London haul.

Bonjour mes chers, from sunny Paris! I am attempting to keep up with blogging a bit and have pre-written this before I left England...

Brace yourseves, this is gonna be a long one.. So go grab a cuppa and settle in for a little parade of my latest buys from the Shangri-La of high street shopping - Oxford Street. I keep on saying that I need to save money, and that I have a lot of clothes and could probably get by without many more, but when confronted with that surreal level of shopping heaven, I cave. And I cave big time..

FOREVER 21

There is no Forever 21 near me, so I hit this one hard! I love the 1920s feel of the first top, it will be ideal for going out, and the other pieces were picked up in the sale for my upcoming summer holiday.

H&M

This top was just so Mary Katrantzou, I couldn't resist!

 NEW LOOK

Gonna get my retro on in this dress from Kelly Brook for New Look. Hello, Marilyn.

TOPSHOP

Me at the Topshop sale is like a kid in a sweet shop.. restraint was impossible. I ended up unable to resist a new cute sweatshirt, yet another gorgeous print, some sweet detailing and with a bit more 1920s fever.

JEWELLERY

Here's a motley collection of my jewellery buys.. All gorgeous, all irresistible. Stud Earrings & Shell Earrings - Forever 21. Bracelet & Ring - Topshop. Ear Cuff - H&M.

SELFRIDGES

I was in heaven in the Food Hall, and ended up treating myself to something naughty but nice - Pink Vodka. Gorgeous. And anywhere that gives you free tasters of vodka at 12.30pm is alright by me.

Finally, the end of my London haul.. I have got some gorgeous pieces.. and not much money! Any favourites among my picks? I can't choose - I love them all.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

If money was no object.

Constantly reading fashion magazines full of expensive things was bound to get to me one day, so today I compiled a list of the things I would buy if I had limitless money (or a very rich boyfriend). I don't even want to add up this imaginary spending spree.. 

1. Mary Katrantzou print dress.

2. Burberry trench coat.

3. Valentino Pre Fall/Winter 2012 asymmetric dress.

4. Prada flame shoes.

5. Mulberry Del Rey bag.

6. Christian Louboutin spike embellished heels.

7. Balmain gold embellished jacket.

8. Miu Miu gold 40s style sunglasses.

9. Prada earrings.

10. Guiseppe Zanotti heel-less heels.

The cost of this lot doesn't bear thinking about.. However they would all add in to one killer wardrobe! Maybe one day I will be rich/famous/important enough to be able to justify buying these sorts of beautiful things but for now a girl can dream..

What would you go and buy if you could spend any ridiculous amount of money?

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Happy birthday to me..

Apologies for not blogging yesterday, but I was rather distracted since I turned 18! Yes, I am now officially an adult & was consequently enjoying my new adulthood instead of keeping up with the posts.. It was a pretty perfect 18th, even though I had an exam and had to be in college. Then again, getting to spend the day with my friends was definitely worth the early morning start and exam nerves. 

I actually got up extra-early because there was no way I was waiting until the evening to rip my way into my presents - I'll post the haul soon I promise! Then when I got into college one of my friends had made me a cake (decorated with some yummy strawberries) and since I had an exam second I spent first lesson chilling and reminiscing with my friends.. Then the exam rolled around and I actually wasn't half as nervous as I thought, I was barely even hyperventilating! And when the examiner, my teacher and the other girl in my class sang 'Cumpleanos Feliz' to me I decided there was no way I could be nervous - the exam might even have gone okay. 

After that we tucked in to said cake for lunch (it was gorgeous), then I went in to town with a few friends. Finally I topped it all off by getting my first legal drink in a pub near my college - vodka and coke is fast becoming 'my drink'. Funny thing is, they didn't even ID me..

This is what I wore during the day for my 18th birthday - this outfit was purely fun, with cute pieces I just wanted to wear for no specific reason other than they are super-sweet.

Jumper - Topshop; Skirt - River Island; Tights & Shoes - Primark; Necklace - Tiffany; Earrings & Ring - Vivienne Westwood.

This kitsch cherry-print skirt was just screaming out to be worn - I adore fruit prints, especially when combined with such a gorgeous retro shape. I didn't want to kill said shape by layering a jacket over the top, so to combat the disappointing April weather I paired it with this loose-knit mint green jumper from Topshop, which also has a slightly retro feel due to the pastel hue. I just love how cute and playful this look is, which is the perfect mood for a birthday! 

I know I said I would do a present haul later on, but after unwrapping so much gorgeous jewellery I just couldn't resist wearing some of it! Honestly, since 18 is such a big year people were willing to spend loads of money on me for things I could keep forever - hello Tiffany's. And a bit of Vivienne Westwood never goes amiss. I adore these classic pieces because they are truly timeless, and because I am a Tiffany girl at heart - especially after seeing Breakfast At Tiffany's and falling in love with Audrey Hepburn. That necklace is probably my favourite present of all.

Oh, and this little beauty of a picture is me with my first legal drink in a pub - that moment had to be preserved forever. 

The second and third legal drinks followed that evening because I went out for a meal with my parents, since on such a big birthday there should be some family time. I loved the chance to dress up and show off another outfit!

Dress - Mary Katrantzou for Topshop; Blazer & Shoes - ASOS; Bracelet - Pandora; Earrings & Ring - Vivienne Westwood; Necklace - Tiffany.

I have been waiting to wear this stunning shift dress ever since I got it, but there was never an event that felt quite right.. But since it was my birthday I decided I could wear whatever I wanted. I absolutely adore the gorgeous print - there really is no designer who creates prints like Mary Katrantzou, and that is why she is possibly my favourite designer of the moment. I decided to keep the rest of the outfit simple, opting for my black blazer to frame the print and sticking with my classic silver jewellery. I then also took the opportunity to wear my killer platforms - they're so impractical but gorgeous!

The meal out was awesome - we went to my favourite Thai restaurant and ate so much I thought I would explode. I also had some more vodka and diet coke (definitely my drink), and some Jack Daniels on the rocks, which was actually pretty good. Maybe I'm a whisky girl!

All in all, a pretty beautiful birthday, and I am now ready to face the world as an adult with responsibilities.. except when it comes to going out, then I may go a little insane! But otherwise I am ready to take responsibility for myself, not need parental permission, and even be able to vote..

Love and kisses, Tara xox

I love print.

As the title suggests, I love print. I mean seriously love it. Big and bold, cute and ditzy, tribal, polka dots, stripes, monochrome, multicoloured... I love all permutations of print. I know some people can be scared of print, especially this season's penchant for clashing two or more together, but I cannot get enough prints in my wardrobe. Don't get me wrong, I can adore plain or block-coloured pieces too, but there is just something about a gorgeous, eye-catching print that excites me. And of course, thanks to my huge print obsession, one of my favourite designers is the genius that is Mary Katrantzou - and today I wore one of her pieces.

Blazer & Earrings - Topshop; Shirt (worn as dress) - Mary Katrantzou for Topshop; Leggings - Miss Selfridge; Shoes - Primark; Belt - Malene Birger; Necklace (just seen under collar) - New Look; Cuff - H&M.

Okay, so it's not mainline Katrantzou, but no way could I afford that! However, I did manage to get my paws on this and a few other things in the massive fashion moment that was Mary's collaboration with Topshop.. and this is the first time I have worn this piece. I'll own up - it's a shirt. But since I am on the smaller side and could only manage to pick this up in a medium, it qualifies as a dress. At least with something underneath it does. Now to be honest, I've never really been a 'leggings-and-a-top' girl, at least not when I'm not lazing around my house, but I just felt like leggings were the way to go with this shirt/dress. I opted for a slightly sheeny, almost wet-look pair (remember that trend from a few years back?) and I quite like the juxtaposition of textures with the sheer, chiffony shirt.

My absolute favourite thing of today's look is of course the stunning digital floral print - it's bright, bold, beautiful, interesting, eye-catching, statement-making and somehow really easy to wear for day. Mary Katrantzou truly is the master of prints.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

A double dose of style.

Catch-up time! Since yesterday was all about my amazing night seeing Florence & The Machine, my Monday college style got passed over.. So today's post is a double-up of Monday & Tuesday's looks, both of which were designed to make my sleep deprivation less noticeable. I have nearly caught up on my ZZZs now, but I still nearly nodded off on the bus a few times. 

Also, since it is March, the coats have been well and truly packed away because it is officially Spring, so these looks may have been a little impractical for the windy weather, but since when was I practical? And as Kylie says, a girl's gotta suffer for fashion! Here's Monday's style..

Blazer & Skirt - ASOS; Top & Necklace - New Look; Belt - H&M; Shoes & Bracelet - Topshop; Tights & Ring - Primark; Bead Bracelet - Accessorize; Earrings - bought in India.

Apologies for terrible light! It was early in the morning.. Anyway. The basis for this look was the tribal trend of SS'12, which is one of the key looks. I bought this top on Saturday and was keen to wear it, and then I remembered this gorgeous tribal skirt that I had from a few years back (it's a bit big now, but nothing a belt can't fix!). I love the idea of mixing prints, and the tribal look lends itself so well to that because it is just so more-is-more. Of course, I had to put my own stamp on the tribal look with my beloved blazer, and some glam gold accessories.

And here comes Tuesday, yet another bright look.

Blazer - ASOS; Jeans & Ring - H&M; T-shirt - Mary Katrantzou for Topshop; Shoes - New Look; Bracelet - Pull & Bear; Earrings - Topshop.

Again, not the best light I have ever seen.. Sorry. Today's outfit started off with my gorgeous Mary Katrantzou for Topshop t-shirt, making its debut. I am still completely in love with the digitized floral print, which manages to combine modern cool with a romantic spring print - that's the genius of Mary. It is also amazingly well cut in a beautiful-feeling material, so it was definitely worth the frantic shopping & the pricetag! I styled it with my blazer to add structure, then tucked it into my metallic skinny jeans which add much-needed colour, and another SS'12 twist.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Finally, some Katrantzou is mine..

The first day back after half term is always pretty painful, especially the February half term when you realise there is only a term and a half left of the year. I am currently half way through my final year in college, getting prepped to sit MAJOR exams, and slightly freaking out. So excuse me if from now on my blogging gets more and more rushed and makes less and less sense...

Anyway, to cheer up such an unattractive prospect as the first day back, I decided to go bold with what I was wearing, and also try to compliment my new hair (which I am still not used to).

Blazer - ASOS; Blouse - Lefties; Jeans - H&M; Slippers - New Look; Belt - Primark; Necklace & Bracelet - Accessorize; Earrings & Ring - Topshop.

When trying to step out of the ordinary and rev up a day-to-day outfit, metallic jeans are a fail-safe option, especially in this glamorous gold. Metallics are not just for party season anymore either - they are shaping up to be one of SS'12's big trends for day and night. To dress mine down (but still chic) for day I went for a matchy-matchy coral blouse and slippers combo, topped off with my black blazer which is probably overworn already.. A quick slick of lipstick, some cute gold accessories, ten minutes spent styling my (new) hair and I was good to go!

Now, the outfit wasn't the only way that this first day back was brightened up - oh no. I am sure you are all aware that a certain Mary Katrantzou for Topshop collection dropped last Friday, and that I was absolutely desperate to get my little paws on a piece or two.. Well, I'm ecstatic to say I was successful, and today I arrived home to this..
 

3 gorgeous little (well, quite large actually) packages waiting for me. And inside were 3 beautiful pieces of Mary Katrantzou's genius collaboration.

First up is this cute floral print t-shirt. Mary's latest catwalk was all about florals, so it doesn't surprise me that she has continued to use them as an inspiration. I love the graphic, digital blooms on this black top, and the sleek, slightly oversized cut makes it perfect for tucking in or wearing straight out. I foresee some print mixing with this little baby!

The second piece, and possibly my favourite overall is this absolutely incredible blouse. If I loved the digital floral prints on the first top, I think it's safe to say my brain is overloaded with love for these stunning computer-generated flowers. The unnaturally bright hues and soaring, swirling petals that sprawl across the soft, chiffon-like sheer fabric of the blouse are simply breathtaking in my opinion. When I finally looked past the aesthetics of this shirt, I did get slightly confused though.. both sides have a collar, so until I saw the label I was honestly baffled as to which way round it was supposed to be worn, since the 'back' and 'front' are both equally gorgeous. If you trust the label, the buttons go on the back, but I may end up wearing it both ways round just because it looks beautiful from all angles.

The last thing I managed to snap up on Friday was this beautiful shift dress. Usually I stay away from shift dresses, due to my height, but this one is incredible. Again, the digital print is so eye-catching I can't tear my eyes off it, especially that stylized bird. Mary Katrantzou is literally a creative genius for designing something this gorgeous and this wearable, and making it so affordable that a humble little Topshop girl like myself can own it.

Along with the purchases came a *free* Mary Katrantzou for Topshop printed bag.. And since it took 3 separate orders to get my 3 pieces, I am now the proud owner of 3 of these bags!

These are also amazing, and I can't believe they were just giving them away with the orders! I am also glad I have three, because now one can be kept pristine and the other two can be used, abused and shown off. 

I am completely in love with my Mary Katrantzou for Topshop haul - I am now the proud owner of three gorgeous, bold and wearable pieces by arguably my favourite designer of the moment! I can't wait to wear the pieces, although it feels a waste just to wear them to college.. but then letting them gather dust in their garment bags feels equally wasteful. I guess I will just have to see what special occasions come up soon.. 

What do you all think of my Mary Katrantzou gems? Did anyone else manage to pick up any items? Love and kisses, Tara xox

Working that Katrantzou.

Okay, this one's going to be a little rushed... It's approximately 9.38pm as I type this, and all I really want is a good sleep. That's thanks to the full college day (plus driving both ways) and the hectic old shift at work, which wasn't exactly the perfect end to this half term! But there is no way I'm going to let my blogging slide, and besides, I actually loved today's outfit.

Blazer & Ring - ASOS; Dress - Mary Katrantzou for Topshop; Tights & Boots - Primark; Socks - Dorothy Perkins; Earrings - Camden market; Bracelet - Pandora.

It seems fairly simple, no? Dress + tights + blazer + boots is like fashion 1,2,3 for the perfect daytime outfit - and in principle this is a very basic look. But as with all of my other 'simple' styling, the devil is in the detail, most of which comes from this gorgeous dress! It's from Mary Katrantzou's previous Topshop collection & I decided that even though it is party perfect, I simply could not hold on long enough before wearing it and so I added some pieces that give it a slightly tough, structured and even mismatched feel. The body-con style of this t-shirt dress (which really is unforgiving - no more cake for me!) is countered by the blazer and boots, which manage to make it casual enough for day. My favourite little style detail from today though is the way my almost chilli-orange-coral lipstick pops against the otherwise simple colour palette - it's a little unexpected and just raises the look from simple to stylish. I could rave on about how much I love Mary Katrantzou now, especially since I just realised that this time next week her Topshop collection will have dropped, but I'll suffice it to say that she is my current favourite designer, which is saying a lot when you consider just how gorgeous the latest D&G, Louis Vuitton & Mulberry collections are...

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Getting carried away.

You've heard all my moans about college, early mornings and the great British weather a million times, and I don't want every post on here to turn into a mini life rant, so instead of dwelling on any of that slightly depressing stuff I am just going to go off on a bit of an overexcited word vomit.. Warning, I may not be able to control my excitement at times - read on at the risk of some serious underlining, exclamation marks and severely garbled sentences.

Blazer - Asos; Dress - Internacionale; Shoes, Ring & Earrings - Topshop; Belt & Tights - Primark; Bracelet - Temporary Secretary.
Sorry about the blurry picture.. not blaming the photographer though (got that Mum?), it is probably my silly digital camera trying to be clever and not use flash, before making a hash of the shot. Clever. Anyway, today I admittedly went all back-to-black without even thinking about it. Usually I shy away from top-to-toe black, preferring to frame my brighter pieces with any black items, but today it just felt right as a combination. I think the thing that stops this outfit falling flat as boring is the detail - the block-white hemline, patterned tights, glitter pumps, pink snakeskin belt & bright lips definitely perk up the black and add detail. One thing that was always going for this outfit is that black is an eternally chic colour, which most fashion editors would swear by..

And here comes the excitement. Sometime in the morning, while I was being all studious in lessons I got a text from my friend with awesome news - Lady Gaga tweeted her stage set idea today! It looks incredible, and now I am ridiculously excited about the Born This Way Ball, it is literally going to be the night of my life. I am already planning how to get in the monsterpit with my gorgeous Becca, so we can get dragged out to meet Stefani.. okay, maybe I'm getting carried away! But it's going to be absolutely AMAZING. Just think of the fashion! And seeing one of my greatest inspirations up close...

Here is the stage design... I'm not even close to Christian/religious and I am suffering heart palpitations.
 

As if that wasn't enough, I also picked up this week's Grazia and saw a piece on the Mary Katrantzou for Topshop collection that drops in ten days time. The pieces look absolutely incredible, so creative, so unique and pretty similar to some of her catwalk collections. There is no question, I have to have something from this collection. My friends probably thought the prices were still a bit ridiculous, but compared to the real Katrantzou deal all of the items are a complete steal. I already have my eye on a few dresses, and possibly a top, but unfortunately pictures are evading me. Go buy Grazia! Oh, and I also saw a few photos from the Marni for H&M collection - not as incredible as the Mary Katrantzou collaboration, but still definitely beautiful enough to make me want to cyber-stalk the website on the 8th March in the hope of picking up a piece or two. 

The combined excitement of the two fashion collections would probably have been enough to send me into hyperventilation (and honestly, they did - don't judge me), but then add in the Born This Way Ball and the promise of a visit with my lovely Becca, and I am literally out-of-this-world euphoric. The anticipation may kill me. Love and kisses, Tara xox

I never check the weather report.

Jumper & Earrings - Topshop; Denim Shirt - River Island; Jeans & Slippers - New Look; Ring - Accessorize.

Laughing in the face of the -8 degrees that it apparently was this morning, I decided that I was sick to death of my winter coats. Okay, in all fairness I did not realise how cold it was when I left the house, I didn't hear that ridiculous temperature until I got into college, but I still noted the frost and elected not to wear a coat. I will probably rethink this decision if it gets much chillier (or stays the same) but for now I can't quite bear to pick one up.. I did however layer up a little with my denim shirt and slouchy, oversized, chunky knit jumper, and the jeans were close to sensible. My poor little feet did get quite frozen - but it was so worth it to wear my sweet new slippers, which I got a fair few compliments on! This look is quite different to yesterday's, but like always, it perfectly summed up my mood - comfortable, slightly masculine, and pretty quirky. It is also the closest to minimal I will go.

Today felt quite pointless, in terms of the effort needed to go to college only to waste my morning with a free period in the canteen & a cancelled lesson in town, then go to double history in the afternoon and not really do that much productive work... Admittedly, I would have been even less productive at home, and yes, it was fun to hang out with my friends, but still. The point still stands that by the time I was on the way home I was a little unimpressed with today (the cold didn't help anything) and was therefore even more excited to get a mystery package from my mum, which turned out to be... a dress from Mary Katrantzou's previous Topshop collection!

It's no secret that Mary Katrantzou is probably my favourite designer right now, because her designs are so unique and inspiring, and it's pretty obvious that I am waiting with baited breath for the Topshop collection to drop. I wish I had a few thousand to invest in one of her latest catwalk pieces, but since I don't I will be frantically hitting the Topshop website on February 17th at 9am to try and get my paws on a gorgeous piece from the collaboration. Anyway, apparently my mum wanted to make sure I owned some Katrantzou even if the Topshop collection slips through my fingers like the second Versace for H&M collection did, so she found me a dress from a previous collection!

I love the simple T-shirt shape of this dress, as well as the incredible graphic print - this is the perfect statement day dress. I cannot wait to wear it, and I am so happy to have it now because it is a little piece of Mary's genius.. I will just have to not get too fat over the weekend, since it is pretty unforgiving (it's very bodycon). This was the perfect end to the week, now that my collection of designer collaborations is growing and has been expanded by my designer of choice, Mary Katrantzou!

I just realised that the Topshop collaboration drops in two weeks time - excitement! And the next collaboration I am awaiting after that is Marni for H&M on March 8th. H&M and Topshop apparently have the best designer buddies. Love and kisses, Tara xox