Style Blog

I’d forgotten that May 1st was fiesta time in Spain, so rather than a trip to the supermarket (closed), a visit to a local restaurant was in order. It’s interesting to note the difference in quality and prices from the UK.

Our chosen pizza restaurant is very popular with the local Spanish here in Almerimar - always a good sign - and typical of the standard. The red wine, Rioja, was smooth and the food all freshly cooked and well presented. The service, friendly and quick. Without any doubt, the food and service were superior to Britain’s average standard, but now check out the prices:

Tapas, comprising hams, olives, and bread: free
4 Glasses of Rioja: 9,20 euros
1 Dish of asparagus and salmon: 8,00 euros
1 Seafood pizza: 9,30 euros
2 Espresso coffees: 2,20 euros

2 Chupitos (honey and rum shot): free

Total: 28,70 euros

The new season is finally here and a chance to change our wardrobe for the warmer weather. Spring is a great time to start a new look, plus there are plenty of designers out there offer great collections from which you could choose from. Whatever your taste in fashion may be, there is sure to be a brand out there that is ideal for you.

Prey of London is a label that creates a unique collection of clothing for women. The designer is one that produces laid back grunge-esque pieces, ideal for those who don’t want to jump into too much colour this spring. Their latest collection sees a superb range of womenswear that you will love adding to your wardrobe. Here we have picked a few of our fave pieces and styled them up with some other items for outfit inspiration for the new season. 

This Prey of London stripe maxi dress is the ideal spring piece for grunge lovers. Cover up with this Miss Selfridge leather jacket, some New Look ankle boots and a long necklace from House of Fraser for a truly laid back look.

Summer happens to be a popular time to flaunt those precious fashion accessories and why not. Even though summer is after all the hottest season of the year, don’t make the common mistake like most do. People think that owing to the heat they can give accessories a miss. However, that’s definitely not the way to go for all it requires for you is to be a bit intelligent when choosing the summer accessories and you could easily be the fashion diva that always ruled.

5 Must have accessories for you this summer

Check out the following stylish yet smart fashion accessories that you just can’t afford to give a miss this summer.

1. Light and bright scarves: All it requires for you is to add a dash of color and a bit of spunk to your entire appearance is a light weight and brightly colored scarf. All you need to do is ensure that it’s light enough so as not to make things intolerable for you under the oppressive summer heat.

2. Cool bracelet watches: It’s not just in the name, but also in the appearance if you want to set in the essential bling factor into your appearance this summer. The presence of a bracelet watch on your wrist can work wonders and jazz up your outfit beyond your imagination. They’re absolutely trendy and fantastic in every sense of the word. Moreover, it serves both purposes since it’s like a stylish bracelet plus serves the purpose of a sophisticated watch.

This is Day 1 of my trip to Almería in the Andalucía region of Spain, or more specifically, Puerto Deportivo Almerimar where I'm staying on a yacht.  Almerimar is a marina and golf resort area.

It all sounds glamorous, but the yacht was built in the 70's and is in dire need of refurbishment, so the living conditions are decidedly basic.  Nevertheless, the weather is generally dry with incredible levels of sunshine and beautiful light, so life on board is very agreeable.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be reporting on the lifestyle, food, culture, and fashion out here. Times are economically dire in recession hit Spain, though it is not particularly evident in this area, since the local fruit and vegetable market is thriving. With that in mind, I’ll be taking a close look at the food and drink, comparing prices and quality with the UK market.

Just before signing out for today, I ought to mention that the weather is not always idyllic here. There is furious heat in the summer, high winds, flash floods, and storms - an example being yesterday’s flight when a flash of lightning and a bumpy approach to landing raised my heartbeat to an alarming level, and generated some panicked looks amongst passengers. This made all the worse in my mind by my recent viewing of the air-crash movie, Flight

Hasta Mañana

Selling Jewelry, whether it is your own precious items, things you’ve made or you want to start a retail business, is a great way to make money. The internet makes starting up online stores extremely easy. The trick is to becoming established and creating a brand for the business. Here are some steps to take to start up your own online store to sell your sterling silver Jewelry.

Decide Where to Sell:

There are many places online where you can start selling quickly. Some people create their initial store on sites like eBay or Etsy, while others want to start with their own website from the beginning. The choice is up to you but usually depends on the type of products that you’re selling – and whether you want a full-time retail business. Auction and selling sites are a great way to start out to make sure that this is for you and the best way to sell your unwanted items. However, if you want to make a career for yourself, you will look more professional selling through your own domain name.

1. Create Your Website: It is time to create a website for your business. This needs to be set up to create your brand as well as make it easy for people to buy the items of Jewelry that interest them. While there are content management systems to help make a website on a budget, it is often better to hire a professional to create an e-commerce website for you to make sure it works.
2. Choose Your Hosting: Once you have a website, you need a host to have it up and running so people can see it. There are many different hosting companies so shop around and see which ones can offer you the best value for your money. You cannot get the cheapest, free hosting – not only do they not look as professional but they will not offer the e-commerce functions that you need. Make sure you look for those with shopping cart functions to make it easier for your customers to buy from you.
3. Choose Your Methods of Payment: How will you accept payments? If you’re using selling websites, they usually have a limited number of options that protect the seller and buyer. When you’re opting for your own store, you will have more freedom. Will you accept credit and debit cards or would you prefer people to pay you through PayPal or other finance websites? Avoid checks or people sending money through the post as these are not safe – for you or them!
4. Take the Perfect Pictures: Make sure you can get great photos of all the items you’re selling. If they come with different gems on the silver, have photos of each different one. People want to see what they’re buying before they hand over their money and photos are the only way that they can do that. You’ll need to think about the background of the photos as well as the quality of them. Get photos from different angles and close ones of any detail so that customers can make a well-informed decision before buying.

It will take time for your store to become successful – no business gains success overnight. You will need to get out there and market yourself once your website is up and running and your items are available. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling your unwanted sterling silver Jewelry or creating your own; you will need a website, great hosting and excellent photos to make it easy for your customers.

What is it about chinos that make them such a good choice for menswear this year? With the Summer soon approaching, or at least hopefully given the weather, it’s worth thinking about the benefits of chinos, and how you can make the most of them - what trends should you focus on, and how can you best wear chinos with other items? Moreover, what are some of the things you should avoid when wearing chinos?

The style associated with chinos is generally laid back  and capable of being adapted to different occasions; the more casual chinos you can find on the high street have visible stitching, and are mostly to be worn when relaxing - they can still be paired, though, with Oxford shirts and smart blazers, as well as with printed T shirts. More high quality chinos, which can be found through brands like Officers Club, are designed to last longer, and to be suitable as work attire.

Remember, you don’t want to look too casual - part of the appeal of chinos is their versatility, and their ability to add a smart touch to most outfits - if you’re going for a more traditional look, than black and navy chinos are best, as they can fit in well with a smart suit jacket or blazer; brightly coloured chinos, by comparison, give you a lot of room to experiment with different styles, and can be paired with T shirts and most other outfits without drawing too much attention away from items.

The choice available for chino styles and colours is broad, and you can go with rust colours and mustard, or with regular fit and tan shades - chino shorts can also be worn, and are a particularly good idea for the beach. Regular and boot cut chinos can similarly be combined if you want a sharper look that’s more similar to the lines you can get with a good pair of slim fit jeans, and can be paired with smart shoes.

It’s worth, then, thinking about having a few different pairs of chinos that you can mix and match; brighter coloured chinos can be paired off with neutral shirts and boat shoes, while darker and less striking chinos are ideal for wearing with leather jackets. Try to avoid clashing colours, and always get your sizing right before settling on a pair of chinos. Striped shirts and plenty of colour can make chinos can stand out, so consider adding a few pairs to your wardrobe this Spring and Summer to see whether you can get out of the habit of wearing the same old jeans styles.