Mel Shoes

Need a something sweet? how about indulging in a pair of delicious pumps. Jelly shoes are a very controversial subject in the fashion industry, however they became a fad and reached the height of their popularity in the mid eighties, then returning again in the nineties. 'Mel Shoes' the sister company of 'Melissa' are doing what many have done before them, re-creating and modernising the Jelly shoe but with an entirely new twist.

Show Stud Flock - Red

Plum Boot

Taking on the same ethical stance as their sister company, Mel believes in being vegan friendly, proving that fashion can be thoughtful. The use of plastic, in things other than everyday use, is becoming more commonly used. Plastic is not only a cheaper alternative to other materials, its strong, can be crafted into a variety of different shapes, sizes and colours, which is why Mel Shoes choose recycled plastic over other materials. One of the other unique things about Mel Shoes is that they have a very subtle strawberry smell which is really pleasant, inspired by the sweets of our childhood. 

Pop Bow 3 - Black

Raspberry Bow - Black

 Mel Shoes are a great alternative Ted Baker jelly pumps, which seem to be a cult favourite. Not only are Mel Shoes more environmentally friendly, but they also have a wider range of options playing with lighthearted silhouettes in block colours (very in this season!), Mel’s jelly collections of ladies heels and flats have been decorated with opaque and translucent butterflies, hearts and ribbons for a cute girly finish. 

 Think about your carbon footprint when you wear your shoes.

Until next time.... P, xo.

New Trends: Fur Vs. Yeti

Fur is timeless, you can pair it with absolutely anything and look like a million dollars. Fur is such a key piece in a capsule wardrobe, designers are always trying to modernise it to fit the trends of the upcoming seasons. 

As predicted A/W 15 was no different, although this seasons options might have you scratching your head. Instead of modernising the classic version, they are playing a whole new ball game. Meet the 'Yeti Jacket', this type of jacked is describes as ‘The marmite coat’ you either love it or you don’t. Its longer strands are creating more texture and dimension compared to your average fur jacket, Neutral colours seem to be the most popular with this style, but the “bubblegum colours” are also a great option so spruce up a simple outfit. 

Admittedly this jacket is a statement piece, if the thought of that frightens you, fear not! below are some fabulous ways to wear the ‘Yeti’ or the ‘Gorilla’ jacket. Trying multiple outfits with this look is a good way experiment, you can then decide how you like to style it best, you’ll feel like you hit a home run. 

shirleyswardrobe.com

The Lovely Shirley, from ShirleysWardrobe Pairs the jacket with a plain white top, black leggings and some ankle boots. This is a very quick outfit option for when you're in a rush or a casual day at work (depending on the company).

http://blog.hellomagazine.com/stylediary/page/8/

Alexandra Light from Hello magazine does layering to perfection, with this shirt and jumper combination, and of course the Yeti jacket for that something extra, perfect for any casual occasion you can play up the bottoms by mixing and matching the outfit with cigarette trousers, or a skater skirt. 

https://www.pinterest.com/kalihenareh/carine-roitfelds-street-style/

Carine Roitfeld captures this street style deliciously, here are two ways you can style the Yeti jacket for a night out, the left outfit is for when you're feeling extra brave in this cold climate and want to show off your pins. The right could be an option if the thought of exposing your limbs to the British weather terrifies you. 

 Look fierce in this seasons new fur. 

Until next time... P, xo

The Pure Event - London

Pure is an annual event held at Olympia in London, the event is targeted at people who: work in retail, own a business or those who simply want to take a peak into the industry. Which is the reason for our attendance, we had the privilege of going to the event with our university on Monday to explore, and to gain more of an understanding of the 'Rubix cube' that is the fashion industry. 

WGSN - Seasonal Trends Talk

Most fashion events are very different each having a niche, and Pure is no exception. Unlike the clothes show, or London fashion weekend, Pure is strictly wholesale, meaning you can't actually buy anything from the companies unless you are planning to bulk buy, or own a business. This creates a whole different angle, knowing that as a student, you can’t buy anything. However because of this we were able to analyse the event more, rather than having the ‘shopping head’ on. 

WGSM Talk

Whilst browsing the booths that occupy the endless square inches of Olympia, each brand seem to have their own rabbit role, that when stepping inside, you fall down with nothing but fabrics and patterns to break your fall. Then getting so carried away, you have to claw yourself out of that cabinet of curiosities and move on to the next one. There is such a wide variety that it is very easy to become overwhelmed in this vestibule. 

How to style the over 40's Talk

Being an industry professional isn’t the only reason to attend Pure, going as a student is highly beneficial to seek inspiration and to build rapport with industry professions. There is so much to do and see, from Catwalks and talks to Handbags and high-heels. There are so many friendly faces that it’s hard not to feel completely at home. Anyone that has a passion for fashion should most definitely attend this gorgeous circus.

Strut your stuff all the way to Pure next year.

Until Next time... P, xo.

Is the Christmas Jumper A Fashion Fail?

Call me scrooge.... But this year there as been an obscene amount of people flashing their Christmas jumpers. It's wonderful that everyone seems to be in in the Christmas spirit, but my question is: why has there been a sudden uprise in the Christmas jumper trend this year? 

Since a child I have strongly disliked christmas jumpers, my Nan once gave me one Sixteen years ago, and I 'accidentally' thew it in the bin putting the blame on one of the ankle-biters, a.k.a toddlers. In my opinion the jumpers are one of the ugliest things ever, you can imagine my distaste when I saw every other person wearing one when walking through town the other day. Wearing the Jumpers for a Christmas party, or if you're in a group is completely fine, but when you see people wearing them in Bars and to restaurants, thats when it becomes a problem for me. It could be because I'm old-fashioned and think that everyone should dress more on the formal side of things when painting the town red. 

There are some great alternatives like: wearing traditional colours, or even sequins, anything but those jumpers. I am a huge believer in freedom of expression and wearing whatever you want (some of my own outfits are questionable), I'm aware that I'm contradicting myself but I do have a point, are people wearing Christmas jumpers because they genuinely love them, or are they wearing them because everyone else is?

It seems I am a rarity when it comes to my view on Christmas Jumpers, But I am curious about everyone else, and their thoughts on Christmas Jumpers. Leave a comment with your opinion :)

Until Next time....P, XO

P.S Two become One by the Spice Girls is currently playing in the Cafe I'm in. I am absolutely not singing every single word in my head. Nope definitely not. 

Tonsurephobia & Ooh La Lah Salon

Not having a haircut for six months killed my hair, I was in absolute dire need to free my locks from the dead weight. Like most women who are trying to grow their hair I absolutely dread going to the hairdressers, the night before I'm due to have my haircut I am filled with anxiety and paranoia thinking of the worst case scenario. The last time was the worst, I actually went as far as texting my hairdresser at 2am with a bizarre message that said: "I honestly do not want a bob, if you take more than an inch off I will hurt you." when I saw him the next day he just laughed and said he has had worse. Pre-haircut anxiety turns people in to monsters. There is a legitimate definition of this kind of panic: Tonsurephobia, it basically translates to: Irrational fears about having a haircut. It only got worse when my hairdresser left the company to move to London, sheer panic took over at the thought of someone new cutting my hair. which is why I have not had it cut for six months.


A friend mentioned a new salon called 'Ooh La Lah'  that had opened up in Albert Road, Portsmouth and they were having a grand opening, inevitably we decided to attend. Upon arriving we were greeted with champagne from Natalie, the owner of 'Ooh La Lah' salon we had a brief introduction and got along straight away. During the gala I spotted an abundance of bright red, curly hair and I made a beeline to steal Natalie away. I made a proposal that involved going into the salon on a separate occasion to have a hair consultation, we were both very excited and actually planned the consultation for the next day. 

Ooh La Lah Salon

Natalie Romasanta - Salon owner

Less than 24-hours later I am back at Ooh La Lah with Natalie examining my hair, I am really excited about her verdict  so much so that straight after my consultation we jump right into an unplanned appointment, not giving me anytime be anxious about it. Natalie ended up cutting two and a half inches off my hair, I thought that I would be completely devastated, but it actually felt amazing having razor sharp tresses (see below for before and after). Goodbye split ends, be gone forever! (Until my next haircut). Overall, I am so grateful that I found Natalie she is absolutely amazing and more importantly I trust her, I would urge everyone to pay a visit to Ooh La Lah salon, even it's just for a chat, all of the staff are lovely and have wonderful knowledge, making you feel at home and comfortable giving you the best possible salon experience.

Before: Grey Jumper, with dreadful split ends. After: Clean cut, sparkling new hair.

Until next time.....P, XO

Outfit of the Day

HelloHello!

This is a quick little post on my OOTD, I shall be doing more of these in coming weeks. I actually wore this outfit on Thursday when I went to go and see Mockingjay Part 1 - it was phenomenal. This was one of my favourite outfits this week, my classmates and I went to the photography studio to take some photographs, the pictures below are from 'behind the scenes'. Most of the items I am wearing are old so I can't link them unfortunately. The outfit consisted of: 

• A roll-neck jumper from Topshop
• Shine-look leggings from Topshop
• An oversized blazer from a thrift store/charity shop
• Lace-up pumps from FatFace
• Gold and black belt from Dorothy Perkins
• Necklace from Lovisa (Australian Brand)

Concentration face

Awkwardly cropped Photograph.

I hope you liked it! Until next time - P 

My First week at University: The Mature Student

A Mature Students View on University Life

 At Twenty-Two Years of age I am classed as a Mature Student;I started my university course last week and experienced 'freshers week'. Although I didn't go out clubbing, It isn't really my scene any more, I had a fantastic time getting a taster of Fashion Journalism and getting to know the lovely girls I will be spending the next Three Years with. I will also include some outfit of the day and make-up pictures  from my first week at the end of this post. 

I Wasn't even a ballet dancer,
I just liked the costume.

This was my favourite,
I wore it everywhere. 

You may be wondering why I have only just decided to go to university and the reason was, that I wasn't ready. Some lucky ducks know what they want to do with their lives from a very young age; that was me but we shall get to that in a second. Some people find what they want to in adolescence and some people never know what they want to do. But that's okay. No really I promise it is; Going back to my own story, I knew I always wanted to work in fashion, from around Four or Five years of age I refuse to wear normal clothes, all I would wear is some sort of costume, if I made it myself or if it was store-bought, this went on for three years (see picture above). I blame my Mother she always had me dressed in the most ridiculous, poofy, over the top dress, I honestly think this is where my inner fashionista came from so thanks Mum.
During my college years someone told me that my career goals were stupid and I should get a 'real job' in business, it made me over think and second guess everything I worked for and I eventually ended up heading in that direction and working for Five years in a business role. I did like the job but I was frustrated a lot because there was no way that I could express my creativity; one day I just exploded, I quit my job and moved to Australia. This was very impulsive thing to do for a neurotic such as myself, but it really was the best thing I have ever done. I lived there for just over a year and came back in April 2014; I felt so much clarity and positivity that I finally did what I had always wanted to do: Apply for university.
The moral of the story is that no matter who,what,where or how old you are; you are never too old to do what you want. My own Mother; for example did a one year university course at fourty-three years of age and I could not be more proud of her.

To sum up my week it really was brilliant I have the best lecturer's and the best classmates they are so supportive and I could not be more excited to get my teeth into Fashion Journalism.

University is an adventure; a wonderful whirlwind of an adventure, so ask yourself: are you adventurous?

I wore this outfit on Tuesday
Top: Primark
Jeans: Vintage
                                                                 

Wednesday Accessories
Shoes: Fat face
Satchel: Paperchase

First Day Outfit
Dress: Red Herring
Belt: Vintage
Shoes: Fat Face
Coat: John Rocha
Satchel: Paperchase 

Make-up Moment
Lid: Zephyr by Urban Decay
Crease: Texture by MAC
Lashes: givenchy Phemonen Eyes

Face of the week
Foundation: Loreal True Match
Concealer: Benefit Fake-up
Under-eye Concealer: Nars Radiant Creamy
Bronzer: MAC Pressed Powder
Eyebrows: Anastasia Beverly Hills
Blush: Milani baked blush
Highlight:Urban Decay Zephyr 

Keep a look out for more University updates, until next time, 

P

 xoxo