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Saturday 20 December 2014

W E E K L Y I N S P O: OFF DUTY STYLE






All images via TUMBLR

Trying to make my 'weekly inspo' post an actual weekly feature is at the moment proving to be alot harder than I originally thought, due to being so busy and caught up with work during this particularly tiresome festive season! Finally have a few hours to myself this eve though (I'm working all weekend- boo hoo), so get the chance to share my latest inspirational theme with you. This week my thoughts turned to 'off duty' style. 

If like me you have to conform to some type of work related attire 5 out of 7 days a week, on those rare days you actually get to wear all your latest purchases, sometimes deciding what to wear first as well as what with, can actually pose as a real head scratching moment. As all our favourite brands and stores get ready to go into sale and new season collections are slowly trickling onto shop floors in preparation for spring/summer 15, sometimes it can be so easy to automatically convince yourself that you must buy something because it's either in the sale or because you are fed up of sale/stock that you've seen around for the past 2 months and 'need' some newness. Sound familiar? This is definitely a thought process I have found myself giving into during the twice yearly transitional period. Most of the time though I already have a great outfit in my wardrobe, I just haven't got as far as working out how to actually piece it together. 

So I have collated some of my 'off duty' style inspiration, which I'm sure will be food for thought for some of you lucky people that have some time off work during Christmas and need some help deciding what to pack for your visit home. I have covered all the style staples that have been street style favourite's for a while now and I'm sure that most of you have somewhere in the depths of your wardrobes : over sized coat, check. slogan sweatshirt, check. pinstripes, check. old school trainers, check. And of course, grey, navy and camel, check. The last image is more of a directional thought towards the upcoming season. I am seriously in love with the military details of the skirt and also an avid fan of getting my pins out- yes I am already getting fed up of having to wear tights. Anyway hope you enjoy and happy holidays!

Elle.x



Sunday 14 December 2014

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.






coat- WAREHOUSE, polo neck- H&M, biker trousers- ZARA, clutch- Micheal Kors A/W'13 @ SELRIDGES, boots- TOPSHOP, ring- MOTHSTYLE

After spending most of this morning cleaning our apartment, the boy and me decided to get some fresh air this afternoon so we went for a little wander around our West Didsbury surroundings. 
Now that I have come to terms with the fact that this cold British weather is here to stay for another couple of months, I found myself dressing a little more appropriately this weekend, with special thanks to my new favourite coat which I picked up yesterday after work. How fab is the colour of this quilted sleeve parka from Warehouse?! Available in three colour options, I was instantly drawn to this burgundy number, which contrasts nicely with the black faux fur detailing and compliments my dark features. I was also in favour of the huge fur lined hood which provides the perfect amount of shelter against gusts of wind and sudden down pours, which I am often subjected to living in Manchester. It also happened to be a mere £40 in the sale- not too shabby. Ultimately it is the perfect all year round 'go to' as it is light weight enough to wear during summer rain, but still provides enough insulation when teamed with layers, for the colder months. 

Today I decided to wear my new purchase over a simple all black ensemble, which I think makes the burgundy shade 'pop' and the sleek layers were ideal for partnering underneath the slightly voluminous silhouette of the coat. I packed light today and opted for my checkered clutch bag which I have been in love with ever since it was gifted to me last Christmas. I think a striking clutch is a great way to add interest to mono heavy and pared down outfits; they make a great conversational piece and also make the ideal gift! And of course I wore my trusty Margot boots, which I will be watching like a hawk on the Topshop website this boxing day as I really want to snap them up in patent as well, but only if they end up in the sale. Hope you all managed to brave the winter chill in style and warmth this weekend!

Elle.x

Monday 8 December 2014

B L A C K F R I D A Y B U Y S: LEATHER ELBOWS & WINTER WHITE.



fedora- Topshop similar HERE, jumper- COS, jeans- TOPSHOP, shoes- Primark see in store, coat- Zara similar HERE, bag- zara last season similar HERE

Yesterday was spent catching up with some dear friend's in the city and drinking mulled wine at the German markets in Albert's square. However I was not prepared for how cold or how unforgiving the weather was going to be- yes it may have looked deceivingly sunny, but 2 minutes later it was hailing! It was my own fault for not wrapping up warmer, but I have been finding it hard to wear anything other than my black Friday purchases all week.

So I may have been working throughout the entirety of the black Friday fever that graced upon us during the previous weekend, however I still managed to find the time to indulge in a little bargain hunting to ease how stressful it all was ( stressful being an understatement for those of you that also work within retail!).
First up was a little visit to my local  COSSTORES concession situated within Selfridges Exchange Square. For anyone who has been stalking there collection recently, errr how dreamy is all the knit and outerwear that is on offer at the moment?! I was already fixated on finding the 'perfect' black jumper, a staple piece to compliment my existing everyday wardrobe. I picked up every offering that matched the criteria and headed straight to the fitting room. As soon as I popped on a beautifully soft black crew neck jumper, comprising of 100 per cent lambswool and adorned with genuine leather elbow patches I knew I was in love. Selfridges were also offering a 20 percent discount to it's customers over the black Friday weekend so obviously it would have been rude of me not to take advantage of this rare opportunity. 

However instead of ending there, a day or two later I found myself heading back to Selfridges, after not being able to shake the idea of whites jeans in winter out of my head. I'd previously seen some when walking past the Topshop concession and was annoyed at myself for not just trying them on the first time round. So anyway finally popped a pair on and just wasn't convinced. It wasn't the colour concept that was bothering me, as the white looked striking against the jumper and personally makes a fresh change to your standard mid wash; it was the fit. For some reason the 'Jamie' jeans I had picked up in white had far too much stretch in them so I instantly knew that after a few hours wear there would be some serious sagging going on. This is a huge issue I have had with Topshop jeans in the past, resulting in several pairs having to be chucked out and as a result this was the first time in a years that I had put a pair of topshop jeans back on. 

However almost ready to bail on the whole white threads idea and head home, the nice assistants handed me another pair of the exact same jeans in the 'Leigh' version. The denim was that little bit thicker, the fit was so much better and after turning up the hems a little I was pretty happy with my new found friends. Which is surprising as I up until now I have always been subconsciously against white jeans/trousers in the winter, it has just never been something that I have ever seen or considered to have worked for daytime attire. For now though I am enjoying the refreshing break from black tights and dark denim and since my new game changing purchase my white ripped skinny's have only come off to be put in the wash- they seem to attract every kind of mark including pen! At the moment I like to wear mine turned up, with either grey, navy black or neutral tones and a trainer or chunky shoe like my Primark vamp shoes- save the ugly sandals and man shoes for the summer.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and happy Monday!

Elle.x