HOC winter thread. The cool and clear chat continues. Part 4.

[QueenCardigan]

Following on from part 3.

If you're a winter then come and join us for chat and links about clothes/bags/make up/hair....

Hello Smile. I'm a Jewel Winter but have yellow and stone crossed out too.

Ok, you're all right so all three dresses are being returned to AlliumB! Disappointed.

I'm having my hair done to today as it's gone too light and gingery in the holiday sun. Having moved this will be the first time I've been to a new hairdresser in 23 years. gulp. I have a picture and will reiterate cool tones no warmth so hopefully all will go well.

Last week I bought a new lipstick: Medieval by Lipstick Queen. Apparently it's the red everyone can wear. I should have tested it first as it literally does not even show up on my brightness draining lips.

lagoon blue type? maybe just seduced by price..
got red and the plum one, good for a stain type colour I found this morn
Hope your hair goes well sorrel. I expect I will send back my dresses to Allium B also. I do quite like the Audrey one but it is pretty shapeless!
Debating on ASOS order as discount code about. I'm a bit worried that all this money coming on and off bank accounts won't look good when we have credit checks if we try to move again. Am I being paranoid?!

Hello All, have been away for a couple of weeks, and now everyone back at school and work, I'll try to catch up.

Good luck with the hair Sorrel, mine's gone virtually blonde this summer (I'm a brunette), but the Aveda black malva stuff is helping loads.

Had a meet up with the lovely QueenC before went away and can confirm that she looks amazing in bright cardies! And can do her nails like a pro.

Am thinking about buying one of these (thinking for work with fitted white top - shirt or just jersey top): www.asos.com/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=3875833
www.asos.com/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=3980178

Both in the bright blue colours. Only problem is I don't wear heels, and not sure the look quite works without them. Something to ponder on...

Also bought these before I went and have now worn a couple of times. Impulse buy, but they're quite fun (and now quite tight after 2 weeks of French bread, cheese, wine and pastries...):

www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trousers/striped-trousers-with-piped-pocket-c269187p2056008.html

Like those skirts carrie. I must resist as I bought a black one similar a while back from ebay and have yet to wear it. I don't know about without heels but I know I don't really do them either. Have some heeled boots which I bought from Clarks (Melanie Jane ones) a year or two back but have yet to work out if I can pull them off with skirts.
Love those trousers too think my bums too big though.
Jealous of your cheese and wine-ing.

Thanks carrie . Love those skirts but not convinced how they will look with flats. We need a shopping trip!

Hello, (and welcome back Carrie)

Just a quick question which has probably been asked before - has anyone dyed leather shoes? I have a pair of nubuck boots that are beige and think I would wear a lot more if they were black. What dye did you use, or has anyone sent their shoes off to be done?

I have dyed leather shoes using black nylon leather dye and it worked very well. However it was plain leather - I think they do a specialist shoe dye for suede/nuback though.

I've been looking at handbag dyeing. One company would charge £200-£260, as they would take it apart. Fine if it's a Bottega Veneta, but hardly worth it for a generic leather bag. I'm now looking at shoedyeingdirect. They seem a bit more reasonable. Boots seem to be around £50. I have heard good things about Tarrago dyes, so I'm thinking of having a go myself, on something old first, in case I mess up.

Shopping great idea QueenC, but am on self-imposed ban as H and I are off to NYC next month [sqeeeeeeeaaaaalllll], and I plan to stock up (not sure what on...). I currently have an overflowing wardrobe though, so one of my jobs now the kids are back at school is to sift through the clothes and start getting rid.

Part of the problem with getting older and buying better (colours, styles and fabrics), is you have less to get rid of - things go well together, better quality means they don't wear out so quickly, and classic styles mean they don't really go out of fashion. Poor me, eh?

No knowledge of dying, still haven't tried to dye my clothes that are the wrong colour...

Thank you. Sounds as though I'm a sultry winter then, though I am also partial to fuchsia and cobalt blue? I would love to do a style analysis but can't stretch to it. Is there anyway of diagnosing yourself? I hate anything frilly or flouncy, like plain, never change my jewellery (white pearl studs, diamond studs if I'm feeling adventurous , minimal looking make up). My friend says I'm quite boring and dull. But then I would look ridiculous in the things that she can pull off (biker jackets, heavy make up for example).

Sadly I don't have the need to dress up and look nice (or indeed the money to buy clothes for myself) but I still enjoy looking. If I do buy anything it has to really work with everything. As such I tend to dither far too long over purchases and end up buying nothing! I really could do with a new pair of jeans that properly fit so that may be my next buy. I hate jeans shopping as nothing ever fits my huge bum

As for the plating, it was really quite cheap as I think it's just the stuff they use for white gold - about 45 a piece, though my earrings were more expensive for some reason. But as I say, gold tones are already doing through so maybe I will see if they have an alternative next time. They can also be returned to yellow gold through a heavy polish the jeweller said which may come in handy as I'm not convinced my DDs will be winters at all!

Thanks Mimi will have a look at that site, and also check tarrago.

MissS thanks for the info re dylon (assuming your computer auto corrected to nylon). I've used their stuff a lot for clothes and it is very user friendly.

I've ordered some of that dye to try it out. I have a pair of brown knee high which I've hardly worn, as I bought the exact same ones in black. I'm going to try a deep burgundy. Will let you know how it goes.

Ah yes carrie, I forgot you had NY coming up .

I agree, I don't have so much to ever get rid of since having colours and style done. The last stuff I got rid of was jeans that were too big from when I gave up sugar at new year. My plan is to get the autumn/winter stuff out of the cupboard in the next couple of weeks and see if I still like all of it or if anything can be sold to fund new things

mimi that shoe dyeing place looks interesting although I can't seem to get the colour chart. Maybe it's because I'm on an iPad? Not sure why I'm looking as I don't have anything to dye anyway!

After giving up on an emerald cardi I've found a pine green one . I ordered it on a whim not expecting it to be the right colour but it is. Love it with a navy top. Also got this belt.

Hi winters
Can I please ask your thoughts on light blue denim (is it called chambray?) I bought a top in this material yesterday, I think the colour looks good on me (jewel winter) but I know it's not really ice blue. Maybe this is one of those occasions where the rules are made to be slightly broken? I always think of denim as such a neutral anyway (even pale denim) that I think it can work. What do you think?

I wear it too. I think if it suits you, that is the main thing.

I've got some place blue denim boyfriend jeans and I think they look good. A neutral in my book too.

littlemoo I find light denim and chambray don't work for me but if they do for you that's great. Certainly the rules are there to be bent/broken.

Agree re chambray especially if you can style it with your best winter colours although I find that the the only denim I look good in is dark indigo as any paler and I look scruffy (and not in a good way!). Its a hassle as it means I have to be careful when washing jeans to keep fading at a minimum.

Tried on a cashmere pine green cardigan in TK - it looked gorgeous but it felt too itchy, a shame as it is one of my ** colours. As I will be wearing it in winter, I need it to have some cashmere or wool otherwise would have got the mango one.

And yes I meant DYLON not nylon! [griin]

Thanks all. Yes the top looks great with stronger winter colours, black jeans and a damson cardy is what I'll be wearing it with I think, as if it's a white top I guess.

I do like the look of the mango cardi - how is their sizing as I see it's mostly out of stock now? Walking through marks and Spencer today I saw a cardigan with bobbly buttons, I think it was a match for the damson but I didn't have my swatch with me and I can't find it online. I did however kind of fall in love with this. Again I'm not quite sure if the colour is right but I think it would go with the grey in my wardrobe.

What I did realise walking around is that I've really lost my way clothes wise. There is another thread about what makes you frumpy and I'm it. I have some vouchers to spend from two Christmases ago in white stuff and fat face but struggled to find anything that would suit colour or shape wise. I think I need an overhaul but don't know where to start...

Smile am sure we could help with some suggestions - I love shopping vicariously! What do you wear at the moment? What do you like and dislike about how you look? Shops you usually like to shop in? And looks you like on others?

I guess if you've done the HOC colours day, would you think of doing the style day? I haven't done it myself but others have on this thread and have found it useful.

If you give some ideas of what you like, I will have a look at fat face and white stuff on line. I'm not sure that they have that many winter colours though.

If you are looking for a damson cardi, Uniqlo have one which is made of merino. I am planning to buy it once my September spending ban is over!

Who got the Boden £10 gift voucher? Are you going to spend it? I can't see much in good winter colours or it's quite ingenue/ gamine and not very natural romantic.

I never, ever get any vouchers from Boden. I'm a fairly regular customter too .

I want to buy some black Chelsea turn-ups and the pewter bag but no way am I paying full price!