Designers Guild - Website Review

Designers Guild for Designer Wallpaper, Fabrics, Blankets and Throws, Kids Bedding and Fragrant Gifts

I've always been a fan of Tricia Guild's designs - and although I love calming neutrals and crisp white (and they are there as well) there's something about her signature uplifting colour palette and modern, though 'perfect-for-everyone' collection of fabrics, wallpapers and gifts that wins me over every time. I say 'perfect-for-everyone' because I bet that none of you can pay a visit to her online or offline store and not fall in love with at least one thing.

Before I go on I'll admit that there are elements of the site I would prefer to see tweaked, however the colours and photography are some of the best anywhere, making it easy to get up close and personal to every single product - something that a lot of online retailers miss out on - that if they want us to buy we need to practically be able to touch everything.

There's a swatch service for her fabrics and wallcoverings, beautiful bedlinen, kids bedding, pretty towels and washbags, wonderfully packaged candles, stationery sets and blankets, throws, quilts and cushions in a rainbow of colours.

The more I look the more certain I am that I'm going to be doing all my girly Christmas shopping here - another problem solved then.

Take a look at http://www.thesiteguide.com/ for what's latest and best on the web.

Tintamar and the perfect Handbag Organiser

The Handbag Organiser you won't want to be without - trust me!

I don't know if you're anything like me, but I have quite a number of favourite handbags, and for each season three or four never really go back into the cupboard like good little bags, but hover round my feet shouting 'choose me today', 'choose me today'.

Ok, enough of the nonsense (although the above is more or less true). If, again, you're anything like me and constantly swapping one handbag for another, you may find yourself leaving your best pen in one, your specs in another and, worst of all, your keys in yesterdays bag, in your hurry to get out of the door. There are certain things you want to keep with you all the time, yet there never seems to be the time to properly sort them all out.

I came across a handbag organiser the other day where I didn't hesitate, I just rushed to order it. It turned up on my doorstep yesterday and I can see instantly that it's going to be a real problem solver. This is the 'bag within a bag' by French company Tintamar, which they call the Very Intelligente Pocket - VIP - get it? It's very light, has all the necessary pockets and you just load it up and transfer it from bag to bag. Wonderful.

It's going out with me for the first time in my leopard print tote today and I'm looking forward to having it in my black patent bag tomorrow - it's going to make life sooooo much easier.

Just a word to the wise, you can order them from Fly Dragon Fly and from Woodruffs who seem to have the largest collections in the UK. The classic size is for quite small handbags only, but the large will fit into most reasonable size tote/shoulder bags. There's a great range of colours. Love this product. You can probably tell.

Well we know what I'm giving to most of my friends this Christmas, now don't we?

Check out the Best of the Web at http://www.thesiteguide.com/

What Makes People Click - Web Hints Wednesday - You and Your Homepage

What Makes People Click - You and Your Home Page Design

What can you do in just a few seconds?

'Very little', do I hear? - Well you'd be wrong.

You have just a very few seconds to get a new customer to make the decision that he or she likes what they see on your home page and wants to stay a while.

Time-out then for anyone with a slow loading home page , brand puffing flash intro or over wordy introductory text. Timeout. Really. The bird has flown before you even knew it had landed.

If that hasn't already put you in a panic, once you get past the first few second test, you have another few seconds for your visitor to decide if you have what they're looking for. Just a few seconds is all it takes in this fast moving, product searching, instant gratificiation age we live in. Don't kid yourself you have any longer, because you don't.

Most websites fail on the basics, they're slow to load, wordy, un-entertaining and difficult to navigate. Major sites frequently assume that you have time and patience to let them get the message to you, rather than attracting you, informing you, amusing you and enticing you to stay longer.

They don't realise that the customer is the only person that matters, that the only business they're in (as an online retailer or service provider) is to make sales, and no matter how much they've invested in their brand new flash heavy 'product enhancing site (whose designer cared less about sales but was probably be trying to win a design award) that if they can't get you clicking past the home page in just those few seconds you will be gone and they will fail.

I've reviewed thousands of websites, both good and bad, and I'm constantly amazed by the simple things that people can get wrong.

Here are the Top Ten rules for a great Homepage

• Firstly assume your visitors know nothing about your site. You need an attractive, consistent and easy to follow design which shows in an instant, through keyword rich text and category linked photographs who you are, what you do, what makes you special and different and therefore why people should buy for you.
  


• Ditch the slogan - who cares? At the top of your content box you need to state clearly who you are. It's you're title, your mission statement and should sum you up in just a few words.
  


• People love to click on pictures - use pictures as well as your text menu on your home page to link people through to the most important areas of your site. Make sure that your pictures are clean and clear - there are far too many horrible ones out there. They are hugely important.
  


• Have a search box marked by the word 'search'. Forget 'What are you looking for?' or any other term. The word is Search, so use it.
  
  
• Have a Contact Us link on your homepage, and every other page of your site. Who exactly are you trying to hide from? Your customers? Forget it - be open about how people can contact you.
  
  
• Establish immediate trust by showing how people can contact you, signing up to a retailer accrediation scheme such as IMRG's ISIS, and offering customer reviews. Neither of these are big investments and they're both extremely important. You can sign up to both here.
  
  
• Terms & Conditions/Privacy/Delivery/Returns/About Us/Contact
  
  Show these as 'utilities' on your homepage (and every single page of your site) so that your most important information is obvious. Don't hide your delivery and returns information in Terms & Conditions (and yes, vast numbers of people do).
  
  
• Invite visitors and customers to sign up with a clear sign-up box on your home page. Invite them to refer their friends to your site also - goodwill recommendation are the best kind so ask for them. If you don't, you won't get them.
  
  
• Highlight links so that visitors can see immediately that the words and phrases are links.
  


• Keep content paragraphs short, interesting to the point. Remember that you only have a limited amount of the most important 'above the fold' page area to use so don't be tempted to waffle.
  

The new site at http://www.thesiteguide.com/ is about to launch - there's a sneak peek at the top of the blog. It's not perfect yet, so if you click through and find a glitch please let me know!

Sons, Daughters and Social Media

Do you want to meet up with your kids on Facebook? Triggered by a recent tweet I consolidated my thoughts about this one. It's not a conundrum, in my view, it's a given - no I don't.

The tweet I received referred to a parent signing up to Facebook and LinkedIn and that this might not be such a great thing. I think it's fine (being a parent of older children - oldest 22 she hastily adds) but I certainly don't want to meet up with my kids any other way than by sight (sometimes), phone (usually when they need cash) text or email.

Social Media works provided you stick to the rules - you follow interesting people who are happy to be followed by you, you interact with them, you're interesting as much of the time as possible and witty when you can be. Personally I don't think it works when mothers and daughters (or any parents and kids) are linked somewhere such as Facebook (ok, I mean Facebook). I don't want to invade their space, I certainly don't want to look at their pictures and I don't want them to invade mine - I've worked hard for my independence, thank you very much, and I'm not going to lose it now.

An exception to all of this of course has to be when your family abroad or are travelling and you want to keep up-to-date with events. In that case there's no better tool for knowing what's going on, the new baby, the bungee jump (heaven forbid), the photographs from the top of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo - uploaded more or less in real time. What could be better than that?

If you take a look at the demographics published by Quantcast you'll see that the users of Facebook, LinkedIn (not so much) and Twitter are almost certainly older than you think they are. Whether you want to meet your kids or your parents on any of them is totally up to you, take care, is all I would advise.

The new http://www.thesiteguide.com/ is launching this week - keep checking back for our facelift and let us know what you think.

Five Favourite Sequin Jackets - Product Reviews

Every dedicated party girl needs a sequined jacket this season. Every store you look at is offering one (or more), and although some of them are fabulous, others are over shiny, hard to wear, cheap and not cheerful and you'll no doubt be walking right on by.

Whether you go for an investment piece (sequins are always a must-have around this time of year in some way, shape or form), or something that won't break the bank balance is totally your choice and that's the main problem, the choice is really huge. Trying, as I always do, to make everything I buy work for me in lots of different ways I think you need to ask youselves the following questions before you go for it:

Do I want it, love it and need it?

Can I wear it with my favourite LBD
Is it versatile - could I wear it for dressed up duty and insouisant casual as well.
Will I still love it tomorrow (or will it disappear into the back of my cupboard never to be brought out again?) The worst kind of buy.

These are my Five Favourite Sequin Jackets

Antik Batik Matte Gold Chiffon Sequin Jacket
Paul & Joe Twilight Sequin JacketWallis Sequin Soft Blazer
Planet Stretch Sequin Jacket
Miss Selfridge Black and Gold Sequin Blazer

Wallis Soft Pewter Sequin Jacket (Black also)

Check out http://www.thesiteguide.com/ for what's latest and best on the web - new site launching within the next week!

Delia Smith - Wonderful Chocolate Mousse

Delia Smith's Chocolate Mousse

This is the most excellent chocolate mousse recipe by Delia Smith, my all time favourite cookery writer whose recipies always work for me. Try the Chocolate Truffle Torte as well for a dinner party dessert.

I top it with whipped cream and grated chocolate. It's incredibly quick, everyone loves it and also fabulously fattening. I no longer need the recipe book to produce it - I've made it so many times.

I use a double saucepan which makes life much easier.

For the Truffle Torte you'll need liquid glucose - you should be able to get it from a chemist, or at Tesco (larger stores) and you can order it online as well.

Back to the day job.

The Ultimate Designer Handbag - Miu Miu Studded Bag

Spotted at my favourite online boutique yesterday - Miu Miu's black nappa leather studded hobo bag - surely one of the top five handbags of the season.

I'm in love with this bag for several reasons - it's by one of my all time fave designers, it's black (of course), it incorporates most of this season's bag essentials, being large (but not ridiculously so), quilted and studded, and you can carry it using the grab handle or the shoulder strap.

It's marvelously covetable and irresistably buyable, it's also expensive but once you had this baby in your bag collection you'd use it so many times that the value rule would win out without a doubt - that of dividing the price of something by the number of times you wear/carry/use it.

Use that rule when you want to buy something divine and you'll win yourself over every time.

Check out the best of the web at http://www.thesiteguide.com/ - new site launching this week!

Online Retail and The Royal Mail - Help for Retailers with Courier Delivery

Help for Retailers with Courier Delivery and a discount from Parcel2go

Today was going to be Beauty Review Day but in the light of what's going on with the Royal Mail Postal Strike, the various Courier options and the moans in the Twittersphere I thought I'd get this going now so everyone could look at it.

Parcel2go is an excellent delivery company, utilising whichever Courier, from FedEx to ParcelForce suits your needs.

Because I've used them loads of times I've been in touch with them and persuaded them to waive their collection charge.

There are two levels of service for this offer:

'Light Parcels' for Jiffy Bag type packets up to A3 size and approximately (no more than) 2.5kg in weight.

Normal price is £3.99 plus a collection fee of £5 for their 2 - 5 day service, A high percentage arrive within 48 hours.

'Multi Parcels' for larger parcels up to 25kt in weight, 1.5m or 4 cu ft.

Normal price is £4.99 for their 1 - 3 day service which carries a 48 hour label. A high percentage arrive the following day.

What you need to do:

Register with Parcel2go.com

Sign in, then go into My Account - My Payments and set up a Prepay account

Send 10 parcels at one time.

A code is being issued, but until you find it here, email [email protected] with your P2G reference number and the code 'Siteguide' and you will be credited the collection charge on your Prepay account.

These prices exclude VAT which hopefully you'll be claiming back anyway.

Beauty Review - Hand Cream - The Very Best Hand Creams Around

Beauty Review - Writing about the Best Beauty Products - Hand Cream

I'm lazy about using hand cream, but as soon as it starts to get cold I know I can't get away with it any longer. I have five favourites, although one take firm pride of place and I always have to have a spare (I'm a bit obsessive like that, in case you hadn't already gathered.

Clarins Jeunesse Des Mains is without a doubt my award winner - it has no fragrance, isn't sticky and works extremely well - if you're going to try one, make it this one, I try not to go anywhere without it.

You can also try

L'Occitane's Shea Butter Hand Cream, a great product from

one of my fave French brands and perfect (as you can usually get

the mini version too) for travelling with,

Molton Brown's Desert Bloom Intensive Hand Cream, which I tried this summer - don't you just love anything by this reasonably priced, innovative product brand?

Also Kiehls Ultimate Strength Hand Salve (was just introduced to Kiehls last week in Paris and have become a real advocate) this is for very dry hands, and finally

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Intensive Moisturizing Hand Cream (which I would almost certainly be using if I wasn't so in love with my Clarins.

There are so many hand cream options for you out there - I prefer the ones that are not over fragranced, melt into your skin quickly and are definitely not sticky. Oh yes, and by the basin in my bathrooms I have Williams Sonoma Essential Oils Hand Lotion which yes, I did shlep back from the US with this summer. I was going to be soooooo annoyed when it ran out, except that there's a new service launching shortly in the UK - US Unlocked - which will let me order it here. Hurrah!! Can't wait - more about shopping the US shortly - I'm truly an expert on that as well.

Wednesday Web Hints - Twitter - Following like the Pied Piper

Wednesday Web Hints - Writing about the Web

Getting involved in intelligent' social media is a good thing, and whoever says it shouldn't be used for promoting or marketing your business or services is totally behind the times, because although that may not have been the initial intention - now, more and more, that's what it's used for. 

Ok, so not new.  I was asked to go on BBC Breakfast to talk about Twitter before I'd actually signed up (although I did, incredibly fast) and by the time I was on live TV I certainly knew enough.  It was just after the plane came down in the Hudson River and was Twitpic'd round the world faster than you could say toast, and immediately before that famous Jonathon Ross show where he and Stephen Fry were twittering live.

Since then I have, ahem, become something of an addict - I chat to business contacts during the day, and to contacts - business or otherwise - during some evenings. 

The Pied Piper leads the children out of Hamelin. Illustration by Kate Greenaway.

I watch with incredulity the people whose follower lists are growing like weeds (who are not famous for anything, or remarkably knowledgable) and I'll bet you anything you like that weeds are what they're growing in their followers list, from unclothed ladies to spammers, all of whom will do nothing for them whatsoever.  Quality followers are what you're after, not spam.

So.  Before I get boring and you go away, my advice is to do this: 

• Check your followers. 
• Check them every day. 
• See who is following far more people than they have followers. 
• Notice who isn't bothering to tweet - block them, they're lazy, spam or not.
• Use Twitblock to scan your list and point out potential spammers

When you get a message from someone you don't know, with an invitation or link you don't understand (because link shortening makes this impossible) delete it immediately.  Do not click on it.

This Pied Piper's tune isn't magic, so you don't have to follow - it's your choice.

Website Review - French Connection and a Day on the High Street

Into London yesterday for a meeting and lunch with a friend, I unfortunately stepped off the tube at Bond Street, which of course took me past Zara and French Connection to name but a few.

There are some stores I can walk straight past without a second look and others that just seem to draw me in.  Zara is a case in point, and thank goodness they're launching online early next year (note the 'early' comment) at least that's what one of the girls in the store told me - she told me January, no less, but we'll see.

I collected (!) two great jackets in Zara, and I'm sorry I can't show them to you but I'll have to describe them for now - a short dark brown tweed slightly trapeze jacket with a high collar and loose weave edge and a chic 3/4 length jacket/coat in ivory and black houndstooth.  Far or what?  Both have come back with me to - er - evaluate so I'll be doing that shortly.

Then, carrying my ever heavier bag and seriously heavy coat (because it was so cold out in Bucks when I left), I made a quick pass through French Connection and saw some real stunners.  Thank goodness they are online so no high street purchases we're needed.

French Connection is so much more 'mid-market' than it used to be, with pieces that are right on-trend  but very wearable.  The prices have gone up a bit but then so has the quality. 

I spotted their studded shift, pink spot cardigan and long, chunky chain 'disco' necklace on my way through, plus more clothes and accessories with that 'surely you need me right now' invitation.  I think it's quite hard to find clothes that 'speak to you' if you know what I mean.  Well these ones certainly did.

Beauty Review - Smashbox Perfect Primer

There are lots of primers on the market, but this one stands out a mile and deserves a mention all on its own.

If you don't already know Smashbox, cult US beauty brand then pay a visit to Just Beauty Direct and check it out under Smashbox Cosmetics.  It's affordable, clever, and everything does what it says it will (and no, I'm not being paid to say that!).

Their anti-aging primer creates a canvas for foundation, reduces fine lines and with SPF 15 protects your face as well - I wouldn't be without it and have the travel sized version as well.  Take a look and check it out.
Just Beauty Direct is another of my favourite beauty destinations, offering not only Smashbox, but also brands such as Blink, Barefoot Botanicals and Christopher Drummond, with a permanent sale area and very (and I mean very) good discounts.

Check it out importance?  ***** Go there now.

Unfortunately I can't link you straight through to the primer - I will as soon as I can.

Website Review - J Jil Sander for Uniqlo

The Jil Sander collection for Uniqlo has tiptoed onto the site, so quietly that in fact you practically miss the +J in the menu and if you didn't know, having read about it in the press, that iconic minimalist designer Jil Sander has designed a small but perfect capsule collection for Japanese brand Uniqlo you might miss it altogether.

My advice is don't, because there are some excellent pieces here, from the wool blend pea coat to the purple taffeta trench, tuxedo coat, down jackets, cashmere boyfriend cardigans and taffeta coccoon skirt. The prices are higher than the normal Uniqlo price tags but nothing is over £100. You can only buy one piece per style. Go for it. 

On the Jeremy Vine show yesterday discussing what you should do when the Royal Mail strike paralyses the post. Answer: If you haven't already done so set up online banking right now, that way you can pay your bills (as I suspect there's going to be a certain lack of sympathy for 'it's in the post') and people can pay you.

For parcels, and certainly leading up to Christmas, take a look at Parcel2go.com who I've used many a time sending all sorts of clobber up to my two sons in Edinburgh, including ski boots, towels and duvets. You name it - I've probably sent it. I've always used this company and they've never let me down.  Also look at new kid on the block Collect+.

There are new websites in Latest Websites at thesiteguide.com so go take a look.

Website Review, Vivienne Westwood, Sezz in the 16th, What's in a Name and more

Just about having returned to earth after my visit to Vente-Privee in Paris and back to the day job I've been taking a look at the Vivienne Westwood online store Hervia. Which brings me round to 'What's in a Name?' I'm not going to answer that one in this case because frankly I don't know, but I'm not surprised that I haven't visited them before because if I were going to offer Vivienne Westwood's wonderland collection online I would definitely want my site name to reflect that. Wouldn't you? I'm sure there's something very clever behind this name that I'm missing totally but they're not telling me, which is a shame, as I'd like to understand.

Hervia offers a very good range, including Gold Label, Red Label and Anglomania, and is a paradise for all Westwood fans. It's very easy to get round and once you reach the product pictures they're extremely clear. I'm not a fan of black backgrounds I have to admit, and you can find Vivienne Westwood at other online boutiques, but if you want to browse the whole offer from menswear to bags to belts and jewellery then this would be a good place to start.

I could get on my high horse and tell you what I think is wrong with the photography but I'm not going to waste your time, you can see for yourself. Product photography is a whole other issue which I can talk for hours about but not here.

Back to Paris and the sexy Sezz in the 16th (couldn't resist), guest of Vente-Privee I was delighted to arrive there after such a long day and totally seduced by the design and a 6ft circular bath (plus Kiehls toiletries) what more could any girl want? Fabulous beds, clever bathrooms and built-in i-phone chargers (which our lovely PR Lily managed to miss so her phone ran out on the Eurostar!) Perfect, non? Go there if you can.

Hervia is included in the Latest Websites at thesiteguide.com

Paris Review and the extraordinary Vente-Privee.com - Designer Discount Clothes and Accessories - Members Sales and so much more

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that I have just been to Paris as a guest of http://www.vente-privee.com/. Not really knowing what to expect - although I knew that they were in the discount designer clothes and accessories 'members' sales' business - I happily boarded Eurostar with a small, very select (of course), group of bloggers and journalists plus two friendly girls from Focus PR.

To say I wasn't prepared was an understatement - this is a designer goliath with millions (literally) of customers trained, ready and waiting for each sale to start and for premium brands, recognised the world over, to be offered at discounts of up to 70%. The sales start at 6am and for these discounts Vente-Privee's customers are only too delighted to get up for the start.

Sign up at the site and you still won't realise that Father Christmas has arrived early until you download their pink (everything's pink here) vp bubble widget onto your desk top so you know when the next sale starts - they only last for three or four days - and whose products will be the stars of the show.

So far so ordinary, you think, but if you take the time to look at the clever trailers for each sale - short movies in themselves - and realise that they, and all the photography, are produced in-house you may just begin to get the picture.

Vente-Privee is a movie-maker, photographic innovator and mail-order master on a scale which is hard to visualise unless you've been there. They're also growing at a rate which can only inspire more brands that you love to buy to join the party - and an amazing party it is too.

Do I sound like the converted? Well I am, and having had the opportunity to talk with the charismatic Jacques-Antoine Granjon, founder of Vente-Privee, President Directeur General and definitely master of his own universe I have no doubt that, if you don't sign up now, you'll be doing so very soon. You'll be seriously missing out if you don't. Trust me.

Enough on Paris for today - tomorrow the unusual but fabulous Hotel Sezz.

Beauty Review - Exfoliators and Radiance Boosters

I'm one of those people who would love, love, love to have enough time to get myself down to my favourite beauty salon and have a facial - along with a weekly mani-pedi, of course. I'm sure that person exists, they could very well be me in another life, but it's definitely not me today.

Having said that I'm a true believer in grooming being essential and looking after your skin as much as you can, so from the 'great products to use at home' point of view I am an expert. Obviously I have my favourites; fast, functional and good to use reasonably priced solutions from great brands that will never let you down.

These are my fab five (plus three of my favourite online beauty stores for free) - let me know if there are others that you love.

Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream - one of Woman and Home's Best Beauty Buys

Clinique Instant Facial - love this one - it's new

Philosophy Micro-Delivery Exfoliating Wash

Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanser

Chanel Precision Maximum Radiance Exfoliating Gel

There are just three days left to win our £1000 Bunny Hug Gift Voucher - sign up now.

Desigual - Clever Clothes with a touch of fairy dust

On my usual Saturday morning foray round the shops I took a closer look at Desigual - clever, innovative clothing, beautifully styled and perfect for making a statement in.

Desigual's coats in particular stand out, pared with simple black for instant glamour, with messages, sparkly different coloured buttons (may sound off but I assure you it's not) and travelling from simplistic(ish) black to monochrome to full on colour. The dresses, too are clever, flattering and

interesting.

I wanted to try everything but thankfully was short of time, but this is the type of brand you may well want to start collecting, as I do - fairy dust is free. Apparently I looked taller and slimmer in my new coat - what more could you ask for?

Take a look at the Latest Websites at http://www.thesiteguide.com/

Designer Boutique - Amanda Wakeley, Maria Grachvogel, Peter Jensen, Caroline Charles and more

Brittique has long been a lovely designer boutique, offering brands such as Amanda Wakeley, Caroline Charles and Camilla Staerk, to name but a few, so I'm really sad to learn that they're having a closing down sale.

My advice to you is to rush there immediately and scoop up all the precious bargains you can. With bargains such as Amanda Wakeley's gorgeous brown leather jacket, Louise Amstrup's contemporary panel coat and Scorah Patullo sexy python shoes you have to pay a visit there now, fast.

Brittique has given us a handpicked selection of the best 'hot off the catwalk' looks for quite a while - we hope they'll be back again soon.

In Love With Leather, for better or worse......

A perfect leather jacket is a joy. Wear it with dresses, skirts or jeans, for sexy smart or modern casual. I personally think that although yes, you could have too many leather jackets, one is not enough. I, inevitably, have several which I've collected over the years and I love them all, from Jean Muir's classic buttersoft dark brown edge to edge jacket from years back to Jaeger's little tan number. They all come out over and over again and I'd never be parted from them.

This season's jacket is the biker jacket. Studded, seamed, distressed or ruffled (and sometimes all at the same time) and nearly always zipped, giving it that hard edged look. Yesterday at the station on my way in to ECMOD I spotted one being worn perfectly, flattish black suede boots, black opaque tights, slightly full black skirt, well worn biker jacket and insouciantly tied scarf - I envied the wearer on sight, I have to admit, because she looked just so......beautifully, nonchalently put together and I was not having one of those days tubing my way to Earl's Court to give a talk about online retail on a panel with people I hadn't met before.

Anyway, back to leather, and asking myself the questions 'who should wear what'? 'Is there a style for everyone'? 'Is there an age when you just look so muttonish you should leave leather, particularly black, zipped leather, well alone'?

Making it my mission today to research what was out there and online, I've come to the following conclusions; Rock-chic biker leathers should be left to the rock-chicks. Unless you're very slim, a lot of leather jackets don't have enough shape to flatter (yes I tried on loads). Always buy absolutely the best that you can afford (cheap leather looks cheap), and if you're not a rock-chick, but still want the contemporary edge a great leather jacket can bring to the party, go for a simple, well made, high quality, flattering style.

It isn't necessary to go down the designer leather jacket path unless you want to. As long as you're buying good quality, and it makes you feel great, that's good enough.

Happy Hunting.

New Website Review..............Pretty and Witty

I review new (and established) online retailers' websites all the time, and I've seen some real horrors. No I'm not going to tell you who, but suffice it to say that many of them are still out there, wondering why things aren't going quite right and the world isn't flocking to their door.

Well the good news is that sometimes I'm asked to review a new site that has pretty well got everything right (not everything perhaps, a few tweaks always help and everyone needs an objective point of view) but very nearly everything. Good product range, different from other retailers, attractive selection, wide range of prices, clear photography, easy navigation etc etc.

One of the hardest things, being truthful, and I know that there are those out there who won't believe me, is having products that tempt me to buy, shopaholic that I am (oh yes, and I really am). Well Pretty and Witty managed it easily - there were lots of things I was tempted by, from the animal print cashmere to the mock croc leather clutch (and the grape cashmere shawl) and the snake bracelet...................and I actually could go on and on.

So I'll stop boring you and let you look for yourselves.

There are some fab new special offers too in our Special Offer section.

All in all it's been a very good day! Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that I was invited to Paris by Vente-Privee so I've been happy all day - and I may have managed to sort out my hubby's lovely car that's been sitting brokenly outside our back door the past few weeks and shouldn't be, so thank you Mr Audi Man as well. Not bad, eh?

New at Toy Watch - Fab Functional and Fun.....

Now let's be clear here, I only have one Toy Watch, which I bought on a trip to the US recently, but which I've worn many times and enjoyed watching friends and colleagues (because mine is black with the sparkly bits) wondering where I managed to find the dosh for the 'real thing' which isn't on my shopping list right now for obvious reasons (kids wanting money, Christmas, a 21st coming up and all the rest).

I don't love the brightly coloured versions although I know they're loved by many, but the oversized, perspex or plasteramic strap varieties are well worth thinking about for gifts (for someone else if absolutely necessary) and they not only look great but they work extremely well.

Needless to say while writing this I've fallen for another one - but then that's the problem for anyone writing about and reviewing products and online stores - we just have to live with it.

You can also see the collection at Jules B and what no one tells you, but I can from experience, it's extremely easy to adjust the strap of your new Toy Watch.

There are new reviews in Latest Websites at http://www.thesiteguide.com/: Have a look now.

FitFlops, Flipflops and The Great Outdoors

Yes you read it right - I did say Flipflops - looking outside today I'm wondering if I'll ever need mine again. There are at least three pairs (mine and the daughter's) looking sad around the house at the moment so one of today's jobs is to scoop them up and put them into the flipflop bag (surely you all have one of those) into the sumer drawer (or under the bed) and forget about them for a while. Cold feet are a bad, sad thing as I'm sure you'll agree.

I have, as some of you may have gathered from my Twitter posts, become a Flipflop addict and not from the 'bottom firming' selling blurb but because they're really, really comfortable. I'm wearing my sheepskin lined cloggs as I'm writing this.

On Saturday I totally fell off the wagon and ordered the latest addition to the family, or one of them, the short version of their new boots - I can't wait for them to arrive. If you haven't tried them yet you may think they're a fad and they may well be (and I can't vouch for their bum firming qualities) but for bliss on a cold day I can tell you - they're just the best, and you can actually walk in them too.

Today is a catch-up day; waiting for calls from Germany and the US, creating my slides for ECMOD, trying to avoid the husband, the mother-in-law, the daughter and the dogs and nearly succeeding.

Take a look, if you haven't already, for www.thesiteguide.com for the best of the web.

Mulberry Clothing - Handbags, Shoes and now Womenswear Online.....................

Mulberry Handbags, Mulberry Shoes and now Mulberry Clothing - all available online. Well not all, actually, because there is still just a small selection of the clothing available to browse and buy online, but watch this space - this brand is going skywards.

Mulberry has moved on beyond belief from the days when I used to buy from the collection (as in 'buy' for fashion retail, not just for me) and the reinvention is complete. Gone are the instantly recognisable 'country' grained leather handbags and totes, and the beautiful and wearable clothing collection I used to know. Here is a collection, again instantly recognisable, of iconic pieces virtually straight off the catwalk.

You may think it's expensive and I'd have to agree, however this year's Bayswater Bag or Biker Jacket will still be next year's favourite and valuable vintage in years forward. Using the (useful sometimes for justifying designer buys) adage that you should divide the cost of something by the number of times you wear it frankly you're bound to be quids in.

Keep a close eye on what's going on here and buy something if you can - it's a beautiful brand, and very British, and what could be better than that?

Take a look at the review in Latest Websites at http://www.thesiteguide.com/

Beauty Review - Daily Bronze............

Just occasionally you come across a product that you want to tell everyone about - well Shiseido's Daily Bronze is one of those and if you haven't laid your hands on a bottle give it a go, particularly if your tan's starting to fade. It's expensive on the high street but if you buy it from feelunique.com you can get a fab discount so order it here.

Personally I can't bear that 'whiter than white' look but the whole fake tan routine seems totally wrong at this time of year. Having tried quite a few similar lotions and potions this has come out as a firm favourite. You could also try St Tropez Everyday, Fake Bake Glow Daily or Clarins Radiance Plus but this one has my vote right now - when I can stop my daughter from stealing it.

Check out the best of the web at http://www.thesiteguide.com/

Men and Lunch...................

Over to Bishopsgate at crack of dawn (to me anyway) this morning for IMRG members meeting, courtesy of eKomi, for whom I consult. Extremely interesting but embargoed for the moment - I'll let you know. One thing that did come out of it was that if you haven't yet you should have a play on http://www.bing.co.uk/ - it's still a beta site but very interesting and may just help you find what you're looking for - it'll also take you down byways and highways like other search engines however everything will be related more closely to your search.

Then, after this marathon of meetings out for another meeting with three men. All of whom I like very much (in a businesslike way, of course) but none of whom I have every seen eat. I am one of those girls who needs at the very least a snack at regular intervals if I'm going to be able to concentrate/not get cross/make sensible remarks.

By the time I got to Marylebone at 3.30pm (having had breakfast at 7am) my hubby was begging me to buy a bagel to eat on the train so that he wouldn't have to put up with my bad temper when I got back. I did, and am all sweetness and light now but what is it with some men? I know they eat, and I'm sure they eat lunch of some sort or other but......................next time I'll stand up for myself and go and buy a sarnie, even if I'll feel guilty while doing so.

The worst thing to my mind was that I was in such a hurry to feed my face that I didn't even stop and look closely at the little velvet jacket I'd spotted earlier in Hobbs on my way past. Dreadful, really!

There's a new discovery at http://www.thesiteguide.com/ - take a look.