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.

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.

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.