Treasured Trainers

23 September 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
About 4 or 5 years ago, I would be the first person to be immediately hostile towards trainers worn for any other reason that sport. I couldn't be more irritated by trainers and jeans worn together. Today, everything's a little different - although I still struggle to accept a pair of trainers such as the Air Max put together with a midi skirt or longer dress, but there's time for it to grow on me. Trainers with jeans were really popular when I was younger and I just couldn't stand it, especially white trainers with dark jeans, that look would aggravate me. Today I try to experiment more with my wardrobe, which means going out of my comfort zone, even if it's just baby steps. I've owned Nike trainers for a while, Nike is usually my go-to brand for sportswear, even if do pronounce it wrong. I've found that they have a wider variety of shoes, including the ridiculously popular Nike Roshe Run shoes which are worn by a large amount of people. I chose these darker pair of trainers which I actually picked up from the Nike section in Sports Direct (a sports store which sells items for the most amazing prices I've ever seen). I paired the navy shoes with jeans of a similar colour, and chose to go for super skinny jeans because I think they suit this type of shoe best. Because the design of the shoe is quite sleek and slim, baggier and wider fitter jeans wouldn't look as great. On top, I'm wearing a white, knitted 3/4 length jumper which also brings out the white in my trainers and brightens up the whole outfit. To finish the look I'm carrying my favourite oversized bag. 
Top - Next
Jeans - Topshop
Bag - TK Maxx
Shoes - Nike

Super Smart and Considerably Casual

22 September 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
Happy Monday! There are often days where I have to dress in a less casual outfit to suit the occasion. Working for a charity means there are often meetings with other charity members. They don't exactly require you to arrive in a suit and tie, but turning up in your favourite sweats isn't the best idea. If you work in quite a relaxed work environment where you still need to make an effort, I think this outfit is perfect as it highlights the best of smart and casual combined. When I hear 'smart-casual' I immediately think dark denim. Whether this is because I have a soft spot from charcoal jeans I'm not totally sure, but I think darker denim is a great fabric to include in an outfit that is a little more formal than the rest. It's socially seen as less of a colloquial colour because darker tones tend to be associated with seriousness. I've only ever attended three job interviews in my life, but all three times I wore a blazer because they immediately give off a formalistic vibe. I love blazers because they're so versatile, and they can be worn over any type of item underneath - for interviews I lean towards dresses but blazers pair well with plenty of items. Blazers also come in so many different styles and colours so it's impossible not to find one you like - unless you have a realyl strong hate for blazers. My oversized bag is perfect for today as I'll be carrying folders and paperwork which looks a lot better without dog ears and tears. My oversized bag is idea for storing a lot of items without it getting too heavy or breaking - I often use it as a carry-on because it's so large and has zips on to expand. To finish the look, I included a bright blue blouse that adds a touch of colour to the overall outfit and my jet black Chelsea boots which appear much more professional in contrast to my everyday Converse. 
Blazer - M&S
Top - Next
Jeans - Topshop
Boots - Dorothy Perkins
Bag - Next

Jersey Dressing

19 September 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
I have always been the girl who wears dresses, from day one - I've just loved them. In primary school I would wear dresses throughout the winter even though it's much more logical to wear trousers when you live in the North of England. I think my love from dresses stems from me usually being able to find trousers that are long enough to fit me, as I have very long legs; usually the long-length trousers available in stores are too short. Dresses on the other hand, are very different. With most, there's no height and limb length restriction. I can wear lots of dresses without worrying about them looking strange because they don't fit right. This doesn't apply to maxi dresses and skirts but that's a different story altogether. As I grew up, I began to favourite the fit-n-flare or skater style of dress because I found it most flattering for my body shape and they're comfortable for me to wear. I'm lucky to have a fashion designer for a mother, so a lot of dresses can be made specifically for me and they're one of a kind, but if there wasn't much time on our hands, I always resorted to dresses made out of jersey, one of my favourite fabrics. Jersey is a really soft knit fabric with stretch in and in many cases can be quite lighweight. This dress I'm wearing today is from Topshop, and although it's a drop-waist dress which I wouldn't usually go for, the fabric is just so comfortable and flexible I just couldn't resist. Most dresses today are made out of jersey for it's elasticity and durability, but I like that it comes in so many different colours and styles because it's a knit fabric, and I head straight to the jersey section every time we visit a fabric store. 
Dress - Topshop
Coat - Dorothy Perkins
Bag - TK Maxx
Shoes - Schuh

Loving Leather

18 September 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
I think an item made of leather is a must have in any closet. Whether it's just a simple skirt of a pair of super shiny trousers. I personally love leather jackets because I think they're so easy to style and can be paired with a lot of different items. I've found that leather jackets are the one item of clothing you can own for years and still style it to perfect, just like a promising pair of jeans. Leather as a fabric can be difficult to buy, usually the higher the quality, the higher the price. I don't own a lot of custom-made leather items simply because it can be cheaper to buy them in the long run, but there's so many leather items on the market at the moment in plenty of different colours so there isn't much room to complain. I actually remember when leather jackets because a huge trends while I was about 14 in 2008, Topshop had just released a line of leather jackets, and most of them had hoods on *cringe* which I was desperate to have. Of course now, I'm happy I didn't buy one because leather jackets look a lot better and are more versatile without a hood. Today's look is über casual as I'm only going shopping during my day off. One of my favourite things about good quality leather is that it's thick and naturally insulating so I can wear one of my favourite patterned tees underneath which is quite thin and loose on me, without getting really cold in the autumn breeze. I'm carrying my favourite leather bag from Topshop that's a really strong leather, making the bag well structured and less floppy. Finally, my leather hi-tops were bought a few years ago and are still a favourite of mine for the winter because they are so warm and well-lined as well as extremely comfortable to walk in.  
Top - Primark
Jacket - Miss Selfridge
Jeans - Next
Shoes - Fred Perry
Bag - Topshop

Watercolour Wanderlust

16 September 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
I've been obsessed with Tumblr ever since I first made my account back in 2011. It's just the perfect way to get inspiration in every aspect. I look there for motivation to work out, to actually get up and work or even just to work harder in everyday life. It's also the perfect place for style inspiration from the thousands of street style blogs, and gives me the strongest desire to travel as I follow quite a lot of travel and photography blogs - which is why my Tumblr blog's name is "Wanderlust". I actually have an entire board on Pinterest named "One Way Ticket" which is just full of photographs of places I would love to go - Pinterest is definitely my go to app when I'm ridiculously board and like to drool over stylish bedrooms of expensive outfits. One of the first things I want to do on my bucket list is travel to just about every corner of the Earth. From Scotland to Mexico to Thailand - I seriously want to see it all. My outfit today reminded me a little bit of a travel inspired look, which I think is down to the really nice watercolour effect on my dress. The fabric is silk, so it's already really soft, but doesn't have much of a natural stretch to it. However, the elasticated waist highlights a feminine figure and gives the dress more shape. The colours leak or 'bleed' into each other, and are all quite peaceful and relaxing colours which I think give the outfit more of a chill tone. My charcoal, rustic rucksack is from TK Maxx and was the only one left as TK Maxx is a one-of-a-kind type of store. The bag is made of denim which is tough and durable but really comfortable to wear on my shoulders, as I find with a lot of bags, they tend to rub on my shoulders - especially when I'm carrying a lot of items making it heavier. My matching boots are a favourite of mine as I've had them for a while and they're still remained in amazing condition. A lot of people are under the illusion that you must spend hundreds of pounds to find items that will last a long time, but this isn't always necessarily true. My boots are from Brantano which is considered quite a 'cheap' shop, and I don't splurge on them; yet they've remained in amazing condition and haven't fallen apart! 
Dress - TK Maxx
Cardigan - Next
Bag - TK Maxx
Boots - Brantano
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