Cruising Through

http://www.bcbg.com

I love a good fashion spree. More importantly I love the opportunity to dress up!

In a week's time I'll be boarding a cruise which will be sailing the Mediterranean, as well as this I have been told I need to dress up for formal night. So upon my recent shopping trips I've been looking into an affordable formal gown that still oozes class.

After looking at the BCBG Max Azria collection (above) I have gained a clearer idea on how I'd approach formal night. Floor length gowns with bold colour and minimal detail, create a sophisticated and timeless look. A style that can be worn for any occasion. These style gowns are also staple pieces which you can invest in and wear time and time again. More the reason why I may end up dipping into whatever 'financial' income I have...student loan ahem.

Still, I can dream. My second option for a less formal attire would be something flirty, a cocktail dress to match my strawberry daiquiri. The silver bodycon above is an example, and while I dream of the day I have the will power to sacrifice cupcakes for calorie counting; for now I'm going to opt for dresses that fit on the waist and loosen around the hips. 

Another key look for any summer holiday (let alone cruising) is the day wear attire. Now long walks on the beach and lazy days by the pool should require minimal effort when it comes to clothing. Which is why I'm aiming to go minimalistic but with a hint of edge. (Note my sequin denim shorts will shimmer on the boat, with confidence.)

I'm tempted to see if I could pull of white skinnies...while in the past I viewed them as a massive fashion disaster, my taste has varied. Still, it's early days. However, if I team these bad boys with my newly purchased black and white striped shirt, I suppose the possibilities are endless this summer.

Unlike my suitcase limit... 

From Birkin To Burkini

Image; my own.

Now I know it's been a while since my last blog, but in my defence I have been out of the country for 2 weeks!

For those of you who don't know where I've been, I holidayed with my boyfriend and closest friends in the town of  Marmaris, Turkey. I have to admit for a first time experience I was pleasantly surprised. The town itself is surrounded my stunning mountains, covered in tree's. As well as this, a long beach which stretched across the coast with beach side bars and restaurants that overlooked the ocean.  

Now, I could bore you with the basics or I could get on with the cultural aspect of Turkey. As a Muslim country, I noticed a mixture of women who dressed casually and conservatively; from shorts and bikini's to veils and sandals its something you'd often see in the UK. However, if there's one thing I've yet to see is a Burkini! 

Some of you will automatically recognise the name, others may not. Whilst at my hotel I noticed one particular woman sporting the Burkini look, whilst the rest of us wore bikini's. This got me thinking, in a modern society where most of conform to the latest styles and looks, we soon break free of the religious conformity as most of us feel they offer very little style. What I often thought about religious people was, what did they wear during the beach or by the pool? Swimsuits? But that still lacks modesty. In fact, I heard most religious women dont wear anything but their clothes...imagine the heat!

So Burkini's seem to fight the description. Practical, durable and most importantly conservative. I noticed the woman at the hotel seemed very comfortable and relaxed in her Burkini. It got me thinking, maybe conservative is the way forward? While most of spend the year working ourselves into shape for the sake of a skimpy bikini, some of us don't feel confident with displaying what we've got.  Maybe next season's approach to style will involve more material and less skin.

Another thing I noticed out there? Well its pretty obvious, fake designer goods! I must come across as excited to you right now, but to be honest I'm a student whose only source of income that could secure me a Chanel bag, is my loan. And we all know that isn't going to go down well...

Which is why I was pretty determined to source myself another 'designer' bag (like my Mulberry one in Istanbul). Lo' and behold I managed to come across a Hermes Birkin bag; now most shops wanted ridiculous amounts for them, and for a fake I decided against them. So when The Boy stepped up the mark and managed to haggle, he successfully claimed a red Hermes Birkin bag for 60 Lires (£20) originally 240 Lires! I have to admit I was pretty impressed.  

The image below is a genuine bag, mine however is very similar to this! So you can understand why I'm slightly relieved. Now I know fake bags are an issue that needs to be addressed, however as a student who lacks financial income to support her love for fashion, I feel for now this bag justify's where I stand. Fakery may not be the answer to designer retailers who loose millions each year, but realistically some of us dont have the money (or ever will) to feed our desires. Instead some of us settle for second best. And quite frankly, I'm not complaining. 

Image; my own. Me with the gang.