Where's the Sun Gone?...

How typical is it that the sun disappears as soon as I finish exams??? I have all my summery clothes hanging up now, and I've been looking forward to wearing them.

I quickly got over my shoppers' guilt haha. It only lasted about an hour or two anyway, and I was at it again today. I got a mint green bodycon pencil skirt from H&M today which I'm dying to wear - I've been looking for one recently because of my new found love of pastels. I think it will look good with a black t-shirt and black heels as there's a colour contrast there, or this paisley top I have from River Island - just to hit two trends in one go! Photos will come when the sun does... I also got some trousers from River Island which are kind of a bit weird, but I love them anyway! I'm hoping to wear them to the Brighton Fashion Week ready to wear show on Sunday, to there will be pictures then. I'm sooo excited, I can't wait to check out all the designers and go to Brighton's shops; especially Urban Outfitters and All Saints. I love the lanes too - they have an Irregular Choice shop there :)

Shoppers' Guilt...

I am a compulsive shopper. I can't save at all - I've started saving for driving lessons so many times only to spend the money on clothes. I seem to be missing any feeling of 'shoppers' guilt - the terrible guilt and regret my friends describe when they spend a lot of money at once - instead shopping makes me happy. Not only am I guilt-free about splashing my own cash, but I also have no qualms about spending other peoples' either. Therefore I am surprised that now, for the first time in my life I know how they feel.The item invoking this guilt on me is the £48 swimsuit I just bought from Urban Outfitters. It's the swimming costume that I have been looking for all year and I love it, I just can't seem to justify spending this much on something I'll only ever wear to the beach. Yes, I did get 10% student discount and yes, I did have a £30 gift voucher, but it still feels weird. Maybe I might be able to finally start driving soon if I keep feeling guilty about clothes shopping...

Coloured Denim...

Loving coloured shorts for summer. Pastle colours are so in, and can look really edgy or really cute depending on how you style them - especially want the lilac ones x

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

£22 Topshop

£30 Urban Outfitters

7.49 H&M

£25 ASOS 

£34 Topshop

£35 Oasis (look better on)

Chunky Bangles...

I was just looking at bangles on the Vogue website and they seem to be soooo in this year http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/trends/2012-spring-summer/chunky-bangles . They are are really summery and there is such a variety of styles to choose from that can glamorise your outfits. I've picked out my favourite designs from the shows to find high street replicas of so  that we can sport this summer trend too.   

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These chunky bangles come in silver and gold, so they will go with absolutely any outfit. They're in the sale at the moment, so order them before they go!
£7 at Plumo

I love the vintage look of these bangles, very classy.
£3 from a selection at Rokit

The brass and shell design is kind of like Marni's. They'd look great with a maxi dress for going out, or equally good with jeans and t-shirts for daytime.
£10 Accessorize

12.50 at Topshop

From Topshop, these bangles recreate the minimal chic of  Tommy Hilfiger's  bracelets.
£10 from Topshop

This semi-opaque bracelet is chunky and plasticy like some of Emporio Armarni and Balenciaga's designs. They come in a variety of colours you can stack or wear individually.
£9 from Ted Baker 

I love these bangles because they're a bit edgy and different. Also, the snake is really cute!
These are £18 at Urban Outfitters, so whip out the NUS card.

The rosy gold and pale pinks are so on trend for this season, although these bangles are simple they will complement your summer outfits.
£7 by Pieces at ASOS 
     

How To Get a Bikini Body On A Student Budget...

Basically just get a skipping rope. Since a cheeky little muffin top sneaked round my waist during study leave, I've decided that I really, really need to start exercising before the bikini comes out .

Apparently you can burn up to 110 calories in just 10 minutes of skipping and it tones up your  bum, quads, thighs and arms :) Also, it increases your metabolic rate so weight loss is easier and improves your cardiovascular health. I just bought a skipping rope for 1.99 on eBay which is a lot cheaper than going to the gym and a lot more fun than running. I have no idea why I didn't try it before because it seems like the perfect way to get fit on a budget.  x

Dresses for less than £50...

By taking a break from chemistry revision by looking at dresses, I have found one of the prettiest dresses I have seen in ages. It's weird because it is a combination of pale pink and lace in a peplum style - three things I'd normally stay away from, but it is sooo hot. The only downside is that it costs £349 from ASOS, so I'll never be able to afford it. However, it's got me looking at other girly dresses I'd normally say no to with a lot more reasonable price tags.

Antipodium Tempest Dress In Organza With Peplum Detail - £349 ASOS

Anyway, these are some of the best designer copy-cats I've seen this year from peplums to florals :)

Lace Peplum Dress by Rare

This one is by Rare and can be found at Topshop, I think it's really cute and would look great with a tan and either sandals or heels. At £49, it's £300 cheaper than the ASOS dress, and it would look great at summer parties.

Another summer style I quite like is the botanical themed dresses, this print works of all sorts of dresses from maxis to peplums to shifts. I found another expensive one on ASOS by MSGM which I liked becuase it isn't to girly and the shift cut could be dressed up or down. At £330 is is waaay out of my price range, but I've seen a really nice one on River Island which has an identical colour scheme and similar flowers. As an added little bonus, it is also peplum style, so you can nail two trends in one dress for just £45. I think it would look great at a wedding, because it's smart enough, but still fun enough that you won't feel like an absolute granny.

Shift Floral Boucle by MSGM

Blue Floral Print Structured Peplum Dress by River Island

 Hitting the paisley trend popularised by Stella McCartney this year is H&M. This dress is sooo loud - not something I'd usually go for, but at just £29.99, it's a fab way of getting that pattern into your wardrobe. Paisley is something that that I have always hated because it made me feel sick for some reason. My parents' green and pink Cath Kidston blinds didn't help this, so I was surprised at how much I liked Stella's collection. She has brought the pattern into back by toning down the colours so that the print's not too overbearing. 

Stella McCartney

H&M
I love the cut too, I imagine it's very flattering

A/W12...

I know the all the big fashion shows were ages ago, but I've literally only just got a chance to have a little look at the trends for aw12. I'm right in the middle of A-levels at the moment and as fun as that is, I'm very behind in the world of fashion. My mum's gone super anal about revision and has my latest Vogue hostage somewhere, so I have had to make do with the internet which is quite tricky. I have work experience with a newspaper magazine in October, and I'm already trying to plan out what to wear - I hate 'smart-casual'! I love Burberry Prorsum's coats this year, and I would love to create a similar look for the work experience, just a lot cheaper.

I love the shape of this grey coat, love the bag too.

I'll have to wait until the exams are over until I can have a proper look though, but I'll be free by Thursday at last! I`actuilly can't wait to go clothes shopping finally, I have saved so much money by being virtually locked in, so I'm going to have fun :)

I ordered by Brighton Fashion Week tickets last week for just £4 for the ready to wear show on the 3rd of June and I can't wait. Brighton's really good for fashion because it has such a variety of shops from Urban Outfitters and Topshop to the little shops in the lanes. The designers this year are showcasing a wide range of different styles, I love the craziness of Aneta Mackonyte's fluffy coloured wool - even if I'd never wear it myself - and I cant wait to check out everyone else. Apart from the retro 50s-ish ranges you're always going to find at show like these. I hate the cutesy housewifey image with the big skirts, polka-dots and halter-necks; it's so overdone and sooo old, I mean who even wears petticoats now???

Aneta Mackonyte

New Look Goes Louis...

Shopping today for the first time in ages and I saw quite a lot of pieces that I want when I can finally go out properly after exams.
I found this top on New Look and it reminded me a lot of the Louis Vuitton ss12 collection. I love the little cut out flowers, they're so cute, and the pastel yellow is definitely on trend. I also love the price of just £19.99. It also comes in pale pink, which I don't like as much, but it has been reduced to just £10 if you really want a bargain. 

New Look £19.99

Louis Vuitton

I have also been looking for an orange nail varnish for a while like the one they wear on Made In Chelsea. No matter how trashy it is I still always watch it for the clothes (OK, and also the drama) - the girls always look so nice and definitely get clothes envy. Anyway, I tried to get an orange colour last year, but the one I ended up with was slightly too red. In MIC, they wear 'Orange It's Obvious' by Essie, but it costs £7.99 in Boots. I bought 'Spring Street' by New York Color for just £1.79. It's almost the same, goes on really easily and dries so quickly. I almost got Barry M's 'Block Orange' but when I tried it on, it looked like it would need a lot of coats.

£1.79 Superdrug

Fashion On A Budget...

Looking through fashion magazines, I am always wanting clothes just a couple of thousand pounds out of my price range. As a terribly paid student, establishing a Vogue style wardrobe is always going to be hard, but I've found that some of the more popular catwalk looks have been replicated by high street stores at a fraction of the price. River Island's gone for Prada's retro cars  whilst Topshop and H&M have both chosen Louis Vuitton's pastels. I am still currently trying to scrape together my ss12 wardrobe, saving up piece by piece, so I thought I'd share some of the steals I find across the way :)