What is Scottish Style?

I don’t know, and the question was not answered at the Scottish Style awards, because the most stylish female award went to a Scottish actress who works in LA, not to Glasgow’s own Queen Michelle, who I felt was a far better, more interesting choice, and perhaps more reflective of the diversity of style in Scotland.

But it was a fun night. I and fellow blogger MBK (from Food-e Glasgow) drank our body weight in champagne and watched all the amazingly dressed people swishing by and air kissing. There was basically a sea of sequins filling the Old Fruitmarket. I was far less amazingly dressed, as, after changing my clothes about 20 times, I finally settled on black jeans, black heels from Office, my grey chiffon Grecian twist top from ASOS, and a silver cardigan I had purchased at TK Maxx at the weekend. It sounds like something I could wear to work, doesn’t it? But I topped it off with my sparkly headband, which always makes me feel like a princess, and I had my butter soft Halston clutch under my arm, the fashion equivalent of Dutch courage.

Congrats to Sophie Ellis Bextor who did a splendid job for her first time presenting an award show, and to Deryck Walker for giving history’s most drunken, incomprehensible acceptance speech. And to all the up-and-coming designers involved in the New Talent Runway Show – there were some gorgeous pieces. I tried taking photos but all I had was my iPhone, which doesn’t have a flash, so the images are a bit difficult to decipher, so I'll only post a few, but they won't do justice to the clothes. But there were gorgeous, flowing, silk jersey floor length dresses by Francesca Chiorando, with soft digital prints; lady-like leather with a hard edge by Keira Thorley; laser-cut head pieces by Jen Groundwater, and intriguing concoctions of rubber, chiffon, lace and jersey by Rachael Barrett. The Runway shows were the highlight of the night, and worth all the agonising over wardrobe earlier in the evening.

From Rachael Barrett's story (above)


And Keira Thorley's (above)


And Jen Groundwater's (above)

And Francesca Chiorando's (above)