UK Fashion & Lifestyle Blog || London Fashion Blog || I Want You To Know

Returning Visits

2013-05-19T21:53:00.001+01:00

So the outfits may be few and far between this month, but what I have been up to is plenty of milling about in random areas of London. Not in a creepy way mind, I've been taking the advice of Paul Smith and have slowly made an effort to see more and stop moping around. After looking through my archives, I realised that my 'mixed bag' type posts have become few and far between. They might be confusing to follow, but somehow get across the random cluster of events that was going on at the time and are interesting for me to look back on. Somehow I've linked everything by the fact that I've made a few returning visits to places I've not seen in a while and the below mixture contains swimming pools (11 years), old relics (8 years) and a random dress purchase from a sample sale (1 year).

I've always been a South London cheerleader of sorts but now everyone else is starting to cotton on (I'm not bitter), there's even more interesting things to do without crossing the river. Brockwell Lido is a ten minute train ride away and although slightly dishevelled, its 1930s attributes make me feel as if I'm somewhere else entirely and it was the perfect setting for a vintage design fair. As per usual I didn't buy anything (if only I had a house of my own), but duly kept snapping away at all of the treats from past decades and feeling a bit of secondary nostalgia. Although this fair is only on once a year, it's worth coming back and having a dip within the Grade II listed lido, if the scorching weather ever presents itself. There's also a few nice pubs and a Lowie shop nearby, a brand I remember from their Covent Garden pop-up a few years ago, which now has a permanent home and some rather tempting dresses in the window.

My first trip to the British Museum was a confusing one. It was the first day of my Art foundation course and we were asked to draw movement in an abstract way and I was immediately at a loss trying to create something I wasn't used to. I'm not sure if the eight year hiatus had something to do with this event but thanks to some friendly encouragement, I decided to brave the crowds and return on a busy Saturday. It's quite easy to completely forget that places like this exist in London, with immense sculptures from Greek temples and more delicate artefacts like watches and ornate porcelain tiles. This visit was more of a flying one, mainly to make a mental note of what was inside for any future, more focused trips. It would be great to get to know a few more places as well as I know the V&A (which incidentally, I can still get lost in).

Another place on the list to re-visit, was Portobello Market; I've never been on a Friday before and decided to pop by to see what all the fuss was about. Two o'clock in the afternoon probably wasn't the best time, but luckily there were still a fair few sellers about and lots of interesting pieces to peruse (I'm still dreaming about a Louis Vuitton-esque crop top and high-waisted skirt combo). I finally had a look in Merchant Archive, somewhere I was very intrigued by after reading this post and wasn't disappointed by the perfectly curated store.

Bring out the champagne, I finally have made my first Orla Kiely purchase! Every so often I stalk the sample sales they have but have never managed to find anything that I felt the need to buy and wished that the current collection was (miraculously) there instead. This time their sale at The Music Rooms had a decent amount of their SS12 collection and although I didn't find some of the pieces I'd initially set eyes on a year ago, I did manage to find the silk dress above. My decision to try it on is probably down to the influence of Carrie and Olivia, with the best elements of the 60s and 70s combined with one of the brand's trademark prints. Although it was an unexpected purchase, I managed to get an extra £20 off thanks to a slight fault in the stitching (nothing my needle can't handle) and an easy, chuck-on dress to wear all year around.

What have you been up to recently? This week I intend to continue the productive streak and visit the J Crew pop-up, Hermes and Cosmetics à La Carte exhibitions (blink and you'll miss them all). If you're looking for another productive thing to do, then enter my giveaway here for the chance to win a Frankie magazine amongst some other lovely bits!

Win A Few Of My Favourite Things!

2013-05-16T12:02:00.000+01:00

I think it's about time there was another competition! This time it's to mark the redesign of IWYTK, hopefully you should be used to the new layout by now and everything should be going relatively swimmingly. I explained before that I wanted to streamline my blog and make everything easier to find, especially some of my older posts. Remember that time I met Dita Von Teese? You'll find it here. In the four and a half years I've been blogging, I've lived in New York, produced a graduate knitwear collection and discovered the delights of playsuits, but you wouldn't know that unless you went on a lengthy trawl. I've created so five categories in the navigation bar, Outfits, Events, Exhibitions, Exploring and Etc, where all of the relevant posts have been organised with handy thumbnail images. If you want to search by category or month, then try the archive page or search bar on the right for something a little more specific. In the sidebar, I've also created The London List, a page which I will update with any cool capital happenings (the main use is so I don't completely forget exhibitions) plus a handy wishlist page with whatever I'm coveting at the moment. All of the fashion shows I've attended are also on a handy page too, it's slightly surreal to look back on!

Enough about the housekeeping and onto the prizes! To thank you all for reading and continued support, I've decided to give away some pieces I love at the moment. You'll maybe recognise the spike bracelet I always wear, the Rimmel Scandaleyes I mentioned here and some lovely lilac Essie polish. Everything is of course brand spanking new and all but the Rimmel/Fashion week items was purchased with my own dosh whenever I saw something that might be suitable.

The goodies:

The March/April issue (52) of Frankie Magazine (if you have it already, perhaps introduce it to a friend)?

AW13 Mulberry London Fashion Week Tote

Orla Kiely face cloth

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer

Essie 'Love and Acceptance' nail polish

Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad in Smokey Brun

Rimmel Scandalyes Mascara in Black

Asos Diamond Pattern socks

Asos stud earrings

J.W Anderson badge

Asos spike bracelet

H&M ponytail ring

To enter:

Use the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the intructions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The deets:

This giveaway is open worldwide and will end on 31st May, best of luck!

The Forever Pieces

2013-05-13T20:32:00.001+01:00

Although it's a scary thing to do, I like to look through my old posts every so often and reflect on the things I've worn. When I started this blog I was a leggings obsessed student, always searching for the perfect 50s style dress and very much anti socks with sandals. How things have changed (well, I'm still a sucker for a fit and flare dress at least). One of the things going through my archives got me thinking about, was the amount of things I've bought which have come and gone. When I look back at some of my old outfits, I remember the instances in which I bought the items and occasionally when I flogged it on eBay or consigned it to the loft. I've realised that there are only really two pieces I frequently wear from the days before I started blogging. There's the perfectly aged Topshop leather jacket and the pictorial vintage skirt I bought at the Angels sale (which incidentally featured in my first ever post). Acquiring both of these pieces required a major shift in my thinking and perhaps started off a greater love of prints and mixing various textures. Now I often select these all year round without a second thought and can't imagine getting rid of them any time soon.

My first leather jacket was bought with much hesitation after seeing that someone at work had bought it and subsequently realising that a biker over a dress was in fact a good look. It was just my luck that it then managed to sell out and I finally tracked one down when I started University in Nottingham, discovering the perils of an overdraft within the first few days. Since then it's become my go-to jacket whenever the temperatures are in the teens and torrential rain isn't likely. If I'm not too sure about something I'm wearing or want to dress something down, I usually stick this on top and it balances everything out. Even though I'd quite like to find a colourful sister for my beloved biker, I know I'll be sticking with this until the cows come home.

I'm not quite sure why I grabbed this skirt at the Angels sale, perhaps I was intrigued by the print or just desperate to make sure both of my £25 bags were full. This skirt started off as more of a midi length and I regret hacking it off so soon, but realise it may not have been worn quite so much otherwise. I've been wearing it long before all of the statement print trends and every so often marvel at all the random stuff going on within it. Where else would you find people riding camels in the desert and ladies being escorted by horse and cart? Since then I've bought a few more things with kitschy prints; I can't wait to bring out this sundress again and start wearing this one with a cheeky cut-out.

Posts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Do you still wear items from the days before you started blogging? We're talking almost 5-6 years ago in non social-media terms, a time when I was in the early days of figuring out my style and experimenting a little. The aim now is to have a healthy balance between collecting bits with longevity and the odd frivolous purchase. It's both amazing and bizarre that I have this little corner of the internet that allows me to look back and make these observations. One good thing about being an ex-leggings addict? I now have lots of options to wear for exercise!

Pin It Forward!

2013-05-09T17:50:00.000+01:00

Now I'd imagine that picking your favourite Pinterest board is a bit like picking your favourite child, say if you had 34 of them. Each one is special in it's own right and came about for a particular reason (for example my Spaces board keeps me dreaming of a place I might one day own). I now use the site as a quick virtual scrapbook, to organise my favourites out of the hundreds of images I come across every day. It's a handy place I can come back to if I'm searching for a particular editorial or useful snippet of information first seen a few weeks ago. The site has previously been rather US-centric but that's all set to change with dedicated worldwide expansion and a UK specific platform. They even held an event a few weeks ago with rather pin-able cake pops (I may have stashed a few) and the chance to mingle with those only previously seen on screen. To kick off the Pin It Forward campaign, I've attempted to narrow down my boards and share some of my recent finds. Sign up here if you're late to the pinning party!

Sources clockwise from left 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

My outfit inspiration board is perfect for when I'm at a loss for what to wear. I may not own most of the items featured but it does give me ideas for colours, proportion and those little styling details. At the moment I'm trying to get into a SS13 state of mind, but still thinking of ways to add coats, layers and not freeze myself to death in the evenings.

Sources clockwise from left 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

I can't be the only one obsessed with all things nosey parker and 'What's In Your Bag' features. There's something about seeing everything laid out systematically on a clean background, a modern type of collage that is all over the Internet. Perhaps like a real-life sort of Pinterest? My board featuring collections is perfect for looking at various bits and bobs arranged nicely and wondering if my equivalent would look quite as interesting.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

I'm a sucker for a creative space and everything that is the opposite of minimal, we're talking scrapbook-like walls, busy bookcases and the perfect mixture of random antiques and enviable technology. Sites like Desire To Inspire and The Selby have brought these non traditional rooms to the forefront and I'm pretty sure it's starting to influence magazines and shops such as & Other Stories. At the moment this board doesn't really influence my own life and is mainly used for daydreaming, but hopefully one day I'll have a space of my own that will truly reflect my personality.

Ever since I started using the site properly about a year and a half ago, I've discovered that I like a completely different blogging genre and probably countless new brands and articles. Next on the Pin It Forward trail is Sophie with plenty of hair and beauty inspiration!

Very Vogue

2013-05-05T20:08:00.002+01:00

On paper, the Vogue Festival is my kind of festival. There's plenty of inspiring designers within the vicinity, Chanel accessories from the SS13 collection to dress up in and not a portaloo in sight. Ever since the inaugural event last year, I'd observed the happenings on my twitter feed and wondered whether the high ticket prices were worth it. Thanks to Stylight and Vouchercodes, I'd managed to get myself tickets to two of the talks, so I could test the waters out for myself. At £40 a pop most people would have to seriously consider splashing out, perhaps taking the plunge if a favourite designer or long-time idol was on the schedule. The crowd was a mixture of The Clothes Show meets Fashion Week, with plenty of students in tow making me feel like a bit of a fogey but still excited nonetheless to have access to some well respected industry folk.

'Design is About Knowing'

The Sir Paul Smith & Alexa Chung talk was titled 'Fashion and Personality' and started with a lecture and lively Powerpoint presentation from the man himself. The slides showed the many ways he can turn inspiration into a beautifully made garment (beach huts can easily be turned into stripe layouts) plus the importance of having your own point of view. It definitely made me wish that he'd hijacked a few of my University sessions with his years of knowledge and realistic perspective, peppered with occasional jumps onto the sofa. He acknowledges how internet obsessed this world has become and rarely takes part in it himself (he doesn't have a computer or e-mail address, but four assistants instead). Somehow he still contributes to the blog and Instagram feed, curating content the old-fashioned way before it is uploaded and sent out into the world. I suppose I'm guilty of relying on the computer too much and being glued to a screen most of the day, his talk reinforced that it's important to get out and about, see things for yourself and get back to basics. When asked how he deals with the constant pressure of fashion shows and collection reviews, he replied that he simply doesn't read them and has already moved onto the next thing. Perhaps there's something in being slightly removed from technology and able to concentrate on more important things.

Leather Jacket - Topshop

Dress - Maxmara S'Max

Miista Flats - c/o Spartoo shoes

Necklace - Tatty Devine

Bag - Cambridge Satchel Company

Lips - Apocalips in Big Bang

For this occasion I decided to smarten up in my new Maxmara S'Max dress. It's one of those rare investment pieces bought partly with a handy Matches voucher and the exquisite cut means that even though it's not my usual skater-y shape, it still works on me. No sooner had these Miista shoes arrived, they were swiftly on my feet and worn for three days in a row. Fortunately they didn't need breaking in, didn't rub and astonished friends and train passengers alike with their holographic nature.

I knew that my Mum really wanted to attend this year, so when Coast got in touch with a spare ticket for the Donatella Versace talk, I gladly passed it on to her. Even though she was only there for a couple of hours, she managed to star in a Vogue cover shoot (wearing her own AW12 Burberry coat, no less), have her make-up done and get her t-shirt signed by Donatella herself. Far more productive than my twenty minutes deciding whether to buy myself a Vogue branded t-shirt to channel the current 90s vibe (I didn't).

Did you attend the Vogue Festival? I can't say I've got very far trying to act on the advice that was dished out (I'm sat in my pyjamas writing this part), but I definitely felt inspired to start something exciting.

Summer Prep

2013-05-03T19:29:00.000+01:00

Is it just me who wants to shop when the weather's brightened up? I was quite pleased with myself when I started posting my SS13 press day pictures strategically earlier this year, before the extended Winter ruined any chance of putting things I'd seen into practice. Now I've been busying myself with a few AW13 events (see my instagram for a sneak preview) and although I'm insanely excited about it all, I don't want to forget about all the brights and printed denim just yet. It's really interesting that past collections from designers are being reissued to those who missed out (or couldn't afford them) the first time around. In this day and age we are so obsessed with newness and whatever the next trend is, it's important to not forget what has gone before and keep finding ways to continuously rework what we already own. My aim is to continue to collect pieces I know I will love for a long time and build a wardrobe that is a bit of a scrapbook that I can wear, filled with pieces that excited me at first and continue to be worn. I've selected a few of my favourite snaps that were sitting in various iPhoto folders and have narrowed down a few elements I'm hoping to interpret sometime soon.

Although the Matches press day was on a dreary November evening, I soon was transported into the excitement of SS13 with a whole house dolled up and dedicated to the season. It's one of the websites I like to admire from afar and sale stalk every so often, but occasionally there are pieces that are within reach (like the charity collaboration from last year). Some favourites included the fluffy YMC sweaters, printed Mary Katrantzou X Current Elliot denim and anything Kenzo. I'm extremely gutted that I missed out on acquiring anything tiger-tastic this season but at least it gives me some time to save a little for the perfect forever piece.

I may not immediately seem like a ballet flats kind of person but that didn't stop me admiring these delights from French Sole nonetheless. Anything that comes in an array of colours and is displayed nicely on a table gets my vote and I was pleased to see some slightly higher heels dotted around, something I'm drawn to being 6ft in my head and 5'6 in reality. I'm very tempted to try on a pair and hopefully dispel the myth that my feet will look even bigger. Maybe the leopard and loveheart combination is an option? I could definitely see Lucy in some of the neons!

I'm delighted that the Eley Kishimoto aesthetic is now easily available (there's some hosiery on ASOS and a Clarks collaboration) and snapping these pictures in some way made up for missing their Living With Patterns exhibition last year. A display featuring moving gnomes adorned in their siganture Flash print captivated me for a little while, until I managed to snap out of it and have a proper look around. It's typical that I now want to buy another pair of socks when I have a few pairs already that aren't getting enough attention. Perhaps it's time for a dedicated sock challenge, incorporating a new pair into my outfit every day?

I'll be posting an epic wishlist next week of some more pieces I have my eye on for this season, it's a good 'un!

Everything April

2013-05-01T19:08:00.000+01:00

Nothing like obsessively taking square pictures to make a year fly past. Somehow Instagram has managed to keep my attention for twelve whole months and may not be so great for my storage situation, but ideal for keeping track of what I've been up to. Whatever your feelings on the social media sharing trends, you can't knock it for making you take pictures of the everyday moments and sticking a filter on (or using 3 different apps in my case). I guess this is what all of the documentation is about, having something clear to look back on a few years later and hopefully seeing how far you've come. Here's to another year of snaps!

Butterflies in the Harrods childrenswear department - A 90s bedroom setup at the Motel press day - I want to paint again!

Amazing lampshades in the Cath Kidston canteen - A white van man gave me a strange look for snapping this blossom - Patternity comes to life

Crafted exhibition in Somerset House - My new blog layout! - Perfectly made Dior toiles

Dreaming of houses in Knightsbridge - Marin's awesome curls at the Cloud Nine event

Will never get bored of snapping Tower Bridge - Shad Thames is still somewhere I'd quite like to live - Lone bicycle in Shoreditch

Hands down this Vivetta collar beats them all - These Prada shoes have really grown on me

I need to get hunting for Celine on eBay, a la Charlie - Retro bikini heaven at Next - Maison Scotch just gets better every season

Collars are quite the theme here! - Practical displays at Liberty AW13 - Debutants at the Swedish Hasbeens pop-up store

These Elizabeth and James bags are within reach! - Need this Cath Kidston floral jumper - Hopefully next season will involve some Kenzo in my life!

A rare Acne sighting - This dress is made for bare legs - Nike town

Wearing my new Anthropologie trousers - Paisley nails are go

Pinafore and granny squares - My new Tatty Devine buddy - Getting my feet sorted at The Chelsea Day Spa

Mondrian nails - Bought these Whistles trousers in the January sales and it's finally warm enough to wear them!- Trying to out-Bolt the man himself at Madame Tussauds

Wing heaven at Wishbone - Leftover pick n' mix from the Next event - Pinterest cake pops

Late lunch at Lucky Chip - Vita Coco deliveries are the best - Dante Fried Chicken needs to come back to London asap (the book will have to do for now)!

Trying new dim sum, now I know all about Turnip cake - Slowly working through the menu at Workshop Coffee

Six pretty new feeds to follow

violettetannenbaum - annaberr - bonnietsang

elisabethdunker - milkthistles - siouxieandthelaces

Have you had a good April? My productive side managed to fit in three exhibitions (more on this later) and gather plenty of inspiration for future projects (fingers crossed I follow through and stop procrastinating). Remember to follow my pictures as they happen @fashionknitsta!

Framed

2013-04-28T21:45:00.002+01:00

Now where to start with my spectacle story? When you've been a member of Club Four Eyes for almost twenty years, you are immune to their transformative powers. Every so often 'geek chic' is deemed a trend and celebrities such as Zooey Deschanel or Alexa Chung wear them and still manage to look radiant. For me, they're a part of my face I'm very much used to and it's hard for me to see them as special and exciting. My transformation had to be in reverse and I remember counting down the days until I could get contact lenses at the age of sixteen, before taking three weeks to learn how to touch my eyes and put them in. Similarly to an article penned by a spec-y author in April's issue of Company, I've never really felt particularly attractive wearing them and I see them more as a necessity when I'm pottering around the house and less of a fashion statement. Still, I'm always trying to push the boundaries with the styles I choose (see Jen for further inspiration in her snazzy blue frames) and was happy to update my current pair with a Specsavers voucher. I almost went for my typical minute-frames before coming around to this tartan-armed Tommy Hilfiger style, which are probably the 'geekiest' I own.

Jumper - A.P.C

Skirt - Topshop (ancient)

Tights - Jonathan Aston

Shoes - Office

Bag - Cambridge Satchel Company

Ring - Me & Zena

Usually when I wear my glasses, it tends to be on my hibernation days and I don't make a particular effort, but this time I decided to spruce myself up for a day out and see if I could change my mind about them. I think your prescription has a lot to do with your approach to glasses, as I struggle to take in my whole face when putting eye-make up on and contacts are more of a practical solution in this case. If you think you're short sighted, say hello to -7.5 and -8, a value similar to only a few people I know (Sarah and Susie Bubble). For this look I popped on my usual winged eyeliner and foundation combo, before adding a pop of colour with yet another Apocalips shade (Stellar). I dragged this old Topshop gingham skirt out of hibernation and paired it with my favourite A.P.C sweater that took me ages to hunt down with my birth year all over. Inadvertently I've ended up looking like a bit of a 'geek' all over, what with the buckled shoes (note the glittery sole), pleated skirt and satchel.

Are you a secret specs wearer? I think there is a massive difference in your outlook depending on whether you've been liberated from them and or have the option of wearing them on a whim. Perhaps I should view them in the same way I choose my playful pieces of Tatty Devine jewellery, spotty tights and Wah inspired nail art, by just making the most of the various designs out there and using them to express myself. I'm always in awe of those who can pull off strong styles (see also Gem and Lucy) and just make them work. Maybe in a few years I'll find that this part of my style evolves along with the rest of my look, without the pangs of uneasiness, but until then I think I'll stick to keeping them behind the scenes.

Coming Up Roses

2013-04-25T11:45:00.000+01:00

What were you doing twenty years ago? I'm at that point in my life now where I wasn't a twinkle in anyone's eye then but a live and kicking child with an appetite to match and a brother on the way. For the Cath Kidston brand however, 1993 was the start of something unknown and exciting for the former interior designer. To celebrate this milestone anniversary and introduce the book 'Coming Up Roses', a fun and extremely blogger-friendly evening was planned including cocktails, cake-decorating and candle making. No longer passive and just chatting aimlessly, we were encouraged to decorate cakes Lily Vanilli style with a piping bag (I may have eaten a few along the way) and interact with the various homeware and crockery in a meaningful way. These products aren't just pretty to look at, but designed to be used, bashed and loved when indulging in your favourite crafty pastimes.

The Cath Kidston story isn't one I was too familiar with until fairly recently. Her products have always been present throughout my childhood (I remember being envious of various friends' stationery at school) but it took me a while to realise that there was a real person behind the brand and a story to tell. With just one Kensington shop at first, Kidston tapped into the need for quirky home accessories in a world full of 90s minimalism. The company has now grown to over 100 stores worldwide and boasts a cosy West-London headquarters filled with plenty of memorabilia and 'Cath's Cafe' instead of your typical boring canteen.

I've had a quick read through the book (as I'm saving it until the May Bank Holiday), which outlines the journey from solo businesswoman to brand, with a few mishaps and surprises along the way. It's laid out in the whimsical way you might expect, with the odd drawing, diagram and archive photography to give a slight scrapbook feel. Perfect for any die-hard CK fans or those who just want to find out about the logistics of starting a business in a lively and honest way. It may seem like everything has the potential to be Kidston-ified but fortunately there is an ethos put in place to make sure that the brand didn't become diluted and only adorned practical products.

The Coming Up Roses book and collection is out now and has a lovely little video to accompany it that will literally make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. It's somewhat comforting to have a brand around that has grown up within my lifetime and continues to innovate (behold a sneak peek of AW13). I challenge you to watch it and not feel a little bit inspired!

Wardrobe Preparations

2013-04-21T19:36:00.000+01:00

Each time I try and write without making any reference whatsoever to the weather, I'm faced with a flashing cursor and empty page. Being such a practical dresser, the extended Winter was throwing up a lot of conundrums and made me challenge what seasonal dressing really means. It's always been brights for Summer and muted colours for later on, but the pastel tones of Carven AW13 and versatile monochrome of this season's Prada soon put paid to that. When I bought this dress during the dregs of the Summer sales last year, I thought that it would be fine all year round and was looking forward to attempting a bit of French style, via South London. After being stumped when trying to work out which tights and chunky cardigan it went with, I gave up and decided to save it for Spring instead.

Leather jacket - Topshop

Dress - Vanessa Bruno Athé via ASOS

Swedish Hasbeens - c/o Spartoo shoes

Necklace - Me & Zena

Socks - Urban Outfitters
Sunglasses - ASOS

Bracelet - Primark
Bag - A.P.C

Bizarrely this dress is still on the Asos website, a seasonal smorgasbord if there ever was one with reduced Winter coats and plenty of Spring bargains to be had. I'm not usually the sort of person who strips off just because the sun has got his hat on but decided to brave bare legs during the Hottest Day Of The Year So Far and felt the wrath of the windy gales almost exposing my underwear choices that day. Somehow I managed to run for a train in these clogs, before missing it in a spectacular fashion and making a few passengers going past chuckle at my angry expression. Don't be fooled by any 'super-cool blogger' illusions you may have of me as I'm prone to bouts of goofy activity every so often. Fortunately the weather managed to make a 30 minute wait a lot more bearable (damn living in the suburbs) and I was soon reunited with my friend and enjoying the rest of the day.

So finally the transformation is complete and I've made my room a little more seasonal with this new bedding set kindly sent by Joules. I've started to invest in prettier duvet covers recently (this butterfly set from Marks & Sparks was on before) to counteract the messy state and make everything look a lot more inviting. It's strange to think that a year ago I was just starting to get my head around printed trousers and now I have a whole army of them. Recent additions include some leggings from Celia Birtwell x Uniqlo (more of a lightweight jegging than a lycra-fest) and a pair of Nadinoo for Anthropologie trousers that were on sale. I've also retired my Mulberry for a while, since she's survived a festival in Wales, a Holi party and needs a bit of a break and a polish. Enter the Cambridge Satchel I bought in the sales, helping me to streamline my possessions again and find everything easily. All too often I was thinking 'Dude where's my phone' as it blended into the interior of my bag, so hopefully this change will eradicate the problem. Fingers crossed it stays white!

How have you been adjusting to Spring?

How to Give Your Blog a Makeover

2013-04-19T17:53:00.000+01:00

You might have noticed that things look a little different around here, the header is shiny and new, the background has completely changed and yes, there are finally social media buttons. Amazing! You see when I started blogging, all of this branding and photography malarky wasn't really on my mind. I had no idea what would happen a few years down the line and was quite happy venting about University related events and putting wishlists together. I cobbled together a header using Photoshop and 'boom', off I went. Since then blogging has changed immensely, a search on Google yields over 1,360,000,000 results and most of us are juggling post schedules with at least three different forms of social media, whilst wondering what we are going to have for dinner. Many people now start blogs with a wealth of information but there was far less of that when I started and I had to learn it gradually along the way, experiencing the mishaps of tiny pictures and Photobucket's lovely 'Bandwidth Exceeded' messages. I typically redesign my blog every year, but for its 5th official incarnation, I wanted something a little slicker and realised that I didn't want to do it alone.

Gather Inspiration

I constantly have a Pinterest board on the go with this sort of thing, so this was a good place to start when I wanted to work out how my new layout might look. Graphic Design is not my usual forte and although I like to think that I can present things well, sometimes it's good to get a second opinion from someone who understands it better. Fortunately a friend from secondary school, Fiona, who now works in this industry managed to turn my screenshots and scribbled notes into some semblance of a layout and gave me some advice on how best to fit the illustrations in. I know that most guides will put you off from using a non-white background but the illustrations are something that I really wanted to keep them as a way of stamping some personality into the design. Hopefully they help people to remember the site and by simplifying the colours, they don't detract too much from everything else. I updated them with all of the things I currently love (hello polka dot midi dress) and drew the social media buttons to keep everything consistent.

Work Out What You Need

Being a frequent internet user and avid subscriber, I can quickly work out whether a blog or site is straightforward to use and subconsciously make a beeline to those instead of their more confusing counterparts. I remember the times of having a sidebar which would take a good 30 seconds to scroll to the end and wanting to put so much information in, but not knowing the best way to display it. I bought the Blog Design Love course as a way of really thinking through and considering everything that I could do to make things easier to navigate. A few months ago I had a massive brainstorm, figured out a bit of a manifesto and worked out what needed it's own page and what could be summarised elsewhere. The course did include some information on coding but as I was still stumped as to how to implement certain things, I decided to look further afield.

Enlist Help

A few years ago I considered paying for a layout but chickened out due to my student budget and managed to customise an existing template. This meant that I had to compromise on some elements that I wanted and was limited to what free layouts were available at the time. For this version of IWYTK, I wanted everything to be exactly as my vision, worked out what I could afford and decided to get it professionally coded through Blog Milk. Although it was challenging managing this little project in the evenings and at weekends, with the time difference and having to change things like fonts and discovering layout limitations along the way, I've definitely learnt a lot from the experience. It's important to factor in time if you want your design done by a certain date and to be flexible about what you want to achieve.

Snazzy new business cards from Moo, check out this offer here!

Are you planning a blog redesign in the near future? Let me know in the comments, as I'm finally able to add replies! I'll also have an exciting giveaway when I finish the final tweaks and explain some of the new features in more depth.

Have a lovely weekend!

Hello Hasbeens!

2013-04-17T12:30:00.000+01:00

Finally Spring has arrived! I've been celebrating by wearing printed trousers every day (more on this later) and dusting off my sunglasses collection. Another thing I associate with the Spring/Summer season is the fact that sandals become commonplace, I do sometimes brave them with tights during the colder months but they really come into their own when the sun is shining. Enter the Hasbeens, I've been a major devotee of this brand ever since I ordered one of the pairs from the H&M collaboration and I now (almost) have a pair for every day of the week, much to my Mum's dismay. Even though the soles can be tricky to master at first, I love how they are carved out of a single piece of wood and add a playful touch with the youthful strap detailing and cut-outs. The brand is now much easier to get hold of with a handy pop-up in The Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane (next to YMC) and last week I was invited to a breakfast to celebrate the launch on an uncooperatively rainy morning.

After a healthy breakfast (one I need to try and recreate), founder of the brand Emy Blixt spoke about the events that led her to start the label and how she helped to bring nostalgic footwear back into fashion. I remember having some similar styles as a child which seemed bizarre at the time, but now I realise it was a sign of things to come. Whilst working as a primary school teacher, Blixt came across 300 pairs of genuine 70s clog-tastic footwear (which reminded her of a foxy neighbour who used to wear them) and through word of mouth managed to sell them to friends within a month. By adding higher heels and developing the style into a more romantic direction with cut-outs and handicraft, sales have doubled each year and have now reached 50,000 pairs being sold all over the world. Each collection brings about a few unexpected twists and new innovations, for example the slightly cheaper Debutants range with all of the core details for a purse-friendly price (I have my eye on a silver pair). The store is the perfect mix of vintage furniture and brand spanking new shoes to admire in an area that always has interesting things going on. I loved Zoe's nail art choice from a completely different pop-up, Wah Nails in nearby Boxpark (which is incidentally a longer term pop-up mall).

The store is at 21 Hanbury Street (about a 5 minute walk from Liverpool Street, don't make the mistake I did and go around the whole Truman Brewery before eventually arriving) and is open for the next six months, hurrah! Which pair is your favourite?

All Weathers

2013-04-14T20:19:00.001+01:00

So it seems I'm wearing a coat from the Winter sales, tights from Spring last year and sunglasses that say Summer all the way. It's the only way to survive the current UK climate at the moment, by mixing items from different seasons and hoping that you won't freeze/boil to death when going from office to elsewhere. This outfit is a mix of everything I wanted to wear that day, my much loved A.P.C coat, hardly worn tie-dye tights and handy heeled Dr Martens, plus the shades I chucked in my bag when I realised that sunshine was on the horizon. Typically I'm guilty of saving items for best and need to find a way to wear more of what I own, instead of putting it off and waiting for a day that's more suitable (and by that time, there's usually something else I want to wear instead). I think I may try and buy something like this and pick out a few pieces each week to get myself inspired again. A vintage pinafore and tunic by The Row that I bought in the sales last year both spring to mind as items that need to be worn pronto and not put off any longer.

Coat - A.P.C

Playsuit - c/o Urban Outfitters

T-shirt, sunglasses - Asos

Tights - Topshop

Shoes - Dr Martens

Bracelet- Primark

Necklace - Tatty Devine

(Save 20% with the code IWANTYOU20 throughout April)

Now I've had a bit of a dungaree fail so far this season (if you can call trying on one pair and looking like a ten-year-old-boy a fail). Everyone and their mother seems to be attempting the full-length overalls trend at the moment, but what do you do when you find they just don't suit? You go for the shorter version of course! I'm not giving up altogether as I'm convinced there is a style that is perfect for me that has just got delayed in transit, however this Urban Outfitters pinafore/playsuit is one of the few versions that suits my bodily proportions (insert short-torso-syndrome story here) and can be worn in a similar way. I picked it out at the recent Beat magazine party held in their snazzy new Marble Arch store, an ideal space for parties and events. Not only does the the latest issue have a lengthy article with Solange Knowles (now there's a wardrobe I'd like to steal) but plenty of new music to discover, which will hopefully get me out of my single-playlist rut on iTunes.

After the obligatory snaps, Carrie, Lucy and I decamped to Foxcroft & Ginger for some hours catching up and chatting blogging. I always write in the chaos that is also known as my bedroom, so it was nice to have a change of location and work on a few things with some listening ears. It made me realise how much I miss hanging out at places out for an unspecified amount of time. Next on the list for this sort of thing is TAP Coffee, somewhere I stumbled across by accident and instagram-ed out of curiosity, plus a lot of the places in this article. Perfect if you've been eating too many burgers and need to give yourself a bit of a break!

A Colourful Explosion

2013-04-07T18:30:00.000+01:00

Eclectic may be my unofficial middle name and what my outfits may lack in pattern mixing a la Susie Bubble or Lucy, are made up for by my appreciation of cluttered spaces, patchwork quilts and crazy jumpers. Now the Kaffe Fassett exhibition isn't so packed that you can't walk around easily, even though that could have been the case (apparently the textile designer boasts a room in his house filled only with cushions). Everything has been carefully edited by colour so you go from china blues, to deep reds to lush greenery upstairs. Somehow I only discovered Fassett's patterns a couple of years ago, I must have been living under a bit of a rock as he's been writing pattern books, designing, and creating in his unique style for over 50 years. Perhaps I can forgive myself as his last exhibition at the V&A took place in 1988 when I was but a mere toddler, so it's ideal that The Fashion & Textile Museum has decided to bring his work to a new and more computer-savvy audience.

The layout and colourful setting of the museum dictated the pieces that went inside and lends itself well to the 9-foot wide patchwork quilts and selection of intricate intarsia jumpers. Fassett's beginnings in Big Sur California and relocation to the UK some 30 years later saw him channel his love of colour and texture into a new discovery of wool and everything it could create. After learning to knit on a train (a place where a few of my techniques were honed), he has since worked with Missoni, created patterns for Vogue Knitting and Peruvian Connection. Nowadays he works mainly on his books and private commissions for the likes of Sonia Rykiel (who owns a chair similar to the one below) and shows no signs of slowing down with the amount of ideas still in his head. Naturally I was most excited by the knitwear (this Instagram pic captures my overwhelmed reaction) but also by the theatrical nature and intensity of the displays. I'm always fascinated by different elements being pulled together to make something new (remember this) and this exhibition provides a bit of a feast for the eyes with the array of patterns available.

Kaffe Fassett, Fashion & Textile Museum, 22nd March - 29th June

Are you aware of Kaffe Fassett's work? I'm pretty sure some of his Fairisle knits and print mixing will appeal to a lot of you and inspire all sorts of creations. I definitely need to investigate some of his books and knitting patterns and hope to return soon as I think I've got my little sister interested in something other than her PlayStation Vita. Let me know if you visit and whether you came away wanting to make a quilt too!

Wandering in Wisteria

2013-04-03T12:00:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago on a chilly Saturday morning (nothing new there then) I hot-footed it to Broadway Market for an impromptu photoshoot for Hunter. It was shot by one of my favourite street style photographers, Jessie Bush from We The People, which was a bit of a surreal moment considering that I'm always collating her images for my never-ending online scrapbook. Fretting aside, I managed to produce a few shots I liked showcasing the ways you can wear the new SS13 collection. The series features five bloggers shot in five different London locations as a backdrop. Unfortunately we didn't all get to meet up on the day (I'm long overdue a catch-up with Briony) but it's interesting to see how everyone styled the range in their own way. The colour and print combination of Monica's look is fantastic!

Parka, denim pinafore - c/o Urban Outfitters

T-shirt - COS

Balloon dog necklace - Galibardy
Ponytail ring - H&M

Boots - c/o Hunter

Wellies are the perfect way to have fun with your outfit because to be honest, you need all the help you can get to stay positive in the rain. It's only now I can say this after years of wearing standard pairs in not-quite-the-right-size during those activity based school trips from back in the day. I've been obsessed with lilac ever since I saw the J.W Anderson x Topshop frill skirt and choosing the Original Gloss style in Wisteria has indulged that colour need somewhat. I like the pop of colour it provides to an otherwise straightforward outfit and the potential for more of a marshmallow inspired look when I'm feeling that way inclined.

Thanks to Hunter for choosing me to be a part of this series and forcing me to start my day a little earlier! It's reminded me that a return visit to Broadway Market is long overdue and that I need to start planning my 2013 festival situation. You can read my interview here, I'm hoping to wear these for aesthetic rather than practical reasons this Summer but I doubt I'll get my wish!

Marvellous March

2013-03-31T17:51:00.000+01:00

Happy Easter everyone! A long weekend is the perfect end to a busy month, a month filled with plenty of shop exploration and eventful evenings. Despite the lack of Spring, I've been trying to work out how to make what I have as transitional as possible, even wearing sandals defiantly a few times. Fingers crossed for some double digit temperatures!

New magazines! - I want so much from this shop - Discovering & Other Stories

Previewing Swedish Hasbeens for AW13 - Giles Deacon's new QVC range is right up my street

Working out which Tatty Devine SS13 piece to treat myself to - Need to invest in some Chanel make-up! - Bought myself an iPad mini!

Debated whether to buy these boots - Starry socks - Gotta love a Mean Girls quote

Glasses in Ikea - More stuff with my initial on - The perfect transitional shoe from Office

Yarn in the Selfridges window - Rainbow roses

Celia Birtwell for Uniqlo shirts at the launch event - Ripping stuff out of magazines - Making new furniture (mainly) by myself

The secret Professor Green gig - A Pinterest worthy beauty area at & Other Stories - Girls Aloud with Selina and Fritha

Going back in time for Future Cinema (highly recommended) - Discovering a new coffee place - Getting my make-up did

Canine treats to celebrate the new season at Harvey Nichols - My new favourite shop - Finding old drawings

Coffees while shooting for Warehouse - Made it to the Lucky Fried Chicken pop-up in the nick of time - My first (slightly messy) Patty & Bun experience

Ping Pong overload - Fritha treated us to cocktails! - You can't go wrong with Byron

My favourite snack - Pancakes at The Diner - The best smoked salmon at Broadway Market

Indian snacks at Tatty Devine - Introducing friends to Meat Liquor after a long queue - Malva pudding split 3 ways for Mother's Day

Satisfying Mac n' Cheese cravings - These are the only Easter eggs I have!

Wearing a Motel dress and trusty leopard print coat - Posing with some Panasonic headphones (quick interview here) - A little bit 40s for Future Cinema

Adding to my Celia Birtwell for Uniqlo collection (I already have the shirt and shorts)!

Getting my nail art mojo back - This is how I looked before the I Heart Holi Party - This is after!

6 instagram feeds I've been double-tapping this month, feel free to comment with your faves too!

alice_gao - lille_maria - owlvdove

decor8 - natashamead - thetimeisgrey

I've almost been on Instagram for a year now, how time has flown! Follow me @fashionknitsta for more meals, sneaky shop pics and random observations.

Holi Moly

2013-03-29T18:47:00.000Z

Ready for the most unique event I've been to in a long time? For a start it forced me into doing something I was previously too precious to consider before. I first remember seeing a Holi party on a boat ages ago in New York, watching people emerge into civilisation covered in paint and thinking 'What in the devil are they doing?' My high-maintenance side viewed the Tatty Devine invite for their own festival-style party with some trepidation. It's not often that you leave an event looking radically different and possibly more destroyed than when you went it but I was assured that a cloakroom would protect my worldy belongings. Within the space of a few days I somehow went from thinking that I would be paying a flying visit to staying for most of the evening, donning a cheap tee and jumping around in a cloud of brightly coloured paint.

So as you can imagine, I got pretty covered! Fortunately the paint was of a chalky variety and was easy to remove though at the time it was a bit of a shock seeing my reflection. There are no pictures of me wearing the rather fetching purple shower cap I used to protect my barnet, so you'll have to make do with the above snap of Millie instead, who looked fab in a bit of a paint fight. The party was a busy mix of press and competition winners, all very friendly and supportive when taking part in the ribbon game to win pieces of jewellery and the queues for tasty Indian snacks.

Tatty Devine have 20% off in both of their London stores over Easter and online with the code EASTEREGG20 - let me know what you buy!

The party was mainly in aid of representing their heatwave-inspired SS13 collection but a few drinks must have been had to celebrate the OBEs recently gained by the founding pair, Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine. There was a pop up shop at the party and before I became such a mess, I managed to pick up one of the ladybird SS13 necklaces I'd had my eye on with a handy 20% off. I think I've decided to become a full on Tatty obsessive and try and buy a piece from each season, a little bit like this person. Even though they produce a few show-stopping pieces in each collection, there'll always be a sister piece that has the same elements but at a lower price. The process that each piece must go through, from design to development makes is pretty fascinating and after making one of their pieces myself, I can appreciate them even more when I wear them.

A massive thanks to Tatty Devine for throwing one of the best parties ever and forcing me to get a little bit messy! I'm not sure if my high-maintenence side has completely disappeared but I definitely feel a bit more chilled about these sorts of things and hope to experience the magic of Holi again.

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Done & Dusted

2013-03-27T12:03:00.000Z

Now for a break from the usual clothing fare, a treat of a shop discovered by the magic of the Internet. Thanks to Helen Glory's post, I've seen the light and realised that stationery doesn't have to be standard, Present & Correct offers a happy alternative tinged with nostalgia. I never did appreciate all of these things the first time around, the simple graphic storybooks that older family members had passed down or stencils made from multicoloured plastic. Now, when arranged in Pinterest friendly shop form, they have a familiar sort of charm and can fit seamlessly into a 2013 lifestyle, that aims to make forgotten elements of the past relevant again. These are the kinds of things you can only hope to stumble across whilst clearing out the attic or when scouring a car boot sale, perfectly edited and thought-provoking in our technology saturated world.

Present & Correct, 23 Arlington Way, London EC1R Tues - Fri 12-6.30pm

The store has been open since December and is a stones throw away from Angel in Islington, obviously an area I need to head to more often what with Camden Passage and Issy's Milk bar nearby. If you're not able to pop down, then there's also the blog, Facebook and Pinterest and pages to amuse yourself with. I can't wait until I have more space to adorn my walls, shelves and cupboards with this sort of stuff, I'm really becoming a bit obsessed with the colours and layouts of vintage graphics. Below I've got a little bit carried away on the website.

(clockwise, then middle) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 , 7, 8, 9

Are you obsessed now too?

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Postcards From Shoreditch

2013-03-24T18:30:00.001Z

I always love discovering new places in London, especially in areas I think I know particularly well. Shoreditch is one of them, I thought I had all of the decent restaurants, bars and coffee shops committed to memory but somehow Ozone Coffee slipped through the net. With large wooden tables and an industrial feel, it's an ideal place for catching up with friends or getting some work done in a different setting. This breakthrough was mainly due to the Warehouse Postcards from Shoreditch project, a weekly photoshoot that takes place on their Facebook page. It started off by showing how members of the Warehouse team wear their pieces (seeing one of the snaps may have influenced my first suit purchase last year) and has since moved onto bloggers. As you can imagine, I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to take part since it's an interesting feature I keep up with. The scenario was fortunately an informal one, where I was seemingly unaware of the camera and appearing to wait for a delayed friend. This is usually the situation I put other people in!

Jacket, Jumper, Dress, Bag - c/o Warehouse

Necklace - Tatty Devine

Sandals - c/o Urban Outfitters

Socks - Topshop
Ring - Me & Zena

Fortunately the shoot was inside, so the legs could come out and I could pretend that Spring had actually arrived. Hurrah! I'd fallen in love with this dress a few days before and was determined to wear it somehow, teaming it with a floral jumper for added warmth. The khaki jacket is in my favourite shape of the moment, a loose biker style and I'm counting down the days until I can wear it properly and not buried under numerous layers).

Whilst we're on the subject of Warehouse, I thought I'd share these photos from the SS13 press day, which I've had on my computer for a while, just waiting for the right moment to be posted. I had hoped for brighter weather and maybe double digit temperatures, but at least you'll have some ready-made Spring-spiration when it finally arrives. It seems that festivals were on the design team's mind, with embellished and adorned combos that wouldn't look out of place at Coachella but equally a potentially rainy Field Day (where I hope to go this year)! I was also rather impressed with the lookbook this season, shot in a Givenchy style with the busy urban background of Shoreditch. I really like the connection the brand has with one of my favourite areas of London and I'm definitely going to check out some of the locations they've featured for the photoshoots. I'm always walking past really interesting looking places in the area without popping in, I think this Summer's the time for further exploration. Yalla Yalla is calling me!

How well do you know Shoreditch? You can see me on the Warehouse Facebook page here; let me know if it leads you to some new East London discoveries!

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Hair & Beauty Chronicles

2013-03-20T17:21:00.000Z

What's this, I hear you cry, 'A beauty post?' No, you haven't visited the wrong blog by accident and I'm not going to turn into (insert random Youtuber here) any time soon. Fashion I can do, mixing prints, wearing crazy shoes and knowing what proportions work but beauty is a bit of a minefield. I prefer to let my face fly under the radar and feel nervous when someone realises I've attempted to make an effort. Despite this thought process, I thought it might be a change of scenery to share a few of my favourite products every so often, from the perspective of someone who is bewildered by make-up and literally runs past beauty counters to avoid assistants seeing my hastily applied slap. My blog is about progression and although my style has changed radically, my approach to make-up is growing at a slower pace and I want to get a bit more creative with my face. Each little piece I come across is part of the journey and hopefully you'll see the results of a little more experimentation on here soon.

Rimmel Apocalips Big Bang (c/o) & Celestial, Mac Pro Longwear Lipglass in Lasting Achievement, Stila After Glow Electric Pink (c/o), Mac Viva Glam VI

It's taken me a bit of time to become comfortable with how my lips look with a bit of added colour. I guess that looking at this face day in day out means that any changes I make take a bit of getting used to and seem slightly strange to me at first. Hanging out with Olivia has definitely made me want to experiment with different lipsticks more, I know everyone and their mother has raved about the Rimmel Apocalips glosses but they are seriously a great find! I wore the bright red Big Bang shade in my last post and quite like the way it transforms my face, ideal for making myself look a bit more presentable when I go to events or meet up with friends after work. At first the Stila lip crayon I received at a launch scared me a little, but once I tried it I realised that it actually suited me. Their SS13 collection is inspired by L.A streetstyle and festivals of colour and the lip colour actually glows under UV lights, an ingenious selling point.

Mac Matchmaster 8.0, Rimmel Glam Eyes in Smokey Brun (c/o), Benefit Sun Beam, Mac Wonderwoman Golden Lariat compact, HD brows kit (c/o), Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack, Rimmel Scandaleyes in Extreme Black (c/o)

These are the products I generally (think) I know how to use and form my everyday look. When I find something I like, I tend to stick to it religiously and first discovered the MAC Matchmaster foundation after a fashion week makeover and have since repurchased it. Slick advertising makes me tempted to try different brands (my mum swears by YSL) but I just know this colour suits me and I'm partly worried about looking ridiculous. Small steps. Mac Fluidline must have been recommended to me by a friend (perhaps Winnie?) and I appreciate that it doesn't turn me into a panda after a few hours of wearing. Ditto for the Rimmel Scandaleyes, I really think that the brush is pretty much the perfect size for my lashes. I'm also a full on brow filler and have decided to forgoe the threading for a few weeks to channel Cara D slightly. I guess her popping up on most of the AW13 catwalks sent a few subliminal messages to my brain and I'm hoping to reach a sort of less sculpted brow middle ground.

Paul Smith toothbrush (for eyebrows), Japonesque Mineral Blush brush (c/o), Real Techniques Stippling brush, Naked Palette eyeshadow brush, H&M angled brush, Real techniques eyeliner brush

I'm prone to watching the odd Youtube tutorial and getting so far until I realise that I don't have the same brush or know what to use in its place. Too much choice confuses me so these brushes are within easy reach and cover most of the things I need to do. Jazmine introduced me to the Real Techniques stippling brush and it really helps me to apply foundation evenly and avoid making a hash of things.

Leighton Denny High Performance in Miss Behavin', Estee Lauder Pure Colour in So Vain (c/o), Leighton Denny Crystal Finish top coat, Alessandro in Peppermint Patty (c/o), Topshop nails in Hidden Treasure, Leighton Denny Under Cover base coat

Nails are a canvas that I'm very much happy with decorating in every way possible and I tend to change up my colour once a week (TOWIE was made for nail changeovers). I remember getting my nails done with some Leighton Denny products a while ago and getting so many compliments, but completely forgetting the name of the colour that was used. I'm still not quite sure if Miss Behavin' is the correct colour, but I like it anyway and it works a treat in combination with the base, top coat and Miracle Mist spray (which helps it to dry quicker, a must when you have five layers of nail art). Also much appreciated new shades are the French Nudes collection by Estée Lauder (brownie points for coming in a few nude variations to reflect different skin tones), pastel blue by Allessandro and this Chanel dupe by Topshop. Next on the list is the Corrector Pen by Nails Inc recommended by Liberty London Girl, as the only flaw in my nail art is neatness (I never could colour inside the lines).

Ebony B hair extentions

And finally, onto my hair. I wore the Sleek set of extensions until they ran out and they were a good way to get used to actually having more hair on my head by negotiating scarves, getting changed and even windy tube platforms! However I found that the hair would continue to get more and more matted as a few weeks passed and that it looked radically different in the evening compared to when it was styled earlier that day. I asked my hairdresser for some advice and she recommended me trying out some hair from Ebony B, which luckily matches my hair texture and colour. I've been wearing it most days for two months and its still tangle free, which is a massive relief as I thought I was going mad! I'm trying to branch out with some new hairstyles as well as working out what to do with my actual hair when I'm giving it a breather. I'm attempting to grow out my fringe (somehow kept it up for five years) and work out what to do with it next; I think it's time to try a doughnut bun!

I'd love to know your approach to make up and how you use it. Are you as experimental with your face as with fashion or do you prefer to play it safe like me? Answers on a postcard please!

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Five Flowers

2013-03-17T18:40:00.002Z

Floral Street, floral patterns, an Academy of Flowers in the distance? I could only be in Covent Garden! It's a place that doesn't let it's name down and boasts horticultural related monikers aplenty on various street signs. Flowers seems to be becoming a regular occurrence whenever I meet up with Lucy, Olivia, Carrie and Dunya and recently it was even more of a feature as we all wore something from the Celia Birtwell for Uniqlo collection. Thanks to the range of prints, we all looked vaguely coordinated (as opposed to a 90s girl group) and each chose pieces to suit our personal styles, fitting seamlessly into a day of catching up in person. We all seem to communicate intensely via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so that when we meet, we simply carry on where we left off, with silly conversations and the odd confession.

Jumper - Opening Ceremony

Shirt & Shorts - c/o Celia Birtwell for Uniqlo

Tights - Tabio

Shoes - Vagabond

Ring - COS

My first experience of Celia Birtwell's designs was her Topshop collection a few years ago; I still have one of the flouncy blue dresses with ruffled sleeves, which I may need to dig out again. It's great to see a 2013 take on her prints, I chose the shirt and shorts for their print-mixing potential and ability to work as separates when I'm feeling a bit less brave. Whenever I hear of designer partnerships taking place, I tend to fear for the result on my wallet but luckily the collection reflects Uniqlo's low prices and decent quality. I feel very fortunate to have had a sneak peek of the collection (it launches on Thursday) and to give a modern twist to one of the prints from her archive (check out some more here). These culottes are not just any culottes, but 'Pretty Woman' culottes, a fact that is a definite talking point and part of an amazing heritage.

Are you planning to buy any of the range? The five of us will also be at an in-store event this Thursday in London along with Celia Birtwell herself and I hope to see some of you there! There's also a nifty competition running on Twitter and Instagram where you can win some lovely goodies by uploading your outfit and using the hashtag #styledincelia. I've already uploaded a few snaps to my feed (though sadly I can't win) and look forward to seeing how everyone styles their pieces.

Also check out the preview video here; I think you might be able to see where the red lippy inspiration came from...

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Lookbook Love: French Edition

2013-03-15T12:00:00.000Z

'Bonjour' and 'Je suis allé au parc d'attractions' may be the extent of my French these days, but at least I can still appreciate the fine clothes that are produced across the channel. Never has it been so easy to buy into this nonchalant yet well put together style, with patterns seemingly thrown together with excellent tailoring and I find that the Spring/Summer season is when the look really comes into its own. I've picked out a few brands boasting lookbooks I'd quite like to emulate this season, if not with the garments themselves, at least with the mood the collections are trying to convey.

I've always admired The Kooples from afar mainly due to financial reasons (sob) and not really being a part of their coupled ethos. Despite this, I still occasionally browse the site in hope of a bargain and recently stumbled across their SS13 lookbook and fell in love with many a tailored piece. I need a shorts suit in my life pronto, I'm not sure if I can reflect the sassy tomboy vibe the models are giving off but I'd like to make my best attempt with this micro-paisley style on the right. The perils of matching sets is that you are generally spending double the dollar to get a complete look, though it must be quite refreshing to have your own sort of uniform.

I still can't quite pronounce Comptoir des Cotonniers but that doesn't stop me liking their output this season, primarily the coloured suede biker jackets. I've been attached at the hip to my black leather biker jacket for years now and tested the waters with a coloured tweed style last year, but now I think I'm ready for more of a commitment. I think the blue could work for much of the year in some way or another (layered or otherwise) and the slightly longline style adds a relaxed, softer feel for Summer. This striped dress is slightly closer to my price range and another take on my preferred skater style, plus the lure of the shorts suit strikes again. I think it's a sign!

I recently joined the Paul & Joe Sister club with my dress purchase last month and I'd quite like a fully paid up membership after seeing this collection. Not only is it shot in what seems to be an artist's studio complete with Pinterest-friendly features, but it also reflects the environment with florals in every way imaginable and faraway illustrated prints. Each eclectic piece is effortlessly teamed with another mixing fabrics, I think the combination of cat brocade shorts and Western shirt is a favourite, purely for the randomness of it all.

Which French fashion brands float your boat? I thought that A.P.C was pretty much a given so wanted to include some different brands this time. It just so happens that a dress I bought in the sales last year reminds me of some of these collections, so hopefully the weather will allow me to share it on here soon!

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Wearing My Wardrobe

2013-03-13T12:38:00.000Z

Who is guilty of buying things and never wearing them? Me! The main reason is not necessarily that I've fallen out of love with the items, or can't fit into them, but purely because I can't be bothered to iron them. Yes, I'm guilty of grabbing easy jumpers and dresses to wear rather than some my structured shirts and skirts, boasting the interesting details and patterns that made me buy them in the first place. When Samantha from Phillips got in touch with me about trying out the Phillips Perfectcare Xpress, I saw it as an opportunity to rediscover some of my forgotten items and get myself organised at the start of the week. The settings are simple enough for me to figure out (non-existent in fact, the iron stays at a single temperature that works for all fabrics) and it's the perfect item to bring with me when I (hopefully) move out this year. Fingers crossed!

Outfit One - J.W Anderson x Topshop Mustang Jumper, Thrifted COS silk shirt, Topshop Wool shorts, Nike trainers c/o Spartoo shoes

Outfit Two - Opening Ceremony Cat Sweater, Vintage Jaeger shirt, Monki Skirt, Vagabond shoes c/o Zalando, Asos Bracelet

Outfit Three - Vintage Paisley Blouse, Shorts c/o Boutique by Jaeger, Office Shoes, Tatty Devine Necklace

I seem to have collected a fair few vintage shirts over the years and decided to feature them in this challenge, as I have been neglecting them recently. Each outfit consists of my tried-and-tested formula for getting dressed, involving a short skirt or pair of shorts and a bit of waist emphasis. Note the trainers in the first pic, I've graduated from the Converse of last year and embraced adding a sporty edge to the most sensible of looks. I do feel a bit like one of those commuters who's going to change her shoes once they get to the office, but hopefully I can ditch the tights soon enough and go for something a bit more like this. I think I've had to give up on the oversized shirt look, it doesn't really suit my figure and makes my legs look a bit strange in comparison. Wearing the COS shirt as a bit of a dress with a jumper on top and shorts underneath created some interesting proportions and saved it from being relegated to the eBay pile. My other shirts are a bit more versatile, I loved having a little flash of the khaki collar with my new favourite sweater and the paisley print on the vintage shirt was too nice to hide away.

I was also sent an iconic Alexander McQueen silk skull scarf to test everything out on and happily gave it to my Mum as an early Mother's Day treat once it was ironed nicely. The face she pulled was worthy of an Instagram photo, but sadly went undocumented. Do you need to rediscover some of the items in your wardrobe? I must admit it does make sense to have things ironed before you need to wear them. Another tip is to take out a few items you rarely wear and put them to the forefront of your wardrobe, vowing to wear them that week. I definitely need to do a lot more of this and be a bit more creative with my day-to-day outfits, though the weather is putting me off slightly. Bring on Spring!

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A Mother's Day Treat

2013-03-10T21:02:00.003Z

You'd have to be seriously short sighted not to notice my Mum popping up on here every so often, I think she deserves her own category! She is very much my biggest cheerleader for this blog, telling her friends about it (and sometimes strangers), suggesting content and asking to attend events with me. When Westfield London got in touch about spoiling her for the namesake day, I jumped at the chance as I know it's one of her favourite places to shop. A gift card for her to spend was the perfect accompaniment for the Grazia subscription I bought her (I may be borrowing a few issues) and a reason to treat herself to something unexpected. As much as I like the various areas of London for shopping, it's handy to have everything in one place sometimes and I've escaped to the centre many a time after work or when it's raining. The Village with it's fancy shops and champagne bar is my Mum's preferred area of choice and despite not having signal for a few hours and losing each other for a short while, a good afternoon was had by all.

Note that my little sister isn't so little any more and is set to tower over my Mum and I with the model proportions I always wanted! We headed to the South African Meat and Wine Co for probably the most unladylike meals you could have, burgers, messy ribs and the most delicious Malva dessert that is similar to sticky toffee pudding. I'm now obsessed. The service was great, however I did get mistaken as being my sister's Mum at one point by the waiter, which I'm not quite sure how to take.

So what did my Mum buy? Vitamins! It can be tricky to leave your practical hat at home in these situations, but luckily she had enough left over to treat herself to her favourite kind of earrings from Swarovski. Shopping wasn't really supposed to be my mission, however I did spy some shoes I liked in Office and stock up on some much needed tights. Result!

How did you spend your Mother's Day? Thanks to Isa from Westfield for letting me treat my Mum and share some of the blogging fun!

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Finally in Leopard

2013-03-04T17:30:00.000Z

Are you prone to changing your mind when it comes to fashion? Back at the age of 14, I remember denouncing the whole 'grunger' look complete with floor-sweeping flared jeans and Slipknot hoodies before sporting that precise ensemble a few months later. When it comes to trends, I like to have my cake and eat it, I like to try a bit of everything and unashamedly sum my style up as 'eclectic' whenever prompted. However, leopard print has never factored into this equation until now. I'd never wanted a leopard print dress (too Kat Slater), leopard print bag (wrong message entirely) and definitely not a leopard print coat. Eventually my mind started to come round to the idea, I'm not quite sure when it was, but gradually so many variations of the print started to appear presenting it as more of an irregular polka dot or graphic pattern rather than an obvious animal replica. I spotted this bargainous coat on Asos a while ago and had it sitting in my basket not quite sure whether to take the plunge, until I realised the masses were catching on.

Coat - Asos

Sweatshirt - A.P.C

Skirt - Vintage

Boots - Cheap Monday

Socks - Monki

Necklace - Tatty Devine

Now I can finally see what I've been missing, the coat is another way to add a print to what I'm wearing and pretty much goes with everything. Floral dresses? Perfect! Striped tops? Take your pick! These looks show the various ways the humble print can be styled and made to fit in with any personality. The plush feel also has to be appreciated and will tide me over until my beloved style from the Orla Kiely AW13 collection eventually becomes affordable.

How do you feel about leopard print?

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