My Style Forumla

Jacket: M&S (old - alternative here). Blouse: here. Trousers: here. Skinny Scarf: here. Shoes: Russell & Bromley (old). Bag: here. Sunglasses: Miu Miu (sold out - can't find them anywhere online, sorry!)

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I think this outfit is pretty much a perfect depiction of my style formula; old pieces mixed with new, 'higher end' high street (Reiss/Karen Millen etc) mixed with more affordable offerings (H&M, Topshop etc), topped off with designer accessories. This is my favourite way to dress. For instance, the trousers are new-in from H&M, but the shoes are years old from Russell & Bromley. To me, it makes a lot more sense to splurge on classic pieces that you'll wear over and over again, and use high street shops as your means to stay 'on trend'; for things that you know are more of a phase (I'm looking at you old Topshop harem pants circa 2010). 

I utterly believe that one does not have to be fitted head to toe in designer in order to look stylish - and more importantly, a designer label does not necessarily equate to a higher level of quality. For instance, this pinstripe coat. I honestly think it looks quite *premium*- the quality and cut is great, I've had it for about 3 years and it's free from signs of wear, and you know what? It's from M&S. Hell yeah. I once wore it to fashion week and when people asked 'WHO are you wearing?' and I replied 'Marks and Spencer' - people recoiled in a kind of confused horror, then asked me if it was still available to buy so they could grab themselves one. They loved it!

Alternatively, this frilly blouse with contrasting trim is a new addition. You all know I am simply incapable of resisting anything that even slightly resembles the uniform of a musketeer. I like it because it's sheer in a just-about-acceptable way. 

I also realise I'm not wearing my coat properly again and in many of these photos I look like I've become detached from arms. WANTED: my arms. Reward if found. 

But really, I think a lot of us have just kind of accepted that wearing your coat over your shoulders just looks more *fashion* in photos, but if I walked around like this in real life I'd definitely look like an arse. 

 Photos by the talented Paige. 

The Burberry Trench - 'The Kensington'

 Trench: Burberry; here. | Scarf: Burberry (about 10 years old!) similar here: Burberry - alternative here. Shirt: here. Trousers: here. Shoes: Russell & Bromley. Earrings: Dior. Bag: Chanel.

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I took these photos shortly after my birthday in early December and didn't have a chance to squeeze them into my post schedule before I flew off to Singapore on the 15th, and while I'm there I like to keep everything 'Singapore themed' - it'd feel a bit odd posting photos of myself in chilly London when I was actually in 30 degree tropical heat. So, I asked on Twitter and Instagram if you'd still like to see the post and the answer was a resounding yes, so, your wish is my command... 

The trench coat; timeless and traditional. Arguably, the ultimate capsule piece. Although it's now heralded as a fashion icon, the trench actually dates back to the 1850s. It was originally a military garment, which was further developed for use in the trenches of the First World War - fascinating, right? It was traditionally khaki coloured, but as the style leaked into the trends worn by the general public, other colours were developed and so arrived the popular honey & stone versions we're so accustomed to seeing today. It seems terribly obvious now that I've done a bit of research, and despite the sizeable hint in the name itself, I'd never realised the trench coat had military origins.

Now, I can completely understand why it's a classic. It's the perfect throw-on piece. Since I received my first designer piece (a Chanel bag) on my 18th birthday, I've been slowly building up my collection of long-lasting, classic designer pieces and I'm thrilled to add this coat. Mixing high-end with high street is something I've always enjoyed, and I can truly see myself wearing this long, long into my adult life. (Just make sure that if you see me eating chocolate whilst wearing this, you run up to me and violently slap it out of my hand.)

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Some of my favourite trenches...

Admittedly, I'd always admired Burberry trenches. Then one day earlier this year, my mother and I were walking past a Burberry store and she announced 'we should get you a Burberry trench for your birthday - that'll last you forever' and I thought, well, who am I to argue?! After that, I'd decided that I wanted the classic 'Honey' colour in a long length. 
As you can see, I stuck with the long length part of that decision but the Honey colour went entirely out of the window when I buttoned one up and we all (including the sales assistant who was helping us) went '....errrm... maybe not...' - frankly, the colour was horrendous on me. Although the name sounds pleasant, 'Honey' wasn't doing me any favours. So, the exceptionally helpful shop assistant suggested I tried on the Stone colour, which I'd never really taken a fancy to. I buttoned up 'The Kensington' in 'Stone' and we were all sold. SOLD. Sold to the girl who looked horrendous in Honey. It really reminded me how important it is to try things on - even things you might not necessarily expect to look good. 
Do you own a trench? Are you a fan of the style?
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What I'm wearing...

Flute Sleeve Dress with Embroidered Collar - Why Clothing Size Doesn't Matter

Dress: here. (Alternative here) | Earrings: Dior (alternative here) Lip Colour: here.
- - -  I'm fairly certain I owned an almost identical dress aged 4. In fact, I regularly see little people clothes and wish they came in my size (or seriously wondered if I could squeeze myself into 'age 11-12' - answer: lol no.) So when I saw this insanely adorable little piece I ordered it in a frantic, mad excitement. It makes me feel like a 4 year old milkmaid and that is absolutely fine with me. Every detail is exquisite; from the intricately embroidered cut-out collar and bib to the flute sleeves, complete with little bows. 
A little heads up; this comes up rather small. I find that the fit of Dahlia's clothes to lean more towards teeny-tiny bird-like creatures, which I am not. (I once ordered a pinafore dress from them which literally did not even cover my entire bum..) Their clothes come in sizes Small, Medium and Large -  I'm 5'9 and generally a size 10 in dresses, and I'm wearing a Large. I hate to admit that initially, a small part of me didn't like the fact that I was wearing a size Large, but then the more prominent, more reasonable side of my brain took over and I reiterated to myself what I've often told other people; the label in an item of clothing literally does not matter. I cannot stress it enough. I know people use the word literally so often these days that it's almost lost all meaning, but it literally doesn't matter. The cut/measurements of clothing varies hugely from store to store. As long as it fits and it looks good, no one knows what size you're wearing and more importantly, no one actually cares. (And of course, it goes without saying but I'll say it anyway - a larger size does not necessarily equate to 'less attractive'.)
What do you think? Do you care what the labels in your clothes say?

Red Suede and Victoriana Blouse - Two Trends in One

Coat: Vintage - alternative here. | Skirt: Zara - sold out - alternative here.  | Pearl Ring: c/o Gemporia. | Blouse - here. | Earrings: | Dior - alternative here.

In this outfit, I'm attempting to check off two of the season's biggest trends in one single item, in the form of this suede, button down skirt. The first, suede. Obviously, suede has been pretty huge this A/W; suede jackets, suede skirts, suede boots - all suede everything/everythang (definitely not cool enough to get away with saying everythang). The second, the button down skirt - with poppers specifically, not actual buttons as the name would suggest. Suddenly tearing off your own skirt has never been more easy or hilariously dramatic. Both of these items have infiltrated the high street in huge numbers, which means two things - sure, a lot of people are also wearing them, but more positively - the fact that so many stores are creating their own versions means it's even more likely you'll find a version that you like/suits you. 

Below I've put together a little collection of my favourite button-down skirts.

You can probably also tell from the photos that I'm overwhelmed with happiness - this is because black tights weather is finally upon us. I do love summer, but I yearn for the days when I can wear a mini-skirt without feeling almost entirely inappropriately dressed. There's just something about black tights that makes everything look and feel more safe and snug. No accidental flashing here. 

Mosaic Print Dress in Mykonos Town

Dress: here. Earrings: Dior (alternative here). Sunglasses: here.

Hello!

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I have an embarrassingly late and super quick little outfit post to share today. These photos are from my trip to Greece last month (taken in the grounds of the lovely Semeli Hotel) and having got a bit swept away in photographing as many autumnal outfits for the season as I could as soon as I got home, I forgot I even had these prepared! 

This dress, if you can believe it, is from Abercrombie & Fitch. I played what was probably a very annoying  'guess where this dress is from' game with everyone who commented on it and not one person guessed the brand correctly. I personally associate Abercrombie & Fitch with jeans, preppy shirts and t-shirts, so when I saw this pretty little dress on ASOS, and for such a reasonable price too - I thought it would be a perfect little summery addition. It'll also have a second wind when I'm in Singapore over Christmas and New Year so I'm extremely happy with this inexpensive and surprising little purchase!

Big thanks to Jenny (@JennyGrovess) for taking these photos!

Reiss Tailored Jacket and Frilly Collar - Mixing Old and New Pieces.

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Jacket: Reiss. | Trousers: Topshop (old - alternative here). | Blouse: M&S (currently sold out - alternative here).  | Shoes: M&S (old - alternative here). Ring: c/o Denise Manning. | Earrings: Dior - alternative here. | Bag: Chanel. - - -
Why hello!
When it comes to style and dressing myself, I don't place a huge amount of importance on having new things. I don't believe that in order to look good or 'current' every component of an outfit must be new, because honestly I don't think that's a sustainable way to live or a particularly healthy thing to promote. I don't really care if something is last season or 2 years old - if I still like it, I'll wear it. 
So with this post, I'm presenting a perfect example of how I love to mix old clothes with new ones, similarly to how I enjoy mixing 'designer' accessories with high-street pieces. I wore this outfit to the final day of London Fashion Week a couple of weeks ago but never got around to photographing it on the day. The jacket and blouse, from Reiss and M&S respectively, I picked up in the last few weeks. However, the shoes are about 2 years old and I've featured them numerous times. They're perfectly comfortable and add some vibrancy to an otherwise monochrome outfit. Now, the trousers are at least 3 years old. You wouldn't know, but the shoes have a stain on the inward-facing exterior from where I dropped a frappe latte on my feet, and the trousers have grazed knees from when I slipped over on some ice walking down a hill from university about 2 years ago. 
Of course, like most people, I definitely get a buzz out of picking up a few new things here and there - but I always try to mix those new things in with my pre-existing wardrobe. Sometimes I feel a little pressurised to only feature new items on my blog, because if they're not current it means that if you see me wearing something you like, you can't easily go out and buy it - which makes me feel rather like I'm taunting you; 'Ohhh look at this beautiful jacket I love it so much... btw it's 3 years old so you'll never get it, soz guys' but I also feel like I should at least try and be a 'good example' (bit cringe) and not constantly wear head to toe new-in. It's not necessarily about being a good example,  but about being honest. I always want to give an honest representation of my life, and this is it. Yes, I love getting my hands on new pieces when I can, but I also wear stained shoes and ripped leather trousers.
I think there's quite a strong pressure to continuously wear new items and to not be an outfit repeater (if you got this Lizzie McGuire Movie reference award yourself 10 points) but there's really nothing wrong with recycling old pieces and wearing things again and again in different ways, and if you want to be an outfit repeater, you do it - I know I am!