Still Summer

Shoots are like buses, aren't they? You wait forever for one, and then two turn up at once. So, not only do I have the planning skillz of a flea, but I've also managed to replicate the exact colour palette of that aforementioned shoot/bus. You'd think I could remember that I put together a black, white and red look not a couple of weeks since? Nope, not this sieve-head. Actually, laziness is mostly the culprit. I just happened to be wearing these shorts for a day of low-key errand-running (with a skanky auld tee and Birks). I then (stupidly) thought I'd half disrobe and just throw everything else on and trot out with the Nikon. And it shows. These shorts are deffo not blog-worthy and I can only apologise. They will not be rearing their utilitarianism/unflatteringness/mum-at-a-bar-b-queness again. So onto prettier things- like this top. I'm forever in love with a floaty white, hippy dippy tops (especially in this all pervasive Chloe-heavy S/S), and this cutie has stopped me from buying similar ones in Zara (for a lot more dollar). Big yay for that. And whilst me and the Mango glads did not see eye-to-eye (nor ankle-to-tie), these Gap ones (actually love the place, ain't gonna lie) stay up marginally better (although Fig 2 proves that gravity always wins). Oh, and while we're chit-chatting about tie-up sandals, these are dope too. You still clinging to Summer? You digging on ethereal white tops? You ever accidentally worn your shittiest shorts for blogging? Tell all my chicas, catch you soon xx

Top- SheInside*//Shorts- Gap

Gladiators- Gap//Bandana- ASOS//Sunnies- And Other Stories

Drop It Like It's Tibi

I literally don't know what happened but- somehow- I shot a look. (No? Yes!). The urge hasn't taken me in quite some time- so I went with it. Partly I guess I was feeling inspo'ed by my latest Zara purchases. I mean, who wouldn't? First up- the top. You've probably seen it errrrywhere and with good reason. It's got simplicity! It's got purity! It's got off-the-shouldery(ness)! And it's got a nice twist (both literal and metaphoric). Plus, it's the nearest I'm gonna get to Tibi this season (or indeed, any season). Then there's the trews. Expensive, yes. But ace. And I took an Extra Small. Just sayin' :) For some reason half way through this shoot I decided to go a little bit 'Last Night I Dreamt Of San Pedro' and did a tuck. I'm not sure it was particularly successful as there was ruckage. But if you like the whole bullfighter/waiter aesthetic you may dig on it. A bit. Anyway, I'm off to see if I can find a much needed tropical island breeze somewhere. Catch you soon xx

Top- Zara//Trousers- Zara

Bag- Mansur Gavriel//Slides- Birkenstock

Watch- ASOS//Bandana- ASOS

Beige Renegade

So, this post was supposed to be about this incred oversized twill jacket. Doubtless you'll have spied it on Ellen and Queen C (as I did) and thought, 'let me at it'. I was buzzing to track it down in H&M at Oxford Circus, an even more excited to flex my Elle discount card at the till. But when it came to shooting, however, my heart was rapidly broken. In short- it looked absolutely minging on me. (I realise this keeps happening, and I keep having make excuses for my inate lack of- well- everything. A rethink is deffo in order, along with a diet and possibly, a dramatic haircut). I ended up taking off said jacket and snapping in just a vest and skinnies. Can you imagine what would Miranda Priestly say? Exactly. But don't let me put you off. It's just the most on-point, oversized shape in the history of the world evvvvah. And Ellen and Camy prove it. Thank you and goodnight.

Jacket- H&M//Vest- Zara

Skinnies- Zara//Flats- Mango//Hat- H&M

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

Fear And Self Loathing In Blogging

About three weeks ago I very excitedly bought myself some flares. My good buddy MissionStyle tipped me off to them and when I tried on in-store I thought 'praise the freakin' lord, job done'. I deffo felt they contained my flab, were the right length and had a decent comfort factor. Tick, tick, tick. Then I shot them. And errrrrything changed. These two meagre frames were the only ones I could salvage from that disastrous SS Titanic of a shoot. And even then- let's be honest- I look horrific. Having to bin a set of a pictures is priddy heartbreaking, and I've gotta confess- the whole débacle made me wanna quit blogging (and not for the first time). I guess we've all been there. You kinda feel 'why am I bothering?', 'why am I so fat?' and 'why does every shoot I do not remotely turn out like I hoped it would?' But I thought I'd disclose these lame-ass shots anyway in order to delve a little more into the wretched thought patterns that whirl round the mind of a fashion blogger, and see if there's owt to draw from them.

Comparison Anxiety

I recently saw an interesting piece in Grazia about a girl who had to get therapy for her instagram 'problems'. Seriously though. She was literally driving herself insane with thoughts that all her friends were leading amaaazing lives and she wasn't. This is basically where logic leaves you and paranoia sets in. It's at times like this I like to revisit a bit of Susan Sontag. If you haven't read her, get on it.

The Girl Can't Help It

There's no getting away from it- I'm short and fat. Whilst my logical mind knows this, I still seem to harbour a very weird misguided notion that when I shoot a look somewhere along the way I will magically turn into Chiara F, Camille C or Gala G. As a blogger you are constantly faced with images of yourself and your physical shortcomings, which is unfortunately where ever decreasing circles of negativity start to fester. 

Style Blackouts

I got it realllly wrong with this outfit. So so wrong. The mirror told me one thing, the camera lens another. I should've worn a shirt and a heel. Probably. And as usual my insistence on wearing a hat didn't help matters either. I used to wear flares allllll the time about five years ago. I remember wrestling a girl in Liberty to the ground for the last pair of 18th Amendment jeans (yes, them!) in a Size 25 and absolutely luvin' them. And I also recall going to Westfield (in Shepherd's Bush) the first weekend it opened wearing a Topshop pair and trotting into Donna Ida only to have the shop assistant declare undying love for my denim. (You know you're doing something right when a girl that works with £200 + jeans all day every day likes your thirty quid jobs). But I guess I was thinner then. 

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

I have to admit I hate shooting, I hate looking at pictures of myself and I hate competing. Which makes it ermmm, quite tricky to be a blogger. But I love clothes. I love them in a way I can't even express, and despite having a face like a bag of spanners and a body like a pre-gastric band patient I don't think I can jump off this kerrrrrazy rollercoaster just yet. Catch you soon (hopefully) xx 

PS Don't hate the flares, hate the player

Skinny Rib- Topshop//Jeans- Topshop

Bomber- Topshop//Fedora- Catarzi//Boots- Gap

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

The Flares Have It

I dunno about you, but the main problem I've had thus far in trying to find a pair of flares I like can be summed up in one word- fat. Virtually every pair I've squished myself into have made me feel like a right chubby chubster. Almost like the scourge of the remove, you might say. (One for the Billy Bunter fans there). That was, until I happened upon these lil' beauts. They've got a sort of a slight Spanx vacuum-packed effect going on (I like) and it turns out they are also good to exercise in should you feel the need (not so much over here). I've paired them with this tunic top (part of an amaze two-piece) and I must say I feel very 2015 in the whole look (in a 90s revival kinda way). Hit me up with your flare thoughts chicas, catch you soon xx PS Soz for the sans-sunnies pic. You can probably see just how swollen and froggy my eyes are (swear to god they are gonna pop out me heid soon) PPS Double soz for the picture overload PPPS Triple soz for the unfortunate waistband line manifesting in most of these frames (just wanted to explain lest you thought I had some bizarre hip-to-hip scar thing going on)

Flares- H&M//Tunic- H&M

Bag- Gucci//Boots- Zara

Beanie- Topshop//Sunnies- And Other Stories