bloomzy /

My 2014 Style Evolution

 
March – Floral Fancy
 
 

June – I Feel Blue

 
August – Countryside Chic
 
September – Pattern Practise
 
 
November – Autumnal Bliss
 

December – Norfolk Girl

This year saw my style change quite dramatically. Back in April I did a large overhaul of my wardrobe. I got rid of all the items I’d never worn, or only worn once. I focused on creating a collection of quality basics (and the odd rogue dramatic piece) that would be worn again and again. I decided to stop buying lots of cheaper “on-trend” items, and instead focused on higher end timeless pieces. That meant I could finally justify (and afford) my dream coat from Sandro. Gone are the loud, bright outfits from the beginning of the year. Instead they have been replaced with a more minimalistic, monochrome affair…with a dash of colour.
I hope to continue refining my style in 2015 – working with the same mindset.
Will I keep up with it? I guess only time will tell.
bloomzy /

OOTD: Pattern Practise

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Blazer* – Missguided | Tshirt* – Missguided | Jeans – Topshop | Boots – Topshop | Bag: Zara

I love stripes, everyone knows this. Yet my wardrobe is pretty much void of any other pattern. It’s plain to see that I need to be a bit more adventurous and work more patterns into my style.

The idea of playing with florals in Autumn seemed a bit odd (florals for Spring, groundbreaking) yet these feisty fellas are still popping up in stores and on catwalks. I thought I’d try a more toned down version, something that suited my style and the season. Thankfully Missguided have a ridiculously gorgeous selection of A/W florals on the site. I was in luck! Paired with a black boyfriend blazer, jeans and boots the pattern really stood out.

Mission 1 accomplished.

This post is part of the How to Wear Project in collaboration with Voucher Codes.

bloomzy /

OOTD: Keep Cool

Top* – Persun | Slip Dress – Primark | Bag – Zara | Sandals* – Fitflop | Sunglasses* – Playn
 
It hasn’t exactly been easy in this heatwave, trying to figure out which items of clothing won’t leave me melting into a puddle. I do however have a few items I know I can rely on to keep me cool and stylish. Well, as stylish as I’m going to get anyway.
My number one favourite item right now is my little black slip dress from Primark. You’re probably wondering why on earth I would even consider black in this heat. Honestly I have no better excuse than “…because it goes with everything.” It is a little plain by itself though so I’ve been layering it with loose fitting/cotton tees, to add a bit of dimension to my outfits. Of course sandals are a must in this heat, as are sunglasses so I’ve entrusted both of those tasks to two brands I know and love: Fitflop, and Playn Eyewear. As far as accessories go, my watch and my new camera are the only ones I need. However I do need something to carry a heavy DSLR around in, so I opted for my Zara backpack.
I’ve been hanging in there and thankfully I haven’t combusted just yet. If it wasn’t for loose tops and sandals I think I’d have got that pixie cut I’ve been dreaming of for the past few years and hidden myself away in a cave.
Thanks to Chopstickpanorama for taking my photos.
bloomzy /

OOTD: I’m Torn

Top – Topshop | Jeans* – Oasap | Sandals – Primark | Sunglasses* – Oasap | Necklace – Marc by Marc Jacobs | Bracelets – Zara

Sometimes I just need a few days to chill out, and when I do, my clothing choices tend to reflect that. However I’m not about to do an outfit post consisting purely of loungewear…although it’s tempting. Instead I donned my new torn mum jeans, some chunky sandals, a loose tee and a ton of accessories. The perfect attire for a day wandering around Shoreditch. 
Unfortunately the jeans are ridiculously large, and by “ridiculously large” I mean about 2 sizes too big. This is my main reason for disliking online shopping, especially when the item is coming from across the other side of the world. Luckily I had a few belts on hand which helped with the problem…slightly. My only other complaint would be that this package took around a month to arrive, because my full address wasn’t on the package. This seems a bit odd after Oasap have been sending packages to the same address for over a year, and they’ve usually arrived within a week or two. Now that they’re charging for postage, this is a bit odd, and a little unsatisfying. I’m hoping that this was just a one-off human error. I don’t like to be a downer, and the only reason I mentioned it is because I have been working with Oasap and mentioning them on the blog for a long time.
bloomzy /

OOTD: Little Paris in London

Blazer – H&M | Top – Zara | Leggings – H&M | Necklace – Topshop


This Summer I plan to make a big change in my wardrobe. That isn’t exactly something I declare every day so it may sound a bit odd. This past weekend I re-read Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange. Whereas I don’t agree with everything, I do love her take on the classic Parisian style. It got me thinking about my own style and how I was in love with Ines’s offerings. So this Summer I plan to do a little style overhaul…well, in a way.
I envy those who wear basics like they’re something fantastical. I want to be one of those women who walks down the streets of Paris, wearing H&M as if it were Chanel. Convincing those around her that they’ve put hours of effort in to look chic, when in reality all she had to do was grab a shirt and a pair of tailored trousers from her minimalist wardrobe. My wardrobe will consist of a few key pieces that will work well together (or by themselves), with minimal accessories to match. It isn’t about being specifically on-trend, nor do I believe that you need a wardrobe overflowing with items. Quality over quantity, after all. However that doesn’t mean that I need to spend all of my income on the latest it-bag from Louis Vuitton, or the latest pair of flats from Charlotte Olympia. I’d rather have people wonder where my clothes are from, and where they can buy them for themselves. So since I look up to women with an effortless ability to pair basics (a la Rumi Neely & Audrey Hepburn), I plan to bring out the casual chic part of my personal style even more.
Hopefully I’ll be able to wow a few people myself.
bloomzy /

OOTD: East London Calling

Sweater – H&M | Trousers – H&M | Bag – Zara | Sandals – Primark | Watch – Marc by Marc Jacobs | Sunglasses* – Ray-Ban

Hanging around East London isn’t anything new for me, I know. So you’d think that I’d be getting a little bored of the area by now, right? It becomes all the more exciting though when I get to share it with someone else. That’s exactly what happened when I met V.A (of Chopstickpanorama) for lunch at Onthebab. We had been meaning to meet for a while so we decided to take advantage of our time. Of course that meant an impromptu photoshoot around Shoreditch in East London. As if it could mean anything else when two bloggers are involved.
It was so nice having another blogger there to take my photos. V.A is a wonderful photographer so she knew exactly what to do. I very much appreciated her guidance and telling me to “stand straight.” I learnt a lot of things from that lovely little lady – thank you V.A. I think I’ve caught the photography bug all over again!
Photos taken by Chopstickpanorama