As I am typing down these words, the clock has just hit midnight – meaning that it is now 22nd December 2012. Hurrah! We have survived the apocalypse! Jokes aside, I’ve been actually been having a post-apocalyptic feel about London lately. I had a lovely stroll in Regent’s Park today and couldn’t help but notice how deserted it felt compared to the usual hectic ambiance during the Summer. Ultimately, my melancholic feeling probably stems from the fact that many of my friends have now gone back home to celebrate the holidays with their families whilst I am staying here for yet another time… Even though I would have preferred to be home with my family, the past couple of Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve have been really enjoyable and this year is certainly not going to be any less fun :)
Winter weather has made me feel rather lazy, which is why I’ve found myself gravitating more towards loose-fitting clothes – just for the sake of warmth and comfort. I pulled this maxi skirt out of my closet for the first time since the end of summer, paired it with a loose jumper, wore a warm pair of tights and a thermal shirt underneath, tossed a leather jacket and a scarf on top of everything to complete the outfit et voilà! All warm, cozy and ready to face the harsh London weather.
I recently passed by Uniqlo to pick up some more thermals to wear under my jumpers. Although I’m usually skeptical about marketing campaigns since a lot of them tend to be a little gimmicky, I’ve found that their heat tech line was surprisingly good at keeping you warm! Definitely recommended!
Anyways, what about you guys. How are your holidays going? Has the weather influenced you to make any different outfit choices? I’d love to hear so leave a comment below!
I’m wearing:
Jumper : H&M
Maxi Skirt : ASOS
Shoes : Underground
Beanie : H&M
I was on the lookout for some christmas sweaters to wear at my friend’s christmas sweater party when I came across this really adorable one with a tiger and a red bow tie (I wore something else to the party though). I love how the fierce image of the tiger is combined with a cute bow, giving it a silly twist. The red bow also gives it a rather festive feeling, which seems appropriate for this time of the year. I found it hanging on its own in a corner at TK Maxx and my mind just went “Hah! That’s such a random print! MUST BUY IT”. That being said I wasn’t the only one which reacted in a random manner at the sight of this sweater. When I showed it to my friend Tina, the exact words that came out of her mouth were: “Nice sweater… It’s a tiger, with a bow tie… it’s a bow tiger!” – Geddit? I thought that was pretty hilarious. I don’t usually shop at TK Maxx because I find it rather frustrating to have to dig through racks of random clothing items, with little chance of finding anything that you like or that is at your size. However, when you find something that you do like, it feels quite rewarding!
I’m wearing:
Sweater : Sweewë (TK Maxx)
Shorts : Zara
Jacket : Zara
Shoes : Office
Bag : Zara
Hat : Camden Market
I’m guessing that this must be the high street’s take on the much coveted Kenzo Tiger sweaters from their FW’12 collection. In fact, that must explain why I’ve been seeing tiger sweaters and t-shirts everywhere! Here are a few other examples:
1) ASOS Tiger Jumper | 2) A Question Of Tiger Sweatshirt | 3) ASOS Sweatshirt with Tiger Necklace
4) Boohoo Ashlie Tiger Jumper | 5) Boohoo Daisy Oversized Jumper with Sequin Tiger Head | 6) Pull&Bear Tiger-Print Sweatshirt
What’s your take on tiger sweaters? I’d love to know.
Leave a comment below!
I love sequins. However, sequin dresses are quite tricky to wear as you could end up looking like a tacky hot mess or well… a disco ball if you overdo it. That being said, the festive season is looming near so all rules can go out of the window! The holiday celebrations can’t go by without a ton of pictures being taken and guess what shows up best on pictures? SEQUINS. That’s right, they have the ability to beautifully reflect light and would certainly make you stand out in any shot. I’ve been on the lookout for a perfect one to wear on New Year’s Eve – the only occasion which I’d tolerate being compared to a disco ball. I thought I’d share with you my rundown of the different types of sequin dresses that caught my attention so far…
SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND
Motel Deluxe Gabby Sequin Plunge Back Dress || Prey of London Sequin Embellished Dress || Mango Panelled Sequin Body Con Dress
Yes, I have just quoted a Rhianna song in my blog post but in this case, it couldn’t be any more appropriate. Why? Because these dresses are so shiny! Okay, well I might just be stating the obvious but you’d have to admit, the dense concentration of sequins make these dresses scintillate beautifully under the light. Golden sequins are a classic during the festive season, and you can’t go wrong with the clean cut on the Mango Dress. I’ve seen the Motel dress in stores and the colour changes according to the reflection of the light – it’s definitely going to be a showstopper. If green isn’t your colour Motel also carries other colours such as Purple, Red, Black, Blue, etc. Do check out their other designs as well, they seem to have quite a lot of sequin dresses this season. I probably like the The Prey of London Dress the most because it combines two elements that I love: sequins and mesh cut-outs, which give it an element of subtle sexiness, how can I say no to that?
BOLD COLOURS & GEOMETRIC PATTERNS
Rare Baroque Sequin Triangles Bodycon Dress || John Zack Zig Zag Sequin Bandeau Dress || Rare Diamond Sequin Bodycon Dress
Now, if you’re feeling a bit more daring, why not combine some bold colours and patterns with those fabulous sequins? I mean, you’re wearing sequins already, might as well go all in with the extravagance. They’re probably the best at transcending the festive ambiance of the New Year. I would probably combine any of these pieces with black basic accessories to balance out their awesomeness. My favourite has to be the Rare Baroque Sequin Triangles one. There’s just something inherently cool about geometric shapes.
COLOUR GRADIENTS
French Connection Colour Block Sequin Vest Dress || Warehouse Ombre Sequin Shift Dress || French Connection Colour Block Sequin Dress
Now if you find the previous section was way too saturated in terms of colours but still want some colours on your outfit, why not pick a dress with a gradient/ colour-blocking effect? The cool tone of these three dresses make them look chic and elegant. I must say that I really like the mix of black and silver sequins, they sort of remind me of a night sky scenery – lovely!
THE LITTLE BLACK SEQUIN DRESS
Warehouse Sequin Velvet Dress || ASOS One Shoulder Mini Dress With Sequins and Lace || French Connection Sequin Panel Body Con Dress
However, if any combination of bold colours, patterns on top of the shiny sequins is too much for you, you can always opt for the little black sequin dress. It’s a known fact that the little black dress is a staple in every girl’s closet so why not add a bit of sparkle for the festive season? If you decide to go low-key on the sequins, might as well mix some textures or pick something with an interesting cut, like the asymmetric cut of the ASOS dress or the alternating of fabrics on the French Connection one.
FUN & GIRLY
ASOS Skater Dress in Rose Sequin || TFNC Dress with Sequin Bandeau and Hi Lo Skirt || ASOS Sequin Dress with Square Neck
Who said sequins cannot be graceful? There’s nothing more girly than a mix of sequins and draped gowns. If you haven’t noticed the pattern yet, I’m more of a short-dress person (if that’s even a thing?). The asymmetrical hem on the TFNC dress is thus a compromise between a short and long dress for me. I also really like the sort of Grecian feel that both the golden TFNC and ASOS one give. The rose sequin detailing on the black skater dress is to die for – I wouldn’t mind having the top part as a shirt actually.
Out of this lot, I think my favourite by far has to be between the green Motel one or the Prey of London one… can’t decide! With my student allowance, I’ve restricted myself to the realm of high street brands but if I was rolling in cash, I would get myself this 3.1 Philip Lim Sequined Silk Dress. I’m such a sucker for geometric patterns and mesh cut-outs. But anyways, tell me what you think. Will you be wearing sequins during these holidays? Or are you not really convinced by the idea of wearing sequins at all?
Leave a comment below!