Theory Dress and Culottes
Dress: Theory
Culottes: M&S (similar)
Bag: Zara
Shoes: Carvela
The sales are great at this time of year for picking up designer pieces at high street prices - I've been having to pull myself away from online shopping recently but there's no way I could say no to 60% off a Theory dress...
It's one of those classic pieces that I'll keep in my wardrobe forever and wear countless ways. Here I've done my usual layer-over-culottes but I'd also wear it on its own with flats and on top of jumpers come winter.
Neoprene Dress and Culottes
Sunglasses: Han Kjobenhavn
Dress: COS
Culottes: Zara
Shoes: c/o New Look
After our one week of summer Manchester is getting decidedly cooler, so I'm back to thicker fabrics (read: neoprene) whilst trying to keep my looks summer-friendly with cropped hems, sunglasses and backless mules. I've decided I don't know how to dress in the UK when it's hot anyway.
Outfit: Trophy Jacket and Frill Sleeves
Sunglasses: ASOS
Jacket: c/o Boohoo
Blouse: c/o Boohoo
Trousers: c/o Boohoo
Flats: ASOS
When it comes to style, I like to do an elevated version of casual, whether that's a plain white tee in a really nice cut and quality fabric, or taking a silk dress and wearing it over wide leg trousers and flats. Here, it's about pairing rolled-up, slightly loose black trousers and slip-on flats with a frill-sleeved blouse and jersey trophy jacket, complete with embroidered trim. Easy, but effective. Find out your perfect style with Boohoo here.
Outfit: Ganni Dress over Jeans
Dress: Ganni
Ear Cuff: c/o Felice Dahl
Jeans: ASOS
Shoes: Topshop (similar)
Last week I was invited to Tastecard's 10th birthday at Manchester's Hotel Gotham. It was a great evening of drinking wine on the roof terrace with incredible views right across the city - and given it was an unusually warm evening, I opted to wear this plunge neck dress from Ganni (this is the kind of thing where small boobs are a blessing).
I bought it the last time I was in Copenhagen from the Ganni Postmodern store (which I'll definitely be visiting again when I'm there for fashion week in August) and love how the long, oversized shape balances out the low-cut neckline. I popped some jeans underneath to dress it down slightly, and added a bit of colour with these Topshop block heels.
Outfit: Shirt Dress over Wide Leg Trousers
Shirt Dress: c/o New Look
Trousers: COS
Shoes; Topshop
Last week I featured this shirt dress in a casual, everyday look for holiday - one that you can just throw on for exploring the local city or over a swimsuit for the beach. I love an item of clothing that I can wear a load of different ways so when it comes to evening, I'd use it as a layer over wide leg trousers or culottes, like this dark green pair from COS.
Outfit: Neutral Layers
Tunic: Zara
Culottes: Warehouse (similar)
Sandals: c/o Dorothy Perkins (similar)
A tunic over culottes is one of my go-to looks, purely because I love the ease of comfort as well as the silhouette it creates. I recently added this lightweight knitted tunic from the Zara sale to my collection and have been wearing it with neutral colours for a simple look that suits the British summer.
Outfit: Oversized Shirt Dress
Sunglasses: ASOS
Dress: c/o New Look
Bag: Zara
Flats: c/o New Look
For some reason holiday dressing throws the best of us. We're either tempted to wear things we normally wouldn't, or throw a load of pieces in our suitcases with reckless abandon, tipping the scales at the airport and risking that pesky extra charge. New Look has created a whole hub based around this dilemma - take a look at their Style on Tour or Holiday Helper for the ultimate holiday style guide - something I've taken advantage of with this dress.
When it comes to my holiday wardrobe, I try to build mine around a few key versatile items. An oversized shirt dress is one of the first pieces I pack; it can be worn over your bikini to the beach, on its own with flats for a casual daytime look - like I've done here - or dressed up and layered for evening (watch out for my next blog post to see how I wear it come nighttime).
Outfit: COS Neoprene Dress
Dress: COS
Necklace: COS
Jeans: ASOS
Shoes: Bohemia
I love this time of year for many reasons, and the sales are one of them. When it comes to sales, I tend to look to stores like COS, & Other Stories, Whistles or Finery for great quality pieces at a discount that I know will have a long and well-loved place in my wardrobe. This dress was one such purchase; it's made of light neoprene and has the most incredible shape - I've been wearing it over jeans and culottes for the slightly colder days, and on its own with pointed flats when the sun comes out.