LFW: My favourites
London Fashion Week is over for another season, and I think I am only just recovering! Five days of glorious fashion, street style and beautiful people - amazing, yes, but also bloody tiring. Totally worth the dark circles lingering under my eyes though; I got to see some incredible shows and see first hand what's to come for AW15.
The thing I loved most about this season was the wearability of most of the collections. Yes, there was still the crazy eccentricity that fashion week (especially London) is known for, but for the most part, I spotted clothing making its way down the runway that I would happily put on tomorrow - no changes or paring down needed.
Seventies still ruled, a trend that I am more than happy about, and there was also a lot of soft tailoring and androgynous looks that I loved. Head to Coggles where you can read the reports of the shows I went to, but these are my top five from LFW...
1205
Barbara Casasola
Jasper Conran
Margaret Howell
Paul Smith
Outfit: Obi belt dress at LFW
Coat: Zara (similar)
Dress: ASOS
Watch: Links of London (similar)
Shoes: Senso (similar)
London Fashion Week is done - phew! After an amazing few days in the capital running from show to show, I'm back up North and ready to share everything from my LFW. Despite a bit of rain, a lot of wind and some very sore feet, this season was incredible, with lots of the designers showcasing really wearable collections - which was really refreshing.
I'll be writing a post about my favourites soon but for now, this is one of the outfits I wore over fashion week. For this outfit I opted for ease and simplicity with a few added details in the obi belt, masculine watch and orange lipstick to add a bit of colour.
Competition: Win a years supply of Adidas Originals trainers
Mainline Menswear is holding a very exciting competition, with your chance to win a new pair of Adidas Originals* trainers every month of the year - that's 12 new pairs of trainers!
All you have to do is click here, and fill out your details. The closing date is 15th March - good luck!
NYFW: My favourites
London Fashion Week is in full swing, and I'm mostly spending it going from show to show, sharing updates on Twitter and Instagram (head over to Coggles where I'm writing full reports of the shows I'm going to).
I'll be posting my looks from LFW next week, but for now let's go back to New York, and a few of my favourites from the designers' AW15 collections. As much as I love the crazy, uber-fashiony shows for their artistry and creativity, the shows that I like the most are the ones with looks that I would actually wear. This mainly translates to minimalism, classic tailoring, dark and neutral colours, and oversized silhouettes.
These are exactly the reasons Hugo Boss, Lacoste, The Row, Tibi, Vera Wang (turns out she does more than bridal - who knew?!) were the stand out collections for me.
Hugo Boss
Lacoste
The Row
Tibi
Vera Wang
Last minute LFW outfit inspiration
Topshop co-ord (top) (trousers), River Island heels, Carvela bag, Whistles ring, ASOS wool duster coat
London Fashion Week starts in two days! It seems to have come round really quickly but I can't wait. In the past I've only been able to go to one day of Fashion Week due to work and various other things going on but this season I'll be going with my new job for four days. It'll be hectic but exciting - follow me on Instagram and Twitter for updates throughout the weekend.
I've spent the past week sorting out my outfits and they're finally finalised - I'm awful for changing my mind at the last minute! Anyway, here's a bit of inspiration if you still haven't decided. I'm all for being warm and comfortable(ish) while still looking stylish; freezing your arse off on the cobbles of Somerset House ain't fun. Or cute.
Lust of the week: ASOS Structured Knit Midi Dress
My lust this week comes in the shape of this white dress from ASOS. Possibly more suited to slightly warmer months but I love it nonetheless. Simple and minimalist in structured fabric with a few interesting design details in the slits and exposed zip, this dress would look great with a pair of heels or trainers.
Valentine's Day in Phase Eight
Dress: Phase Eight c/o Debenhams
Clutch: Whistles
Heels: ASOS (similar)
Calvin Klein Reveal c/o Debenhams
Benefit Lip & Cheek Kit c/o Debenhams
Happy Valentine's Day! My man and I don't really do much for Valentine's Day - we'll normally stay in and cook a nice meal together but I'll always put a date night-worthy dress on, mainly because I like any excuse to dress up.
This year Debenhams sent me this gorgeous number from Phase Eight. It's incredibly feminine and not something I would normally go for but sometimes you need an injection of glamour in your life and quite frankly, I feel fabulous in it! Complete with a few new beauty bits, I'm all ready for Valentine's night.
Lust of the week: Missguided neoprene bomber jacket
The bomber jacket trend is one that has been going for about a year or so, and it looks like it's going to be sticking around for 2015 - for men and women. I love the sporty feel to this one from Missguided - great for a more casual outfit or if you're wanting to add a bit of edge to a dressy look.
Outfit: H&M Wide Leg Trousers
Jumper: Zara (similar)
Trousers: H&M (similar)
Watch: c/o Links of London
I am obsessed with these trousers from H&M! I'm so glad the wide leg trouser trend is here to stay because I love the silhouette they create and they give my legs a good break from my staple skinny jeans (plus my winter wardrobe is in need of a colour injection so these are perfect).
How gorgeous is this Links of London watch as well? I normally find women's watches a bit too girly and fussy but this one has a manly edge to it which I really like.
Outfit: Black asymmetric jacket
Shirt: ASOS
Jacket: Sheinside
Jeans: Topshop
Boots: Public Desire
Can you tell it was really windy taking these photos?! Damn you winter...
I love the asymmetric neckline of this jacket - it really adds something to an otherwise simple piece, and I like the idea of my shirt popping out at the top.
In other news, I'm settling into my life as a fully-fledged Northerner again and have just about unpacked - I might do a bit of an interiors post soon when it's not looking quite so junk-shop-chic but for now I'm pinning like crazy on my Interiors board and I think my obsession with all things Scandi is getting out of control...
Lust of the week: Nike Internationalist trainers
I love a good pair of trainers; they're great for dressing down an outfit if you don't want to look too overdressed and they're bloody comfy to boot. I always feel like running really fast when I'm wearing trainers because I can't believe how comfortable and cushioned they are compared to most of my other shoes (just me?!)
I love the colours of this Nike pair - they'll brighten up an outfit but aren't too in-your-face if you like your garmz to err on the simpler side.
Outfit: Oversized leather trousers and breton top
Top: Zara
Trousers: Zara
Boots: Kurt Geiger
Today is the day I move back to the North - ahh! I've got a couple of days to unpack and get settled before starting my new job and I'm really excited - read my post here about why I'm moving. I've been trying to cram in a load of London-y things the past couple of weeks - and that includes taking advantage of the great shopping (I almost wept with relief when January payday came around).
This is a bit of weird time of year for shopping because the shops are full of their crappy sale stuff that no one wants, while they only have a few pieces from the new collection. The only shop I don't find this to be true though, is Zara. At first their sale is rubbish - £10 off is not a sale Zara! But the prices gradually go down over the month and I've picked up some right beauties recently, including this top for £5 (you can never have too many stripy tops, right?) and some incredible culottes for £10 which I'll blog about once my ankles can handle the temperature.