OnePiece Xmas Onesie

From a two-piece to OnePiece - I bet you never thought you'd see me in a onesie, did you? I was quick to poke fun at them in the past, but those Primark knock-offs have nothing on my heavy-knit jumpsuit, which frankly beats everything else in my winter wardrobe as the snuggest, warmest, and most comfortable piece of clothing I own. (Now, if that isn't a positive review in a paragraph, I don't know what is!)

This winter, onesies rival the traditional Xmas jumper as the go-to outfit on Xmas Day. It sounds wonderfully lazy, yet there is still something profoundly cosy and quaint about wearing a festive knit. OnePiece, inventors of the modern onesie, found a compromise in their Marius Heavy Knit Onesie, by combining the company's original jumpsuit design with the aesthetic of a festive jumper.

As its name suggests, this jumpsuit is made of a heavier material than its siblings, but all the better for keeping the wearer toasty. Whenever I put mine on, I never want to take it off, even if I do look like I am wearing an oversized babygrow. I love the bright colours and wintry pattern, and I love how incredibly comfy it is. I do have one query, however...

 

Why the heck does the zipper fasten all the way to the top of the hood? Perhaps people have been known to die from laziness as a consequence of a onesie's sheer comfort, and therefore the garment has been redesigned to double up as a body bag. Suffice it to say, my family take delight in telling me my looks are much improved when I am completely zipped up. Aren't they the kindest?

#FashFail - WTF was I wearing?

Once upon a time, fashion was not my forté. Having developed an initial interest when I was fifteen years old, my time in sixth form was a colourful affair, with luminescent ties and a rainbow collection of cardigans. Those years were an extremely naive phase in my life. And when I (reluctantly) look back, I have to agree with my classmates' comments. Wearing two cardigans at the same time is not a good look, especially when one is bright green and the other is magenta pink.

The ghosts of personal style past...

We have all suffered fashion disasters at some point in our lives. Don't deny it! But there is no need to suffer the embarrassment alone. Burton Menswear wants the British public to share the shame and reveal their innermost fashion sins - with a chance of winning £300 in Burton vouchers to replenish your wardrobe.

You can enter the #FashFail competition simply by uploading a photo of your fashion faux pas. The contest closes at 23:59 on Saturday 30th March, and the winner will be notified by Monday 8th April.

adidas NEO: What's in my bag?

Having decided that my "NEO face" was sufficiently wonderstruck, Adidas NEO have put me through to the second round of their Miami competition. Two lucky bloggers will win an all-expenses paid trip to Florida to meet the face of Adidas NEO, Justin Bieber, and the chance to report on the entire experience.

For this second task, I have been set a "what's in my bag?" challenge, for which I should present creatively the essential items I would take to Miami. To help me out, I have been generously sent a plaid rucksack from Adidas NEO's autumn collection.

Thinking outside my usual parameters, I decided on a stop-motion video. I will admit the final result isn't the pinnacle of perfection, but the desired illusion of my essential items crawling into the bag proved successful. And although it involved six hours of shooting, editing and uploading, the potential prize is worth every minute.

Miami essentials include (in order of appearance): laptop computer, Sony α DSLR camera with Carl Zeiss 28mm lens, Minolta 100-300mm lens, Sony α 18-55mm lens, Adidas NEO notebook and pen, shorthand pad, wallet, passport, phone, Spitfire sunglasses, business cards, Amazon Kindle, Fish Soho styling gel and wax, comb, toothbrush and toothpaste.

Of course, there is so much more I would take with me to Miami, but these are the items I would be sure to take for reporting duties, networking, leisure, and maintaining a decent appearance. I just hope the means of presentation succeeds in impressing the team at Adidas NEO Label - wish me luck!

(P.S. You can equally try your luck at winning an all-expenses paid trip to Miami, in the 'Find My Gold Shoes' competition. Visit the Adidas NEO Facebook page to learn more.)

Adidas NEO competition

Oh look, it's my face. However, there is a legitimate reason for my mad expression... Adidas NEO are holding a competition to send two lucky bloggers to Miami! And for the first round, they want to see my "NEO face" - the face I would pull if I found out I had won this amazing opportunity. So here it is in its wide-eyed and messy-haired glory. (Although I never know half the time what expressions I am actually pulling.)

So why a trip to Miami? In collaboration with Justin Bieber, Adidas NEO have launched the 'Find My Gold Shoes' competition, by which locating the limited edition gold sneakers hidden on the internet could win you an all-expenses paid trip to Miami to meet the global superstar. Adidas NEO are thus offering two bloggers the chance to report on the whole trip and win a pair of gold sneakers for themselves. Sounds pretty sweet, don't you think?

In any case, there isn't much you can do to aid my chances of getting into the second round - that is completely down to my speechless face pictured above. But if you fancy taking part in the 'Find My Gold Shoes' competition, visit the Adidas NEO Facebook page.

(Image source: adidas.co.uk/neo)

Miss Patina sample sale + discount code

Nothing beats the sweet nostalgia of vintage apparel, but I do adore even vintage-esque styles on women. I was recently introduced to 'Miss Patina', which specialises in such outfits, many of which I found to be very beautiful.

The good news - they have a sample sale in London this weekend. The even better news - you can redeem 10% off with the voucher below (click to zoom).

Now don't think I'm promoting for the sake of promoting! I am interviewing Miss Patina at the sale this Saturday, so I may get to know the brand better. But in the meantime, why not gift my readers? I am not offering diamonds, but if you browse the Miss Patina online shop, you may just be tempted to visit their sample sale on Brick Lane*, voucher in hand. And if you do, I may even snap you for my street style photos.

I hope this offer tickles your fancy, and maybe I will see you on Brick Lane this weekend.

(*Full address for sample sale: Shop 12, Dray Walk, Shoreditch, E1 6QL)