[OUTFIT] Nautical for SS12

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Shopgirl

Each summer brings a “new” nautical trend to the catwalks and the sidewalks. It’s almost as if, even if the weather’s terrible and we have no holiday booked, we still like to dream – and dress – we were by the seaside! I confess to being of the exact same mindset. So when Chatham Marine asked if I’d like to try a pair of their deck shoes I jumped at the chance. I chose their Rosanna model in white and navy – you can’t get much more nautical than that, can you now?

~~Kate Middleton~~ The Duchess of Cambridge made deck shoes/boat shoes stylish again when she wore a pair on her trip to Canada with Prince William last year. So expect to see them making a huge comeback this summer. You heard it here!!

My shoes arrived yesterday and I literally couldn’t wait to try them. For the first time in days, and for just a few minutes, the sun came out and I danced around our garden with them on! They are literally the softest leather and comfortable from the minute you slip your foot inside – unlike so many of my shoes that need to worn in to make them this soft!

So I got to thinking about how to wear deck shoes this summer:

Keep it casual – and nautical – with a pair of chinos and a striped tee.
Make like Kate Middelton and choose a military-style shirt and skinny jeans.
Copt the catwalk and choose a Fendi-inspired white skirt.
Or a Tory Burch-inspired blue and white tunic dress.

How would you style your deck shoes?

[OUTFIT] Winter Returns

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Shopgirl

A week ago the UK was basking in balmy sunshine and today, some parts are snowed in! Crazy weather! I’ve gone from sandals and bare feet to being wrapped up in my EMUs again and even raiding the wooly hat box I have!

I haven’t yet found a suitable place in the new house for taking outfit photos – there’s still quite a bit of work to be done and the master bedroom isn’t up and running yet – all my clothes are either in suitcases still or hanging on rails in the attic! So, for now, you’ll have to excuse the outfit shots!

Have you been wrapping up again in your winter woolies and shoes?

[OUTFIT] Marni x H&M

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Shopgirl

After missing out on the Marni x H&M fun a few weeks ago, I was thrilled to score these amazing earrings from the collection from the website:

They are properly HUGE!! I wasn’t quite expecting that. But they are also rather fabulous:

Did you score anything from theMarni x H&M collection?

[OUTFIT] Brits vs Aussies Next Style Blogger Challenge

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Shopgirl

A month or two ago I was very pleased (and flattered) to be one of ten bloggers chosen by Next to represent the Brits in a Style Bloggers Challenge to celebrate their online launch in Australia (which Aussie readers can shop here!). Ten style bloggers from each country have been chosen with one ultimately to be chosen to represent their country in a Brit vs Aussie Style Showdown to choose the most stylish nation!

I was sent this floral midi dress – which on me was more like a maxi dress! The brief was simple, style the piece to reflect your own style and British heritage. The dress instantly reminded me of the dresses that were shown on the Mui Mui catwalk for Autumn Winter 2011 and are reminiscent of floral ’40s tea dresses. The Brits, in my opinion, do vintage the best and so a ’40s theme seemed to be only inevitable for this challenge. I chose to go down the slightly musically influenced route of Florence and the Machine’s easy-going Brit style. Of course, the boyfriend’s amp and guitar provided the props for this look.

To style the dress, I chose to accessorise with strings of pearls. As the dress was a little big, I pulled it in at the waist with an art-deco style belt. The cool British weather calls for something a little warmer than a thin summer dress at this time of year, so I added a faux fur jacket – worn over the shoulders, like a cape – for a bit of texture. A pair of patent teal heels finish the look.

Click here to see the other looks in the competition.

What do you think of how I’ve styled the dress? If you like it, I’d love it if you could “like” it over of on Facebook (the link’s below) – thanks in advance!

[OUTFIT] What I Was Wearing for a sunny Sunday stroll by the sea

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Shopgirl

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day in Cardiff Bay. We awoke to sunshine streaming into our apartment and decided to head out for a walk through the Bay and across the Barage.

For the walk, I chose to keep any sea breeze at bay with my new quilted jacket from Dorothy Perkins and teamed it with a floral H&M scarf, a Uniqlo cashmere blend jumper, new Oasis bottle green jeans and my trusty Converse trainers:

We strolled past the Wales Millennium Centre, drenched in the sunlight:

And then round and over the Barage – looking back towards the Bay:

And out to sea:

How was your weekend? Did you get out and enjoy the sun?

Budget bonus: Until midnight tonight get FREE delivery on all orders at Uniqlo and £10 off when you spend £50 with this code: TREAT50.

Budget bonus: Students if you’re in Cardiff, Birmingham, Sheffield or Manchester, find out here how you could get yourself a FREE pair of Oasis jeans.

[OUTFIT] The Sports Trend for SS12

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Shopgirl

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This is my interpretation of the sportswear trend for SS12:

I’m not a particularly sporty person and I certainly am not the most casual dresser, but I do like to mix it up a little. The Kurt Geiger statement necklace helps to dress the American Apparel sweat up a bit. I teamed with a pair of my favourite Gap skinny jeans and finished off the look with a pair of coral Converse trainers.

If you fancy trying out the sporty trend without looking like you’re on your way to the gym:

Pair your skinny-fit sweatpants with sky high heels;
Choose a muscle-back vest in a neon shade – to tick two trends for SS12 – and team with black to let it stand out;
Swap your ballet flat shoes for a pair of sporty trainers, like my Converse or a pair of Alexa Chung’s favourites, Superga;
Add a sports bomber jacket over a dress for a little athletic chic.

How will you be wearing the sports trend for Spring Summer 2012?

[OUTFIT] Red is for Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Shopgirl

Red is not a colour that features too much in my wardrobe but when I spotted this jumper for £7.99 in the Zara sale, I knew I had to have it – and wear it for Valentine’s Day:

And for some reason, I felt the need to jump around whilst taking photos tonight – and then share them with you:

I’m wearing: Kurt Geiger necklace; Zara jumper; Gap skinny jeans; and Converse trainers.

We’re having a lovely chilled night in with take-away and chocolates, what could be better?

What are you wearing for Valentine’s Day?

[OUTFIT] Treasured accessories

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Shopgirl

Happy Valentine’s Day lovelies!

I thought I’d give you a little insight into the treasured accessories I’ve been wearing this week:

My Tiffany heart necklace (a gift from the boyfriend for Christmas 2010); my Dannijo cocktail ring (a gift from myself to myself!); Pandora heart necklace (a gift from my mum for Christmas 2011); and over-sized pearl earrings (a gift from one of my best friends).

These are some of my favourite and most treasured pieces, from friends and family: what are your most cherished pieces? Were you given anything special for Valentine’s Day?

[HOW TO] keep warm in the snow

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Shopgirl

Shooting outfit shots last week was a little challenging as I seemed to spend most days bundled up under layers of knitted wool and faux fur! And then at the weekend, the snow fianlly came! So rather than fight the fluff, I thought I’d share with you a little how to dress for the deep freeze!

First, take gloves. In this day and age fingerless gloves and arm warmers are preferable as we all want to be able to use whichever electronic device we have with us, be it a phone or an iPad or a camera. Of course, ones with a flap make this an even easier job to keep warm and to use said electronic device.
Scarves. Snoods. Whatever your neck warmer of choice, when the temperatures fall, they are necessary. I like a snood because there are no annoying ends and they become an extension of whatever knit you’re wearing. Scarves are making a comeback in my books though, because they have the ability – if long enough – to wrap around and around and around, thereby keeping your chin and mouth and, even nose covered for the really chilly days.
Hats. I like to make sure that as much as is possible of me is covered up when I’m out and about in the cold. For years I hated hats and fought against my mother’s attempts to make me wear one. Now, though, I have learned the benefits of hats. Great for many reasons: 1. to keep you warm, 2. to cover-up a bad hair day/greasy hair/stop hair being blown to within an inch of its life!!
Earmuffs. Are my new fight against a cold head. I always find that my ears are always the coldest part of my head. These lovely earmuffs were a gift from a friend for Christmas. When I don’t want to mess up my hair with a hat, these muffs keep me just as warm! And I can even have my hair in a ponytail if I wish!!

What do you wear to keep warm in the cold?

[OUTFIT] the deep freeze

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Shopgirl

With the new year came the promise of spring and the hope that maybe this year we had escaped any really really cold weather in the UK. Well, it might not be quite as cold as Eastern Europe where temperatures have dropped to -20C but February has certainly brought winter with it!

In an attempt to keep warm and stylish and work-appropriate – three things which are harder to get right all at once than one might imagine – I turned to Uniqlo for inspiration. I now have two of these cashmere blend jumpers. I love the preppy, jumper and shirt look but rarely rock it myself but decided to take one of the shirts that my sister picked up at the Charles Tyrwhitt sample sale and try the two together. I think it works. What do you reckon? How are you keeping snug and stylish in the cold weather?

I was wearing: Charles Tyrwhitt shirt (similar here); Uniqlo cashmere blend jumper; and Gap black skinny jeans.

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