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

All Snuggled Up!

Evening chicas!

Hope you've all had a lovely start to your week (or as lovely as is possible!). I had an interview in London and then met up with a friend for drinks in Birmingham, so I've been a busy bee :-)

So I just have a very quick OOTD post for you today. This is what I wore on Saturday to go shopping with my mum... (I apologise for dodgy pictures taken on my iPhone and Photobooth)...

Jacket/Cardigan - New Look

Trousers - Dorothy Perkins

Boots - River Island

Bag - River Island

Necklace - Secret Santa!

Vest - New Look

I put my hair up after I took these two pictures, because it just didn't look right. It just seems very nothingy to me at the moment - very long, but it doesn't really 'do' anything (if this makes sense). I really want to have a bit of a change in the hair department, so I'm busy looking for inspiration.

I am so in love with this jacket, cardigany thing (I don't really know what to call it!). It's just a gorgeous mix of autumny colours and is really snuggly - perfect for this chilly weather we seem to be having.

It was actually a bit of a bargain - I picked it up in the New Look sale for just £5. However, when I got home and looked at my receipt it said 'Zip Leggings', so it turns out it had the wrong tag on it! I practically haven't taken it off since I bought it!

Getting gangsta...

xx

Snippets from the Sales

Hello lovely ladies!

As promised, as a follow-on from my last post which showed all my recent bargainous beauty buys, here's a peek at some of my clothing and accessories purchases from the good old January sales :-)

First up is this beautiful evening bag from Next...

I love that it is a clutch, but it also has a strap which can be tucked inside if its not needed (because 90% of the time I take a clutch bag out with me, and by the end of the night when I'm giving it my all on the dancefloor I wish I didn't have to hold my bag!). The colour should go with anything too. I'm having a bit of a clearout at the moment and am discovering I own way too many cheap going out bags (mainly from Primarni) which I want to get rid of, and just have a couple of really nice bags instead.

This little beauty was just £8, reduced from £18 :-)

I'm really into scarves recently, as I seem to be wearing a lot of plain outfits and then adding colour or texture with a scarf. This was from River Island...

It was £24.99 reduced to £10, and is a mix of white, greys and black, with some velvety-feel parts, and some see through sections. Scrumptious!

Everyone has to get PJs for Christmas or in the sales don't they?! It's like an unwritten rule! These were from Dorothy Perkins, reduced from £20 to £12...

The trousers are full length but I folded them to get them all in the picture. I particularly like the top, as on the front it is plain black, but on the back it has the same floral pattern as the trousers - this means that from the back I look like I'm wearing an all-in-one! I can't wait to snuggle up in these :-)

Probably my favourite purchase has to be this jumper from the Signature collection at Next... (even though my mum says it looks like I have ferrets on my shoulders)...

I had wanted it when it was full price at £40, so I couldn't resist when it was marked down to £20 :-)

There's cute button detailing on the back too...

It reminds me of something I saw Frankie Sandford wearing in a magazine. It isn't exactly the same top, but I'll probably wear it in the same way (but won't look as good!).

FInally I got some shoes (of course!). A girl can never have too many black heels right?! Again, these were from Dorothy Perkins...

I love that they will go with everything that a normal pair of black heels would, but are a bit more 'interesting', with the zips and silver heel and platform. The fact that they were reduced from £40 to £10 just makes them even better!

And that's pretty much it :-) I still plan to head in to the sales once more this week, probably in Birmingham, to have a final look for some last minute bargains.

Let me know if you managed to get anything good in the sales. Even better, if you've done a blog post on your bargains, just post the link below - I really want to discover some more good blogs!

xx

These boots are made for walkin'!

You know when you buy something and you like it so much that you have to keep looking at it?! Well that's how I feel about my latest purchase - my gorgeous boots from River Island :-) I keep popping into my bedroom to get another peak! ('sad' springs to mind...)

I was in Watford supposedly shopping for Christmas presents recently, but 'accidentally' wandered into River Island and picked these beauties up for myself...

I've been after a new pair of boots for a few weeks now, what with the colder weather n all. These were just what I've been looking for as they're flat (I can't be doing with heels on a daily basis), a lovely tan colour, and have fur, which is just everywhere at the moment.

Now this might sound strange coming from someone who shops a lot, but the £44.99 I spent on these is the biggest amount of money I've spent on any single item in ages. Although I buy quite a lot, I normally shop in sales and am a bit of a bargain hunter. However, I reckon they're great value for money. They're really good quality and I think they'll be pretty versatile.

They should be perfect for work as well as play, and I think I can wear them with a whole range of looks. Also, as well as wearing them with all the fur showing you can turn them up so they look more like boxing boots, to give another look again.

I am tres happy with my new purchases and can't wait to debut them at work a some point this week :-)

But from now on I think I need to be kept on a tight leash on Christmas shopping expeditions, and remember I'm supposed to be buying for other people! I think it's probably best that I avoid River Island then...

xx

Dress to Impress

Yesterday I took my little self off down to London for an interview for an internship at Channel 4.

I set an alarm for 5.30am (painful) and toddled off on the train. Luckily despite the train stopping for about 20 minutes because of a fire, I made it on time. It was a busy day full of interviews, group tasks and written exercises so I was a very tired girly on the way home. I find out next week whether I got the spot, so fingers crossed!

I was all ready to wear a suit for the day, but luckily I emailed beforehand and found out there is no dress code at Channel 4, and I was told to just wear what I was comfortable in. Here's what I went for (again I'm sorry for cutting off my face - I took this after a long, hot train journey home, because I forgot to take one before I went, and it's not a pretty sight!)...

Shoes - Marks and Spencer

Bag - Primark

Dress - Asda

Jacket - New Look

Belt - River Island

I got the dress in the Asda sale for £7 and think it is really pretty and I'll definitely wear it a lot. To make it a bit smarter I added grey heels and a grey smart handbag. The grey jacket is really lightweight and I thought it just made the outfit a bit cooler.

Here's a close up of my belt which is new and I love! I got it from River Island in the sale for £8 reduced from £20. It will be perfect for making an 'ok' outfit a bit more special :-)

Oh, and thought I'd show you this cute little purchase. I got this card holder from Accessorize, and it's perfect for my Young Persons Railcard and means I can travel in style!

If you haven't ever seen the Channel 4 head office (which is not far from Westminster) then take a look at how cool it is...

Yep, that's a big '4' made from umbrellas - awesome!

Even after just one day I can tell that it is just the kind of place I want to be. I had a really enjoyable day, but the other candidates were all really strong, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed and waiting for the fateful phone call!!

xx

Festival Fever

So, I well and truly have festival fever... although I'm not actually going to one this year!

Despite my lack of planned festival action I've been browsing online and have put together 3 festival looks I think are really cool. They are each really different and would suit different people and different festivals.

The first look is cool and edgy. The fringed shorts are amazing - they are from River Island and I think £29.99 is a really reasonable price as not only would they be great for a festival, but they would be useful all through summer and could be worn day or night. The bright red wellies are a real statement and give the whole outfit some real impact. I think it's really worth investing in a good pair of wellies if hitting a festival this year, and the funkier the better! The scarf, trilby and earrings accessorise the outfit well without being too fussy - fussiness is definitely to be avoided if getting ready in a tent and spending all day outside!

Silk Bird Print Bobble Trim Scarf - Warehouse - £25

Red Wellington Boots - Evercreatures - £29.99

Ok Print Crop Tee - River Island - £14.99

Fringed Hotpants - River Island - £29.99

Diamond Weave Purple Trilby - Accessorize - £17

Khaki Feather Drop Earrings - Dorothy Perkins - £12

This second look is more cutesy and girly, and I can see it being worn to more of a T4 on the Beach style festival than a Glastonbury kind of occasion. It is not too big a statement to say I am actually in love with the sunglasses - the colour of the frames and shape of the arms are really retro, and I will definitely be buying them as soon as funds allow! The loose fitting shorts would be comfy to wear all day and as the sandals do up with buckles they're not going to come off in the sand. Beware though, if the festival's muddy these are far too nice to get ruined!

Paris Barbie Vest - Miss Selfridge - £20

Peach Plastic Sunglasses - Dorothy Perkins - £15

Ditsy Corsage Trilby - Accessorize - £17

Sherbet Heart Print Shorts - Topshop - £35

White Tribal Cuff Sandals - Miss Selfridge - £35

Pink Satin Corsage - New Look - £3

The final outfit I put together is more toned down and natural. Playsuits are everywhere at the moment and the strong red in the print of this one stops the whole outfit looking too neutral, beige and boring. The floppy hat is not only really in-keeping with the outfit, but practical too to stop the rays (if indeed we get any sun this year!). The statement bangle with its stones and mirrors adds a bit of glamour to the outfit without being unnecessarily fussy.

Mocha Zig Zag Scarf Trim Floppy - Accessorize - £20

Geri Nature Woven Sandals - Accessorize - £35

Hibiscus Printed Playsuit - Topshop - £45

Stone Set Mirror Bangle - Miss Selfridge - £12

Weave Box Cross Body Bag - Topshop - £30

Overall I think the key to any festival look is to wear something you are comfortable in. Obviously everyone wants to look nice, but fiddling with too much jewellery, attempting to keep heels on in the mud and generally trying to be someone you're not is really not a good look. Relaxed and natural is definitely the way to go.

I love all three of these outfits and could see myself wearing all of them depending on where I was going.

In hindsight maybe it is a good idea that I'm not going to any festivals, as based on this wishlist I seem to have developed it could prove very expensive indeed!

xx