Saturday 28 June 2014

Style in a Suitcase: Festivals

When you're packing it's hard to decide what will make the cut and what will have to stay at home. I think it's best to take a little of everything; I know you might love breton tops, but do you really need to take five?! Take one long sleeved and one short sleeved then swap the others for a pair of comfy shoes. Never underestimate the merits of a comfy shoe when on holiday. Jelly shoes may be gracing the pages of every fashion magazine at the moment but they were not made for sightseeing! Welcome to my Style in a Suitcase series!
 
So this week is a bit of a change as I'm not doing a specific city. What with Glastonbury being this weekend I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and do festival fashion. However the outfits I have put together are probably more weather appropriate for Hideout festival in Croatia and not rainy, thundery Glasto!
 
Sunglasses-ASOS | Floral garland-Topshop | Shoes-Office | Top-H&M | Shorts-Forever 21 | Bag-Cath Kidston

Now it might be a bit cliché but when I think of festival wear I think of floral garlands! There are so many pretty ones at Topshop, I love this colourful one. They go well with all of the Dolce and Gabbana inspired sunglasses out this summer such as these from ASOS.


 Top-Topshop | Skort-River Island | Sunglasses-Topshop | Trainers-Office | Mini Rucksack-ASOS
 
If floral garlands and Cath Kidston prints are too girly for you then how about this sporty T-shirt from Topshop? Pair with leather look shorts or, even better, this skort from River Island. Keep things monochrome with your trainers and bag then add a pop of colour with these fun Jeepers Peepers sunglasses from Topshop.
 
 

The reason why I started this Style in a Suitcase series was to give myself a reason to experiment with Photoshop. So this week I have also done a couple of collages. They're not very good but hopefully if I keep practicing I will improve...


Are you headed to any festivals this summer?
What do you think about my attempt at doing collages?

Friday 27 June 2014

Take me outside, sit in the green garden...


Last weekend my lovely friend Sophie came round and we did a little photo shoot in the garden. She has recently started her own blog called The Beauty Boutique, so I was her photographer and she was mine! Check out the other half of the fashion shoot here!

This is the first time I have ever done an outfit post. It was really fun and I bet the neighbours were wondering what on earth we were up to, prancing around the garden taking photos! I love the shorts I am wearing which are so wide they look like a skirt. I bought them last summer from the Uniqlo collaboration with Celia Birtwell.

The title of this post is some lyrics taken from the gorgeous song Green Garden by Laura Mvula, go listen!





Blouse-H&M | Shorts-Uniqlo | Shoes-Dorothy Perkins

Me and my photographer!

What do you think of my first ever outfit post?

Tuesday 24 June 2014

Travel Tuesday: Shosei-en Garden


It has been a while since I last did a Japan post, so today we are going back to Kyoto, the city where I lived for nearly a year. A couple of days before leaving Japan, my dad and I went on a little tour of various places around Kyoto. One of these places was Shosei-en garden.

When I went, Shosei-en really felt like a secret garden. Despite the fact that it is a few minutes walk from Kyoto Station it was so calm and peaceful. The only other people we saw were a cleaner, a few old ladies and a young couple.

It was a lovely place to wander around, with pretty bridges, loads of water lilies and some traditional buildings. There is also great view of Kyoto Tower.

Location: 7 minutes walk from Kyoto Station
Price: donation of  ¥500
Times: 9am to 4pm












Linking up with Bonnie Rose for Travel Tuesday
 
Do you have any pretty gardens near where you live?

Saturday 21 June 2014

Style in a Suitcase: Rio de Janeiro

 
When you're packing it's hard to decide what will make the cut and what will have to stay at home. I think it's best to take a little of everything; I know you might love breton tops, but do you really need to take five?! Take one long sleeved and one short sleeved then swap the others for a pair of comfy shoes. Never underestimate the merits of a comfy shoe when on holiday. Jelly shoes may be gracing the pages of every fashion magazine at the moment but they were not made for sightseeing! Welcome to my Style in a Suitcase series!
 
This week we have moved on from the kawaii cuteness of Tokyo to the casual cool of Rio de Janeiro! I have never been to Brazil but I chose it this week as it seemed very appropriate, you know, what with the World Cup being held there and all! 
 
 Top-River Island | Shorts-Topshop | Flip Flops-Tesco | Bikini-Bershka

Copacabana beach in Rio must be the longest catwalk in the world. At 4km long, it is where the Brazilians come to play beach ball, sunbathe and strut their stuff in their itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikinis (yellow polka dots optional!) Rio is not a place for retro high waisted  bikinis so get out your colourful halter neck like this pretty one from Bershka. For covering up just go for simple denim hotpants  and a white top. I found on Tesco website that they have some Aztec print flip flops which go perfectly with the bikini.


Dress-ASOS | Nail Polish-Essie | Clutch-New Look | Heels-New Look

In the evening you will feel like dressing up, but don't go too smart. Choose a simple but sexy dress, like this one from ASOS and pair with black sandals. I chose heels for my moodboard but you could also go for flats. Jazz things up with a tropical print clutch. Avoid wearing fancy jewellery and watches and instead accessorize with a bright nail polish. I love this one from Essie, but maybe that's because the name is mojito madness...

Don't forget:
Sunglasses- leave the designer frames at home and take some high street ones, this year there are plenty of stylish designs.
Camera- ditch the DSLR and just take a small, cheap one.
Sarong (kanga)- as soon as you arrive go and purchase one of these multi-functional items. They are often used instead of beach towels and can be used as a stylish cover-up.

 
I have never been to Rio, so if you have been let me know whether
you think these outfits are suitable!

Thursday 19 June 2014

Huddersfield University Fashion Show


On Tuesday I went to Huddersfield University's graduate fashion show at the Lawrence Batley Theatre. I went with my friend who has just finished her first year studying fashion at Huddersfield. I was very impressed with the garments as the students had all used a variety of materials and techniques.

There were quite a few knitted pieces I really liked and my favourite collection was one called Outlaw which was based on the designer's experience of horses. The collection had a grey colour palette with accents of bright pink. There was even one dress where real horse hair had been used to create a fringing effect!

The show was over after 40 minutes which was a shame. Me and my friends all agreed it could have been longer, especially since some students didn't even get to exhibit their collections. However despite this I did enjoy watching it. I also enjoyed the pre-cocktails we went for!













Linking up with Nicole for Treat Yo'Self Thursday and Alisha for Lovely Thursdays
 
Which outfits do you like?

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Travel Tuesday: A Host of Golden Bicycles




So, Le Tour de France, I'm sure you've heard of it. It's when a load of guys cycle around France really really fast. However did you know that this year the tour will start in England? In fact not just anywhere in England but in Yorkshire and stage two will start in York, the city where I live!

Because yellow is the official colour of Le Tour, yellow bikes have been springing up all over the place. After we went to Brymor ice cream parlour, we drove around Yorkshire and took photos of all the various bikes and posters.










Linking up with Bonnie for Travel Tuesday
 
What do you think about all these yellow bikes?!

Saturday 14 June 2014

Style in a Suitcase: Tokyo

Anyone who has been following this blog for a while will know that the two things I love to write about the most are fashion and travel. Therefore I have decided to start a new series called Style in a Suitcase, where I will share my opinion on what I think is suitable to pack when travelling to different cities. 
 
When you're packing it's hard to decide what will make the cut and what will have to stay at home. I think it's best to take a little of everything; I know you might love breton tops, but do you really need to take five?! Take one long sleeved and one short sleeved then swap the others for a pair of comfy shoes. Never underestimate the merits of a comfy shoe when on holiday. Jelly shoes may be gracing the pages of every fashion magazine at the moment but they were not made for sightseeing!

I will start off my tour of the world in Tokyo, the kawaii capital of the world. If you are travelling to Tokyo within the next five months it will be hot. If you go at the peak of summer it will be very hot. And humid. And sticky. But this doesn't stop the Tokyoites from looking imaculately dressed every day, so don't let it stop you.

 Pinafore-Forever 21 | Bag-Zara | Top-New Look | Necklace-New Look | Sandals-New Look

The shoulder frills on this pinafore make it look so cute, perfect for wandering around Shibuya 109. It may not be the type of thing you usually go for but trust me, you will fit right in with the Harajuku girls. Tone down the cuteness with a simple white lace top and white sandals. Go for a sleevless top because you will get very hot pushing your way through the crowds on the Scramble Crossing. Add splashes of colour with a bold bag and statement necklace.


 Bracelets-New Look | Shoes-Vans | Shorts-Topshop | Bag-Topshop | Top-New Look


Once you've bought so many clothes you don't know how you'll fit them all in your suitcase it's time to go sightseeing. There are plently of great day trips from Tokyo such as Yokohama and Kamakura. You'll be on your feet all day so go for something comfy like a pair of Vans and denim shorts. Dress things up a bit with pretty top, I love this one from New Look which reminds me of kimono fabrics and origami paper. Very appropriate! Make the pink in the top stand out with a bright bag and bracelets.

Don't forget:
Suncream- the sun is very strong and it won't take long for you to burn.
Flannel- all Japanese people carry a small flannel or hankie in their bag as sometimes in toilets there is nowhere to dry your hands. They are also useful for mopping away the sweat...
Camera- Never mind the Sky Tree, snap some pics of the amazing street style!

 Have you ever been to Tokyo? What do you think of these two outfits?

Thursday 12 June 2014

Catwalk to Cover Exhibition


Last Thursday I talked about the amazing Hamlet to Hollwood exhibition in York which I went to a few years ago.  As I was looking through all my photos on the computer I came upon this other excellent exhibition I went to which showed the journey of fashion from the catwalk to the cover of fashion magazines.

It was originally at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London but then went on tour to various other museums, one of which was the Barnsley Civic. I really enjoyed this exhibition as there was lots of variety; photography, shoes, a wonderful video and clothes by designers such as Prada and Vivienne Westwood.











Linking up with Nicole for Treat Yo'Self Thursday and Alisha for Lovely Thursdays.

Have you been to any interesting exhibitions lately?