How to Wear White Jeans

I wear a lot of black. My ever faithful skinny jeans are that wonderful colour and I get through at least one pair a year, it's a push to even get me to wear blue jeans to be totally honest, so white is basically terrifying new territory for me. Being olive skinned I can wear white, buuuuuuut I don't. I'm super clumsy; guaranteed that at any meal I'll spill at least one thing down myself, and TWICE I have worn a white skirt on the tube and sat in something, uh, unsavoury.

[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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Goodbye 2013 (and good riddance!)

Finally, 2013 has come to an end!

This year has been full of huge ups and downs, and frankly I cannot wait for it to be over. 

On the downside, I've had to deal with relatives and friends being seriously ill, resulting in me knowing the hospitals of London a lot better than I wish I did. On the plus side, I earned my first ever promotion! It's obviously come with a lot more work and pressure, but it's a big step in the right direction for my career.

On that note, let's keep it positive! Here are my top 10 moments from 2013:

1) Retreating to the idyllic silence of the Lake District twice, once in January and then again in December

2) Taking an epic road trip to Scotland with my wonderful housemate and being proper tourists

3) Learning to ski in Austria at the Snowbombing Festival

4) Buying my beautiful Mulberry Del Rey!

5) Camping out on the Sherlock set (twice) and meeting Mr Cumberbatch himself!

6) Revisiting my old uni town of York, remisicing about days gone by and catching up with distant friends

7) Spending a solid seven days on a beach in Spain with my boyfriend

8) Getting tickets to see Nine Inch Nails at their tiny sold out Scala gig (and then again at Reading Festival a week later!)

9) Exploring Cornwall and eating my weight in pasties and ice cream

10) Dancing like a crazy lady at Future Cinema's Dirty Dancing event

2014 so far promises more Nine Inch Nails gigs, a big house move and an amazing month long trip to Australia! It's looking great already.

Happy new year!

xxx

Investment vs Bargain Fashion

For so long I have bowed down to the shrine of hard and fast fashion, that is, cheap and in bulk. There's no greater feeling than looking at your bags after a days shopping and rejoicing in the fact that you got 20+ items for practically nothing.

I like adding good quality designer pieces with my high street heavy wardrobe.

Now I'm not saying that I don't do that anymore. You'll see plenty of Primark, H&M and charity shop finds on this blog, and 90% of my wardrobe is made up if affordable high street pieces. But as I've got older and have a bit of a disposable income (not a lot though!), I've started looking to have items that will last over multiple seasons, and more importantly over a number of years. 

Let's do a bit of fashion maths:

1 high street polyester bag = £50+ and lasts (in my experience, a maximum of 18 months of weekly usage).

1 designer handbag = £300+ and potentially lasts a lifetime (most designer stores will always fix or replace a genuine item no matter how long you've had it).

Certain things that I use on a daily/weekly basis need to last and I'm fed up with replacing things so frequently. Frequent items for me include a black handbag, black boots, brown boots, winter coat, summer coat, sunglasses and black flat shoes. Over time I'm planning to get these pieces as investment items, but will not be replacing everything I own with stupidly expensive versions as I don't need to and more importantly can't afford to!

I wrote recently about how to get these items in sample sales, and I stick by this being the best way of finding designer pieces without breaking the bank. I found a pair of Miu Miu real leather biker boots (see first pic above) at one for £70 which is about 90% off RRP, and are hands down the warmest, comfiest boots I've ever worn.

I've also recently bought a couple of full price items (I can't stress enough that I've been saving for these for well over a year to be able to afford them!). My Miu Miu sunglasses and Mulberry Del Rey bag may make my Mum's eyes water, but I know that they will last AND go with whatever high street pieces I wear with them.

What's your opinion on designer vs high street fashion?

Fashion: My three dream purchases

I'm not a fashion expert, I don't pretend to be. I, like most other females, love to shop, love clothes, and I lovelovelove getting a bargain. And that's the main premise of this blog really, the bargains that I find and sharing them with other thrifty/poor shoppers. However, I'm not going to act like I wouldn't like certain items if I had the money. I read all the magazines and there's always something new and shiny that I lust after, but despite the fleeting fashion romances there are a couple of luxury items that my mind always wanders back to and would be my first purchases if I had a lottery win.


1) The classic Burberry trench coat is a part of fashion history. Simple and elegant, it's good for all weather and won't date. I wore one to a New Year's Eve party once and hardly paid any attention to the night's festivities for the fear of losing or spilling something on it.

2) For a long time I was obsessed with the Mulberry Bayswater, but the Travel Day Bag has completely converted me. Every woman knows that finding the right black handbag is impossible. Just like finding the ultimate pair of jeans or the comfiest bra. I know that if I had this bag that my search would be over!

3) I've got so many black boots - military style, round toe, calf length. But I could actually get rid of all of them if I had a pair of Acne Pistols. Genuinely. When a colleague showed me her pair at lunch the other day I almost rugby tackled her to the floor (she looked about a size 7 too!).

A girl can dream!