nice addition too. I wasn't so sure that the handfuls of Japanese rice crackers really belonged but the whole thing was great to nibble at while chatting.

The scones were great and came with a huge pot of cream and jam each. A scone covered in cream and jam is always the highlight of any Afternoon Tea for me!

We also tried a couple of cocktails from the drinks menu and I can highly recommend the Candy Floss Martini, an infusion of raspberry vodka, butterscotch schnapps and Chambord - topped with a piece of real fluffy, sugary candy floss.

While OYPT's Afternoon Tea isn't the best I've had and is unlikely to stand up to those you might get at a fancy country hotel, for £19.95 for TWO (that's less than a tenner each!) you seriously can't go wrong. I might add that I've often paid more than that for something beige, hurriedly thrown onto a plastic tray in the downstairs eating area...

If you find yourself at the Trafford Centre with a friend or two and fancy a great drink and a bit of tranquillity, I would highly recommend the Oh You Pretty Things bar - the staff were absolutely superb too!

#JLTAW15: Autumn/Winter Trends at John Lewis

Hey,

I recently attended a great fashion show at my local John Lewis at Manchester's Trafford Centre.

We were treated to a glass of fizz and took our seats ready for the show. We were introduced to trends and seasonal looks chosen by the staff, presented with models of different ages with a new spin on how to wear the looks for each group.







A distinct 1970s style was present in many of the trend sets. Some of my favourite pieces were faux fur gilets, tops and dresses in shades of Wine, knee high suede boots and glam clutch bags - perfect for a Christmas party!

The local team did a brilliant job with the show and it was lovely to see real John Lewis ladies modelling! They even sent us home with a jam-packed goody bag. Some of my favourite products I found inside are below. I love the beautiful candle from Kew, subtly fragranced with citrus notes and the Burts Bees Almond Milk hand cream tester - which is so amazing that I'll definitely be ordering full size!




Admittedly, John Lewis is sometimes more of a walk-through store for me when visiting the Trafford Centre - but no more! The huge range of brands the store carries is staggering. I was surprised to find that JL stock some of my favourites like Kurt Geiger, French Connection, Miss Selfridge and All Saints.

I've put together a selection of my favourite current season pieces at JL, below.

From left to right: All Saints Able Zip Jumper, £89 (was £128) // All Saints Eryn Coat, £398 // Mint Velvet Rioja Mongolian Ombre Tippet, £79 // Whistles Rivington Shiny Croc Leather Clutch, £85

John Lewis have been firmly in the limelight recently after launching their eagerly anticipated Christmas ad this year. I wasn't sure about it at first, it didn't seem to make much sense, though after I learned that the retailer teamed up with Age UK on the ad to raise awareness of the loneliness that elderly people often feel at this time of year, it gave it much more impact.

Love it or hate it, it's definitely been a talking point this year!

What's your favourite Christmas ad this year?

Glamorous X Trafford Centre

Hey,

So a couple of weeks ago, I got an exciting first look at the new Glamorous flagship store in Manchester's Trafford Centre.

The Glamorous team invited a few of us over to the store early on the first day of its launch. We were treated to a tour of the store, some lovely breakfast and a little shopping spree!

Felt fedora - Topshop

Gold choker - New Look

Long striped top - Ragged Priest

The store is lovely - fairly small but beautifully fit out for a great shopping environment. As the first standalone retail space for the brand, it's important that it sets the bar, and I think they've done just that!

It was so good to walk into a store in mid-August that wasn't covered in sale tape! The store is filled with new season trends, with a disctinct 70s, folksy vibe.

Glamorous has long been a brand I've loved; with a great knack for hitting new trends right on the head while keeping the ideal balance between price and quality.

I'd highly recommend a trip to the store, which is in the Trafford Centre's upper mall, close to Debenhams, Schuh and Lipsy.

I got some awesome pieces that I'm taking away with me to Italy this week so I'll be sharing those soon!

Are there any pieces that have caught your eye?

Banana Republic AW14 and a Birthday Night Out

Hello!

This post, like many others it seems at the moment, has been horrendously delayed. A few weeks ago, I was invited down to Banana Republic's store at Manchester's Trafford Centre for an introduction to the brand and their Autumn/Winter (or Fall/Winter as they might say across the pond) 2014 collections.

The Trafford Centre store is actually only one of two in the UK which are based outside of London. Even though the store's position in the Trafford Centre is really prominent, on the upper floor more or less opposite Selfridges, I'd often walked past but never been in.
  

Above: some of my favourite looks from the Banana Republic FW14 lookbook

The brand was founded  in 1978 and was bought out by Gap a few years later. Perhaps a little guilty of standing in Gap's shadow, Banana Republic has been continually growing and expanding its reach across not only America, but Europe too.

Recent developments have seen the brand gaining attention and kudos in its own right such as the recent appointment of former J.Crew designer, Marissa Webb as Creative Director back in April.

The Autumn/Winter collection is the first to have seen her influence. The result is an edgier, more fashion-led look for the brand and I'm excited to see what the future holds for SS15 which will have much more of her design input.

Back to the present, I was really surprised by what I found in-store. The clothes are exactly the sort of thing I'd wear for work; minimal, clean silhouettes in neutral shades and a range of textures like silk and faux leather.

There's lots of clever, flattering design details across the collections and the introduction of the new petites range was particularly good to see. I'm not necessarily petite myself but it was great to be talked through the garments which have been carefully chosen for inclusion in the line. My mum is petite and I know that choice can be limited if you don't want to tolerate clothes which are too long in the arm and leg.

I was invited to choose a few pieces from the store and as well as falling in love with the 100% Silk Popover Blouse so much that I bought it in two colours, I chose a beautiful black midi skirt.

I was waited for the right occasion to wear it, with its first outing being for my 25th birthday meal.

It's made from a really lovely thick fabric and is perfect for Autumn. I also love the pockets at the sides.

Vivienne Westwood orb necklace- birthday present

Black sequin mesh tee- Ragged Priest (online sample sale)

Black midi skirt- Banana Republic*

Fluffy roll top clutch bag- Topshop

Patent cleated sole chunky heels- ASOS

I teamed my skirt with this cool sequin and mesh tee from Ragged Priest. They had an online sample sale recently and I got a massive haul. A disadvantage of living up north is missing out on all the great brand sample sales in London so I was so happy to see them doing one online. I'm also wearing my new Vivienne Westwood gold orb necklace which I LOVE- a birthday present from the boy, he did good!

Have you taken a second look at any established brands recently?

Forever Twenty One

Hello!

So, I had the immense pleasure of taking part in something amazing at the weekend. A troupe of Manchester bloggers (Emma, Penny, Sarah, Katie, Jazmin  and Jen) and I, were invited down to the Forever 21 store on  Oxford Street in London for a shop-a-thon in anticipation of the grand opening of the Trafford Centre shop on 21st July.

There are so many reasons that I was thrilled to take part in the event. Firstly, I don't regard my little blog as attention worthy at all and it still surprises me that I have an amazing little following of readers (thank you!). For this reason, I don't really get invited to fashion events as a 'blogger' so it was amazing to be chosen as part of a select few. Also, I'm rather new to Manchester (I moved here last summer) and to be recognised as part of the Manchester blogging scene is just amazing. Plus, Forever 21 has a special little place in my heart as the first UK store was in Birmingham- where I went to uni. I still remember all the hype around it and even though I didn't shop there a great deal, it was one more little thing I missed after moving.

Anyway, let's put the violins away- on with the shopping!

After shopping, we went to a lovely little Italian restaurant called Rocket, hidden away down a side street away from the hubbub of Oxford Street.

I had the most amazing pizza- pancetta and goats cheese with cherry tomatoes and a balsamic glaze.

We all had to admire Katie's vigor for ordering the calzone, which was the size of a small child!

Here's a quick snap of some of the things I got- which was loads! Forever 21 is such great value, you get a lot more for your money than you'd expect from other high street chains of the same quality.

I began picking up a lot of black (surprise, surprise) so I moved out of my comfort zone a bit with some bright prints and a few neon tops.

I hope to style some of this up and do some outfit posts soon.

If anyone in Manchester fancies going along to the launch of the new store, I'm told that the first 300 through the door get a giftcard to spend in store!

On a final note, I had a fantastic day and met some lovely people- hope to meet up soon!

Love,

Foxy

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