African Prints and Brown Boots

I've never really been one to buy sale items a whole season ahead. I cannot get my brain to think summer when it's bloody freezing outside, but as it's actually pretty mild out at the moment it's been slightly more feasible. Ages ago I was snooping around the Topshop sale to find a bargain outfit to wear to Ascot and found this African print dress.

Tatty Devine T-Rex Necklace

Introducing my new pet: Bolan, the T-Rex.

Oh I do adore a statement necklace! My collection of them is really starting to get out of control, covering everything from skulls, crescent moons, chains and beetles, there's always something to make a plain boring top or dress so much more exciting. But none as much as this.

The Pink Duster Coat

I'm wearing:
Pink duster coat - Missguided
Black tshirt - Speedway*
Jeans - J Brand
Necklace - To:wn Design
Skater shoes - Asos

It is still so cold outside, but I spotted snowdrops the other day so I'm insisting that it's Spring. My big warm coats are great, but I'm really looking forward to wearing thinner layers that battle the evil air con in my office but aren't too heavy as the days get warmer.

[Fashion] Quilted Jumper, Delicate Jewellery

I'm wearing:
Coat: Warehouse (old - similar from River Island here)
Hoody: H&M
Jumper: Primark
Necklace: Susan Caplan x ASOS*
Handbag: Mulberry (bag not available but purse version here)
Jeans: J Brand (from TK Maxx)
Boots: Miu Miu (old - similar here)

One thing to keep in mind if you're planning to go to Frankfurt in Winter: it's bloody cold. At the very last minute I packed an extra hoody in case it was chilly in the hotel, but I ended up wearing it over every jumper I wore during our quick two day trip. To brave the outside I wore a t-shirt, jumper, hoody, coat, leggings, jeans, two pairs of socks, a huge scarf, gloves and boots. Most of the time this was all zipped up with just the top of my face peeking out, and these photos were taken very quickly 54 storeys up the Main Tower, so it was pretty nippy!

I love me some quilted tops. My favourite t-shirt is a quilted grey number from ASOS about two years ago, but I still get compliments on it even though I wear it probably once a week. This pale blue jumper gets a big tick for its texture, but also because of the colour. I'm loving the trend of pastel coats right now, but have yet to find one that suits me, so this bargain from Primark does the job for now. Chucked over my favourite jeans and boots, I was super cosy, and although it's a lot of blue, the fact that its varying shades doesn't make me look too much like a smurf.

My gorgeous necklace is from the Susan Caplan for ASOS* range. It comes in a set with matching clip-on earrings which I completely adore. I'm one for big statement necklaces, however this is small and delicate yet goes beyond a standard chain by having the clasping hands in the middle. This is definitely a new favourite to my collection.

Can we also take a quick moment to look at my handbag? I got this beauty at the recent Mulberry sample sale at the Music Rooms, and although still pretty punchy in price, I couldn't resist and I don't regret a thing. It is a style I wasn't familiar with previously called the Kensal and it is the perfect small bag with so much storage and a long strap which helps with my dodgy back. I'm so in love!

Keep an eye open for my post on my trip to the Frankfurt Christmas Markets coming up soon!

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The 'Wrecking Ball' Necklace

I'm rather a fan of a statement necklace. You may have seen my amazing haul from the Tatty Devine sample sale over the summer which backs up that statement perfectly too! I think they perk up an outfit so perfectly, and people always comment when I wear something a bit out of the ordinary. However, I've never had such a sheer number of comments as when I wore this amazing necklace from Town Design.

Known as the 'Wrecking Ball' necklace, this long gold chain has a large faux pearl on the end being straddled by a naked lady based on a well-known controversial singer. I'm no Miley Cyrus fan, but I do love something with a good pop culture reference, especially when it's so beautifully designed.

My favourite thing about the necklace is its subtlety. You'd never know, unless you look really closely, that it's such a funny object. With its pearl focus, I've been wearing it with more formal outfits to work and it feels a bit naughty to be in a meeting at work with a cropped blazer and smart blouse, with naked Miley dangling from your neck!

Town Design have a small selection of designs in their 'The World is Your Oyster' collection, including Atlas holding a pearl on his shoulders, and a gorgeous little globe. You can find them on Etsy and they ship worldwide from New York. Go and show them some love!

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What I Bought at the Tatty Devine Sample Sale

Tatty Devine is a store that, for me, epitomises British style and design. It's eccentricity is equal to it's beauty, and with every item being handmade in London you know you're supporting local businesses in the name of rocking some awesome jewellery. I have a few pieces from them already and they are the stand out pieces in my accessories collection. So when the chance of a sample sale came up, I was extremely excited to get some bargains. I completely underestimated how popular the sale would be; when I turned up at 12.30pm the queue was already around the corner from the Brick Lane store. Luckily I had taken my Kindle with me, and the lovely fans of Tatty Devine made for some wonderful queue buddies, supplying me with water and a famous Brick Lane Beigel!

When the time came for me to go in (it was a one in/one out situation), I headed straight to the back where I'd been tipped off by the staff that some of the amazing eyelash sunglasses were still sat. My hands were actually shaking when I grabbed a pair, I've wanted them forever and couldn't believe I was getting them for a quarter of the price!

I may have gone slightly overboard with what I got, the bargains were just too much to ignore. I managed to nab the beautiful La Luna necklace which I've had my eye on for a while, plus a necklace from the planetary collection and an enormous leaf necklace which is mental but let's face it, necessary.

Yes, I queued for near on three hours, but there were still so many bargains to be found and the staff were all so friendly and helpful. I'll definitely be heading down again next year, but this time I'll be there at 9am with the intention of being one of the first to dig around.

Did you manage to get to the sample sale? Let me know what you managed to get if you went down!

Life: April 2014

My first full month back in the country after Australia and Hong Kong was a test of my patience. I missed being away and I resented being back to reality. But that soon cleared up when I got to hang out with some of my favourite people, eat delicious things and reacquaint myself with the fabulous streets of London.

Parting gifts from my wonderful friend before she went back to Hong Kong
Online/offline in Shoreditch
Very impressed with my boyfriend's homemade turkey meatballs!
My gorgeous nephew is growing up so fast!

That is some mouldy cheese in Muswell Hill!
Previously mentioned Hong Kong friend and I in Dishoom
Someone else in Muswell Hill has the same sense of humour as me
Homemade banana and nutella loaves

#selfie in Shoreditch
My big sister's awesome YSL boots
Some bank holiday bling
My head of department brought me back this Cumberbatch special from his BA flight!

Camo Jacket, Swedish Hasbeens Boots

Brrrrr! It's bloody freezing outside. I have the perfect wardrobe for Spring and Autumn, but I really struggle with the extremes of Summer and Winter. I basically live in jeans, black boots and my favourite thick coat, so I made the conscious decision to change a few of these cold weather staples when I headed out at the weekend.

I've been living in my Warehouse thick tweed coat, but I just wanted to wear something else to keep me warm, so I layered up and brought out my Autumn favourite: my camouflage jacket from Urban Outfitters. It is one of the best bargains I've ever got from eBay, a snip at 99p! Denim and camo always go great together (although I love leather and camo even more), and this shirt is one of my favourites. It's from ASOS quite a few years ago and it doesn't fit as well as it used to as I've *ahem* grown, so I always have to wear a vest top underneath just in case a button decides to pop open! As for the earrings, they were happily permanently borrowed from my Mum's 'I will never wear them but I love them' pile of jewellery. They get a lot more facetime now they're in my collection!

Swedish Hasbeens are well known for their summer footwear, lusted after by anyone with a fashion conscious pulse. I had no idea until I saw these bad boys in a sample sale last year, that they even did boots. The iconic clog style heel is still there, but instead of sandals we have beautiful cream leather with red laces. Just about calf height (when not tucked under jeans), they are firm, warm and so so pretty. I've hardly worn them since owning them and I genuinely have no idea why, especially as I look at them everyday and think about how much I love them!

How are you wearing camo?
What are your favourite vintage jewellery finds?
Did you know Swedish Hasbeens do boots?!
I'd love to read your comments.

Cx

Oversized Check, Magenta Courts

As I continued on my quest to add simple but interesting basics to my wardrobe, I found this top on ASOS (and it's now reduced down to £8!) which fit a number of things on my current tick list:

- an interesting shape
- has a pattern
- predominantly black, white or grey

It's actually a swing type fit but it falls to my hips and accentuates them a bit too much for my liking, so I tucked it into my jeans instead. The pattern did intimidate me a bit (it reminds me a bit of the Louis Vuitton Damier check) and I've owned this top for quite a while before actually wearing it, but I think for me, I just need to wear it with something simple to not feel overdressed.

To make it slightly more fun, I wore my adorable Me & Zena robot necklace, which is pretty unassuming until you see it a bit closer up. I think silver goes with this top a lot more than gold, but because of the neckline it either needs to be a short necklace or earrings. Saying that, with the super thin spaghetti straps, this is very much a summer top when it's not being a bit more formal.

I'm also genuinely excited about how well my new magenta courts from Topshop go with my acid wash denim jeans (also from ASOS). Actual match made in Heaven! I bought these shoes in the Christmas sales, reduced down from £35 to just £15, and in fact, now they are down to £10! I love their height and fit so much, I bought them in black too!

What I Wore for... New Year's Eve 2013

I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Eve. Too many people, overpriced drinks, the forced expectation to have the best night ever. Secretly I'd rather stay in with a takeaway and a Gossip Girl box set, but if the whole world is having a drink, I guess I should too!

This blouse from Mango has been on my Pinterest wish list since I first saw it on the WIWT Lust List. Thanks to the amazing Shopstyle app (a post on that to come soon!), I had a sale alert set up for it so when it went down to half price  to £20, I could buy it instantly. 

As it's a very fussy print I chose to keep it really simple and wear it with plain black jeans and chunky heeled black boots. I do love my accessories though so I still tucked a spiked necklace under the collar just to give it a bit of something extra.

I love these silver rings, especially with the amazing colour of this nail varnish I got for Christmas. It's Superpower Blue by Maybelline Color Show and is almost teal in tone. A new favourite I think!

Hope you all had a great New Year's Eve!

Clip-on earrings

Long gone are the days where clip-on earrings are for women in their 70s or those who want the channel their inner Pat Butcher. The only safe way to buy second hand earrings is to get clip-ons, and luckily for my taste in fashion, second hand shops and vintage markets are full of tacky, gaudy jewellery that I just love. 

I've had these earrings for over a year now, a friend bought them for my birthday, and it was only quite recently that I rediscovered them and started wearing them more and more. My favourite thing to wear them with is skinny jeans and a cashmere jumper - a really plain outfit that makes the earrings stand out even more. Now I have shorter hair you can see them more when I wear them, so it's been worth holding back so they get the attention they deserve.

What do you think of clip-on earrings?

Leopard Print Blouse, Scalloped Shorts

This is my favourite outfit I wore on holiday recently. I didn't take many outfit pics while I was away as this holiday was about being completely cut off from pretty much everything and all I wanted to do was sit on the beach, read, and eat - and that's exactly what I did!

Blouse: Zara
Shorts: Monki
Sandals: Rascal @ Secret Sales
Clutch: ASOS
Bracelet: ASOS

I got this light weight chiffon blouse in the Zara sale. I'd been wearing it with jeans, when it wasn't so hot, around the office. Loosely tucking it into shorts made it slightly more formal and kept it cool in the sweltering Spanish heat (yes, even in the evenings!). I've had the scalloped edge shorts for about six months now and never worn them, despite that they're really cute. I'll be wearing these on nights out throughout the summer (if it lasts!)

With a big pattern on the top, my accessories were kept pretty basic. The gold woven sandals are my go-to hot weather shoes for evening way; they were my first purchase from Secret Sales - a great site to get reduced price fashion on high street and luxury brands. I matched the gold with my ASOS filigree bangle and the gold clasp on my oversized clutch. I never take a handbag on holiday, rather I have a backpack for the beach and a couple of clutches for the evenings. 

I love leopard print and gold all through the year. Next I'm going to wear this top with a cotton pencil skirt for summer proof office wear - although I am secretly excited about wearing it with big boots in Autumn!

Gold Bangle, Aztec Nails

I never wear bracelets. I have teeny tiny wrists that just about hold a watch in place so I've always struggled to pass off bangles no matter where they are on the chunky scale. I saw this thin filigree bangle on ASOS and thought it was very cute and tasteful, and a great way to subtly dress up something casual.

 It splits up my floral jacket and aztec nails in such a simple way that I think I'll be adding this to loads of outfits from now on. And speaking of nail art, what do you think of mine? It took me 2 hours to do but I'm really pleased with the outcome! It took a steady hand and a lot of patience, but I think it's turned out great.

How to Wear a White Skirt

I picked up this white A-line months ago at a designer sample sale. It's by Theory, who I'd never heard of before and didn't realise how high the quality was until I asked my mum to take it in for me as it was a bit big and the stitching blew her mind (she managed it like a pro though, obviously!).

Skirt: Theory (sample sale)
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

I've found it so hard to wear this though. I think it's because I'm not used to wearing a lighter colour on the bottom so it makes it look so bright whatever I pair it with. I've tried patterned tees, blouses and bright colours but I'm just not comfortable with it yet. So I stopped being so picky and just went for plain black and hallejuah, a combo was found.

Shirt: ASOS £25
Necklace: Topshop

I got this sleeveless shirt from ASOS and my housemate commented that it is 'very grown up'. I did in fact where this outfit to work for client meetings so I guess with great responsibility comes great fashion, right?! 

Do you struggle to wear white? How do you think I should wear this skirt?

Stripes, Bling and Burgers

Blazer: Vintage
Vest: H&M
Necklace: Craft fair
Trousers: Topshop £35
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

I told you more patterned trousers had come into my life recently! These are a bit less in-your-face than the jungle print ones I wore the other day, as I wanted a few pairs that could be worn with more things. I wore this outfit to client meetings on Friday and then to dinner with a friend, so they were perfect for transitioning from work to casual wear.

These are sold in Topshop as 'joggers', I guess down to the slightly elasticated ankles. I prefer the fit of these actually because of that. Having them a bit more fitted makes them more of a cigarette line, perfect if I want something a bit more formal for work.

I got this leopard head necklace for Christmas a few years ago, and it's another one of my favourite tacky bling pieces that should be disgusting but just isn't!

These photos were taken outside Meat Liquor, the infamous burger restaurant in central London. They don't take reservations so there's normally a queue around the block to get in. After I got out of work early on Friday me and my friend took advantage of an early dinner and were not disappointed!

That's a Dead Hippie burger, Chili Cheese burger, Cheesy chips, Slaw and Onion Rings as big as my face

We drank wine from jars which pleased my friend Claire immensely!

One thing I love about London is that you can go out for a meal at one place and then go and find dessert at another! We started off with wine and burgers and ended up with tea and cake. Perfect!

Dressing Up a Plain Jumper

I have the continual problem of wanting to wear something cosy and warm to work, while also needing to look reasonably professional. On a freezing cold, rainy morning there is nothing I'd rather do than pull on a slouchy jumper and sink into it behind my desk, but sleeping isn't really encouraged in the office, and you know, I have stuff to do (I promise!).

Jumper: eBay £12
Necklace: Primark £4
Shirt: Vintage
Jeans: Miss Selfridge
Boots: Vintage

I got this jumper from eBay after searching for 'fisherman knit', and the shop I got it from comes in every colour going and I think I'll go back and get a navy version too. I like the androgyny of wearing a white shirt under a jumper but making it feminine with skinny jeans and red lipstick. 

Lipstick in Raschel Red: & Other Stories £12

I worry about looking too manly if I go for full tailoring, so a bit of bling definitely helps. I got this necklace from Primark for £4 and I've had loads of compliments on it so that makes it even more of a bargain!

What do you wear to keep cosy at work?