STYLED INTO FASHION

"You gotta have style. It helps you get down the stairs. It helps you get up in the morning. It's a way of life. Without it, you're nobody,"

- Diana Vreeland

Well I think it is safe to say I've got a thing for co-ords. I don't know when it started and I don't know why, I just know it hit me hard and I'm a little obsessed (ha ha... just at little...honest). But seriously, can you blame me? A good co-ord to me is a God send. I always have trouble picking what to wear with what, so when you can have this problem resolved with a co-ord, where you're only left with decided what bag and shoes to wear, it really does help a lot. And that was exactly the situation with this co-ord I bought from Zara recently. 

With its pretty emrboidered mterial in cream and navy, I wondered what would pop against my new favourite co-ord. I decided to go for something bold, but not to overwhelming, as I didn't want to detract from the beauty of the set. I decided to go for green, teaming up a green duster from Boohoo with a matching green cross body bag from Topshop. I finished off the look with perspex heels, bold red lipstick and oversized sunglasses... just to add a bit of glam. 

"Fashion says 'me too', style says 'only me'."

- Anonymous

I remember back in the 1990s I use to hate anything floral print and for two very good reasons. Now for many 80s and 90s babies like me, you probably grew up surrounded by the print, it was the craze back then, our parents (in particular mothers) had an obsession with all things floral. From sofas  to wallpaper and if you were unfortunate enough, even the carpet. Yes, that's the prime reason I hated floral; it was like a flower monster had thrown up in our house. 

Secondly, my mum would always dress me up in floral or flower embellished outfits. Now although I for a while played with dolls and was very much a girlie-girl, floral was never my thing. I quite simply preferred any other print or pattern, but hey, my mum thought my sister and I looked great in the stuff, so that's what she put us in. If we were lucky, it would be frilly dresses instead of floral. 

So growing up, due to being subjected to floral all my childhood, I rebelled and stayed away from it as much as possible. However, over the years my stance on the print changed dramatically. You can now find quite a few items in my wardrobe that have floral embellishments or a floral print (yes, bought by me for me, nothing to do with my mum). Though I stay away from small floral prints, I'm a huge fan of big prints, especially if they have a tropical vibe. Like on this belted blouse I recently ordered from Pretty Little Thing. 

Cool but pretty, I decided to team up my blouse with boots in the same base hue; nude, or stone to some of you. Before the cooler days pass me by, I decided to finally wear these boots that had been all the rage last autumn, when I bought them. I kept the outfit casual teaming it with blue skinny jeans and a nude cross-body quilted handbag. I finished off the look with over-sized sunglasses and a splash of red lipstick. Spring ready, decked in flowers, my mum would be so proud, my father would have nightmares of our ugly 90s floral sofa.

Photography - Aurelia V (@aureliav)