July! What’s In Store This Month

Me with my best friend on my 21st birthday in 2010

I say this every year, but I really can’t believe how quickly time is flying by! Can’t believe it’s already July. This month should be quite an exciting one. First off, it’s my 23rd birthday tomorrow (yay!). As I’m so busy at the moment I’ll be doing something low key with family, and maybe having a bigger celebration with friends in a couple of weeks. Or not, as the case may be. Sad fact of growing up seems to be that birthdays aren’t as exciting as they used to be!

What IS exciting, however, is my lil Barcelona getaway this week! I’m hoping to pick up a tan while I’m there, in time for my graduation at the end of the month. Which in itself should be a memorable day. Hopefully the sun will make an appearance.

In the meantime, I’ll be keeping busy at my internship, where I’m learning lots of new things. All in all, it’s set to be a busy and fun filled July. What are you all getting up to?

Wednesday Wishlist – 27/06

This has been a bit of a crazy week. Crazy, but good, for sure. I started a new internship on Monday, at an online fashion publication called Fashion 156, and have spent the last three days frantically covering the SS13 menswear shows (from the comfort of a desk, that is.) However, I managed to find time to do a little Wednesday wishing, and here’s what caught my fancy.

Playsuits are perfect for summer, and this sequined beige one, £50, River Island, is the perfect balance of daytime cool and evening glam.

I’ve been yearning for a grey t-shirt or vest of some kind (no idea why!) and love the casual design of this asymmetric tee, £14, Topshop. Its long back would be great for wearing over leggings and shorts.

This swan and starry sky print dress, £29.50, by Billie and Blossom at Dorothy Perkins is my favourite find of the week. I love the print, and it would be perfect come rain or shine, summer or winter. Definitely one for the payday list.

Another pretty dress that tickled my fancy was this studded bodycon, £27.99, New Look. And lastly, these H&M moccasin shoes, £14.99. Animal friendly imitation suede, these are a timeless design, perfect for festivals and summers in the city.

That’s it from me for now. Enjoy the rest of your Wednesdays!

In Pictures – Mulberry’s AW12 Campaign

I may have never read the fantastical 60s children’s book, Where The Wild Things Are, by the late Maurice Sendak, and I missed out on the more recent film adaptation. But the delightful charm of the storybook’s characters didn’t fail to enthuse me, and it seems the magic has rubbed off on British brand Mulberry’s AW 2012 campaign.

Captured through the lens of Tim Walker, a photographer well known for his love of fantastical imagery, the campaign features model Lindsey Wixon alongside a host of furry friends (or foes!), against the hauntingly serene backdrop of an English forest.

Campaigns like this one almost have me wishing away the summer months before they’ve even really arrived, to be replaced by the rusty oranges and plush textures of the autumn and winter days. Just look at the gorgeous designs – those shoes, in particular. I can’t wait to see how the high street will translate these covetable styles.

Images and Story from Stylist.

Wednesday Wishlist – 20/06

I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of June already! Craziness. Anyway. Today’s wishlist is a little different from the usual scrapbook of high street finds. This week, I’ve been lusting after some items from eBay store-turned-global phenomenon, Nasty Gal. Their clothes are an eclectic mix of pretty grunge and sexy, laid-back cool, and here are my favourite looks from their recent additions.

(From left to right) I love the unique cut of this mesh detailed, cut out dress, £56.11. Teamed with some killer heels and smokey eyes, this would be an outfit made for a night out to remember. The bat wing sleeves and fringed detail of the black knit dress, £49.74, is given a sexy boost with cut out shoulders, and would be perfect come rain or shine.

I’ve been looking for the perfect ‘muscle shirt’ for some time now, and I think I might just have found it! I love the faded femme symbol as an alternative to the currently over-exposed cross sign on this casual grey tee, £31.88.

Backpacks have worked their way up the bag hierarchy recently and are sitting pretty at the top of many a fashionista’s must-have lists. This fringed rucksack, £41.45, is a perfect example of one of the season’s hottest styles.

Last but not least, I was drawn again to the individual cut of this lace, open back dress, £94.37. A little bit on the pricey side but the cut really is beautiful.

So there you have it! Check out the other gorgeous pieces Nasty Gal have to offer. I dare you not to crave oversized jumpers, biker boots and denim knicker-shorts once you’ve had a peek!

Happy Wednesdays!

Practical Packing – Summer Getaway

As I may have mentioned a few times before, I’m jetting off to Barcelona for a few days next month, and am super excited! However, along with the usual nervousness about flying, another little anxiety has reared its ugly head – with pay day still a good two weeks away, and hardly a dime to my name, how am I going to throw together a worthy holiday wardrobe?

With this fear in mind, I set about raiding my wardrobe and did a spot of beachwear brainstorming. And I was pleased to find that, actually, I’ve got more than enough summer pieces in my collection to fill a five-day suitcase! Hurray! With the exception of my beautiful Versace for H&M shirt, above, the majority of the clothes are from the great British high street.

So I’ve definitely got enough dresses, shorts and bikinis. But there are a few things I’ll need to stock up on. One or two pretty kaftans or beach cover ups would do nicely, and a show-stopping dress for a night out on the town would go some way to completing this capsule collection. FYI I am planning on bringing shoes on this break, just didn’t want to put them on me clothes ;) That being said, I’m still on the lookout for the perfect pair of sandals to bring with me to Barcelona.

The act of laying out all the clothes I want to bring in advance, instead of leaving it to a last-minute, suitcase-stuffing frenzy, really helped me to figure out what I should invest in, and what I really don’t need. This way, I can save on money and space, so I’ll have more room and more cash to spend on gorgeous holiday fashion finds!

Preview – Primark’s AW12 Collection

Primark seem to go from strength to strength these days in terms of their on-trend, affordable designs. And their AW12 collection, revealed earlier this week, looks set to be a highlight of the high street’s new season selections! I’m very excited about this range, especially the gorgeous autumnal colours, the return of houndstooth (LOVE it!) and the overall elegance of these pieces. My favourite pieces have got to be the floral heels, £20! Bring it on!

Check out the full collection here.

Wednesday Wishlist – 13/06

I’ve been working hard this week at my new internship at LUX FIX, a website dedicated to providing deskbound fashionistas with a daily dose of luxury. But I always find time to muse over the newly arrived clothes and accessories from my favourite high street stores! Here’s this week’s very dress-dominant wish list:

The elegance of this white belted dress, £65, Warehouse, really appeals to me. It would be perfect for daywear over the coming summer months – I’d team it with simple sandals or wedges and understated accessories.

After spending weeks lusting after this Tara Starlet mix and match outfit, I was delighted to find this similar (and much more affordable) version at Topshop. For just £32, it’s an itch I simply have to scratch!

Warehouse have really nailed the occasion dress this season, and this gorgeous pink chiffon prom dress, £90, is sentiment to that. Just look at the detail on the skirt! Beautiful!

I’m not normally a fan of jumpsuits and have never been known to wear one, but when I spotted this sexy cerise jumpsuit, £45, Miss Selfridge, I knew it would be one for the wish list. Definitely this week’s number one wish.

Finally, a more casual piece to round off the wish list, in the form of this embellished heart print tank top, £22, River Island. Perfect for lazy summer sleepovers and late lunches with friends.

Pinning Addiction

I admit, I’m a little late on the uptake. After requesting an invite last night, today I set up an account on Pinterest, and have been happily pinning away for the last hour! Despite initially being a bit skeptical about the whole ‘pinning’ thing, I’ve quickly become hooked on putting together boards.

The creative nature of Pinterest has really caught my attention. The ease with which a collage of funny, inspiring images can be created adds to the site’s appeal. Like Instagram, its founders are capitalizing on the power of the image. Pinterest has a uniquely creative charm, and I can’t wait to get busy with new boards!

Are you also a Pinner? Check me out at http://pinterest.com/preciousn/

Victims of Beauty?

I don’t know about you, but I see the words ‘victim’ and ‘beauty’ as contradictions. In the context of domestic violence, there is certainly nothing beautiful about falling victim to crimes that claim the lives of 2 women in the UK every week. Despite this, and my own personal opinions on/experiences of domestic violence, I wasn’t expecting to be particularly shocked when news of a controversial editorial glamorizing violence against women hit the Twitterverse yesterday.

But the images, from Bulgarian magazine 12, did shock me. They made me angry and, almost, upset. Because, among many things, I think the relationship between make-up and violence has been ignorantly misunderstood. Make-up is used to cover up the physical marks of domestic violence, not to highlight them. It seems the primary purpose of this shoot has been to shock readers, and the warning that it is ‘not for the fainthearted’ merely poses a challenge, an invitation to read on.

I’m not sure if ‘glamorizing’ is the right word to use. It could even be argued that the images have a positive effect in that they generate a discourse of this very important issue. But that, I think, is a naive stance to take. Because this is a beauty editorial, whose main focus is certainly not to bring attention to D.V. Instead, it just presents the bruises and cuts that so many women try to cover up in an inappropriate setting, and in very poor taste.

Other comments which sought to trivialize the controversy the photos had sparked claimed that the link between them and domestic violence was unfounded, and that women were perfectly capable of injuring themselves. Considering strangling bruises and slit throats are also portrayed, this is just one example of a saddening minority dismissing the complex issues the images hold.

With the rise of violent relationships among teenagers, the shoot is particularly inapt. Overall, I struggle to understand why this premise was approved for publication, when all it will do is cause upset and shock.

Images from Fashionista. See here for the full slide show.

Wednesday Wishlist – 06/06

Despite a long weekend of miserable weather, I refuse to give up on the British summer, and hope that the sun will come back out soon! In the meantime, here are the pieces I’ve been lusting after this week…

H&M for Water is a small but noticeable collection that has recently hit the shelves of the Swedish fashion retailer. I love the tropical print and natural textures of the range, and this bikini, £24.99, is my favourite item. Cos you can never have too many bikinis, right?

Staying with this season’s Hawaiian print trend is this gorgeous halter-neck bodice, £42, by London designer Tara Starlet. I’ve admired a few of their pieces before, and this vintage inspired top is one to add to the pile.

New Look has come up trumps this week with these two stunning bags. The mint green bag, £12.99, would be the perfect accessory day or night, and the bow and heart-shaped padlock details on this shell pink bag by Kelly Brook, £19.99, make this the ultimate in pretty feminine purses.

Finally, courtesy of the New Look shoe gallery, are these adorable peep toe jelly wedges, £14.99. Also available in black, and at a bargain price, there’s hardly an excuse not to snap these up.

Hope you all had a great bank holiday weekend…only three days til the next weekend now!