OOTD | Land of Liberty

ootdShirt: Liberty | Vest: Uniqlo | Trousers: Topshop | Trainers: Nike

I love the fashion that pops up around the party season. For some reason we all feel that we can ever so slightly more eccentric than we usually would with our style. I’m talking about dresses made entirely of sequins, glitter embellished skirts, and novelty sweaters. As soon as Christmas hits, these main offenders start to pop up all over the place. However as you all know, my personal style is a little more minimalist. That means I have to be creative and look elsewhere for my seasonal inspiration.

Since I can remember my mum has been a fan of Liberty. We would wander around the Victorian department store during our visits to London, in awe of their wares. However it was their prints that my mum always went back to. Even now she calls me and tells me how she simply “must visit Liberty” next time she visits. This year she has her eye on one of their many scarves. I personally have my eye on their new collection of shirts.

Liberty has brought their prints to 2015, with a contemporary range of shirts. I can’t say I ever imagined myself wearing a Liberty print shirt, but I fell in love with the almost monochrome Eloise Print Selena Shirt. I just love the length and cut of it. It certainly doesn’t feel like something my mum would wear, but if she did she’d definitely be way more stylish than me. In true Emma fashion, I went for a smart casual look, and paired the shirt with some trousers and my trusty Nikes. After all, dressing it up would be way too easy.

Check out my previous style posts: OOTD
Thanks to V.A (Chopstickpanorama) for the photos of me.

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Discuss: Test Drive Your Clothes, Before You Buy

Japanese clothing brand GU (a Uniqlo sister brand) have released a new concept into their new Shibuya Parco store (Tokyo) this month. The concept behind the store has been labelled “GU Fitting” and claims to be the first of it’s kind in the world. 

So what is ‘GU Fitting’ and how does it work? Essentially it’s a service that allows you to test drive an item, or items, of clothing before you purchase it. It may sound a little crazy, and you’re probably wondering how it could work, or why it’s even a thing. Well GU want you to be able to really get to grips with their items, so they’re willing to loan you the items for the day. Say you walk into GU’s new store and your eyes fall on a cute dress, but you’re not sure how it will fit or feel. All you need to do is visit the GU Fitting Counter (they take 30 requests a day) with your item/s (3 max) and put in a request to ‘test drive’ them. You can meet up with friends at a cafe, do some window shopping, or maybe even sit around at home. All you have to do is return them by the end of the day. You can then decide whether you want to purchase them or not. 
But won’t people steal the items? This part has a lot to do with the culture, in my opinion. GU are trusting their customers with the items and are only asking for a name and telephone number, no ID or deposit etc. This is because they have trust in their customers. If you lose your wallet in Japan, chances are someone will return it or give it in to the police. It’s because of this that a lot of Japanese people have a very trusting mentality and it translates well into schemes like this. As for the items on sale – most are priced around 2,000円 (around £11.50) or less, so this is purely fast fashion, nothing high-end. 
GU have certainly come up with a unique way to sell their clothing, and with a large selection of on-trend quality items I can see this becoming a big hit with the brand. GU are already considering expanding the project if it is successful, and as a fan of the brand I would love to try the idea out. Will it catch on? I really don’t see it working outside of Japan, without a few changes. I could see it working in the UK if the customer left their card details/with a deposit scheme, however I’m not too sure the idea would catch on. It does seem like something that would only work in Japan, for now anyway. The store will be open until the end of June, so you still have some time to check it out if you’re in the neighbourhood. 

What do you think? 
Would it work in your country?
Would you ‘test drive’ an outfit/item of clothing? 
Source: 1, 2, 3

OOTD: Hear Me Roar!

Top – Sugar & Style | Trousers – Uniqlo | Shoes – New Look | Bag* – Heritage & Harlequin

Yesterday saw the sun rear it’s head again, and shine down on us. It was the perfect chance to take a long walk around Stoke Newington. So I quickly threw something light and casual on, and grabbed some cute accessories. No one wants to be wearing layers of clothes when they go walking. Yet I still wanted to look bright and colourful.
You may have guessed the point, and main focus of this outfit. Yes, my new bag from Disaster Designs was calling to be taken out. I love yellow, tiger print, and I love clutches that can be turned into shoulder bags. So as you may have guessed, I can’t get enough of this little beauty. It’s pretty awesome. I matched the yellow of the bag with the neon flecks in my top from Sugar & Style. When paired with my Uniqlo jean trouser leggings, it’s an easy Spring look. I did realise though that I need some light coloured comfortable shoes. 99% of my shoes are black, so I only have myself to blame. I think white sneakers would have perfected this.
Unfortunately I forgot where I bought the headband from.
I bought it last year at the Spirit of Summer fair, and I can’t remember who from, sorry!

OOTD: Am I a Cat or Bag Lady?

Tshirt – Topshop | Jeans – Uniqlo | Bag* – Oasap | Necklace – Topshop | Bracelet – Rêves D’Hiver

As soon as I saw this t-shirt I knew I had to have it. The cute cats. The Breton stripes. It’s just absolutely perfect!  Look at it. Look at it!!
It’s also a really cute t-shirt to pair with plain jeans or a black high waisted skirt. I paired it with my Uniqlo jeans and my new Céline inspired tote bag from Oasap. Lilac has quickly become one of my favourite colours, so I had to go for this colour way. It also comes in mint which was a close second, but the lilac was just perfect for me. Hey, it’s affordable enough that you could get it both colours if you can’t decide! Minimal accessories and my cozy Winter coat finished the outfit off. I headed out to brunch wearing this ensemble and I felt subtly chic.
Don’t forget you can get 20% off with code ‘bloomzy’ when you visit Oasap!

OOTD: Polka Loco

Scarf – Ffion Griffith | Shirt* – Oasap | Trousers – Uniqlo | Shoes – Vans x Liberty’s of London @ Office
I was just standing here casually and the camera went off by itself, I’m not a model. Sorry I couldn’t help myself – if you didn’t get that meme reference than educate yo’self.
We happened upon a Japanese tea room yesterday and decided to investigate it today. I popped on my favourite shirt and my scarf, which I actually wear more as a headscarf now. The weather was good again so I knew I had to make the most of the sun and take an outfit shot. Lounging in the sun in comfy clothes with some Japanese tea (genmaicha to be exact) was lovely. I’m going to be so sad when I have to return to London and can’t take an outfit photo everyday.
Don’t forget you can get 20% off with code ‘bloomzy’ when you visit Oasap!

OOTD: When in France…

Knit – Zara | Trousers – Uniqlo | Shoes – New Look @ ASOS | Backpack* – Oasap
Ok now raise your hands if you hate packing for a holiday! Just me? Oh well, I just never seem to know what to pack to go away. I always end up with a random variety of clothes, accessories and shoes. I guess it’s because I don’t like planning outfits, as I know it depends on my mood. This Zara knit seemed perfect for my holiday in France though, not bad for a charity shop find, ey? I paired it with my Uniqlo legging trousers because they’re so comfy and chilled – perfect for casual walking. It’s quite a thin knit so I’ve been able to wear it by itself, as the weather is lovely and a jacket isn’t needed. Paired with my new backpack (that can also be used as a handbag) from Oasap, I am ready to go!
Don’t forget you can get 20% off with code ‘bloomzy’ when you visit Oasap!

Photo Diary: Boots, Bites & Business

What have I been up to lately?

Well my internship with Finchittida Finch is going great!
We’re getting down to the final hours of a very exciting, and big, order.
Of course I still had time to pamper myself and do my nails in some Spring pastel shades.
In the meantime my good friend Anna returned from Norway with treats!
She brought me back some speciality cheese, and a gorgeous neon glitzy necklace.
We made plans to grab some food and catch-up, so we went to a great Turkish restaurant in Islington.
I wore my new boots (spent with my birthday gift card from Sami), which are so cute and comfy.
I also joined Vine this week! You can follow me on: bloomzy
My new business cards for the blog arrived too, featuring my Tatty Devine name necklace.
Then finally this past weekend I popped down to Shoreditch to do a bit of shopping.
I bought a Uniqlo x Keith Haring t-shirt that called to me as soon as I stepped into the pop-up.
I also indulged in some okonomiyaki along Brick Lane – the place for street food!
You can follow me on Instagram to stalksee what I’m up to: bloomzy