PERFECT DRESS = RED LOMOND

The 1st of March has been and gone which means only one thing - Spring is here! Ok, so it may not look particularly Spring-like outside; the sky is still relatively gloomy and I haven’t transitioned out of my heavy coats yet, but every time the sunshine breaks through the cloud it gets me excited for what’s to come this season.

One of the things I have to look forward to is a wedding - and this will be my first wedding as a guest rather than a bridesmaid. This means that, for once, I get to choose my own dress! So today, I have decided to share with you one of my best kept secrets - a website that stocks an amazing variety of well-made and sophisticated dresses for every occasion - Red Lomond.

BLACK SCORE X PETA

Since becoming a vegetarian in August, I have started to really think about the choices I make not just when I am eating, but also in regards to the rest of my life as well. I have suddenly become really aware of actually how much stuff is not suitable for vegetarians; from makeup and skincare products to clothes and household cleaning. It just doesn't make sense to me! I was always aware that things were tested on animals but I think it's really easy to brush that knowledge under the sheepskin carpet and carry on using those products anyway. My usual reason for buying a product is because it's cheap/on offer rather than for any moral or ethical reasons, but now that I'm veggie I've decided to make a conscious effort to only buy things that are not animal tested and don't contain any animal products (and I will tell you now, it's bloody difficult!).

CHRISTMAS = VELVET

Christmas is just around the corner (help) which for most people means buying presents, ordering a food delivery and putting up the Christmas tree. Not for me though, I have currently managed to avoid all of these things and instead have been spending my days searching online for some fashion inspiration based around one of my favourite materials - velvet. I am a lover of anything soft and warm and therefore velvet is a fabric that my wardrobe is full of. Around this time of year the shops seem to be stocked high with it (dream come true) and with jewel tones everywhere on the high street these pieces are perfect for festive parties, Christmas shopping, or just for watching Love Actually after Christmas dinner with your slightly-pissed, paper-crown-wearing family. So I have gathered some of my favourite looks that I came across in my search for velvet to provide some inspiration to you all.

10 THINGS THAT TV AND FILM TAUGHT ME ABOUT FASHION

I would say that my first love of fashion came from Project Runway. I LOVED that show with a passion and always thought that I could be the one up there making a ballgown out of $30 of fabric and some sequins. Unfortunately I realised early on that I am not the sewing type; I once made a lined satin swing dress at school and after weeks of perfecting it and making sure everything looked great, I managed to overlock a seam and cut my dress in half... (it ended up as a horribly baggy top). Nevertheless this didn't put me off pursuing a degree in fashion promotion (no sewing there thank you) and I think watching a multitude of films and tv shows related to fashion during my childhood only spurred me on and made me realise that this is the line of work I want to be in. So here are 10 things that tv and film taught me about the fashion industry.

TOP 5 OVERSIZED WINTER SCARVES UNDER £20

Recently (in England anyway) it just hasn't felt that much like winter. I feel like it was only a couple of weeks ago that we were enjoying a heatwave and the only things distinguishing November from August are the ever-lengthening nights. We have, however, had the occasional freeeeeezing days. I usually either get up for work at about 7am or leave work at 9:30pm and at these times it is dark and often quite nippy. This is where the oversized scarf comes in. 

I have never been much of a fan of scarves; I don't like having anything around my neck and, having very long hair, find them kind of unnecessary in terms of keeping me warm. But when I spotted a girl wearing this black and white beauty from Zara (see below) I actually sprinted after her to find out where it was from. I then spent a good 2 weeks trying to find it in an actual store but it seemed to be sold out everywhere. I finally picked it up in Madrid of all places and I haven't taken it off since (literally... It goes with EVERYTHING). So, feeling like I might need to purchase another oversized scarf so that my Zara one can have a rest, I have compiled a list of a few of my favourites on the high street at the moment for under £20.

The Zara Dream Scarf - Credit: turnitinsideout

FUR FUR FUR, I JUST CAN'T SAY NO

I'd like to start off by saying it's definitely all about the faux. I have recently converted to vegetarianism and although I have never actually bought any real fur in the past, I must confess that I do own a pair of chinchilla lined gloves and a mink hat; both of which were passed down from my great great grandmother so I feel like it would be a waste of a life to leave them unloved in the attic somewhere. New fur however, definitely not.

ALEXANDER WANG X H&M. IT'S HERE.

It's here! Alexander Wang has finally landed on the high street with his new collection for H&M and boy, wasn't it worth the wait. The 61 piece collection was launched in stores and online last Thursday 6th November and, understandably, already most of the collaboration is sold out. So I am going to go through a few of my favourite items from the collection, as well as a few of the more interesting ones, to help me decide which pieces will help me part with my cash (when they come back in stock...)

NOT SO CLUELESS ANY MORE

Cher Horowitz - the envy of every 90's girl. Who wouldn't want a personalised computer to tell you what you should (and more importantly, shouldn't) wear? The idea of a virtual closet is one that has been around since the 1995 Clueless film was produced, however it has always been just that little bit too far off from reality... Until now.

THE WORLD CUP JUST GOT INTERESTING

So it's nearly over. 4 more days and the world can go back to normal. We can walk the streets in the evening without having to step into the road at every street corner because of the overflow of people crammed into the pub to watch the game. (I feel like I know the outcome of every match just by hearing the cheers and boos on my way home from work). However, one aspect of the World Cup has actually caught my attention. The fashion.

UK company ctrl+c designed a range of 80's and 90's inspired football jerseys

WIMBLEDON THEN AND NOW

I must admit, I have very little interest in sport (the World Cup is really getting boring now that my sweepstake teams are out), but Wimbledon is one sports competition that I always end up watching each year. It reminds me of summer days when I was little, going out to the tennis courts up my road and playing doubles with my brother and our friends (this usually ended in an argument and someone crying). So, in the spirit of looking back in time, I decided to have a little browse on the internet to find some of Wimbledon ladies' best (and worst) outfits from the past and compare them to todays.

FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS UNDER £15

With Glastonbury nearly underway and summer upon us, it is officially festival season. Although I am not going to a festival this year which involves camping overnight, I know a lot of people who are and who, despite the lack of showers and excess of mud, still want to look good. Unless you are lucky enough to live in a location which is usually drenched in sunlight rather than UK rain, you need to be prepared for all weather occasions which is why I have compiled a list of my summer fashion festival essentials on a budget.

THE LCF BA SHOW

London College of Fashion showcased the 26 collections of their best BA fashion students on the 19th June, and photographs of the clothes from the show makes it clear that these up and coming designers are ones to watch.

ALL-WHITE-EVERYTHING

Just a quick post for you today, and more of just a fashion inspiration page for the all-white trend. I think wearing all-white gives off such a classy vibe when it is done well, and for the (hopefully) hot summer weeks coming up ahead, layering white pieces will look effortless and keep you super-cool at the same time (in both senses of the word). So here is a collection of images that I will be using as inspiration for my upcoming all-white-everything outfits.

TOP 5 CO-ORDS UNDER £30

I have always been obsessed with co-ordinated outfits. I am a very matchy-matchy person (which is why monochrome tends to be my failsafe option), so when the co-ordinates trend started to appear on the high street it was as if all my dreams had come true.

PRETTY PSYCHEDELIC

I have to admit, my failsafe outfit choices are usually monochrome. I think there is something very classic and sophisticated about an all black and white outfit and I love that you don't have to think at all about colours clashing or patterns not working together. However, I have to get my colour fix from somewhere, and this is where accessories come in. I am a huge printed scarves person and I can't think of anything more chic than a white skirt, black top and an oversized scarf as a foolproof outfit, but recently there has been another printed accessory catching my eye... The clutch bag.

Lauren Lambert for Juicebox magazine.
Left - Kaleidoscope Clutch by Nicola Brighton, photo credit Rowan Southern.
Right - Holographic Clutch by Nicola Brighton, own photo.

ADIDAS ORIGINALS X THE FARM COMPANY

The world cup is just around the corner (in 13 days apparently - I googled it) and it seems like Brazil is everywhere; especially in the fashion world. For a lover of tropical prints this is the best news I could possibly hear and will hopefully make the constant drone of football slightly more bearable over the next month, especially now that Adidas have launched a new Originals collection with Brazilian brand The Farm Company.

5 PATTERNED BACKPACKS UNDER £20

I am one of (probably... hopefully) many girls who has to carry everything in her bag. I mean everything. All of my possessions. And the kitchen sink. And my cat. This isn't because I particularly need any of these things on a regular basis (although last time a friend was stuck without a spoon to eat her yogurt with at lunch who was there to save the day? That's right, Annie was. You're welcome) but more because it is just nice to know that I am prepared for every occasion. The one downside of this, however, is that it ends up with me lopsidedly dragging a huge handbag around wherever I go which leads to shoulder ache, back ache and face ache. Not good. So I have recently been having a look for a more practical solution and the one I have decided upon is the backpack.

Iga W on lookbook.nu

THINK FASHION... THINK EBAY

"Think Fashion, Think eBay" - possibly not the first thing that comes to mind but eBay is doing it's best to become the new cool online. Usually associated with old stuff, fake stuff and broken stuff, eBay has launched a new campaign (and a new website) featuring some familiar faces to show that it can be upmarket and that there are a lot of worthy items listed, especially in the fashion categories. 

THE COAT OF THE SEASON

Spring is upon us meaning that a whole new shopping trip is needed. Living in the unpredictable British climate it is important to have a variety of clothes for every occasion, meaning that a spring coat is definitely an essential. Pastel brights have been a huge trend with the designers this season and the high street has taken note of this, especially Zara. Zara has always been one of my favourite brands and I LOVE their coats. So much. So when I saw their newest selection I couldn't help but spot one which I knew was going to be a hit; the yellow 'coat with pockets' (or as I am going to call it - THE COAT OF THE SEASON)

Zara Yellow Coat - £99.99

I WOKE UP LIKE THIS

So sometimes, I roll out of bed, look in the mirror and think "yeah this could work" (usually after pressing snooze 12 times and realising I don't have the time to make anything else happen). So knowing what I can add to my sleepwear to make it (relatively) outside-acceptable is important, and I thought I would share this knowledge with the rest of the internet (aren't you lucky).