Style Diary

Ok it has nearly been a solid three months since I last blogged, apologies but my life has just been too full of other awesome things living in Australia and everything! Whilst having no job means shopping is a rare occurrence I have treated myself to a few pieces and for some reason my eyes are always drawn to the tribal trend which seems to making a comeback for the second summer running. I picked up this beautiful printed playsuit from a totally random clearance shop in Sydney by the brand Reverse (which in the UK is sometimes stocked at ASOS) and I am in love with it. It’s easy to wear if you have a small chest like mine although investing in some boob tape would have benefited a bit! I love it because it can be dressed up with heels for a night out or worn with gladiator sandals/flat boots for a casual holiday sort of day. Definitely going with me to Ibiza this summer, as are these shorts which I bought a couple of months ago from my fave Aussie high street shop, General Pants. They have received a lot of compliments and I can’t stop wearing them! Once I actually join the real world and get a proper job I will definitely be on the hunt for more Aztec inspired clothes.

Being in Australia again for the next four months (and this time without my own laptop) blog posts will be few and far between, but today I have taken a day out of job hunting so thought I would share my new love of tapered trousers. I found this beautiful pair in H&M for a bargain of £15 and decided to wear them for my 23rd birthday night out, teamed with a simple black leotard and elegant nude courts. Very similar to a pair in the new Bec & Bridge AW13 collection I just couldn’t resist them. A year ago they probably wouldn’t have been my sort of thing but now I just can’t seem to get enough of prints. If you’re not keen on trousers but love the pattern it was also available in a cute A-line skirt, also at a very reasonable price!

Yes you are indeed looking at the most amazing pair of boots in the whole world and yes I am happy to say I now own them after a 6 month debate with myself about getting them! These beauties from Office (named the ‘Nighthawk’ boots) are inspired by the famous Chloe Susanna boots I sadly couldn’t afford, so when I saw these appear I knew I instantly had to have them. Therefore I was incredibly happy when they were still in stock come Christmas time with an extra £25 off the original retail price of £80- absolute bargain. And I can honestly say they are so far the best purchase I’ve ever made. They look amazing, they’re really good quality, fit perfectly and go with so many different outfits. Very happy!

Ok it has actually been forever since I blogged (sorry) but since coming back from Sydney I’ve actually had a very busy life. There will be an even bigger lack of blogging for the next five months as I’m off back to Australia in 2 weeks, simply because I can! This is a very lazy post, just a little snap of one of my classic winter wardrobe outfits. One of the good things about this horrible English weather is being able to dress in lovely winter clothes. I love chunky knits and dark colours.

Boots|Carvela at Kurt Geiger Jeans|Zara Jacket|Mango Bag|Chloe Snood|Topshop

After 10 weeks of interning at Adam Worling PR my time as a fashion intern has rapidly come to an end! I have had SUCH a brilliant time working at AWPR; the people I worked with are so lovely and I’ve learnt a lot about the industry itself. I’m really glad I did it and I only wish I could stay longer. I’ve worked with some of the most amazing fashion brands and last week I even met Lisa Ho herself! Here are some photos of the showroom in which I work every day. I haven’t included all the designers, just my favourites. I feel like I know every piece in there back to front now; wish I could take it all home with me!

Equipment and J Brand: two brands from the Edward’s Imports chain. Equipment focuses on women’s silk shirts in pretty much any colour and pattern you can think of. You’ve probably heard of J Brand as it’s quite popular in the UK; a similar concept but with jeans!

Natasha: I’ve already written about Natasha in previous posts but this is the first time I’ve actually shown pictures of the Winter ‘13 collection. Probably one of the best in the whole showroom. The first picture shows my favourite EVER print. How amazing is it?? I want every single piece available in that print but the blazer and jeans are my favourite. The collection includes a lot of fur (yes real!), embellishment, animal prints and the classic Natasha knits. Can’t wait for this to hit the shops so I can ship over that paisley stuff to the UK!

Ginger & Smart and Lisa Ho: You can’t see much of either of them on this photo, partly because they’re two of our most popular designers and partly because I was wedged in a corner trying to take it. If you haven’t heard of Ginger & Smart and you can afford designer prices I’d highly recommend checking out their website. They have some amazing pieces. Loads of bright colours, leather and prints. Lisa Ho is one of the most prominent Australian designers and AWPR is lucky enough to be located right next door to her. I prefer her Summer ‘12 collection to this winter one but it’s still brilliant.

Luxottica: You probably noticed in the other photo that there are a lot of sunglasses in the showroom. Luxottica provides different types and shapes from all sorts of designer labels such as Versace, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry and many more. AWPR was recently in charge of planning a Sunglass Hut floating store event hosted by Georgia May Jagger in the middle of Sydney Harbour- what a great concept!

Bec & Bridge and Roopa Pemmaraju: Along with Ginger & Smart I’d say Bec & Bridge is my other favourite designer we have in the showroom. It looks really empty here but the Winter collection actually includes two massive lines; again it’s just a very popular brand! It ranges from leather and brocade to pastel and floral prints. It has something for everyone. Roopa isn’t one of my favourite designers but only because her pieces aren’t something I’d personally wear. They are very tribal inspired, lots of wild prints involved.

GANT: This is the biggest men’s collection in the showroom, although there are some Gant women’s too. Lots of casual pieces in bright colours. I rarely see men dressed in a brave enough way similar to Gant but if you’re a boy and you happen to be reading this then I think you should!

George: When I first saw the George Summer collection it was one of my least favourite brands in the showroom. Then the Winter collection arrived and my mind was blown. It is STUNNING. As you can see it is separated from daywear and eveningwear. Daywear includes silk floral trousers, tailored jackets and fur gilets. The eveningwear range embraces the evening dress on a whole new level.

Some people don’t like to admit it, but all of us in one way or another (or at least people who are actually into fashion) get our style inspiration from celebrities. With websites like Coolspotters and fashion magazines telling us where to buy the latest high street clothes made famous by celebs it’s easy to copy. In my opinion there’s a difference between just copying someone’s clothes and buying the same piece and making it your own. If I see something I like on someone I’ll buy it or something similar but I’ll always make sure it’s worked into my own personal style. Here are eight of my fashion role models. I don’t try to imitate; they simply inspire.

Shenae Grimes: probably my biggest fashion role model and current obsession, the 90210 actress is considering changing career for one in the fashion industry. I’m addicted to her style blog and it was a year ago I discovered leather and khaki contrast parkas because of her. Shame the high street has caught on because now I don’t wanna be the same as all those Topshop clones sporting them this winter. Shenae’s style is very edgy- lots of leather, prints and dark colours. If I owned her wardrobe I’d never ask for anything else in my life. Oh and if I end up growing my hair again I WANT IT LIKE THIS!

Lauren Conrad: Lauren was always gonna make this list. I envy her life beyond anyone else’s never mind her clothes. She’s a very elegant and classy dresser. The reason I love her style is because it’s just the right amount of girliness, not over the top. Rarely seen without her signature Chanel bag Lauren’s success in the fashion world is something most people only dream of. I’d recommend reading her book ‘Style’; it includes loads of little fashion and beauty tips you’d probably not thought of before.

Blake Lively: I’ve admired Blake’s style since I saw the first ever episode of Gossip Girl. Whether it’s a floor-length ballgown like this amazing Lanvin combination or something more casual she never fails to impress.

The Olsen twins: This is an obvious but very necessary choice; I couldn’t not include them. Like Shenae Grimes is intending to do, the Olsen twins actually said in a recent interview with Elle magazine they have given up acting to continue their careers as fashion designers. No wonder really following their immediate success with several fashion lines that include Elizabeth & James and the more high-end label The Row. They both dress amazingly: Ashley’s style is more feminine with classic tailoring while Mary Kate’s tends to have a bit more of a boyish edge. They don’t live by any rules. They just wear whatever they want to wear and I love people who can play with style in that way. They obviously know a thing or two about trends as their crocodile backpack from The Row range selling for a huge $39,000 sold out in a matter of days.

Frankie Sandford: Whilst I really love ALL of The Saturdays dress sense Frankie’s is definitely my favourite. And it helps we look quite similar (in terms of hair and skin tone at least) because if I see something I like that she’s wearing I immediately know I’ll probably suit it too. The good thing about Frankie is that she wears a lot of high street clothes so us normal people can afford it! She manages to throw a casual outfit together with minimal effort and girls are forever imitating her style. Remember the famous red Zara skater dress? Literally all the high street shops started stocking similar after she was seen wearing it. And yes I don’t mind admitting I went and bought it too!

Gillian Zinser: HOTTIE ALERT. If you haven’t seen 90210 then you might not recognise this beauty who plays Ivy the cool surfer chick in the show. I am actually obsessed with her style. In 90210 she dresses like your typical laid-back California girl in frayed denim shorts, distressed boots and little knitted tops. In real life it gets even better; her style is very rock-chic/grunge-inspired and her signature trilby hat makes her stand out from the crowd. I have a feeling she’s gonna be huge in the fashion world.

Rachel Bilson: The OC star has been hiding a bit the past few years but I’ve always really liked the way she dresses. It’s very casual with a slight boho vibe. I wouldn’t say she was a tomboy exactly but Rachel’s classic look would be an oversize blazer, baggy pants, boyish boots and a cashmere scarf. Effortless style!

Alexa Chung: Last but definitely not least, I felt like I should include another British fashion icon in the list as I still personally believe we have the best fashion sense in the world so it would be an insult to not use Alexa as an example. Some of the stuff I’ve seen her in, I admit I’ve not really been that keen on. But an outfit like this just blows me away with how amazing something simple can look. Alexa loves vintage pieces and I don’t think it would be easy for many girls to pull off her style. But she must be brilliant: why else would Mulberry name a bag after her?

Ok I am by no means a beauty blogger. In fact I rarely do anything even beauty related in real life. For day-to-day wear I wear minimal make-up, I don’t use any products on my hair and all I use on my skin is moisturiser. So I can’t really explain my excitement when work decided to give me a free Bioré gift bag with skincare products worth about $150! It includes two different kinds of pore strips, three sets of make-up wipes, pore cleansing wipes, face cleanser, night serum and two body scrubs. I don’t really get spots; my skin is quite dry but I’m gonna try and use it all the same and see if it makes any difference! Also my room mate has just moved out and now I have the whole rail all to myself so thought I’d take a photo of how amazing my clothes look on it!!