Red

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A couple of photos I came across on tumblr made me suddenly really, really like the idea of red on my toes and scarves in my hair for summer.  I think my pastel obsession might finally be waning- continuing on from my last post, I'm into more feminine, grown-up looks at the moment, and the red nail varnish which I always found to be too serious for me suddenly feels right.  We'll see if this manifests itself in the rest of my life... 

Dungarees Part II

My obsession with dungarees is still showing no signs of waning.  I originally posted about my quest for the perfect dungaree over a year ago, and so far I've managed to buy three pairs, all completely different to each other:

Left to right: Primark, Topshop Boutique via ebay, Zara

Turns out there's no such thing as the perfect pair of dungarees, just lots of equally cool ones that each work best in different situations.  I've actually worn the velvet ones non-stop, but it's now getting a bit too warm to wear them without sweltering, so I'm reluctantly shelving them until next autumn.  In the meantime, I've decided I need a lighter full-length version to wear in this in-between weather.  Aside from one pair in exactly the wash I wanted, which came online and sold out within a day, from Topshop, I've not found anything that's exactly right.  Then I came across this photo on tumblr a few days ago- turns out it's from a series of photos Jeanne Damas did for & Other Stories (seriously, I can't stop posting about this shop, it's possibly the best thing to happen to the high street ever, and I'm mildly disgruntled that they only offer online shopping to a handful of countries, none of which I currently live in) featuring exactly what I'm looking for:

 

Mid-wash, undistressed denim, in a slouchy fit.  These are the dungarees in question, and for those who live in one of the lucky countries with access to & Other Stories, they're available here:

I'm deliberating over a few alternatives, but can't quite decide how much I want to spend on this particular trend (is something still considered a trend when it's on its fourth or so season?)

Left to right: Miss Selfridge, Topshop via ebay, vintage Lee via ebay

Interestingly, I'm getting a seriously 70s vibe from all of these- perhaps it's the shade of blue?- but overall (pardon the pun!) the 70s are suddenly appealing to me again, after a few years of being the last decade I'd turn to for inspiration.  I think part of it is to do with my Miu Miu love this season (a 70s-influenced collection if ever there was one!), but also the overdose of 90s influences on the high street- in the actual 90s, the 70s were the decade to aspire to (witness every single thing worn in Reality Bites, my favourite film as a teenager).  In the interest of staying (vaguely) on-topic, I'll leave the catalogueing of all the suede A-line miniskirts and wide legged trousers I've been craving for another post, but I''m even considering pairing any of the above with a pair of cork-soled wedges, or tan leather wooden-heeled sandals...

Accessorize All Areas

Anyone who's been following my ramblings for a while will know I've got a mild obsession with & Other Stories- along with sister store Cos, it makes up my the exception to my general disillusionment with the high street, and I've made a fair few pilgrimages to Regent Street solely to paw at their handbags and contemplate their (just over my budget) outerwear.  So when I happened upon a feature on their website featuring Giulia and Giorgia Tordini , the Italian sisters on whom I've got a massive style crush,  in the winter collection, I went into fangirl overdrive and suddenly found myself wanting to subsist on a steady diet of red lipstick, elegantly spindly heels and piles of gold jewellery paired with simple black dresses.  It's the ultimate Scandi-meets-Mediterranean combination and I think it's the perfect antidote to my recent overdose on knitwear and ankle boots...

November(ish) Outfits

If anyone actually reads this anymore (hi! *waves*) I can only offer apologies for vanishing off the face of the blogosphere. My new job generally leaves me exhausted and despite my best intentions for interesting blog posts, all I can actually share is a load of photos of me repeatedly wearing the same clothes (or ones which are so similar, they may as well be- I'm officially banned from buying anything with a white collar ever again!)  At least if the cost-per-wear of any given item in my wardrobe were calculated, it would be about 5p.  I'm not actually sure that's a good thing... 

clockwise from top left- dress- Cos, boots- Beau Coops; breton top- Sunspel, skirt- vintage, boots- Massimo Dutti; top- Asos, shorts- Whistles, shoes- Kurt Geiger; dress- Pop Boutique, shoes- & Other Stories; shirt- Asos, skirt- JW Anderson x Topshop, boots- vintage; coat- Primark, jeans- Masscob, boots- Massimo Dutti

clockwise from top left: jumper- Etoile by Isabel Marant, trousers- Topshop Boutique, shoes- Kurt Geiger; jumper- as before, shorts- Whistles, shoes as before; jumper- Topshop, shorts- Oysho, shoes as before; t-shirt- Gap, skirt- vintage, shoes- & Other Stories; top- Asos, skirt- vintage, boots- Massimo Dutti; top- Cos, jeans- Masscob, shoes- Kurt Geiger.

Not pictured- either of my two (!) new pairs of shoes, once of which is an honest-to-God pair of trainers.  I've been wearing them with little dresses and telling myself it's very Scandinavian of me, rather than 1980s commuter.  Photographic proof of my Scandi-coolness to come...

So far in October...

& Other Stories brogues, pink nails and my first midi ring, Mozza and a promising find from Daunt Books, amazing autumnal ivy in Hampstead, new Lula and my much-anticipated perfect white nail varnish- Butter London's Cotton Buds, the walled garden and entrance to Fulham Palace, the old pier in Brighton.

Wearing Lately

My inability to pass shops without ducking in to have a quick browse, even if it's the third branch of H&M that day and I'm quite certain I won't find anything I like, means there's been no shortage of opportunities for changing room selfies since I've been back in London.  So I present every single thing (more or less) that I've worn over the past 2.5 weeks...

Clockwise from top left- top and skirt, Zara, boots- Massimo Dutti; top- Topshop, shorts- Oysho, boots- Beau Coops; lace top- Oysho, shorts- Whistles, shoes- Kurt Geiger; jumper- Primark, skirt- Topshop, plimsolls- H&M; jumper- French Connection, skirt- Zara, shoes- Kurt Geiger; jacket- H&M, t-shirt- Gap, skirt- JW Anderson x Topshop, boots- Massimo Dutti

shirt- Asos, shorts- Whistles, boots- Massimo Dutti; jumper- H&M, shorts- Vero Moda, shoes- Kurt Geiger; dress- Cos, shoes- & Other Stories

 

 

top- Cos, skirt- vintage, boots- Massimo Dutti; jacket- Gap, trousers- River Island, boots- Beau Coops

I'm slightly freaked out by how identical my stance is in every single one of these, down to the placement of my fingers as I'm holding my phone.  I am however, quite pleased with the variety of my outfits considering they're comprised entirely of the contents of my 20 kilo suitcase and a handful of new purchases.  Perhaps I've succeeded in building a capsule wardrobe without actually trying?  I definitely need a new pair of ankle boots though- both the pairs I've brought with me probably photograph better than they've actually been holding up...

& Other Stories (again)

I blogged about the latest addition to the H&M family before they opened at the beginning of the year, but like their sister chains Monki and Cos, I've tried to avoid looking at their collections too much as I didn't actually have access to a branch in person and they limit online shopping to a handful of countries.  Now that I'll actually be able to potentially shop there though, I had a quick browse and compiled a mini-wishlist.  

Leather Shoulder Bag

Claire Judge silk playsuit

Leather brogue boots

The bag is potentially the perfect black everyday bag to replace my knackered Zara one, the playsuit is the sort of silky, indulgent loungewear I always aspire to but never manage to actually own, and the boots could be a good compromise between clompy army boots and mannish brogues.  I'm also completely obsessed with their collection of nail varnish, which has names like Moire Green and Shoddy Pink.