OOTD 02.11.2012

I've been in a bit of a jeans rut for a while. I'm a jeans girl, I can't help it. But I'm trying to break this habit. I love dresses, and although it took me until I was well out of my teens to realise that I could wear dresses, that there was a dress to suit everybody, I am now a bona fide dress-wearer. Lately I'm enjoying the skater dress. There are lots of variations of this dress on the high street, and places like Boohoo at the minute, but the fitted top and floaty bottom make for a timeless dress that I'm sure I will be getting a lot of wear out of.

I found this version in Primark for just £13, I also bought a black and white stripy equivalent. I seek out this shade of navy blue and the berry red and forest/racing car green equivalent for this time of year. It beats always wearing neutrals when I feel like an injection of colour, and brights just don't do it for me in Autumn/Winter. The material is thicker than you would find on a summer dress, and I'm actually finding this quite a warm outfit when paired with thick, opaque tights and boots. I wasn't a massive fan of the belt that came with it so I whipped it off and put this leather plaited belt through the loops instead for a very simple, yet suitably autumnal ensemble.

Have you found yourself any Autumn dresses?

Happy Friday everybody.
x

OOTD 17.10.2012

Here is my outfit of the day. It's getting pretty chilly outside now, but that doesn't mean our shorts become redundant. I bought this pair of velvet shorts last year from Topshop, I thought they were a bit overpriced at £32 but I vowed to myself they would see me through a few seasons. Luckily they did and so cost-per-wear they've actually worked out quite bargainous! The shorts have reappeared this season so you can still get your hands on a pair if you so wish. They also come in a gorgeous berry colour which is tempting me, but I think having one pair of velvet shorts in my life is enough.

I've been lusting after a Cambridge Satchel Co. satchel, but in the mean time, I'm wearing this satchel from New Look. It's a pretty standard satchel and does the job.

 I bought these earrings a while back from Laura Laura, and am still in love with them. They often get compliments and I like the originality of them, particularly when the buttons don't look exactly the same and have some variation on them.

This jumper I found in New Look on Oxford Street, (the one at the Topshop end) and is by a brand called Pink Boutique. I quite like that New Look now feature smaller brands as it means you can find things that are a little bit different.

The crucifixes give it a slightly edgy look, while the fact that it's as snuggly and fluffy as a Pomeranian puppy completely tones this edginess down. Whilst I like having my own style, my clothes have to feel comfortable too. What's the point in a jumper that looks good but is itchy as hell? I can't show you in these pictures, but I can assure you this is  one of the softest jumpers I've owned!

Velvet shorts: £32, Topshop

Jumper: £28, by Pink Boutique from New Look Oxford Street, you can find similar here, or check out Pink Boutique's knitwear here 

Satchel: £20, New Look

Boots: £20, Primark

Earrings: £5 for three pairs, Laura Laura, similar can be found here.

I must apologise for the bush/tree thing in the background of nearly all these photos, I thought it looked better than having more of the table though. I'll move it next time. x

OOTD 07.10.2012

This weekend was spent exploring shops and markets around town. The weather was glorious, crisp but sunny which is the best we can hope for in October in the UK. I went to Borough market for lunch, bought some fudge to munch on over the X Factor, then headed to Butler's Wharf for a little stroll before facing the crowds at Westfield at Shepherd's Bush to hunt for some inspiration for the wardrobe upheaval I'm planning on having. I'll start here with the jacket...

I am rarely one to jump on a fashion bandwagon, I like to dress for myself and wear things that suit my body type. I also prefer investing in pieces that could potentially see me through a few seasons, rather than trends that only last one season. Having said all this...I really needed a new jacket, we are in that transitional weather where it's not cold enough to dig out the winter coat but more than a light-weight jacket is needed. 

I saw the khaki jacket with faux leather contrast sleeves in Topshop and fell in love. I tried it on but it just wasn't meant to be, it seemed to bury me and was very unflattering on my figure. I know parka coats aren't designed for flattering but it just was not for me. I'm glad that other clothes stores have cottoned on to this trend and everywhere seems to have their own version of the contrast jacket.

I went into New Look, which for me can be very hit or miss but often has a few little gems that pleasantly surprise me. This contrast sleeve jacket was the surprise of the day. It differs to the Topshop version in that the main of the coat is made from faux leather, while the sleeves are a different material, in this case, black and white boucle.

Contrast Jacket: New Look, £44.99
Acid Leigh Jeans: Topshop, £40
Scarf: H&M, £6.99
Boots: Primark, £20
Casio Watch: Camden market, £6

 I love the "edgy meets twee" of this jacket. The body has an asymmetric zip which gives it a bit of an edge, while the sleeves are saying middle aged and I love this juxtaposition.

Hope your weekend has been fabulous ladies.

Tell me your thoughts on contrast jackets!
xXx

OOTD 20.09.2012

Hello blog. I haven't posted an 'outfit of the day' post in an age, like many things on this blog. So in a bid to prove I've returned, here is one. Ok, I wore this yesterday, and not even all day, but I liked this combination so I'm sharing it with you.

I find the dip hem skirt a great twist on the maxi skirt. You get the best of both worlds of a midi and a maxi and the asymmetric effect is effortlessly pretty and girly. I'm not one to do completely girly though, so I love to toughen it up with a t-shirt and wedge shoe boots. I do realise I'm about as tough as a bag of marshmallows but you get what I mean...

 I'm in desperate need of a haircut, roll on my Tuesday booking.

T-shirt: 'Tee and Cake' from Topshop.

Skirt: Dorothy Perkins.

Shoe Boots: New Look.

Belt: taken from a 'Louche' dress from Joy.

Thought I'd share a couple of snaps with you from last weekend aswell. I took an impromptu visit to Oxford, somewhere I've never been before, and what a beautiful city it is. I also took a lot of pictures on my Diana so  bear with me, they will be here maybe before Christmas!!

Have a fabulous weekend!

xXx

Birthday OOTD

Quick little OOTD post. I'm wearing my favourite pair of black Topshop jeans, these are the high waisted Kristen jeans, sorry if you've seen these in a tonne of my other posts, but I love them!
I love this cobalt blue top. This was a gift from my Mum. I love the gold buttons and when this isn't tucked in, it has a nice flattering shape to it. This blouse is also available in a bright red and white version, the latter I am tempted to buy with my Topshop gift card!Shoes are from ages ago, but I barely wear them because they're mega uncomfortable. I'm not going anywhere tonight though because I've done too much before my birthday and have plans for later in the week so need to save some pennies!
Tomorrow I'm off to Bath to visit a friend and will be back on Thursday so I will show you lots of pics from my trip. I'm quite excited to go somewhere new!

OOTD 13.07

Tube top: H&M - £3.99
Harem pants: New Look - £9.99
Flip Flops: Havaianas
Bag: Primark - £6

I found this top in H&M priced at a bargainous £3.99. I don't have too many of this style of top and I quite like a bare shoulder in the summer time, it tends to be the only time of year you get away with it.

Not sure how everyone feels about harem trousers, I wasn't a huge fan admittedly, but I tried on this pair from New Look and they were so comfortable, they are my equivalent of a lounging around trouser. I quite like the colour of these too, it makes them a bit different.

Primark have some amazing bags in store at the moment, very comparable to the uber stylish ones you see in Topshop but for a snippet of the price. This bag I bought for £6, but it has since been reduced to £3. I love that it's a sturdy little wicker basket bag, very unique looking.

OOTD 12.07

Here is another outfit post, (let me know if you would rather me stick to makeup) showing the rather simple, yet ready for whatever this unpredictable British summer should throw at me.
T-shirt: New Look - £8
Jeans: Primark - £6.50
Flip flops: Havaianas (from Office) around £18
Bag - Luca Bocelli - £29

T-shirt is from New Look, priced around £8. New Look are great for basics like vests and t-shirts as they are inexpensive and wash well (it's important ya know, there's nothing worse than washing something once then it drops to pieces!). I particularly like the little knot tie at the bottom.

The jeans are another pair of Primark's finest, the amazingly comfortable and well fitted skinny jean I have ever come across. Even more amazingly, they were in the sale this time around, £6.50 instead of £8. I bought these in a very pale wash the first time and these are just a darker version, I did however find that there's not much uniformity among sizes, and had to size up in this colour.
The bag was a present from my lovely Mum as she said I needed a bag to start my new work with. I really love satchel bags, but she wanted to get me a briefcase type one, we looked around and I think this is a happy medium. I saw a bag by the same brand that was a hot pink brief case which was tempting, but perhaps a little too legally blonde?! This is fantastic quality soft leather, and was priced at a discount of £29 down from £80. Although I haven't heard of the brand, I trust this Nappa leather to be good quality. I think it's all in the feel and the smell!Looking rather foolish in the above photos, I'm not a comfortable poser, I wore over my t-shirt my Kimono style top from Peacocks. It's a bit too warm for a jacket, but you never know if it's going to suddenly rain or turn to winter here.I have practically lived in my Havaianas since I bought them a few months back. I went for the slim fit ones in metallic blue. Quite expensive for a flip flop at £18 but these are a flip flop like no other, they don't drop apart like others or wear down. I might aswell throw in some make-up shots here. I went for a bright red lip (Sleek OMG, I will post a separate review on the Too True lipsticks) and neutral eyes using the Sleek Oh So Special palette. Bronzer is by MAC, Refined Golden which I bought ages ago and still use religiously.
This is probably one of my favourite make-up looks, it's pretty effortless really but without looking like I made no effort. I like that the red lip does the talking for this look.

I think this photo might be a little deceiving because I don't feel that in person my hair is that shiny! It's not in bad condition for blonde hair, I haven't used any heat, or at least minimal, say a blowdry every 3-4 days or so, but it is still due for a cut and colour. I haven't decided where I'm going to go yet so I'm going to have a browse online and see what I find.

OOTD

I always enjoy seeing what other people are wearing so thought I'd do my own ootd. Today is a gorgeous sunny day, so I'm wearing this summery top from Urban Outfitters which I bought in the sale last year for £5, a bargain! it's by Free People and is a great light and floaty top. I'm on the short side so it comes down very low on me, I've just layered it over a really thin black strappy top from topshop. It's a problem I've just had to deal with, I've lost count of how many tops and dresses I've had to alter the straps on before I can wear them! Petite ranges are no good for me either because they make them shorter on the length and the shoulder lengths are the same. So I end up with a top that's too short on my waist and too low at the top!

I've teamed it with leggings and a gold bangle from Accessorize for a nice easy summer look.
xx