Saturday shopping: a sneak peak around the shop

Today we thought we'd bring you a little look around Emma's vintage shop. We're probably a bit biased but we think it's the best shop ever! Full to the brim of sparkly pieces, jewellery, fur coats, accessories and more with a menswear section too!

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." - Coco Chanel.

"Fashions fade, style is eternal" - Yves Saint-Laurent.

"Whoever said that money can't buy happiness, simply didn't know where to go shopping" - Bo Derek.

"Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak" - Rachel Zoe.

If you've never been before and would like to find it - it's 31-33 Unicorn Hill in Redditch, just a couple of seconds' walk away from the bus and train stations and pretty much as close to the town centre as you can get!


View Larger Map
H & E x

Tuesday Tresses: accessories for your hair

Today we wanted to bring you some ideas for updating your hair! If you don't want a new style, colour or cut but you want your locks to look a little bit different why not try adding some accessories in?

Yesterday we featured some hair jewellery (here) but if you don't want to splash out on some new jewellery the this look is still so simple to achieve - simply put your hair up in a topknot, it can be as messy or as neat as you like. Then take some jewellery - either a necklace or you could even try it with a bracelet and pin it up around your head. It creates a stunning look within seconds!

Hair pins are such an amazing thing! They brighten up your hair and give a special vintage look! To create this simply tie up your hair in a bun or top knot and place the pins around the bun - you can use as many or as few as you like.

Headscarfs are so versatile - for this look simply leave your hair down and tie the scarf in a big bow at the front of your hair. It's a bold 70s look but is so easy to pull off! And you can use a scarf of any colour to match your outfit.

For this cute bow look all your need to do is plait your hair, cut off a strip of denim and tie it in a bow around the bottom of the plait. You can cut the denim as thin or thick as you like - and you can even make the look sparkle by adding studs or gems to the piece!

Let us know in the comments below which look is your favourite! Or why not leave some other suggestions for our readers to enjoy!

H & E x

Menswear Monday: vintage for the boys

At the shop, Emma doesn't just cater for girls - there's an amazing boys' section too! What's brilliant about the vintage menswear is that so many ladies are loving wearing it too. Shirts, jumpers and even coats can be dressed up by the girls as well as boys!

This jumper looks really stylish with a shirt and will look equally good on either a vintage loving boy or a girl!

How amazing is this coat? It looks great with this scarf to add a little bit of colour to the outfit!

Everyone is loving their patterned shirts right now and this print is so cool - why not team a shirt with a dickie bow for a unique look?

Chelsea boots and a vintage bag will really finish off that outfit a treat!

H & E x

Statement Saturday: accessorising your collars

Fashion is all about being creative so why not use a few simple tips to jazz up your outfits - a cheap accessory added to the collar or sleeve can really make all the difference and make you stand out from the crowd! There really is no end to the possibilities! Why not have a look around some of your local shops to see what you can find to add to your favourite piece - or you probably already own plenty of accessories or add-ons to bling up your outfit!

This beautiful white vintage shirt has really been jazzed up by adding gems on to the collar! It really brightens up the outfit and means you don't have to add much in the way of jewellery - unless you want to of course. These were purchased for just £1.10 each which shows how cheap it is to give pieces a whole new lease of life. 

This cropped black vintage jacket would go with almost anything and could be dressed up or down. But to give it that extra added sparkle why not attach these sparkly gems to the sleeves? It makes a change from accessorising your collars too and guarantee you will look unique!

 This vintage 1950s denim shirt is an absolute beaut but what makes it look even more individual is this dickie bow - it makes it look really quirky and will have people looking at you for all the right reasons. Why not team a bow with a vest top too? There are so many uses for one - they're definitely not just for boys!

This vintage shirt is such a lovely colour but to make it stand out even more why not add some dangly earrings. It really makes a statement!  You can try this with any shirt and any pair of earrings - mix and match them and see which looks the best!

 Of course in this horrible weather most of the time you're out and about wrapped in so many layers. But there's no reason why you can't make your coat really stand out! These brooches and a statement necklace give this otherwise beautiful but plain coat a real lift and make it look so classy and special. There's no reason why you can't add embellishments on to all of your coats - especially if you've had them a while and you're starting to get a little bored of them!

So there you have it, those are five of our top tips for making your outfit stand out and giving you that extra edge over all those fashion clones out there! All of the clothing featured is available at the shop so if you've fallen in love with the pictures why not pop in to the shop?

H & E x

Friday Fashion: our week in outfits

Today we thought we'd do something a little different but still sticking with the Friday Fashion theme. So without much further ado here is a guide to what we both wore every day this week!

MONDAY:

Emma: t-shirt - BOY London / skirt - H&M / belt - Primark / boots - Topshop

I love this t-shirt and practically live in it and I'm also loving this skirt. I added black tights to this outfit too. 

Harriet: dress - Primark / cardi - vintage / necklace - Primark

I loved wearing this cardi for the first time, it's so warm! And the dress will see me right through to summer. I teamed this with black tights and ended up wearing my wellies because of the snow!

TUESDAY:

Emma: t-shirt - Topshop / cardigan - vintage / skirt - Primark / shoes - Converse

This is my new t-shirt from Topshop and I paired it with this purple Frank User cardi which I love! Again I added black tights to this outfit.

Harriet: dress - Primark / cardi - Topshop / earrings - Primark / owl bracelet - Primark / watch - New Look

I had on a pair of black tights and my black Chelsea boots with this. I love this new dress and this tasselled cardi is a firm favourite of mine.

WEDNESDAY:

Emma: t-shirt dress - H &M / blouse - vintage

I'm loving wearing this t-shirt dress as it's so comfy and I added a little something extra to the outfit with this green vintage blouse over the top.

Harriet: dress - Topshop / shirt - vintage / scarf - H&M / rings - H&M and Primark

Wednesday is my busiest day at work so I like to be even comfier than normal! This loose dress and shirt combo was perfect for a long day with black tights and my leopard print Chelsea boots.

THURSDAY: 

Emma: t-shirt - available to order at the shop / skirt - vintage / shoes - Kurt Geiger

This 3/4 leather vintage skirt must be the comfiest item I own and these leopard print shoes go with almost anything!

Harriet: dress - H&M / cardi - Primark / scarf - vintage / earrings - Primark / marble ring - H&M / big ring - Primark

This cardi is so big and warm I love throwing it over a more fitting dress to hide any lumps and bumps! Again I had on my tights and my leopard print Chelsea boots.

FRIDAY:

 

Emma: jeans - Topshop / checked top - vintage / wooden sandals - Topshop / bracelet - Topshop

I love these new Topshop high-waisted ankle grazers, they fit so well. These new sandals will be my favourite this season as they'll go with almost anything and this starsign bracelet represents my birth sign and was only £5!

Harriet: dress - vintage / cardi - New Look / scarf - vintage / owl ring - Primark / leaf ring - Dorothy Perkins

Staying with the theme of big cardies over a dress! The pattern on this dress is beautiful!

So that's how we've styled ourselves this week while Emma's been in the shop and Harriet's been at work. Hope you've enjoyed this twist on Fashion Friday and we'll be back tomorrow with another new blogpost. In the meantime, are you following us on Twitter? If not find us @HEBeautifulLife.

Treat yourself Tuesday: our new purchases

We've both been indulging in a little retail therapy lately so we thought we'd show your some of our purchases and give you our ideas about how we'd wear what's in the shops right now! We've picked five items each so hold on tight and here we go!

Also - an announcement! You can now follow us on Twitter!

EMMA:

Skirt - H&M - £19.99

I love this skirt especially the length and the gorgeous green with the gold stud detailing! These types of skirt are so versatile as they can be worn for work, shopping, a dinner date, even partying - the list is endless! For a day look I would add black tights with a funky t-shirt, leather jacket, some ankle boots and plenty of jewellery.

Leopard print jumper - H&M - £12.99

I absolutely love this jumper! Again there are so many ways you could wear it - to work, shopping or for a comfy day. I would definitely choose to wear it on a comfy day but teaming it with jogging bottoms or a t-shirt dress, I guarantee you'll never want to take it off!

T-shirt - Topshop - £20

I am just totally in love with this new t-shirt! This comes up quite baggy and long so you could get away with wearing it as a dress with black tights and your favourite trainers. I can't wait to wear mine and will add my leather jacket over the top!

Skirt - H&M - £14.99

This delicate lace skirt is from H&M and I'm immensely in love with it! I wore this out on Saturday night and teamed it with a cami top, leopard print belt, cropped leather jacket and ankle boots. It looked totally amazing! This skirt is a must this season!

T-shirt dress - H&M - £7.99

Everyone should invest in a t-shirt dress, they are so simple to wear and go with absolutely everything! You can wear them under your shirts, baggy t-shirts, jumpers, dress it up with a blazer, a leather jacket and your favourite high shoes. And of course a must is to overload it with jewellery!

HARRIET:

Dress - Primark - £10

This dress sits at a beautiful midi length and is ideal for the taller girl such as myself if you don't want to show off too much leg! It's tight fitting but not too clingy which again is ideal. I'll be wearing this to work today with a tasselled sleeveless cardi, black tights, black Chelsea boots, a top knot and plenty of jewellery. Alternatively I'd pair it with these cross earrings (also Primark) and some mega heels for a classy evening look.

Shirt - vintage - Emma's shop

I've got a real thing about vintage shirts but most of the ones I own are denim so not ideal for work. As soon as I saw this in Emma's shop I knew I wanted it to be mine! It's long enough to wear with leggings so for a casual look I'd go for leggings, flat boots, a patterned headscarf and probably a big chunky jumper over the top. For a work look I'd tuck it in to some trousers or a skirt and wear a scarf tied in a bow under the collar.

Vest top - Primark - £3

How can you argue with spending about the same as you would on a sandwich on a top with a wolf on it, a dipped hem at the back and studs on the shoulder?! In the summer I'd wear this with a pair of denim shorts, Converse and some flowers in my hair to girly it up a bit! Or for now it'll be paired with leggings, Converse and a big jumper with plenty of bracelets.

Shirt - vintage - Emma's shop

What was I saying about vintage shirts? I love the stud detail Emma's cleverly added to this shirt and the length of it. I'll be wearing it to work open over a bright dress or with jeans, ballet shoes, a leather jacket and these peace earrings (from Primark) for a weekend look.

Maxi skirt - Primark - £10

I literally ran to this skirt and grabbed it as soon as I lay eyes on it! It's the ultimate comfy skirt. For a casual look I'll be wearing it with an oversized men's vest tucked in to it with a patterned headscarf and Converse/sandals in the summer. I think it would also look amazing with a white shirt and a big fur coat!

Those are just some of the looks we'll be rocking in the coming days and weeks! We hope you loved our new purchases as much as we do!

H & E x

Fashion Friday: tailored trousers

Our last Fashion Friday post (click here if you haven't seen it) was such a hit we were just itching to do another one! And what better to follow tailored jackets with than tailored trousers? These are SO big at the moment that if you haven't found your perfect pair yet it's imperative you get down to your favourite vintage or high street store right now! Once again we've picked out three pieces we love and both of us have chosen outfits for all three to match our style. If only it was Friday every day!

These cheeky checked trousers are on sale at Emma's shop (and match the vintage jacket we featured in last week's Fashion Friday).

Emma's outfit: black leather t-shirt - H&M / black boots with gold heel detail - Topshop / gold bag - 80s vintage.

For a work look Harriet would go with: shirt - vintage / leopard print headscarf - vintage / necklace - gift / shoes - Primark.

These high street beauties are from H&M!

Emma's teamed them with: sparkly top - 70s vintage / rainbow bag - vintage / shoes - Primark (only £12, what an absolute bargain!)

For a night out Harriet would wear them with: gold cross vest top - Clothes Show / shoes - Primark / feather earrings - Primark / nail varnish - Rimmel.

How cool are these trousers? They're vintage and on sale right now at the shop!

Emma would roll the trousers up and then style them with: oversized green jumper - H&M / brown leather bag - vintage / shoes - Office.

Harriet's casual look includes: pink jumper - vintage / black Chelsea boots - New Look / cross necklace - Primark / patterned headscarf - H&M.

We hope you've enjoyed having a look at our style as we much as we enjoy putting these outfits together! Make sure you come back next Friday for more Fashion Friday (or why not have a look in the week too as we put up plenty of fun fashion, beauty and craft posts to keep you entertained!)

H & E x

Milliners Monday: Christian Dior hat!

Just a little post today to show off something amazing Emma found the other day!

Ems regularly buys various vintage bits and pieces from people to sell in the shop and among the items she got the other day were some hats - she never dreamed when she opened up one of the hat boxes sitting there would be this beautiful Christian Dior hat!

As you can see it's in absolutely mint condition with gold rings on the back where the scarf's attached. The silk hat was made in England in about the 1950s and just looks amazing! As a lifelong Christian Dior fan, Emma was absolutely over the moon to find this!

So hopefully you've enjoyed having a look at the hat as much as Emma's enjoying being its proud owner!

We've picked up plenty of craft goodies to create lots of new posts in the coming days so make sure you come back and have a look!

H & E x

Fashion Friday: tailored jackets.

Fashion is all about taking a trend and making it your own so we thought we'd show you how you can pick a  piece and wear it day or night, no matter what you're doing! Following fashion is so easy these days when you can walk in to any high street shop and pick a beautiful piece off the rails but equally we firmly believe you can find a look which screams trendy by wearing vintage - they say fashion goes round in circles so why not pick a piece made last time today's trends were hot, that way you can guarantee you'll be the only one rocking it wherever you go!

This week we've picked tailored jackets - EVERYONE is wearing them right now and here's how we'd wear ours:

This cheeky checked little number is so on trend and has found its new owner who snapped it up as soon as they saw it in Emma's shop.

Emma's styled a beautiful night-time look for it: dress - Topshop/ shoes - vintage / bag - vintage / cross - Forever 21 / ball necklace - vintage.

And Harriet's paired it with some comfy casuals for a daytime look: oversized men's vest - Primark / jeans - New Look / headscarf - vintage / rings - H&M.

You can find this amazing striped blazer on sale at Primark!

This is Emma's daytime look for the stripy blazer: cami top - vintage / leather mini skirt - H&M / necklace - vintage / shoes - Converse (you can always add tights to this look while it's still a little chilly to go bare legged). 

And for a night-time look this is how Harriet would style it: dress - H&M / glittery shoes - New Look / owl earrings - gift / glitter (for eyes) - Barry M / nail varnish - Missguided.

This super cool vintage jacket is on sale at the shop.

This outfit styled by Emma would be perfect for a dinner date: dress - Topshop / boots - Kurt Geiger / nail varnish - OPI / belt - Primark.

Finally this is a work look from Harriet: dress - Topshop / watch - New Look / belt - Primark / boots - Primark / headscarf - H&M / nail varnish - Barry M.

Hopefully that's given you some inspiration - maybe there's a jacket you've had hanging in your wardrobe waiting for them to fill the pages of fashion magazines again or if not why not get out there and pick up a high street or a vintage jacket to complement any look!

H & E x