People Pleaser

It's always a little bit nerve wracking when I order clothes online and wear them for the first time in front of my boyfriend. Karl doesn't really get fashion so anytime I wear something even slightly different he's not really keen, so it's safe to say that there are a few items in my wardrobe that repel him. I mean of course there are items in his wardrobe that I wish he wouldn't wear but our opinions of each others clothing never stop us from wearing what we want. But what I'm trying to say is that it's always interesting to see what he thinks of my purchases as Karl has some pretty interesting ways of describing what I'm wearing. Take for example my 'Anne Boleyn/Victorian' blouse. 

What I'm Wearing | Mango Jumper, Asos Jeans, M&S Coat, Missoma Necklace, Ray Ban Sunglasses, Primark Beret, Office Boots, Coach Bag 

So when I purchased this jumper from Mango via ASOS I was half expecting some sort of comment on how it looks like 'someone's Russian Grandma had knitted it' or that it looks like 'I bought it from a charity shop' but to my surprise he actually liked it! What shocked me even more, was that when I put on my new Primark beret, he liked that as well! The only slightly negative comment was that he was upset that I hadn't bought a Raspberry Beret, but I even if my local Primark had stocked them, I couldn't have put up with him singing Raspberry Beret by Prince every time I wore it.

I think the moral of this story is don't be a people pleaser. We all have our own likes and dislikes, so it's time to accept (if you haven't already) that not everyone is going to like everything you do and you probably aren't going to like everything they do. You can't let worrying about what other people might think stop you from doing what you want. If I'd have done that, I wouldn't have bought this jumper that everyone I know (including Karl) seems to really like.

So go on. Live a little. And do what you want.

Eleanor xx

The London Girl

As part of my new job we often find ourselves taking business trips to London, and it was on one of these trips that I learnt about the London girl. Now not to stereotype or generalise anyone but one thing that I noticed about the women I encountered was that they were unlike anyone I had ever met before. 

London girls are a different breed, they're gorgeous and effortless yet insanely driven and confident. They know what they want and they know how to get it. Their passion is infectious and inspiring, and those that hate only do so out of jealousy. While she may have been born in a small country village, the cut throat city life has made her a force to be reckoned with and the ultimate millennial women. 

Living on her diet of black coffee and vegan salads, she is healthy but her penchant cocktails means she's never boring. Of course her life isn't always as perfect as it seems but she never lets it show in her daily Instagram picture that she sends out to her adoring followers. And while it may be wrong to idolise something that isn't real and she may have had a bit of luck along the way, you cannot deny how impressive her hard work and passion is. Despite the long nights and countless rejections, her eyes still light up when she talks about what she does.

Whether she be wearing Manolo Blahniks or Gucci loafers her style never falters as she travels round the city from photo shoot to coffee shop to meeting to the office while the rest of us try to balance comfort and style, being careful not to wear anything too nice in case it is ruined in the rush hour tube crush. But it is not just her style to be admired but her spirit.

While geographically I am miles away from being a London girl, I hope that one day I will possess the confidence and power that makes these women so successful, for now though I will keep on being influenced by their versatile, smart/casual style.

What I'm Wearing |M&S Coat, New Look Jumper, Topshop Dungarees, Office Boots and Coach Bag

Eleanor xx

How Blogging Has Changed The Way I Shop

While I have always enjoyed the process of physically going into town to look around the shops, the busier I have become the more I find myself shopping online. So after months of locking myself inside to revise, when my exams had finally finished I decided to take a well earned trip into town to look around the shops but as I walked around the shops I just felt so.... uninspired. Despite not having looked around my usual high street shops in months nothing had really changed. While there was new stock the styles were safe, nothing jumped out to me as new and exciting, while the displays all blurred into one. It then occurred to me that while the shops had not changed perhaps I had.

The truth is that Blogs, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest bring clothes to life for me. They give me ideas of how I could style a piece or how it may fit into my wardrobe. They act as a personalised filter, shifting through the clutter and showing me the best items a brand has to offer while also introducing me to new brands that I would have never even considered buying from before. Take for example this top from Missy Empire. I saw Holly from the blog Statement Undertones style a striped bardot ruffle top from Quiz but unfortunately it sold out before I had the chance to buy it. But then I saw a similar top on Missy Empire, a brand that I discovered through Instagram, which I instantly bought along with a couple of other social media inspired purchases.

Seeing how clothes fit, how they are styled and what they look like on different body shapes is just something you don't get in stores. Yes there are a couple of mannequins but 99% of the time they are unrealistically thin and clothed in questionable outfits that do not fit my personal style. 

What I'm Wearing |Missy Empire Bardot Top, Topshop Jeans, Converse, Ray Ban Sunglasses, Topshop Backpack, H&M Earrings, Pull & Bear Belt

Online shopping opens up a wealth of new options that are not only competitively priced in comparison to the high street but often cheaper. But all this being said the high street still holds a special place in my heart. I still love going shopping, I just think the high street need to up their game and by that I don't just mean improving their website. We need a reason to put down own phones and computers and head out to the shops, otherwise they face being left behind.

Eleanor xx 

Dreaming Of A Parisian Summer

One of my favourite sources of inspiration when it comes to spring/summer is Parisian fashion. Yes there is just something about the way the women dress in the city of love that makes them the ultimate style icons. Perhaps it is their love of the iconic Breton stripe or just their effortless elegance. But whatever it is, countless pins of Parisian street style on Pinterest and season 4 of Gossip Girl (when Blair and Serena spend their summer in France) has had me dreaming of a Parisian summer.

What I'm Wearing | New Look Hat (similar), Pull & Bear Jumper (similar), Pull & Bear Bag (similar), Missguided Skirt and Office Shoes

What is your inspiration for this Spring/Summer?

Eleanor xx

A Grey Day

A grey day. How ironic considering it's been a lovely week weather wise and anything but grey. Grey and silver are often viewed as cold and unfriendly colours because of their cool undertone but as the weather warms I find myself venturing more into crisp whites and cool greys. Some may argue that grey is merely just a paler shade of black and perhaps that is why I love it so and have made it the focal point of my outfit today.  

GET THE LOOK | Topshop Leather Jacket (similar), Vintage Ben Sherman Shirt (similar), H&M Wrap Skirt, Office Shoes, Ebay Necklace, TK Maxx Bag

I adore wrap skirts and dresses for spring and summer and this grey H&M skirt is a perfect example of why. Drawing on the cross over detail from the skirt I paired it with my beloved lace up flats inspired by last years must have Aquazzura shoes. 
The top half of my outfit was also designed to compliment the wrap skirt through this statement coin necklace from ebay. People can never quite believe that I bought this necklace from ebay for under a fiver because it doesn't look or feel cheap. It's quite a weighty necklaces and the metal doesn't look like plastic, making it one of my favourite ever ebay purchases.

Eleanor xx

I'll Stop Wearing Black When They Invent A Darker Colour

I've never been one to plan my outfits for the weather, so when I looked outside and saw that it was an unusually beautiful sunny day here in Birmingham I didn't give a second thought to changing out of my all black ensemble. While I may have looked like the queen of darkness walking around with my black sunglasses, black shirt... well black everything, I wasn't boiling hot. I think by wearing a combination of thin layers, light materials and this gorgeous pair of strappy sandals I've cracked the age old problem of how to wear all black in these awkward transitioning months.

What I'm Wearing - Céline Sunglasses, New Look Jacket, Missguided Shirt, Missguided Lace Bralet, Topshop Jeans, Public Desire Shoes and TK Maxx Bag 

I'm also so glad I've finally got a chance to style my new heels from Public Desire as I think they're the perfect transition piece! I love how they look with jeans and trousers but they'd also look great styled with a playsuit or skirt in summer.

How do you transition your style from season to season?

Eleanor xx

Clean Cut

One thing I miss when I'm in Birmingham is the architecture of the buildings in my home cities of Bath and Bristol. As you will know if you have visited either Bath or Bristol, a lot of the older buildings and houses are built from Bath Stone and the houses have very traditional black iron railings separating them from the pavement. This makes them not only very beautiful architecturally but also a great backdrop for outfit of the day photography. I had to take advantage of this while I'm home from Uni, so while showing my boyfriend round Bristol I persuaded him to also be my photographer.

What I'm Wearing - Missguided Coat, Primark Jumper, Missguided Trousers, Vans Shoes, Céline Sunglasses, M&S Bag 

We spent most of the day exploring the area around Park Street and climbing up Cabot Tower. The views from Cabot Tower are some of the best in Bristol, and it is only from here that you begin to grasp the size of the city. Park Street is also a lovely part of the city, filled to burst with quirky independent stores and cafes such as Rise Records (honestly the best record store I've ever been to) but the street is on a massive hill so prepare for lots of walking. Luckily this outfit was perfect for exploring the city as my Vans provided comfort and my small M&S bag didn't weigh me down or give me back pains unlike my usual handbag.

Eleanor xx

NEW IN - Missguided and Public Desire

I haven't done a haul type post in what seems like forever and I think that's partly due to the fact that I am trying my very best to save my money but also because I often spread out my spending rather than going on one big binge. But this week I had two very exciting deliveries of items that I have been eyeing up for a really long time.

I must admit the first thing in this post was not bought with my own money as I was lucky enough to win a competition on Public Desire's Instagram. I never ever win anything, so I was over the moon when Public Desire contacted me on Monday to tell me I'd won their competition and that I could pick whatever I liked from their Spring collection!

I immediately knew which shoes I wanted and asked if I could have a pair of their Julia Heels in Black. After seeing bloggers such as Hannah Crosskey from A Fashion Fix wearing the Julia Heels I knew I had to have them. They're the perfect height so that you can dress them down during the day but also wear them on a night out, the chunky heel and ankle straps also make them a dream to walk in.

So as you may know the internet nearly broke last Monday when Missguided announced that they were doing 50% off and their website went into meltdown. With Missguided being one of my favourite brands and there being a few items I wanted, I knew this was an opportunity I couldn't afford to pass up and I sat refreshing my laptop all day in an attempt to get onto the website. Finally I got onto the website and while a few of the things I wanted were out of stock I managed to grab this pair of trousers for only £12.50!

I've wanted a pair of cigarette trousers for ages, after seeing Victoria Beckham wearing a pair with some Stan Smiths and a polo neck jumper and these are the perfect pair for me. They're high waisted, tailored but still casual with the simple zip detail at the ankle. I was worried they wouldn't fit as I often find that trousers are too big in the waist and tight around the hips, but they're just right around the waist and there is still room to move my hips.

Did you manage to pick up anything in Missguided's crazy sale? I'd love to hear what you picked up or bought recently!

Eleanor xx

Next Stop New Street

When I first moved to Birmingham I didn't anticipate quite how cold it would be. While Bristol is only an hour and 40 minutes away, being that little bit more southern makes all the difference during the colder months. At home I'd happily wear a skirt in March but sometimes I forget that I'm not in Bristol and venture out in a skirt. This was a massive mistake the other day when it started snowing on the way into town to pick up a friend from the station. Let's just say I was thankful when we got to New Street

What I'm Wearing - Topshop Leather Jacket, Zara Jumper, H&M Skirt, TK Maxx Bag and M&S Boots

While I love this outfit, I think that I've learnt my lesson and won't be venturing out in a skirt anytime soon. In the mean time all I could do pray for the weather to get warmer.

Eleanor xx