Pinstripes & Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

This time a week ago I was drinking sangria, looking out on stunning views and soaking up the sun in Barcelona, and now I'm under blankets with multiple layers on in a not-so-warm-England.

One of the places I explored whilst there was the infamous Sagrada Familia Temple, designed by the historic architect, Antoni Gaudí. Who has a number of stunning designs dotted all over the city! I would recommend paying this attraction a visit, although, we, unfortunately, didn't explore the interior, the exterior was just as breathtaking. From the intricate detailing to the sheer size of the building, it's an odd design- resembling a sort of sandcastle mixed with a futuristic style rocket ship.

Where one finds Barcelona's biggest tourist attraction, finds an onslaw of guided tours all walking into you as they view a piece of history through their camera lenses. A million ice cream shops (which I am not complaining about) and just a LOT of people. I would advise visiting early to avoid the queues and crowds, although the parks either side of the temple were peaceful- the perfect place to sit and enjoy an ice cream.

I wanted to keep my look simple and above all else comfortable for exploring the city, so I opted for this light, short pinstripe dress. The bows and slight open back kept it playful whilst the length and frill kept it moveable and airy so, there wasn't any chance of me becoming too hot in the spanish sun. Also, for under ten pound this Primark dress was a real winner in my eyes, I've since worn it with a leather jacket and black boots to the pub in the evening- such a transitional piece.

I kept my accessories to a minium, sticking to my favourite Chloe style bangle bag as my Barcelona bag of choice, due to it's size and accross body option it was perfect for wandering the streets without worry of pickpockets. As for my shoes...aren't they just amazingly mad, I couldn't help myself when I saw all the tassles. Great for jazzing up any outfit!


Outfit Linked Below |

Dress Primark
Sandals Topshop (in black)
Bag Mango (in black)

Seeking City Comforts | The Ultimate Nude Dress

It's now September the seasons are changing; Fashion Week is upon us and I've received the all-important September issue of Elle magazine through the post, but I'm not ready to leave behind summer, just yet. This outfit was inspired by Liv Blankson, I saw it on her Instagram and immediately ordered! Go check her out. 

Keep a cool head in the heat of the city with this simple and uber comfy outfit. This is the ultimate nude dress, it's a bit riskier than my default of black and baggy but I wanted to try something a bit different. The dress is figure hugging which accentuates the figure, something I don't usually do, however, it's a nice balance because the longer hem means it's not exposing too much skin. 

The outfit is made even comfier when paired with a baggy fitted denim jacket. The looser fit jacket with a fitted dress adds another dimension, and the uncomplicated colour palette and shape keeps the outfit understated, suited to exploring the city in comfort.

In typical British fashion, the weather has changed from summer to winter in a matter of days with no warning, but I can imagine this dress being a great transitional piece if layered under a loose fitting cream roll- neck and a pointy black boot for an uber stylish look. Hopefully, we have a few more sunnier days though! 

Outfit Linked Below |

Dress Missguided

Denim Jacket Bershka

Sandals New Look (similar)

Bag Zara

Festival Inspired

It doesn't take much to connect short shorts paired with boots with festivals. Shorts are the ultimate essential when standing in a crowd of people in a field, cider in hand and music blaring.

Festivals are weird, aren't they? I went to my first festival a couple of weeks ago and I was not prepared for the sheer volume of people, not to mention the amount of times I heard 'Alan', 'Steve' shouted around the campsite - (if you don't know, watch this). It's 4 days of drinking endless cider (starting at 10am), becoming overprotective of home (your tent and camping area) and listening to great music with 49,999 other people. It was great- apart from the obvious no showering and the dreaded portaloos.

What I loved other than the music, was the outfits. Festival fashion is second to none- it's fabulous. The outfit above was one of the more toned down looks I saw but none the less it was perfect, comfy and transitioned from day to night with ease.

These tropical print shorts are such a nice shape, the slight outward frill along the bottom is a great way to make your thighs appear slimmer. The wider leg makes for a more movable and comfy wear- essential at a festival. Pair with studded boots to move away from beach holiday and more to festival, with the added bonus of being comfy!

Take inspiration from Tommy Hilfiger and customise your denim jacket with badges to add fun and personality to your outfit. Shop Wild Violet do some really cute pins and badges! If you would like 20% off use the code - SAMXVIOLET at the checkout.


Outfit Linked Below |

Top Hollister (put a white vest underneath)
Shorts Zara (similar)
Denim Jacket COW Nottingham
Boots Misspap
Bag Mulberry (similar)
Necklace Topshop (similar)
Sunglasses Quay Australia (similar)

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The Perfect Summers Day Outfit

I'm writing this post about the perfect summer time outfit, but currently the weather resembles what only can be described as a seal, wet and grey. Is that it for our British summertime? We can only hope.

I'm trying to inject colour into my summertime wardrobe, but a darker colour palette is my default. If the thought of colour makes you want to run back to the comfort of your joni jeans and favourite five-year-old H&M jumper like it used to me, then I have the answer. This outfit. The majority is black yet the outfit looks light with the addition of a lighter coloured bag to bring out the accent of yellow in the skirt.

The denim jacket is a great way to dress an outfit down to suit a day out in the sun, and if you happen to continue into the evening take the denim jacket off and you've got an evening outfit.

This style of outfit is great for a chilled, family day out. The loose, floaty nature of the skirt is great to be able to move around freely and allows you to eat as much ice cream as you like!

Outfit Linked Below |

T-Shirt AllSaints
Skirt Topshop (Similar Here)
Shoes Independent Store (Similar Here)
Denim Jacket Zara 
Sunglasses River Island (Similar Here)
Bag Mango

Fit to Flare

The last time I wore flares was when Britney Spears was number one in the chart! I remember them well- they were light washed denim with pink butterflies scattered on them. I loved them. 

I'm ditching the denim flares, for now. However, the character Sophia from the Netflix series Girlboss wears them and looks SUPER amazing so, I might have to find a pair of denim flares and relive the 90's. 

For now though - these wide legged trousers are all for comfort! I've gone full volume with these trousers so, I've played it slim by finishing the outfit off with a blazer to add structure to the silhouette. The high-waisted nature of these accentuates my legs making them look longer, and makes the waist appear smaller as they sit higher than jeans would. There a piece that can dramatically transition into an alternative evening look. 

I did find it hard to choose shoes to match these. I think pairing these with heels would give this outfit a chicness but for the park, I stuck to trainers. 

Outfit Linked Below |

Knitted Vest - Primark (similar)

Blazer - H&M

Trousers - Vero Moda Flora at Brand Attic

Trainers - New Look (similar) 

Outside my Comfort Zone

It was in Sixth Form when I was completely put off wearing trousers. I decided to go and buy brown chinos as an alternative to dresses and skirts. I put them on wore them to school and just felt gross. I was having a classic girl moment of feeling ugly and fat. I hated them by the end of the day and swore off ever wearing any sort of trouser that didn't involve denim again. Until now, I was having a splurge on Topshop sale and came across these! I don't know what made me buy them I think the fact that I want to start playing around with my style and to try new things maybe. I'm very happy I did take a chance on these as they are comfy, smart and suit my body shape better than I expected. I also think going for a trouser that is above the ankle looks great with boots and flats, and it shows off one of the smallest parts of a woman's body making them very flattering! 

Gucci Gucci Gucci, the brand is all over my Instagram at the moment and if it's not the Gucci belt then it's Gucci slogan tee, not forgetting the infamous Gucci loafers! I love the simple style of the loafer so I took it upon myself to find a pair similar, good for everyday use and a lot cheaper. So, say hello to these beauties from New Look. They are perfect for work and they go with any outfit and are very on trend. 

Outfit Linked Below |

Blouse Topshop Sale (similar)

Trousers Topshop Sale (similar)

Loafers New Look 

Denim Jacket COW Nottingham

Bag Zara

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