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. 

So you want to be Esmeralda? // Festival Style

I like flared trousers. I like patterns. I like those oversized comfy Thailand inspired trousers that you only wear in Thailand for the duration of your holiday never to be seen again on your being,  inside the boarders of Ireland unless loafing round your house of a sunday. 

What I particularly don't like is these silky jersey, patterned flares that are everywhere at the minute. Every Boohoo or Missguided ad feature them. Every other blogger or festival goer wore them to body & soul or sea sessions the other weekend, and I really don't see the appeal anymore.

Do I sound moody?  Well am I not, I am just not enjoying the bombardment of this trend. Just because Kendall Jenner rocked them at Coachella paired with a floaty bardot top, should not mean you 'invest' in three different styles. And here, Kendall could rock a black sack and a seaweed tiara while she danced in and out of a bonfire proclaiming how much she loved to shove peas up her nose and no one would bat an eyelid....

The point here is, some trends are dumb as. End of. When was the last time you read an article or blog post or heard of an insta-famous celeb say they don't actually like something? These flared trousers are not floating my boat. There I said it. A negative review of a trend that is somehow actually trending. However, that's not to say I didn't like Kendall Jenner's outfit at Coachella - cause I did believe it or not. I just don't think there a specific wardrobe item everyone should own, or consider owning cause they look funky. You want to be funky? Buy a fluffy purse. 

The only person who is funky enough of her own accord, who I think really did rock these flares, is Leanne Woodfull of Thunder & Threads. I mean, have you seen her green hair recently. Funky. And her outfit that included a pair of these printed flares was funky, but in my books she is the only Irish person who can and should wear these. 

*I do not own these images, all copyrights belong to Leanne Woodfull of Thunder&Threads*

https://instagram.com/leannewoodfull/

It gets worse though. Now there are co-ordinate outfits for these flared yokes. Co-ordinates? The trousers were bad enough on there own, they did not need a matching halter top. I feel like new look, missguided and boohoo are the biggest criminals regards this trend..

At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and can wear what they want. Obviously. But seriously, if you are going to choose to wear these trousers do not style them the same way the sites that sell them do.

Keep. It. Simple. 

 A crisp white tee and chunky flat sandals or trainers do the job.. Say no to platforms, no to fringed and bardot tops with these trousers, there is just far too much going on with all that.

                                                                 Plus you are not Esmeralda. 

L

x

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

Fitness// Falling Off and Back onto the Treadmill

It's amazing what putting the right food into your body can do to your  physique. I was in the H&M changing rooms trying a few bits on over a week ago and noticed how my belly was less defined and a little pudgy for me. Truth be told, I hadn't been in the gym or exercising properly in over a month, and it was beginning to show. I kept making excuses saying I didn't feel right, or was too tired and just didn't feel 'fit' to do a proper sweaty betty workout compared to my leisurely stretches or spot of yoga in my room. 

I think that's the worst thing you can do to yourself though, letting yourself believe your body will tell you when it's ready. It won't. Like anyone else, I had to make the mental decision ( it's hard stuff deciding to get off your ass ) to just push myself and see what happened. So when I came home that day after seeing myself in that non-forgiving floor to ceiling mirror, I went for a brisk walk with my dog. This alone reenergised me, my energy levels were suddenly high and all I wanted to do was go HAM and do some cardio and weights.    

     

    

            The H&M changing room moment in my leggings that felt a bit snugger than normal. 

Off I trotted to the gym and a week later I'm back to normal. Not just from a few gym sessions and brisk walks, but because of the food that I am eating. With my skin having a massive flare up that same weekend, I tired to detox my body and eat what's called 'cooling foods' according to Chinese medicine. So in came the smoothies and out went half-eating-whatever-was-in-the-fridge-for-brekkie. Within a few days my abs were coming back, I felt better - the cough I had been harbouring for two weeks was fading off- and with the aid of some magic creams and potions my skin cleared up. 

                                  

           

                                        

        A week later of eating naturally detoxing foods, a walk everyday and some extra cardio and

                                                             weight training in the gym. 

I'm usually so rigorous when it comes to exercise, but I guess everyone falls off the imaginary treadmill once in a while. I think you just have to find the strength to crawl back onto it when you do fall, instead of letting the one trip up keep you down. 

Has anyone else fallen off their imaginary or real treadmill, how did you overcome it and get back into your exercise routine? What gave you the drive to get back into it?