SPRING PASTELS

Coat: here - c/o Laura Ashley. Earrings: here - c/o Laura Ashley. Bracelet: here - c/o Laura Ashley. Skirt: H&M. Shoes: Mango. Bag: here - c/o Aspinal.  - - -
Before you start - yes, the title is 'Spring Pastels'. Yes, I also know that it's not quite spring yet. Just let me bask in my delusions a little while longer and soon enough, spring will truly be upon us! When this beautiful candy coloured coat from Laura Ashley arrived at my door, my mind burst into a pastel themed kaleidoscope of the new wave of fashion, colours and styles that the change of season brings. Surely one can't quite get away with wearing pastels in January, but February... well in February, you're just enough on the cusp to get away with it. 
I wanted to keep the rest of the outfit monochrome in order to keep the focus on the parma violet hued coat. I think often when it comes to styling a statement coat or any coat of a particularly striking colour, the safest option is to keep everything else relatively simple. Alternatively, with this lilac coat, I might mix in a similarly toned lilac or purple via the shoes or another accessory. In this instance, I chose a delicate lace top to add interest but still not draw attention away from the main event, and to keep a foot in our seasonal reality winter, I chose this pleated faux leather skirt.
In terms of other accessories, I absolutely love the way silver looks against lilac, so I chose a pair of hammered silver drop earrings and a matching bracelet, also from Laura Ashley. The earrings and bracelet are such a bright, shiny silver that they really stand out - the earrings in particular, which means that even if I wear my hair down they'll still peek through!
I would also like to add that having worn this coat all day walking around Notting Hill in temperatures so cold that it snowed a little, it is exceptionally warm! Obviously my legs were cold but that's due to my poor decision to wear a micro-skirt on a day cold enough to snow... I just know that this piece is going to hang on my coat rail all throughout spring and even during the chillier summer months!  
Thank you to Laura Ashley for sponsoring this post. 

Autumnal outerwear

Magical Pocket Coat: here & Hammered Ring Drop Earrings: here. Both C/O Laura Ashley. Boots: here. Shirt: here.  - - - 
'Tis officially the season! And by that, no, I don't mean Christmas (although there's a concerning amount of Christmas themed decor popping up in the shops already...) I mean the season of rich, striking jewel tones - as I've always associated the A/W season with luxurious colours like ruby and emerald.
In addition to that, I feel like my style repertoire really expands with the reintroduction of coats come autumn, so you can imagine my joy when I spied this vibrant red number. Red is without a doubt one of my favourite colours to style and one of the most versatile, especially come autumn. I love mixing red with block colours like black, white, green, or even pink if I'm feeling brave enough for a deliberate clash, textures like faux fur and leather, and printed pieces too - checks or stripes are my favourites! As well as mixing patterns and textures, I also love mixing metals. It's something I've always done and thought nothing of, despite it being regarded as a stereotypical no-no. That's where these hammered ring drop earrings come in; two differently sized silver hoops held together by a single gold hoop. To me, mixing metals when it comes to jewellery only leaves you with more choice for other accessories, as you're not tied in to any hardware shade. Can't decide between your favourite silver hardware handbag and gold hardware belt? Wear both! 
This coat is one of those quite rare finds that I'd describe as; warm enough to be practical but elegant enough to be stylish. It's not a style VS. substance piece, it's very much both. Another little detail I just have to mention is that it has REAL POCKETS. Yes, you heard me right. REAL, quite sizeable pockets that you can put things in. Not a fake, deceptive 'I'm-not-really-a-pocket-I'm-just-a-weird-slit-in-the-fabric-made-to-look-like-a-pocket-but-I'm-actually-not-a-pocket' pocket. PRAISE BE.
So, I've told you that red is my favourite colour to style come A/W - I'd love to know yours. Please let me know below! - - - 
Thank you to Laura Ashley for sponsoring this blog post. 

Tom Ford - Signature Colour collection

*Tom Ford Black Orchid: here. *Tom Ford Lipstick: here. - - - 

Today, I am thrilled to present to you; two icons from Tom Ford's beauty repertoire - both from the Signature Colour Collection. They are inarguable classics. 

The first, Tom Ford's Black Orchid. Encased in black glass and adorned with classically Tom Ford gold accents, this is a dark, luxurious and sensual blend of florals and warm spices that sits atop the dressing tables of stylish women everywhere. I can't begin to recall the number of times I've caught this beautiful, recognisable scent on a friend, at an event or in a meeting and asked the wearer 'which perfume do you have on?' and they always answer 'Tom Ford, Black Orchid'.

"A luxurious and sensual fragrance of rich, dark accords and an alluring potion of black orchids, and spice, Tom Ford's Black orchid is both modern and timeless. Bottled in fluted, black-glass, black orchid makes an unforgettable statement of iconic style and worldly glamour."

The top notes are french jasmine, black truffle, ylang-ylang, blackcurrant and citrus, the middle notes feature spice, fruity notes, orchid, lotus, gardenia and jasmine whilst the base notes are made up of patchouli, sandalwood, dark chocolate, incense, amber, vetiver, vanilla and balsam.

Next, what must surely be Tom Ford's most iconic and beloved beauty item; the lipstick, which comes in a rainbow of shades from classic reds to wearable nudes and more experimental colours like purple and fuchsia. I already have about 8 of these, and so can say with absolute sincerity that in my opinion, they stand out as the best lipsticks I've ever used - in terms of both aesthetics and functionality. For my every day shade, I opt for Casablanca (as does my mother!) and if you ever see me wearing a red lip, I can assure you it's Cherry Lush. 

"To Tom Ford, there is no more dramatic accessory than a perfect lip. It is the focus of the face and it has the power to define a woman's whole look. Each lip colour is Tom Ford's modern ideal of an essential makeup shade. Rare and exotic ingredient including Soja Seed extract, Brazilian Murmuru butter and Chamomilla Flower oil create an ultra-creamy texture with an incredibly smooth application. Specially treated colour pigments are blended to deliver pure colour with just the right balance of luminosity."

For this feature, Tom Ford and Harrods kindly sent me a new shade to add to my collection; Scarlet Rouge. When compared to my much used, classic, postbox red Cherry Lush, Scarlet Rouge is a slightly darker, slightly more brown-toned and sexy red. It's utterly perfect for evening wear, with just the right amount of shine. As expected, Scarlet Rouge has that same velvety but pigmented texture and the same deliciously appealing smell. I swear I could recognise a Tom Ford lipstick from the scent alone.

As I mentioned above, I find these lipsticks to be incredibly comfortable to wear, but they also perform well in terms of colour payoff and lasting power. A rather taboo subject to discuss when it comes to lipsticks is how 'well' they wear off. No one ever mentions how lipsticks do, inevitably, wear off. Of course, I look for long lasting power but I don't expect earth-moving miracles. As an every day wearer of Tom Ford's lipsticks I can tell you that when they do eventually wear off, they wear off well. In the sense that the colour fades evenly, not patchily or only in the centre, creating that clown-eqsue look. You can apply a Tom Ford lipstick in the morning, accidentally leave it at home and go about your day without fear. 

Have you ever tried Tom Ford products? If so, what are your favourites? Let me know below!

Feminine Androgyny

- - -  Coat: here. Top: here. Bag: here. Trousers: similar here. - - - I think you all know by now that I'm a quality over quantity kind of person. In an ideal world, I'd have a (still reasonably large) capsule wardrobe of things that can interchange seamlessly. Being a blogger, that's a hard feat to achieve. So, half of my wardrobe is made up of really high-quality, higher end items that I'll keep and wear for years to come, and half of it is more trend-led, disposable stuff that I know I'll have grown tired of by this time next year. 
I recently added a piece to the 'forever' side of my wardrobe; this coat. To me, it's sort of monochrome preppy. It reminds me of a man's boating jacket! I've always loved mixing quite androgynous pieces (structured, oversized jackets, bow-ties, suits) with the hyper feminine (ruffles, pussybows, bright red lipstick) this red jacquard suit paired with a seriously ott ruffled blouse springs to mind - feel free to take a look at that look here, although I was considerably more svelte then, sporting a misjudged dip dye and still taking photos in my back garden. So innocent. So pure. Treasure the mems. 
This coat really fits the bill in terms of my style and despite it being quite 'statement', I have plenty of ways to style this in mind.
What do you think? Do you prefer having a more 'disposable' wardrobe or are you someone who likes to invest in pieces with more longevity? Let me know!

MY GOOD MOOD OUTFIT

Top: here. Boots: here. Coat: here (similar here.) Trousers: similar here. Bag: c/o Bulgari - available this spring.  - - -  If you managed to scroll this far down, I apologise for the over indulgent number of photos. I had two main issues with these images; I LOVE MY NEW LENS and I LOVE THIS OUTFIT. Am I allowed to say that? I think I am. We all are. You know those outfits that put you in a good mood? This is one of them and these are the reasons why;
1. I'd been searching for a white coat that wouldn't make me look like a lab technician for the longest time and I found one.  2. I'm actually wearing seasonally appropriate footwear for the first time in I don't know how long, and oh my god my feet felt so warm and toasty. Is this what everyone else feels like when they wear socks? Why have I been exposing my feet to the cold all winter?! 3. I'm so in love with my new Bulgari Serpenti bag (more on this another time). I was gifted this bag by Bulgari late last year - for which I am immeasurably grateful, and it isn't officially released until this spring so I must admit that there's a small part of me that feels slightly smug about it - not particularly because it was gifted, but because it's not available yet. I am sorry. I spent the entirety of my adolescence playing World of Warcraft. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE COOL ABOUT ME. LET ME HAVE THIS ONE THING. (No but all jokes aside, I am very grateful, to you all as well. If it wasn't for you supporting my content I definitely wouldn't get opportunities like this.)
Touching back on the boots (which are now conveniently in the sale) I found it so difficult to find a pair of non-clompy, reasonably elegant looking everyday boots that had a day appropriate heel. It was almost impossible. The online product photo for these wasn't the most flattering, so I took a risk on these and trusted the reviews I read on the Topshop website. They're flattering, WARM and a perfect sock-style boot with a practical heel and stylishly squared off toe. I adore them so much I am genuinely considering buying a second pair 'just in case'. 
Do you have a good mood outfit? I'd love to know what it is!  I also vlogged on the day I shot these photos so I'd love it if you showed that some love. 

Thanks to Paige for taking these photos for me!