Everyone seems pretty excited to hear who the winner of Blog of the Month is this month, which makes me pretty excited to announce it too! It's always hard to pick a winner as all shortlisted blogs are amazing. Heck, all nominations in the first place tend to be amazing. Britain - you are one talented bunch of bloggers!

We picked this month's winner due to the amount of time and effort gone into posts and the fact that it's pretty obvious the blogger really is 100% into what they do! I also personally think she's got great personal style! Enough talking...this month's winner is (drumroll, please!)...

Media Marmalade
http://www.mediamarmalade.com/

Congrats, Melissa! I should be in touch soon as to what happens next!

And well done to all those shortlisted too - picking the winner is never an easy job!

You can now enter Blog of the Month December here: http://britishstylebloggers.wall.fm/forum/topic/29

Rachel x (Community Manager)

The BSB Team spent the weekend getting our make-up and nails done for free, being showered with free beauty products and Editor-At-Large Rachel Charlton even ending up sipping champagne on an exclusive VIP table with a reality TV star.

No, sadly, we have not yet entered the world of fashion blogging royalty, but we did have the chance to attend ‘Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model Live’, which had been advertised as ‘The Ultimate Girls’ Day Out’. And what a day it turned out to be.

Held in London’s Excel Exhibition Centre over the last weekend in October, ‘Next Top Model’ is a day out of fashion, beauty, catwalk shows and expert advice, topped off with endless free samples and a ‘dress-to-impress’ galore attitude of attendees.

When Set Loose With A Press Badge…

First, we took advantage of the makeovers offered by Revlon and the London College of Beauty, where I ditched my staple smoky eye look for a day and asked to be given a 'natural' look and Rachel C got a manicure - all for free, of course!:

Rachel Charlton, Starting A Riot...

Later on, Rachel spent time with The Only Way is Essex’s Amy Childs - who was promoting her new clothing line - chatting over champagne at the press bar. It would have been a fabulous occasion, had she not then spilt her drink over the star and got rugby-tackled out of the area by her security. Quite hilarious, if I do say so myself...

Rachel sneaks a shot of Amy over the press table, shortly before becoming 'BFFs'

The Catwalk

The winner of this year's Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model, Jade Thompson, starred in a spectacular catwalk extravaganza in the evening, along with the other girls from the TV show, mixed in with the addition of talented (and may we say ‘oh-so-topless’) male dancers and musical performances from Luminites and Bluey Robinson.

The show was a mix of concepts with regular costumes changes to make it feel like you were watching an entirely different show after each change altogether. Extravagant and exotically decorated lingerie was modelled alongside fairy wings and capes a lá ‘Victoria’s Secret’ and we fell in love with the luxe evening dresses to-die-for in opposing monochrome looks of ‘ice-queen’ white or ‘femme fatale’ black. The girls rocked a trashy-yet-classy look in leather and fishnets – an antithesis to the earlier display of a more floral 50’s inspired theme. They donned Perspex ‘stripper heels’ with feminine dresses and yet, it all worked.

For fashion fanatics, Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model Live offered a haven of catwalk shows, clothes, beauty, accessories and style activities galore. We’d be utterly thrilled to reclaim our press passes back next year, guys. Not that we’re trying to hint or anything…

Check out some more photos from our fashion day out:

Editor-at-Large Rachel Charlton and BINTM Judge Grace Woodward!

Designer Joey Bevan with his models backstage after his show

Text: Rachel Michaella Finn
Photos: Anna Peaston, Claire Napier, Rachel Charlton-Dailey, Rachel Michaella Finn
Illustration: Claire Napier

BSB X.

Hi!

The shortlist for November's Blog of the Month Competition is as follows:

• The Live Scene
• Media Marmalade
• Tiaras Trash
• Gemma Satire
• Hip Shapes and Bristol Fashion

The entries were particularly difficult to judge this month - so well done to all entrants as well as those listed above!

The winner will be announced on the 28th November, but in the meantime please do take a look at our shortlisted five!

Well done, everyone!

Now, off to consult the rest of the team on who we think should win...

Rachel x (Community Manager)

So the nights are drawing in, Jack Frost can be seen around the corner, and the Christmas lights are up around the country.  It must be that time of year that we all start to wrap up warm, and get ready for the big winter wrap up!  So what better way to keep yourself cosy, but to invest in some great accessories.  Our pick of the high street items are below.  Could you see  your man in any of these?

Barbour Merino Check Scarf

Versace for H&M

Paul Smith Leather Gloves

River Island Faux Fur Snood

Sacai Knitted Hood

Callum from Maketh-The-Man

Men's style columnist

For a so-called 'fashion writer', I have a bit of a humdinger of a confession to make: quite a lot of the time I don't tend to give all that many hoots about my appearance.  When I am working, I am required to wear a uniform, but once I'm off the clock, having to think for myself about the clothes on my back can just seem like too much effort.  Don't get me wrong, I'm always presentable when I leave the house, but for the time I spend within the four walls of my home, I take a fairly relaxed attitude to presnetation.  And don't for a minute think that I mean high-end loungewear when I say 'relaxed'.  I'm talking any old pjs, random tshirts and gym gear that's, er, got too tatty to wear to the gym.

Why do I dress down in such a big way when I'm off duty?  Well, quite frankly, it's because I'm a bit lazy, and I like to comfortable when I've got nowhere to be.  I feel like there is a lot of pressure on women to be 'on' all the time - always looking 'just so', and sometimes it's really nice to be able to kick back and not have to worry about the expectations of the outside world.  However, I have noticed that recently, loungewear doesn't necessarily have to be a byword for 'sloppy', and that it's possible to even achieve a degree of style without having be too high-maintenance.

Set created using Polyvore, featuring SoulCal, howies, Aubin & Wills, Victoria's Secret, Monsoon and hush

With winter basically here now, and the cold, dark and evenings well and truly upon us, I think I may have to invest in some of the above to help me hibernate in style.  Anyone fancy coming over for a slumber party?

We here at British Style Bloggers get to see our work in print quite a lot - but are you still waiting to get that opportunity? Being lovely and that, we thought we'd introduce you to a great competition we found that could let you do just that...

Freemans are offering young aspiring fashion journalists – as many of our site members are – the chance to be a writer for their fashion blog along with a range of technology goodies to help you do it!

If you’re a student with a great sense of style and a way with words, this could be the perfect opportunity to gain experience and break into the industry!

What do you have to do?

All you have to do is find the perfect party dress for the holiday season in the catalogue at freemans.com - think office Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve – and construct an outfit around it, justifying your choices in a blog article of around 250-400 words. Freemans say they are looking for ‘creative and well-thought out entries’ and the ‘bold and individual’, so don’t be afraid to let your own personal style shine through!

Prizes up for grabs include a Toshiba Laptop and a guaranteed article published on their site for the winner and digital cameras or camcorders with the chance of getting your entry published for three runners-up.

E-mail your entry in an attachment to studentfashion@freemans.com (including both text and picture[s]) by 30^th November 2011. Include your full name, age and place of study.

What are you waiting for?!

Good luck guys!!

(If you win, I expect no less than 10% of your pay when you write for Vogue and a pair of Kurt Geiger platforms...

...just kidding.)

Rachel x

(Community Manger)

Dear Clairefix,
I never do any exercise because I am too scared of my appearance when on-the-go. I don't have hip sporty clothing, I go bright red in the face, my hair goes stupid directions... I use these as excuses for putting it off: "it will be better tomorrow", but at this rate I am never going to start and I am getting more and more out of shape! D: Please halp!
Love from
Rhea Lee Unphitt.

To reiterate,

Oranges and Apples was one of the very first blogs I discovered soon after I started Intrinsically Florrie. Franca's colourful sense of style really caught my eye and she has such a joyful smile. I can't help but go away from her blog feeling a little more cheerful. At the same time her writing is intriguing and she's great at discussing issues such as Feminism in fashion. So let's get to know this very inspiring blogger...

What's your favourite thing about Edinburgh and have you got any tips for hidden but inspiring gems?

I love Edinburgh! It's just so beautiful and it's the right size for me. It's big enough for there to be lots of cultural stuff going on, but it's compact enough to be easily walkable. And it's a diverse city, with lots of International and non-Scottish Brits. It's easy to fit into! I came for uni from Luxembourg where I was born in 1999 and I've never left.

Some places I love:

For afternoon tea - Mimi's Bakehouse at the Shore
For drinks in a bohemian dive bar atmosphere - Boda on Leith Walk
For the best loose leaf teas in the city (and antiques, but I don't know anything about that) - Anteaques in Newington
For amazing bread and intricate French baking - Manna House on Easter Road
For vintage clothes - the Armstrong's shops
For super tasty hot chocolate - Chocolate Tree in Bruntsfield

See also my guide to charity and vintage shopping in the city:
http://www.oranges-and-apples.com/2011/05/guide-to-edinburgh-vintage-and-charity.html

What the hardest challenges to solve or work around in your early blogging days?

I never really had any particular problems, I just went through the normal growing process. Just working out what posts worked well. I have quite a diverse range of interests, and it's taken a bit of time to settle on a smaller, more manageable set of topics. Now I do personal style, art/craft, photography and commentary on beauty, body image and society. Of course I do cover other things sometimes, but I try not to stray too far too keep things coherent. My oldest posts are also lacking in substance a little so it was just really finding the time to do meaty posts and develop my writing. The 'thinky' posts I do take a lot of preparation, and I will often mull things over for weeks and months before I write about them on the blog. Also, photo taking and editing. My photos have got so much better over the years!

What inspired you to start blogging and has your motivation to carry on changed at all?

I got into blogging in a bit of a roundabout way. I'd been active on flickr since about 2006, posting outfit pictures to the Wardroberemix group and doing lots of commenting. But strangely enough, I read hardly any style blogs, that didn't really start until I started the blog. 

The reason I originally started Oranges and Apples was because I started an etsy shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/OrangesAndApples) selling handknit accessories so I wanted to promote that. The shop never really took off, but I fell in love with the process of blogging. The blog is and was a great way of talking about the little fun things in my life that I enjoy and of recognizing the beauty in my everyday life. I quickly made 'friends' with other bloggers and I love that sense of community. I'm not sure I would have continued to put as much effort into my outfits as I do if it wasn't for all the feedback from bloggers and readers who really appreciate creative style. 

The one things that's maybe changed is that writing has become more important. I discovered I really enjoy writing, and thinking through difficult topics. By writing about how style and society interact, I get a chance to actually work out properly what I really think.

You've just moved to self-hosted Wordpress- how exciting! What motivated the move?

I just felt I'd gone as far with Blogger as I could in terms of design, and while I think it's possible to do most things you can do on Wordpress on Blogger, it's just a lot harder, and you really have to get into messing about with the template html. And the comment system on Blogger is just awful! I've no training in web design at all, so the Wordpress move is also a way of teaching myself more about these things. I love learning new things!

It's really something I've been meaning to do for a long time, but I was also studying while working full time, so I didn't have the time to prepare for actually do the move until after my exam in October.

Please can you tell us a little about Feminist Fashion Bloggers?

FFB is a network run my myself and Mrs. B of Mrs Bossa Does the Do. It came out of discussions around how there were many feminists in fashion blogging, but they weren't very visible or talking about their feminism much. FFB runs monthly themes for members to post about, it tends to be really broad topics like 'relationships' or 'ageing', and some great posts have come out of it. This is our mission statement:

is a network for fashion bloggers interested in feminism and feminist bloggers interested in fashion. The aim is to meet like minded bloggers, encourage dialogue and discussion both within and between the two blog niches and to explore the intersections and links between the two topics. And to have fun in doing so! The FFB blog is here: http://feministfashionbloggers.blogspot.com/.

What is the very best thing from your blogging experience?

I think I already answered that in the question above - the community with other bloggers, recognising the beauty in my life, learning new things. Those are the main things!

I adore your use of colour, have you always been so bright and cheerful in your tastes?

I've always liked colour, but it was only after I joined Wardroberemix and started photographing myself and thinking about my style that I realised that I also look so much better in bright colours and how happy they make me.

Do you feel your style has evolved at all since you began blogging?

The biggest evolution happened after I joined Wardroberemix and before I started blogging. I've always loved clothes, but seeing my outfits in photographs and interacting with other group members really helped me work out what did and didn't work and what I liked and didn't like. Before I started posting pictures to flickr, I had more of a conventional style and I didn't experiment as much. Through WR I also 'met' other thrifters, which really ignited my passion for charity shopping. For while in 2006 I went round the charity shops 2-3 times every week and I expanded the size of my wardrobe lots!

I feel pretty settled in my style now, but it is of course still evolving in small ways. I've noticed I've become a bit more grown up. I used to wear a lot of tshirts and loved plastic jewellery and cute kiddie stuff like Miffy, but I'm 30 now and it just doesn't feel right any more.

What's the best piece of blogging advice you've been given and would you like to add some wisdom of your own?

The best advice that I've read is to not worry too much about anything. Don't get hung up on stats and popularity and just try things out until something feels right to you. The blogging community can be quite competitive, not in a bad way, but it's easy to get sucked into comparing yourself to others in a completely different situation and forgetting what you actually want. I got sucked into it a little bit for a while, but I now realise that I have no interest in gaining lots of sponsors or monetising the blog, so I can move at my own speed and just focus on creating content that I care about.

On top of that, my advice would be that there is no point in making changes to what you post about because of what you think will be popular. Just focus on what you love and doing it as best as you can, and the right audience will find you. The way I've always approached it is that I write the kinds of posts I want to read, and that seems to have worked out ok.

Intrinsically Florrie x

Could it be our love for Kate Middleton or the popularity of TV reality show, Made In Chelsea that has inspired the A/W collections of Topshop Unique, Paul Smith and Fendi all of who embrace English Heritage. Okay so Barbour jackets and Hunter wellies have been alive and kicking for years but you can forget that stereo typical image if you want to adopt this trend.  So often people assume that wealth and status can buy you style, and I feel it is here that people get the Heritage trend very wrong.  This season it’s all about incorporating classic items such as the Barbour jacket or cable knit and teaming them with something a little edgier and thrifty such as some leather trousers or a dash of faux fur.  Safe is boring and the Heritage trend is one I have always found slightly uninspiring so make sure to add a little spice into the equation. Texture plays a big role in this trend so play around with chunky knits, fur and tweed as well as being brave with colour. The classic racing green, camel and rust are all beautiful colours but a bright red or orange can also work with the colour scheme.

Embrace Heritage but remember not to lose your own style amongst the stereotypes and labels.

Have fun with it!

Bek x

Hi!

November's Blog of the Month Competition is now OPEN!

To put forward yourself or a fellow blogger to be considered, visit the forum post here -  http://britishstylebloggers.wall.fm/forum/topic/28 - and post your blog homepage URL, name and contact e-mail.

We'll be open for entries until Thursday 10th, when I'll pick the best entries to make a shortlist. The BSB Team will then look at the finalists and decide on the winner!

Not only will the winner get the eternal title of "Blog of the Month, November 2011", you'll also get your own sidebar promoting your blog on our homepage for a month, as well as promotion through our social media sites and our 'Blog of the Month' badge that you can proudly display on your blog.

Good luck!!

Rachel x (Community Manager)