What's in my basket... Zara S/S 14

Long time no post! Usual excuses; work, lack of money to buy anything worth blogging about and long- distancing with the boyfriend means that my weekends are usually spent trawling up to Dorset.
A nice simple post to get back into the swing of things: my recent picks from Zara. I always see people buy gorgeous things from Zara, and there's usually one or two blogger-hyped pieces each season, but I find it hard to shop in store. Whenever I go in I can never find what I'm looking for or even much I like, but when I went on the website this afternoon I found so many things I want! I've just been paid but I'm trying to restrain myself...
all images from zara.com
Skirt with crochet/lace hem: £25.99

I love the detail along the hemline of this skirt, but it has actually inspired me to give this a go myself, by buying a cheap skirt and some pretty trimming to sew along the bottom. I'm thinking a lilac or baby blue version would be lovely for summer.

Printed skirt: £19.99

This has a really sporty vibe, which isn't usually my thing, but I think the combination of the loud print with the sporty accents works so well

Wrapover skirt: £25.99

This caught my eye due to the way the skirt ties across the front. It reminds me of a piece from one of Rihanna's collections for River Island, a dress with a 'fake' shirt tied around the middle.



Striped dress with floral sleeves: £19.99

I first saw this on the ever-stylish Lily Melrose, and fell in love. It's really good value for £20 and I love clashing prints.

Hopefully now the days are staying lighter for longer I will get back into blogging. I really want to do outfit photos but have no tripod and I hate having my photo taken, so I'm too embarrassed to ask anyone else to  take some!

What's in my basket...Boohoo S/S 14

The glimpse of sunshine we've recently had has made me long for summertime to hurry up! The weather has influenced the sort of clothes that are now catching my eye, as you can probably tell my selections from Boohoo below:

Though drop waist dresses remind me somewhat of the dreaded peplums, there was something about these two dresses that I really liked. The short sleeved pink dress is only £12 and also comes in lime and navy; I'm quite tempted to get all three colours! It's a bit longer at the back which I appreciate, as you know there's no risk of an unsightly bum flash.
The red long sleeve drop waist dress is £18, still really reasonable, and comes in black and navy as well. I love that lots of websites now provide a video of the garment being worn, as you get a much better idea of the movement and how the fabric looks on. With Boohoo the fabric can be hit and miss, and I was concerned this dress would be that horrible thin jersey material that clings. But in the video it looked really flattering so I'm definitely considering it.
The floral slip dress (£20) is a bit 'sexier' than something I'd usually go for, but I think it has potential to be 'grunged' up with boots and an oversized denim jacket.
Finally, the lime and metallic shoes (£30)- I think these are incredible! I'm still trying to think of something in my wardrobe that I could wear these with to justify purchasing, but I'm struggling. They also come in white; maybe that would be a more sensible choice?

What's in my basket....New Look

I think New Look is a brand that girls of my age have a sentimental fondness for. It was one of the first stores where I would spend my pocket money on buying my own clothes, from the 915 range. At one point I don't think the brand had the best reputation, but the last few years it has gone from strength to strength, managing to keep up with the trends and remain affordable. Here's my pick of recent pieces (links below)

Coral Boyfriend coat: £34.99 
Gingham top: £12.99
Cream check A-line mini: £17.99
Floral Midi skirt: £19.99
Black rucksack (also available in a beautiful taupe): £17.99



Do you ever shop at New Look?

S/S 2013: Neon picks

Every Spring/ Summer the neon trend comes around, and I have always hated it WITH A PASSION. But this year I am a convert (as can be seen by my recent NOTD). Though I'm still not sure of the best way to pull off neon pieces, I've seen a few things that I am really tempted by, but might have to wait until this snowy patch blows over!

1. Skirt, £12. Boohoo. Wear with: a black cropped jumper, chunky gold chain and boots to toughen it up

2. Jumper, £38. Topshop. Wear with: leather leggings

3. Ankle socks, £3.50. Topshop. Wear with: high waisted shorts, crop top and high tops for a sporty/ 90s vibe

4. Bag, £18. Boohoo. Wear with: Anything! 

5. Jumper, £20. Boohoo. Wear with: Denim shorts or leggings 

6. Crop top, £15. Topshop. Wear with: I'm thinking white shorts or a skater skirt- but that outfit would definitely have to wait 'til Summer!


Think my new found love of neon is my subconscious wishing for sunnier days and the end of this dreary winter. And also because of it's tie-ins with the 90s trend which I'm also liking- hello Wildfox S/S look book!

Wilfox S/S 2013: Clueless!

Oh wow. Not usually a fan of Wildfox [or rather my bank balance isn't] but the new look book is fabulous! Best of 90s style and inspired my one of my favourite 90s films, Clueless! I love how each model represents one of the three girls, Cher, Dion and Tai. and N.B. How gorgeous is the 'Tai' model? Serious hair envy here!

Bottom left- totally me!

I'm not even sure it's just the clothes, or more the essence of what they evoke: carefree teen summers with no worries. Wish I could back to these times!  

What's in my basket...

@ Motel

It's so close to Christmas now that I really can't afford to be buying myself anything. However, that never stops me from having a browse online. I quite like Motel, especially since they've developed as a company and do more than just printed body con dresses like they used to. Here are my top picks from the website

Sale items

Black and White stripe tube skirt: £10

The last month or so I've been veering towards midi and maxi length skirts and dresses- must be because of the cold weather. My knees won't be on show until March at the very earliest! I think this would be a great addition to my largely monochromatic wardrobe, and would look good with boots and the fur stole that never leaves my neck

 

Wine colour lace playsuit: £15

I haven't worn a playsuit for a while, but I love the colour of this one, the pattern of the lace and the frill around the middle. Looks a little short though, which I guess is to be expected from Motel!

Non Sale

Long sleeve wrap crop top: £20

A plain top, but would go great with my vast numbers of high waisted shorts/ skirts and my shiny new American Apparel disco pants!

Cut Out shoulder crop top: £18

Ditto with this top. I must be in a style rut because I seem to only be drawn to black clothing. But I also love the cut out sleeves on this crop top

Short sleeve denim shirt: £40

Think this is a bit expensive, but I love the wash of the shirt and how it looks with the trousers and boots. Would recreate this look with my disco pants and Ant Boots. Basically think I just want to look like this model! Loving the grungey/ glam vibe

Genius invention for nail polish addicts

I was watching TV with my mother when one of the typical ads came on. You know, the classic JML-style cheesy advert showcasing a new 'must have' gadget. However, with this one both me and my mum went 'Wow, I want one of those!'. High Street TV presents the Nail Buddy; a simple thing that you put between your knees (oo-er) and slot your nail varnish inside 

Image from sixtyplussurfers.co.uk (only place I could find a picture!)

This may seem like a silly invention for some (who are probably thinking, 'why not put the polish bottle on a table?'), but as someone who holds their polish whilst painting and has had too many accidents tipping or dropping the bottle [idiot], this is straight on my Christmas list. 

The Nail Buddy is available at highstreettv.com

What's in my basket...

@ Boohoo

I've only just purchased some things off boohoo, but I've seen even more I want...and all of it midi length!

1. & 2. Basic Midi Length dress: £12. 

This basic midi comes in loads of lovely colours (including my favourites for A/W, berry, charcoal and khaki) and think it would see me through the winter

3.  Printed Midi: £18. 

Love the colours of this, seems like a nod to the military trend without going full-on camo, which is just starting to irritate me slightly

4. Glitter Midi: £20. 

It comes in and out of fashion every Christmas, but a bit of lurex always goes down well with me!

What's in my basket...

@ Miss Guided

Though I've never purchased from missguided.com, every week or so I enjoy perusing the site and thinking what I would buy if I had more money. The general style of the pieces is right up my street- a lot of leather, studs, collars and lovely jersey basics. 

1 and 2: Everywhere's been copying the Zara leather jacket with khaki sleeves, but I prefer this take on the contrast sleeve trend (however, this also comes in khaki if your loving the military trend) 

3. Love the length, the neckline, the color...and the price. For £12.99 might have to get this in several colours- comes in many perfect A/W shades such as berry and charcoal

4. I also like maxi skirts for winter (hoping they won't get dragged through puddles). I have a plain grey tee and these boots too, so will be pretty much copying this look

Have you ever purchased from Miss Guided?