Denim Summer Staple

First things first, I apologise for my complete radio silence over the past few weeks.  Things have been a little bit all over the place, to say the least, in between finishing my degree, heading off to Glastonbury Festival as part of the Shangri-La Press team, and packing up my entire life to move back home in between tenancies.  I'll be moving into a new place in the Brighton area in August, following a rigorous job hunt and some hardcore holidaying which I'm super excited for.  But for now I've been LOVING having a bit of time and space to take a breather and spend time with my friends and family!

Denim jacket - Vintage / Top - H&M (old, try this) / Skirt - H&M (similar)

Bag - BrandAlley / Flatforms - Bershka (only available in gold now!) / Sunglasses - Derek Lam

Anyway, onto the outfit - I picked up this denim skirt last week in H&M for a bargainous £15.  I can't find this exact one online, typically, but they have an enormous selection, fit for every taste here.  I haven't owned a denim skirt in years - the last one I had was self-fashioned, from a pair of beaten up Topshop skinny jeans, when I was probably 12 or 13.  It lasted me a good few years before finally biting the dust (maybe something to do with my dodgy hand stitching?!).  But I am so glad to welcome the denim skirt back into my wardrobe; it's already fast becoming a summer staple.

 

 

 Nail polish - Kitsch by Rococo

  

I think it is safe to say that my double denim obsession has taken full hold this summer.  Recently I've been especially loving pairing two tones of denim with a basic colour block tee.  I picked up this one late last year in H&M.  The colour's a kind of dirty lilac meets taupe shade, and I love the relaxed V-neck fit.  You can't beat a good basic, eh! 

And finally, I would like to introduce you to these fabulous flatform sandals.  I got my hands on these a few months ago, so they're now only available in gold on Bershka's site, but are also only £11.99... 

I'm not going to lie to you, these aren't the comfiest shoes in the world, but I've tended to find sandals from high street fashion stores in general to be pretty uncomfortable.  However, these make up for it in sass, giving me those all important extra few inches, and giving me a chance to show off my fabulous mermaid-y toenails, which were courtesy of Nails By Fleur.  I've raved about her work before (see this post), and her Instagram is a site to behold - for anyone in the West Sussex area I can't recommend her highly enough.  

Anyway, enough from me and my sparkly toenails.  Here's a nice picture of me smiling and a not so nice one, but perhaps more accurate representation of me in my current hayfever ridden state, pre-sneeze... #thestruggleisreal.

Ruby x

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Phillimore Gardens

Last week I spent a few days in London with my sister, Laura.  Wednesday was spent drinking copious amounts of wine, which meant our Thursday began rather late (I think we left her place around 3pm... I know).  That said, the day wasn't a complete write-off.  We managed to make it to the Design Museum in Kensington for a little wander round in the late afternoon, which was well worth the visit if you like all things design-related, before wandering into a side street to take some blog pics in front of a random person's (rather beautiful) house.

I've recently got really into my comfort clothing, fashion-wise.  Ever since culottes blew up a year or so ago, they've become my best friend, especially these babies from Zara with their cheeky side split, which you may remember me raving about in this post.  Although not so practical for the windy weather, they're incredibly versatile and were super cheap (around £18-20 if I remember correctly). 

Denim Jacket - Vintage / Top - Urban Outfitters / Culottes - Zara (similar) 

Bag - BrandAlley / Shoes - New Look (try these)

And as much as I'm trying desperately not to buy too much into trends, I felt like I had already resisted the gingham trend for far too long and it was only a matter of time before I succumbed.  And this top is a lovely little gingham hybrid - quite a large print, so easy to wear and super sheer so perfect for layering.  

I find blues and blacks by far the easiest colours to style - I could've easily thrown this on with a leather jacket and heels instead and worn it out for drinks, or equally could've worn trainers to keep it even more casual.  Wunderbar!

Ruby x 

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Dress-ing it down

Anyone who knows me will probably also know I'm not really a dress girl.  It's certainly something I've become painfully aware of in the last couple of weeks, as I've been searching for something graduation worthy - in vain, might I add.  

But, from time to time I do stumble across something I like.  And of course I found this one in Urban Outfitters!

I've always liked the look of longer dresses, but found it quite tricky to find styles which aren't too floaty but also aren't too form-fitting - I want the freedom to eat all the ice cream and nobody know about it, you see.  This one's the perfect hybrid, made with a slinky material that fits a bit closer in all the right places.

I also love that it has this sexy little side split which isn't too impractical because it only goes to just above the knee - wonderful.  

And, more importantly, this is one of those dresses that you don't have to dress up for.  I love this with sandals and a big shirt, equally with trainers and denim jacket... there's loads of ways you can style something like this (of course you could also go for heels and a snazzy jacket).  I got this particular shirt from the Brighton laines for a fiver, and so far it's been my most worn Spring purchase.

Dress - Urban Renewal @ UO / Bag - BrandAlley / Shirt - Vintage
Sunglasses - TK Maxx (Derek Lam) / Sandals - H&M (suuuuper old)

 Update on the bag - still holding up fairly well!  And I'm loving it.  My slight qualm would be the suede has worn pretty quick and gets grubby, but what kind of an idiot buys suede thinking it'll stay clean... me, perhaps.

Have a fab weekend darlings,

Ruby x

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Denim Denim

Pretty much anyone who knows me will also probably know I have a massive thing for denim.  And when I saw this jacket at a vintage stall in Berlin back in February (for more on that trip click here and here) it was love at first sight, despite it being grossly out of season and really, really cold.

  

Although it was a little steep at around €45 from what I can remember, I think denim jackets are always an excellent investment - not saying you can't get good 'uns cheaply - but that when the right one does come along, buy it and cherish it, because they last forever.  Similarly, these jeans have seen me through the past 3 years (minimum), all year.  And I think paired with the jacket, despite being slightly different shades, it's a match made in quirky heaven. 

Shoes - TK Maxx (similar) / Jeans - Urban Outfitters Urban Renewal (similar) / Top - Zara (similar)

Jacket - Vintage (United Colours of Benetton) / Bag - BrandAlley

The other thing I couldn't not talk about is this bag, another love affair story.  With student loan having just dropped, and a couple of my favourite cross body bags having just bitten the dust, I thought I'd treat myself to something a little better made that will hopefully last me longer.  

I got this from a website called BrandAlley which is a 'non-stop designer sale', aka Aladdin's cave for bargain hunters like me.  I paid £45 for this in the end as I got a £10 first purchase discount, but that's with a 74% discount on the initial cost.  Yeah, I know.  It's also super reminiscent of the Chloé Faye bag too, but at a fraction of the cost.

And finally, I introduce my latest TK Maxx find - these very Celine-esque sunglasses from a brand called Derek Lam.  I can't fault TK Maxx for their range of sunnies - you can find so many brands at so many different price points, but all really good bang for your buck. 

So, that concludes the whistle stop tour of where the first 20% of my student loan has gone.  Enjoy the sunshine my loves,

Ruby x

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The Military Jacket

 

Now that the weather is getting a little warmer, a whole new range of wardrobe options have become available to me and that is something I am so happy about.  I'm a really cold person (inside as well as out) so it's not really until this time of year that I feel like I can start to really get my style on.  There's only so much you can do when you have to wear a jumper and coat over the top of everything...

And one of my new found loves has to be this jacket - which is actually relatively old.  I got this late November last year when Missguided had one of those extra special 50% off everything for students events.  I'd never actually ordered anything from the site before and so thought it would be a good opportunity to try...  although this was not the most practical purchase for the time of year, as it really is quite lightweight and not very warm!  But luckily I'm getting some wear out of it now.  It's not on the site anymore now but I did find this other military style jacket which is just to die for.

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Another thing I've got really into recently is culottes (again!). 

 

 Top - Urban Outfitters (old) / Culottes - Zara (similar) / Shoes - Adidas Stan Smiths (v similar)

Bag - Fiorelli @ TK Maxx / Zip up hoodie - Primark / Jacket - Missguided

These ones are from Zara, and they're probably one of the comfiest items of clothing to ever have graced my wardrobe.  They've also got a rather sexual split down the side of each leg, which I haven't managed to get in these pics - but probably best left to the imagination anyway.  

Finally I have to give some air time to the latest addition to my wardrobe, which are this beautiful pair of trainers.  I picked these up on a whim in the Adidas outlet store in Gunwharf Quays - and weirdly enough, I can't find them online but these are very similar.  I was so unsure when I first saw these, but a couple of weeks in and I'm bloody loving them.  They're so versatile as trainers go, and I'm obsessed with the textured look of the shoe. 

Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend.  Love,

Ruby x