A Smile and A Dress

Its easy to feel intimated when going out in Knightsbridge and Mayfair with all the roaring Ferrari’s and Lamborgini’s careering up and down the street, the long legs, Chanel bags and the snooty nosed gate keepers of the best members clubs, with their powerful clipboard and judging eyes. The queue moves at a snails pace with all the hispters with silver rings and groups of glamorous girls in teetering heels being given fast track access before the crowds. The feeling of elation that you get as you inch closer to the door comes with an equally powerful feeling of dread – will our group be rejected or worse will everyone get in except for me? Will they leave me behind if this happens, so that I’ll be forced to make the walk of shame home alone and through thoughts of despair and dejection vow to never speak to best friends again? Just as I am about to have a nervous breakdown, the red rope is opened and our path to the club is freed up. My heart is racing but I swan through, cool as a cucumber and whisper to the nearest person  “see I knew we’d get in”…*

*and just because you say it, everyone knows that you are lying…

Before disappearing down the darkened staircase I turn and take one smug look at the faces staring from behind the now closed security bar. We’re in, we’re in…your not, your not… And then just as my new found confidence is turning me into the most despicable person, the security guard puts me right back in my place by roughly shoving me out of his way to get to an altercation which is happening in the bar down below. VIP moment over as now I’ll have to readjust my stiletto 😥

Now all joking aside, many of the hottest clubs and bars do have a very strict dress code so really wearing the right attire is key. For me, finding the right dress for a night out is so important, not just to make sure that I get in, but also to really make me feel my best. If in doubt I find that wearing a short black dress with high heels works, but really what I want is a dress that will make me feel confident, sophisticated, sexy and make me stand out of from the crowd. I’ve found that that they can be quite hard to find and there is a tendency for clubbing attire to boarder on trashy. I was so pleased to find White Picket Frock as they really have made shopping for such a look simple. They have a small but incredible selection of classic and very classy dresses that are just perfect for wearing at some of the best parties in the world. Since discovering them, going out to cool places has never felt so easy.

So my advice for Mayfair clubbing is the following: park your beat-up old silver bubble car next to a gold encrusted Ferrari, sort your shoes out and then turn the corner and walk up to the club as if your Beyonce. You can look a million dollars, forget the rest, all you need is a dress and your smile.

Not since the swinging sixties has it not been so cool to live in London and to reflect the city’s revival, I decided to wear the Lia Sequin Mini Dress from White Picket Frock for my night out to Baku and Cafe Kaizen. I love this dress as it creates a retro style look with long sleeves, shoulders pads and beautiful embellished sequin patterning. A retro style is one which attempts to imitate or draw influence from another that of a past era and so I decided to take inspiration from the fashion of another golden era, that of the  1920’s and combine the dress with a large crystal encrusted ring for a real eye catching look.

The pictures were taken in Baku. Its restaurant is decorated with white roses and Marie Antoinette white french furniture. A magnificent grand piano lies under a glass spiral staircase which winds up to the top floor where there is a sumptuous bar where bar staff mix guest’s personalized cocktails. The food is an interesting infusion of Middle Eastern and Japanese dishes. This is a hidden gem and is great for a quite date or romantic dinner as it is often pretty empty. The atmosphere at Cafe Kaizen was good and I loved the glowing trees and wall murals. I will look forward to trying their food as we went there only for the party, but on the whole the atmosphere was good and quite informal.

Let me know what you think of the look and I can’t wait to share with you some more retro fashion’s soon!

WEARING

Lia Sequin Sleeve Mini Dress  – WHITE PICKET FROCK

15% Discount with “MGOT” Code available until the 11th October for all My Girl’s On Tour Readers

Crystal Star Ring – Roman Road Market

Black Stilettos – ALDO

Wool Coat with Silk Lining – JARVIS

Black patent leather bag – PRADA

Author: Abigail Royston

I am an ex-professional tennis player and have just graduated from King's College in London. I share daily fashion outfits and stories of my travels and the tour. Every story has a beginning, but I will start mine here, at the start of something big. For us this was a journey of a lifetime, where dreams were made and broken, where friendships were cherished and torn apart. We lived and still live the life of aspiration and we tell the tale of victories and defeats that come with growing up at such a young age on the brink of greatness and fame. In our world youth, beauty and riches combine. We trained hard but played even harder. Our parties’ were and always will be legendary, our travels exotic and carefree. We were becoming stars. My Girls On Tour showcases street style looks, avant-garde fashion, new designers, fashion shows as well as travel stories and adventures. A fun window into the glamorous world of a professional tennis player turned fashionista, this is the place for wonderlust and fashion inspiration. Instragram @abigirlx Twitter @Abigailroyston Facebook.com/mygirlsontour View all posts by Abigail Royston