what to wear

Unfortunately LFW fell at a bit of an odd time for me to do London Fashion Blog Week this season, which is why this post has absolutely no reason to the great fashion month that has already kicked off. This post is a little lifestyle-y but with a small outfit thrown in too. My family and I traveled to Rome for a nights stay in an AirBnB (our first ever experience), so that my brother could go off and see Ronaldo do his thing against A.S Roma ⚽ and so I could go and take a look at some of those great Michelangelo paintings. So here are some pictures from the two days we were there…

WHAT I WORE: Black Faux Fur Coat (Jumble Sale) // ASOS Dip Dye Jeans (DIY) // Blue Mono Pascal Boots (Dr Martens) // Floppy Hat (ASOS)

I’ve actually been to Rome a few times before but I couldn’t really remember that much of it, so it was nice to really soak it all up. I especially loved the architecture, and how colourful it all was. Italians seem to love their painted houses and Rome was full of colourful buildings, especially in gorgeous muted pink tones… perfect for outfit snaps as you can see from above!

We were actually lucky enough to take a trip to the Vatican museum which takes you through the Vatican all the way into the Sistine Chapel. It was a really cool experience but definitely don’t go unprepared without a good pair of shoes… it’s a long walk! Some of the art work really is quite incredible and you’re lucky enough to be able to take photos which is quite rare (although not in the Chapel… they made that very clear).

WHAT I WORE: Black Faux Leather Biker Jacket (ARK)* // Geometric Maxi Dress (ASOS) // Floppy Hat (ASOS)

The paintings really are quite incredible, mainly because they’re all in such good condition. The Last Judgement really is quite spectacular… it’s huge and you don’t really get enough time to take it all in due to the fact that you’re crammed into the chapel with hundreds of other people (they really need to only let in a certain amount of people at one time). I’d recommend it though! The whole tour was definitely worth it, even if you’re not necessarily that interested in ART… to be able to say you’ve been around the Vatican is quite a statement.

There was also a Matisse exhibition showing which was exciting for me as I’m a big fan of his work…. a picture in front was of course obligatory. Excuse the messy hair… long days with long hair = frizz and mess… a hat is an essential item! There was also a collection of lots of different artists including Salvador Dalí, but sadly most people were just walking on past. Stop and appreciate it, people!

DR MARTENS: Blue Mono Pascal Boots (Dr Martens) // Black Virginia Leather 1B99 Boots (Mastershoe-MyShu)*

LOCATION: Via dei Coronari, Rome, IT 🇮🇹

So I’ll talk a little about my outfit… I accidentally wore a combination that gives the illusion of blue knee high boots. Oops. It didn’t look so bad in real life, but in photos you could most definitely mistake my trousers for boots!

Talking of boots… I officially have four pairs of Dr Martens thanks to winning the Facebook page give-away they run every week. Definitely worth the two minutes of filling it out because now I have another pair in my collection!

Have you been to Rome? Where did you visit? Let’s chat in the comments!

Howdy! As you may know, I live in France, the south to be precise, which means getting my, by the pool essentials spot on, takes a little bit of thinking! I don’t want to be too hot when its 30 degrees do I? So, I decided to write a little post on what I take to the pool (or beach) with me!
*cue hawaiian music*

A Lilo: For a while we didn’t have a lilo for our pool because the last one burst, but now we do, and I am so glad! Having a lilo is so nice! You can just sit back relax, not get your hair wet, and even sun bathe, all at the same time! It’s also good for people who aren’t the best at swimming, and of course for those sunny evenings when you don’t want to get in, but would like to float about for a while! Our’s cost around €15.00 because it is quite big, but usually on holidays I think they cost about €8.00, and usually the shop staff will blow it up for free so no worries on your lungs exploding! If not, then… unlucky, loser!! Hehe

Floppy Hat: I bought this from a jumble sale and it is perfect! Hats are a big essential if you burn a lot because they will protect your face which is most sensitive to the sun rays. The reason a floppy hat (don’t you find that funny? Floppy?) is good, is because it should cover your shoulders and neck with the shadow, which will add extra protection to us ‘burners’.

Flip Flops: These are my favourite flip flops! I got these for my birthday once and I love them! They have that holiday/festival feel to them, and as any flip flops are, they are convenient! You can just slip them on, walk to the pool, and take them off, instead of sandals etc where you have to unbuckle them… I know I’m lazy…

Sun Cream: Quite an obvious one, but I know a lot of people are guilty of not putting on a bit of SPF! I use Amie’s Skin Shield Moisturiser* for short periods of time in the sun, and a ordinary SPF30 sun cream for long periods. It is always good to have some by, especially after coming out of the water, as that is when your skin is more prone to burning.

Bikini: I don’t usually wear bikinis at the beach, but the by the pool, I don’t mind whipping one out! This one is from M&S and it is so pretty with the laser cut frills! I also like how the straps are around the neck, as I love wearing crop tops where you can see the bikini, I don’t really know why, but I just do! If I’m not wearing a bikini, I will wear a swimsuit and if it is a little cooler, I will wear trunks on top (I know, but they are girls ones!)

Cover-Up: When I’m at home, I usually just use my dressing gown, as it is a 2 in 1 (towel), but when it comes to the beach, I probably don’t want to be spotted in it.. so a light oversized shirt does the trick! I like to look out for nice ones at Jumble Sales and they work a treat! Not only can you cover up, you can also do up the buttons and put some shorts on for when you are going to go grab a nice cool drink!

Sunglasses: Obviously if you are wearing a hat, you may not need these too, but if you want extra protection, I always think people should carry a pair around! The yellow pair above are from Claire’s and I love them! I would wear my Zoobug AVs*, but I would prefer to wear an old pair if they are going to get wet!

Beach Bag: I don’t have a proper beach bag, but I find that this green and yellow crochet one does just the trick! I got it from a Jumble Sale, and at first I thought it was a bit old, but when my parents saw it they told me I had to have it, and I agreed, I did. It fits everything in and I love the detailing. My favourite bag of the past month!

Private Swim Lessons: I know this isn’t a fashion-y one, but I thought of it and had to mention it! Before last year I couldn’t swim, embarrassingly enough! I was able to get private lessons for free by my school and without it sounding too dramatic, it seriously has helped me so so much! I would search around for cheap private swimming lessons because I know what it feels like to not be able to swim. Most teachers will be really understanding and will go through each step at your own pace. I can now swim on my own, go under water in the deep end, and if somebody asks me to jump in… I will attempt it. I know it can be nerve racking at first, but it is so worth it.

Ironically, I am now looking out too grey skies again, so I will have to wait to get these all back out! I love summer, but I think for everyone this year has been a very unlucky ’13’ for the weather. *touch wood* it comes around soon!

Would you like more essentials posts? What are your by the pool essentials? Make sure to let me know in the comments below! LOVE YA!

If you don’t know already, the Posh Fashion Awards Shortlist was released yesterday! Congrats to all the bloggers! Find out who was shortlisted, by clicking here!

(This is not a sponsored post, products which have been sent to me will have a * beside them, but none of them were sent to feature in this post.)

Recently, I was chatting with a twitter tweep, and we got to the discussion of confidence in what you wear. They said that they had died their hair bright blue, and then changed it back to brown again, because they stuck out like a sore thumb. I could understand where they were coming from, with the whole ‘Look at me, I’m different’ thing. I sometimes think to myself, ‘but, people are going to look at me’. When I visit the local supermarket, I am certain I get strange looks. I think it’s probably because I always wear my hat inside, well, it is cold! It does give me that feeling of insecurity, but then my dad does the cheesy thing of saying ‘They do it because you’re pretty’, well, okay, thanks dad, but I don’t want to sound vain here. Anyway, this post is all about building confidence. I feel since starting my blog, I have definitely felt more confident in what I wear, as it’s out in the open. So, I have created a guide, to building your confidence and your building up your courage, in whichever way possible…

Starting a blog can be quite hard, because if you get good amounts of views, you may have to start doing it every day. BUT! I have a solution! If you start a online diary (a public diary), it can be about anything, so you start to express your opinions which can help you. A blog is different because you’re doing it to a specific subject, and you kind of have to commit to it. With this, because it’s about anything and everything, there’s not much commitment at all! Because, people aren’t relying on you. Here are some examples…

The Public Diary

I really like this one. It has things that are really quite unusual, like a day out of a bus window etc, so if you want inspiration, there’s a gooden!

Terry’s Diary

 This is what I mean by anything and everything. It literally is. Random pictures, random everything! It is very basic, and I guess anyone could do this!

I’ve never personally been to a Meet & Greet but I know that many YouTubers hold them. Now, you may be thinking why would that help me, but it would for these reasons… 1. You will meet lots of different people, and personalities, which will show you that you can be whoever you like. 2. You may get some inspiration from it, and you might end up being even better than the YouTuber you met! 3. You will learn a lot because you’ll begin to talk to people, and you might meet people who wear things totally random, and you might catch on, and that could boost you!

Even if you don’t get into Fashion Week, just get to the place around it! Have a nice day out, and take some pictures of people. It can tell you that if you have a love for fashion, then you should be able to wear what ever you want to wear! I’ve been to Clothes Show Live, and even there loads of people wore mad things, I hadn’t started blogging yet, but it gave me some inspiration.

GO OUT! Wear what you feel like you should be wearing! Go to big cities like London, Paris, Birmingham, New York, you’re sure to get spotted, for the right reasons! I remember when I first went out wearing these sunglasses that I thought were OTT and ridiculous, I came back and I people had said that they liked them! Woop!

Now, I know this wasn’t all fashion related, but sometimes we just need that inspiration don’t we? Just sometimes? Oh! And before you finish reading!! The Give-Away starts tomorrow! Woop! It’s to say thank you for the recent amazing views, and Twitter boom. Thank you so much! Here’s what you could win…

A sweet little swallow bracelet by Delilah Dust 🙂 So cute!

This is the second part of my What To Wear: On A First Date, if you would like to see the 1st part, which includes 2 looks for us girls, click here! If you would like to see tips for First Dates, then click here!

Light Blue Washed Oxford Shirt £26.00, Mid Blue Ultra Skinny Trousers £34.00, ”Rupert” Crepe Sole Shoes £46.00 & LTD Watch Diver Collection £65.00 (All from TOPMAN).

Earlier today I did a post on tips for first dates, so this is the next post connected to that. If you would like to see the first post, click here! I have actually compiled 3 looks, 2 for us girls and 1 for you guys, but you will have to wait for Part 2 of this post for the guys! Oh, and if you want more inspiration for first dates, then scroll down to the bottom of this post, and click on the link in bold.

Black Deep V Midi Dress £32.00 (River Island), SCALA High Heels £25.00 (ASOS), Slot Through Envelope Clutch £14.00 (ASOS) & Spray Ball Earrings £5.00 (ASOS).

Cream Cut Out Mesh Prom Dress £25.00 (River Island), Light Blue Pointed Court Shoes £70.00 (River Island), Aqua One Button Jersey Blazer £31.99 (Debenhams) & Oasis Cameo Stud Earrings £8.00 (ASOS).

The reason I am doing this idea is because I know this blogger who runs ‘So How Do I Find Love‘, and it gave me inspiration to do some posts! The blog is really cute and inspiring for you guys who have lost that little love in your heart! Here’s a screen shot…

So... How Do I Find Love?

Soon, my family will be attending a wedding, and me & my mum are thinking about what to wear. So, I thought I would do some Mother & Daughter outfits! For inspiration, if you are wondering what to wear to somebody’s Big Day!

ASOS Dress With Belted Wrap £30.00 (ASOS), Opp Crin Bow On Clip £10.00 (Monsoon), Navy Cotton Dolman Shrug £36.00 (Monsoon) & Autograph Leather Cuff Zip Peep Toe Shoes with Insolia £49.50 (M&S).

This dress is perfect, and the colour is a great statement. Accessories the darker colours with gold/silver. Then you’ll look gorg-e-ous!

Angel Abstract Print Pleated Belted Dress £24.00 (M&S), Orelia Exclusive To ASOS Tiny Feather Cord Necklace £12.00 (ASOS), junior irregular choice mini magic floral low heels £65.00 (Schuh) & Mini Rose Flower £5.00 (Accessorize).

This cute dress looks super cute with ditsy accessories and jewellery. Add these silver heels that are perfect for the young fashion-ista! Put on the pink blusher, and you’ll look so cute!