I've always been a little ~unique with my style, not strictly following trends or going with the crowd, but for a long time I did tend to play it somewhat safe. Those dreaded teenage years where everyone's super judgemental and you just want to blend in, so it's jeans and a t-shirt and nothing stand-out! However, since I started blogging I've experimented so much more with my wardrobe! It's given me the push I needed to truly be myself, be 100% confident and comfortable with my own style and what I want to wear. Seeing other bloggers be unashamedly themselves has been the most inspiring influence I never knew I needed.



So with this experimentation came the influx of statement pieces in my wardrobe. Whether this be bright, striking coloured bags; patterned trousers or eccentric faux fur coats, I've got the works. These are the pieces which are the most decisive: I always know when I buy something that's a bit more ~out there, my brother is gonna hate it and I love that! I feel like a negative reaction means I'm doing something right tbh.



Start Small
It wasn't like I started my blog and suddenly bought a whole new, eccentric wardrobe, but I started making purchases that I know I wouldn't have dared to a few months prior. Statement accessories are the best way to start (statement earrings are very in right now, fyi!) and I got this red handbag a couple of years back instead of another black one, so that I could add it to a simple, monochrome outfit for a pop of colour without having to actually wear any. Now, I don't even see this bag as a statement piece at all and that's what it's all about, gradual changes y'know?



I started off adding one ~statement piece to an outfit at a time, but over the past 2 years, as my confidence has grown and my style evolved, I've started mixing them together. Bold beetlejuice-esque jeans with a red bag, faux fur boots and a somewhat loud jacket? Hell Yes. A spotted dress with a leopard print bag? Also yes. I've come to really love a good pattern clash! This time last year, I considered my wardrobe to be 'bold' comparing it to previous years, but now I look back and think how timidly I'd started to experiment. The outfits that I put together now, I know I wouldn't have worn 12 months ago, and it'll probably be the same in another 12 months! You've just got to learn to be experimental and push yourself out of your comfort zone little by little!



Wearing: Jeans, ASOS - Tee, Adolescent Clothing via ASOS - Jacket, Alice Takes A Trip (no longer available) - Boots, Topshop (no longer available) - Bag, Topshop (no longer available) - Sunglasses, Ray-Ban

S H O P  T H E  S T Y L E 

I mentioned in my post all about summer style how much I struggle with dressing in the summer months and much prefer Autumn (or any other season tbh). But there is one firm staple in my summer wardrobe, which has been for the past 5(ish?) years and this is a denim pinafore. Paired with yellow converse and a rainbow print tee, I know I look a lot like the toddler aesthetic, but is that a problem? Not for me. We all know how annoying playsuits can be, especially when it's summer and you're hot and sticky (gross, soz) but you don't get that with dresses. They're also much nicer at thigh skimming. And we all know my love for dungarees, so a pinafore is the perfect summer piece for me. I have a light wash denim one which I picked up from Primark about 3 years ago and is still going strong, and this patchwork effect one from Boohoo is another favourite. But I also have patterned ones for work and a corduroy one just to be a little different. 


So I thought I'd do a little round up with some of my favourite pinafore picks from the high street!

I love blogging. I love everything about it; the friends to be made in the community; getting to show off all my new clothes to people that actually care; and just having a space to get out the words I want to say. But there are often times where I just don't have anything to post and am lacking in inspiration on what  to post. Whether it be that I don't know what outfit to put together or I want a new location to shoot but can't find anywhere; or simply that I don't have any words to get out, it can be hard. Because when you try and stick to a blogging schedule (even if as loosely as 1-2 posts per week) when I don't have posts pre-planned, I start to put more pressure on myself. I've spoken before about how blogging shouldn't be stressful - it's a hobby (for me), it should be fun; so here's what I do to get the inspiration flowing:



1. Get out.
Going for a walk is the easiest answer for everything, isn't it? Or better yet - go for a run. 'The fresh air will clear your head' they say, and they're right. Stop stressing over your laptop willing ideas to come to you: get out of the house. Put your headphones in, enjoy some fresh air and stop overthinking. Inspiration flows when you stop forcing it.

2. Browse blogs.
Finding new blogs/bloggers I've not seen before can be so inspiring! Not in a plagiarising way (obviously) but just in opening your eyes to see how different every blog is. Instead of getting down because 'my blog doesn't look like hers' appreciate it for what it is. Whether you get photography tips or just see a t-shirt on someone that you know exactly how you could style, bloggers are the biggest inspiration, always!



3. Window shopping.
Whether it's browsing the 'New In' section on ASOS and Topshop, or actually having a wander around the stores in town, you might just see something that inspires you. Whether it's the way an outfits been put together or simply a sign or collection that you spy, you'll be sure to find at least one idea for a new blog post in no time.

4. Magazines.
I know, I know, print is dying. But I still love to just switch off from everything and curl up with a copy of Elle and a cosy blanket. There's always features in glossy mags which can give you ideas to post about. Vogue doesn't do it for me (soz) it's almost too aspirational (read: unrelatable) but there's so many others out there. Even the ASOS mag has been known to spark an idea for me! Often lesser known ~indie mags are the best.

5. Take A Break.
When it comes to blogging, there's nothing worse than putting out content just because you feel you ~need to, and not because you want to. Only ever put out content that you're happy with or you'll just come to regret it! So don't put a post up this week, what's the worst that's going to happen? Come back next week with a banger and you won't regret anything then!




S H O P  T H E  L O O K

Sometimes, you just need to follow the crowd, be a sheep and be a basic bitch, don't you? And there's nothing that screams basic more than your classic Calvin pieces. I now have a collection growing: an underwear set, 2 t-shirts and a sweater. But each of them were bargains that I couldn't refuse, either from the CK outlet at Cheshire Oaks or from TK Maxx! I saw this sweater in Urban Outfitters a few weeks back when I was out and about in Leeds, and I love an oversized sweater, it's a staple for any wardrobe and my fail-safe go-to for any occassion, but it was still £90 so I didn't bother. But then last week I saw a girl carrying one on a hanger in TK Maxx and was like 'there has to be more than one', went on a little search and found this gem, in my size, for only £30! What a steal, huh?

As the name of my blog would suggest, my favourite time of year, by far, is Autumn. It's cool but not cold; sunny but not hot; and who doesn't love it when the leaves are falling and you're cosy inside with a blanket and hot chocolate! These factors aside, autumn fashion is the one. Layers upon layers and the creativity it provides; jumpers over dresses, camis over polo necks, and scarves as big as that Lenny Kravitz one. Nothing better tbh. Big baggy sweaters to hide a bloated belly and hats galore, what more could you possibly want?



So predictably, when it comes to summer, I'm at a loss. I'm not a fan of skimpy clothes, that's just not me and never has been. I'll get my legs out when it's warm, with a skirt or loose fitting shorts, but you'll never catch me in a sleeveless top. Backless, yes, but not sleeveless. I haven't been on a summer holiday or gotten into a bikini in about 7 years and am in no rush to change this. But body confidence issues aside, I just don't find summer clothes as fun to experiment with! I quite like that here in the UK we only get a couple weeks of proper ~summer weather, because that's only a couple weeks of struggling with what to wear. Yeah, there's loads of cute dress/playsuits/t-shirts in the shops atm, lots of nice gingham pieces and everything has pom-poms on, but I just don't have the same urge to splurge on clothes when the suns out! Saying that, I recently placed a rather hefty Zara sale order, which you may have seen if you keep up with my Instagram stories - plug plug! Although there won't be any new hauls anytime soon as I've put myself on a spending ban for July. (It seemed like the easiest month to do this as I don't want all of the summer clothes in store right now.) In this Zara order, was both the dress and boots of this outfit. The dress was a bit of a hesitant pick, I wasn't too sure it would suit me, how it would fit, but it turned out to be my favourite piece! It's super flattering and who doesn't love a polka dot print? Plus, in my somewhat extensive shoe & boot collection there was no yellow, which obviously had to change when I saw these! Yellows screams summer, right? Even if it's boots and not cute sandals...



Wearing: Dress & Boots, Zara - Bag, Stella McCartney - Sunglasses, Ray-Ban

S H O P  T H E  L O O K