Can I Kick It?

I bought these little kick flares from Zara last year, and I'm super-pleased that I did. Turns out, they're much easier to wear than the full-blown, full-length, big voluminous versions flying around (with which I'm still struggling majorrrly- I think it's a shoe thing. Mostly). I've paired them here with a striped shirt (also old) and it's deffo revived my love for a preppy button-down. I can't resist a bit of seersucker and pretending I'm slightly Euro, that I holiday at the Cala Di Volpe and that I'm distantly related to Lilly Pulitzer. Back in the real world I stand in an alleyway (to the bemusement of everyone that passes by) and engage in a series of Artful Dodger poses (Oi! Oi!). Reasoning: to show that baby flare off to its best advantage. If you're feeling a pair of starter flares then these are dope, and these look kinda nice too. Catch you soon xx

PS Uggghh- you know when you do a shoot and your eyes are half closed in every single frame? That was me, doing this. PPS Yes, there is some jean-wrinklage going on. Soz for that. They are a nice fit, I'm just a mess. I think I need to get on these incred photoshopping tips from Stephanie ASAP. 

Shirt- Topshop//Jeans- Zara

Hat- H&M//Sneaks- Adidas

Black Heart, White Jeans

My mum has a thing for white jeans. She's always banging on about "channelling her inner Liz Hurley". And whilst Elizabeth H isn't even remotely verging on being a style icon for me (soz mum- and indeed- Liz) I'm deffo feeling drawn to a paler palette lately. Thus I found myself in Zara (where else) trying on these. Straight away I was sold (despite the rips- which I'm kinda over). Although I've gone for black errrything else here I'm actually in the mindset of a Kardashian-At-Easter and feeling all-white outfits atm. Naturally, the first day I wore these (in a non-blogging sense) I got them dirty. And the accompanying white tee I was wearing too. And there's the rub. I think it's gonna be a Bold-3-in-1 kinda summer. Catch you soon xx

PS Apologies for the smug/half-dead/make-up-less face in Pic 4 (and just generally)

Jeans- Zara//Sweatshirt- Zara

Fedora- H&M//Sneaks- Adidas

Grey Way

When I spotted these stripey waistband pants in Zara (where else) I immediately pounced. My quick calculation being : Grey + Stripes = Me All Over It. I'm liking everything about these beauts- cut, colour, fabric- and I'm already picturing them with white slides (maybe by the end of this week? Hello 20 degrees!). Hope your post-Easter week is off to a nice sunny start, catch you soon x 

PS Yes, that is me mid conversation in Pic 7. There were six burly tree cutter blokes doing their thing when I was shooting this look. They had absolutely #nobants (ie/ they didn't try to chat me up at all, lolz, can we blame them?) apart from singing the 'Let Me Take A Selfie' song very loudly for my benefit. #bloggerproblems

Pants- Zara//Tee- Zara

Cardigan- H&M//Sneaks- Adidas

Fedora- H&M//Belt- Comptoir Des Cotonniers

Zara Navy Culottes

I've got a confession. Here goes. I'm a serial Leaver-In-Bag of clothes. Whenever I buy something I let it rest a while in its little carrier bag. Whilst I recognize this is actually one a of key signifiers of being a shopaholic (face, bothered) I also know there's logic there somewhere. Hear me now! 1) I never know if I wanna take something back. I always find I need to try on and try on again until I'm sure it's a keeper. Particularly given that so many store mirrors make you look thinner than you actually are. (H&M I'm looking at you- looking at me). 2) I like to separate 'old' and 'new'. All the old shit I'm bored of is stuffed into my wardrobe. And the new lovely amaze things are stuffed into bags scattered all over the floor. Somehow that system is 'cleaner' to me. And 3) The aforementioned wardrobe is literally so rammed that there's actually not room for owt new. (I'd start a Tictail and or a Depop...if only there were time). So, these culottes then (which oddly Zara are calling a skort- 2013 alert!). They're new and therefore very very creased. Coz- guess what?- they've been left in a bag. Wow, they really are messed-up. But imagine how cute they'd be without the wrinkles in 'em? Exactly. They've got this incred spilt leg detail which I'm sadly unable to bring you photographic evidence of due to the highly repulsive state of my legs. Next two purchases in the offing: fake tan and a steamer. Catch you soon xx

Breton- Cos//Culottes- Zara

Coatigan- Primark//Sneaks- Adidas

Beanie- Accessorize//Sunnies- Other Stories

How I Instagram

Instagramming is not- I have to confess- my fave thing to do in the world. In fact, it freaks me out. I struggle to just throw a few snaps on there, not be arsed how they're perceived (Read: How.Many.Sodding.Arsehole.Likes.They.Get) and and then piss off and do something less boring instead. (Hi Why Don't You Fans!). No, instead- I stress and I plan. (Which is very much a lifelong habit in regards to, well, just about everything). As a fashion blogger this stuff is i-m-p-o-r-t-a-n-t (appaz) coz we have to 

p-r-o-m-o-t-e. Endlessly. And I like my IG to look as pretty as poss. So- how do my lil' works of art (lolz) come into being? Here's how it goes:

Step 1- Get A Backache

For these shots (and lots like it) I lie down on very hard oak floor. A while back I bought a few pieces of white card from the art shop near me, and I generally use those now for all my 'laying back and thinking of England' snaps. I have to hope and pray the light is good when I find the time to L.B.A.T.O.E. Then I have to take a lorra lorra frames. Most are so shit it's, like, bare jokes bruv. Then I upload to my laptop and ask myself why I'm not Sincerely Jules.

Step 2- Get Editing

There's usually all sorts of stuff that needs to be done to make a picture grammable. You have to remember that your pic is out there in perpetuity (unless you delete of course) and someone may even- gasp- RG you. (You didn't know the Pope's a Prod did you?). So I use Facetune. I take out any bits of dirt and stray hairs that get on my lovely white cardboard (seriously, there are loads of these).

Step 3- Fine Tune

You're probably thinking this frame (above) looks wayyyy too light compared to first one. And for the purposes of blogging I'd have to agree. But on IG I like to try and have lots of light in my pics. (I actually really admire 'dark' accounts- yes- I realise how First World and ridiculous that sounds- but I'm starting to think I may wanna go over to the dark side). Anyway. For fine tuning I use Photo Toaster. I play with the exposure, the temperature, the contrast and the brightness until my frame is lighter than a feather.

Step 4- Filter Lyfe

Then it's back to Facetune for some filtering. My faves on there are Azure and Zaffire. I also like Afterlight as well and if I'm going black and white my most used option on there is Ash.

Step 5- Releasing Your Baby Into The Wild

As with all sorts of a stuff in life- timing is everything. I find I tend to get a better response towards the end of the working day so I try and aim to gram at about 5.30 or 6pm. I actually hate being tactical and having to try and 'optimize' (cringe) on there but if you wanna get noticed/get likes/get blog clicks/get follows/get popular/become the next Chiara Ferragni/run the world then you have to consider this type of balls.

Lemmie know how you gram, what your fave filters are and what are your fave kinda feeds. 

Catch you soon xx

Pants- Zara//Sneaks- Adidas

Marshalling The Arts

Another day, another judo pant. I just couldn't resist 'em. As per my last foray into ninja trews these ones also don't sit particularly straight or flatter quite as they might. Not sure if that's inherent, or more to do with me being a fat little sausage person. Anyroad. I've just gone for a standard grey jumper here to partner up with them, but come warmer temps something a teeny bit more delicate might work well. Are you feeling the whole tie-waisted thing? Lemmie know xx

Pants- Zara//Knit- Zara

Beanie- Accessorize//Sunnies- Other Stories//Sneaks- Adidas

The Shape Of Things To Come

You know when you're just bursting to chat about your new hauls and how much in love with them you are? That's me that is. So let us begin. 1) This top is everything. The very second I saw it I knew I had to have it. (Despite it being- gasp- colour. And, well, yeah, short-sleeved too). I was gonna layer a skinny grey polo neck underneath (for a nice retro vibe) but I didn't find one in time (and consequently froze to bits shooting this look). 2) These culottes are also everything. They kinda kick-out, some might say- almost balloon- and I will consequently have to brace myself for a slew of mocking comments from my dad. *Fortitude Face* 3) This coat is old so we don't need to discuss it. So anyroad, these purchases were from my first haul of 2015. I hadn't been shopping in a while coz I've felt so ill (it's amazing just how much your eyes can hurt) and although I experienced burning pain throughout my whole shopathon, it was worth it. I also found a sick two-piece in H&M which you may well have seen on my IG. And just to mention- no shoot is complete without #BloggerProblems is it? Basically- neither this top, nor these trews took good pics, at all. (I know I know- you didn't need me to point out the bleedin' obvious). The top creased and moved and annoyed me greatly. The pants also creased to bits and the fabric is so thin that the outline of my hands was irritatingly clear in every shot where I put them in my pockets. (See Fig.8). And thennnn- NYFW started- and the Frame Denim show happened. If you didn't see it (which I'm sure you did) the unbelievable on-pointness of the clothes was a sight to behold. I love it when there's a sea change in fashion- and although this moment has been building for a while (see Gucci SS15)- a full-on 70s revival is happening right freakin' now- and lil ole' scuba tops & baggy culottes & sneaks all seem very over. Essentially, I feel like a dick and want to live in New York in 1976 and star in a Woody Allen film. Catch you soon (hopefully in flares) xx

Top- H&M//Pants- H&M

Coat- Zara//Sneaks- Adidas

Beanie- H&M//Sunnies- And Other Stories

Winter Wishlist

Ok, so, let's start with a quick confesh: I didn't manage to shoot any looks last weekend. It was pissing down with rain, and I feel as ruff as ruff can be at the minute. Basically- I've got a shockingly bad eye infection- I can't see much of anything (priddy scary) and I can't wear any make-up. So snapping any piccies is out the window (and may be for a while)- unless red eyed zombies are a thing and no-one told me. Hence this lil' ole post. So, let's get stuck in. Now, there's nowt here that's new, or fresh or that you haven't seen loads of times everywhere else (probably)...but...I love all this stuff. I mean, how can you not? Kicking off with a Byredo scent (and candles)....everything about this brand is perf (and shopping in Liberty is always ace). Ain't gonna lie, I'm very much a Narsaholic, and maybe just maybe when my eyes are better (please god, let me go back to seeing normally and not viewing the world through a blurred bloodshot stinging veil) I'll treat myself to some new make-up (gotta throw all the old stuff out anyway). Next up- some Calvin croppies. Still luvin' 'em...although, to be fair, they're quite tough to track down. Netaporter are low on stock, so try ASOS instead. This Balenciaga jumper is the ulitmate in luxury dressing and I basically want.it.bad. And rounding off this Poly of wanties is a Mansur Gavriel backpack, a Larsson & Jennings watch, a Smythson notebook and some Superstar 2s. Happy Lustin' :)) xx

Partners In Crime

Two of my absolute fave go-to staples over the summer have been this Breton and this pleather short. I've paired them together so frequently that they've become besties :) The top was one of those randoms that you find rummaging around in H&M, never to be seen or heard of again. The shorts however, are still available here. Annnnd....these Zara shorts are also realllly tremendous, as is this boxy top. And how nice and slouchy is this Wood Wood top? I would :) I'm also in Crazy Stupid Love with this Zara shopper, so much so that I may just have bought the blue too. I know I know. Just call me a replicatory moron. (If that is even a word, which it probably isn't, in which case call me an illiterate one too). Catch you soon xx

Top- H&M//Shorts- H&M

Sneaks- Adidas//Hat- Catarzi

Shopper- Zara//Sunnies- ASOS