Statement Earrings

Just a few of my statement earrings I'm wearing at the minute from my never ending collection - I buy a piece of jewellery whenever I travel. A lot of my earrings come from markets, designed and crafted by independent designers, for instance these gorgeous handcrafted earrings which are castings of ivy leaves. From time to time I do look to Mango for full on statement earrings which pull inspiration straight from the catwalk in an amazing way. These gold plated ones, for instance hit the nail on the head as a more affordable version of earrings released by The Line earlier this year. More recently these simplistic circle and line earrings from Seoidin Jewellery were gifted to me by my friend for my birthday - she knows what I like! Initially I wasn't sure how they'd actually go through my ear, but the chain seamlessly falls through your piercing as it turns out, without any odd sensation. I can see these becoming more of a staple everyday statement earring which aren't confined to evening wear.

Gold plated abstract *The Line Inspired* Earrings - Mango

Sterling Silver Casting of Bulgarian Ivy Leaves *Handmade* - Designer at a market 

Minimal Circle and Drop Line Earrings - Seoidin Jewellery 

Beginning to Bloom

I have not been hiding away from blogging compared to what you might think. I have been gradually been developing new ideas for content and how I might like this space, my space, to grow in the coming months. What I thought initially was heading towards a full re-branding project is now looking more like a smaller more focused project. So watch this space, or my analogy for it these days is that this blog, and like me, are a garden, and new flowers keep blooming.

As my career's future gets more concrete with each passing week of experience, and with a new opportunity after arising from a casual chat with a lovely business-woman at Bloom - an ode to how just having a conversation with someone can lead to amazing unexpected things, so don't be afraid - has been filling my time like never before. As I haven't had huge amounts of time to myself, each week I've given myself a task to do that benefits me in some way. In the last two or so weeks I have been tackling the mess that is my wardrobe.

During a wardrobe cull you realise a lot about your personal style and what type of clothing makes you happy. This outfit although is certainly not my a-typical all black uniform, it made me feel creative of all things. The colour block from the red leather skirt made me feel bold, confident and for the ten euro it cost me in the Zara Christmas sale, it has become a go to piece in my wardrobe in recent weeks. The pinstripe shirt and oversized cuff gave the look I think a nod to formal workwear without being slacks and shirt, especially since I had two meetings the day I wore this outfit the shirt brought the attention grabbing red skirt some competition in the right way. As I am trainer gal through and through , I had to pair the look with my khaki Adidas Speizals. Initially leaving the house I had doubts teaming red and green together in the middle of June, but as the day progressed I loved the colour situation more and more.

Style is a funny thing nowadays, with the era of the hashtag I admit I feel odd when I can't categorise my style for a given outfit. But is that not slightly weirder that I would want to categorise it all? Everyone one wants to be unique and different, but when everyone follows some form of style category, currently the hitter being minimal, no-one stands out. Culling my wardrobe raised a few qualms about my choice of clothing, but as I threw more clothing out and began to make mental notes of new outfits and how to update old pieces, the question of style went out the window. But more what clothes made me happy and confident.

Oversized Cuff Shirt - H&M

Red Faux Leather Skirt - Zara

Adidas Speizal - JD Sports. 

Assorted Rings.

Colour by numbers.

There used to be a time where I wouldn't wear pinks or reds. The thought that my clothes would match the colour of my skin was just a tad too nightmarish for me. Just a blob of blotchy redness, not something to strive for when you want to look your best when you're not feeling your best. That being said, my skin over the last month has been getting better. Alas! Rejoice says the crowds! The long awaited moment I could actually say that phrase has come.

And so, I've found myself wearing more colour recently compared to my usual funeral worthy attire, of all black - Although can I say, wearing black all the time when you've dry flakey skin, as one would presume, isn't necessarily a good idea, because due to the, well, flakiness. Wearing colour again, I think began when I bought leopard print heels in Primark in January, then these red beauties in the Asos christmas sale. I'm not going head to toe colour blocking, but small pops of colour are sneaking into my daily wardrobe more and more.

As I splurged all of fourteen euro on these Maryam Nassir Zadeh lookalikes I felt it was necessary to get the black version too. They seem to be going with a lot more than I anticipated too. I genuinely thought I would find myself wearing the black more often, but so far these almost oriental brick red ones are a firm favourite with everything from jeans to skirts. I must give a heads up though, if you're thinking of purchasing these heels, they will rip the ankles off you for the first few wears. But I promise they do soften up.

In other news, myself and my mum have found the patience with one another to take photographs of outfits. She's learning, I'm learning, she's getting better at taking them, I'm finding the inner patience to let her get the right shot after showing her examples. It's been a hilarious process as we're both so similar - we're both stubborn - and so we took a break on trying to get photos but now we're giving it a go again, and I'm at last building up outfit photos for Denim & Silk again!

Heels - Asos Simone Heel 

Jeans - Topshop Jamie

Shirt - H&M Exaggerated Cuff 

Jumper - H&M

Trends that aren't budging.

Puffa

Puffa here. Puffa there. Puff everywhere. It's the closest thing you will get to being able to wear your duvet out of the house. It's comfy, cosy and oh so cool at the same time. I like to wear mine extra puffy, for those Monday mornings when you wish you could stay in the safe confinements of your duvet burrito. The puffa coat is your answer. Although I've been an advocate of this trend for a few years now - shoutout to forever21 circa 2013 - I'm always happy to see a comfy clothing item become, and, remain a trend. A clothing marriage of style and sensibility if I say so myself.

Bell sleeves

From frills to bells, by the end of 2016 sleeves were getting longer and wider. May we rejoice at a replacement for the off-the-shoulder trend? Still just as much of a statement, just far more (Irish) weather friendly. Look to Zara to add more bells and whistles to your jumpers with ties added to the non-budging trend.

Athleisure

Athleisure. Ah Athleiusre, the biggest trend to hit 2016. We saw waves form when designers began incorporating the trend into almost all their collections in some way or another, which then saw the surge of popularity for Vetements - have you heard the latest news? Check it here.

Athleisure has made such a big wave, that the trend is no longer really a trend, but just part of our lives. But this doesn't lessen the popularity of the trend, activewear, tracksuits are going to remain popular this year. Expect to see new ways to wear your activewear though, with new polished tailoring. 

The beginning of 2017 is seeming a lot easier to deal with thanks to the ever apparent relaxed vibe of the style trends. Is it just me or is fashion getting easier... lazier... almost? Maybe by the end of the year we could wear our pyjamas out... oh wait, thats already happened. Heres to a new year of constant coziness and happiness. 

Thursday Thoughts || Vetements

If you have kept even half an eye on fashion news, there is no way you have missed the explosive rise of french brand Vetements. Over the last year they have been in the centre of various hyped up  items ranging from hoodies to deconstructed jeans. Although they released their first collection in 2014, last year was Vetements year. So much so, that they have set most of the trends we see staying around for 2017. 

Trends can be hard, they can be even harder when they are set by the lucrative clothing brand.  With brands constantly posting to social media, creating hype, it can be easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of new releases, surprise pop up shops and once of streetwear drops - especially so when the sold out sign means actually sold out to never be restocked. 

While off putting, a curveball of must haves come along, and we find ourselves feeling thrown off by a garment that suddenly everyone is coveting. Vetements over the last year as said, has been the dead ringer of coveted items. And only a week into 2017 they are already at it again.

First things first though; Vetements is pronounced vet-MAHN and it’s a le french for clothes. ( insert cringe french accent ) Secondly, all we know about the design team is that Demna Gvasalia is the lead designer and public face, everything else remains a mystery. We also know that the brand likes to be coy, selling us pieces that .. ahem.. have been deconstructed.  Patch work jeans? A hoody with a slit on the back, so you can wear it two ways. Can anyone say ripping us off? 

It would seem most recently, Vetements is in no doubt trolling us all completely. A few days ago,  Paper reported on Vetements “Offical Fake” raincoat. The jacket in question is - and try stay with me here - a ripoff of a knockoff of the brand’s own outerwear pieces from a few seasons ago, Oh, and its already sold out. Also! The ‘original fake’ as in the first knockoff from Vetememes has gone up in price since the sell out of the branded fake, which I’m sure will also sell out. 

We are suckers to say the least. This is comes from a brand who told the world; 

“The whole idea is to limit the production, having less pieces and making sure that people who buy these pieces can cherish it for a longer time. It’s moving away from this idea of fashion fashion, to this of slow fashion.”

One could presume then Vetements as a brand is against fast fashion culture, that their message ( ethos almost ? ) is to create clothing that last longer and proves a point of buying simple separates but of a luxury standard. 

Yet here we are talking about how they have copied a copy of their original work, which was more than likely made a mass production level as to sell it a third of the price. Bit hypocritical if you ask me, others might comment that they are able to make fun of themselves, have a shit and giggle at the endeavour while making a rack load of money from it. 

The original raincoat.

                                

As consumers, we need to start being less naive in the money play by streetwear companies. The strategic hype that brands create for themselves is creating a downward spiral for fashion lovers wallets. Parody fashion was a big trend in 2016, and is not a trend I want to see continued into 2017. Anyone remember the white DHL t-shirt that sold for the sweet price of $330? Ironic, sarcastic, taking a quip of themselves, however we phrase it, we need to stop purchasing clothes in the mindset of how many hearts and likes it may get on the gram. 

Can we try promise one another to stop buying for Instagram in 2017 please?

Get Your Shoulders Out

Black Lace Trim Bardot Top - Zara 

Black Trousers - Penneys 

Adidas Stan Smiths - Littlewoods

Like A Boy

Mac - Mango ( old stock for new season mac click here

White Shirt - BDG 

Black Trousers - Pennys 

Shoes -Todds, found at TKMax Stephens Green

OOTD // Audrey Vibes

With the UV Therapy taking its toll on my skin, and summer sun coming out to play still - has no one told it is September?  I have to be extra careful these days about my sun exposure. And so my 'summer' wardrobe hasn't been overly summery this year. Today I went for an Audrey Hepburn vibe. All black, slicked back hair with a pop of colour with my newly bought COS socks - which are extremely silky and soft. If I look a bit stiff in these photos, it is because I am stiff. The UV therapy at the minute is burning me, and the burn is exactly the same as if I were to be burnt from the sun. My body is piping hot, and a shade of tomato red. You can see the brightness of my chest popping through in these photos. 

Until next time,

L 

x

The Bigger the Hoop Bigger the Ho

What happened the glorious hoop. With phrases like the bigger the hoop the bigger the ho, thanks khlo-k , no wonder these babies are lost treasures at the bottom of that drawer stuffed with bits and bobs you probably wont touch for eons. You know the drawer I'm talking about. 

Hoops have never left my go to jewellery box, even recently one of the gym instructors in my local gym always has a gold pair and theyre only freaking fabulous adding a bit of oomph to gym gear. Rock a bit of nostalgia with big jenny from the block gold ones  ( maybe not for the gym ) or go minimal with thin slender silver ones. Whatever your taste  its time to dust em and rock em. 

Princess Leia Buns and Nike AF1s

Regardless of my skin getting worse, and feeling patchy, still felt bomb af with my princess leia buns and AF1s.

Get The Look // Alexa Chung

After only speaking about the Queen of Style herself in an interview last week, I thought wouldn't it be nifty if I did a get the look on Alexa Chung, since she is my biggest style icon.  I could go on for days about how wonderfully perfect Alexa is, and how she could do no wrong in my eyes. But, keeping in mind, I want to keep your attention, I'll try not to write a thesis on this. 

Alexa is the icon of  Tomboy/60 primness. Alexa has a lot of constant factors in her style, but each time I see a photo of her be it strolling around London or at a chic fashion event, Alexa has a super cool, I just threw this on, vibe. Yet we all know, just like the "natural look " with makeup taking bleeding hours to achieve, Alexa's style is well, perfectly styled. To achieve Queen Chung's look Ive broken it down to a few key pieces you can add to your wardrobe which will give it that nod of Chung chic. 

Denim is a must, be it a pair of dungarees to a slim fit boyfriend jean, denim is a key element to Alexa's style. For that laid-back look a loose fit jean , a band tee teamed with a pair of sneakers encapsulates Alexa's rocknroll roots. Have a plaid shirt? Throw it on gurl, wrap it round your waist if its warmer and you've got this style down to a tee...Stripes are chic yet stylish. Keep in mind, if you're a curvier girl you'll want to be looking for vertical stripes rather horizontal. Her daytime look is made up of trainers and cons, skinny jeans and loose jumpers in a block colour or navy, which she revealed in her book is essential to her wardrobe.  Her love of Breton stripe tees, gorgeously made sweaters and turtlenecks are all factors that create her effortless look. 

Whats fantastic about Alexa's look is that when she's on a night out you'll see her rocking a pair of stylish flats. Invest in a pair of chic penny loafers or brogues and you've got a shoe that will look great with girly mod influenced skirts and shift dresses. I remember seeing a photo of her at a Topshop Unique event wearing a leopard skirt and flats and just realised how much I truly loved her look. She is effortless. Nothing ever seems too over done with her. The key is to knowing when not to add too much accessories, keeping the overall look minimal. 

What's great about Chung Chic is that it truly suits every size! Don't be afraid to steal her style just because she is thin. If you've bigger boobs or not a fan of the slim fit jeans, opt for v-neck jumpers - this neck cut wont make you feel like you're suffocating the girls and will actually elongate your neck! If you'd rather a baggier jean, make sure you highlight your waist with a belt, always accommodate yourself 

Alexa's look is possibly the most copied look on the planet. The Breton tee, duffel coat and Chelsea boot can all thank Alexa Chung for their immense comeback in the last few years.

So , I'll finish this post with a very cliche end note, don't drown out your own style. Do take influence, but add your own twist to her effortless look!

Have you tried any of these looks? Whats your favourite piece? How do you make this style your own? Don't forget to share your own thoughts 

x

Get The Look // Alexa Chung by lesley-goulding featuring a red lipstick