Father's Day Gift Ideas: Comic-Con Gifts at Play.com

There's nothing like being prepared for gift giving, hence the second Father's Day post of the day.  There are a couple of daily deals on at Play.com today only and I think both of these would be fantastic for the comic book fan Dad in one's life.  They both expire at midnight, so if you're after them, get cracking!

The first is this fab Superman wallet and belt gift set which is half price today at £9.99.  I love the retro comic strip styling of the wallet and the silver buckle on the belt is perfect for any Superman.  I also like the quirkiness of it - I can imagine the conversations to be had when the wallet comes out when it's time to pay!  Although, being Father's Day - he really shouldn't be paying, should he?!  It comes in a gift box, so a perfect pressie.

Or why not take inspiration from one of the most famous infamous fathers in the entire universe?  This black and white Darth Vader cotton t-shirt is brilliant and will also make a great gift for any Star Wars fan.  Simple but effective, will Dad embrace the Dark Side of the Force?

Father's Day Gift Ideas: Swarovski by Diamond Style at SecretSales

Father's Day is coming up on 16th June, so I have decided to do some posts on gift ideas on what to get that special man in your life, or in your children's life!  There are so many of these celebratory days, events and holidays that it is really worth looking on how best to maximise one's savings, but still get unique and fantastic presents.  Gifts for men can be tricky sometimes but I hope that over the next week or so I will be able to find some great quality and great value items that will be appreciated for years to come.

First up is some gorgeous Swarovski men's jewellery from SecretSales.  Cufflinks are a great gift as they can be used for dressing up either work shirts or going-out shirts - they can deliver an element of elegance, class and sophistication.  These black crystal ones add an element of sparkle - but are still manly!  They are simple and stylish and, being neutral, would suit any formal or work outfit.  They are £25 (normally £60).

If the man in your life isn't so into formal wear, how about this black and pearl pen set?  They come in a black case and are handy for any occasion.  They are great for the working man - just pop them in a work bag and look stylish and ready for action.  A good set of pens also gives an element of status when one brings them out at a meeting...!  These ones are high quality, durable and look fantastic - and would work for either gender, to be honest.  The set is half price at £35.

Remember that SecretSales offers only last a few days so one needs to be quick to snap up these deals!

Fantastic Footwear: LK Bennett Nina Peep Toe heels from Zalando

Zalando are currently running their designer sale, with reductions on a huge range of designer women's and men's clothing, shoes and accessories. There's all sorts of labels in the sale such as Michael Kors, Orla Kiely, Missoni and Sass & Bide and items are up to 70% off.

I love these LK Bennett peep toe heels, which are reduced from £195 to £100 and available in sizes 4 to 9. The unique floral pattern looks hand-painted and it reminds me of beautiful Chinese blue and white porcelain.    I'd wear them out to dinner or for an evening party, but they would work equally well for a wedding or similar. Simply divine.

Terrific Top: Lemon Spotted Sleeveless Blouse from Dorothy Perkins

Sleeveless blouses are great for the warmer months.  They can be worn casually with shorts and flat sandals or dressed up so one is smart but cool in the office.  A simple, cotton white one is a wardrobe staple but other colours and patterns are always a good thing!

Yellow is the perfect colour to celebrate the sun finally making an appearance and this lemon, spotted sleeveless blouse from Dorothy Perkins is delightful and summery.  There's currently up to 30% off selected items at Dorothy Perkins, so it can be bought for £18.20 (usually £26) - but hurry as the offer ends at midnight tonight!  The blouse comes in sizes 6 to 22.

Awesome Accessories: Brass Victoire Cuff from Boticca

Boticca is the online boutique for unique jewellery and fashion accessories by top emerging designers.  It has an amazing range of bespoke, quirky and exquisite, high quality pieces from around the world.

I have fallen in love with this yellow brass v-shaped Victoire cuff by designers Adin and Royale, who are based in Tel Aviv.  It is totally ancient Roman in style - the description on the page says gladiator, but it reminds me of something a  powerful Domina would have worn!  Or possibly Wonder Woman.  Either way, it embodies a strong yet feminine look.  There's only a couple available, and it's £216, but new customers can sign up to get £30 off first orders, plus if you invite friends you can get money off future purchases at Boticca.

Splendid Skirt: Ice Blue Jacquard Skirt from Miss Selfridge

The Miss Selfridge sale is now on, with up to 70% off.  This ice blue jacquard patterned skirt is lovely and the skater style is very much on-trend at the moment, as well as being perfect for hotter weather.  The benefits of skater skirts are the high waist and loose, flared fit which can create the illusion of a slimmer waistline and hips.  With this particular skirt, as jacquard fabric is quite thick, it would work best balanced out with a tighter top - I'm thinking a tucked-in slinky white silk vest top would look amazing along with some fab wedged sandals (maybe the white and silver Steve Madden ones I found the other day?).

Originally £35, it's £17 in the sale and available in sizes 8 to 16.

Delightful Dresses: About the Artist Dress & Soda Fountain Dress from Modcloth

I am afraid that I can't stay away from the US site Modcloth.  There are so many amazing items on the site, especially their dresses.  For this post, I have chosen two dresses that I feel are gorgeous, versatile and great value but, to be honest, I could have chosen far, far more!

The first dress I love is this 'About the Artist' lilac dress.  Made from a soft cotton, it is perfect for keeping pretty and cool in the summer months.  I adore the whole style of this dress, from the capped sleeves, darted bust area, ruffles and v-neck to flatter the top half, the flowing skirt to flatter the bottom half and the belted waist to create a beautifully defined, feminine silhouette.  It comes in a great range of sizes - from small to 3XL - and is $52.99.  That's about £35 which isn't bad for a dress like this.

The second dress I have chosen is even better value and slightly more practical - but still pretty!  This cotton stretch 'Soda Fountain' dress comes in cherry red, cola black, purple grape and ginger yellow.  Again, being an A-line style, the fit is super-flattering and being cotton is will be cool to wear (in all senses of the word!).  The element of stretch material in this one also will allow for a perfect fit.  As it's slightly plainer than the 'About the Artist' dress, I think this would work wonderfully as a summer office outfit as well as a more casual day dress.  It's $44.99 (about £30) - so again, great value for a great quality, cotton summer dress.

The cheapest Modcloth shipping to the UK is about $17 (about £11), not including any customs charges - various options are available though.

I've also just noticed that you can invite friends to join Modcloth and get a $15 voucher - so might be worth having a look at that too for extra savings!