TOPSHOP WISHLIST

Hello!

I've already done a Spring Wishlist, so this wishlist will be based on a range of things from Topshop, especially as I've seen a lot of things I want from there recently.

I won't need to say where any of these items are from as they are all (surprisingly) from Topshop.

1. Gingham Peplum Bralet
I know Gingham is very mainstream and people are starting to get a bit bored of it, however I really like this style top with the gingham print. I love peplum tops and bralets so the combination of the 2 is pleasing, but I think the added red gingham print makes the top look so cute, and reminds me of Little Red Riding Hood? This top almost looks as if it's something a young child would wear, but as it's cropped it takes away that look of a child's top.

2. Beetle Multi Strap Boots
Recently I got some 4" cleated sole boots which I adore, but they aren't very practical for lazy days, or quick trips to the shops which is why I like these. They aren't incredibly high, but the 2" cleated sole makes the shoes a bit more edgy, and makes them better for wetter days if there are puddles around etc. As these are plain they can be worn with multiple things, and can also be worn with socks because the toes are covered so it wouldn't look odd having colourful bits sticking out at the end.

3. White Crop Joni Jeans
I've seen a lot of people wear white jeans suddenly, and I think it's because of the warmer weather. Anyway, I've never been fond of white jeans, but after seeing the way people style them I've slowly become a bigger fan. I never thought that having white jeans would be a staple wardrobe piece, but it's slowly becoming one, because of the simple colour making them easy to wear with anything, and not clashing. I particularly like Joni Jeans from Topshop as they're more comfortable than proper jeans as they aren't made of denim, they're cotton, polyester, and elastane which makes them stretchy

4. Pom Pom Trim Socks
As weird as it sounds, I'm a massive sock fan. I have nearly every colour sock possible from the frilly socks range at Topshop, as well as some other patterned style ones. But, I don't have any "Pom Pom" socks. These socks are so adorable, and once again remind of socks a younger child would wear because of the little hanging pom poms, and baby blue colour. Anyway, these socks are only £3.50 which is a bargain for socks of such good looking quality, and detailed trim. However I would be worried the pom poms would fall off, but I highly doubt they will.

5. Strappy Slip Dress
This isn't my usual style dress-I usually prefer tight-fitting dresses because they flatter me more, but I'm surprisingly drawn to this loose-fitting slip dress. My mother said it looked like a "nighty" and I have to agree in some respects, but as it has the slit in front and an under layer it takes away that "nighty" look. I love how simple this dress is, and even though it's short it also looks elegant, and could be tailored to fit any occasion.

6. Round Brow Sunglasses
Even though I have a pair of sunglasses that look quite similar to these, I really love the beige frame around the edges, but I especially love the way that the frame only goes round half way on either side. I think this takes away the granny sort look, and makes the sunglasses a lot more edgier. The sunglasses cost £16 which I think is a good price for a pair of sunglasses that look a lot more expensive, and high end compared to what they are.

7. Chiffon Embellished Shorts
My last item are these beautiful embellished shorts priced at £60. Not only does the fit of these look flawless, the quality of them also look to a high standard. These shorts are chiffon so they don't stick to the leg-this is nicer for hotter seasons, they also have a matching blazer which looks lovely as a co-ord with the shorts. The reason these are £60 is because of the amount of beads and sequin detail that's been put in. I'd be willing to purchase these, but only if I was sure I'd get a lot of wear out of them as £60 is quite a lot for shorts.

OOTD: BACK TO BLACK

Hello!

I couldn't post last week as I've been revising for tests and exams, but these are mostly over now. So, today I thought I'd do an Ootd. I didn't actually wear this today as it was way too hot to go all black, however the purpose of this post is to show my new shoes, and what I wore them with. Also, I wore this outfit to JPG showroom and London trip.

You may notice a reoccurring theme of things being from Topshop, but then again most my wardrobe is Topshop so expect it in any Ootd post!

The Outfit:

Top: Topshop £28

Top: I wore a Peplum top as I find these style tops are very flattering as they're tight at the top, but flare out at the bottom making your figure look nice and slender. Also, my peplum top is very plain, and basic, which means I can pair it with patterned pieces, or basic pieces like I did today so I could go over-board on accessories.

Trousers: Topshop £38

Trousers: Sticking with the black theme, I wore black skinny jeans to match the top and shoes. I expected this to look too dull with black trousers as well as a top, however these made the outfit more classy in comparison to wearing standard blue jeans. Like I said, I wore all black to make accessories the key feature of the outfit, however white jeans would also keep the classy look, but add in more of a monochrome look than basic.

Shoes: Topshop £45 / Socks: Topshop £3.50

 Shoes: I styled the whole outfit around these shoes as I had recently purchased them, and wanted to find outfits to make them seem less extreme and more of an everyday shoe. Adding these into the outfit is what made the outfit change from standard to classy, but with the thick, cleated heels this also made the shoes appropriate for everyday wear. As the shoes and trousers were black, I wanted something of a different colour to show a solid difference between the shoes and trousers, so opted for black & white checkered socks. The black in the socks still works with the black theme, however the white brightens it up a little and helps prevent dullness.

Necklace: H&M $8.99 / Scrunchie: American Apparel £6 / Bracelet: Thomas Sabo £137 / Clutch: Next £24 / Earrings: Topshop £5.50

Accessories: For necklaces I chose this lace replicating necklace as it's quite big and eye-catching, but also works with the outfit adding some shine, as well as my earrings which were medium sized gold hoops. The hoops were a plain gold ring which kept the outfit sophisticated, and weren't worn in a way they would look chavvy. The scrunchie added a bit of colour as it's a soft lilac which also brightened up the outfit, as well as my Thomas Sabo bracelet which I wear with anything regardless as to whether it goes or not.

Lastly, I went for a black clutch which was partially leather, and partially suede which made the clutch less boring, and added texture to the outfit as a whole.

If you're looking for some everyday heels I recommend these shoes from Topshop, or platformed heels in general as they're extremely comfortable, look good, but also don't feel as if you're walking high above the ground, or look too over the top.

A DAY OUT IN LONDON: AFTERNOON TEA AND JEAN PAUL GAULTIER VIEWING

Hello!

Yesterday I went out to London with my; Step-mother, Stepsister, Aunty, and friend Jennifer. We first met and did some brief shopping and nosing around, then went for a unique style afternoon tea, and after that we had tickets to go to a Jean Paul Gaultier fashion showing room! The day was so lovely, and a very memorable trip.

When we arrived in London we first went to Oxford Street and had a nose around a few shops. I wanted to check out AA because I love everything in there, and thankfully came out with 2 scrunchies for my hair which is what I wanted. They're both velvet, but one is black, and the other a pale lilac/pink. I love them soo much, but they did however cost £6 each!

After a mooch around we went out for our Afternoon Tea at a place called "BRGR" in London Soho. This afternoon tea wasn't your traditional tea & scones tea, it was almost like an American Diner style afternoon tea, however the food was served in small portions and all on one dinner tray:

 We got our food placed on a very 60's style tray with checkered grease paper which adds to the theme of American Diner, and it's the small touches like that which make a place so special. Anyway, for mains there was a small portion of fries, and a selection 3 burgers; one was Lobster, one was Chicken, and one Beef-these were all so lovely, but the Lobster was my favourite as it was the most refreshing. For dessert there was a mini brownie, doughnut (which we can't see), cheesecake with a raspberry coulis on top, and a vanilla milkshake. I loved all the desserts, but they were incredibly filling even though the meal was only small!

After lunch we then went on to the Jean Paul Gaultier show room, which was phenomenal. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to look at some of his pieces up close, and really take in all the detail and effort.

JPG is a French Haute Couture and Pret-A-Porter fashion designer, he not only does garments, but also fragrances which are famous for being in the shape of a body.

Walking into his showroom was amazing, the first thing we saw was this:

Which explained everything about the World of JPG, his background, and about what the exhibition will contain which was useful to know, however I didn't read it all, I mostly scanned it.

As you walk in there were multiple rooms showcasing his different collections, the first collection was this one:

I'm unsure as to what this collection was called, but it contained religious, Egyptian style designs? The dress at the front has a blue panel which contained a photo of what I think was a lady holding a baby/cherub, but I'm not 100% sure because I cannot remember everything as there was so much to take in!

We then carried on into the main, biggest room containing  all these collections (as well as a few more):

In this room there were collections such as a;
Denim style:

JPG modified everyday clothing into denim clothes, and made everything more extravagant and unique then they would be in shops.

Camouflage/Army style:

As you can see, the first dress was worn by Sarah Jessica Parker at the MTV awards, it was mind-blowing to think that I was that close to an original JPG dress worn by such an iconic person.

High-Tech/Punk range:

I found the High-Tech dress so interesting, and especially unique considering it was made from recyclable and old materials, yet he made the outfit still look wearable and designer!

We then carried on walking around the show rooms, and we came across a lot of individual framed pictures of: celebrities oil painted, designs, and his clothes being modeled.

The photo on the far left in the middle is my favourite photo ever. I love the way the model angles her body to look so irregular and abnormal, especially in a simple black dress outlining all the curves, and positioning of her body.

As we carried on more, and more beautiful, and wacky collections were in sight, including this one:

 In the photo on the right, the things above the model's head is their hair. I couldn't believe that their hair was used to create such weird sculptures and shapes! The piece on the left is a boudoir style outfit which looks like something Dita Vonteese would wear with the very revealing, lace body.

 Tribute To Africa Collection:

 I personally wouldn't wear the wedding gown for my wedding-it's a tad non-traditional, however it definitely stands out in the unique side. Just by first glance you can see how much detail and effort has been put in to the gown, and it certainly looks 140 hours worth of work with all the layers on the skirt, and bead/chains on the top to fit and make a bodess. The face-mask dress is incredibly creepy, but also very creative as well! It looks like a face that would be on a totem pole in a tribe, which may be where some inspiration came from.

Random Pieces:

One of my most favourite pieces of the show was the leopard style dress. The leopard is made out of extremely tiny beads all hand-sewn on to form the illusion that a fabric was used to make it. In photo's the dress doesn't look so impressive, but in person it's breath-taking at the amount of tiny detail put in to the dress which would take someone years to do! The first outfit looks quite zombie-like and almost as if a dress has been shredded to pieces, and the last is a very vamped up army style 2 piece, and makes army clothing look fashionable.

 In one room there was a theater bit that you could watch some JPG runway shows, and as the chairs were so stylish, and designer I couldn't not have my photo taken in one. 

When you leave the show there's a bit outside that Jean Paul Gaultier himself has signed, and also left 'The Frog!' written as he is known as the 'French Frog' because he's French, and French people are known for eating frog legs.

Details:

These are from a pirate style dress, and you can see how many tiny, individual beads are sewn on, and how every inch of the dress is covered in minor details to make the piece a one-off thing that couldn't be re-creacted by anyone.

I admire JPG and all his pieces for being so innovative, and something that only someone with a very creative, and special mind could create.

SPRING TRENDS

Hello!

 I've noticed quite a few trends approaching this Spring season, and I am loving them all. These are a few things I have noticed coming into trend, and are being worn a lot by the public.

Trend No.1:

When people hear the words 'Hoop Earrings' they mostly think of chav, tacky, or over the top. However, after seeing a lot of people who aren't chavvy, or tacky wearing hoop earrings this immediately struck me that hoop earrings are a new trend. I recently purchased some myself, and I'm loving them a lot. The simplicity of a simple gold circle looks so beautiful with any outfit-whether that be plain, or extravagant, a hoop earring goes with anything.

 

 Nicole Scherzinger pulls off the classic hoop earring very well at the IHeartRadio Music Festival with her dazzling sequined blazer, and white top. Like I said, hoop earrings can be worn with anything because of how simple they are, but add an elegant touch when paired with the right clothing.

I'm unsure as to how these became more popular, but I've seen many shops stocking them as a staple rather then a general on-sale item which shows how popular these are gradually becoming.







Trend No.2:

Every year pastels make an appearance, whether they appear in; clothing, accessories, shoes, or make-up, they're everywhere! Pastels are usually worn all year round, but make a debut during Spring time as that's when the weather starts to get not only brighter, but warmer too, so more subtle colours are needed to match the blossoming of flowers rather then deep colours attracting the heat rays, and being too bold for such sights.

Pastels are being worn in recent runway shows so it's definitely making a big appearance once again, but I feel this year it's going to be bigger than ever.

I love how pastels are so simple and easy to pull off, and also flatter everyone due to the amount of varieties pastel clothing is styled in. Also, you can pick your-most flattering style, and wear it with whatever silhouette flatters you.





Trend No.3:

Another accessory that's coming into season are 'Scrunchies.' Scrunchies were first worn in the 1980's to the mid 1990's, and after 24 years they've made an appearance into fashion once again. I used to wear scrunchies when I was in Lower School as it came with my uniform, but I never thought that at the age of 15 I'd be wearing one again as a fashion statement-rather then a utensil to tie my hair up with.

American Apparel were one of the shops that re-introduced scrunchies, then Topshop started selling them, and from there on they became back as a trend.

Not only do they look extremely cute and edgy, but they also don't feel uncomfortable and don't pull on the hair strands tightly because of the fabric layer outside the elastic.

Scrunchies are sold in so

many different colours and varieties that they can be worn with any outfit, and styled in so many different ways which is why they're so fabulous and popular.

Trend No.4:

I never thought I'd see skorts become a trend, I've only ever seen them as a sporting essential, however I was wrong as skorts are now making their way to catwalks. Tartan was a main staple for Autumn/Winter, and it appears that an element of Scotland is going to remain throughout Spring with skorts mainly being sold in tartan which isn't very Spring like at all, however they still look adorable and look lovely on a night out when the atmosphere is more dark to suit the dark tartan print.

 As you can see, skorts are usually paired with something plain depending on whether the skort is made out of a patterned fabric or not. As the one in the picture is tartan, I would expect it to be worn with something plain because the skort should be the main focus of the outfit as it's so unique.

The way skorts have been transformed from a sporting clothes item to a fashion item is very clever, and Vogue have also recently advertised that sportswear is the new everyday clothing, so I expect to see a lot more sport style trends.

There are more trends about at the moment, but these are the main ones that have caught my eye.

 

SPRING WISHLIST

Hello!

As Spring is approaching it's time for that 'Spring wardrobe clean out' which I am definitely in need of, so I thought I'd do a Spring wishlist and show what I want for the approaching season!

1. Mesh Satin Playsuit

The first item is this satin pink playsuit from Topshop. Playsuits are great for an evening out in Spring season because they still look dressy and look as if you've made an effort, and also work well in the not hot-not cold type weather which Spring consists of. I love the colour of this playsuit too. Light colours will always be a Spring trend, but I particularly love light pink which is why I'm drawn to this playsuit.

2. Chelsea Canvas Boots

These shoes would also mostly be a Spring evening out item as they're quite high, and make a big statement with the chunky sole, and bright white exterior. Even though white is worn all year round, I love to wear it more in Spring/Summer as it detracts the sun, but also looks so pretty and dainty compared to a heavy black, so these shoes would look gorgeous in the season.

3. Daisy Cigarette Pants

I don't usually go for cigarette style pants as they drown me out easily because of my petite frame, however these would look so cute and pretty in Spring; especially as they're covered in daisies and this season is all about blossoming. Talking about weather again, these trousers are great for the not hot-not cold weather because they're very light and let air flow around nicely, but still shields your legs from the odd rain showers.

4. Crochet Hem Kimono

I'm really drawn to the crochet hem's on this kimono, they add a sweet touch, but also keep up the classiness of this particular kimono. Once again, these are great for Spring because they're very open and light, but keep some protection around you from horrible weather we sometimes get. This can be paired with jeans and a plain top for a casual look, or with a playsuit/dress to add some class and warmth, and for only £17.99 this is an affordable piece of clothing.

5. Velvet Scrunchie

Scrunchies have recently come back into fashion after their trend in the 1980's, and I am loving the trend. I only own 2 scrunchies that are black & white-these are lovely as they can be worn with everything, but I want to try out new colours and try making them work with outfits. This one is from American Apparel which do an amazing range of scrunchies, but as a velvet and pink lover, I thought this one was perfect.

6. Casio Wristwatch

I've been after a watch for ages, and I have actually been wanting a Michael Kors watch, however they're out of my budget and are more a birthday/christmas present-not just something I can buy there and then. SO, I've seen these watches come into fashion recently and they're a love-hate style watch because they look quite masculine with the square frame, but I really really like them.

7. Leather Bar Tote Bag

The last item is something that I have a small chance of purchasing myself as it's £229, but is exceptionally gorgeous. This is a Ted Baker bag so obviously prices and quality is high, but I am so in love with this bag it's unreal. To some people this may seem pointless and too plain, but that's what I love so much about it, because it is plain it's easy to style with. Also, I love all the different colours the bag comes in, they're all so classy and easy to pair an outfit with!

OOTD : SMART CASUAL

Hello!

I haven't posted an 'outfit of the day' for about 7 months, so today I thought I should post one for my blog. I want to do Ootd's more frequently, especially because I like writing about my clothing choices, and showing off outfits that I like.

I wore this outfit to a friends gathering, the occasion wasn't for anything special, but I still wanted to dress up a bit and opted for this. If you read my 'Recent Purchases' you will probably notice that most of this outfit was in that post, so excuse the repetitiveness.

The Outfit:

Top: Papaya £8 (was long but I sewed it so it was cropped) / Scarf: H&M £6.99 / Necklace: H&M $8.99

Top: I wanted to keep my top half simple, and plain because there's obviously quite a lot going on with my trousers, however I added in this beige/gold scarf to tie in with my beige bag, and gold accessories. The scarf doesn't look too much, or clash with my trousers which is good, it just gives a nice touch. I've also worn the trousers and scarf with a black velvet crop top that also works well, I think anything bland for the top half looks best.

Trousers: Topshop £28

Bottom: As I had recently got these I wanted to wear them, and see how comfortable they felt throughout the night, if I liked them, etc, and I did like them a lot. These are incredibly comfortable because they're made of cotton and also have some elastane in the which adds a slight stretch to the fabric so they're easy to move in. Anyway, I love pairing these with plain things to make an outfit interesting, and as they're black & white they can be worn with any colour.

Shoes: Foot Locker £49.99 / Socks: Topshop £3.50 / Anklet: Devon

Feet: As I wanted to keep the trousers the main focus of the outfit, I wore a plain top which also meant I needed plain shoes. These all white Air Force 1's work so well as there is no element of colour in them, and also tie in with the white crop top. You could also wear more dressy shoes with this outfit, but I wanted to keep it partially casual which is why I opted for these. The frilly socks I wore are purposely grey and black to match the trousers and cover up my ankles, however they aren't extravagant enough to draw attention away from the main focus of the outfit.

Earrings: Topshop / Bracelet: Thomas Sabo £137 / Rings: Dorothy Perkins £6.50 / Bag: Topshop / Sunglasses: Forever21 £4.50

Accessories: I didn't go too heavy on the jewellery because then the outfit would be way too over the top, so I kept it fairly subtle with some gold embossed earrings, and gold midi rings to work with the scarf, as well as the beige bag which also contains gold hardware so also ties in with the jewellery. I wear my Thomas Sabo bracelet with every outfit because it's a special piece, however it went well with this one even though I was mainly going for gold accessories. I didn't wear the sunglasses much throughout the night because we were indoors, but I thought they added some class with the rounded frame which are on-trend at the moment.

I aim to try elements of this outfit with different pieces and see whether I can change things up to make it more formal, or more casual.

(Shoutout to mum for taking the photos)

RECENT PURCHASES

Hello!

Over the past few weeks I've been purchasing a variety of items to do one of these posts, and as I went shopping yesterday as well I thought it'd be nice to show all the things I have gathered up in one post.

The main shops I went in were Topshop, and Miss Selfridge as I feel those clothes are to my taste the most, however there are a few other pieces in here from different shops.

1. Plated Holdall (Topshop)

I got this bag at the end of January because I needed a new bag for school, and this happened to appeal to me the most. What I like a lot is the simplicity and elegance of this bag, and although it looks dirty at the moment because it's used daily and is a light colour, when cleaned and polished the bag looks quite expensive in my opinion. As you can see, it's a light cream/beige which is a really sophisticated colour, with gold hardware and a gold rectangular plate between the straps, and I like this because it makes the bag more exciting and less dull.

2. Satin Scarf (H&M), Earrings (Topshop)

Recently I've been obsessing over scarves ever since I bought a stylish one from Topshop, but I've been in need of a new one for a while as my other scarf is blue/red/gold which doesn't go with everything, so I thought I'd get a different colour range of white/beige/gold with a royal pattern on for more a sophisticated look. I was surprised at H&M when I saw their scarf range because I wasn't expecting a lot, however they have a beautiful range of decorative scarves and I could've easily bought most of them. Also, they're all very inexpensive!
These earrings were bought as a replacement for a recent pair that I wore every day, but stupidly broke them when trying to straighten the needle. Anyway, I wasn't too sure on these circular, tribal patterned earrings as they seemed quite dull, however I've grown to like them and for £6.50 they're of a good quality.

3. Jacquard Treggings (Topshop)

 My wardrobe mainly consists of jeans and disco pants when it comes to trousers as I prefer being more adventurous on my top half then bottom, but I finally broke out of that mind frame and bought these checkered treggings, which are the comfiest trousers I've ever worn. These trousers are best worn with plain and simple clothes otherwise the outfit would clash, but there are loads of different ways these can be styled-even with the limit of a simple top half.

4. Nike Air Force 1's (Footlocker), Converse (Soletrader)

I had my eye on these Air Force 1's for quite a while as I'd seen quite a few people wearing them, but I was never too sure if I could style them without looking chavvy, however last month I got them and I've never been happier with a pair of shoes. I know they don't look amazing or special, but I really like the all white look, and they go with everything which is a bonus.
These converse were bought for school as they're one of the shoes we surprisingly are allowed to wear, but I had to get them in a black leather as we aren't allowed canvas shoes. Anyway, I don't really plan on wearing these for anything but school because they're quite boring and wouldn't make an outfit that amazing.

5. Cream Lace Shirt (Miss Selfridge), Floral Bralet (Topshop)

I'm not usually a blouse sort of person, I feel as though they drown me out a bit because they aren't fitted, however this one from Miss Selfridge surprisingly looks ok. I took it into the changing room because it looked really cute, and elegant but wasn't expecting to like it, yet I do. The bodess is a standard sheer blouse material, whereas the sleeves are made of lace, aswell as the collar, and the cuffs are the blouse material again which gives a nice finish on the sleeves, otherwise if it was just lace the shirt would look in-complete in my opinion.
As soon as I saw this bralet in Topshop I fell in love immediately. It's an in-store exclusive so cannot be bought online, but I luckily went to the shop and managed to see it. This isn't everyones cup of tea because it does look quite childish with the brightly coloured flowers, but I think it would look so cute in Spring/Summer, and even in the colder seasons you could add layers onto the top to keep you warm!

5. Hotel Chocolat Goodies

Whenever I go shopping I have to go into Hotel Chocolat and buy 3 packets of chocolates, I cannot not buy something from there whenever a shop is nearby! Anyway, I opted for the flavours: Strawberry Cheesecakes, Pistachio Praline Crunches, and Salted Soft Caramels. I haven't tried the first 2, however I am in love with the 3rd flavour which is my favourite combination ever. You wouldn't think salt would work in chocolate and caramel, but I'm telling you it does wonderful things...