What Zoe Wore #2

So, a couple of days ago the sun decided it was going to shine. I know, a rarity! Perfect opportunity for a springtime photoshoot as part of my friend Lauren's photography uni course. Being the absolute darling she is, she snapped a few photos of my outfit for my blog. Here's to the florals and the sunglasses!

 

Jacket - Miss Selfridge | Top - Primark | Skirt - Primark | Shoes - Tesco | Sunglasses - Ray Ban

Look at all them colours! However, it wasn't that warm so my trusty leather jacket and some black tights made a show too. I saw this outfit on one of the models in Primark at the Metro Centre last week and absolutely loved it - I bought it all! I can definitely see this outfit working with a lovely pair of sandals and bare legs...if it gets warm enough. Is that ever going to happen? Let's hope so!

Here are some of the pictures taken by Lauren for her project. The theme was spring time and instead of going for the usual flowers and baby animals theme she wanted to show how people have fun with friends when the sun gives a little shine.

 

Frisbee and ice pops? It's me and Steph playing around in the courtyard of student halls and just enjoying being outside for once!

Shopping In New York - I Can Dream Can't I?

There are so many amazing places where I would love to shop around the world – I could jump on a plane to Paris and shop on the Champs-Elysses in just a day, or stay in London and hit Oxford Street to shop 'til I drop. But for me, if there was one city I could shop in, I would have to choose New York’s Fifth Avenue. Find out why with this infographic that TravelSupermarket have designed for me and let me know if you agree!

If you could pick anywhere in the world to shop, where would you shop?

Step Back into The 90s

You're a true 90's kid if you remember these. Bubble backpacks. Do you?

I remember when I was younger, maybe around 8 or 9, having a bright pink inflatable backpack that i used to for everything. Lizzie McGuire even have one so they were obviously cool!

And now, look, ASOS Market Place have them on sale for £12. Yes, TWELVE POUNDS. I can hardly believe it.

While I've not noticed anyone wandering around with a big inflatable balloon strapped to their back, their has definitely been some sort of come back for the rucksack. They've been popping up all over,. People are now swinging bags over their backs instead of holding a big, messenger bag in the crack of their elbow.

Here's a look at some of the backpacks kicking around on the high street. Who knows, the decade of the 90s may be coming back into our lives. I hope so! Well, with the reunion of many of my childhood bands I'm loving this 90s revival already. 5ive anyone?

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

I never thought I'd see myself being tempted by a backpack for a long while, but I love the two from Topshop, especially the last one. It's a brown-grey colour with a contrast of suede, leather and a chain. It's so different from those cheesy backpacks you imagine from your childhood, so fashionable and smart. 

The leather light grey one with the zip going down the middle, its just as classy and quite formal as opposed to the original 90s backpack. You wouldn't see someone wearing a smart dress, ready for work with a bright inflatable balloon like bag strapped to their back, would you? The first bag in the pyramid, from River Island, doesn't even look like a backpack - more of a fancy satchel! None of them wouldn't look out of place flung over the shoulder of a person wearing something along the lines of a smart, three quarter length dress. 

Whereas the other three are more casual bags, they'd look lovely over an effortless outfit of disco pants and a top tucked in, that's for sure. The bright red one from BooHoo would 'jazz' up a plain outfit too with a pop of colour.

What do you think of the backpack-comeback?

It's Time To Buy A New Watch

These days I would say watches are more of a fashion accessory rather than used as our way of telling the time, that's what phones are for?

But that doesn't mean you should leave your watch at home. In fact, your watch should stand out and look stylish. In some cases, the bigger and brighter the better, but in others it's nice to go subtle with a small, pretty watch.

I wish I could say that I do the same, but I broke my watch a couple of weeks ago and it was a really sad incident, I'll tell you that. So now I'm on the look out for a new beauty seeing as my wrist feels quite light and very naked.

Here's a few I've picked out that could be making their way onto my wrist soon.

River Island - Asos - Michael Kors - Asos - ICE

I really love the 'manly' look of the River Island and the Michael Kors watch but the two Asos watches are too cute to resist. I'm a proper kitty fan, and a lover of moustaches (the pattern, not the facial fluff type)

The new ICE-Elegant range is lovely too, similar but a lot more stylish than the original ICE watches in a selection of bright colours. It's a nice mix of the dark leopard print and the gold features, a lot more fashionable and matches so many more outfits than a blinding shade of lime green!

What do you think of watches? Do you wear them for fun or for practicality?

What Zoe Did #2

Another week, another few (read: lots) instagrams. Here's what I've been doing, and eating, the past week or so.

Crammed room party for pre drinks - Fancy Aztec print nails - Baked some cookies - Went to Handmade Burger Co.

Passed the Angel of the North - Hungover slush days - Stumbled upon a little lake - Scone lunch on the beach

Me and Beth being a tad tipsy - American sweet treats - Moustache tip nails - My home girls

Me and Jonesy before drinks - Pitcher o'clock - Kitty - Another kitty hiding in the cupboard

Beach days x4

What have you been up to this week?

Do You Know Your Designer From Your High Street? #1

Think you can tell a designer piece worth hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds against a high street piece worth just a tiny fraction of the cost? Lets see.

One of these peplum dresses is by Altuzarra and costs £1250, and one is from Jane Norman and costs a slightly cheaper £40.

However, which is which?

With a difference of £1210, the dress on the left is the high street one and the right is designer and ridiculously expensive. Lucky for me, I prefer the Jane Norman one too!

It just shows that designer is not always better and you can always find a cheaper alternative. Nobody would hardly ever know the difference.

Patterned Trousers

So, a few posts ago I said that it was my mission to be able to get 'into' patterned trousers. After seeing so many people wearing them, I really fancied a pair but could never see myself suiting them.

However, today after a quick trip to H&M I bought my first pair! They spell summer, all over with their bright floral pattern and at £14.99 are an absolute steal.

Here's how I plan to wear them:

Trousers - Top - Sandals

In order to let the trousers 'do the talking' I kept the rest of the outfit plain with neutral colours. The top is from Topshop and has a lovely crochet layer on top of a opaque cami. It's plain and undistracting but still has a nice touch and would be perfect for these up and coming summer months!

For the shoes I chose a pair of black sandals from Miss Selfridge with rose gold studs on the strap. Nothing says 'summer' like a lovely pair of sandals. The only question is, what colour to paint your toenails?!

How do you wear your trousers?

Pastel Fingers

Candy colours are back and better than ever. Dressing up your fingers with the pretty colours couldn't be more lovely!

There's so much to choose from with sweet shades of purples, pinks, blues and plenty more. Take a look at my favourite picks!

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7

Although it's verging impossible to choose a favourite out of the selection I absolutely love Maybelline Forever Strong in Mint for Life. And look closely, how similar are the MUA Natural Days and Essie's East Hampton College?! With a price of £1 for MUA and £7.99 for Essie it means there's a nail polish out there for everyone no matter how much their budget can stretch too.

The Barry M Nail Polish in Peach would look gorgeous on tanned skin but I can see the Essie Go Ginza working great on pale skin.

Dip into summer with these pretty colours. It might not feel summery outside but at least you can look down at your nails and smile because you've got a damn good mani!

Beyonce's Bikini Adverts For H&M

First of all, look at that body?! Not bad to say she only gave birth to her daughter, Blue Ivy, a little over a year ago.

So our favourite, affordable high street store has teamed up with none other than Beyonce Carter to advertise their swimwear range for summer 2013. Summer is creeping up on us quicker than we can all believe, and we are nearing half way through the year already, which means it's time to start that holiday shopping.

The adverts show her floating on a raft in the clearest blue coloured water, heaven, and posed against a bright blue screen which palm tree shadows on her. And with a big flower clipped into her tousled waves she looks the image of summer. She also recorded a song, Standing On The Sun, for the video advert of the swimwear.

 

My favourite bikini is the black one with the tassels hanging from the top but I love the shape of the bright yellow one. The top is an edgy shape with halter-neck straps and a neat bow style on the front. The whole bikini has an overlay of patterned lace and some ties with beads on the knickers.

The tie-dye bikini is a lovely mix of colours and shades too and I really like the different shaped knickers as opposed to the usual tied shape.

Although the line is yet to be available instore and online, the prices of other bikinis are around £20 for a set. Not bad, hey? If only we got Beyonce's body when we put them on.

Sporty Fashion

So, Easter is over and uni has started again. I've been back in the halls for only three days and I can't wait to get back to the gym already! My need to pull on my trainers and hop on the treadmill again got me thinking about all that sporty fashion we've been seeing plenty of. For the past few seasons, fashion has been edging into a 'sportier' zone and it's nothing out of the ordinary to wear a maxi skirt with some high (or low) tops by a sports brand such as Nike or Adidas. 

Who knew a few years ago that in the near future we'd be wearing Topshop and Adidas together?! Crazy, hey?

Just a quick post today as it's a busy one back at uni and we've got lots to keep us busy, who cares if it's decided whether to have chicken nuggets or actually cook something proper for tea. Not me!

Anyway, here's a selection of sporty fashion that can be worn outside of the gym!

Skirt - Purse - Backpack - Bangle - Trainers - Flatforms - Crop Top - Baseball Jacket - Crop Top

Worldwide Wardrobe

Travel Supermarket are running a styling competition called Worldwide Wardrobe where us as bloggers are challenged to style up five outfits that each come in at under £200. There are five locations that each outfit has to be set to: clubbing in Ibiza, sightseeing in Paris, shopping in London, Full Moon party in Thailand and cocktails in New York.

The prize of the competition is a paid trip to the city plus £200 to buy the outfit you have styled. If you want to enter, then head on over here.

Here are my entries:

I've never been to Ibiza, but after visiting Magaluf last year I assume their nightlifes are somewhat similar. I went for a bright outfit with a multicoloured crop top and a bag that clashes with a similar print and colour scheme. Heels are an absolute no-no for the clubs, especially if you're walking from bar to bar at god knows what time so instead I chose some red sandals from Topshop, they match with the red colours in the top and would be comfortable for plenty of dancing. For the bottom half, I've chosen the ever-popular disco pant style shorts. Perfect for Ibiza to show off them lovely tanned legs. And of course, no Ibizan outfit would be complete without a bracelet that simply picks up yet more colour from the rest of the outfit to emphasise the bright, loud colours.

Sightseeing in Paris sounds like an absolute dream, right? The outfit I chose was a classic monochrome look with a cream draping jacket on top of a plain midi dress. To brighten the outfit up, I included a tomato red bag from Topshop - perfect for attention grabbing! I swapped heels for flat sandals from Zara, nobody wants to be tottering around collecting blisters while checking out the sights of Paris, it's better to be comfortable and enjoy what time you have there. For the finishing touches of the outfit I have a mixed metal necklace from Miss Selfridge and a chunky ring from H&M to add some accessories to the look.

Everybody goes to London to shop, it probably has every single store you could ever want. For a successful day of shopping you need to wear something easy incase you need to pop into the changing rooms, I went for the classic Leigh Topshop jeans, and a brightly colours peplum top. The rest of the outfit I kept plain and simple as to not clash with the multicoloured top. I also chose a pair of trusty Topshop boots with stud detailing to 'toughen' up the girly outfit a little bit. The Zara bag is roomy enough to carry everything you may possibly need, and more. Important for a full day out!

A Full Moon party in Thailand, actually sounds amazing. The outfit I chose doesn't create too much fuss and wasn't too expensive as it's likely to get stained with neon body paint and wet and sandy on the beach. The top is an oversized top which can be worn off one shoulder, or if you're feeling a little creative the neckline can easily be cut off to make it just a little more baggy. Underneath I picked a bright blue bikini to poke out through the top and on the bottom half is some bright pink, denim hot pants. The clutch bag is my favourite, and keeping with the neon theme is a bright orange. Perfect for storing little necessities such as keys and a bit of money. The shoes are some t-bar sandals from Miss Selfridge to protect your tootsies from anything sharp (or alive) lurking in the sand.

Cocktails in New York, yeah, if only! A bright red midi dress with a plain black outfit was my idea of smart but standy-outyy and perfect for city life. The dress also has a cutout midriff, not what you'd expect but who likes to stick to expectations these days? The Zara clutch bag comes with an attached bracelet, perfect for a little bit of extra security in a busy bar or street. The sandals I chose are classic, but simple and don't distract any attention from the dress that does all the talking. Over the top of the dress is a draping black leather jacket with excess material at the front that hangs nicely.

Festival Fashions

It's that time of year, the summer festivals are starting in a matter of weeks and that leaves you with the all important decision: what to wear?!

Obviously, you want to look as summery as possible. But sometimes (read: all the time) the British sun fails to shine - if this is the case then you need to be prepared for all weathers, rain or shine.

My festival theme this year is all things bright and beautiful (oh so cheesy, I didn't even mean that one). I went for clashing colours, lots of bracelets and of course: a pair of denim cut offs.

(Clockwise from left) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 (now sold out but similar here) - 9

The colours on the top allow the bright backpack and the purple wellies to contrast together nicely, but after all - you do want to stand out in the crowd with an array of bright colours. This seasons' nails and lips have gone orange and coral, and wearing a matching colour on both also help the summery colours to shine through. Although it's likely the sunglasses and straw trilby hat will not be needed as an aid of sun protection, it's nice to wear them and pretend you're in sunny Spain and not a cold wet field in England.

And of course, not festival outfit would be complete without stacks of jewellery hanging on each wrist. Mix and match bracelets from different shops and with different colours in to get that festival look quick and easy.

The most important part of the outfit is the backpack, and more importantly what it contains. In there you'll need a jacket, preferably waterproof and lightweight, suncream (just incase), some body spray, definitely some tissues, even more definitely hand sanitizer after a trip to the loo!

What are your festival necessities?

Olly M Jewellery

 

So this morning, I got a lovely little package from Olly M jewellery. Inside was a gorgeous friendship bracelet in hot pink looped together with a butterfly charm.

 

It looks absolutely lovely on, and the colour is really vibrant, perfect for the apparent summer that we may have soon! The cord is really strong and is definitely worth that little bit extra, it's not some measly bit of string that will snap as soon as you move a muscle.

The little butterfly charm is just the cutest and has the 925 hologram imprinted on it, real good stuff you're getting here!

Also on the website they have some stunning gold and silver beaded bracelets with the option to get an letter charm to represent an initial. The perfect gift for a friend, or even something lovely to treat yourself too.

Olly M Sterling Silver Butterfly Bracelet - £19*

What The Shoe?!

Now, shoes are definitely a small weakness of mine. There's just something about them that I must have, I know that i've got something similar but this pair is just SO different and will completely benefit my life in a positive way. Completely.

But when I saw this shoe by Julien Hakes my mind was utterly confused. For one point, it looks like some sort of kitchen utensil. Am I supposed to flip my pancakes with it or squeeze my foot in and hope there is no puddles?

Celebrities like Lady Gaga and Nikki Minaj have challenged and encouraged the fashion world to be as bold, outrageous and as daring as they please. Nothing wrong with that, but when you take a step back and look at these new shoe designs emerging you have to question their practicality for anything other than sitting down and not moving a muscle for fear or breaking a leg.

The famous Alexander McQueen shoes worn by Lady Gaga

Julien Hakes is where the Mojito shoe first began, something I would not be drinking while wearing them. Imagine that, rather tipsy and relying on a strip of twisted plastic to support your unsteady self?

While I admire the creativity and unique-ness of them, I have many questions like: Why? How? And what for?

After looking on his website I found a couple more pairs, with a proper sewn in sole and a bit more plastic they look so much more elegant and yes, I'm feeling that weakness in my knees. I'd love to try a pair on but I know they would be more of a ornament in my home than anything else.

Heres a couple of other pairs of shoes I found while scrolling through the internets library of shoes. One pair looks like she's wearing bridges on her feet and another looks like the shoe has been bent in half. Whatever floats your boat I guess but I think I'll be sticking to the traditional shoe that I can trust to support my weight and keep my bones strain-free after a few mojitos and what not!

Holidays Are Coming!

Whether the typical British weather likes it or not, I will be taking myself to somewhere where the sun is hot enough to strip down to a bikini and lay out on a sunbed listening to some party tunes and reading some of those real-life magazine that I only seem to buy for holiday! 

This year I'll be jetting off to none other than Magaluf and after having a fabulous time there last year I decided it was quite necessary to pay another visit. 

With summer holidays comes sun (hopefully) and with sun comes....bikinis! My favourite sort of shopping. This is my shopping list for summer this year, a selection of swimwear, cover ups, sandals and sunglasses. Other than a beach bag roomy enough for all poolside necessities I've pretty much got it covered!

(L-R) Cover Ups: River Island - Topshop -  Miss Selfridge -  Topshop -  River Island - River Island

Sunglasses: Asos - River Island

Bikinis: Topshop -  River Island - River Island - Topshop - Miss Selfridge

Sandals: Topshop - Miss Selfridge - Topshop

Coral is definitely my favourite colour this season, and with a glowing tan I'm sure it would look lovely. The orangey-ditsy printed playsuit from River Island is gorgeous, and I can see myself wearing it a lot more than just by the pool, it's something versatile that can be worn out during the day as a casual outfit and can also be dressed up for the evening with a pair of killer heels and some accessories.

My favourite bikini is probably the blue vintage-cut printed one, also from River Island but although I love it, I know I'd be weary of dodgy tan lines. I'd even be tempted to wear the crop top out with a pair of shorts! However, the Topshop floral piece is just as nice and includes a nice mix of summery colours.

During the day and around the pool I prefer to wear a plain pair of those rubbery-foamy flip flops because I don't mind getting them wet and they are easy to pull on and run when in desperate need of more ice cream! But for the night time, I really don't like wearing heels on holiday so a nice pair of  sandals are perfect. Those red Topshop ones are lovely and come in black too if you don't feel as daring as a fiery pair.

What's on your shopping list for summer? Wooly jumpers and umbrellas if the weather carries on no doubt!

Lily Belle Jewellery

The sun should be on it's way soon and we all know what that means: less layers, more flesh! As sleeves get shorter I'd say it's important to accessorise and make the most of those bare arms. And what better way to show of your glowing tan (albeit, probably from the bottle) than with a gorgeous friendship bracelet in a bright, summery colour from Lily Belle!

With a choice of eight colours and the option to add up to six charms including letters and meaningful symbols such as angel wings and a horse shoe I'd say these friendship bracelets are beyond cute.

Perfect as a gift for a friend or as a treat for yourself, because let's face it: you deserve it.

They'd look great stacked up or just fine on their own glistening away as the sunshine reflects off the little silver beads and charms. The bracelets are set on strong, waxed cord which won't show signs or wear and tear like those flimsy string based friendship bracelets. 

My favourites are definitely 'hibiscus pink' and 'coral orange', together I think the colours are a great combination would compliment each other against a lovely tanned arm.

I have to say too, while I was looking at their stock I found the most beautiful personalised jewellery. They have everything from beaded and leather bracelets to pendant necklaces and even keyrings! Don't forget, they also do mens and unisex items, so next time you've got a friends or a relatives birthday coming up you've got no excuse of not knowing what to buy.

You can check out the entire range here

Day At The Races

With the Grand National last weekend it's safe to say I don't have a clue about horses, betting and anything inbetween. 66-1? What does this even mean? Is it maths? 66-1=65 no? Or maybe, even better it's some sort of sale: the pair of shoes I've been lusting after have been reduced '66 to 1 (pound)'? If only. Apparantley it means the odds, and the chances of a horse winning, but even then that doesn't make the phrase any clearer to me.

However, there has been one thing that I was keeping a close eye on about the races - Ladies Day and the fashion worn by the spectators. Some outrageous, some stunning and some plain weird. What goes through some peoples minds when they open their wardrobe door baffles me. Who thinks that looking like you've applied your fake tan with a paint roller is good? And since when were eyelashes meant to tickle your forehead?

However, amongst the sea of ridiculous outfits, too many frills and one too many layers of matted hair extensions, I managed to find a fair few outfits who won some style points in my book. And I put together a little collage of what I would think was the perfect outfit for the occasion.

Cool, smart and elegant I would say. None of this fluff, fur and frills that I saw plenty of! The red blazer is used to bring a bit of a 'colour' pop to the outfit and paired with the same shade on the nails. The rest of the outfit is a cool monochrome and the design of the midi is the perfect dress to illusionally slim a few inches. So don't put down the pies yet and be sure to grab yourself an extra slice of cake because why should you do it properly when it's easier to pretend? I'm just going to take a minute to appreciate those Topshop platforms so scroll on down for some outfits that are hot, and some that are not!

These photos were found on Marie Claire's Grand National street style

It's nice to see some people made an effort without making wearing half of a bird on their head or reels of frilly things wrapped around their bodies! Don't restore faith in humanity just yet though, I'll leave you with these two. If anybody has any idea what happened here then I am just as intrigued to find out. Seriously?

It's a shame because I love her lacy white outfit and that coral dress drowned by the pompoms is probably my favourite colour! Leave the pink for the flamingos and the skyline for the city. Please.

Spring Has(n't) Sprung

Now the clocks have gone forward spring is just around the corner, and behind a few snow clouds, a couple of rain clouds and one more snow cloud. Unfortunately we seem to have been in winter mode for as long as I can remember but that doesn't mean we should carry on wearing our dark, dull winter woolies. It's time for flowers and whites and lights!

But with yesterday's sudden burst of sunshine I got myself all excited thinking that we'd finally hit spring and got rid of all them big grey clouds that just loom over us for 90% of the year. Looking through one too many shopping sites I came across a few too many items of clothing that I just have to own, hopefully my student loan will stretch to a couple of them!

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12

As you can see there is a fair few light colours, I've got to at least pretend to myself its getting warmer and not just showing a bit of sun to mask the 3 degree temperatures, don't I? I love these 'ditsy' prints that come around each year and this year I'm going to try my hardest to get 'into' fitted trousers. I love them, but can't see them working for myself. Mission accepted!

I'd definitely pair the high waisted jeans with the flowery cami top for when it's a more chilly day but I still want to wear a summer colour. Don't forget a big wooly cardigan to wear over the top though! And the monochrome midi dress goes perfectly with the bright red wedges, perfect for a bit of colour popping. One of my favourite items is probably the cream jacket, I love the drapey front and not to mention how much it matches with the pale coloured satchel bag?!

Just Winging It

Winged bags are EVERYWHERE. If you haven't seen the Celine Trapeze bag then I have to ask you, where have you been? It didn't take long for everyone else, both high street and designer, to catch on with the trend and give their bags a pair of wings.

(L-R) Dorothy Perkins - Asos - Celine - Valentino - New Look - Lanvin - Reed Krakoff - DVF - Zac Posen - Iconic - Topshop

I think this is the perfect style of bag: to me a bag should be big and have room for all those 'necessities' you have, but probably hardly ever use. At least you've got them in your bag just incase, I guess. My bag is a touch on the large side and often gets confused with a small suitcase but it's sizeable enough to fit my MacBook Pro in, which is pretty important when it comes to choosing a handbag.

Having this extra winged bit on the sides means you've got extra room to cram stuff into your bag but because it's slightly different to the front section of the bag, it means your bag doesn't look big and bulky like you've got everything but the kitchen sink hanging from your arm. Amazing, right? Bag looks smaller, but is actually bigger. Brownie points to Celine, Now until I have roughly £1500 lying around collecting dust I'm going to have to got for one of the slightly cheaper options!

The Topshop bag gets my vote, I love the zip detailing and gold buckle! And what's even better? It's a much more affordable £50 woo hoo, race you to the checkout!

What will it be next? Feet on a bag so it stands up straight?

Primark's Summer Drop

Love it or loathe it, you can't deny that Primark have seriously stepped up their game in order to compete with the rest of the high street! Although their prices have been creeping up they are still without a doubt the cheapest prices around.

They haven't disappointed yet again with a amazing line of summer clothes and from as little as £4 which means there's no need to feel guilty about that cheeky little lunch time shop. One thing that would be an absolute dream (not for the bank card though) is a Primark website, oh if only!

So their spring/summer lookbook has been released and I can't stop gasping at it! This season is all about denim, pretty dresses and wearing your hair up to show off said dresses.

Sounds like my cup of tea, take a look!

    

And if that wasn't enough of summer goodness I've just thrown together a few of their items that will definitely be making their way into my shopping basket.

I absolutely love the pinky coloured dip hem dress, perfect for sunny days! And that multi-chained necklace would look great over the cream laced top and a pair of shorts and sandals. Easy outfit all dressed up!

I'm sorry for making you want to spend copious amounts of money, but at Primark prices you needn't feel bad! It's summer too, so get yourself out of the dark jumper and pull on some bright colours!