Closet Confidential Tag | #fashionfebruary

Today we are going to be talking all things in my wardrobe. Although this tag as been around for absolutely yonks, I really wanted to bring it back and test myself to see if I could answer all of the questions. So, here goes

1. What is the oldest item in your wardrobe/closet?

I had a hard time deciding but I think this check shirt is quite old and I’ve had it for so long. I love it to wear open with any outfit underneath and has really served its purpose and is molded with my forever changing style. This H&M piece is deffo a keeper for years to come.

2. What is the newest item?

Next week you will see all of the new in things in my wardrobe so no spoilers here

3. What is the most expensive item?

I don’t buy a lot of expensive items because the more or less cheaper they are, the more I can buy but 

this zara jumper at £30 was a bite the bullet purchase. But annoyingly I haven’t worn it yet. It’s a hard piece to style

4. What is the most affordable/cheapest item (that you use a lot)?

I feel like this answer is slightly cheating but it is honestly my jeans. I wear jeans 6 out of the 7 days of the week and they are just something that I must have in my wardrobe. I wear the new look Hallie jeans

5. What was the biggest bargain?

It has to be this new look denim jacket. I think it was like £45 and I got it for £10 in the sale. I could never justify spending that much on a seasonal piece but as soon as it was on sale, I snapped it up right away

6. What was the biggest waste of money?

If anything has been a waste of money, I’ve probs gotten rid of it but this cropped stripy top has not seen the light of day. It’s a hard piece to style, perhaps a little too formal and it just has fitted into my style yet.

7. What is the most outrageous/colorful item in your closet (that you absolutely love)?

Its not outrageous but is this red crossbody bag from Stradivarius when I went to Milan. I legit couldn’t leave the shop without it and I do love it. It’s a nice pop of colour considering I always wear black and it’s a nice small size but is a true Mary Poppins bag. And it was only like £15 (well euros)

8. What is your favourite piece that you've gotten as a gift?

Because it said favourite I went with this long black oversized coat from new look at £50. Thanks mamma for that one its lasted me I think 4 years now. But my most expensive gift is my nike air max. but I just really don’t like them (sorry bro!)

9. What is the most comfortable item?

I kid you not, I have worn this jumper at least 100 times and is all to familiar with the washing machine. It’s from new look and is a great oversized, slouchy fit and nice a warm without feeling too hot. It’s got sleeve details which are cool but this jumper is best like £18 I spent.

10. What is the most uncomfortable item (but you would take the pain because you love it)?

I actually don’t have an answer for this. If it was uncomfortable, I probably got rid of it

11. Show us your favourite complete outfit 

It has to be this. i wont talk about it too much because you will see it in the next post but its been a great no fuss and all the comfort outfit. it also makes it look like i tried in the morning which is a bonus.

12. Pick your favourite black item and your favourite white item.

My fave black item is this black t shirt dress. Great for all weathers and thin enough that you can layer on top and such a versatile piece to style. My favourite white item has to be this v neck t shirt. Great for the summer especially with that black and white check shirt at the beginning.

14. Where do you shop the most at?

I think my top 3 shops are new look, H&M and primark at the moment.

Tell me your response to one of the questions below, I’d love to know J

Thanks for reading the #fashionfebruary posts. Use the hashtag to tweet about it and new related posts will be up every Wednesday and Sunday this month. 

Top 12 wardrobe essentials | #fashionfebruary

For today’s post, I couldn’t stick to 5 or 10 so today we have 12 essentials. Amongst all the shopping that I do, there are lots of basics and staple pieces that you always need in your wardrobe, can with stand trends and goes with any outfit.

Today I want to share with you my top 12 wardrobe essentials you need to have. These will work great as base items for your wardrobe and could even work well as part of a capsule wardrobe

Oversized jumper

I love an oversized jumper purely for the comfort but it’s also a great transitional piece. This one I have from New Look is breathable so it’s great for layering, a great transitional piece from autumn to winter and winter to spring. Something that oversized also works great with slimmer fitting things like a dungaree dress, skinny jeans or an aline skirt.

Plain white t

I bet your probably sick of hearing about this item but it really is a staple. With the current trend of the black slip dress over a white t, it feels even more essential to own one. A great transitional piece across all seasons. The one I have is from h&m but these aren’t hard to come by.

Blazers

Although blazers are known for their formality, I love these for adding outfits a little more structure. They again are a great transitional piece and work well as a jacket in the slightly warmer weather. To avoid the whole suit looking vibe, this one from new look works well because it’s in a block colour but has a waffle texture to it making it more casual.

Trainers

I am a through and through trainer’s person but I really do think that they are a versatile piece and can change any outfit. The ones shown are what I have been wearing a lot recently and I love that they go with dresses, skirts, jeans and trousers work great too for a smart casual look. Invest in your trainers.

Black trousers

Kind of bouncing off the smart causal comment, trousers are a great piece to just have in your wardrobe. Whether you’re bored of jeans, have an interview or striving for that more put together look, they are another versatile piece. I love that the make me look like I have my shit together which is fab.

LBD

Everyone always says the little black dress. They come in many different forms but I’ve gone for more casual approach. This black tunic dress has a tie waist to give you a little more shape but it can take me from day to night, to winter, to summer (maybe not so much the colour). It’s a light breathable material that is great for layering with check shirts in particular

Bags

Finding a bag that suits your needs is so important. In this case, I have different bags but each have a purpose and suits the life I lead. I have a tote bag from h&m for those days when I need to chuck everything in ad go, a backpack to take the load off one shoulder and put it on both and a little side bag for nights’ out

Understated jewelry

This is the jewelry that I never leave the house without. My watch, charm bracelet, my coloured tied bands, now my new necklace and for those nights out, some earrings. Accessories can really tie a whole outfit together but those can go out of fashion. Invest in your understated jewellery to keep you going for years to come.

Your perfect jeans

You can never go wrong for a pair of jeans. Ones that fit you well, go from day to night and are comfortable. With so many different styles and cuts of jeans, there is something out there for you. I go for a high waisted skinny jean and turn up the bottoms but whatever floats your boat, buy them.

Turtle neck

Turtle necks have been a prominent trend for years and I really don’t see them going anywhere any time soon. I love that they are just a cold weather fashion fix, can be smart or casual and make you look really put together. And there are lots of different styles of turtle neck to suit your body.

Black ankle boots

What would I do without an ankle boot ey? They are a great piece suitable for day or night and again, are sort of a cold weather fashion fix. I like the flat Chelsea boots for the day, great for running errands or looking like I didn’t just wake up 15mins ago for a lecture. The heeled lace up boots are great for my nights out in London and anytime I need a more formal look

Jackets

I think it’s hard to say there is 1 jacket you should own but I did keep it to 2. I think whichever jacket you choose is dependent on the weather. Leather jackets I think are better for the autumn winter because of their texture and likewise, denim jackets are better for the spring and summer. Denim screams warmer weather and banging out the leather for the autumn/winter is just what your wardrobe needs.

So…that was one heck of a post. But I hope you stuck around till the end with me. I think the overriding theme here is versatility, smart casual, comfort and looking like I have my shit together. With the right essentials, you really can create any look.

Thanks for reading the #fashionfebruary posts. Use the hashtag to tweet about it and new related posts will be up every Wednesday and Sunday this month. 

Wardrobe organisation tips | #fashionfebruary

I tend to be one of those people that after watching a lot of organisation and cleaning videos on YouTube, I just want to throw everything away and start afresh. I recently cleaned out my wardrobe and although I still own a lot of clothes, I want to keep it manageable, very versatile and still with space for it to grow.

So I thought this would be a great time, as we are only one month into 2017, to share with you my wardrobe organisation tips

Take it all out
it’s so hard to see everything you have and go through it all when it’s still in the wardrobe. Take it all out and give the wardrobe a nice clean too. I like to add some drawer fresheners too just for the little extra.

Velour/felt finish hangers are bae
as nice as the wire copper hangers look, I’ve found the felt finish ones just keep everything on the hanger. They are nice and thin so you can have more room for clothes in the wardrobe (which is the best for me and my spending habits) and you can make it look sleek e.g. buying all one colour

Roll the clothes in your draws
I’m not really sure how it made sense when I wasn’t doing this before but this is a game changer. Rolling the clothes allows for less wrinkles, more clothes in a row and you can see everything that you own. If you wanna get extra fancy, you can organise it by colour but I just order my top draw by trousers and skirts then tops.

If the doors don’t close, somethings gotta go
I have this issue all too often. There really is no point hoarding clothes you just don’t wear. I can’t tell you how shameful it is that I have so many clothes with tags still on it. I like to keep the things I regularly wear and are relatively timeless pieces. Those clothes you don’t need could go to better homes. I give mine to friends and charity but I am considering putting depop into the mix. Thoughts?

Utilising the space available
my wardrobe at uni is the only form of clothes storage I had so everything pretty much had to fit in there. I bought a hanging separator thingy to put my shoes in. Alternatively, you could stack shoe boxes along one side. I’ve found that doing this also means I have less space for clothes and can rein in on the spending. Also, try putting hooks on the inside of your wardrobe doors. I like to use them to hang belts, bags I use all the time etc.

Among the chaos, have some sort of order
people like to do this lots of different ways e.g. by colour, style, usage etc. I kind of just organise my wardrobe by item. I usually start with scarves, skirts, trousers, tops, jumpers, casual dresses, dressy dresses, jackets then coats. This way I know where everything is and if I buy anything new, I know where to put it too.

I hope you found this post somewhat helpful and spurs on an urge to clean out your wardrobe. Think there is a tip I should try? Let me know below. I tend to clean out my wardrobe fairly often.

Thanks for reading the #fashionfebruary posts. Use the hashtag to tweet about it and new related posts will be up every Wednesday and Sunday this month. 

Trend alert: Colour Blocking | #fashionfebruary

From the amount of times that I have been browsing on online shops and going back in to store to return everything, I’ve seen a lot of clothes and trends in the past few weeks. I know what’s kind of coming back around, what’s kind of sticking for a little while longer but I wanted to talk about something I picked up recently and a trend that I haven’t seen a lot of focus on in a while

The colour blocking trend is something I have sort of stayed away from because it’s been just been a bit too much for my style. But when I picked up this high neck cropped jumper in New look, it just slotted right it. The mustard yellow colour works well with my skin tone and gives me a warmer, fresh glow. Plus the bottom colour block is black which goes with everything else I own because I live in black clothing.

I also love how statement the piece is and is a great piece to pair with my beloved dark colours. It catches peoples eye and is just the right amount of colour I can handle. And it’s a versatile piece. I’ve worn it with a skirt, dungaree dress, mom jeans, skinny jeans and all works so well. A really effortless piece to invest in for your wardrobe.

What trends have you been loving recently/keeping an eye on. I’m loving that gingham is making a comeback, funnel sleeves and the ruffles trend is growing on me.

Thanks for reading the #fashionfebruary posts. Use the hashtag to tweet about it and new related posts will be up every Wednesday and Sunday this month. 

Everyday Makeup

I kid you not that they makeup I have been doing to my face hasn’t changed since I started wearing makeup. Eyeliner, mascara and brows. I’ve had my phases with makeup when it comes to overusing eyeshadow, blusher, bronzer and I’ve realised that it just isn’t for me. I like to keep my skin clear and just do a little bit to make me look more alive.

I start by moisturising my skin. What I use varies depending on how my skin looks but it tends to be E45 and either a Garnier face cream, the body shop vitamin e cream or cocoa butter.

On my brows I’m using the Primark brow pencil in dark brown. A pencil sharpener is needed but for £1, it has a spooley on the other end and gives me nice precise lines and a very natural look. You may want a brow setter but I’ve given up with those.

For eyeliner, I’ve started using the urban decay perversion eyeliner and I am loving it. Gives such precise lines with a great fine tip, it’s an intense black colour and it doesn’t budge. Similar to that, the stila stay all day liner is amazing too and a cheaper option I go back to is the Maybelline master precise. I always go back to either of those when I’m running low on eyeliner

Then I move on to mascara and I’ve been using the classic volume express by Maybelline and for £5, its pretty darn good. But like eyeliners, I’ve been through my fair share of mascaras. I think my favourite to date is the two faced better than sex mascara. But I am always open to trying new ones.

Occasionally, I have blemish spots that I just don’t want to see so I will use the NARS all day luminous weightless foundation which is great to for just adding to those little areas as I really don’t like it all over my face. Better yet, it matches my skin so I love NARS for that.

And that’s honestly it. I really like the simplicity of it now and how understated it is. Going back to basics was the best thing I did. seem to get a lot of compliments on my makeup so I must be doing something right, right?

Portsmouth day trip | taking time out

The other day after my final exam (thank god) I felt like a huge weight had been lifted and I could breathe. It was like everything seemed so much better than before and I was ready to go on more adventures without feeling guilty about not doing any work or revision. About 2hrs after my exam, I set of to Portsmouth with my friends for a day of discounted shopping and Nandos. Just a dream really.

I had this whole planned post planned with lots of pictures but to be honest, I just didn’t take that many. I made purchases I probably didn’t need but wanted, smiled from ear to ear (as Beyoncé would say) and filled my stomach with good food. It’s so important everyone in a while to live in the moment, take a breath and realise what you have. It was a great way for me to unwind and catch up 

with my girls.

Nonetheless, here are some pictures I took and a flatlay of all the things I bought.

I hope you guys enjoyed the post and I’ll see you all Sunday for a new one x