Cactus Club: The New 'It Print'

After making the mistake of going out without a jacket and shivering the whole way home, I've finally accepted that summer is over (cry). On the bright side, I'm heading off to sunny Dubrovnik in a few weeks time so I'm still looking out for summer-style pieces that I can squeeze into my suitcase. If you're also jetting off in October and are looking for some inspiration, there is a certain print that has dominated this summer - cactus!

 

T-shirt//River Island
Playsuit//Zara
Socks//Asos
Shoes//Zara
Bag//Cambridge Satchel Company

Whether its florals, foliage or pineapples, every summer we see bold, bright patterns hitting the high-street. This year, cactus print has become the new 'it print' and I'm definitely on-board! One of my favourite pieces is this Zara playsuit. I love how it's cute and ditsy - typical of a floral print - but has more of an edgy-ness to it. If you're not into the playsuit, here's a few more prickly high-street picks...

Mango//£39.99

Cheap Monday//£20

House of Holland//£95

Asos//£4

Topshop//£28

Wildfox//£16

Stripe Trend: Take Two!

Vertical stripes - they're slimming, they elongate your legs and they're on-trend. What more could a 5ft 3 fashion lover ask for? Well actually, maybe a washing machine that doesn't shrink your trousers.

Stripes were a key pattern spotted on the Spring/Summer 2015 catwalks from the likes of Uma Wang and Balmain, inspiring me to give the trend a go. After hours of searching online I found a pair of chic, sleek trousers from Topshop and I thought it was a match made in heaven, but it wasn't meant to be when they shrunk in the wash (Read more here). Even worse, when I went to buy a new pair they were all sold out! (heartbroken </3). Not one to be defeated, I found an alternative pair from Forever 21. 

Pairing with a minimal white polo neck and classic tailored blazer will avoid clashes with the bold, nautical print allowing them to be the main focus of the outfit. Changing from a pair of flats for work into these simple black heeled sandals, carries the look seamlessly from day to night.

White polo neck//Asos
Blazer//Boohoo
Trousers//Forever21
Shoes//Forever21
Bag//Autograph at M&S

Triangl in Tenerife

Sorry for the excuses, but I've been so busy lately I'e definitely been falling behind on the blog posts - one of the reasons being that I've been on holiday to Tenerife! (holiday blues...)

In preparation for holiday I had been searching for the perfect bikini and after hearing so much about Triangl I finally decided to get my hands on one. 

Triangl 

Triangl is an Australian company offering Swimwear and Underwear which is said to be practical but fashionable. Their main selling point in terms of Swimwear is their use of neoprene fabric, which is basically what is used in wetsuits, designed to keep the bikini's shape and also keep it in place. Retail prices of the Swimwear are around £60 and there's postage on top of that if you live in the UK like myself.

Personally, I am always looking for a bargain and I turned to Ebay to try find a good deal. I managed to find this 'New York Noir' Triangl which had only been worn once to try on and was too big so they sold it with all the original packaging and hygiene protectors. It cost me about £40 in total - bargain! 

Talking about sizing, it can be quite tricky to figure out what size you would be without being able to try them on first. I am usually a UK size 6-8 and a B/C cup and the XS in both the top and bottom fitted me perfectly! If you're still unsure there are size guides available on their website or the live chat option can also be very helpful. 

New York Noir Triangl Bikini

My Review

Overall I was very pleased with my Triangl bikini, it fitted perfectly and the bikini stayed in place even through a whole day of slides at a water park. The bikini comes with it's own bag and packaging all branded with the Triangl label and even the tiers have the Triangl logo. It definitely gives the impression of high quality swimwear! The only downfall is that due to the black colour when it came into contact with chlorine the colour started to rub off leaving me with slight black marks around the inside of my legs but this washed off easily and wasn't very noticeable. Final tip - make sure you wash your bikini properly with water after being in contact with chlorine as advised by the instructions that come with the bikini.  

The Bargain Blossom Blazer

As much as I hate to say it, Summer is coming to an end (cry) and as a result the shops are filled with sales as they launch their new Autumn/Winter collections. However, it does mean that you can pick up a few bargains which is always a good thing!

 

 

 

 

Blazer//Zara
Cami Top//New Look
Skirt//Missguided
Clutch//Accessorize
Shoes//Oh My Love

I picked up this lovely Zara blazer in their Summer sale and I love it! The delicate pattern is perfect for wearing with jeans or dressing up for cocktails. Being a skint student, when I buy items I like to know that I will get good use out of them. So for example, even though it will be getting colder, florals can still be brought through into the next season. Also, zip detailing was used frequently in dresses, skirts and jackets by the likes of Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gautier - so again the zips on the sides of the blazer can carry through into Autumn/Winter.

 

Hope everyone is enjoying what's left of their Summer!

 

 

Great Lengths

I've gone to great lengths to find a maxi dress that would actually suit me and not make me look shorter (trust me it's very difficult) and finally I have found one which I am in love with. 

Personally at my height of 5 ft 2, I find it more flattering to have a split in the maxi dress which gives a flash of leg and prevents you from looking shorter. Or in a similar way, I have chosen a deep V-neck and a high waist which creates the same balance and illusion of having longer legs! 

Maxi Dress//Oh My Love
Clutch//Accessorize
Shoes//River Island

This particular maxi dress is from 'Oh My love', a favourite brand of mine, complete with a pretty feminine pattern and interesting back - perfect for my holiday to Tenerife! The shoes are another favourite, again they are a bit different with tie up laces which I think adds to the feminine look. 

Overall this has quickly become one of most loved items in my wardrobe and I hope it proves that even if you are not so lucky with your height you can still wear floor length maxi's!

Think Pink

"You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take."

Sorry for the cheesy quote, but recently I decided that it was time to put myself out there and find a new job that actually relates to what I want to do in the future. Luckily, it paid off and I am now a visual stylist/visual merchandiser at M&S - loving it so far! 

Along with the new job I also got a new discount card, which I think my mum was more excited about than me. However, I was actually really surprised at how much of the clothes I ended up lusting after - my first purchase being a beautiful white long line blazer! 

Blazer//M&S
Top//Topshop
Jeans//Zara
Shoes//My1stWish
Clutch//Boohoo
Necklace//New Look

Lately my wardrobe has been full of this powder pink, which along with white, is one of my favourite colours for the Summer. It's also good for enhancing a tan... always a plus. Being only 5ft 2 I love these chunky heels from My 1st Wish who offer a range of shoes at a reasonable price - definitely worth a look! Even though this blazer was a little expensive I felt it was worth it for the tailored fit and it also goes with a lot of different outfits so I feel like I'm getting my moneys worth!

Ray of Sunshine

The sun is back and so am I! Been so busy lately enjoying the sun but I'm finally back to blogging. I thought I would make the most of the sun with this summery outfit complete with a bright sunshine yellow.

Top//Topshop
Shorts//Misselfrdige
Leather Waistcoat//New Look
Jelly Shoes//Zara
Sunglasses//TITP stall
Choker//Ebay

As well as the yellow, I am also loving lace and crochet this Summer. I eventually managed to get this crop top in my local Topshop store after it being sold out online in my size. It's definitely a popular Summer item! As always I can't help myself when it comes to sales and these jelly shoes were a steal at only £5. Lastly, my favourite Summer accessory at the moment are these black, round sunglasses which I bought at a stall at T in the Park. I love the shape, but I know some people can be a bit wary if it suits them. Give it a go! 

Hope you're all enjoying the sun...

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...

Topshop Temptation

So... the credit card is being used and abused once again. Recently I've been trying to stay away from the shops/online shopping in an attempt to save but all the Summer clothes are just too tempting! A prime example is this bodycon dress from topshop - amazing print, cut out sections and a perfect fit - what more could I ask for?

I've styled this in a way which is a bit more casual as I think the hat and the shoes/socks compliment the summery pattern but I will probably be dressing this up with heels too!

Bowler Hat - Forever 21
Dress - Topshop
Socks - Miss Selfridge
Shoes - Daisy Street

As usual I buy things on impulse and not when I actually need it so someone please give me a good excuse to wear this!