Monday Blues.. Cheer up, buttercup!

July, 11th and it is still pouring down with rain here in the UK.. when will the sunshine appear?

I'm not sure about you but I'm so sick of the rainy weather, of course we have had some sunny days but the majority of the 'summer days' so far have been none stop rain.. So what do we do when we're feeling blue? Shopping of course! 

I've just got back from a little mini shopping trip & bought quite a few new blues pieces which made me think.. Monday blues, lets make a moodboard! 

Each of the seriously beautiful items are all via. Polyvore and each most definitely on my dream wish list! I seriously love the dresses with their stunning colours and tassel detailing. I'd team each dress with super chic shoes and a quirky bag as shown above, I particularly love the Charlotte Olympia Kitty Boots, a girl can dream right!? 

How has your Monday been so far? 

Let me know! 

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Never Say No; Expensive Inspiration

Recently I've been having one of those times were you want to dress like all the other people you see online, in the street, on blogs (etc.) rather than actually having to wear the clothes in your own wardrobe (all those ones you suddenly despise no matter how much they cost, even if they were bought just a few weeks ago). 

Now I'm not sure if this is just a phase that only I go through but I'm hoping not, anyway whenever I start doing this whole "I neeeeeeeed new clothes" routine, I like to create kind of mood boards // a source of inspiration that I can look at and think how can I adapt the clothes I already have to create my own take on these kind of outfits. 

I know that will probably sound like the most boring thing in the world to some of you but I find it quite fun (sad, I know) plus I also manage to save a bit of money by re-styling what I already have meaning I can buy a few new, maybe slightly more expensive items. 

Anyway I thought I'd share this mood board with you& what it has made me want to buy/ try to recreate with my current clothes.

ONE // A NEW PINK COAT

miu miu coat // here

lavin coat // here

shrimps // here & here

Coats are my downfall, I have a stupid amount of them although to be fair to myself I do get a lot of wear out of every single one, actually one in particular is my pastel pink topshop faux fur that I bought a year& a bit ago now. The coat isn't so much faux fur, just kind of 'a little bit fluffy' (great material description for a fashion student there). Anyway its safe to safe I've had my wear out of it for the £100 that I paid and there's only so many times that I can keep getting it dry cleaned, hoping some sort of miracle will happen in there and make it look just as new as I very first bought it. 

I'm going to start having a good look round into a new pink coat that I will get just as much wear out of, &can finally give my current one a little break / retirement. 

TWO // FEDORA HAT

burgundy&black // marks and spencers 

grey // whistles

I find that wearing a hat instantly makes you feel as if you've put a lot more effort into an outfit, kind of just finishes a whole look off properly.

I've had the same fedora hat which I wear none stop for a good while now, although I have been on the hunt for a new one none seem to be the new 'the one', for example they are always to big for my head, they make my face look huge, not the right colour.. fussy I know but the fedora hunt goes on.

THREE // TEXTURES, PATTERNS AND PRINTS

This is something I want to try out a little bit more, usually with a patterned skirt I would wear a plain top, maybe with a texture however I want to start being a bit more adventurous, by adventurous I mean maybe the odd stripy top with a leopard skirt rather than a plain blouse.. nothing too wild.

Anyway, I hope this post is something a little bit different & that you are all doing well.

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I'm Not Usually One For Trainers..

As you can probably tell by the title of this post it's something a little bit different for me. I've never been a fan of trainers, well apart from when I was a full blown tomboy about 11 years old or so, (not my best look) but recently I've been finding myself looking at quite a lot of trainers& thinking how I could style them/fit them into my wardrobe as it currently is. 

I don't want to start wearing joggers&jumpers or anything like that, (although I did buy some recently for the very very rare occasion I make it to the gym/swimming) but more with the likes of a midi skirt &oversized coat. 

I thought I'd put a few looks together that could inspire me& maybe even some of you..

look ONE

trainers | here | £90

I liked the idea of a patterned/printed trainer with a quirky looking garment to keep an outfit quite playful& fun, nothing to plain.

This skirt is Moschino so a little bit pricey however I love the whole cartooned skirt idea.

look TWO 

trainers | Dolce & Gabbanna | £££

As this outfit is a little more plain, I've added some different layers& length's to make it something that could become a quite statement look. 

I think the midi style would be nice with the trainers as is would show 'just enough' leg for these cold days, also the turban/hat adds just a slight bit of pattern to the outfit.

look THREE

trainers | adidas | £70

I fell in love with these adidas trainers when I very first saw them but I didn't end up buying them as I'm still not sure if I'd get my wear out of them, they are still a maybe though.

I would wear them with something similar to how I've shown above, I liked the idea of a really oversized duster/boyfriend coat and visible ankles. 

At the moment I think the whole trainer buying situation is still an on going do I/don't I idea but we'll see..

The past few weeks I have bought quite a few new bits, things I've wanted for awhile& a few bargains from the sales too (mainly ASOS), so I have quite a lot of outfits which I want to blog about soon. Now my deadlines in uni are starting to ease off I will have a bit more free time to create posts, so hopefully get back into a few post per week. 

I hope you're all well.

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all images via. Polyvore

If Money Was No Matter; How I'd Dress At Christmas Time

Today has been an icy cold day & I though what better to do on my day off than have a cosy day in eyeing up a lot of clothes on Polyvore that I couldn't afford due to the Christmas present buying ordeal. Ever single year I just see things and buy them without thinking of prices, this is great when you see somebody you care about loving & being genuinely happy with what they have received however my bank balance isn't looking to healthy at the moment. 

Anyway, when could be better to swoon over a heap of designer things than when you're pretty much poor..

The first outfit is a kind of day/casual look, filled with Charlotte Olympia item's, I absolutely love her brand at the moment& think she's got it so right when it comes to quirky accessories. I've even been one of these crazy competition people as she is running a twelve day kind of fruit machine style event online in which you can win bags & even her famous cat face shoes. 

Every morning I'm eagerly at my computer ready to use my three spins for that day.

The second look is a kind of meal out/drinks outfit, After loving this lip print dress for what feels like years I finally found out the designers name after spotting her in the ASOS magazine this month.

I never thought I'd be such a huge fan of girly pastel clothes but I can safely say I adore them& Alice McCall as a designer.

My final look is a party/going out look, the dress is from SheInside and then I went a little overboard with the Charlotte Olympia accessories (once again), I'd wear this outfit with bright red lips and nails to tie it all together perfectly.

I thought I'd post a few bits of my uni work whilst writing this also, mainly just to share what I've been up to recently. My final line up is now complete which means a busy few week of pattern development before creating the first garments after Christmas, I actually am so excited to get making the items now& can't wait to see how they'll look in real life and not just an idea in my head/ on piece of paper.

I hope you're all well. 

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A more likely icon; Back To Alexa

Recently I've been looking at myself & most days thinking "what the hell are you wearing Hollie?" .. 

(that as well as my boyfriend thinking one of my pvc skirt's was actually a carrier bag when I took it out my suitcase last weekend)... which isn't really the best. 

This got me thinking about how I used to dress& how much its changed.

Alexa Chung was the first person I ever looked up to as an idol, so to say. I always remember seeing a photograph of her in a embroidered white top& geek chic glasses& tumblr and instantly loving her from that day. Although I would never copy a look, I do want to start dressing a bit less 'walking rainbow like' & more sophisticated again. Therefore whilst most twenty one years old are out getting drunk on a Saturday night, I'm sat in, browsing through the many pages of Polyvore creating looks based on Alexa's style that could inspire me, as well as ordering a mass of breton striped tops at the same time, obviously.

bag  | here

striped top | here

quilted bag | here

book | Alexa Chung IT

loafers | here
What I love about Alexa is how effortless she looks yet know it probably isn't just any old dress she's threw on that morning.. Stripes and denim could never be done wrong.
I love these furry loafers, so much I think I'm going to try to create / post a DIY post based on them soon, so keep an eye out for that.

patent boots | here

ruffle top | here

skirt | here

metallic bag | here

fedora hat | here

Classy crop tops; I think crops can be hard to wear without showing a tad to much skin, I recently seen a photograph of Alexa wearing a ruffle crop similar to the one above with a midi skirt too, shoulders or knees but never both could be a new rule, like boobs or legs yet a bit different.

oversized camel coat | here

dress | here

leopard clutch | here

grey socks | here

chunky loafers | here

Camel coats, clutches and chunky shoes.. What more can I say.

Dress like a pilgrim on the outside and a whore underneath. — Alexa Chung.

Hope you're all well& enjoying the end of summer.

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Wednesday Wishlist

Striped Silk Dress £££

Turban Hat

Oil Look Boots

Yellow Faux Fur Jacket £££

Clutch Bag

I seriously love every single thing on today's wish list.. To bad I don't have a lot of spare money floating around. The yellow faux fur coat is may favourite, just imagine been able to walk round looking like a giant pom pom, I'd love it. 

Hope you are all well.

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Unlikely Icons; Hey Lolita Hey

Today's 'unlikely icon' is the novel/film Lolita although the story is pretty old its still an intense read/watch.

If you don't know of the story is kind of a twisted love story between twelve year old Lolita and a much older man. I was watching the film the other week and all I could think was how good Lolita's characters style actually was, this got me thinking it could be good idea for this unlikely icon post.

(the are two versions of the film hence the different actresses below) 

Lolita has kind of became famous for the red heart shaped sunglasses, I didn't want to just blog the same so swapped for these red cat eyes (you can see in the image that she actually has cat eye sunglasses so I'm still on track). The high waisted bikini feels really retro especially with the floral print, then a simple pair of white shoes and a pretty hat.

Mum jeans are a huge trend at the minute, adding this vintage black belt just gives it even more of a 90's feel.

Just a plain blouse as she is wearing in the images& I loved these ballet style shoes as the give quite a childish feel to the look since she is only twelve.

I stuck to the crop and skirt from this look, however I haven't styled them as matching pieces, I think the almost neon yellow in the skirt make the look very bold however adding the black shoes&satchel keep it from looking to over the top.

all items show are from Polyvore, 

however if you want a certain link just leave it in a comment and I'll soon get back to you.

Unlikely Icons; Your Five A Day

banana leaf kimono | £220

matching banana leaf shorts | £120

white crop top | £5.60

pineapple gem earrings | £46

metallic sandals | £45

Banana leaf print seems to be huge this summer, everybody has seen the topshop range of this, (I bought the jumpsuit the other day), this look is a bit different and a lot more subtle, the kimono and shorts are pure silk hence the prices. Summer essentials have to be crop tops, a white& a black and you're good to go!

banana denim jacket | £60

banana skirt | £22

bleached cotton crop | £30

cut out brouges | £85

socks | £2.95

sunglasses | £8

Not banana leaves this time, but banana's themselves.. I kept the top and accessories quite simple for this look because of how bold the prints are on the jacket and skirt.. Who knew bananas could be so fashionable. 

vintage printed blazer | £95

lemon jumper | £29

white denim shorts | £20

light blue satchel | £103

striped brogues | £62

This look is a bit more 'out there' with all the clashing looks, but I think it would actually look really nice on, the statement shoes would stand out perfectly against the pastel shades.

Hope you're all well.

"life is too short to wear boring clothes"

Before I start this post, I feel as if I should explain why I have only blogged twice this entire month, I always try my best to blog a few times every week but this month a lot has being happening, as well as 'family kind of things' , I had a interview for a fashion course two weeks ago. I was given one week to make my portfolio along with a few days to complete my ucas application which made me a very busy bee. Luckily I got one of the last four places for the course, which is amazing and means from September I'll be able to call myself a 'fashion student' how exciting! 

The statement I've used for this title really makes me think, and I completely agree with it.. A few funny looks are nothing if you enjoy what you're wearing.

outfit one: giant ostrich kind of dress

I love this dress and think the sequin draped jacket would look amazing with it, kind of a multicolour zebra but then crossed with the feather dress. Also fishnet socks seem to be pretty fashionable at the moment and add that bit of detail any ankle boots.

outfit two: leopards and faces

This outfit is a real miss match of all sorts, with metallics, prints, pastel colours.. the lot!

outfit three: stripes and florals

I'm a huge fan of blazers and trousers at the moment, and think the clashing prints would look so fun on, I also love the white flatform brogue style shoes to add that bit of length to your legs with the striped pants.

all images via. Polyvore.

Hope you are all well!

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