29 January 2016

Frills and Ruffles

One of the biggest trend to come from the Spring/Summer 2016 shows were frills and ruffles. I'm not usually drawn to feminine styles but since Miu Miu designed the ruffled blouse from their Autumn/Winter collection I have fallen in love.  I have one or two things in my wardrobe that fall into the romantic feminine trend and feel it's always nice to own a few girly pieces.

The Philosophy di Lorenzo Spring/Summer collection very much displayed this trend, beautiful dresses and tops, and can only imagine how it would feel on. Below were a few of my favourite pieces from the collection.

Images from Vogue.com

Alexander McQueen, J.W Anderson and Erdem were just a few other designers showing frills and ruffles.

Top left and middle Alexander McQueen, Top right J.W Anderson and bottom three from Erdem. All images from Vogue.com

What's on the high street?

Top left: H&M £29.99 
Top right: Warehouse £45.00
Bottom left: Topshop £34.00
Bottom right: Zara £29.99


If you want something more subtle, the above shirt from Topshop is very cute with frilled details on the cuffs and collars. 

Now for some inspirations from Pinterest. I would pair frilled/ruffled shirts with jeans or dungarees, goes nicely with a leather skirt too. Black ankle boots would be my choice for ruffle dresses, team it with a biker jacket to toughen up the feminine look. If your shirt has a high collar this looks great layered under a jumper for days like now. 


Hope you like this trend as much as I do, I'll post some of my looks from this trend soon.



26 January 2016

White T-Shirt

One of my favourite essentials to wear is a simple white tee shirt. Yes it's basic, unfussy and unexciting but it's a life saver in your wardrobe and will save you time on those days you have nothing to wear. Not only can you wear one to work (check post on workwear essentials), you can wear it with just about anything (Inspirations to follow).

Spring 2016 ready to wear collection from Joseph was all about monochrome essentials and the white t-shirt was one of them. The white t-shirt can come across effortless but at the same time, it can be stylish.

Images from www.vogue.com

I'm always on the hunt for a good fit tee-shirt, you can never have too many in my opinion, but sometimes the simplest things can be the hardest to find, so I have selected a few of my favourites below.

Top Left - Madewell slub cotton jersey t-shirt £25
Top Right - & Other Stories £17
Bottom Left - Zara top with side slits £12.99
Bottom Right - GAP Vintage wash crewneck tee £12.95

If you're looking for a bit of interest to your white tee, try this one from French Connection, it's plain on the front but has a pleated back hem and pleated sides too.


Now for some looks from myself and Pinterest.

T-shirt old from Allsaints, similar here
Jeans Zara
Cardigan old from H&M, similar here



23 January 2016

Spring/Summer 2016 Colour Trend

Lately, all I've been wearing is jumpers or oversized cardigans due to it being so cold. Every year half way into January, despite being in Winter, I always look forward to new season clothes and get tired of winter fashion.

I realise I need more colour in my wardrobe, so with the help of this years spring/summer colour trends, I have picked out some of my favourite pieces from the high street. All colours look amazing but my favourites have to be Rose Quartz, Serenity, Snorkel blue and Buttercup.

All images are from www.pantone.com

This H&M jumper probably falls into the Rose Quartz category and perfect for now. I'm wearing a medium size for a baggier fit, great value and very comfortable too. You can wear this in Spring over skirts or dresses on those mild days.

Jumper H&M £14.99, Girlfriend Jeans Topshop (old), Ankle boots (old) Shoe Embassy
More high street finds:


1. Topshop Shirt dress £40.00
2. New Look midi pinafore dress £27.99
3. New Look denim shirt dress £24.99
4. Topshop mom jeans £42.00
5. New Look stripe top £8.99
6. H&M blouse £14.99
7. Mango wool coat £99.99

H&M Leather skirt £79.99
Love this leather skirt by H&M, an essential for the wardrobe plus fits into any season. If you're not into bright colours, this colour is subtle but will still brighten up your winter wardrobe. Wear now with tights and an oversized knit, wear in the summer with a t-shirt and flats, can be dress up too.

ASOS Bomber Jacket £55
If you want a change from the popular navy or black bomber, try this gorgeous pink one from Asos. It will uplift any black outfit and a perfect colour contrast over denim.

Most of the above high street items are wardrobe staples, so you can always make the most of each item. Happy shopping!



20 January 2016

Minimalism

Minimalism can mean many things, it's not necessarily a neutral colour palette, having less to wear or wearing clean line clothes. I've tried looking for a simple explanation, but for me, no one explains it better than a blog I came across called into-mind. This blog explains everything you need to know about building a minimalistic wardrobe to smart shopping. Anuschka, the writer of the blog defines minimalism as removing things that are not adding value to your life, knowing what's important to you and making conscious choices that result in a happier life. Many of us are guilty of filling our wardrobes with things we half-heartedly like or don't wear, minimalism is about owning things you truly love. (Click here and here for a more in-depth meaning).

Although I agree with Anuschka's general explanation, it can be hard to stop yourself from buying things that you probably wouldn't need, impulse buying was my biggest problem. Minimalistic can mean different things to everyone, some may wear bright colours all the time, or prints or only wear black, it all depends on the individual and what they see as their signature style.

Afer understanding minimalism a bit more, I think I need to reassess my wardrobe again. My personal style hasn't changed much throughout the years but I have a habit of holding onto things that have no use to me now. I am very much less inclined to follow trends as to when I was working around fashion, but having said that if something fits into my style, I'm willing to try. I have a very casual approach to clothes and I'm aware of what suits me and what doesn't. I like comfort and practicality, I'm not a girly girl and hardly ever buy occasion wear now. Clothes for me need to serve multiple purposes, this was the same for maternity wear too, I was very reluctant to buy too many whilst pregnant.

To conclude minimalism is figuring out what your personal style is and not having the urge to impulse buy, it's about investing in pieces you would wear over and over again and not being influenced too much by what you should wear according to trends and others.

Below are images of my everyday kind of outfits, jeans are an essential part of my wardrobe as are trainers and flats. (All images below from Pinterest)


If I add colour to my wardrobe, it's simple and not overly complicated and has to work well into my everyday casual style. Evening looks are pretty much the same apart from the rare occasions where I wear heels. 


What is your minimalistic style?

11 January 2016

Bags

Shoulder bags, backpacks, cross-body bags, bucket bags, clutch bags, totes and top handle bags, we can't seem to have enough of them! I used to own far too many but have slowly sold some off or given to charity. It's all about the none practical bags right now, big enough to just carry your essentials like phone, purse and keys, and maybe a lippy. A bag can make an outfit just like shoes, especially if it's a statement piece.

Today I'm talking about my bag wishlist and some high street options. At the moment, a small everyday bag is all I need, but then I have those days where I need to carry more than just a wallet and phone, so need a slightly bigger bag. Then for those rare occasions, I need an evening bag, so in total, you would think I only need three bags. But with so many styles and colours, it can definitely be a challenge to settle for just three!

I'm more engrossed in accessories than clothes, I can spend ages looking at jewellery, bags and shoes, these things most of the time make a simple outfit more interesting. Here are few of my favourite everyday bags, all great sizes and not too bulky. I have a slight obsession with black but it is an essential colour after all.

1. Saint Laurent Monogramme Sac Université £1,325
2. Givenchy  Medium Antigona Bag £1,465
3. Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag £485
4. Kara Tie leather tote £365
5. Rag & Bone Mini Leather Pilot Backpack £480

The below day/evening bags are iconic styles and will lift any plain outfit. I would be happy with any one of them, on my wish list for sure. 

1. Gucci Soho £650
2. Saint Laurent Monogramme Mini Quilted £950
3. Clare V Fold-Over Leopard-Print Calf Hair Clutch £255
4. Chanel Camera Case Bag £3,080

Now for my high street options, I've seen some great bags out there that fit each category but I've cut it down to six.

1. Madewell Transport Leather Tote £170 (Cheaper alternative click here)
2. Jigsaw Blake Leather Backpack £179 (Cheaper alternative 
click here)
3. Topshop Croc Embossed Crossbody Bag £28
4. & Other Stories Embossed Leather Shoulder Bag £79
5. New Look  Brown Leather Leopard Print Front Clutch £29.99
6. Zara Leather Messenger Bag With Metal Detail £29.99

If you're looking for a bucket bag, this one from Zara is in the sale at the moment for £22.99, very similar to the Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag. 

Happy shopping and I hope you've enjoyed looking at all these lovely bags.





5 January 2016

Workwear Essentials

Yep, it's back to work for most and if you're feeling uninspired when it comes to what to wear and left with a tight budget after the festive period, here are some easy looks to copy from your wardrobe staples. Your wardrobe staples should consist of items like a white tee shirt, button-down shirt and tailored trousers to name a few. If you're missing any of these items, it's definitely time to invest in some. (check out my previous posts for more wardrobe staples)

Having a simple white tee shirt can help with any wardrobe dilemma. It works well with anything, pair with tailored trousers or even a printed skirt for a simple office outfit. Personally, I think you can never have too many white tee shirts, round necks, v necks and even the length makes a difference sometimes. Here are a few white tee shirt looks for the office, all images from Pinterest.


Another essential for the wardrobe is the button-down shirt, especially a white shirt. It can be worn under a jumper (refer to my post on layering) but works just as well on its own with trousers or skirts. Style shirt by rolling up the sleeves and loosely tucking it out.



A pair of well-tailored trousers is a must, preferably in black, navy or grey, it's probably one of the most important workwear essentials to have. Another favourite is a plain black or neutral colour jumper/sweater, boring as it may be, but this will save you time in the morning if you're having a wardrobe crisis. Below are some jumper and trouser looks.


Lastly, the tailored blazer, great for power dressing but just as good over jeans and trainers. The blazer can be used for layering up in the winter and an easy throw on piece in the summer.



All images are from Pinterest, check out my boards for more inspiration. A few other workwear essentials include Breton top, black/grey tee shirt, black dress and pencil skirt.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helps those of you that needed some guidance getting ready for work.

3 January 2016

Eye Cream

It feels like I am forever searching for the perfect eye cream, something that does the job but within a reasonable budget too. I've always read it's important to look after the eye area, even using an eye cream in your early 20s can help slow down the aging process. The skin around our eye is a lot thinner than the rest of our face, so it's more sensitive and usually tends to be the first place we show signs of ageing. Wrinkles are inevitable, but we can reduce the appearance of fine lines with a good eye cream.

Not sure if I ever used an eye cream in my early 20s, but in my late 20s, I started to use the total eye care by Dermalogica. It's a good eye cream to use if you have no major concerns, it brightens the under eye and conceals dark circles. I then moved onto the craze a few years back, which was eye roll on's. I thought I'd try out the Garnier caffeine eye roll on, but didn't think much of it apart from the fact it was cooling around my eyes. Now I'm in my 30's I need to invest in a good eye cream. After reading some reviews last year, I tried the Ùna Brennan's Superfacialist vitamin C dark circles eye cream. This actually worked in terms of reducing the look of dark circles, but after a while, the area under my eye seemed a little dry and thought it was time to move on.

I am now using the Olay total effects 7 in one eye transforming cream. This was impossible to hunt down in stores, well according to my husband who managed to get this on Christmas eve as part of my Christmas present. This cream seems to have everything in one, and the reviews all sound positive so I can only hope it does the job. I use this day and night and a little goes a long way so will last you months. It brightens the eye area and slightly conceals my dark circles, but only time will tell. Below are my top 3 that are on my list to try out if this doesn't work.

'It visibly smoothes fine eye lines and eye wrinkles, reduces appearance of dark circles, enhances brightness around the eyes, reduces the look of puffiness, instantly evens skin tone appearance, smoothes and evens skin texture, replenishes moisture' (Boots). £14.99

My Top 3:



1. Estee Lauder Advanced night repair eye £40
2. Kiehl's Powerful wrinkle reducing eye cream £32
3. Bobbi Brown Extra eye repair cream £44