Get Waisted hosts a Fashion Show for Brighton College

Toni Pickles firmly believes in supporting local charities as well as education, so it’s no surprise that for the third year running, Get Waisted helped the girls of Fenwick House, one of the houses at leading independent school, Brighton College, put on a fashion show (www.brightoncollege.org.uk).

Last year the theme was ‘James Bond’, the year before ‘Moulin Rouge’ – so there’s never a shortage of glamour. This year the theme was 1940’s and ‘50’s ‘Hollywood Glamour’ so of course it was just the ticket for Get Waisted.

After music and dance from some extremely talented students, brave members of staff strutted their stuff in front of the student body wearing pieces from a number of local shops including Passport, Lucia’s Workshop and Foxed Up Vintage, for the ‘Teachers Runway’.

This was followed by collections from Get Waisted, Dig for Victory and Pretty Eccentric, varying from fun outfits through to vintage-inspired day and cocktail dresses, and evening glamour.

With financial contributions from a raffle as well ticket sales for the event, catering and a fun photo booth with accessories for a record of the event from Emmest Photography (www.emmestphotography.co.uk/), the final amount raised for Chestnut Tree House is still being calculated - but with around 200 people there on the night (a full house), the evening was a great success and much enjoyed by everyone.

To see more about Chestnut Tree House, see www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

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

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk

Steyning boutique, 94 High Street, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3RD (from 4^th March)

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

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342

Shopping frenzy hits the high street

Sky News[1] says shoppers are expected to spend £12bn in just four days as they make the most of slashed prices and promotions, according to retail forecasters. There’s going to be a big battle both on the high street and online.

About three-quarters of retailers are now offering deals and 13m people are expected to shop on the high street today, the last Saturday before Christmas, with many having finished work for the festive season yesterday. Clothing, fashion, jewellery and lingerie are always popular.

People are becoming more canny though, waiting for the sales and hoping the items they’re after are going to be reduced. In larger stores which stock many of each size and design, that’s possible but in independent boutiques like Get Waisted in Steyning and Brighton, it’s a different story.

If you’ve been window shopping recently or popped in and seen something you love, as we have room for a bijou selection of unique clothing and accessories, you might be disappointed if you think they’ll still be there for you in a few days.

We’ve all done it – we think we’ll grab a bargain when the sale starts but only found the few items the gannets have left when we turn up. Instead of hoping for the best and taking the risk of getting what you want, we say that our clothes and accessories are good value to start with and as you certainly won’t see them anywhere else on the high street, you’re getting a great deal anyway!

We’ll be open today, tomorrow and Christmas Eve until 2pm so there’s still time to pop in to say hello and look at the wonderful display we’ve put on just for you.

Meantime, everyone at Get Waisted wishes you a sparkly Christmas and fun-packed New Year.

You can see more about us on www.getwaisted.co.uk or contact us on:

Email: toni@getwaisted.co.uk

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

Open 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday, closed on Mondays

Tel: 01903 812992

Mobile: 07947 497342

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[1] Source: http://news.sky.com/story/1185618/christmas-shoppers-to-spend-12bn-in-four-days

The Fashion Show Steyning has been waiting for!

We don’t think Steyning has seen anything like our recent Fashion Show.

Nearly 100 people came along, either sitting back enjoying the range of women’s dresses and accessories displayed on our beautiful models, or helping behind the scenes.

We had thirteen models altogether – ladies of all shapes and sizes – hair and make up team, lighting and music assistants, those serving drinks and canapés, selling raffle tickets, manning the welcome desk, not to mention the compère and those taking photos and shooting a video. It was a wonderful team effort, designed to make sure everyone had the best time possible.

There was much shimmying and sashaying along the catwalk as we showed the crème de la crème that Get Waisted has to offer in our boutique and on-line. We even auctioned a gorgeous black corset outfit modelled by Caitlin (see below).

The most important thing though (apart from showing that Steyning is clearly the centre of upmarket yet affordable glam and chic) is that we raised £300 for Chestnut Tree House (www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/) children’s hospice care.

This month we also took part in Steyning’s Late Night Christmas Shopping Extravaganza, where we welcomed more Get Waisted friends and customers with a hearty glass of mulled wine and festive mince pies. Once again, good fun was had by all!

We’re delighted we launched our arrival in Steyning with such a bang and we’ve certainly had many new visitors to our boutique in the high street as a result.

We still have plenty of unique women’s fashion clothes and accessories for those upcoming Christmas and New Year parties and we even have some you can hire. There’s just enough time if you need something special made bespoke too (but please don’t leave it too late!).

We’ve been up in London visiting buyers so we can bring you the very latest affordable designer and individually fashioned pieces before Christmas, so there’ll be new and exciting items arriving by the day.

Just give us a call on 01903 812992 or pop in to Get Waisted Boutique and we’ll tell you more.

Free Photoshoot AND 20% off when you Get Waisted for your Prom

At Get Waisted we like to do things properly. Prom 'season' is no exception. So we have got together with Phase Photographic to make an unbeatable offer.

Order a prom dress from Get Waisted before May 1st and not only will you get a 20% discount you will also receive a free photoshoot in your dress from Phase Photographic.

The photoshoot includes a 7"x5" framed photo (you can order more in a wide variety of sizes and frames) and is alone worth £100.

Make a splash with your prom dress

There is always a last minute rush. So this is Get Waisted trying really hard to give you a real incentive. Phase Photographic are the perfect photographers to capture you in all your glory and Get Waisted can cater to your every whim in terms of design, colour and fabric.

So call me, Toni, now on 07947497342 or email at toni@getwaisted.co.uk to discuss your requirements or arrange an initial (free) consultation.

I look froward to hearing from you.

Toni

Love is in the air (and maybe a little snow)!

So here we are, snowbound as I write, and Valentine's Day is almost upon us. But before I start trying to get those creative juices flowing and showing you a few ideas I thought I would just give a little history.

If, like I did a few years ago, you thought Valentines Day was just an evil capitalist scheme dreamed up by Hallmark you couldn't be more wrong. In fact its origins can be traced back to pre-Christian times and the Pagan festival of Lupercalia. It seems Roman and subsequent Christian cultures 'adopted' Lupercalia on the basis of 'if you can't beat them, join them. Lupercalia was celebrated from 13 to 15 February in Roman times.

Whilst Lupercalia involved the 'encouragement' of female fertility through men stripping naked and whipping the backsides of young females with goatskin this can hardly be considered romantic love...although I can think of a few former...enough of that. The first linking of romantic love to Saint Valentine seems to have come with Chaucer in 1382 and his Parlement of Foules celebrating the engagement of Richard the II and Anne of Bohemia - "..for this was on Saint Valentines Day when every fowl cometh there to choose his mate" (rough translation).

The first recorded passing of a Valentines note seems to have been from a Frenchman (of course) captured after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 to his lover and subsequently imprisoned in The Tower. Throughout the 18th century the passing of notes became customary in England and in 1847 Esther Howland of Worcester Massachusetts starting producing cards in the US. In 1913 Hallmark produced their first cards and we were on the slippery slope. By 2010 the market was worth almost $15bil in retail sales in the US and over 1 billion Valentine cards sent worldwide making it second only to Christmas in this regard.

OK, and breathe. Hopefully you're still with me and we can take a look at a few ideas to get those pulses racing (now that's what I call target marketing).

A Get Waisted creation for Valentine's Day

As you can see we have moved on a little from Chaucer - you don't have to go all out 'vamp'. Here is a nice selection from Tight Flavor to illustrate the point.

At Get Waisted we like to add our own spin. As I may have mentioned, I just love corsets and what they can do for just about any woman. There are a few ideas (all from Get Waisted) above - I hope you like them.





Of course, if you want one of these or something similar with your own twist, well that's what bespoke is and the Get Waisted 'Raison d'etre'. Just call me, Toni, or email on toni@getwaisted.co.uk

Made in Britain

Do you remember when all sorts of manufacturers proudly displayed a 'Made in Britain' label on their goods? The answer is, if you are under 30, then probably not...but why...and are we seeing a reversal of the trend?

Back in 2011 we saw a campaign to adopt a new logo to proudly proclaim goods as British made (following a competition won by Cynthia Lee at Nottingham University). Since then all sorts of people from Ed Milliband to Mary Portas have been keen to show their support. More importantly over 600 manufacturers have now signed up.

Moving to my particular 'oevre', how is this being reflected in the fashion industry? It is clear that British fashion design and designers have a major place on the world stage yet it is increasingly difficult to find clothes exclusively made in Britain. Still Made In Britain is a site dedicated to promoting goods still manufactured in Britain. It is still possible to find a number of companies making clothes that are traditional or 'country' based - Original Montgomery is an example (and about as traditional as it gets - established in 1890 and chosen by the British Admiralty to make the first duffle coats). But you have to dig deeper to find many newer enterprises - especially of any scale.

In fact, at last there does seem to be something of a 'seachange' - to continue the metaphor. During the first of this years London Fashion Weeks there was a distinct focus on British manufacturing. Mulberry (right) has received £2.5mil to build a new factory in Somerset and Sir Philip Green argued for manufacturers to support Britain.

Research suggests this makes commercial sense. 67% of consumers want to see an 'official seal of approval' like the logo shown at the top of this blog and 52% want to see more manufacturing in the UK. As costs rise in China and other parts of the far east an increasing number of manufacturers both within and beyond clothing, are questioning the location of their manufacturing facilities.

For the sake of our young aspiring designers and entrepreneurs as well as the future of jobs for our young people and the economy in general, let's hope we can sustain this trend and create an environment where it is not just an emotional decision but a sound commercial one to locate manufacturing facilities in this country.

A Get Waisted creation - photography by Tristan at Apix Photography

At Get Waisted everything is made here in the UK. In fact even our suppliers of source fabrics and accessories are overwhelmingly UK based - often with a real heritage of their own. Your support is really appreciated. Of course, if you are thinking about a new, special dress why not go bespoke, buy British and Get Waisted!

Love,

Toni.

"Be elegant or die"

OK - the title quote (Louisa May Alcott) may be a bit strong! However, we are seeing a real trend to abandoning minimalism this summer. A number of designers have chosen to really embrace femininity this summer. Check out Louis Vuitton in a sort of girly floral meets '60's psychedelia mash-up.Then there are 'vegetable prints at Dolce & Gabbana and a beautiful use of lattice-work  by London Designer Peter Pilotto...yummy!

Peter Pilotto

Louis Vuitton

Dolce & Gabbana

Perhaps my favourite of the 'on-trend' looks is the creative use of applique - one of the best is this creation embodying both floral and applique from D&G. 

At Get Waisted we have our own take on elegance with the following creations using the latest floral, lace and applique design trends.

The bottom line is there are no rights and wrongs. However, it is reassuring to see so many pretty, wearable designs out there for summer. Maybe this has inspired you to expand your wardrobe - if so you know where to come...Get Waisted

Haute Eco for Miss Sussex

Get Waisted is delighted to announce that we will be working with the beautiful Alyse Louisa Spratt – current Miss Sussex and finalist in the Miss England pageant to be held on June 26.

Toni will be working on the dress with Alyse for the Eco Fashion show. The Eco section  has grown increasingly important since it was launched in 2007 to become a critical round in the competition. It is a chance to highlight the importance and potential of using recycled materials and is part of the fashion show final.

The exact design is a big secret so suffice to say for now that it will combine recycling with something that is synonymous with Alyse’s beloved Sussex coast. Come back to the blog after the event for pictures and news of how she got on. In the meantime here is a picture of last years winner in a dress made from recycled cuttings from the Liverpool Echo. 

Miss Liverpool 2011 & the Liverpool Echo

Alyse at Hove Station Car Wash

Another key tenet of the Miss England franchise  is charitable works. Alyse and the other contestants in Miss England are working with the registered charity ‘Beauty With a Purpose’.

This year they are supporting Brent Knoll School for children with complex learning difficulties by doing a wide variety of sponsored activities – ranging from auctioning off past winning dresses to sky-diving and car-washes (reprising the 1976 movie with Richard Pryor…just in case you are too old to remember).

I'm so excited - I really want to tell you more about the dress. But I can't (mustn't) so we'll all just have to wait. In the meantime just a quick note: it is Brighton Fashion Week from 30th May to 3rd June.
 

I just can't believe how quickly it has come round. This year we kick off with the Brighton Frocks Show tonight (30th May) followed by the Zeitgeist Show on the 31st. I am sure it will continue to drive forward Brighton's ever burgeoning reputation as a centre of excellence for cutting edge fashion - cant wait.