Stylist's block.

Today, despite all my talk of being able to conjure up outfits from the top of my head, I literally had one of those 'argghhhh' moments where I had no idea what to wear. It happens to the best of us - you wake up and your brain just goes blank. This means that while I was mentally rifling through my clothes (I know every single item of clothing I own, and where to find it) I was coming up with nothing. Frustrating. So I decided to go for one of the simplest outfits I've worn in a long time, a failsafe look that can be pulled together even on annoyingly un-creative days.

Blouse - Lefties; Jeans - Dorothy Perkins; Blazer - Topshop; Boots - New Look; Belt - Primark; Earrings - Topshop; Necklace - Accessorize; Bracelet - Pull & Bear; Ring - Parfois.
This look was unbelievably simple to pull together because it really is just my style staples paired up and styled up for a clean, basic and chic look - which is why I am glad I recently realized the value of wardrobe basics and made sure I had some (like jeans, a blazer and long boots) ready to whip out on days when I'm unsure of what to wear. Boots and jeans are a classic combo, and these suede effect ones add a cool 70s style twist, while the bright colour of the blouse keeps it interesting, and a black blazer is another classic autumn cover up. The accessories add cute detail, like the floral skinny belt, and propel this style from simple and boring to clean and chic. Even if I do feel a little Middleton-ish here, it's a look I would happily emulate another day.. but of course not with the exact same clothes! Love and kisses, Tara xox

Okay, I'll admit it's cold now.

I've been denying it's really winter for weeks now, and refusing to wear a coat in October (it would just be depressing), but today I will accept that it's cold. This is for one simple reason - this afternoon I had my first hot chocolate of winter! I was in town with a few friends and it just got ridiculously chilly.. so a gorgeous warm hot chocolate was ideal. It is one of my winter vices, and now I've had one I don't think I'll be able to stop. Anyway, since it is now officially cold, I'm not sure I wore enough clothes..

Top, Shorts & Shoes - New Look; Blazer - Topshop; Tights - Primark; Ring - Dorothy Perkins; Bracelet - ASOS; Earrings - TU at Sainsburys.
I'm pretty chuffed with the utter bargain that was this top in the sales, it's just so sweet! And the tights make the whole look a little more quirky and interesting, while the scallop edge & bow detail echo the collar of my top, making it cohesive and cute. I also decided to be a little brave today and wear my hair fully up - my hair is like a fashion safety blanket because I know it is one of my better features and so it saves most outfits. Therefore pulling it back and exposing my face/shoulders is a little uncomfortable for me, but I like to step out of my comfort zone from time to time.. Love and kisses, Tara xox

Breaking out the faux fur means it's officially cold.

Recently I've gotten a bit swept up in the faux fur trend, and bought some super-cute fur cuffs and a collar from ASOS (love that store!). But since it's only October I've been refusing to give in and start wearing any of my really wintery gear like coats, gloves or chunky scarves.. and the faux fur got included in that group. Today though, I just woke up feeling the urge to play with texture, and a serious longing to finally wear some of my fabulous faux..

Jumper Dress & Faux Fur Collar - ASOS; Tights, Shoes & Belt - Primark; Bracelet - Pull & Bear; Ring - New Look; Earrings - Topshop.
I'm not going to lie to you, this outfit was put together around the collar. I've said that I wake up with a feeling for what I want to wear, and it was practically screaming at me.. so I put together a look with quite a retro feel to complement the vintage-style glamour of a fur collar. I stuck mostly to black and grey, but added some classically glamorous colour pops with the red lipstick and belt, and cute details with the bow heels and a pair of seam backed tights.And no, of course I wasn't too overdressed for college.. okay, maybe I was. But I think everyone is used to me by now. Love and kisses, Tara xox

Fashion Confession.

Okay, major apologies.. it's been a while since I shared my little fashion-life-style secrets with you all. And now I bet this one is going to be the mother of all anticlimaxes. It's kind of linked to my musings yesterday on why wardrobes should be dressing up boxes (if you missed it, check it out.. sidebar. hint hint.) but here goes.

I have split fashion personalities.

You've probably noticed that while my look is quite cohesive thanks to the blunt fringe hair, ever-present ring and general air of girlie-ness, I hardly dress the same every day. I don't even rock the same style. Take last week for example - Monday felt ladylike, Tuesday was more fetish, Wednesday was just the ultimate in cosy-chic, Thursday went uber-feminine, Friday delved into quirky layering and Saturday was a mix of girlie and heritage. While I know that pretty much everyone likes to work a different trend every day and keep their look varied, I honestly think I have fashion schizophrenia.

Since I can't get inside other people's heads, I can't tell if it really is just me, but I find that not only do I dress differently, I think differently every day too. Of course, the clothes you wear have an impact on how you think -  but I wear my clothes, they don't wear me! I have always said I dress for my changing mood, and I really do. I will wake up on any given day and feel completely different to the previous day, which is why I can change looks quite radically. What else is weird is that whatever I am wearing at the time feels like the real me, leaving previous looks feeling like costumes for a character, but I know that come tomorrow it won't reflect the personality/feelings I have then.

Now, am I just crazy? Or is it totally normal to be a different girl every day of the week? Clothes should vary, but maybe mine vary too much. Or maybe it's just a little strange to be so radically changed from one day to the next. Like I said, I can't read any other girls' minds and see if they think like me.. so, help me out? Tell me, is this normal, or am I a bit of a fashion freak? Love and kisses, Tara xox

Kicking off the last week of this half term in style.

Finally, finally, I only have to make it through one more week of college (now only 4 days!) before it's half term. And you know what that means.. parties, shopping, (paid) work and most importantly of all, lie ins! Cannot wait. Even if I'll probably get a mountain of homework, because my classes show no sign of gearing down for the holidays, I'm looking forward to some time off. Being on the last week of half term is no excuse to slack on the fashion front though!

Blazer - Topshop; Top & Necklace - New Look; Skirt - Internacionale; Ankle Boots & Belt - H&M; Tights - Primark; Bag - River Island; Ring - Dorothy Perkins; Earrings - TU at Sainsbury's.

Clashing up two rather hot patterns here with the oh-so-now aztec top and leopard skirt - I was feeling a little brave and bold today! I wasn't convinced that it would work, but keeping the styling clean and simple really let the clash stand out. Tan boots and an obi belt are just cool and unusual enough that it isn't boring though, and a black blazer just pulls everything together. And just for once, note the plain tights - patterns would have been overkill, so I reined myself in.

Also, since I'm not working till Saturday I took the chance to try out another new nail polish colour..

This time I went for KIKO Nail Lacquer in 299 - yes, another metallic! But this one's a gorgeous, almost sparkling navy blue that really catches the light and looks super cool with basically anything. The sad thing is I bought this polish back in August, in Madrid, and this is the first time I've worn it. Boo. Worth the wait though, because it's stunning. But who knows when it'll come out again? Love and kisses, Tara xox

Your wardrobe should be a dressing up box.

I don't mean like a little girl's, all feather boas, angel wings and insanely glittery makeup, and however much I enjoy a good fancy dress party I wouldn't go out in a costume set on an average day. But as I've always said, overdressed beats underdressed any day of the week. So honestly, I'd rather have a bit of fun with my clothes and not quite pull it off, than stick to something middle-of-the-road all the time. And that's what I mean by making your wardrobe a dressing up box. You should be able to enjoy playing around with your clothes - getting dressed and made up for the day should be half the fun, even if you're just going to the supermarket!
 

While your wardrobe shouldn't be full of fancy dress, it's clear to see that fashion trends are made up of 'looks' and all the clothes you buy, high street or designer, will fit into one or more of those looks. These change every season, and are introduced in the world of haute couture on the runways, often with outfits so avant garde that they only make sense at a costume party, or on Lady Gaga. But even after a style has filtered down a little into more wearable items, any models still distinctly fit with the latest trends, as do looks created by any day-to-day fashionistas - celebrities, bloggers and fashion lovers alike.

Take a current trend, like 70s Studio 54 glamour, and while nobody is going to catwalk lengths of wearing the style top-to-toe with corresponding bold makeup and hair, if you are wearing the trend, you are likely to be matching a jewel tone jumpsuit with platform heels, serious jewellery and some metallic makeup. Therefore you have created a 'look', much like a costume - just more stylish. One trend that definitely errs towards dress-up is androgyny, it is literally girls dressing like boys!

I wouldn't even say your wardrobe has to be a dressing up box to fit in with the trends - you need to enjoy being creative with your clothes, so a full, fun wardrobe is essential. And I find that I dress totally differently every day, depending on my mood, so I need plenty of different items that can be put together quickly to suit whichever character I feel like on a certain day. Some days I want to be ladylike, other days I'm feeling androgynous, some days I'm into brights, others I want to huddle up in cable knit.. the list goes on. Maybe I have fashion schizophrenia, but all I know is that I can't say I always want to look the same. Hence an incredibly huge and versatile wardrobe, which is like a dressing up box that indulges my characters.

I'm not the only one either, some of my favourite style obsessions like Lady Gaga, Paloma Faith and Dita Von Teese are always dressed up, and while I might not go to extremes like they do, I admire how they dare to be different and wear clothes that match their personalities. Our clothes should be an extension of our personalities, a way to show the world who we are and how we are feeling, possibly a creative outlet. These are all very abstract things that could change in 5 minutes flat, so being able to use your wardrobe to express them is, in my opinion, incredibly fun and liberating. I love that after years of limited expression in a school uniform (the only way was pattern tights) I can now dress however I like for college.

So, really, your wardrobe should be a dressing up box, full of looks that not only make you stand out as on trend, but let you express yourself and show who you want to be for that day. And most important of all, getting dressed every morning, be it for work or play, should be just as much fun as getting ready for a costume party! Love and kisses, Tara xox

Another weekend, another shopping trip!

I made it out to town again this weekend, even if I had to go straight from work! Of course, I got changed first - no way was I going around town in my bedroom-cleaning uniform. Doesn't bear thinking about. But since this job basically funds my expensive shopping habit, I can't complain in the slightest.. and to be honest, it's a good job. But anyway, this trip basically served to make me remember why we normally go shopping early (aka 9am, when the shops open) instead of around 2pm - it's not as much fun to shop when it's crazy busy, and the queuing is just annoying! Anyway, out on my little shopping trip today I wore..

Top & Shoes - New Look; Shorts, Socks - H&M; Ring - Primark; Bracelet - ASOS; Necklace - Topshop; Earrings - Accessorize.

Coming over all English heritage today, and mixing my textures with tweed shorts, wool socks and a sheer blouse.. I think the tonal effect keeps it harmonious. And yet again, knee socks are just a bit more unexpected than tights - even though I am a self-proclaimed aficionado of pattern tights, long socks are mega. 

While out today I didn't actually buy very much.. just a few pieces of jewellery..

I had been eyeing up these stunning Topshop drop earrings for a few weeks, and finally decided to treat myself to them - I mean, it's only money! It's far better to have some gorgeous things to use, wear and love, than have a load of money sitting around in your purse. And then I just could not resist this cute necklace from New Look, not only is it a super-sweet owl (I'm a sucker for birds) but it was half price in the sale - wowzers. Even though I didn't spend much, I'm still pretty pleased with the haul today. Admittedly, the main goal of the trip into town wasn't to buy loads.. it was to get my ear pierced! I am now the proud owner of one (slightly sore) left ear with a piercing at the top! Better still, it didn't even hurt to get it done. It's only after the freeze spray wore off and blood came back to my ear that it got a little sore - nothing I can't handle though. Now I feel like I want to get something else pierced! Suggestions?? Love and kisses, Tara xox