My Playsuit Picks

After being treated to some sun this weekend, I finally managed to dig out some Summer clothes from the back of my overflowing wardrobe, in particular, some playsuits. Personally, I have a bit of an obsession with playsuits mainly because they are so versatile - comfortable for the day time but easily dressed up for night! Below are a couple of my favourite playsuits at the moment...

1. Culture Crush

A key trend in the lead up to Summer shows a global influence focusing on culture - aztec patterns, beaded embellishments, rich embroidery - with a tribal feel coming to the forefront. I love this trend as I feel it's perfect for Summer and it often reappears year after year around this time. This is why I hate throwing out clothes (hence my overflowing wardrobe) as this was actually a purchase made last Summer but I've styled it up with a leather jacket as this year the trend is taking a more modern turn. 

Playsuit - Boohoo
Leather sleeveless jacket - New Look
Boots - Internationale
Choker - Ebay

2. Feminine Florals 

Again this is a purchase made quite a while ago but I love the pattern with florals out in full force leading up to Summer. I've tried to pick up the mix of greys and purples in the playsuit with the metallic shoes, which again is a key trend around at the moment. As always I love a bit of a bargain, picking up these gorgeous heels in the sale!

                                                     

Playsuit - Oh My Love
Necklace - New Look
Shoes - Kurt Geiger

3. Pure & Simple

Playsuit - Missguided
Headpiece - Miss Selfridge
Sandals - Primark

Sometimes keeping it simple is the way to go and I think this is the case with this pretty pink playsuit from missguided. I love the pastel colour (perfect for Summer) but I also love the soft layering effect at the front that gives it a bit of detail and texture. Another obsession right now is headpieces that bring a change from the standard jewellery to something a bit more interesting!

Hope you all enjoyed the sunshine...

Sporting Spirit

Crop Top - Zara
Trousers - Topshop
Shoes - Asos (Kurt Geiger)
Necklace - River Island
Bag - Asos

Another week, another impulse purchase... this time it was a crop top from Zara that caught my eye. It kind of reminded me of a basketball top, which I love, and with the sporty trend continuing in to Spring/Summer I thought I would give it a try.

Being a shopping addict, once I had the top I had to go buy other items to make an outfit and thought these floral joggers would be perfect. These have quickly become a favourite of mine because they're super comfy and I still feel like people aren't judging me for being a fashion student and throwing on joggers to uni... 

The shoes are actually a bit of high street inspiration as I've seen this style of shoes everywhere at the moment. They have multiple different versions on Asos in different patterns and I've also spotted this pair in Topshop (£10 cheaper than I paid from Asos - so annoying!). But anyway, they are really comfy and I will definitely get some use out of these as we move into Spring/Summer. 

Lastly, before I go, if anyone else is loving the sports trend you might be excited to hear about the Topshop and Adidas Originals collaboration which is soon to be launched in stores on 20th March! The 20 piece collection is said to be feminine but still wearable for both fashion and performance. I've seen a few sneak peeks on the Topshop and Adidas Instagram and Elle have also mentioned it in their latest edition where you can see a few more pictures. Personally, I think it looks amazing and hopefully I won't be disappointed!

Elle
April 2014

How To Wear: Tailoring

Cigarette Trousers - Topshop
Shirt - New Look
Necklace - New Look
Shoes - Boohoo
Blazer - H&M

Since I've been back at University for a while now, I thought it was probably time to get out of the lazy student routine and attempt to get myself organised with coursework - the fun begins. For one of my presentations we were asked to dress in a way which was smart but casual, and like a typical fashion student, I instantly thought of what I was going to wear rather than the coursework itself. 

Recently when searching through a Topshop online sale (couldn't resist) I found these amazing cigarette trousers reduced to only £20 and thought they would be perfect to wear for my presentation. So with these trousers as my base, I've built an outfit around them which hopefully gives that 'smart yet casual' look. 

I've tried to create an androgynous look here by keeping it tailored with the cigarette trousers and shirt, but adding a feminine touch with the floral pattern. Adding barely there heels keeps it smart but again gives that feminine touch. Keeping it simple with a gold necklace avoids overpowering the bold pattern and strong tailoring. Finally, a tailored blazer finishes off the look for those chilly Scottish winds.

Hope you guys like it!

Julia

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Pretty Little Playsuit

“Reinvent new combinations of what you already own. Improvise. Become more creative. Not because you have to, but because you want to. Evolution is the secret for the next step.” 

- Karl Lagerfeld



Recently I came across this interesting quote from designer, artist and photographer Karl Lagerfeld. This has been my inspiration for my latest blog post as I think it almost provides a solution for a problem faced by all women (or men) - constantly feeling we need to buy a new outfit instead of making the most of what we already have. Before you splash your cash on a brand new outfit why not work with an item you already have, mixing different items for different day/nightime looks?

To illustrate this I have created different looks with a new playsuit which I purchased from Oh My Love, (a brand previously mentioned in my blog) available from Topshop and their own independent website (click here).

Faux Fur Jacket - H&M
Floral Playsuit - Oh My Love
Belt - New Look
Necklace - New Look
Shoes - Oh My Love
 



Firstly, what I love about playsuits is that they are so versatile. They can be worn as a comfy outfit through the day but also dressed up to wear for a night out!

This first outfit I would wear as a night look as the faux fur jacket and heels allow it to look more sophisticated and dressed up for a night out.

Leather Jacket - River Island
Gold Chain Necklace - River Island
Belt - Asos
Shoes - Fashion Union
Frilly Socks - Topshop

This alternative has more of an edgy/punk feel with a leather jacket rather than the more sophisticated faux fur. By adding different accessories such as a gold chain and a cross belt, it creates a completely different look along with the chunkier boots and frilly socks - but using the exact same playsuit. 

Boyfriend Blazer - New Look
Necklace - Primark
Boots - Primark
Belt - New Look
Bag - New Look 

This third option is more of a daytime look - adding a boyfriend blazer allows the outfit to appear more causal, along with the boots which are more comfortable for wearing through the day. A satchel bag is more relaxed for through the day as opposed to a clutch bag which could be worn with one of the previous looks. 

So that's three different looks all based on one playsuit but styled differently! Maybe before you consider buying something new you can mix and match items you already have...

Julia 

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