What to wear – Christmas party

Posted in Fashion.

So, my work Christmas party is on the 18th December. Not far away. Yikes. Work Christmas parties usually mean forced conversation, excess alcohol to cover the awkward atmosphere and a plethora of black lycra trousers. Even the most stylish filly can quake in her Chanel two tone pumps at the thought. And there’s always one question everyone’s asking in the run up…

“What the hell shall I wear?!”

Thrifted sequin waistcoat

Dune satin and snakeskin peeptoes

These perfectly pretty pieces form the base of my Christmas party outfit. I picked up the sequin waistcoat on eBay for an absolute steal and the Dune platform peeptoes were my wedding shoes for my Mum’s wedding in September. They’re killers to walk in, but I’ve perfected the art of looking fabulous barefoot! Now I’ve got the foundations, I need to build them into an outfit that multitasks. It needs to be respectable enough to wear in front of colleagues (including bosses!), it must have a least a little sparkle (it’s Christmas after all) and it HAS to be comfortable (the shoes are painful enough, thanks very much). Take a look at my choices…

Pearl shouldered tunic, £35, Topshop

Look number one. I love the relaxed jersey fabric of this fab tunic. The pearly shoulders take it from everyday to elegant and the nude colour is so flattering. I’d wear this with thick black opaques, a black vest (my modesty is very important) and my Dune platforms. I’d leave the sequin waistcoat out of this one to show off those shoulders. I’d go totally rock chick with my makeup and accessories – Kohl eyes, nude lips, mussed up hair and my giant studded clutch.

Fringed tunic, £55, Topshop

Look number two. I love the 40s vibe going on here! It’s got everything you’d expect from the decade – fringing, a straight up and down shape and those little added details around the neckline. I’d wear this with thick black opaques, a stack of gold bangles and my Dune platforms. Then I’d add a simple nude lace headband straight across my forehead and a flick of black liner on my eyes.

Leopard print tunic, £28, Topshop

Look number three. I’m obsessed with leopard print, so this one just had to be included. I like this because I can wear it for daytime when the party season’s over. For this look, I’d throw the sequin waistcoat over the top, team it with black skinny jeans and those Dune platforms. I’d accessorise with my long, gold hoop necklace, my black cocktail ring and a cute brown leather clutch I have hiding in my wardrobe.

Black layered dress, £35, ASOS

Look number four. Aha, a classic! A good LBD is a wardrobe must-have and makes dressing for special occassions so easy. I love the extra layers on ASOS’s version. Because of the simplicity of this dress, I’d team it with the sequin waistcoat, the Dune platforms and my black cocktail ring. Done and done!

Which look is your favourite? I’m going shopping for the outfit on Saturday, so I’ll let you know what I decide then!

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Very berry

Posted in Daily Outfits.

H&M dress, Primark jumper, thrifted belt, ASOS scarf, M&S tights, Knickerbox knee high socks, Primark pumps, Primark ring

When it’s cold outside, layering is the key! This is the first proper outing for my new ASOS scarf and I wanted it to be the main focus of my outfit, so I picked colours that complemented it and kept the rest simple. This outfit kept me so warm on the coldest day of the year so far – you can’t quite see in the picture, but I’m wearing knee high socks over woolly tights! So toasty!

Today I bought my first Christmas present – ah! Have I left it too late to get everything? I don’t have lots of gifts to buy but I love putting real thought into them and making them extra special. I’m a bit of an eavesdropper (that sounds terrible!) and when people are talking about things they want, I pay attention! OK, it’s a little sneaky. But they always love their presents!

Have you bought a gift that you know they’ll just adore? Or have you received something that was just so you you couldn’t have picked better yourself?


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One shirt, four ways

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

one.
Primark shirt, Zara dress, Primark long sleeved tee, H&M tights, Primark brogues, vintage belt, thrifted ring

two.Primark shirt, ASOS dress, Primark tights, Primark pumps, thrifted bangles, mynamenecklace.com necklace

three.
Primark shirt, American Apparel top, Gap jeans, thrifted shoe boots, Helpless Romantic brooch, mynamenecklace.com necklace

four.
Primark shirt, Topshop leggings, thrifted belt, Primark boots, ASOS scarf, thrifted bangles

Yesterday I picked up this amazing denim shirt. I’ve been looking for one for an age, but it had to be just right. I wanted it oversized, with pearly buttons and fading. It had to be soft, roomy and the sleeves had to be rolled. Like I said, just right. Well, where else would I find it, but Primark? It was meant to be!

The first look was what I wore today. I picked up the plaited belt in that amazing vintage shop I told you about on Friday. It’s one of those ‘wear with anything’ belts you can stick on to give shape, which is exactly what I did here. The ditsy dress you’ve seen many times before – it’s one of my wardrobe winners.

The next look is something I’d wear for a casual dinner, or to go bowling! This ASOS dress has that perfect 50s silhouette – I can imagine wearing it while eating a cheese burger and drinking a cherry shake at the Bowl ‘n Fun.

I wore heels for look number three to elongate my figure and make my legs look longer in those skinny jeans! This is a great outfit for the obligatory ‘fat day’ – it skims over the stomach and hips without looking saggy. Shame the brooch didn’t photograph well, as it’s so cute!

My final look is probably my favourite. The shirt isn’t quite long enough to be a dress, but with leggings I just about get away with it! This beautiful chain print scarf is my second favourite new thing (after the shirt!) and I think it’ll take any outfit from simple to stylish. The boots and belt tie everything together.

Denim is one of my favourite fabrics as it’s so easy to throw on with anything. I’m so glad I bought this shirt – looks like it’ll become a firm favourite. Which look is your favourite?

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Weather proof

Posted in Daily Outfits.

Topshop tunic, Gap Jeans, Primark long sleeved tee, Primark boots, vintage belt

It feels like it’s been raining for 3 months. It hasn’t, it’s been about 2 weeks. But still, come on! It’s so hard to wear my favourite dresses when it’s pouring down outside.

This weekend has been so much fun – I had friends come to stay with me, so yesterday we travelled up into the countryside to a gorgeous pub with a roaring fire and delicious food. It’s just the perfect way to spend a cold, wet afternoon. And today, we took a trip into the city and I bought my Christmas decorations! Eeeek! I’m so excited! It’s our first Christmas in the flat and I can’t wait to get it looking festive.

How did you spend your weekend?

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That Friday feeling

Posted in Daily Outfits.

Primark skirt, H&M tee, H&M tights, ASOS boots, thrifted hat

I must say, I love this skirt. You can’t really see in the photo, but the print is tiny white hearts. So sweet! I’ve never been a fan of a peplum, mainly because I really don’t need any extra layers on my bum, but this understated little fellow really works.

Happy Friday – hooray! I love Fridays, as everything slows down in preparation for the weekend. I had a hectic day at work but managed to get out at lunch and visit a fab vintage shop near my office called Cow. It is literally the most amazing vintage shop I’ve ever come across. There are walls and walls of gorgeous leather boots (unfortunately for my size 8 feet, all in small sizes), racks of beautiful dresses, shelves of bags and lots more. And the prices are really reasonable! I picked up a plaited leather belt for £5 which I thought was pretty good. All the boots were priced around £10-15 and I think that is great for a specialist vintage shop. You often find people will pay over the odds for vintage stuff, so it’s nice to see some reasonable prices.

We have friends coming to stay tomorrow, so my weekend will involve wine, chatter and shopping. But what I’m most excited about, is getting my hair cut tomorrow morning. Thank GOODNESS! I’ve been wearing hats, headbands and hairclips for the past week to disguise the positively mullet-like shape it’s grown into. Have you noticed? 😉

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