One thing I seem to get asked about quite a lot, especially on my instagram is my clothes, "where do you get your colourful clothes from?!", as though I get them from a specific rainbow shop. Someone actually said to me recently "you must just go to the colourful section of the shop"... urm... no sadly that doesn't exist ha ha.
I guess, especially over the past year or so, my clothes have become a way of expressing myself and in a way is a part of my 'brand' and it seems to matter more what I wear and how I present myself now, not in a strict kind of way just in a 'this is me' *queue Greatest Showman* kind of way. I remember the first time I visited my card publisher, a lot of the people there knew of me and my cards and had seen photos of me but when I met one of the women she exclaimed "oh my god you even have a backpack that matches your personality"... I'm not great at receiving compliments at the best of times and I definitely didn't know what to do with that one.
I went through a phase, sort of at uni and just after where I'd wear just black... a lot. Usually with a colourful bag or a colourful pair of earrings or shoes but I just didn't think about what I was wearing very much (or maybe I did, maybe it was a conscious effort). Black just felt comfortable and easy. I also had no money when I was starting up my business straight out of uni because you just don't... you have to sacrifice a lot of stuff, I didn't go out much, I definitely didn't go on holidays and it didn't matter what I was wearing so I definitely didn't buy many clothes... I actually sold A LOT of clothes on eBay (I became a bit obsessed with it actually).
(left) the day I got my dissertation results (right) my degree show
I was always bound to love fashion, my Mum, Nan and Grandma have always worn amazing outfits... they just seemed to get it right, even if it sometimes looks totally ridiculous looking back at photos. The amount of photos I've seen of my Mum when she was my age and I've wanted her outfits (she didn't keep most of them, booo! Although I did manage to pinch a few). All three of these incredible women have just always cared about what they look like and how they come across and most importantly how they've felt in themselves... and that has definitely been passed down to me in different ways.
My Momma, Nan and Grandma:
(couldn't find an old photo of my Grandma, I'll have some somewhere)
I worked at Topshop for 5 years, that might have helped me develop my own style a bit... I felt very out of place a lot of the time in Topshop because I didn't really follow trends or fashions, I actually went to my interview when I was 16 (I think!) in a dress that I'd found in a charity shop... everyone else in the interview was wearing head-to-toe Topshop, of course. Anyway, I got the job and then was moved to a different store when I went to uni in Manchester which was a big help as I had zero money and we got three pieces of uniform with a big discount every few months... They were basically the only clothes I had for those 5 years, apart from the odd charity shop/vintage find (I LOVE a charity shop/vintage find... more on that later).
So, I thought I'd go through some outfits... I don't feel like I have a 'style', I've no idea what it is if I do, which I think helps you have a bit of freedom in your choices as you're not trying to stick to a 'theme' or specific style. I'm sharing this because it's took me a little while to find what works for me but I seem to have found it and I'm as comfortable now in a colourful/loud outfit as I was in my all black outfit... probably more so, actually. It's become a recognisable trait in me now, that I wear a lot of colourful stuff, which is weird but also wonderful. I don't always fit in with what my friends wear or what everyone else is wearing but I've become happy to accept that.
*Warning: I'm not going to be able to link you to absolutely everything I own, I reckon at least 80% of the stuff I own has been bought in a sale or discounted somehow... I love a bargain. But I'm sharing this more to give you an idea that there's no right or wrong way to dress (ok maybe sometimes) but maybe it'll just make you look at clothes/shops a little differently and not so overwhelmingly as it can be sometimes (for me it is anyway) - Oh p.s. apart from charity/vintage stuff I buy pretty much most my clothes online now... Trying them on in my own house with my own mirrors and not the hideous changing rooms in shops makes all the difference for me*
Choose Love T.Shirt | Skirt: Primark
I got asked, BY EBAY to 'fill your cart with colour' the other week, it was my first 'ad'/'paid partnership' and I thought it was a perfect fit, especially considering everything I've just mentioned above. I've used eBay A LOT over the years to create my own kind of style, from nail art pens to flowers for my hair and sunglasses, oh so many sunglasses have been bought off eBay. This was the outfit I chose... everything in these photos was off eBay (apart from the yellow socks, they were Topshop years ago)
(if you want to wear a men's T.Shirt with a flowery dress... do it)
Another way I wore the T.Shirt/Jacket/Bag/Shoes combo...
A part of me I don't like, is the tops of my arms... No matter what anybody says to me about them I don't know I just don't feel comfortable having them out, unless I'm on holiday or in my back garden (haha). I think we all have a little something which we're not keen on, it doesn't cause me a lot of bother or stress I just would rather not have them out. Queue T.Shirts under and over dresses...
Hat (I wear this hat ALL the bloody time, to the point where it's looking very tired but I love it) - It was from a charity shop but I don't think it had ever been worn, originally from Oasis probably MANY moons ago. I've never been able to find a baker hat like it since, every one I've tried has been way too big and bulky and too much like Cheryl in the 'fight for this love' video (here). T.Shirt (I've found a version of it here) Although I ironed my own patch over the 'I' which I got off eBay here . Dress was from New Look in the sale, a brand called 'Cameo Rose' - The bag and hair scarves were both from Primark, super cheap.
I had these boots on with this outfit... I've never had long/heeled boots before but always wanted to be able to rock a pair... anyway, I'm a tiny bit obsessed with these I got in the sale at Dune.
Talking of eBay and personalising stuff to make it your own...
I had a phase of buying iron on letters (here) off eBay and putting them on every t.shirt I own (not quite)... I haven't figured out how to wash them without them messing up the letters though... I probably should just hand wash them but yeah, if you can figure that bit out it's great. I also just got a fabric marker as well once and did this one...
I haven't quite got 'really posh dos' down yet, I've only been to a handful so I've still no idea what I'm doing, this is where I'll usually still wear black (with some statement shoes or earrings)
(Left) This was for The Greeting Cards awards, where I was nominated for an award. It was in London, which means I can't take my whole wardrobe with me which is a problem when you're as indecisive as me... So I took a black dress and a navy dress... both lovely, but as I was rushing down Oxford Street, already running late, I noticed Coast had a sale on so I nipped in and saw this beaut jumpsuit (which covered my arms! but just enough for it to still look quite nice) so I tried it on, fell in love with it ... Bought it and then realised I only had bright green earrings to go with my boring black dress but thought f*ck it green and coral go... sort of... and they did and I felt so happy in what I was wearing all night... and guess what, everyone else was wearing black! (Earrings: Topshop)
The Richard Branson book launch I wore a black jumpsuit but found these velvet pink/purple shoes that had SPARKLY heels the day of the event, you can't see them here but they just needed to come home with me. They were in the sale at T.K.Maxx and they're designed by 'Betsey Johnson'. The black jumpsuit was from Topshop Boutique, and one of the few things I got on my Topshop uniform and didn't sell after I'd stopped working there. I found a similar one here (but there's loads about)
'Nicey Nicey day dos' (can you tell this isn't my job) I seem to be a bit better at
Subtle flower print and ridiculously loud flower print
I felt so pretty and girlie in this flowery dress (left) at the races, I'd had it saved on ASOS for ages because they only had tiny sizes but eventually it popped up with my size! Top tip, I always save stuff on websites were you can like ASOS... If I go back several times and still want it I know that I probably really do want it and not just buying something willy nilly. It was in the sale and a year or two ago, so yeah obviously it isn't available unless you find it on eBay or somewhere (here's the original link) but this is a similar sort of thing if you got rid of the straps.
Do you know ASOS has a new thing on their app where you can upload a photo of something you like and it'll show you all the similar stuff they have?!!! It's changed my life, okay maybe not that dramatically but I think it's so clever and should make people's lives easier. You could upload any of the photos of me here and it should show you what they have that's similar, that's mad isn't it?!
The dress on the right, I had SO many people asking me questions about... I wore it, here to my boyfriend's graduation and I also took it to Glastonbury... and I also wore it in early spring with a jumper over when it was still freezing cold. It was from New Look and they don't have it anymore but they might have similar, or check the ASOS app! Seriously.
One hit wonder...
Sometimes, something can look great one time and really awful the next... this was one of those moments. This dress was from a Zara sale last year... Left, was a wedding and I felt quite lovely actually... right was my first visit to the Penguin UK head offices... lol. No biggie. To be fair (to me) it was the night after the greeting card awards and I was ever so slightly hungover as well as living out of a suitcase... with no iron or steamer... hence why I look like I'm wearing a frilly creased bed sheet. Oh well, you live and you learn... I haven't worn it since haha.
Jumpers over dresses seem to be my new 'thing'...
(definitely should've had a jumper over that dress above!)
Bag - Accessorize, they don't have this one on their website anymore but they have a lemony round one, here. (left) Jumper was from Zara which they don't have anymore. Pink dress was from Primark, in the sale, it's a bit outrageous but I love it... I also wore it so much that I've managed to rip part of the arm... Classic Primark and/or me for wearing it too much. Black boots were Topshop, I lived in these in winter... I just went between these and my Dr Martens. They only have red versions on their site though, here.
(Left) Lilac jumper, in the sale at Asos, here - still a few left. Same with the mustard dress, here. (right) this pink jumper I also lived in throughout winter and spring... and probably summer, it was from New Look in the sale, early December. Polkadot dress from Zara, they don't have the exact one I don't think but they have loads of cute polkadot dresses, here.
On holiday...
Wear what you want (I mean, wear what you want anyway... but especially on holiday) - wear whatever you're comfortable and happy in.
This jumpsuit was cheap in the sale at New Look, I told you I love a bargain. I turned it round... the buttons/low V was supposed to be at the front but my boobs were out and I couldn't be bothered sewing another button on (I have a really short body so boobs out seems to be a problem a lot... there's too much fabric on clothes which is why I tend to get 'petite' if I can because working at Topshop I learned that it doesn't change the 'size' of the item just the length, same with tall.. apparently... don't quote me on that). I forgot a hat so bought this colourful scarf from a little shop in Porto. Sunglasses are from eBay, of course.
If you want to wear red trousers... why not! (these were in the sale in a random shop in America when I was over there on my own a few years back). If you want to get a hair braid... do it... it doesn't matter how old you are haha.
The thing I find with summer and being in the UK is that my same clothes come out of the cupboard year after year because I hardly get any wear out of them, where as jumpers and tights are knackered by the time we're done with Winter!
(left 2015) top and skirt were from H&M... (middle) if you want to wear a hoodie and beach dress the whole holiday because it doesn't matter what you look like, do it. (right) Same skirt as three years ago, top from Primark.
Scarf on the left, my mum bought me in Amsterdam when I was young and I lost it at Glastonbury and I am sooooo gutted. I found the one on the right in a shop in Porto, but it's just not the same. (left) dress was from Primark years ago and I still live in it every summer, it's navy and it goes with everything and it's off the shoulder so I don't get tan lines and it's so comfy and easy to wear everyday. Glasses were from a little beach shop in Portugal. (right) Top was from H&M and I love it so much, the print looks like something I could have drawn... they had a dress version as well which I kinda wish I'd got, this was last year in the summer sale at H&M. Shorts are vintage Levis from Cow - loads of these are available on eBay.
Glastonbury...
If you want to go somewhere where you can wear whatever the hell you want with literally no judgment or care in the world, you need to go to Glastonbury. There's also loads of other reasons to go to Glastonbury, but that's a story for another day.
This Choose Love top was off eBay but then I realised it was a rip-off so I bought the actual thing off Asos, here - where the money goes to help refugees. Red pants from America again. Wellies, Hunter... which were great but it was sunny the whole time (apart from the odd shower) so these were pretty useless and caused me absolute agony every day, and it seems loads of other people made the same mistake because all the stalls that sell clothes/shoes sold out of shoes weeahhh. Good job I had my novelty socks to walk around then isn't it?! Ha ha.. Blue Q do the best socks, they're based in the USA but you can find their socks on Amazon and some on Ohh Deer.
T.Shirt, mens from Primark. Levis Shorts. Rain Mac, 'boohoo' but from eBay.
Any festival in the UK, you're gonna need at least one waterproof. (left) was from Amazon.
and novelty sunglasses are a must... Almost always from eBay... I don't think I've ever spent more than £5 on a pair of sunglasses. left, here... right, here.
Prints... apparently I love loud prints these days, I didn't used to.
(left) dress: Mango | (middle) Jacket: Levis | Jumper: Somewhere in Portugal | Dress: (which, by the way I am obsessed with, I've worn it far too much) Asos, here | Bag: Accessorize (see above) | Dr Marten patent boots | (right) Dress: Primark
and clashing prints/colours...
(left) Red Leather jacket of dreams: Cow | Playsuit: Zara sale | Boots: Topshop (see above)
(right) Faux Fur Jacket I lived in in Winter: Primark (?!)
Cow gave me a discount code: HAPPYCOW15 which gives you 15% off on their site: www.wearecow.com - I have bought so many colourful clothes from Cow, I just love it... they have a massive shop full of dreamy vintage clothes in Manchester and a few other cities now as well. If you want unique pieces, that's your place to go.
This was at a dinner with Virgin recently, it was freezing cold and raining up north and I knew it was sunny and hot in London so I had to go dressed as winter and get dressed in Euston toilets (not ideal) into this summery number. Dress from Asos, Nobody's Child. Shoes from Dune in the sale, here. Bag from eBay (see above)
Somtimes I wear absolutely all of the colours... Other times I wear a little black dress. It's called balance haha.
Cardigan and skirt: Cow (see above) Mustard crop top: Missguided ages ago I think
Little black dress... also Missguided a while ago
... and finally, just to keep things real. This is what I look like/wear most days... because when you work from home you can, quite literally, wear whatever you want and I reckon that might be the best bit about working from home. You're welcome and if you made it this far you've got far too much time on your hands JUST KIDDING thanks bye, love ya x
