Belated Blogmas Day 13: Black Friday Haul

Who got involved in the Black Friday madness then? 

I did, but from the comfort of my cosy warm bed. It makes me wonder whether those morons fighting over discounted TVs knew that the internet existed. 

I know this post is a while after the hype of Black Friday, but my goodies have only just arrived!

It was a little bit frustrating actually because two of the products I ordered were for Prague, but they arrived too late for me to take them *sniff*. 

Here they are now though - my bargain babies: 

Miss Selfridge KEW Knee High Boots from House of Fraser. 

New Look Boho Fringe Snood from Asos

Asos Leather Quilted Cuff Gloves

The boots were actually a lucky buy, because I won a £30 House of Fraser voucher in a competition run by Sophie Hannah Richardson which meant that the boots only cost me a tenner!

The gloves and snood were a major bargain too though. Both of them only came to £23 and the gloves are real leather too!

They snood is so handy. It goes with absolutely everything, and I don't have to faff with fancy scarf wrapping (I can never do it right!). 

I adore the gloves, however my challenge this season is going to be not losing them. Every pair of gloves I've ever owned have been lost. Whether it's dropping one as I've taken it off to use my phone, or forgetting I've put them down and walking off without them, I always find a away of losing one if not both of them. The don't-loose-the-gloves challenge starts now. 

Can't wait to shoot an outfit post with them, so stay tuned! 

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Outfit of the Day Featuring Miss Selfridge, Topshop and New Look

SUN! YES SUN! IT'S HERE! FINALLY!

I may dress every now and then like I'm more comfortable in a dark cave, but I really am a Summer person. 

For months I've been yearning for an opportunity to start creating my Summer wardrobe, and what a better opportunity than now. The items in this Outfit of the Day I've had for a while now, but they seldom get an opportunity to be seen, what with rain and clouds determined to be centre of attention. 

If you read my March Haul, you would have already seen these luminous yellow shorts from Miss Selfridge (which they've now sold out of, but there are some similar ones in peach here, or some shape flattering skorts in a very similar yellow here). These shorts are perfect for elongating the legs and emphasing your waist. 

I don't have much colour in my wardrobe, but when I do I like it to be something very eye-catching and dramatic. Something as simple as a boldly coloured pair of shorts bring a real essence of Summer to an otherwise all black outfit. 

Because I wanted the shorts to be the focal point of my outfit, I teamed it with a very simple loose black cami top from Topshop. These are essential. They're timeless, and can be worn with anything from jeans and skirts to dresses that have a deeper neckline than one might wish. If you're going on holiday and are trying to put together a capsule wardrobe, stock up on these. 

The kimono is one of my recent bargain buys from TKMaxx, for only £25. It's so delicate and airy that it's perfect for sunny days. If you're self-conscious about your arms or back its a gorgeous cover-up that doesn't leave you sweltering in the mid-day sun, and it's brilliant to just throw over a bikini whilst you're on the beach or at a festival. Kimono's are a definite must-have item for this Summer, so if you're looking for a bit of a bargain definitely check out TKMaxx before heading anywhere else. 

The bowler hat is from H&M, and although it's not really that appropriate for this weather, it goes perfectly with this outfit. Also I'm really prone to sunstroke and look silly in most Summer hats, so it was either this or an old beret. 

The chain necklace is from New Look, and is another way of breaking up the black of the top, kimono and hat with another source of colour. 

Finally, the shoes. They are from River Islands A/W collection, but if you wear them without socks and with shorts or a skirt, they're just as good for Summer, however they have a more updated version with an open toe that you can find here. You should know by now that I love my big black chunky shoes, and I never like to look too girly, so these are my way of adding a bit of a grungy edge to this outfit, but some delicate gladiator sandals or some nice block heels would work really well too. 

I'm really interested to hear how your Summer wardrobes are coming along, and if you've found any bargain buys on the way, and also what you're doing to make the most of this gorgeous weather. 

Steph x x x

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