Snappy Shopping Day

26 June 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
I have honestly been waiting for this day all week. You know when you have a day in the week, that you have designated to a much deserved event that you can't wait for? That day is today. Most people wouldn't be as excited about what I'm excited about but I've been working most of the week so I can't wait. Today, is shopping day. Bit of an anti-climax for some, but I haven't been shopping for a few weeks so I am very excited to stroll the streets of Leeds and enter every shop I come across. Shopping is like my yoga, some people do certain things to relax or 'self-indulge'; shopping is my go-to activity for this. A lot of the time, I enjoy walking around, window shopping and eating out, not buying a single item. And with the new Trinity Shopping Centre in Leeds which is huge, there are shops or every kind in there. I'm also a bit of a food lover so eating out is an excited experience on it's own. Whenever I go shopping, I always like to wear the comfiest clothes, that are also easy to get on an off when trying clothes on. My top tip would be to wear as little layers as possible to make changing clothes much easier. I love this oversized, long jumper because it's woolly and warm, but also stretchy and easy to get on an off without completely ruining my hair. I may be alone on this, but whenever I spend an entire day of shopping, I often find myself buying little bits and bobs here and there and throwing them into my bag, cluttering it up. So I'm bringing my oversized leather bag that's lightweight and easy to carry - which also means I will be able to hold a few shopping bags in there too. When's your next style shop?
Jumper - Topshop
Leggings - Topshop
Boots - Dorothy Perkins
Bag - Next

Style Crush - Jourdan Dunn

24 June 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
She was recently my 'Woman Crush Wednesday' and I still absolutely adore Jourdan Dunn. I first saw her during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2012 when she appeared on the catwalk in a robot-inspired outfit. Since then, I have followed Jourdan and her career as she becomes an amazing supermodel. Not only is she a style crush of mine, but she's also an inspiration achieving so much so young. For example, in 2008, she was the first black model to walk a Prada runway in over a decade. At 16, Jourdan made her runway debut in the New York shows in autumn 2007, walking in shows for Marc Jacobs and Polo Ralph Lauren And, she recently announced she has signed as the new face of Maybelline New York. Jourdan's style is usually very chic, but she also incorporates some of her urban London style into her outfits. My favourite look of Jourdan's is the first picture above, I love the shapes used in both outfit pieces paired with the shoes. She looked amazing when she attended the Burberry Prorsum SS14 Collections: Men runway show last week, wearing only a t-shirt and jeans but still being able to look amazing. In November 2013, she won "Model of the Year" at the Harper's Bazaar Women Of The Year Awards and she was one of the British models wearing bespoke looks created by British designers during the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony, alongside one of my favourite models, Naomi Campbell. Jourdan has modelled for an endless list of companies, including some of my favourites like Topshop, YSL and Burberry. Jourdan Dunn is definitely one of my biggest style crushes. 

Late Blooms

23 June 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
Florals are the one trend that will always dominate the spring season. It is often that we get a burst of 'winter florals' or the trend leaks into the following season. In this case, we did have elements of the flowery look in a few summer catwalks, and I have decided to embrace the seasonably late style. If I ever wear florals, I like the pattern to be quite demands, whether that is through colour or a complex pattern. Because this trend can so frequently go wrong, when in doubt, I always colour co-ordinate - especially if I don't know what else to wear to complete my outfit. Personally, I wear a lot of blues, and sometimes lighter colours because they contrast with my skin tone rather than earthly or very plain tones. 
I love the style of my dress because it very subtly contains elements of a fit-n-flare style but also looks like a simple straight dress due to it's length. The dress actually has two ties that start just below the bust in line with the 'divide' of the dress which develops that feminine silhouette. Florals in general appear very ladylike, and the bigger or bolder the pattern, the more feminine it appears. I paired this dress with a purple cardigan that matches the colours in the flowers, a tiny bag to carry the basic essentials and my favourite gladiator sandals. I don't often wear sandals, but I adore these as they often accompany and compliment a lot of outfits due to their versatile colour. In my opinion, metallics, or anything shiny for that matter can date, so these sandals essential for this summer.
Dress - Next
Cardigan - Primark
Sandals - Dorothy Perkins
Bag - Topshop

Military Summer

21 June 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
Summer is always a season I tend to struggle with more because I do like the colder seasons, due to trends such as layering and darker colours which I am more comfortable with, but my fashion goal is to go out of my comfort zone so I do try to 'mix it up'. I'm always being told to wear brighter colours like yellow and orange because they contrast well with my skin tone but first I have to get used to standing out in a crowd. Sometimes I really enjoy pairing things together that would usually clash. For example, these acid wash jeans with dark boots. Jeans and boots are two items that I wouldn't normally pair together, but today is an exception. I also quite like the contrast between the brighter effect on the denim compared to the very dark tone in my boots. Distressed denim was such a huge trend throughout spring and ripped, torn or destroyed jeans and shorts are still immensely popular especially among celebrities. I really like the acid wash look because you get so many different shades of colour in one item. I think the 'speckled' effect is always unique in comparison to just ripped jeans at the knee. A favourite pair of jeans are always the perfect thing to throw on during an 'I have no idea what to wear' day, which happens to be today.
Have a great weekend!
Coat - Next
Jumper - homemade
Jeans - Miss Selfridge
Boots - Brantano
Bag - gift

Graphic Denim

19 June 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
Graphic t-shirts are one of the easiest trends to pull off as there's an unlimited amount of styles and colour to play around with. I usually go for something that will draw attention but doesn't overpower the rest of the look. The one I'm wearing was actually a gift, and I don't know where it's from, but I do know that there are many different stores that sell graphic tees. However, they may not always be in the women's section which isn't always a disadvantage. Whenever I wear t-shirts, I like them to feel loose as it's usually warm out. Men's t-shirts are made with a different shape in mind, in contrast to women's clothing made for the feminine figure. Some of the most popular men's stores like Topman or ASOS sell a lot of graphic tees which can be paired with a variety of bottoms. The weather is a little colder today so I'm wearing simple blue jeans and soft skater shoes to finish the look. I'm also loving my fur-lined charcoal coat that keeps me unbelievably warm and cosy.
Top - gift
Coat - Matalan
Jeans - Next
Bag - Spanish market
Shoes - Brantano
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