NEON PATTERNED PALAZZO

Palazzo Pants- Primark // Bralet- Missguided // Sliders- Primark // Mini Clutch- Primark

With my holiday booked (finally!!!) I headed straight to Primark for some summer suitable outfits, after putting my much loved turtlenecks to bed. 

A pair of palazzo pants are a summer must-have, especially against the heat waves Cyrus will no doubt throw at me. Nothing is cooler than a pair of flares and I love how I can roam the streets feeling like I'm in my Pjs. Definitely feeling those chilled hippy vibes in these pants. 

The pattern is not too garish and worked perfectly with my neon mini clutch which I fell in love with purely for how eye-catching it is... literally. Neon is my favourite to style at the minute, I love injecting a bit of colour in my outfits without going over the top. 

I paired these pants with a simple bralet to balance the outfit out and again in prep for those summer heat waves. I also realise I have mini bunches in but why not. 

And obviously, no summer is complete without a Primark Birk dupe. 

(I have left the tags on as I'm still debating between this pair and pair of palazzos... will be up on the blog soon!)

Palazzo Pants- £12
Bralet- £10
Sliders- £5
Clutch- £2

DOGTOOTH

Spaghetti Strap Vest- Missguided // Formal Joggers- Primark // Tattoo Choker- Ebay // Heels- Topshop // Clutch- H&M // Lip Creme in Sweetie- Topshop Makeup

For someone who loves nothing more than a black and white outfit combination, dogtooth is an absolute dream.

I had been swooning over this top for sometime before Missguided offered a 20% discount at which point I was straight online to snap it up. I love the 90's neckline, which I have a little bit of an obsession with at the minute, however, the material is a little strange... It reminds me of a bathing suit, much like neoprene I guess, just much cheaper in appearance. I think the lesser quality appearance is however mostly due to the patterning which seems really... fake? For £8 though, I can't complain, I definitely don't regret this buy. 

To liven up this outfit a bit, I threw on my electric blue heels and a hot pink lipstick which surprisingly worked better than I expected. 

Dogtooth Vest- £8 (Originally £10 without discount)

Formal Joggers- £12

Tattoo Choker- £2.59

Heels- £45

Clutch- £18

Lip Creme- £8

WHITE JEAN TREND

White Jeans- Primark // Kimono- Primark // Black Vest- Topshop // Cleated Boots- H&M // Mac- So Chaud 

If I'm honest here, white jeans are not really my thing. Up there with disco pants... I've always thought they were a tad tacky. However, after becoming a blogger and the apparent rise of the white jean trend I've become less cynical. 

One of the things I love about blogging is your whole opinion about an item of clothing can change depending on how another blogger has styled it. I mean, who the hell made Birkenstocks cool? 

About a month back, I saw someone (who's name I don't remember) who had jumped on the white jean trend and dedicated a blog post on how they styled them. The blogger had ripped them at the knees, had a pair of sliders on, a long grey cardigan and an oversized t-shirt and my opinion changed. I loved how laid back the outfit looked and decided to challenge myself to styling a pair of white jeans to my personal taste. 

The biggest success as a blogger is the ability to style an item that would otherwise be considered 'unfashionable'. Making the unfashionable fashionable to put it simply. One, to demonstrate the diversity of fashion- which is not constrained to the current trends, and two to prove you don't need a full wallet to be considered stylish and can instead work with what you already have. I for one am always dragging clothes from my wardrobe that haven't seen the light of day since I was 13... But I always think Fashion moves in circles. An item will crop back up in the limelight in a few years no doubt. 

These jeans are in fact my Mam's jeans, which I was dying to rip but that would not go down well at all. I'll no doubt purchase my own pair when I get some money in the bank, but for now I think I'll just lend hers... 

I wore this outfit out for a few cocktails in sunny sunny Newcastle, paired with the prettiest Primark kimono. Unfortunately its not a longline kimono which I am so so pining after but I just couldn't say no to such a small price tag... obviously. I'm only human. 

Kimono- £8

White Jeans- £10

Cleated Boots- £35

Topshop Vest- £8

Mac Lipstick- £15

ALL BLACK

 

Formal Joggers- Primark // Lace Mesh Top- Topshop // Snakeskin Flatforms- Office Outlet Ebay // Clutch- Urban Outfitters // Infrared Lipstick- Topshop

There is nothing that makes me feel more sophisticated than an all black outfit, even with the typical gothic labelling. I wore this to a smart/casual lunch outing a couple of weeks back and felt rather mature as I sipped down a few midday cocktails. 

I fell in love with plain black formal joggers when I saw them in Topshop, the fit is extremely flattering especially on those with bigger bums- which is a category I am most definitely in. However, the hefty price tag led me to search else where and I came across an exact pair in Primark. I can not stress enough how identical these trousers are, I'd even go as far to say the fit was better and at less than half the price I went ahead and bought two pairs. 

I often pair them with crop tops to show off the fitted style and choose a see-through lace crop to stand out against the black and break it up with the subtle hints of... tummy. My dad brought me the clutch back from Manchester a few years back, I expected it to be a lot bigger but its stands out perfectly against my all black look with the cool spider-web like patterning... just can't escape my inner goth. 

Formal Joggers- £12

Mesh Lace Top- £20

Flatforms- £13

Clutch- £18

Lipstick- £8

THE SMART-CASUAL DILEMA

                              

White Jacquard Tee- Primark // Leather Quilted Skirt- Primark // Vintage Gold Necklace- Napier // Black Snakeskin Flatforms- Office Outlet Ebay

Smart-Casual- The two words that can start or end your career before you even step foot into the office and nervously sit opposite a potential employer. A juxtapositional nightmare that has you tearing through your closet in desperate search of fashion's answer to Switzerland. A neutral attire- not too smart, not too casual. The world would be a simpler place if it was acceptable to roll up to an interview in a pair of sweatpants, a bralet and a pair of Birkenstocks thrown on. After looking like you arrived straight from a jumble sale, you no doubt would not get the job. Fashion has a major role in our presentation of ourselves, which sounds kind of obvious... but it is definitely worth noting that a bad choice of footwear can make or break you. At the other end of the spectrum, we have the suited and booted individuals that look as though they'd cry if anything some much as touched their crisp white shirts, pretty intimidating and a bit much for the smart-casual dress code. 27 minutes and 9 outfits later I landed on a white jacquard tee, leather quilted skirt and black snakeskin flatforms. This monochrome style was exactly what I needed, there is nothing smarter than black and white but the t-shirt and leather still gave this outfit that casual edge. The added touch of a pink lipstick kept with the minimalist vibes but added a bit of femininity. What I love about this outfit is the contrast of different textures to add difference where colour lacked, and of course the flatforms were a must for a bit of height and a bit of confidence. 

White Jacquard Tee: £5

Leather Skirt: £3

Flatforms: £13.57 (inc. P&P) 

Monochrome in a Petticoat S/S '14

Pull & Bear: Neoprene Lace Pattern Top // Topshop: Croc High Neck Cami // Matalan: Collarless Oversized Boucle Coat // River Island; White Block Heel Cleated Sole Sandals // Topshop: Wrap Front Bralet // New Look: Pink Check Notch Mini Skirt // NARS: Lara Pure Sheer SPF Lip Treatment // Primark: Palm Tree Printed Skirt // Topshop: Zip Front Denim Backpack // Topshop: Patent Leather Flippy Skirt by Boutique

For too long now we've been burying our breasts under excessive layers of knitted jumpers and tartan scarfs; frantically hiding our milky legs from the harsh cold under several pairs of thermals (and lest we forget the ugly wellies). S/S '14 is all about embracing our femininity and our old 90's friend, pastel pink leads the way. That's right, monochrome's gone all soft on us, forget black and white, it's so, well... 1960's.

If I'm honest I'm one of those people who as the saying goes will 'stop wearing black when they find a darker colour', but I just adore the straight-edged but ultra-girly vibes from this style. By itself, pink is just too much, the injection of white in this trend grounds it at a point of maturity- where you don't look like you're a 10 year old who hit puberty prematurely.

Pull & Bear- Neoprene Lace Pattern Top

Neoprene, something you don't tend to wear unless you're a deep sea driver, however, the fabric has been trending recently across both the high street and designers. Though better suited to A/W for its thermal abilities, its a big hit for spring... maybe apply a bit deodorant before you head out the door? The cutaway detail, high neck line and cropped length are why I love this top. It's simple, but structured. It's also lace patterned which is always a spring favourite. Check out Zara for simple styles.

Topshop: Croc High Neck Cami 

After watching clips from the Paris S/S '14 Fashion Week, it's decided, I definitely need more metallics in my life. Rochas' silver pleated dress was a beauty, but I didn't even need to look at the price tag to know it was out of my ever decreasing price range. This Topshop cami is definitely the next best thing (sort of), the animal print texture gives it that extra something to the metallic glint. If you love this trend as much as I do, Whistles is definitely worth checking out for some key pieces (and more specifically the Daisy Foil Skirt I'd be typing this blog in if it wasn't for the £125 price tag).

Matalan: Collarless Oversized Boucle Coat 

If they aren't already, everyone and their uncle will be wearing the pink pastel boyfriend coat by next week- a statement piece for S/S. I've seen a tonne of variations but Matalan, somewhere I don't tend to stumble upon, are selling it for the low low price (seriously) of £40. I tend to steer away from trend specific coats (opting for more timeless and interchangeable pieces such as the leather jacket), the prices tend to be too high for something that will be 'so last year' by tomorrow. But £40 I can work with.

River Island; White Block Heel Cleated Sole Sandals

What many might think resemble orthopaedic/nursing shoes, I think resemble next pay day's first buy (after I find a new job obviously...). Chunky is in, big time, and I plan on permanently adopting the inch taller look this summer.  

Topshop: Wrap Front Bralet

I'll let you in on a not-so-secret secret- I am a sucker for a bralet. If I had the confidence I'd wear one every time I nipped to the shop for some milk, but they are just too revealing. I suggest pairing this top with a kimono or even a boyfriend coat to avoid looking like you're desperate for some sun or you've forgot to put your t-shirt on this morning. 

New Look: Pink Check Notch Mini Skirt

I am swooning over this Clueless-esque checked skirt, for £17.99 I'm practically clearing a space in my wardrobe as I type. You don't need me to tell you the 90's has made a comeback and this skirt is the perfect addition to your collection. 

NARS: Lara Pure Sheer SPF Lip Treatment 

My No.1 accessory to any outfit is a good lipstick and NARS have hit the mark with a lipstick to suit any pastel look. What's even better is the mango butter hydrates your lips, ideal for any poor winter chapped mouths out there. 

Note: Make sure you take a minute to watch the NARS Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil Short Film described as 'evocative' and 'unique', so at least I know I'm not the only one laughing. Yet I still can't help but wish I had Frivolous Velvet Gloss in my hands right now... Something's working. 

Primark: Palm Tree Printed Skirt 

You heard it here first: The high street are obsessing over palm tree print this S/S. If you can't bring the tropical weather to Britain, you might as well wear it. 

Topshop: Zip Front Denim Backpack

You can't go wrong with a backpack, well... unless you end up looking like a school child, again. This mini white backpack has an air of sophistication, and paired with those matching sandals make a perfect combo. Do handbags even exist anymore? I've been the hunt for a cheap mini white leather backpack but I've had no luck, this Topshop alternative is definitely something different and hey, better to have white denim on your bag then on your jeans (White Denim Jeans = Hideous). 

Topshop: Patent Leather Flippy Skirt by Boutique

This PVC look skirt well and truly belongs to those space age looks of the 60's but without a doubt has a (2nd?) home here in the 2014. This pastel take on the generally black style gives the dominatrix look a sweet girly edge and I don't know about you but soaking up the (limited) rays in a pitch black plastic/leather skirt does not appeal.

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