The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate. In a word: Wow!

As I type, my head’s still pounding from yesterday’s bubbly and I may never regain the feeling in my toes, but boy was it all so worth it. The LQP is still one of the best and most glamorous ways to kick off the Cape Town fashion calendar. ‘Cos that’s what it’s all about, right? I mean, I’m sure there were horses involved but I didn’t see any and I still don’t know who won. However, my darling friend Ritza, she of le fashion blog Luxo, walked off with the prize for best dressed guest. Squee!

Ritza was styled by her co-blog editor boyfriend, Elrico, who decided to give her a modern Jacqui O-inspired look. I loved her gorgeous cat eye glasses – v Katy Perry – and gold Minx mani.

Other glam chicas in the mix? Let me take you on a li’l tour…

First up, we’ve got Jen Su looking gorgeous in a blue Pallu dress and head piece.

Karisa and I were thrilled to see she was wearing a Crystal Creations Shambala bracelet ‘cos we’ve got the same one too…

Jo-Ann Strauss was also looking beautiful in an eggshell blue Stefania Morland number.

Expresso’s Leigh-Anne Williams was there too, rocking an elegant cobalt satin mini dress with a beautiful beaded clutch that her uncle brought back from the states.

I also ran into Elana Afrika who dazzled in a sequinned Kluk CGDT dress.

Other fabulously turned out peeps included these guys:

I only spoke briefly to Marilyn but was struck by her poise and graciousness; she really is sweetness incarnate. Malcolm and Christian were sporting ACNE and Paul Smith shades respectively; Shashi said she picked up her floor-length white gown on a trip to New York and Thandi’s totes amaze headpiece deserves its own close up:

Oh! And don’t you think Gina’s a dead ringer for Jennifer Love Hewitt? She’d created the most amazing smokey cat eye using shimmering green emerald shadow and her lashes looked so thick and lush I first thought she was wearing extensions but she told me her secret was Arden’s Ceramide Lash Extending treatment mascara which she applies to both her top and bottom lashes. ‘You slick on your first coat and then wait for it to dry before applying another one. It doesn’t clump up and thickens your lashes dramatically’, she says.

As for me, after much deliberation, I eventually settled on a cute blue peplum dress from YDE and accessorised with an el cheapo neon statement necklace (a gift from Mr P but that I initially thought I’d never wear but now live in) and a taupe/neon clutch.

I then made the rookie mistake of pulling on a pair of Sissy Boy wedges I’d bought the night before and hadn’t had time to establish that they were, in fact, a design o’ the devil*. So much so, in fact, that about two hours my toes had turned a ravishing shade of purple and stopped making contact with my brain.

In fact, do you see this delish-looking trussed up roast beef? (The Stud Club always lays out a killer good buffet…)

Fortunately, this was soon resolved with a merry mix of Grandpa and copious amounts of champagne.

Oooh! And before I forget, I have to show you my friend Kelly P’s hair do. (If you recognise her it’s ‘cos she used to be a Top Billing chica.) She popped into Hand on Kloof and got a v brave, mod-looking beehive.

Her new hubby Grant looked tres dashing too in a zexy pair of riding boots. (Grant, I spotted your shoesies this morning on Skattie What are You Wearing. Nice one, babe!)

Anyway, aside from free booze, a buffet and getting to schmingle with well-heeled socialistas, there’s now another reason why, when it comes to the LQP, it’s always worthwhile to shell out for Stud Club tickets and that’s the fab Elizabeth Arden stand.

Better yet, they were also handing out free samples of Prevage eye cream and SPF 50!

Clearly I’m becoming a grown up because this year I managed to not stuff 2kg’s worth of free shizz down the front of my dress and smuggle it out to friends who weren’t in the VIP area. (Or maybe it’s because I offered and they all said they actually still had samples left over from a polo event the year before, such is the sheer brilliance of my swag muling…)

Once the sun started to set, everyone ended up heading to the main tent where DJ Fresh and DJ Lola absolutely killed it while I got to kick off my killer heels and dance up a storm.

A big dankie dankie to Kirby, Megan and the rest of the CSA PR girls for pulling off one of the chicest, slickest highlights of the Cape Town social calendar. I had a blast.

Love, love

Leigh