Journey Of A Dress

I work in retail and see countless people come in to the store where I work looking for that last minute occasion wear option and panic buy. I've always thought to myself that if I've ever get invited to something pretty decent I will plan my outfit in advance. Well, I was wrong. I've known since late January that I would be going to a fancy event in mid April. My boyfriend has won an award at work and in return has been given an all expenses paid trip to London to attend the award ceremony. He invited me as his plus one, no pressure right?

Of course, being the plus one, I know my role is to ultimately support him and look good. This means that my outfit needs to say: arm candy. Stupidly thinking that 6 weeks would be enough time to find something suitable I only started looking last month. However I've spent the past few weeks scouring the internet desperately trying to find the perfect dress. It hasn't been easy; as we entered the new year the shops moved quite quickly into Spring and as party/occasion wear is quite a seasonal thing, I left it too late to look. Plus, to make matters more difficult, I happen to despise Spring/Summer party wear and pastels, midi length and prom skirts are all that seems to be available at the moment.

I felt that this Frock and Frill dress was just a bit too
'opulent' for the occasion. 

There have been moments amidst my search when I thought my search might be over. At one point I found an absolutely stunning Frock and Frill gown in the ASOS sale that was literally a dream. When it arrived I tried it on and loved the way it looked and how opulent I felt, however I then realised it was perhaps a little too dazzling and I wouldn't have the opportunity to wear it again. Reluctantly I sent it back. Shortly after this my sister purchased a dress by Solace London for her 21^st birthday and I fell in love with their simple, yet classic and statement looking aesthetic. I checked them out and their Cara gown immediately caught my eye. Unfortunately forking out £130 on a dress I might only wear once seemed too decadent. *sad face*

This beautiful dress by Solace London was just a tad out
of my price range. 

Feeling as if I were running out of options I then decided to try out the ASOS stylist chat. I connected with Safiya, talked her through my reasons for needing an outfit and explained my body shape and style. After reading through my ideal specifications she selected an array of different options for me to try. I do worry that perhaps I was little too picky as when asked why I didn't like one of the dresses she'd selected I commented that: “It looks cheap. I worry the fabric might ruin after one wash.” Whilst I didn't feel that she found the dress for me, my chat with her did help me narrow down my search. I realised after our conversation that I was looking for something black, mini and with a cut out detail on the neckline.

Haven't tried the 'chat with a stylist' feature on ASOS? Give it a go if you're struggling to find that perfect outfit
or in need of some wardrobe inspiration.

I then went on ShopStyle and searched: 'black cut out bodycon dress'. Whilst the search did pull up a lot of options, the majority of them were either by Hermes or Boohoo. I needed a nice medium with a fabric thicker than the cheap, popular, bodycon stretch dresses currently available and still within my price range. I then searched: 'black bandage dress' and searched through the options again. This time I felt I had a lot more to choose from including some reasonably priced options from Missguided.

This dress by Missguided was the closest I could
find to my ideal dress..

I've narrowed it down to one dress and whilst it may seem plain, I'm a firm believer in the 'less is more' approach to dressing. If I like the way it looks then I'll jazz it up with some killer heels and a statement clutch just to make it look a bit more wow.

It's in the post so fingers crossed it's a winner! Check back next weekend to see the full look pulled together.

O x 

London Fashion Week Round-Up

Yesterday saw the end of this season's London fashion week. Whilst I usually do my utmost to attend all the shows I get invited to, unfortunately this year I was only able to attend on the Friday and Saturday. Although I prefer going to shows in September when it's a tad bit warmer and the sun shines  a little brighter, I do have a general distaste for Spring/Summer fashion. Therefore, despite the cold, with the Autumn/Winter collections I was in my element and this season's offerings did not disappoint.

My fashion week kicked off with a Gothic and edgy collection by Jamie Wei Huang. Models walked seductively down the catwalk to, what I can only describe as, an Eastern European rock soundtrack. The colour palette was simplistic and likewise prints were relatively minimalistic. Chains, d-loop detail and leather however were heavily present giving the collection an underlying 'fetish' feel. Whilst it's undeniable that the collection was rather eccentric, it was the combinations of pastel pink and pretty fur that gave the collection a girlish/feminine feel that was both subtle and covetable. Watch my video below: apologies for the quality!

Day two saw the radiant contribution by Pavane; situated in the atmospheric Institute of Contemporary Arts this collection looked stunning against the backdrop of the exclusive and off location venue. The collection combined shades of deep emerald, charcoal grey and jet black with military style trench coats and floaty, pleated skirts ultimately coming together to create a divine AW15/16 contribution.

See if you can spot me on the front row of the Mariana Jungmann show.

 My favourite show of the season was by Mariana Jungmann. Her collection combined gorgeous AW shades of greens, greys and blues. Sharp tailoring came together with floaty skirts and subtle, laser detail. The neat tailoring complimented the minimal colour palette perfectly and thus created a very sophisticated and ready-to-wear collection. See my favourite looks below:

The show by Vin and Omi is also worth a mention purely because of its unique and wacky aesthetic. Set in a basement location this exclusive show proved to be a real feast for the imagination. The designs were other worldly and unlike anything else I saw this season. Plus, you might've heard that at LC:M this year it was all the rage for the male models to flash their private parts on the catwalk. Let's just say Vin and Omi followed suit with their presentation.  #freethepene 

Photo cred @VinandOmi

Photo cred @VinandOmi

Check by in a couple of days for my roundup of the utterly covetable collections from this season's designer showrooms at Somerset House.

O x

Bangles by Black Tied

Photo cred @blacktied

If, like me, you go weak at the knees for anything customised,bespoke or initiliased then you need to check out up-and-coming jewellery brand Black Tied. If you're unfamiliar with this brand then I suggest you go and give them a little google, now. Black Tied create contemporary and fine jewellery pieces, the most popular of these being their customised cuff/bangles. I've had my eye on one of their customised cuffs for a long time now. Ever since I saw another blogger share an image of her own on instagram I was in love and the fact that I didn't own one haunted me for months. So, at the reasonable cost of only £12 I promised myself I would get one after Christmas. However, not long in to the New Year I realised that with all the holidays/trips/festivals I'm hoping to go to this summer I need to be a lot stricter with myself and curb back my spending habits. *insert sad face here*

A couple of months ago I happened to mention that I wanted one of these bangles to a certain someone special in my life. I had quite forgotten that this conversation had taken place and was therefore completely surprised when I unwrapped this little beauty on Valentine's day. I won't lie, I did feel incredibly lucky. Not only had he treated me to a surprise trip to Berlin, but he'd also bought me something I'd been after for a while and remembered exactly how I'd wanted it engraved. What a pair of beauts! (The bangle and the boy). 

O x

'I Woke Up Like This' & Other Belated Gifts

Whilst I know 2015 is in full swing and Christmas seems a distant memory to us all now, I'm happy to admit that for me this is not quite the case as I'm still receiving belated Christmas gifts. Now, don't get me wrong, the purpose of this post is not to brag, however surely you agree that one of the best things about post-Christmas, besides the sales, has to be the belated gifts?!

Earlier this week I received, from a rather chic friend of mine who knows me far too well, this mug for my early morning coffee dependence and this bunting (from Urban Outfitters). Whilst it's true that the mug will be used excessively and will keep me feeling my usual sassy self, even on those days when it's far too cold and early for sass. The bunting, however, is just that chic I don't even want to take it out of the packet! Ooops!  

All I Want For Christmas...

People keep asking me what I want for Christmas. Well, isn’t it obvious? I want that man (the one and only love of my life Ryan Gosling) to be sat under the tree on Thursday morning ready to greet me with his infamous “Hey girl.” However, I understand he probably has other commitments on Christmas Day what with the new baby girl, time difference and living in a different country situation… So, just in case my mum hasn’t managed to get it all sorted, I’ve made a back-up Christmas list.

Now, before you judge my expensive taste, Christmas is, in my opinion, the season of decadence. If there's ever a time to indulge it's December. So, that said, my Christmas wishlist this year is a little unnecessary, hopeful and unrealistic. Still, 'tis the season!
Here’s what I’m hoping Santa brings me this year:

Necklace - Vivienne Westwood :£65, Bra - H&M  :£9.99, Top - Topshop :£45, Purse - Marc Jacobs :£105, Eau De Parfum 30ml - Giorgio Armarni :£45.50, Watch - Olivia Burton :£75, Foundation Primer - Laura Mercier :£29 and Book - www.amazon.co.uk :£12.50. 

What's on your wishlist?

O x

Say Whaaaaa? The Influx Of Slogan S***

If I'm completely honest, for a long, long time I was pretty much repulsed by the influx of slogan s*** that swanned in and dominated the fashion industry (I'm looking at you Moschino). However, as time went on I started to warm to them and, just recently, I decided they're actually pretty cool. For one, they're actually a great way to take something quite causal, like a simple t-shirt or clutch, and turn it in to something a bit more statement worthy. Plus, as the styles themseves are usually quite simple, it means the items have far more potential to transcend the ever changing trends than some of the other more seasonal items.  

If I had to pick an ultimate slogan piece it would be an Edie Parker box clutch (if you're unfamiliar with this designer then I suggest you google her now, she'll change your life... promise). But, as I don't have a spare £2000 lying around (sigh), I'd even settle for the massively iconic, bloggers' favourite, sold out 'Stressed, depressed, but well dressed' clutch bag by Zara. 

As I'm unlikely to get my hands on either items, I've devised a little lust list of my favourite slogan pieces available to buy now. The more tongue-in-cheek they were the more likely they were going to make it in to my wishlist. I know, I know, TOP BANTS. 

Well obviously...
New Look - £9.99

Why? Because YES, that's why.
Ohh Deer - £19.95

Missguided - £12.00

If I were to attempt to organise my life,
this folder would be far too fitting.
Happy Jackson - £6.29

O x

Lob Love

I've had pretty much the same hairstyle for almost two years and it's been really nagging at me lately that it's time for a change. I'm getting really sick of having hair that takes forever to style and too often gets trapped underneath the shoulder strap of my bag! Plus, with the party season approaching fast I just think it's time to try something a bit different.

Earlier this year the lob (long bob) really took off as celebs like Olivia Palermo, Alexa Chung and even die-hard extensions worshiper Lauren Conrad all opted for the chop. I've never been a massive fan of short hair before now but I think the lob looks really grown-up, classy and super chic. Besides, anything that's good enough for Palermo is by all means it's good enough for me! 

Gin pals.

Thankfully I have a shit hot hairdresser sibling who also agreed it was time to shake things up a little. So the other evening when we had a little spare time my sister gave my roots a re-touch and took about two inches off of my ends. Verdict? I'm so glad I decided to go for it in the end as I absolutely love having shorter hair. It's lighter, bouncier and way easier to manage. In fact, I might even ask my sister if she'll take off another inch. #chopchop

O x

OOTD - Tartan on Tartan on Dogtooth; thoughts please?

Shoes - Next, Socks - New Look, Jeans - ASOS, Scarf - New Look. 

I must admit, I'm not a massive fan of printed items or overly bold textures when it comes to fabrics. Yet, quite to my own surprise, this year I seem to have a massive obsession with dogtooth and tartan. The other day, for example, I decided it would be utterly chic to wear bright red tartan socks with some skinny jeans, a navy blue blouse and my new oversized tartan/dogtooth scarf. Perhaps it was a tad too much, but I didn't really care. In fact, I'm actually thinking about getting these trousers from River Island when pay day next comes around. Thoughts?

River Island - £40

O x

Baby It's Cold Outside...

I don't know about you BUT I've been feeling so festive lately! Maybe it's because the shops have started playing Christmas songs, my mornings have turned bitterly cold or my mother baked about 1000 mince pies the other day, but for whatever reason; the countdown to Christmas has officially begun. 

That said, today turned out to be the day I decided to break out my new Santa themed pjs.  I actually only decided to buy these because the tag said: “Happy Holly Days” and my childish humour found it ridiculously amusing. Pahaha.

Anyway. The festive feeling has hit me hard and now I'm dreaming about all things Christmassy; hot chocolates in front of the fire, slipper socks and onesie combos, matching faux snoods and mittens, Jim Carey in a green suit. You name it! If it's festive, I want it. See my wishlist below:

(Left to Right) Snood: H&M - £7.99, Snowman : Thornotons - £8, Felt Hearts: Next - £7, Mittens: New Look - £6.99, Soap: Lush - £3.10 per 100g, Bauble : Linea at House of Fraser - £4.20, Harper's Bazaar (December Issue) and Scarf: Topshop - £18. 

O x

Product Review - Gosh Nail Lacquer in Denim Delight #627

Gosh - £3.99

When it comes to nail polish; I'm pretty much an expert! I've tried almost every brand under the sun and now have a clear hit and miss list. Usually I tend to favour either Essie or Barry M as both brands have great selections of colours, staying power and chip resistance. The only criticism I'd have of Barry M is that they too often bring out a limited edition colour that I fall in love with and then after a few months cannot find anywhere. Sad times. Anyway, I'll get to the point! Wanting to treat myself to a new colour the other day I went on down to Superdug. The store in my town is quite small and doesn't stock all of the brands that the larger Superdrug stores do. It does, however, have a Gosh stand. Admittedly I haven't tried many Gosh products before but fell in love with the colour of this nail paint pretty much instantly. Being someone who knows which nail brands to trust and which not to bother with, I was a bit apprehensive to give this polish a try. However, I decided at the very least I'd get a review out of it so bought it anyway.

On application I was pleasantly surprised at how clear and bright the colour of the polish was. I could've managed with just one coat really but went for two in the end. It was easy to apply and dried extremely quickly. However, despite being initially happy with the product, the real test was yet to come. Too often have I bought in to some ridiculous '7 days long lasting chip resistant' bullshit that for me, even getting a nail polish to last one day is extremely rare. I have to admit this polish held out three days at work before I started to notice any chips. That, my friends, is pretty much incredible considering how often I chip my nail polish at work. These were the results at the end of the three days:

Overall I'd give this polish a 5/5. As someone who hates having shabby looking nails, it's important for me that nail polishes are long lasting, chip resistant, have a bright colour and dry quickly. This polish, for me, ticks all of those boxes! For a cheap price, great colour and no promise of being long lasting, it exceeded my expectations. I'd definitely buy from Gosh again, only trouble is, this colour was also a limited edition shade. FML.

O x

Feeling Shady

Payday has finally arrived and with it comes the battle not to spend all my wages in just one week. To distract me from the fact that there's absolutely no way this money will see me through till next month, I've been focusing all my attention on my new purchases. VICIOUS CIRCLE.

Although many of you will probably believe sunglasses for Winter are more of an accessory than a necessity, I have to disgaree. Eyes need protecting from the sun all year round and it has never and will never be chic to squint. Luckily for me and my new found thriftiness (kind of), I picked up these babies in the ASOS sale. Jealous? DUH.

Until next time,

O x

One To Watch - Awon Golding

When I was at London Fashion Week earlier last month I got to meet some incredible designers at the British Fashion Council's (BFC) showrooms in Somerset House. This season specifically there was a huge selection of hats and head pieces. I think this stems from the fact that earlier this year, in February, the BFC set up their annual Headonism project and the focus was on headpieces. The result of such a renewed interest in headwear has meant that a selection of incredibly talented up-and-coming designers have all released really unique collections of hats and headpieces ready for SS15. One of these designers, who I was fortunate enough to meet, includes award winning London-based Milliner Awon Golding.

I remember seeing this at LFW this year and
yes; it is as incredible in real life.

What I love about her work is that each piece is, in its own right, really unique and stand-out. Yet, the collection still comes together to create something united and fluid. The fluidity comes from the inspiration for the collection; having spent an eclectic youth in India, Hong Kong and England, Golding drew inspiration for her collection from her Tangkhul Naga heritage. The collection combines bold colours, feather headpieces, intricate beading and the weaving of geometric patterns which are all inspired by the artifacts of the North-East Indian Naga tribes.

Before she became a designer Golding wrote for various Hong-Kong based publications as a fashion writer and editor. However she soon realised that she wanted to pursue something more creative and moved to London to accept an apprenticeship with Edwina Ibbotson, a renowned London milliner. It was around this time that she was awarded a Distinction in Millinery from the Kensington and Chelsea College. Following this she went on to design hats for the likes of high-street brands River Island and Topshop.

I'm a huge fan of geometric shapes and the only
hats I'll wear are floppy ones so this one is
a double whammy for me! 

When she eventually decided to set up her own label her creative flair and natural talent were recognised by The Honourable Feltmaker’s Guild and she was awarded first prize at their annual millinery competition in 2010. Furthermore, she was selected by Stephen Jones (renowned milliner) to feature in the BFC's exclusive Headonism project at Somerset House earlier this February.

A cheeky snap I took of the Headonism Project in Feb earlier
this year.

Now a well established designer Golding spends the majority of her time hand-crafting the pieces for her collection in her London studio. As well as releasing two seasonal collections per year, her hats are available to purchase at London's Liberty store and she also does private commissions for a wide range of customers.

For more information on the designer please contact Awon at info@awongolding.com, or go to: @AwonGolding or  www.facebook.com/awongoldingmillinery.

Thanks for reading my post and a big shout out to Awon for sending me the images of her amazing collection!

O x

The Sweetest Ad Campaign Ever?

Aussie born jewellery designer Lucy Folk is renowned for her playful and creative relationship with food and highly sought after jewellery line. It's hardly suprising then that in her latest campaign, entitled Sugar, Folk combined her sweet tooth with her passion for jewellery design. The results? HEAVEN.

It's not very often that a jewellery campaign impresses me this much as, in my opinion, jewellery campaigns can often be a little boring and simplistic. That said, Lucy Folk proved she's not one to follow the crowd when she pulled this sugar coated bad boy out of the bag.

What I love about Lucy Folk is that she's definitely a designer who caters to a wide variety of tastes (literally). On the one hand she has her playful, girly and fun pieces which are aimed at younger buyers. On the other she has her more sophisticated, edgy and fine pieces. Personally, I'm more of a fan of her fine jewellery as she has some to-die-for cuffs, gorgeous bangles and her selection of rose gold pieces are dreamyyyy.

Not only does the campaign make we want to binge-eat all the sugary goodies in sight, it also makes me want to throw all of my next wage packet at the designer. It's creative, memorable and a little tongue-in-cheek, which I love! Here are the pieces I'm now coveting from her Sugar collection.

O x

Product Review - Trevor Sorbie Straight Protect and Shine

My sister is a hairdresser and has been at at me for ages to get a heat defense spray for my hair. Well, as someone who doesn't particularly like to be told what to do, especially from a younger sibling, I've put off buying one for ages. Well, that was until recently when I thought my hair was looking a little dry and I realised how desperate I was for it to grow a bit longer for the upcoming party season. So, after work the other day I headed on down to Boots to see what I could find. As someone with little to no knowledge of heat defense sprays I actually felt a bit lost when I saw the range available to buy. Not wanting to spend too much money on something I could potentially loathe after one use I thought it might be best to buy a trial/travel sized bottle and see how I got on with that. Plus, as someone who likes to test out products regularly I often spend the majority of my free time in the trail size section of Boots. #sadfactoftheday

I chose this one by Trevor Sorbie because I quite like their hair products anyway and, admittedly, the bottle looked pretty cool. It retails at £5.70 for a 200ml sized bottle, but I bought my trial size, 50ml one for £1.99. It is salon approved (apparently?) and the label implies that it prevents damage, reduces kinks and add shine. These are all major hair concerns of mine as, without the wonders of modern hair tools/technology I would look like that actress from the weird TV programme, Cavegirl, NOT EVEN JOKING.

So how does it rate? Well, firstly I'm not massively keen on the smell, but I've come to notice that a lot of the decent hair styling products don't actually have the best of scents to them and I think this means that they're less perfumed? Which is a good thing. After a couple of uses I have definitely noticed that my hair feels a little softer and I have noticed a little extra shine. I wouldn't say the difference is huge, but I've definitely seen an improvement. 

I would recommend this product as it has worked for me, however I'm not completely overwhelmed with the results so I think I'll test a few more heat defense sprays before I settle on the one for me.

O x

Winter IS Coming

In the past couple of weeks I've noticed a huge drop in temperature. So much so that this morning I left the house with both my winter coat and faux-fur hat (not that the hat helped much in the pouring rain) and I'm now having to wear a hooded jacket on my evening jogs (not cool). In case that wasn't reminder enough that winter is well and truly on its way, working in retail means I'm surrounded by the influx of autumn/winter/Christmas related products day-in-day-out. 

I'm hoping my faux fur hat will at least see me through till Christmas

Admittedly, I can't really moan as I've already started stocking up on knitwear and gone out and bought my winter coat. Although, this in no way means I won't end up buying another one in a month or so. Besides, there's no such thing as too many coats... is there? And, even though my Topshop ankle boots from last year are still in MINT condition, I know I'll end up buying another pair before the season is out. 

Amidst all of this temperature madness and constant reminders that Christmas is coming, I started thinking; when is it a good time to start purchasing your winter wardrobe? 

On my wishlist is this adorable pale blue fedora from River Island and these leather gloves from H&M. Thanks to Burberry's AW14 collection blanket scarves are going to be huge this season and I'd quite like one in a checked print, I think. I don't usually use umbrellas cause I find them a bit flimsy and naff but this one from Cath Kidston is too fricking cute I couldn't resist putting it in. Plus, to see me through till March-time, I'm blatantly going to need another pair of boots and at least 2-3 more winter coats. 

Coat : Monki - £65, Gloves : H&M- £19.99, Fedora : River Island - £28, Boots : Office - £85,
Scarf : Topshop - £18, Umbrella : Cath Kidston - £22. 

What's on your winter wishlist?

O x

Dreamy Jewels by &OtherStories

It's no secret that as a fashion lover I am absolutely mad for designer labels; YSL and Valentino being just a few of my favourites. It's also no secret that I'm a graduate with a poor excuse for a bank balance and can in no way afford to spend what little money I have at these high-end fashion houses. *Sigh* How does one get by in such a cruel world I hear you ask? Well, luckily for me I have high street brands to depend on when I can't afford high-end. 

One of the best high street brands I think we have here in the UK is &OtherStories. For those of you who haven't heard of them, if high street brands were cliques then &OtherStories would be hanging out with Cos, Zara and Monki. I love their dreamy colour palettes year-in-year-out, their sharp tailoring and of course their edgy prints. But this season especially I am absolutely in love with their costume jewellery range! It’s understated, edgy and combines geometric shapes with some seriously cool metal shades. Plus, if you didn’t already know, ‘gun metal’ coloured jewellery is massively in this season and &OtherStories is one of the few stores I’ve seen stocking it so far. 

Take a look at my top picks from the collection below: 

Earrings - £7
How fricking chic are these?!

Choker - £17
I love the understated elegance of this choker.

Cuff - £17
And - teamed with a matching bangle the pair would make
the cutest party season jewellery.

Cuff - £17
I love triangles anyway so this was bound to make my top picks.

What do you think of their jewellery this season? 

O x

Thanks to London Fashion Week I am now coveting...

Twice a year I head on down to London for fashion week. As well as running around for shows, queueing for what feels like the best part of the day and surviving solely off of weird vitamin drinks, I also get to go have a nosy through Somerset House at all of next season's collections. This year I was accompanied by one of my bestest buddies and the collections we saw were arguably the best yet.

For those of you who didn't get a chance to go, here's a little round-up of all the things I'm now coveting and a teaser look at next season's collections:

These statement necklaces by Nocturne are to die for!

I can't even put in to words how badly I want a Hemsley London bag.
 #wishlistproblems 

Zoe Sherwood and her amazing flying bird themed head wear. 

Shout out to these dreamy things for making me realise the potential in
 accessorising my shoulders. 

As a big tea drinker I feel this tea-cosy is more a necessity than an accessory
(ahem). 

Little wings and arrows came together to create the dreamiest of jewels
by Phoebe Coleman. 

HEMSLEY HEMSLEY HEMSLEY

O x