The sales took all of my money | new in

Every year after stuffing my face with Christmas dinner, I find myself glued to my laptop once again, not to get going with my uni work but to browse the sales. And for some reason this year, when I have the least amount of money, they were particularly good. I managed to find some amazing bargains and items that I could use to experiment with my style more.

Today I wanted to share with you those items before the sales wrap up. I had to wait longer than I had wanted to get all of my items but now that they are here, they have brought me so much joy and I cant wait to take the labels off. If you saw my preview of pretty little thing, I also got these not in the sale but using their frequently generous student discount. So aside from that, here is what else I got.

I haven’t made an order from new look in the longest time but there were some basics I wanted to stock up on and some items I wanted to try. I got this oversized maroon jumper full price, but it was only £15 which for something I know I will wear 24/7, cost per wear people.

I also got this gorgeous teal velvet bralette. I am so sick of wearing bras, atm, and I just wanted something that functioned like it but didn’t have so much uncomfortable structure. This is soo comfortable and just as stunning in colour in real life.

Now this jacket I didn’t keep but a great discount and fine as we, soon hopefully, move into the warmer months. This suedette biker jack was only £22 with amazing quality and sturdiness to it.

The last thing I got was in store and not in the sale and in the men’s section. Its this vacant hoodie, I just liked the Gucci vibes as supposed to what it was saying but its comfy and oversized and what hoody dreams are made of.

Jumper – http://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/hoodies-sweatshirts/curves-grey-round-neck-sweatshirt/p/563154404?comp=Browse

Bralette – http://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/lingerie/curves-teal-fishnet-velvet-bralet/p/540814447?comp=NewLookRecentlyViewedComponent

Jacket – http://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/jackets-coats/curves-black-suedette-biker-jacket/p/540203501?comp=NewLookRecentlyViewedComponent

My most exciting find of the haul I think is this grey puffer jacket. I have wanted one for so long, yet I refused to pay £60+ pounds for such a seasonal piece. But this was only £26 from £60 and I ordered it straight away without even thinking. So warm and on trend and because of its neutral colour, it 

means it will go with anything. – except maybe an all grey outfit

To experiment more with my style, I got these oversized dungarees in the sale too. A little more of a higher priced item for the sale but again, really good quality, super comfortable too. I mean, I feel like an overgrown child, but I don’t care because I think I have some cool ideas to style it

I also got these boots and trousers but they are not with me, so I will link them below too.

Jacket – http://shopstyle.it/l/tjHg

Dungarees – http://shopstyle.it/l/tjH7

Boots (over the knee wide fit boots only £18) – http://shopstyle.it/l/tjIb

Trousers (sports luxe track trousers) – sold out but check out the asos collection - http://shopstyle.it/l/tjJq

The amount of times the doorbell rang, it failed like I had ordered a lot more. Some things did come it was just too ugly to keep. I hope you enjoyed this and let me know some things that you have picked up in the sale.

I did a thread all about my favourite items on my twitter, so follow me there to get first hand links to items I like/purchase. I am also selling a lot of things on my Depop, a lot of stuff new and or with tags so check it out. My username is: @amirasw

*this post includes use of affiliate links. check my disclaimer page for more info

Stay woke people

Pretty Little Thing review

I hope you have all had a great start to 2018. And if not, you have so many more days of opportunities to come your way.

Today, I thought I would do something a little bit different and give a review of a brand. With the sales season still amongst us (the sales have been killer this year) I made a little order from pretty little thing. With this brand, I had never even bothered browsing through because I knew things wouldn’t fit me the way I would want things to and I am not like the stick thin models they use to advertise their clothes.

But I recently discovered that they had launched a plus size selection. Although not that big, I did end up finding some really nice things that I liked the look of. I was initially sceptical because I wasn’t sure what the quality or the sizing would be like, but I went based off how the model looked in it as I had seen them on websites like ASOS.

This is the first and only sale item I actually purchased as I said, the collection isn’t big yet. But it’s a wet look faux leather tube skirt. When it came, it felt a lot cheaper than it did online and had less structure but was a really nice comfortable fit. However, this is probably my least favourite thing just because of how it feels

I then ordered a pair of trousers because I am still not loving jeans, but I loved that the stripe were horizontal/vertical (I never know which one) but they are the way that slim you and elongate your legs. I love this item and I think it will be a great all year-round piece which is a practical addition to my wardrobe

Finally, I got this self-love t shirt because self-love is important. I loved the Gucci vibes to it, not that that’s all I want from clothing, but it reminded me of a tiger t shirt I got from ASOS a while back. I loved that it was a little more muted than other designs I had seen and was a nice graphic t. Really thick quality t-shirt too. My only thing is I wish I had got it in a bigger size just because I like my things really oversized.

Overall, I am really happy with my order and would deffo do it again but as a seasonal thing just because I think that’s how I see the collection changing. Its very comparable to boohoo in that I think some of it can be a hit and miss, pricing is very similar and if you shop boohoo plus size, you will be the same size for PLT.

I hope you guys enjoyed the post and let me know if you have purchased things from PLT. I think this might be a new fave store of mine.

Top - http://shopstyle.it/l/sHos

Trousers - http://shopstyle.it/l/sHoh

Skirt - http://shopstyle.it/l/sHob

*this post includes use of affiliate links. check my disclaimer page for more info

New to the wardrobe!

I have slowly come to realise that personal style is not a fixed things. Its such a flexible yet intangible thing and when trends come about, you just gravitate towards a variety of different things. I am constantly changing my wardrobe and falling in and out of love of different things or wanting to experiment with more than my jeans and a t shirt.

Today I thought I would share with you some new things I have added to my wardrobe from things I thought I was missing to some experimental pieces to some key pieces for winter.

Adidas campus trainers

I haven’t had just black and white trainers that I have wanted to wear in a long time and these just ticked all the boxes. Something that didn’t make my feet look bigger than they already are, comfort and work with both jeans, trousers and skirts and dresses; an all rounder shoe if you will.

Branded t shirt

I got this long sleeve north face t shirt and I contemplated returning it but since I got it, I haven’t stopped wearing it. It’s a really great layering piece as well as a basic to go with jeans and trousers. And because it is long sleeved, it is great for the winter months. I recommend this particularly if you are not the biggest fan of branding as most of it is at the back and with it being layering season, most people won’t see it

Trousers

You know what, jeans are really fucking uncomfortable. That’s right I said it. But I definitely go in phases with them. And when I bought these, I hated jeans with a passion. These maroon trousers were spurred on but the fact that I want a maroon 2-piece suit but I found these trousers at an M&S outlet and I couldn’t be happier. Really great quality and colouring and a dose of something other than black

I also bought those classic stripe down the side pair and I have been on the hunt for them for the longest time and I found the perfect ones from new look via ASOS. The perfect colouring, a little high waisted and fits like a peg leg style trouser.

A beret

I used to wear berets all the time. For some reason I don’t feel like this is working for me but as it was discounted, I wanted to give it a try. Plus, it is actually cold, so I need to start wrapping up a bit better. I have gotten into accessorising again and I thought this was a good trend piece to include. Now that I think about it, have berets really ever gone out of fashion?

The LBD

Oddly enough, I don’t have a basic black dress in my wardrobe. I must have thrown them out. As its time for me to start looking for jobs and going to interviews, this paired with a blazer was an essential. I picked this up in Zara for less than £20! Can you believe it?

Check it out

A don’t wear a lot of skirts but I saw this on Instagram and I knew I had to have it. I was sceptical because these things are just so darn short, but they had this one in the tall section and as I tried it on, I knew it was coming home with me. It just fit like a glove and hugged in all the right places. It also allowed me mobility as I hate skirts that are too tight. This one was from Topshop and with student discount, how could I say no?

Love is love

When I saw this on the Instagram page, I kind of kept going back to it but I rainbow strip fluted sleeve jumper. Need I say more? There was something about it that just said you need this. It’s a lovely medium knit (does that make sense?) jumper great not only for layering but tucking into a skirt or trousers.

Tell me some things you have added in to your wardrobe or things I should check out. 

stay woke my loves

Shop my Instagram

So recently, I have been attempting (that being the key word here) to use my Instagram a lot more, showing daily outfits and eventually progressing on to showing you outfit inspo, my favourite picks from shops and all that jazz. But hey one thing at a time, I still need to pass uni this year. I thought if I could attempt to do a monthly one of these, I would be a direct source of where you could get and shop instantly any of the items that I show if they are still available

Outfit one

I was deffo an outfit repeater with this but I loved bringing back some of the past trends for my return back to the UK. As we are moving into the autumnal months, layering will be your best friend and this hits that understated 90’s trend on the nail whilst adding a little more dimension to a mostly black outfit

White t shirt – H&M: http://shopstyle.it/l/jXqs

Strap top (Old Marks and Spencer – SIMILAR LINKED): http://shopstyle.it/l/jXtY

Trousers – New Look: http://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/trousers/black-tie-waist-trousers-/p/506704001?comp=Search

Outfit two

This outfit really became one where I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do that day. Baseball style t shirts are a great versatile piece that work through all the seasons just with a variation of sleeve length. I paired this with some jeans because they are a staple in my wardrobe and my long love Zara city bag just to tie a quite casual outfit together

Top- ASOS (linked is from men’s section): http://shopstyle.it/l/jXvT

Jeans – ASOS Ridley: http://shopstyle.it/l/jXwq

Bag – Zara: style no longer available but they are killing it in the bag department

Outfit three

With this outfit, I just wasn’t ready to let go of the off the shoulder trend. I still think you can get away with this style now, but just choose your outerwear correctly I’d say. I think the pinstriping can make it seem quite formal but the off the shoulder style made it more wearable for every day.

Top- New Look: not online but take your pick from the similar items: http://www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/tops/bardot-tops/c/uk-womens-clothing-tops-bardot-tops#/?q=:relevance:colourGroupCode:40&page=1&sort=relevance&content=false

Jeans – ASOS Ridley: http://shopstyle.it/l/jXwq

Outfit four

Finally, the only slogan top you will ever need. I was never crazy about the slogan tee trend. Some of them were rather nonsensical sayings and the looked cute on the hanger but I just didn’t see a right fit for them in my wardrobe. That’s not to say I am not guilty of buying 2 from Topshop, but they are not my most worn items. But this one from monki changed the game. Something with a powerful statement and I think I loved it more because I bought it in china and…that’s all I have to say about that.

Top – Monki: http://www.monki.com/gb/Archive/Statement_tee/7228429-28531735.1

Culottes – New Look: best to shop local store

Hopefully I can somewhat keep to my word and try and do this on an almost monthly basis. I do like to intermix some beauty, lifestyle, travel and food stuff on my Instagram so have a browse over there and your support with a follow would mean a lot.

For now brb, I have some chocolate cake waiting for me. mmmhhh.

*disclaimer- some affiliate links have been used within this post. If you want to know more about these, please check my “PR/Disclaimer” tab at the top of the page

Realising not every trend is for me

Every season we are just thrown a bunch of different trends. Not only can it be hard to decipher through what ones you want to go forth with, it can be hard to resist the urge to just buy it all. I used to be in such a bad habit of seeing a trend on other people, falling head over heels for it buying it and leaving it till after the return date to realise that it’s not for me or I don’t like it. A waste of money and space in my wardrobe.

In the past year or so, I have learnt that it can’t all work for you and if all the trends worked for everyone, where would people see essence of personal style be? With the introduction of autumnal weather and autumnal trends, the ones I’ve really been keeping an eye on is the prince of wales check print, red and corduroy materials.

I’ve worn blazers as a casual outerwear piece for as long as I can remember but the grey blazer I feel has really changed the game. It’s a really nice combination of menswear/workwear chic and adds a great touch of sophistication and put-together-ness to an outfit. The oversized look of this one was just right up my street with the little touch of red thread running through it, making it more everyday appropriate.

Red really has become the colour of the season, making the successful transition from summer to autumn. I am not one for statement pieces but rather adding pops of colour here and there because let’s be real, I have to be true to my black clothes. This red crop top I bought in a shop in china which has questionable drawings of clowns on it (don’t question it or you will just be questioning it forever) but its defoo not hard to come by some red items these days.

The corduroy trend is something I have been toying in my mind with. Because of the texture of it and it being mostly bottoms out of that material, I questioned whether it was the right fit for me. But I “invested” in the miniskirts from Primark and I have fallen head over heels with the trend. I love the different texture especially because its black. I tend to feel a little less guilty about wearing all black when I combine different textures.

THIS COAT IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF I AM TELLING YOU NOW. Thinking about cost per wear, I could have just bought the Zara OG version last year but I am so happy that my babes Primark made a version because I saved so much money and I think it is really good quality. Its classic style means I can carry it through multiple seasons with me and just, you know when you have wanted something for like over a year and now you own it because it’s finally within your budget? I’m feeling that right now

With any trend that I chose to do a little more research into, I find the place I can get it the cheapest but also of a decent quality. Because it is a trend item, you just don’t know how long it’s going to be around and when you have to adult but look fashionable whilst doing so, you just don’t want to break the bank. As most of these items are from Primark, I’ve never had an issue with their items lasting me but shop where you see fit. More expensive doesn’t always mean better and vice versa.

Tell me about some of the trends you have dabbled into below, I would love to know 

Friday Favourites #2

Hello and welcome back to another Friday’s favourites post. I really enjoyed creating the last one and I think it makes me really aware (every so often) of the things that I just keep going back to or have added to making my life that little bit easier.

Favourite items

Firstly, is my iPad. This might seem like an unusual item to put on such a pedestal but as being more of a Samsung person over an apple one, the ipad is the most recent addition to my gadgets collection and not only did it save me when I had no internet in china (that was a real rough patch with 90% of things being blocked) it’s great for watching videos in the morning, getting work done on train journeys and even for the occasional lectures. Never thought I needed something like this in my life untill now but it has proved to be a great asset.

My panda headband is another recent edition from my trip to china but after years of getting face cream in my hair and getting kinks in it with hairbands, I resorted to a somewhat cute headband to get me going with my daily routine. Not the cutest panda faces I have ever seen but if it does the job, it’s a keeper.

What I’m watching

Netflix is pretty much my regular tv app of choice and I have been really getting into a few of the new releases. The first is The Good Place with Ted Danson and Kristin Bell, dispelling the perceived ideas about heaven and hell and putting those already dead through the works. Only one season and a bit in, I am excited to see where the episodes go and what twists happen next.

Having taken a break from American horror story with hotel being the least of my favourite ones, Roanoak is what I had secretly been holding out for. The style it is filmed in is definitely unconventional but from a critic’s point of view, a style with potential and gives the series a new lease of life. Some of your old favourites are back with a few new faces thrown in there and it deffo one I think you should give a go…even if AHS isn’t your favourite thing.

How could I forget the confession tapes? If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know I love murder mystery programmes and cases so as soon as this came through, I clicked on it straight away. It went into a little more depth about some of the cases I already had prior knowledge and even if it’s not your genre, it’s really interesting just to see how these are used or thrown out within the justice system.

Let’s eat

Bringing in a little home cooking this week as I am trying to keep my weekly expenses to a minimum, this is one of my many bulk dishes that I make and it’s a lentil and sweet potato curry. I use a recipe from online which I will link here but it’s always good to add your own little touch to it

I like to add some spinach to the mix as well as serving it with some wholegrain rice with quinoa. I uses ones out of the packet as I am not that great of a cook but in general, I have just loved taking recipes and adding my own little spin to it. This dish also works great if you have a busy week and need a few quick easy meals for even on the go.

Fashion favourites

I am loving Primark’s clothing range at the moment and I am going to do a new in haul very soon so you will see it all there but Primark’s Instagram page is just giving me all of the feels right now. Just look and tell me you don’t want it all.

Something to think about

“what you are feeling matters”

Every emotion and feeling that you have is valid. And you should allow yourself to feel it. Feel like crying for an hour? Go and go it, let it out of your body and if necessary, let those around you see it. Only once you let go can you give yourself the strength to keep going.

I hope you all have a great weekend and I’ll see you very soon with a new post 

My wishlist and wardrobe updating ft. Shoptagr

I don’t think it is any surprise to you guys that I love to shop. I have done countless hauls via the blog and YouTube and some that don’t even make it because I don’t want to seem like a crazy person. Now that I am going into my third year at university (omg I feel so old typing that) I have come to realise that fast fashion really has done its damage on me and I want to build upon what I already have. I have really gotten into making personal wishlists and thinking about items I want to get. To help me do this I have been using the website and app shoptagr.

If anyone remembers wantworthy (shoutout to old school bloggers here), it operates in the same way in that it’s a platform where you can save your desired items to one page and then go back later to shop them. They have a notification system too so if anything goes out of stock or on sale etc. they tell you. With the transitional period, there isn’t a need for a completely new wardrobe but for a few new items and basics for me to keep in time with trends and stay that little bit warmer in the colder months.

So as you can see I have pretty much everything on there from my new laptop that I wanted to remember the name of to tops and slogan tees. This way, I am not scouting each shop forgetting what I have put in my basket. On the flip side of that, I forget what’s in my basket and when I go back I can think what I really need and how much I want to invest into each individual item.

I also have the mobile app on my phone so when I’m out and about and have the urge to buy something, I can go back to my wishlist and make more useful purchases that will benefit me and my wardrobe in the long run. With shoptgr being linked with thousands of websites, you can save anything from fashion to homeware to beauty products and have your own little wishlist library in the palm of your hands.

Having used this system for about a month already, I have now found a great list of things that will benefit me in the long run. You can check out my whole list here: but here are just some of the things on the top of my list.

Creating your own wishlist: curated and money saving

I really thought about all the things I had seen my favourite celebs wearing, as well as bloggers and paying close attention to the fashion forecast and had kept on seeing things that I knew would work with my personal style (need help finding your personal style? Click here) or things that we coming around again from the year before. Adding them all to the wishlist kind of scratched the itch I had to go shopping and just see everything and seeing it all in one place from different sellers helped me see what I was sure or unsure of. I also thought about where I could get it cheaper. Like the check blazer and Zara coat I have on my wishlist, I know I want them but Primark have them cheaper and I know these are going to be seasonal as well as trend pieces so I won’t invest too much in them. Plus, I have never had an issue with Primark things not lasting which works for my bank balance. Wishlists are also a great place to play around with different trends and colours etc. You aren’t committing to anything especially as you aren’t shopping directly on the site and gives you room to experiment with different things for the autumnal season. I have kept everything in a very monochromatic colour palette as I have some items left over from last year as well as the summer season to help inject different colours and textures into my wardrobe mix, even if it is through simple accessories.

So that’s how I am cutting down my shopping habits with shoptagr and curating the perfect autumnal wardrobe. On Sunday (fingers crossed) I’m going to have a post about transitioning your clothes from summer to autumn so I hope that both combined will be useful, help you save some money and find a new way to window shop. I recommend also checking out my #fashionfebruary playlist for more inspiration.

Much love x

Hello September

I think we have now said goodbye to the summer weather and hello to the darker mornings and nights. Although I wasn’t in the UK for the summer period, I am sad to see it go and sad to pile my very summery clothes into storage to make space for autumn. But, there is one last outfit I wanted to share with you from summer, because it works great as a transitional piece in your wardrobe with the florals and, I think Boohoo have it in other colours now

This oversized shirt dress, served me well form the more formal occasions at my internship. Made of a cheesecloth type material, it was breathable enough for the humidity whist staying true to my love of mustard colours and black

For those days I finished it the look off with my Adidas trainers because what else would i do and I also picked up that h&m bag in the sale but a very Mary Poppins bag.

To transition this, I would wear my over the knee boots as I don’t want to have so much leg out or add tights and some flats which is always a go to in my books. A leather or suede jacket also works well with this but nothing too structured as the dress is light and airy.

Dress (similar) // Bag (similar but I think this is better!) 

Aside from my sadness of summer leaving us, here is what’s new. I am back on Instagram. I have been trying to increase engagement more over there and posting outfit pictures where I can as well as a little bit of extra content I don’t always get around to shooting for the blog. I am @amirathe365 on there too if you want to have a scroll through but planning content for that too as we speak.

I have been clearing out my belongings like nobody’s business. It’s come to the point where I just own so much stuff. I will swear I need it all but in actuality I don’t. Now I want to just cut back to the bare minimum and be a bit more conscious of the things of the things I consume and take a step back and think ‘do I really need this?’

I go back to uni next week for my final year which is the weirdest thing because I’m only a child right?! But alas, I must become the adult I am and finish the final year with a bag. Pre uni thoughts have already clouded my mind especially with a lot of my friends dotted around the world.  But, I think this could be a turning point for me in finding out what it is that I need to be doing (I hope…I pray haha)

Lastly, i have been enjoying blogging once again. Once getting over the fact that i don't fit into this mold that most people seem to have taken too, I've found a creative streak that suits me and my lifestyle. I have no schedule so i don't feel pressured but still remain conscious of how long it has been since my previous post. And as much as i am changing, my blog should reflect that too so that's why things always seem all over the place but i hope you find something enjoyable about this little blog i have built. 

I thinks that’s all for today but I hope you are having a great start to September. Only less than 4 months left of this year (OMG) so let’s make it count.

Much love