Surprise, surprise - it's Cilla!

So I went to the Arcadia autumn/winter preview yesterday and it was fab. TopShop have once again come up with the most wonderful clothes, including a mad harlequin dress (very Miu Miu) and some fabulous shoes.

Trend wise, it seems headpieces such as headbands and fascinators will be big, as will brooches - all the ranges featured these.

There were some nice winter colour choices - Miss Selfridge had purple and coral, which look amazing together - and Dorothy Perkins had some lovely coats, including a pink checked fluffy number that wouldn't have looked out of place on a '50s movie star.

After the preview, I was lucky enough to be invited for VIP drinks with Sir Philip Green - head of Arcadia. He seemed pleasant enough but looks a bit like a wheeler dealer, which I suppose he is.

The highlight of the evening though was when Cilla Black appeared. A few years back I had a boogie with her and Duncan James to Kylie at a premiere party and let me tell you, she looks better now than then! She's really glam with very slim legs. Her companion was really dapper. Maybe Cilla's going to bring out her own range of clothes?!

Behind the Scenes: Leona Lewis doesn't want to hurt little animals!

I was lucky to catch a sneak preview of the D&G Autumn/Winter line. The clothes are to die for. Gorgeous dresses with unsual fabrics (gauzy tops with cord bottoms), tartans and fabulous shoes.

While I was there, I overhead the stylist who looks after Leona Lewis aying just how well D&G clothes fit Leona. She has, apparently, a body to die for. It's so not fair, eh? She's beautiful, can sing and has a killer bod - sigh!

The stylist also informed the press person that Leona wouldn't wear D&G's leather jackets or shoes as she doesn't wear leather - she really believes in animal rights. So not only is she talented, beautiful and has a killer bod, but she's also caring and just darn nice.

Dressing for winter

OK! I admit it! I think the fashionista thing is rubbing off on me way too much. I’m off to enjoy the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park tonight and in my pre-fash mag days, my only thought would’ve been how to keep warm tonight. Chunky sweater, jeans, hat – you know the kind of thing.

However, this morning I woke up and felt utterly bemused at what to wear. How does one dress for winter but stylishly? The thing is you never really see celebrities all bundled up and looking toasty. Posh Spice chose this very seasonal outfit of mini-skirt, bare legs and no coat to go Christmas shopping in. She must have really felt the cold, especially being such a skinny thing.

To be fair, you can see why celebs don’t do the winter woollies look. It bulks out the frame (and the camera already adds pounds), plus being warm isn’t very sexy is it? If Heidi Klum can’t look good while she’s skiing, what hope do us mere mortals have?

However, a couple of stars do it really well and I’ve been taking inspiration from these guys:

• Mary Kate Olsen – she plays with a mixture of proportions so avoids the Michelin Man look. Although being so skinny she’d have to wear a lot of jumpers to look that big.
• Jessia Alba manages to combine warmth, comfort and fashion with this cool military-inspired look.
• Sienna Miller - I think she does off duty dressing very well and is a realistic style role-model. Here she’s wearing lots of layers – perfect for when you’re out shopping and going in and out of hot shops

So what did I end up wearing today? I took inspiration from la dinky Olsen and threw on a chunky wrap cardy, black skinny jeans and grey riding boots. Topped with my Zara military coat, I think I’ve got this seasonal style nailed.

What I didn’t count on happening today however was having my photo taken for a feature I’m in – will my winter dressing pile on those pounds? We’ll have to wait until it’s published to find out!

Ice, Ice Baby!

It must be such a trial being soooo fashionable. I’m going skating with my beloved ex-colleagues next month and all I can think of is how much fun we’re going to have. Ok it’s likely one of us will end up in hospital (due to the inability to skate coupled with inebriation!), but it will be fun. In this office, however, it seems everyone has a different outlook.

One girl suggested the rest of her team all go skating as a Christmas outing. A caterwaul of screeches signalled that the other fashionistas thought this was a good idea. Until one particularly bland looking girl (you know the kind – regulation long blonde hair, skinny jeans, fancy blouse, heels) uttered the words ‘but what will we wear?’ This stopped the screeching pronto.

To cut a long story short, the idea was soon pronounced truly terrible purely because it was difficult to stay cutting edge fashionable while skating. Jeans were too boring apparently, while the discussion about what coat to wear went on for an hour (I kid you not!). At no time, did anyone talk about the practicalities of what to wear… sigh.

If you’re off skating this weekend, I suggest you go for the boring jeans, scarf and warm coat option. However, if you can’t check your fashionista tendencies in with your shoes, how about this velvet fluff skirt from TopShop. Just remember to wear big knickers in case you do reveal more than you intended.

Earmuffs, mittens and soft cashmere tights should also do the trick of making you look stylish on ice while still keeping your vital bits warm. And if you want to go that little bit further, take your inspiration from the fabulous Torvill and Dean and wear chiffon, sequins and lyrcra!