Dr Martens

Call me old fashioned, but I like my Dr Martens to be Dr Martens. You know, the brand that's known for its punk-influenced sturdy durable boot, favoured by those of a slightly alternative persuasion. I can see the logic behind pairing with Mancunian model Agyness Deyn - she's the 'alternative' model, with her androgynous short blonde crop and her penchant for edgy street style. However, it seems that her latest Spring Summer 2013 collection is just all sorts of wrong.



Chunky sandals with bows seems to be the overriding theme this collection and while it may suit a Ganguro girl in one of those 'kawaii' Japanese magazines, in reality it just looks unattractive and unappealing. It reminds me of those little shoes you wear when you're about 3 years old, which look cute purely because your feet are tiny. However, wearing these monstrosities as a fully grown woman is bizarre and I doubt even someone as attractive as Deyn could even pull it off.. Stick to the classics at Dr Marten. This sort of experimentation baffles my brain.

Staple work uniform

I've been a bit lazy of late. Early cold mornings have left me reaching for my 'work uniform' - my staples that I turn to when I can't be bothered to make a considered decision regarding my outfit. I work in PR so while I have to look smart, especially for client meetings, there is some leeway and I can go in looking less 'corporate' than many other people working in the City.

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that my 'uniform' tends to consist of a jumper (slightly baggy usually, I am a fan of the men's jumpers for their loose and more relaxed fit), a skirt (pencil when I feel more formal and A-Line but above the knee when I feel slightly less so), thick black tights and loafers. Top this off with a long black coat and a pashmina and that pretty much sums up the outfit I've been wearing for the last month or so. Rather uninspired, I know, but chic and practical... plus surely a nod to the minimalist trend that is pretty popular at the moment. So, clearly, I am not being lazy; I am actually being very on trend ;)

Model of the moment

It's great seeing ethnic diversity in the modelling world. Although there are a growing number of models of different ethnicities, there is still a very narrow beauty ideal in the modelling world. If you don't believe this, just look at this ridiculous story where they used an over-bronzed Caucasian model to pose for an 'African Queen' editorial' (available to read, or gawp at, here: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/02/critics-pan-french-mags-african-queen-spread-with-darkened-white-model/).

My favourite model at the moment is the gorgeous Sui He, a 23 year old girl from China. She was the fist Asian model to open a Ralph Lauren runway show and the second model of Chinese descent to appear in the famous Victoria Secrets show. She's also the face of one of my favourite makeup brands, Shiseido.

I love her bone structure and her versatility in her editorials, which can range from ethereal to edgy and I'm always excited to see her next campaigns. There definitely needs to be a greater variety of faces in the modelling world to widen the stupidly narrow perception of beauty the media has contributed to creating. Baby steps...

Spring lust list

I can feel the weather getting milder... just. Which makes me start thinking about spring and being able to go walk outside without a thick woollen coat and boots. So this is my chance to make my list of things I like/ fancy/ want/ would get if I were a lot richer!



1. I've been drooling over this Miu Miu tote for a while now. It's in a great blush colour, which is really fashionable at the moment and surprisingly versatile, and will inject a bit of fun and playfulness into any outfit and is available to buy on the Net-a-Porter website. It costs £1100 so that would basically mean not eating for a few months...

2. I have been really getting into neon accessories, like this fluorescent statement necklace. It instantly lifts something basic like a grey t-shirt and adds a bit of effortless style.

3. I love big rings. Always have, always will. So when I saw this beaut on Asos which contains Swarovski crystal elements for only £15 in the sale, I knew I had to have it. If I could, I would wear a ring on every finger like some crazy lady.

4. With Mother's Day coming up, I was a little bit stuck as to what to buy my mum. Flowers and chocolates just seemed a little boring and old so I thought a box set of the best Audrey Hepburn films would be a good choice. It will make for some nice evenings lazing about on the sofa with a hot chocolate, marvelling at Audrey's gorgeous outfits and style :)

5. Mid-heeled block shoes. I loved these before they became the 'in' shoe as I can NOT walk in heels (I tend to waddle instead). So these are the perfect, classy compromise.

6. Floral hair accessories are gorgeous and great for the spring/ summer seasons. This one pictures is available in Accessorize and adds a fun element to every outfit.

7. Geo prints. On anything and everything.

8. Spring coats - lighter and more stylish than winter coats. This is a gorgeous one from one of my favourite stores - Cos. It's minimalist with a tie waist which will flatter anyone's figure plus it's in a gorgeous beige/ stone colour which goes with EVERYTHING. On my wish list for sure.

Stella's spring florals

I am really loving Stella McCartney's Spring/ Summer collection, which is available to buy on the Net-a-Porter website. Full of bright yet simple pieces and pinky red hues, this collection looks fresh, crisp and very inviting. My personal favourite is the Neon floral print jacquard skirt suit which could be teamed together or worn as striking separates.



Gorgeous additions to refresh your work wardrobe although I'll perhaps have to go for a cheaper version... counting the pennies and all that.

Prints, please!

I've definitely started warming to prints. They're a great way to add a little bit of colour into your wardrobe if your wardrobe tends to resemble that of Wednesday Addams'. They're also an easy way to look on trend and are completely wearable, unlike some of the outrageous stuff you sometimes see on the catwalk.

I think there are different prints out there that are flattering to every body shape that exists. The general rule: smaller prints for those with a little more to love and larger prints for those who want to create the illusion of curves. Now, the fashion is clashing prints and I've spotted various Londoners bravely rocking this look, with maybe a floral top and a stripy trouser.

My favourite prints at the moment: Oriental prints which are very 'of the moment' but seeing as I'm of an Asian persuasion, I'm pretty wary about trying these out, for fear I'll end up looking like a waitress at a Chinese restaurant or something. So for me, I would stick with digital prints.

The other day I went out with a friend to a blues bar in Camden and decided to trial the print trend. I went for a slightly muted version, with a plain black chiffon shirt to balance out the neon prints of the skirt.



This skirt is from Topshop and was £34. I really like it although it's VERY mini and I must say, I did actually wear it with opaque black tights on the night. I really like the A Line design of the skirt - it's a bit different and is unusual for a mini which lately has been mainly body con (which I am sick of) or skater style. I like the way the background print is black and white which makes the neon floral motif stand out even more. I wore some plain black leather sandals with this to let the skirt do the talking :)

Topshop also sell a matching top for about £28 and I tried the top and skirt on together. I was surprised to see that I actually really liked going the whole hog and putting the two pieces together made for a fun and playful look. Might have to venture back and get the top in the near future...

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.