I want so much to open your eyes

Tiger top: TOPSHOP | Black skater skirt & chunky boyfriend watch: RIVER ISLAND | Shoes: CONVERSE

So I went shopping yesterday.  I do fell guilty, I do, I only went out for bloody print ink!  I.  Am.  A nightmare.  It's actually tradition now, to come back to Manchester on a Sunday afternoon and go shopping.  That's what I've done every week since I've started the new term.  It did result in one cool thing though (or three...) - this top!  I'd never seen this in my life before yesterday - it's not online - and it was instant love.  I've made it my mission to buy statement, 'out-there' pieces since the new year, and apart from the money side of things I've done damn well.
I mean, this top - green spot, scaley shapes?  And the tigers, they're a bit random aren't they?  But oh my gosh it is one of the most awesome things I have ever seen.  It's like I have a whole new way of looking at clothes.  Screw key investment pieces, that's not my style at all, I want the things which will make people think 'what on earth made her want to pick that?'.  I guess an inspiration for me recently, without realising it, is Cara Delevingne.  She just wears these things that are effing ridiculous sometimes and manages to come off as the coolest girl, er, ever.  I mean, I'm hardly wearing a Bart Simpson print, but to me this top is cool as fudge.
I'm worn it with simple black items in order to make the top the focal point of the look, which wasn't too hard.  The combination of green and orange isn't the easiest thing to wear any old thing with, either.  I think the black did the job and that my black leather pants would have worked just as well as the skirt did.
I'm thinking I need to buy some orange Converse to wear with this top.  But I'll take any excuse to buy them in another colour, so...
Topshop, you've got it bang on right now, I'm luvvin' your werk.
Hope you all had a nice weekend!  Today was 'Blue Monday', the most depressing day of the year... Oh.  Although it seems most people in the country have had a snow day (including my brother who went sledging!  Waaaaah!), so they can't complain.  I, however, woke up to no snow.  I woke up late for uni.  And to top it all off, I had slept on my neck so weirdly that I couldn't physically pick my head up.  I was stuck to my bed.  I'm not bad with pain, really, but it's never taken me ten minutes to get out of bed before because of a stiff neck.  I'm gonna have to go bed looking presentable tonight in case it's even worse tomorrow morning and I have to shout for one of my flatmates to come in... I'm sure it would have been hilarious to anyone who could have watched it, though.  Just imagine someone lying there, lifting their head up a cm and going 'Aaaaaah what's going onnnnnn?!', and then finally for them to shuffle all of their body off the bed except their head. 
You ever seen that episode of 'Sex and the City' when Miranda gets stuck on her bathroom rug and can't move?  Kinda' like that...

Can you make it feel like home, if I tell you you're mine

Ganesha tee: URBAN OUTFITTERS | Blue pom pom hat: TOPSHOP | Pleather skater skirt: RIVER ISLAND |
Studded boots: ASOS

It's the weekend, YAY.  Well, for me it is anyway, don't hate 'cause you ain't me.  A simple outfit for a relatively simple finish to the working week, and I actually like it more after seeing these pictures.  I sometimes feel a little too boring when I wear just a skirt and a t-shirt, it feels like the easy option, but after seeing these it's clear that, when you feel like just throwing on a couple of things, you should just go with it.  Plus, my amazing boots (have really fallen back in love with these) help to make the outfit look a little more glam, a little more dressed up.
I do like the colours of the tee with the faux leather material, and I think the loose, baggy fit makes the top look really good when it's tucked in.  I decided to wear mostly black or dark colours so the t-shirt would inevitably be the focal point of the outfit.  I mean, it's too cool to not show off, right?!  I'm such an Urban Outfitters addict now.  Even though I don't have the money for it (or for anywhere) at the moment, I still go to look in when I can and am constantly browsing their website.  I don't really like any other lifestyle brands, but there's nothing I don't like about UO (well, accept maybe their prices... Okay, definitely their prices).  The clothes, the shoes, the underwear, even the visual merchandising.  They just have it spot on for me, and it's definitely encouraging my grungy, quirky style to come out even more.  The thing I love the most, though, is their homeware.  Now, I don't really have a home to decorate right now, but I can't help buying stuff even now.  I have a couple of things from them for Christmas, too... They have a niche, and I like that.  I really wanted the pug Christmas tree topper for this year, but it's sold out.  Damn it...
Hope you all have a lovely weekend!  I'm slowly getting into the festive spirit now.  I mean, I love Christmas (d'uh) but I just haven't got the full feeling yet.  I'm sure that will change once the tree goes up, and when I've seen the Shakin' Stevens video (my favourite) on the music channel, and when I've watched 'Love Actually' for the 36th time.  Saying that, mum and I watched 'A Miracle on 34th Street' yesterday with some Christmassy smelling candles on, so that definitely helped.  Plus, some of my relatives who live in Canada are coming back to England for the holiday, who I haven't seen in years, so that should be really nice to see them.  'Tis the season!

Fra la la la la, la la la laaaaaaaa...

Monochrome with a twist

White shirt, mixed sign necklace & cable knit hat: TOPSHOP |
Black coated skater skirt: RIVER ISLAND | Batman Converse: SCHUH

Quite a simple outfit for a simple day.  A white shirt and black skirt are both basic, key pieces but can be worn in so many different ways, you just have to put your own twist on them.  When I wear outfits like these, as soon as I put the items on, I start thinking 'Oh no I look like I'm going to work.  I can wear whatever the hell I want, and yet here I am, looking like I am going to work.', hence why I added the red lipstick.  And the statement necklace.  And the pom pom hat, to keep it casual rather than workwear.  And then I go a step further and put my really geeky/awesome Converse on.  After all that, you could have stuck a fork in me, I was done.  I did include my snood before I left the flat, but I took it off once I had got on the bus because I was too bloody hot.  Typical England, cold all summer and then when October hits it starts to get warm.
I haven't featured these shoes in an outfit post on the blog before as I've been wearing my new ASOS boots most of the time, but I do love these and feel like a big kid when I wear them.  A really, really cool big kid.  Everyone loves Batman, right?  I thought the necklace matched with the comic print quite nicely with its punctuation symbols.  The bold colours in them really helped to avoid the outfit from being boring.  I haven't made much of an effort with this look, though.  I've had a two hour day at uni, nice and easy, so I thought I'll just chuck whatever on.
I am really digging this knitted hat at the moment, too.  When I went home last weekend (I had it on for the whole time), my brother said he couldn't take me seriously in it and it looks like it doesn't fit my head (boys, eh?).  But as you can see, it's still firmly stuck on my head, my warm and very snug head, at that, and I now I just want to buy it in every colour available.  Hats are such great accessories for winter, they look great with any outfit, and these beanie style hats (condom head) give looks a grungy twist, and I love me some grunge, yo.
Anyway, hope you're all having a nice day!  I would tell you all to have a nice weekend but I have to keep reminding myself that it's Thursday, not Friday.  Thursdays are when I finish uni for the week, you see.  I'm not bragging, I promise.  Speaking of uni, I went to my first meeting yesterday with the fashion society, kind of an introduction to it, and ohmygoshhhhh the things which we're going to be doing sound uh-mazing.  They told us that we'll be going to the Clothes Show Live in Birmingham this December, as well as Pure London next year, which is a major fashion buying event.  It's also a possibility that we can go on some other ones, such as Bread & Butter in Berlin which looks INSANE.  I've never had the opportunity to go to anything like this, so am really excited for them.
And that's it for today guys, I haven't got much planned for the rest of the day, maybe a movie, some pizza and killing zombies on the new 'Resident Evil' game.  Sorted.

Tigress

Black coated pleather skater skirt: RIVER ISLAND | Black coated bowling bag: TOPSHOP |
Tiger print silky sweatshirt & studded flatform biker boots: ASOS

So I showed you guys these two new ASOS purchases the other day and completely drooled over them (or something more ladylike), and here they are on!  I adore them even more now I've had this outfit on for about three days, which in the fashion world is like a YEAR.   As I said before, the colours in the sweater are freaking beautiful, and looking at these pictures I really like the colour of my hair against them.  ASOS are a bit hit and miss with their stuff as they do thousands and thousands of products and have obviously got to cater for everyone's tastes, but when they get it right, boy, do they get it right.  I think the reason I like this top so much is because a tiger is seen as being fierce, and yet the pink flames and the flower in the print all contrast with that so perfectly.  And the chain and the silky panel just add to the awesomeness.  Twenty eights pounds I got this for, people, and I would have probably paid forty for it.
I could have teamed it with a pair of skinnies and Converse to make the look casual, but I decided go up the glam goth route and to wear it with all black including my favourite black skirt.  So impressed with these biker boots, too, and have had numerous compliments on them already, and that's without me having to high-kick the air whilst shouting "LOOK AT MY NEW SHOES!"
Yah, I really like this outfit, and I am very happy with the content of my wardrobe at the moment.  Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that I just keep buying new things, but who knows...
My course at university (Fashion buying & merchandising, F.Y.I.) is going really well.  It feels so nice to be learning something which I am genuinely interested in, whilst being surrounded by other fashionable girls, and to top that off I got homework today - to go SHOPPING.
That, my friends, is when you know you're on the right course.

Studded

Floral spike headand: TOPSHOP | Grey studded shoulder top: GLAMOROUS via ARK | Black coated skater skirt: RIVER ISLAND | Velvet dino flatform shoes: ASOS

 I have been after a pleather skirt for so long.  I know there was a pleated Primark one which the majority of UK-based bloggers have, but the snob inside of me has never let me be much of a Primark girl, I much prefer to shop myself into debt by shopping in Topshop.  Yeah, quite a dangerous habbit... This one was only £20(!) though, so it was only a matter of time before I caved in and bought this one, as opposed to all the others which are popping up in lots of different high street stores at the moment.  I've already seen a couple of bloggers wearing this one, so am sure it will be a big hit amongst, well, everyone.  Hello, did I mention it is only twenty pounds?!  Even if using your last twenty pounds means you have no food for a while, it's okay, because you will wear this with pretty much everything.  With tights, without tights, whatever the weather, just wear it.  I have planned numerous outfits in my head already, and I only bought it yesterday.
Another thing which I purchased yesterday is this top.  I've only ever shopped online at Ark before, so I decided to go into their actual store in Manchester, but I only ended up liking, well, about half of their stock, actually.  Their prices are pretty amazing compared to usual Topshop prices.  I spotted a Levi's sleeveless denim jacket which I just wanted to grab and run away with, but I set myself a budget so I decided on this Glamorous top.  I've never shopped at Glamorous before, only some online window shopping, but what better thing to start with than a studded top?  Everyone and their mother has a studded item at the moment, and this is actually my first one.  Say whaaat?  They were a couple of different colours but I settled on this one as it was the first one I saw, plus grey goes with pretty much everything.
I thought the shoes and the headband were nice little additions to the outfit as I never like to look too, er, dark?  The pink flowers add just the right amount of girlieness to the outfit.  I've seen a black version of it online and I really, REALLY want it...