Glitter shoes

Call it Dorothy Syndrome, but I love a good pair of glittery shoes. I was browsing in Zara with my friend and I couldn't not buy these shoes. They remind me of a pair of Manolo Blahniks I saw at his exhibition at Liberty. I don't when or where I'm going to wear them, but I'm very glad that I bought them. 

What I Wore: Stripes

Couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to wear vertical or horizontal stripes, so I wore both, justified by this outfit Carrie Bradshaw wore in the final episode of Sex and the City. I got my skirt from ASOS about three months ago, and it's still available online. I wore it with a Zara top, Ray Ban sunglasses, Toms and H&M bag. 

What I Wore: After It Rained

This top is one of my favourites. I found it in a charity shop in Whitstable about three years ago and its never let me down. According to the label, it's very, very old Topshop. I'm wearing it with: a wool skirt I got last year from Zara, my favourite Converse, Ray Ban sunglasses and my Marc By Marc Jacobs watch.

What I Wore To: The Beach

Doing my best Rumi Neely impression at Broadstairs beach yesterday. 

The weather was finally nice enough to go the beach, but because this is England, it gets chilly in the afternoon once you come out of the sea, so I bought the biggest jumper I could find with me. The jumper and floral shorts are from Topshop, the sunglasses are from Ray Ban and the Coca-Cola is from the kiosk. I had a white shirt from Zara on underneath as a cover-up for when I was in the sun (you can just see the collar under the shirt).

What I Wore To: Dinner

I went over to my friend's flat for a delicious meal of spaghetti bolognese this evening. 

I wore my birthday dress from Zara and red shoes from Office. 

I think that this dress is one of those pieces I would choose if I was doing the "six pieces of clothing for a month challenge". It's so beautiful - classically so - and there is so much I could wear with it. 

Flo x

19th Birthday

My birthday cake, made my mother, and decorated by my little sister:

I received some very lovely presents this year - my mum me got the THE BEST DRESS IN THE WORLD EVER. I didn't realise at the time, but it has pockets. (Pockets!) A dress with pockets is the best kind of dress. I'm wearing it now, and I tried to take photos but my room in halls terrible for photos - the lighting is truly dreadful. 

My brother bought me the benefit make-up I posted about back in September. It's just as good as I remember (again, photos to come when I have better lighting). 

My dad bought me these cashmere gloves and scarf. They're so warm and cosy, but I'm really worried about losing them, I'm terrible with gloves, I always lose the right hand. 

My sister got me a Topshop giftcard, my uni friends got me a lovely bookmark and all my drinks when we went to the pub in the evening, and a friend gave me American Psycho - I'm rush-reading all my uni books so I can give it my full attention. 

Flo x

In love with a dress from Zara

 I took a trip into town with Grace on Tuesday and while she was waiting for me (I was inevitably running late), she wandered into Zara and spotted this dress. 

When she showed it to me, I emitted a high pitched girly squeal and had to try it on immediately. 

It's such a perfect dress. I'm usually a size Small/Medium in Zara, but I had to get the XS (which I was surprised they had in stock), as in the Small sagged on my shoulders and waist. I think the cut is beautiful, and I could wear it out to parties over Christmas but also to work with a pair of biker boots or Converse. 

I'm taking my mother to see it today on the off-chance she wants to put it on my birthday list. 

Flo x

Birthday Wish List

It's my 19th birthday a week today, so I have comprised my semi-realistic wish list of what I would love to find waiting for me on the breakfast on my birthday morning. 

I may have these trousers in tan and navy blue, but I really want a black pair - £35.99 from Zara. 

These gorgeous heels from Office, £68 (above)

A pair of cherry red Dr. Martens, £75 (below)

Tickets to see: 

Katy Perry & Take That

(I know they're both sold out, but a girl can dream). 

 Lovely lovely Ray Bans, £82 from Sunglass Hut

My tartan tights ripped last winter and I really want some new ones. 

I love Benefit make-up. I use Erase Paste all the time, and I'm running out and I posted about my love for The Porefessional here. 

I think this is the first birthday in a long time where I haven't asked for something specific, so I'm looking forward to being surprised. 

Flo x

What I Wore: On Holiday

Taken after a day in the car, where we had driven from France, through Switzerland (where this picture was taken) to Italy. 

I'm wearing an ASOS tee, Zara shorts and belt with my trusty Converse. 

We spent a night in a hotel that sat in the mountains above Lake Como. This photo was taken at 8:30am and it was already a good 25 degrees.

The dress and jacket I'm wearing are from Topshop, the belt is from Zara and the flip-flops are Havaianas.

My brother is wearing Ray Bans, a free t-shirt, H&M shorts and Vans.

 

We visited Volterra and it was a little cooler, so I was able to cover up a little (I really didn't want to get any sun burn). The shirt I'm wearing used to belong to my mother and comes from Jaeger, and the shorts are Zara. 

To brighten up the outfit I wore my favourite sandals from Office. 

My brother wore his Vans with Lyle and Scott shorts and t-shirt, and a very touristy looking camera.

In Pomerance, the Lyle and Scott devotee wore a polo and chinos with his Vans (you would think he didn't bring any other shoes away with him) and I wore a Dorothy Perkins dress with my Office sandals.

The swimsuit I'm wearing is from Speedo and I bought it a couple of years ago when I was still part of a swimming club. However, the head instructor told me that it was "inappropriate" because it was a "fashion swimsuit". It's from Speedo. Honestly. So now, I don't wear it unless I'm on holiday.

I wore the black Dorothy Perkins dress (with my espadrilles and vintage bag) again in Paris because it's cool, comfortable and rather chic. 

 Flo x

Holiday Packing

Tomorrow I leave for my summer holiday with my family. We are driving (brave parents- they have three teenage children) through France to Italy, where we are renting a house in Tuscany for a week. On the drive there, we are spending a night in Dijon, and the next by Lake Como. On the return journey, we are staying in the Alps and having a night in Paris. 

My challenge is: we are driving there, meaning everything we are taking has to fit in the boot of our car and that I am limited as to the amount of clothes and shoes I can take. 

From left to right: 

Topshop jacket, Jaeger shirt, Zara trousers, floral Topshop dress, black Dorothy Perkins dress, (another) floral Topshop dress, floral H&M dress, tie dye dress from Topshop, black dress (also) from Topshop and (yet another) floral dress (also) from Topshop.

From left to right: 

grey H&M t-shirt, black American apparel body, blue and white vest from Warehouse, striped tee from Gap, beige shorts from Zara and denim shorts from River Island. 

From left to right:

Office wedges, beloved converse, Office sandals, Havaiana flip-flops, Office pumps and espadrilles I bought a few years ago in Italy. 

I hope everyone is having a good summer. 

Flo x

What I Wore To: See Inception

When I headed out to the cinema it was cooler than it has been, but it was still warm. When I left the cinema it was raining, biblical-style. So I had to hang around at the cinema for ages because there was no way I was running through the rain in this skirt - it's my mother's favourite vintage skirt. I wore it with an H&M t-shirt, Zara belt and Converse. I use this bag all the time, but it never seems to feature in my pictures - I got it from the Marc B concession in Topshop Oxford St. My necklace and charm bracelets are vintage and my watch is Marc by Marc Jacobs.

What do you think about the skirt? It's longer than a lot of the stuff I usually wear, and what a lot of stores are stocking at the moment, but hemlines are coming down for A/W '10, so I thought I'd stay ahead of the trend (that and my mother is several inches taller than me). My little brother thinks I look like a grandmother and "a bit formal". Any further developments on that? I do agree with the formal part, but I think the Converse and the t-shirt make it more casual.

Read my review of Inception here.

Flo x

Coat.

I know, I know, it's July. Summer has barely begun. Yet here I am, lusting over coats that I will be wearing come late September. For all my love of girly dresses, floaty skirts and heels, I love nothing more than a masculine coat for winter. Last year, my brother had to ban me from borrowing his coats - I wore them more than my own (sadly I don't have any pictures though - that would be evidence of my theft). 

This year, I decided that I would simply go Zara Mens, or River Island Man (where Bear got his coats from) and deal with the strange looks but now I don't have to. I was checking my emails and I opened one from Topshop, containing this beauty.

It's everything I look for in a coat - double breasted WITH pockets, long sleeves (none of this 3/4 nonsense that to deal with), big collar, and the perfect length to wear with dresses and trousers. The only downside I can see is that it is from Topshop, which means a lot of people may get it, and as I like my clothes to look as unique/different as possible, I may still go to the men's departments. My mother just reminded me about vintage and charity shops so I may try there as well. 

Flo x

Image via: (the new-but-not-improved) www.topshop.com 

Festival Fashion

The festival season is well under way, so I'm a little late in doing this post. 

I didn't have my camera while I was at Lounge On The Farm (I didn't want it to get stolen), so I couldn't take the outfit pictures I wanted to, and so I had to make do with my (new) iPhone instead.

The weekend was hot and sunny, so the main accessory was sunglasses: 

I'm wearing Lora's sunglasses, that she bought from a stall at the festival, and my Union Jack top is from Topshop. Lora is wearing my sunglasses from Topshop. 

Ashley (above) and Ani (below) in Ray Bans. 

A lot of people (myself included) wore band t shirts - mine used to belong to my brother, but it shrunk in the wash. I wore my River Island shorts all week - they have become one of the best buys I have ever made. Hannah's cardigan and slip are both from Zara.

Georgie (above) and Paris (below) also embraced the band-tee-and-sunglasses combo.

Nice hat.

I always find Topshop's t-shirts rather lacking - they can never make them simple - the one I'm wearing here comes from Topman (size XS). I'm wearing my River Island shorts and you can just see the top of my socks. I wore these boots from Office all weekend, with a pair of thick socks - they kept my feet relatively dust and dirt free.

 

On the last day, it was a little cooler, so I wore my ASOS top with the shorts, a watch that used to belong to my grandmother, and my trusty vintage bag. Lora is wearing a Jack Wills jumper and Topshop jeans. Oh, and a mask that we stole from someone's tent (sorry about that, whoever you are). 

Flo x

What I Wore To: Reorganise My Room

Even though I am (fingers crossed) leaving home in less than two months to go to university, and moving out of my room in six weeks to make room for my brother, I rearranged my room today - out of sheer boredom. I've got a lot more space now and my bed should be cooler because it's under the window. 

I'm wearing a Jigsaw shirt, trousers and belt from Zara, and pumps from Office.

Flo x