Argyl

Hey!

My mum bought me these Primark argyl socks for my birthday, possibly because whilst shopping there I mentioned that I had a pair just like them a while ago which were stolen by my brother. He's a post in himself I'm sure, my little bro, actually a very stylish man despite the theft of socks. I was at a loss about how to wear these socks for several reasons. Firstly, they are in danger of being far too Gossip Girl. Secondly, pulled up in the traditional manner, it is my experience that argyl knee-highs are very unflattering - the pattern sort of stretches over the calves and they're an awkward kind of length. Finally, the original socks formed part of a fancy dress costume in high school - yes, people I dressed as Cher from Clueless and I loved it. I wish I had a photo becuase it would just be too funny, I'm sure.

So they had been momentarily forgotten and shoved to the back of the socks/tights drawer until I happened upon these pictures on a newly discovered blog, Girl Meets NYC. This editorial, from the August 2007 issue of Teen Vogue, is just so sweet. The idea is cute - the New York nanny looking uber stylish whilst cavorting round the city with her charge, an adoribly-uniformed little girl - the execution is also great, the colours, the clothes and of course the argyl socks! Worn slouchy with boots, the answer to my conundrum! You can see the rest of the pictures here, well worth checking out!



I'll be trying out my own versions once the weather gets cold enough to warrant socks and tights.


Char x

Topshop!

Hey!

I'm in a super good mood today, after a morning lecture I had lunch with a school friend and we checked out Edinburgh's new Topshop! It's at least twice the size it used to be and with birthday vouchers/money and carboot sale profits I was looking forward to a good browse. Browsing's always better when you can actually buy things too! More on that later, first some outfits! This is what I wore for my first lecture which was yesterday (got to love sparse fourth year timetables, two lectures a week - score!). I think I was doing head-down blogger posing because I was tired and my face was rank;

Vintage shoes from etsy, H&M wooly tights, H&M dress (old!) and tee, vintage cuff/bangle from ebay. The hairbow, which I bought originally for my birthday party, is from Topshop. My new flatmate said "Noone over 10 should wear bows." and "You look like Mickey Mouse.". I don't think she intended to be bitchy, she's just more of a jeans and a cute top girl, but it is weird living with someone so different from me and my friends. All my flatmates have been that way actually, I sort of confuse them!

Last night I headed over to a work mate's flat for a cocktail party, I actually only tried one cocktail - called the Anal Probe - and I would not recommend it! Seriously, it smelled toxic! We (another work friend and I) didn't stay long as we both had lectures today and I didn't want to face Topshop hungover, but it was a great party. Outfit;

Please excuse the photos! I had to take them in my room (which is tiny, I am at one end and the camera is at the other!) becuase my flatmate was weirdly hovering in the hallway. I probably wore the hairbow again to annoy her...You can't really tell in the photos but I'm wearing the bustier/boobtube thing I got in the Dorothy Perkins sale over a vintage sheer cami-thing. It didn't work that weel because the cami just isn't that sheer but oh well! I thought I'd also get another wear out of the star-print skirt, from Therapy at House of Fraser. The bangle was a gift from family is Australia. I actually changed into darker tights, as below;
Kept the same vintage shoes on even though the sole is coming off! We walked for an hour to get to the flat too, Southern Comfort being consumed along the way, even though it's a maximum of 20 minutes away, we just kind of rambled!

Today's outfit;

The shoes (which are also falling apart) are from Dorothy Perkins, the tights are H&M, the skirt is from Oasis (sale!), the tee is H&M and the blue top thing was thrifted (75p!). Same vintage bangle as yesterday...

Please excuse the chin(s) in the photo! The long necklace is from H&M and the little ballerina is Topshop.

Onto today's shopping trip! I got this leopard tee, which I had seen on the website and loved, even though I don't think it's my usual style (not girly enough, I suppose!) but I still love it, even though it looks kinda sad, I think in the eyes! Also I usually don't wear things that give people an excuse to stare at my chest! Honestly, I was visually molested by two men today whilst eating lunch, mealtime perving is most inappropriate! I got these lovely over-the-knee socks too, they are so soft and the prettiest peach/pink colour, like ballet tights!
I stole this picture from the website as the skirt didn't photograph too well...also, the website describes it as "flannel" which sounds icky and juicy-couture-esque, but the skirt is actually a nice heavy sort of wool material.
I also got a pair of lace leggings, I'm pretty certain it's these ones! I know, trendwhore!
I still had a little money left (shocking, I know) so we headed to H&M where I got this little skirt, not sure yet how it will look on as I had had enough of changing rooms by that point! It does look rather body-con but perhaps it will be tight enough to hold in the muffin tops?
I'm trying to get people to go out tomorrow night so I can wear my new clothes! I am a ridiculous person...

Char x

Here we are now, entertain us

Hey!

Outfits from today and yesterday, it's weird being back at uni because I feel like people judge you on what you wear and I always hope that people don't think I'm trying too hard or showing off. I'm trying not to care what others think though, now that I'm a fourth year and therefore their superior! This is yesterday's look;

Do the stripes on this dress make your eyes go weird? It's worse in a photo but my flatmate was complaining that it hurt her head...it's from ebay anyway, the shoes are Topshop and the cardigan is vintage from ebay. I covered my face with the camera since I was pink from the gym and my hair was wet!

Today's outfit;

The shoes are vintage from etsy, the tights and boobtube-skirt are from Primark, the tee is Logo (ew) and the dress was from etsy, the cardigan was a gift from my family in Australia, thanks guys!

I'm excited for tomorrow because it's my first lecture and also becuase the new Topshop opens! I was given a gift card for my birthday from everyone at work and made £30 at a carboot sale (yes, really) on Sunday plus a birthday cheque from my Gran means I'm looking very forward to it! I'll obviously be reviewing the new store for you guys too, I'm selfless like that!

Char x

Monday

Hey!

Just a quick outfit post, today I took my new bag out for the first time - since it wasn't raining for a change!

The dress is from Zara, bought on a trip to Glasgow, the shoes are vintage and required superglue on the soles to be worn today! The studded belt is from H&M and the bag is Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Char x

Freshers' so far...

Hey!
A few outfit posts, nothing too fancy as I have been working this week in the University health centre, absorbing all the germs and such, that place is a breeding ground for fresher's flu!

Tuesday;

Check out the artificial lighting - I was actually up early enough that it was still dark, sigh! I was wearing my new Primark top under an H&M tee, Primark skirt and H&M tights and shoes.

Wednesday (my birthday!);

A suprisingly bland outfit for a birthday girl but I was toning it down as I had felt overdressed the day before at work, Freshers' Week is basically a sea of skinny jeans, converse and other boring basics amid messy hair and hungover little faces! The flats are from Topshop, Primark tights, H&M dress with tee from dollydagger and belt from ebay.

Today;

I think this skirt is so unflattering! I don't wear it often, obviously, it's from boohoo...the peep-toes are from H&M (for future reference - peep toes are not good rainwear!), the tights are H&M, the white vest I think came from House of Fraser and the black tee is Primark. The bracelet is actually Topman, I must have large hands or something!

It's chilly enough for light jackets now and so I brought this old denim out of retirement, just for a change. Maybe inspired by bloggers like Camille and Rumi who rock the faded denim so well! I bought this jacket when I was 14, I saved a whole month's allowance to but it and the matching jeans (which I frequently wore together - hillbilly tuxedo!), isn't it odd that I still have it? The scarf is one of many beautiful presents which I received, I will get round to sharing the rest soon, from my lovely younger stepsister. One present I must share now though is my Marc by Marc Jacobs bag, the photo is not doing it any justice because I had to stick the flash on! Thanks Mum!

Char x

Come with us now on a journey through time and space...

Hey!

Oh my god, last night was so fun! We saw The Mighty Boosh live and it was the first show of the tour, it was awesome! If you haven't seen the Boosh, please do so immediatly! The only thing that ruined my night was waiting in the merchandise queue for ages for a cute bag, only for the last one to be sold to the girl right in front of me! I got a mug instead though so it's all good! There were not as many people dressed up as I thought either, don't worry I didn't dress up! I was tempted though...I didn't take outfit photos but I basically repeated this outfit; checked dress, big yellow bow, tights...Oh, and we hung around the stage door afterwards to see them come out. In the words of my friend M, "You were like 10 cms from Noel? That's like 1cm from his awesome hair!". Amen.

This was my outfit from during the day, my friend F and I went thrifting but I didn't buy anything 'cause I am poor! F got me an awesome bracelet though as part of my birthday present! It has pearls, I hope she brings it tonight so I can wear it to my party tonight! My party is tonight even though my birthday's not till Wednesday, I'm making my birthday a week-long event this year, apparently!

I love ankle boots but they are so not flattering! Thunda thighs! So these are my new thrifted boots, my usual tightsplease tights, H&M dress which I wore like two days ago and H&M tee. I think the headband is H&M too but it is truly ancient, pre-Gossip Girl! My new flatmate arrives on Sunday, eep! My mum freaked me out by putting the idea into my head that her Mum would like check every nook for dirt so I'm off to clean the fridge! Very glamourous on the day of my big party!

Char x

I have this little sister, Lola

Hey!
I had an exam on Thursday (it went pretty well, I think, especially considering that a flock of seagulls were squaking their diesease-filled lungs out right outside the exam hall!), so a pretty boring outfit. I always take really weird things into account when getting dressed for an exam...I never wear jeans becuase I usually leave early and once got the feeling I had flashed my ass to the entire third year Psychology, fourth year engineering and second year Biology who were in that hall, uncool. I also try and wear quiet shoes (unlike invigilators) and layers!

Shoes (quiet ones!) - Dorothy Perkins, tights - tightsplease, skirt - Oasis, tee - H&M. Note also the lack of accessories, nothing worse than a pile of bangles clanking together or hitting off the desk in an exam situation. I try not to be the person eveyrone hates (Coughy McBreathesloudly and Mr Fidget were present in this particular exam).

After the exam, retail therapy was required, to push out all that knowledge I know longer require, that is if I passed! I headed to H&M after a post on nitrolicious promising me new season gorgeous-ness, which was nowhere to be found, damn Edinburgh! I did however score some yummy grey over-the-knees and 100 denier tights (the holy grail of opaque-ness!). My back to school wardrobe is getting very full, especially my socks 'n' tights drawer.

After H&M disapointment (but not really because payday is 8 days away and a girl's gotta eat) I headed to Topshop in search of the perfect dress for my 21st (one month today!). Mission accomplished:

Since my camera is rubbish/I am a crap photographer, I'll also include the picture from their website, pretty no?

I had originally wanted the dress below, but I couldn't find it/didn't look properly and took the other one to try on instead. I think I actually made the right choice though, however accidentally it occured, becuase strapless dresses are usually less comfortable, cause muffin-topping of the underarm area (which I hate!) and leave you open to risk of exposure (don't mock, it actually happened to a friend of mine, and yes a friend and not me! On a packed dancefloor in front of all her colleagues). I think it'll also be easier to wear more casually after my birthday, which is essential becuase it was rather expensive! Also, does anyone else think that Lola (of Charlie and Lola a.k.a the best kids/not kids cartoon ever!) is really stylish? I mean check out this Miu Miu-esque number she's rocking in the opening credits...

And yes, I am turning 21, not 7. Speaking of which, my present (from myself, with love) should be:

Marc by Marc Jacobs at shopbop

Or

Vivienne Westwood bracelet

It probably is a bit odd to buy a birthday present for yourself, but it's a longstanding tradition of mine.

Char x

Giselle

Hey!

Today I'm just studying for an exam and lazing around the flat. I wonder if my choice of outfit for today (floaty white dress) was influenced by my trip to the ballet yesterday...

This dress is vintage and I'm pretty sure it's also hand-made (there are no labels or anything inside), I'm wearing it with a tee from asos, flats from Dorothy Perkins, tights from tightsplease and Primark belt (which is far too big to be worn at the waist and is therefore pinned up with a kirby grip/bobby pin!).

Close up of the pretty material!

Pretty photos from the programme...

As I said, I went to see my first real ballet yesterday, with my mum. It's quite weird that I've never seen a ballet before because I danced a lot when I was younger (I quit when uni started to get serious) but anyway, I really enjoyed it! I dressed quite casual becuase we went to the matinee and I knew it'd be full of tourists in ponchos and little kids but we're going to see another, more modern ballet on Wednesday in the evening so I think I'll dress up a bit for that one! Between art exhibitions and trips to the theatre I seem to be having a very cultured summer so far, don't I?

This top was one of the things sent to me by my stepmum in Australia. I like when other people buy things for me because they pick things I wouldn't choose for myself, like this top, but I end up really liking them! It's from shop called Dotti. I threw a cardigan on becuase the sky was turning that grey colour that usually signals rain...
Shoes - Dorothy Perkins, skirt and cardigan - H&M, top - Dotti, belt - H&M, grey tee - Logo (sick!). The bangle was a gift too and it's also from Dotti. I don't reeally think this outfit is right. Because the top is so long and flowy, it's hard to find a skirt that looks decent with it and I think this outfit makes my body look too long...which is bad becuase I have really short legs (for my height anyway!).

On Saturday night I went to a barbeque at my friend's house to celebrate her 21st (lots of those happening this month...me next!). Unfortunatly it was rainy so we spent most of the time inside but still had lots of fun and amazing food. Excuse the rubbish photos, I had to rush there after work so i didn't have time to mess about with the self-timer...

The shoes are vintage, I bought them from ebay and the skirt is from Primark. The belt I thifted and the sheer top is vintage (from etsy) and I'm wearing it over a vest from New Look, I'm wearing the same bangle as today, from Dotti, because it's really cute with little butterflies on it! I also had my horse ring from Urban Outfitters on but it broke half way through the evening and so is in need of some super-glue!

I'm (finally) selling some lovely vintage things on etsy, so stay tuned for a preview!


Char x

Lucky, lucky. You're so lucky.

Hey there!

I am in an incredibly good mood today despite the fact that my work called at 9.15 waking me up, to blame me for a voided sale that happened because the customer yanked their card out too early. Why phone to tell me that, I honestly don't care on my day off! Anyway, the good mood started with sunny weather and then a huge package arrived for me from my Dad and Stepmum in Australia! I've expressed my love of Australian shops here before, so I was majorly excited to see what they had sent me! It's obviously a challenge for them to send clothes here that I'll get decent wear out of becuase of the differance in climate, they live in tropical conditions and complain of the cold when the teperature drops below 20c whereas at that temperature I'm too hot! I live my life in tights and scarves not flip-flops and swimwear! Anyway, I did a mini-photoshoot with some of my new clothes. When I say photoshoot I mean I quickly shoved them on with very little styling and took poor-quality photos with no face because I had no make-up on yet. One of the first things I pulled out was this little tiered floral mini and I was really pleased because that's one thing I never got round to buying myself this summer, despite them being everywhere. I love how they make your legs look longer, maybe because they're really short? Somehow shortness works well when combined with ruffles!

This is what I'm actually wearing today. The shoes are vintage, I got them from ebay and the blue top is from Primark! I usually wear the blue one (it's a kind of boring vest with ugly lace which makes it look as cheap as it was) as PJs but it went so well with the bluebells on the skirt that it may yet see the light of day. The grey top is H&M. The skirt's Dotti by the way for any Australian readers!
Why is it that black shoes look so freakin' amazing with black opaque tights? A womens' magazine would probably say that monochromatic looks lengthen the legs and suit all bodytypes. I'll go with that.

The next one is really weird becuase I had actually drooled over it on the dotti website and even contemplated ordering it before finding out that they don't ship internationally. It was so similar to (a more expensive) Topshop top that I had also craved. I think my stepmum read my mind. Either that or she spoke to my stepsister, who runs the blog zen trend!

Shoes and tights as before (lazy, lazy me!). The "skirt" is a Primark boob tube. As I said before, they did really well to pick out things I'll be able to wear lots over here, even into autumn/winter like this jumper dress (probably not really a dress but my moto is if it covers the ass area, it's a dress!) why this would even be on sale in tropical North Queensland, I have no idea! Though the family were complaining of being cold the other day...lies! Wasn't I saying I wanted more black in my wardrobe to match a certain awesome birthday present I know I'm getting?

Worn with the same shoes, tights and Primark "skirt" as well as a Topshop vest. You got a little bit of face in that last one! Ignore the early morning (ok 11ish) greasiness! This next thing I love, I say "thing" becuase I don't even know what it is but it looks to me like what would happen if a dress and a jumper had a baby but maybe the jumper was half cardigan, on his mother's side. Maybe I'll call it a jress or a drumper. It's cute anyway and looks really nice on!
I love how this top looks like vintage lingerie and it feels lovely on too. Quite summery I suppose but I can always layer once it gets colder here.
I love the vintage feel of this top too, I'm seeing it tucked nicely into soemthing high-waisted, yum! And under cardigans in the winter, of course! Actually they also sent me the most beautiful grey cardigan (two things I love, grey and cardigans!) which I'll have on as soon as there's a cloud in the sky.
My Dad also sent this watch, a gift from a business trip to Hong Kong. I'm not usually a watch person (it's like being left-handed I think, you either are or are not a watch person) but for some reason I actually really love this! Maybe it's because it looks like it came from the future and arrived in a little sort of pod or maybe it's because it feels like it's made out of wetsuit. Either way I love it and I'm going to wear it, even though I'll never remember to use it to check the time! I have my phone for that...which may be a good thing 'cause it might be difficult to set to the right time! There was also a beautiful handbag which no doubt you'll see soon in an outfit post becuase it's the perfect size for daytime and lots of scarves and accessories which I love too! If any Australian readers (or anyone really!) want to know where things are from just leave a little comment!
I know that this post may make me look a bit spolied but it is nearly my birthday and I can assure you I do not have packages like this landing on my doorstep every week! As much as I love my new things (and I do!) they are in no way a replacement or a substitute for quality time spent with my family (if I'm lucky, I see my Dad once a year and the girls every second Christmas when they visit their Dad) who I miss like crazy! Just to pre-empt any anonomous comments or "what a brat" thoughts you may have had. I work hard to earn my own money and try to take as little as possible from either of my parents, as I'm sure many of you do too! I'm happy as I have some more good things for going back to uni and the colder weather and I won't have to shop for the rest of the month! I know, I can't believe I just said I'm happy not to shop but recently I have been buying rather a lot, especially for someone who's trying to clear an overdraft!

Well I'm away to tidy my room (I'm thinking of doing a tour of my wardrobe/room, which amount to the same thing 'cause my flat's tiny, daddylikey style. Thoughts?)

Char x