Amazing Diamond Jewelry from Ross Simons

This has to be one of the web's best kept secrets. Ross Simons has an amazing range and they're the exclusive distributors of the Christie Brinkley collection. A marketer's dream and a magnet for starry-eyed fashion bloggers. So why haven't I heard of this company before?

If celebrity ranges turn your stomach, head straight to the diamond jewelry range - not an eyebrow-raising affiliation to be seen! Just a lot of beautiful diamonds...

MY PICKS:

A Bargain:
Diamond Heart and Toggle Necklace in Sterling Silver

An extravagance:

Diamond Station Necklace in Two-toned Gold

The perfect gift:

Diamond Solitaire Necklace

A bit quirky:

Diamond Dog Bone Necklace

The dog bone necklace is available in other designs! This one has a diamond bone lodged in 14kt yellow gold!

You'll find something whether your taste is classic or quirky and out-there. Some of the finest diamond estate necklaces on the web here.

Ross Simon offers extensive customer care and secure online shopping options.

Shirts from Charles Tyrwhitt

Who knew the humble white shirt could be such a puzzle? Charles Tyrwhitt is a veritable shirt mecca, and a quick browse through their site raises dozens of shirt questions and dilemmas you'd never have dreamed of. This is always the case when you speak to an obsessive. Steer clear if you enjoy a fashion plateau and don't want your white shirt comfort zone shaken up.

This London clothing company retails some of the best classic clothing on the market, emphasising quality fabrics and tailoring. The site offers a 14 day refund guarantee, and allows you to purchase in US dollars or euros.

Choose from a mind-boggling array of mens shirt styles which include Organic Cotton Shirts, Oxford Button-down Shirts, Poplin Shirts, Non-iron Shirts, Black Label Shirts and Superfine 180s shirts.

Click on the images for more information.

White Twill Twofold 180s Classic Shirt
Desribed as 'the lobster of the crustacean family, the Bugatti of
the automobile world and the Lafite of wines'

Cream Poplin Classic Shirt
Poplin is smart, cool and performs well under stress




Toddington Grey Pinstripe Sea Island Quality Classic Shirt
Woven in Italy from two fold 140s yarn, Sea Island cotton is
quite simply the best cotton you can find.




Haslemere Navy Check Non Iron Classic Shirt
Our non-iron shirts are as beautiful as our other shirts,
but they don’t need ironing (and no synthetic fibres in sight)

Specify your collar and sleeve length down to the half inch.

And get in quick - they're having a sale!

Tacori Jewellery at JR Dunn

*Blissed-out sigh* The Tacori range ... it doesn't get any better than this. These prestigious rings are so beautifully crafted... They really are small works of art. Craftsmanship makes all the difference with an engagement ring. This is why some will just POP, they'll catch the eye, and others won't. It's the WAY the silver and diamonds are set, the way they swirl around each other, the way they're cut, and the small juttings and arrangements around the stones. Oooooh... silver and diamonds...

I just received a wedding invitation from a girl I've known since I was four. I'm 25, so I'm at *that* age - people I remember in diapers and school uniforms are freaking me out by starting to wed each other. The invitation was a masterpiece of feminine meticulousness, from the calligraphy on the enclosed maps to the faux flowers pinned lovingly to the front. 'I feel so sorry for the husband in this' said my (male) best friend. 'She'll be like: THE INVITATIONS HAVE TO BE PERFECT' *mimics hyperventilation*...

The ring pretty much has to be perfect too! Next to the dress, the engagement ring will be the source of the most fuss. So... here are some choices from JR Dunn, a retailer of the beautiful Tacori range.

Tacori engagement rings are created so painstakingly they could have been overseen by the rabid, hyperventilating brides themselves. See some of my favourites here and here and here. And here.

Known for elevating craftsmanship to an art, Tacori's signature diamond rings fuse old world elegance with modern glamour and style. Each Tacori ring is hand-crafted by their expert artisans to fit the individual needs of every customer.

Engagements are so exciting. Give yourself the best with this range, which is destined to become classic. Tacori rings are created to become heirlooms, so they really will last forever...

Your One Stop For Jewelry on the Web

My Jewelry Box is an online shopper's dream: Secure purchasing options, free Fed Ex (for purchases over $150), free gift wrapping, a 30 day returns policy, an enormous range and an accessible customer service information line. What else do you need?

The jewelry can be searched by type (pendants, rings, necklaces, earrings or bracelets) and there are seperate sections for engagement rings and gifts. Alternatively, you can browse by price (Under $100, $100 - $200, $200 - $300, all the way up to whoppingly expensive, Elizabeth Taylor-worthy pieces 'above $5000'). You can even shop by stone!

Some great pieces (click for more information) are:

Blue Topaz and Aquamarine Gemstone Earrings



Sapphire Gemstone Bracelet



Tahitian Black Pearl Earrings




Diamond Ring in White and Yellow Gold

I was especially impressed with the diamond rings, and there's an exceptional selection of promise rings. You're sure to find something beautiful...

Karl Lagerfeld's Russian Fantasy for Chanel

Chanel Pre-fall 2009 can be summarised in one word: HEADPIECES. Lagerfeld wanted to fuse the old and the new, which sounds like a tired old philosophy until you realise what a broad palette of 'old' looks is on offer (fashion has been evolving and mutating alongside human history for thousands of years). The trick is to make intelligent choices. This season Lagers cherry-picked from Russian inspirations. Sculpted heels like faberge eggs and brilliant headpieces evoked the regality and extravagance of monarchs. Pieces had a rich, textured wintery feel. BUT he'd couple them with black dresses, adding a touch of Soviet asceticism (there were a few versions of this but the one above was my favourite).



Quaint Russian peasant uniforms also got a makeover.





And those gold stockings kept appearing!






Think this will never find its way off the catwalk? Just wait, Lady Gaga will be on it in a heartbeat.




Then again, as much as fashionistas have hope for her, I worry that her look is stubbornly futuristic in a static way. Even if a marriage of old and new becomes the way forward (as it seems to be) she will stubbornly stick with her mod prints, clean lines and structured shapes, because they look 'traditionally' futuristic. By being 'traditionally' forward she is being traditional! Do you get what I mean?


Another eye-catching trend at Chanel was women's jackets on men!




Does this have its place? I can sort of see masculine fashion-forward men grabbing onto it. Remember that pink shirt craze a few years ago? I noticed that only gym-toned beefcakes hopped on it, as if they were saying 'I'm uber-macho and this pink shirt doesn't make a dent in that. It merely offsets my macho-ness (machismo?) in an interesting way'.


These women's jackets could be like that!

images: style.com

Lingerie from Flirty Lingerie

Are you bored with your everyday underwear choices? Stuck in a rut? Have you practically melded into your black bra and flesh coloured underpants? Perhaps you need an adventure.

Not all the lingerie from Flirty Lingerie is for the faint of heart (Garters! Suspenders! Crotchless Underpants! Fishnet bodysuits! Nipple covers like the one on Janet Jackson's boob at the Superbowl!) but you're bound to find something fab that suits your taste.

A good guide might be:

For beautiful, delicate pieces- La Perla;
For extravagant, bright, erotic things- Agent Provocateur;
For a boundless, titillating, mind-expanding postmodern underwear experience (on a budget)- Flirty Lingerie!

Even if you're just after a bra, prepare to see exotic shapes, nipple-exposing contrivances, and push-up technologies you'd never dreamed of. There is also a wide selection of plus size lingerie.


(Click images for more info)

Polka dot 'thong' and bra
with Peek-a-Boo Back and Lace Bows


Lace push-up 'Shelf' bra
'Exposes your breasts while supporting them' (a Best-Seller!)




Stretch Lace Open-Crotch Satin Panty


Sheer Stretch 'thong' panty with
pearl detail and butterfly applique



Strapless Bra and thong set in Checker pattern



An enormous selection of teeny, tiny skirts

For pages and pages of sexy lingerie options visit the Flirty site.

Jonas Brothers Merchandise

I know I have a lot of readers who love The Jonas Brothers so I'm going to 1) admit that the middle one is dreamy, and 2) let you know about the large selection of merch available at their most sprawling fan site, JoBroFanClub.com.

Until the Jo Bros came on the scene the 00s could not lay claim to a real pop merchandising phenomenon. The nineties had two that I can remember: that brief period after Michael Jackson's world tour, when obsessives papered their walls with every snippet they could find in magazines, and those two weeks after Hanson came out, when waifish pre-teen girls went mad for three blonde guys who looked exactly like them.

The Jonas Brothers are clearly in the Hanson mould, though their look is more smouldering than sunny and girlish; maybe that follows automatically when you have a trio of brunettes. In addition to the usual media and links sections, JoBroFanClub.com has a large selection of Jonas Brother stuff.

For Camp Rock Fans, there's a range of merch inspired by the latest film phenomenon. Go nuts!

"The Jonas Brothers are the hottest teen band in years. Their popularity has spawned many products from leading internet retailers. They include The Disney Store, Target, WalMart, Sears, Limited Too and many more. Some of the Jonas Brothers branded merchandise includes t-shirts, buttons, magnets, totes, posters, pillows, mousepads, clocks and more. The JoBro store at http://JoBroFanClub.com has the largest selection of JoBro merchandise available."