Styled by Kimberley: Evening Florals

Blouse | Urban Outfitters
Hareems | Topshop
Shoes | Next via Ebay
Rings | H&M - a gift from Helen :)




So, here I am on a casual mid-week evening out on Mars.
Okay, not really but I think the Martians would want a pair of trousers that make legs look as long as these ones do. For once I'm pretty impressed by my pins! These hareem style trousers are soft tailored sports luxe but they are also my limit to anything athletic so I have paired them with this beautiful floral blouse.

I like this outfit because it's a good day to night (or cave) one. I can wear it with a blazer and lower heels for the office and then heavier make up in the evening.

The stackable rings are one of my many birthday gifts from Helen. That girl has taste! From a distance their beady eyes look a bit insect like and my fiance thought they were slugs.. my worst fear... But I still love them! I want to get some other plain bands to stack with them.

I'm also trying out a middle parting right now. Or leaning towards one, I'm not quite there yet. I like the look on other girls but it is a bit reminiscent of my middle parting back in primary school. I've not decided if this season's microtrend of tucking it behind the ears is 90's cool or a bit too Sweet Valley High (which is certainly who I was copying when I had this look, aged 12). It is an easy fuss-free look at least.

Shame my highlights didn't get the message about the move.

Styled by Helen: Evening Florals

 
Top | Borrowed from Kimberley
Floral Top | Charity Shop
Trousers | New Look
Shoes | Peacocks
Necklace | Rebecca Smith

I have so many floral items in my wardrobe.  They are so easy to wear and can be used to create a number of different looks. You may remember my floral day look from a few weeks back. Well, here is my floral evening look. The easiest way to put together a dressier ensemble is to get yourself a black base and then add some heels and a little bit of sparkle.

Styled by Kimberley: Summer

Top | Topshop
Shorts | Miss Selfridge
Headband | Topshop
Shoes | New Look
Bag | New Look

It's been around 3 years since we actually had a summer here in Scotland. Or maybe I mean 3 years since I saw daylight between the hours of 9am and 5pm! I've been digging around in the back of my wardrobes to find these old gems. Can you tell that when I first bought these clothes I was working for New Look and spending all my lunch hours in Topshop? My outfit's a Toppers extravaganza.

I'm a bit plumper than when I first bought this adorable pineapple crop top but I just love it so much- is there anything cooler than pineapples in sunglasses?! Fruity clothing is definitely having a moment. I'm not sure if like me everyone's been watching old episodes of Sex and the City. Fluoro or acrylic fruits remind me of everything Samantha.

I've also been inspired to find this outfit again by my latest attempt at gardening. My home grown strawberries are beginning to ripen this week :) When I first saw my headscarf I thought it had a strawberry print but in fact it's covered in cute little ladybirds. It's quite handy for tying back by hair, which was pretty flat by the end of the day when I took these photographs.

I'm hoping that next time I snap a pic of this t shirt it will be outside in real sunshine. Come on, summer, I'm ready for you!

What Helen Wore: In Oban

Jacket | Primark
Tshirt | Monki
Skirt | Charity Shop
Socks | Topshop
Shoes | Clarks
Brooch | Tatty Devine
Necklace | Finest Imaginary
Watch | Urban Outfitters
Glasses | Borrowed from Heather
Ring | Made by me

I had a lovely weekend away with my other half and my sister in Oban. It's so nice to have a little bit of time away from home and I love exploring other parts of Scotland. Plus the sun was shining which always makes adventures more fun. This is what I wore for a day filled with aforementioned adventures, including a trip to the Sea-life Sanctuary, treats from the chocolate factory, charity shop shopping and picturesque drives.

The sunglasses were nabbed from my sister, Heather, so I could avoid the squinty eye look in these photos (not sure this was completely successful). I love the way they look next to my hair and pink lipstick.  I am also very chuffed with my skirt which was a £1 bargain from the Cancer Research shop. And I have now taken to wearing frilly socks with pretty much everything. I am such a child at heart.



Check out my awesome fish impression.

Styled by Kimberley: Polka Dots

Blouse | Primark
Jeans | Topshop
Shoes | Clarks
Rings | Topshop
Sunglasses | Tommy Hilfiger

Hooray, the sun is out in Scotland. And Helen and I are celebrating with brights and polkadots.
I think this is my favourite outfit of the month, although I just washed this blouse and it came out a little shorter than before. Typical Primark quality. I wish I'd noticed my black vest top was peeking out and spoiling the look!

I wanted to keep my hair up to keep cool and show off my fun flouro necklace. I only just started wearing my hair pulled back (*cough* forehead *cough*) and it was a bit of a mess but who cares. I look like a pompadour duck and this makes me happy. Quack quack.

Did I mention that it's SUMMMMERRRRRR??!!!!!  

And I'm a wee bit excited.

Styled by Helen: Polka Dots

Blouse | Vintage
Jeans | New Look
Shoes | River Island
Brooch | Rock Cakes
Bag | Christmas gift

I love polka dots for summer. They are just so jolly and easy to wear. I bought this blouse from Funk Fair a few weeks ago, for only £3! To make it even more polka-tastic I teamed it with this red dotty bag that my big sis gave me for Christmas. I love the bright red and blue together. I added a few other red touches with lipstick and a brooch from the fabulous Rock Cakes. My summery look was then finished off with some super comfy boating shoes. Perfect for a walk by the seaside.



PS I would like to say a big old happy birthday to my fellow Wardrobe Coverser, Kimberley!  Hope you have a great day my lovely. See you soon for cake, wine and gifts.

ECA Degree Show: Helen's Top Five Picks

I had such a great afternoon at the Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show on Sunday. The weather may have been beautiful outside but there's no place I'd rather have been. Degree shows are one of my favourite events to go to as they are always filled to the brim with talent and inspiration. This one was no different. It was tough but here are my top five:

Hannah Killoh

1.) I really enjoyed Hannah Killoh's collection of images featuring amusement parks. I love amusement parks as a subject matter but found Hannah's take on them even more fascinating. Instead of focusing on the bright lights and shiny rides these photographs centred on the smaller, unnoticed details such as plug sockets, fans and sheds.

Sally Morrison

2.) As a huge jewellery fan I was very taken by Sally Morrison's collection. Uncompromisingly inspired by industrial architecture the pieces are large in scale and strong in stature. The materials used reflect those of the buildings that have inspired them and their impact is just as great.

A.B. Rushing

3.) I was very taken with the glass installations of A.B. Rushing, especially the one above. I loved how the water rushed and bounced over the glass and the way the light reacted with both surfaces. The skulls were rather haunting and the other pieces in the pile gave the impression of a similar shape washed smooth with time.

 

Anna Gibb

4.) This costume by Anna Gibb had to be my favourite piece of the whole degree show. Anna adapted Der Sandmann by E.T.A Hoffman into a play and created this design for the character of Olimpia. It's all about madness and mental horrors and this dress encompasses that perfectly. Is it kinda wrong that I want it to be my wedding dress?

Tamsin Scott

5.) And last, but certainly not least, I loved everything about Tamsin Scott's illustration display. Tamsin has created a clothing label, named Claptrap, with costume designer, Kat Murray. I enjoy a good illustrated print and these products display Tamsin's illustrations beautifully. Every item is unique and they are all made using sustainable materials. What's more many of the pieces are available to buy from the degree show or the Claptrap online shop. I want the banana dress so bad!

  

The ECA degree show runs until the 9th June and I would thoroughly recommend checking it out. I'd love to hear who your favourites are.

ECA Degree Show: Kimberley's Top Five Picks

This weekend, Helen and I headed off to Edinburgh College of Art to check out this year's Degree Show. It's running 1-9 June. We saw a lot of different interesting pieces but here is a list of my top five picks to see:

Olivia Rose Hulme

1.) The first collection to jump out at us was that of Olivia Rose Hulme. It was based on Wise Children by one of my favourite authors, Angela Carter- centring around the narrative of two rather fabulous older ladies reliving their glamorous youth by over-dressing for every occasion. Helen and my ambition is to be these ladies one day. The pink jacket with lime green lining was one item I could have stolen from the exhibition! What classy girl doesn't need maribou feathers adorning her decolletage?!

Emelie Westerlund

2.) I really enjoyed looking at these Emelie Westerlund pieces. The repetition of matt black in the unfamiliar objects added a mysterious quality to them and make the viewer curious to pick up and inspect them. They have a real tactile quality to them and I think Emelie really nailed the concept. There seemed to be no function to them either but this added to the curiosity of them. I could go on- I had to be dragged away from them in the end!

Amy Lawrence

3.) I was also really impressed by Amy Lawrence's costumes from Obbyoss. They were beautifully executed and were actually quite wearable pieces. One of her other costumes intrigued me too because I imagined the sillouette was for a woman when I first saw it but it was actually designed for one of the male roles.

Jode Pankhurst


4.) My absolute favourite was the illustrations and ceramic work of Jode Pankhurst. The characters are just delightful in their ugliness; I loved the childish innocent perspective of the faces and, ahem, boobs. The houses had a similar lopsided charm to them.
I loved this collection so much that I purchased one of her brooches, though not any of these ones. (Look out for it in my outfit post later this week and probably many more to come!)

Holly Sterling

5.) Finally, if I had children I would definitely be buying a piece of Holly Sterling's work; sweet illustrations for children's novels, bedding and artwork. I am trying to think where I could possibly sneak this adorable dinosaur cushion into my home!

I saw so many beautiful and thought- provoking pieces from this year's graduates that it was difficult to choose my favourite five. So, I guess you will have to head over to Edinburgh College of Art to check the rest out for yourself- it is running all this week.