#PassionForFashion2

A couple of weeks ago I received an email letting me know that Money Supermarket were running their second 'Passion for Fashion' competition (you can read all about it and find out how to enter here).

With all the lovely new spring summer collections in the shops at the moment, the aim was to create three dream looks for under £200 each, in the following categories - casual wear, holiday wear and party wear. If you have read my blog regularly in the past you'll know I love putting outfits together, and so I thought I'd give it a shot!

Here are my three 'looks' (you can click on each image to make them bigger)...

The first outfit I'e put together is the casual look and I've gone for what I'd consider a preppy vibe, very Grease inspired! The starting point was double denim - who said this can't be done?! The tie fronted shirt brings a cuteness to the look, and with the skater style skirt I'd be baring my legs for the first time this year which would feel great after having them covered up all winter! The white shoes look really comfortable and so would be perfect for a relaxed day out, whether it be riding a bike through the park, shopping in town or heading to a theme park. I've seen the 'Nerd' and 'Geek' t-shirts everywhere at the moment, and although I love them so does everyone else, so this necklace still allowed me to still channel this feeling, but in a slightly less obvious way. My favourite piece in the outfit however is the River Island jacket which is from Rihanna's new collection. Not only does the varsity style design work well for the preppy look, but...wait for it... it has leather sleeves! Not only is this unusual, but I think it toughens up quite a cutesy outfit, so it gives a great overall balance. I would love to wear this once the sun (finally!) starts showing itself!

Right now with no holiday on the horizon, this really is a 'dream' outfit unfortunately! The majority of the money in as you can see went on these amazing beach trousers. I know this is a lot of money to spend on one item, but I just think they can be worn year after year, and due to the quite neutral shades and patterns can be worn with all different bikinis. I love the idea of beach trousers - much more practical for beach volleyball than a sarong or dress! Bikini-wise I've gone for this gorgeous sparkly number from River Island. The strapless design means no tan lines, and I think it would look stunning with the sun reflecting off all the detailing. Combined with the trousers this would also make a lovely look for post-beach drinks. The neutral shades and simple designs of the sunglasses and flip flops match the rest of the outfit well, but I avoided spending too much money on them as I always end up throwing these things around on holiday and having to buy new ones each year, so I didn't want to invest too much in them. The final item is this gorgeous simple rucksack - I think it adds a really casual, relaxed feel to the look, which is exactly how I want to feel when I'm away on holiday!

There is nothing I don't absolutely love about this outfit - it really is my dream look. For a party I do love a dress, but as I'm not generally a particularly 'girly' dresser, the monochrome, simple, geometric style of this dress finds the perfect balance between 'dressy' and 'me'! As the dress is quite simple I did want to add a pop of colour, and  just love the neon trend that is in this summer, so the detailing on the (amazing!) platforms and bright bag worked well together. Again, as I generally like to dress quite fuss-free I've kept jewellery simple, with just these gold earrings which pick up the gold hardware detailing on the bag. The final addition is the amazing jacket - not only does it tie in all the colours, but it's a real statement piece that gives the outfit a unique, stand-out look. This really is my perfect party outfit, and at £184.99 it even leaves some of the £200 free for the first cocktail of the night!

I hope you like the looks I've put together. There's still a few days left to enter the competition, so why not give it a go yourself?!...

xx

Shaping up for Christmas with New Look

Many of my posts on this blog involve me browsing online and putting outfits together - I waste many an hour on the sites of my favourite stores selecting what I will buy once I get that elusive payrise / lottery win / millionaire boyfriend (delete as appropriate).

Therefore, when I saw on Twitter that New Look were running a competition to put together your favourite party look to suit your body shape I thought I'd get involved! You can find all the details of the competition here.

After several hours of picking and choosing, umm-ing and ahh-ing and changing my mind, here's the look that I came up with to suit my hourglass shape...

(You can click on the image to make it bigger!)

Amongst New Look's vast selection of party dresses I found this bodycon beauty. It perhaps isn't the dress that most screams 'Christmas partaaaaaay' out of the selection, with no jewels, sequins or sparkles, but I just love it. The bodycon style is perfect for the hourglass figure, and with the black shaping at the sides, it is doubly flattering.

The aztec print has been everywhere this autumn/winter, so I thought why not continue this into party season. The gold and silver colours mean any metallic accessories will work beautifully with it, making it a really versatile piece.

In my opinion accessories are the key to any party look. Firstly I selected these triangle earrings, as I thought they compliment the aztec pattern of the dress perfectly. An elegant up-do would really set these off. And although I veered away from sequins on the dress, I didn't feel the look was complete without some sparkle, so this sequin clutch adds a touch of glitz!

If you're anything like me you'll be hitting the dancefloor at your Christmas party this year (in my head I am totes Shakira, others may disagree) and as well as looking amazing, the slight platform on these heels should make them a little bit comfier for all that hip-shaking!

The final item to complete my look is a jacket - shivering outside the bar while you wait for your taxi is not a great look! The peplum style again accentuates the waist, a must for any hourglass party-goer.

I would definitely rock this outfit this party season - it's stylish, sexy and classy all in one (in my opinion!). I hope you like the look I created. What are your party essentials for Christmas 2013?

xx

New Look / Sparkle Fashion Blog #denimcomp

I love denim. I love New Look. And I love putting outfits together.

So, when I saw this competition New Look are running with Sparkle Fashion Blog I just had to get involved! You can find all the details and rules of the competition here, but basically the idea is to create an outfit for any occasion based around a pair of New Look jeans. New Look will give the winner £200 plus a pair of jeans, and 9 runners up will also receive some jeans.

With the competition running over September and October, I decided to go with an autumn theme - a good look for as the weather gets colder. I've explained all my choices in the description underneath, and you can click on the picture to make it bigger.

I wanted to make my entry original and so, as I'm writing this on 4th October which is National Poetry Day, I decided to write a poem about the outfit, rather than just write about it! I very rarely write poems, but I enjoyed putting this together (and it didn't actually take that long!) so I hope you enjoy it!

As Autumn leaves begin to fall

My wardrobe needs some new additions.

So I couldn't help but spend some time

On New Look's Denim Competition.

The skinny jeans are the centre piece

High-waisted and a gorgeous red.

Now I'll ditch the summer floaty skirts

And opt for these instead.

Autumn often brings a chill

So this fur gilet will keep me warm.

It's chunky style balances the jeans

Which are fitted to the form.

I'll add a bobble hat for extra warmth

So I'm cosy come rain or snow.

And with these wedges on my feet

I've a complete look from head to toe.

'Double denim?!' I hear you cry

'Surely this shirt should be a 'no'?!'

But trying to get out of my fashion rut

With confidence I'll give it a go.

Practical outfits don't need to be dull

A statement necklace is right on trend.

So I'll add to the neck of a casual shirt

And keep the look stylish til the end.

As a rock chick at heart I couldn't resist

This bag, perfect for my essentials.

Covered in this season's studs

It'll up my fashion credentials.

So there's my outfit

For crunching Autumn leaves as days get dark.

Practical, stylish, cosy and 'me'

I think it really hits the mark!

Why not pop over to Sparkle Fashion Blog and get involved yourself - there's still time! You can look on Twitter at #denimcomp for some inspiration!

xx

Handbag Essential

Making commuting just that little bit more bearable on a Tuesday.

xx

First Signs of Winter

Well the first signs of winter really did poke their pesky little heads out today didn't they?! Relentless torrential rain really isn't the best way to start the week.

One of the many things Autumn/Winter brings for me is a change of nail varnish colour, and when I painted my nails this morning, for the first time in months I veered away from the pastel, summery shades I've been favouring and instead went for a darker, warmer tone.

I chose '273 Raspberry' by Barry M. I love this one - it was one of my go-to colours last year and I'm sure it will be the same this season.

I'm a big fan of Barry M - compared to the other brands at the lower end of the price range I find these are generally much better quality (the odd shade permitting which I'm not too keen on). I thankfully only needed one coat, which was a bit of a relief as I hastily painted just as I ran out of the door for work!

Have any of you got any darker shades you can recommend? I seem to own lots of summery colours (and lots of pink!) but I dont have many options more suitable for the winter months. Any suggestions much appreciated!

xx

Passion for Fashion

A few weeks ago on the lovely Lily's blog I read about this fab 'Passion for Fashion' competition being run by Money Supermarket. You can read all about the competition here, but in a nutshell the aim is to create your dream looks for autumn/winter for under £200 each.

Now it's no secret that I both love a bargain and love putting outfits together, so I thought I'd give it a go!

I think the looks are all very 'me' - or at least how I'd like to be! There were 5 categories in total, and I found some easier than others to create looks for. I'm always dazzled by party dresses and my wardrobe consists of far too many, so I was spoilt for choice here, whereas I'm far more of a snuggle under the duvet in winter kind of girl than brave the elements, so the outdoor task was more of a struggle!

I'm really pleased with what I came up with though, and I really would like to wear all of the outfits. For under £200 each they're not bank braking either. Although I have to say, I didn't find keeping within the price restrictions too difficult - there are so many good buys on the high street at the moment that with a bit of savvy shopping you can easily create expensive looking outfits for less.

I hope (my technology skills permitting!) that you can click on each of the images to make them bigger.  I've included where all the items are from so you can take a look if you like them, and have also tried to explain the looks I was going for and why I made some of the selections I did.

I hope these outfits show my 'Passion for Fashion'. It was certainly a lot of fun putting them together. Why not give it a go yourself?!

xx

The Wanderer Returns

Hello strangers..!

It's fair to say it's been a while since I last blogged - over 16 months to be exact. 

A lot changed in my life back at the start of 2011 - I moved to London for a new job and was thrown into a new, exciting world. This meant blogging took a back seat as I explored a new city, made new friends and tried to find my feet in a new industry.

I actually don't regret abandoning the blog, as I never wanted it to become a chore, which is how I think I'd have felt about it if I'd forced myself to keep writing. But recently I've been itching to get going again. I've still been following my favourite blogs all this time, and over the past few months have been feeling the urge to get reacquainted with my keyboard!

I don't have any master plans about how often I'll blog, or what I'll blog about, but we'll just see how it goes.

I thought about deleting all my old posts and starting from scratch, as I feel like I've changed a lot in the last year or so, and I'm not sure my old posts are still 'me'. But I then remembered how much work I put in to them and I don't want that to all be wasted.

So that's it - I'm back!

It feels good to once again by writing under 'Wings To Fly'.

xx