American Eagle Outfitters Fashion Haul – USA & UK

Hey Sweeties,

I blimmin’ LOVE American Eagle Outfitters. I really do. Ever since I first went to New York City way back in 2007 and stepped into a store, I have loved the brand. Fortunately since visiting the States, American Eagle Outfitters have opened in the UK (I think just in Westfield?!) so I can now shop both here and across the Atlantic -win!

In today’s haul post, I thought I would combine the pieces I purchased from Westfield (London) earlier in the year, and the pieces I picked up on my honeymoon back in May (yes, still to tell you about it, I know, it’s coming -promise!).

American Eagle Outfitters Haul

There are three key things I love about American Eagle Outfitters

1. Affordability, particularly in a sale;

2. Quality;

3. Laid-back casual vibe of their clothing and accessories; they are great for layering, or wearing as stand alone pieces. In previous hauls, I have always stocked up on their hoodies and t-shirts, and thrown in the odd bit of jewellery here and there.

American Eagle Haul

Small note – I didn’t really think it through properly when I photographed the haul as the pieces are mixed rather than divided by USA and UK. Opps, sorry. Bear with.

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Ottica – The Online Retailer for Prescription Eyewear & Stylish Frames

Ottica -prescription eyewear and stylish frames.

Did you know that three-quarters of the population wear glasses? A pair of glasses has become the latest must-have accessory, regardless if used to improve vision or not. Personally, I’m not really into the whole wearing-glasses-if-you-don’t-actually-need-them-look, (but it’s totally okay if you are –I’m less than a month away from thirty and you know, I don’t think I’m really cool enough to pull it off). However, sunglasses on the other hand are my total go-to at this time of year!

I know how some people have several pairs, sometimes drawers full, of sunglasses. For me, (until today) I just have two pairs –a pair that lives in my car, and a pair that live in the house/my bag that I ultimately lose regularly. I am always trying new sunglasses on when I am out shopping, but I rarely commit to purchasing a new pair of frames for myself. In addition, it can be a struggle to find a pair of frames that suit your face shape, even if you love them on the display stand.

Who are Ottica?

Ottica is an online retailer for prescription eyewear, creating a “house of brands” for prescription glasses, designed to give their customers access to the top designers worldwide. They sell a variety of quality frames –both eyeglasses and sunglasses- in a variety of styles, shapes and colours, from the most trusted brands at online prices.

I was invited by Ottica* to look at the website and their vast collection of eyewear, as I am not a glasses wearer, my focus was on sunglasses.

Transform your look with a pair of stylish frames

Ottica

Ottica

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Spring fashion haul feat. Miss Guided; Boohoo; Very; Miss Pap; American Eagle & Miss Selfridge

Spring fashion haul. I feel like I haven’t done a haul post in FOREVER… that’s not to say I haven’t been haulin’ though, it means I just haven’t had the time/weather/patience/opportunity etc. to shoot everything.

Normally, when I’ve fashion hauled I either photograph it on which involves standing in the garden with my camera on a tripod and the self-timer; or occasionally I have made use of the washing line (for example here). Today, I have tried something new… the fashion flat lay!

My spring fashion haul has been building since January when I picked up a couple of bits in the sales, and then gradually over the past couple of months I have been adding to it.

At the end of April I am off on honeymoon to America (so freakin’ excited!) for a couple of weeks, so I am also beginning to look at my current wardrobe and identify any gaps for warmer weather attire that I might need for my trip. So without further ado, here are some of my recent purchases –

Spring fashion haul

Spring Haul

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Why it’s okay if things don’t always work out right in your career & in life

As I wrote recently, February marked ten years living away from home, and so much has happened in that time. As I come to reflect on my twenties, it has taken this decade of my life to find what I want from life and from myself.

I can’t emphasise enough how important it is for people to try a variety of things, and why it’s okay if things don’t always work out right; just take a new direction.

As we have all come to realise, what we see of each other’s lives is mostly a highlight reel because we only show our successes. But failure, mistakes and wrong turns happen all the time.

Here are some of my personal experiences:

Why it’s okay if things don’t always work out right

why it's okay if things don't always work out right

Don’t be afraid to admit when something doesn’t feel right

There is such a pressure as you come to the end of school to know what you want to do, which frankly is ridiculous. It is good to have an idea of the direction you want to go in, but no one is going to land his or her perfect role straight away and to be honest, would you want to?

We work for like, 50+ years during our life, there is plenty of time to try a few things and still achieve expertise in an area once you find it.

I knew fairly soon after moving to London (in 2007) to pursue dental nursing, that I wasn’t going to remain a dental nurse for long after qualification, but I still stuck out my two years training so I at least got qualified and had something to fall back on.

For ages, I considered becoming a Hygiene Therapist, before thinking about becoming an actual dentist, before realising that even if I became either of those things, my interest in the media and communications would never truly disappear.

Therefore, I took a new path and went to university to study media communications – read my Graduate Experience.

why it's okay if things don't always work out right

why it's okay if things don't always work out right

I took my driving test five times

When I failed my driving test for the first time, I cried my eyes out and the weight of failure was heavy on my eighteen year-old shoulders. I had a dream at some point between maybe my third test and my fifth, that the examiner I would pass with was a woman with brown hair.

After failing my test for the fourth time, I took a break from tests and finally got the opportunity to practice driving outside of my two-hour weekly lessons (my Mum was a Saint!). Sat in the test center for the fifth time, when a female examiner with brown hair came down the stairs I knew I was going to pass my test that day.

The message here ultimately is that tests and exams can be retaken, so don’t stress if things don’t always go right on the first take.

why it's okay if things don't always work out right

why it's okay if things don't always work out right

Not every Interview will result in a job offer

Before graduating from university, I think I got every job I interviewed for,  but there is a difference between full-time work and a weekend job for some extra pocket money.

As I explain in my Graduate Experience post, I had 10 interviews before getting my career in marketing and then a further three interviews and two job moves before finding somewhere I could settle for a while.

There are a hundred reasons why someone is turned down for a job, but not all of them are bad. Sometimes it is just fit, a person might be fabulous on paper, but the employer feels that in person, their personality does not quite fit with the rest of the office.

It’s annoying and disheartening, but it’s life and why it’s okay if things don’t always work out right. You don’t win every interview, but be assured that the right position is out there waiting for you.

Read my top five tips for how to nail an interview.

why it's okay if things don't always work out right

it's okay if things don't always work out right

Mistakes make life

They do. Life never runs one course, decisions that do not go quite to plan so often actually turn out for the better on reflection, even if they seem like the world has ended at the time.

For example, in secondary school between years 9-11 I trained for the Ten Tors (it’s a walking expedition in Devon) so every other weekend I was out on the moors hiking miles and miles ready for the challenge in May.

Then, the training walk or two before the challenge, I had a random funny turn and ended up having to quit the walk, which was completely out of character. I was distraught.

Consequently, despite all my successful walks, this one practice expedition lost me my place in the team and I had to settle for first reserve instead, which to me was devastating.

However, the night before the Ten Tors event, I got the news that I was walking for another school who were missing a team member and I was DELIGHTED! And you know what, I had a much better time and experience walking with a totally new team.

To this day, I am still in contact with one of the guys I walked with, and for me, it just demonstrates how things have a funny way of working out for the better.

why it's okay if things don't always work out right

it's okay if things don't always work out right

I hope you guys found some of this helpful and that you now know why it’s okay if things don’t always work out right.

What I’m wearing: Top – New Look; Bomber jacket – Very; Skirt – H&M; Boots -New Look; Choker – Choker Nation ; On my lips – Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Vampira

Until next time x

Women’s fashion: Why what women wear IS an issue

Women’s fashion. One of the things I most love about this blog, and my writing in many ways, is how I don’t fear or attempt to dodge topics of conversation that might be on the controversial side.

Claireysweetie.com enables more in depth discussion about things personal to me, such as my struggles with (social) anxiety, but also on things like why I hate girl squads and other such things that come into the media and popular culture.

I like creating conversation, I like sharing my opinion. So today I have an opinion on something that is either going to have a lot of you explode at me in disagreement, or actually, you’ll agree with me and I of course hope it’s the latter.

Why what women wear is an issue 

First of all to clarify for the record: A woman can wear anything she likes. What someone wears does not define them and when I say (or suggest, or reference) ‘unwanted attention’ or, ‘the wrong kind of attention’ I am 100% absolutely categorically not talking about rape.

I am talking about being in a bar or a club, or maybe even walking down the street, and a young woman is getting pestered, or wolf whistled by a couple of blokes because quite possibly (but not definitely), what she is wearing is getting them all in a fluster.

For the most part this unwanted behaviour can be harmless and a sharp “fuck off” usually does the trick, but sometimes it doesn’t but that’s a man’s issue, not the woman’s. Okay?

However my argument here and the underlying truth is that (young) women still need to be careful or at least mindful, with their appearance in public, particularly when out on the town. I think designers behind women’s fashion need to look at the items they are creating, and the looks they are encouraging.

Remember this is the opinion of an almost thirty year-old.

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