Dakota Fanning gives a style masterclass in easy University Dressing

Follow in Dakota Fanning's leather-clad footsteps with this casual look, perfect for attending lectures at university. Simply add a sweatshirt dress like this one from ASOS, some gorgeous leather boots like these from River Island and some tights if it's chilly. Enjoy your lecture in style! x.

Fashion Trends done on the High Street: Purple

As one of the season's hottest colours, purple is a great way to introduce a bold tone into an otherwise monochromatic palette of autumn/winter clothes. For the fashion brave, colour-block purple. For a more subtle nod to the trend, introduce purple in smaller amounts with accessories. Here are my top five high street picks to tackle this trend.x.

H&M £14.99

Lipsy £48

Miss Selfridge £40

ASOS £75

River Island £60

New Purchases.

It has been a very busy week with my return to the University of Edinburgh for Freshers' Week. I have of course, managed to fit in some time for a spot of shopping though. The high street is finally filling its stores with A/W collections, rather than the sometimes-awkward transitional pieces. Here are some finds I picked up. x.

Daisy Street Blogger Competition

This week I was lucky enough to be contacted by Punk PR on behalf of the online womenswear retailer: Daisy Street. They are holding a competition where 10 bloggers put together their ‘MUST HAVE’ looks for A/W 12 from the pieces on their website www.daisystreet.co.uk. I’ll be honest and say that I had not actually heard of the brand before but was genuinely impressed with their pieces. 

I created my look around the amazing Elene Metallic Peplum Jacket and imagined I was creating a look for a night out for drinks in a city bar. Peplums are a huge trend for next season and can be seen all over the catwalks and high street; not only is it fashion-forward, it’s actually a really figure-flattering shape! Another huge trend is embellishment and these stud collared shirts can be seen everywhere at the moment (TIP: wear the collar over the top of the jacket to highlight it). I also went for studs on the ankle boots. Seeing as I kept the base colours of my outfit monochrome, I used the yellow clutch bag and earrings to throw a splash of colour into this look, plus silver and yellow work surprisingly well together! To finish off the look I added in a bit of print with these amazing nail wraps, which are a fun and easy way to decorate your nails. 

So thats my outfit. I really hope you like it, and if you do please head over to the Daisy Street Facebook Page to vote for my entry by clicking ‘LIKE’ on my look (Please Vote for my Entry Here). The top three looks, as voted for by you, are entitled to receive a complimentary item from their look, with the overall winner recieveing their entire look! Needless to say I would absolutely love to win this prize, especially as I had so much fun putting this together and discovering this brand. PLEASE VOTE FOR ME! x.

Rosie Shares Lingerie Tips

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has just revealed her debut lingerie collection for the 'national treasure' of a British Brand: Marks & Spencers. And being a Victoria's Secret Angel and Agent Provocateur model, Rosie certainly knows a thing or two about looking good in lingerie. Speaking to the Sunday Times Style magazine Rosie shared her top tips:

'It's important that you are measured by a trained bra fitter every six months. Your size can vary with your diet, not to mention hormonal fluctuations. A good bra can improve your posture and make your outfit look better.'

'French knickers are great for curvy figures, shorts are best if you're boyish; a Brazilian means there's no VPL and a thong is the sexy option.'

'I don't just wear lingerie under my clothers - a camisole is the perfect layering piece and the all-in-one body would look fabulous with jeans.'

The collection hits M&S stores on the 30th August 2012, meanwhile watch the promotional video below and sign up for updates on the collection at www.marksandspencer.com/Rosie x.

Toughen Up with Leather

For A/W12 I have been looking for a great leather jacket to toughen up my daytime look. Think Biker Chic. Think Supple Leather. Think Everyday Wearable. And you get this Jacket. I have honestly been hunting for so long for a black leather jacket that; fits me well, has enough detailing without being trend-specific and can take me from day to night. Just imagine my delight when I came across this amazing jacket. So amazing that I dedicated a whole photoshoot to it... it even inspired me to stray away from my usual feminine aesthetic. (If you can’t tell by now, I am IN LOVE). Hope you enjoy! x.

Lipsy Latest

Lipsy's new collection of V.I.P. dresses hit stores this week, modelled by Made in Chelsea's Millie Mackintosh. Here are my favourite four dresses (+ two uh-mazing glam shots!)...now all I need is an event to wear one to! Check out the new collection at http://www.lipsy.co.uk/ x.

How to Wear: Print

The Printed Top
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The Printed Skirt

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After my recent post about the best high street print picks (click here to see article) I
took my own advice, went out and bought some great pieces. Here I am
going to provide some ideas on how to style up these printed lovelies so that
you stay on the chic side of this print clashing (otherwise oh-so-tricky
trend).



Not quite brave enough for the 'look at me'
attention grabbing potential of printed trousers, I decided to tackle the printed skirt and top first. I have styled these looks for the next season,
trying to bear in mind the inevitable temperature drop soon to come. And just
to show the versatility of print, I have done two looks for each: one daywear
and one for nights out (hint: the sunglasses indicate daywear and the increase
of flesh on show...you got it, night-time looks). Hope these provide
inspiration! x.

Get Inspired.

If you are stuck for a bit of style inspiration, fashion blogs, magazines and clothing websites are of course a great place to seek inspiration. And in recent years, apps have taken over the fashion world as more and more companies are providing style inspiration for those on the go. My big tip though, would be to check out high street lookbooks (available online or as apps to download). Pretty much all popular brands these days do their own interpretations of catwalk trends, using lookbooks to showcase their new collections. Often these looks are far more wearable for day-to-day dressing. I would especially recommend  Topshop for those looking for edgy, avant-garde style, Zara  for classically chic looks and River Island for heavily trend-based ideas. Check them out by clicking on the links below. x.

Topshop A/W12 Lookbook
Zara A/W12 Lookbook
River Island A/W12 Lookbook

A/W 12 Trends on the High Street: Print

The Printed Trouser

From left; Topshop £35, Zara £39.99, River Island £30

The Printed Skirt

From left; Miss Selfridge £39, ASOS £18, Ted Baker £109

The Printed Top

From left; River Island £18, Zara £17.99, Miss Selfridge £35

With the A/W12 trends such as Baroque, Eastern Opulence and Geometric Florals, this coming season is a great opportunity to fill your wardrobe with PRINT, which if your wardrobe is anything like mine, is something that is severely lacking. With this (and the pursestrings) in mind I have put together a collection of some of the very best printed pieces that the High Street has to offer. And trust me, it was hard to whittle this down...there’s some great pieces heading out now ladies, get shopping! x. 

Buy Now, Wear Next Season: SALE PICKS

ASOS Midi Coat with Faux Fur Collar, was £140 now £54

Julian J Smith Print Envelope Clutch Bag from River Island, was £30 now £8

ASOS Ravel Hope Leather Boot, was £75 now £50

Floral Bardot top, was £18 now £10

Lipsy VIP Scallop Beaded Dress, was £120 now £95

 x.

SALE.SALE.SALE.

With the fashion world looking to introduce Autumn/Winter 2012 style to stores, now is the perfect time to snap up bargains for summer dressing, plus get your hands on those key transitional pieces that will carry you into the next season. Online retailers such as ASOS are offering amazing savings of up to 70% off items right now, although you have to be quick to snap up items in your size. Best way to negotiate the sale period? Build up a wishlist of items as soon as they hit the stores and bide your time...sale time will come, and by signing up to e-newsletters you can be the first to know when. Tips to carry into A/W 12! x.