If you're new around these parts, you might not know that my standard fashion formula is a mixture of high end/designer pieces and high street gems - this outfit is the perfect demonstration of that.
Whenever I wear this cape, I'm inundated with compliments and every time, the person has been aghast when I tell them it's from one of my old high street favourites, Coast. Admittedly, Coast is on the slightly more pricey end of the 'high street' category, but I'd say their pieces are still attainable to a lot of people - so it still counts. This cape (which is also a fave of style queen Olivia Palermo!!1!) has knocked all of my other coats off the top spot. This cape is my no.1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. I'm besotted. I want one of these capes to wear and another one to frame like teenage boys do with signed football shirts. There's something so flattering about the cut and the way the wing-like sleeves fall and swoosh. To me, it's cool but elegant.
In fact, this love affair began when I saw Josie wearing it at an event (you must check out her marvellous blog!) and we went through the exact same hooha that I've been going through with strangers, which went something like this; 'OMG where's that from? Is it designer? It's Coast? WHAT?' *eyes fill with tears of joy*
I really do think that there are such wonderful, high quality pieces to be found on the high street and this cape is the epitome of that.
P.S. shameless self promo: there'll be an OOTD of this look and a birthday vlog up on my YouTube channel tomorrow if you'd like to subscribe in preparation!
Hello strangers! First, I must apologise for my absence. Although I've been gone, I've actually been busier than ever in terms of trips and exciting projects, and even though that makes me very happy, I've been finding it difficult to juggle everything along with YouTube. I'm a perfectionist; I hate rushing posts or videos and feeling like I could've done a better job, which often means I don't even start from fear my quick attempt will turn out badly. I'm working on making myself a schedule to help with self discipline, but until then, thank you for understanding and please let me know if there's a day that you'd like me to regularly post!
It's that time of year (or around a month after, forgive my lateness...) when this quiet little London mews becomes a photographic siren, calling every Instagrammer within sight to snap a photo. The leaves blush as the seasons change and the arch is draped in glorious colour, flowing over the stone like a waterfall suspended in time. So, it's no wonder that bloggers and photographers feverishly flock to it, hoping to catch it at it's peak. We also took a shot in front of the leaves that were yet to turn, just to really demonstrate the incredible colour transition.
Autumn is definitely my favourite season in terms of colour, and so I decided, perhaps uninventively, to go full on matchy-matchy. I didn't see any point in even trying to upstage the background. Here, it's undoubtedly the main attraction.
Do you love Autumn too? Is it your favourite season?
Also - if you're not already, you can see more of my life, travels, new purchases and the like over on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube where I post a lot more regularly @arabellagolby.
I feel I should point out, I'm aware it's October. I know this look is quite seasonally confused, and when I first saw this dress I was overcome with autumnal denial. When it arrived, I just had to photograph it, so I threw my coat off and got some strategically placed but irrelevant flowers involved to really emphasise the 'I'M TOTALLY NOT EVEN COLD RIGHT NOW' vibe I was going for. To make matters even funnier, just as we arrived at this pre-selected Tiffany-blue door, the heavens opened. Such irony. If you go back and look at the photos again, you'll probably be able to see that the floor is soaking wet and I'm sitting on the clear plastic that the flowers were wrapped in and I still ended up with a wet bum. Desperate times.
Back to the dress itself; it's truly beautiful. Two tones of blue combined in a vintage looking lace, a deep v-neck with trumpet sleeves and scalloped edges. Heaven. I also love the fact that the body is lined, but the sleeves are sheer, meaning the the lace creates even more of a contrast against the skin. Even though it's not entirely weather appropriate, I'm happy to add it to my collection for future wear.
Do you ever buy completely inappropriate clothes for the season? Please help me feel less ridiculous.
Last week, my mother and I visited one of my favourite childhood haunts, Waddesdon Manor. I distinctly remember coming here as a child to go sledding, wrapped up in a big red coat. The house is breathtaking and to me, looks like a real life version of The Beauty & The Beast Castle, with an interior to match. (I actually filmed a tour of the inside, including all of the history, which you can watch here if you'd like!) I think it's evident that style is one of my main passions, but I also have a longstanding fascination with architecture and historical buildings. I really, really love these photos because I feel like they're combing my two loves!
As for the outfit, I'm sure you're rolling your eyes at my predictable taste. Ruffles? Frills? SOLD. I'm sorry - there's just a small part of me that wants to drape myself in pearls and ruffles like a fabulous old woman. This top is certainly eye-catching but it's versatile too, and now, one of my new favourites! I just adore the rich blue colour, pleats and layered details.
Do you like visiting National Trust properties? Which ones would you recommend? Also - if you watch the my tour of the house, I'd love to know what you think!
The Rouge-Expert Click Stick is a new launch from the luxury French beauty brand, By Terry. With 25 shades to choose from and retailing at £24.50, it promises a 3-in-1 performance with high pigmentation, a precise application and a velvety smooth, balm-like texture. By Terry is a brand that I'm already quite besotted with. I know I can expect the absolute highest performance and quality from their products. So, I was very, very excited to try out the Rouge-Expert Click Stick - more excited than I have been for a new launch in quite a while. It was the unique teardrop shape of the bullet that first caught my eye, and after trialling the colour 'My Red' (a classic, true red) I can truly say that it applies the colour to my lips in a way that I've never experienced before. I didn't trust the unusual shape at first, imagining it'd feel strange and unfamiliar. I applied it tentatively, without lipliner (something I never do with bright colours) and was shocked by the incredibly intense coverage and the way the teardrop shape just... works. It just works in a way that I can't quite explain. It reminded me of the first time I tried a liquid lipstick; just one sweep does the job in terms of shape and coverage, unlike a normal lipstick which can take a few coats to reach its full colour potential. I suppose it just demonstrates that there was clearly a lot of research and trialling that went into the teardrop shape. The 'click-stick' mechanism, that pushes up just the right amount of product also works well. It's not too over-zealous which means you won't end up smushing the lid onto unused product. If you're a lipstick lover, I'd certainly recommend giving this product a try. I also think, considering the fact that most of By Terry products are quite pricey - this price of this product is surprising. I accept that £24.50 isn't cheap, but bearing in mind that lots of other brands that I wouldn't consider so luxurious also price their lipsticks in the same region, the Rouge-Expert Click Stick is unexpectedly reasonable.