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!

High Street Hottest - Week 40

It's been a while since I've put fingertips to keyboard to blog about all things stylish, but recently my time has been focused around all things University!

I am officially an enrolled Fashion Business and Promotion Student at Birmingham City University, and today I received my first University project brief. On the 21st of September, after a gruelling shift at work, I moved all my things into my University accommodation and now live in Birmingham during the week. It's a new and exciting chapter of my life, and hopefully I will get round to sharing it with you all on my blog in future blogposts. 

But for now, a quick pick of what I think are the hottest items on the High Street right now and with a Student Lock in Event at the Bullring round the corner, the items that potentially will end up in my Wardrobe as the season progresses. 

First up is this beautiful pair of clean cut, Toffee Cigarette Trousers from Topshop. Brown shades are really inherent in High Street Stores at the moment, ranging from Toffee to Rust, but it is no surprise as the Autumn season finalises settling in. To me, at the moment, it doesn't feel like the Autumn season has actually hit us yet, and the British Weather would definitely agree with me. The Masculine Tailoring of these Topshop Cigarette Trousers would look perfect with a black trench coat in a light fabric, a white slouchy blouse and patent black shoes.

Second is this beautiful 2-in-1 Black Shirt Jumper, from Primark! As soon as I saw this top in the Primark Selfridges, I instantly fell in love; a combination of my favourite colours as a simple yet class piece. I had recently watched 'The Last One' episode from Friends and I adored Rachel's sweater/shirt combination, teamed with a simple plain black a-line mini, and knee high boots. The top instantly reminded of Rachel Green's ensemble, seen here and I can't wait to recreate the look! (Yes... I bought on site.) It is a perfect transitional piece also. 

Next up is a Grey Crepe Shift Dress from Topshop. In the Bullring Topshop, they had paired this dress with an amazing White Scuba Peplum Jacket, and although in this image the dress does not look grey, it is a similar colour to a dress that I actually already own; however the pairing of the two was absolutely perfect. The dress is a very flattering shape having a V-Neck cut and a drop waist, and features two front pockets with zip running down the back. On the website, Topshop suggest to toughen it up with some ankle boots, and personally I agree. 

Fourthly is this Yellow Cropped Jumper from H&M. I rarely wear colour and I stick to the darker tones of the colour spectrum; black, white and grey are my best friends. However lately I have found myself drawn to the warmer tones such as yellow, orange and mentioned previously brown. Perhaps it is the influence of Fall fashion or the colour changes of the leaves on the trees. I am really drawn to this jumper however, and teamed with monochrome grid print slacks and peep toe mules I think I could perhaps let a little bit more colour into my wardrobe. 

Short and sweet but I wanted to make effort to make a blogpost as it has been a long while since I have posted anything. I actually realised there are 60s/70s vibes/tones in all the items I have picked for my High Street Hottest this week; hopefully there will be another blogpost on Wednesday, most likely about Birmingham and my adventure so far at University. I will also try my up most best to regularly blog whilst I am at Uni, although Uni comes first. I will also try to make my High Street Hottest post a weekly thing, and go through every week of the year sharing with you my favourite finds,

 Hope you enjoy reading, and don't forget to share your favourite piece of clothing that you've found in the High Street Stores this week! 

August and Early September Haul

It's time to show you what I have been splashing the cash on recently! Although I should be focusing on saving for the months of University that are ahead, I shopped til I dropped in both Paris and back home in England across August and early September, in my favourite stores. 

People who know me well is that I spend most of my wages in my work place; H&M. But who can blame me when I get 25% off everything?! Whilst it might seem that I am spending a lot, I am also saving a significant amount too. 

T-Shirt // Zara - €12.99

First off we have this basic monochrome (surprise surprise!) T-Shirt from Zara, which states 'you can sit with me,'. I bought it whilst in Paris. I believe it is supposed to be a play on the famous line from Mean Girls, where Regina George (Rachel McAdams) is wearing sweatpants, on a Monday, which is against the rules, meaning she cannot be seated with the rest of her clique. 

If this isn't the case however, I do just like the saying because it puts across a friendly message, which is perhaps perfect for when I start Uni and attempt to socialise. 

Click here for a similar style.

Embellished Box Top // H&M €34.99

Second is this elegant, high fashion and sophisticated jewell encrusted top from H&M. Bought in Paris, I previously bought a similar Top (also from H&M in Paris) but returned it and spotted this beauty. The top is definitely not plain but I could still see it dressed up and down, with jeans and converse or tailored slacks and block heels. 

Definitely a bank breaker though!

Click here to purchase.

Playsuit // Zara €39.99

Definitely the splurge of my travels to Paris and bank breaker no. 2, this Zara Playsuit has a modest plunge neckline, and is actually a skort playsuit. It is very flattering, and hugs the figure in the right places. I could not determine whether it was leopard print or not, however looking at it in the picture now I am pretty sure that it is not. I am glad however, as I am not very fond of the print! I don't usually wear much colour, I'm not sure if you can tell by the picture but the playsuit is actually forest green, a colour that I am becoming to love. Perhaps change is in order?

Click here to purchase.

Zig Zag Jacket // H&M €24.99

My last purchase from Paris (I didn't buy much but me and my boyfriend were sharing a suitcase... it could have been a lot more dangerous for my bank account.) is this effortlessly flawless jacket, which again is very flattering, especially around the waist. I plan on pairing it with black jeans, perhaps a cream peplum or blouse, and a statement necklace. It can't really be seen on the picture (these aren't the best quality I do apologise) but it does have a zig zag texture, and is very sturdy and thick, a very high quality piece for the high street. 

Click here to purchase.

Trench Coat // H&M £29.99

As you may have seen from my previous Duster Coat post, they are a key piece to my Fall 2014 wardrobe. This coat has been in H&M for ages, and I have always been drawn to it, but never purchased it, until now! It has a waterfall style drape at the front, and a felt belt which I just tie in a bow behind my back. I actually bought Size 12 as they did not have Size 8 in stock, however it still fits fine and adds extra length.

Click here for a similar style. 

Jumper // H&M £14.99

Next up, one of my all time favourite pieces, a grey jumper! I decided to buy a new one because the fit is much better than the one I currently own. The new jumper again fits nicely around the arms, and is looser around the torso, and looks great with black jeans! To be honest, I think everything looks good with black jeans. Another reason why I decided to invest in the jumper is because its 80% cotton, where as my old jumper was Angora, and that goes every where!

Click here to purchase.

Dress // H&M £14.99

Although coming from the Basics Department from H&M, this dress is different to most of H&M's basic range. It is a thicker and again higher quality than the usual jersey dresses, which have little or no structure to them. However this dress would be ideal for going out, as it just feels and looks premium. Obviously it would have to be dolled up with accessories such as a bejewelled clutch, as the neckline of the dress already has detailing, and it might look too heavy with a statement necklace.

Buy yours here.

Raw Hem High Waisted Jeans // ASOS £30

My first piece of ASOS denim, and I don't regret purchasing them! My favourite shade of denim, these jeans fit really snuggly, and will most likely be my go to jeans when my black jeans are in the wash. I am very tempted to purchase a pair of black jeans from ASOS too, but I will see how these ones go first. The hem around the ankle is raw; the frayed edges however add an edgy detail whether they are worn as they are or turned up for contrast. 

Buy your pair here.

Super  Stretch Trousers // H&M £7.99

These trousers are great! A great item for a bargain price! Another very flattering pair of trousers, which are basic but definitely can be dressed up. A key piece for wardrobes everywhere, they also come in burgundy and forest green (which I tried on and loved, but I don't think they suited me as much as the black.)

Buy your pair here. 

Boots // Zara £49.99

Finally, last but definitely not least, my new beauty booties from Zara. I spotted them on my holibobs in Paris but was reluctant to buy them, as they were once again, a bank breaker! Luckily as I did well and achieved my grades for University, my mother was able to supply the funds for these gems, and now I am the proud owner of these amazing pointed toe boots. 

Pointed shoes are my absolute favourite, I have loved them ever since I was young. I would always go for pointy school shoes even if it was a slight point; you know what school uniform restrictions are like. I remember having these really, and I mean really pointy school shoes in Year 5/6 and they had a buckle on, they were bad ass!

Click here to buy your beauty booties.

Keep an eye out for more hauls, coming soon!

What's your favourite item of my August/Pre-September haul? 

Paris 2014 - Duster Coat

 It has been two weeks since I ventured off to the city of Paris; time absolutely flies when you are enjoying yourself. Enjoying myself is a huge understatement though, there is no adequate description for how much I appreciated and loved being in Paris.

And here is my final Paris outfit post; I felt truly Parisian in this one, so much that when speaking to cashiers and vendors they thought I was French! I will take that as a compliment though.

My new favourite item of the new season is going to be Duster Coats. I have bought three (!!) already and the collection will probably continue to grow. I will feature some of my favourites from ASOS below.

These outfit pictures were taken in the Champs de Mars, which is situated of course by the beautiful structure that is the Eiffel Tower. It is my favourite place in Paris, simply because I could spend hours relaxing in the park and never get bored. Even with the keyring men running about.

Duster Coat - New Look // Top - Hobbs London // Jeans - Topshop // Bag - H&M // Shoes - H&M

Bracelets - H&M // Ring - Pandora // Watch - DKNY

Necklace - H&M // Sunglasses - H&M

Here are some favourites; click on the picture to get a better look!

There will be two more posts coming up on my blog about Paris, however they are not outfit posts. Although that does not mean the outfit posts stop there! Stay tuned and follow me on Bloglovin or by email updates, by entering your email in the bar on the right hand side. 

What will your key piece for Autumn be? 

Paris 2014 - Prints

During our (my boyfriend and I) holiday in Paris, we took time to visit the wonderful building that is Notre Dame. 

My outfit choice was inspired by a friend from work. I work at H&M and she was asked to style an outfit for a 17 year old girl and she combined prints similar to the ones existent in my cardigan and my skirt. I liked the pattern combination so much I recreated it myself.

There is a story behind the skirt though; bought from Depop, originally primark, I paid £7 for and its a size 6! I can't believe that it fits as for bottoms I am usually a size 10; as the skirt is fairly high-waisted and my waist is closer to an 8 than a 10, luckily this gorgeous item managed to fit around my frame!

Bag - H&M // Cardigan - New Look // Top - Hobbs London (Charity Shop Sourced) // Skirt - Primark (Depop Sourced) // Sunglasses - H&M

Shoes - Converse

The attention to detail that is upon Notre Dame is amazing; the carvings are very intricate. The windows in the pictures below from the outside can't be seen, and due to the low lit lighting inside the building my photograph quality had to suffer.

This is perhaps the best shot of a stained glass window that I took from my trip to Notre Dame. The colours and patterns are very inspiring; although my look is very monochromatic with blues and greens thrown in here and there, I can't help but feel galvanised by the colours to perhaps inspire either future outfit, accessories or design choices.

Tell me, what are you favourite print or colour combinations? 

Paris 2014 - Monochrome

This Summer I have been lucky enough to venture to the beautiful fashion capital and city of romance that is Paris accompanied by my boyfriend for 7 nights. 

Whilst on our first holiday together, we nervously and excitedly explored the sights, including the Eiffel Tower, Saint Chapelle, Notre Dame and had at least three visits to the infamous Champs Elysees. 

The day before we arrived in Paris was a very important day for me, as I found out whether I had achieved my A Level grades which would grant me access to study Fashion Business and Promotion at Birmingham City University. Luckily I did what I had to do, and I am now a fashion student. Therefore, I tried my best to reflect Parisian style within my outfit choices and looking stylish is even more important to me now than it was before. I do feel that my visit to Paris and seeing the French styles has definitely influenced my own personal style and will shape my purchasing choices also. 

Although I stayed in Paris for 7 nights, I am only going to post 3 Parisian inspired outfits to my blog. 

Cardigan - New Look // Camisole - H&M // Skirt - New Look // Shoes - Converse

Watch - DKNY // Sunglasses - H&M

This outfit includes pieces which have not been worn by myself before, so it was good to be able to combine my recently bought purchases (excluding my converse) to style this outfit. I would have worn my H&M loafers which you will see in two posts time, however my boyfriend and I insisted on walking everywhere around Paris to admire the views that Paris had to offer. 

On this day we ended up going to Place du Concorde, and we had intended on visiting the Orangerie Musee to admire Claude Monet's waterlilies however the museum was unfortunately closed. This meant another visit to the Champs Elysees! 

Here are some shots from our day out. 

Where did you go on your first holiday on your own?

The Charity Shopper

On the 20th June, excited and exhausted, I approached the end of the endurance test called A-Levels. Since then, I have been filling my time with the hobby that I do best: shopping. 

However in the past two months, although indeed I have also been spending my money in the typical high street names such as H&M and New Look, I have also been finding many gems within charity shops such as Oxfam, Shakespeare's Hospice and Acorns to name but a few. 

Although it may not appeal to some, purchasing cast offs is actually one way to save money whilst still managing to achieve a stylish look. It is also a way to find unique pieces, that you perhaps may have not found when they were originally in their high street homes. 

Silk Cami - 99p (Unbranded) // Hawaiian Leaf Print Dress (Originally New Look) £3 // Faux Leather Backpack (Originally F+F) £1.50

Total Cost of the Above: £5.49

Favourite Piece: F+F Faux Leather Backpack; screams vintage and has many handy holders within its two compartments. 

Navy Hibiscus Tank - £3 (Billabong) // Mom Jeans - £8 (Levis!) // Belt - £1 (Unbranded) 

Total Cost of the Above: £12 (+£15 alterations for the Levis... they were Size 12) 

Favourite Piece: Levi Jeans; great purchase, great price!

White Square Neckline Cami - £4 (Hobbs London) // Dark Grey Chiffon Cami - £3 (Pearce II Fionda) // Platform Shoes - £15 (Topshop) 

Total Price for the Above: £21

Favourite Piece: Topshop Platforms! I have to admit, these weren't actually found in a charity shop. They were found on Depop, which is an app for Apple and Android, which is sort of like eBay, but in my personal opinion, better! I have been using Depop to sell my own clothes as well as purchase everyone else's and have made over £150 so far. It is a lot easier than eBay; all you do is take a picture, add a description and price and you are ready to sell.

Both items (Topshop) found on Depop for a bargain price of £27 in total!
Topshop Playsuit £12 // Topshop Platforms £15

The above items as stated previous; not found in a charity shop, but on the app Depop. These are still second hand buys however, and I imagine I have saved a considerable amount of money by purchasing them through those means. If I remember correctly, the Topshop Playsuit worn by my favourite fashion blogger Danielle Bernstein (www.weworewhat.com) was somewhere in the region of £48 to buy new; I purchased this playsuit off a girl that had worn it once and it arrived in perfect condition. 

I like to feel that my finds in the charity shop are on trend; palm leaf prints and mom jeans are very in  at the moment or at least definitely were the high streets are concerned. Cropped camisoles, usually with square necklines or halter ties are also very in at the moment and I like to think that my 99p find satisfies that trend. 

I also like to feel that more of you will shop second hand as you never know what you are missing out on; a major tip of advice though, you have to really delve and search through pretty much every section and every item in a charity shop to find something special. I have come across several designer pieces such as Dolce and Gobanna and Jaeger in charity shops and although they weren't my size, there are bound to be special designer and unique treasures waiting for you in your nearest one, for very affordable prices. 

What's been your favourite charity shop find?