Wednesday 29 August 2012

Victoria's got some sort of secret

London today saw the opening of the Bond Street branch of Victorias Secret. It's a store I have never visited in the US, so had no expectations.

The decor is rather spectacular with mirrored walls, and everything pink and shiny. The Pink section doesn't disappoint either. Clearly for a younger audience, staff are dressed in Pink merchandise which is mainly sweats and the carrier bags are covered in pink polka dots. Full of fun.

The best part of the deco has to be past Victorias Secret model costumes, dotted throughout the windows and store.

I still can't quite make up my mind n the store. Firstly it made me question wherever I wear extremely boring underwear, and why everything seemed so over priced. I'm guessing it's going to take off with tourists everywhere and be similar to the Abercrombie and Gilly Hicks craze that seems to have taken over the UK.

The store is worth a visit even if just to see the model costumes, plus it is a little bit fun, even if all you do is pretend you want to be a Victorias Secret model. Anyway what is her secret?



Monday 27 August 2012

Monthlies

It seems to me one of the reasons to look forward to the end of a month, apart from payday of course.

Each month I collect up piles of the monthly mags, and a good selection of weeklies including Grazia, Look, Sunday Times Style and Stella, the telegraph style pages. After reading cover to cover and diverting most of the insides I always feel ready and knowledgeable about what's best to buy in my next shopping trip.

With the new season just starting, and my flip flops being stored away it's a perfect time to collect rip outs of pieces I like from all of the above. Here's just a small collection of a few bits and pieces I like and am keeping my eyes peeled for arrival in store.

I'm now starting to think about my AW wardrobe and think lots of the tyres will be involved, and going to be a major buyer of trousers. Topshop seems to be full of pieces I love at the minute, along with Reiss and Whistles. How's your AW wardrobe coming along? Do you keep magazine cut outs to buy or use as styling inspiration?

Thursday 23 August 2012

Summer shirts become casual Workwear

Since doing these internships, I've noticed that being casual and not dressing overly smart is an option. Working in fashion does seem to have its pluses.So yesterday I used this opportunity to wear my Marni for H&M shorts. I've only worn them once previously, and that was back in March with a thick pair of black tights. I'm glad I managed to get hold of a pair as I really think they'll last for summers to come, plus there is so many different way to wear them.

Sadly this isn't the best picture, and I look rather horrid, but hopefully you get the idea.

Monday 20 August 2012

Not so stale sales

These shoes I picked up last week for only £20. Normally by this time I wouldn't even look at the left over sales, but with the sales starting earlier this year a lot of the high summer stock has now been added. I am back in London interning for two weeks and on a quick trip to Oxford Circus Topshop today, I picked up a new sale addition sequin top for £18, I'm also eying up a few items in Reiss, hears hoping to more reductions.

The new social media

We all love Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest and all those other sites we seem to have grown fondly attached too. There great for keeping in contact, making witty one liners and compiling a virtual to do list. But what about creating your very own shopping centre, which you and your friends can virtually pop in and out of as you please? Welcome Mallzee.
Mallzee.com is a new up and coming site where you can create your very own shopping centre and share with your friends. For any shopaholics like me, I'm sure you will agree this seems some what like a dream. Even better there's a way of making money from it. All so simple.
By signing up to the site your entering into a world of over 200 brands, including Urban Outfitters, New Look and St Tropez to name a few. It then becomes as simple as choosing what you like to create your own personalised space.
With online shopping putting an end to the social aspect of it all, Mallzee has regained it. Friends can be invited to view, comment and create there own allowing you to share and comment on each others must haves and I wants. Even better each time you shop there's great discounts and you earn a small percentage every time a friend purchases from your Mallzee.
So what is there to wait for? Sign up and start experiencing what I think could be the next big social media thing.

Monday 13 August 2012

Help I'm in my twenties

This isn't my usual sort of post. No outfit picture I've purposefully posed for. No list of items I can't afford, that I've been converting or instagramed snaps of my past few weekends of fun and adventure.

I've spent my morning flipping the pages of the weekends magazine supplements. Something I quite often do on a Monday morning. I normally read the Sunday Times Style, then move on to Stella from the Telegraph from the previous day, then quite often if it's lying around the supplement from the tacky papers where everything is photographed is worn by a star from TOWIE, or the diet of the new Dancing on Ice star. Though what really caught my eye, was n article from the Saturday Times magazine. It's titled "Twenty Something Crisis".

The start is quite interesting with the story of a blogger, who like many in their twenties, left university with great expectations. A swish job, cocktails on the weekend and a gym membership. However this seems entirely wrong of us to think. American Emma Koenig, felt the pinch of the current recession, and like all of us dreamt of the lavish post university lifestyle. Though this didn't happen, she moved back to her parents, applied for jobs, got rejected for jobs and blogged about it all because she felt lonely. Now her blogs have been turned to a book " F***! I'm in my twenties" and I'm guessing now success is at her feet. Lucky her.

The most interesting part of this article for me was the later piece,which had five different accounts of twenty something's, telling the tale of post uni,shattered dreams and debts.

All though not post university quite yet,it's something I worry about. I have like many others a vision. I'd like to finish get offered a job before my last exam, and start renting preferably a two bed but I know that's pushing it, so let's say a studio apartment in London. I'd spend most weekends with recovering from after work Friday drinks-Saturday morning, leisurely walks around borough market picking up organic vegetables and quick shopping trips to Selfridges. I'd have a new designer bag every season, maybe a pair of shoes as well, and not really have many worries apart from if my Oyster card balance runs out.

Luckily I'm not dislluisional enough to think this is going to happen. I'm more likely to be searching for a job till June, and worse case moving home and continuing the search. If I do find one, there will be no studio flat but a small room in a shared house with possibly strangers which I'll be paying over the odds for. Shopping will most definitely be a thing of the past and can forget over priced organic vegetables. Gym memberships will be replaced with running around the local park, and my pays main aim will be to pay off my student debt as soon as possible.

The stories in the magazine aren't much different to mine above. Many still searching for jobs, living with parents and having there dreams totally neglected. Sadly it's something I think my generation are now expecting. I've found it's time for the dreaming to stop, and think harder about where our money is going and instead of splurging putting it aside to gain barely anything in interest.

I know I'm not the only one facing this, but it's something that does panic me. I could never regret my choice to go to university. I've had so far the best time of my life, met the most amazing people and gained so much. But I fear in years to come my opinion may change as the burden of the debt, and no promise of paying it off quickly will dampen my spirits.

Do you ever have thoughts post university? Have you experienced any of the above already? Somehow I don't think it's something that's going away quickly, but something we now have to live with, and more so learn to deal with.

Thursday 9 August 2012

Paisley Prints

Just a quick outfit post, of what I wore out Sunday on an afternoon out. I picked these trousers up a few weeks ago from Topshop, and this was there first outing. I'm hoping I can wear them into the autumn months by pairing them with a chunky knit which I'm currently on the hunt for. The ASOS brogues have been such a good purchase and just go with nearly everything. These were my last summery-ish piece I have bought and I'm now focusing on building my autumn/winter wardrobe full of knits, and warmer pieces. Have you thought about your autumn/winter wardrobe yet?





Monday 6 August 2012

Team GB

After the super weekend of winning Olympic medals, it's hard not to be behind the Olympic team.

At the top of my lust list is an Olympic medal, but due to my lack of sport talent it's near enough impossible. So instead I have gone and followed in the footsteps of medal winners like Rebecca Adlington and Danni King, and painted my nails all patriotic and team GB.

 

 
Please excuse the mess, but the second picture was pre tidy up with nail varnish remover. I have to admit I did watch a few YouTube tutorials on how to achieve the look, and even practised on my younger sister. Have you done anything to get behind team GB?

Sunday 5 August 2012

Feeling slightly smug

After reading this article on the Grazia site, I couldn't help having a slight smug feeling.

I managed to nap the necklaces a few weeks back, but picked up my bracelets earlier this week.

I've only so far got two but am eyeing up the chunkier style. They had there first wearing with a bit of a boring outfit. Though I do think they compliment my Orange Topshop jacket rather well.

I really do think I have been lucky to nab a few of these pieces early on and can see them selling out rather quickly. But I'll still be keeping my eye out online for new pieces, to add to my hopefully growing collection of Zara accessories. The best part is Zara online does free store delivery, saving you on overpriced p&p prices. Have you managed to pick up any in your local Zara store? Or do you have your eye on a certain piece?