Oh Boy!

www.topman.co.uk

www.asos.com

Its not just the girls whose wardrobe's might need a slight makeover this summer...Yes boy's I'm talking about you! 

I know the majority of you out there don't see fashion like I (or many) women do...but that's about to change. Why spend your summer wearing the same clothes as you did during the winter knowing full well you could do with a change in looks? Well look no further then here. This summer is all about simple shades and styles designed for that laid back approach, this doesn't mean you all have to be seen wearing clashing prints and chino's mind...this mean's now is your chance to break out of those winter clothes and opt for something that is easy, lightweight and more importantly durable. 

Think sailors, smart and simplistic. This is all you're going to need to know when looking for that summer must have. When thinking about the kinds of shorts you guys should be investing in, to be honest even I'm stuck. As I browse through online sites for men's shorts I cant help but think even half of my male friends wouldn't want to be caught dead in Hawiian shorts and chino's. Which is why I'm proposing jeans and converse for all you simple style males. Tomm's and Van's are also an option as you can still wear these with both shirts and t-shirt's. 

Fear not, for those of you who enjoy wearing t-shirts with a catchy print or design, River Island offer a tonne of different t-shirts at an affordable price. Starting from £16 these t-shirts provide you all with a laid back, carefree look and more importantly you don't need to team them with anything more than jeans and a shirt/blazer on top for a smarter approach. 

Oh and girls...I own a males t-shirt, just as stylish and easy enough to wear; think 'the boyfriend approach'. 

www.riverisland.co.uk

Look Hot, Feel Cool.

http://www.topshop.com/

Since a sudden climate change has occurred in England, the unexpected heatwave has left me in a bit of a pickle. Unlike most countries, England isn't the most reliable when it comes to predictive weather, so a sudden change in temperature has left most of us running for our shorts and t-shirts in a bid to look and feel cool.

Realistically, this wont last long. So upon a recent visit to Topshop over the week my hunt for something comfy but cool was on the agenda. Lo and behold, I stumbled across this jumper (above) which just happened to fit the category! Don't kid yourselves, it's no winter woolly but instead a lightweight jumper which is easy to wear when lounging about or on a stroll to the shops. Perfect when being teamed with a pair of denim cut offs such as the one's above (I have a similar pair from Miss Selfridge). 

This ensure's you've nailed the summer look without looking too OTT. For £26 the jumper will hardly break the bank, as a bonus it will also work well with mini skirts, jeans and more for different seasons. Soon after, my mum decided to give me her jumper which is the exact same version but in grey. I wore this jumper with my black and white striped shorts, tights and black glitter slipper pumps upon a recent trip to Huddersfield over the weekend. Again, it was easy, lightweight and perfect for travelling in. Given it was a warm weekend I feel I made the right choice.

Speaking of shorts, Ive had my eye on these for a while and may just end up buying them when Payday kicks in. Currently being sold on Missguided.co.uk for £24.99 I will have to see what my bank account is willing to offer.

Thinspo or Fatso

http://pinterest.com/search/?q=thinspo

Earlier on, I was on the phone to The Boy complaining about my weight, and discussing potential methods in order to feel healthier and toned. As I slumped into the armchair to tuck into my weekly read of Grazia magazine I just happened to come across an article discussing weight. This isn't any standard weight discussion though, this is Thinspo, the latest term used to highlight women's love and inspiration for that 'thin' look. 

Now I know some of you may think I'm coming across as hypocritical given my previous blogs have been related to appreciating your body no matter what; but as the summer loom's I've started to feel less then confident when it comes to looking and feeling good in skimpy clothes. Naturally, like most women at this time of year we start to get healthy, but this (even for me) is taking it too far. 

Pinterest is a website used for people to virtually 'pin up' idea's and inspirations, originally designed for weddings etc. This has now moved on to a bigger, more impressionable audience. The term used for most women is 'Thinspo' this is what I searched up on the site and found endless pages of skinny women, with comments such as 'Pretty','Perfection', 'Fashion' and 'Thin'. Everyone's perception on 'thin' is different, I don't doubt that; however, there's thin and then there's THIN. What does it take for someone to realise the difference I ask? Is ribs and pelvic bones jutting considered thin or a cry for help? Is 'Curvy' just merely fat to some people? With summer fashion approaching, the instant look I can think of is skinny thighs and tight tops. Not for me. This to some people is what it takes to look good. 

For anyone out there who is naturally skinny I don't condemn you, you should embrace this. If you've got curves why hide them? And if you've got love handles then don't limit yourself. The summer look isn't just about tight tops and non-existent clothing, its about looking and feeling free. So get yourself down to those stores and prove not only to yourself but to society that skinniness isn't a trend, it's an obsession that's slowly eating  away our confidence. 

Let them eat cake. 

A Twist On Style

 

 

http://blackmilkclothing.tumblr.com/page/5 

As I sit in my flat on a sunny Thursday afternoon, I start to reflect on how wonderful this sense of freedom feels..until the reality of exams, uni and more hit me. 

So as a form of escapism, I've resorted to online browsing.  This includes looking at one of my current, favorite sites Black Milk Clothing. Upon recognition from my room-mate Daisy, I started to look into what they had to offer, so far so good I'm rather impressed! The site offers a range of leggings, leotards, skirts, tops and more which offers a unique twist on style followed by a fresh appeal to a diverse audience. It's take  on adapting skeleton's and tiger faces to leotards and interpreting galaxy print into leggings welcomes a new audience who want to experiment with their style without looking too much. 

As you can see from a few of my favorite images I got off their Tumblr site, Black Milk show you don't have to have a certain look to work their clothing. As a leggings fan myself, I have started to look into various styles and what would work best. I'd personally dress a tiger leotard with a high waisted skirt and heels for a night out, or dress down with a pair of galaxy inspired leggings and knitted jumper for a cosy night in. 

The best thing about their collection? Its something you cant find in a lot of stores. From 'Dragon Snot' leggings to Lace body suits theres something for everyone. The only thing you need to do? Gain the confidence to wear something new. and now be afraid to experiment. Just go to blackmilk.com!

Starting prices are from (US) $50 so girls get saving! I on the other hand will resume to browsing the site until my account improves...

 

 

 

Going Back To The '20's

 

 

Photography: Mat Heeley. 

There's nothing I love more than a fancy dress party. Especially if it means dressing as one of my favourite decades. 

I chose to be a 1920's flapper as most of you can tell. It was a pretty good excuse to whip out my black tasseled number given its been in my wardrobe for the past 3/4 years. (Which I purposely bought back then for another fancy dress party...)

I guess you could say I was following my fashion credentials when sourcing the correct styles and accessories for the night. Thankfully it was quite easy! The dress itself was bought from Primark for roughly £24, followed by my peep toe, embellished heels for £12. Dress and heels sorted, I then started to look into potential accessories that would really set it off. 

Anyone who know's what the decade involved would know it often involved over-the-top make-up and endless rows of pearls. The pearl necklaces roughly £2-3 from Primark, flower necklace was a gift from my Grandmother! The earrings (which are possibly the heaviest earrings I've worn to date) where bought on sale roughly 2/3 years ago from Topshop! Headband was borrowed from my room-mate Daisy; I personally thought this really set it all off as feather caps etc where one of the idea's. 

Make-up wise, I've never worn red lipstick before but figured it was then or never. Borrowed off my other room-mate Nicki, the red lipstick was teamed with blusher and blue eye shadow (both borrowed from one of my closest friends Ily) to set off the Over-the-top look. Eyeliner is my own, bought from Collection 2000 for just over £2! Perfect for me as I'm a big fan of eyeliner pens when it comes to parties. 

All in all, I'm starting to wish I could've been an actual Flapper! Just think of the dresses they wore...

 

 

Photography; Katy Morrison 

My Spring/Summer Fantasy

 

 

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?

Ok I admit, I may have dropped off the blogging radar for a bit. In fact a lot. 

Now for those who are fashion aware and know who's been showing what, this past few weeks wont need to hear over and over again about the latest collections. Which is why i'm going to blog about my next big look for Spring/Summer 2012. 

Now you all know about my leather, spike and studded crush lately. Well I'm still pursuing it, but instead i'm looking into a different approach for summer. As you can see from the images above I have gained some inspiration for Givenchy's Spring/Summer 2012 Haute Couture collection. Now before you all start assuming   I'm mad enough to opt for a bull ring piercing and earrings bigger than an average suitcase, you'd be wrong. Instead I'm taking inspiration from the styles and colours used to interpret this seasons approach. Think bling but on a smaller scale. After all, this season is all about shimmering and standing out, so why not brighten up your outfit with something shiny? You dont even have to dress up! Think diamante drop earrings, embellished necklaces and studded sandels. All of course at a respectable, non-blinding and approach-able level. 

 

My next approach to fashion? Blue. Now I know you're thinking its Mary-Kate Olsen, everyone wants to be her blah blah blah. Well yes I do, but actually I'm talking about this blazer. Part of her and Ashley's 'Elizabeth & James' collection, I automatically fell in love with powder blue blazer, it just screams spring/summer and more importantly it's one of those essential holiday pieces you can wear before you go and after you arrive back with a glowing tan. 

Not to mention I can be a bit of a blazer whore, and as complimented by many of my friends blue is apparently my shade, so imagine what it's like to see a blazer like this? I have seen one very similar in River Island recently, looks like i'm going to have to start counting my penny's!

 

And finally, as expected by most of you. The Versace inspired print collection which is taking storm both the catwalk and high street. Designers such as Dolce and Gabbana launched their spring/summer collection with flirty, summery prints from tops to wedges. This particular colour and style has since then trickled down the fashion chain and into our stores. Lately I have been investing a couple of Versace inspired printed dresses. Now however, I've started to think about expanding my wardrobe for a summer update, (that and in a bid to find something decent for the summer heat). Thankfully, H&M have incorporated this particular colour and print into their latest collection, from dresses to shorts costing less then £20! Dont know about you guys, but i'm seriously considering these styles for my summer must have.

Eyes, Lips and Face

e.l.f. Liquid eyeliner £1.50

http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~66.htm

Foundation £3.50

http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~82.htm

With thanks to my roommate Daisy Houliston for recommending this site.

Now I'm no make-up artist...(in fact I'm lucky enough to know what to do with foundation), but I am a student, and with tough times ahead its nice to know I can still look good for less.

That is why I'm blogging about e.l.f . Its a cosmetics website which sells all kinds of make-up, from foundation to mineral wonders. 

Lately I've started to acknowledge different types of foundation in particular; notably the ones that don't streak or fade in less then 5 minutes. Which is why when I found out their foundation was £3.50 I was pretty amazed! Given I've paid £18 in the past...(In my defense it was Clinique...)

So one of my main make-up essentials is eyeliner. Its the only thing I can actually apply/work!

Lately I've looked into different alternatives as to what and how I can find the cheapest alternative to looking good, which is why I was pleasantly surprised to find some of the eyeliner as such a steal!

With a starting price of £1.50 its hard not to resist! And it doesn't stop there! Shimmer eye pencils, Eye liner pencils and more just £1.50. In my opinion you could buy a years supply of make-up from this site at half the price then what you'd spent on high street make-up. 

Well, what are you waiting for? Get buying! And lads....this is the perfect gift for your mothers...or girlfriends...or sisters...or me?

Lip Tint £3.50 

Nail set £4.00