What I Wore: Floral Grunge at London Zoo

Two weeks ago today I was preparing to celebrate my 22nd birthday at ZSL London Zoo Lates, a festival for adults held at the zoo (you can read all about it here ). The day before, I still hadn't chosen my birthday outfit (I'm not the only one that has birthday outfits right?) I was in a bit of a panic. Yet again I'd left it to the last minute, so ordering online was out the window. My only option was Bedford Town Centre. I'm not complaining, but with only a handful of high street brands, I was worried I would end up grabbing any old thing for the sake of having something new, or come home empty handed. And to add to the stress, what the hell do you wear to a party at a zoo?!

I looked through Topshop, New Look, River Island, Oasis and Warehouse, but remained uninspired, which I was really surprised about considering I've been so obsessed with New Look lately.  My last stop was a Miss Selfridge concessionary department in Beales. I adore Miss Selfridge's style, but being a small concessionary shop with very small stock, I didn't get my hopes up.

I was pleasantly surprised though. I was desperate for a bit of colour , and Miss Selfridge was packed full of it. I had originally been looking for a nice summery dress but when I saw the range of vibrant crops Miss Selfridge had in store, I decided for the first time to try some on. Now crops are intimidating, especially if you don't have a flat stomach, and if you have a large chest like I do, but my advice to all of you out there like me is don't write crops off completely. Try some different styles and you will find ones that suit you. I would recommend crops that are square in shape - they don't cling and emphasise your chest, instead they make your waist look smaller. I would also recommend not wearing a padded bra - if you want to make your chest look smaller, they are your worst enemy.

Anyhoo, I saw this tropically floral crop, tried it and fell in love. It was a nice, loose fit, worked well with my hair and was perfect for day and evening looks. It had a skirt to match, which I was so tempted to get, but it was quite restricting. Unfortunately they're now sold out, but you can find a very similar style here.

I adore the summery, hippy grunge look that's around at the moment, and really wanted to give it a go, so I paired the top with some high-waisted denim shorts which I'd roughed up with a cheesegrater (cheeky life hack) and my white flatform sandals. My hair is way to thick for full-on grunge buns, so I went for the half up, half down style, and teamed it with a delicate bindi, a pack of which I bought from Camden for £1, and my £5 circle mirror sunglasses (again from Camden).

I'm planning on doing a separate post on crops and the variety of styles for different body shapes, but until then, I hope you've enjoyed today's post, and have an awesome weekend!

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Birthday Diary: Zoo Lates at ZSL London

Hello all, 

Yet again I am guilty of not having blogged much recently, but I promise I have a very good excuse.

 As of last Friday, I've had some MAJOR BIRTHDAY ANTICS going on. My birthday was actually on the 28th, but not being happy about having a Monday birthday, me and my boyfriend (whose birthday is on the 31st ) have decided to turn the last week and a bit into a joint birthday extravaganza. 

I really enjoy turning my birthday into a reunion event for me and all my friends. There's a lot of them that I don't get to see very often, and it's just so lovely to have one day a year where they can all meet each other and we can just have a really good night out. 

I researched for months beforehand for some ideas without much luck. I'd found out about the Zoo Lates events last year, and it popped into my head in one of those rare but magical light-bulb moments. It just seemed perfect for the kind of night I wanted. Firstly, who doesn't love the zoo? Secondly, on top of all the normal zoo attractions, there were comedians, animal demonstrations, face painting, wine tasting, acoustic bands, a food festival and a silent disco. However what really sold it to me was the fact that it finished at 10.30. I know that probably sounds weird, but considering I had friends travelling from far and wide, I wanted an event that didn't mean them leaving early and missing out to catch a train. 

I was very lucky to get tickets. The event is only open every Friday in June and July, and tickets for each date usually sell out a good 2-3 weeks before. Unfortunately the events for this year are all done and dusted, but it's certainly something to bear in mind for next year, as it's definitely worth it. 

One bit of advice that I would give anyone thinking of going is that even though the event starts at 6 and gates don't close until 8, get there as early as you possibly can. We didn't get there till 8 and at that point a lot of the animal enclosures were empty (which is to be expected). The earlier you get there, the more chance you have of experiencing everything the event has to offer. 

Despite this, I had such a fun time. The vintage car pimped out as a photo booth was such a laugh, and the pictures you get from it are a lasting memory of hilarity. Loads of people attended in fancy dress, and I saw some amazing face paint. Even if you don't get to see and do everything, the atmosphere is so feel-good that you and your friends are guaranteed to have a good time. I'm definitely doing it again next year. 

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