Fashion Fridays... Happy Valentines!

Erm so this isn't really about Fashion. It's about Valentines. Kinda.

I've always believed that boyfriends / girlfriends come and go, but that are friends are our true soulmates. I have a few friends in my life that I love endlessly. They give me love and hope, don't cause me pain. They make me laugh until I cry and wipe away my tears. I do hope I'm not single forever but, should I be, at least I know I will always have love in my life.

 

 

 

In vaguely fashion related news, my nephew LOVES dressing up. When I see him, 80% of the time, he's dressed as SpiderMan and refuses to answer to his actual name, will only respond when you call him SpiderMan. So cute!

 

Today, his mum sent me this picture. He decided to be my knight today and send me this valentines pic because "I luvs Aunty Oyee". I nearly died of cuteness. 

 

Who needs a boyfriend in their life? This little man gives me all the love I ever need!

Workout Wednesday...Gloves and gasps!

Last week I realised that I have NEVER washed my weightlifting gloves. I've been using them for at least 6 months now, several times a week. When I think of how unhygienic that is, I shiver.

So I decided to wash them. The label claimed they can be machine washed but my washing machine is a little crazy so I decided to hand wash them, to be safe. I only used a touch of fabric condition and lots of warm water. After lots of gentle massaging and rinsing lots of black water out (hopefully dye from the leather!), I laid them to dry on my airer.

The next day, I was in a rush to get to the gym after work. I grabbed the gloves, threw them in my bag and trotted off to the gym. After my warm up, I got out my gloves, ready for some super heavy deadlifts. I put on my gloves and disaster struck. They had dried into this strange crunchy texture. When I put them on, the seams split on 4 different fingers! I tried to lift my bar but had no grip and feared it would slip. I had to sigh and move on with my workout and get blisters on my hands.

This was how impressed I was with my latest disaster.

To some, breaking a pair of gloves might not seem like a big deal. They were relatively cheap (less than £20) and I've definitely had more than my money's worth out of them. However, these were the first item I bought when I decided to get serious about my training. They were the starting point of my love of weights. I based all of my subsequent fitness attire around them (black and shade of dark pink). They're a solid part of my gym 'uniform'. When I put them on, I feel ready to face the rack.

It's safe to say I've grown attached to them! But I decided to pick myself up and move on. Nothing lasts forever. I'm taking this as a symbolic gesture from the universe that it's time to start my new training phase; heavier, harder, and happier than before.

At the end of January, I posted this post of all the lovely gloves I'd like to buy and how I'd like to expand my glove collection. Unfortunately, at the moment, I'm not in a financial position to spend tons of money of various pairs of fancy gloves.  I needed to be practical and frugal.

So the following day on my lunch break, I made my friend come to Sports Direct with me in the hunt for new gloves. By some magical miracle from the Gym Gods, we found what we needed almost immediately and at half price!

I got these beauties. Somehow, I paid £5.99 for them in shop and they're only £4 online but I'm trying not to dwell on that!

I really like these gloves; They're a good fit, have added wrist support and fit into my colour scheme. They do have an annoying downside - the inner seams which hold together the leather and velcro are SUPER itchy on my wrists! I'm going to have to either man up or hunt through the interweb for a magical solution.

Either way, I'm happy my problem is solved and can carry on with my lifting mission!

Fashion Fridays... Sizing needs to Shape Up!

I'm afraid today's post isn't going to be full of pretty pictures and happy things. This is quite a rant and I understand if you don't read it but... 

Why is there no standardisation of sizing in the clothing industry in the UK?!

This is something that has been bothering me for a long time. I used to think it was just me that had an issue with it but after moaning away to various unfortunate friends, I have discovered it is a common stressor amongst women in the UK.

I recently tried to buy a formal business outfit. For the sake of keeping costs low, I hit the high street in the search of a simple plain suit, under which I could put a nice bright top to personalise it. Never did I think it would be the hardest task of my adult life. 

My first though was Primark; cheap and easy. However... They didnt have any actual suits for women! They had separate trousers and jackets which didn't match and were awful. 

The first pair of trousers I tried on were kind of stretchy, with a nice gold button and tapered down to the ankle. I tried on a 16 and couldn't even come close to doing the butting up. I tried on an 18 and barely squeezed myself in. This in itsel had me almost in tears. I've been working so hard in the gym & eating right; there's no way I could have gone  UP to a size 20! 

Distraught and angry, I left the shop without trying anything else, went home and sulked into my protein shake. 

Two days later I went back, picked up a different - but very similar - pair. Unbeknownst to me, I had picked up a size 14. They were well fitting in the waist but about a foot too long and baggy in the legs. 

When I realised my mistake, I was shocked. How could I have gone DOWN three sizes in 48 hours?!

Deciding that, if I wanted something of a better fit and quality, Primark was not the place to be. I wafted through the town in a cloud of confusion until I somehow found myself standing in front of Next. 

Clearly my subconscious had been at work. I often see adverts for Next's clothes and think they're too formal for my every day wardrobe - the perfect place to be for more sophisticated dressing! 

I compiled an outfit of printed trousers, a simple white silk camisole and a nice navy blue blazer - all in a size 16. On the hangers, this was the perfect outfit. The colours and combinations represented my personality visually; the materials gave an air of sophistication and the complete look was suitably serious but still fashionable and not ageing. 

It was a totally different story when I put it on. The waist just fit. My bum was attempting to burst out the back seam. My ankles were drowning in material in supposedly tapered trousers. The camisole was baggy on my torso but seriously straining over my [medium at the very biggest] chest. The blazer was about 3 inches off the top of the trousers and was pulling right across my back. 

None of this made any sense. I do have thin ankles but I dont think the average woman has ankles 3 times the size of mine. My bum is on the larger side but no disproportionately so to my waist. I do not have a large chest. I do have an hourglass figure but I do not have the shoulders of a rugby player. 

That not one of these pieces fit as it should was beyond frustrating, especially as I was looking at spending £100 on it! 

I could carry on this story for hours. The same result happened in several shops. In the end, I bought a teal shift dress in the M&S sale but it wasn't what I wanted and I don't feel confident in it, despite my mum telling me how lovely I look in it. 

What I want to know is - how is it allowed that sizing can vary so much from shop to shop? I saw an online bikini retailer who advertise a Large as being a size 10-12! I was disgusted. 

With the prevalence of the media, the upward surge of people being diagnosed with eatin disorders, why is there no regulation of sizing requirements in the fashion retail industry of the UK? 

Ranging between a 14 and a 20 in one day is not physically possible. Having to buy something 3 sizes above your actual size is enough to destroy the self-esteem of even the most confident of people - I can't imagine what it would do to someone who has negative issues with their body image. 

If only I could afford tailored clothing! 

Fashion Friday... Let the awards commence!

Awards season is upon us and that means endless gowns, tuxedos, critics and probably a fairly good bonus for all the paparazzo out there! I couldn't possibly discuss anything else for this week's Fashion Fridays post so here I'm going to highlight who I felt were the best and worst dressed at both the Critics' Choice Movie Awards and the Golden Globes Awards.

First up is the Golden Globes, which happened in California at the beginning of the week.

My first winner of the fashion stakes is the ever-sleek Reese Witherspoon. The colour of this Calvin Klein dress is bold yet not garish. The cut well suits her petite frame and the Harry Winston diamonds add just the right amount of sparkle.



Second up is Amy Adams. I developed a bit of a fascination with her boobs in American Hustle and this Valentino dress hasn't failed to disappoint in that area. I love the contrasting shades on her pale skin and the cut is graceful and elegant. I felt her hair let her down slightly - this up do is quite reminiscent of B*Witched (the Irish girl group) in the old days!



My third choice is always a winner - Sandra Bullock. Not only is she an amazing actress, she's a vision of beauty all the time. Her face does not tell her true age and she always picks dresses that suit her body and personality. Despite, what the critics have said, I am really drawn to this Prabal Gurung dress. I love the contrast of the black panel to the two pastel panels. I like the structure of the dress; it flatters her waist but also brings a bold presence to her outfit. Her hair, as usual, looks fabulous and glossy and I'm very jealous.

My final winner – and possibly my favourite dress of all time – is Kate Beckinsale. Thus far, there hasn’t been a Zuhair Murad dress that I don’t love and this one is continuing that trend. Though it looks heavy & must have been a pain to wear, I think this is just divine. The cut is the epitome of femininity. The top-to-toe bling sets my inner magpie alight yet its dark tone prevents it from being garish.



I’m not generally a big Zoe Saldana fan but I usually don’t dislike her either. This dress, however... She’s going to have to come out with a stunner next time to compensate for this shambles. I find it shocking that Prabal Gurung can make two dresses so vastly different and one so grotesque. The cut, the fabrics, the colours, none of it makes sense to me! It doesn’t flatter her in anyway and looks a bit like the bit in Cinderella where her dress falls apart. Dislike.



On a brighter note, let's move onto the winners of the Critic's Choice Awards.

My first winner for the Critics’ Choice is completing her double-whammy of the week – Sandra Bullock. This burgundy Lanvin dress seemed to flow like a waterfall down her long, slender body. I’m not a fan of the clutch she added in but the belt gives a nice feature and draws the eye to her lovely waist.

There really weren’t many last night that caught my eye so I only have two but my second is another fabulous gown. Kirsten Bell was wearing an almost Gothic dress from designer Pamella Roland and something about it really catches my eye. I’m not sure if it’s the slightly off-kilter neckline, the sequins or the long train but I just love this dress. Not a fan of her hair and makeup; it’s all a bit harsh but the dress compensates for it.

Hands down, without a doubt, the worst outfit of the night, in my opinion, goes to Oprah. I feel like she has all the money, experience and years a woman could need to learn her style but still hasn’t quite figured what suits her. Her boobs look fantastic but that’s about it. The colour is drab and doesn’t work with the highlights in her hair. The material looks cheap and the bow belt looks like it comes from Claire’s Accessories. The changing hemline on the dress makes her look very bottom heavy and the gold clutch clashes with everything else. I’m disappointed.

Fashion Fridays... Blue shoe blues.

 

As I mentioned in my Workout Wednesday post, I've spent all my monies on presents this month. So there's no budget left for spoiling myself and it's a terrible state of affairs. Though I'm so excited to give everyone their presents and revel in their smiles and laughs when they open them!
 
This time of year is so dreamy and fantastical; it's very hard for a girl to focus on the task at hand and not let her mind wander to her deepest desires. My deepest desires mostly revolve around shoes. Like Carrie SATC levels of obsession.
 
Unfortunately I don't have her budget and ability to pop to Choo and pick up a pair of slingbacks after a fight with my non-existent boyfriend. So I have to satiate my desires with a lot of online-window-shopping and shoe-porn-voyeurism. I dread to think how many hours a week I clock on luxury goods websites, my heart aching and yearning for some toe-breakingly high heels.

At the moment my colour of obsession is blue, mostly a bold, bright cobalt. (Autumn's colour of love was burgundy.) As I don't have any monies to splurge, I've got no fashion finds or beauty buys to share with you this week. So I've compiled the most fabulous Lust List of all the Blue Shoes I would give away organs to own for Christmas.
 
First are these Giuseppe Zanotti suede sandals. Entirely inappropriate for the weather at this time of year but I love how bold they are.

 
I shocked even myself when I found these elegant heeled pumps from Gianvito Rossi. Usually I love an obvious, tacky shoe but there was something in the 50s, PanAm vibe that made me want to totter around Milan with these on my feet.

 
The same applies to these Pigalle Patent pumps from my shoe god Christian Louboutin. Same subtle style and elegant shape but a bit shinier and brighter, making them appeal to my inner magpie.

Fortunately not all of my taste is so high end and insanely expensive. I really want to wear these cut out shoes boots from River Island next time I go out to get carried away in a nightclub.

 

 

 

So there it is. This week's Blue Shoe Blues Lust List. Next week's Fashion Friday's post will be post-Christmas so I'll be able to finally share some of the beauties I've found and given to my loved ones!

 





Fashion Fridays... Party dilemma!

So today is my company Christmas party and I STILL haven't decided what I'm wearing! We're having a boozy social event at a swanky hotel in Moorgate so I think I need to be a bit more glamourous than I was last year.  
I've managed to narrow it down to the two dresses below but am struggling to pick between them!
 

 
The left dress is a lovely little thing from Primark and is lacey and fun. The one on the right is from H&M and is actually a bright red. I feel really good in both dresses but I'm wondering if the red one isn't a bit too sexual for a company party?! I asked my instagram (@23HRH) followers and they voted unanimously for the left so I think I'll go with that.
 
As London has suddenly become freezing, I think I'll need to wear tights with whichever one I choose. I've reached the age where I choose comfort over vanity. Oh lord. But, am I too old for sparkly tights? I think the festive season should be full of as much sparkle as possible and love these tights with Swarovski Elements in from Marks and Spencers!
 

 

I can't really be trusted not to wreck tights so I think £25 is a little much for me to spend on a pair for one night so I'll have to go bargain hunting at lunch before I change into god-knows-what for the big event!

 

 

I have also fallen for some of this season's costume jewellery from Zara. I love this dramatic necklace on the left. The contrast between the 'gold' and the black 'leather' is just delicious! I also crave to wear these rings, on the right, below. I love that you can separate and just wear one or two for a more simple look and pack them all together for a shiny dramatic effect!



Fashion Fridays...Fabulous finds!

This week I am totally in love with my new leggings from H&M. I bought them a few weeks ago but haven't worn them much somehow! (Sorry for the poor quality pic!) 

 
 
I can't find them on their website to share but I know they're in store still. I love the glittery aspect of them but unfortunately this is fading as time goes on; the glitter doesn't last! Despite that, they're super comfortable thanks to the light, stretchy material and a really good length. They're not the warmest item I've ever own but I wear them with my fabulous thigh high boots from New Look and I'm super toasty!
 
I'm a true believer in glitter making everything a little bit better so these leggings are perfect for brightening up a dull grey winter day in the office! Though the glitter won't last, at only £7.99 and good quality material, I'm really impressed with this pair!
 
My beauty must-have of the moment is this delicious smelling leave-in conditioner from Boots.
 

My hair gets quite dry in winter so I need a little help to stop it looking like burnt straw! I wash & condition my hair normally in the shower, then spray this all over my hair just before blow-drying it.
 
It smells divine and the lovely gentle scent lasts a couple of days too! My hair gets a lot of wear and tear from the gym, swimming, styling etc so this is a lovely little boost to stop it from being totally destroyed. I've only been using it a couple of weeks and noticed a real difference! The fact that it costs less than £2 is just a heavenly bonus, especially at this time of year!
 
 
My lust-have this week is, weirdly, a hat! With the weather getting colder by the day, I'm really struggling to keep my big old head warm when out & about! Only about 1 in a million beanies look vaguely acceptable on my head so I can't go down that route which is really annoying considering how hot they are right now! More traditional hats such as fedoras or bowlers tend to not actually fit on my head so that's not an option really either.

All of which has led me to this fabulous Cossack hat from New Look!

 

I think this hat has everything I'm looking for. Flexibility to fit over my head / hair, a bright but neutral colour to go with everything, a decent price £12.99 and nice and warm and cosy! I'm hoping Santa will bring me one for Christmas. If not, I'm going to scavenge through the January sales until this baby finds it way to it's rightful place, keeping my ears warm!

 

Fashion Fridays... Dear Santa!

This week I've managed to complete most of my Christmas shopping! It's the first year I've been totally organised and I'm very proud of myself. Plus I saved a fortune on delivery charges thanks to Amazon Prime's free 30 day trial! Obviously I can't reveal all my secrets as my loved ones might read this and I love surprising people with thoughtful gifts!

 
This week's Fashion Friday is going to be my wish list to Santa. Some of these things I have a genuine hope of opening on Christmas day, some are only plausible in the fantasy world where I own a yacht but what's life without a dream or two...
 
My first wish is for the Babyliss Curl Secret. This is a very clever contraption which appears to be able to drastically reduce the time it takes to curl your hair.

From what I've seen, the barrel kind of slurps up your section of hair then spits it out all lovely and curled perfectly. I love, love, love having big curled hair but it takes me so damn long to do that I so rarely do it. If I had this beasty machine I like to think I'd do it all the time and be in a state of permanently fabulous hair-ity!
 
The second thing on my Christmas list isn't the most exciting but something I've been lusting after for a while. It's the funky Nike Free TR III Printed training shoe.
 

 
They're just so different and fun and everyone in my gym has a pair except me! I don't really need them as I already have two pairs which perfectly match everything else but sometimes it's nice to have the option to change up your outfit, even in the gym!
 
My first ridiculous wish are for these epic Hallie shoes by Kurt Geiger. Although I find a stilettos beautiful to look at, I know that paired with my clumsiness, they'll result in disaster for me. Especially after wine. So I prefer to totter around in something a little more substantial like these lovely leopard print things.

I'm surprised at the high volume of open-toe shoes this Autumn / Winter season! I hate having cold feet and I'm not a fan of tights with open shoes but I'd brave frozen tootsies for the sake of looking vivacious in them!

 

 

Lastly we come to the most ridiculous item on my wish list. I am currently on the search for the perfect new handbag as mine is dying a slow death. After much searching online, I have found it! Unfortunately it costs £1560. Just take a look at this heavenly Yves Saint Laurent Sac De Jour!

 

I want something that isn't black; something that's going to stand out against a dreary grey winter day! This totally clashes with my coats and all of my clothes but in an utterly fabulous way. But unless I win the jackpot on the lottery this week, gazing longingly at this picture and daydreaming will have to do!

 

                                                         



Fashion Fridays... Festive frocks!

Most people who know me will tell you that I'm a bit "bah humbug"; I refuse to accept the Christmas period until it's actually December. This year, I'm trying to be organised (and spread my finances further).  I've already bought around half of my gifts and have the rest in mind. I'm in the process of setting my budget for the following month when I [finally] get paid on Monday and I'm factoring in the need for pretty things for Xmas Parties.

Hence this weeks' Fashion Friday post. I need an outfit for various occasions: an office party locally; Christmas night out with friends at Candy Bar; a company party in the City; Christmas Eve drinks at a very flamboyant house; Christmas day with family and friends; Boxing Day with the piglet. Whew. Writing it all down makes it seem like a marathon of parties and outfits!

So I'm obviously going to change my mind a hundred times about what I'll wear (as I always do) but I need various options for the various occasions.

I'm aiming to be as fabulous and frugal as possible combined. So I think one dress for the City party and Christmas day is doable. Then I need a couple of versatile separate pieces that I can create a few looks for different other occasions. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

I'm thinking something like this lovely piece from H&M (below, left) for the sparkly fun dress? Jazzed up with some feature jewellry and low heeled boots I think.

 I also love the colour of this dress from New Look (above, right) but I'm not sure how flattering it would be on my small(ish) bust. I love the look of the material and the strange cut to it. I'm determined to not get something black; I want to stand out in the winter crowds!

I have a nice black skater skirt from River Island which is already a solid part of my wardrobe so I'm thinking of getting a fun top or two to wear with it for a couple of my other festivities.
 
I've found a few beauties from River Island that I think could work well. Maybe a nice, simple cami to be teamed with some epic jewellry (below, left) or a little more casual purple statement tshirt (below, middle) or even a really bold statement cropped tee as the skirt is high waisted (below, right).


 
I've got a couple of weeks before the party season kicks off so I'm hoping I'll get more inspired and find some more cool pieces before I end up ransacking my wardrobe in a panicked stress!
 
The one thing I do have planned is Boxing Day. It's going to be more like Christmas Day for us; jsut me, my mum, my brother and the baby.
 
I want to my brother to be Santa and have the piglet as my Elf so I think I'm going to get them these!
 

 
and maybe I'll have something cute that I can wear more often like this
 

I am a Super Girl, after all!

Fashion Fridays... Forget festive

Firstly - this is me loving life and celebrating my birthday at McClusky's last week! A terribly cliched picture but it made me laugh when I saw it the morning after (which was a truly terribly morning. I'm too old for hangovers now). To my right is Not my sister, before you ask; it's my Partner In Crime, Daniella, who happens to look a lot like me but, as far as we know, we're not related.

Anyway, onto my fashion Friday...

Last week, I posted about the epic necklace that my housemate got me for my birthday. Sadly, when I went to put it on with the birthday outfit, it fell apart! I was really gutted as I'd actually planned my outfit around it (a green silk cami and a highwaisted black skirt and my Louboutins of course).

Yesterday I went to exchange it for a new one in River Island. Disaster struck again; they didn't have any in stock. So I had to spend a long time deliberating and browsing the various ridiculous shiny things they have there before I settled on this awesome alternative!

The picture doesn't do it justice - it's huge and shiny and wonderful and I also Love it.

On my wish list this week is this beautiful faux fur coat. I definitely cannot afford it and there's also no point in having a coat like this in a country of rain but a girl can dream. In my dream, I'm running between fabulous parties in New York and being Carrie Bradshaw.

Fashion Fridays... Bling

So I may not be the most stylish person on the planet but I do love fashion. Jewellery and shoes more than clothes but I think that is more down to my body type and not feeling so confident in a lot of things that are on trend at the moment (bodycon dresses are my arch nemeses).

My friends and family have often called me a magpie in the past - I just love shiny things! So naturally jewellery is my weakness. Tacky costume pieces more specifically. Previously I have been severely mocked for being tacky but now all the big, blingy, fake gold statement pieces are hotter than fire and everyone's suddenly stopped judging my oversized rings and ridiculous necklaces!

So I bring you Fashion Fridays. I'm fairly sure this is mostly going to be about shiny things that I've bought or dream shoes that I can't afford. Who knows what the fashion fairies will bring into my life that I'll want to share!

This week is just that; shiny rings that I acquired over the weekend and shoes that I wish I had the money and need to buy!

I bought these beauties from New Look this weekend -

I think it was the big cobalt ring that caught my eye and the two either side drew me right in. I think the fourth piece in the set is a little abstract and I probably wouldn't wear it with the set but I've got a necklace it would go well with so it won't get forgotten! The set was only £7.99 so at less than £2 each, I'm super happy with this purchase. They could be worn seperately day to day or as a super set to jazz up an evening outfit and I love them!


This week's dream purchase are these bad boys...


I don't have £1670, nor a place to wear such extravagant fabulousness but I feel like I wouldn't have a care in the world if I owned these. Between Zanotti and Louboutin, my desire levels are constantly through the roof!

Oh Carrie...

I recently decided (for no logical reason) to watch every single episode of Sex & The City, in chronological order. I'm not sure what prompted me to embark on this fabulous journey. Maybe my 'eternally single' status or a shift in some of my friendships recently? Who knows!
 
Whatever my inspiration was for this, I'm so glad it happened! I've just finished the first series and discovered I've never seen any of those episodes before, strangely. I'm not overly keen on Carrie narrating to the camera every few minutes but everything has its flaws in the beginning.
 
Having watched the later series' and the two films, it's so much fun to see how they started out, know where they end up, and watch them evolve during their journey.
 
Although I can't exactly apply the stories to my life (oh, how I long to live in New York!), it's amazing how relevant the storylines are! Even over a decade later, men are still behaving the same, women are still having the same issues, the world just goes round. The only things that have changed are the fashion and the technology!
 
Anyone who wants some escapism, some laughs, some emotions, some inspiration in fabulousness, some sex tips and to waste half an hour should definitely indulge in the shenanigans of these four beautiful ladies!