London Fashion Weekend Street Style

London Fashion Week flashed by me in a blink of an eye. I barely got a chance to sift through some of the shows and pick out some common trends for SS15 before it moved on to lands afar. If like me you saw the whole event as a bit of a blur and wanted a well-rounded summary of the whole thing, then London Fashion Weekend was the place to be. 

For those of you that haven't heard of LFWEnd before, it's a more commercial version of London Fashion Week that's open to the general public, with tickets available at a variety of prices. The whole event spans from the Thursday to the Sunday and consists of dozens of designer brands showcasing their wares and giving anyone with a ticket cheeky discounts! If that wasn't enough, there are also designer and trend catwalk shows. This season's event featured designers such as Amanda Wakely, Nicholas Oakwell Couture, Notte by Marchesa and Fyodor Golan.

The trend shows are a summary of the top 4 key trends of the season. That's right!! Instead of watching shows of trends you can't get your hands on for a whole year, LFWEnd focuses on the trends for the very next season, making sure we've got our wardrobes in order for when winter does arrive.

Now if you are a fan of the whole seasonal event,  you'll know that street style is where everyone's eyes are really at. What people where to the LFW is just as important as what's on the catwalk, and that vibe still runs strong into the weekend.

Whilst I was milling around eyeing up some of the fantastic clothing and jewellery stands, I happened to notice a few people whose style game was on point! There were 4 main trends that were really prominent throughout the day, and these girls had those trends nailed.

1. Grunge

If you've read any of my fashion posts before you'll know that grunge is my go-to style. I'm addicted to black and when it comes to shoes, the chunkier the better. These were girls of my own heart. With grunge style, if you are going to be wearing a lot of the same colour e.g. black, texture and layering are key. I love how the tartan pleating contrasts with the monochrome fur on the jumper of the girl on the left, and just adds a touch of colour.

The girl on the right has added a sport luxe element to her grunge style with the sports bra style crop and the loose fitting trousers. The long cardigan works to pull the two pieces together and the cute up-do takes away any harshness.

2. One and Only

This is one of the trends focused on during the LFWEnd trend shows. It's all about patronizing one particular colour, using texture and tailoring to create feminine yet severe silhouettes.These two girls caught my eye from a mile off. The tailoring of the high wasted trousers and the crop teamed with the pixie crop hairstyle created an elegant androgynous feel. So simple yet so dramatic, and a perfect way of bringing an edgy vibe to what was already a strong shade of blue. 

White can be worn in a variety of ways, from sporty to severe, but I think this playful display of white is my favorite. It's an outfit that brings a smile to your face instantly. There's nothing over-complicated about this outfit which really goes to show that with this trend, less is more. The shift dress hangs effortlessly whilst the cleated soles take it to a casual yet kitsch level. It contrasts brilliantly with the perfectly coiffed afro, and the pastel blue bag is just the right touch of colour. 

3. Monochrome

We all know for a fact that the monochrome trend will NEVER die, so why not embrace it like this  girl has done! When its a gorgeous sunny day, sometimes all black and a bit of white can seem too harsh, but swap that black for a silvery grey or even a gunmetal shade and you've added a bit of sun to your outfit. The soft grey of the coat works really well in contrast with her light blonde hair and the white t-shirt, whilst the sunglasses again add remnants of summer. I don't want to sound cliche, but the only way I can describe this outfit is cool. And it is. It's effortlessly cool, and the epitome of casual street style. 

4. Vintage 

If vintage is your favourite style, then really the world is your oyster. Just from these three girls alone you can see the variety, and that's why I chose them. Each of them is individually unique in the way they have styled a vintage look. Vintage means you can get as crazy and daring as you like, and a perfect example is how the girl on the left has teamed a classically vintage shirt with a metallic silver pencil skirt. The chunky boots collaborate with the skirt to bring a modern edge to the shirt. The contrast of the tight fitting skirt and loose fitting shirt is always a flattering silhouette too. 

I absolutely adored the way the girl in the middle roles up the legs of her dungarees and paired them with some dainty heels, showing off just the right amount of ankle. There isn't much you can do with a pair of full length dungarees, but the way this girl has styled hers is a worthy template for everyone. 

Last but certainly not least is the girl on the right. If I'd have seen the fluffy bardot top and the vintage peg leg trousers laid out together I never would have thought they'd work, but sometimes, when you try an outfit on it can drastically change, for better or for worse. Here the outfit definitely changes for the better. The trousers are so vibrant and colourful that it needs something simple to go with it. I never would have guessed white as a worthy companion, but in this case the contrasts compliment each other. 

Steph x x x

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Camden Bargain Buys

 

 

Ahh Camden. My home away from home. 

I'm forever discovering new and interesting places in London that fulfill my needs for the weird, wonderful and bizarre, but every time I go to London, I'll always at one point or the other find myself returning to Camden. 

Not only did it play a huge part of my childhood (yes I was an Emo/Scene Kid) but it is an amalgation of all the things I love: music, fashion, food and BARGAINS!

During the months of June/July, I got to visit Camden twice. Once with the lovely Fi Shemmans before the Cosmopolitan Superblogger Masterclass, and then with my best friend George Puddephatt for a nostalgic catch-up . 

Camden has changed a lot since I was 15/16, especially when it comes to shopping. It has definitely become more commercial. I'm not complaining, it just means you have to hunt a bit harder for those unique items. 

The t-shirt pictured above I bought from the market on the right hand side of the river, with the Vespa seating area. Because of all the food stalls there I always forget that there are shops behind them, but on this occassion Fi reminded me, and we spent a good hour or two there. The t-shirt came from a stall selling tonnes of garish yet eye-catching graphic print tees. Falling back into my monochrome habits, I fell in love with this particular one. It's got a sports luxe meet grunge vibe about it, and I could instantly picture in my head how I wanted to style it. For only £12 I thought it was an absolute bargain. 

The sunglasses were an emergency buy. Whilst waiting for George to meet me in Camden, I'd realised I'd forgotten my sunglasses, and the sun was blinding. Upon walking towards the main stables I  found a mini market on the left side of the street, with one vendor selling hundreds of on-trend sunglasses for £5. From flip-up sunglasses to oil slick, this guy had everything. I must have spent a good 20 minutes trying them on before deciding on this gold-rimmed oil slick pair. They are a proper statement and for £5 I won't be to heartbroken when I loose them (and believe me I will). 

Lastly but certainly not least are the bohemian bracelets and bindis. These came from a Middle Eastern shop just a few minutes Camden station. You can smell the incense a mile off, and the gorgeous colour scheme of oranges, reds, yellows and pinks draws you in. This shop has a pic 'n' mix system, where you grab a bowl and sift through piles of bracelets, rings, anklets and incense all priced between 20p and £1. It's hard not to go overboard, but when you see how much jewellery like this is going for in high street brands you'd be well and truly justified to do so. 

So if you're ever in London and looking for a bargain, take a little trip to Camden. Even if you don't buy anything, I guarantee it's a visit you won't forget.  

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Get ethical with Colin Leslie Eyewear

‘Tis the season for sunglasses, and unless you’ve been walking around with a paper bag over your head, you should know by now that sunglasses in all colours, shapes and sizes have been welcomed to party alongside hair garlands and jelly sandals this Summer.

This is also the season where we shake off our hats and scarves to enjoy the outdoors; lush green grass, voluptuous trees, clear blue skies and the sounds of chubby bumble bees. In the flurry of picking our Summer wardrobes and enjoying some of the amazing nature and weather our country offers this season, we forget that it needs protecting.

But there are some fashion angels out there who are enabling us to do all three of the above. Ethical fashion is becoming more and more popular as years go by, and no brand demonstrates this more than Colin LeslieEyewear.

I was incredibly lucky to be allowed to review their Tortoise sunglasses, which after having done some research, I discovered had been spotted on celebrity fashionistas such as Emeli Sande, Olly Murs, CraigRevel Horwood and Tinchy Strider.

As on trend as I felt at this point, my eco warrior brain was happier to know that celebrities such as these are supporting a brand that makes the welfare of our planet its main priority. With recycled acetate frames, bamboo temple arms that are individually hand crafted, and a pouch made from recycled plastic drinking bottles, these glasses are the epitome of Trash Fashion. 

Simplistic yet striking in style, the selection of sunglasses available are classics with a modern twist. You know I'm a sucker for anything monochrome, so these are my new babies. They go everywhere with me. 

If you've discovered any ethical fashion brands that you love, I'd love to hear about them. Let me know in the comments below. 

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Skulls and Daisies with the Balagan Group 2013/14 Collection

So the lovely people at the Balagan Group were kind enough to send me a selection of pieces from their 2013/14 collection. 

One thing I love about the Balagan group is that all of their jewellery is hand made. It's so refreshing to hear about a brand like this, in among a sea of products made by machines or made abroad. 

If that wasn't enough, the Balagan group's philosophy is 'Jewellery for self-expression.' 

I couldn't agree more. 

With statement jewellery being the trend of the season right now, more than ever we're looking at how necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings and even head pieces can express our own unique identity, whether it's your mood, your passions or your style. 

Balagan means 'chaos', and even though there's such a huge selection of jewellery to choose from in this collection, there was no chaos involved in choosing the pieces that I thought would help express me and my style. 

As you can see, the collection varies dramatically from one piece to the next. 

My ultimate favorite is the Silver Holly Leaf necklace from the Blowing in the Wind collection. The leaf pendant itself is gorgeous, but I also love the delicate silver chain with tiny rings placed along it. 

I've also had many complements on the interlocking ring, just because it's so different. Usually I like to wear a lot of rings on one hand, but I think this ring looks perfect by itself. 

The skull pieces I chose because I thought they were incredible cute, with just enough grungy essence to suit my own personal style. The earrings are tiny, but look really good mixed with a selection of other earrings on the ear where I have multiple piercings, and the droop earrings are perfect for a night out, adding just a touch of glamour. They're the kind of earrings that annoyingly leave people starring for ages at your ear as they try and figure out what they are. 

With daisies being SO on trend at the moment,  I felt like I had no choice but to request the earrings and necklace. They're so delicate and simple, but add a little bit of kitsch to an outfit.You can also never go wrong with floral earrings really. 

Lastly, but certainly not least are the Opal earrings. I chose these simple because of the colour. Pastels and brights are massively on trend at the moment, and I couldn't help but feel that these were the best of both worlds. I adore how the colours change in the light, and considering I have a very monochrome based wardrobe (a habit I'm trying very hard to break) these are a perfect addition of colour. 

At the moment, the Balagan group is just a wholesale jewellery supplier, BUT as we speak they are in the process of setting up an online retail store called the Karma Cafe, so as of yet, these products aren't available for purchase, but watch this space. 

Let me know what you think of the products, and if you've come across any amazing jewellery brands lately. 

Steph x x x

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March Haul

Hello all : )

So another month down, and one more month closer to Summer. 

Now through March, with the odd day of incredible summer-style weather, I caught the shopping bug that means the majority of what I bought was only really suitable for those odd, yet glorious days, however, I remain hopeful that there will be a lot more of them. 

Unfortunately, due to the smoggy pollution situation, right now the sky in Bedfordshire is a grim grey, so in an attempt to bring back that carefree summer feeling, I decided to share with you my March purchases. 

I admit that for the beginning of my new Summer wardrobe, color is a bit sparse, however whenever Winter comes around, I get stuck in a monochrome phase (with the odd splash of green, my favorite color) so this is my wardrobes slow transformation into a colorful butterfly. 

Top Right to Bottom Right (clothes) 

- H&M Ain't No Pug T-Shirt 

- Topshop Blue Black Moto Leigh Jeans

- Miss Selfridge Chartreuse Belted Short  

From Top to Bottom: 

-River Island Monochrome Cherub T-Shirt (bought in store, cannot find online, but will keep looking)

-Remington Pearl Pro Curl 

-River Island Bardot Top 

New Look Iridescent Chunky Chain Necklace 

Top to Bottom:

- Regal Rose Crystal Cluster Stacking Rings 

The Rogue and the Wolf The Queen of Hearts Crown Ring in Black

Left to Right: 

 - Barry M Classic Matte Nail Paint in Burgundy Crush

 - Seventeen Rock Hard Nail Effects in Grey 

- Barry M Classic Black Nail Paint 

I'm so happy with this haul, especially the curling wand. I've recently drastically changed my hair (all to be revealed, however if you follow me on Instagram @STEPHANIESOFOKLEOUS you'll get a preview) and really wanted to see what it looked like curled. It took me forever to actually find a curling wand that had good reviews, but I finally stumbled across this one on Amazon. Not a bad review insight, and only £22, I just had to get it. 

I guess this is more of a capsule start to my Summer wardrobe; a collection of things that I can mix and match, and are just really handy to have. The two t-shirts look really good with the jeans, or with a faux leather pencil skirt, whilst the bardot top adds a more formal look to the jeans, and contrasts really well with the bright yellow shorts, which are so cute, and I can't wait to style them. 

The rings I have already mentioned in previous post, but I am still so in love with them, and I think they work so well with everything I bought this month. 

In regards to the nail varnishes, they're not the summeriest of colors I know, but I've needed a black nail varnish for ages, an I will always go back to Barry M for my classic colors. I also love texture nail varnishes, so really wanted to try out one of Barry M's Matte Collection, and whilst I was looking around in Boots, I found Seventeen, and their Rock Hard collection, which I decided to give a go as well. I do plan on doing a post purely for these varnishes, so stay tuned for that. 

I will be doing posts styling all of these items, and as well as product reviews, and a reveal of my new hair. Eeeek. 

So what have you guys been splashing your money on?

Also, I'm getting used to using curling wands, so if you guys have any advice on using them and heat protection, I'd really appreciate it. 

Steph

x x x

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