Winter Top Picks: Accessories

Most of your winter ESSENTIALS is made up of accessories - winter is the time of year where you get your trendy hats, scarves and gloves out! 

This year, I am obsessing over oversized scarves, especially the ones almost the size of blankets... and Asos are doing me very proud with their selection of them!(Finalised my selection to 2!)

|Asos Oversized Knit Scarf|

£15

|Asos Checked Oversized Scarf|

£18

|Missguided Pom Pom Beanie Hat|

£7.99 

|Topshop Wide Prim PU Fedora Hat|

£28

|&Other Stories Cashmere Gloves|

£29 (BUT they're cashmere... so worth it!)

Why not keep your phone warm too?

|Keora Keora Furry Cat iPhone 5 Case|

£35

|& Other Stories Wool and Leather Gloves|

£39

|Missguided Faux Fur Collar Forest Green|

£12.99

Winter Top Picks: Knitwear

Knitwear doesn't simply have to be that granny knitted jumper that you receive for Christmas... There's such a large variety of knitted garments available out there; designers even get away with knitted things for the summer! 

Not only is the texture of knitted garments warm and cosy, but it's also a great way to add some edges and formation to an outfit.

Right now, I am loving knitted dresses, co-ordinates & cropped jumpers... they give you an excuse to get your legs or tummy out in the winter without getting too cold & helps you keep a bit of the summer vibe with you throughout the dull weather (yes... I'm not the biggest fan of winter!)

Here's a selection of some of my favourite knitted pieces!

|Asos Oversized Grey Knit Midi Dress|

£75

|American Apparel Bouclé Shawl Cardigan|

£66 £59

|H&M Cropped Jumper|

£29.99

|The Ragged Priest Bareback Knit|

£60

|Missguided Horizontal Rib Knitted Cropped Jumper Cream|

£21.99

|Missguided Horizontal Rib Knitted Midi Skirt Cream|

£18.99

[Other colours available] 

|Zara Ribbed V Neck Dress|

£39.99

Winter Top Picks: Coats & Jackets

So over the next few weeks, I'm going to do posts of some of my favourite winter picks... Just because winter has dropped, that shouldn't mean our style should drop too.

What else better to start on than coats & jackets? Here is a selection of some that I love that will keep you warm and wonderful this winter.

|Cos Lightweight Scuba Coat|

£175

|Topshop Oversized Swing Padded Coat by Boutique| 

£95

|Asos Oversized Coat in Ombre Boiled Wool|

£120

|Alpha Industries x Dr. Martens Bomber Jacket|

£150

|Topshop Faux Fur Tufty Boyfriend Coat|

£95

|Zara Wool Coat with Belt|

£109

|Missguided Khloe Premium Coat Camel|

£69.99

|Mango Lapels Wool-blend Coat|

£119.99

Interning @ ELLE Magazine

Can't believe how long it has been since I have last blogged! Since I've last posted I've been so busy with my exams, interning, job hunting and maybe I'm guilty of a few holidays... But, I'm back! Sorry!

So... Wayyyyyy back in June, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to intern at one of fashion's leading magazines - ELLE! The experience I got from there was incredible and I learnt a whole new side of fashion.

Before I started, I had no idea what to expect as this was my first internship and professional experience... I had the usual idea of Ugly Betty or The Devil wears Prada. But when I got there, it was nothing like this! I didn't have to make one tea or coffee and I was literally made to feel like one of the ELLE team!

My internship role was being a fashion assistant in the famous ELLE fashion cupboard... it was insane what I was working with in the cupboard, varying from returning Topshop's next season's samples on the city sprint to running through Oxford Street to return a £10k Valentino dress. I was also lucky enough to get to go on the set of shoots and assisted, one being ELLE's first wedding magazine's shoot. 

I also appeared on 'What ELLE wears' on elleuk.com on my birthday (got a caterpillar cake too)!

I am so appreciative of this experience I had and I have met some of the most loveliest people who I hope to keep in touch with!

Happiness

So something not fashion related... a late night thought, influenced by someone very close to me.

What is it that makes an individual happy?

Is it their friends and family that surrounds them? Their success? Materialistic things? 

There's no right answer to be honest and all answers are opinionated... But there is definitely ways to avoid being sad.

My view on how to be happy is all based on perspectives - it's how you look at a situation and what you make of it. Sure, everyone feels down now and again, we are only human - but what is it that is telling you to feel down? It's our brain! As I have been told, some wise words "It is all in your head!"

If you are finding it hard to look at things at a positive perspective... take these things into consideration:

•  Who & What makes you smile... you know, that smile that you can't hold back - think of a time recently, being with your friends, family, colleagues, lover, etc. when you have really smiled :) - stay close to these people.
• Be compassionate - This is doing something kind, for someone less privileged than yourself. Even if it is small, look how happy it makes them - the way they appreciate it! It also makes you feel great about yourself!
• Find happiness in what you are currently doing - i.e. job, degree, etc. having a positive outlook will help you achieve the best in what you are doing and also you will be interacting with people in the same position as you.
• Healthy lifestyle... I'm not one to stick with these (through my bad sweet tooth) but your brain isn't the only part of your body that should be happy! Endless scientific studies prove this right! Also get enough sleep!
• Be optimistic & be grateful for what you have in life, this helps you bring more into your life. If you set yourself up for success, it's easier to remain optimistic. For example, put yourself in a temporary thrilling situation... ask yourself, "Am I setting myself up for success or failure?".
• Accept and embrace yourself! The way you look, talk, act... your personality - this is you, don't be sorry for it.
• Smile. You'd be amazed how it actually lifts your mood.

Style Pick: Gwen Stafani

Currently writing this listening to a good selection of No Doubt and Gwen Stafani's solo singles... 

Both 90's Gwen and today's Gwen - No Doubt's front woman is one of Pop's Goddesses in image reinvention. Her style adapts to the different stages of her life, yet still retains her status as one of  the world's coolest rock queens.

I love how she inputs sportswear into everyday casual-wear & I will 100% be inputting this into my summer looks! Not only is Gwen inspiring my looks, but the likes of young stars such as Iggy Azalea, Rita Ora and Miley Cyrus are taking some style steals! 

The key to Gwen's style (90's) is all about proportion - if she wears a tiny crop - she'll balance it out with a pair or baggy harem fit trousers and some chunky footwear. You will also find a mixture of feminine and masculine pieces in her wardrobe - pairing stilettos with boyfriend jeans and boxy blazers with dresses.

Gwen is still killin' it... just look how amazing she looks!

OOTD: Knee Highs and Floral Jerseys

I recently bought some chunky knee high sandals from Linzi (£40) and finally, I have had the guts to wear them! These shoes definitely get mixed responses when I'm out, usually a love or hate, but for me, I love them! They're not ideally practical for the summer as they tend to feel a bit clammy in the hot weather and could leave very embarrassing tan lines, so these will not be coming on holiday with me! 

Alongside my shoes, I am wearing a floral baseball jersey dress by Ichiban - (bought exclusively from Asos). They sold out of my size, so I bought a size up, making it even MORE oversized... I don't like wearing it as a dress as it's soooo big that it's unflattering, so I threw the jersey over a plain black bodycon dress to keep the look feminine.

With this look I kept to minimal make-up, but this outfit would look great with a coral lipstick, which is the colour I also had on my nails! The Gold Hooped earrings and gold framed sunglasses were ideal accessories as they matched the buckles on my shoes and they're not too 'out there', keeping the attention on the main garments.