I'm going back to the start

Black fine knit jumper: ZARA |
Green khaki skater skirt, black coated bowling bag & black cross earrings: TOPSHOP |
Cross stretch bracelet, mixed grey snood & studded biker boots: ASOS

I didn't know I liked this outfit as much as I do until I looked at these photos, now I will wear it again.  And again.  And probably another time after that.  I don't think I'd ever use the word 'minimilistic' to describe my style, but as I've said time and time again, sometimes the most simplest of outfits are the best ones.  Am I right, or am I right?  The skirt and the earrings are new purchases, and if you count a month or so as 'new' too, then so is the bracelet.  And the snood.  Oh, and the shoes.
I really like this skirt and am glad I bought it when I was browsing Topshop the other day.  It was one of those items which was stuffed at the back of a rail on the bottom, hiding behind other clothes.  I very nearly didn't see it, and even when I did I walked past it.  But then something made me walk back, I think it was the fact that I keep buying new tops when I only have a few bottom pieces in my wardrobe.  Does anyone else do this, maybe you're the other way round?  Anyway, thanks me, for forcing me to buy this, as it will go with everything this season.  It also ticks off the military trend because of its colour, which is a look which I am definitely aiming for this winter.  I think that the flippy, skater style skirts are the most flattering on pretty much all body shapes, as they nip you in at the waist and also skim over your thighs if they are something which you don't want to be showing off.  Much more interesting than a plain bodycon skirt, anyway.
I based my look around this skirt which is why I went for all black.  Probably the safest option to go for, but that doesn't make it any less chic.  The snood was a last-minute addition although looking at these I actually prefer the outfit with it, it just adds that little something, you know?  The weather has been perfect autumn weather at the moment - sunny, no rain, cold enough so you can wear a jacket/jumper, but not so cold that you have to chuck a big massive coat over everything.  If it stayed like this until Summer, I'd be happy.  Winter fashion is the best, in my opinion, but it's no good if you have to hide all of outfits under a big coat.  Unless you have one hell of a winter coat, then it's okay.  I've still got to find mine for this year...
Hope you're all having a nice week!  I've got a day off tomorrow, good times.

One small step...

...for man, one huge step for my wardrobe.

Black coated bowling bag, jewellery, lip marker & astronaut tee (Tee and Cake): TOPSHOP |
Black coated mini skirt: ZARA | Studded biker boots: ASOS

Ohhh I think I am in love with this tee... And it was one hundred percent love at first sight.  If I didn't believe in it before, I do now.  Ever since starting university and moving to a city a few weeks ago, I have gone shopping mad (even more so than before) and am quite overwhelmed with the amount of cool items being introduced to my wardrobe.  I know, woe is me... I included this tee in my 'Wishful Wednesday' post about three weeks ago, and when I walked into Topshop and saw this, I couldn't say no.  I mean, it's even more tempting in person.  I wasn't even supposed to be buying anything (I know, even I didn't believe myself) but ended up spending over a hundred pounds.  I wasn't even aware of this until I got to the till, and because I was in shock I'm pretty sure the lady had to tell me to insert my card at least three times.  Why I was expecting less, I don't know, because my tactic of walking around the store and picking up everything I like without calculating the price, wasn't exactly a great one.  But oh well, at least I have an awesome new top (or two...).  I really like the colours and the image print, and I will probably be wearing this all weekend.
And oh, have you seen my new claw earrings?  I have been after some for weeks since seeing some on a blogger, and what do you know, there they were on one of the jewellery racks.  Yes, I am pleased with them also... As well as my new lip marker.  I'm not much of a make-up expert, at all, but I enjoy experimenting with lip colours, and I am digging the dark berry colour that is the winter alternative of red.  So yeah, expect a haul post this weekend.  Again. 
Oh god.
Anyway, I've just finished uni for the week (I get Wednesdays and Fridays off, how great is that?) and will be off home again tomorrow, so my weekend will probably consist of an Indian take-away, 'The X Factor' and 'Snow White and the Huntsman' which I've just bought on DVD.  I've also just signed up for a free month trial of Netflix so I can watch 'Dexter', which I've been wanting to do for a while after so many people have said how awesome it is.  I'm now two episodes down, and so far so good.
Are you doing anything exciting this weekend?  Hope it's a good one anyway!

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.

We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky

Poppy floral oversized tee & black coated bowling bag: TOPSHOP | Rib beanie hat & chunky chain necklace: ASOS | Shoes: CONVERSE

I showed you yesterday the things which I've been buying over the past month, and the first thing I purchased was this floral print tee (which I'm wearing as a dress, obviously).  I featured it on one of my 'Wishful Wednesday' post some weeks ago, when I wasn't actually meant to be spending any money, but you know when you just see something and you think 'I'm gonna pretend, for now, that I'm not gonna buy it, but I know I will end up getting it anyway'?  Well that's what I did with this.  There's something about the colours (and the very reasonable price, for Topshop) which makes it too hard to resist, even more so when it's in the store staring at you, in all of its floral glory.
I think the large print and the black base immediately makes it appropriate for winter and suitable for pairing it with tights, as well as going without them in the summer.  Don't you just love it when you find an item which you can wear all year round?  Before I buy something I always consider whether it will work for all the seasons or not.  The bold, colourful print was practically asking me to pair it with my green beanie hat, immediately creating a contrast which I love.  Because the length is quite short I could also wear it under a skirt, and it looks great with my red Converse, as well as with my blue ones.  I think my bowler hat would be a perfect alternative to my beanie, too.  I can't wait to wear this in lots of different ways!
So university life is going okay.  I live with four other people who seem really nice, and there's lots of lovely, fashionable girls on my course.  Seeing other people with a great sense of style is kind of a big deal to me, as Burnley is full of leggings and, well, that's it, so Manchester is definitely a nice change in that respect.  The weather has been absolutely rubbish with non-stop rain for the past couple of days, but it's finally brightening up today and it feels like I haven't seen dry ground in about a week.  I think I'm going home this weekend again, but I'll be sleeping on the sofa as my lovely brother has pinched my room.
The bloody cheek of it.
Oh, and have you heard Rihanna's new single 'Diamonds'?  I've been waiting for its release ever since I heard she was releasing a new album, and I can safely say after the first ten seconds of listening to it I knew I was going to love it.  I have had it on repeat since yesterday, and the lyrics are beautiful.  God, I hope I get to see her on tour next year!

But girl tonight you look so pretty

Green cable knit jumper: ZARA | Gold chunky chain necklace: ASOS |
Red daisy print dress, black bowler hat & black bowling bag: TOPSHOP |
Shoes: CONVERSE | Orange neon nail polish: AMERICAN APPAREL

As you can probably tell from this outfit and my last one, winter is quickly approaching, and my outfits are happy to adapt.  I've already purchased a couple of new chunky knit jumpers, including this one, and I can't wait to add more to my collection, in a variety of colours.  I have mentioned this jumper on the blog before when I included it in one of my 'Wishful Wednesday' posts a few weeks ago.  I think dark green is my favourite colour to wear in the A/W months, and this knit was only twenty pounds (whaaat?), so it was only a matter of time before I added it to my online shopping basket.  Thankfully I bought the biggest size available (a 'large') as the arms are quite fitted and on the medium they would have been too short.  I am so pleased with it, I was expecting quite thin material because of how much I paid, but it is quite thick and you definitely get your money's worth.  I have worn it numerous times already - with a black skirt or shorts - but today I decided to take another route and wear it over a red dress.  Now I usually avoid wearing dark green and red together because together it's a very Christmassy combination, but thankfully I think the daisy print pulled it out of this territory, so I just went for it.  I wasn't sure about this dress the last time I wore it as I wasn't sure there's many ways one could wear it, so I was happy to throw a jumper over it, giving me another way to wear this dress.  I think it would look amazing with the bright, yellow jumper which I wore in my last outfit post, too.
The accessories today are pretty much the same as the other day - the hat, the bag and my new favourite, statement necklace.  I can't get enough of this hat, I've been wearing my beanie quite a lot lately which is more of a grungy item, so it's great to take my style in another direction with this bowler hat.  I'm not much a bag kinda' girl, don't get me wrong I appreciate all different kind of handbags, but I'd rather spend my money on clothes and shoes whilst just having one bag.  Hence why my new one is PERFECT.  It's just like my last bag except in a black colour, and hello, black goes with everything in winter.  I am definitely over the whole pastels thing now and happily embracing the darker colours, so you'll be seeing this in pretty much every outfit post from now on.
Don't you just love my new neon nail varnish?  It has a bit more of a yellow tone to it in these pictures, but in person it's like WOW.  I've been lusting after the neon varnishes from American Apparel for a few months now, and finally I purchased them in this colour, the bright yellow and the pink/coral shade.  As I said the other day, the yellow's staying time is absolutely rubbish and how it applies is nasty (still an AWESOME colour, let me add), but I've had none of these issues with the other two.  I think they add the perfect pop of bright colour to any outfit, so I will be sporting these for the next few weeks, until the novelty wears off (if ever).
Hope you all have a nice weekend!  After two hours on buses yesterday night I am home for the weekend, my brother has already claimed my bedroom as his own (naturally), but it's nice to be back for a while!  Even if I have been gone for less than a week...