Trendy holiday destinations for the aspiring fashionista

I'm not sure about you but this time of year just always seems so busy. Rushing from A to B, holding down a day job whilst by night you dine out, frequent beer gardens and constantly have to rush between social functions because everyone seems to wait until the sun is shining to do anything! Even though this may sound like a dream to many, it's also rather tiring. Perhaps it’s making you crave a little getaway? Somewhere where you can pamper yourself and maybe indulge in a little retail therapy? If that sounds perfect, why not consider snapping up one of the great late deals out there and head to one of Europe's most fashion focused cities? That's right; I didn’t think I’d need to ask you twice! 

PARIS

If I were to mention fashion and not mention Paris in the next breath, I am sure that fashion legends of yesteryear would roll over in their graves. There are loads of great last minute deals to Paris available so, before you know it you could be hitting the city’s high end boutiques before rewarding yourself with a glass or two of wine in a charming street side cafe. It's impossible not to fall in love with Paris... especially when it's potentially the fashion capital of the world. 

MILAN

Think big sunglasses, impossibly impeccably dressed locals and the chance to visit one of Italy’s most vibrant cities. Home to the likes of Gucci, Prada, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Armani, you’ll be hard pressed to find a city that is more focused around fashion, or more glamourous for that matter. Plus, when you have well and truly exhausted yourselves pounding the pavements of this Italian city, you can feast upon all of the carbohydrates that Italians do so well, safe in the knowledge that you earnt it.

LONDON

Visiting your dream shopping destination doesn't necessarily require jetting off to some far flung destination. After all, the money that you can save on flights by staying at home and by snapping up great late deals at hotels right in the centre of London only means you have more money to spend in the boutiques of Bond Street, the high street stores on infamous Oxford Street or in the independent shops of Shoreditch and Angel. Perfect. Plus, don’t forget the wonders that await you at both of the Westfield shopping centres. Well worth a visit!

Summer Lovin’ - It’s Not Over Yet

Before everyone gets carried away talking about the oversized tailoring and punk rock plaids of Autumn 2013, let’s focus on the sun we continue to have, and the outfits we have yet to release from our wardrobe. There’s still enough sun to shine on our parade.

The Dress

For a warm evening there’s nothing better than a silky dress to look both smart and sexy. Match it with some tough detailing, for example a statement clutch, to have a daring edge. Geometric patterns, cool details, graphic prints and basically any detailed embellishments (as long as they’re bold) will triumph this summer. 

The Trousers

Black and white prints or monochrome will follow the momentary minimalist trend. Although for a bit of summer fun, team them with a bold coloured or detailed tee. For those few days when the British stop wishing for holidays and are happy to be in Britain go for cropped trousers for a fresher, but still smart, outfit. 

The Tees

Silk or silk fronted t-shirts are having their moment, not only cool to wear but smart, especially when teamed with suit-jackets. For a more casual look try playful colours or bold block colours. Similarly to the summer dress, graphic and sometimes mismatched prints with shorts or a skirt look effortless. Remember, no low cut tops please; it’s all about the midriff crop top.  

The Shoes

Luckily for our feet the low heel is in fashion for an edgy look. The chunkier the shoes or thicker the heel, this is a fashion trend we’re happy to follow. As the fashion houses show, a mix of materials are really in at the moment, but if you’re investing this late into the season go for a low to midi heel as that will carry you through to autumn/winter effortlessly.

The Accessories

The summer sun tends to bring out the feminine side in jewellery. This means pearls and pinks that go with the summer pastel trend. For stylish charms go for a Pandora bracelet with pastel coloured gems, or for bracelets at a lower price try the pale coloured woven leather for some girly arm candy. Something else to go perfectly on your arm is your bag. It’s all about the essentials this season; pick out something that will keep you outdoors for as long as possible, preferably something to hold the essentials, the lipgloss, the credit card, the eyeliner….

So don’t worry, there is still enough sunshine to go around so enjoy those summer outfits and don’t get the winter clothes out just yet.

Sneak preview of Joe Browns AW13 collections

Last week, myself and the lovely Laura from Top Style Advice were invited to an exclusive sneak preview of Joe Browns' AW13 collections. It was only the two of us who were invited as bloggers - the rest were staff or loyal customers. It was only a very small event, which made it all the more exciting!

The event lasted for just over an hour, and was a very professional little fashion show. 

Joe Browns presented a few new collections for autumn and winter, which will be available on the website from next week;

'Wuthering heights' - inspired by vintage style, and consisted of a lot of dusky colours, with girly cuts.

'A Winter's tale' - inspired by old time Russia, with lots of prints (such as Russioan dolls) and elements of red.

The men's collection - Also a bit Russian inspired, but with a lot of geometric prints that screamed heritage and adventure.

Have a look for yourself, at the collages below.

Enjoy! ;)

Autumn collection with girly elements - flowing fabrics and dusky pinks.

Russian inspired colours and patterns for Winter.

The men's collection consisted of a number of different styles - everything from trendy checked shirts and hoodies, to chunky knits and floral patterns.

Joe Browns also presented some beautiful lace dresses which would be perfect for a Christmas or New Year's party.

Can I have this one, please!? ;) 

What I really love about Joe Browns is their bohemian inspired cuts, with the flowing fabrics and the slightly crazy patterns. 

Joe Browns were kind enough to gift me with a gift card to treat myself to something from their new AW collections. I have not yet decided what to pick, but keep an eye out for a review coming soon! :)

My summery aztec look

The trend of the midi skirt is massive at the moment, and I've already invested in a few skirts and dresses of this length.I would say it's a very flattering length for any body shape.

(Oh, and by the way - say hi to my little cat Melba)

One of my new buys is this pink aztec print dress from boohoo. I've developed a bit of a crush on boohoo lately actually, and even though I'm not usually a fan of pink, I really fell for this printed dress.

I've chosen to pair this pink dress with some silver and turquoise accessories to really get that feeling of summer. This 3-piece necklace , which is quite aztec looking as well with its tribal pattern, is from New Look's summer range, and I bought it in time for my beach holiday earlier this spring.

The ring is a handmade silver ring with a turquoise stone. I absolutely love big and unusual rings, and this one was bought at Outrage Jewellery in Leeds Corn Exchange. I've been eyeing up several gorgeous pieces of jewellery in there, and I can't wait to get my hands on a few more of them!

The other ring, the one on my thumb, is a vintage ring that has been passed down from my mum. I believe it's from the 70's, and saying that - when looking closer you can see that it looks quite hippy-ish. It's a silver ring with a zigzag pattern made of teeny tiny coloured stones of turquoise and burnt amber.

 As for the shoes, I've gone for a pair of simple wedge sandals with pleated straps. These are from New Look and were bought last summer (although, I've seen that they've come back for this year's summer collection as well!)

 

What do you think of this summery aztec look?

Which trends have you fallen for this season?

Holiday and swimwear

Do you buy new bikinis every summer? I actually tend to do so, even though I don’t live in a warm country and don’t really get to wear my bikinis much in a summer.

This year I actually bought two bikinis. Why? I thought I deserved to treat myself to that for my holiday. I went to Jamaica in April (amazing!!!), and I figured it would be good to have one bikini for sunbathing, and one for activities. Cause we all know what happens if you’re wearing a bikini that is too skimpy when diving into the water… Oooops!

The bikini I got for sunbathing purpose is a multi-way bandeau bikini. You can either tie the strings behind your neck, or you can simply tie them in a bow on your chest. I personally hate white tan lines, so I always make sure to keep those strings down!

This bandeau bikini below, which is from Swimwear 365,  is of a dark brown colour with a decorative golden butterfly print.

The second bikini I got is more for activities – meaning it won’t come off if I jump into the sea, or in this case – climb waterfalls! It’s also from Swimwear 365, and is a halter-neck version, with a brown and white zebra print.

For the rest of the holiday, when not in a bikini, you would usually see me wearing mini-shorts and a halter-neck or strapless top. During my time in Jamaica I got absolutely obsessed with these little denim jeans that I purchased at H&M just before I left, and they go just perfectly with this beige halter-neck top with decorative dark wooden beads – from New Yorker.

Are you going on any holidays this year?

What sort of bikinis and beachwear do you usually opt for?

The trend of online shopping malls

Let me confess something... I’ve never been a fan of shopping online.

I just don’t know where to start looking… There are too many shops (but I never seem to remember them when I’m about to type in a URL in the browser) and it’s just not the same when you’re sitting alone in front of your computer. That social bit of clothes shopping is so important! You want to be able to show your friends what items you’ve got your eye on, you want to know their opinions about things… and you don’t get that from shopping online! Or do you…?

The latest trend in online shopping is so called ‘online shopping malls’, where you’ll find a large number of shops in the same place, and you can even connect with your friends via Facebook.

Lately I’ve been checking out Mallzee, which is one of the most popular of these online shopping malls.

They collaborate with all the big fashion stores, such as Asos, Boohoo, Forever21, Miss Selfridge, Warehouse, New Look, Urban Outfitters… the list is long!

I’m a sucker for a number of these shops, and am thrilled to be able to see them all in the same place!

When you sign up, you simply tick the shops that are to your liking, and these will then show up on your homepage. You can star your favourite items from each shop, and these will then end up in your ‘wardrobe’, where you’ll see them along with other items that would be a good match. You can of course purchase the items too, and when you do you’ll earn Mallzee dollars. The Mallzee dollars can be used to buy exclusive products, to get discounts, and other little treats. So in short – you actually get paid for shopping! Amazing, huh? ;)

Want to give Mallzee a try? Sign up here, and you’ll get a VIP membership (meaning you’ll get exclusive access to special promotions and discounts, and first access to new exciting features).