Work work work | Work OOTD

I got this dress from ASOS around September time last year. I didn't really wear it through the winter because I don't really like pairing black dresses with black tights, and thick black tights are a must for me through the winter.


When browsing on ASOS last week at their "work wear" collection I saw the dress and thought to myself how nice it looked, then a split second later, I remembered that I actually own it! So I decided to get it out my wardrobe this week and dust it off now that the weather is brightening up.

It is a very simple piece, but looks really smart paired with some black heels. Also, I find a 'hair-up do' adds to the smartness of the look. Not bad for £30 and they also have it in the maternity range for only £25 I noticed when finding the link for this post.


What is your favourite work dress?

DIY Balmain style jumper

I recently saw Victoria from In the Frow wearing a gorgeous Balmain roll neck jumper in one of her YouTube videos. It is such a simple piece but the addition of gold buttons on one shoulder turn a basic roll neck into something much more sophisticated. However, the £575 price tag makes it somewhat less desirable to me. So, I had an idea! Why not do a DIY of this straightforward, yet stylish piece?

I headed over to Primark and bought a black roll neck jumper for £6. I sized down as I wanted it to be really fitted. Then I popped into the local market and picked up five gold buttons with an anchor detail on. 

 

I worked out the placement of the buttons and sewed them on one by one with black cotton. It took about 20 minutes in total. 

This is the finished jumper. The buttons don't sit quite as well and flush with the jumper because of the style of them. I think I'll keep an eye out for some other buttons to switch them with. Also the weight of the buttons is a slight issue as the ones on the neck cause it to droop slightly. 

It is quite an easy DIY though and not a bad saving.

Balmain = £575

Primark jumper and buttons from market = £7.75

Total saving = £567.25

What do you think?

How charming | Pandora charm birthday collection

I just turned another year older and my family made a great start to my Pandora charm collection. You may remember from this post that I bought the bracelet as a treat to myself during the summer and up until now I had been wearing it plainly with no charms. 

My boyfriend got me the October signature heart birthstone charm which is an open carved heart shaped charm with the birthstone in the center of each side. It is double sided so it looks the same even if it swings round. He also got the curious cat charm which is a single sided very cute little cat face to represent our lovely cat Alfie.

My brother got me the sister's love charm which is a heart shape with 'sister' engraved and a pink cubic zirconia. It is double sided, so it has the engraving an jewel on both sides.

From my parents I got the vintage E charm which is again double sided, an open carved sphere and the letter E carved with 3 small clear cubic zirconia's in the letter.

I'm so happy with my little collection of charms that are all special in their own way. 

At some point it would be good to get a rose gold one to match with the clasp and put in the middle of my other charms. But for now, I am loving the look of this.

Which charms are your favourite?

Smelling delightful | The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club

In the Spring, I joined The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club and it has turned out to be the best £5 I spend each quarter.

 

 

 

Every season they send you a box containing a number of different fragrance samples. It tends to be five for the ladies and two pour homme (to keep the boyfriends/husbands/brothers/dads happy). There is also a little booklet in the box that tells you about each of the fragrances, along with voucher codes to use if you buy the full size of any of the scents. All this for only £5 including P&P. Just £5!

 

 

 

I find it a great way to try different perfumes and the samples are a great size to pop in your handbag and carry around with you. It is also really useful for me to hear what my boyfriend likes so I can make a metal note for birthdays and Christmas presents.

 

I have a one use voucher code that I am going to give away to one lucky person to get their first Discovery Club box free.

 

All you need to do is:

1. Comment on this post

2. Follow me on Instagram (@emma2710)

3. Send me a message me on Instagram and I'll send you the code.

 

Hurry though, as the code is only valid for a limited time.

 

What is your favourite fragrance for Autumn?

 

 

A day at the office | Work OOTD

I've been dying to wear this outfit since I bought it during the summer holidays, but the weather has been too nice to wear trousers up until now (very rare for this country!). So, today with a cloudy forecast looming, it seemed like the right time for its first outing.

I think I've mentioned before that being a teacher, I often find it hard to find decent work wear. The shops have some great clothes, but sometimes for one reason or another they just aren't appropriate for school. 

The blouse for me was love at first site. Such a lovely material; really soft and luxurious feeling, sleeveless, just off white with a smart black tie. It was a complete bargain from H&M at only £14.99.

I decided to style the blouse with some black wide leg trousers which are going to be huge during AW16. This pair are from Miss Selfridge, they cost £30, but I think I had a 20% off email code from them. (I thoroughly recommend that you sign up to the Miss Selfridge mailing list as they regularly send out discount codes.)

Picture from ASOS

Finally for the shoes. I'm on my feet a lot during the day and I also walk to work, so comfortable shoes are a must. I do have some nice loafers, but sometimes you just want some height. These are the ASOS Shaken heels which are currently on sale for £24 (RRP £32). The heel height is perfect but they are hurting my big toes, so I may have to send them back if I can't stretch them out.

What is your favourite place to shop for work wear?

Go west | Festival look book

With V festival arriving at the end of the week, I've been thinking about the perfect outfit to wear. The western theme is really in this summer and is perfect for a festival. I'm thinking denim shorts, with a crop top or bralet underneath and a checked shirt, double buckle western belt and some boots to start. A hat, some sunnies and effortless wavy hair, maybe some gold stick on tattoos to finish.

I've put together this look with all day festival partying in mind - it is perfect for day to night.

Go west - festival look

Checked shirt - River Island
Western hat - ASOS
Crop top - Miss Selfridge
Western double buckle belt - Topshop
Denim shirts - River Island
Western bucket bag - ASOS
Gold tattoos - ASOS
Authentic peacock cowgirl boots - King Ranch Saddle Shop

These pieces are all great individually too, you can't go wrong with a crop top, denim shorts and a checked shirt at any time of year. The boots are a bit of a spending splurge, but how great would it be to have authentic Texan cowgirl boots that would last for years? And for all the men out there; boyfriends, man friends, best friends etc. you can get them some to match too.

What will you be wearing to V festival this week?

Pandora rose collection

The Pandora moments bracelet with the rose gold clasp had been on my wish list for a while. This month I have been marking A level exam papers for an exam board to get some extra cash (and gain an insight of the exam for my teaching), so thought it was time to treat myself for my hard work.

I decided to order the bracelet from the online jeweller John Greed. The reason being that they do free shipping (Pandora website is only free on orders over £75), were offering 8% cash back on Quidco and included all the Pandora packaging, even the gift bag. The downside is the purchase failed to track on Quidco, so I have put in my claim and I'm hoping it goes through. 

I ordered it Monday evening and it arrived Wednesday, so the free delivery was super fast. It was only packed in a Jiffy bag, so I was quite relieved to see there was no damage to the box or gift bag. I'm quite surprised that they didn't pack something like that a bit better.

The bracelet itself looks great. The rose gold clasp really adds a little extra something and it complements my Olivia Burton watch perfectly. 

Now I am just trying to resist buying all the gorgeous charms I want in one go. I'm aiming to go for a theme of alternating silver and rose gold charms with some sparkly bits for good measure.

What charms would you recommend? 

River Island try on haul

River Island just had a 25% off code in Grazia magazine so I couldn't resist buying a chunk of my wish list at such a good price. I'm loving their stuff at the moment, I could happily just shop there and no where else.

I thought I'd show you what I bought...

Embellished Cold Shoulder Blouse

I'm still majorly into the 'cold shoulder' trend this season and my collection is growing. I love this blouse (which they also do in pink). Perfect for a date night, or drinks out with friends.

It is currently out of stock on the RI website, but they still have it on ASOS if you hurry and maybe in store.

Blue cold shoulder mesh top

This blue cold shoulder mesh top is perfect for summer. It would look great paired with some white jeans or denim shorts.

White bardot top

I saw the classic white bardot top on Amelia Liana's YouTube channel and immediately added it to my wishlist. The flowy chiffon material is perfect for giving your outfit an instant feminine flare.

Khaki frilly bodysuit and boyfriend denim shorts

The khaki frilly bodysuit is another summer appropriate piece, but the colour will allow you to also take it into the early stages of autumn when paired with a nice black cardigan or jacket. 

These denim boyfriend shorts also come in a light wash and as the perfect casual day time shorts, I'm kind of wishing I had bought them too.

Black daisy lace overlay bardot top and Amelie light wash ripped jeans

My previous pair of light wash ripped jeans made their way to the charity shop a couple of weeks ago as they seemed to have stretched and become too baggy for me. As soon as I saw the light wash ripped Amelie super skinny jeans, I knew they'd be the perfect replacement.

The black daisy lace overlay bardot top is another versatile piece that can be dressed up or down. I actually wore it to work today with a grey pencil skirt and it made a cute, smart outfit.

Now after this lot, someone really needs to take my debit card away from me. :)

How charming | Kate Spade

Kate Spade tweeted a couple of days ago that they had a sale on, no surprises I went straight to their website as fast as my fingers would allow.

I had a browse through and came across these gorgeous alphabet key chains. I expected the "E" to be out of stock, but as luck would have it, it was not! 

I ordered it on Thursday evening, it was shipped on Friday and it arrived Saturday. A* to Kate Spade for a speedy service. 

It is too pretty to be thrown in my bag on a set of keys, so I decided to use it as a bag charm. Most of my bags have gold hardware, so it goes perfectly. 

The RRP is £35, therefore I was quite pleased to add this to my collection for only £19. I recommend you go check out the sale now before all the best bits are gone.

My new jewellery obsession | Pandora

I've been really into my jewellery since getting my Olivia Burton watch recently. I want nothing more than to match it perfectly with gorgeous rings and bracelets. Enter, Pandora rings.

I began browsing online and discovered so many beautiful pictures of people with gorgeous Pandora rings. I started searching on eBay and last Friday I entered into a small bidding war and won my first ring - the classic elegance ring. (I hope it is genuine, as on eBay you can never really be sure, but I've done my research and I'm pretty sure it is. If it isn't, it only came to about £15; so it is not like I've lost out on ££).

It is a sterling silver ring with small cubic zirconias all the way round the band, then a larger round one in the centre, with a ring of more small ones around it. It is pure sparkle and looks gorgeous day and night. It has certainly got me addicted.

I have since won two more on eBay around a similar price point, so hopefully they'll arrive some time next week.

What is your favouirte Pandora ring?

Olivia Burton arm candy

Social media is sooooo powerful, never underestimate the power of it. I literally saw ONE picture of this gorgeous watch on Instagram and I fell in love.

It is the Olivia Burton Wonderland watch in silver and rose gold (also available in silver and gold) and I am the proud owner. 

Olivia Burton is an up and coming London based brand that make beautiful classic, stylish, timeless (pun intended) watches. 

You can get them from various retailers including ASOS and Goldsmiths and they have an online shop on their website too, but I found this beauty at the best price on the Topshop website. I also had a cheeky discount code for 20% off which helped! 

I love the mix of rose gold and silver. In fact, my previous go-to watch was my Swatch lady passion that I picked up last time I went to New York which is the same colour combo. I tend to wear silver bracelets, so they go together perfectly.

Now I'm lusting over the silver Pandora charm bracelet with the rose gold clasp as that would be a match made in heaven. Watch this space.

Kendall + Kylie espadrilles

Most of the things I have bought lately have been a bit impulsive. I'm really enjoying seeing all the new season clothes and I feel like I am at a turning point in my own personal style, where I am trying to branch out of my comfort zone and experiment with different looks.

My most recent such purchase was these gorgeous pair of suedette espadrilles from the Kendall and Kylie collection at Office.

I only wandered in there to look for some white trainers/plimsolls last Saturday, but it was so busy in that part of the store that I ended up looking over the other side, waiting for the crowd to die down a bit. And there they were!

I'd wanted some espadrilles since seeing the Chanel ones all over Instagram, but as a lowly teacher they are clearly not in my price range. Those who know me, know that I love a bit of sparkle or bling, so the grey rhinestones on the toe immediately caught my eye. Plus the fact that they were suede and a greyish colour - two other favourites of mine, counted in their favour.

They are quite pricey at £60, but still much cheaper than Chanel! If you're a student, Office do 10% student discount, also Office is on Quidco so you can get cashback. I ordered them online on Monday evening and they arrived on Wednesday (free delivery) so the service was great too. You can purchase them here. They also come in black, but I thought the grey/khaki colour was a bit more spring/summer appropriate for me. (Although, if I had the money, I'd probably have ordered both!)

I've styled them today with my white Primark jeans, grey high neck bodysuit from New Look and denim shirt from Topshop. They are the perfect shoe to go with jeans or shorts and they are so soft and comfortable.

What would you wear them with?

Chilly shoulders

My obsession for the cold shoulder look is growing. I saw this blouse when I popped in to River Island on Saturday, just wasting a bit of time before my optician appointment. The second I spotted it hanging on the rail, it was unexplainable love at first site. It is not even the kind of print I'd normally wear and I don't think I've ever spent this much on one top before, but something about it just struck me and drew me in. I thought it was beautiful and I had to have it.

I wore it for work today, paired with some ASOS black cropped skinny trousers and New Look tassel loafers. It will also look great tucked in to a black pencil skirt, or paired with jeans for a more casual look.

One of my cheeky year 8 boys asked me at work today what I was wearing?! He obviously doesn't know a single thing about fashion!

For me, as I said; it is love at first sight.

You can find it online here.

Primark OOTD ft. white jeans

I went to Lakeside shopping centre the other day with my sister and baby niece and ended up buying this great spring/summer ready outfit from Primark.

I went in looking for a pair of white jeans. I have some high wasted white jeans from boohoo but they aren't actually denim, so I wanted some this year that actually have that "jean" feeling. This pair are a distressed, ripped ankle grazer style. For only £13 for some jeans, I think I can't go far wrong.

Also, I'm loving these cold shoulder style tops at the moment. They give the normal t-shirt or vest top a bit of a sexy edge don't you think? This one is £7.

Finally I got this pair of black suedette sandals with tassels and small gold detail. They are only £5 and so comfortable and padded.

So the whole outfit cost £25.

What do you think?

Trend alert: Body suits

I'm currently loving body suits or "body's". They look great with jeans, trousers, skirts or leggings and I prefer them to wearing a top tucked in that always shifts and ends hanging out during the day or bulks out around the waist.

There are lots of great styles on the high street right now, so I'd thought I'd share with you some of my favorites.

First off, ones I own:

Pictures from New Look

The newest addition to my collection is this grey high neck sleeveless number from New Look. At only £9.99 it's an absolute bargain. Great for wearing with jeans for a casual day look, or under some smart trousers/skirt for work.

Pictures from River Island

Another high neck number, but from River Island this time and with these cute cap sleeves for £25. At time of posting stock is low on the River Island webpage, but it can also be found on ASOS or maybe in store. Again this is great for work, it looks really smart with a grey pencil skirt or it can be dressed up for the evening with a nice pair of skinny jeans and some heels.

Pictures from Boohoo

This Victoria chiffon vest style body suit from Boohoo is perfect with a high wasted skirt. I have this one in both black and white, but coral, navy and lilac are also available. For only £14, it is a bargain. It has a second layer under the chiffon that clings to your body like a traditional body suit which also helps to keep your bra hidden.

Now for my wanted list:

Picture from Miss Selfridge

Last year bardot tops and dresses were huge and they continue to be a staple in 2016. However, if you invested in a bardot top it is more than likely that you experienced it rising up over your shoulders and spent a lot of time walking around trying not to move your arms too much for fear of it sliding up. The bardot body should, in theory, be the end of the sliding up bardot as it will be held nicely in place by the poppers around your nether regions. This one from Miss Selfridge looks like a great buy.

Pictures from Missguided

A lace up front is very in now and most of the stores are doing lace up bodysuits, like these above from Missguided. I've yet to try these as I am not very gifted in the chest department and some of them plunge very low. But I like the stripy one above on the second row for £18 because that doesn't seem to come too low and the navy and cream stripes are a great look for summer.

Have you joined the body suit brigade yet? What other ones do I need in my wardrobe?