Fashion Owl

Woodland Trips and Cosy Knits

2011-11-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

I took a break from university and spent the weekend back home at my boyfriend's house, which is always awesome because I get to eat deliciously fattening Indian food EVERY DAY, but also because there are so many nice places to walk around in the area.
The weekend before I went shopping with mother dear and got some much needed additions for my Autumn wardrobe

Earrings, Necklace, Scarf and Jeans: Topshop Tee Shirt: Dorothy Perkins Shirt: Next Shoes: New Look

Jumper and Jeans: Topshop Boots: Kurt Geiger

I was desperately in need of some jeans, the one pair that I had are now so big for me I have to roll the top over twice to keep them from falling down :/ And obviously it's colder now so new knit-wear was a must ;I love this Topshop jumper so much, it's so cosy and colourful, I wish I could wear it every day! Actually, I did wear it for two days and one night in a row... but it's alright I'm gonna wash it tonight :)

Yay Coat!

2011-10-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

After an awful lot of to-ing and fro-ing from post offices in Canterbubbles, and having to exchange a size eight for a six (I'm a ten, but this is just immense), AND having a right upset over the fact that I bought it for £84 but then saw online that it was reduced to £60, and had then sold out of size six, I finally have what will definately be my new favourite item of clothing...for now!

Jumper: Zara Coat: Asos

I'm so, so pleased with this car coat. It's amazingly comfy and, in my opinion (not that I particuarly care about anyone else's when I love it so much ^_^), it looks awesome with almost all my clothes. The best thing is that it's not very thick so I can just wear it as a casual jacket on warmer days, but it's also really roomy (despite being too sizes smaller than the rest of my wardrobe) so I can really pad myself out with thick knitwear and still be able to fasten this bad boy over the top, sweet.

Still Time for Bare Legs

2011-10-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

Our internet connection is pretty spot on for the moment, so I thought I'd take advantage of this rarety and upload a cheeky post.

It seems the summer is still desperately clinging on and won't let me wear all the lovely warm clothes I've bought recently (thank you Mr. Student Loan), but I did happen to indulge in some non-practical items as well so there's no fear if I have to get the old pins out ^_^

Teeshirt: Dorothy Perkins Half Sleeve Top: H&M Skirt: Zara Shoes: New Look Bag: Nica at Topshop Necklace: Freedom at Topshop

The last two pictures have come out rather strangley, hmm... I'm really attracted to sparkley clothes recently, could possibly because I didn't really get on board with the whole star print trend, but I feel a subtle sparkle is my way of wearing a more toned-down version of it. It's like I'm a vampire in Twilight...but not lame.

So Long Indian Summer!

2011-10-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

Due to not having internet connection for the first few weeks of university I’ve been a crappy blogger and not updated in such a looooooong time. Also, Student Finance took their sweet time giving me my loan so I was unable to shop and so spiralled into a depression of being poorly dressed. NOW however, my loan is through and I can finally be pretty and update both my wardrobe and my blog, yay!

The whole Indian Summer thing has been lovely but I’m an incredibly impatient person who’s spent just a little too much on new Autumnal clothes, so I was pretty thrilled when I looked outside today and saw grey skies above.

Top: Topshop Jeans: Vero Moda at ASOS Shoes: New Look Bag: ASOS

I’ve kept it pretty casual for a day of seminars and reading but obviously needed to brighten the outfit up with some colour.

I’m so in love with this satchel from ASOS, it stands out so much and makes a plain outfit a lot more interesting. Brogues are definitely gonna be my footwear of choice for every day wear this season, they’re so comfy and I love a bit of androgyny. These Vero Moda jeans are sooo disappointing :/ they do up fine, in fact they’re actually a little too big, but the zip doesn’t stay done up at all and now I have to pay to have a new one put in, gloom and doom.

All in all, I’m just majorly happy that it really is Autumn now, break out the bushy eyebrows and comfy knits :)

Duck Boots

2011-08-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day, check me out!

So, I saw these boots in this month's Asos catolgoue/magazine thingy and I cannot begin to describe how much I want them!

I'm like a woman possessed, I can't stop thinking about them... it's quite frightening. I don't know what it is about them, I usually don't like 'quirky' clothing/shoes (looks great on some people, not really for me) but I've totally fallen in love with these. They do remind me of my childhood quite a lot so it could be the nostalgia that's drawing me in...they're just so cute. And imagine how warm and comfortable they'd be! To be honest, I probably have way too many pairs of boots already and should be spend ng my money on more necessary attire (there are literally about 50 pages of clothes that I want bookmarked on my computer )...but none of my shoes are THESE shoes! Also, they are only £35, it's not like I'd be breaking the bank. Well, actually... :(

Birthday Presents

2011-08-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

I recently turned 20 (yay!) and I received some pretty sweet birthday gifts which made being (temporarily) stuck in a tiny northern village seem not so bad =).

Firstly, from my amazing boyfriend, I got three pairs of boots from Kurt Geiger-

Ahhhhh they're so awesome! Kurt Geiger is quite possibly my favourite shoe designer and I've wanted boots like these for such a long time. I love that their shoes are of such a good quality and look so amazing and unique, but at the same time they aren't outrageously expensive for a designer brand. I don't think I have a favourite pair as all three are so different from each other (not according to my boyfriend who thinks they're all brown, sigh...) but I think I'll probably get the most wear out of the brown leather ones as they won't spoil in wet weather like the other two which are suede. It may still be August but, like I said, I'm currently a lot further up from my home in the South East, so it's pretty cold and rainy a lot of the time; this is perfect for me though because I can wear my lovely new boots =)

My other main present, from my mum, was a whole lot of Estee Lauder (and some Yves Saint Laurent) make up. These are my favourite items-

From left to right: Estee Lauder Face Primer Plus Illuminating Base, Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator, Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation, Estee Lauder Disappear Smoothing Creme Concealer, Estee Lauder Magnoscopic Maximum Volume Mascara, Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat.

The two primers on the left are sooooo good! I don't even need to moisturise before I put on my make up because they both leave my skin so smooth. My face has a really nice dewy, model-like glow even when I take off my make up and it really minimises my pores, even the stubborn ones on my nose.

When I first put the foundation on my skin (I ordered it in Intensity 3.0 as I thought the online picture matched my skintone perfectly) I was really shocked at how dark it was and was really disappointed as it's obviously an expensive product. However after just a few seconds of blending and smoothing it over my face it appeared a whole lot lighter, and when I'd finished it was almost exactly the same colour as my natural skin and looked so nice and smooth, so I'm really happy with this product.

Suede Shoes and Up-Dos

2011-08-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

As it’s done nothing but pour with rain all day I’d accepted my plans would be nonexistent and my day lacking in inspiration. I’d just curled up in my cosy new attic bedroom with a cup of coffee and a copy of Vogue, when who should knock at the door but the post man delivering a package I’d forgotten I’d ordered. Even though I paid for it (and it really makes my shopping habits look bad as I forgot all about it) an expected package gives me the same feeling as someone surprising me with a gift or discovering money I didn’t know I had, then suddenly the whole day seems brighter :)

Turns out, it contained two pairs of brogue-esc shoes I’d ordered from NewLook.com. They were half price and I really was in need of some new flats so I think that more than justifies buying two pairs. Also, I couldn’t decide on the colour so I had to buy them in black-

and light brown-

Both pairs are from New Look, £29.00 down to £15

Naturally, I have an obsession with shoes, but I’ve always been more attracted to flats (be they boots, brogues or ballet pumps) than I have to heels. I love that androgyny is big in fashion now because I’m really into that style. I think these shoes definitely tick the box in that they have quite a masculine edge with the chunky heel and buckles but are still south-of-the-ankle enough to be feminine.

I’m also pretty happy that up-dos, of all kinds, have become more and more fashionable over the last season. I’m really trying to look after my hair by not blow-drying or straightening it, but when I don’t blow-dry or straighten my hair it just looks so ugly and dull, therefore an up-do is the perfect solution for making it a little more interesting

Earrings: Accesorize T-shirt: Gap Nail Polish: Barry M in Raspberry

My hair’s not really long enough to do a bun the proper way so I usually go for the ‘un-dun’ look and pin the ends of my pony tail down in a bun shape, unless I’m going for a sleeker look then a hair donut is a must =]

Lastly, to brighten up everyone’s rainy days, here is my cat-

Awww look at him sitting on the bed, that's where people sleep!

Yes, it's a rant...

2011-07-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

To set the scene, it’s Friday night, I’m out to dinner with my mum at our local Indian restaurant. This is not some random curry house or take away, this is an ACTUAL restaurant. The food and service is of an incredible standard, the decor is beautiful and the table cloths reach to the floor, holla! Imagine my surprise when I look up at the table opposite and there is a couple sitting there dressed as though they’re back at home watching Jeremy Kyle. The boy was wearing a pretty vile McKenzie cardigan and a pair of baggy, faded jeans, while the girl thought it would be appropriate to wear a striped polo tee shirt and leggings...I was appalled to say the least. And I didn’t get a good look at them, but the large group at the table behind ours weren’t looking great either.

I know that not everyone is interested in keeping up with fashion or wishes to spend a lot of money on clothes, but what I can’t understand is why so many people have no standards at all and can just show a complete lack of respect in such a nice establishment. No one has to spend a fortune to look nice and presentable; I’m not a big fan of massive high street retailers whose clothes are SO cheap they just have to be unethically sourced, but there is a whole world wide web out there where you can find some pretty nice bargains if you don’t want to splash out.

When we live in a day and age , I feel I’m constantly reminded, where people care more about their looks than they ever have, it really shocks me that so many people are quite happy to leave their homes, and even go to restaurants, looking as though they don’t own a mirror... Don’t misunderstand me, I believe strongly in inner beauty and I know you can look beautiful and still be a bitch, but those who say looks don’t matter are just kidding themselves. Yes, we look the way we look and we can only improve our physical appearances (if we wish to) to a certain extent, but I’d really like to see some sense of pride in the way people dress themselves, and if I got the impression that someone had at least thought about how they should present themselves to the world, I’d be far less likely to shake my head in dismay when I walk past. Perhaps it shouldn’t really matter, but it does; even if you deny it, everyone judges others based on their appearance to some extent, and no one’s going to take you seriously if you can’t take yourself seriously and put on some decent clothes.

Clearly, this doesn’t apply to everyone, most people I know (even those who couldn’t care less about fashion) understand the importance of wearing appropriate attire, but there a lot who just don’t and I really want to say that THIS-

is not acceptable in the street let alone in such a lovely restaurant! I know leggings are pretty popular so I’m not gonna hate on them, to be honest they’re just not my style, but I really think the only way you can get away with them is if you’re young, slim and, most importantly, you’re wearing a top long enough to cover your bum which will inevitably (unless you’re perfectly toned) be wobbling around freely. Leggings are NOT trousers, cover up!

California Love

2011-07-22T04:05:00.000-07:00

So I know they’re fictional characters, but some of my biggest style icons have to be the girls of 90210. Not only is it one of the BEST shows ever, but the wardrobe provided for the three main girls also provides me with a major fashion fix :)

I do love the diversity in each of the characters’ styles but I find that Silver’s (Jessica Stroup) quirkiness isn’t really to my taste, although it definitely works for her,

and although Annie’s (Shenae Grmes) wardrobe is pretty, I think it’s a bit too girly for me and looks like the kind of clothes I might have worn when I was a little younger.

No, my favourite definately has to be AnnaLynna McCord's character, the show's resident fashionista, Naomi Clarke. She has a far more mature style and I just love her ability to wear something so minimalistic but so eye catching at the same time. I'm a massive fan of tailored trousers and blazers which Naomi wears a lot of but she manages to make her outfits fun and interesting at the same time.

While my budget is slightly different from hers (in that I actually have a budget and she's a major brat with a huge trust fund) I do get a lot of inspiration from her clothes and base a lot of my wardrobe choices on a similar style to hers.

Top: Zara £7.99 Skirt: Zara (Although, someone did ask me if it was from Karen Millen, can't say that didn't feel good) £28 Shoes: Topshop £18, Bag: Asos £20, White Bracelet: Ted Baker £20, Blue Bracelet: Accessorize £12, Necklace: Freedom at Topshop £12

I think I could definately see Ms Clarke in this ensamble (or perhaps a similar one with designer labels); it's minimal and gives me a clean silhouette but there's still some colour in there and, even though it's all highstreet, it still looks pretty classy ;).

These are just a couple of my favourite Naomi outfits from the show that I've also taken inspiration from-

Colour Blocking

Yeah, I'm right in the middle of busting a move but it was the only photo I could fine where you can see the whole outfit (minus the shoes).

Top and Skirt: Zara, Bag: Asos, Necklace: Accesorize

Fusion Sari

Okay hers is probably the most beautiful dress I've ever seen whereas mine looks decidedly more english with my cardigan and mini courts, but obviously I'm going for a more casual approach. I don't think we'll EVER see Naomi wear that dress after Ivy and Raj's wedding, but mine is more versatile, I can just switch accesories and it's suitable for many occasions, or just as a day dress :)

Dress: Monsoon £50, Cardigan: Vera Moda at Asos, not sure of price, Shoes: New Look ~~£12~~ £6, Bag: Nica at Topshop £28, Accesorize £12 Bracelet:

Nautical Chic

2011-07-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Apart from a very fortunate few who could never be away from clothes shops long enough to start missing them, I can assume that most people will understand what I mean when I talk about that immense happiness you feel when buying something new, even if it’s just one, cheap product, after a lengthy period of trying to be careful with money. As a full time student, with muchos crap to pay for (like summer rent for a house I’m not even living in yet, bleurgh!), I’m definitely having to endure the pain of hanging onto the pennies and having to resist temptation recently. But since I’ve been repeating outfits too much for my liking other the past few months and I happened to find out my, totally awesome, end of year results the other day, I figured there’s no harm in just having one small treat, or two.

Well, not only did I feel the inevitable high that comes from just carrying a shopping bag and knowing you have something new and beautiful to hang in the wardrobe when you get home, I also bought this particular item in a size EIGHT which is pretty big deal for me as two months ago I was a size twelve and about 23lb heavier. Aaaaaaaaand to top it all off, it was reduced from £32 to £9! NINE POUNDS! Single digits man!

Dress: Topshop, ~~£32~~ £9, Shoes: New Look, £20 Belt: New Look, 2 for £12, Braclet Ted Baker £20, Necklace: Accesorize £12

What I really like about this dress is that it’s got a casual tee-shirt style and it’s made from jersey so it works for a day time outfit with sandals but then you can make it look more holiday-chic and possibly pull it off as a last minute evening outfit just by adding some cork wedges and a bit of jewellery. It is a very simple outfit and not exactly much to get excited over but I think a dress that covers three trends in one (i.e. stripes, nautical and colour blocking), the price of which I cannot stress enough was insanely low, is worth blogging about just a little.

Top Five Handbags

2011-06-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

It seems that I’d forgotten which country I live in when I became so foolishly excited for the arrival of summer :(; either that or I jinxed myself with my declaration of happiness and my dismissal of all my warmer clothes as the weather has been mediocre at best since I started blogging. So I thought, since I haven’t been able to wear most of the nice new clothes I bought for summer, that I’d focus more on accessories until it is warmer, or I might never get to update this blog! I had tried to think of a wittier or less obvious title for this post, however I couldn’t really think of any puns and ‘Handbags and Gladrags’ was just insanely cringey, so I’ll have to appear un-imaginative for now...

As the title states, these are just five bags from my, let's say, average sized handbag collection and they are the five that I like most. Two are high street, three are designer, and all have been worn to death.

Clockwise from top: Longchamp £210, Longchamp £70, Asos £20, Ted Baker £35, Topshop £34

As all of these bags are completely different from each other I have to say I haven’t really placed them into the hierarchy of which I prefer most aesthetically, however if I had to choose only one to save from a burning building it would be the red Lonchamp. While it does hold a lot of sentimental value for me and I genuinely love this bag, it is mostly for the obvious, and shallow, reason that it’s a designer handbag, and the most expensive one I own, that it would be the first out of a danger zone.

Althought I would never replace one bag for another, the title of 'most expensive' will hoepfully be passed on soon since I have begun saving up for my own graduation present...

Mulberry Alexa Bag £785

Literally have to repress a giant squeal every time I see this bad boy. I'm aware the Alexa isn't exactly brand new and I know plenty of people who have it already, but the difference between me and them is that I'm actually going to buy it for myself with money that I earned . I have wanted a Mulberry bag for sooooo long now and when I get out of this hell hole that is education, it's going to be mine! I thought the chocolate colour would be the best option, as the other colours were similar to those of bags I already owned and also it would go perfectly with my chocolate Mulberry purse :). Since I'm doing my favourite bags I thought favourite purses would fit under the same category...

Left to Right: Mulberry £240, Ted Baker £55, Topshop so old I have no idea how much it cost.

Personally, I would describe my own style as being both minimalistic and bold which is why I really love bags designed by Longchamp and Mulberry as I feel they look so classic and minimal yet stand out without being over the top. Also, if I'm going to spend a lot of money on something, I obviously want it look expensive, but in a subtle way (without having to have the designer's name splashed all over it), a requirement that I feel both Lonchamp and Mulberry definately meet.

Inspired by Mulberry, I thought I'd go for fairly English look today and pair brown with white lace, but keep it summery by wearing cork wedges, even though I'll inevitably have to cover up with a jacket and get the brolly out later, gloom...

Both tops: Dorothy Perkins, £28 Skirt: Jack Wills, £49 Shoes: New Look £20 Bag: Zara £50 Bracelet Accessorize £12

Summer's Here!

2011-06-08T03:49:00.000-07:00

What better time, I thought, to start writing my blog than the beginning of June, the official start to summer?! Being more than a little obsessed with clothes and fashion, I often eagerly await the turn of any season, and the new trends that come with it, once the current one draws to an end. Updating my wardrobe for the summer months however, does get me squealing significantly louder than I might the rest of the year. As a full time student, I can probably associate summer with FREEDOM!!! a lot more than some, but I also find that the fashion of summer brings with it freedom that everyone (even those living in the scary grown-up world of full-time work) can embrace. The bolder colours and prints and the combinations of loose and flowing with chic and classic make getting dressed in the morning that much more fun and interesting. I also find it a lot easier to be expressive with my outfit when I don’t have to hide away under layers of jumpers, coats and tights as I find they can sometimes clutter a bold outfit, whereas in the boiling heat you can experiment and make a statement with far less clothing.

As it is a particularly warm day here in the beautiful South-East, I felt eye-catching colours and a little flesh on show would be appropriate. Sadly, although my wardrobe definitely knows it is summer, my winter insulation (as I will politely refer to my extra weight as) isn’t aware yet and my skin tone certainly has some catching up to do!)

One of the biggest S/S trends this year is colour blocking which I absolutely love; it’s an excuse to clash colours and step away from the safety net of combining a bright colour or bold print with something neutral and plain. Every Chanel lover knows that stripes always have and probably always will be one box you definitely should tick if you want to be on trend, but over the last year or so there has been huge steps away from the traditional black and white and stripes have become so much more versatile and experimental. I love that this shirt and mini-skirt combo takes care of two trends in one and the weaving on my satchel just tops it off with a subtle injection of 70’s style.

Shirt, Bag and Shoes: Topshop Skirt: Zara Bracelet: Ted Baker