ASOS Sale

I haven’t been too well this weekend so unfortunately I haven’t been able to go into Newcastle and see what is on the high street for my lovely readers.  I have however managed to check out the ASOS sale from the confines of my bed, and I’ve picked out my favourite pieces for you; this was no easy task as I’ve had to stop myself from buying so much, well, other than one dress (I couldn’t not) and as I am having a rare night out on Friday I even had an excuse to buy it.

ASOS Floral Watercolour Bodycon Dress - Was £30, now £21

As you might have gathered by now I am slightly obsessed by florals so when I came across this gem, a midi bodycon dress, I couldn’t resist.  I do love bodycon dresses and I have owned more than my fair share, however as I am now heading towards 30 I prefer the hem length to go past my knee.  My accessories will be kept to a minimum as I think the dress speaks for itself.  I really hope that once this arrives I am not disappointed.

ASOS Shirt with Bow Back Details - Was £36, now £18

I am a huge fan of white shirts; they have such a polished feel to them and can smarten up almost any pair of jeans.   The bow back detail on this shirt is amazing and puts this white shirt on a whole other level.  This would look great with a jeans and a pair of stiletto heels, I’m thinking neon to add a dash of colour.

ASOS Culottes with Pleated Front - Was £45, now £22.50

I seem to have a new fascination with shorts which I’ve never usually bothered with before, probably because I am a bit self conscious about my legs, shorts just seem to make them look a bit chunky, but luckily these culottes will hide a multitude of sins; high waisted and wide leg, always a winner. 

ASOS Oversized Shirt in Spot Print - Was £25, now £15

This oversized blouse is amazing; I absolutely adore the sleeves and it would work well with so much.  It could be worn loose with skinny jeans or white cigerette pants, keeping bang on the monochrome trend, or tucked into a skater or full midi skirt.  I have a leather skater skirt from Topshop that would be perfect for this.  Black or white wide leg trousers would also look great with this either tucking the blouse in, or nipping the blouse in with an oversized belt.

ASOS Full Midi Skirt - Was £38, now £26.50

Full skirts are huge at the moment and I they are great for all seasons, worn with a cami vest and sandals in the summer or a jumper and knee high boots in the winter.  I’m loving the length again, there is something very prim and proper about a full midi skirt.

ASOS Midi Skirt in Check Print - Was £40, now £20

Yes another full midi skirt and reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie.  I would definitely take inspiration from the model and rock it up with a pair of biker boots.

Sam Edelman Sacha Demin Wedge Sandals - Was £175, now £87.50

Wedges really are a girl’s best friend, added height without the pain of heels.  The Aztec print on the wedge is another huge summer trend just keep the rest of your outfit simple; pastel block colours would be perfect.

ASOS Maxi Skirt in Scarf and Spot Print - Was £35, now £24.50

Maxi skirts go hand in hand with the summer and there is still some sun left, hopefully.  The slits give the maxi skirt a new lease of life and show just enough leg, unlike the black skirt I bought from Primark, my own fault I should have tried it on I just couldn’t face the queue; nothing that a thread and needle won’t fix though.

Inside my handbag

I’ve let you lovely people into my suitcase, I showed you what I actually wore on holiday and now I’m going to let you see inside my handbag.  I will be honest and say that once I had seen the contents of this myself I questioned whether to do this post at all, or to add a few items in to make it look more interesting, but I decided against both of these things, as I hate liars and wannabe’s and this way you will get to know a bit more about me.

I’ve had this bag for years as I don’t own that many, simply because I struggle to find ones that I like, so when I do I generally tend to stick with it till the handle falls off (yes, gasp in the horror).  I bought this from Accessorize and I think it was about £35, which for me is a lot to spend on a bag but it has been worth it; its simplicity works very well with the majority of my day wear.  I also love brown accessories rather than black as I think it gives a more vintage and aged feel to them.   Simplicity and vintage, two things that are key to my style.

 

My purse is from River Island, the front design may have given this away.  I bought this purse when I decided I was turning into a semi adult.  Prior to this purse I had a coin purse which had nowhere to put any cards (that would probably be a good thing now; prevent the credit card spending), everything was just thrown in together cards, notes, cash and anything else that would fit in there.  I love the mock croc design that is so subtle you can only see it if you look close enough; I’m not one for overtly garish prints, but sneakily on the inside there is a gorgeous leopard print lining.  Cost £25.

Well I listened to the advert and went to Specsavers, and really did buy one pair and got one free, but my favourite pair are my timberland glasses.  I’ve worn glasses for as long as I can remember other than a few instances in my teenage years when I thought they weren’t cool; how little did I know.  Thankfully as an adult I get to choose my own glasses and they no longer resemble anything like my childhood glasses, which were circular burgundy frames that matched the colour of my school cardigan (you can only imagine the torment).  My glasses are probably the most expensive thing in my bag but they are worth every penny; my friend Anne-Marie always tells me how sexy I look in them, maybe she should get her eyes tested.  Cost £120

This card was given to me by my lovely friend Gavin Kent and upon his recommendation my husband (Jamie) and I went for dinner there.  We went for the lunchtime special which is 2 courses for a tenner and it was amazing.  Jamie and I both love fancy restaurants but now that we are saving for a mortgage we are having to make a few cut backs, so no more full priced fine dining for us; lunchtime and early bird specials it is.  Regardless of the offer the food was outstanding as was the service.  I had a salmon terrine to start and a pea and mint risotto for main, and it was delicious.  I would definitely recommend a visit here if you are in Newcastle, and afterwards you can pop next door to The Biscuit Factory if you fancy browsing some art. Cost £0.00

I adore oversized sunglasses.  Not only do the hide a multitude of sins they make you face look smaller; the bigger the glasses the smaller the face.  I found these in the bargain bin in Primark (I didn’t know there was such a thing, I thought it was all bargains) for my holiday to Barcelona last year, and they cost me a pound.  Ideal for me as I do have a tendency to sit on my glasses, my mother will vouch for this.  I fell in love with them instantly as they reminded me of something that Farah Fawcett would wear and I love her style; I usually have the fringe/bangs to prove it which will be getting cut back in very soon.  Cost £1.00

Myself and my husband work in the same office, and unfortunately for me Jamie has put his foot down and I now have to do some of the driving to work; I am no longer Miss Daisy and no matter how confident a driver I feel, I find there is something quite intimidating about having a male passenger.  My journey to work usually takes an hour and this is on the busiest motorway in Newcastle, the A1M, so I find that an extra splash of deodorant is needed once I arrive at work! £1.00

I am a sufferer of chapped lips, probably because I never shut up, so this cherry lip butter from Marks and Spencer was the perfect stocking present from my Mother-in-Law.  It tastes and smells beautiful and I always get compliments on this at work.  Cost: it was a gift.

This compact hair brush is a steal.  Nope it wasn’t a bargain, I actually stole this from my friend Heather on a night out, and even though she already knows that I have it, I have told her that she is not allowed it back.  It is amazing so small but gets all of the knots of my hair and has a mirror inside too, so once I’ve got my locks looking luscious I can check myself out in the mirror (something that I am a bit of a fan of doing, sorry!). Cost: stolen.

I could not get through the day at work without my earphones.  Luckily my day job allows the radio so I have BBC 6music for company.  I tend not to spend a lot on earphones simply because I have ran over the wire in my chair one too many times and broken them.  I have now taken to using the free pair from work or stealing Jamie’s (I realising how much I steal as I’m writing this). Cost: Stolen/Borrowed.

Our very changeable British weather dictates that an umbrella must be carried at all times, however my umbrella that I am proud of is not handbag friendly.  I am currently carrying this very unstylish brown umbrella that I bought on my honeymoon in an act of desperation due to an impromptu monsoon, but hey, as long as it keeps my hair and clothes dry it is doing its job! Cost: €4.00

Last but certainly not least, my phone.  I have the Samsung Galaxy S2 and this literally has my life in it so I really should have insurance on this.  Without this my blog would not exist; no camera, no twitter and no memo pad.  Definitely time to get the insurance! £245.00

So there you have it, the contents of my handbag which total £427.00 (with an additional €4 - more than I thought).  I hope you have got to know me a little better, whether this is a good or a bad thing, you decide.

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Celeb Style - Millie Mackintosh

Millie Mackintosh; the queen B (beauty not biatch) of E4’s structured reality show Made In Chelsea first graced our screens as lead character Caggie Dunlop’s best friend, but has now firmly established herself as the leading lady of SW3.  Throughout her time on Made in Chelsea Millie has made the headlines for many reasons, her tempestuous relationship with Hugo Taylor, on-off fights with Spencer Matthews (I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of those slaps) and most recently her relationship/engagement to the very talented Professor Green.  Relationships and slapping aside it has been her barely there make up and impeccable taste in fashion that have endeared her to us and the fashion giant Lipsy.  Combining her signature Chelsea whites with a vintage and more recently rocky edge, she has had fans eagerly waiting each week to see what she is wearing, and whether those high end looks can be replicated on the high street, minus the Chelsea price tag.

Rumours are now rife that series 5 will be Millie’s last so I could not think of a better way to say bon voyage to SW3’s main fashionista with a celebration of her style.

Hats

I adore hats, I think they can set off an outfit better than a bag or shoes and if anyone can rock a hat it’s Millie; modelling Floppy 70’s hats, Trilby’s and Fedora’s, there isn’t a hat that this girl can’t pull off.

Fur Gillet

Like Millie’s hats the Fur Fillet has graced our screens on more than one occasion, teaming this with a floppy 70’s hat and the Chelsea classic white jeans.   I purchased one from Primark and its ideal for all seasons; layering in the winter or with denim shorts in the summer.

Shorts

As the saying goes “If you’ve got it flaunt it” and this is most certainly the case with Miss Mackintosh and those never ending pins, not even letting the dreary British weather stop her.  Whether it be leather or denim Millie can carry off what is often a very risqué look, always following the rule, either one or the other with a demure Chanel jacket.

Leather Trousers

A few series on and a rapper fiancé in tow Millie’s style has taken an edgier turn.  Her pins strike again but this time fully covered in leather trousers, so versatile that she has been seen wearing these on the red carpet or walking down the Kings Road (not that there is much difference).

Ball Gowns

A Chelsea girl can never have too many ball gowns and even in a full length gown those legs still manage to make an appearance.  Maybe too much of an appearance at this year’s BAFTA’s, but still looking as glamorous as ever Millie managed to laugh off the fashion faux-pax showing that Chelsea may not be as stuck up as it appears.

Zara Goes Gucci Flora

I have recently had the immense pleasure of visiting Italy for my Honeymoon, and boy did I come back inspired.  When I told everyone where my husband and I planned to visit, everybody questioned why a fashion lover like me was not stopping in at Milan, one of fashion’s international hotspots? Why Florence and Rome?  Even out of the two destinations that we chose you would be forgiven for assuming that Rome would be in my lasting fashion memory, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.  It was Florence that I found truly inspiring; it has almost certainly changed my view on style and fashion and I have a female cyclist wearing a black skirt and white and navy horizontal striped tee and The Gucci Museum to thank for this.

Both of these reminded me that style will never go out of fashion, dungarees may come and go, and hopefully keep on going but Riviera chic and Gucci Flora are here to stay.

Flora World in the Gucci Museum illustrates the creation of what was to be the most beautiful scarf imaginable for Princess Grace of Monaco in 1966, presented to her by Rodolfo Gucci on their visit to Gucci’s Via Monte Napoloene store with her husband Prince Ranier.  Flora was created from nine bouquets of flowers from the four seasons, with berries, butterflies, dragonflies and insects.  It may seem like a questionable design to have insects on a garment of such beauty, but the result is mesmerising; so much so that it has continued forty years later and flora inspired designs can be seen all over the high street.

Designer looks in high streets stores has always been my fashion mantra and clearly Zara have a similar way of thinking. Gucci flora is so inspiring that Zara have left not one garment untouched;  putting together a collection of floral suits, providing a masculine garment with a feminine charm.  Their blazers and bomber jackets are cool and beautiful and wouldn’t look out of place on the likes of Cara Delevingne.  They have shirts, shorts, skirts and they have even been daring enough to replicate the iconic flora scarf itself.  The items ooze the international jet setting and opulent lifestyle that Gucci epitomised.  These are a few of my favourite items.

Zara have immersed their designs in Flora.  They have combined their signature designs and cuts with an iconic luxurious print and the results are pure genius.  Italian chic, but at a fraction of the price and in today’s dreary climate be it the weather or the economy, this could not have come at a better time.  So go ahead and immerse yourself.  I promise you will look blooming lovely.

ASOS does Primark

It's finally happened! Primark is online through none other than the online fashion giant ASOS.  I have to say I feel being able to shop online for Primark is well overdue and somewhat of a relief.  As much as I love Primark it is not the most pleasurable of shopping experiences even for shopaholics like myself, unless you arrive at 9am when the store is still laid out as it should be, however if like me you are usually chained to your desk at this point and can only make it there either after work or on a weekend, the clothes on the floors, clothes on the wrong sized hangers, and being jammed in the heels by push chairs can be a bit of a put off to say the least.

Unfortunately this is still a trial at the moment, but ASOS have advised that due to sales the number of products available from Primark will double from 70 to 140 in the next few weeks.  So to ensure that Primark becomes a permanent fixture on ASOS I urge you to get online and start buying (not that you will need much encouraging I'm sure.)

My favourite item has to be the Floral Skater Dress.  Florals are absolutely everywhere on the high street and since we are experiencing a few glimmers of sunshine what better time to bloom.  This dress would also look great in the dreary winter months with tights, a pair of biker boots and the staple leather jacket; adding a splash of colour to your wardrobe which come post October can sometimes look as dark as the clouds outside.

Floral Skater Dress £13.00

The Floral Border Stappy Dress is a double hitter in this seasons style stakes with white and floral.  Ideal for a wedding as the length is not too short, a day at the races with my favourite accessory, a hat, or a few cheeky cocktails on the last bank holiday of the summer in August.

Floral Border Dress £13.00

I'm normally not a huge fan of prom dresses as they are just a little bit too girly for me but I still think that this Floral Print Prom Dress has the possibility to give ASOS's website technical difficulties.  With a cut out front and back; this detail gives what is usually a demure look a racier edge.

Floral Print Prom Dress £17.00

Festival season is in full swing and for those of you who have dared to attend a British Festival will be only too aware of the necessity of a Parker.  This is perfect for Britain's ever changeable weather; light enough to carry, a hood for when it rains and not too warm in case the sun decides to make an appearance.  I also love the double breasted buttons on the collar.

Studded Parker £22.00

Pencil skirts are a must for any ladies wardrobe; so flattering yet so versatile.  Primark have done it again by giving a prim and proper skirt a cool vibe that would not look out of place with a cropped sports tee and colourful pair of plimsolls.  If the pencil skirt is not for you but you love the graffiti print then check out their graffiti print maxi dress.

Graffiti Print Midi Skirt £8.00

Here a few others that I think you might like

Lace Insert Denim Short Dress £16.00

Aztec High Neck Bodycon Dress £10.00

Polka Dot Cut Out Denim Shirt Dress £15.00

With designs like this all for under £25, and now the guarantee of a more user friendly shopping experience- your couch- I think we can safely say that Primark is most certainly here to stay on ASOS.