Ruffle Blouse / Victorian-Style Coat / Hat with Silk Ribbon

Hello all!

I suppose the presence of snow in these photos slightly gives away the fact that these were not taken today... bad Arabella. Although, I have been excited to share these photos with you as this Parisian-esque blouse (affectionately referred to as my 'Musketeer Blouse') has certainly become a favourite in several outfits - you might recognise it from when I styled it with my chinoiserie print suit. I also love the way the shoulders have been structured on this coat in quite a Victorian way and the beautiful texture which is described as 'jacquard', but I think it's definitely more of a subtle lace print. Despite the blouse being a re-discovered favourite, it was only whilst uploading the photos that it occurred to me that this outfit is ever so reminiscent of The Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Not really what I was aiming for...

The new semester at university starts for me tomorrow, so it's time to get my brain back in gear and I will now spend the evening 'preparing' for tomorrow morning!

Hat : Ted Baker. Shirt & Coat : ZARA. Stole : H&M. Skirt : Topshop. Ring : Granny's.

Jewelled Collar / Embellished Pencil Skirt - Obligatory Snow Post!

Hello all! 

I'm currently trapped inside due to the heavy snow and feeling like a caged animal. Unable to get to work or even leave the house in any sensible capacity (walking the poodle parade in the snow doesn't count.) I feel that perhaps I'm becoming an ill-tempered old grump, as this is the first year that the prospect (and consequent arrival) of snow has not excited me in the least. 

The only thing I can say for it, is that it makes for quite atmospheric pictures, but only when it's more of a romantic sprinkling than a blizzard. So, I thought I'd make the most of my house-boundedness by photographing this beautiful Dahlia shirt with it's jewelled, icicle-esque collar detail whilst the snow was still falling (and before it turns into horrible grey slush!)

Blouse : c/o Dahlia. Necklace : c/o Cinderela B. Skirt : Virgos Lounge. Coat : ZARA.

Jewel-Encrusted, Cut-Out Back 'Little Black Dress'

Hello all!

Bare legs in January. Am I cold? Oh my.. yes.

I'm sure a lot of you will be thinking I am extremely insane for wearing this dress sans tights/stockings but I don't find that skin-toned tights actually add anything positive (or in fact, match the tone of my skin.. which sort of defeats their point entirely.)

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this dress. My only very minor complaints would be directed at it's irritating hook-and-eye fastening at the back - it somehow manages to unhook itself at the most inappropriate moments. In regards to where I'd wear it, I would happily wear this out for dinner/drinks or even to a 'club' if I'm feeling particularly maverick-ish.

On an unrelated note, has anyone seen Les Miserables yet? I saw it yesterday and purposefully wore my ridiculously over-ruffled shirt to get myself in a Parisian mood, but still only cried 4 times - which is impressively less than I anticipated. I'd love to know what you thought if you've seen it!

Dress : Topshop. Shoes : ZARA. 

P.s. I'm pleased to be bringing back some vintage skirt-throwing moves a la 2011 Arabella Lookbook!

Velvet Trousers / Leather Lapels / White Pointed Collar

Hello all!

I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas & New Year! As you can tell (and I do apologise for my longer-than-usual absence) I took the last 12 days or so to celebrate and spend time with friends and family. 

I feel like I've returned from a truly happy 12 days with quite a depressing, despondent colour palette - so I'd like to make sure you all know I am not trying to reflect any repressed emotions with my recent monocrhomical (is that a word?) outfits - I'm still as jolly as ever, despite this being a pointy white collar that Wednesday Addams or Karl Lagerfeld would be proud of. 

In regards to this outfit, I'm definitely developing quite a fetish for mixing velvet with almost anything, so when I spotted these black, manishly-tapered velvet trousers in Zara on my birthday I was sure they would go with a multitude of my pre-existing outfits. 

Finally, please share some links with me to any outfits you have been wearing over the festive season, I would absolutely love to see! 

 (and if you laughed at the word 'fetish' I am ashamed of you but secretly I laughed too.)

White Shirt, Printed Top, Velvet Trousers & Jacket : ZARA. Necklace : Topshop. Ring : Granny's. Glasses : Dior.