Psst... 50% off Torrid clearance

Be quick and don't miss out on this opportunity to get 50% off on all Torrid clearance! Offer ends tomorrow!

Unique treasures - Romantic nostalgia

Unique Treasures is a feature that showcases unique hidden gems and celebrates all things hand-made. It's where I'll try to bring you everything from the most beautiful vintage clothes to hand-crafted accessories and custom-made dresses from places like Etsy and eBay.



I had in my mind a nostalgic look for a woman who's meeting her lover at the train station in order to go away for a weekend break in the countryside. I tired to find good quality handmade items that have a classically timeless look, and this gorgeous coat fit the bill perfectly.

• Wool Redingote coat by Vigilante Laboratories from Etsy.
• Organic bamboo dress by Miss Braches from Etsy.
• Black 1980's leather slouch boots from eBay.
• Handmade gold heart spinner necklace from Feisty Fairy Jewellery.
• Black handmade Fraulein tote from Moop.

Hot off the Press - Goodie Bag Winner

Thanks so much for taking part in this week's Goodie Bag contest and sharing your 'style crimes' with me. There certainly were some stories that brought back vivid memories of my own youth, and it seems like over the years I've partaken in pretty much every horrendous style mishap that was mentioned. :D

Having said that, this here ensemble (from -95) must be the absolute most horrendous style crime I've ever committed. Colourful (and patterned) bicycle shorts, tie-dye tee and doc martens (with green socks no less, what is that about?). Looking at this makes me quite dizzy. There was a full frontal picture in the album as well, but that made me cringe too much, no way I'm inflicting such horrors on you!

As always, the winner of this week's Goodie Bag was drawn randomly, and this time lady luck smiled on kaka! Congratulations! :) (p.s. Can you please email me your address so I can post your goodies to you.)

Psst... Goodie Bag contest closes today

Don't forget to take part in this week's Goodie Bag contest! I'm still waiting to hear more stories, and see some embarrassing pictures, of your biggest style crimes! :D

DIVA of the Week - Valerie

DIVA of the week is a feature that showcases people with an inspirational personal style. DIVA of the week is someone who's not afraid to have fun with clothes and who dresses to please herself, and in doing so, brightens up everyone else's day.



Valerie 28
Brussels, Belgium

How would you describe your personal style?
Girly girl is the first thing that pops into my mind. I love dresses and fun/feminine accessories. As a plus-size woman it can be difficult to develop your own style because the market is still not offering enough trendy and well-cut clothes. A few years ago I used to buy something if it fitted, and then worry later how to accessorize the outfit to make it more fun and more me. Nowadays the internet is a fat girl's best friend!

What are you wearing today?
I am wearing a Benina & Lu dress from their new collection. The boots are Diesel and my new love! Accessories from Asos and Primark.

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If you want to be featured as DIVA of the Week, send a good quality photograph, preferably taken outside, and answers to the questions: 'Name/Age/Location', 'How would you describe your personal style?', and 'What are you wearing today (in the picture)?' to diva [at] divalookbook.com.

Nice blog!

Moumou awarded me with this honor, which comes attached with a cute badge. Thank you very much! :D The instructions say that I should pass this on to 5 other blogs, so here we go... The blogs I chose are:

• Blog to be Alive
• Tyk!
• Smaggle Style
• Already Pretty
• Buttermilk Bisquits

Hot off the Press - Elena Mirò opens Milan Fashion Week

I've been waiting for a few days now to get my hands on some photos, or even a mention, about Elena Mirò opening the Milan Fashion Week, but alas, both style.com and Elle seem to have decided to ignore this collection altogether, despite boasting featuring all the shows. I wanted to do a great big 'Hot of the Press' feature full of gorgeous plus size models traipsing down the catwalk, but as it seems impossible to find any images to use, this mention will have to do. You can see a small slide show of some of the collection within the Telegraph article. In spite of what I think about the actual line, I think it's important to acknowledge the fact there's finally some real size women up on the catwalk - looking healthy and fabulous.

Psst... Girlst Night In at Dorothy Perkins

For one night only, on Thursday 25 September, Dorothy Perkins is inviting you to save 20% on their fabulous new autumn collection. There will be free drinks from Lambrini*, complimentary mini makeovers and giveaways from Collection 2000, and free Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner* with purchase. You wil also have the chance to win a fabulous style consultation with celebrity stylist Gok Wan!

With 20 participating stores, there'll be one close enough for you to enjoy the greatest Girls Night In! Entry is free. Event starts at 4pm. Check out the participating stores here.
*While stocks last.

Look Book - Black Glam

Look Book feature is the backbone of DIVA Look Book. It's where I pull together workable looks for different occasions from clothes that can be found in most plus sizes. There's no excuse for every girl not to look, and feel, fabulous!


Capes are hot news this season, and I really love the high neckline of this CarmaKoma beauty. Inspired by the monochrome look of the rest of the CarmaKoma line, I went full-on black with this outfit. If you feel like leather trousers are too daring (or, like in my case, young) for you, you could try the look with wet look, or ruched, leggings.

• Black New York cape from CarmaKoma.
• Black corsage stripe top from New Look.
• Black leather skinny jeans from Dorothy Perkins.
• Black elbow length leather gloves Fashion World.
• Black stud buckle boots from Evans.
• Black pop rose ring from Lady Luck Rules OK.

Psst... Lipstick Jungle

Cocktails at the ready! Today is the day when Lipstick Jungle, new series based on a novel by Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell, hits our screens. It's been a few years since I first heard the rumours about Lipstick Jungle being made into a TV series, and even longer since I read the book. It's been a long old wait and I sure hope it'll be worth it! Be sure to tune into Living at 10pm tonight.

To celebrate Lipstick Jungle ASOS has teamed up with Living to give you a chance to win a fabulous girlie weekend for three in London. The prize includes:

• Return travel for three people from anywhere in the UK
• Two nights in a top London hotel
• Massages at the Ritz Hotel Salon
• A champagne trip on the London Eye
• £1000 worth of vouchers to spend at asos.com

To enter you should go check out the ASOS fan page at Facebook and become a fan. Then simply upload a picture to the fan album of yourself and your two best friends having the time of your lives and looking fantastic with a caption explaining why you deserve to live the Lipstick Jungle experience. ASOS will then select 20 finalists and Facebook fans will get a chance to vote for the winner.

I say it all sounds like fun, even if you don't win!

Psst... Win a Lancome lipstick

Lancome has teamed up with Harper's Bazaar to offer 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty readers the chance to win one of their new L'Absolu Rouge lipsticks throughout September. One lucky person will also have a chance to win a luxurious coffret of all 30 lipsticks! To be in for a chance to win one of these gorgeous new lipsticks, worth £17 each, simply fill out your details here.

Goodie Bag - Your biggest style crimes?

The Goodie Bag feature is where I host little contests and promotions, which give you a chance to bag yourself something nice and add some cheer to your day.



In this week's Goodie Bag are:

• Cool zipper earrings from Feisty Fairy
  
• Trendy hair band from New Look
  
• Funky flash necklace from Punky Pins
  
• Cute teddy notebook
• Pretty skulls pen from Paperchase
  

Oh dear, after all the lofty promises in the previous Goodie Bag, last week turned out to be a complete washout. I had training and all sorts of things, which kept me so busy I didn't get a chance to devote any energy to DLB. I promise this week will be different! Seriously! At least there's a new Goodie Bag to kick start your week - that's a start eh!

This week I'd like to know your biggest style crimes. Any funny stories (and yes please, pics!) about those embarrassing fashion faux pas that have stuck in your mind, and possibly still make you shudder, will be appreciated and cherised! I'm sure none of us is alone in having some unfortunate fashion skeletons in the closet.

To be in for a chance to win this Goodie Bag, comment on this entry and share your most memorable fashion faux pas. As a bonus, if you link back to this entry, you will be entered into the draw twice.

This contest closes on Friday 26 September at 5pm GMT. I'll draw the winner later on Friday night, and will aim to announce it on Saturday.

Hot off the Press - CarmaKoma

Here's something I have been waiting for a looong time, a plus size collection with an edge. A collection which offers clothes that are not only wearable, but have proper fashion credibility. I came across the Danish CarmaKoma via the lovely Tyk! blog, and was completely blown away. CarmaKoma is still in very early stages, but I've just mailed them and got a very promt reply from Heidie, who told me that the website should be completely in English, and ready to ship internationally, by the end of this month!

I for one can't wait! I've been waiting for a long time for the industry to recognise this gap in the market. I can only wish that we'll see a growing trend of plus size collections of this calibre in the future!

Psst... La Redoute final clearance

The La Redoute final clearance is now on. You can save up to 70% on a lot of items. I like the pattern of this pretty little Marianne James top, which is now just £7.50.

Psst... 15% off accessories at ASOS

ASOS is taking part in 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty by giving you a chance to get 15% off all accessories. Complete your look for less with 15% off jewellery, belts and selected bags. Simply enter '30DAYSASOS' as the discount code at the checkout. Promotion ends 30 September.

From catwalk to closet - All Laced Up

From catwalk to closet takes a look at the hottest trends on the runway and shows you where to find the key items for your own wardrobe.



Lace is one of the major trends this winter, and perhaps surprisingly, it's quite wearable in every day life. Just as long as you go for the more sophisticated look and steer clear of the black lace all-in-one horrors of the 90's, you should be safe. In my opinion lace works best in a dress, and in a dark colour it's not overly prissy. As the days get colder, you might want to invest in some good quality polo necks, they will allow you to wear your dresses throughout the season.

• Lace print dress from Fashion World.
• Schuh Virgo-2 lace up boots from VivaLaDiva.
• Modalu Farrow shoulder tote bag from House of Fraser.
• Black polo neck from Kaleidoscope.
• Black rhinestone jumble ring from Dorothy Perkins.

Runway image: www.elleuk.com

Hot off the Press - Goodie Bag Winner

Thanks so much for taking part in this week's Goodie Bag contest and sharing your 'style identity' with me.

Before announcing the winner, I do have to apologise though. Lately I've been suffering from serious lack of time, and it certainly shows. I promise to do better from now on, and will try to find the time to produce some proper content - more look books, more tips, more of everything!

So do stick with DLB, things can only get better! :)

As always, the winner of this week's Goodie Bag was drawn randomly, and this time lady luck smiled on the lovely mou mou! Congratulations! :) (p.s. Can you please email me your address so I can post your goodies to you.)

Psst... Did someone say free shoes?

As part of Boot's 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty campaign www.shoestudio.com is giving away a year's supply of shoes to one lucky winner. To be in with a chance of winning 12 gorgeous pairs of new shoes from Bertie, Nine West and Pied a Terre, simply enter here! Closing date for entries is 30 September.

Psst... Win a £1,000 shopping-spree

Vote for your favourite shops in the Company High-Street Fashion Awards 2008 and you could win an amazing shopping-spree package, with your own stylist, worth £1,000! To enter, go here.

Hot off the Press - Can we skip straight to spring?

The Matthew Williamson Spring/Summer collection has made me wish I could skip the winter and go straight to spring. So delicious!








Image source: www.elleuk.com

DIVA of the Week - Emma

DIVA of the week is a feature that showcases people with an inspirational personal style. DIVA of the week is someone who's not afraid to have fun with clothes and who dresses to please herself, and in doing so, brightens up everyone else's day.



Emma 27
Sheffield

How would you describe your personal style?
Indie-punk meets kitsch dolly bird.

What are you wearing today?
My dress is from Primark, bought ages ago but I've only just started wearing it this summer. My tights are from New Look, shoes are from Office, and my green ring is from Camden market. The rest of my jewellery - the 'Love Is...' bracelet, Scrabble bracelet and button ring, are all made by me!

--

This is the first time a reader has sent in a picture of themselves, asking to be in the DIVA of the Week section. First I was a bit hesitant as I originally had this idea of having a purely streetstyle type of feature, but then I thought 'why not', the more the merrier!

Hot off the Press - EveryBODY Counts Survey

FatStylist.com is sponsoring a survey called EveryBODY Counts, which, to quote them, is:

"...your chance to tell the fashion industry what you really want when it comes to sizes and styles. [The results] will be sent to stockists/buyers and apparel manufacturers so they can better understand and accommodate our style needs."

So chop chop, off you go and take part!

Goodie Bag - What's your style identity?

The Goodie Bag feature is where I host little contests and promotions, which give you a chance to bag yourself something nice and add some cheer to your day.



In this week's Goodie Bag are:

• Funky Sex Pistols & skull necklace from Feisty Fairy
  
• A t-shirt (with a bit of a rude picture) from Blood is the New Black
  
• Cool bracelet from Topshop
• Colourful selection of earrings from Primark

It must be Monday again! In an effort to make Mondays something to look forward to, here's another Goodie Bag offering up for grabs. This week I'd like you to tell me if there's any era or movement that influences your style most. Are you a punk rocker at heart or a 50's glamour puss? As always, it would be nice to see links to pictures that epitomise your innate style.

To be in for a chance to win this Goodie Bag, comment on this entry and share your style identity. As a bonus, if you link back to this entry, you will be entered into the draw twice.

This contest closes on Friday 12 September at 5pm GMT. I'll draw the winner later on Friday night, and will most likely announce it on Saturday.

Apologies

Apologies for the first, slightly less than perfect looking, newsletter. :D It's safe to say that I'm not exactly au fait with the publishing software yet. Surely they can only get better!

Hot off the Press - Goodie Bag Winner

Thanks to all of you who took part in this week's Goodie Bag contest! It was nice to see that a lot of people have subscribed to the newsletter, even more than were accounted for in the comments. Hopefully it will prove to be a useful tool in communicating with you in the future!

I am absolutely knackered from the wedding I attended yesterday (only got home today), so I will keep this short and sweet. Just writing up the raffle tickets took most of the energy I had!

As always, the winner of this week's Goodie Bag was drawn randomly, and this time lady luck smiled on tuhlaus, for which I'm really pleased, as she's the author of one of my favourite blogs! Congratulations! :) (p.s. Can you please email me your address so I can post your goodies to you.)

<3 US - Grown Up Rock Chick

Perhaps I'm feeling in a rebel mood today, but for some reason I felt a strong urge to build a more 'grown-up' look around an old classic, the motorcycle jacket. It's an item that gives a rock'n'roll edge to any outfit, but here I've tried to tone the effect down with an earthy coloured dress and some classy accessories.

Another thing relating to buying from the States. I came across this site called Shop any American store, which, if it works as well as it promises, should make ordering from American stores a lot more straightforward. Basically, it allows you to look for stuff you want in any online store, tell them the item numbers, and they'll order all the things and send them to you in one shipment. If anyone has any experiences ordering through them I'd love to hear from you!

• Green & brown Claudia dress from b&lu.
• Black leather belt from Old Navy.
• Black basic motorcycle jacket from Rocky Mountain.
• Olive green tights from We Love Colors.
• Black Mossimo drawstring tote from Target.
• Black Jude Tie Side Short Boot from Torrid.
• Black & white Zoe scarf from dELiA's.
• Hematite Bangle Bracelet 6-Pack from Torrid.
• Large hoop earrings from Nordstrom.

Hot off the Press - IGIGI's Autumn Collection

I'm loving IGIGI's new Autumn collection. Somehow especially this Jackie two-in-one wrap dress gets me all excited, and I'm not even a dress person! Perhaps it just taps into my personal hidden power fantasies or something, who knows. :D

DIVA of the Week - Alana

DIVA of the week is a feature that showcases people with an inspirational personal style. DIVA of the week is someone who's not afraid to have fun with clothes and who dresses to please herself, and in doing so, brightens up everyone else's day.



Alana 26
Borough Market, London

How would you describe your personal style?
Casual chic meets skater girl with 'tude.

What are you wearing today?
My jeans are Earnest Sewn and the hoodie is from Miss Shop in Australia. The bag is by Olga Berg and my flip flops are Havaianas. My ring (which was gorgeous!) is from a shop - of which I can't remember the name of - in Albany, Western Australia.

Psst... Win £150 Bravissimo vouchers

Bravissimo is offering one lucky winner the chance to win £150 worth of vouchers! In addition to stocking a huge range of pretty lingerie and swimwear in D to K cup (28 to 40 back sizes), Bravissimo also offers clothing and nightwear tailored especially to fit and flatter bigger boobs. To browse the range, and for expert bra fitting advice, visit Bravissimo.

For your chance to win, fill out your details here by 20 September.

For another chance to win, Bravissimo has five £50 vouchers up for grabs every Friday throughout September.

Goodie Bag - Keep up-to-date with DLB

The Goodie Bag feature is where I host little contests and promotions, which give you the chance to bag yourself something nice and add some cheer to your day.



In this week's Goodie Bag are:

• DAY Birger et Mikkelsen scarf (it's quite big and versatile)
• Beautiful silver butterfly hoop earrings from ASOS
• A cute purse from Accessorize
• Pretty pink strawberry necklace to prolong the summer
• A cute pen with ice cream motifs.

I can't believe it's already September! Wow. In honour of the Autumn season well and truly being here, I've put together the best Goodie Bag ever. This time there is no question to answer, but rather an action to take. I've set up a newsletter so you can be informed of new contests and other interesting developments here at DLB. Everyone who subscribes to the newsletter, and leaves a comment in this entry letting me know they have done so, will be in for a chance to win all these gorgeous goodies. And as usual, as a bonus, if you link back to this entry, you will be entered into the draw twice.

Email Address

This contest closes on Friday 5 September at 5pm GMT. I'll draw the winner on Saturday night (as am away at a wedding on Friday), and will announce the winner by the end of weekend.