It's oh so cold...

Even though it's nearing the end of February, the English weather is being typically schizophrenic. Earlier this week, it seemed as though spring was near but then it suddenly became bitterly cold and started snowing. Dressing for such changeable weather is a talent of many Brits possess because they have no other choice! I, for one, have learnt the hard way that you should always carry an umbrella in your handbag just in case and it's become something of a ritual to look up the weather forecast on the internet just before I head out anywhere.



Anyway, in such cold weather, I wore this outfit the other day to see some friends in London, consisting of an ASOS Faux Fur black coat with a dark red collar which was in the sale (an absolute bargain), my beloved faux leather pleated Warehouse mini skirt, an old navy Uniqlo jumper, ribbed tights ( a must to combat freezing legs) and my Karen Millen burgundy tote to give a pop of colour. While I am drawn to dark colours, I love to lift an outfit with a colourful accessory - this time it's my bag but it could be anything, a neon scarf or some print shoes.

I also have to profess my love for brightly coloured nails which stems back since I was about 5 years old and decided to paint my nails bright yellow for a whole summer.

Here I'm wearing Rimmel London's orange glittery 'Shirley Temple' nail varnish which brightens up the dull winter days and never fails to cheer an otherwise drab outfit up. It is prone to peeling so you'll need to apply a base and top coat for longlasting wear.

Full-length mirror

Finally, after years of not having one, I have bought myself a full length mirror. Unwilling to part with my hard-earned pennies for something too expensive, I found a bargain one from Argos at only £9.99. I have wanted a full length mirror for so long now; instead, I have had to judge my outfits through the limited view of a bathroom mirror which doesn't always give you the view you desire - especially if you want to see how your shoes impact an outfit! Viewing the top and bottom half of an outfit can sometimes suffice but getting an overall view really helps you understand your personal style as a whole and what suits you more generally. Excited to organise some new outfits and see what works and doesn't... will be posting my findings soon :)

LFW

It's a few days into London Fashion Week although I seem to have avoided seeing teeny fashionistas stumbling nonchalantly on the cobbled streets as I am in my little bubble of an office in Liverpool Street, the area of London seemingly unaffected by the fashion frivolities. However, I have been keeping abreast of all the LFW highlights and the various trends that are in style at the moment. I especially enjoyed the Orla Kiely's presentation, which showcased waifish models sitting at typewriters, in nostalgic knits and twee separates. Peter Pan collars, A-line mini skirts and cute cardigans was a nice contrast to Rihanna's controversial collection with River Island which, let's face it, was never going to be demure. I loved the 50's/ 60's influence with the models exhibiting beehive hairdos and feline eyeliner flicks - it all added to the whimsical, retro ambience!

Although I would love to be able to splash out on the Orla Kiely range, it's not exactly within my price range (one day...) but there are a number of equally whimsical accessories on the highstreet such as these accessories from Hobbs, which are both currently in the sale!

The teacup earrings were originally £29 but have been reduced to £8 and the gorgeous bow brooch is a bargain at £13

February lust list

From top left:

Fox bag from Temporary Secretary

Apocalips lip glosses from Rimmel (I want the one in nude for everyday wear)

Urban Decay eyeshadow primer

Check shirts!

Black flatform/ wedge sandal from Dune

Stephen Fry's autobiography, The Fry Chronicles

Hobbs tan leather brogues - on sale!

Cat eye sunglasses with pearl detail from ASOS

Any rose gold jewellery with spikes/ studs...

Fashion obsession: ankle boots

I have gone through a countless number of black ankle boots but I can't seem to kick the habit. These are my latest. Chunky heeled Chelsea-style ankle boots from New Look.

It's clearly been a productive day at work...

Fashion prints

I have been meaning to give my room a little bit of a revamp for a while now. Apart from the fact that it's in a constant state of chaos, the walls are bare and in need for some art. One thing I've always loved is fashion in art, especially from the 1950's and 60's. I've been browsing the Victoria and Albert Shop website for some much-needed inspiration and am drawn to these two beautiful prints below.

The first black and white print is a photograph of model Tania Mallett in a stiffened net hat with leather gloves and some form of stole around her neck. The lighting accentuates her impeccable bone structure and the photo exudes elegance and sophistication. The second is called 'Le Jugement de Paris' and was actually published in 1924. I love the use of colour - the warmth of the yellows and oranges - and the stylised silhouettes of elegant women wearing flapper-style dresses. Both prints are £15 for a standard size so I would probably buy frames separately and put these up in my room to brighten the place up. Not too shabby, methinks.

New Year

It's over a week into 2013 so I'm pretty sure many are already turning their backs on the well-intentioned resolutions they made last year. Indeed, I'm suffering from the 'must be thinner/ more interesting/ more intelligent etc.' January mindset. But alas, we must plod on.

Anyway, in fashion terms, we are still very much in the winter season which is great for me. Finally purchasing a winter coat before my short break to Edinburgh, I thoroughly enjoy wrapping up with copious layers and thermal leggings (yes, I'm sad) on my commute to work. There's something incredibly comforting about it.

Although one of my resolutions is to be far more careful with how I spend the old pennies, this hasn't stopped me from doing a little 'window shopping'. I usually partake in a bit of this every few hours when I feel I can no longer use my brain at work and instead, quite fancy looking at pretty things for a while. The other day, I came across Markus Lupfer collaboration with ASOS Black where he acts as one-off designer creating a capsule of leather pieces. I've known about Markus Lupfer for a while but his collaboration really caught my eye, with its beautifully gothic, high-fashion pieces. As expected, they’re pricier than the normal bits and bobs you get on ASOS but as they’re 100% leather, that should go without saying.

A favourite of mine is this gorgeous leather dress with a digital kaleidoscope print (leather + prints = amazingness), coming in at £175. It’s in a skater style which makes the look a little more feminine and the geometric cut-out to the chest adds a cheeky flash of skin and propels the dress to designer status. This would look absolutely amazing with deep plum lipstick, bold eyebrows and black ankle boots...