Fashion – Page 4 – Clairey Sweetie

January Sales Haul

Claire / 4th January 2016 / No Comments

Hey Sweeties,

Firstly I have to apologise, owing to the horrendous recent weather and crap winter lighting, I had to photograph my January sales haul indoors. I also didn’t put on any makeup hence why I have cut my face off some of the images because I just looked too terrible. Is this good enough, Sweeties? No, it’s not. But I hope you’ll forgive me this one time and appreciate it is down to circumstances and me trying to make the best of a bad photography situation and not actually a true reflection of my effort or commitment to post quality content.

Right, confession over, let’s get on with the post shall we?

Unlike previous years where I have been known to have a fairly big blow out in the January sales, this year I haven’t scaled the high street stripping the rails of fashion finds, instead I have literally just shopped in two places –River Island and Missguided. Mostly this was owing to time (I haven’t had any), and also I don’t need a lot to be honest and why spend money for the sake of it?

I love River Island sales, you really can get some great stuff in them and from my local store I picked up three items: A dark yellow 3/4 sleeved top; a loose fitting black mesh knitted top, and a pair of checked leggings.

I ummed and ahhh’ed over the leggings for ages but I am so pleased I bought them in the end -they fit perfectly (they have a zip at the back) and are a bit of fun. Where possible, I try and always incorporate a pattern or a bold colour in an outfit and usually achieve this best at work. While the leggings might not be work appropriate, the tops definitely are. Last year I bought another yellow top from River Island and when it’s paired with black skinnies it looks fab -check out my How To Nail an Interview post where I’ve featured the look for you previously. I otherwise actually think all three pieces are quite versatile and can be matched with so many other items in my existing wardrobe.

Now, Missguided!

I bought: Gold buckle detail cigarette trousers in nude; a tailored pair of cigarette trousers in burgundy; A black vertical sheer stripe t-shirt; and a scallop hem mini skirt in nude. I also purchased a wrapped front jersey midi skirt but it looked terrible (not to mention creased) so that’s going back.

I am really pleased with each of my purchases particularly when they are bought online as you can never be 100% sure of how an item will appear when it’s not on a tall skinny model. Essentially I was looking for some easy work pieces and that’s exactly what I have got -my favourite purchase is definitely the scallop hemmed skirt (above), it pairs so brilliantly with a black top and it has pockets!!

What great finds have you guys picked up in the sales?

Until next time x

Clothes Show Haul | Blogmas Day 16

Claire / 16th December 2015 / 2 Comments

Hey Sweeties,

A couple of weeks ago I was incredibly lucky to win (via Twitter) two tickets to the Clothes Show and a 12-piece collection of makeup brushes, all courtesy of Nanshy. The brushes I will reveal to you in another post very soon but for now, I thought I would show you some of the things I picked up from the show because who doesn’t love a haul post?

What I love about the Clothes Show is while you might blow a bit of a hole in your purse, you’ll get a lot for your money as everything is either just really cheap or has been discounted for the show. None of the below cost me more than £10 each!

This dress cost me £5 & I really like it -can’t go wrong with stripes!

My favourite find! This dress is from a brand called, Fearless Illustration

Unfortunately this dress is a little small but I still love the flamingo print

I love this jumper! I bought another one in navy for Ian so on Christmas Day we have matching his ‘n hers jumpers!

I did so well to not pick up more makeup as recently I feel I have bought enough to not need more unless I really really need it. That being said, you can’t turn down a bargain when you see one! A couple of years ago when I went to the Clothes Show, Barry M were offering goody bags for £10 which included a makeup bag, a few polishes and a couple of their other products and they were doing the same again. While I am not as much of a fan of Barry M as I was back then, I still enjoy their products, particularly their polishes and I was not let down with this year’s goody bag.

Contents: Kohl pencil in silver; lip gloss in no.4; Glossy Tube super shiny lip gloss in no.6; liquid eyeliner in turquoise; eyeshadow in no.9 & 4. Polishes in: Forest 434; Rockstar 519; Jingle Bells 443; Paprika 450; Miami 523; Red Black 520.

I didn’t buy the above dress from the Clothes Show but it’s still new and I wore it to the show so I thought I would still add it into this post. It’s from an online brand called Pretty Little Thing and is from the Lucy Mecklenburgh collection; it’ll be such a staple over winter!

The Clothes Show is such a worth while day out, while I don’t feel it necessary to go every year, every couple of years I think is fine. But it’s definitely all about the shopping! While the main arena show is always brilliant and an integral part of the day, all the other time is spent shopping so go prepared to shop and with a fairly generous budget!

Did any of you guys go this year?

Until next time x

Animal Print Wrap from Marks & Spencer | Blogmas Day 3

Claire / 3rd December 2015 / No Comments

A couple of weeks ago I saw this gorgeous animal print wrap from the Marks & Spencer winter collection and it was instant love. I used some leftover money on a gift card to make the purchase online.

Another thing I purchased was the Pure Luxe Multi blusher from their Autograph makeup collection. Unfortunately this product was a bit of a let down but the wrap was an excellent purchase.

M&S Animal print wrap

The material is a beautifully soft cotton but to the touch it feels like cashmere, and I love the animal print –I have such a thing for animal print on clothing and accessories, it can instantly lift a plain outfit. I also like the way the garment finishes with black tassels.

This animal print wrap can be worn all year round, not just in winter which makes it a very versatile piece and means I’ll enjoy it across all four seasons. I am somebody that always feels the cold and a wrap or shawl is such a convenient item to own when I need an extra layer.

While it looks cosy (and it is), it’s not a hugely thick material so on really cold days I’ll need to ensure I layer up underneath, but I’m okay with that. I think this wrap will be perfect for days at the cricket, and also on shopping trips when it’s a bit much to be wearing a thick coat. It’ll also look great synced into my waist with a belt.

Overall I am delighted with this animal print wrap from Marks & Spencer, what do you guys think?

Until next time x

New Look, H&M, TK MAXX & Deichmann Fashion Haul

Claire / 6th August 2015 / No Comments

Hey Sweeties,

I admitted in a post last week that I have recently got a bit spendy in both beauty (here) and some new fashion pieces.

There have been a few things on my list of things I felt I needed to add to my wardrobe, but also I am mindful that my holiday with Trek America is very much on the horizon and although it’ll no longer be summertime here, it’ll still be hot over there!

The below haul is a mixture of sale & full price items from the high street.

The fashion Haul

It’s a shame that there’s no such thing as casual Monday as this jumper from New Look would make an appearance in the office weekly!

I love playsuits (despite their impracality sometimes) & this New Look one will be perfect for my holiday & was a total steal at £9!

…If only I could rock a pair of patterned trousers every day of the week! I got this pair from TK MAXX & I love the fun element these bring to an outfit.

Teamed up with a pair of skinny trousers, this H&M shirt can be dressed up or down

I love the summer trend for kimono’s right now & this one from New Look is beautiful & so easy to wear!

I couldn’t resist the flower embossed detail on this pair of New Look trainer/pumps; so pretty!

I snapped up this pair of sandals from New Look; I love the metal detail

I can’t tell you how delighted I am with this pair of trainers from Deichmann -the leopard print detail is perfect for me!

I have had this fun lemon purse in my sights for months but with a bit of patience, I finally got it at a price I was willing to pay (£6.50)!

The grey t-shirt as seen on the very top photo on the right, is from H&M and is added to my wardrobe on the basis of being such a staple item. Grey is such a wearable colour!

Have you guys grabbed a bargain lately?

Until next time x

Khaki green trousers: how to style for the workplace

Claire / 10th July 2015 / No Comments

I purchased this pair of khaki green trousers from Banana Republic and I have been desperate to create a style suitable for the workplace for ages.

Khaki green is an easy colour to wear but depending on the style of the item, sometimes I do second guess myself as to whether it is a suitable look for the office.

Fortunately, as workplace fashion goes, workplaces more often than not I find now have adopted a smart casual approach to dress code providing you are presentable.

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January Sales Haul

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M&S Animal print wrap

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