2012 Best Buys

Happy New Year one and all!

Hoping everyone had a wonderful Xmas and New Year this year.  Mine was relaxing and full of Family Fun & Frolics.

2012 has been a good year for me, seeing the birth of my niece, my Sis turned 40, had a great year at work, and seen lots of my wonderful family.  It has not all been plain sailing as one of my Bro-in-Law's has not got to the bottom of his arrhythmia heart defect - see previous post - resulting in 2 shocks a few days ago, rendering him hospitalised, but let's hope he stabilises in 2013.

Anyway, as it is now 2013, I thought I would share some of my best purchases in 2012.

1st up, I think it has to be the YSL Tributes, that I bought when I went for a cocktail in HNs in Manchester.  That was one expensive cocktail!

See previous post for the full low down, but suffice to say, it was all Stylisa's fault!

I think the next fabulous purchase had to be my retina screen iPad.  Previously called the iPad 3 before it was renamed after the introduction of the lightening connector.

I did not need an iPad. I now wouldn't be without it!  I also had to buy the pink Marc Jacobs cover which is padded (from HN's Manchester), so absolutely great! The iPad is great for quick and easy to access the internet, email etc.  However, I don't use it for blogging as the app is not great.

A classic dress is next.  I love this Phase Eight Penelope dress.  I love monochrome anyway, and this 60s shift dress style really suits my shape.  It was also reduced, so it would have been rude not to purchase!

Next up is my Michael Kors bag.  I needed a lighter coloured classic bag, so when I spotted this in the US, it was a no brainer.  Especially as it was more than £100 cheaper in the US than over here.  I also got amazing service in Nordstrom as I had a credit card nightmare.  The CC company thought there were fraudulent purchases going on - little did they know it was just me shopping!  You'd have thought they would know by now, right?!

I absolutely love this tote and get loads of comments each time I wear it.  Very versatile too with the shoulder strap.

Next up is my iPhone 5.  Despite needing to leave T-Mobile and taking my custom to O2, and having a customer service nightmare, I absolutely love my iPhone 5 and can often be found surgically attached to it.

I had the 3GS before, so this in comparison is on another level totally. It is super fast, and as I got the 64GB one, I have all my beloved photos stored on it - all 11,000!

Whilst the next item isn't technically MY purchase, it is a purchase for me!  So I need to include it as it was the 1st purchase  from my Niece.  I was a very surprised Aunty when she gave me this on my birthday this year!  What impeccable taste she has!  She was just 4 months then - she clearly has Aunty's shopping gene!

This was bought from local Sheffield boutique Lizziz on Ecclesall Road in Sheffield who stocks lots of Missoni and Anya Hindmarch accessories as well as By Malene Birger, Halston Heritage and more.  I love this scarf as it is shiny, with lurex, I love the magenta colouring, and it is from my niece - so pretty much perfect.

And finally, my final purchase of 2012, relatively speaking, not including Xmas and bits and bobs are my By Malene Birger black Demetra boots.  I bought them from the lovely Jo at BlackWhiteDenim (@BlackWhiteDenim) when we headed over there for a tweet up end-November.  I met up with Selina (mrs_monkeycat), Penny (@PJC16 who came over from New Zealand) as well as Jo herself (@JoBWDenim) and Fashion Boy (JordanJMcDowell) and the lovely Pippa from Rumpus Resort (@P_RumpusResort).

By Malene Birger Demetra Boots. Buy from BWD here

Jo's customer service is 2nd to none, making me feel as if passing over my hard earned cash was almost a favour to me!  This is the type of customer service that everyone should adopt.

These boots are super sexy yet very comfy and have pretty much lived in them the last month!

So I shall leave you with my happy smiley beauty and wish you all a fabulous fun-filled 2013.

With lots of love
Kate 
xxxx

YSL Tributes - In The Pink

I am writing this post listening to The Pasadenas "Tribute" track as I thought this was fitting for my shoe post!

As you know, I am keen on pink (understatement I know!), so when I saw YSL had launched their Tribute sandal in petal pink, I actually thought I had died and gone to pink shoe heaven.  I planned on getting these shoes at the end of the month as a treat, however, as we all know, best laid plans and all that...!

So I was in Manchester for Manchester Fashion Week, and fortunately the shops were open after  the show had finished.  My plan was to go and look at the Alexander Wang Donna Hobo bag for my Sis' 40th pressie then pop to Harvey Nicks for a long overdue Serendipity cocktail (no longer on the menu so you need to ask for it!)

I had to walk past the shoe department to get to the restaurant - they do this on purpose don't they?! I had not previously tried on the Tribs, so was more curious than anything at this stage.  I had been trolling around Manchester for a little while now in high heels (naturally!), so my feet were tired, so this was a real test.

I was totally amazed how comfortable these shoes were.  They are 140mm high including the 30mm platform.  Even the male sales assistant said to me he could tell how comfortable I felt from the way I was parading around the shoe department.  I however relented and walked away.....

So on I went to savour the delish Serendipity upstairs, and who was to Whatsapp me but @Stylisa!  Lisa had just purchased the Chanel purse to match her classic bag so was sharing the occasion with me - we always do this btw!  I started to tell her about my YSL lust, and Lisa said I should just go and buy them.

Who was I to argue?!

So I told the barman to hold the ice, trolled downstairs and made my way to YSL Heaven.


With Flash

My heart did sink though when the Sales Asst showed me how scuffed they were, and then brought out another "faulty" box.  YSL have in fact recalled the Petal Pink Tributes due to the scuffing issues.  The ones I tried on though were hardly scuffed, so being me, negotiated some discount, made the purchase, then went upstairs to drink my congratulatory Serendipity!



No Flash

 The leather is really lovely with that really new leathery smell!  I think they will look great with a pretty white embroidery anglaise dress, or more funked up with my battered boyfriend jeans and pink t-shirt. Or maybe my (well I say my, but I bought it for my Mum, and reclaimed it!) Ferre lattice white shirt and jeans.  Either way, the options are endless I am sure!

I hope you love my pink purchase as much as me!
Fabulicious love
Kate xxx

Harrods

Everyone sing along now........

"Nobody does it better

Makes me feel sad for the rest

Nobody does it half as good as you

Baby, you're the best"

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaV-6qerkqI)

This Carly Simon song absolutely sums up Harrods' approach to Social Media. 

I joined Twitter in January 2010 and Harrods was one of the 1st accounts I followed.  Straight away they followed back.  So this just goes to show that this high-end luxury store absolutely understands the power of customer engagement.

For me, Harrods is the ultimate social media benchmark.  They follow back, they interact, they respond straight away (including weekends when most stores sign off, bearing in mind retailers take around 50% of their revenue on a Saturday and Sunday) and they tweet frequently about all store events without ramming it down your throat - without a full sales-pitch.  Their competitions, like them, are luxurious too.

They are not only the absolute leaders in Social Media, they are at the forefront of social engagement for all aspirational stores.

No other stores come close - whether high-end or not.

I remember back in September 2010, Harrods got wind it was my birthday (that may have had something to do with my "T Minus Birthday" countdown that lasted 2 weeks on Twitter!).  I was heading to London with my 2 sisters and my Mum to have a girly day and take arrrrfternoon tea at The Dorchester (adopt Tara PT type voice!).  Harrods invited me to store asking me to head to their customer relationship department.  There they gave me a £30 gift card as well as some other gifts in a giant green and gold Harrods bag.  I was absolutely blown away!  I think this was for always talking about them on Twitter and praising them for their Social Media skills.

On another occasion, I was on the hunt for a new bag.  I wanted to replace my Fendi one, so literally within hours, I had the Fendi department manager on the phone taking my requirements.  She then saved me the bag until I went to store at the end of that week.  It transpired that the Fendi bag was not to my liking (mainly because it was coated suede, and I wanted a robust leather one to use every day.) However, Fendi could not do enough for me. 




Fendi Big Mamma shoulder bag (I wanted the black one)


I decided upon the Mulberry East West Bayswater as this was more the style and material I wanted.


Mulberry East West Bayswater

(A "What's In My Bag" post to come soon!)

I was at one point pondering a Balenciaga City bag in pink.

Balenciaga City Bag

Straight away, without asking, Harrods sent me links proactively with all my style / design options.   This level of customer service and engagement is just unrivalled, and exemplary.

They also sent me pictures of the YSL tribs (in pink - of course!) that I was lusting after!

YSL Tribute Patent-Leather Sandal

Now don't get me wrong, Harrods clearly want me to spend my hard earned cash in their store. But with exceptional customer service like this, I would not want to spend it anywhere else!

What do you think about Harrods' Social Media engagement and other stores on Twitter?
Would love to hear your comments!

Sending fabulicious pink love,

Kate x

p.s. For the record, I do not work for Harrods, am not paid by them or affiliated with them in way.  I just thought that after 2 years of being exceptional at Social Media, they deserved a mention!