Mesh t-shirt

Pompom hat & black faux fur gilét: TOPSHOP | Black mesh top: H&M | Red leather pants: RIVER ISLAND | Shoes: CONVERSE

I have had this top for a good few months now and only now am I getting round to wearing it for the first time, the tag came of yesterday.  I don't usually do this with new purchases and I tend to wear things within the first few days of buying them, but my answer is the top doesn't have a lot of fabric to it and it's been a little bit cold, hasn't it?  Not the greatest piece for winter.  I did of course already know this when I was buying, so the fact that I went ahead of bought it anyway should show how much I wanted it.
Saying that, it's still not exactly warm but I could not wait any longer.  Unfortunately I had to throw some faux fur into the look to avoid looking too insane as well as a good ol' wooly hat.  I don't usually choose to show off my, er, belly button area, but I really liked the floral, lace detail covering the breasticles so I thought that compensated for it.  Plus it makes me feel like a bit of a rockstar, just a little bit.  What added to that is these rockin' leather pants, which thanks to their colour made the black pieces a little bit more interesting.
I'll definitely be getting this t-shirt out much more frequently in the warmer seasons and will be wearing it with a pair of high-waisted denim shorts and a beanie, sorted.
I am looking forward to finishing uni tomorrow night as I have all of next week off, yaaaaaaaaay!  *mini Mexican wave* Am going to spend it taking lots of outfit photos, watching lots of rubbish, filming lots of videos for my Youtoob, putting lots of stuff on my ebay, taking lots of pictures for my Instagram, eating lots of food and spending lots of time with mummy.  Don't hate me 'cause you ain't me, guys.

What a nice way to spend the year

Cream pom pom hat, black faux fur gilet & dusty pink jumper: TOPSHOP | Blue skinny jeans: ZARA |
Shoes: CONVERSE

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's something about winter which makes everything look so much more prettier!  You know when you wake up and look outside and can just tell it's going to be absolutely freezing?  Today was one of those days.  Although I'm not one of these people who suddenly falls back into bed and is repulsed by the thought of going outside, I just want to go out on a a nice walk and take lots of pictures.  Which I did, if you count a stroll around my back garden taking some pictures of trees as a walk.  I did intend to go on a walk, but it gets dark so early these days that I didn't really get the chance.  Oh well, I have three weeks off now to go on lots of walks with my mum, yay!
I really like this outfit.  I wanted to reflect the frosty weather in my outfit, so clearly I went for the most snug outfit I could have.  In fact if the word 'snug' was a piece of clothing, it would probably be this jumper.  I've had it for about a month ever since my mum literally forced me to buy it (although she did pay for it, thanks mum!) but haven't featured it on the blog yet.  It's a bit longer than I thought it would be so it's a bit difficult to wear it with skirts because it looks like you've only got the jumper on with nothing underneath, but I will make it work at some point.  This is my first time wearing it with pants and the skinny fit of the jeans go perfectly with the loose, baggy top half.  I pretty much always buy jumpers in a size up, I prefer them to be nice and oversized.
I wasn't sure if the addition of the gilet would be too bulky, but I ended up liking them together quite a lot.  I think I will get a lot of wear out of this gilet in the next month or so, it's the perfect layering piece and the faux fur adds a bit of glam to any look, even this extremely casual one.
So today is my first proper day of the Christmas holidays (my dad was shocked when he found out how early I finished.  Uni life ain't so bad!) and it has been pretty damn lush.  I awoke at half past ten, which is pretty good for a day off, unpacked, watched good old daytime TV whilst baking some chocolate muffins - yummm - and then I finally got dressed and took these photos.  I have taken full advantage of having a day off, by doing absolutely nothing.  Oh yes.
Have you finished for Christmas yet?

P.S. I saw the Shakin' Stevens music video for the first time this year last night!  Hence the title of the post.  I have been waiting for it to come on and it now officially Christmas time, yippeee!  It's definitely my favourite Christmas song, what's yours?

All I want is the taste that your lips allow

Black faux fur gilet: TOPSHOP | Skull long sleeved top & coated mini skirt: ZARA | Black studded boots: ASOS

Who ever said wearing all black in an outfit is boring, eh?  Well, probably me at some point, actually... But I can safely say I have now changed my mind.  There are so many people who rock all-black looks, and I immediately get inspired by their effortless coolness, so I couldn't help but try to give black another chance.  I'm not a hater of the colour, not at all, I just tend to not wear it too much to avoid it looking boring and easy.  I don't even think I own an LBD which, you know, literally every other woman has in her wardrobe.  I usually look to inject some colour through my Converse.  As you can see, though, I am a changed woman.  I still love me some colour, don't get me wrong, but this outfit has resulted in me feeling effortlessly chic all day.
A big part of this is my new top from Zara which I bought last week.  I really like it.  I'm pretty sure it was the last one in the whole shop as it was just stuck on a random rail without a tag on it.  I checked it was in my size and then kept hold of it because I have discovered that Zara bring in new stock like there's no tomorrow, so going away to think about buying it wasn't an option.  I don't usually buy long sleeved tops, they're mostly vests or t-shirts.  I'm not sure why this is because I do really like long sleeves and obviously they're much more practical for this time of year.  I think it's the print which really sold it to me, it's made up of insects and bones and such (see last picture), which I think is really cool.  I cannot wait to pair this with my new leather pants, but I also think it would look really good with a denim skirt in summer, too.  Oh, and under my dungarees dress!  Ah, the options are endless! *Gets all giddy.*
I've just got to say something about these boots.  I haven't worn them in a while as I've been all about my Converse recently, but since trying these on for the first time in a while the other day I haven't really had them off my feet.  I love them.  <3
I've had a banging day off today, I have.  I went to sleep at like half three last night this morning because I stayed up watching videos on Youtube (thank you, 'vlogmas'!) and then lay in until half eleven.  Bliss.  And I'm a big sucker for daytime television, so I haven't been stuck for something to do.  One more lecture tomorrow and then I can go hoooome, hopefully putting the tree up this weekend too, yay.
Last thing - I'm in the process of deciding what to do with my hair.  Sometimes I want to go lighter, and then I see a picture of Cara Delevingne and I want to back to my natural, dirty blonde.  I posted an old picture on Twitter of my natural hair colour and got some lovely feedback, so please let know what you think!  I'm also considering dying it pink, so all suggestions are welcome...

Wishful Wednesday

1. Panther skater dress £28 TOPSHOP | 2. Skull bracelet £8 RIVER ISLAND via ASOS | 3. Secret night trip print sweater £30 ASOS | 4. Zip side leather look shorts £30 TOPSHOP | 5. Denim cut out studded dress £75 RIVER ISLAND | 6. Tiny cross bracelet £6 URBAN OUTFITTERS | 7. Cream faux fur gilet £55 TOPSHOP |

1. I think this dress would look so, so cool with just some messy hair and a pair of Converse.  I think I'll be buying this this weekend...
2. I like this, it's cute.
3. I do really like this sweater but I thought it was a big no no due to the strange gold sleeves.  However, when I thought about it for a few seconds, it started to grow on me.  I can't decide if the sleeves are horrendous or just awesome? Answers on a postcard, please.
4. These are so great and actually a good price for Topshop, too.  The high-waist means they would look great with a cropped band tee.
5. This is way too expensive for me to even consider buying this, but I like the shape and the cut out details all the same.  I can pretend.
6. One cannot own too many pieces of jewellery.
7. I have this in black and feel this colour would just create completely different outfits.  I'd team it with separates in similar tonal shades.  It just makes me feel snug even looking at it.

Three ways to wear: a faux fur gilet

Black faux fur gilét £55 TOPSHOP

... Over a shirt with jeans: this is probably the easiest look to recreate and perfect for a day spent doing nearly nothing except maybe running a few errands.  The faux fur subtly increases the luxe factor of the whole look, and probably makes it look like you've put a bit more effort into the outfit than you actually have.  Bonus.
... With shorts & a white shirt: I wore this in summer this year, showing you that, yes, faux fur can be worked into your wadrobe, whatever the season.  I teamed it with a lightweight shirt and a pair of lace shorts.  Oh, and some sunglasses, of course.
... Over a dress: this look is perfect for this season, especially now it's getting close to Christmas.  The faux fur and the snug accessories make an ideal combination.

Gold dress

Gold sparkle dress, black faux fur gilét, fairisle knit snood & blue pom pom hat: TOPSHOP | Shoes: CONVERSE

So if you haven't noticed already, this dress is actually the same dress from my outfit post the other day.  Yep, the midi dress.  So it's actually two dresses in one.  What can I say, I'm a genius...
Like I mentioned in the previous post, it is more of an evening/going out dress so I try my best with it to make it into a more casual outfit for daytime wear, which I think the hat, the snood and the Converse have definitely done.  Success!  This snood is one of my favourite accessories, I think the colours are so great and even though it's not something I usually go for I liked it as soon as I saw it in store.  I think it looks lovely with the dress, which is quite unexpected since they're very different items.
The faux fur gilét is a fail-safe item in any winter wardrobe.  The texture adds a bit of glam to any outfit whilst keeping you nice and warm at the same time.  In fact I've been out in this on and that's it as I was warm enough without having to throw my big coat on, which is definitely a good thing.
This is a perfect, Christmassy outfit in my opinion.  The sparkles and the faux fur give it that luxe feel, whereas the hat and scarf make sure it's still nice and cosy.  I can't help but team the hat with this dress, as the colour of it subtly matches with the dark blue base of the dress.
So there you go, I'd never worn this dress until a few days ago, and now I've worn it twice, in two completely different ways.  Being inventive with your closet is a must when you can't afford to buy anything new.
I'm currently watching Jeremy Kyle whilst doing this on my break from uni.  I go back later for a two hour lecture and finish at six, but then I have a day off tomorrow, woop woop.  Today in two weeks I will have the Manchester blogger meet up.  I am totally excited for it as it's my first meet up and I don't get the opportunity to go to any as they're usually in London.  It will be great to meet lots of new girls and it's held at Harvey Nichols which should be really cool.
P.S. Did you see Kristen Stewart's red carpet look from last night?  I think it's my favourite from her yet, the dress is beautiful!  Check it out here.

Black & white bouquet

Bouquet floral dress, black faux fur gilet & navy blue pom pom hat: TOPSHOP | Shoes: CONVERSE

Another day, another new dress.  I checked my bank balance yesterday, though, so I think this will be my last new dress ANYTHING for a while.  It's not good man, not good at all.  I can't complain too much though as it as left me with this lovely dress, as well as half of Topshop.  I added it to my 'Wishlist' on Pinterest the other day, and a mere few hours later I was buying it.  What grabbed my attention was the floral details, which look like you've roughly cut them out and just stuck them on, and as a result I think they look really great contrasted against the very straight, even stripes.  It's not one of the most colourful items, and I'm not someone to shy away from wearing colour, but thanks to this I can now wear it when it's colder, like now, but also when it's summer, minus the tights and the woolly hat of course.  Does anyone else do that?  When they see a piece of clothing they like and want to buy it, they have to put some thought into it first to make sure they can wear it all year round and more than once?  You'd think I'd save lots of money by doing this, but I can't see any clear evidence of that.  Ahem.
I added the faux fur gilét mainly because I couldn't leave the house in just a dress, I ain't that crazy.  Also when wearing that plus the cable knit hat I had taken a simple, floral dress and included it into a snug, autumnal outfit.  Simples.  I also thought the hat and the shoes injected just the right amount of colour into this monochromatic look, giving it a slight twist.
How do you wear dresses for the a/w season?  Maybe you just stay well away and stick to jeans?
Hope you all had a nice weekend, anyway.  I had a long one as it's employability week at my university, which meant I had yesterday off (take that, Monday!).  It's actually been a bit boring today and the only good session was when some final year students told us about their placement at Burberry, Adidas and Mexx.  A placement at Burberry would be a dream, apparently they're very corporate with their staff, but hey, it's BURBERRY, what else can you expect?
Hopefully tomorrow is more fun and interesting, which it should be because brands like ASOS and Arcadia are coming in to give us a speech on placements with them for our third year, so fingers crossed!

Three ways to wear... A floral shirt

Floral shirt: RIVER ISLAND

... With bright coloured skinny jeans: Sometimes with strong prints people tend to try to tone them down with more neutral items.  I, however, am going the complete other way with this outfit and really bringing out all the colours of the shirt with these neon pink jeans.  I did de-girlie the outfit though, with this casual pair of Converse.
... Under a skater dress: If you own a button-up shirt and a dress, I suggest you try combining them both together.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.  Finding a different way to wear a dress should always be welcomed, as they're not as versatile as separates can be.
... With a short skirt & faux fur: I gothed it up a bit in this look, but I think teaming the shirt with black makes the colours in the shirt pop just as much as the neon jeans do.  If I have my legs on show I usually button the shirt to the top and don't roll the sleeves up, to balance it out.  I'd definitely recommend investing in a faux fur gilet, as it is such a great layering piece.

Run DMC

Run DMC slashed tee & purple frill ankle socks: TOPSHOP | Coated black mini skirt: ZARA | Contrast faux fur coat & velvet dino flatforms: ASOS |

Just a simple, casual outfit today for a lazy weekend.  This tee is still one of my favourites, despite owning it for a few years (I know, how bizarre), I love the cut-out detail.  And the print is pretty damn cool, too.  I couldn't resist adding my awesome coat which I am wearing more and more now it's starting to get colder, although, by the looks of it, it's starting to get hotter again.  Sigh.
I am also starting to wear these flatforms more often now, as I think they are a much more winter-appropriate shoe.  I thought I'd try and wear them slightly different today, though, hence the addition the ankle socks.
The skirt I bought from Zara in their latest sale, and I can't seem to get enough of it.  It would look great if I went the opposite way with it and wore a white shirt and my patent loafers.
I've got quite a busy week starting Monday, so am making the most of lounging about doing nothing.  Am currently watching 'The Hunger Games' (for the third time, it's still awesome) with my mother.  I do think the books are better but I think Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson play the parts perfectly.  I am trying to read another book at the moments but I just keep thinking 'I WANT PEETA BACK THOUGH'.
Hope you all have a nice weekend!