Following on from my previous post featuring the dresses I'd like to add to my wardrobe this season, today I'm sharing the list of accessories I'd like to bring in.
First of all - my favourite nude heels, which I'd purchased from Topshop back in my student days, have finally died. The sole has come off the front completely and they're not save-able. I can't really complain given they'd served 10+ years at this point, but I am suddenly without the most verstaile shoe I owned - they were a great shade of nude for my pale skin, they had a round toe and a strap which accommodated my wide feet and the conical heel was high enough to feel a little bit sexy but stable enough I could do a whole day and night in them without being crippled by the end. A moments' silence for this sad passing please, may they rest in peace.
It does mean I need to replace them - which is where the first two shoes come in. Ultimately I prefer the Aquazzura Purist Pumps 105 in the shade they're terming 'beige.' They're sleeker and sexier and look the sort of nude shoe that verges onto white - which is exactly what my victorian woman dying from consumption complexion requires to match it - but I suspect they will not be well suited to my wide feet with their pointed toe. Still, they're my preference and I'm including them here as I'd like to try them before writing them off entirely. I do suspect though that the shoes next to them, with the more rounded toe and the strap across them will be the ones which suit my feet better. They're from Next, they're far more pocket friendly and although they're patent - which is a bit of a nightmare for me usually - they do come in both regular and wide fitting options. They're ultimately a lower heel and not quite as come hither, but they'll certainly be comfier than the Aquazzura and I'm old enough now to admit there's something to be said for that!
Going across to the end, these pearl encrusted Jimmy Choo numbers have been a fairly permanent feature of my wishlist for the past few years. I sort of know a pale shoe like this is a dreadful idea to invest a four figure sum of money into, but they're so incredibly beautiful. The block heel and no platform variation seemed to disappear for a little while, leaving the stiletto or block heel with platform only options - but my preferred in the middle option is back and they still make my heart flutter.
What I like about both those beautiful Sacaria 100 Jimmy Choo shoes and the 3 strand pearl necklace I've featured below them in the collage is the shade of the pearls. My first pearl necklace - a gift from my parents when I was 16 - was a single strand of creamy, off-white pearls with a gold clasp. I still have, love and regularly wear that necklace and one of the main things I like about it is that the pearls have a warmth to them. I'm really keen to add a three strand necklace to my collection - this particular one probably isn't going to be it unless I win the lottery to be totally honest, but I'm keeping it here as a representative of looking for the same item, ideally at a smaller price tag!
To round off with shoes - whilst I was googling for nude shoes, these LK Bennett Floret Heels appeared. Although their nude option wasn't what I was after, I'm very interested in this shade, which they're calling orange. I have what I would arguably more flatteringly call a gingerbead or rust coloured handbag and I've been after some matching shoes for it for a few years - and these look like they might possibly fit the bill. I haven't seen them in person to see if the shade is exactly right, but it looks promising.
The gloves are slightly unseasonal if we were being strict about this being a Spring/Summer wishlist - but I live in Scotland so a leather glove is a year round staple. These ones are a beautiful rich shade which I think would tone in well with the greens, reds, mustards and gingerbreads that I love. They're currently out of stock, but I'm hoping the fact they haven't actually been taken off the website means they'll be coming back. I have The Fear with these though, as I've liked the same gloves in the Oxblood colour for years and they have disappeared, so I'm wary these may also be on their way out entirely - but I hope not!
Let's just get the other unseasonal item discussed - yes that is a Nutcracker silk scarf with Christmas trees in a snowglobe. The Nutcracker is one of my favourite ballets so owning a scarf with a nod to it on it appeals greatly - and I also love the rich colours of this one. It's absolutely something I'd buy and put in a drawer until the festive season, but I'm including it here as I think it's the sort of thing that there won't have been many made of in the first place so it's probably something I'd be better securing sooner rather than later!
From a novelty print scarf to novelty earrings and bags - I'm a sucker for playful accessory. I think you can tell from looking at this group of items above that I'm very much more of a classic dresser than a trend led dresser, but I like to offset the risk of seeming too boring by adding in sequins, glitter or something just a little off-kilter to my outfits. I love frogs, I have a gorgeous wicker frog bag from Kate Spade that I got a few years ago now so I am desperately trying to avoid catching the eye of their new frog handbag (even though she has pearls for eyes and is utterly adorable!) but I could definitely see me making room for these frog earrings. Although they're studs they're quite a decent size, a statement stud if you will, so would really add something to an outfit.
Next to the frog earrings is the Lulu Guiness Lips Clutch in Red Glitter. I've liked the LG lips clutches for years but I've never quite found the right one for me - until now. Red is one of my favourite colours anyway and it also feels like the right colour for a lip clutch to be, but the glitter finish of this one just elevates it that little bit above the standard red colour that I've just never quite pulled the trigger on buying. I also love this kind of glitter, that's a smooth finish and not going to flake off in time. All in all, I feel like I've been waiting for this bag for a long time!
The other two bags are similar - both boxy, structured top handled offerings that come with the option of a cross body strap. This is such a classic silhouette which always adds a bit of polish to any outfit.
For a while now I've been eyeing up the Saint Laurent Manhattan handbag in Burgundy - I saw it on a woman at the airport in July last year and it has been living in my mind ever since, but the issues I have with it are that it's a smooth leather, which will mark easily, and that it only offers one long strap, not a top handle option. The Anya Hindmarch Mortimer in Rosewood ticks a lot of the visual boxes of what I like about the Saint Laurent, but its textured leather means marks won't show up quite as easily and it comes with both the top handle and longer strap options - meaning I think it'll be a more robust and versatile bag overall.
The Mulberry Lana is very similar - I used to be an avid Mulberry fan but if I'm honest I've found the quality on their bags to be a little hit or miss over the past few years and they'd sort of slipped off my radar as a result, but I saw the Lana in Selfridges when I was in Manchester just before Christmas, and liked the shape and size. This new colour, 'Night Sky', might just be the one...
The last item on the list is the Alex Monroe Gold Plated Victoriana Locket. I've been after a locket for a while, but haven't found the one - I've mainly been looking at antiques and the ones I've liked the most have had price tags somewhat out of my reach! Being gold plated as opposed to solid gold makes the price point here a little easier to swallow but it still has that antique look I'm after.
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