Road Trip Wardrobe

I haven't been very forthcoming with posts this week. The combination of working long hours and then remembering I have a dastardly summer cold when I do get a moment to breath means for little motivation to do anything other than sleep.

However, as I type whilst still in bed at 12.47pm on my day off, I do have the ability to do some browsing online.

I know everyone's buzzing about A/W already but it's hard to think about cosy knits and biker boots when it's 22 degrees and sunny outside. So I've made a conscious decision not to look at my winter wardrobe quite yet. Plus, I don't want to get fed up of it before I even get a chance to wear any of it.

Working isn't the only thing that's going on in my life at the moment. My boyfriend and I are embarking on buying our first car. I've had my licence for nearly two years and have driven my parents' car in Spain but there are more and more occasions now where I think it would be handy to have a car. For example, commuting to uni, visiting relatives and doing the numerous airport runs that there are during the year. Mr Maria's Gaga only started his lessons last week but hopes to pass his test by the end of the summer and after doing some research, strangely it costs less with him on the insurance than with me on my own even though he hasn't passed his test yet. Funny how these things work out.

Anyway, once we get the car we can't wait to take day trips to the beach and have cheap weekends away in the country. With that in mind I've compiled the ultimate road trip wardrobe.

SALE

Since I've started working in retail, the only thing I hear at the moment is SALE SALE SALE. I started at Hugo Boss, Bond Street today (Burberry on Sunday and Zenia Bond St. Saturday) and people really do go crazy for a bargain. Shopping hint: if you're in the market to buy a suit, HEAD TO HUGO BOSS. Most suits are reduced to about £300 which is a huge reduction from £800+! I know a lot of fashion insiders are skeptical of sales since some stores sell last seasons "tat" but I have to say, I've been particularly impressed with Hugo Boss. There are hundreds of suits on sale and all classic styles which will last season after season. The womenswear isn't too shabby either.

So with that in mind, I had a little trawl through net-a-porter.com and mrporter.com and have come up with my 5 designer sale picks for men and women.

Net-a-porter.com

Vanessa Bruno - was £280 now £140. I love this pretty skirt. Would be perfect teamed with a cream blouse or camisole for warm evenings.

Michael Kors - was £200 now £120. A great addition to your work wardrobe and the fringing adds extra detail.

Gucci - was £425 now £212.50. A classic skirt for work or smart occasion. Would look great with a navy blue crisp shirt or a loose white T.

Chloe - was £860 now £516. Perfect for work with simple wedges or with flat sandals to keep you cool on holiday.

Christian Louboutin - was £445 now £267. Christian. Louboutin. Sale. Enough said.

Mrporter.com

Burberry Brit - was £150 now £75. A great pair of basic jeans for casual with a simple T or a slightly smarter occasion worn with a shirt.

Rag & Bone - was £170 now £85. I love the colour. Would look sharp under a dark suit during winter.

Polo Ralph Lauren - was £405 now £202.50. With all these down pours we keep having, a rain jacket is a must.

Hartford - was £130 now £65. Simple colour, uncomplicated style. Throw on over a white T when it gets a little chilly.

Aubin & Wills - was £49 now £24.50. Not for everyone but I love the candy stripe pattern.

But be quick! They won't be there for long!!

Thoughts on Friday

In an attempt to buy the most fantastic gift ever for my boyfriend for our 5th anniversary coming up on the 1st June, I actually ended up buying a gift for myself. Here's the story.

It's not easy to buy presents for a man. They don't really want anything and when they do, it's usually super expensive and has an Apple logo on it. Unfortunately I can't conform to that so I have to think a little more outside the box.

After racking my brains I though of getting him a vintage watch. Really classy, the kind the have to wind up everyday. Perhaps not suitable for casual wear but it'd look great with a suit for a smarter occasion. I went straight for Ebay where I found hundreds to choose from and decided to bid on one in particular. 1960s Titoni, gold plated with a tiny crystal set just above the 6. We have set our budget for under £50 because it's only an anniversary so when I got said watch for £42, I was chuffed. However, after receiving it in the post this morning, I realised that it is a little petite in size. Beautiful for a women's watch but not exactly very masculine. And I actually fell in love with it. It's so me - classic but with a little bit of sparkle - or how I like to think of myself as, anyway. I've decided to keep it and I am still on the hunt to find the perfect anniversary present. Any suggestions are welcome.





Lastly I'd like to leave you with a link to Elina's blog where she's posted some photos during the "making of" our final project - a 3 minute broadcast video. Click here to have a look (I'm the one in the trench).

Parachute Silk

The inspiration for this post actually came from the daily net-a-porter.com email I subscribe to but I thought I would take the idea and show you exactly how you can wear it.

PARACHUTE SILK
From Mathew Williamson to Chloé, billowing silk has been shown all over the catwalks for Spring/Summer. An elegant, feminine trend which always looks beautiful but is not always practical (or cheap!). I've created 3 looks - day, evening and occasion - to show you that you can wear it from day-to-day.

DAY

Rolled-sleeve t-shirt - Splendid @ fashionbeans.com, pleated silk maxi skirt - Tibi @ net-a-porter.com, black leather clutch - Alexander Wang, suede sandals - Prada, black and gold watch - Michael Kors

EVENING

Silk organza dress - Valentino, patent wedges - Lanvin, black leather clutch - YSL, knotted bracelet - Lanvin

OCCASION
Iris-print silk-chiffon gown - net-a-porter.com, skull diamonte embellished clutch - Alexander McQueen, Palais pump - YSL, gold and blue agate cuff - maxandchloe.com

Ok, I know, they're all stunning pieces but not exactly accessible for the recessionista. But I'm now going to show you with just a few tricks, you can create these looks on a budget.

DAY
Take that canary yellow maxi skirt. I know for sure that with a little bit of rummaging, you can find one similar in a charity shop. It may not be the exact colour but if you spend a few pounds on the skirt and another few on some dye, it's hardly breaking the bank, is it?

And the Prada suede, black platforms. They look fairly similar to these Topshop heels.

EVENING
Now I would agree that the Valentino dress is a little harder (if not impossible) to emulate but a dress similar to these will still create the mood you want.

Left: J.Crew @ net-a-porter.com (£120). Centre: French Connection (£150). Right: French Connection at John Lewis (£135).

And if you layer a black lace body underneath, it adds a little more uniqueness.

Lace body - Topshop (£30)

And as for the Lanvin shoes, a simple pair of black stacked wedges will do the same job. Adding some cheap satin ribbon and tying it in a bow around your ankles will make them look extra sweet.

Wedges - ASOS (£40), scissors - totally my own creation. I would take off that boring ankle strap and instead thread a length of ribbon through.

OCCASION
This look is just that little bit more special/eye-poppingly expensive so it takes some creativity.

The McQueen clutch could be emmulated by starting off with this cheap box clutch and decorating with glue-on diamontes from a haberdashery. Now it would take patience and time but ultimately look glittering at the end of it.

Clutch - Kurt Geiger (£19)

ASOS is a great place to shop for occasion/evening dresses and I found this one for £60. Not too dissimilar, I don't think.



So that's it. My attempt at trying to show you that you can wear what you see on the catwalk and in designer shops, you just need to be a bit smart about it.

Images - Polyvore.com

Trend #8 - Sports-luxe

Sports-luxe

The barrier between casual wear and sportswear is being broken down. Sportswear is becoming something people not only wear at the gym but at home too. The same is the case with casual wear; it is less pyjama-like and more presentable to wear outside of the home. Also, work wear has undertaken an air of sport with sleek lines, stream-lined details and more relaxed fabrics. Jerseys, cottons and knits are replacing more expensive fabrics like satin and linen. This trend could stem from the anticipation of the 2012 London Olympics.


Celine


Michael Kors


Moschino


Moschino


Max Mara




Maria