Spring Jewells

Spring is finally here ! The sky is blue, its warm and flowers are lining our surroundings. It is a truly beautiful time of year, not only for our land but also the stunningly bright, colourful and uplifting pieces filling the shops and our wardrobes at the moment.

 Bright oranges, pinks, greens and blues seem to be filling the shelves whilst sculptural floral pieces and the use of translucent Perspex seem to be key for this seasons jewelry trends.

In an independent boutique named Roberta, in Christchurch (Dorset) I found these stunning pieces of jewelry/art that would look gorgeous draped on any fashionista's outfit.

Remember girlies by shopping with an indie boutique you are more likely to get a fashion item that is different from the rest, and your pennies go to a local business, rather than a retail giant. If you are concerned about the prices in boutiques, in this case the orange sea enenemy necklace ( as I call it) can be purchased for £29.95, the same price you would pay for a Zara necklace ( that you will see everywhere).

Keep tuned for spring clothing trends in my next post !

Vintage Wedding Dress Shopping.

So yesterday it was my birthday, and I decided I need a clear out!I am recently engaged and i have collected vintage and second hand gowns for a while now. I personally do not understand why some brides are against wearing a second hand dress because they have only ever been worn the once and are always taken such good care of, so you get the dress that you love for a fraction of the price and you are recycling so it is good for the fashion conscience too! Its a no brainer too me!

Here are some of the gowns I have collected over the years from charity stores, vintage shops and on Ebay.

These dresses give you an idea of what is out there in the vintage market at the moment, and if you fall in love with any of them they are currently listed on ebay!

          

This address will take you to my listed items up for auction! 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181347167277?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Happy Shopping x x x

Adventure in the streets of Paris

Whilst everyone else was trotting around London fashion week 3 weeks ago, I was in Paris roaming the street for inspiration for my final collection. I was lucky enough to visit premier-vision and paid witness to all the new color and pattern trends.. which involved allot of yellow, tropical prints and translucent knitwear. 

I however felt more inspired by all the street art or should a say Graffiti, tattoo'd around the streets of

 Les Halles.

 On my travels I also found numerous vintage shops, which are becoming increasingly popular in Paris. Vintage is definitely the way forward if you are looking to recycle clothing and feel better about your purchase, also you will be in the knowledge that very few people will be wearing the same thing as you. The only disadvantage being that prices for vintage products are ever increasing. Despite this, I did give into this cutie teddy bear jumper which cost me 20 euros.

Charity Shop Chic

This January I was confronted with the daunting prospect of writing my dissertation to conclude my fashion design degree. As i am sure all you creatives agree, the thought of writing a piece rather then creating one is a scary and difficult prospect, and the overwhelming realization that you are going to be marked on a piece of written work of which your strengths do not lie, can turn the pressure and the heat up!

In order to boost motivation, I decided to write about something I was passionate about, of which the basis of this blog was created. This subject that i chose was considering the up-cycling and recycling of second hand fashion. To coincide with the dissertation I also had to provide a side project that became an outcome of the dissertation. 

I turned what was a terrifying prospect into doing what i do best !; Shopping for amazing, on trend and affordable clothes, but instead of from the high street; on eBay, in vintage stores and most importantly from charity shops.

Here are some of the final looks I created for my charity shop look book, proving that you don't need to buy new, to look absolutely gorgeous!

(With a special thanks to annabellesmithphotography@blogspot.co.uk   for helping with the shoot and Jennifer Eustace & Scarlett Ross aka Itsofficialflowerbusiness@blogspot.com for modelling!)

A Step In The Right Direction.

As a lover of fashion and someone who's wardrobe is full of impractical necessities, I have found that my busy lifestyle takes its toll on my footwear. I find, as do most fashion consumers; that I will purchase fast fashion impulsively, because it fulfills that overpowering desire to have something new and pretty in the wardrobe, rarely considering the practicality of my purchases.

Over a year ago I adopted a very bouncy, messy and energetic springer spaniel. And in order to maintain the welfare of my home, I found I needed to walk him frequently. But since over a year ago; I decided not to purchase sensible footwear for these additional excursions. This has resulted in the condemning of my shoes too the muddy, puddly heath land.

After consideration and the sacrifice of many lovely shoes and boots, I felt it time to purchase a more sustainable answer to my problem. 

The answer was these bad boys.....................

If the reviews and rumors are correct, these beautiful Timberland boots should withstand the test of time. As should they be a starting point for my new style blog. I feel i need to change my ways when it comes to purchasing fast fashion and start considering the effect my purchases are having on not only on my unsustainable wardrobe, but also the environment and local businesses. 

 This life lesson will not however compromise on style, I will be keeping up to date with the latest trends, finds and design concepts, which will hopefully develop into an enriching journey of fashion, sustainability and style.

Keep posted to hear how the journey (and the boots) get on!