Normand Flair

The past few weeks have been pretty hectic. I don't say that in a bad way though, as they have consisted of my birthday, the start of summer, travelling and some exciting things at work. With all the running around though, I have had little time to get inspired. In a way, I find it funny because by just living my life, I haven't had time to take a breath and think of my blog or the outfits I want to wear and shoot, I have just been wearing whatever I want to and went on with my days. 

Two weekends ago however, I took a short weekend trip to beautiful Normandy and completely fell in love. The perfect little getaway, less than an hour away from London, Normandy completely charmed me and made me feel refreshed. Here I featured a few photos kindly taken by a lovely friend, just before we stuffed our faces with an amazing dinner. In the end, I ditched the heels and put my flat sandals on, there was no point in being pretentious there. 

Feeling new and refreshed, I am now in the search for some inspiration. What are your best ways of fighting an inspiration lull? 

Why The Right Pair of White Jeans Is The Most Elusive Piece of Clothing Out There

It’s been over a year since I have been looking for the ‘just right’ pair of white jeans. I have trawled both the high street and the high end hoping I would come across a high waisted, straight, butt-hugging pair of sleeves for my legs with no avail. It seems likely that in a year I would find that pair somewhere, right?

Wrong.

Gucci or Hot Dogs?

There's nothing better than Spring knocking your way, especially when you can wear your Gucci lookalike shoes from New Look (similar on sale HERE). 

Potentially the best dupes I've seen in a while, alongside the Ego version of the Gucci Princetown loafers, these New Look mules look exactly like the Gucci ones that filled our news feeds a few months ago. 

As these are such trend pieces, I couldn't get myself to spend £400 on them quite yet so I was happy to score this lookalike bargain in an ASOS sale in February. The sun came out at the perfect time last week too, as having had these for 3 months already I was starting to itch to wear them out. Also, before you judge me for my poor choice in shoe sizes I know it might look like it in the photo above, but these mules are not too small for me, I just have wide feet and forgot to tuck them in far enough in the shoes. Please don't judge and see below. 

However, this outfit also works well with Converse and it wouldn't be me if I didn't showcase a casual version of it. A pair of Gucci loafers would go really well too but Ego haven't come out with the black version with no fur yet.... 

The Easiest DIY You'll Ever Come Across

The other week, whilst browsing Amazon for a flower brooch inspired by this Man Repeller post, I came across a very different pair of daisy hair clips/brooches that straight away inspired me to write this post.

I'm Welcoming Colour Back in My Life

In a previous post back in December, I let my boyfriend choose my outfit and got sent straight out of my comfort zone. He not only dressed me in colour, he colour-blocked. Back then I very much lived in my neutral palette of all-black with a pinch of grey so I was very uncomfortable in this new territory.

1 Item, 5 Days: The Silk Scarf

Hey there. Here I am with another instalment of 1 Item, 5 Days, this time unpacking the many uses of a silk scarf. If you’re a white t-shirt and jeans kinda’ individual like me, you will appreciate the power of a good accessory. A pair of statement earrings, a fedora hat or a colourful silk scarf can completely change that basic pairing turning it from drab to fab (sorry, I had to).

As a lover of basic silhouettes, I previously ventured in illustrating how versatile a t-shirt dress can be and how it can morph into 5 different outfits. This time however, I talk about how a simple scarf can spice up your outfits in 5 different ways and as usual, will take you through my week wearing it. So let's get started.

Something Old, Something New...

Have you ever had one of those weeks when Tuesdays feel like Fridays and by the end of the actual Friday all you want to do is curl up in bed and sleep for 72 hours? Although my body wouldn’t be capable of the incredible feat of sleeping for 72 hours straight, I know that a week like that will usually end in a Saturday spent on the sofa and minimal personal achievements like getting off that same sofa and making lunch.

Are Hoops Back in Style or Is It Just Me?

           My interaction with hoop earrings has been non-existent in the past 8 years or so – the last time I wore them I was probably 15. Back then I used to wear various sizes and colours ranging from neon yellow to fuchsia, which I think caused me to need a prolonged break from them.

Dressing for a Formal Event Without Having to Buy a New Outfit

Have you ever experienced sheer panic at the thought that you will have to buy a brand new outfit for a formal event? If you have, welcome to the club.

Going Nano

When I was young, my mother used to have this huge Jimmy Choo hobo bag that I was fascinated by. It probably weighed 3kgs in itself and took up more space than any bag ever should, but I remember it was nothing short of fabulous. What is more, despite that bag being able to fit about half our household, my mother still managed to leave the house having to hold something in her hand.

Covering a Food Baby and the Various Uses of Layering

I’m not a massive fan of sweets and desserts and yet today started with 3 Nutella, biscuit spread and strawberry filled pancakes. I blame Pancake Day entirely and all I want is to cover myself in layers of clothing to hide my – still there – food baby.

How to Follow Dress Codes by Completely Ignoring Them

I like to think of myself as a person that has the ability to understand multifaceted and complex information even when coming from a variety of sources. Moreover, I take pride in being adaptable and quick to learn new things.

What Even is Love?

Those of you who know me also know that my feelings towards Valentine’s Day are pretty neutral. I believe love should be celebrated every day but I also don’t blame those who pick Valentine’s Day as their one day a year to be in love.

However, I’ve always been intrigued and super fascinated by how different people view love, whether on Valentine’s Day or not. Two years ago, I asked my best friends to send me a few words on what love meant to them and to this day, I enjoy reading that post. This year round, I asked two of my favourite bloggers to share their thoughts on love as well. I always enjoy reading these ladies' posts as they are both witty and charming, so I couldn't not share this with you guys too. 

Thanks a million Atsuna and Elly for agreeing to participate on this post! Go and check out their blogs, they're both amazing! 

          How do you guys view love? Do you love it? Do you think it's overrated? Let me know in the comments! 

3 Clothing Items That Are Better Bought in the Men’s Department

           The thing I’ve grown to love most about clothing is that nowadays you can pretty much do anything and everything you want with them. You can wear a skirt as a strapless top. You can wear sandals with socks (I know, who would have thought?!). You can even decide to not wear any clothes at all.

            One of my favourite indiscretions when it comes to shopping for garments is peeking into the men’s department. As fashion has moved towards androgynous styles, more brands have brought out ‘boyfriend fit’ shirts, jeans etc, you name it. Still, none of them manage to do it as well as the originals you can find one level below, in the men’s department.

            I have found pretty much anything in the men’s department, but 3 particular items stand out to me.

 1.     The chunky sweater

   

3 Things You Won't Be Able To Do in OTK* Boots But Why They're Still Amazing

It was around this time last year that I got a pair of over the knee boots from Zara. I bought these influenced by many things, but mostly because I believed they were the key to looking effortlessly chic at all times (and I couldn’t afford the hefty price of StuartWeitzman boots).

One Item, 5 Days: The Slip Dress

            A few years ago my friend uncovered this old photo of us from when we were 9 years old, in which I was wearing wide-leg culottes and coloured-lens 90s sunglasses. I couldn't find it for the purpose of this video but, trust me, it was hilarious. At the time, I cried with laughter and wondered how my mother let me leave the house dressed like that. Lo and behold, here we are today and everyone is wearing culottes. 13 years ahead of time, my mother must have predicted the trends that were to follow.

How Shoes Can be Achievable New Year Resolutions

Sticking to New Year resolutions is hard. Granted, that’s mostly because they are set by vulnerable people who feel pressured to do so, at a time when many expectations to renew yourself are created. Most times, the intention to go to the gym, eat healthily or travel more is there, but the motivation is hardly strong enough to keep that going much longer past January.

How to Accessorize Your 2017

Hello. Hey there. Welcome to a new year.

If you’re reading this, you’ve managed to get through 2016 and you’ve also somehow stuck around to reading my posts. Thank you for that. Sometimes I wonder how I’ve managed to fool some of you to keep following the random cogitations I post here every week. If you’re one of the special people that like my blog I love you very much.