Pearls of Fashion: July 2013

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Celebrity style: Whitney Port

Hey everyone,

I haven't written a celebrity style post in ages, so i thought one was way overdue. I absolutely loved The Hills and The City when they were on our screens which is where my love for Whitney Port began. Her girl next door and down to earth personality drew me in and as she progressed to more of a main character in The Hills her style developed and became more fashionable but with a classic edge. Once the programmes finished, it became even more evident with the release of her fashion line 'Whitney Eve' that fashion was her forte. I love how she mixes classic items with more daring pieces to give a different look that is actually quite achievable to create. The denim shirt on the second row is a great example, i bet most of you have one, right?? I do and i admit that i play it safe with a printed top underneath and some staple black leggings ( i know, predictable ay!). However, these printed leggings which to be honest i wouldn't even consider wearing look great with it! They offer a quirky edge without being too 'out there' and accessorising it with a red bag compliments the outfit giving it a pop of colour that it needs.

Looking at the images below you can see Whitney has a real thing for blazers! They are so versatile which comes across in how she styles them, from black for the smart-casual shopping trip, peach for a more tailored looking summer outfit to making a bold statement in a red blazer. Seeing the variety of blazers has really made me consider going out and buying some different colour ones to the ones i already have in my wardrobe which are navy and black. Especially for spring and autumn it provides a great alternative to a cardigan or denim jacket.

Also on another note, i just have to say that i am in love with the cute little dress in the bottom right hand corner! She has accessorised it perfectly by keeping it simple with a thin belt to create some shaping and ankle boots to keep the pussy bow look modern and edgy.

What do you think of Whitney's look? Love her or prefer another cast member?

P.S A little clue to who will feature on my next celeb style post.. Whitney's enemy who may win in the style stakes!

Wednesday 17 July 2013

River Island: Best Sale Picks!

I find River Island sales very hit and miss. I cant stand in store sale shopping in River Island as every time i have gone in, its been completely ransacked with clothes everywhere and that's only after being open for an hour! Don't get me wrong, working in fashion retail for six years made me realise this cant be helped. Customers don't care what they do to the place as long as they find what they are looking for but walking into a store like that is just a headache! Although i love bargain hunting it is a bit too overwhelming so i would rather try my luck online. I usually find a lot nicer things online anyway and I usually get carried away buying more than i need and in two sizes just in case the first doesn't fit.

Waiting for my large sale parcel to arrive i get so excited, its like Christmas come early. However, on unpacking the items i usually feel a surge of disappointment. The quality isn't as good as expected, it looks slightly different to what i thought it would or its bad fitting, resulting in the majority being sent back which is gutting.

This means that over the years my River Island collection in my wardrobe has remained small, although year after year i still fall into the thinking (and believing) of 'this time will be different!'. I found some gorgeous pieces below from this years summer sale which are real bargains. So you never know with the ever competing high street and the likes of Primark and New Look giving them a run for their money, the problems i have previously encountered may have finally ironed out! Fingers crossed!

Fringed backless top, £25- £12

Angel wing hairband, £10-£3

Red embroidered top, £22- £10

Maxi skirt, £25-£15

Belted mini skirt, £20-£10

Dungaree skater skirt, £22-£10

Blue crop top, £10-£5

On a side note, anyone else notice how many pieces by Rihanna for River Island were heavily reduced?! Although most pieces were not really my style, sooo many bloggers were writing and raving about it and with her being one of the biggest stars on the planet you would have thought it would have been a bit more popular (??). Being a celebrity range, the prices were understandably dearer than normal which would work if the style and quality matched. However, charging £35 for this crochet top that i personally hate, no wonder its more than 50% off now! I know Rihanna is known for her 'out there' style which was demonstrated by her collection, but it didn't transcend well to the high street. Adding a few more wearable items may have helped, but then it wouldn't be Rihanna's style, so a bit of a catch 22 problem there...

What do you all think? What would be the best way to approach Rihannas collection, or do you already love it?

Thursday 11 July 2013

Black is back

Although the northern hemisphere is in the middle of summer, here in Oz we are in the depth of winter. After all my summer posts i thought a more autumn one was much needed. I'm currently loving leather skater skirts and here's an outfit idea that you can mix and match depending on the weather. A cute little Aztec top for those warmer days or a light knit jumper for when you need that extra bit of warmth. Both are teamed with trusty biker boots and a tassel bag to slightly grunge up this otherwise quite girly look.

Object Collectors Item loose sweater
$64 - objectci.com

Crop top
$15 - owntherunway.com

Skater skirt
$12 - selectfashion.co.uk

Madden Girl lace ankle booties
dsw.com

H m purse
$30 - hm.com

Mango collar necklace
mango.com

Black jewelry
hugssy.com

Felt hat
$19 - newlook.com

Thursday 4 July 2013

Jumpsuits: Love them or hate them?

Hey Everyone,

Sorry for my complete lack of blogging recently. I had to take a bit of a backseat from doing this on my days off to focus more on planning my travels once i leave the Gold Coast. It's all coming round preeetty quickly, although its gradually coming together now. We just need to bite the bullet and actually start committing to dates and booking things, scary stuff but I'm soo excited! Our plans are to fly to the North Island of New Zealand for a week before flying back to Oz and travelling up the east coast of Australia (hippy style in a caravan) finishing off in luxury in the Whitsundays!! And i thought shopping created a large dent in my bank balance!

My post this week is slightly different. I had no idea what to write about and i felt I've written about quite a few wishlists, outfit ideas, and events so i wanted to do something different. Somehow jumpsuits popped into my mind. I really can't decide what i think of them even after all the years that they have been in fashion. I have only ever tried one on and that was about four years ago in New Look. I loved the style and pattern but when i put it on it looked ridiculous on me! With my small frame even the smallest size seemed to drown me and it looked like i was wearing a baby grow! Since then i have never taken one into the changing rooms, instead i just look and touch deciding whether to give them another go.

Below are a few i have picked out that are currently on the market. They are pretty diverse, ranging from bandeau style tops, palazzo bottom, a tailored look and a bib'n'brace style. I am not a fan of the third one, purely because it looks like its from the 80's and not in a quirky vintage kinda way. I don't think the colour helps, and from looking at my other picks there's a definite colour theme going on which i think is the only way with these!

1 Miss Selfridge, £47

2 Miss Selfridge, £49

3 Miss Selfridge, £45

4 New Look, £19.99

5 Warehouse, £70

6 Own the Runway, £19.99

However, seeing celebrities wearing jumpsuits like Cheryl Cole, Mollie King and Rachel Zoe below, makes me want to run out and buy one. They always look so glamorous and it doesn't look like they are wearing onesies so i think why not give it another try! Heels definitely help, the first two are both roughly the same height as me (5ft 4), and i felt a jumpsuit accentuated my shortness so a few added inches are a neccessity!

Although, seeing Kristen Stewart in this awful get up reminds me why there is still not one hanging in my wardrobe...

What do you all think of jumpsuits?? Love them or hate them, let me know! Am i the only one to still not own one??

Monday 1 July 2013

Glamorous sailor

I am loving the new style of jeans around at the moment! Don't get me wrong, skinny jeans are great but they can become so uncomfortable which is why i generally turn to my trusty leggings instead (i know it is lazy). However, this new style which is similar to boyfriend jeans and referred to as 'mum' jeans in Topshop offer great comfort. Just because they are loose fitting doesn't mean they have to be dressed down and tomboy-ish though! The outfit i have created tries to show the opposite, dressing it up with a well fitting blazer, sexy red lips and nails, and a statement bag.

What do you think? How would you style these jeans?