Dr Yes

Every blonde harbours a not-so-secret wish to look like Ursula Andress on the beach. That's a fact. It's such a given that, on looking for an iconic Dr No bikini to go away with this year, I was shocked to learn that hardly anywhere does a classic, white, no-frills two-piece. I trawled through broderie anglaise, tacky sequin sprays and hip-widening ruffles but, alas, nada. Panicked that my holiday would be utterly bereft without it, I continued to search for The Perfect White Bikini. It just seemed to conjure up a sort of transendent sex appeal; part Bond Girl, part desert island fantasy.

Now, I can't promise to be going all Bear Grylls on my holiday; I really can't see me forcing clams open with my teeth etc, but hopefully this M&S number (I found it in *M&S!* I know!) will propel me that little bit closer to looking like a classic beach beauty in manner of Ursula or Brooke Shields circa Blue Lagoon. And if anyone disagrees I can always threaten them with my diving knife.

Picture Of The Day

Just bought America's Queen by Sarah Bradford; a Jackie O biography for my holiday. Great beach reading - sex, scandal and sunglasses! Can't wait!

Lip Service

Poor Hervé Léger. Probably the most oft-copied house in all of designerville. I don't think there's a high street store out there that hasn't turned their hand to one body-con homage or other; plastering Z-listers in too-tight Crayola bandages from here to Movida. Lipsy has always been a reliable source of such rip-offs - a go-to for good-time girls with a modest budget. Their inspired-by frocks can't help but put a smile on your face, even if it's an incredulous how-the-hell-do-they-get-away-with-it one. See above iconic Preen Power Dress. Er, I mean Lipsy Bubble Tulip Dress. I believe you have to change 7 things about an item before you can sell it and not get a court summons. But still. Preen must be screwing.

It was only a matter of time before Alexander Wang got thrown into the rip-off fray. The actual dress has amazing, richly textured ruching throughout - it completely kicks Lipsy's ass.

Preen sent out sexed-up candy colours for AW - 

Which were promptly ripped off by Lipsy - 

Against all my better judgement, I actually love this dress. There's such a fine line between wow and wag and I'm afraid to say I wobble on it precariously. 

Still, this dress is far too Gloria Estefan/Miami-fabulous to not go there.

Happiness is...

The Karl Lagerfeld Steiff bear has been top of my impossible Christmas gift list for quite a while. He's £800 but *totes* worth it - he's made from super-soft alpaca, each garment is handmade in Karl's atelier (he even has knee-high leather gastapo boots on underneath his suit)  and he has the same wonderfully imperious expression as the great man himself. What's not to love? See above glorious image if you doubt my logic. This picture just makes me so happy. My memory's only been jogged as I was in Selfridges yesterday, perusing their Kabiri concession (the best bit apart from the Hello Kitty section in kidswear) and Karl (bear, not Kaiser) was staring at me from yonder Concept room. It transpired that Selfridges had bought too many and now they're in the sale at £199! 

My mum, with unflinching severity, told me that if I spent 200 quid on a teddy bear that she'd stop talking to me for good.

I might go and get him later.

Fabulously fierce

Julien Macdonald, longtime Soap Awards couturier, has seemingly stuck two fingers up at sequins and polyester-lurex blends and created this kick-ass collection for AW 10. And it is FIERCE! *Cough* Did someone say Balmain? Oh, who CARES? Even if he is matching Msr Decarnin's eye-watering price points as well as his eye-gouging shoulder points. Who isn't partial to a bit of Dynasty decadence at the moment, anyway? Macdonald delivers it with a dash of rock n roll rebellion and punctuates it with some seriously sexy buckled ankle boots. This is the femme fatale at her most fabulous; edgy, alluring and oh-so cool. 

Ok, so maybe he couldn't give up the rhinestones that easily but it's a step in the right direction, no?

The spiderweb knits and sauvage furs are getting me very hot under the collar - love that he's done them in an unexpected gray.

So there you have it, harking back to his days at Givenchy, Julien Macdonald has reinvented his line as so much more than thigh-split gowns. He's sent out a serious, perfectly timed and executed collection that's challenged his waggy, eurotrash status and put him back on the map. 

Eye Candy

Er, how fit are these babies? They went live on net-a-porter.com today along with a few other Benjamin Eyewear pieces. 

£395 to look like Brenda Walsh is a ruddy bargain if you ask me. 

Car Booty

I forgot to do this post a while back - I'd unearthed some fabulous trinkets at the Hook Road Arena car boot sale one sunny bank holiday. Sales, I can't do. Something about that fusty jumble sale feel merged with hoards of crazed bargain-hunters - it's like a badly dressed zoo. Car boot sales, on the other hand, I can navigate like a pro. Maybe it's cos half the fun is finding something that's meant to be crap. I'm not very comfortable haggling - my English blood lets me down - but if there's a kitsch treasure to be found, I'll sniff it out. I get it from my mother; a cancer shop aficionado if ever there was one. There's a marvellous hidden gem of a place called Missionary Mart about half an hour from my house. I have to stand there, mortified, as my mother haggles 50p off a £2 musical tankard of which the money goes to charity anyway. But apart from these embarrasing episodes, it's worth the schelp just to find retro furniture, records and crockery at knock-down prices.

Marni magic

My beautiful new shoes arrived today from Net-a-porter.com. I love navy and black together, it's such an overlooked colour combination but it's absolutely one of the chicest. I'm in love with the raw wood finish on the pyramid heel too - it's kind of architectural but has a bit of a '70s retro vibe about it. Plus they strike just the right balance between fierce and feminine.

I'm going to stomp around in them all summer.