Armed & Glamorous UK

Just add sleeves - make your own "tights for arms"

2011-12-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

Do you love the idea of Mary Portas Armery but can't find it in stock? Or is the price just beyond you? Don't despair... Do what lots of us have done for years - make your own!

You really don't have to be crafty to make your own "arm tights". All you need is:

1 pair footless tights*
1 pair of scissors.

* You can use normal tights, but footless tights have ready made cuffs for a neat finish!

Pick any footless tights you fancy, from plain opaques to animal prints and lace - even woolly tights will work! Buy your usual size (or one size bigger if you're a lot broader in the shoulders than the hips). Normal tights also work, but you don't get quite such neat cuffs for quite so little effort.

This is where you have to be brave...

Custom made sleeves
- the finished product!

Cut right across the tights about 8cm/3" below the waistline

Now they're ready to try on... I told you they were easy!!

If they feel tight across the shoulders, re-cut a little lower.
Wear under anything and everything!! The sleeves don't have to match your outfit - try colour blocking with bright or jewel shades, or contrast designs and textures for a funky look.

Please check out my make your own "tights for arms" video tutorial:

Silent Sunday

2011-12-04T00:42:00.001-08:00

Petite Fashion on Armed & Glamorous

2011-11-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

Petites Short Sleeved
Shift Dress
Short Couture

If you're looking for petite fashion with sleeves, Armed & Glamorous is now making it a bit easier for you by pulling all of our finds together on one page and hunting out new Petites brands.

We're also very excited to showcase the Short Couture range - affordable, UK made fashion for ladies 5'4" and under with a focus on smart day to evening styles and workwear. They have a great range of sleeved styles and the sleeve length is adjusted for a perfect petite fit.

I'll be making a special effort to add more Petites lines over the next few weeks - do take a look and let me know what's on your wish list.

Mary Queen of Frocks

2011-10-05T00:27:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of Mary Portas so it's exciting to see her putting her money where her mouth is and developing her own ranges for grown up women in C4's Mary Queen of Frocks.

"No-brainer dress"
Mary Portas at House of Fraser

As always, Mary was on good form, labelling the current 40+ fashion stereotypes as "Parish Prada" (living in a rural area, smart casual, buys mainly via mail order....), "No, you are not your daughter" (mutton dressed as lamb) and "Cautious Co-ordinator" (smart with matching handbag and shoes). I recognise the looks, but it's hard to be adventurous and age appropriate - hopefully Mary will make it easier.

Much as I adore her work, and totally agree with her assessment of the available fashion for 40+ women, I'm not yet 100% about her range. I'm not convinced that a lot of the pieces (especially the no-brainer shift dress) will work on a more curvy figure. One of the "real ladies" on the programme said, "I want her to design something that looks good on our shape and then scale it down to a size 8" and she's right. The key to great fashion for grown up women is designing for real bodies - if she's managed to do that, I'm in.

Image: House of Fraser

The proof is in the pudding (or in my case, puddings) so I'm witholding judgement until I've seen all of those ladies wearing Mary's clothes. For now, my biggest issue is the prices, which definitely look more high end than high street. The shift dress, if it looks right, could easily be one of those fashion lifesavers and go on to justify the price tag, but £75 for a pair of leggings? Mary!!!

All in all, there are some fab clothes in the collection. The blouses are stunning, with beautifully cut sleeves, and I love the 3/4 sleeved dress, which manages to hit 2 big Autumn trends - jewel colours and animal prints, without looking try hard.

The best thing? The whole collection has sleeves, so I will be listing it at Armed & Glamorous.

Magpie Monday: Window Shopping Part 3

2011-09-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

Due to a combination of dodgy finances, lack of house space and impending Xmas doom, I am avoiding the charity shops and car boot sales at the moment except for essentials, like clothing for small one.

It's left me a bit short of inspiration for Magpie Monday this week, so I thought I'd write a joint post across my 3 websites and go window shopping online. The online charity shops not as cheap as shopping in person, but you can still get a bargain.

Armed and Glamorous – Dresses and Tops with Sleeves:

I found some nice long sleeved dresses at Oxfam Online. My favourites were definitely the vintage styles - a glam green long-sleeved maxi, and this rather fabulous blue knitted dress and jacket. Neither would look out of place on the high street right now.

I also like these glam cover-ups for layering up as the weather cools. All three are brand new with tags:

To see the rest of my imaginary haul, visit MilkChic – Stylish Clothes for Breastfeeding Mums and Pretty But Not Pink - Non-pink clothes for girls aged 0-14. Or pop over to Magpie Monday and see what everyone else has been buying!

You can always see my latest vintage and sale dresses and tops with sleeves at Last Chance to Buy on Armed & Glamorous.

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Trend Flash: Inspired by Nature

2011-06-17T05:06:00.000-07:00

I'm loving the bird and butterfly prints at the moment. Keep it natural in soft colours as a twist on the usual florals.

Inspired by Nature

1. Chesca Butterfly Print Silk Blend Shrug, Champagne - £125, John Lewis

2. Cream Butterfly Print Dress - Was £40 Now £20, Wallis

3. Ladies Flower and Bird Necklace - £6, Peacocks

4. Kookai Bird Print Cotton Blouse, Beige - £49, John Lewis

5. Butterfly design bangle - £9.50, Promod

6. Etched Butterfly Satin Handle Shoulder Bag - £35, Monsoon

7. Winter Kate Tilapia Floral Bird Print Blouse - £125.75, Shopbop

8. Gérard Darel Butterfly Print Silk Blend Shirt Dress, Beige - Was £185 Now £111, John Lewis

9. Rose and Bird Printed Wellington Boots - £12.50, George at Asda

Silent Sunday

2011-06-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Sleeved Maxis for Summer!

2011-05-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

The 70s trend continues and it has brought a cornucopia of gorgeous maxi dresses to the shops. Whether the stunning floral Paul & Joe dress (a snip at £1,015...) or something a little more affordable, maxi dresses are stylish, comfortable and great for all occasions. These ones all have fabulous arm flattering sleeves too!

Sleeved Maxi Dresses

1. Paul & Joe Osmose Botanical Print Maxi Dress, £1,015 - My-Wardrobe.com
2. Tibi Long Dress, £95.61 - Shopbop
3. Diane von Furstenberg Abigail Wrap Dress, £376.23 - Shopbop
4. Totem Sacras VF125 Discoland Dress, £140 - Coggles.com
5. South Long Sleeve Tiered Maxi Dress, £35 - Very
6. Black floral print maxi dress, £45 - Debenhams
7. Sequin Embellished Maxi Dress, £80 - Oasis
8. Young Fabulous & Broke Eden Canyon Long Dress, £166.42, Shopbop

Magpie Monday: Searching for Sleeves

2011-05-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share something special with you today. It's not a vintage find, as such. It's more of a hand-me-down, but I think it still counts.

This is my mum's "hippy dress". She bought it at a market in Rye when I was 1. I stole it as a teenager and have been "borrowing" it ever since. I love it for the fine cotton lawn, the billowing sleeves and the fabulous peacocks. More than anything, I love the way it makes me feel and I love that it has never let me down - it fitted me all the way through my pregnancy and I could even breastfeed in it thanks to the pretty button yoke. I have worn it with knee high boots in winter, and flip-flops in summer and it has never failed to make me feel good.

This last year has been the closest it has been to on-trend since it was first worn and I wore it to death last summer. Literally.

Sadly, the fabric has finally started to give way. The sleeves ripped and I repaired them and then, on my daughter's first birthday the fabric of the skirt disintegrated as I put it on. I don't think it's repairable any more without ruining it.

I'm a fairly good dressmaker and I'm sure I can reproduce the style, but I'm struggling to find a pretty floral cotton lawn to make it in. Modern haberdasheries don't seem to stock printed lawns and despite obsessive searching, I haven't found anything in the charity shops. Maybe it's too delicate to survive the passing years.

So this is a plea for help. Does anyone know where there is a hidden supply of cotton lawn? Or somewhere where I might buy a replacement for my treasured dress? The thought of the summer without a few days feeling like a footloose and fancy free flower child is getting me down...

Silent Sunday

2011-05-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

Silent Sunday

2011-03-27T03:12:00.000-07:00

7 Shrugs for Saturday!

2011-03-26T02:12:00.000-07:00

Cover up in style with a kimono shrug - they are lightweight, stylish and look great with everything from dresses to jeans. Here are some of my favourites in fabulous prints - the George at Asda version is a steal at only £12.50!

Kimono shrugs

1. Winter Kate Flying Fox Floral Shrug £143.90 - shopbop.com

2. Stone butterfly soft shrug Was £30 Now £17 - Dorothy Perkins

3. Waterfall Shrug £12.50 - George @ Asda

4. Stone/blue floral print shrug £30 - Dorothy Perkins

5. Love Label Floral Print Kimono Jacket £35 - Very

6. South Print Kimono Jacket £28 - Very

7. Love Label Contrast Trim Kimono £35 - Very

Spring Fashion Roundup

2011-03-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's time to make the most of the sunshine and throw off a few winter layers. Here is the Armed & Glamorous pick of the spring trends:

70s:

The 1970s is a massive influence this season, which is great if you have a penchant for a sexy sleeve! I love the Biba collection at House of Fraser, which is becoming a real destination for fabulous clothes that flatter your arms. Look for pretty prints and florals, casual washed out denims, and crochet or macrame detailing for daytime, with Studio 54 jewel colours, dramatic long lines and lots of glitz for evening. Everyone can find something to flatter from this look - just don't wear it all at once!

Relaxed 70s

Shop the 70s trend at Armed & Glamorous

Flirty Florals:

Easy to wear country garden florals are everywhere. If the girly prints make you feel like a wallflower, pick tailored shapes or clash your prints for a more edgy take. Mixing graphic florals with in your face colour is a sure fire winner for an attention grabbing look.

Flirty Florals

Shop the Floral trend at Armed & Glamorous

Brights:

Any colour goes this season as long as it's bright, with neons and jewel colours stealing the show. This is a great way to draw attention to your best features but if you're not feeling brave enough to colour block, pick some vibrant accessories to get the look.

Brights

Shop the Brights trend at Armed & Glamorous

Sophisticated Nudes:

If you loved the camel shades in the shops over winter and the brights and prints aren't your style, update your wardrobe with a sophisticated palette of nudes - there is something to suit all skin tones, from caramel to blush, and it looks great teamed with black.

Sophisticated Nudes

Shop the Nudes trend at Armed & Glamorous

Pure White:

White dominated the catwalk shows this season and it looks fabulous in the spring sun. Wear head to toe for a striking but relaxed look.

Pure White

Shop White at Armed & Glamorous

Stripes:

Simple stripes always look great. This season, the trend is for wide stripes and striking colour combinations but classic navy and white still holds its appeal.

Savvy Stripes

Shop Stripes at Armed & Glamorous

Armed & Glamorous answers Prima's Call to Arms!

2011-02-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

Last year, Prima launched their "Call to Arms" campaign to encourage the high street to sell more styles with sleeves. In their survey, a shocking 93% of women thought there was a lack of stylish clothes with sleeves on the high street.

Armed & Glamorous believe you shouldn't have to search to be stylish. We source flattering sleeved tops and dresses and stylish cover-ups for every occasion from all your favourite brands, taking the frustration out of shopping for clothes.

See more on the Prima campaign's progress here.