voucher blog

Would you wear hotpants to work?

Probably not... a study by the British Heart Foundation has found that office-dwelling males want
hotpants and similarly revealing attire to be banned, deeming it too distracting.

Unveiling some surprising results, the research found that men actually want women to cover up at work, describing a number of different garments as off-putting and inappropriate in a professional environment.

Hotpants were the main culprit, with 32% of men labelling them as unacceptable. Sheer tops were hot on their heels (27%), and miniskirts and low-cut tops did not dodge the bullet, with 24% and 22% of men (respectively) describing them as considerable distractions. Read More »

Love 'em or hate 'em, everyone still takes a guilty pleasure in following the lives of various celebs, especially when it comes to what they're wearing and the usually astronomical price tags associated with the clothing. While some celebs' fashion sense leads a lot to be desired (ahem, Lady Gaga) there are some who make looking good seem completely effortless and, while good genes do help, it's not all about the money.

Just to prove it, we're going to show you how to dress like a celebrity for a fraction of the price, looking great on you and even better in your purse. Read More »

Love 'em or hate 'em, everyone still takes a guilty pleasure in following the lives of various celebs, especially when it comes to what they're wearing and the usually astronomical price tags associated with the clothing. While some celebs' fashion sense leads a lot to be desired (ahem, Lady Gaga) there are some who make looking good seem completely effortless and, while good genes do help, it's not all about the money.

Just to prove it, we're going to show you how to dress like a celebrity for a fraction of the price, looking great on you and even better in your purse. Read More »

In one of those scientific research studies that seem to state the bleeding obvious and are frequently published around the Christmas period when real news is scarce, researchers at the University of Portsmouth recently announced that high-heels do, in fact, make women more attractive to men.

Who would have thought it? But yes, it's apparently taken the clever-clogs (pun intended) an entire research project to find out what most women, through their own extensive years of study, have known for generations; women look sexier in high heels and, generally, the higher the better. You rarely see a stripper, singer or movie star in flat shoes do you, after all. Read More »

Until recently, my wardrobe was overflowing with a worrying number of questionable items. From white flared jeans to shorts that I was going to 'diet into', the quantity of debatable garments flowing from my cupboard was really quite worrying.

As I cleared out my closet last week, I could barely conceal my cringes: tie-dye jeans, ridiculously short skirts and shapeless shirts... what on earth was I thinking when I chose to exchange money for these hideous creations?

The resulting pile of unwanted clothes served to show me exactly how much money I had frittered away on ill-fitting or just plain unsightly outfits, which could really have been avoided. 'But how?' I hear you cry. Read on, and thou shalt find out... Read More »

Minnie and Mickey Mouse have always been the darlings of Disney cartoons. Now Minnie is set to build on her status as a global icon with her trademark polka dot dress providing the inspiration for a raft of top designers at London Fashion Week. Though Minnie won't be strutting her stuff in person at the show, her understated elegance is sure to be the talk of the town and Minnie will become a fashion muse from a distance for designers including Lulu Guinness.

An event held at Somerset House this September, in collaboration with Disney, Giles Deacon, Michael van der Ham, Richard Nicoll, Katie Hillier, Lulu Guinness, Tatty Devine and Terry de Havilland will create a range of 'Minnie Mouse Must Haves'. Read More »

When rifling through the spectacular offerings at vintage fashion store Reign on Oxford's Cowley Road, I realised that the once definitive boundaries between style and savings have now been conveniently blurred and that a limited budget was no barrier to achieving top to toe glamour. From a silver dress that invoked the glory days of the 1920s flapper, to the baby pink pleated skirt and cream cardi combo that screams tennis chic, every outfit du mode is yours for the taking at prices that would put the high street to shame.

Delving into the depths of your wash basket in the hope last year's item of the moment will make a timely reappearance is not something any of us want to admit doing and, thankfully, there are a number of creative ways to upgrade your fashion status to 'catwalk cool'. Here's how: Read More »

As we come to the last few days of the London Olympics, dedicated followers of fashion may have winced at the sight of 90,000 volunteer staff donning garish uniforms in bold colour palettes like purple and red or pink and magenta. While the distinctive uniforms will definitely help tourists to identify the army of volunteers involved in helping the 2012 Games, members of the fashion glitterati have argued that Olympic fashion has damaged the capital's otherwise impeccable fashion track record. Read More »

Whether you are walking down your local high street, having a lazy Sunday brunch with the girls or just people-watching from your favourite local haunt, the opportunities to add to your bank of fashion ideas are numerous. From the friend who 'glams' up a Primark dress with a statement belt to the bold fashionista who creates a mock pair of Louboutins by painting the base of her sky-high heels in China red, the possibilities are endless.

While many are happy to divulge their style secrets to keep the fashion police at bay, others keep their fashion cards close to their chest so that they can hold on to the best dressed crown for a few months longer.

A new survey has revealed that a third of British women keep quiet about the best place to seek out stylish fashion bargains online. Read More »

Despite the torrential downpours, the UK's fashionistas are refusing to give up their penchant for dresses and have come up with a few ingenious ways to dress for success while staying dry, the most obvious of which is teaming a dress with a pair of watertight wellies and hitting the high street as if you haven't got a care in the world. The second option is to turn what would otherwise be a scandalously short dress into a longish top and wear it over a pair of leggings or super skinny jeans. Now that the sun is finally starting to peer through from behind the clouds, dress season is definitely back on the horizon. Here are just a few classic dress options that will elevate you to the role of style queen in no time. Read More »

OK, let's be honest...who doesn't? Women want their own bodies to look like one and men want a woman with a body resembling them. I am, of course, talking about the Victoria's Secret Angels, hot on the heels of the debut shop opening just around the corner from the Olympic Stadium (and just in time for the opening of the Olympics). So, while very few of us will ever reach the physical perfection of these glamourous women, at least we can now wear the stylishly affordable lingerie without having to fund a trip to the US to do so!

Of course, as none of us are Gisele Bundchen or Adriana Lima, just because we can buy certain lingerie doesn't mean we should! While the flimsiest straps of material can look stunning on their almost-perfect bums, the rest of us could be cutting it a bit close - literally! Remember, these models are paid to look beautiful and to make clothes (or in this case lingerie) look amazing. In the same way that not many of us would wear the eye-popping masterpieces we see making their way down the catwalk every Fashion Week until they've been adjusted to more wearable styles, the same can be said for lingerie. Read More »

Putting together the perfect holiday wardrobe has always been something of a fine art. Do we attempt to fit our full spring/summer collection into a sturdy suitcase or do we cherry-pick from the items we love the most? According to recent research we really can have it all on our annual breaks and, unsurprisingly, we can only do this by giving a thumbs up to our yes, no and maybe piles. If capsule wardrobes were the name of the game in seasons gone by then this summer's 'excess baggage' is definitely an appropriate term. After all, why showcase only a few outfits on a 7-day break when you can dazzle the tourist hoards with a full 28? Read More »