Swinter? A new term for the season we wish wasn’t here!

According to www.graziadaily.co.uk there’s a new term which unfortunately we need to embrace as this wet summer segues into autumn and winter: Swinter. Disappointing though it is, there’s one question on everyone’s lips, we’re sure – “What do we wear?”

As the clever journos at Grazia know, the best way to embrace all the seasons in one day is to layer up or down.

Your wardrobe should include maxi skirts and/or dresses to wear with t-shirts, knits and leather or suede jackets. 

French navy blue cashmere long waistcoat lined with Dupion Silk

Knits can be cotton, linen, wool or cashmere, depending on your budget. The new style ladylike pussy bow shirts are ideal with wide leg trousers, crops or culottes. Trench coats in lightweight fabrics like Tencel or cotton add a smart layer or can be casual with skinny jeans and tops.

Cream silk ruffle pussy bow blouse

A large scarf can be your go-to accessory of this season, adding a pop of colour and a comfy warmth for a chilly morning or evening, or a smart cover-up for occasion-wear. Also useful to cover your hairstyle during a sudden shower!

Mustard coloured cotton jersey long waistcoat, vintage silk scarf, leather belt over long knitted dress/top 

Don’t forget your trusty sunglasses and sunscreen too as the sun will still be sending down harmful rays; although a tan and quirky frames will only add to your overall canny fashion sense.

Pop in to see Toni Pickles at Get Waisted to see what seasonal delights are in-store now.

The Get Waisted Summer Sale in now on so grab some wonderful summer items to take you through Swinter!

You can see more about Get Waisted on www.getwaisted.co.uk or contact Toni on: 

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk 

Steyning boutique, 98a High Street, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RD 

Open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, closed on Mondays 

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342

Hats off to Ascot

It’s Ascot again this week! We thought we’d remind you of the official dress code according to the Ascot website: www.ascot.co.uk:

One of Toni's creations, ideal for a day at the races

Premier Admission

Flat Season (April to October)

Ladies should dress as for a smart occasion.

Gentlemen are required to wear a jacket with a collared shirt and tie. Trainers are not allowed.

Children aged 17 and under should adhere to the Premier Admission dress code, however this does not apply to very young children.

Please note that fancy dress, novelty and branded or promotional clothing is not permitted within Premier Admission.

Grandstand Admission

While they encourage racegoers to wear smart clothing, no formal dress code applies in the Grandstand Admission area during either the Flat or Jumps season. Bare chests are not permitted at any time.

Ascot Racecourse reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone deemed to be dressed inappropriately.

So what constitutes “dressing for a smart occasion” these days? Surely anything from a gorgeous tea dress to smart jumpsuit, including everything from a pair of flowing wide trousers and a blazer to a smart maxi dress! And ladies, don’t forget a matching hat or fascinator.

Another lovely outfit from Toni at Get Waisted

Gentlemen, choose a smart suit in quality linen or lightweight wool or trousers with a blazer, shirt and tie.

We hope you have a wonderful time and enjoy the racing, Champagne, strawberries and cream!

You can see more about Get Waisted on www.getwaisted.co.uk or contact Toni on: 

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk 

Steyning boutique, 98a High Street, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RD 

Open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, closed on Mondays 

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342

Summer brights

We just love this time of year! We've had those gorgeous spring flowers: daffodils, tulips, bluebells and now the promise of a sunny, warm summer to come (well, so they say). 

This year’s spring/summer colour palette reflects the flowers and signposts of the seasons: blues, yellows, corals, greens and, of course, seaside nautical navy and white.

Floral patterns are popular again, with the 60s and 70s making another comeback, this time with a modern twist. Floaty wide-leg trousers, floral crops, suede fringing on anything from waistcoats to handbags, denim, pantsuits, glam rock … it all brings back memories of the Summer of Love, Marc Bolan and Ziggy Stardust.

Textures and fabrics are important too. Suede, different weights of denim, sheer panels, crochet, linen and sport luxe are all in the mix. Leather is always bang on trend and can be teamed with virtually anything to give a rock chick, studded vibe or a luxurious, supple textured outfit with a light cashmere top, heels or ballet flats.

Dresses of all types are still in vogue, from demure tea dresses to boho maxis. Easy to wear, just slip on a cardi or jacket to dress up or dress down, we love dresses. Toni Pickles here at Get Waisted can create any style, bespoke to your shape, skin tone, fabric choice and event so whether it’s a day dress for the office or holiday, something special for an anniversary or party, cruise wear or wedding day, you can rely on being the only one wearing it.

Beautiful maxi dress ideal for a cruise or that special occasion

You can see more about Get Waisted on www.getwaisted.co.uk or contact Toni on: 

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk 

Steyning boutique, 98a High Street, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RD 

Open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, closed on Mondays 

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342

Not just for luvvies, London Fashion Week is serious business

Somerset House used to be the home of the Inland Revenue but these days it’s better known as home to London Fashion Week twice each year.

2015 is the event’s 61st year and over 250 designers, some very well-known and some less so, will send their models and autumn/winter creations down the catwalks for the whole world to see.

Front row at a show
Source: celebmafia.com

London Fashion Week is far more than celeb watching and wondering how the average person in the street could possibly afford, let alone be seen in, some of the more outlandish outfits – it’s key for the whole industry as it showcases the best of British fashion, and is a catalyst to increasing exports all over the world.

The industry plays a significant role in our economy, generating £26bn for the UK each year, bringing in £10.7bn from consumers and employs almost 800,000 people.

London Fashion Week gathers orders of some £100m during the five days and the shows are watched online by audiences in 190 countries worldwide, even if this time it’s gone head-to-head with the Oscars.

The spectacular outfits worn by some catwalk models can appear impractical, unaffordable and sometimes plain daft.

Traditionally, says the BBC website, the idea has been that the clothes and styles adopted by the richest in society eventually filter through and influence the rest of us, the so-called "trickle-down" theory - first put forward by the American economist and sociologist, Thorstein Veblen, in 1898.

This has changed over time but the high street is still influenced by what’s shown at London Fashion Week. Sometimes it’s the accessories used, sometimes colour palette, pattern or outfit shape, other times it can be the use of fabric or trim. Copies can appear in high street shops almost overnight, helped by retailers’ access to the internet.

In recent years designers have been collaborating with high street retailers to create affordable versions of their designs. That’s because they don’t only design for one or two special people, they want their designs to influence thousands.

Get Waisted’s owner and designer, Toni Pickles, attends London Fashion Week to take inspiration, gauge and forecast trends, and ultimately bring the latest fabrics, trends and designs through her own collections to her clients and customers in her boutique in Steyning, West Sussex.

Check out this video to see what happened at London Fashion Week Feb 2015

You can see more about Get Waisted on www.getwaisted.co.uk or contact Toni on:

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk

Steyning boutique, 98aHigh Street, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RD

Open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, closed on Mondays

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342

(with thanks to www.bbc.co.uk/news) 

Breathe in tight and think of England!

Spice up your undergarments this Valentine’s Day with a superb, bespoke corset from Get Waisted, or enjoy wearing one in a textural fabric like velvet or satin to dress up a pair of cigarette trousers, a sumptuous full maxi skirt or a cheeky pair of shorts, to reflect your confident fashion persona.

Toni Pickles at Get Waisted will create just the right corset for you, taking into account your shape, size, skin tone and colour preference. But what do we know about the corset generally? 

Toni Pickles at Get Waisted will create just the right corset for you, taking into account your shape, size, skin tone and colour preference. But what do we know about the corset generally?

Perfect for Valentine's Day!

Corsets have a long and interesting background. Originally a rigid bodice usually with whale boning and laced up, corsets were designed to contour the female body to the fashionable silhouette of the time. Corsets have been worn by women in the Western world from the 1500s through to the early 20th century, when girdles and bras became more popular. Men, especially fops and military officers who wanted to look their best, also sometimes wore them.

Throughout its history, the corset was frequently criticised as an "instrument of torture" and a cause of ill health and even death, although there is some disagreement about real medical consequences.

As whalebone became more expensive in the 19th century, lengths of steel increasingly replaced it. Traditionally, down the centre of the corset a busk was inserted, which was an item a bit like a ruler. Busks were made of wood, horn and whalebone and were often elaborately carved and given as lovers' gifts. By 1850 they had been replaced by a steel, front-opening style, which made it much easier to put on and take off the garments. Prior to this, women had usually had to rely on help to lace and unlace their corsets.

Corsets were also known as "stays," a term probably derived from the French estayer (to support), as they were thought to support the body. Children were also often placed in stiffened bodices supposed to make them grow up straight. 

History is full of myths and exaggerations about corsets; for example the notorious "iron corsets" of the Renaissance were not fashion items worn by ladies at the court of Catherine de Medici, as is often claimed, but were actually orthopaedic braces to correct spinal deformities. 

In reality, ladies of the upper classes were not the only ones to wear corsets. By the mid-19th century cheaper, mass-produced garments meant many urban working-class women also wore them. 

By the 1920s elastic girdles and bras had largely taken the place of rigid corsets, particularly among the young. In 1939 and again after World War II, fashion showed renewed emphasis on femininity and corsets had a brief resurgence but they’ve never truly vanished; there are some for whom the corset is de rigueur for a shapely, sexy, feminine form and as an item to be worn underneath clothing, over t-shirts for a quirky, fun look or simply as a stunning, head-turning top. And now, corsets are shaped like an hourglass.

Surprise your Valentine with a unique piece of corsetry in a style and colour to suit you. Go on, we dare you!

Corset dress

You can see more about Get Waisted on www.getwaisted.co.uk or contact Toni on: 

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk 

Steyning boutique, 98a High Street, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RD 

Open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, closed on Mondays

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342

[With thanks to www.lovetoknow.com for some of the above information]

Will we see the usual last minute Christmas present shopping frenzy?!

Gentlemen (and ladies), we love you dearly but haven’t you picked up on all those tips we’ve been giving you all year round?

Full page adverts of gorgeous jewellery, gowns or handbags we’ve left out in full view?

Hints about colour schemes for our winter wardrobes? New ranges of winter outfits with warm shades are in stock – then again, why not brighten up your and others’ days with a splash of colour?

If not, never fear. Get Waisted will come to the rescue – although we’ve had record sales in-store this month, Toni’s been shopping again (as well as working her fingers to the bone in true Dickensian fashion to produce those one off items) so we still have a selection of superb gifts for your loved ones and will be open on Christmas Eve till 4 pm with some very special surprises too.

So even if you do leave things till the very last minute, call in to see us in Steyning and buy that special person in your life (male or female) some vintage accessories, jewellery, a handbag or scarf, knitwear or a voucher for something bespoke and truly unique for the New Year.

Think of the Christmas brownie points you’ll get!

Season's Greetings and a peaceful and healthy New Year from the Get Waisted team.

You can see more about Get Waisted on www.getwaisted.co.uk or contact Toni on:

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk

Check out our brand new store and our wonderful Christmas window.

Pop in and say hello, have a glass of something bubbly with us and look through our rails of gorgeous garments just waiting to come home with you! You might spot some Christmas presents among the jewellery and accessories, or simply treat yourself – go on, you know you’re worth it!

Steyning boutique, 98a High Street, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RD 

Open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, closed on Mondays

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342

After the maxi and the mini comes ... the midi skirt

We loved the maxi trend and wore our summer dresses to the ground. We loved the mini and showed off our exquisite pins! Now there’s something for everyone – the midi skirt.

Whether it’s pleated, tweed, wool, straight or flared, the midi looks great with smart shirts, cashmere jumpers and new season jackets like varsity bombers, and the plethora of superb coats on the market at the moment.

Wear with masculine brogues, knee length boots, trainer, ankle boots or loafers and still look on point. 

In fact, as long as you’re warm, comfortable and letting your outfit show off your personality as well as your shape to the max, then the midi is the skirt of the season.

Toni at Get Waisted can design and make a midi skirt (and any other length you’d like) just for you. After an initial consultation, Toni will recommend a fabric, colour and shape designed to flatter your shape and colouring. Then she’ll make it up and you’ll know you’re the only one in the world with your bespoke garment!

You can see more about Get Waisted on www.getwaisted.co.uk or contact Toni on:

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk

Check out our brand new store and our wonderful Christmas window, and don’t forget if you’re in the area, it’s Steyning’s Christmas Evening on Wednesday 3rd December and we’ll be taking part.

Pop in and say hello, have a glass of something bubbly with us and look through our rails of gorgeous garments just waiting to come home with you! You might spot some Christmas presents among the jewellery and accessories, or simply treat yourself – go, you know you’re worth it!

Steyning boutique, 98a High Street, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RD

Open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, closed on Mondays

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342