The Hen Do

L plate? Veil? G string worn over your jeans? If everything you’ve heard or seen  of hen parties makes you feel physically ill, then you’ll need an alternative plan that’s just a little more YOU. Alternatively, if you’re planning your friends hen party, and don’t want to recreate a scene from Bridesmaids, then read our hen do hot tips….

Ladies Spa Treat

No 1 Aldwych Hotel, London is top of our list for ladies who like to be pampered, swan around in towelling robes, drink Prosecco and eat smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Four of us had an incredible Natura Bissé facial and then hung out by the pool, watching the cloud projection float by as we debated who felt more relaxed. Utter bliss.

This was followed by an extravagant brunch with unlimited Prosecco. We discussed the wedding in fine detail before the bubbles took effect and we wished we could sneak back downstairs to recline on a pool lounger and sleep it off. Consider this the preparation for part 2…..

The Burlesque Dance Lesson

Imagine it…. you, your friends, your mum and your sister all learning some slinky strip tease moves to showcase to a special someone. Agent Lynch is described as a ‘burlesque bombshell and pin-up and all round 60s aficiondo’ who will teach you some of her signature moves while telling you a  brief history of burlesque and striptease. We quizzed her on her own favourite burlesque and vintage legends and finished off the hilarious afternoon by asking her to show us some of her best moves (spinning 50 strings of pearls around her body, possibly not something for the novice to attempt at home).

The Vintage Tea Party

Perfect for all your friends plus mother and mother in law to join in, and you can top up your tea cups with something a little stronger to get the party started. There are many online businesses who can set up a tea party for you or you can collect tea cups and saucers from charity shops and decorate cakes yourselves for a home made affair. We asked all the guests to bring a pair of knickers for the bride to be so she had a whole wardrobe of new undies for her honeymoon instead of the usual hen do gimmicks.

Anything seems possible in this sprawling city where you will see a man with a washing machine strapped to his bike (going the wrong way up the motorway) passing a brand new Bentley!

Our trip was fleeting but here are just some of the highlights:

Most foreigners tend to love the French Concession area which is filled with lots of great shopping but what Fever likes best is to check out vintage and vintage-inspired stores so we’d recommend: William The Beekeeper, Roommate, Uptown Record Store/Disco Kitty Vintage and Lolo Loves Vintage.

Not for the fainthearted but also an amazing place to see and experience is Qipu Market –a set of four multi-story clothing markets and streets packed with amazing bargains. Trick is to find them as one must become a master shopper!

For dinner if you are looking for a casual & modern experience as well a restaurant that is hot on Shanghai’s foodies’ lips (and packed most nights) head to Table No. 1 by Jason Atherton. For great Italian, head to Da Marco’s and for dishes that will blow your mind (and your head off) visit Szechuan Citizen and ask for the 3-chilli rated dishes.

We only did one big night out for the Novomania Opening Party and headed to M1NT. This is the party spot in Shanghai. A stylish night club on the 24th floor high above Shanghai, with dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows offering spectacular 360° views of the Bund, Pudong, Nanjing Road, People’s Square and Huaihai Road. The first thing you notice upon arriving at M1NT Club is the jaw-dropping 17-metre long shark tank, complete with more than 20 black and white reef-tip sharks- amazing!

Fever stayed at http://waterhouseshanghai.com/ and would recommend its restaurant wholeheartedly.

Enjoy a selection of images from our trip

At the Spring Fling event held last night, we took photos of you all dressed up to the nines. Here are the snaps…

As Fever events go, this was a BRILLIANT night! The vintage themed photo booth helped everyone get into the mood, the first people to have a go kept their coats on but by the end of the night, people were going crazy, accessorising with feathers and fans (and looking absolutely fabulous).  See more photo booth snaps in All About You.

“Last weekend I drove a few of my gang up to Rugby to visit
our friends who recently left the big smoke for the peaceful and calm
surroundings of Rugby… The snow came down thick and heavy but despite this, we
braved the weather and ventured to the Rugby Auction showrooms or otherwise
known as Seaman and Daughter…. I was amazed by the vast space and the amount of
objects that fills it! Put simply, I was in Vintage HEAVEN… It does what it
says on the tin… “Specialises in all things vintage”. Take a look at the pics
below, these are only a few of very many! Enjoy!”

We love to see what the Fever clothes look like modelled by you! Please post your pictures onto Facebook and let us know if you are happy for them to go on the blog. Thank YOU.

As much as we love the film and could rave about it for hours, we want to talk about the fashion! Set in the late 1920′s The Artist features some beautiful clothes, styles, fabrics and all without showing a hint of colour. Masterful.

Truly echoing the razzle dazzle era of Hollywood, we see drapping fabrics, high necklines, tubular shapes and slits in the skirts.

Boyish shapes and masculine clothes were becoming more popular for women during this time, as were  bob hair styles and cloche hats. The era had the element of fun and playfulness and, as anyone who has seen the film will know, this is shown throughout the whole of Peppy Miller’s wardrobe. She shimmies and shakes in simple lounge-wear style dresses and fitted, sequin, deep V neck frocks.

We wanted to re-create one of Peppy’s looks using our own vintage sample and jewellery.

What do you think? Perfect for creating the Peppy Miller look.

Lace and Pearls can never be wrong!

Visit the cinema now to see The Artist, a beautiful film with fabulous fashion.

*Photograph used from http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/dec/12/us-film-critics-awards-contenders

The Fever store in Eastcastle Street, London is featured in the Independent London Store Guide. See what they have to say about it….