you should pull up your socks, girl

more tales of wanton consumerism

2012-02-10T18:52:00.001Z

hat, h&m men's; coat, boots & 7/8ths jeans, topshop; sweater, zara; snood, yokoo; leather mittens, h&m.

So after feeling really uninspired for a while, I feel like I'm tentatively starting to get my fashion groove back. Or something along those lines but less cringey. The coat and jeans are recent additions to my wardrobe courtesy of the Topshop sale, so that's probably helping. As is the fact I splashed out a wee bit on ASOS the other day. Buying shit, the answer to all my problems.

michelle williams for boy by band of outsiders

2012-02-08T17:14:00.000Z

So Boy by Band of Outsiders really know how to appeal to girls from the internet, eh? First Kirsten Dunst, and now Michelle Williams looking adorable in Polaroid format. I, like the big internet cliché that I am, approve. I'd been intending for a while to make a post about some rather attractive short-haired ladies and my massive hair-jealousy but this makes the point equally well, I feel. Look at that pixie cut! For me, this is the epitome of #icanteven. You can see loads more at boy.bandofoutsiders.com, I know you're dying to.

apc spring/summer 2012

2012-01-28T12:08:00.001Z

OMG, how friggin' cute is APC's Spring/Summer 2012 animated lookbook? I spent quite a long time considering ways to post the moving version on here, involving multiple print-screens and .gifs, and then decided I'm definitely not tech savvy enough for that shit. So just click on the link to see the model coyly twirling and posing for you - very Harry Potter. Oh yeah, clothes are pretty nice too. My APC love has swelled recently because I've booked a trip to Paris for April and I'm envisaging loads of old season 50% off bargains at the 'Surplus' store. The problem with new season lookbooks is that in my head it's DEFINITELY spring/summer already, but BBC Weather appears to disagree with me.

Unfortunately, my spring/summer delusions, combined with the fact I'm still totally h8in' on everything in my wardrobe, mean I'm really struggling at the moment not to buy ALL THE THINGS. Thankfully I'm infinitely more mature than I used to be though, and I'm resisting. That kind of tendency is the very reason I end up with so much unwanted crap in my wardrobe, so until I've worked out a more cohesive and measured approach to this coming season I'm going to try and hold back. Wish me luck?*

*Can't wait for next week's 'omgzzz look what I bought in Primark!!' post.

a very belated merry christmas and happy new year

2012-01-08T22:19:00.002Z

this year's tree // selection of christmas books // apc x anthropologie quilt, my boyfriend's present to us // the results of my new babyliss big hair styler // reiss bag, gift from my mother // russell & bromley loafers courtesy of my boyfriend <3

Much like the rest of the internet, I've been a wee bit obsessed with Instagram of late. Sorry to any of you guys who follow me on there (I'm pullupyoursocksgirl for those of you who don't yet!) or Twitter (and maistagueule over there...) as these will be looking a bit familiar. Unfortunately they're pretty much the only pictures I've taken this festive period... I had a pretty quiet Christmas and New Year and am now settling down into typical January ennui. Most of my time's been spent at work over the last few weeks, and relying on throwing on one of my two 'uniform' outfits has had the unwelcome side effect that I've entirely forgotten how to dress myself. Don't you just hate those phases where every single thing in your wardobe seems so dreadfully boring? Inspiration, please be striking sometime soon.

iris apfel for mac

2011-12-20T16:30:00.000Z

Woah, now you guys, this blog pretty much couldn't be further from a beauty blog (although I did once get a PR email with the subject "Suggestion for your beauty blog". I suggest you actually read my blog). Don't get me wrong, I wear make up, I like make up. But it doesn't go much further than that; I don't claim to know much about it and I generally have the make up skills of a particularly clumsy four-year-old.

But Iris Apfel for MAC is definitely something I can get on board with! There aren't THAT many collaborations I get truly excited about (H&M x Marni is another one at the moment, and fingers crossed, a severely reduced APC for Anthropologie quilt should be winging its way to me at the moment) but this one is pretty darn cool. At 90 years old, Iris Apfel is as much of a style icon as ever and her rare bird-inspired collection (following in the footsteps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition of her style entitled Rara Avis) is just as outlandish as you'd expect. And if there's one beauty product I love in life, it's a brightly coloured MAC lipstick.

My personal faves from the collection, which is released on 5th January 2012, are the Flamingo lipstick which looks like a perfect pale coral pink and the Sandpiper nail lacquer. Which seems a bit silly, as these are two of the more.. understated products, but I just can't pull off eccentricity like the lady herself. I did put a pair of round sunnies on my Christmas list though, so I'll be doing my best to ~channel her look~ come January!

currently loving

2011-12-15T16:59:00.001Z

1. Instagram, obviously! And my most recent work uniform purchases, the Hailey shirt dress and Weller skinny snaffle belt. I've been wearing black trousers and an increasingly scruffy-looking jumper to work until recently and I'm now very much enjoying looking slightly better groomed and less sloppy. I had thought about shamelessly ripping off Charlotte of I Ate Olivia Palermo by doing Instagram #todayimwearing photos (as my camera is currently out of action, hence no proper outfit posts for the next wee while). But then I realised that I work most days and alternate between my two work outfits, which wasn't going to make for particularly varied or interesting updates. So don't worry guys, I decided not to subject you to that.

2. Badlands by Dirty Beaches. Every review I read of this seems to love mentioning how it sounds like it could be a David Lynch movie soundtrack. It seems a pretty apt comparison, and it goes a long way to explaining how great (and dark) this album is. But I think my favourite parts might be the slowed-down shoegaze of True Blue, and Lord Knows Best with its hypnotic looping of Françoise Hardy's Voilà. If you like it, you can buy it here.

3. Jak & Jil. Amazing photo after amazing photo seems to have been popping up in my Google Reader lately, all courtesy of jakandjil.com. The kind of attention to detail in these outfits is mind-blowing to me, seeing as my shoes are always scuffed, my nails are always bitten and accessories are an afterthought. P.S. I checked, and my boyfriend says I'm definitely not allowed to wear three watches or he won't go out in public with me. ALWAYS SPOILING MY FUN.

4. Finally, I bought a domain name and I'm a little over-excited about it! So you can now find this blog at pullupyoursocksgirl.com and I'd love it if any of you who link me could update your links. For the moment, everything's still hosted on Blogger but I'm really hoping to change that and give it a bit of a makeover over the next few months. So, y'know, if any of you happen to be reasonably priced web designers or anything...? This is all a little frivolous seeing as this blog is just a hobby, but oh well. I'm sure you've all already noticed that I love spending money on things I don't need!

tri&gull

2011-12-07T11:05:00.001Z

Another day, another post on independent jewellery designers. I don't know what it is you guys, but I seem to be all over this stuff at the moment. Tri&Gull is an Etsy store based in London, selling super-cute jewellery designs in geometric shapes. As the name might suggest, trianges feature heavily... Always good news for me. My favourite thing, though, is their interesting mix of materials like perspex, reclaimed plywood, brass and quartz. My Christmas list is sadly pretty much closed for business already (I provided a plethora of options, I am an excellent receiver of gifts)... So no room for any of these in my stocking, but they're pretty affordable so I might even be able to treat myself.

triple triangle necklace

long triangle necklace

hexagon and triangle earrings

peach brass & wood triangle necklace

mirror chevron necklace

Also, in a possibly ill-advised move, I got myself a Formspring, so if there's anything you've been just dying to ask me... No..?

Final "also": an Internet pal of mine somehow talked me into being part of a Daily Record fashion feature which you can read here if you're interested! The premise was that I was someone with ~my own sense of style~ having outfits chosen by my boyfriend, best friend and a fashion adviser. Let's just say that my conclusion from the whole experience was an overwhelming feeling that I definitely do have my own sense of style and I feel infinitely uncomfortable in clothes chosen by other people. Somehow I doubt that was the outcome the journalist was after, but as you'll see my answers were a veritable exercise in diplomacy!

the graduate

2011-12-05T13:17:00.000Z

Hey guys, so I finally got a degree the other day. It'd been a long time coming (my history as a university dropout, ill-advised impromptu 'gap year', summer in Africa, etc) but I got there in the end!

Oh and then I fell over. Some things never change!

the party season begins

2011-11-25T10:00:00.000Z

The other day I was willfully refusing to pick up all the amazing stuff Zara has on offer at the moment, with a steely money-saving determination, until I spotted this baby. At which point all of my resolve flew out the window and the next thing I knew I was putting my card back in my purse and thanking the cashier. Oops. In case it wasn't obvious, I am a total magpie. Ooooh, gold studs (+ mustard brown colour + 100% silk + oversized = my dream top, incidentally). Which means that ~the party season~ is nigh on perfect for me, sartorially speaking. Although I laughed and nodded in recognition at Tamsin's awesome blog post recently on the mythical nature of this supposed "party season" (so far I've been invited to... my work night out, exciting), I'll take any excuse to wear sequins really. Black, gold, leather, studs, sequins and velvet all abound at this time of year and I know everyone else probably can't wait for it all to go into the sale, but I'm a sucker for shiny things. It dates all the way back to a velvet button up dress worn to my school Christmas party circa 1997 (in the lunch hall, the glamour), I don't think I'll be growing out of it any time soon. This year I'm hoping to go for a bit of a modern update, with details in blue and orange. More on my current downright obsession with orange another day, perhaps.

baby it's cold outside

2011-11-22T20:33:00.001Z

And all of a sudden I'm dreaming of someone buying me this Antipodium coat to wrap up warm in... y'know, just because. Where's a fairy godmother when you need one?

the hidden side of blogging

2011-11-16T15:54:00.001Z

My life is pretty much a never-ending cycle of initial writs, motions and client letters at the moment and it is interminably dull, let me tell you. Unfortunately it's also keeping me pretty busy. I've always been the bury-my-head-in-the-sand type, leaving everything until the last minute (don't knock it, it's served me well so far), so three or four university assignments due in every week doesn't exactly play to my strengths. Outfit posts haven't exactly been forthcoming recently, for the simple reason that when I have several 9am deadlines a week, I just end up throwing on the first thing that comes to hand. The same old jeans and Primark flannel shirt do not an interesting outfit post make. I know a lot of ~fashion types make a point of the fact that they never wear jeans and I'm like, really pleased for them and everything but honestly, sometimes I just can't be bothered. It's perhaps a bit of an ill-advised comment to make as a supposed 'fashion blogger' but I don't really consider myself a particularly naturally stylish person. I love fashion, but I certainly don't have some sort of innate sense of style that makes everything I throw on look effortlessly chic. I really think about what I wear, and when I don't have time to do that, well, yeah, sometimes I look pretty awful. At times, blogging can make me feel like a bit of a fraud because I certainly don't dress up for a day of 9am-7pm classes and I'd hate for people to be misled into thinking that I do. I'd probably be massively embarrassed if I bumped into anyone who read my blog around university, to be honest, lugging my laptop and two bags of books around with unwashed hair and sweating because I'm seriously late for a lecture. This is probably not the kind of thing that one is supposed to admit to.

Anyway, the point of that little extraneous rant was basically, yeah, I'm pretty busy at the moment. First world problems indeed. Today, however I am taking the afternoon off, gleefully ignoring the assessed plea in mitigation I'm supposed to be presenting tomorrow, and going to get my hair cut. I even have a full face of make up and a vaguely interesting outfit on. So, with any luck, at least now if anyone were to bump into me I'd be looking marginally less dishevelled...

velvet top & boots, topshop; trousers, zara; necklace, apres ski; shirt, tba.

spotlight on: paper & chain

2011-11-06T12:12:00.000Z

So my Christmas list has already been growing fairly steadily (never mind the fact I've only just had a birthday...), with a helping hand from this week's opening of online jewellery store Paper & Chain. The creation of two best friends, one a Jewellery & Silversmithing graduate and the other Fine Art, Paper & Chain's Vega and Catena collections are everything I want to be wearing jewellery-wise right now. Their elegant geometric pieces in silver or brass are unique but affordable, and totally channelling all the sleek, classic-with-a-twist looks I have in mind for this winter. I'm sure I don't need to repeat my much chronicled love of the hipster triangle, but Paper & Chain's take on geometric shapes is refreshingly simple, delicate and unpretentious.

These are a few of my favourite picks from the store... Just consider this blog one big Christmas list, yeah? Hi, Mum. Hi, boyfriend.

hex trio necklace

catena leather bracelet

chevron necklace

arrow ring

vega ring

vega pendant
all pictures by paper & chain

happy birthday to me

2011-11-03T14:42:00.000Z

YOU GUYS, I'VE BEEN KEEPING A SECRET FROM YOU. I seriously don't know how I've held it in, I could barely contain myself... For the past few weeks, I've been anxiously awaiting the day when I could break this bad boy out and show him off. I present to you... the Acne Smith suede biker jacket.

I'd been lusting after it for a long, long time and then I came across just one, seriously reduced, in my size. And Tuesday having been my birthday, I finally get to take him for a spin. (At this point I should probably add 'thank you, darling boyfriend'.) IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL. EEEEE. Phew, okay.

I know some of you might not be quite as excited about this as I am, but that's ok... Me and Smith, we're in love, and we don't need your approval.

P.S. I got some other pretty cool presents too!

nothing like a set of novelty salt & pepper shakers, eh? all from urban outfitters.

"YOU NEED ME"

2011-10-30T14:04:00.000Z

... says Topshop. How do they always KNOW?

1 2 3

Velvet. Jewel colours. Skater skirts. Mmm. Too right I need it. GIMME.

i like a girl in uniform

2011-10-24T13:13:00.000+01:00

dress, £14.99, and cardigan, £19.99, both h&m. shoes, topshop; necklace, asos.

So Friday was that momentous day when I finally got my 75% uniform allowance at work, cha-ching. For the last month, in the absence of uniform, I've been having to wear all black which gives me a bit of an unfortunate moody teenage goth vibe, as well as screaming I'M NEW and making me feel like something of an outcast in comparison to my colleagues. The dress above has been featuring pretty heavily, and believe me, if I could have got away with the cardigan I'd have been bundled up in it constantly. Instead it's just been accompanying me to and from work every day (thanks cardi), it is f r e e z i n g. When did this happen?!

Anyway, I'd been eyeing up this blouse since it arrived last week and knew I had to have it as soon as I put it on. Not the most practical option maybe - "delicate dry clean only", apparently. I mean, as if specifying "dry clean only" didn't imply the delicate part enough... Doesn't exactly bode well for something I'll be wearing once or twice every week, but then I've always been more of a buy now, think later kind of gal. The trousers were far more of a sensible choice -- I'm amazed at how comfortable and flattering they are already though, I can seriously see myself living in these.

coralie blouse, £120, and paris high-waisted cigarette pants, £89, both reiss. shoes, nine west.

mcarthur glen spirit of fashion popup shop: rachael barrett

2011-10-15T20:55:00.000+01:00

Oops, the blog's been looking a bit sparse lately, sorry 'bout that... Real life seems to have got in the way a bit, what with finally being in gainful employment for the first time in 8 months or so. I've been working in Glasgow's Princes Square, so for the last couple of days the McArthur Glen Spirit of Fashion popup shop has been catching my eye every time I wander past. I'll be honest, the massive McArthur Glen signage in the window made me slightly sceptical (yeah, 'tevs, I'm a snob I guess) but the rest of the display looked amazing so I took a look this evening. And came back out about 15 minutes and £96 later.

It turns out McArthur Glen is the sponsor of the Spirit of Fashion awards, in conjunction with the Royal College of Art and judged by esteemed fashion types like Betty Jackson and Wendy Dagworthy. The winners are three young designers -- Matthew Miller, Carolyn Massey and Rachael Barrett, chosen to create an exclusive Spirit of Fashion collection. It's already hit London and Manchester, and the Princes Square popup shop in Glasgow is the last leg of its tour, open until 20th October. It was the Rachael Barrett collection that caught my eye, with its gorgeous neutral colours and relaxed fit. I plumped for a couple of button-up-to-the-neck shirt styles, dress and top, in black and off-white silk, but to be honest I wanted pretty much every single piece. The black pleated skirt and classic silk t-shirt were two other favourites of mine. And, best of all, I was extremely pleasantly surprised by the prices -- £50 for the top and £70 for the dress, and there was a 20% discount for the weekend only! So I highly recommend getting yourself down there tomorrow. I am thoroughly ashamed of my horrendous iPhone photography, but hey, I'm gonna post it anyway because my google skills are failing to throw up any official photos of the Glasgow store.

monki and cos: ruining my life by medium of online shopping

2011-10-03T20:53:00.001+01:00

Monki and COS online stores go live in the same week*... INTERNET, WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO TO ME??!! They also both appear to have decent stock and non-fugly layouts; parent company H&M, you might want to take a look at this. Really now, as if I needed another procrastination tool/method of draining my bank account?! It has revealed to me Monki's interesting colour names though - 'dirty sunflowers' and 'lichen-licious' (numbers 3 and 5 respectively, if you're wondering) stuck out in particular... Bordering on too cutesy even for me, perhaps, but I'll let them off.

* Or am I just slow on the uptake?

1-5: monki, 6-10: cos.

versus spring/summer 2012

2011-09-26T10:52:00.001+01:00

Oops, take it back. I promised next time I posted about Fashion Week it'd be something a little bit less predictable, but oh lol, would you look at this... Christopher Kane sends cheerleader-inspired looks down a Versus runway painted as an ice cream-coloured basketball court? Yeah, my pastel-loving heart just went into overdrive. This collection isn't quite as saccharine sweet though, with plenty of chunky zips and sportswear influences... Apparently the pleats are supposed to be flapper-esque but all I can think of is tennis skirts. But really, sheer + pleats + milkshake colours. No further comment necessary.

P.S. If for some reason you happen to be interested in reading more of my talking rubbish about fashion, I did a little Q&A over at Become.co.uk's Shopaholic blog which you should check out. I rambled a bit, succinctness tends not to be my strong point.

photos from style.com and vogue.com

autumn wishlist

2011-09-22T13:33:00.000+01:00

Clockwise from top left: 1. Dress, Topshop, £85. 2. Dress, Whistles, £165. 3. Jumper, Reiss, £120. 4. Ring, Reiss, £49. 5. Coat, Whistles, £225. 6. Shirt, Equipment, £155. 7. Shorts, Topshop, £55. 8. Bag, The Row, £3210. 9. Shoes, Deena & Ozzy at Urban Outfitters, £95.

So despite my strategic autumn purchases, I'm still having serious retail cravings, QUELLE SURPRISE. I'm most definitely still on the hunt for a winter coat -- a new coat for winter is totes justifiable expenditure, you guys. It's practical. This parka style from Whistles is my latest fancy, although the price tag ain't so attractive. In fact, pretty much everything I'm eyeing up at the moment happens to be, er.... varying degrees of out of my price range (HIYA doctor's bag by The Row, I see you over there costing three grand and being sold out, omg.) Lately I seem to be getting fashion ideas decidedly beyond my station.

kris atomic @ lfw

2011-09-21T15:37:00.002+01:00

Blah blah, okay, I know it doesn't really need saying by now, but Kris Atomic's London Fashion Week coverage is pretty amazing. I'm a great lover of a good backstage photo and hers are outstanding. I'm particularly enjoying these shots; the colours are unreal, and the DETAILS on that dress. Wow. Hook me up with one of those.

1 & 2: blow presents..., 3 & 4: ziad ghanem, 5-8: vauxhall fashion scouts one to watch.

All photos by Kris Atomic

back to school.

2011-09-17T17:16:00.004+01:00

coat, boots & dress, topshop; snood & bag, h&m; necklace, après ski.

I woke up on Monday morning with a fairly epic back-to-school dread feeling; four university-free months will do that to you I guess. Thankfully by the end of the week I'm feeling a little bit more positive, but my new autumn accessories were pretty much all that got me through. Boots, necklace, snood and bag. Back to school outfits, sorted.

nyfw round up so far.

2011-09-11T08:47:00.007+01:00

Okay, controversial comment in the world of fashion blogs: I really like spring/summer fashion. I mean, I think I might even prefer it to autumn/winter. Mostly this applies to my own wardrobe because quite honestly, I just don't enjoy dressing for Glaswegian autumn/winter weather in any way. In theory, all those layers and chunky knits are great but in reality, I'm pretty much just wet and bedraggled-looking as soon as I step out of the house. Summer, with its possibilities (and they really are possibilities only) of not having to carefully choose footwear to avoid trench-foot is a much more pleasant prospect. And bare legs! Don't even get me started, or I'll start rocking back and forth, crazily pining for the life of year-round bare legs that will never be mine. Honestly though, I also REALLY LIKE spring/summer collections. I like stripes. I like pastels and florals. I like denim and I LOVE hot pants.* It might not be ground-breaking but it looks good. Why all the hate, oh fashion bloggers? Anyway, with that short disclaimer here are a few of my faves from Spring/Summer 2012 thus far...

*All of which will quickly become evident...

Charlotte Ronson

Ditsy florals and crochet abounded, plus plenty of sheer fabrics. Never mind the denim, the mustard velvet, the stripes and the many, many patterns. A mish-mash basically, but for me it worked.

Doo.Ri

In my neverending quest to look like an effortless Scandinavian goddess, draping features heavily. So do neutrals, and the odd flash of muted neon (oxymoron?) complements them perfectly here. Also: FRINGING. A+.

United Bamboo

Neutrals again, this time with relaxed tailoring and dresses, graphic prints and my personal favourite, contrast collars.

Jill Stuart

I love it I love it I love it. Okay, it's relentlessly sugary and twee, but so am I at heart. The candy colours and cutesy suiting are reminiscent of the best of Luella and I will always love a flapper-style drop waist.

Jason Wu

Yeah, yeah, I've never seen a pastel I didn't like... You get the picture. Plus, more shorts, more interesting collars, this time in the form of heavy embellishment (I LOVE THEM). The make up is also right up my street, red-orange lips and nails all the way.

And on that gloriously predictable note, I shall leave you and promise to update next time with something altogether different. BYE!

all photos from style.com, click to enlarge!

outfit post, bumper edition.

2011-09-08T15:24:00.005+01:00

jacket, top & skirt, h&m; boots, primark; necklace, this charming girl.

dress, h&m; shoes, primark.

dress, cos; shoes, primark; necklace, this charming girl.

Insert outfit photo/bus analogy here or something, although admittedly three maybe isn't quite enough to constitute a "bumper edition". In case you haven't guessed yet from their very regular appearances on here, I pretty much have no desire to wear shoes that aren't one of these two Primark pairs ever again. Funny how that happens with 'throwaway' items that are more or less the cheapest ones in my wardrobe, isn't it? (See also: the £1.99 H&M cardigan I found lurking in the stock room from about five seasons previous, which is still going strong now three years later. My mum is practically trying to claw it off me these days so she can bin it.) BUT! Today my local Topshop had a pair of size 4 Ambush boots and I SWOOPED, so I'm pretty sure that's all set to change. Coming soon to a blogpost near you. I had considered holding out for the Acne Pistol "inspiration", but goddammit I'm just not that patient. In other fave new accessories news, I took advantage of This Charming Girl's free delivery at the weekend to pick up this Hercules necklace, and I am head over heels, hopelessly devoted in love with him.

sénégal nexna: part two

2011-09-01T19:50:00.004+01:00

The last of my Senegal photos, this time featuring the desert, a bit o' Saint Louis, the African Renaissance Monument and of course, plenty of Senegalese wrestlers back in Guédiawaye (fans club Tyson 4 LYFE). Living in constant regret that I left my camera charger in Dakar during my trip to Saint Louis, so many photo-worthy places. Next time?

Oh, and a couple of quick outfit photos since, well, it's been a while and I'm pretty sure at some stage that was kind of supposed to be what this blog was about... Never been much good at sticking to the point, me.

cardigan, h&m; coat, topshop; t-shirt, new look; shorts, zara; shoes, primark; tote bag, washed out gig.

day trippin'

2011-08-30T18:46:00.003+01:00

I went to St Andrews for a day trip at the weekend. Nothing like the seaside on a grey and gloomy day. But I do love a castle. And a graveyard. Definitely should have been a goth in my younger days... Oh, missed opportunities.