Party Season.

The season is in full swing (as marked by the arrival of the 'Mid-Season Sales'). And we all know what the winter season promises... parties, and lots of them. For any style savvy having the perfect outfit to attend all events is a must. I have recently become obsessed with backless dresses, and this black maxi from ASOS which I wore with a gold body chain, was perfect for my flat warming party.You can find the dress here x.

Money Supermarket Passion for Fashion Blogger Competition

Last week I was contacted by Money Supermarket with regards to their current ‘Passion for Fashion’ Blogger Competition. I had to come up with an entire outfit for under £200 for these five given categories: First Date, Party, Office Wear, Casual and Outdoor. I took inspiration from the A/W 12 catwalks and tried to create similar high-end looks with high-street pieces. 

First Date:

Inspiration: Jil Sander, Dior

Trends: Peplum, Embellishment

Miss Selfridge Peplum BlouseDress £39

Zara  Statement Necklace £29.99

New look Nude Peep Toe Heels£24.99

New Look Embellished BalletPumps £17.99

Accessorize Embellished Clutch£16

ASOS Classic Mac £55

Total: £182.97

Party:

Inspiration: Dolce & Gabana, Valentino 

Trends: Black & Gold Baroque, Lace

Topshop, Motel lace dress £58

Daisystreet.co.uk Jessie  Gold Glitter Heel  £34.99

Miss Selfridge Gold Aztec Collar£14

Miss Selfridge Gold Aztec Cuff£14

NEXT Gold Box Glutch £26

Topshop ‘Mishcief’ Lip stick £8

Total: £154.99

Office Wear:

Inspiration: Prada 

Trend: Printed Trouser Suit, Eastern Opulence 

ASOS Premium geo PrintBlazer  £65

ASOS Premium geo Print Trouser£40

ZARA White Shirt £29.99

Dorothy Perkins Black Court Shoe£35

New Look Black Quilted Tote£24.99

Total: £194.98

Casual:

Inspiration: Chanel,Burberry Prorsum, Chloe

Trend: Bomber Jackets, Graphics

River Island Jaquard BomberJacket £65

Mango distressed jeans £34.99

ASOS Eye test T-Shirt  £14

New Look Wedge Hi-Top £64.99

Topshop Cable Dip Dye Beanie Hat£14

Total: £192.98

Outdoor:

Inspiration: Burberry Prorsum, Ralph Lauren

Trend: Equestrian, Downtown Abbey, Printed Knits

ASOSWool and Tweed Mix Parka Jacket, £80

RiverIsland Suede Wedge Boots £40

ZaraBeaded Sweater £25.99

Forever21 Grey Knit Tights, £5.65

Forever21 Stripe Skirt  £22.75

RiverIsland (MENS) Rucksack from £32 down to £25

Total:£199.39 

Check out the competition details at moneysupermarket.com/passion-for-fashion. x.

Bit of It All.

Bit of a mixed bag today. Here are the results of my detox diet, some more wedding photos as requested, and my pick of new IT-things this week.

First up, my detox diet has been going well. I have lost the extra few pounds I had acquired whilst in Ireland and feel much healthier generally. The first day of fasting was tough and I have to admit I did cheat a little in the evening by having a smoothie and some soup (still healthy and low calorie). By the second day I wasn't experiencing the same hunger but I did have bad headaches, so it is important to keep your intake of water up. Today is the third day and I get to add in protein to my diet (!) I have chosen low calorie options, such as my favourite chicken-style Quorn pieces (eggs are also an excellent source of low calorie protein). I intend to keep up this fruit, veg and protein diet up for a little longer, and have also taken up Pilates which I am loving! I'm not the best for sticking with exercise programmes but I really like how easy going and yet effective Pilates seems to be. Its great for those who want that Miley Cyrus-esque flat stomach, she herself being an avid fan.

Secondly, I have provided more photos of my wedding look, so I hope these provide all of you with a wedding or formal event to attend with some inspiration! The details include; nude heels, a black fascinator from House of Fraser, a pink and white patterned clutch from New Look (Rochelle Wiseman from the Saturdays was seen out with this clutch recently), a pink rose ring and pink nails. I wore my hair in a side bun at the nape of the neck using one of the 'hair doughnuts', some clips and a lot of hairspray!

And my new IT-things? Victoria's Secret's first UK store in  Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford. I went in yesterday, and it is quite simply amazing. These people certainly know how to market a brand + their products are of amazing quality. I for one, am certainly glad to have this great brand finally in the UK.

One last thing, on my radar this week are Wedge Hi-Tops. These have been growing in popularity over the summer and now I seem to be spotting them everywhere. They are great for adding that hidden bit of height whilst being casual enough for everyday wear. And after Millie Mackintosh was spotted wearing a pair at last nights launch of boyfriend Professor Green's clothing line for Puma, I'm sold. Check out this cute embellished pair from New Look for £64.99! x.

Upcoming Posts: How to: Customise, House of Fraser Blogger Style Challenge & Kate Beckinsale + Jessica Alba's 'Total Recall' Red Carpet Round Up.

Departure Lounge Style

When it comes to airport/travel dressing there seems to be two camps. The 'see every public place as yet another personal runway' types and the 'effortlessly casual and comfy' looks. But don't be fooled, just as much time has gone into planning the seemingly thrown-together casual look as the polished flight-upgrade-ready styles. So are you the Victoria Beckham type, or more of an Elle Macpherson? Here are my two looks from my trip to Ireland, in which I tried out both. Even though I loved the comfort of the second look I have to admit, had it not been a late night flight I'm not so sure I would have felt as comfortable being so dressed down. I guess I know which kind of airport dresser I am... x.

Upcoming Features: How to: Customise, More Wedding Photos + Detox Diet Results (as requested) & House of Fraser Blogger Style Challenge.

Dresses, Dunn & Detox Diets

So this past week I'm afraid I have gone a bit quiet on you. I was attending a wedding in Ireland and what with bad Internet connections I was unable to get around to writing any new posts. But idle I have not been. Travelling gave me the opportunity to work on a feature about airport style which will be coming shortly and I have been turning my hand to some customisation, which I will also share with you. Aside from this was my final decision on what to wear to the wedding, watching the Olympic Closing Ceremony from a hotel room and enjoying the tribute to British fashion, of which British models Kate Moss, David Gandy and Jourdan Dunn amongst others wowed in golden creations. And my detox diet? Well that refers to the health boost (not to mention carb-cutting) that my diet desperately needs after a week of wedding events and food-driven socialising. I plan to do one day of fasting as promoted recently in a BBC Horizon: Eat, Fast & Live Longer programme, in which I will drink only water and flavoured tea. Day 2 of my cleanse: I will add in fruit and veg in liquid form to my water and tea diet. After this I aim to do a week of all the previous plus low-carb proteins such as eggs and quorn. I'll let you know how this goes and what I plan to do after to get my body back in shape! Stay tuned for upcoming posts on airport style and cheap-and-cheerfull customisation ideas. 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.

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.

To The Max!

Maxi Dresses. Such a firm fashion favourite of summer. Be it for a dinner date, drinks out, or for a relaxed BBQ, maxi dresses meet all of our needs for summer dressing. Colour, comfort and effortless style, I am just IN LOVE with maxi dresses at the moment. Not only this but I am convinced that the men in our lives love them too. There is something classily-sexy about covering up yet with only a thin layer of fabric between them and you...as we girls are so often told, it is the sense of mystery, of not seeing everything at once, that can be the most alluring thing. This gorgeous maxi dress above is £32 from Topshop in stores now. I just love the low back and nonchalant-throw-on look of this dress, its all very MIC’s Kimberly and one of my firm summer favourites. x.

27 Dresses.

Ok, maybe not quite 27... and I’m not a bridesmaid, but I am having serious trouble deciding what to wear for a wedding this summer. Summer Weddings are one of the major fashion events of the season, a great opportunity for a new outfit but also a bit of a headache. Not only do you have to find a complete outfit (including shoes, bag, jacket or shawl etc) but it has to conform to style etiquette – THINK white-dress-ban and priest-appropriate-neckline. The photos too...oh the photos! The type which will go into album after album and pulled out routinely for reminiscent moments! A fashion fail then? Entirely unacceptable. So here are my four options to help provide inspiration for anyone else facing a similar wedding-guest-outfit dilemma. At the moment the only two certain parts of my outfit, are a black fascinator and nude heels...probably not quite enough clothing to preserve my modesty. Take a look and feel free to vote for your favourite! x.

Essex Girl (Guide)

Cue Series 6 of The Only Way Is Essex (major guilty pleasure) which returned to our screens last night! And being an essex girl myself, I thought I’d pay homage to my home county by sharing my favourite looks from last nights episode. For anyone who missed it, there was drama aplenty and the clothes certainly didn’t disappoint either. My favourite? TOWIE style icon Lydia, who has an edgier style than the classic ‘Essex look’ but always keeps her outfits slick and pulled together. I loved her print shirt and pencil skirt pairing from Miss Selfridge! Get the look at http://www.missselfridge.com/romanyskirt x.

Its All-White to Accessorise!

Thought I'd share my latest outfit with you, this I wore last night for drinks out with friends. I went for an all-white outfit (something you can only get away with in summer) and accessorised with print to break it up. The lack of colour and print in my clothes meant I could mix prints and colours in the accessories. In the end I went for a leopard print bag from River Island, pink zig-zag wedges from New Look (featured earlier on this blog), this beautiful green gemstone frog ring from Topshop and a blue statement necklace from H&M. TIP: dressing in one colour head-to-toe makes you look taller! Great for shorter girls like me. Hope you like it! x.