Fashion

Hi hi! (I seriously don’t know how to introduce these posts anymore)… Today I am doing a tag. Oh yes, ‘Tolly-The-No-Tag-Blogger’ is going against all she has said, and making her own?! *gasp* I know. I thought there was one missing, so I decided to YOLO it and create the ultimate, Fashion Week tag. *DUN DUN DUN – dramatic intro*

Have you ever been to a Fashion Week before?: Unfortunately, no. I’ve been to The Clothes Show Live, but that’s the closest, and I’ve been invited to a LFW Party but, had to decline due to living in France. But um, yeah. Nope. *sob sob*

If you could go to a Fashion Week, which one would you go to and which season?: Ummm… I think probably London just because I am English, but I wouldn’t mind really. For the season, probably Spring & Summer because I’m more of a fan of colourful clothing than dark grung-y stuff, so S/S is my pick!

What designer’s show would you most like to go to?: Although I absolutely love Vivienne Westwood, and it’s one of my dreams to be able to attend her show, I would be really interested in Valentino’s show because after seeing the catwalk pictures, it looks like such an interesting show to attend!

Would you rather be ‘FROW’ (Front Row) or would you rather take the back seat?: Personally, I’d rather go FROW. I know that some people would like to be back seat because of not being intimidated by ‘bigger’ stars (maybe…?), but for me FROW is where I would like to be seated, oh and if possible, can Anna Wintour sit next to me?

If you were able to work at LFW, who would you rather be – A designer, a model, the press, a VIP, or someone backstage?: Well, I think we all know the answer to this one for me 😉 Of course, I would love to be the designer. Just being able to see my designs go down the catwalk sounds so cool!

Sometimes you can get invites to the after ‘part-ays’, but you are only allowed to meet one model, one designer and one VIP/celebrity, in person. Who would you like to meet?: For a model, I know it is very typical, but Cara Delevingne. Apparently Cara is really laid back and just like any other ‘gal’ – sorry, I’m being rather typical and boring today aren’t I? -, so it would be interesting to see exactly what she is like. For a designer, it would of course be the queen herself, Vivienne Westwood. I am ever so jealous of Olivia (from What Olivia Did) for meeting Vivienne whilst she was eating pie, so I am now aiming to meet her in the next few years (…optimistic!). For a VIP, it would probably be… um… I don’t actually know! I guess meeting anyone inspiring would be amazing, so I guess I’d just see who was there, haha!

For your Fashion Week trip, you can take 5 items, for example a camera etc. What would be your essentials?: Like the example, of course my camera for snapping those catwalk pictures and when I meet Cara & Vivienne. A note pad for jotting down information and thoughts on the shows. Lucozade to keep me going, because it is literally a life saver for people who don’t like coffee! A pair of pumps or super comfortable shoes to slip on if my snazzier pair get painful! Plus, some business cards to just remind people of when they meet me 😉

And finally, of course the obvious question. What will you wear?: I definitely think comfort is key. I think perhaps a jumpsuit and then jazz it up with a funky jacket and accessories, and a striking pair of shoes! I definitely don’t think that making yourself stand out is what it’s all about, but maybe something eye catching which suits your personality and is something you would normally wear.

I TAG…
Anna from The Life of A Fashion Nerd//Joni from Berry Crumble//Nicole from Cole of The Ball//Flora from Pretty Little Things To Do//Harriet from Harriet Does Make-Up//MyDogBlog//Megan from Floral of Beauty
AND EVERYONE!

I hope you enjoyed this very rare occasion. If you are interested in doing this tag, you can find all the questions here: TAG QUESTIONS! Just simply copy and paste! If you did enjoy this, let me know in the comments!

Oh. My. WOW. I haven’t done a design collection in yonks. I know I said I would, and I’m sawwwry, okay?! But, I thought this idea would make it a good way to start a fresh? Non? Welcome in my blogger inspired fashion design collection, oh yes!

All these designs have been based on the blogger’s style. I’ve looked at what they’ve worn and slightly tweaked them. I’m sorry if they are not totally extravagant, but I wanted to really make them wearable for the bloggers.

What Olivia Did:
As you may already know, I love Olivia’s style, and I wanted to sort of, change up a few of the classic pieces that she likes to wear. I’ve made a sailor style collar, but changed it up to a pink colour. I would also make it embellished but it was hard to show on the image above. The skirt is a skater style one in polka dots, I would make it a nice thick jersey style so it has a lot of shape to it.

Briar Rose: 
Again, one of my favourite style inspirations, Megan. I decided to sort of change up the style, by going all out pink, and also using a smock style dress. Megan has the perfect figure for any type of dress style! The neckline has laser cut detail with also a few embellishments around. The skirt is a low waist, and has a nice puffy underskirt. I definitely think Megan could rock this!

Lisette Loves:
You might know, that um, I have a slight obsession with this one 😉 in, a *hopefully* non creepy way. Lisette has a gorgeous fashion sense! I decided to take her away from her favourite style of the smock dress, and pop her in a shift dress. A shapeless dress is always flattering, plus denim is too? I know Lisette could accessorise this really well! I would make the dress a nice perfect blue with a slight acid wash effect.

Hey D*ck Face: 
A more recent style obsession, is the lovely lady from Hey D*ck face. Her style is quite quirky but simple, so anyone can try and take a few ideas from her outfits. I decided to do a twist on one of her most recent OOTDs. I’ve made the sweater a purple and pastel blue dip dye colour, with the Hey D*ck face logo.  I also changed up the skirt so it is a metallic texture – so cool. I love the metallic look, and I definitely think she could work it 😉

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Make sure to check out all these lovely ladies, their blogs are amazing! I think I might do another one of these collections? What do you think? Let me know in the comments?

Excuse the really odd title of this My Style post. I thought it was quite fitting, though…?! I also excuse the fact that my editing is changing. I’m trying to find the perfect way that suits the feel of my outfits I wear, I know it can be annoying, but I just can’t find the right type of colours etc

What I Wore: Floral Crown (DIY), Oriental Silk Kimono Top €1.00 (Jumble Sale), Sleeveless Parrot Blouse £8.00* (Peacocks), Petite Lasercut Hi Low Skirt £13.00 (ASOS), Jelly Shoes (Supermarket).

I LOVE THIS OUTFIT. When this gorgeous blouse slipped through my letter box, I was like.. ‘Hmm, what should I wear it with’, so I went on the hunt for something to wear with it. BINGO. A 1 EURO Silk Kimono Top in the perfect turquoise blue. The colour picks out the parrots in my blouse, and ooooh they look so nice together. Add my flowy lasercut skirt from ASOS (Still available here, grab it whilst you can!), and it’s just perfect. Although this blouse is Peacocks, I really do like it. It’s great quality for the price. The one thing that is a shame, is the fact that there are only a few gems in the range for girls, which are in the midst of 1D T-Shirts, so come on Peacocks, give us some more! I definitely think I would wear this to LFW though, for one of the more informal shows… *sob sob* Ahhh, one can dream!

As I always do, here is the lifestyle part of my OOTDs… last week we went on a day trip, involving an hour and a half car journey. We went to a pretty village which was basically on the edge of a hill (One of the building was IN the hill). We had a walk round, a drink and a kebab – the yummy ones, pita bread, chips, BBQ sauce, onion… you know the drill. We then went back home stopping off to of course take my OOTD pictures 😉 #bloggerproblems. It was a really lovely day, but also absolutely boiling! I am going to miss the summer, but oh boy, I can’t wait for cosy nights in the winter!

Unfortunately, the leaves are turning. Autumn is upon us, and it’s time to change up our wardrobe. I’ve rounded up the best picks for your Jewellery & Accessories for A/W 13. At very cheap prices, anyone can afford these pieces…

Turquoise Bracelet//Ring//Pearl Collar//Tartan Scrunchy//Tartan Scarf

Turquoise Stone: I’ve seen a lot of this type of stone on jewellery recently, and I think it’s going to be even bigger this upcoming season. It looks great with anything monochrome, and it looks more expensive than it is. I love this bracelet and it looks great with the leather straps. The ring is also really nice! I love how it is such a statement piece, and it’s definitely a key piece for anyone’s jewellery collection!

Pearls: As I said in this post, I think pearls are definitely on the rise. Although this collar does not feature real ones, it’s still effortlessly gorgeous, and would go with any simple dress. After the film, The Great Gatsby, the rise of this type of costume jewellery has shown!

Scrunchy: I love the old school vibe of scrunchies. Although some people think these are just a little too retro, I think they can complete any outfit, especially when they are brightly coloured like this one from Season’s Online. It’s a cute and bright addition to your collection, and would look amazing with a simple smock or skater dress.

Tartan: The scarf and scrunchy are perfect examples of tartan. The print is quite hard to get right, but when you add a touch of it to an outfit, you will most likely get it spot on. Mix the scarf with a leather jacket and you’ll be ready to rock! Plus, it’s Buy One Get One Free so… it’s a bargain really!

I hope you liked this round up of Jewellery & Accessories for the new season! My favourite has got to be the scrunchy! It’s so cute!

(This is a sponsored post on behalf of Season’s Online. I may have been gifted or paid to write and publish this post, but all opinions are 100% honest and are in no way biased. All content was written by myself. You can read my full disclaimer here.)

It’s getting to that time again where students are making decisions. What university or college do they want to go to? What job do they really want to have? Should they take a gap year, etc. Sometimes knowing a little bit more inside detail from the people who actually hire employees can be reassuring. I was given the opportunity to speak to Boohoo.com‘s Head of HR (Human Resources), Kathy Allison about getting a job in the fashion industry, and what working with Boohoo is really all about. Enjoy… (Images courtesy of Boohoo.com)

Bonjour! It’s taking my ages to actually take the pictures for this My Style instalment. I tried it at the beach, but my hair got wet, but then I realised that we recently bought a tripod and remote for our camera. Which means… I can take the photos myself! Woop! Excuse the weird 2 toned hair colour… not sure what happened there…

What I Wore: Floral & Embroidery Print Bomber Jacket £18.00 (ASOS Petite), Monochrome Aztec Dress (H&M – Jumble Sale), Cyan Jelly Shoes £19.00* (Sun Jellies), Love Beaded Bracelet £3.50* & Spiral Above Knuckle Ring* (Both from Daisy Mae Jewellery)

Except from changing into a swimming costume or my PJs, I have been living in this outfit the past week or so. Slight exaggeration, I do change. I just love it! It’s a very LLYMLRS inspired outfit, because I have been loving how she mixes bright colours with monochrome. I haven’t really known how to wear my ASOS Jacket since the #stylebloggerawards, but I think this is the perfect way! It’s casual but it has a certain ‘some-in’ some-in” going on. It’s incredibly comfy too! Even in the heat, this jacket doesn’t get too hot, unless you are in direct sunlight, then you may, quite possibly, boil up into a brightly coloured soup (with croutons of course.)

As I said, this outfit is very LLYMLRS inspired. I’m trying to make my style a little bit more retro and quirky because I just love certain aspects of the retro vibe, but at the same time, I want to keep my grunge feelings running through my style, and of course my love of mixing prints.  Looking at the above picture though, my hair looks ginger at the front and dark brown at the back?! Weird lighting alert haha!

In terms of jewellery with this outfit, I like to keep it simple, which means adding 2 cute pieces from Daisy Mae Jewellery. I found Daisy’s store over Instagram and instantly fell in love! She makes all the pieces herself, and I am obsessed with her chocolate and cake inspired rings! They are amazing! Daisy kindly sent me this gorgeous bracelet and ring. My favourite has got to be the bracelet! I was going to by a similar one ages a go for about 5 times the price because I loved the little gem (it says ‘love’ on the otherside!), but this one is so cute and it makes my summer tan look that little bit more.. tanned. Haha!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t so happy with the ring. I absolutely loved it when it arrived! It was rose gold and really shiny. There was a little note with it which told me to add a coat of clear nail polish, and I forgot 🙁 The ring is now a copper colour which doesn’t quite look as dainty. I love the shape of it, and it is the perfect of sizes, but it’s a shame it is now a funny colour!

It’s getting to that time again where brand’s are releasing their look books and official collection ‘promo shots’, it’s one of my favourite times of the year, because it means sitting down with a cup of tea flicking through the gorgeous pictures which feature clothes that I wish could fill up my wardrobe.

Alice & Olivia: Up until recently, I’d never heard of Alice and Olivia, but when I did find them, I fell in love. I think I’m going through a sort of ‘basics’ phase because I love how simple and effortless both the collection and look book are. I think they have captured the ‘essence’ and ‘vibe’ of Autumn, because there is nothing too ‘vampy’ or ‘gothic’ in there, which I think a lot of brands do when it gets to A/W. One of my predictions for the new season is the ‘flapper’ style, which I strongly believe is because of The Great Gatsby film (is the DVD out yet?), and I love it! I never really wear lace or pearl necklaces, so I hope it will suit me when I give it a try!

ASOS: I love ASOS. I think probably everyone who knows me, knows that I have a love affair with them. You can’t really go wrong with £10 dresses can you? No, exactly. When my eyes set onto the new look book, I fell in love all over again. ASOS have really caught onto the 90’s vibe which I am sure is going to be big, and have put their own chic twist on it. I love the jumpsuit above, if it’s in the Petite range, I believe I may just have to put it on my Christmas wishlist. I have to give it to them, I think ASOS are by far my all time favourite brand out there. Thanks big sis for the recommendation!

Primark: It’s been a year since I step foot into the beast. It’s getting a little too much to bare. My jelly shoes are calling for the frilly socks in pastel colours, but now this? *wipes away the tears* Pastel pinks in Autumn? How can this work so well? Furry crop tops with oversized jackets, how will I live without them in my life? Primark have got it so right, and it’s so wrong that I live hundreds of miles away from a Primark shop. Another of my predictions is ‘structure’, and oh boy are there a lot of beautifully structured pieces in the new collection. I believe I will be asking my sister to order some things off of ASOS for me. (How mean is that? Putting ‘Primarni’ on my favourite online shop, and not allowing European shipping?) I can’t wait to go back to the UK soon. I have so much I want to buy! Ahhh!

(This is a scheduled post. Images used in this post are found here: Alice & Olivia//ASOS//Primark)

You lot seem to be absolutely loving this series of blog posts?! I didn’t think that it would be so popular! Following on from the last post, you guys wanted me to do a post all about ‘how to gain exposure’ for your blog, so here it is, Blogging Top Tips: Gaining Exposure! *long post… sorry*

Social Media: Twitter, Facebook & Instagram
Social Media is one of the best places to gain exposure because literally everyone and their dog has an account on one place or another. Here is my little guide of why to join what!

Why Use Twitter?: Twitter is the place to be as a blogger. Not only can you promote your blog, you can connect with brands and bloggers in your area, bloggers who are the same age, bloggers who blog about the same things, literally anyone.
What Can I Do On Twitter?: You can promote your blog, talk to people and share your views on topics. For bloggers I would recommend using Twitter for self promotion and connecting with people.
What To Remember?: Add the hashtag chats into your schedule. Times are in GMT.

Monday – #fbloggers at 8pm – Fashion.
Tuesday – #fblchat at 8pm – Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle.
Wednesday – #bbloggers at 8pm – Beauty.
Thursday – #fbloggers at 8pm – Fashion.
Friday – #teenagebloggerchat – Teen Bloggers.
Sunday – #lbloggers at 7pm, and #bbloggers at 8pm – Lifestyle & Beauty.

Why Use Facebook?: Facebook is great for connecting friends, family and friends of friends etc to your blog. Although this seems scary and ’embarrassing’ it’s nice to know what people think if they know you. It’s also nice because it’s a more safe environment in my opinion.
What Can I Do On Facebook?: You can promote your blog, get feedback easily, and get your favourite blogs into your feed! You can also create a Facebook page which you can link up to your BlogLovin’ so your ‘likers’ can get every post you publish, in their feed.
What To Remember?: Join blogging groups. It’s a great way to get exposure for your blogs and also you can find some new friends! The groups I have joined are: FBL Bloggers – The makers of the #fblchat on Twitter – & Fashion Beauty Lifestyle Bloggers (Very similar but different bloggers in each).

Why Use Instagram?: A LOT of people use Instagram on their phones, so imagine taking pictures from your blog posts and reminding people to read them? It’s a good idea. AND you can also connect with brands who have Instagram too!
What Can I Do On Instagram?: Connect with brands, share your new blog posts and find new bloggers to chat with.
What To Remember?: Use hashtags which are relevant. Brands will follow the blogger hashtags so they can find people who would be good to connect with. Plus, you might just get some likes and followers!

Advertise On Other Blogs: This is a great way to gain exposure! Not only will you connect with your favourite blogs you will also get their followers interested in another blog! A lot of bloggers either do button swaps, or they have very low prices. Obviously paying £25 to advertise on a blog for a month might be a bit too much, look at smaller blogs who have quite a few followers of which are interested in the same things as you. This is also good because brands who connect with the blogs you advertise on, may just want to connect with you as well. It’s also super easy! Pretty much 99.9% of bloggers will allow payment through PayPal, so it’s simples. *meerkat squeal* You can find my advertising prices here! Cheeky plug, I know 😉

Guest Blog For Other Bloggers: This is a really great way of gaining exposure. Bloggers have lives, which means… if they are going away or are having a little break, then they might need the help of YOU (yes, you) to blog for them! It’s pretty much free advertising. Take the opportunity to show your writing skills to another audience. It’s also a nice way to make your ‘Features’ or ‘Press’ page a little bit more bulky. It shows you can write well for other people, and for what ever type of topic.

 I hope you enjoyed this post! Unfortunately I can’t tell you how to make your views ping up. As I said in the last post, numbers don’t matter! The only thing I would say is to keep blogging. Every day if needs be. It keeps your followers interested and they will keep coming back. It’s taken me over a year to get where I am, and to be honest… I don’t even get a 500 views a day. It takes time and effort so keep going. You’ll ‘get there’ in the end. I promise. 🙂 *cheese on toast*

If you haven’t been following instagram account then you may not know, but I recently added 2 pairs of jelly shoes to my ‘shawdrobe’ (Shoe Wardrobe?), and I love them! They’re quite  a ‘Marmite’ thing, but I am of course, a lover 😉 *LONG POST ALERT*

Black Meduse Jelly Sandals €4.00 (Supermarket) & Cyan Meduse Jelly Sandals £19.99* (Sun Jellies)

My first pair of jelly shoes came from my local supermarket! I was in need of some sandals, when my eyes lade upon the classic and chic pair for just €4.00! Yes, that’s like.. £3.50?! To my surprise when I tried them on, they were so comfy! My feet are very slim so getting sandals which feel nice and aren’t going to rub is key. I came out from the shop a happy girl indeed! They’re so easy to style, and are a great alternative to my old pair of flip flops!

The second pair of which is in my ‘shawdrobe’ are my blue, or ‘Cyan’ Sun Jellies. The lovely lady behind Sun Jellies sent me this pair, and oh boi, I am so happy! Although my bargain black pair are perfectly fine and versatile for all seasons, sometimes you just want to brighten up your feet don’t you? These are the perfect spring/summer pair, and just like my other ones, they are super duper comfy. I love them!

I am very happy with my bargain spotting eye, but I think that I was just extremely lucky that my pair were so so cheap. There actually isn’t a difference at all between the two pairs. They both have the same markings on the bottom, the same buckles  ‘What did you say Tolly, markings? What do you mean?’  What I mean young soul, is that they are both ‘Meduse’ jelly shoes. ‘What’s that?’

A frenchman first created jelly shoes during the leather shortage following World War II. He then went on to make the iconic fisherman jelly sandals that we all know and love from our childhood. An eternal symbol of summer. The French nicknamed them Méduse (meaning jellyfish) and the name stuck. Méduse SUN jelly sandals have been much imitated but never bettered and are still made in France today after 65 years! – Sun Jellies

A lot of jelly shoes are produced in China, and are not original, real, authentic jelly shoes. I’m very fortunate in the fact that all jelly shoes I see in shops over here in France, are 90% of the time, going to be Meduse. Sun Jellies are the No. 1 brand for the people in the UK, wanting real Meduse jelly shoes.

Although it seems that there is a gap on my left foot, it isn’t. These shoes are so comfortable as I said before, and I haven’t experienced any rubbing, or any type of sloppiness when walking. I would recommend going for your true size. I’m a 5 in most shoes now (eeek – Tolly Big Feet, Take 2), and they fit fine in a 5.. aha. They’re really easy to clean, and if they do get wet, just hang them on the washing line (1st picture haha)

Yellow Leopard Socks £1.47 (eBay)

For styling them up, I either where them on their own or, with some cute socks! I only have the ones above at the moment, but in a few weeks time I would have landed in the UK and I will be shopping til’ I drop on Primark frilly socks. Oh yeah. But, if you are interested in these ‘Pikachu-esque’ ones, well, they cost me less than £1.50 with free postage. I think it was probably one of my first ‘seen it on a blog’ forced purchases. Oops.

I’m writing this, or ‘was writing’ this late at night before bed, because I realised I had nothing to post today. I don’t really know where this post is going, but something is better than nothing I guess. This is the first spontaneous post I have done in a while. It feels normal again. I have nothing ‘I have to publish’ at the moment. I like it. Thank goodness!

The White Pepper Tulle Skirt £28.00 (ASOS), The White Pepper Chiffon Midi Dress with Sheer Top £28.50 (ASOS), GEL-Noosa Tri 8 (Asics), Nike Air Vortex Hyper Blue Trainers £65.00 (ASOS) & Nike Free Run 2 Ext Trainers £80.00 (ASOS).

My obsession with Tulle Dresses & Neon Trainers together started when I saw Susie Bubble instagram a picture of her at her £1 Yard Sale (It started at 11am, it ended at 11.10am. Yup, everything sold in the space of 10 minutes!!!), and I literally fell in love. 2 things which should be so wrong together, look some how… absolutely stunning? I’m not the hugest of Susie Bubble fans (sorry…), but I do like her style, especially the outfit she wore on that day.

Not only is tulle such an interesting fabric to look at and feel, the trainers add a touch of ‘hipster’ (ergh, what an awful word), and an awful lot of comfort for your feet. I’ve had quite a few Nikes (Is it Nike-ys or Nikes? So controversial… I told you I had know idea where this post was going!) over the years at school, and not only did I think they made my legs look quite ‘athletic’, they were super duper snug. I still have my size 4 pair in the shoe basket which don’t fit at all, yet I still hope that one day my feet will shrink… um, nat’ gonna’ happen. I give you permission to call me Tolly Big Feet.

To make my love for neon trainers even bigger, and my long for the perfect pair at a reasonable price even harder to bare, the owner of a restaurant we had a drink in the other day, was wearing the beauties above (similar are linked with the other trainers). I don’t know why but french men seem to have good taste in footwear… aren’t they amazing?! I loved them so much I wrote down the brand and googled them when I got home, to my dismay, they are men’s only (I could so rock them though couldn’t I?), and were £100+, or should I say dollars. *Curse you American brands for only stocking things in America, even thought that makes perfect sense* I am now on the hunt for a cheap pair of neon trainers which are super duper comfy and will last me forever and ever, AND a tulle dress in a pretty bright colour. Thanks Susie.

To celebrate my new blog banner, I’m holding a give-away! To be in a chance with winning, make sure to click HERE and answer the 1 obligatory question! Good Luck!