Baroquing

Dress – Chi Chi

Is there such thing as too many Christmas party dresses? Obviously not! My second for the season (following the gorgeous Belle dress from Jones and Jones I blogged about here last week) is this beautiful metallic gold and black number by worldwide dress specialist Chi Chi. The dress combines two of the biggest trends for the season: baroque and peplum. It features a hidden zip and an elasticated back for a better fit, and also a flattering and practical padded bust. Search for the ‘Rita’ dress on the Chi Chi website to purchase it on sale for a bargain £28.99, or check out the Casey dress if you’d prefer this look in an icy white and silver.
Pair the dress with a bright red lip and big platform heels for a bold statement, or a nude lip, big messy hair and smokey eyes for something more relaxed.

November 16, 2012 TAGS: baroque, black, ChiChi, Christmas, cocktail dress, dress, evening dress, fashion, floral, gold, Lookbook, metallic, party, peplum, personal style BY: hannahlouisef

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Suit Up!

Blazer – Topshop | Shorts – Topshop | Top – AX Paris* | Shoes – Romwe*

After lusting over this Topshop floral co-ord combination ‘suit’ for weeks and weeks, I could not resist it when it went into the sale! Here I’m wearing it with my new sequin peplum top from AX Paris*, which I think is the perfect piece to glam up an outfit like this or even something simple like high waisted skinny jeans. I’m also wearing a new pair of spiked loafers from Romwe* in a gorgeous turquoise colour, which are a perfect match with my suit!

Check out some more images below, and scroll to the bottom for an AX Paris 20% discount code!

October 25, 2012 TAGS: AX Paris, co-ord, fashion, floral, loafer, Lookbook, peplum, personal style, romwe, sequin, spiked shoes, spikes, studs, suit, Topshop BY: hannahlouisef

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Primark AW12 Picks

I will always have a soft spot for Primark and their extremely reasonably priced garments. Year after year I have been saying that they have been continually stepping up their game to content with high-street giants such as Topshop, H&M, River Island etc., and this autumn/winter is no exception. Look Magazine uploaded 75 of their Primark AW12 picks (you can see the full list here), and below I’ve selected a few of my favourites and some pieces which I will 100% be adding to my winter wardrobe. Primark is not available online, however you can purchase these pieces in store now or in the coming weeks.

Two perfect sequined evening dresses, both similar in style to TFNC dresses however around half the price (the right hand dress is £20). Both could be ideal for a Christmas party later into the season!

This berry purple colour is huge this season and Primark have produced a number of pieces channelling it, including this gorgeous formal dress with leather detailing and sheer sleeveless blouse with a chain collar – a great alternative to neck jewellery.

Primark are stocking super on-trend peplums in all shapes and sizes, including this adorable belted polka dot dress (£15) and amazing monochrome boucle-style top. I will definitely be adding the top to my winter wardrobe as it is the perfect way to combine the two trends of boucle and peplum, can be easily dressed up or down and is a steal at only £12.

In my opinion Primark usually lets itself down with its statement prints, as they can often look cheap or tacky. This jersey dress and monochrome blazer from the AW12 collection are both an exception to this rule and are really lovely pieces, and I could see either in a higher priced high street store such as Topshop or River Island.

Houndstooth always makes a reappearance each autumn, be it in its classic black and white form or more outlandish colours such as the bold and brightly coloured houndstooth prints seen at House of Holland. It isn’t everyone’s favourite print, however these cute shorts and slipper flats are both an ideal way of incorporating it into an outfit.

Maxi lengths are still going strong, despite competition from the extremely fashionable midi. The sheer overlay bodycon dress oozes class and is a total bargain at only £15, and I personally can never resist a bit of glitter and already own the midi version of this gorgeous metallic maxi skirt (£12). I would very much like to own both pieces this winter!

Printed trousers were huge this summer, especially those with floral prints, and the trend is continuing into autumn/winter. Although it isn’t the easiest trend to wear, these subtle versions from Primark featuring ultra on-trend baroque (£16) and timeless snakeskin prints would make a great addition to anyone’s wardrobe.

Everyone needs a winter coat! I’m absolutely in love with both the oversized boyfriend coat and the more elegant Burberry-esque hourglass shape belted jacket (£30) and deciding between the two is going to be horrible! I could just get both…

Primark aren’t just focusing on clothes this season, their statement jewellery is also extremely on point. The geometric enamel plate necklace (£8) could completely transform a simple outfit (white t-shirt, skinny jeans and ankle boots), and the green and gold stretch cuff (£5) would be gorgeous with a simple black dress (the sheer overlay bodycon mentioned above would be perfect!) for an evening out.

I already own a leather biker jacket, however if I didn’t I would definitely be purchasing this one from Primark! Leather (or faux leather) is, as always, big this winter so if you want to make a real statement you could add these leather skinny jeans with zip detailing to your wardrobe. They could be ‘punked’ up with a plaid shirt and studded boots, or worn more elegantly with a white dip hem blouse and heels!

September 7, 2012 TAGS: Autumn Winter 2012, boucle, dress, fashion, houndstooth, leather, maxi, peplum, Primark, print, statement jewellery BY: hannahlouisef

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AX Paris Sale

If you’re shopping on a budget at the moment,AX Paris currently have an amazing sale with up to 70% off a huge number of items! Prices are as low as £4.99 already, and you can take an extra 10% off by entering the code ‘BLOG10’ at the checkout.

Ultra on-trend peplums and tropical prints are just some of the pieces you can pick up on sale, click here to view all sale items and check out a few of my favourite sale pieces below.

Navy Floral Print Peplum Dress, was £35 now £19.99

Peplum Polka Dot Dress, was £30 now £17.99

Tropical Printed Leggings, was £22 now £9.99

Tropical Cut In Neck Dress, was £40 now £19.99

July 17, 2012 TAGS: AX Paris, dress, fashion, peplum, polka dot, sale, tropical print BY: hannahlouisef

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Smart Shorts – River Island contest entry!

Top – River Island | Shorts – Topshop | Bag – Topshop | Shoes – Vivienne Westwood

I entered this look into Lookbook’s River Island contest for a chance to win a £1000 shopping spree at RI, so I would hugely appreciate it if you could all ‘hype’ my look!
Comment below if you have hyped it and I’ll be sure to check out your blog, and let me know if I can return the favour in any way!

I’m wearing River Island’s gorgeous peplum top, which is definitely becoming one of my favourite pieces, and some mint green, ‘smart’ shorts I got in the Topshop sale. I accessorised with a cute lilac grab bag from Topshop, and Vivienne Westwood x Melissa lilac lady dragon heels with skull detailing, which I got in the sale at Selfridges for £29!

June 27, 2012 TAGS: fashion, lilac, Lookbook, mint green, pastels, peplum, personal style, River Island, shorts, Topshop, Vivienne Westwood BY: hannahlouisef

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Peplum & Neon

I’m in love my gorgeous new peplum style top by River Island which I bought from ASOS – it’s really flattering and completely versatile, it could be dressed down with some high waisted jeans or dressed up with a pencil skirt and heels! Here I’ve paired the top with a neon pencil skirt from ASOS and some nude and neon shoes from H&M.

I also added an orange lipstick (MAC Morange) and nail varnish in the same shade (‘Stellar’ by Technic, available at Bodycare) to contrast with the neon yellow/green of the skirt.

May 17, 2012 TAGS: ASOS, H and M, Lookbook, MAC, Morange, nail varnish, neon, Nude, orange, pencil skirt, peplum, personal style, River Island BY: hannahlouisef

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New In picks of the week: MissGuided

MissGuided pride themselves on up-to-date, stylish fashion at affordable prices, and in my opinion that’s certainly what they deliver! I’m forever trawling through the ‘new in’ pages of my favourite online shops, and this week I chose MissGuided to feature on my blog because I love so many of their recent additions. At the moment I’m particularly loving peplum pieces, studded details and tropical floral prints! I can see a purchase or two definitely being made here, although I wish I could have everything! Check out my favourite ‘new in’ items below, and if you love (even more of) a bargain then take a look at the 20% off flash sale.