Whatever Leather

Zara is always one for slogans with attitude. It gives their clothes an edge; the vibe that is laid back, not caring and just living. Their slogans on their clothes and accessories are a favourite of mine. A few posts back you will see that I purchased a T-Shirt that is a play on the Mean Girls film and one of their stand-out quotes. Another staple piece that I wished I owned from Zara is their white 'Stressed but well Dressed' clutch, as I feel it fits my life perfectly. However it sold out in stores and online before I managed to get my hands on it. I have scoured eBay for it but the price that sellers are asking for is double, sometimes triple the store price; so unfortunately I've had to go without. Having said that, I've found an alternative. 

It might not be exactly the same, but I still really like it. I've been seeing a lot of items, especially clutches, being released online and in stores by Missguided, Next and New Look which have a slogan slapped across them. Zara may have started the high street need for a slogan clutch, but the likes of Kenzo, House of Holland, Moschino and Anya Hindmarch have had clutches with bold text featuring on the catwalks. 

Outfit Details 

Duster Coat - New Look

Top - New Look (similar)

Jeans - H&M 

Boots - H&M (similar)

Necklace - H&M

Clutch - New Look 

Watch - DKNY

So my alternative is from New Look; the also do the clutch in white but after much debate I decided that the black was more appropriate and sensible. 

I'll be back next week, hope you enjoyed reading! 

Harmonious Contrast

Black and white, light and dark, ying and yang. Opposite ends of the spectrum, colliding with each other in harmonious melody. You're probably thinking, what the hell is she talking about?! 

I'm talking about contrast; one of my favourite things to exist on the planet. From the very first Photography project in GCSE, to pinpointing a main element to my personal style, contrast influences a lot of things in everyone's life, everyday; not just in my own. 

The reason I am rambling on and on about contrast is because that is the word that I think describes this outfit best. I don't just mean colour either but there are two contrasting style genres (or at least I like to think there is) in this outfit. 

For example the top half is quite formal and something you would maybe wear to a fancy restaurant; whereas the bottom half is darker, edgier and chunkier in comparison to the sleekness of the blouse and necklace combination. This look is Classy Chic mixed with Underground grunge; contrast!

I really think the two styles come together really well; the grunge is only subtle but it is still present. The chunkiness of my shoes isn't really visible because the trousers aren't super-skinny but I absolutely love the thick, Dr Marten's-esque sole, the edgy croc texture and the zip detailing.

Outfit Details

Blouse - H&M 

Necklace - H&M

Jeggings - H&M 

Watch - DKNY

Shoes - Primark

Hope you enjoyed the photographs (taken again by Coral Baker) and reading my burst of creativity. I'll be back next week!

Check Mate

Life as a Fashion Student is hard, especially when you live so close to the Bullring. I am 10 minutes away from shopping central, including very dangerous territory such as Selfridges. However the hardest thing about being a Fashion Student, and living so close to the Bullring is that if you want to survive you must prioritise between buying food and much needed clothes. If it isn't obvious from this post already, I have my priorities set. 

Today's post features two newly bought items. It also features the white wall of my University Accommodation Kitchen, after having manoeuvred the sofas around to produce an appropriate "studio" space.  The photos were taken by the lovely Coral Baker. 

I like to describe this outfit as pointy monochrome, as the outfit is made up from black-and-white featuring garments, and also has several points; the ends of my collar, my shoes and the corners created by the check fabric of my cigarette trousers. 

As soon as I saw the blouse at work, I reserved it in the cupboard behind the cash desk. It was love at first sight. I have been longing to purchase a black top with a white collar for ages, and one of my all time favourite detailing on a top is a bejewelled collar. In all honesty it is a very similar story in regards to my new trousers. I had been desperate for a pair of grid check, monochrome trousers ever since H&M stocked a pair of grid check, monochrome slacks; however they sold out in my size before I even had the chance to buy them. The store I work in didn't even stock them for too long either so I had to buy these when I saw them. 

Outfit Details 

Blouse - H&M

Trousers - Primark

Shoes - H&M

Watch - DKNY

Hope you enjoyed both reading and browsing the images of my latest outfit post. Expect another outfit post soon!

Perks of Being a H&M Employee

September 2014 has been abnormally warm; however having moved into the early days of October, the temperature is starting to get cooler, rainfall is increasing as is the wind. Autumn has finally settled in - for me that means a new investment in outerwear! 

Luckily for me, H&M has offered their employees an amazing promotional offer of 50% off one piece of outdoor clothing, which beats the normal 25% any day! When I found out about this money-saving offer, I didn't even have to think of which coat I wanted to buy; this coat had came into store 609 a few weeks prior and instantly fell in love with it. The only thing which was stopping me from purchasing the coat before the promotion was released was the price tag (of £49.99!). 

So I managed to bag myself a bargain and today it was finally cold enough for me to show my bargain off! 

Unfortunately, my coat isn't actually available to purchase on the H&M website, so make sure you check your local store to see if they have it in stock!

Meanwhile you can purchase similar styles here and here. 

Thanks for reading, I'll be back next week!