Stylish Scholar

20 August 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
I know there are absolutely loads of YouTubers doing 'Back to School' series. Whether it's beauty gurus or lifestyle vloggers, just about everyone is talking about the upcoming term. In the UK, school doesn't usually start again until September but I know there are some schools that are timetabled a little differently. Today's look wasn't put together with school in mind, as I'm lucky enough to have survived the education system, but I do think it's a great back to school look. It's very scholar-esque which I think is all down to the jumper and dark tones used. My top is a 2-in-1 type of shirt where the two pieces are actually attached together and can't be detached which I quite like. The simple blue colours are perfect for a casual school style or even for work if the dress code isn't too strict. I like that the shirt underneath doesn't have a 'typical' collar which is a tiny element of detail that spices up the look a little. I'm obsessed with charcoal jeans, so I included this rustic-looking rucksack to match the colour. When I was in school, I carried a backpack a few times because sometimes they're much easier to just throw stuff into rather than faffing about with a really fancy bag between classes. Chelsea boots have become a favourite of mine, and as the temperature starts to drop, I've been wearing these boots a lot more because they're so easy to combine with the rest of the items in my wardrobe. The colour helps, but these boots can either be styled up or style down which is a great bonus for customising outfits for school.
Top - Next
Jeans - Topshop
Boots - Dorothy Perkins
Bag - TK Maxx

Humongous Handbags

19 August 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
I have recently really fallen for oversized bags. Oversized anything is what I will usually go for, other than jeans. I love huge jumpers and long tops as well as large statement accessories and jewellery. Today I'm carrying quite a large bag that I bought from TK Maxx. There are many things I love about TK Maxx, finding designer clothing for reasonable prices is always exciting, but I really like the fact that you often find one off pieces in there. Sometimes they're just in that one store, but it's rare I'll find a lot of items twice in a fortnight. My large bag was bought for my last year of school, which I finally finished in June, and was sitting there, all alone on a rack. I couldn't resist, I had to buy it because it's black and leather - perfect for school. My huge bag also has divided sections and plenty of pockets inside which is always a bonus for me. I like simple colours for handbags as they're not often a statement piece in my outfits. I really like the ribbed effect down the middle of the bag as well as the gigantic studs near the handles. Oversized bags have become essential for me as I now work full time and I have to carry a lot of folders along with my typical handbag essentials. On the other hand, I've noticed really large bags are great for shopping days because I can just throw things in rather than struggling to carry everything. I often find myself trying to look for a place to put a tiny carrier bag from Claire's somewhere and I've even lost them because I have no where to put them! I've found humongous handbags to be a new favourite of mine, what do you think?
Top - Next
Jeans - Tophop
Bag - TK Maxx
Converse - Schuh

Mini Midriff

18 August 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
When I wear cropped tops, I often buy them long enough to cover my tummy, or wear high waisted jeans that go past my belly button. However, today I'm feeling daring, and exposing a tiny bit of my 'midriff'. Usually this is something I would not be uncomfortable with, and I think pulling off this look is all down to confidence and how you feel applying this trend. I think it's an absolutely perfect look for anyone that isn't keep on wearing shorter dresses or short-sleeved tops because your lower chest and tummy can be show off in a really subtle way without going outside your comfort zone. I have quite a pear body shape, so I've really grown to love cropped tops and high waisted clothing because they disguise the bits I don't like and highlight or show off the bits I do like. I've also found, in effect, it can make you look a little bit slimmer, when you show off your favorite body parts. This denim shirt I chose to wear over the top is a new favorite of mine because it's really light denim, and not as thick as a jacket so it's not overbearing. I've found that the thinner denim shirts are perfect for autumn because they're so easy to use in a layered outfit, and the basic shades can be paired with plenty of different colours as well as patterns to create a unique look. 
Denim shirt - Next
Top - made for me
Jeans - Topshop
Shoes - Brantano
Bag - Next

Check the Gradient

17 August 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
When ordering clothes online, I always think: "This is so nice, it would be great to blog about!" without the intention of actually wearing it. Either that, or I've forgotten I've ordered it and it comes as a surprise about a week or so later. This shirt was bought because I thought it was 'nice' but that was about it. However, over the past few days I've actually grown to love it, even wearing it twice in one week! I don't wear check shirts that often because they can clash with a lot of other clothes in my closet as I love patterns. But I really like this simple check shirt, with no extreme colour and a really cool pattern. It follows the typical 'flannel' style, but I think the black and white take on it causes it to stand out among the rest. I think this shirt is perfect for Autumn because of it's darker tones but it's still just as stylish to finish of summer.
I would also like to apologize for not posting since Thursday, I've been through a digital nightmare! I have a Lenovo Windows 8 laptop which has been amazing for school over the past year, but it just broke down out of no where! And just my luck, it broke down two days out of the warrenty so I had to pay for a brand new hard drive because mine was damaged. After contacting Lenovo and getting a new driver, that hard drive then broke! I was terrified of losing all my photos but luckily non of my documents were harmed. So now, I have yet a new hard drive which should hopefully work. My broadband also stopped working last week so I had to go to coffee shops just to post! But I think I'm back on track now - I really don't like posting infrequently. 
Shirt - Next
Jean - Miss Selfridge
Shoes - Nike
Bag - Topshop

Blue Balloons

14 August 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
Is it me or is summer ending a little quicker than anticipated? I feel like it only lasted a few minutes; and I know that's what everyone always says during summer but it's strange how quickly the seasons pass, I only ever realise because the weather's changing. Today's dress is perfect for today, which is quite gloomy and dull. The dreary clouds just blanket the sky and create a chilly breeze while throwing a storm or two into the mix. Not really the August I was expecting, it has rained nearly everyday! You may recognise the fabric used for my dress from Monday's post. I had a lot of spare fabric and decided to used it on more than one item of clothing. As mentioned in yesterday's post I nearly always go for the skater dress style and I'm trying to break the habit. I thought I would go with a super cosy dress and the temperatures are already beginning to drop. The fabric is a knitted cotton so it's warm against the wintry winds and has a little bit of stretch making it all the more comfortable. Today I'm working all day, and I'll be sat inside all day, so comfort couldn't be more important. I'm also in a great mood because the colour of my dress is almost identical to the colour of my nails and that makes me really happy. It's the little things. My boots are Chelsea boots from Dorothy Perkins that I absolutely adore because they're amazing quality and add an element of 'cuteness' to this look. My nail colour is Blue Balloon, by GOSH Cosmetics.
Today is also results day and I can't wait to receive my grades for Media Studies, English Language and Literature, Sociology and Graphic Design - good luck to all those receiving results!
Dress - made for me
Boots - Dorothy Perkins
Bag - Next
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