Fashion Et Moi

August 30, 2018

Dear Sister Jane

Sister Jane is a brand that I have lusted after for a long time. Seen on other bloggers or via their fun Instagram feed, I admired from afar, never committing to a purchase until this summer. Since moving to London almost a year ago, I have popped into the Sister Jane store on Portobello Road several times – well, every time I’m in Notting Hill in fact. If you’ve never been, you have to; it’s in a beautiful converted church loft with their head office sitting on the mezzanine level above, not to mention the location is just perfect.

Sister Jane is a brand that totally gets me. Vintage-inspired with quirky colourful prints and fun embellishments, I can imagine myself in almost everything they make. I love that their monthly capsules are limited edition, which reduces the waste and makes each piece a bit extra special.

At the beginning of summer, Sister Jane had a sample sale and I made a beeline for it, knowing that this was the ideal opportunity to get a slice of the delicious Sister Jane pie. Sample sales are a great way of introducing yourself to a brand as well as being a sustainable and economical way of shopping. Rather than letting leftover stock or samples go to waste, pick up a bargain.

After trying on multiple items (they kept bringing out more from their archive), I went for a telephone print blouse and this adorable pink gingham mini dress with the most incredible balloon sleeves. Both from their recent collection, I was chuffed to finally add some Sister Jane to my wardrobe, at a fraction of the normal price.

At first I struggled to know how to style this dress. It’s actually pretty short so I considered layering it over some white jeans but frankly it just needs to be worn on its own (or with some white shorts underneath for extra safety). Due to the long heatwave in London over the summer, I didn’t get round to wearing it until just last week when it finally cooled down a bit – let me tell you, those amazing balloon sleeves get quite hot! I paired it simply with my favourite shoes of the summer – my Veja Wata trainers – and my pink silk bag with a straw handle, which I wish I had worn more over summer.

I wore it for a day of meetings in central London on what was the last proper hot day of the summer (although I have a sneaky feeling we might get a few more in September). It was a great ode to summer and I got so many compliments on it.

So on that note, I’m saying goodbye to summer and look forward to sharing some transitional looks from here on out – hooray! Bring on the coats, boats and knitwear (yes, I know I’ll be complaining come January…). X

August 23, 2018

Dresses & Trainers | A Summer Reflection

Hello Internet, it’s been a while.

Can you believe it’s already almost the end of the August? While I have achieved some great things already this year (finally getting my dream job and doing something about my mental health); some projects (especially this blog) have taken a little back seat this summer. Quite honestly, the heatwave and the stress of flat hunting in London sucked the sartorial mojo out of me and even though I wanted to keep on top of posting regularly, it just didn’t happen. So, I thought I’d finally get back into blogging with an outfit that sums up my summer uniform – dresses and trainers - while reflecting over summer and having a general catch up ahead of the new season (which I am so damn excited about btw).

For me, this summer has been about moving, working and switching off. The move was stressful. We gave ourselves two months to find a new flat in London and after an anxiety-ridden 6 weeks of searching, we found an adorable little place in Streatham Hill. We’re super happy there.

Because we needed to move by the end of July and Lewis is going to do a Masters in September, we were unable to have a summer holiday. This must be the first time in years that I haven’t been away in summer despite it being something I couldn’t have craved more. South of France, Portugal, Italy…these places were all top of my list but unfortunately we couldn’t make it happen.

So I spent a lot of my summer working (which is not too bad because I love my job), enjoying World Cup fever (remember that?!) and struggling through the heatwave. In a way, the weather in London made up for the lack of summer break but dressing for work in 35 degrees rather than wearing mini dresses and bikinis in the same temperature on the Italian coast* totally zapped my inspiration and motivation. But I’m rather proud of me – rather than letting it stress me out (too much…), I accepted that heatwave London dressing just isn’t my forte and decided to take some time off for me, my relationship and switching off, which is never a bad thing.
*I just wrote coats – can you tell I can’t wait for layers?!

One reason I struggle with hot weather dressing is because I can never find my footwear jam. I love a block heel, ankle boots and Converse and this doesn’t always translate well into summer in the city dressing. However, I did buy these Veja trainers a couple of months ago and I’ve barely worn anything else. Low-rise, white plimsoll in style with on-trend ivory rubber details, they go with everything and have been all I needed in a summer shoe.

I have particularly loved wearing them with dresses. Their retro vibe lends itself well to pairing with my many vintage dresses, such as this gorgeous floral 70s one. I picked it up back in April at a vintage kilo sale in London (always the best place for vintage bargains in London FYI) after saying I wanted to wear more green this summer and it’s now one of my favourite dresses.

Thanks so much for reading this summer reflection and general brain dump/explaining myself that I felt was needed! I feel you're all up to date now and I'm super excited for transitional and new season dressing so see you very soon for a new post. X

July 25, 2018

Heatwave Struggles: What I’ve Been Wearing

Boy, it’s hot out there. By now we must have had at least two months of solid good weather, which is just unheard of here in the UK. The ground the bone dry, the parks are no longer green and this girl is running out of wardrobe options. In fact, she ran out ages ago.

I’m always reluctant to buy many summer clothes. I always think I can get by with my array of vintage dresses, T-shirts and denim shorts, because summer is never going to be that hot and that long in the UK, right? If my pre-heatwave-self had known it was going to be exactly that – scorching and never-ending - perhaps I would’ve invested in a few key summer bits much earlier in the season.

While I know I shouldn’t complain, because the sun really does make everything so much better, quite frankly I’ve been struggling with styling. I’m not naturally a summer baby as I find autumn/winter styling much more interesting, so my limited options and motivation has led to reaching for the same combinations day in day out. This is one of those outfits.

During this heatwave, I have been all about white T-shirts. This one is just a men’s H&M one and it’s the perfect loose size to keep me cool, while working so well tucked into skirts and shorts. I particularly love it paired with this blue and white striped pencil skirt, that’s an old vintage shop find I’ve had for years. It’s such an easy outfit to throw on for work, transitions well to evening parks strolls and also works at the weekend.

I always finish off this look with my Veja trainers – the one summer purchase I have actually made since the heatwave began (!). I knew I wanted a pair of neutral trainers that would go with everything and keep my feet cooler than my black high-top Converse. I tried on some Supergas before deciding on these white Vejas ones with the neutral ivory ‘V’. I absolutely love them and they are so worth the slightly higher price tag than other trainers. They are sustainably made (maybe more on that in another post if you’re interested?), super comfortable and go with everything.

Finally, I've been carrying this adorable yellow net bag everywhere! I picked it up in Paris back in May for just 2 euros (seeing similar ones in Arket for £20 makes me smug, ha) and I've found it to be the perfect alternative to my (ever-grubby) tote bags. It adds the much needed pop of colour I'm crave this summer, as I seem to be gravitating more and more towards whites and neutrals in this heatwave - who am I?!

Thank you for reading. It feels good to get back to blogging after a little break. It wasn't a deliberate break but this heatwave and a stressful flat hunt (now resolved and we're moving on Saturday!) got in the way a bit. X

June 19, 2018

Dream Jumpsuit & Shopping Consciously

This dream jumpsuit is new in and by ‘new’ I mean out of the packaging, brand spanking new, which is quite a rarity for me. Other than a couple of pairs of boots, I cannot remember the last time I bought something actually new. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll know that I wear a lot of vintage. Not only is this because I love having something unique straight out of the 60s/70s but it is also a conscious choice in order to reduce my impact on the environment. Whether it be vintage or new, I consider every single purchase I make, from how a piece can be styled to its longevity in my wardrobe. While I am never going to completely stop shopping on the high street, when I do, I have to really love what I’m buying.

Enter this denim jumpsuit from Mango, nicknamed “the dream jumpsuit” because my wardrobe has been waiting a long time for it. It is the kind of piece that I would kill to find on a vintage shop rail – a genuine 70s denim jumpsuit, which one the most elusive pieces out there. However, while the search continues, this 70s-style one will do just fine.

I picked this up after seeing it on Sophia Rosemary on Instagram. I thought about it for a couple of days (after seeing the price tag) and then felt my heart sink when I checked back and it had sold out. This disappointed feeling, resulted by my intense indecisiveness, is when I know that a purchase would be worth it. So, when a week later it was back in stock, I checked out immediately. The dream jumpsuit, in part as elusive as the genuine 70s one I’m searching for, except that it can come back in stock if someone returns one 😉

A very considered purchase but one that I know will last a long time in my wardrobe. Similarly to a pair of Zara denim dungarees that I bought a few years ago and have been featured countless time on here and on Instagram, I feel that this dream jumpsuit could become a wardrobe regular. Its 70s style shape fits perfectly with my aesthetic and it’s such an easy piece to throw on while also being a total statement. I love the contrast of its boxy, loose sleeves with its sculpting, figure-hugging shape, emphasising my waist with an adjustable tie belt.

Not only is this piece really “me” but I know it can be styled in lots of different ways, all year round, bringing the cost-per-wear down significantly and justifying a ‘new’ purchase. On slightly cooler summer days it looks great paired with my beloved ASOS yellow platform espadrilles that I’ve had for a few seasons now. Finished with a cute straw bag and loose curls, this is an effortless 70s-inspired look. Come autumn, I would layer under a turtleneck, add a faux fur coat and pair with some heeled ankle boots. It could also be dressed up like a dream with some strappy heels and gold jewellery.

May 31, 2018

Seventies Summer

Last week, I touched upon the dreaded wardrobe rut that I have found myself in over the past few weeks. Thankfully, a trip to Paris and its incredible vintage shops over the bank holiday weekend seems to have sorted me out. It felt amazing to get back to one of my favourite things to do – surrounding myself with vintage clothing and having a rummage, which I haven’t done since I left my last job a month ago. I feel much more inspired so I’m taking note that next time a style rut hits, I just need to go vintage shopping.

I think one of the reasons why I was in such a wardrobe rut was because of the hot weather we’ve been having in the UK recently. I know right? I absolutely should not be complaining about this but I don’t really feel that have enough summer clothes. Especially not ones appropriate for officewear - and the hot temps mean I can’t express myself in quite the same way that I usually feel comfortable doing throughout winter – 60s dresses and ankle boots; flares and turtlenecks etc. However, I picked up quite a few summery vintage bits in Paris and I’m finding styling so much easier (for now!).

This look, for example, came together just so easily – I practically threw it on! This adorable pink crochet top is one of my new vintage purchases and I absolutely love it. Its square neckline is super flattering and the two-tone pink colour with a dash of red thrown in is perfect for hitting those on-trend colour combos. Of course, I had to pair it with these amazing red 70s flares, which, despite having had them since autumn, have yet to feature on the blog – the crime! I picked them up at the very end of our time in Montreal and have been wearing throughout the colder months with turtlenecks and blouses but I'm so pleased they work for a seventies summer look too!

I finished off the look with some retro inspired accessories - of course. Having neglected it a bit recently, I brought out my Coach saddle bag for this look and have been wearing it ever since. I love how its burgundy colour both adds to yet clashes with the pink and red colour palette already going on. The burgundy also looks great with the yellow of my failsafe platform espadrilles and these shoes add some much needed height to this look. These photos were taken on sunny Bank Holiday Monday so of course I rocked my favourite Ray Ban round metal sunglasses, as I do every day that the sun shines.

I hope you've enjoyed this post. These are some of my favourite photos for a while - I love how bright and vibrant they are! I have a feeling these trousers will feature on here again soon as I've already worn them again this week with a different top that I bought in Paris! I hope you've all had a good short week. I'm certainly looking forward to the weekend when I'm off to All Points East festival in Victoria Park and I may rock some bargain cowboy boots I bought in Paris! Follow over on Instagram to see what I wear 😉 X