Hitting the capital.

One of my all-time favourite places in the country is London. Despite being a complete country girl who lives in the middle of nowhere and feels completely small-town in anywhere remotely resembling a city, I just can't get enough of the capital. I try to go there at least once every year, generally lured in for the shops.. This time I went up with a friend and as well as blasting our way around Oxford Street we also went to the Christian Louboutin 20 year exhibition at the Design Museum, which was a completely beautiful celebration of a shoe genius! I wanted to stroke every pair in there. 

Blazer - Bershka; Top, Bag, Earrings & Cross Bracelet - Topshop; Skirt - River Island; Tights - Primark; Shoes - New Look; Cuff & Ring - H&M.

My trusty peach blazer got another outing today, working with one of my favourite cute summer prints - fruit print a la D&G, in the form of my cherry print skirt. I like the way the lace top stops me looking too covered up considering the high neckline, and the cute peter pan collar is just sweet. I had originally planned to wear this outfit without tights, but since the weather was pretty typically british (aka rainy) I had to add them in. I like all of the light, bright tones of this outfit, which make me stand out in the busy London crowds!

Here you have seen me looking like a complete tourist taking my outfit photo on Tower Bridge, and I am sure you will have clocked the shopping bags in my hand.. Well, they deserve their own post, so coming soon is my Oxford Street haul!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

PS. I am going to Paris tomorrow for a few days, so I may not be very vocal on the blog. I will try to post some more (such as my London buys) while I am away but I might get carried away living it up a la Parisienne.. So for now, au revoir et a bientot mes amies.

Getting a social life again.

I have returned from the first few days of celebrating my freedom (woo!) and have plenty of things to show you all.. First up is a quick outfit post - I wore this a few days ago to town with some friends, and fully enjoyed being out on a weekday instead of in college! Before you ask, the slightly psychotic smile is clearly me relishing the moment. It was the best photo, honest.

Blazer - Bershka; Top, Skirt, Cuff & Ring - H&M; Shoes - New Look; Tights - Primark; Necklace, Cross Bracelet & Bag - Topshop; Earrings - Miss Selfridge.

Despite the large volume of black in this outfit, it still looks pretty light and bright thanks to my uplifting peach blazer, bright shoes and pastel bag. The smile probably doesn't hurt either! I was again quite restrained on print, wearing more simple colour-block separates with a butterfly print vest. I adore this vest because the print is quite dreamy and summery, and goes well with my light pleated skirt. Although I say this outfit is quite light and summer-ready, I would love the chance to be able to wear tops without a jacket or blazer, or being able to go out with bare legs and not be all over goosebumps..

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Out and about again.

Yesterday afternoon I had a good catch-up with Florence, one of my closest friends, which consisted mostly of inhabiting a corner of Costa for a few hours and making a coffee last a long time.. But obviously I couldn't be in town without going into a few little shops! I know, I just keep shopping - maybe I have a spending addiction or something, but I just love shopping. The thrill of new clothes and knowing you look your absolute best are possibly the best feelings in the world, or at least good enough to make getting up for college worthwhile. This is what I wore to go to town..

Blazer - Blanco; Shorts - H&M; T-shirt - Pull & Bear; Shoes - Topshop; Bag - H! by Henry Holand; Tights - Primark; Bracelet - Temporary Secretary; Necklace - Accessorize.

I finally got up the courage to wear my peach pastel blazer, and I am glad I did. My black blazer is one of the most basic items in my wardrobe and goes with everything, which means it has an air of security around it, whereas the pastel blazer is a lot more of a statement. I absolutely love it though, and the way it makes me feel so much more bright and summery. It works well with these patterned shorts, which I also adore, and a simple print tee to make a casual, cute spring look. I also really like the colour mix of the peach blazer and the purple bag. I tried out a few of my new makeup buys too - the gold colour tattoo eyeshadow and popsticks lipstick, so expect a review soon.

I am not going to lie, the majority of my shopping haul this time came from Primark. Endlessly ridiculed as poor quality, cheap and tacky, Primark doesn't have the best rep on the high street, and I will admit that finding good items in there is like panning for gold - you've got to pick through a lot of dirt first.

 

This baroque print vest was such good value that I couldn't say no. I love a bold print and this will be perfect for some clashing - it's bold, bright and just the right side of trashy. And since this is a long top and I am really short, it will work as a dress over leggings for me!

Getting my five-a-day just got easier! With this fruit and veg print sundress I can look cute, quirky and healthy all summer. It may be just a simple dress, and might not last long, but with such transient trends a quick way to capture the look is just what I need.

I really do buy too many shirts. But there are just so many cute variations out there - patterned, sheer, printed, embellished, coloured, waterfall hem.. It is all too easy to buy and wear loads of them. They also go with any separates and are perfect for layering. This particular shirt was a must-buy thanks to the embellished collar, which just oozes tribal chic and will add interest to simplistic outfits.

After Primark I hit Miss Selfridge. I already had one thing in mind..

I may not do sportswear, but I do do retro glamour, and I am up for getting my high-driff out! Oh, and high-driff is the top part of your stomach - don't show belly button, but do bare some flesh this season. I love the lace detail on this bra top, and it is the perfect way to start out with bralets since it is in a simple shape and colour. I'll be pairing this with some of my many high-waisted items to hit the 1950s look.

I just couldn't resist a bit of sale jewellery! These earrings will be perfect with any tops that don't suit necklaces, and will create quite a statement. The ring is also a statement, and I love the sun shape because it makes me think of summer, my favourite season. The spikes could be a bit deadly though, so don't get on my bad side when I'm wearing it!

And that is the summary of yet another day out shopping - are there any other kinds of day out for me? What do you all think of my purchases? Also, I just wanted to say thankyou to everyone who has followed me and been commenting on my posts - it means a lot to me that anyone reads my posts and likes what I am saying.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

On holidad part two - the purchases.

As promised here comes a quick show-and-tell of my Madrid shopping haul, disappointingly small though it is. It was mostly the product of a last-day shopping frenzy, although I did try not to waste all my Euros..

The first thing that got me was a pair of sunglasses on the first or second day, since I had forgotten to pack mine! I was caught by these in H&M and decided that they were a very practical, yet stylish purchase.

I love the classic, Wayfarer-esque shape that means they will go with most outfits. I actually have some Wayfarers in black, and I adore them, so getting a similar style in another pattern makes sense (to me at least). The again classic tortoiseshell print gives this style a chic twist and adds a bit of interest. I got a fair bit of use out of these on the trip itself and can see myself living in them on any future holidays thanks to their versatility and the fact they were so cheap I won't mind subjecting them to a bit of a battering.

Next, my eye was caught by a gorgeous blazer in Bershka..

It's a little plane-crumpled from being squeezed into my cabin-baggage suitcase, but I think you can still see how beautifully summery it is. I have been contemplating a coloured blazer for what seems like forever - basically since I discovered how versatile and incredible the black one could be! Since head-to-toe pastels is a bit of a trend this season I thought that if I was going to go for one, pastel was the way to go, and this stunning peach shade was perfect. It is also really well fitted, even on a petite girl of 5'0. I think it must have been intended to be cropped, but that just means it is a perfect length on me. I also love the bold black button and striped turn-ups on the sleeves for that extra little detail.

At every turn I was drawn to tropical print shirts, and in Blanco I finally caved and bought this one.

I wasn't initially sure about this blouse, but the print certainly attracted my attention. Then I saw one of the shop assistants wearing it and really liked the cut and how it fell on a person, which made my decision for me. I didn't even try it on, I just picked it up in an XS (European sizing was mind-boggling to me) and bought it. Now I am back home I am so glad I did, I love the bright, beautiful print of a beach - palm trees, flowers, sea and all - and can't wait to wear it. This will be a perfect piece for day all through spring and summer.

I also decided to replace my purse, since it was getting rather battered and saw this one in Blanco too.

I absolutely love how chic this purse looks, how simple and classic it is with that clean shape and gold detail. My favourite thing about it however is the colour combination - it is the perfect way to work a pop of yellow into my wardrobe.

Finally, I got a bit overexcited in Muji. I don't know what it is, but their practical-meets-quirky take on useful things just pulls me in like a moth to an electric light. 

Something about cute stationary can attract me and excite me in a similar way to clothes. I don't know what it is - maybe a desire to accessorize absolutely everything. All I know is that I had to force myself to stop with just a black rubber, two pens and a notebook. The pens are in rose-pink and sky-blue and are possibly too beautiful to ever write with. And the notebook, well, that I just could not leave behind - it is tiny and has rainbow coloured pages. Isn't it the cutest? I don't know if I will want to waste it with my trivial scribblings, but I love it anyway.

And there you have my actually quite restrained and small set of purchases from Madrid - what do you all think? Worth it?

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

Successful sale-diving.

Only three days ago I was distinctly disappointed by the slightly rubbish sales this year, and determined to avoid them and focus on my wishlist instead.. Well. With much of my wishlist accounted for and (hopefully) winging its way over to me now through the great British postal system, that idea went out the window when a slightly impromptu trip to town took place today. That and the fact that my purse was full of money just begging to be exchanged for gorgeous things.. Since it is definitely still winter and it was raining quite profusely earlier, I went for a more wrapped-up look this morning..

Cape & Earrings - Topshop; Shorts - Primark; Boots & Clutch - New Look; Tights - F&F at Tesco; Gloves - Accessorize.

Well, I say wrapped up.. my top half was definitely cosy in my beautiful cape coat (which is making its second appearance of the winter!), but I decided to take it in a bit more of a smart, ladylike and almost retro direction. Hence the tailored shorts, diamond-pattern tights, knee high boots, oversize clutch and smart gloves - I can't tell you how dressed up I felt! The chic gloves were the element that made me feel most retro-fabulous, since they were my little hint to Audrey Hepburn and that time when no lady went out without her gloves... I did spend much of my time elegantly pulling them on and off though, to get money out of my purse, to try things on and to use my phone, which leads me to question their practicality. That won't stop me wearing them though! I am not going to lie, I got quite a few looks in town - I suppose that the retro gloves, very loud heeled boots and cape had something to do with it? But ah well, this just means my look was a success - I got noticed!

I did mention that today's foray into the sales was a little more successful, and it really, really was. In my opinion I snapped up some real bargains that are also perfect for the coming SS '12 season, and I honestly don't know how I didn't find them on Boxing Day!

My first finds came in Topshop, in the form of some of their gorgeous jewellery.. I had been admiring this fox ring for many months, but the price tag always put me off, so when it was on sale (half price!) I snapped it up. And then I spotted this statement necklace, with its distinctive twisted, almost Celtic design - perfect for adding an edge to any otherwise plain outfits. Topshop, I love you.

 This dress is so stunning, I could probably write a whole post dedicated to it.. and I just might if there is a slow day. But anyway, I found this in River Island, and there was only this single, solitary dress on the rail, on sale from £60 to £25.. I was very lucky that it happened to be in my size. Basically, as soon as I saw this amazing dress I knew I had to have it - literally only the other day I was saying how much I wanted a 20s, flapper-esque dress, and this one just presented itself to me. I literally adore how flapper-girl it is, and how intricate and delicate the beading is. It's this embellishment that makes it look way more expensive than it was, especially the scalloped, embellished hem. I'll stop raving about it now shall I?

After the amazing discovery in RI, I stumbled euphorically into New Look, only to have my excitement increased by finding these stunning shoes - the perfect thing to team with my new dress, as well as many other things, and only a tenner! Shot-GUN.

The last things I picked up were some ridiculously cheap tights from Primark, the mini-dot ones to replace the ones that were mauled by the dogs up at my granny's house, and the circle-pattern ones simply because they look pretty cool.

So yes, I would say the sales have definitely made a better impression this time around! That's not to say the stock wasn't 99% ugly/out of season/just not my thing, but this time I managed to find the diamonds in amongst the coal.. And as if that wasn't enough, the first item from my post-Christmas online spending spree

was waiting for me when I got home.

My incredibly scruffy, battered and well-loved Topshop blazer, a faithful companion of the last 18 or so months has been worn practically threadbare, and is now being replaced by this gorgeous, brand-spanking-new blazer from ASOS. It is very, very similar, only slight differences in the sleeves, pockets and lining are noticeable, and it fits like a glove. I am looking forward to getting just as much wear, love and loyalty out of this baby over the next year or so..

And that's my sale-tastic day for you all! The final announcement to make is that I am getting a little broke again.. good thing my paycheck just came through. But while I will miss the fleeting security of knowing I had hundreds of squids stashed in my purse, I am going to enjoy my new purchases so much more. Love and kisses, Tara xox