outfit of the day: leopard print booties

Leopard print...ponyhair...block heel... surely a one-way ticket to tack-town?

 

Okay, so it may not sound like a component of an instantly chic outfit; however, I truly believe anything most things can be stylish if paired together with the right items.

 

I bought these leather boots from Topshop yesterday, in the sale for £30 (down from £70), which I thought was a bargain! Unfortunately after wearing them today, for only five hours, my feet ache so much! But hey ho, no pain no gain as they say! I'm usually not the greatest fan of 'heeled flat' shoes- the majority of my collection are either below 1/2 inch heel or above 6inch, but I thought these were far from my pet hate- kitten heels- and so I made the exception.

So how did I style them?

Silk blouse- Calvin Klein (vintage)

Skater skirt- Topshop

Leather Jacket- Zara

Leather satchel- MADE accessories

Boots- Topshop

 

So, what do you think? How would you style leopard print boots?

talia xoxo

hype this on lookbook.nu

how to style: orange

Personally, I tend to splurge on timeless classics; items such as a black velvet dress, a crisp white shirt or tan leather brogues can last a lifetime if they are both made to the best of quality and taken care of correctly. This leaves the items that change seasonally, 'fashionable' items in other terms, to be found through other sources, for example on the high street or via thrifting; however, I often struggle to part with my money for a piece of clothing that could be considered to only worn for 3 months. Therefore, every thing I buy is deeply considered prior to purchase, and I aim to find multiple ways of wearing it.

The first item I am investigating, is this orange dress. Yes, you heard correctly, orange. I have to admit, orange is my second favourite colour, after brown, but a true success is finding attractive ways to style something you'd otherwise hate, so I thought I'd give it a go. I also love the shape of the dress, which is simple yet modern, allowing the print to do the talking.



The dress in question- available at Topshop, £36

Outfit 1: Summer beach

Denim jacket- Rokit vintage 112.50

Straw bag- Lindex 30.00

Sandals- &otherstories 55.00

Hat- Accessorize 15.00

Sunglasses- Ray Ban 140.00

Bracelet- Astley Clark 165.00

Outfit 2: Workwear

White blazer- zara 69.99

Shoes- &otherstories 55.00

Tote- Aspinal

Hair cuff- H&M 2.99

Outfit 3: Evening party

Leather jacket- AllSaints

Black heels- zara 39.99

Clutch- Urban Outfittes

Jewellery- Anything with lots of chains and neon

 

 

I hope I've convinced you that orange is not as intimidating after consideration.

talia xoxo 

 

hello sunshine, the earth says hello!

 

Despite it being the only quote I can remember, I thought that the Willy Wonka post title was rather relevant considering the weather in the UK has been, to say the least, lush.

Sun, sun, and more sun... failing to dampen anyone's mood. Unfortunately, it arrives at the time when students up and down the country should be revising for vital exams. Oh well; you only live once.

 

 

hype on lookbook

 

Skirt- H&M

Silk Blouse- Vintage Calvin Klein

Leather Jacket- Zara

Nude suede heels - Topshop

Sunglasses- Topshop

Chain Bracelet- Topshop

 

The main focus of this outfit was the skirt, as I had received it for Christmas and had yet had an opportunity to wear it. Only afterwards did I realise that my orange/red nail varnish coordinated with the floral print. As I was going out, I swapped my originally planned black v-neck t-shirt for a silk blouse, on par with my usual melange of high street and vintage. I thought the leather jacket added a needed rocker 'edge', ensuring I remained myself and did not look too put together. As always, my outfit would have been incomplete without a pair of heels.

 



 



Recent purchases and a bit of omnomnom!

 

Hellooooooo everyone!

 

 

Mid-February happens to be the mid-life crisis period of the calender year; too far past Christmas to still be buzzing over the winter festivities, but Summer is yet a while off. I, like most people, happen to find myself in a state of demotivation. It is not close enough to exams to commence revision, but it lingers in my mind that it would be in my best interest to start looking over my notes so that I do not cram last-minute. So how do I go about this?

 

 

Shopping.

 

 

*Evidence provided below*

 

 

First up, I picked up these gorgeous trousers from Topshop; the material is a very lightweight cotton which would be perfect in the summer with a white t-shirt and tan sandals, or in the winter with a grey sweater, frilly socks, creepers, leather jacket and some large neon accessories. Unfortunately, they do not fit particularly well; although they are from the Petite range (which is supposed to fit up to 5'4" lasses), they come up extremely short and thus do not fit over my thighs! So they will be going back, such a shame since they were a bargain in the sale! :(

 

I also bought 2 pairs of neon earring and a chain/neon cord bracelet from Topshop, which I thought would complement any monochrome outfit and silver accessories!

 

Finally, just some basic beauty essentials from Superdrug- review to come!

 

 

 

Food Diary!

 

I have recently found myself taking pictures of lots of pictures of food- which my younger brother thinks is quite strange and sad really. A lie in this morning (and recovery from a huge Prezzo pizza and fries last night) meant I only wanted something on the small side for breakfast, which led to a dip in the fruit bowl for a kiwi :)



 

 

Then for lunch, I made a wrap with mixed salad leaves, chives, olives, baby tomatoes, spring onions, caramelised onion houmous, pesto, fried red peppers and Indian paneer cheese. It was absolutely delicious!!

 

 

 

 

Just an outfit of what I wore to dinner+shopping yesterday; quite casual and comfortable without looking lazy!

 

(Dress and boots- topshop, leather jacket- zara, scarf- warehouse, leather satchel- MADE accessories, beret- c&a)

 

xx

 

 

 

 

 

City Break: Holiday Outfits

I'm currently away on holiday in Warsaw, Poland, so here are just a couple of quick outfit posts!

1. For an open-air Chopin concert, I decided to wear this horizantal striped Topshop jersey dress, which is comfortable and versatile. I paired it with my large Watermelon earrings to make the outfit slightly more formal and colourful, keeping my other accessories monochromatic. The dress is quite plain in style, so I decided to add a tough edge with creepers, still keeping it feminine with frilly lace socks. My bag is 'vintage', it was my mum's in the 70's. Unfortunately, later it poured with rain, and my Creepers are still drying half a week later :(

2. I wore this DKNY jumpsuit while shopping in the city centre with friends and had little time before going out to a family tea, so I threw on these hot pink suede Topshop wedges. The leopard print scarf-belt is Vintage which I 'borrowed' from my grandmother because it matched the sandals I wore during the day. Again, I'm sporting my favourite bag at the moment.

3. A very casual, 'city chic' look which I wore shopping and then to the swimming pool, I decided to elaborate the plain Topman t-shirt and basic denim shorts with a silk Mary Katrantzou for Topshop scarf (post coming soon!) My sandals are from Aldo and my bag is vintage



Fake it.

Just a bit of a mismatch post today; I've picked up a few things here and there over the past couple of days, and am supposed to be revising for my last exam which is next thursday. God save me.

I picked up this gorgeous turban-style rose pink satin headband, which I think would look perfect with a girly pink dress and creepers, but I could also imagine wearing it with a loose band tee and denim shorts in the summer! I repurchased my favourite mascara from Boots- No7 Exquisite Curl. As I use it as an everyday mascara, I use the Brown/Black colour, which looks very natural on the lashes. Also, I've heard so much hype about the Revlon Lip Butters that I caved in and bought one since they were £2 off at Boots. I bought the colour 'Tutti Frutti' as I have been searching for the perfect Orange since the stone age; I am also looking for a lilac/lavender colour lipstick, i.e. D'Lilac by Limecrime; however I found that the Revlon alternative was too sheer for my liking. I also happened to swatch Barry M's 'Palest Lavender' on my hand while making a quick stop in Superdrug; the formula was very creamy and moisturizing compared to other Barry M lipsticks, but awfully short-lasting.

I have a habit of accumulating rather large, sturdy umbrellas- rather impractical for travelling and when the weather is undecided. I saw this pretty sailor-sketch print one from H&M with frills around the bottom. It was only £4.99, so I could not restrain myself!

I've been after an ear cuff for absolutely ages but haven't quite managed to find the perfect. I bought this one from the Topshop sale and thought that it was adjustable...apparently not. Therefore, I have to wear it quite low down close to my earlobe to avoid it falling off! I love the silver snake as I think it is quite simple, yet edgy; the only problem is I cannot wear any other earrings with it :( The hunt for the perfect ear cuff continues...

The outfit I wore the other day: Shirt- Vintage Ralph Lauren, Silk Shorts- True Decadence, Snakeskin Leather Clutch- Gharani Strok, Creepers- Underground, Sunglasses- Huzzar Vintage, Tights- see below....

 My mum managed to find these gorgeour tattoo-print 'Saylor' tights' from Bebaroque. They are so unique; I have had a few people mistaking them for real tattoos! They are 'hand-finished' and made in Scotland, so unfortunately the price tag is not light; nonetheless, they work with many different outfits so I guess it's like buying a staple pair of trousers/leggings?!? Regrettably, I have somehow made a hole on the foot of one of them, and even though they are supposed to stretch from sizes 8-16, I find them rather tight. Even so, I think I may have to purchase a back up pair....

Finally, with the Diamond Jubilee celebrations now finished, I have decided to channel my inner-brit and have a new-found love for scones! Although the majority of those who consume this delight reach for clotted cream, I much rather prefer Philadelphia (light!) soft cheese, strawberry jam and a couple of raisins sprinkled over the top. I also managed to discover the wonders of Amarena cherries- this pot of the sweet Italian delicacy is vastly decreasing in mass in my refridgerator.  

I hope you're all having a good week!

B.b.b.a.g. xx

Diamond Jubilee #2

As per usual in the UK, yesterday's bank holiday arrived hand-in-hand with a bucketful of rain. Even after a couple of hours, - in which one would expect the weather to brighten up-, the clouds failed to disappear, so my conscious was filled with a constant worry of whether or not there would be a sudden outburst of raindrops. Although water and suede are often assumed to be arch-enemies, I decided to take a risk and weat my Underground Creepers (sprayed with Topshop's shoe protector, just to be on the safe side), which I paired with black opaque tights to create a clean silhouette.

Channelling the Diamond Jubilee colour scheme, I thought it would be appropriate to incorporate this nave Cotton/Nylon mix Tommy Hilfiger Sweater into my outfit, elaborating its simplicity with this gorgeous floral chiffon mullet skirt from Zara. To shield me from the slight chill, - inevitable British weather which we cannot escape, even on the few days of celebration-, I wore my brown faux-leather Zara jacket with quilted lining, and slung my vintage beaded bag over my shoulder to carry essentials for the day's events.

Diamond Jubilee

60 years after embarking on her role as the monarch of England, Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her 'Diamond Jubilee' this weekend. Although I must admit I am not particularly patriotic, I am using these four days as an excuse to relax, go out and avoid revision like the plague! The festivities are also encouraging me to incorpate splashes of red and blue into my typical monochromatic wardrobe. 

Shirt- Ralph Lauren; Skirt- Warehouse; Socks- Topshop; Shoes- Underground; Bag- Vintage

Today I attented a Jubilee Fayre in my local village where I performed with my dance troupe; unfortunately the sky was grey and miserable, and it seemed to constantly rain!!

Last-minute plans mean I have to find an outfit to wear to a street party tomorrow! I am quite unsure what the attire/dress code is for one of these... dresses? Jeans? Smart? Casual? I suppose I'll take the best of both worlds and wear a dress with creepers!

Since I am currently on study leave, I often find myself sitting home alone for the whole day. It does not take prompting for my friends to note that I am probably the worst cook in the world, so I have had to resort to salads! Having said that, I have been picking lettuce from my mom's little vegetable patch in the garden. I have also managed to find myself a new love.... Spring onion!

^ One of the many salads I have made over the past week, containing (apologies for the very non-technical names!): purple salad leaves, iceberg lettuce, green salad leaves- the spiky ones!-, cucumber, spring onion, spinach leaves, cream cheese with chives, purple caramelised onion chutney. Personally, I think it looks very appetising, and it tasted delicious! It is surprisingly filling and pretty healthy (unless you add dollops of condiments like me!)

B.B.B.A.G. xx

Welcome Back!

So, having practically finished all of my excruciating exams now (well- all of the moderately difficult ones!), I seem to have plenty of time on my hands to lazy around, tidy my room and of course: BLOG! Yes, I know I haven't been around for a while; however BigBenBigAppleGirl is back! So sit tight for the next couple of weeks, as I'm hoping for them to be saturated with posts!
Much love,
B.b.b.a.g. xx

19/02/2012

Finally I am going to try and fulfil my New Year's resolution to be a 'better blogger', which means actually posting something from time to time.

Today, -well, this evening-, I managed to have a 'sort out' of my wardrobe; although little has been removed and stored away, I did happen to find a few items of clothing that I believed to have previously 'lost.'

Here is a quick post of what I wore today:

(Sunglasses: Huzzar Vintage @ LFW, Golf: Guess, Jacket: Zara, Silk Skirt: All Saints, Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell, Clutch: Gharani Strok)

Also, I am religiously saving up for a few items, some which I have been desperately lusting after for quite some time.

First of all are these beauties! The Nude Leather Night Walk by Jeffrey Campbell would look perfect with a bright coral/red or black dress. With no idea how a human being is expected to walk in these, and none available in the UK to even try on, I am reluctant to purchase them; however, the idea of grannies' jaws dropping when I strut down the church isle in these bad boys makes me lust over them even more!

Something slightly more modest is a pair of Mint Green Lace Trim socks from Topshop, which I think would be very versatile; tan brogues, Creepers, Night Walks, Doc Martens, the possibilities are endless! They could add a girlie edge to sharp, androgynous tailoring, or compliment this season's pastel lace 50's dresses. At a mere £3.50, I am adding them to my cart.

Strangely, I seem to spend all of my savings on heels/wedges, so have decided to put some money aside for a pair of nice flats. These Underground Creepers, (available at Office for £89) are the strongest contender so far.