Swedish graduation fashion

Just like it’s an unwritten rule that you don’t wear white to someone else’s wedding, you don’t wear white to someone else’s graduation (at least in Sweden!). I went to visit my family in Sweden last week, and it was my little sister’s graduation from college. She has been studying to become a hairdresser – a degree all of my family are very happy about. No more expensive haircuts for us!

It’s Swedish tradition that the female graduates wear white dresses on this particular day, while the guys wear suits – plus the graduation hat which is white, and which makes everyone look like sailors. I was actually surprised that my sister chose to wear a white dress since she’s a little bit of a rebel, but she did. However, she did match it with a pair of mental 14 cm black heels with metal studs. Check these babies out! They’re from the Swedish online catalogue Nelly.com

My other sister and I kind of matched each other even though we didn’t mean to. We both wore short blue dresses; mine was a loose-fit sailor inspired dress with white and blue stripy details at the bottom and on the buttons, and my sister wore a tight denim dress with a zipper detail in the front.

 This was such as happy day, and I’ll remember it forever!

What I wore in Paris

I know my blog has been a bit quiet lately - I've been on a 2 week holiday. I visited 2 places during these 2 weeks, and the first one was Paris in France. 

Fashion bloggers often talk about how trendy they've been on their holidays, but that does not really apply to me! When I go on city breaks which includes a lot of sightseeing and A LOT of walking I just can't be fashionable! NO ONE can go sightseeing in stilettos or even small heels, so it was 100% comfy flat shoes for me during these 5 days in France. To be honest I don't care. I just wanted to see as much as possible while I was there. I managed to wear OK clothes for 2 days though, but the shoes were still ugly :P

This is what I wore on the day that I saw Sacre Coeur and Notre Dame. Loose fitting strapless top in a royal purple colour, with a light beige cardigan of a very thin material. I matched this with skinny jeans, and my ugly but super-comfy walking sandals. A cross-body bag is a must when on a city holiday - you need to keep your hands free so that you can snap lots of photos! :)

On the last day when we went out to the village Versailles to walk in the vinyard and gardens near the catherdral and the castle I wore a mustardy yellow dress (it was Sweden's national day so I felt I had to wear something yellow!) matched with a terracotta coloured thin cardigan with button details, black leggings, massive Hollywood star-like sunglasses, my very handy cross-body bag and again; my ugly but comfy shoes.

Featured: lilac embroidered dress

Another new addition to my wardrobe. But don't worry - it's not like I've splashed out or anything. The dress is only from "Primani". I rarely shop there - I really can't stand the crazy crowd of people pushing through the narrow aisles. Most of the clothes in there is just low quality sh*t, but sometimes you can find the rare nice garment - such as this lilac coloured dress with embroidered details.

Necklace: Magnolia (gift from my man, which means I have no clue what it cost)

Ring: Vintage, handmade ring from Africa (from one of my dear old grandma's few travels)

 Lace ballerina shoes from NewLook. I already featured these shoes in my chill in the park post from last week.

This day was a bit too windy to be wearing such a short dress!

Celebs rocking the biker chic style

So I just found out yesterday that my friend passed his MC test. He has finally got his licence, and can now class himself as a sexy biker ;) This of course lead me to thinking about sexy biker clothes - but they are way sexier on girls! Check out these female celebrities rocking the biker chic style!

Fergie is looking hotter than ever at this year's Coachella festival, wearing all black; leather vest, cut-off denim shorts, leather fringe bag and biker boots.

Even someone as girly as Ashley Olsen can pull off the biker chic look. The all black (Ray Ban?) sunglasses are a great addition to this outfit.

Jessica Biel goes for the more casual biker look, with a rocky t-shirt, cropped denim shorts, and of course the biker boots.

 Who says you can't match lace and leather? Paris Hilton wears a sexy see-through lace vest combined with a studded leather bag, biker jacket, and leather boots. I like the sunnies as well, but she should have skipped that cap!

 I know this photo is a bit dated, but I just love the way Beyonce has been styled in it! Proper rocking the biker chic style!

 

 Even the British celebrities sometimes opt for the biker chic style. Here is Cheryl Cole wearing a pair of awesome leather leggings, peep-toe leather boots, and leather jacket. All in black! Super hot, or what?

Heatwave - Orange and leopard outfit

The heatwave we've had the last week has been absolutely amazing, and I really cherished every minute of sunshine during the weekend. Saturday consisted of some shopping, and what better colour to invest in than one that represents heat - this orange one-shoulder dress is just perfect for warm summer days. It's made of very thin and floaty fabric and can be worn both casually and on a night out.

 I love the fact that the dress looks a bit Grecian. The one shoulder style and the pleated details is what makes it a bit more exotic looking.

The sunglasses are a new little addition to my collection of accessories as well. They cost me a whole pound! (from Primark) I love big sunglasses - it's a bit of fly-eye look meets hiding celebrity a la Vicoria Beckham. The earrings are from Accessorize, and the ring is a "fork ring" made by a Swedish jewellery designer - a gift from my parents for my graduation from college.

 I don't normally like animal print on clothes, but it's alright if it's a small accessory such as a scarf, or in this case shoes. These slingback sandals with a small wedge heel were bought from Next. They're absolutely super comfortable since they've got Next's own "sole survivor" spongy soles - so no sore feet! The peep toe and the cream bow just add plus points to these shoes. Definitely worth the $40 I spent on them! :)

Chill in the park with smoothie and pretty nails

Oh yes! The lovely summer weather has finally reached this big miserable island in the west. It’s been about 25 degrees all week, and it’s looking like it’s gonna stay for at least a few more days. I can’t wait til the weekend! Those sun-chairs I bought last year will finally get used ;)

I hate when it’s sunny during the weeks though… Why? Cause I’m stuck in an office every day until 5.30, and by that time it’s already too late to properly enjoy the sun. All I get is 1 lousy hour at lunchtime when I try to soak up as much of the sun as I possibly can.

Yesterday after work I went to the park with my friend Kristina (who just started up a fashion blog of her own called Mode of Style) and we got to enjoy the last bit of sunshine of the day. I was wearing in my newly bought lace ballerina shoes from NewLook, while enjoying a lovely Starbucks raspberry and black currant smoothie. Yum!

I never thought I would ever post a photo of my toes on my blog… but I just painted my nails the other day and I got to like this nailpolish so much that I wanted to show you! It’s a No.7 polish called Verona.

I used the same pink metallic nailpolish for the tips of my fingernails as well, but with another colour underneath (2true lilac pink/orchid).

So… a shoe+toes+nailpolish post… and some free advertising for Starbucks. An odd one, but I hope you’ve enjoyed it.
Now get out there and enjoy the sun as much as you can if you’re not stuck in an office like me!

Classic chic tunics

With the 2012 trend for clean lines and beautiful colours, you can look great without spending a fortune. Classic pieces have hit the catwalks this year, with a mixture of bold patterns and subtle pastel shades. Tunics give you the best of both worlds – comfortable to wear but always looking fantastic.

Tunics work for pretty much any body shape, which is why they are perennially popular. When they are well designed and made using quality fabrics, they are the perfect investment for anyone who wants to make their wardrobe instantly classy. There are several ways you can use this style to bring something new to the outfits you put together.

No matter what colours couture designers introduce at their shows, there is always room for the elegance of black and white. A clean, bright white tunic worn over black jeans or leggings is an easy way to look amazing without having to put in too much effort. Look for tunics that have long lines and interesting detail so that you always feel wonderful when you put it on. And black is a wonderfully slimming colour, so wear it with confidence and just switch things round – wear with long, wide white linen trousers or team with denim shorts paired with a ladies denim jacket for a more contemporary look!

Make things a little more casual by choosing tunics that come in easy-to-wear fabrics. Soft tailoring is often very flattering, and perfect when you just need to pull on something simple to wear into town or for a lunch with friends. Add some sparkle with an eye-catching necklace and pair with slimming jeans or chinos for an instant lift. Alternatively, look for something a little different, like a layered tunic, which gives an elegant, floaty look and can be dressed up with smart trousers and heels, or can be worn over shorts for a relaxing day at the beach. With a wide choice on the high street and online, there’s something to suit everyone.

And finally, take the time to look for tunics that are designed to flatter. By their nature, they have longer lines than tailored shirts and tops, but that doesn’t mean that you have to lose all sense of shape. Designs that use open collars, scoop neck, pleated gathering and hem and sleeve detail are all likely to be more flattering than a cheap, long t-shirt. Tunics are affordable, versatile and fun – and every girl should have one in her wardrobe this season.