Dress for a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget

Handbag.com – Thu, Feb 23, 2012

Ever heard the phrase “champagne lifestyle, lemonade budget”? Well I’d say that’s a pretty accurate summary of my life, except it’s not booze I blow my student loan and measly journalistic earning on… its clothes. As a fashion blogger I’m lucky enough to be invited to a lot of truly fabulous events. Whilst this is wonderful in theory (and pretty darned great in practice too, I admit) it does require a rather expansive, not to mention expensive wardrobe. I’m a firm believer that the High Street is a girl’s best friend but now and again an occasion arises for which a Topshop frock just wont cut it. If ever there was a soiree so swanky it required a spectacular ensemble then Alice Temperley’s London Fashion Week Aftershow Party would be it.

This season the designer decided to celebrate her AW12 collection and forthcoming collaboration with Filofax by throwing a lavish event with an extremely A-list guest list. After receiving my invitation (and dancing a brief jig of joy around my bedroom) I immediately started panicking about what the HELL I was going to wear. As much as I’d love to drop big bucks on a new designer dress every time I have a fash bash to attend doing so would leave me penniless quicker than you can say “Harvey Nichols” and that my friends, is where WishWantWear.com comes in. Instead of spending hundreds on an ensemble that I’d wear once, feel fantastic in and then probably not go near for another six months, I decided to hire one instead. With every label from Tibi to Halston Heritage and Temperley London itself up for grabs, choosing my dream dress wasn’t the easiest of tasks. After hours of browsing (which probably should have been spent working) I decided on a delicate, lace cocktail number by New York brand, Milly (see main pic).

One email, two days and fifteen fashion shows later, it was on my doorstep just in time for me to make the world’s quickest outfit change and head over to Mayfair for the long-awaited event. With a guest list every bit A-list as it’s FROW, the Temperley party was an evening to remember. Guests included Poppy Delevigne, Jaquetta Wheeler, Jameela Jamil and countless other famous faces… a couple of whom even admired my dress!

Above: some of the A-list guests at the Temperley party