Sunday, 25 August 2013

PRODUCT REVIEW: Monochrome Heels from Primark


I've never really been a big fan of Primark shoes before, but when I spotted these in their store a few weeks ago and also on the Look website I knew I had to get them. Come on, yes I'm a shoppaholic but they're a bargain at a mere £14! I was a bit sceptical about whether the shoes would be comfortable as they're so cheap but was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and sleek the shoes were... Primark really done well with these shoes.


I'm a big fan of monochrome and prior to buying these shoes didn't own a single pair of monochrome shoes. I had been looking for a nice elegant pair for a while but was unsuccessful in my search, so when I saw these shoes I was over the moon. 

The heel is very low, much lower than my usual 5 inch platforms. But being low allows for the shoe to be worn both casually for day to day wear, formally if you'd like to wear them to the office and dressed up because they'd definitely complement a LBD. The fact that the heel is low also increases the comfort of the shoe, allowing them to be worn for long periods of time. 


Usually I have a problem with sizing as I'm a UK 4.5 and only a handful of stores in the UK actually offer shoes in this size. So I always end up buying shoes that are a little too big and stuff them with insoles to make the fit a little more snug and comfortable. These shoes being pointed come up a little big, so I was happy when the size 4 fit me perfectly. I'd advised going for your usual shoe size, but if you're a half size go for the size down.


The ankle strap has 5 holes, so would fit both ladies with slender ankles and thicker ankles. The front of the shoes is not at all narrow, however I would suggest ladies with wider feet try on for sizing before purchasing. 


As you may know from previous posts and specifically product reviews I love gold, gold accessories gold jewellery and gold buckles on shoes. If a shoes has to have a buckle it must be gold, yes I know this is dependant on the colour of the shoe but generally shoes of all colours look better (IMO) with a gold buckle, not only better but more expensive. So I was happy when I saw that these shoes had a gold buckle and the shape of it was unusual which gave the otherwise elegant shoe a quirky bit of detail.


I really can't wait to wear these shoes out and think they'd look great with stone wash boyfriend jeans, a white blazer and vest and a smart black structured bag. Look out for a outfit post for these shoes coming soon.

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Friday, 23 August 2013

Gold Gold and... more Gold!

I love dressing up my outfits with accessories, to be specific gold accessories. Whether it be a statement necklace, earrings to die for or my new craze bold brooches, I always ensure there's at minimum a shimmer of gold to complement my outfits. On a recent shopping trip I was overwhelmed with the amount of bold gold jewellery there's available on the high street, I always find something I like but it's usually silver. So I seized the opportunity to to update my collection and purchased a few of my favourite pieces from the high street, visiting New Look, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, H&M, Primark and my favourite store Zara.  

I'm really loving statement necklaces and brooches at the moment, so focused my attention on building up my those parts of my jewellery collection. My favourite purchases have to be that made in Primark and also that in Zara, but I'll do a separate post on my growing Zara statement necklace collection so keep an eye out. Here's the result of a recent shopping trip...



Limited Edition statement necklaces from  Primark.



L-R: Dorothy Perkins, New Look and Topshop


H&M Brooch


Topshop Brooch





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Wednesday, 21 August 2013

The New Icons

I love my new printed t-shirt from H&M, The New Icons. I'm a big fan of printed t-shirts and as you may know bloggers are going crazy for them at the moment. Here's how I wore my t-shirt to make a trendy monochrome outfit with a pop of colour.

Blazer - Forever 21
T-shirt - H&M
Faux Leather Trousers - H&M
Bag - Zara
Shoes - Zara


Watch - DKNY
Necklace - GoGo Philip


Watch - Michael Kors
Sunglasses - Moschino


Check out my product review post The New IT Shoe from Zara (click here).




Like my look? why not LOVE MY LOOK on the Today I'm Wearing website (click here) where you can view more of my outfits.
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Monday, 19 August 2013

PRODUCT REVIEW: Black Metal Plate Sandals from New Look


I recently visited my local New Look store and instantly fell in love with a pair of shoes, Black Metal Plate sandals. As always when considering purchasing a pair of shoes I think about whether it would go with things I already own and I knew these shoes definitely would. However, owning so many black pairs of shoes I wasn't sure whether I actually needed them or just wanted them, but then I reminded myself of the saying 'If a lady can say how many pairs of shoes she has she doesn't have enough' and the fact that I could guess roughly how many persuaded me to take the shoes to the till and make them the newest part of my ever growing shoe collection.


I haven't purchased shoes from New Look in over 10 years and wasn't too sure about how good they were. I usually tend to buy shoes quite a bit more expensive than those in New Look because usually the more money you pay the better the comfort, longevity and quality of the shoe. However, I wanted to see whether New Look shoes are just as comfortable as my more expensive pairs, because they're just as stylish. 


You may recall in a previous post of mine (click here to view) I said that Gold Metal Strap Sandals are big right now, well they still are and they're all over the high street. New Look has got in on the action with these sandals and went a step further by not only having a gold strap for the ankle but also including one by the toes, something a little different from the others out there. This was definitely one of the factors that led to my purchase.


The heel is very chunky which I tend to find adds a great deal to the comfort of the shoe, usually the chunkier the heel (no matter how high) the more comfortable the shoe the longer the wear. The heel is also not too high so that adds to the comfort and also, despite the array of gold, allows the sandal to be worn more casually than higher heeled shoes. 


I tend to find that black shoes stay looking new for longer than other colours as dirt doesn't show up as bad. Although with the material of this sandal, it may need a little love and affection every so often to keep it in good condition. Additionally, I'd strongly advise against wearing it in harsh weather conditions, though I'd doubt anyone would wear open toe sandals in the snow or rain. To clean the sandals I'd advise wiping them down with a damp cloth. 


One thing you have to take in to consideration is that they're made for wide fit. So if you have quite narrow feet, though these sandals look great, unfortunately they wouldn't work for you. My feet are neither wide or narrow and I found the shoes (especially the ankle strap) to be very wide, which is the sole reason why I came to the painful decision to send the sandals back to the store. The size four were the perfect width but being a size UK 4.5 my feet were slightly to long for the sandals. So if you do have quite wide feet you'll be happy to find that these sandals would fit you perfectly, you can party in them throughout the night and not have sore feet in the morning. 


I'd certainly recommend these sandals to ladies with wider feet who prefer lower heels, they're both comfortable and look great. They come in a UK size 3 to 7, are also available in stone and cost a mere £24.99. What a shame they don't have them in regular fit. :-(


To get your hands on these sandals before they sell out, check out the New Look website (click here) or your local store.
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Saturday, 17 August 2013

Going Grunge with Forever 21


I read in a recent copy of Look magazine that Grunge is going to be big in A/W 2013, so I decided to get ahead of the pack and get a few staple pieces that I could work with my existing wardrobe to rock the trend. I was happy to find both a sleeveless faux leather biker jacket and a cross body studded bag that went well together. 

The Grunge trend includes leather, plenty of black, rips/tears and checks that pay homage to Vivienne Westwood. We all own a lot of black, well I know I do and I own the odd checked shirt... so I'm definitely looking forward to rocking this trend later on in the year. I can just imagine wearing my bag and sleeveless jacket with stone wash ripped boyfriend jeans black sleeveless t-shirt and a checked shirt tied around my waist (because that's the cool way to wear a checked shirt). A pair of  flat black ankle boots would nail this trend whilst a pair of black ankle strap sandals would add a feminine touch. Roll on Autumn!!





Look out for my Grunge blog post coming this early Autumn. 
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Thursday, 15 August 2013

Leather Meets Camouflage

I've always been a fan of camouflage and equally leather and thought that the two looks would actually complement each other quite well especially with camouflage being very masculine and leather being very sexy. Here is the look I created...

Leather Skirt - Forever 21
White Vest - H&M
Black Wedges - Fashion Union
Sleeveless Military Jacket - Forever21
Necklace - Topshop
Clutch Bag - Zara









Like my look, why not LOVE MY LOOK on the Today I'm Wearing website (click here), where you can also view more of my outfits. 

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Tuesday, 13 August 2013

Timeless Leopard Print by Dune


I love Leopard print, it's so timeless; on the catwalk and in high street stores season after season. One store I adore and know always has amazing leopard print items is Dune. I remember my first leopard print purchase from the store was my gold heeled leopard print ankle boots, though a little pricey at £110 they have proved worth their value as they go with just about any outfit, can be worn casually or dressed up and I always get compliments when wearing them. With the success of my ankle boots I recently decided to visit Dune to make another leopard print investment and I was pleasantly surprised.


The first thing I spotted in the shop was this gorgeous leopard print belt, which had a gold buckle (not a lover of silver). In leopard print pony hair with a leather back I knew I had to purchase the belt and at £29 it was actually a bargain as I knew how well it would work with what I already owned.




When not wearing matching shoes/boots with the belt a matching bag would go fantastically well. So when I spotted a matching leopard print bag in white leather and pony hair, I decided that these two items need to come home with me. Originally at £120 and reduced to £60, I knew this was a bargain I couldn't ignore.



I love the way the Leopard print in Dune is consistent, the same pony hair leopard print material is used through out; from the bag to the belt to the shoes... as my growing collection shows. Why not check out the leopard print collection on the Dune website, I'm sure you're bound to find something you fancy.

Check out my blog post Summer Leopard Print (click here) where I showcase my recent Dune purchases.


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