Wherefore art thou Romeo?

I've posted about my love for Baz Luhrmann's Rome and Juliet before (in fact I think I've posted the fish tank scene at least twice now) and while I was re-doing the blog today I listened to the movie soundtrack a rather excessive three times in a row.

Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourite movies of all time. The whole film is a visual feast - I love the costumes, the colours, the soundtrack (clearly), the sets. Everything about it. It's the only film I've ever watched and wanted to physically jump into. So I thought it was the perfect style inspiration for a lazy Thursday evening, no?

Which movie would you love to live inside?

images diary.ru and thefashionspot.com

The September Issue Top Ten

You will notice I have completely changed the layout of Coco's Tea Party today, which is something I'd been planning on doing for a while. It felt right to give the blog a fresh new look for September before the S/S 2011 collections are shown. As we all know September is the beginning of the new year in fashion, so I chose to celebrate with an image update.

And on the subject of September I decided to compile a list of my favourite moments from R.J. Cutler's brilliant documentary The September Issue. If you still haven't found the time to watch the Vogue documentary you must order the DVD (I promise you won't regret it) and if, like me, you've watched it countless times feel free to share your favourite September Issue moments too. Here are my favourite quotes, scenes and funny moments:

10. The church of Vogue
In the opening sequence Executive Fashion Director Candy Pratts Price is asked whether Anna is the “high priestess” of the church of Vogue. She smiles and replies “I would say Pope.” This is the moment you know The September Issue is going to be amazing.

9. Thakoon
I was a fan of Thakoon’s designs before The September issue but had fallen completely in love with him by the time the final credits rolled by. The tale of his shaking hand the first time he met Anna and the fact he puts Anna on a par with Madonna makes him truly adorable.

8. The new blacks
Anna really gives Yves Saint Laurent designer Stefano Pilati a grilling over the lack of colour in his collection. His attempt to win her over with some “blue navy” and “an emerald green” are touching, as is his very fashion-y statement that they are “the new blacks”.

7. Bee Shaffer
If my mother was editor-in-chief of Vogue and the most important woman in fashion publishing there is no doubt about it, I would be a fashion brat. A total nightmare. So it was lovely to see that Anna’s daughter Bee is not just the owner of the glossiest hair ever but totally normal and sweet too. “Some of the people in there act like fashion is life,” she comments.

I Officially Love Jessica Alba

This year I have posted about Jessica Alba a lot. Her fashion transformation was unexpected and her style has gone from strength to strength. I know a lot of you still feel her look is lacking in personality and is simply the work of a stylist (which, let's be fair, it probably is) but I adore this Dolce & Gabbana dress and Jessica totally kills it!
I couldn't wait until Sunday's Hit and Miss post, this had to go on the blog now! I don't care if it's the work of Jessica herself, a stylist, or my next door neighbour's dog*; it's a gorgeous dress on a gorgeous girl and that's enough to make me happy.
The week kicked off with the Emmy Awards and it's also the 67th Venice Film Festival, but this could quite easily be my favourite red carpet look of the week. I'll let you know if anything tops it...

What do you think of Jess' Dolce number?

* my next door neighbour doesn't actually have a dog, but whatever...

image Reuters via picapp.com

The Great Denim Drama

Few things in life make you feel as bad about your body than shopping for jeans, I find. With the great denim basic it's never a simple case of too big or too small, there's always a complex issue of "oh, these fit, but are baggy around the knee" or "they look great on the legs but rubbish on the bum".
The denim masters over at Levi's noticed that women were having an unpleasant experience shopping for jeans, and started a vigorous research project to find out exactly why that was. Levi's took 3D scans of over 60,000 women's bodies from all over the world identified three distinct body shapes among women which have formed the brand new Curve ID denim line. These shapes are the Slight, Demi and Bold.
I'm not fanatical about jeans, and this is mostly because I have trouble finding styles that fit. Uniqlo has been good to me in the past and I'm a big fan of Topshop's Jaime jeans, but overall I find denim a total nightmare. So when Levi's invited me down to their Regents Street store today to be fitted for a Curve ID pair I was intrigued to see if the new shapes did what they promised.

The measuring process was quick and super easy (a trained staffer simply measures over your clothes to find out what curve you are) and all Levi's stores will have a Curve ID specialist in store. As a UK size 6-8 with a rather boyish figure and slightly short legs I thought I would most likely be a Slight, but was actually a Demi curve. The Curve ID jeans are all about the proportions of your waist and hips, so even if you have a straight-up-straight-down figure you could be a Bold fit.

If you always have issues finding a good pair of jeans Curve ID is sooo worth a try. Fitting is free of charge and no appointment is needed. And once you know whether you are a Slight, Demi or Bold you can chose from the three shapes (skinny, straight and bootcut) and 14 washes to create your perfect pair of jeans. Bliss, no?

Do you always have a nightmare finding jeans that fit? And which jeans do you really rate?

model image Levi's & photos my own

Happy Birthday ELLE Magazine

You know I love UK ELLE magazine dearly, and I have every reason to as it was the first ever fashion magazine I read. I had just turned 13 and had no knowledge of fashion whatsoever. To me Posh Spice glamorous. I had no idea who Marc Jacobs was and couldn't tell the difference between a stiletto and a kitten heel. ELLE changed everything and I still read it religiously today.
The October 2010 issue marks ELLE's 25th anniversary, and to celebrate the occasion they have put together a massive collectors issue. My copy arrived last night and it was the perfect thing to come home to after a long boring day. Kate Hudson is looking totally va-va-voom on the cover with bouncy hair that I was relieved to read is actually layers and layers of extensions. If she'd grown that mane herself I would have been too jealous for words.

The ELLE team have also produced four collectable covers featuring Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Coco Rocha and John Galliano. These can be bought online at elleuk.com and the Kate Hudson newsstand cover is out today. Happy 25th ELLE magazine!

What do you think of Kate's ELLE cover?

Photography by Ben Hassett /Courtesy of UK ELLE

Now That Was Quick

Just last week I posted about Lindsay Lohan's release from jail and rehab, and my hopes for her new wardrobe. But so far nothing she's worn has really made much of an impact, and she even landed herself a miss in Sunday's Hit and Miss post. Not a great start!
But the one thing I knew we could count on was Lindsay landing the cover of a magazine. It was obvious there would be a post-jail interview, but I expected it to be with People magazine. Lindsay is obviously taking this comeback seriously though, as she's scored the cover of October's Vanity Fair.
Lindsay's ability to find a magazine cover here there and everywhere has always amazed me. She's had nothing but herself to promote for years, but she still gets at least one glossy each year. And even after the drama surrounding her September cover with ELLE UK last year she still managed to stay on the front pages.

But back to her wardrobe... Yesterday she was spotted out and about in a disgusting pair of thigh-high socks. I wanted Lindsay to move on from leggings, but this was not what I had envisioned. The boringly predictable addition of the plaid shirt and denim cut-offs did nothing to help either.

Her efforts did improve later in the day, however, as she changed into a silky pair of black shorts and a tailored jacket. This is the Lindsay I'm interested in seeing, not thigh-high sock Lindsay! And I do wish she's go back to her natural hair colour as she looks ten times more gorgeous as a red head.

She's clearly doing well on the PR front, but her comeback wardrobe is definitely taking a while to warm up. You can read a preview of her Vanity Fair interview online at vanityfair.com now. You can also see a snap from her editorial which looks good. Very old Hollywood.

I feel like she should have waited a while before she did an interview, simply to build up some mystery. But saying that I also can't wait to read her interview and flick through the editorial. I guess this is why Lindsay gets all those covers. Because people still can't get enough...

What do you think of Lindsay's Vanity Fair cover?

images from vanityfair.com and Famepictures via picapp.com

You Scrub Up Nicely

Editorial: "A Bit of Liverpool"

Publication: LOVE A/W 2010

Photographer: Alasdair McLellan

Model: Abbey Clancy

Stying: Katie Grand

OK, so I know this is yet again another LOVE magazine post, but I've really enjoyed the A/W 10 issue, which is interesting as I usually feel pretty indifferent towards LOVE. In the end I went for the Sienna cover as I couldn't find Lauren Hutton anywhere. Every cover but Lauren...
There were a few surprises in the issue, like the Kerry Katona interview and Rachel Zoe styled shoot but nothing shocked me as much as Abbey Clancy's editorial. I know she's a model but I've overlooked her in the past because of her WAG status. Big mistake. Abbey looks gorgeous in Vuitton socks and pointed toe heels, and don't even get me started on the side ponytail which I'm now coveting like mad.
My knowledge of football stretches far enough to know that Peter Crouch (Abbey's boyfriend) cheated recently, so perhaps Abbey won't be a WAG for much longer? The LOVE shoot was perfect timing either way, as it screams "I'm a mega hottie and you are a complete fool!"

What do you think of Abbey Clancy's LOVE editorial?

images thefashionspot.com

Emmy Awards Round-Up

I didn't have too many expectations for the Emmy Awards last night and ended up being pleasantly surprised by the amount of dresses I liked. Christina Hendricks in Zac Posen was the standout for me but I also loved Emily Blunt's Dior, Claire Danes' Armani moment and Julianna Margulies in L’Wren Scott.
Hardly any celebrities got it wrong last night, which is always good news; but the girls from The Hills showed up totally underdressed (Lo actually looked like she was going to a job interview) and unfortunately I didn't like Lea Michele's look. Normally I love Oscar de la Renta on the red carpet, and Lea's style has been on top form recently, but somehow Lea in Oscar didn't work for me last night.
Here's a round-up of the looks I loved and dissliked at last nights Emmy Awards:

Christina Hendricks in Zac Posen
I love love love this Zac dress on Christina. She's had some strong red carpet moments since Mad Men started (and a few mistakes too) but I think this is easily her best red carpet look so far. The colour looks fantastic with her red hair, the dress enhances her curves and the feathered sleeves are heavenly.

Claire Danes in Armani Privé
I'm so happy that Claire chose this gorgeous sequined dress from the Armani Privé collection. It needed a good red carpet moment and Claire really did it justice. It's a shame we probably won't see Anne Hathaway give it a go now, but I'm just as happy to see it on Claire.
Also Rated: Emily Blunt, January Jones, Rose Byrne and Julianna Margulies

Stephanie Pratt
I love you Stephanie Pratt, but this is the Emmy awards not an MTV wrap party. What were you thinking? I can understand why she went for a more subtle look, after all The Hills is no Mad Men, and she's not the centre of attention at this event. But please make a little more effort. This dress is inappropriate and it's not actually very nice.

Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta
Lea has had a strong red carpet look over the last few weeks, but as far as I'm concerned it all came crashing down last night. I'm sure there are some people who really like this Oscar gown, but I find it far too fussy on Lea. And worn with the chocker it's nearing Eva Longoria territory.
Wasn't Keen On: Lo Bosworth, Mindy Kaling and Naya Rivera

Who was your Emmy Awards best dressed? And which star got it wrong in your opinion?

images AdMedia/Famepictures via Picapp.com

Hit and Miss of the Week: Gold, Gold, Gold

At the beginning of the week I thought nothing could top Drew Barrymore in a gold Catherine Malandrino dress, but by Thursday Jessica Alba had caused a stir in a Balmain frock (again in gold) and there was no clear winner. Drew’s look is very Hollywood whereas Jessica’s has a bit of edge and I truly love both looks.
Also getting it right this week was Kate Beckinsale (who wore her favourite colour yet again), and Girls Alouds’ Nicola Roberts who showed off her fashion-know-how in an on-trend maxi skirt. The only slip-ups came from Lindsay Lohan and Kourtney Kardashian, so overall it wasn’t a bad week for celebrity fashion.

Drew Barrymore: Hit

I LOVED Drew Barrymore in this Catherine Malandrino dress for the LA premiere of her latest movie. The dress would probably look gorgeous on anyone as it’s stunning, but Drew completely killed it! I love that she wore her own studded belt over it (she also wore the belt with McQueen to the London premiere last week) as it made it her own. And the jewellery was spot on too. Drew is definitely having a fashion moment right now. I hope she doesn’t disappear again too soon as I’m loving her style.

Kourtney Kardashian: Miss

A Kardashian sister has finally made it onto the blog. Hooray? But unfortunately it’s for all the wrong reasons. For an LA magazine event this week Kourtney slipped into this cream and black lace number. Lace is a huge trend for the coming season, so Kourtney obviously knows her stuff, but there is far too much going on with this dress. If she’d gone for a LBD with lace sleeves instead she would have looked amazing. Oh well, there’s always next time….

Nicola Roberts: Hit

For those who are unfamiliar with Nicola Roberts she’s a member of Girls Aloud and has just launched a makeup line for women with very pale skin. Although her band-mate Cheryl Cole’s style is copied more Nicola is definitely the most fashion-forward of the group. For the Harrods launch of her makeup range, Dainty Doll, she chose a pale peach maxi skirt and grey Doll t-shirt. I adore the skirt, and think pairing it with a tee was a smart choice. I loved her cured hair and red lipstick too. It's nice to see Nicola shine on her own.

For the Weekend: Peter Pan Collars

As far as I'm concerned it's time for forget about summer's floral playsuits and start shopping for A/W. Yesterday I bought my winter coat in August for the first time ever, and I feel totally relieved that I'll skip the drama of searching for a decent coat come October. I hate shopping for coats almost as much as I hate shopping for bras, so was lucky that this year the dream coat found me first.
For those of you hitting the shops this weekend I recommend looking out for a LBD with a peter pan collar. It may not be as on-trend as the romantic maxi or the calf-length dress this season, but it's a timeless look and very elegant. Something you'll wear for years to come. I imagine Coco Chanel would be quite pleased with this L'Agence number, don't you? It's so chic...

On the highstreet I've noticed a few peter pan collars so far. This Topshop number is a safe bet as the smock shape is flattering on most shapes and the collar is a nice way to add a bit of leopard to your look. Miss Selfridge is also worth a look as they have a few Peter Pan collar dresses around the £40 mark online at the moment.

I'd really like to see Emma Watson rock a little Peter Pan collar dress this fall. With her newly cropped hair I think she'd look gorgeous and very 60's. Let's hope she snaps some up before they're all gone.

Are you a fan of the Peter Pan collar? How would you wear the look?

L'Agence wool-blend dress at Net-A-Porter
Topshop Leopard collar dress

Playing Silly Style Games

The other night it was dark, windy, rainy and cold and at around 9pm a courier knocked on the door with a package from Claire's Accessories. I don't know what I was expecting to find inside the bag, but it definitely wasn't seven packets of silicon bracelets shaped like penguins.
I must be very uncool, because I hadn't heard a thing about 'silly bandz' before. They are basically colourful rubber bands in funny shapes that snap back to form after you wear them. Sarah Jessica Parker, Henry Holland and even Mary-Kate Olsen have been snapped wearing them. These are some of my favourite shapes:

I do generally prefer my jewellery to be chunky, gold, and as a rule cost more than £2, but I had so much fun looking through all the themed packets of silly bandz (there was lots of "look, a bunny... and a duck!") that I decided to give them a try. Below I'm wearing a pink penguin, a glow in the dark star and  a pale blue turtle. I've become quite attached to the penguin if I'm completely honest.

And I sneaked Bonnie Wright's ASOS magazine cover in there especially for my good friend Maz, who always asks for more Bonnie on Coco's Tea Party. So there's some Bonnie for you!

What do you think of the Claire's silicon bands? Cute or too silly for you?

The Girl With Curly Hair

I still haven't managed to get a copy of LOVE yet (ridiculous, no? This happens every time) and it looks so good. I just found this pic of Riley Keough taken by Terry Richardson which is part of LOVE's "Hollywood Daughters" editorial.
I adore Riley's curly hair - it reminds me of Carrie Bradshaw - and I wish my hair would do this. Riley also looks fantastic in Prada, doesn't she? You can't go wrong with a few ruffles...

Do you like Riley in Prada? And is the new issue of LOVE any good?

image from modelinia.com

The Alternative to Wellies

I don't like clumpy shoes; never have. But last year I was given a pair of Dr. Martens (the Darla boot - in case you care) and my opinion has changed ever so slightly. When it's raining (which it is most of the time in the UK) my Darla boots are the best. Nothing gets through them. And because they're so shiny and comfy I sometimes wear them when it's not raining too.
Jessica Alba likes Dr. Martens too,  she's spent most of the summer in a pair of their cherry boots. Jess wears them with skinny jeans, she wears them with floral dresses... she wears them with everything, basically. And she looks great in them too. They add a certain toughness to her glossy LA style.

Because summer looks to be pretty much over in the UK  it's definitely time to start thinking about the more practical weather-proof items in your wardrobe, and I think Dr, Martens are a worthy investment for rainy days.
This weekend Dr. Martens are holding a warehouse sale in Spitalfields Market, so if you're already a fan or are just flirting with the idea of buying a pair it's worth a visit over the bank holiday.

The Blue Garden Boot - I don't think this is on sale though

The Dr. Martens sale will be at Spitalfields Market, unit SP1F, E16AA from the 27th-30th everyday from 10am until 6pm. Enjoy!
What do you think of Jessica's clumpy boot look? And are you a DM fan?

image Newscom via picapp.com