The early bird gets the worm

The Topshop sale is now on!

I must admit, I was a little sceptical about their up and coming sale based on yesterday previews. That email promising you exclusivity and to “shop the sale before anyone else” gives you a little wave of excitement. The reality: a very poor selection and any useful sizes had already sold out.

This morning however is a whole other ball game. They have flippy skirted dresses. They have lace. They have pleated skirts. They have knitwear left, right and centre. Here’s a selection of what I picked up:

Have probably ordered more than I should have done...

But I blame morning tiredness and it being so damn early. 

The tiredness can only explain the madness of why I also ordered these:

Everyone needs an obligatory what-the-hell-were-you-thinking purchase in their basket, right?! Whilst I probably wouldn’t brave these as shorts, I’d happily team them with a long tee. I love the foil effect and the I’ve-got-in-a-paintball-fight-whilst-on-acid feel to them!

The devil makes work for idle hands

I’ve decided that working full-time is healthy for my bank balance. And not for the obvious reason of more hours = more money. But because I’m usually too knackered to trek around the shops after work, and too lazy to trawl through pages and pages of online fashion. I think my folks have been impressed with the lack of parcels gracing our front door.

Then my contract at work ended... *cue shopping marathon*

An ASOS sale purchase - this satchel should hopefully 

add a pop of colour into my (mainly black) wardrobe!

H&M sleeveless white shirt

 H&M mocha chunky knit - which looks very Alexa 

Chung with the shirt collar poking out underneath

Not one but two pairs of H&M denim shorts 

- they fit so well, I couldn't resist!

You can never have too much denim!

+ a free H&M gift card that I was handed by a member of H&M staff

... which I exchanged for these:

A lint remover - which is clearly being put to good use(!)

And stockings... you can never go wrong with stockings!

In good news: I got a new job! I’m now working in publishing / the media and hopefully will get to do some geeky IT stuff *rubs hands together*

Had a week free before my start date so took off for a few days – why not? Found me a last minute deal and hurriedly threw some things into packed a suitcase. Holiday summary to follow! 

Eco-Fashion

A recent trip to the Science Museum in London inspired this post. Round about the time my batteries were running low (I was in dire need of some caffeine!), I came across an exhibition about eco fashion, which really got me thinking about what I wear and how it has repercussions on both the environment and the working conditions of those who work within the fashion industry.

This exhibition opened my eyes to alternative materials, colourants and ways of producing clothing that are far more environmentally friendly.

On display:

This dress made from old recycled Metro newspapers.

The skirt layers of this dress are made from ‘bioplastics’ which come from plant sugar(s).

This black dress is composed of nettle fibres (yes, the stinging kind) as they 

are stronger than cotton and apparently just as soft. Nettles grow well in 

the UK (they don’t need much) so they are a good source to use.

This shimmery dress uses a fabric called Morphotex which imitates the

 reflective nature of Morpho butterfly wings. This fabric reflects light and 

creates this  lovely shimmery colour without the need for dyes 

– which is a lot better for the environment.

How eco friendly are you?

Lots of people play their part by recycling, washing their clothes at a lower temperature and so on - but it’s never enough. There is so much more we can do to help. Here are some ideas of what you can do:

• Don’t bin your clothes if they are still in wearable condition. Hand them down to others so the clothes get as much wear as possible.

• And for the very same reason, buy second hand / vintage pieces. I love owning something that I know has a bit of history to it.

• Don’t just throw out your clothes if they are ripped / holey. Transform them into something wearable. Old jeans can be cut into cute little denim shorts and given a new lease of life.

• Buy ethical or organic clothing where you can (if you can afford to do so). Some of you may know about Free People (Emma Watson has done some modelling for them and they feature on sites such as ASOS.com). Here are some of my favourite items:

Trimmed Edges Eyelet Top - £78.32 

Lace Cropped Kaftan - £139.51

Eyelet Scalloped Shorts - £53.85

New Romantics Cala Luna Tunic - £78.32

 Vintage Victorian Long Sleeve Shrug - £200.70

I love the floaty, relaxed nature of the fabrics. I can visualise wearing these on a hot sticky summer’s day, sitting on a beach somewhere, digging my toes into the sand. Accessorized with sunnies and a huge floppy hat, of course.

However caring for the environment needn’t be so expensive. 

There are cheaper alternatives where eco-fashion is a lot more accessible.

This has been demonstrated perfectly by Natalie Portman recently. 

For a pre-Oscar party she wore this incredible dress:

 Source here

Was this a designer’s dress? No. Believe it or not, this is actually a dress from H&M’s eco-fashion range called the Conscious Collection. Expensive? No. At least I find £29.99 for a dress is nothing compared to the £75+ that you may be expected to pay for an eco-friendly top elsewhere. I love their scallop shorts:

 They are recycled polyester and at £12.99, they are more than affordable.

 Eco-fashion can be costly but we have to bear in mind the following:

• Eco / organic materials can cost more

• These materials are meant to be better quality and have a longer life span

• They are usually not mass-produced like most high street clothing

• If they are made locally rather than overseas, the production process costs more

What do you think about eco-fashion? 

Roses are red, violets are blue...

... I don’t want to give into commercialism

And neither should you.

The above sums up my thoughts about Valentine’s Day quite well. It’s a day where the card companies and the alike try to manipulate you into spending a fortune in the name of love. And make you feel damn guilty and a terrible boyfriend / girlfriend if you don’t. But let’s face it, you don’t need to spend a lot to show someone that you love them. Handmade cards are much cheaper than the soppy, heart infested ones you get in the shops. And they show a lot more time, effort and care - it wasn’t purely an impulse buy at the till whilst you were out food shopping.

I found some mugs on Cafe Press which I feel are a true representation of Valentine’s Day:

("Express your love when you want to, not when you're told to.

Down with Valentine's Day!")

("Chocolate makes me fat. Roses make me sneeze. I hate Valentine's Day")

 ("Happy commercialized holiday!")

Brilliant. But also slightly ironic. Many of us moan about the commercialism of Valentine’s Day but now there is a new market (the anti-Valentine’s Day squad and the singletons) which the companies can then make money from too. Terrible, huh?

I am loved up and have been for the last 5 years. We never make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day because if you love someone, you should love them all 365 days of the year – you don’t need one day a year to say / show it. We never go out or have a master plan. Firstly because restaurants are a total rip off at this time and secondly because the one year we did make a plan, I was insanely ill which ruined everything. And we don’t do gifts. But there have been exceptions to this rule. Last year, my boyfriend surprised me a gift and this weekend, we’re going away.

And the question lots of us face: what should I wear on a date? 
I feel like Valentine’s Day adds extra pressure on us to look good (another reason why I semi dislike the day). I have come up with some ideas for looks based on the sorts of things I would wear for each occasion. I hope these are useful / inspiring:

Staying in

If it’s just you and boyfriend home alone, dress comfortably but also add a little sexy twist if you can (he’ll thank you for it!). Try wearing matching lingerie or nightwear with a floaty cover up:

Tesco - babydoll

Topshop - teddy in "Berry"

Topshop - dip dye water colour kimono

Cinema / day time

Because of this seemingly “special” day of the year, you can get away with being a little bit smarter than usual. If you’re making a day of it, wear what’s comfortable - avoid tight fitting garments and high heels. Wedges are a good alternative as they give you a little bit more support and won’t kill your feet after an hour. Floaty sheer shirts, lace detailing and flowing skirts can all look very romantic.

New Look - beaded mesh top

New Look - chiffon gypsy top

River Island - 3D petal tunic

River Island - cream lace skirt

River Island - Peter pan shift dress

River Island - peep toe wedge boots

Topshop - abeline boots

Topshop - crochet lace vest

Topshop - silk shorts

Nice restaurant / night out

It’s up to the individual, but I would choose a dress for an occasion like this. If you are going for a many course meal avoid tight body con dresses and waist belts. Been there, got the t-shirt. You will feel mighty uncomfortable afterwards and in a body con number, your food baby will be quite clear. Try flowing dresses that skim over your stomach and team with a nice pair of heels:

Miss Selfridge - black lace V dress

Miss Selfridge - tan canvas heel

H&M - dress 

… and finally, a clichéd look

If you really love Valentine’s Day, you may want to wear your heart on your sleeve (literally). The High Street has so many options right now so you can wear head to toe hearts if you wish. Show The Love with this cute ASOS hearts cardigan which would look lovely slung over a black dress. Or alternatively team a sweatshirt like this with these gorgeous Topshop scallop shorts and patent shoes. You can even include your legs in the heart fest with these ASOS tights.

ASOS - heart cardigan

ASOS - heart sweatshirt

Topshop - scallop shorts

Topshop - "Kitty" black patent shoes

ASOS - heart tights

  

Hope all you have a lovely Valentine’s regardless of whether you’re single or loved up!