teen fashion

Growing up means growing up in size, which also means growing out of clothes you love. Sadly this means having to pass on my favourite ever pair of denim mom jeans to the charity shop. They cost me under £5 and were the most perfect fit and colour you could ever imagine. I loved them *sob sob*… and I am currently lost without them. I’ve looked in the shops but I think the online world might just be the answer. Here are 9 pairs of my fave mom jeans on the market!

1-3 : Washed and ripped…

As you can probably tell by all of the above (minus 1 pair) I’m on the hunt for a washed out, pale blue pair of mom jeans. I have come to realise though, that mom jeans usually have rips in them?! I’m unsure on how the two go together, especially in a pale blue shade. I found the Levi’s on House of Fraser… they have an awesome selection of women’s jeans!

1 – LEVI’S 501 RIPPED JEANS (HOUSE OF FRASER)* // 2 – MOTO BLEACH MOM JEANS (TOPSHOP) // 3 – MOTO ICE RIP JEANS (TOPSHOP)

4-6 : Plain and simple…

The next set of three are all very plain and simple. I’m unsure of the colour of these, but I would be interested in the fit. Another thing with mom jeans seems to be that the better the fit, the erm worse the price (#TeenLife)… do share any cheaper versions though, I’d love to know! 

4 – FRENCH CONNECTION JEANS (HOUSE OF FRASER)* // 5 – LEE SLIM JEAN (HOUSE OF FRASER)* // 6 – DONNA DREAM JEANS (CHEAP MONDAY)

7-9 : Something special…

The final 3 pairs are all a little bit different. There’s a slightly dark pair which I actually kinda’ love, and 2 pairs with a little bit of something special. Of course they couldn’t come from anywhere else but The Ragged Priest! I love the mix of sequins and frayed egdes. It’s a girly and edgy combo… what do you think?

7 – FARLEIGH MOM JEANS (ASOS) // 8 – SCREW UP JEANS (THE RAGGED PRIEST) // 9 – BEETLEJUICE MOM JEANS (THE RAGGED PRIEST)

(This post features sponsored content in collaboration with House of Fraser. All opinions are 100% honest. Read my full disclaimer here.)

When I knew that ASOS were updating their ASOS Personal Stylist service, I knew I had to do another review. I trialled their first version back in 2012… it wasn’t the best of posts, but it actually seemed quite popular. I was intrigued to know what it was all about this year, so here you go! I promise this isn’t sponsored… although I wish it was… *cough* 😉

ASOS STYLISTS – OPEN FROM 3-8PM SUNDAY TO FRIDAY & SATURDAY 12-4PM – UK ONLY

Firstly, you have to fill in a little form so your stylist knows exactly what you want. Previously you just popped in your name, but now they suggest that you pop in exactly what you want. I said ‘I want some ideas of how to layer tulle… and I also want to find some Ashish style sparkles.’ This was just for a taster, but I did genuinely want to know what was available.

You get to chose who you want to talk to, it tells you which stylists are available or which ones you have to queue for (I think one of the longest waits was 27 minutes! What?!)… I think I took too long deciding because ‘Joseh’ or ‘Jose’, popped up! At first I was a bit weirded out because on the previous one they just got straight to the point, but I guess it’s in the name, this is ‘personal’. The widget is clear and easy to read with the nice colours… along the same lines as messaging on an iPhone. 

I was asked questions about my style, size and shape which helped ‘Joseh’ out. I explained that I wanted to know what sort of thing I could wear underneath a sheer tulle midi skirt (see here), and that my budget was up to about £30. I was introduced to the ‘Style Board’ which is a bit like a ‘live’ pinning service for you and your stylist.

The ‘Style Board’ opens in a new window and you can add images from Google, your computer, or from the ASOS site. I added a picture of my main gal’ Susie Lau, and a snap of the tulle skirt I was talking about. It was a lot easier adding my own image because ‘Joseh’ could see exactly what I wanted and what I meant. It’s surprisingly easy to use, and has that fun part to it… seeing new images being added by somebody in another place… the small things! 

One of the best parts is that it tells you what your stylist is doing, in the last version you just knew when they were typing, but with this it tells you exactly what they are doing. Like I said, it really is quite personal, but once you get used to it, it’s actually quite interesting. Also, the ‘Style Board’ gives you something to do whilst you wait… it really is quite the improvement.

Some of the features of the ‘Style Board’ included being able to save, and add products to your bag in which your stylist had chosen, as well as refine your searches so it’s easier to find, definitely a time saver! I ended up saving 2 things in my saved list and they went straight into it, no hassle at all!

If you don’t like something there is also a hide function which means your stylist knows what not to look for. It’s helpful to get to a shortlist of things you really genuinely love. The whole layout of the page is great and I love the fact that the stylist says with you the whole time. No checking back to other windows, I hate that!

Improvements: I love the fact there is a ‘Style Board’ now… it makes it a lot easier to save items and keeps everything under one roof. The layout and interface is a lot nicer and keeping track of what your stylist is doing is a great help.

Cons: I would say it makes it a bit more of a lengthier process than the last version.. before I feel like you could just ask for one item you were looking for, where as here it’s more for ‘looks’ or a ‘bunch of things’. My whole session took 45 minutes (Yup!), I definitely feel like it would be something you’d only use if you are really struggling with something.

Stylist Feedback: ‘Joseh’ or ‘Jose’ was really helpful and well mannered. He was patient and seemed genuinely interested what I was looking for. He found some great pieces although they weren’t 100% what I was looking for. I wouldn’t say he necessarily sold anything to me, but then again I guess he didn’t really know what I suited etc.

Overall: I would say it has improved, but the fact that I felt like I had to be creating a look rather than just quickly asking if they did X or Y, made me feel like I should just leave  it for special occasions, although the stylist seemed like he should be able to help with just any 1 product. I’m interested in trying out the other stylists though, I already feel like 2 of them have my type of style, and they have been followed on Twitter!

Would I recommend the service? Hmm… yes if you have the time. I think if you’re looking for an outfit for a special occasion this will be absolutely perfect, plus the ‘Style Board’ is quite fun 🙂 Rating: 8/10

Have you tried out the new service yet? Want to see what the difference is? Check out the last review here. Leave a comment if you like!

Howdy! It has been yonks since I last did a design post and I know you guys love them, so sorry! These posts do take a lot longer to create than other posts so that is why there was a delay, but here I am now! This collection is partly inspired by my Appliqué post and also some of the collections from London Fashion Week.

Purple Halter Neck Dress with Appliqué & Bead Detailing (left) and Batwing Top and oversized Hareem Trousers with Bead Detailing (right):

On the catwalk this LFW, I saw a lot of halter necks, so this dress is definitely inspired by some of the collections. I also saw a lot of symmetrical detailing, so the appliqué on this dress is also inspired by LFW. I think the symmetrical detailing is actually quite flattering to the figure too! Another thing I picked up from the shows were the ‘Chanel-esque’ bead detailing on neck line and hems, so I added that to the neck of this dress. The top and bottom on the right are inspired by the bagginess of some collections I saw. The slouchy fit and pyjama type style is something I wanted to come across, but also with a bit of detailing and appliqué. The fabric would be a jersey fabric so comfort would be key. Knitted Turtle Neck Dress with Appliqué Detail & Blue Leather Bomber Jacket (left) and Blue Vest with Mixed Blue Panel Skirt & Sheer Cape with Appliqué Detail (right):

 I really liked the use of pastels for A/W 15′ so I thought I would interoperate that into these designs. The knitted dress would be a soft knit, with a pink appliqué ‘sport’ detailing like a number. The bomber jacket would be quite vintage looking in a nice blue but with darker blue detailing on pockets and zips. Retro, but with a modern twist. The other design is inspired by a lot of panelling I noticed. This skirt is very flattering and the mix of blue colour makes the movement of the skirt look awesome! The cape would be sheer with 3D flowers as again, they were all of the catwalks.

I hope you liked this short but sweet blog post! I’m going to start to learn a lot more fashion-y things soon so hopefully these posts should start to improve! But for now, enjoy!

Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. Okay, I need to stop with the ‘Oh my’ thing, but… I am SO excited for this post for 3 reasons. 1 – My chicken pox are gone off ma’ face, 2 – I have my NEW lens and 3 – it includes a give-away! WOW WOW WOW *insert mind blown GIF* But seriously… eee! I’m very very happy! 😀 Anyway, I should stop my really over excited introduction, and get on with this post! Oh wait, one more thing… I have made the images bigger because I think it will make them look even more awesome and snazzy, so yah.

What I Wore: Polka Dot Dungarees £8.00 (ASOS), Winter Floral Sweater £10.00 (Peacocks)*, Silver & White Chunky Heels (ASOS) & Black Leather Watch (Shuttersong)*

I’m sorry, but please admire that bokeh and those whisps of hair that actually look alright in front of my face. It’s amazing what a different piece of glass can do… Honestly though I feel like I could become a LookBook.nu professional… jokes jokes. The clothes Tolly, talk about the clothes… well… I LOVE this outfit, honestly it’s super comfortable and is perfect for this time of the year. I picked up this amazing dungarees in the ASOS sale and it’s super slouchy and adjustable which means I can wear it like jumbo, or nice and snug. I also adore this sweater I got sent from Peacocks. I think it looks gorgeous with the polka dots, and it’s  the perfect piece you could take through from summer to winter. It’s not a piece I would usually think of as from Peacocks, but as I have said before, they’re really stepping up their game!

Papa Posh thought it would be hilarious for me to include that picture above… I guess it does show how slouchy the dungarees are though… hmm 😉 Ooh and look who made an appearance again! My super awesome silver heels that I won. They’re the perfect accessory for an outfit like this because they just add that little bit of ‘formal’ to it. I’m also really liking having my hair up half down. When I was younger at school I used to always do it but I then had it cut shorter and it didn’t look as good, but now it’s grown back and I think it looks just right! You’ll be shocked in the next pictures… I have no nail polish on. A blogger with no nice manicure?! My word! (Jokes… but seriously, I can never be bothered) Oh and you know I mentioned a give-away? Well, I’m re-opening my Shuttersong watch give-away. Unfortunately their weren’t many entries on Facebook, so I thought I’d give you lovely blog readers a chance to win! Scroll down to find out more…

What You Will Win: A Shuttersong Branded Leather Watch
Who Can Enter: Anyone at an address in: UK & IRE, France, Spain, Germany or Italy
Rules: Enter with the widget below. You must have parental permission if you are under 16 years of age. No ‘Give-Away’ social media accounts will be accepted

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck! Will you be entering? What do you think of this outfit? Make sure to leave a comment below! 😀

Quite recently I got contacted by Usborne Books telling me about the treasure hunt they are running where their readers can win a Nikon DSLR camera and a copy of the new book by Carina Axelsson, and asked me whether I would like to take part and hold part of the treasure hunt on my blog! I thought it would be a nice idea, so here it is! Read on to find out how you might be able to win!

The rules are simple! Each day there will be a clue on Carina’s Facebook page, as well as on the Usborne Facebook and Twitter pages’. There is already a couple up, so make sure you have a look! The clue will lead you to a website and you have to find a button, similar to one in the image above (the ‘CONGRATULATIONS’ one), click on it and enter the details! The more you find, the more chance you will have of winning! Anyone can enter, as long as you have parents permission if you are under 16! On Wednesday & Thursday I will be hosting the very ‘CONGRATULATIONS’ badge you see above, somewhere on my blog! *Simples* It’s super easy and if you like you can just enter once!

Then, when this whole treasure hunt is over, not only will you find out if you were the lucky winner, you will be able to enter a give-away on my blog, to WIN a signed copy of Model Under Cover! I will be giving away 5 copies, which is pretty cool! But, if I were you… I’d get searching on this treasure hunt! You could win a D90 from Nikon… AWESOME!

That is all from me for now, so I will see you in 2 days with ANOTHER give-away opportunity… with pictures from my new lens… oh yeah. It makes everything look so pretty though… n’awww.

Let me know if you will be entering by leaving a comment below! Good Luck! 😀

(This is not a Sponsored Post. I was not paid to write or publish this, I just thought it was a nice opportunity for you guys to win something! All opinions are mine as usual.)

Hello! I’m back with another ‘My Style’ OOTD for you! I’m obsessed with The Carrie Diaries at the moment, so this outfit is definitely inspired by her style. I love mixing prints anyway, but this combo is awesome… in my opinion 😉

What I Wore: Pink Coat* (ARK Clothing – No longer available), Zebra Print Turtle Neck (Jumble Sale), Denim Camouflage Skirt £9.00 (ASOS), Floral Necklace £15.00* (Punky Pins) & Metallic Soldier Heels (ASOS – Give-Away Prize)

Do you remember my Christmas Wishlist? Well, one of the items was a gorgeous pair of Soldier heels from ASOS, and look what I have! The ASOS Santa was doing a Give-Away, and I won some! YAY! I also treated myself to this skirt in the sale, and I am so happy I did! It’s so nice, and I’ve never had a denim skirt before so this is a nice all season addition. 2 other additions to my wardrobe, are my pink coat – so trendy 😉 😉 – and my gorgeous necklace. I love them both so much! The coat actually fits so nicely, and it’s a size 8 as well, so well done ARK! Unfortunately I have 1 broken version of this necklace, and 1 good version, which is a shame, but it is very good quality and even has sparkles in it… win win! If my hair was blonde and curly, I could get away as Carrie Bradshaw right? Gahh, I wish my hair wasn’t so bland… I mean, most people would love to have straight soft hair, but I would do anything for a bit of shape and volume. I finished Season 1 of The Carrie Diaries within like, 5 days… and I bought the book… and I kinda’ really want to just be her… *sigh* …although, am I the only one who doesn’t find Sebastian attractive? No? Just me… rightio… *awkward whistle*

I love all of the colours against each other in this outfit, and I can get away with wearing thick tights too! I love, love love, pastel against monochrome as well, it looks so purrrrty. Oh, and if you are interested, that is how high the shoes are! They’re pretty high, and make me taller than my sister, but they are so comfortable because they have a block heel. I’m just getting used to walking in them seeing as I’m more of a flats gal, but other than stairs, I seem to be doing well. Holographic shoes are in my wardrobe guys… mission accomplished 😀 Take a look at that meringue too… oh it was SO good! Definitely picture worthy! So picture worthy, I had to have these funny ones taken…

I honestly cannot wait until the summer when I can whip off those thick tights and coat. Summer here in France is so beautiful and makes me so happy, and I miss it like mad. Plus it means I can get a tan – Oh dear, I just said that in my head like Donna from TCD… oops… probably not the best of people to think it like… – and I can go to the beach and lay by the pool (if the wasps aren’t buzzing around, I have a HUGE phobia) and drink as many glasses of Coca-Cola that I wish…

”Honey, I’m home!” – Okay, maybe not ‘honey’ but, yes, I am back! The trip was really nice, fun and exciting (shopping, and new born baby cuddles, what more could you want?), but sadly I am back 🙁 I have a cold, and I miss my sister a lot. But, to get things started again, I’m here with teen a/w fashion design collection! Please excuse any abnormal legs in this collection… aha!

Mixed Knit Pinafore Dress and White Blouse (left) & ‘Can U Not’ Marl Sweater and Paisley Print Mixed Denim Jeans (right):

I feel like this dress (left) is a mix between an old man’s sweater (lol), and a waitress’s dress (weird…) but someone how I think it looks pretty cool. I would hopefully make the top part of the dress a knitted part, and then the scalloped skirt either a jersey material, or a chiffon material, I cannot decide! I would also make the top part detachable, because I hate it when the skirt part of a dress is also nice on it’s own! The blouse would be an ordinary white blouse, but with some nice floral buttons. The ‘sweater’ on the right, would be a nice marl fabric, with soft fluffy lining. On the front it has ‘Can U Not’ (one of my favourite sayings at the moment) in a pastel pink colour. As you can see, the shoulders have a blue detailing, which would have a ? (question mark) print. The jeans are a mixed denim paisley print skinny jean. I would want them to be quite skinny, but comfortable so they would fit most teens.

Blue and Grey Hooded Blazer/Jumper, Pastel Blue Blouse and ‘Soundwave’ Print Tube Skirt (left) & Red Chiffon Vest and Deep Red Checked ‘Party’ Skater Skirt (right):

I thought of a jacket which would be perfect for teens, whether it was for just casual use, or for at school (if you don’t have to wear uniform that is), and I made up the perfect of pieces! It’s basically a jersey material blazer, with hood, and a thicker lining, so it keeps the comfort of a hoody, but style of a casual blazer, all in one. The skirt is a tube style, so it comes just to the knee, and the blouse, again is just a plain one, but with the collar in a lighter blue than the shirt itself. The vest on the right, is one of those chiffon-y, lightweight, floaty ones, with skinny straps. The skirt would be a nice thick, but easy wear, skater style, in  a deep red check, to go along with the A/W trends.

I feel like all these designs are very teen appropriate. What do you think? Make sure to leave me a comment down below! Also check out my previous designs here.

**Make sure to check out Let’s See, the awesome photography blog, which I absolutely 100% honestly love! (This is a sponsored link)**

Just a quick sort of ‘letting you know’ post today! I have been thinking of doing this for a while (in fact I think I thought of it in June…), and have finally completed it! I’d like to give a few  one thank you, to my big sister for making me actually push the publish button on this one. Nothing in it is too personal, but I just wasn’t 100% sure on it, but it’s out there now! So here it is…

Yes, I’ve turned into a teenage guru apparently. Not really, I just wanted to give some advice to all you fellow teens, basically it’s a guide to being a teenager (a darn awesome one). I’m not going to give you the rules of how to be the perfect child, or how to deal with ‘girl stuff’, I’m simply telling you a few ways to feel more comfortable and positive about your own skin. In other words an ‘Insecurity’ guide. If you click on the above image or you can click here to read the guide. I popped it on a separate page so those of you who aren’t so interested don’t have a long ramble on teen stuff, slap bang in the middle of my blog posts. I do hope you enjoy it, and if you do please leave a comment with feedback/advice/your thoughts on what I had to say. It would make me very happy as I put a lot of effort into this one! For all non teen readers, posting will ‘remain as usual’ in a day or so!

Make sure to check out Anything Bas blog! It’s a great photography blog, full of inspiration. (End of post ad link)

Yes, cats hold each other’s hands in France. The French like to remind people of that… Oh & ‘Le Pech’ doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a name for a certain place 🙂

Loretta is a beautiful lady. She shines brighter than anyone else, and she keeps herself all tightly put together, and is friendly with everyone. She believes in finding new places to explore, just like you do when you wear clothes. Loretta is the most gorgeous bracelet, and she’s here to share her adventures.WHAT I WORE: Loretta Bracelet by Francesca Pina, Turquoise Cardigan with Sparkle Shoulders, Zara Monochrome Dress, White M&S School Shirt, White Jeans & Charity Shop Boots.

I love this bracelet. It’s so pretty, yet it can be worked in many different ways. When I first saw this bracelet though, I knew that Loretta, had to be worn with this outfit. The different tones in the dress, needed to be evened out with a bright sparkle of something, and it fit it’s space perfectly. The beads are very light, but feel very high quality, and a perfectly smooth. The small charms add a little bit more of a character to the bracelet, and I just love them! It comes in a small bag which showcases it’s beauty, without you even having to open it until it’s first use. I know I will wear this a lot. I love how the sun catches it so well, and it is just the perfect shade of blue. I have recently purchased a midi skirt, which I know is going to match with this, just right! Francesca Pina is a lovely brand and has been featured in things like Vogue & Tatler. Francesca is easy to deal with, and she will answer any questions you may have. She even altered the bracelet to a smaller size for me, which I thought was so sweet. So, if you have any questions, I am sure she’ll be more than happy to answer them. There are plenty more bracelets as beautiful as this on the site, and I am sure that once you start browsing, you will be adding them all to your baskets!

(This is a * marked product. I am very grateful that I received this bracelet, and I wish Francesca a great year! All the opinions above are 100% true, I wouldn’t lie to you, would I? If you want to see your product reviewed by me, please use the Contact Form here.)

Extra Note: Do you like my editing? I think it’s better than before. I think you can see the colours better, but it still makes it look crisp and tidy as well 🙂

Have you ordered from Francesca Pina before? Are you thinking about doing so, now? Do you like my new editing? Please feel free to leave a comment (and your links of course)!

Photography by Papa Posh