The Navy Tunic
Sunglasses: ASOS
Tunic: COS
Bracelet: COS
Trousers: Gestuz
Flats: ASOS
When it comes to style, one of my favourite things to do is play with lengths and shapes, creating new outfits with the same pieces by pairing them with others or putting a slightly different spin on them. This tunic is a case in point. I put it on back to front to create a more streamlined look at the front and detail at the back, wearing it with knitted navy trousers (which are actually supposed to be culottes, but hey, short girl problems) for a co-ord effect.
Back to Basics
Sunglasses: ASOS
Jumper: New Look Men
Blazer: c/o PrettyLittleThing
Jeans: Weekday
Converse: Coggles
I took these on the first day of the year, my first New Year's Day in a decade that I actually spent outdoors, hangover-free - and it felt amazing. I pulled on a few staples, starting the year as I mean to go on in classic pieces that will make up an edited, capsule wardrobe (I've already taken a huge bag to the charity shop in an effort to streamline my clothing collection).
I've got a hectic few months coming up, with three fashion weeks over the space of six weeks, lots going on in work, finishing up with a two week trip to Australia in April. It's exciting though and I wouldn't have it any other way, but it means opting for simplicity when it comes to clothing is all the more appealing.
The Art of the White Tee & other Basics
T-shirt: Sunspel at Lissom + Muster
Trousers: COS
This January marks a year since I've been living in Manchester and it's safe to say it's gone ridiculously fast. I grew up in Merseyside so always felt that I knew Manchester quite well (it was where I'd go shopping before Liverpool upped its game) but this year I've spent time discovering those parts that are off the beaten track.
One such place is Lissom + Muster, a one-room store at the top of Hope Mill in Ancoats. It's a Grade II listed mill - the type that helped build modern Manchester and its industry - and its history is still evident in Lissom + Muster's rough brick walls, exposed pipes and large, open space.
Trousers: COS
Shoes: Zara
It houses a curated collection of men's and women's luxury basics - think super soft Sunspel t-shirts and John Smedley knits, plus its own label with products all made in Britain and Europe. Essentially, they're the building blocks of any good wardrobe, especially if you're using the new year as an excuse to de-clutter and create a more capsule wardobe.
Trousers: Sunspel at Lissom + Muster
Heels: Mango
Post-Christmas Layers
Necklace: COS
Dress: & Other Stories (similar)
Trousers: COS
Shoes: ASOS (similar)
This is a funny week. I have no idea what day it is, how to function or how to eat a meal that doesn't involve Christmas day leftovers, but then sometimes we need those weeks for our brains to completely shut down and come back again refreshed.
I have to say blogging has left me feeling slightly uninspired recently. I'm seeing a lot of the same from a lot of bloggers - the same style, the same pieces, the same backdrops - and trying to figure out my own direction (not easy with the emotional rollercoaster that is the new Instagram algorithm). I admit, I'm the first to produce the same when it comes to personal style, never deviating too far from my layering-and-anything-oversized formula but then this is what I genuinely wear on a daily basis, so to showcase anything else just wouldn't feel right.
With that said, we enter a new year in a few days' time. I'm hoping to get my inspiration back.
Navy on Navy
Top: Reiss via lovethesales
Trousers: Gestuz
Heels: Mango
When it comes to dressing, I've been drawn to tonal outfits that give me a break from the usual all-black uniform. Navy is the next logical step of course, meaning I'm not deferring from the norm too much, plus it's still a classic but in a softer way.
I got this oversized tee from Reiss through lovethesales (I'm currently trying to refrain from buying a load of the shoes in their Converse sale and adding to my collection...), which I've been pairing with these cropped knitted Gestuz trousers from The Hut (also on sale - go, go, go), breaking up the navy with dark mustard-coloured kitten heels.