Category Archives: accessories

Fashion your Fringe with New Look

14th September 2015
My love of new season fashion doesn’t limit itself to just the clothes, oh no. With a plethora of stunning shoes and accessories hitting the high street I’m in accessory heaven so it was with great pleasure that I teamed up with New Look to bring you today’s post.
They sent me over a fringed detail bag from their new collection, fringing was huge news for the Spring/Summer season and doesn’t look set to be going anywhere as we move in to Autumn/Winter so I thought it was about time I get it a go. I’ve not really entered in to the realm of dangling detail before now, I suppose I thought it was limited in it’s versatility and wouldn’t go with an awful lot but I was willing to be proved wrong which is just as well as I’m really in love with my brown patchwork fringed bag.
The first look I went for was a sort of late-summer festival vibe featuring this gorgeously ethereal dress from Valour & Valkyrie and my trusty Primark sandals. This bag would be the perfect festival companion as it holds SO MUCH STUFF- I’m the kind of girl who carries her whole life around with her so a roomy bag is a must! It also goes across the body which is great when you want to keep your hands free for beer/dancing.
I then thought I’d pop together a typical weekend look, honestly I’m living in this kind of thing when I’m not photographing stuff for the blog. The suede mini skirt is going to be a staple for the cooler months and a simple cream top and denim shirt keep things low-key. I really like how the varying shades of brown in the bag complement this outfit and it’s ideal for some Saturday shopping therapy whilst the football is on (because yes, I am once again a football widow).
Last but not least is a transitional outfit for the move from Summer dresses to Winter layers. I picked up this dress in Joy last year and I’m pleased to see it fits in well with the trends a year on too. I loved the combination of mustard yellow and the brown tones of the bag but couldn’t resist adding a bit more colour with my velvet Bertie boots- I remember the look of bemusement on the woman’s face when I hobbled up to the checkout on crutches to buy these babies!
So what have I learnt? Mostly that fringe details are surprisingly versatile and this is my must-have accessory for the coming months. I’ve also learnt that I am still as clumsy as ever and keeping getting my tassels stuck in doors. Some things never change!

How would you style up this bag?

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Posted in accessories, bags, brands I love, new look, outfits

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Sundried

04th September 2015
I love it when a new brand bursts on to the scene and although Sundried doesn’t officially launch until 2016 I was recently sent a couple of pairs of their awesome sunglasses to get a feel for what they do.

Sundried is a brand and collective that’s all about design led style and innovation. Created to perform pre, post and during exercise (or you know, just to look cool) Sundried uses only responsibly sourced materials and as a low carbon brand have a minimal environmental impact. They encourage healthy lifestyles, keeping you looking cool whilst pushing yourself to your limit. Not that I do much limit pushing personally, at least not when it comes to exercise. Still I respect any brand that wants to do good and I seriously love their super cool shades.

I really love both of these styles, the blue pair (style name Lima) are so cool it hurts. I was a bit unsure when I picked these, I thought they might be a little garish but I’m glad I went with them because they are perfect with casual outfits when the sun does shine. The brown pair (style name Aire) might be a little tamer in colour but still pack a definite punch when worn. These will be packed in my case when I head out to Spain in a few weeks- perfect for chilling out exploring cities or lying poolside.
To follow the Sundried story and get more updates on the brand launch you can follow their social media channels by clicking on the following links: Facebook | Google+ | Twitter
Let me know what you think!

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Posted in accessories, brands I love

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The Culotte Jumpsuit

14th August 2015
The other object of my affections this season has been culottes (the first being denim, obviously). Having not added to my collection for ooh, at least four weeks I set eyes on the perfect pair in the New Look sale whilst browsing with my Grandad- and lucky me got to bring them home…at £12 I did worry they’d be one of those “one wear wonders” as these culottes happen to be attached to a jumpsuit but I needn’t have worried as by now their cost-per-wear is somewhere under £1.

Jumpsuit: New Look (plain black version) | Shoes: House of Fraser | Fedora: Florence and Fred

I have mentioned several times that I am basically incompetent when it comes to accessories and either a) never remember to photograph them or b) don’t remember to wear them in the first place so it’s a rare occurrence that I thought to pop on a hat on the day I wore this and rarer still that I thought to include it in the pictures. I do love a good hat though, and this floppy fedora sets the outfit off perfectly (in my humble opinion).
Life seems to be returning to a steady pace, I’ve had a week off and a few days away with friends. I’m back at work full time and it’s a case of moving onwards and onwards in all areas of my life. I have so many hopes and goals for the next few months and I refuse to be the only thing standing in my way of achieving them…remind me of this when I’m having a whine on Twitter, yes? Sometimes I wonder about going a bit more in depth to what is happening in my personal life but I’m not sure anyone actually wants to read that.
Have you picked up any unexpected bargains in the Summer sales? Also, as part of my resolve to move onwards and upwards, what can I do to improve the blog? Answers on a postcard please…

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Posted in accessories, life stuff, outfits, shopping

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In the Frame

31st July 2015
It’s lovely as a blogger when brands you’ve worked with previously get in touch and want to collaborate again. I’ve done posts with Specsavers in the past (here and here) and they recently asked if I wanted to pick out a pair of frames for their latest collections- as well as book myself in for a long overdue eye test.
Now, I don’t need to wear my glasses all of the time, and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m lazy when it comes to popping them on. Often it’s not until I get a headache or really have to squint to see something that it clicks that I should be wearing my specs but I do find having a REALLY nice pair does motivate me to be more vigilant.

Dress: Topshop (out of stock, alternative) | Sandals: Primark | Glasses: Max&Co c/o Specsavers

Specsavers have some seriously killer styles in stock right now, honestly I don’t know when glasses got so cool. I was therefore very grateful to the lovely lady in my local store who spent ages with me trying on dozens of pairs and helping me make my choice. We settled on Max&Co. for a grown up and edgy style, I wasn’t sure when I saw them on the shelf because of the colour but actually it works so well- proof that you shouldn’t rule anything out before trying it! I was pretty taken with some Cheap Monday sunglasses too (these ones) but decided they would have to wait for another visit.
A quick note on this dress too, isn’t the print just fabulous? I love the Topshop woodland print range, and even though this style seems to be out of stock everywhere at the moment I’m pretty taken with the rest of the pieces too!

What’s your glasses style?

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Posted in accessories, brands I love, life stuff, outfits

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Golden Eye

24th July 2015
I appear to be pretty obsessed with mini skirts at the moment, I’ve all but given up on jeans and don’t own any shorts worth shouting about and skirts just seem like an easy solution for a casual “off duty” look. I’ve fallen out love with a lot of my wardrobe lately so seem to be reaching for the same key pieces time and time again, looking for little ways to make them seem different every time. This should be a prompt for yet another wardrobe cull, but no matter how much I get rid of I still feel like my clothes aren’t cool enough or pull off an outfit with any panache. For someone who supposedly has a fashion blog, I feel inadequate among the flock of effortlessly stylish ladies in the blogging world.

Top: H&M | Skirt: ASOS (get it here) | Sunglasses c/o Polette | Shoes: Primark (quite recently)

You’d think that after six years of regular blogging I’d feel at ease in front of a camera right now but no, it’s not the case! I feel so awkward as soon as the lens cap comes off and I never know what to do with myself hence the often characterless pictures that end up on here.

These sunglasses from Polette are a case in point. Such a fashion forward pair of shades deserve something a little more edgy than I gave them here but still, I do feel pretty cool when I wear them so that’s something. It took me ages to decide which pair to go for, the selection on the site is huge and I had to try really hard not to go for something more subtle although this pair did catch my eye- anything but discreet!

I didn’t intend for this to be such a self depreciating post, life has been pretty strange lately and it’s left me with a little less confidence in myself and my capabilities and in a way it feels good to get some insecurities out there.

I know I’ll never be one of the top bloggers, nor one of those for whom posing in a busy street becomes good fun, but as long as I’m enjoying what I’m doing and I still have the friends I’ve made through this blog then I have no intention of stopping, crisis of confidence or not.

Any tips for feeling more at ease in front of the camera?

Which Polette sunglasses would you go for? The prices are crazy good and delivery was pretty swift given that they come from overseas.

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Posted in accessories, life stuff, outfits

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