Ladylike.

I spent the majority of last season wanting to be a vintage siren, and wearing pastels, pencil skirts and anything retro like it was going out of fashion.. and I won't stop this season! It just needs to be toughened up, updated and given the AW'12 edge. This outfit is taking you all back to August - a slightly nostalgic re-visit to my SS'12 style.

Jacket - Topshop; Bralet - Miss Selfridge; Skirt - H&M; Shoes - New Look; Bracelet - Pandora; Ring - Swarovski; Necklace - Tiffany's.

Exposing your high-driff was the cool girl's way to flash some flesh, and I finally plucked up some courage and wore my bralet with a pencil skirt. I would still do this now, but since we are heading firmly into autumn, I will require tights and a warmer jacket! I love the tonal effect of the look, as well as the way it is thrown off with the electric blue pumps - they kick a bit of personality into this bourgeouis lady.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Simples.

I am still in Sulawesi at the moment, and took the opportunity to get online while I can! I am seeing a lot of tribal things, walking a lot, eating a lot and still attracting attention wherever I go.. 

Oh my god I just realised it has been ONE WHOLE YEAR since I started blogging! Happy Birthday obsession du jour - now where can I get a celebratory cake? Thankyou all for reading, commenting and following, it means a lot. Love to you all! 

Our holiday actually started with an overnight visit to my relatives, who live much closer to the airport than we do. It breaks up the journey and was lovely to see them - I like to keep up with my family. Since it was such a casual occasion (being in the car and then chilling at my granny`s house) I opted for some simple separates.

Shirt - H&M; Jeans & Shoes - Primark; Ring - Topshop.

I adore this shirt because it can be dressed up or down, and it was the perfect casual accompaniment to these bright cobalt jeans - so much more interesting than regular blue. The mint green toe-cap pumps are new and I have now discovered how much I like them because they are so cute. Although it is typical that I should decide to be all covered up, only for the sun to come out.. and just before I go away too!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Endings.

Once again it seems like I have become lazy and inconsistent with my blogging - but I did warn you this could happen! Exam-frazzled nerves have kept me away from my constant updates, which means that today I have two outifts from the previous week for you to check out, and the news that yesterday was my last official day at college. I don't believe that two years have gone so fast, and that now I only have to go in for a few days to do exams and will possibly never have to set foot in there again after that. It has been a brilliant place to be, with enjoyable classes, wonderful teachers and of course hours and hours of fun with some amazing friends that I hope will stay close to me forever.

Outfit one..

Shirt & Tights - Primark; Shorts & Bracelets - Tosphop; Bralet (underneath) - New Look; Creepers - Amazon; Earrings - Miss Selfridge.

This was another of my attempts to be edgy I think, by working my creepers into one of my looks. I really love this shirt with the embellished collar because it can be the perfect nod to tribal chic, and really ups the ante on your average blouse. Teaming it with these raspberry shorts really helps balance out a high neckline which could easily look too prim and ladylike, and I just really adore my creepers. Some tough-yet-pretty jewellery was the finishing touch to this ensemble.

Outfit two..

Blazer - Bershka; Top & Necklace - Topshop; Trousers - ASOS; Shoes - Dorothy Perkins; Earrings & Ring - Miss Selfridge; Cuff - H&M.

Here I am returning to my beloved floral prints, but not in quite such a girlie way.. I am still very much loving the trend for printed trophy trousers, so I am bringing this pair out of their hibernation again. The bright digital blooms look very summery, especially when paired with a very SS'12 peach pastel blazer and a light metallic blouse. I allowed some black to slip in with the pointed court shoes, but that was because there were already enough colours and prints going on in the ensemble and these heels allow the existing elements to shine. Oh, and sorry about the poor picture quality, I had to take it on a timer in my kitchen..

Which one do you all prefer?

Also, since it was the last day, we took some photos - and here is one of my gorgeous group of friends.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Paisley print.

Finally. The day has come where I can wear a sundress without tights or a jacket or any kind of practical layering - nothing needed other than shoes, jewellery and sunglasses! People might be complaining about the heat, but I am still loving it. I live for days like these. Besides, I hear that it is meant to rain here on Wednesday, so I have to squeeze in some sunshine appreciation while I can..

Dress - Dorothy Perkins; Shoes & Earrings - New Look; Necklace & Rings - Topshop; Bracelet - Pull & Bear; Sunglasses - bought in Malaysia.

I have had this dress quite a while and worn it on a fair few occasions, but I couldn't remember ever wearing it solo so I decided to break it out again today! The paisley print is still totally on-trend, and I love the colour palette. The bright blue, white and purple on a black background is a gorgeous way to work a print without looking over the top, and is echoed in my purple wedges. Yes, I am wearing those wedges to death this summer, I love them! Sunglasses are obligatory when driving on sunny days, and I opted to up the glam factor with this classic, oversized pair.

This week I tried out a new nail colour again - Maybelline's Forever Strong polish in Ceramic Blue, one of their new SS'12 pastel shades. It is safe to say I am completely in love with this pale blue colour which looks fresh, unusual and achingly pretty on my nails! It was also surprisingly easy to apply, possibly thanks to the '100% Precision' brush..

Creepers - Amazon

Another new purchase came in through the post today - I am now the proud owner of a gorgeous pair of creepers. I could have just bought a plain colour, but of course I opted for some super-cute leopard print on mine! At the moment they are being sold on Amazon for some ridiculously cheap price, so I snapped my pair up quick. Ever since flatforms came into fashion and brothel creepers seemed to be making an impact I was tempted by them, but only after seeing Karl Lagerfeld incorporate them into his ensembles was I completely sold. It may be a little warm to wear them now, but I love them anyway!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

The brightest crayon in the box.

Oh so many things could be said about today.. I am currently resisting the urge to serenade you with Friday-related songs, so I will settle instead for some ramblings about colour. I love colour, and can rarely put together an outfit without a pop of colour in there somewhere, because I just don't feel like me without it. The title of this post came from that old saying to indicate someone is a little slow - "you're not the brightest crayon in the box" - but I decided that today I was the brightest, given my colour-clash outfit!

Blouse - Lefties; Jeans - Primark; Flatforms - ASOS; Earrings, Cross Bracelet & Ring - Topshop; Necklace - Accessorize; Cuff - H&M.

Everything about today's look was bright and beautiful. Coloured denim is a much more summery way to wear your jeans, and I adore this cobalt blue pair that have been in my wardrobe for years - they make a statement, yet are really flattering and easy to wear. For a bit of a colour clash I paired them with my sorbet-pink blouse (definitely crayon-box colours here!) and I think it works because there is no pattern or shape, the colour contrast does all the talking. Of course, my outfits are rarely complete without a print, so I broke out my rather controversial flatforms again since it was going to be a dry day. I have received mixed reviews on these particular shoes, but I personally love them and intend to wear them to death when summer hits! 

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Tribally inspired.

In contrast to the 1950s Americana that I love so much, one of this season's big trends is tribal chic, and of course I just couldn't pass that by.. I have always loved travel and seeing other cultures, so of course tribal looks fascinate me in that kind of ethnic way (although I am always convinced I could get better stuff in Asia/Africa for 10% of the price!). Today I decided to make my look eclectically tribal, and quite a statement.

Blazer & Skirt - ASOS; Top - Pull & Bear; Tights - Primark; Shoes - New Look; Belt - H&M; Earrings, Ring, Cross Bracelet & Hand Chain Bracelet - Topshop; Necklace - Accessorize.

The basis of my tribal outfit was this ASOS skirt, which I have had for years (tribal just keeps coming back around!), and then I kept to a fairly limited colour palette of blues, blacks and golds, apart from my colour pop shoes. My jewellery was definitely integral to this tribal look, adding the especially ethnic edge. The feather necklace is gorgeous and such a statement, whereas the hand chain was just completely gorgeous and reminiscent of Indian style. I absolutely love it and will probably be wearing it a lot more! For once I also left my lips pretty much bare and focused on my eyes, doing a daytime version of a peacock eyeshadow by blending gold into medium blue shadow.

What do you all think of globally inspired style?

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Lighten up!

Since the calendar tells me that it is May and we are heading into summer, it feels incredibly depressing to be wearing black. Even my black tights feel like a return to winter, however practical I must be. I am also being told it is summer by every single magazine I read - bikinis, beaches, blue skies and summer dresses taunt me from every page. Honestly, have the editors not looked outside and seen the grey, rainy, cloudy mess that is the sky? With all of this, plus the fact I have invested heavily in my brights, prints and pastels for a summer wardrobe, it won't surprise you that today's outfit was a bright one.

Blazer - Bershka; Top & Skirt - New Look; Tights - Primark; Shoes - George at Asda; Cross Bracelet - Topshop; Wishbone Bracelet - Accessorize; Ring - H&M; Necklace - Accessorize.

I really adore florals right now (not a surprise either!) and mixing and matching them is the best way to feel all springlike and bright, despite the weather. I love the way that the shape of this light blue bralet paired with the dark blue A-line skirt makes a retro-fifties silhouette - I was so glad that the 1950s were in fashion because it meant this top could make an appearance again! Obviously I then had to think practically, adding in the obligatory black opaques and choosing a jacket. I had toyed with the idea of my black blazer, but it felt too stifling, then when I put on this gorgeous peach blazer it just worked. The entire outfit got even more of a lift of colour which even cancels out the darkening effect of the tights. The finishing touches was some cute jewellery, two-tone blue pumps and some softly pastel makeup to keep the look fresh and light.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

April showers.

Call me British, but there is only one thing bothering me properly at the moment - the awful weather. I keep getting absolutely drenched because it looks so lovely in the mornings when I leave the house, and then a few hours later it is raining so much there should be flood warnings. Where I live it is especially bad because I am completely in the middle of nowhere - my poor little Ford Ka had to pull through some terribly deep puddles just to make it home. I know I spent all winter moaning about the weather so it seems pointless to carry on, but I really had expected better from April. Yes, April showers are to be expected, but I was also hoping for a bit more sunshine and some higher temperatures, especially as we edge closer to May..

Blazer - Bershka; Top & Earrings - Topshop; Jeans & Shoes - Primark; Cuff - H&M; Ring - Miss Selfridge; Earrings - Accessorize.

But there is nothing better to stop me getting Seasonal Affected Disorder than some serious colour blocking! I have had these cobalt jeans for years and I absolutely love them - another case where panning for Primark gold has seriously paid off. It would have been easy to let them be the main feature of my outfit, but nothing screams spring more than piling on the bright colours. I did it with my peach blazer and mint green pumps for a very SS'12 take on colour blocking with pastels. I am also wearing the iridescent top I picked up in the Topshop sale, which adds interest with a slightly unusual texture.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Blue-tiful.

If you thought yesterday’s post was pushing ‘short and sweet’ to the limits, then wait for today’s… Not only is it 9.40pm as I type this, but I have just driven up to Birmingham for a university open day tomorrow & after that drive the motivation to do anything is very, very limited. I’m sure tomorrow I will ramble on about my general love of B’ham uni until I am blue in the face, but for now I will settle for just showing off my blue dress…

 

Dress & Cardigan – Dorothy Perkins; Tights – Primark; Shoes – New Look; Earrings & Ring – Topshop; Bracelet – Temporary Secretary; Necklace – Accessorize.

For the second day in a row, I was drawn to a blue dress. Maybe I’m getting a new colour obsession, or maybe I just have nice blue dresses… Today’s differed from yesterday’s though because of the fit-and-flare shape, scoop neck and light knit material. I love the slightly retro-fifties shape of this dress, as well as the gorgeous colour. I tried to stick to styling it quite classically, with the monochrome cardigan and jewellery, then couldn’t resist a little colour pop in my slippers. With me, expect the unexpected…

Love and kisses, Tara xox

PS. Forgive that truly awful pun in the title. I'm tired.

Keep calm & go shopping.

Only two more days until half term.. That's not much to get through. Only 9 more classes, two more long days with early starts, and two more outfits left of this half term. Seriously, where is the time going? I am so looking forward to half term, because it should be a chance to relax (well apart from coursework, homework and actual work) and maybe even sneak a lie in.. For now, I was happy enough that today was at least Wednesday - which, since it is a half day, means I get the car (which still excites me!), I only have two lessons and there is usually some fun to be had in the afternoon...

Shawl - River Island; Jumper - New Look; Shorts - Blue Miss; Tights - F+F at Tesco; Shoes - Topshop; Earrings - Miss Selfridge; Ring & Bracelet - Accessorize; Necklace - Republic.
After yesterday's monochromatic look, I just had to break out some serious brightness. Pastel colours (such as the candyfloss-pink displayed on my slouchy jumper) and baroque prints (like my gorgeous shawl) are huge trends for SS'12, but I am not entirely convinced that the designers championing them meant the two to be combined.. But ah well. Taking on board the more-is-more, anything-goes, so-wrong-it's-right vibe pervading the catwalks I decided that since I felt comfortable in it, then it probably works! Oh, and you might have noticed something unusual here - my hair is up! I rarely have the time or inclination to try my hair in any manner other than down and straight (if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?) but today I just had the urge to do a different style. Admittedly, it's only a ponytail, but for me that is unusual, okay!

Since it was a half day today, I picked my mum up from her work (she finishes early-ish too) and we went for a quick shopping trip. Yes, all I do is shop. I didn't actually buy much, but the accumulation of that and a little package from H&M made today's haul pretty lovely.

I started off in Topshop, unashamedly picking up a pair of cute studs in the remnants of the sales - at that price I just could not say no to these elegant, ladylike earrings. I will admit that I mostly wear big, long earrings, but every so often a pair of studs like these comes in handy, like if I am wearing a statement necklace. These are pretty classic, so they should last a fair few seasons.

I also finally gave in and bought one of these scallop-edged vest tops from Topshop. Every single season I have been tempted by these because they come in such a rainbow of colours and are delightfully simple, yet detailed enough not to be dull, but I had held back because of the price and the fact that I simply did not need a vest top. However, when I walked in and saw one in this stunning shade of mint green my resolve crumbled and I snapped it up! Mint is one of my favourite colours for spring (yes, Gaga was right) because it is not only a super-pretty pastel ice-cream shade, but it is very flattering. Love this.
 

After passing my test I decided that it had become appropriate to personalise my car a little, and so far that has only stretched to sunglasses, spare flats for driving and blasting out Lana Del Rey at every opportunity. So when I was browsing Accessorize and saw this cute air freshener with a vanilla scent (one of my favourite scents ever!) it looked perfect. This will be hanging from my mirror as of tomorrow morning!

And now we reach the little H&M parcel. This double ring is just so cute and quirky, the perfect added detail to pretty much any outfit!

This dress was a total bargain, and was basically screaming 'buy me!' from the H&M website and catalog - I simply love the graphic, blue poppy print and simple shape. Print is obviously a huge trend this season, and florals have definitely gone digital (thanks in large part to Mary Katrantzou), so this is the perfect pattern.. not to mention the fact that blue is a hot colour too, with different shades cropping up all over the catwalks. This could easily be layered with a chunky knit and boots, clashed with more patterns or even belted and dressed up in a slightly retro way - I can't wait to wear it.

All in all, today has been pretty good! What do you all think of today's look & mini-haul? Love and kisses, Tara xox

Sing the blues.

Today has been a very blue day, I mean literally. The colour blue was all around me, from the deceptively bright blue sky to my outfit, which was dominated by shades of navy and sky-blue. I think the universe was making an effort since it is February now (please, explain where January went..) and wanted to at least look spring-like, but I was not fooled by the dreamy sky outside - it was actually ice-cold and windy, so this outfit was bordering on appropriate.. Oh, and singing comes into it because I was belting out some Lana Del Rey as I drove in and out of college today (feeling very grown up too!) - her new album is incredible.

Coat, Scarf & Tights - Primark; Dress, Shoes & Earrings - Topshop; Gloves - Accessorize.
I think everyone should own a good trench coat - they are a classic piece that will never go out of style. Most people go for a beige or camel trench coat as their staple, but a while ago when investing in (well, buying) mine I decided that navy blue was more flattering for me.. I am tempted to pick up another in a different colourway! What I love about this one is the amazing silhouette it gives, for a coat. With most outerwear, I tend to get very shapeless (the trials and tribulations of being a bit boyish in shape), so I love the fact that this trench cinches in my waist, an illusion that is aided by the flaring hemline. My new season touch to this perennial piece today was the printed silk scarf - a must-have accessory right now after the insanely creative uses designers put them to on the catwalks. I wasn't particularly imaginative with mine today, but give me time..

One last thing - I just wanted to let you guys know about an awesome giveaway going on at Lipstick Fridays - it is for a load of MAC makeup & an OPI nail polish, and will end when they get 200 followers. I am keen to win this, and so I am getting an extra entry by blogging about it (and hopefully making it end sooner, with me having more of a chance..). I have only just found Lipstick Fridays but I already love it and follow it, so go and take a peek.

Love and kisses, Tara xox