2013 Autumn/Winter Wardobe Must-Haves

Now that September is well and truly (well nearly) over I thought it would be a great time to write a post of some basic essential seasonal must haves which London Fashion Week had been raving about. What I love about autumn is this transitional period you can still wear (and get away with) some great summer items such as floral shirts but instead of paring them with a skirt opt for a layered look with dark jeans and trusty ankle boots.

What I adore about autumn 2013 is the military gothic yet sharp tailored vibe; team up tartan prints with textured dusty pinks for an ultimate modern clash. Androgynous tailoring is dominating autumn/winter 2013 which is perfect for those classic timeless looks which are very effortless and simple to achieve; taking a look from office to evening chic. Just because it is getting a lot darker outside does not mean that your autumn wardrobe has to be all dark and gloom, you can still introduce some colour with clashing strong prints with textured layered jumper (for those that are daring enough animal print is still hot on trend this season)! It is all about switching and incorporating a few autumn essentials such as the ones below which are key this season…

1# Pink Coat

Pink coats were dominating the glossy fashion magazines at the moment; I love the classic long length and the very feminine pale pink colour of this Zara piece. A similar one that was very popular in M&S sold out online for a bargain price of £85 (if you were lucky enough to get your hands on one)!

Masculine Studio Overcoat £179 from Zara

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2# Tartan

The Tartan print is everywhere, a very easy way to wear tartan print trousers is by balancing it with a plain crisp shirt for that effortless chic look oozing sophistication. These red tartan trousers are ankle length which are perfect for this transitional period. Team it up with a leather jacket for an edgier affair.

Plaid Slim Fit Trousers £44.99 from Mango

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3# Long-line Jackets/Blazers

Long-line jackets and blazers are all around on the high street and come in a variety of different lengths and colours. I love this burgundy baggy number from Zara, perfect for Autumn and layering with jumpers for those windy Autumn days.

Jacket with contrasting lapel £79.99 from Zara

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 #4 Leather

Leather is running strongly all the way through to Winter 2013 and is great for toughening up a pretty outfit. Great for smart and casual wear this skirt can easily be dressed up or down whatever the weather. Think of clashing this skirt with a wholly jumper and ankle boots for a day out.

Faux Leather Pleat Midi Skirt £28 from Miss Selfridge

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Bo-ho to the darker days, but do not let it stop you from looking stylish!

...ArA...

Free Competition: Win a Year's Supply of Clothing from MRP

Being a savy fashionista (well I try) I am always on the look out for a good bargain which will stretch my money further. When I found out about MRP  (the South African equivalent to Primark) through the lovely people at Etail  I was curious to see what the fuss was about.Take a look at some of my favourite finds on MRP (with delivery to the UK being just £4 who can complain)!?...

£6.50 Houndstooth Bag

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£2.50 Colour-block Tank

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£2.00 Diamanté Tube Ring

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MRP have just launched this great competition where you can win a year's supply of clothing, you simply have to click on the link below to enter, best of luck! 

...ArA...

DIY Nail Varnish Storage

My nail varnish collection has accumulated quite a bit recently; I only discovered how many bottles that I owned when I opened my drawer to my own disbelief...

"Some" of my collection o.O

With this in mind I thought it was only right that I had some “viewable” on a storage rack of somekind where my favourites and popular varnishes could be seen without rummaging  around through the mess. There are a quite a few storage solutions available online, although rather than paying a small fortune I thought I would make my own. By making my own I had the benefit of  customising for the size that I needed as well as the volume/quantity that I wanted to accommodate (as I am sure more will be added to the masses)! So one rainy weekend I decided to give it ago, and here are the results…

*Ta-dah*

Quite impressive, right? Well gathering that I only used two medium sized shoe boxes and the fact that it did not cost me a thing I was quite happy with the outcome.  I simply glued one shoebox on top of the other and cut out strips from the lids to form shelves. To know the length and width of the shelves you simply need to measure the largest bottle of your nail varnish and tailor the measurements then according to it. I then covered the box with white paper to match my décor (besides white adds a great canvas for all the colours to pop out)! It is a great way to easily access what nail varnish you want to use with seeing the whole collection.

A better view of the bottom shelf

...ArA...