26 January 2010

What I Wore Today: 26/1/10


POF: Singing loudly to Tim Minchin Youtube videos whilst getting ready for going into school late
Hoodie: Forever 21 back in the day..it's so fabulously gangsta with gold studs and crazy detail on the back
Tee: Chiodos gig
Necklace: Miss Selfridge
Belt: Harajuku Lovers at Pac Sun
Skirt: Topshop..thoughts on this? Topshop have a denim miniskirt every season, but people don't really wear them anymore. Figured as since shorts aren't allowed at school, I could reinvent it as a decent substitute.
Tights: H&M
Boots: Doc Martens! ♥ I figured I can wear them with skirts as my legs are super-long anyways.


In case you've ever wondered what the back of my head looks like. The back of the hoodie has a giant eagle on it in a lighter colour with small gold studs all over and the word 'Royalty' above it in tattoo lettering. I love it. :)

21 January 2010

TFT #11!

Welcome to the 11th edition of the wonderful TFT, bringing pieces of fashion love and joy to your computer screens, each featured piece costing under a mere £10.




Topshop Large Heart Opaque Tights - £10



Hearts, hearts and more hearts! I'm seeing gorgeous hearts everywhere lately, from shorts to jewelry to shoes and I'll never be able to have enough. Show your adoration for the majestic heart by adorning your lovely legs with them. Patterned tights and heart shapes are two of the best current trends, so update a basic look with some lusciously lovely tights.

10 January 2010

My Style Icon: Audrey Kitching


All images can be found both here and here.


I have wanted to do a 'My Style Icon' series for literally ages, chronicling the amazingly inspiring looks of some of the most lusciously lovely celebrities around. Singers, models, actresses, artists, you name it - there are people out there with some seriously killer style who constantly inspire us to try out some fabulously fashion-forward looks such as bedazzling our schoolbag, investing in a pair of PVC stripper boots or adorning our hair with feathers (what, you haven't done it too?!). This is unlikely to be a scheduled 'slot' in my blogging schedule, simply a post of eye candy and inspiration whenever the inspiration hits me. It's been great fun to plan, so I promise you there'll be more on the way soon!



Audrey is one of my top personal style icons, as her style is a fantastic mish-mash of unashamedly in-your-face statement pieces mixed with a splash of hot pink and infused with raw Hollywood glamour and vintage rock&roll attitude straight from the 80s. She's a pretty controversial character too - if fellow bloggers and internet-creepers aren't putting her down for her split with Panic At The Disco band member Brendon Urie, her "trashy" former shoots (aptly named 'Trashylife') with modelling partner Zui Suicide or verbally attacking her influence on the 'scene' style in recent years, they're criticising her look, even though she has one of the most stunning, visually overwhelming styles I've seen out there.

Channelling Audrey's Look



Converting my Polyvore addiction into something constructive, I created a mini Audrey collection inspired by her looks in the last few years along with some tips on interpreting a similar look yourself.

Key styles:

- Animal prints: coloured or in natural tones. Audrey's been seen in shoes, scarves and other accessories covered in zebra, leopard and giraffe patterns. Tie a silk zebra patterned scarf around your head, or put a leopard print cardigan over your shoulders to add instant straight-out-of-the-safari chic to any plain outfit. However real animal furs are a definite no: animals belong hanging out in their natural homes, not in your wardrobe!

- Pink overload: Along with her candy pink locks, Audrey's closet is literally dripping with accessories and garments in shades of princess pink. Bring out your hyper-girlie side with a pink wrist cuff or hair ribbon and if in doubt, add more.

- Layered necklaces: A central trend in recent seasons, layer silver chains and pendants piled high to achieve glamourous yet casual rock&roll style.

- Leather: Whether it be leather boots, leather hats or Gaga-esque motorcycle gloves, leather clothes and acccessories inject sexy 80s glamour into any look, casual and smart.

- Dark smoky eyes: In or out of the studio, Audrey is rarely seen without lined lids and sexy, smoky lashes, relentlessly glamourous and over-the-top even for everyday styles. Be generous with volumising mascara and slick liquid liner for rock chic at any occasion.

- Romantic hearts, ruffles and feathers: Contrasting with her more edgy, masculine pieces, Audrey pairs her leather, studs and band tees with luxurious feathers, lavish ruffles and an array of unusual heart-shaped pieces including glasses, clutches and brooches.


Where to shop:

- Vintage stores: well-worn band tees, buttery soft leather jackets and authentic military pieces can frequently be found in your local vintage boutiques. Bring new life to previously-loved garments and invest in fabulously unique one-off pieces to show off with pride.

- Costume shops: Go here for the unashamedly ostentacious pieces that are simply too exciting to be found in regular high street stores: these places are absolute eye-candy for any self-proclaimed fashionista. Metallic cowboy boots? Oversizes glasses? Furry hats? Incorporate these into your everyday looks for some serious stand-out-from-the-crowd style.

- Cheap high street chains: I know I constantly protest about overspending at places such as Primark and New Look due to their below-average quality, if you're looking for trendy pieces that'll only be in style for a few weeks, or constructing a specialist party outfit you'll only wear once, get those pieces here. Remember to reuse the material or recycle the garments as soon as they start to fall apart.


Style Tips

Only eat pretty food. Red velvet cake, lavender cupcakes, candyfloss and Smarties aren't only delicious, they make great accessories. Complement your style with a sweet treat to reflect your gorgeously sweet personality.

Dye your hair a sumptuous candy colour. Or at least add some clip-in extensions in your favourite colours for a less permanent interpretation of the look. Audrey's hair is indeed her crowning glory, and yours should be too.

Experiment with outrageously-coloured makeup. Forget boring neutrals: the bolder and brighter shades win every time. Check out Limecrime and Urban Decay for the most dangerously bright in alternative beauty.

Carry a bunny ear headband in your bag. You never know when it'll come in useful.

When it comes to hair, bigger is better. Bed Head blow dry lotion as well as natural extensions and short, choppy layers are fantastic ways to achieve big, beautiful hair even if you don't have much to work with. Fuller hair also flatters your facial features, especially if you are a fellow owner of a bumpy nose.

Embrace designer glamour. McQueen, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood..they're all absolutely awe-inspiring beauties with breathtaking designs. Even if you can't afford original pieces, use inspiration from their collections to influence your own wardrobe.



Watch out for more of my style icons coming this way soon! But first I'd like to know...
Who is YOUR style icon?

7 January 2010

TFT #10




Etsy Heart Fingerless Gloves [Pattern] - $4, approx £2.50



Why not make the most of the cold days and nights inside and craft yourself some gorgeously cosy fingerless gloves? No-one can have enough of them, in my opinion - they keep your hands fabulously cosy whilst being able to write/pick things up/glue photographs (too much Photography work lately I think!). Clothes and accessories you make yourself make them 10x more fun to wear, so make yourself something beautiful to keep warm!

5 January 2010

Inspired: January Edition


image from here.


1. Motivate yourself to keep your resolutions. Buy some heart-shaped sticky notes and write your resolutions on them in purple/pink/sparkly ink. Stick them around your room or workspace so you won't forget to keep them.

2. Buy yourself the best planner you can afford. Keep yourself organised in 2010! If you favour the January to December planner, don't be afraid to pay a little extra for one with a luxurious cover, page dividers, extra compartments or any other features you find particularly useful - you'll be much more likely to make good use of it. Personally I prefer the academic year planner as I always have so much schoolwork going on, so stick with what you know you'll get the most effective use out of.

3. Invest in some super-cosy thermal socks and underwear. Seriously - it's cold out there! Especially if you have horrible circulation like me: I was genuinely considering wearing my duvet to school yesterday. Topshop do a thermal vest here which doesn't actually look too much like something your grandma would wear. Also, thermal leggings, anyone?

4. Declutter your workspace. A top priority if one of your resolutions was to be more organised this year. I can't recommend a thorough declutter enough - it helps to both cut down on stress and clear your head. Make sure all your essentials are easy to access and store and that your surfaces are clean and dust-free - you'd be amazed at how much a clear workspace boosts productivity.

5. Ensure any work and payments from '09 are seen to. Don't get caught out by any leftover projects or payments you're still behind on from last year. Schedule some time (at least an hour) to get your work finished and that you've paid back any friends you've borrowed money from, or unpaid bills and fees you're probably going to forget about.

6. Discover the next big band of 2010. I often mention this, I know - but discovering a new favourite band, performer or artist who I adore always excites me. Take an evening this month to see a band playing at your local venue, especially if you're feeling a little stressed or down about the wintery season. January tours like the K! Tour showcase some of the hottest new bands from last year who are guaranteed to be huge in 2010, so why not check them out?

7. Write thank-you cards for all your Christmas presents. Your parents probably nagged you about them when you were younger, but even if you hated a certain gift, it's pretty impolite to not at least say thank you for it! Sure, your Auntie Carol from Inverness probably didn't know you're not keen on authentic sheepskin gilets with matching gloves, but she tried her hardest (and you can always sell/exchange gifts you're not happy with!). I know most people who read this are very lovely and polite already and probably don't need reminding, but thank you cards are such a joy to receive. This design from Paperchase is shiny and awesome.

8. Clear up any leftover Christmas debris - it's bad luck otherwise! Today is the last day you're 'allowed' to have your Christmas decorations up before the rumoured bad luck! It's one of the saddest times of year when it's time to get rid of the tree and gorgeous lights, but having leftover gifts and pine needles hanging around the living room will just make you feel low. If you're still high on festive love, why not get some pretty fairy lights to decorate your home with?

9. Take advantage of New Year sales and special offers. You've probably already seen my haul from the Boxing Day sales, but many special offers and discounts still continue well into January, especially further discounts on holiday items. If you're going shopping this weekend, see what you can find!

10. Start looking at key pieces for your Spring wardrobe if you haven't already. It's a little early to get the Spring pieces out already, considering most of the country is still under several feet of snow, but many stores are already stocking their Spring collections. Sequins, florals and polkadots look set to continue into our 2010 wardrobes with pale, summery shades and a touch of uber-feminine glamour.

What's your favourite thing about this month?

4 January 2010

What I Wore - 04/01/10 [1st Day Of School]


POF: Basic, warm-as-possible outfit for attempting to shield self from Arctic conditions with lovely new jacket + disorganised layers
Jacket: Topshop!
Tees/Tops: FSAS, Primark
Jeans: Topshop
Lovely socks: H&M

I'm after some snowboots (not Uggs, of course!) and more thermal layers for the next couple of months as I was still completely frozen today, even with a scarf and gloves..where are you, summer?!

1 January 2010

Style Resolutions 2010



New year, new decade, new start..everyone's talking about making new year resolutions, but what are your style resolutions to adhere to over the next 12 months? After all, like fashion on the runway, our style constantly reinvents itself and evolves throughout our life, being reincarnated in more wonderful, awe-inspiring and fabulous forms over time. Do you dress differently from how you did last year? How about the last two, three, five years? This is another great reason why New Year is the perfect time to reflect on our lives simultaneously and where we want ourselves to be next time the 01/01 bomb rolls around again.

My Style Resolutions

1. Colour abundance! Lately I've noticed that everything I've bought recently has been plain and either black or grey. I'm glad to finally have that versatility in my wardrobe, but a small amount of colour is never a bad thing! It's hard to pick appropriate colours to go with my hair colour (currently orange with small amounts of blonde and brown), but I'm going to go for beautiful and exciting colour regardless.

2. Girlify to the extreme. When I was younger, I was dressed in ugly pinafores and stiff long skirts as well as horrendous summer school dresses which I absolutely despised; no wonder I resolved to wear nothing but jeans for about 12 years whenever I wasn't in school. It's enough reason to make anyone hate skirts and dresses! However recently, I adore both and have started buying more skirts and dresses than ever. It's often difficult to find pieces like these which suit one's shape perfectly, though it's definitely something which needs to happen this year! I want gorgeous, girly dresses and fabulously voluminous skirts which look completely stunning.

3. Experiment without fear. Trying on different styles is a huge part of constructing a new look - even if you think something will look horrible on you, try it anyway: you may just find your favourite new piece of clothing. I'm still getting used to taking chances with new styles, but once you do it, you'll never regret it! I've found some lovely things in the past year that I've taken the risk to try despite not liking it on the hanger, and I shall continue this to find even more beautiful pieces.

What are your style resolutions for the New Year?
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