Work-wear Wednesday

This outfit is a bit more casual than I can generally get away with at work - it was in fact worn on a Friday (we are allowed to dress more casually on a Friday) so I am cheating slightly!  These kind of oversized striped shirts are everywhere at the moment - they beautifully tick the monochrome trend box.  I was lucky to have won this on Ebay for around the £7 mark.  I believe there was a carbon copy of this shirt in Zara a few months ago which was more around the £40 mark.  I refuse to pay that amount for such a simplistic and easily copied design unless it is made of expensive material and is of beautiful quality.  I wanted to take this outfit out of the classical style and more towards my preferred quirky look hence the addition of the neon belt, studded flats and statement necklace.

 Shirt - H&M via Ebay, Skirt - Topshop, Belt - H&M, Shoes - Topshop, Necklace - New Look

Excuse the standard goofball shot, there is always one!  This necklace is a recent-ish New Look purchase - New Look and Forever 21 are my go-to for statement pieces at non-extortionate prices (looking at you Topshop!).  I am going to be doing a recent jewellery haul soon so you will be seeing a lot more of their pieces!

Hope everyone is having a good run-up to the long bank-holiday weekend :)

Xx

Walking Tall #1

I have been wanting to give a little bit more focus to this blog's original intent - a big part of that was to explore fashion for taller girls.  As a fellow tall person I have really struggled in the past to find clothes that fit/suit me i.e. that are long enough!! Unfortunately many brands I love (erm herm Motel) produce clothing that is extremely short, even for the average height, and it looks like you are wearing something that shrunk in the wash or belongs to your ten year old sister! So I am always seeking clothes that will also cater for the more lengthy person!  I am definitely not trying to be exclusionary (seemingly made-up word that is inspired by the massive cock Mike Jeffries) and I hope smaller and taller people alike will enjoy these posts and the clothes within, but I thought I could be helpful to others who might be struggling in this area, like me.

This is a public service announcement to all tall women - MIDI DRESSES AND MAXI DRESSES ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS!! Whilst I think that this style of dress can look flattering and elegant on people of all heights I have found recently that the high street seem to make these really rather long - most come down to about my shin area and considering I am 5ft11 I am not sure how this is supposed to work for women of an average height!! The high street is a funny old thing - it usually seems to be one extreme or another.  So apologies and fair warning - these kind of posts will be filled to the brim with midi/maxi gloriousness - but if it ain't broke!

I recently have gone a little midi-mad in New Look.  Their prices are amazing (the midi dress below was £15), which is reflected in the thinner material, but you can definitely make these work if you are looking for a cheaper option.  So for reference this midi dress cuts me off just below the knee so I would estimate this dress would be great for anyone around the 5ft8 + mark.

Apologies for the slightly mopey middle picture there!  I would normally jazz this outfit up with some form of statement necklace.  In this instance I liked how the aztec necklace contrasted with the stripes.  I also think it would look gorgeous with some pearls to up the classical elegance factor - I have my eye on a gorgeous pearl necklace from Zara at the moment which would look smashing with this!  You could also wear a waist belt to cinch in your waist however I like the simple lines of this look and thought it was a shame to break this up with a belt.  This dress also has the advantage (depending on how you look at it!) of being rather tight so you do not really need any extras to accentuate your shape!

I am hoping to make this more of a regular feature so feel free to leave any feedback :)

Xx

Star Style:Met Gala 2013

Last week it was the fashion event of the year – the Met Gala.  This year was a decidedly controversial and quite tricky theme in the form of punk. Even though this is a costume gala, which allows more leeway than your traiditional gala, it is a difficult balance to be high fashion and punk at the same time without going into the Halloween/ David Bowie-esque territory.  Of course there is the temptation to go the obvious route and put studs/dark eyeliner on and call it punk (looking at you Sienna Miller), which some people did to a nice effect, but it is just too predictable and boring for this event.  To me the Met Gala is the one event where I am expecting that breath-taking, dramatic moment.  I only really had one this year and from the most unlikely person – Anne Hathaway!!  Well blow me down with a feather Anne snoozeville Hathaway!! To me Anne Hathaway is the human form of beige, she just bores the life out of me.  Her Les Miserables tour was just BLAH and her Oscars/BAFTAS gowns made me want to take a nap.  Then she pulls this out of the bag, just WOW!  That gown blew my mind in that it was stunning, dramatic, risque and embodied the punk theme perfectly without being so bloody obvious – it was the very definition of high fashion punk and that Blondie style hair was just perfection on her.  Whether the blonde will work in a more traditional setting is still yet to be seen but the spectacle of it was perfect for this statement.  She looks insane and that confident smirk on her face says she knows it!

Anne Hathaway in Valentino

My second favourite was the absolute babe that is Paloma Faith.  I love Paloma Faith because she is fearless in her style and it completely works for her on every occasion because of her 'own it' attitude - even if she has a basket of fruit in her hair!  This event was made for the likes of our Paloma and oh my she did not let me down!  Look at that fierce dress, fierce hat and fierce attitude! Ugh I could just kiss her!! Again she absolutely nails the high fashion and punk amalgamation.  I think if I was more immune to her fabulousness she would be my first choice but Anne was just such a pleasant shock to me!

Paloma Faith in Michael Cinco, Philip Treacy hat

My third favourite of the night was Sarah Jessica Parker.  This is a controversial decision as her outfit was very costumey but if you cannot have fun with it at the Met gala then when can you?! It is called a costume gala for a reason!  I just love the theatrical elements of this look (I mean THAT Philip Treacy headress, Louboutin velvet knee high boots) separately and they should not work together but somehow Queen SJP just rocks them.  All hail the queen with her Philip Treacy crown!! PS. I am choosing to ignore the crotch bearing and pretend it never happened.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Giles Deacon, Philip Treacy hat

My final runner- up is one of my favourite  fabulous dressers, Nina Dobrev.  She really embraced the moodiness and I think embodied the punk look really well without going too far down the predictable route.  Her hair looked great also as she usually wears the same quite plain hairstyle so this was a big departure for her.  The only thing that irritates me about this look is the dress over leggings thing.  I know I am being a hypocrite in that I gush about the costume aspect of this event and do not blink an eye about velvet over the knee boots with a dress HOWEVER I hate dresses over trousers/leggings with a passion!! Ergh it makes me physically recoil!

 Nina Dobrev in Monique Lhuillier

There were a few others who looked stunning (Uma Thurman, Naoemie Harris) but they didn't even attempt the theme so boo to you, you are not allowed on a best dressed list!!

There were of course some absolute abominations this year, more-so than in previous years!  Oh Kim Kardashian (or more appropriately your new fetching nickname Couchdashian) thank you for proving why you were previously banned from this event - Anna Wintour must have been having a good old chuckle when she signed off on your look!  Beyonce you goddess of a woman what the hell were you thinking?!  Also Givenchy you should be ashamed for yourself for that look!  Oh hells bells Madonna I CAN'T EVEN.  Just put it away.  A lot of people have been sticking up for her saying at least she attempted the theme unlike others, which I suppose is true but she clearly failed the attempt.   Putting everything together that has EVER been associated with punk (fish-nets,studs,chains,tartan etc etc) does not a punk make, what it does make is a lazy, cheap and downright disturbing attempt!!

Who were your personal best and worst dressed?  Which side of the fence do you sit on for the controversial SJP and Madonna looks?

Xx

Pinafore Styling

One of the most popular 'trends' at the moment seems to be the pinafore/dungaree movement!  This surprised me at first due to the fact that these are traditionally associated with school and/or a throwback to the 90's but actually I think that is why they are so popular, because they are very versatile and can encompass many different styles.  You can wear the pinafore dress for a girly verging on preppy look or rock the Clarissa Explains It All denim dungarees!

Haha she was an unbelievably stylish teen!!

I invested in a polka dot pinafore (shorts as opposed to a skirt) from Miss Selfridge and thought I would show a few ways I would wear it.

I decided to opt for this pinafore as firstly I simply cannot resist a polka dot design in any shape or form and I am very partial to the girly/twee style.  I absolutely bow down to those who can pull off a 90's dungarees look but that certainly ain't me!! Case in point I think Ashley Madekwe looks amazing in her dungarees:

Even though the polka dots are tiny and not that noticeable I still think they lend themselves nicely to a simpler monochromatic look, whereas I would be tempted to apply more colour blocking to a plain black pinafore.
For this reason the outfits I have chosen are all monochrome based -  I much prefer to play with the details of the tops as opposed to the colours.  I especially think that high-cut, embellished items are divine for this look.  For this reason collared blouses are a fail-safe to put with any pinafore.

For this first look I chose a black and white collared blouse with embellishment detail towards the torso which I think looks cute poking out from the bib area! 

 Blouse - Ebay, Boots - Topshop

In this vein I would also opt for a plain white/cream collared blouse however I do not currently own one. I would recommend one similar to this Topshop one (I have not bought this particular one as it has had some dodgy online reviews!)

My second outfit is definitely my favourite and I saw Milly Mackintosh wear this a few weeks after taking these photographs so was chuffed as I adore her style!  This blouse is one of my favourite pieces in my entire wardrobe (which is quite a feat!).  I saw it worn by Mollie King last year (another style inspiration) and searched high and low in every Zara in London for it. 

  

Blouse-Zara, Boots-Topshop

I have a thing for embellishment and it has the most gorgeous lace detailing that I think I have seen on a garment.  Due to the size of the polka dots I do not feel that this look is too much however if you do have a heavily patterned pinafore I would go for a plainer top.

This last look is something a bit more casual/sexual which I would be more akin to wear to the pub on a lovely summers day!  Similarly to the last one I think lace is beautiful with this however this top puts more focus on the pinafore itself as you can only see snippets of lace.  I like the fact that the lace is sheer because it keeps the look cute but adds an injection of sexy in at the same time!  If you were looking to achieve this with another top I would suggest a crop-top as you get that sexiness from a bit of bare skin peeking through the sides also.

Top-Primark, Boots - Topshop

Hope you enjoyed the looks I put together!  Have you subscribed into the pinafore/dungaree trend?

Xx

Cornwall Retreat

I have taken a mini respite from my tiny corner of the Internet for a while due to a rough couple of months which affected my 'joie de vivre' somewhat, which in turn impacted on my motivation and inspiration.  To put it into more succinct non-rambling terms I have neglected my blog but now am ready to come back and hopefully make it better than ever!  In terms of aesthetics and social media I am certainly behind the curve but I have been reading around the subject so will hopefully improve this side of things shortly.

To ease myself in smoothly I went back to my archives and found a post that i have wanted to publish for awhile.  Apologies that due to the lateness of this it features very winter-laden outfits with not a touch of spring in sight - then again this is England so practically speaking spring has not sprung yet!!

Towards the end of the year it was mine and the boy's first anniversary so we decided to take a long weekend to Cornwall.  Unfortunately it was the time of the flooding but we had booked it on Secret Escapes awhile prior to that so it could not be avoided!  The place itself was absolutely gorgeous with the classical cottages and the view, but the weather dampened the whole experience somewhat!  The area was made up of 8 private cottages (I believe) with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and lounge so was pretty spacious for the two of us but that made it lovelier.  There was also a shared indoor heated swimming pool which was deserted at that time of year so was excellent if you were in the mood for a relaxing solitary swim!

 

 

I can't explain why but the little community of cottages reminded me a bit of Narnia (with relentless rain instead of snow!), I think it was to do with the cute pathways and lampposts! 

 

 

On a separate note I would definitely recommend using Secret Escapes if you were after a mini getaway.  It was the first time we used it and we were really impressed by the selection and value of places on offer.  Being addicted to Trip Advisor I can safely say that all the places we looked into had excellent TA ratings which I always 100% trust.

 

I thought I would do a few posts on the outfits I wore during our stay starting with this Bunny number.

 

 

 

 

I got this from Topshop a few months ago and despite the expense decided I could not leave the shop without buying it!  The bunny print is gorgeous and the jumper is so warm and snug however it was the fluffy tails on the back of the jumper that really sold me, too cute for words.

 

 

 

Will be putting up a few more posts of our Cornwall adventure so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Xx

 

Work-wear Wednesday

This is what I wore to work today.  I adore this blouse which I first saw on Caroline Flack probably on some X Factor nonsense!!  The Chinese style print is inspired by Wedgwood china and I fell in love with it the minute I saw it gracing my TV screen :) When I was younger I used to have this style of china all over my house so it has instilled a sense of nostalgia in me whenever I see this pattern but I would think it was exquisite even without my sentimental stirrings!  This is from Topshop and is surprisingly good quality - the material is thick and the pattern is gorgeously intricate.

I wanted to take pictures outside during my lunch break however it was slightly problematic:

Therefore I took them inside in the evening which actually worked out splendidly as my new Zara beauties arrived and I thought they went perfectly with the outfit:

I found these brogues in the sale and I could not believe they were there as I think they are amazing.  They also only had my size left so it was clearly fate, the universe wants me to have these shoes!  The studded pattern reminds me slightly of the much lusted after and copied Chloe Susanna boot however this is slightly more subtle which I prefer - I don't think I can carry off the Chloe style of boot!

Now for some sensible pictures of the outfit minus gale force winds.

I also wore this leather contrast sleeve blazer that I got from the New Look sale a few months ago for a bargain and a half of £20!  These pleather sleeved style blazers I have seen in Zara this season for triple the price so I am delighted I snapped that up!  I can just about get away with wearing this at work as the main body of it is a normal blazer however my boss did come up to me saying 'Are you wearing a plastic jacket?' Aah my colleagues and fashion do not tend to mix well!

 Blouse - Topshop, Jacket - New Look, Brogues - Zara, Skirt - EBay, Lips - Rimmel Apocalips Stellar

Last but not least I decided to wear one of my new Barry M Gelly nail polishes that I thought went marvellously with the blouse.  I am extremely impressed with this product and will do a review soon:

Barry M Gelly nail polish in Blueberry

I would love your feedback if anyone else is enjoying this wedgwood style of clothing and if you could recommend anything similar.  Apologies that my pictures are coming out slightly pixellated I am not entirely sure why but am still getting used to this camera.  Does anyone have any idea how to stop this?  For reference my camera is a Samsung MV800.

Xx

YSL Touche Eclat Foundation & Rimmel Apocalips

I have recently tried two make-up products which have already made their way into my permanent make-up bag (and heart!)  Such a cheese ball!  A few blog posts ago I mentioned about the free samples of the YSL Touche Eclat foundation they were giving out and I picked one up the other day.  I have been wanting to try this product for ages and this was the push I needed - I rarely buy high-end foundations which carry a big expense without testing them out first.  I had huge expectations for this product due to the hype surrounding it (I do not think I have read one bad review) and I whole-heartedly agree with the glowing recommendations.  This has become my favourite foundation after just two uses! It is even better than the Jemma Kidd Light As Air in my opinion.  I really love the illumination it brings to the face and the coverage is so buildable although I find one coat looks beautiful and natural.  The colour range seems to be quite superb as well - I think this is the best colour match I have ever used in a foundation.  I think this makes my skin look the healthiest it has in awhile due to the fact that it is not a hugely masking foundation (erm herm Double Wear) and brings a gorgeous glow to the skin.  If you like a foundation which enhances your skin more so than masking it (dependent on the amount of product you use) I think you will enjoy this foundation.

Second rave review, which again will not come as a surprise, is the Rimmel Apocalips range.  I cannot get over how much I love these lipstick/lipgloss hybrids! I have been after a liquid lipstick type product for ages but did not want to pay a premium price-tag.  Although I have not tried the more high-end similar products I cannot see how they can be any better than this!  My only criticism is that it can bleed somewhat so I would advise using a lip liner (I always do anyway for that reason).  I bought the colours in Apocalyptic, Big Bang & Stellar and if you are a brightness fiend like me these will become your new best friends.  These colours really pack a punch in the pigmentation stakes so much so that I had several compliments for each of these shades when I wore them.  I was hugely impressed by the longevity of these as well as I assumed the colour would fade fairly rapidly but even after a meal the majority of the product was still in full force and only required a few touch-ups throughout the day.  I did not find these unflattering to the condition of your lips either although I would always advise to apply a lip-balm before any lip product to ensure smooth application.  Below is more of a close-up of these bad boys in action:

I definitely have a full blown make-up obsession on my hands!  Have you tried these make-up products?  How did they work for you?

Xx