Enjoying the sun = shopping!

Die of shock. It's October, and the sun is out in full force! Since today was so gorgeous, and I'm not working till 7, there was literally no excuse not to get out there and shop. And honestly, sunshine makes an already beautiful experience just perfect. I'm also loving that I can still keep wearing my fave summery clothes..

Dress - H&M; Cardi & Shoes - New Look; Belt & Bag - Primark; Ring - Topshop; Bracelet - Pull & Bear; Necklace - Accessorize; Earrings - TU at Sainsburys.
Legs firmly out in the sun, I am fully taking advantage of the heat! I'm also quite proud of the fact that I managed to get by with only a few things in a smaller bag, instead of toting around a back-breaker like my usual handbags.. I also love the powder blue colour of this dress - just because brights have been very de rigeur for the past few seasons doesn't mean you should underestimate softer, pastel colours because they can look just as beautiful.


Obviously, since this was the first shopping trip since payday (yesterday) I treated myself to some gorgeous things out in town.. But I am sensible, I only spend what I can afford. No overdrafts for me! And I refuse to let myself get sucked into store cards, or credit cards, because while paying on a debit card doesn't feel like real money, I know I am safely in the black still. Even able to save a bit, as I put most of this month's wages straight into my larger, do-not-touch bank account. So anyway, while payday fever may have hit, I didn't blow all my hard-earned cash.. just some..

The first thing I fell in love with today was this retro, fit-and-flare monochrome dress. It's technically made by Effgee (nope, never heard of it either!) but was on sale in a little shop called Volcanic, where they stock all kinds of random concessions. I saw it in the window, but white with black edging, and it suckered me in! One quick change later to try it on & I had to have it. What's amazing is that it actually isn't too long, and it's not even petite. In my mind, this is a timeless dress.. monochrome has been chic forever (hello, Chanel!), and the retro style is classically cute. Yes, I'm having a total retro obsession at the moment - you may have noticed the amount of circle skirts & dresses I'm wearing!

Also spotted in Volcanic, this super cute flicky skirt was technically by Internacionale.. and it was on sale! I love a good print, and leopard is the most classically glamorous of them all! So what if snakeskin is having it's moment - leopard never goes out of style. Plus this skirt will work all year round.. bare legs, sandals and a vest for summer, or totally layered up with cute knits, tights & boots for winter. Major investment alert.

Next I continued to abuse the 20% student discount in New Look.. even if their card machine was clearly broken and wouldn't accept mine (grrr). I'd seen this top once before and adored it, so seeing it again, deciding it was more beautiful than I remembered, and knowing I had money meant I literally could not leave it behind. I love everything about it - it somehow looks sweet and sexy at the same time, thanks to the sheer fabric combined with the gorgeous bird print and gold sequins scattered on it. It's the perfect day to night option, easy to dress up or dress down & will go with so many things. LOVE.

Finally, I decided to man up and stop being so squeamish about mustard. All my life I have been convinced that any shade of yellow only makes me look sickly and gross, but today I grew my fashion balls and stepped out of my comfort zone. Mustard is one of this season's hottest shades, and I simply cannot last the season without injecting some into my wardrobe. These New Look tights are a brilliant way to ease into the trend, and will also go perfectly with the monochrome dress I bought to jazz it up a little - score! Anyway, now all that's left is to go all the way and dare to wear them.

And that was what my lovely little shopping trip consisted of today! Plus a bit of a magical mystery tour as I attempted to drive a test route, but that's neither here nor there in fashion world.. I cannot wait to wear all of my new clothes - my mental list of potential outfits is growing by the minute! I am actually really glad I get to go out every weekday to college so that I can show off my new purchases.. Stick with me on obsessiondujour to see how I'm working my new pieces and mixing in things I already own over the next few weeks, and months. Here's to hoping it doesn't go Arctic before I get a chance to wear my transitional items.. Love and kisses, Tara xox