Capsule Wardrobe | Pinterest Challenge

The Capsule Wardrobe, Pinterest Challenge.

I’m going to introduce you to a little game I have started playing when getting dressed; it’s called the Pinterest challenge. Now yes I’m sure that this is already a thing but lets just, for the sake of my ego pretend that in actual fact I am a genius and that this is all my idea, kay?

So basically you find your favourite Pinterest outfit of the moment and you recreate it. Sounds simple enough right? And more than likely something you already do on the regular but here’s the kicker it has to be made by items already in your wardrobe, or in this case, your capsule wardrobe! You obviously get bonus points for the more difficult the outfit.

I’ve switched up the roll neck jumper for my triangular purple jumper and my fuzzy, faux fur scarf, and then obviously mixed it up with my favourite Downton Abbey hat! I am actually surprised by how well this turned out for me. Normally I think this jumper just draws attention to the fact that I am not all that tiny but I feel that with extensive leg on show that it actually doesn’t make me feel elephant sized! Anyway what do you think . . . are you up for the Pinterest challenge?

Party wear without Sequins

Buy the look: Tea Dress: H&M, Pink jersey blazer: H&M, Faux Fur Stole: Dorothy Perkins, Faux fur bag: Zara, Carousel Red Heels: Clarks (2014 sale)

Partywear is currently, everywhere. In every store and on most of our minds if you haven’t found yourself wondering the racks of sequins and velvet than firstly I applaud you but secondly have you left your house?

I love the glitz and glamour of this time of year and in many a daydream I have imagined the perfect sequinned outfit, dresses or those amazing pencil skirts but the moment I am put in front of those gorgeous items they either don’t fit (tis the season for shorter tops!) or they just don’t feel like me (a gold sequinned dress from Asda which was gorgeous but just didn’t feel like me).

So instead of going for the obvious I decided to instead buck the trend and make this either my work do outfit or even my christmas day outfit! In order to be seasonally appropriate of course you need some form of indulgent texture in this case, fur.

I love how simple you can make dressing up just by adding a few great textures. I am pretty addicted to the faux fur trend something which I have wanted to take part in for years and have only just recently found those dream pieces! Add a pair of glamorous sunglasses and you’ve got yourself an outfit!

You can’t see it but I am also wearing a gold plated chain from the new Z for Accessorize collection and I am completely in love! They have always had a silver line but this gold one is it for me! I am completely smitten! Check out the pieces here+

Why you should buy faux fur and other impractical accessories

Have you ever heard of the expression “So and so makes the man?” If so then I have to tell you, accessories make an outfit.

As I have discussed before I have repeatedly tried the route of simplicity but the reality is, on me an outfit never looks as good as when it has an array of accessories. There is something that just makes adding something unexpected or jewelled that is able to take something simple to the next level and beyond.

Even with the recent trend for minimalism there is still space for carefully chosen accessories. That delicate stack of bracelets or layered chains all add up to great accessory choices that build more than just a simple outfit.

So Faux Fur? Its just been a need folks. Sure I wasn’t entirely sure where I could wear these items at first but now I’m not sure that there is ever an occasion where I wouldn’t need to wear a faux fur bag or stole!

This outfit is a great example and was my original idea for Christmas Eve. A pair of skinny jeans and a large comfy jumper seems like the dream to me. I could have just left it at that since this coat offers enough style on its own but adding one fur item? So not enough! So here we have it, bag, stole and some small gold jewellery!

Now I do also want to add that after only about two months use this coat is bobbling and malting like mad so I have to say if you are still looking to buy it from Next that this is more of a wear occasionally or just for the one fall/winter season as I am not sure its going to be in the greatest condition to continue into our next winter! Which is such a shame as I was hoping this would be a keeper for longer!

Outfit Thirteen | Thoughts on the shame tuck and T-shirts and Jeans

 

Let me tell you I have always, always, always wanted to be a Jeans and a T kind of girl. As a teenager growing up I listened to enough female singers lament about how they are just a jeans and T girl at heart to find myself longing to be a part of their gang!

The reality of this however is that I’m not entirely sure that I really suit this style. Of course I at first blamed my body shape; being an apple you always struggle with how your stomach donates a separate size to your legs. Got a waist band that isn’t hurting? Well then you have to have swathes of fabric on your legs and in my case on my none-existent hips. However if I downsize on the waist so my legs are happy? Hello muffin top! Which is never cute, especially with that whole none-existent hip issue you then lose your waist as well! Double whammy!

So luckily with time I have learnt to half tuck my less fitted T-shirts* which allows me to half rock the look. However while wearing it I always feel a little underdressed and incredibly young! Probably because I spent so much time as a teenager trying to get the look together that now I just associate Jeans and a T-shirt with being a teen. So one way to mix up a simple look like this? Accessories, always, always accessories.

This time it’s all about my new faux fur stole from Dorothy Perkins, I bought it last week and let me tell you it is already off of the site and nowhere to be seen in stores! That’s because it was a great price (£18! Hello, so cheap!) And what a great colour as well! I was hoping that they would have it in a forest green but alas you can’t have everything! Next week, I’m going to share my new clutch which I am totally in love with from Zara! With that however I think I might have to now put a halt to the faux fur buying! I loved this look when I wore it out last Saturday and I always feel like adding stripes, bright colours and boots really does make what should be a simple look, work for me.

What do you think about dressing up simple looks? And also what works for you on pieces that you don’t feel always suit perfectly?

*Why do I do the half tuck?

I think within the personal style blogging industry the ‘shame tuck’ is discussed a lot and often, negatively. Why I still use this despite the fact that many believe a full tuck or untucked looks better is because for my body shape this works in covering the bits I don’t like so much.

There are of course times where this isn’t needed or doesn’t work but the shame tuck acts like most techniques stylists etc use to show off your best bits and hide the bits you don’t like so much! I have great legs (even though if you pay enough attention you will notice my left, your right calf is quite a bit smaller than my right thanks to my injury). I also have good arms if I remember to use toning weights but then I am also busty and an apple shape so my weight is all centred in one place, my middle. In using the shame tuck I’m able to show my narrower areas while covering my wider ones which ultimately make me appear more balanced.

I also want to stress that I don’t just use this in photos but also in real life to make all my outfits look better. I also don’t use photoshop really ever on my posts, why? Well that’s a story for another time but I thought it would be interesting to point out.