Simply be launch Party

Outside the new Simply be store in the Arndale centre Manchester

I very rarely get the chance to attend blogger events as often they take place in London and as I'm North West based and the last train from London is at 9pm Ive yet to be invited to anything I can go to.

The Simply Be Store at the Arndale centre

So I was chuffed to be asked to go to the opening of the new Simply Be store at the Arndale centre in Manchester. The invitation promised champagne, goody bags and the chance to have a good look around the new shop (quite frankly they had me at free champagne)

Some rather fancy Gok underwear

I absolutely love Simply Be and own a lot of their clothes. Unlike some of their competition they seem to grasp that all curvy women want is exactly the same choice afforded to everyone else. I always die inside a little when I see other plus size companies bring out yet another collection of hideous tunic tops and trousers made of suspiciously flammable looking material. Simply be has bigger sizes of current trends and that is all we ask for.

Having my photo taken by Simply Be with fellow blogger A Thrifty Mrs

I need this satchel in my life

Now let the record show I'm not a massive fan of the Liverpool Simply Be store. Perhaps Ive always gone in on a bad day but its a long narrow shop with what appears to be the very worst of Simply Be's collection so always seems a little frumpy and to not reflect the online store at all. I was a bit worried the Arndale store would be the same but I'm delighted to report that its large and bright and packed to the rafters with very lovely clothes, bags, shoes and accessories.
It being October there were a lot of very beautiful dresses and some rather fantastic boots and bags too.

Perhaps its because I'm an old Goth but I love this

Coloured jeans-Lovely on others, not so sure about on me

ooh I already own this jumper

Its basically everything you can find in the online shop which is great news indeed and makes it well worth a trip to Manchester.

I'm very taken with this green Paddington Bear coat

Love this dress, its a bit of a Gothic nightie-perfect for me

As for the launch event that was rather fab too. I caught up with three of my favourite bloggers Rosie from A rose like this  (who also works at Vintage Life so we had a great chat about one of my fave mags)

Chatting with Rosie Roundface who was looking very cool in her swan print 

Rachel from A dress is for life (who had a handbag of such loveliness I considered wrestling it off her)

The fab Rachel (known as an Irregularholic on twitter) I love this girl

and El from A thriftymrs (who nearly convinced me I could pull off coloured jeans, nearly)

The very lovely Thrifty

The bloggers being photographed with Kym Marsh

Ive spent a  lot of time chatting to these girls on twitter and it was great to finally meet them in the flesh. They were as I had hoped all very, very lovely indeed and I hope to see them again soon.

Bloggers corner-all clutching our phones tweeting, instagraming and snapping away

Hanging with my fellow bloggers

I also caught up with the lovely Charlotte from Simply Be who Ive only ever know as "Simply Be's twitter lady" 

with Thrifty and Charlotte from Simply be who I discovered is in a Thrash metal band called Severed heaven!

Kym Marsh of Hearsay and Corrie fame opened the store (it was rumoured to have initially been Lisa Riley but as she is smashing Strictly at the moment her dance card is quite literally full)

Kym Marsh performing store opening duties

Kym was very sweet and so tiny she could easily have fitted into my leopard print handbag. She happily posed for lots of photos and seemed a very lovely lass.

Betty and Kym-surely that's a sitcom waiting to be made?

The champagne was plentiful and the goody bags were actually really nice with little notebooks in, perfume, sweeties and vouchers so all in all it was a rather splendid night.

Goody bag ahoy!

Baldy mannequin wearing a rather lovely frock

Hic

If you are in Manchester and looking for something to wear pop over to the new store its rather fine indeed.

Here is a little video I made as well.

Rachel's Wonders Rock & Roll Necklace Competition

To hep you channel a little bit of Rock n roll in your life the fabulous Rachels Wonders Jewellery are giving away this rather awesome Rock & Roll necklace.

To enter

• Join this blog if you haven't already
• "Like" The Rachels Wonders facebook page
• leave a comment on Mondays post

The winner will be chosen by random number generator on Sunday the 4th of November 2012

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