What I Wore to London Fashion Week

There's something about Fashion Week that is utterly fascinating. Seeing the street style, the trends on the catwalks and the glamorous front row occupants, I'm hooked on reading the round-ups and  pinning my favourite looks to get inspiration for the months to come. I've attended a Fashion Scout show and London Fashion Weekend before, but this season is the first time I've attended full-blown designer shows, and I was SO excited. But oh! What to wear!

[Explore] Columbia Road Flower Market

Columbia Road Flower Market is a place I have been meaning to visit ever since I moved to London three years ago. The thing is, I've never lived in East London (although that's about to change), and the thought of getting up at a decent time to make the 50 minute trip was just never that appealing. But now I've done it, I insist you ALL GO. I am soon moving into a flat with a balcony, and the fact completely thrills me. The last two years I've lived in an awesome flat, but we have no garden, no balcony and some shoddy windowsills that aren't quite robust enough to hold a decent pot plant. So clearly, I have grand ideas for my new lodgings (sssssh, don't tell my boyfriend!) which so far have manifested themselves into a Pinterest board and not much else.

However, now I've wandered down the bustling crowds at Columbia Road, I want all the flowers, all the herbs and all the plants I can muster. Alan Titchmarsh I am not, but this tending to horticulture is a good step in the direction for being prepared for middle aged. I'm not quite there yet, but at least I'll know my peonies from my poppies by the time that all kicks in. I bought myself a succulent (see second photo above) which seem to be all the range at the moment. I've been eyeing up terraniums in West Elm but have been scared to buy the actual plants in case I kill them instantly. The man on the stall said it's pretty hard to do as they can be kept inside and don't need much water, so if it lasts then that's £4 well spent!

Columbia Road Flower Market is on every Sunday from 8am until 3pm. Make sure you take cash as well, as none of the traders and very few of the surrounding shops will accept debit or credit cards. Let me know if you go soon, we can swap green fingered tips!

WIWT: Peter Pilotto for Target

Yes, I caved and was one of the frantic fashion obsessives that crashed Net-a-Porter the day this collection came out. Out of the five things I had on my wish list, this top was the one thing I managed to nab. But isn't it pretty? 

The quality is what you would expect for a collection made for a high street store (Target is the US version of Primark from what I can gather), but the pattern is perfect. Is it floral? I'm not sure, but the darker colour palette and long sleeves mean I can wear it even before Spring officially hits. I wore this to work with my new super skinny trousers from Zara that I picked up while I was in Sydney (but are available from the UK here), and comfy-but-battered Converse. I've worn it tucked into a high waisted pencil skirt before as well which is great for something a bit more formal.

Did you manage to get anything from the collection?

Purse Palpitations Week #13

It's been months since I've written one of these. Every week I have a mental shopping list of what I'm obsessed with, I just need to make sure I actually get it down on this here blog! Let me know what's your favourite item on this week's list on the comments below or by tweeting me at @charlienin.

Isn't this dress just adorable? It's 60s cut, cobalt colouring and preppy collar are all perfect.
Boutique by Jaegar - £80

My search for the perfect white shirt continues! It seems never ending. This has all the potential of having the right fit for androgynous tailoring without actually making me look like a man...
Filippa K at Stylight - £80

After breaking in my white A-line skirt a few weeks ago, I've decided I love this shape. This V front cut gives it a new take that I love.
New Look - £17.99

There's something about tweed and leather that work so perfectly together. A wrap skirt always looks so feminine but this has a punk edge to it. It demands big stompy boots for Autumn.
Rag & Bone at The Outnet - £69.70

This print is incredible. Goodbye ditsy florals! This looks like a photograph negative with splashes of neon. Tough and chic all in one.
Warehouse - £48

Florals and Breton Stripes

This is it. I've found the perfect summer jacket. It's light and floral and just so pretty! I've been throwing it over every outfit recently, even those I have to wear an actual coat as well at the moment.

Jacket: Zara (can't find the link, but it's recent!)
Dress: Uniqlo
(Extremely dirty) High tops: Primark

I can't quite put my finger on why it goes so well with this breton stripe t-shirt dress, maybe it's the blue in both. Regardless, I am a happy camper in this pairing. This whole outfit is so comfortable. I wore it to wander around Reading at the weekend while visiting for a friend's birthday. I've never been there before and I couldn't believe how quiet it was! I'm obviously now used to London always being stupidly busy.

Bright patterns, bright jewellery, bright lipstick and nails. Little additions to keep this casual outfit fun which I love. I'm so guilty of finding the right accessory at the bottom of a box of randoms proving that it's always worth having a rummage to find the perfect final touch.

Purse Palpitations: Week 3

Verging on sheer obsession with all of these things this week.

The colour, the pleats, the buttons. Oh god! And only £16 from Matalan!

I am mega stud, hear me roar! £15 from ASOS.

I need this for Bestival with some denim cut offs. Need. £24 from Olive.

I think I can finally embrace the floral trousers trend with these. It's taken a while. £48 from Motel.

Shopping: Laura Ashley for Uniqlo Shopping Event

Forget Topshop and Mary Katrantzou or H&M and David Beckham, my favourite high street collaboration at the moment is Uniqlo and Laura Ashley. I was mega excited when I heard about it 1) because I love floral and Laura Ashley do it better than anyone else and 2) because Uniqlo is affordable and reliable. Tick and tick!

Along with goodness knows how many others I queued outside Uniqlo's flagship store on Oxford Street with my print out invite from Stylist Magazine to shop the new collection with a fab 20% off. Even though I'd already indulged in one of the t-shirts already I couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy more at a cheaper price!


The event had a vintage theme to it and was adorable in its set-up. Free cocktails were being circulated in unique vintage cups and saucers, served by girls in 1950s housewife get-up. So quaint and cute!

And keeping with the theme, TV chef and vintage darling Gizzi Erskine was DJing songs from back in the day to keep the atmosphere afloat. 

But back to the clothes! The collection is a selection of t-shirts, tunics and scarves all in a variety of Laura Ashley floral patterns. So many beautiful patterns it was hard to keep myself to a limit!

I actually ended up buying a tunic dress that is the same pattern to the tshirt I already bought the other week but in a different colour palette because my style isn't really delicate enough to pass off the ditsy, teensy flowers on some of the tops. And because it was 20% throughout the store for the night I also bought a bright blue polo shirt (which I can't seem to find a picture of online) which I envisage wearing done all the way up and tucked into a pleated skirt. But we'll see how that pans out once I try it on altogether! Here's what I bought from the Laura Ashley range anyway (pics from the Uniqlo website):

Let me know if you've bought anything from the range, I'd like to know what everyone else is pairing their florals with!