Return

Ok so it's been nearly two months now since my last blog post and I can honestly say I've been lost without blogging.

Having to put college work and exams first of course but I'll be writing posts more regularly from now on. 

I have a few ideas for posts coming up in the next few weeks too so keep checking.

Love,

Anna x 

She strikes again

There is just no stopping my gran when it comes to styling; that gene has fortunately been passed down in my favour. She endlessly puts modern twists on vintage clothes but never attempts to dress too young. 

When she first turned up in this outfit a few weeks ago I practically jumped on her like "CAN I BLOG YOU" (again).

The skirt is from House of Bruer (Perth, Scotland) and I can honestly say that in person it's the most luxurious fabric.

My gran paired it with a jumper (Beales), I'm not even going to begin to describe the colour...perhaps honey mustard??

But oh, do the colours work perfectly. Picking out one of the colours of the skirt co-ordinates the outfit. 

A local tailor of ours shortened the skirt and kindly made my gran a little scarf/necktie out of the excess 

material.

She looks fantastic and I'm proud to be her granddaughter. 

Bomber Jacket: Style No.1

Bomber Jacket: Style No.1 by sat3llte-dre4ms featuring lips makeup

Être Cécile crop shirt
hlorenzo.com

River Island light wash distressed boyfriend jeans
$31 - riverisland.com

Christian louboutin shoes
neimanmarcus.com

Maison Martin Margiela shopping tote
lagarconne.com

STELLA McCARTNEY orange sunglasses
stellamccartney.com

NARS Cosmetics lips makeup
$38 - liberty.co.uk

Beyoncé's X Topshop

I read on British Vogue's Facebook on Sunday morning that Beyoncé is launching an activewear line with everybody's favourite high street brand. 

However my first thought was "Hmm...really?". Although Bey is super fit and never stops dancing, is she really the one to be creating activewear. And more so, why Topshop?

But Beyonce answered the Topshop question: "I have always loved Topshop for its fashion credentials and forward thinking." 

From a statement she made yesterday, "Working with its development team to create and produce a technical and fashion-led collection is exciting, and I'm looking forward to participating in all aspects of this partnership." And by the sounds of it, it is indeed a partnership.

The Autumn Dress

I love buying new dresses as it is, but during the Autumn/Winter season I love it even more. 

After my trip to H&M in Carrefour (outskirts of Paris) I was after a floaty floral one that went in at the waist but flared out a little. 

I'd tried a lovely one on in there but due to being only a mere 5ft1 it was far too long and the waist line was around my hips. Plus the colour totally washed me out. It was definitely one of those "better on the hanger" dresses. 

Then, on Thursday I went shopping with my bestie Claudia and found one. It was love at full sight. Yellow, blue and black tartan, which makes it sounds rather weird. But trust me it's lovely. The muted colours make it a good base for jewellery and layers. It fits beautifully, flaring out a little from my hips. 

And We're Off

We had to be up far too early (2am) to catch the coach down to Folkston. With only two hours of sleep, you can imagine I feel like death right now.

Everyone if not the majority seems to be asleep and I can't drift off. I'm unbelievably uncomfortable and something is digging in to my back.

Anyway, I'm so excited for this trip. I have always been in love with the idea of Paris and now I get to experience it.

Parisians unfortunately talk VERY fast and what with my seemingly basic A2 knowledge of French, I'm going to do everything possible to sound as Parisian as needed. 

I am praying that I will be allowed a detour to Chanel, maybe to collect EPQ research which would be really helpful as the store is in its original place, Rue Cambon. There's no way I'll be able to buy anything with a mere 130€ so un peu de faire la lèche-vitrine will be definite. 

I hope that there will be some nice gift shops where I can get some gifts, especially something nice for Josh. I love spending money as it is, particularly on myself (if you say you don't STOP LYING) but it's a warm, fuzzy feeling when you find something you know someone else will love. 

We're still in England at the moment and I'm beginning to drift off, my eyes dropping after every word. 

Here's my little sister Ruth and me in the Toll service station near Birmingham. We couldn't not make use of the "Paris" edit on Instasize...

The Importance of Good Shoes

Girls always get excited about shoes, it's as if it's instilled in us from conception. 

However, I've always cared more about the outfit excluding the shoe. This, in some cases when I look back at old or even rather more recent photographs, can be the ultimate mistake which I've been making for years. 

Shoes pull an outfit together, like sewing the seams of cuts of material together to make one garment. They are as important as those little stitches. 

I'm a big converse fan; wearability, fashion, comfort all in one. And usually, they go with everything. But then there are outfits that they do not go with...as with any time of trainer shoe.

I also own a LOT of boots; about five or six at least. These also go wth pretty much everything.

But my shoes are so boyish. None of them are very pretty or girly. I remember when I was a little girl and my dad would polish my school shoes for me everyday so that I looked "smart". But I would complain that "no one even looks at your shoes". To which he would reply "yes, they do".

And he's a million percent right; they do. Women often even judge a man's attractiveness and appearance on their shoes. How this works I don't know...except maybe... Trainers = chav = bad boy = attractive = tempting = probably not the best idea. Or pointy smart leathers = business man = money = lets go become a goldigga.

Monday's Ootd

My amount of college work at the moment is ridiculous. Hence the upcoming backlog of saved but incomplete but now finished blog posts. 

This was Monday's Ootd. I love this Primark floral jacket, it brightens up my day and picks me up if I'm feeling low in a morning. It's the answer to any great outfit, and therefore probably the most versatile jacket in my wardrobe. You can wear all one colour, black would work best, and have the jacket as a statement. I've found it also looks great with a denim skirt, tights and a black crop top, and a big necklace. Then there's my outfit today: a rather well worn green Redherring top with a cutout floral pattern at the front, tights and a black tube skirt. I chose to put my converse with it, opting for comfort on a college day. My necklace is Swarovski, the best birthday present ever from my boyfriend, Josh. 

I had quite a few comments on this outfit. I was unsure at times in the day as I felt far too colourful, bearing in mind almost every girl at my school dresses the same; black coat, black skinny ripped jeans and wedge boots. But there's something more interesting about dressing differently. 

Countdown to Paris - Outfit Planning

Over the weekend and throughout this week I've been planning outfits for long weekend away to Paris. I seriously cannot wait for this impending trip. By impending I mean three, just THREE, days. 

When I was a little girl I used to dream of Paris, and that remains. Now my childhood dreams will be a reality. Okay, that sounds unbelievably cheesy but I'm just going to roll with it.

I am sat here as usual when writing a blog post with Instagram, Pinterest, my favourite blogs, favourite Tumblr accounts, two most recent Vogue's and ST Style magazines open in front of me. Yet I find myself feeling so unprepared. It's Paris after all, one of the three fashion capitals. 

After constant reblogging on Tumblr and pinning on Pinterest, I have found myself feeling a little calmer. 

A cosy but chic jumper is going to be an essential. I saw one in George at Asda last week and my mum wouldn't let me buy it and I am now gutted. It was mainly grey with sections of white and pink on the front. I may see if I can order It online, even though I know it won't come on time. My mum has vowed to find it (lol she's actually rather cute) so I can take it with me. 

I also love some of the jumpers I've seen on Polyvore tonight. I still do not own a black jumper, it will be my next investment piece as winter is fast approaching. 

Wrap type skirts are my favourite, particularly ones with zips down the front. I own a creamy beige almost nude Topshop leather one (£15 in the sale, but a while ago) and a navy pinstripe one from H&M with a silver diagonal zip at the front. The latter is rather fitted and short due to the shape of the skirt but when paired with a jumper or a black top it can look classy. The Topshop one I did not wear for agessss, because I had nothing to go with it. But then I start mixing things with it more recently and have found many different looks. This is a Paris must. 

I reallyyyyy want to take my kimono with me but then again, the weather good be an issue. Paris still looks beautiful when it rains, but I don't and neither does my hair no clothes. The floral pattern is rather grungy but the tassels keep its hotlines and with other items it could be layered to make a lovely Paris outfit. 

I've no idea on a coat. I wanted to wear my shearling but it's slightly too small I know I'll just be far too uncomfortable in it. Then I have my everyday colourless khaki Zara one but like I said, it's my everyday one. Then I have a brand new pink mac style but in cotton from Zara. It's very "glamorous" as my mum says, so maybe this could be the one. I wish I had a proper cute mac like this green one below. It's lovely and preppy but functional too. 

Statement Necklaces

Statement necklaces have been a favourite trend of mine for a while, and I think they will remain one. 

There's no better feeling than prancing around with your neck adorned by a lovely but giant piece of jewellery. It's similar to that 'big rock on your finger' kind of feeling.

No one gets as jealous as me when it comes to other people's necklaces (lol). I have one friend in particular who seems to have a never ending collection of statement necklaces, the majority from Zara. It's ever better that she wears floral bomber jackets and crisp white shirts with them. My other friend uses them as a top layer, underneath are a white shirt and a fuzzy jumper over the top. 

A Guide to: October Dressing

It's that time of year, the cold has set in and it's time for the autumn/winter wardrobe.

1. The Cape

A must-have for those chilly mornings and nights of October. Keep cosy but also fashionable, layering over jeans and jumpers, or tights and a woolly dress. This one from ASOS would look great layered over light ripped denim jeans, or a denim skirt and a black turtleneck jumper.

2. Giant Sweaters

Another October favourite, the giant sweater, is great do everyone. Who cares about looking frumpy when you're that warm and snugly. 

3. Bucket bags

A favourite of mine. Black ones are best, even better when studded. I love these three, particularly the striped one, Proenza, which would be great with pieces in the colours as it would tie the outfit together perfectly. The blue, Alexander Wang, is a bit more eccentric but would brighten up any winter outfit. The best thing about bucket bags is that they go with everything!

4. Culottes 

The perfect trouser for all shapes and sizes, the culotte is a autumn staple. 

The first from ASOS are fabulous in this Oxblood colour, and they would look great paired with the striped bucket bag above. 

5. Leathers

No wardrobe is complete without different pieces of leather. These black culottes are heavenly, but this red skirt is to die for. There is nothing better than Topshop leather. 

6. Hiker Boots

A must for Autumn, a pair of camouflage or burgundy hiker boots are great for walking amongst the leaves and will even last till the end of the snowy season. 

7. Fur

Who can't live without fur? These Topshop gilets are snugly and cosy. My friend owns a Zara version of the green and it's seriously perfect for this season.

8. The Mac

FYI: It rains in Autumn. Buy a coat. I love this green PVC Zara one, it's so utility like and yet still fashionable and quirky. 

9. Striped dresses

Parisian style is something that's chic enough to stay in every season. Striped dresses are perfect to carry this everlasting trend. 

Apologies

I've missed blogging. I haven't been on for a few weeks due to an extreme amount of not only homework but A2 English Language coursework.

I have a few up an coming articles so please come back in the next few days to read more of my stuff.

Anna x

LFW: Topshop Unique

Topshop. Topshop. Topshop.

Unique. Unique. Unique.

Topshop Unique have well and truly outdone themselves. Last season's collection was beyond sufficient description but this collection is on a whole other level.

Every look so perfect for spring and summer, the SS15 collection brought old fashioned cuts in modern styles and candy colours.
My favourite colour combination is right at the start of the show; black, white, sky blue and cherry pink. The blue and pink contrast so perfectly and white and black keep their known union. The first few looks worn by Cara and Jourdan, as well as a few other models, were predominantly sportswear in look. Cara wore a fashionable version of a tennis dress with a cylindrical blue bag. While Jourdan wore skin-tight black leggings and a stripy navy, red and white vest.
Lots of girly dresses adorned the floor space; fitted but floaty in light, summery fabrics. A lot of sheer was used, calling for skin on show. But the girl's frames were still covered nicely and the embellishments attracted away wandering eyes.
Makeup was kept simple; either a bold lip and natural eyes or the other way around. And hair was mostly left loose, or tucked behind ears. The 'undone' look works well for Topshop and

Cara Delevingne, Topshop's latest campaign recruit, completely rocked it; her sly smile making an appearance on her first walk. She even managed to be totally unprofessional during the finale; turning to check the other models were actually following her, and then laughing with the model behind her. Unprofessional yes, but it gave the show a memorable and youthfulness that the Topshop girl has always had.

What I loved most about Topshop Unique's show, and their previous one, is that their clothes are so accessible to young girls. They are youth-orientated and the Unique collections of these seasons are high-street Topshop enough to be worn everyday.