Put the “Point” in Everyday Flats

...Commodum...

I always have a pair (well more than one pair) in my collection of sturdy trusty flat shoes that never fail to disappoint. I have even been known to carry a spare pair in one of my enormous handbags when towering about in one of my higher heels (my feet always thank me for it later). With the sunnier weather I personally do not like to sweat around in high heels (leave that to the gym, the sweating that is); especially when you are on your feet for more than a few hours - keep it comfortable and practical.

I like to team up my flats up with some light washed acid jeans for that laid back summer ensemble, to keep it clean and easy going. I am currently loving the range of “pointy” flat shoes that can be seen everywhere on the high street, slightly smart yet casual - I love the slight attitude that these shoes scream with that pointy front, great for everyday wear when you may want to leave the stilettos behind for better days. 

Some of my seasons favourites…

1.

June Pointed Ballet Flats £35 from Asos

These pretty cut out  scallop detailed flats have cute pin buckle and strap detailing that give it that extra girly touch. Cut out in style they are right on trend. I love the strong coral/pink colour it is perfect for the sunnier days and will brighten up any outfit.

***

2.

Faux Suede Loafers £19.90 from Forever21

These bad boys add a fierce roar to any casual look with the lion motif, team them up with a baggy pop art t-shirt to add that instant 90's punk vibe. As they are faux suede they are perfect for being worn this time of the year (hopefuly the lack of supposed rain will not wear them out too quickly)!

***

3.

Leather Loafers £34.99 from H&M

Another season friendly pair with the nude/beige undertones, these beauties are at a very steal price considering the quality of the leather. The faux snakeskin top detailing make these pair more expensive than they look. Overall very simple yet stunning.

***

4.

Pointed Slipper £49.99 from Zara

Wow. Where do I begin with these blue eyed beauties? The bold Aztec style print screams attention; they are perfect for bringing a simple outfit to the centre court. I would easily team these up to add an instant style statement to one of my simple jersey maxi dresses, without looking as though I am trying too hard. 

***

5.

Aldo Bozena Toecap Pointed Ballet Flats £45 from Asos

AH another one of my favourites, for those of you who love the toecap contrast trend then these are both comfortable and stylish without hopping around in agony in sky high heels all day. These can easily be worn to the office, being both smart and wearable. 

***

6.

Glitter Slipper £39.99 from Zara

Check those sparkles, these flat slippers can rival those of the taller kind -  glittery and sparkly they certainly do not lack in personality. Again, very smart looking but can easily look great with some blue jeans and a fitted blazer. Who said flat shoes cannot do glam? These pair certainly do.

***

Do you own a staple pair of flats?

...ArA...

Pastel Princess

I have been talking a lot about pastels lately, it is a revival trend that always comes back every spring and summer from far back as I can remember, and it is by far my favourite trend! It is always a safe bet to wear and is guaranteed to make you look uber girly and princess-like. I love the fact that it incorporates all my favourite colours into one season. In terms of pastel colours think about those clique light candy colours (or old-fashioned ice-cream colours) that are so vintage and timeless – from minty greens, creamy beige to light hues of lavender, a touch of dusty pinks and light corals and even lighter powder blues; this very fun and easy to wear colour palette compliments every skin tone and is perfect to wear this time of year. Think of teaming these pastels with acid skinny jeans, perfect to get that sharp colour contrast and looks effortlessly very now.

A very easy and affordable way to get some pastels in your wardrobe is by investing in a good fitted pastel spring blazer, think of the more “safer” pastel colours for this, such as a dusty pink that you can easily work with every spring.  There are various blazer styles around, depending on how you prefer to wear them, or how you like your blazer fitted. Opt for a more fitted cropped style which is very spring or if you prefer to layer your look then opt for the classic boyfriend style blazer that can easily be adapted to fit around the weather changes.

Take a look at my favourite high street pastel pieces...

Bags / Clutches:

1. Boxy Leather Messenger Bag £60 from Topshop | 2. Shell Pink Cut Out Clutch £12.99 from New Look

1. This beautiful very light and faint mint leather bag is absolutely gorgeous, so simple yet so girly – its double gold fastening and zip details makes it perfect to stash away those bits and bobs that always leaves you rummaging around!

 2. A pastel pink clutch that has an intricate cut out detail in the shape of flowers at the top part of the clutch and gold detailing around the edge making it appear more expensive that £12.99, a great clutch for those spring/summer Friday evenings!

****

Blazers:

3. Satin Laples Double-Breasted Blazer in Beige £34.99 from Mango | 4. Lace Studded Biker £75 from Warehouse

3.I absolutely LOVE this blazer since seeing it on the Mango Summer 2013 campaign. It looks very vogue-uesque with padded shoulders and gold button detailing on the cuffs and main body, it would go so perfectly with a fitted shirt. It is also available in other colours, but for me my favourite has to be the beige which fits into the pastel colour palette well.

4. Another stunning high street gem, (that I again absolutely LOVE) this beautiful biker jacket from Warehouse is so understated yet certainly makes a statement with its lined floral lace detailing; the three quarter length is perfect for spring and oozes elegance and is so feminine - yet it still has a dollop of edge making it very current (with my favourite stud detailing) on the lapel. I cannot make up my mind whether I love this jacket or the Mango Double-Breasted Blazer (no 3) more.

****

Jewellery:

5. White Spring Pearl Necklace £8.99 from New Look | 6. Jewel Chandelier Earring £15 from Asos

5. It is in the name, this bib style beaded necklace is delicate with dots of light coral/peach and pretty pearls and shimmers of grey/silver crystals that will look stunning on pastel dress or shirt.

6. These pretty chandelier earrings have the perfect nudey-peachy-coral pastel hint that would look perfect on a summer evening with beach inspired waves in your hair. Being Indian I can tell that these earrings are very Indian inspired as I have  similar pairs in my collection;  Asos’ new jewellery arrivals have a lot of Indian inspired pieces that seem to be making a new trend (see here, here and here).

****

Shoes:

7. Studded Sandal £39.99 from Zara | 8. Converse All Star Seasonal Mint Ox Trainers £45 from Asos

7. Another great high street example of a Valentino inspired shoe, these studded nudey/cream sandals are guaranteed to add a bit of edge and glam to any spring outfit.

8. For those relaxed days or mile-high fuelled shopping trips these comfy Converse’s are guaranteed to leave your feet feeling comfortable all day when walking in heels feels like chore. These iconic trainers have a quirky twist with its coloured spring pastel mint green which will leave you still feeling every inch of pretty and girly!  

****

Dress / Skirt:

9. Pink Applique Waist Dress £60 from River Island | 10. Claudia Skirt £55 from Oasis

9. A very chick and Victorian style sleeveless dress which has an intricate lace/crochet detailing around the waist that nips in, overall very simple yet elegant, this dress can easily be teamed up with an understated blazer.

10. This powder blue/sky blue midi skirt is perfect to compliment any spring wardrobe  conservative and so sheek it would can easily be styled with nude capped heels or some barely there sandals to give it a bit of seasonal glam. I love anything lace, so for me with that alone I had to feature it!

****

I simply cannot get enough of pastels!

Happy St. Georges Day!

...ArA...

A Very British Spring – Essential Accessories

...Imber Ymber...

Well seeing that the slight improvement in the weather was short lived, I thought it would only be fitting to make a suitable spring wardrobe essential post, that tailors around the spring rain showers we seem to be getting quite frequently lately (bo ho…better leave those spring/summer clothes at the back of the wardrobe yet)!

The lack of sun does not mean that you cannot dabble with those cute spring flowers here or there (instead of being on the grass they are the print on your scarf or blouse, I have not seen a single daffodil yet thus far). I have rummaged around and tried to create British-weather proof spring essentials that will still leave you feeling spring(ish) without shivering your knees off in the heavy winds...leave those strappy sandals and spring skirts for a warmer day (unless you are wearing them with thick tights)!

1. 

Always keep an umbrella in your bag, you never know when the temperamental weather turns sour! This beautiful Black Floral Print Umbrella has a frill trim detail all the way round (I love extra details) and looks very pretty and has a very cute black rose handle, the details are so beautiful and make it very feminine. It is currently on sale from River Island for £7!

***

2.

Who can go wrong with a classic bowler hat? I am loving this dusty pink number so on trend with the pastel spring palette, it will keep your head covered in those downpours as well as adding a vintage laid-back feel to any daytime outfit. It is also available in black and burgundy  but my favourite for spring has to be this light pink which is again very feminine. It can be brought from H&M for £7.99!

***

3.

River Island have created a very good alternative to those rain/overcast days which will leave your Wellies behind, I tend to avoid Wellies simply because unless at Glastonbury for me they are not practical for everyday-wear, instead ankle boots tend to be more favourable to wear in Spring being both comfortable and not leaving you feeling like you are still stuck in autumn/winter.  These Black High Shine Chelsea Boot Wellies are great for dressing up or down (as well as keeping your feet dry and not flooding ruining those beloved pastel ballet pump shoes that you looked forward to wearing all spring). Grab them from River Island for £20!

***

4. 

If you have hands like mine they tend to always remain cold (no matter what the weather), the current harsh wind does not help (especially when holding an umbrella, my hand tends to turn into a great numb bloodless piece of flesh). These cream studded leather gloves (I am a sucker for any clothing that is studded..,*cough cough Valentino-inspired cough cough*) are perfect for teaming up in spring. They are a far cry away from those thicker winter wolly numbers that are now firmly tucked away in my bottomless wardrobes. They are at a steal sale price for £14.50 (reduced from £35) from Asos, especially as they are leather and studded! 

***

5.

This beautiful oriental print scarf is advertised to be green, although I think it is more of a light minty green/light aqua-ish pastel colour which is so pretty for spring. It again looks very feminine and can be teamed with your outfit to add a bit of spring sensuality and keep you warm at the same time. It can be brought from Acessorize for £12.

***

6.

Not strictly an accessory as such although I feel this is an essential handbag item when out and about and had to feature it; it is simply a life saver if you have sensitive hands like mine. I currently have this Sanctuary hand cream in my handbag, it never fails and is a very friendly tiny travel size tube at 30ml for £3.00 available from Boots. It always moisturises my hands without being too heavy and greasy; leaves them smelling divine and soothes away the harsh effects of the coarse wind that dry out my hands, leaving me feeling more like I have dried prunes for hands!

***

Lets hope the British rain departs soon, enjoy your lazy Sunday!

...ArA...

POW! Statement Necklaces

...Adversus solem ne loquitor...

The trend that started last year was wearing a lot of statement necklaces, from spikey edgy numbers to more softer pearl shaped ones sprinkled with a few stone encrusted details here and there. There was gold, rose gold, silver and bronze metallic ones that were dominating the outer shell of our statement necklaces, but more textured cloth material ones (a bit like those collar bibs that were around a few years ago) are also making a strong comeback with quirky and bold colours adding a futuristic modern trend. 

H&M have a great collection (my favourite by far) and are a good example of taking a fun colourful twist at statement necklaces, so shiny and so pretty! If you are on a budget New Look offer a wide range that are very affordable yet still look on trend.

I certainly jumped on the bandwagon last year and layered/mixed and matched a few to create a unique and personalised style which can dress up a plain jumper or add a bit of understated glam to that crisp collared shirt. 

Statement Necklaces I am glad to say are hanging around our necks it seems for some time, the likes of the High Street are filled with them and add a custom touch to those everyday outfits! Take a look at 6 of my favourites…

1.

Flower Layered Collar £20 from Topshop

***

2.

Acrylic Mixed Shapes Collar £18.50 from Topshop

***

3. 

Necklace £12.99 from H&M 

***

4. 

Black Short Statement Necklace £12 from River Island

***

5. 

Celebration Skull Statement Necklace £24 from Asos

***

6. 

Neon Pink and Orange Spike Necklace £7.99 from New Look

***

We all love a bit of bling bling, especially on our statement necklaces. Do you have a favourite?

...ArA...

Monochrome Trend Spring/Summer 2013

"Black and white always looks modern, whatever modern means" - Karl Lagerfield

A trend that is dominating a lot of the high street is no other than the Monochrome trend which is chick, simple and classic! Maybe because of the lack of spring weather or sun I have been living in a lot of black and white colours, just as well that it is on trend. A common misconception about this trend is that it is purely just black and white, even though this is partially true the excitement of surviving the Aztec world-doom-prophecy in 2012 (please note the sarcasm) meant that a lot of designers have seemed to regained an interest in Aztec/tribal prints which are fuelling a lot of edge into this Monochrome look; there are a lot of monochrome prints that you can filter into this trend to add that extra definition of style if you want to be more adventurous.

If you are a girl like me who loves to dabble into those wearable investment pieces then this trend is definitely for you (we all love a bit of regeneration from those splurge moments a couple of months later when the account balance is not so happy with you). If you would rather avoid loud neon colours or you are not overly taken by those spring pastels then you can definitely work with this trend to create your own signature Monochrome look by being inspired by different textures and materials.

What I love about the Monochrome trend that it can be very easy to achieve - anyone can master it by using simple black and white colours to incorporate a neat clean and extremely elegant look. Any age or body shape can embrace this trend and wear it out for dinner with friends or for that last minute business meeting…the smart yet understated look of the Monochrome trend oozes style and sophistication without being too *POW* in your face. It is most likely will compliment your existing wardrobe, you will probably have that staple classic white/black blouse/skirt lying around in that bottomless wardrobe (it is time to re-dust that old black skater skirt from 2011 and re-use it)!

There are a lot of good pieces out on the high street, I have tried to create an edgier take on the Monochrome trend, take a look at the night-time to daytime look to give you all some inspiration…

Night-time Monochrome

Black and White Stripe Panel Midi Dress - £28 from River Island | Silver Tone Gem Stone Skull Drop Earrings - £8.00 from River Island | Strappy Sandals - £49.99 from Zara

***

Daytime Monochrome

Black Vertical Stripe Longline Vest - £10 from River Island | Necklace – £9.99 from H&M |

Black Sheer Mesh Biker Jacket - £30 from River Island | Wet Look Leggings - £18 from Topshop | Attack Leather Gladiator Ankle Boots - £65 from Asos | Black Metal Plate Geometric Black Pack - £40 from River Island

***

Any monochrome-ers out there?

...ArA...

#2 Spring Essential: Fashion Forward High Heels

...Tempus Vernum...

There are a lot of alternative killer heel looks dominating 2013; from tall tan gladiator sandals (think bold gladiator goddess) to futuristic style platforms (think contemporary astronaut meets sports luxe diva) to see-through PVC edgy heels. No matter how short or tall you are (even for 5ft 9 me) invest in a good pair of spring heels, they will instantly update your look and will make you feel uber confident. 

Added to this mix there a lot of fun and quirky revivals this season with diverse fastenings (the 80’s style stiletto has made a comeback with strong metallic detailing, and different clasp styles like T-bar to classic angle straps). The classic sturdy wedges makes a strong comeback too, for those of us who need that extra support and are not ready to embrace those extra thin high heels!

What I particularly love about this season is there a lot of different textures and prints (from understated graphic prints to statement suede animal prints to peep toe colour blocks) that can really transform an outfit, this season sassy footwear is actually in my opinion the key accessory needed to give that added *pow* to your look, whether keeping it low key or dressing it up.

Take a look at my five on trend wearable favourites from the high street…

1.

These multi-coloured suede high heels are right on top of my wish list, stunning yet simple. The metallic bronze finish and a thin stiletto gold heel are a classy take on the futuristic trend. Grab them from Asos for £75

***

2.

I would purchase every single Zara shoe if I could, Zara never seems to disappoint me. These studded sandals are so on trend with multi-strap fastening and graphic monochrome trend (you can see the inspiration taken from designers such as Valentino, which is strongly inspiring the  high street at the moment) they can be purchased for £59.99 from Zara

***

3.

These peach coloured leather sandals are so on trend with a simple buckle fastening (barely there sandals were seen all over London fashion week), team them up with pastel colours for that bright spring look, get them from Mango for £79.99

***

4.

For those of you who still want to be very now yet are reluctant to take the plunge, these suede beige (very wearable) courts are for you! The gold cap toe is very in trend and is ideal for spring office-wear or can be teamed up for any daytime combo, (again notice the thin stiletto heel making a comeback). These can be obtained from Oasis for £45

***

5.

Another shoe from Asos! I am currently loving Asos shoes, they have quite a diverse range of new spring shoes which to me rival those of Zara. These nude wedges incorporate a futuristic metal t-bar detailing and a contrast peep toe (all in one shoe)! I love these as they are very wearable, wedges are a good option if you want to remain comfortable yet still desire that height. These are at a bargain steal price at £40 from Asos

 ***

Which shoe is your favourite?

…ArA…