L I M I T E D E D I T I O N #53 | Release Review

This weekend brought us a brand new release of LE, it's LE53 and comes 5 months after the last release - I honestly didn't think it had been that long! Anyway, the advertising came out on Thursday, with the offer of a free bag when you top up. I really like the look of this bag, love the cube design with the intricate gold handle detailing. It doesn't give too much away about the collection as a whole, but it definitely got me looking forward to it - let's get in and see what's in store:

The release has 3 floors and 15 looks - this is pretty standard size for limited releases these days. And that includes several pieces which come in both male and female doll formats. I think the collection actually pairs really nicely with LE52, I feel the same vibes from the both of them with glamour and a bit of eccentricity in the designs and choices, and actually LE51 was also quite similar. I'm definitely getting more into working with these more glitzy styles, but I am a little ready to have some more RTW collections or styled pieces in the LE releases. Anyway, starting up with the accessories, which feels like quite a small selection. There are 5 pairs of shoes to choose from, they're all quite unique in design to each other and actually I think they're all really strong options. For me I immediately was drawn to the Black And Gold Embroidered Slippers and the Maroon Miu Miu Heels - I love the pointed toe designs on both. Of course we all know I love a bit of gold, so these Slippers were perfect for me with that intricate gold design all over them. I already have quite a few ideas for them so I think I may do a whole post for them to shine! And of course, maroon is a colour of the moment, these shoes are just perfection, love the Miu Miu design as a whole so these are perfect to add to my collection. Then There are the Gold Loafer Heels which I also picked up, these Gucci shoes are beautiful - yellow and gold combined?! How could I resist! There have been a lot of Gucci pieces that I've regretted not buying in the past so I wasn't going to miss out on these, really love them for Autumnal stylings and looking forward to wearing them. I didn't pick up either the Gold or Black Butterfly Sandals - really lovely designed strappy sandal, but quite similar to a number of pieces we've had in the past and these are designs I know I don't wear so much. There are actually only 2 bags in the collection. The Maroon Quilted Purse (very reminiscent of a piece from LE28) is a lovely piece for the Autumn/Winter season, love both the fabric and colour and can see how this will easily fit into my collection. Then there is the Giant Gold Clutch which I like in theory, love the colour and the size is really nice, but it's an under-arm clutch so I can find the design quite restrictive for styling sometimes. There are a number of jewellery pieces available, which come in both Suite and Beauty Parlor options which is great because you can choose what works for you - I always opt for the Suite version. I'm a big fan of the gold pieces, especially the Melting Gold Earrings, these look fantastic on and will really stand out in an outfit, plus there's a matching Melting Gold And Pearl Choker which also looks stunning. The Gold Geometric Earrings also look good, a classic stand out chunky earring (also also comes in Silver!). The last piece to mention here is the Diamond Starry Necklace, this looks super cute and is a bit of a gold-silver mix with a sweet star design. I really like all the different layers to it and think it looks really nice on the doll - will make for some shiny Winter-party stylings^

Now onto the clothing. For me, the first floor wasn't a great opener - the pieces on the whole weren't so much my thing, although I do think the burgundy/maroon colours look fab. The Smoky Maroon Dress looks amazing, the silver and dark shades work beautifully together, and it looks great on the doll. And the Maroon Flower Cape also looks stunning, I can't see how I would wear it so much, but I'm looking forward to seeing others style it up! On the more simple side, this floor also had the Sequin Black Mini Skirt and Sequin Black Crop Top combination, these are cute pieces that will work in a number of different ways. The second floor is a fabulous mix of gold and burgundy, these pieces really look fantastic together. There are 3 burgundy choices. The Maroon Cut Out Gown is first, it has a beautiful colour and such power with those strong pointed shoulders, and fantastic detail with the intricate cut-outs - it's just a piece I know I wouldn't get much wear from. On the other end of the floor is the Maroon Jumpsuit, this is stunning and I had initially planned to get this, I love the design with all the sparkle and jewelled details, I just don't love the fit on the doll. For the price I'd prefer a slimmer fit in the leg with a bit of a shorter length - but I can't wait to see others wearing this one. The Maroon And Lace Coat is quite a show-stopper in the middle of the floor, it really looks like a great Autumn piece, and it also comes with matching Maroon And Lace Slacks, but the fit on these is quite disappointing so I know I wouldn't wear them. The outfit is also paired with the Black Untied Blouse, a super minimal piece that I think is a great classic to include in the store, it fits the doll well and I really like the ties on the front. The gold pieces on the floor are certainly more dramatic but the piece that really stood out to me was the Structured White Coat, it's certainly more minimal on the gold but I think that makes it a bit more versatile, and I certainly can see many gold accessories working well with this. On to the final floor, the style is a bit mixed on this one with a bit of everything to choose from. There's a lot of sparkle - I really like the navy and sparkle pairing of the Encrusted Outline Crop Top and Encrusted Outline Skirt set, but I'm just not sure I'd wear these pieces much. The sparkly piece that caught my eye and I couldn't resist however was the Hooded Sparkle Blazer - the style of this is very unlike me, but I just really loved the look of this with the navy base colour and the white and pink toned pearl sparkles, and I had a few ideas immediately, so I've given it a go! Speaking of pearls I also love the look of the Pearl Bow Top, super classy off the shoulder piece that really stands out in the collection for looking quite wearable and versatile. And the last pieces to mention are bottomhalves, I really loved the look of the Patent Leather Maroon Skirt and Golden Slacks on this floor, these look like fantastic items for the Autumn season and I can't wait to wear them. Both have fantastic colour and texture and are in very current fits. These will be really fun to style^

F E A T U R E S

First up is France25 styling the Golden Arrow Handbag which was the top-up gift for the weekend, it's a great piece. A stunning Autumnal look here, I love the combination of the browns and blacks in the clothes, the pieces just work together perfectly and the styles are very complementary to each other. Accessories are great, the delicate golds of the jewellery are perfection with the bag - I love it =D

Next up is harpie who wears both the Patent Leather Maroon Skirt and Maroon Miu Miu Heels - made to be worn together for sure^ The maroon looks amazing with the deep green of this coat, and the patent textures of the skirt and coat are fab together. The accessories here have been picked perfectly, love the slim necklaces, the gold and whites really stand out. And that bag - I haven't seen that styled for ages but it's really a fantastic choice for this look!

Next up is Mery.- who is also styling the Patent Leather Maroon Skirt, showing off it's versatility. The deep red looks great against both the purple tones in the jacket and the dark brown in the boots, I think it's a fun combination that just makes me think of Autumn. I also love the use of this purple bag in the look, it pops but at the same time doesn't pull too much focus, really love that addition^

The penultimate feature is from leiona_- wearing the Maroon And Lace Coat Female - I knew it would look awesome =) I really was picturing this coat in a little more of a casual manner, but this very dressy look is perfection for the piece. The white skirting and jewelled top are great together and add a light and sparkling touch to the outfit to really pull you in to then look at the voluminous coat. Plus love those silver jewellery pieces, looking great!

And the final feature comes from liability styling up both the Gold Geometric Earrings and Structured White Coat, wow what a look to finish on! I knew this coat would be a good one, it ticks all the boxes and more in this styling. The gold detailed bralette looks perfect with the gold trim detail on the coat and I think these trousers are an excellent option with the gold. Plus love the accessories, this dinky little bag is amazing with the coat so I need to do that pairing too^ 

S T Y L I N G S

Now onto my stylings - I bought quite a number of pieces so I think I will follow up with another styling post or two, but here's 3 looks to start with. First up I styled the Pearl Bow Top which was super fun to style. I opted for this fun velvet skirt and I think the two pieces really complement each other on their dressy style. I stuck with pearls for my accessories with these shoes and earrings, then some simple black pieces to round it out, really love it =) Next are the Golden Slacks and Black And Gold Embroidered Slippers, these are great together but will also work well individually. I did struggle a little on what to pair with them, but I think this off shoulder top is a really fun option with the voluminous sleeves against the volume of the trousers. Simple accessories in black and gold were good final touches - I was just missing the perfect necklace for this outfit! And the final look uses both the Hooded Sparkle Blazer and Maroon Quilted Purse together, I think they're a cute pairing^ With the pink in the sparkle of the blazer I wanted to try that out for my first styling with it, and I really like it - I'm sure it won't be for everyone, but I think it works nicely. I kept the overall accessories additions pretty simple and I think that was perfect so that the blazer stands out. I'm looking forward to wearing this again already!

2024 C O L O U R S | Chocolate Brown

*Apologies, this post was intended to go up in February, but I think the style still applies now!

Images: Loewe, Max Mara, Saint Laurent, Ferragamo, Zimmermann

The past Winter season has been the time for brown tones, and it seems like this season too, they are everywhere - all over the Plaza and all over the stylings I've seen in so many suites, I've already shared some fabulous features with great brown tones! And I think the popularity of this colour is only going to grow more. We've had great pieces over the years, and I'm ready for a refresh and testing out brown hues in the Spring and Summer too, we know they're great for Autumn, but I think this colour has great year-round potential. The brown pieces on the runway are luscious and in beautiful styles, I'd love all of the above for my doll for sure^

Brown tones are so versatile and there's a wide range of them to work with, totally one of my favourite colours to work with at any time of year. I loved putting together these looks with some fabulous brown picks, and showing some different tones as well. They're complementary to a lot of different colours as well, so it's quite easy to add other colours to stylings. If brown clothes aren't your thing then there are plenty of accessories available to work with, in fact there are over 100 bag and shoe options in the Plaza to choose from right now!

F E A T U R E S

I will admit now, everyone loves these trousers so every look featured here has the same pair^ First up styling them is Proenza who adds some super glam pieces to them and really gives them a dressed up vibe. The tone works great with bronze and gold, so both the jacket with it's bronze details and the gold chain of the beautiful bag work perfectly here! I'm also a huge fan of these pointed flats with the look, they're really such a great addition, plus the gold detail really works on them too =)

Next up is tete who wears the same trousers but adds a more classic touch with this modern twist on a corset top with a fun off the shoulder and puff sleeved design. The colours look fabulous together, and the gold details in the jewellery and belt look great in there too^ The bag is also brown, and while it's a style I wouldn't normally spot, I think it works great in this outfit!

And the final look is from andre1396 who styles the trousers in a slightly more dressy way with the inclusion of some sparkles^ The sparkles work very nicely and I think they fill the front between the sides of the blazer very well. The oversizing of the blazer balances well with the wide hems of the trousers and I like the contrast between the print designs of both pieces. The chunky shoes are a fun final touch to the styling^

T S L P L A Z A P I C K S

B A S I C S | Styled Outfits

Love Autumnal colour tones, and the latest BASICS release is spot on with those! There are a huge range of styles (for both male and female dolls) available in a beautiful chocolate brown, deep hunter green, light beige and of course also black which will be perfect for the transition into Winter styling. First up are the Square Toe Boots Chocolate, love this style, the square toe is great and I think these are fantastic for the Autumn/Winter season. I will admit, I have quite a lot of very similar pairs of shoes, so they're not unique but if you don't have a pair already then this is a good option. I kept with the brown tones which works and I think this mix is really nice. The tone of the boots is great with this leopard print coat, so happy to bring it out again for styling! Next up are the Square Neck Top Chocolate and Shoulder Purse Chocolate together - super cute together but also work well separately. Again stuck with brown tones and it works really well for these pieces. And also more leopard print, I think this skirt looks great with the top! Kept the rest of the accessories simple and I really like it a lot. And finally the Shoulder Purse Hunter, really adore this green shade but I did find it tricky to work with as I didn't have anything really in a matching tone - so I had to make do with things I already had but I do think it works. Kept it super simple, I love the pop of green against this beige top and I think the trousers are just about an ok fit - would love a fab green coat or jacket to match this, think it would be great, maybe I'll pick up the Square Neck Top Hunter too^

P E A R L S | Styled Outfits

This PEARLS release was a super cute one with some perfect pieces for Summer-Autumn stylings (I'm just a bit late to the game^). I really liked all the different designer-inspired pieces in this one, some very nice choices to add to our wardrobes, plus some basics also included which is always good - the White Button Down is a really nice fitted shirt that looks very versatile. There are also a number of classic accessories items as well, like the Diana Gold Knot Earrings, H Belt and Birkin Bag - I think these really look like great pieces to have in the Plaza. First up in my stylings is the Diana Black Sheep Sweater, I've seen pictures of Diana wearing this and these styles of sweaters have been having a comeback in the shops recently, so I'm glad to try it out on my doll. I'm a fan of red, so this works really well for me^ I kept the look simple and used the beige and black from the sheep print, these slim fit trousers are a really nice pairing, I think I like these a little better than the wider trousers from the store (but still good trousers, styled next!). Then I added black in the accessories, I really want that little black sheep to pop in the sweater design and I think that's been achieved. Then I added some red in the bag which I'm really happy with, the red is nicely balanced in the look and I don't think it takes away from the sweater being the focus. Next up are the White Linen Pants and Chanel Sling Backs - I don't think you can go wrong with a good pair of white trousers, and these shoes are such a classic design! I kept the look simple but classic with neutral colours, with the shoes I knew I wanted a beige/light brown top for the look and this turtleneck is a fab option, it works perfectly with the fit of the trousers too. I loved adding more Chanel to the outfit with these glasses and the bag, both being dark pieces is perfect for the tips on the shoes - I especially love this bag with the look, the colours are completely spot-on with the style and colours of the rest of the look^ And the final pieces I picked up are the Blue Bralette and Chanel Patchwork Skirt, a super cute set that's definitely more Spring/Summer but I've tried to work it into a bit more of an Autumnal styling, and I think it's been a success. The patchwork print has a lot of different colours in it as an option to add to looks, I love the pastel vibes but there is also black in there which gives good options to add black as well which I did with the blazer. To keep it warmer I layered a light poloneck underneath the bralette and I really love the look if it with both pieces. As soon as I saw the skirt I knew these light lilac boots would be a good fit, I love the outcome of them with the skirt, super cute together^ Super happy with this look, and actually all of these looks - really happy with this collection and my purchases from it =)

C E L E B F I T | Styled Outfits

Not sure when these items were released in the Celeb Fit window, but I thought they were a good mix of basics and stylish options to add to your wardrobe. First up are the Jenna Red Tights and Jenna Red Sunglasses - happy to see some red tights in the Plaza, I posted about both red and tights last Winter season and glad to see it's a trend that's sticking. Loved working with these accessories, they were fun and easy to style. I decided to try something a bit different with layers and I think this pink hued tulle skirting works really nicely against the bold red of the tights. I neutralised it with the white shirt, but was particularly looking for something long to layer ontop of the skirt. Perfect finishing touch with this little red and navy Chanel bag with added pearl details matching the earrings^ Then I also picked up the Conan Silver Striped Blazer, what a fun piece! I love a good silver clothing item, and this one, while it's sparkly, isn't too out there silver with the black stripes too. I kept it a simple look but really wanted to test out how the blazer looked with this skirt, it's a cute one and the print is definitely not so much my thing, but I think the outfit works for it. Surprisingly I didn't add a lot of silver to this one, I did try out some different accessories but actually they didn't look great with the blazer, so it's a stand out solo-silver piece in this look!

R O Y A L T Y | Bag Styled Outfits

Finally getting around to styling these fabulous Royalty bags - I've been saving them and actually I think they're perfect for Autumn stylings! First up is the Pastel Turquoise Fendi Bag which I just love for it's uniqueness - the colour is fantastic, and I love the shape and how it's held in the hand, it really stands out. The Fendi logo on the bottom of the bag is super cool, it's either a bronzed gold or a brown, and I made use of that with the accessories. This jumpsuit is a great colour against the bag, the bag really pops nicely. The accessories in brown really make a different touch to the jumpsuit, I particularly love the brown flats with the look, super current and I think a great touch to the outfit^ Next is the 16Arlington Bag which is super fun in black and green with fringing all over - I knew I wanted to wear it with this green feathered coat, the two are made for each other in their style and I think the greens look great together. I kept the rest of the look simple, the black base really works to make the green pop and I chose classic pieces like this maxi dress and basic heels with glasses, I really like it =) And the final piece is the Armani Bag, which I really like for it's all-over sequin design with a really nice colour mix to it. I tried out a lot of pieces to match those different colours, and this was the conclusion, which I really love! I went with black sequin trousers then added some mixed colours in with these sequin pink shoes and the sequin grey top - I particularly love the top in this outfit, think it's a great way to wear it. Then kept a simple finish with the black boxy blazer, a perfect balance to all the sequins I think.