Archives: Fashion

Dress // ASOS
Cut-out Boots (Again!) // Office
Necklace // Zara
Bracelet // 2nd Hand
Jacket // Zara
Bag // Vintage (From Snoopers Paradise)

A friend of mine and Dan, Andy, left town the other day for a 3 months jaunt in America. So far I’ve seen a picture of him with his soft top burgundy Mustang (he passed his driving test around 2 weeks ago) and another photo of him toting an M43 automatic rifle. Living the American dream, then.

Whilst hiding my jealousy of a 3 month America road trip proves hard, fortunately it isn’t all bad as Andy organised a great meal out the night before he left. Unfortunately, he chose my not so favourite restaurant on Preston Street: Sushi Garden. But, when it comes to food, what Andy says, goes, so off we trotted through Brighton’s famous Pavilion Gardens post foreign-student-6pm.

Outfit wise, I went for my uniform of faux-leather, green dress and Office boots. I really love the colour of this ASOS midi dress and at £25 it’s a steal. Unfortunately I think it’s a tiny bit too long for me, I think a couple of inches off the hem and it could look really nice. As I’m fairly tall (5’8) I don’t know how anybody shorter would find it to be ‘midi’!

 
I got this bag from Snoopers Paradise, the random market-type vintage junk shop in the North Laines. While it was pretty expensive at £20 (these shops now tend to chuck ‘vintage’ on the price tag and mark it up by a tenner) I loved the clasp, shape and colour and thought it was in very good condition. I can’t fit my mega purse in it, but that’s a bonus anyway as it just means Dan has to pay ;)

 
Stupid picture of bangs.

Make-up however, is pretty much the same as normal. This is my Nars ‘Dragon Girl’ Matte lip pencil. I’m totally going to get another one of these in maybe a rouge red when I get paid.

Finally – Sushi Garden. I don’t know what they have done in the last ~12 months since the last time we visited, but I thought the food was amazing. Especially the stuff everyone else ordered! Me being me decided to play it safe after our last experience and ended up with food envy all night. If you’re ever in the Hove area, craving Japanese, head to Preston Street and don’t order something safe, go crazy with a few of the veggie tapas dishes.

Until next time good friends, good night.

Glasses // Booth & Bruce

First off, I just want to say that I do need to wear these glasses. They’re the real deal, I can even see better in them and stuff. They are certainly not the lense free hipster-issue perspex ones which were floating about for a while last year. No sir, definitely not. I just don’t wear them very often!

..And now that’s out the way, here’s my outfit of the day.

Khaki Pea Coat // French Connection
Breton Striped Dress // French Connection
Croc Bayswater Bag // Mulberry
Cut-out Boots // Office
Scarf // Warehouse

I didn’t really think about the fact I was pretty much wearing all French Connection until I started writing this post. My love of French Connection has certainly increased in the past year – I don’t think you can get better quality for the money. I was reading somewhere that fashion in the UK is seeing a shift from trends to investment pieces and perhaps I have been mosying along in the same direction.

If I could choose a high-street brand to get a ‘most improved’ award then French Connection would definitely be the recipient. Gone are the FCUK days (yes, I totally had one of those tshirts when I was 13) and now we see grown up collections with beautiful palettes and great accessories. Although I do feel like they should give the Herve Leger bandage dress copy a rest now)!

Still in love with my bag, by the way. And the fact I have to moisturise it every couple of weeks!

So there you have it, a dreary tuesday shoot in the car park up the road.

I was working all night last night, so tonight I am going to sit my ass down on the sofa, watch Game of Thrones and Mad Men, and definitely not think about my computer.

Good night!

High-waist skinny Jeans // ASOS
Square T shirt // ASOS
Necklace // Warehouse
Khaki High Heeled Shoes // NewLook

Sunny Sunday! That hasn’t been said in a while. Not quite warm enough to get out the legs but I did brave bare arms (in my flat)!

As you can see when I was taking pictures of todays outfits inside, my 2 furry friends decided they were going to get in the mix. Of course, they never sit still, so I apologise that the pictures aren’t quite in focus!

Today’s look is brought to you courtesy of ASOS. The same can be said for most of the clothes in my wardrobe – in fact this week I’ve gone so far as considering applying to a job role there, just so I can get a bloody discount! I did some Maths and worked out that moving to central London would only work out slightly more expensive on a yearly basis then money saved by a 10% discount…

I’ve found it really hard, but at the same time, really enjoyable to start wearing slightly more casual clothes than my uniform of tights & dress.

White Eyeliner // Rimmel
Lip Pencil // Nars

Also went a bit random with my make up. White eyeliner was all over the ss13 catwalk shows – sort of riffing on Pat McGrath for Prada (Without the slight milkstache).
I also visited Liberty’s this weekend and bought this great matte Nars lip pencil. I really can’t stand sticky shiny lipsticks, especially as I wear it most often during the day, so I think I might be investing in more than just this pinky red ‘Dragon Girl’ shade.

Well, that’s all for Sunday, hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Hey Y’all

I finally went to Zara to spend my voucher. Pre-5pm when there is still larger than an XS in stock.

So here’s what I got! This dress is a great colour, pretty much my favourite and is a nice silky material. I’ve also loved the idea of these collar necklaces for a while and this is by far the best one I’ve seen. Although I think I’m bordering on looking like a bad fancy-dress Cleopatra with hair, eye makeup and necklace combined :S

The bag is vintage (found within hundreds that Dan’s mum had been hoarding – she does so much charity shopping there’s no point me even bothering as she has it covered!), Boots are Office (and are super comfy incase you were cared!), Blazer is Gap and Nail Varnish is Chubby Cheeks by Essie.

Green Gathered Dress // ZARA
Blue Blazer // GAP
Plait Necklace // ZARA
Lace-Up Shoe Boots // Office
Bag // Vintage

Getting used to my new hair now!

So Zara eh. I love wandering around in there but they barely ever have my size! So, dear Zara, please please PLEASE go easy on the XS and stock more L & XL please!

I don’t think I can remember when there last was this many jackets I wanted, all at one time. Sure – I am looking at some more expensive shops, and my style is perhaps a little more grown up, but there’s so many styles, fabrics, prints and looks that I really, really want. My bank balance doesn’t though. Sad.

Here’s five of my favourites:

Jaeger // £299

Rag & Bone // £670

Paul & Joe // £120

French Connection // £125

Zara // £69.99

I saw this competition advertised on one of my favourite UK fashion blogs: Littlebirdfashion.com and thought it looked really good fun. It’s my first one of these, so be gentle. One added bonus too – I think it might have cured me of my need to spend all my wages on clothes on payday! I am now well and truly shopped out. I think in total it probably took about 2 hours.

The premise is, to enter you need to choose an outfit (on trend) for 3 scenarios: casual, holiday and party. It has to be under £200 and showcased.

Casual

Cobalt Flats // Blush Inc
Jumper // Dorothy Perkins
Shirt // Zara
Jeans // Jigsaw
Necklace // ASOS
Pinky Ring // ASOS
Nail Varnish // Essie
Bowler Bag // H&M

This one is a play on the ever popular ‘cobalt’ colour. The pointed flats are American so I added a bit to the price to account for shipping – I love the colour and I don’t think it’s too much blue; sometimes when I see the jeans or pencil skirts in cobalt I think it edges towards looking tacky. I found the £20 jumper on DP and for the price it looks amazing – I’m totally gonna go into the shop tomorrow and check it out. I’m also really into these little pinky rings at the moment and slightly edgy necklaces.

I was going to pair the jumper with a Celia Birtwell x Uniqlo shirt but by the time I went to the site they had sold out! No rest for the (print) wicked eh!

Party

Dress // French Connection
Clutch // Coast
Shoes // New Look

This one I decided to keep simple. As the items themselves are quite colourful and busy, I decided against jewellery – nude make up would also be a must, perhaps with a fuchsia lippy! There’s nothing like a really nicely made, well cut French Connection dress, and I’m loving the slightly unique take on monochrome. I decided to do 2 trends in one and found this cute floral clutch at Coast. It’s quite loud but I decided to have a go at print clashing – what do you think? I don’t go to that many posh parties, so I don’t have much necessity for bags like this as I tend to take the kitchen sink with me wherever I go, but this bright and colourful handheld would definitely be top of my wish-list. I also like how it pulls out the jewel-fuschia tones of the New Look shoes. New Look still never disappoint when looking for cheap mega-heels!

Holiday

Bandeau Bikini // Urban Outfitters
Maxi Skirt // New Look
Sheer Black T-shirt // Mango
Statement Necklace // Accessorize
Sunglasses // M&S
Sandals // Steve Madden
Nail Varnish // Essie

This is a take on the aztec & khaki trends which still seem to be floating about. It’s all fairly straight forward – I’m still loving the retro high-waisted bikinis and these sunglasses from M&S look almost identical to my trustworthy pair of torty Raybans. These type of sandal I am seeing everywhere, but I particularly like the little bit of molten metallic strap work which makes them a little more interesting.

I also saw this great bandeau swimsuit on Pinterest several times over the last month, but could I find it today when I wanted it? No way.

So what do you think? Any bits you particularly like or hate?

For more information on the competition you can see here

Jacket // Zara //
Yellow Floral Stripe Dress // Topshop
Black Tights // M&S
Necklace // ASOS
Cut-out Buckle Boots // Office

I had a really nice Sunday today.

The weather was arctic (though not as bad as the rest of the country, eh!) but that didn’t stop us going for a mooch around the shops and coming back with an incredible carton of Boho Gelato ice cream. This stuff really has to be eaten to be believed. I went there specifically to get some salted caramel flavour which I had seen advertised somewhere else, but they were out. So instead we went for a right old mix of flavours: Banana & Nutella, Honeycomb Fudge, Cherry Bakewell Sorbet and Mini Egg. Needless to say, it didn’t last very long. If you’re ever in Brighton, i’d recommend paying a visit.

My outfit today is one of my new favourite ‘go-to’s. This T-shirt material dress was supposed to be spring-summer but has turned out to be more spring-winter, teamed with black opaque tights and a black body-con dress underneath for warmth. I love the bold print though; and the cute low v back will be great when the weather passes 10 degrees.

I umm’d and ahh’d over getting a leather jacket last Autumn as I wasn’t sure the biker look would suit. Then I spied this pleather version in Zara at £40, and thought ‘why the hell not’! Here I am 5 months later and I bloody love the thing. Teamed with the dress and Office cut-out boots and I almost feel cool!

Guess what lipstick I’m wearing? You got it! It’s another fashion blogger favourite. How original! Topshop’s ‘Brighton Rocks’ matte colour. I guess it’s kind of allowed though as I’m actually *in* Brighton, right?!

And finally, as a bonus laugh, here’s us trying to do a Satorialist shot. It also reminds me of how much weight I’ve put on (sadface, baww, the ice cream *was* nice though!), so, March 24th resolution is back to the Gillian Michaels DVD!

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Blazer // GAP //
Black Sheer T-Shirt // ASOS
Grey Skinny Jeans // Oasis
Black Patent Kitten Heel Courts // Marks & Spencers
Black Leather Croc Print Tote Bag // Mulberry

Since I’ve been living in my French Connection Pea Coat all Winter, I figured with all the good weather we’ve been having that I better invest in something that can see me through from spring to summer.

A good blazer is a wardrobe staple. It can be smartened up, dressed down, or just thrown on top of your favourite ditsy floral dress when the weather isn’t as warm as one might hope. The only problem I find is actually finding the perfect one. I’ve looked at plenty – tuxedo style, jersey, draped and preppy. On the high-street the material tends to be too thin. So, I went a bit further afield..

Banana Republic had the perfect blue blazer edged with ribbon in dark green. I tried it on with a shirt and a pleated skirt and then realised I was pretty much wearing my second school uniform, but I loved the quality and forgiving fit of the thick luxurious cotton. What I didn’t love, however, was the price. As much as I love Banana Republic for staples, at £110, I didn’t feel comfortable that I was purchasing an everlasting piece – something that would be a go-to of my wardrobe for years to come. So, I left (feeling a bit sad as I had my eye on a rather nice necklace too) and gave up with shopping for the day.

Then I had a blazer brainwave. I’ve never been much of a fan of Gap (I’m not really a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl) but I remembered their perchant for multitudes of blazers. And they are Banana Republic’s slightly more accessible, uglier sibling! In I went, and low and behold (with an added 40% off!) was this beauty. The material isn’t quite as nice as the BR blazer, and the fit isn’t quite as forgiving, but it has the ribboning and was a steal at around £30.

My new baby, straight from Paris (something to remember the trip by, ok!) is pictured above. I’m going to write a whole post about the bag-buying process as it was rather long and drawn out. I went into Mulberry to get an Alexa after giving up trying to find something more classic. But seeing the croc print in the flesh made me go full-circle and get my hopefully ‘forever’ handbag!

Another point on this outfit (which is very smart for me I must say) is these ‘Footglove’ kitten heeled patent courts by M&S. On the off-chance that I do have to look smart, or want to wear jeans, I needed something that wasn’t going to cripple me after hobbling 5 minutes out of my flat. And I feel like I can almost run in these beauties!

So, it appears the newest collaboration between fashion icon and high street name is Celia Birtwell for Uniqlo.

I must say, I’m a little more enthused about this one as uniqlo haven’t just used it as an opportunity to hike up their prices for a range that rides on the back of someone elses design talent (Orla Kiely *everything* anyone?)

However, not being stick thin does somewhat limit my print-clashing choices. I think I will have to dive deeper into the collection and see if there is anything I actually truly like that will suit me. The number of printed shirts I have tried on recently that end up making me look like Pat Butcher without the cool earrings!

I do really love this styling though on these Pyjama Pants…

What do you guys think? Anything good to be had? It’s cheap, and clearly cheerful, but is it *too* cheerful for your spring wardrobe?

Welcome to the problematic first post.

Let me first tell you a little about myself, and then a little about why this blog has appeared on the internet.

For those of you who know me (probably my only readership) I apologise for the waste of the next 2 minutes of your life, for those who don’t, I’m Allie. I live in Brighton, and I believe there isn’t a city in Britain which can offer the same mixture of culture, street fashion, dining and music all within a mile square of regency, art-deco and plain ugly architecture. Of course, I’m hoping I’m proved wrong and would be very willing to accept tips for other places to visit that aren’t your standard tourist haven. I’m also a little bit sarcastic and tend to say what I think, so reviews could be quite blunt.

Style wise, I wouldn’t say I have that much. I’m curvy, fairly tall and generally love too much colour, although I’ve been trying to do the sensible thing and wear more ‘slimming’ black. My uniform is generally dress, cardigan and flats. Heels ocassionally get brought out at night but if I’m having more than one beverage of the alcoholic variety this is not generally a good plan for my ankles. That being said, I own brogues, a pair of (real) Rayban Wayfarers and a polka dot dress so I can’t be too far off the trends. Things I need to do to improve my style:

• - Realise that fashion exists outside of Topshop, H&M and Oasis and try out more online and boutique offerings
• - Care less about how fat my behind looks
• - Be more daring with mixing prints and colour. I’m analytical by nature and I think I need to stop paying so much attention to the rule books.

I’ve included some stock photos of 2 of my newest purchases so you can get an idea of what I have had my eyes on recently, and modelled photos to come:

For beauty, I’m pretty pathetic, and this is something I want to get more adventurous with also. My hair is long, straight and unbearably thick (yes this is great – but impossible to do anything with without a vat of hairspray). My eyes are noticeably my best feature, and like any normal girl I wear far too much makeup to try and highlight this. Swathes of black eyeliner some days and crazy coloured eye shadow the next. I’m still looking for a shade of lipstick I think suits me, which is definitely on my beauty bucket list. My favourite beauty implements:ntact me (I need all the help I can get…)

• - Bourjouis ‘Liner Pinceau’ Eyeliner – my favourite liquid liner with a tiny brush for perfect cats eyes
• - The ever trusty GHDs – because my straight hair can never be too straight, right?
• - Chanel ‘Le Crayon Kohl’ Pencil in Ambre – for eyeliner during the day or when I’m not feeling like showing off my bleary eyes

The rest of the blog will include reviews and chat on things I have been up to. I go for a roast nearly every weekend with my nerdy friends too, so there will be a lot of beef and horseradish related photography and posts.

Hopefully this post will only be the beginning of things, and as far as my writing and content is concerned, the only way is up!