White Boyfriend Blazer

I love how a classic white blazer and heavy jewellery can transform a look. Today i woke up and just grabbed the nearest clothes to hand knowing the garage guy would be coming any minute to collect my car. Not really the most inspired look and on the whole a bit scruffy.

Vest – Warehouse, Jeans – New Look

What you can’t see is the top is a bit missshapen and holey and probably past its best but you know people pay good money for that worn, lived-in look, just take a look at Kate Moss.

I was just having a rummage in the wardrobe when the white blazer caught my eye and hey presto!

 

Blazer – Zara

 

 

Necklace – Miss Selfridge, Rings – Asos, Accessorize, Topshop and Jwlry

I wanted to create a polyvore set of this look but it’s far too slow on my laptop and I’m too impatient so i’ll leave  you with one from Golestaneh.

I love how she adds black accent pieces for a gothic evening look above and a classic white tee for a relaxed daytime look below.

I just love her style and her penchant for Zara, obligatory Michael Kors watch and Chanel 2.25. You can check out her blog here, it’s fab and she’s recently opened a store in Cologne, fingers crossed she’ll bring her style to the UK soon.

Reflection

Sorry guys that I’ve been AWOL recently but in my absence i turned 25 and with it came a quarter-life crisis. You may have heard Jameela Jamil tweeting about this and I definitely can feel where she’s coming from. Hitting the big 2-5 milestone was not a celebration for me, instead it only served to highlight how little i have achieved in my life. Depressed, doesn’t even come close! When i graduated 4 years ago i envisioned my future to look bright (to quote the Orange ads), living it up in London town, climbing the career ladder, saving up for a deposit, making new friends. Instead i moved back home, took a temporary job to clear the overdraft and 4 years down the line i'm still where i started - where did it all go wrong? I worked pretty damn hard through school to get good grades not to mention the hard (and very competitive) slog of a journalism degree resulting in a 2:1 and i was expecting great opportunities to come my way. Disillusioned much?

Ok, i know the only way I'm going to get a better future is to go out there and grab it, but the future has been looking bleak for such a long time. Honestly i don’t really know what my options are for the future but maybe i'll be investing a little money in the Euromillions to fulfil my dreams.

In other news, you may have noticed i’ve changed the name of the blog, i haven’t been keen on the old one for ages, i think i was so keen to start blogging i didn’t really think it through. Hopefully The Fashion File will stick, but what’s annoying me is the URL, i may just have to start again from scratch or go back to the previous name, either way I'll keep you updated.

You will be pleased to know I didn’t stop spending whilst I've been offline, well i needed to cheer myself up somehow! So expect more outfit and recent purchases posts.

I’ll leave you with a few words from Bob Marley…

Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing gonna be alright…..

Vote for me...please!

Hi guys, just a cheeky plug and post to ask you lovely readers to vote for me in the Very competition on Facebook.

It's the chance to win my dream job working in fashion for a communications agency in conjunction with Very.co.uk in London for 12 months. This is the first time I've entered one of these "vote for me" things but this is the closest I'm ever going to get to an opportunity like this right now. 

If you would like to vote for me, please click on the link below, I've got a way to go to be in with a chance of winning so would really appreciate your votes!

Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/VeryUK?sk=app_198461183532882&app_data=d862539a4e898d29ffa8a92a96c8e891

And if you would like to enter the competition yourself head to: www.facebook.com/veryuk but hurry entry closes on 6 July - good luck!

Amour for accessories

You will have to bear with me as I'm using the iPhone for blogging until my laptop returns (fixed I hope) and I'm not sure if it'll work but here goes...


I finally decided to part with some cash on a Ted Baker purse. Now I've been lusting after one for years but could never decide which colour to pick and at £65 i wanted it to be something i loved in a few years time. Purple is usually a favourite of mine but i wasn't feeling the Ted Baker lilac-y shade. I wanted something bright that would instantly cheer me up and would go with most of my handbags already. I spotted the orange colour on the website and was very tempted to buy especially when a discount offer appeared in my inbox but i held off until i visited my nearest John Lewis. I reckon the shop assistants must have thought i was stealing it after umming and aahing for 30 minutes - oh yes indecisiveness is one of my traits.

Here it is alongside two new purchases...

There are variations of this purse on the website (patent/glitter/mock-crock etc) but the one i bought is called Anitah.

The other items in question are a Hermes-esque bag from Miss Selfridge's Purist collection £39 and a straw trilby from Peacocks £7. The bag, I've been a little unsure over only because I'm hoping it doesn't look like one of the cheap bags off those stalls in the middle of shopping centres (you know the ones with the fake Chloe Paddington's), but I really needed a new bag for work that's deep enough to fit everything in Mary Poppins style-e.

The hat i saw somewhere before but can't remember, I'd been after a panama type hat which i was going to buy off the market but i kind of remember seeing this Peacocks hat and i managed to get the last one in the shop. I was going to wear it only when my hair's curly but i took a quick iphone pic and it does a good job of hiding my bed-hair.

I hope it suits me, hats don't usually, what do you think?

A quick note: i may be absent from blogging for about 2 weeks until my laptop returns but i will try and post if i can get access to Internet.

Versace + H&M Collaboration

Excited? Much!

I missed out on the Lanvin collection so I'm hoping to be one of the lucky shoppers to get my hands on a glamorous piece of Versace history.

What I've been wearing recently…

It’s been a while since I've done one of these posts, so first up is the outfit i wore for food and film night to celebrate my mum’s birthday. FYI: Bridesmaids was brilliant!

1. Maxi Dress

Maxi dress – Warehouse (s/s ‘10), Belt – Dorothy Perkins, Jacket – H&M, Bag – Warehouse (just seen), Sandals – Primark

2. Colour blocking and florals

Trying to find something work appropriate when it’s 31 degrees…

 

Skirt – Zara, Top – Peacocks, Cardigan – Dorothy Perkins, Belt – Primark, Necklace – Topshop, Watch – Michael Kors

Jacket – Warehouse, all other items as before

3. Printed trousers

Harems – H&M, Shirt – Primark, Belt – Accessorize, Shoes – Office

Leopard Print trousers as seen in May’s Company Magazine…

Ombre Nails

This is my favourite look for my nails recently. I tried it with pinks as seen here and now I've experimented with my collection of blues.

The new fashion manicure has been getting a lot of admiring glance, will you be trying this trend?

Take a look at some other Ombre manicure’s i love and keen to try…

Source

Source

Source

Look out for my next nail post featuring Shellac.

School Days

I’ve been rooting around my bedroom and re-discovering old shoes including these great platform T-bars from Office…

The cherry-red colour reminds me of school shoes, not to mention shoes worn by me and my sister not so long ago….

Oh yes, i was still stylish as a nipper!

My sister’s red shoes doing her best impression of Dorothy from Wizard of Oz (FYI I've not asked her permission for photo, hence the cropping!)

And here’s the outfit built around the shoes…

 

Details: Shoes – Office, Dress – Topshop, Jacket – Warehouse, Belt - Primark

And to think i was planning on throwing this dress out at Christmas. Note to self: Don’t throw anything out – ever!

Multi-coloured Mani

Some of you eagle-eyed readers may have already spotted my bright nails in my last post, so here’s a close-up.

L-R: Bourjois Bleu model 44, Revlon Pretty in Papaya 315, Nails Inc Candy Orange 121, Bourjois Lime catwalk 38, Revlon Passion Fruit 375.

After i saw Fee from MakeupSavvy post on the new Bourjois nail colours, i couldn’t wait to pick up some the neon shades. Currently on 3 for 2 in Superdrug (remember to use your Beautycard) i selected Lime Catwalk 38, Bleu model 44 and Jaune trendy 39 (not shown).

These are my first Bourjois polishes and i am impressed, all you need is two coats for full even coverage. They boast an ultra shine and hold finish which lasts for 7 days. I’m currently on day 4 and there are no signs of chipping or wear, unlike the Nails Inc and Revlon colours. So a big thumbs up from me!

Colour Blocking & Pleats

I couldn’t really decide what to wear at the weekend so here’s a few of the looks i was debating over embracing two of my favourite trends this season.

First up, colour clashing with pink and orange. Pink pleated skirt from eBay, orange crop top from Miss Selfridge and brown belt from Dorothy Perkins…

 

 

Pink pleated skirt from eBay, blue frayed detail vest from Topshop and yellow Primark belt…

Green Zara skirt, Office gladiator sandals, all other items as above…

And then with my brown leather jacket from Topshop…

Last but not least my beautiful Rare maxi pleated skirt in Peach, blue top as before, brown skinny belt from Primark, bag (just seen) Warehouse and jacket and shoes as before…

I wish i could wear this skirt every day and just twirl!

Jumpsuit

I styled my H&M lepoard print jumpsuit with a black jacket from Warehouse, nude Topshop wooden heels, Accessorize black and gold belt and vintage bag…

 

And an action shot close up…

What I'm looking for now is a  tailored black jumpsuit which i can wear to work and for nights out, any suggestions?

Glamour & Benefit Freebie

Glamour have joined forces with Benefit again to bring you a free product with July’s issue. You can choose from cult favourites; BeneTint, High Beam or PosieTint, these aren’t full size but a 4ml sample size. The magazine went on sale on Thursday so be quick because i missed out last time and these are always popular. I’ve not used any of these products before and would’ve bought all three if they were full size but the 4ml does seem a little cheeky so i only chose BeneTint.

There seems to be some good magazine freebies out at the moment, I’ve spotted a free £5 BodyShop voucher with Instyle (i think), Leighton Denny polish with Harper’s Bazaar and Jemma Kidd lip gloss with Red.

Jump for my love

A few weeks ago the lovely llymlrs tweeted two H&M codes which gave you £15 off your order so i hotfooted over to their website (which they really need to improve) and picked up a pair of printed trousers which you will see later and this leopard print jumpsuit. I paid about £6 for both and £3 of that was postage – bargain.

This is my first jumpsuit and i was a bit dubious over whether to keep it just because it has that harem style going on which can look a bit dodgy,  but I’ve decided i can get away with it by pulling the trouser part higher so they’re more high-waisted. The jumpsuit is quite casual but to dress it up a little i would add some high heels and a black blazer. The obvious problem with jumpsuits is the toilet issue, i won’t say anymore than that but you know what i mean! I can overlook that though because they’re so comfy and when i get bored with wearing it for day it can double up as my winter pyjamas – toastie!

In other news, my friend has just trained in Minx nails  and work are introducing Shellac nails so I'm very excited to try them soon, but for now I’ve been experimenting with polka dots and matte nails. 

Top tip – Use a kirby grip/bobby pin to make the polka dots.

Top tip – Don’t fork out for matte nail polishes, buy No.7’s matte top coat and it’ll transform all your favourite colours.

Anyone got any good and inexpensive nail art tips?

Changing Rooms

Whenever I'm unsure of an item i want to buy i take a sneaky pic in the changing rooms to see what it looks like on camera and i know I'm not the only one to do this! So i thought i would share with you what I've been trying on lately and please comment on whether i should buy or not buy.

Green Dress - Zara

I do regret not buying this dress now as it would be perfect for work during the summer. It was between this dress or the green skirt seen here and obviously the skirt won out. I did go back a few days ago to try it on again but all the stock had gone, but hopefully it might come back in.



Black Dress - Zara

 This is like the red dress Frankie from The Saturday's wore but without the sleeves. It has a bit of a Victoria Beckham about it with the cut and shape of the dress but the one thing that lets itself down is the fabric. It's like a polyester stretch which makes it look very cheap and reminds me of school sweatshirts. I did go intentionally to find the Frankie dress but no joy and this caught my eye. It was a little short for me but for winter with tights and killer heels it would look really demure.

Maxi Dress - Topshop

This was from Rare at Topshop which has been having an amazing season if you ask me. I really like the print as it could work easily for day or night. I can't remember the price exactly but it was very reasonable about £30. My reason for not buying this was the length, i like a maxi to be floor skimming so you can wear with heels or flats. This was a little short for my 5'5" frame but i really liked the cut, it's more of a column dress so it doesn't swamp you and the ruffle detail at the top is good for small-busts. I surprised myself even picking this up to be honest as i never wear/buy strapless and ultimately this along with the length is why it's not hanging up in my wardrobe.



Dress - Warehouse, Shoes - Primark, Pendant - Topshop

OK this is a quick OOTD pic taken in River Island's changing rooms, which i love btw - i need that rose print wallpaper. I now know where to go to take sneaky outfit pics, the lighting's good, they're very spacious and the mirrors are long and wide - brilliant. I also love the outside doors which are decorated in bright colours to look like a front door. I couldn't really take a pic to show you and I'm not sure if all the stores are decorated like this but i reckon they would be a favourite with Mary Portas. Onto the outfit, this was my fail safe smart business work outfit, black fitted dress, high neutral heels and a little gold accessorising. Not too out-there but very smart.

Here's a better pic of the lovely wallpaper...and a peek of the top i bought!

So then what's your verdict? Should i go back and buy any of the items? Have you already bought them yourself? Let me know your thoughts.

My new BFF

My new BFF has to be this gorgeous pink pleated skirt sourced from France and won by me from eBay and it arrived beautifully packaged ready-to-wear.


The skirt is such a bright colour that it automatically cheers me up when i put it on and is definitely a head-turner! I played it safe today with a black Topshop vest and tan accessories just because it threatened to rain, but wait until a hot summer's day and I'll pairing this with a contrasting colour block top, I'm thinking my yellow Zara vest and these bright Office wedges as seen on Chelsea Davy.

And because I've been playing around with my Instagram app, here's a FOTD.

Trend Alert.......! Colour Blocking

A few weeks back i posted this pic of Camilla Belle in head-to-toe Gucci absolutely nailing the colour blocking trend and it inspired me to try the look with a little help of Zara.

Now if you've been into a Zara store recently, you will have noticed it has been transformed into a treasure trove of Crayola coloured items. Fuchsia pinks, neon yellows, cobalt blues, vermilion reds and Verde greens adorn every shelf and rail.

I wanted to take a picture of the store but felt a bit cheeky without asking so instead took a quick pic of the window display.


Orange, yellow, red and blue? Oh yes!

I was pretty much spoilt for choice and could have spent ££££'s brightening up my wardrobe, but i did refrain a little, settling on a green pencil skirt and yellow vest.

Skirt and vest - Zara
Belt and heels - Primark

I love how this pencil skirt can easily inject some colour into your working wardrobe, but yet can be teamed up with a simple tee for a more casual/relaxed look. You can't see here, but both the vest and skirt both have exposed gold/black zips which just adds that hint of sexiness to what could be a boring outfit.

I couldn't resist styling the skirt with old wardrobe items like this Miss Selfridge Orange Crop Top.....

And this new Floral Tee from Primark......

And for a relaxed look this photo print tee from Topshop....

Excuse the hair and check out the shoes!

Admittedly I've not gone the whole hog as the shoes are neutral but if i can dig out some colour pop heels i will!

I'll leave you with a few of my favourite images from Zara's Lookbook.

The future's bright, the future's Zara