Showing posts with label My Style. Show all posts

Three Ways To Wear...

An oversized t-shirt.

I’m a sucker for an oversized t-shirt or vest.  I see them on other women and love how effortlessly stylish they look.  They ooze that ‘couldn’t care less…just threw it on’ chic that I wish I could master.   I know I’m not the only one who’s drawn to this look; I can’t tell you how many times I've found these hidden at the back of clients wardrobes, with the labels still on!

Oversized t-shirts can be so unflattering if you're not careful.  The loose un-structured shape is going to hide any kind of waist you might have and more often than not, the length will cut across the thighs. 


My 5ft 4 pear shape is one of the hardest shapes to work this style top, but where there’s a will there’s a way and I should know enough tricks by now to make this look work for me and my shape. Here are three of my favourite looks, but there are may more ways to wear it...maybe a little more colour next time!

Tied in a knot: Top - Evil Twin - Asos, jeans - Oasis, boots - Zara, belt - French Connection.
Layered: Jacket - Zara, trousers - J Brand, boots - NW3, bangles - Indian market.
Tucked in: Trousers - monsoon, shoes - Office, belt - Topshop, bangles - Indian market and Topshop.

Think I'll Stay Inside Today

I went on a photography course, not long after we arrived here.  I knew I’d be snap happy over here so I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to use my camera properly.  It has so many functions, but up until now I’d just kept it on automatic.

The weather has been so windy lately, it’s supposed to be the monsoon season, but here in Bangalore we’ve not really seen much rain.   Instead, we have cloudy days and powerful winds.  I wanted to see if I could capture the trees blowing in the wind outside our apartment and this is the best I could do.  I don’t think they really illustrate just how windy it is, but they’re not bad for first attempt.


I love days like this, they’re the perfect excuse to stay inside, wrap up in my cape and drink endless cups of tea.  This wrap has been a staple over the last year or so and can be worn a ton of different ways.  It’s quite a bold print, and not easy to match up but I quite like wearing it with outfits that don’t match. 




I seem to have a fascination with fringing at the moment, that and anything with studs on it. I’ve been listening to Fleetwood Mac and Jimi Hendrix a lot recently…maybe that has something to do with it.   Does your style change according to the music your listening, too?

What To Wear On Holiday

I’ve been so caught up in Bangalore over the last couple of weeks, that I’ve been neglecting the style advice section of my blog, so I intend to make up for it with this post packed (and I mean PACKED!) full with style inspiration and tips, to help you pull together your perfect holiday wardrobe.

Everyone loves going on holiday, as soon as you’re back from one, you’re planning the next – right?  But there is one thing that takes the edge off the excitement and that’s working out what to take with you, where do you start when you’re faced with a wardrobe full of possible options? Well, you do what most people do…and that’s take the lot.

There really is no need to take the entire contents of your wardrobe with you, not only will it make it harder to decide what to wear when you get to your destination, but you’ll have no space to bring back any souvenirs and you may even end up paying for the extra weight.  With a little planning and thought (it really doesn’t have to take hours) you’ll be packed in no time, it’s really quite simple.  The secret to packing the perfect holiday wardrobe is choosing a few base outfits and key items, that can be mixed and matched to the max, and of course, taking a good selection of accessories to change the look of each outfit.

Items to take:
• No more than 4 items for the bottom half
• A couple of dresses
• About six tops that go with all of them
• A couple of cover-ups for the evening
• A selection of accessories
• Three to four pairs of shoes

See…simple, right? And what's even better, is that for a two week holiday you don't need more clothes, you just need to remember to take travel wash.

Here’s what my ideal holiday wardrobe would look like:

My Perfect Holiday Wardrobe


And just to prove that it mixes and matches to make more than enought outfits, here are 18 outfits to get you started...

Dipped hem dress three ways


dipped hem skirt three ways


wide leg trousers worn three ways


shorts three ways


Maxi skirt three ways


Maxi dress three ways


Phew! Hope you made it to the end of this post...think it might be my longest yet!

Happy holiday x

It Was Just Too Hard To Resist!

I know, if you read my last post you probably think I don’t need any more beads, right? Wrong! I don’t think it’s possible to ever have too many, plus it was impossible to resist Chickpet market.
It’s one of Bangalore’s most famous markets for sarees and trimmings, I didn’t even know it existed until a friend of mine took me there a couple of Saturdays ago.  WOW! We spent a couple of hours looking through boxes and boxes of jewellery supplies and trying to decide which beads to take home, it was amazing…







I wore my Midi dress from Topshop with a cropped t-shirt, I do feel a little mumsy in this but it's just so comfortable!



Bangalore Rocks!

It’s festival season back at home and I’m really sad that we can’t be a part of it.  Almost every year for the last five, we’ve packed up for the weekend and headed to Donington Park for Download festival…


But this year we missed it, we were gutted, the line-up was awesome...Metalica, Black Sabbath, Soundgarden! But instead of moping around, we found a mini festival here, in Bangalore and satisfied our craving for some good old ROCK!







I wore lots of black and studs...and of course some leopard print :)


We had an awesome time, but it wasn't the same with out best friends...miss you, guys xx

A Flea Market That's Second To None

So a few weeks back I mentioned that I wasn’t too sure about where my blog was going and was worrying that it was getting a bit too general. I talked about how I originally set out to create a place where people could get simple style advice on working the trends, developing their style and making the most of their wardrobe, instead of spending buckets of money on far too many clothes that are never worn.  But since moving to India I’ve been so inspired and my passion for pattern, photography and travel have been making an appearance on the blog too. I had some lovely comments and feedback in response to my post, telling me not to worry about it, take the blog in a direction that’s natural to me and just blog about what I’d like to read.  So that’s exactly I’m going to do from now on :)

This post is about one of my favourite past times…rummaging around in flea markets and vintage fairs.  Back in Bristol I missed so many flea markets thanks to weekends spent sifting though clients wardrobes or taking them shopping.  However, with a little more time on my hands over here, I’m able to indulge my passion for finding unique, handmade, or second hand items to add to my collection.  The thought of going to a flea market in the UK excites me, but one in India…that’s even more exciting! 

Before we moved here I spent hours online looking for Bangalore blogs to follow, I figured they’d be the best place to find out about my new home and the events going on, and I wasn’t wrong.  My two favourite bloggers are Ruhi from http://www.republicofchic.in/ and Smrithi from  http://www.vintage-obsession.com/. I can’t wait to read their new posts and fill my diary with new places to visit and things I just have to do, their blogs are tons better than any guide book! Oh, and Ruhi sells the most amazing jewellery too!  Anyway, that’s enough blog lovin for now (but you must go over and check them out after this) I’ll get back to the flea markets!

Within the first couple of weeks of being here it was my birthday so I had the perfect excuse to drag Alex along to Second To None flea market an event and initiative designed to encourage and inspire people to see un-wanted items in a different light, to see the things we'd normally throw away as the perfect material for making pretty things and functional items...this market showcased up-cycling and recycling to perfection.  It was so inspiring and I left I left with a few new things (of course!) and a heap of ideas to customise my own things.








I wore my maxi skirt and floated around the market in layers of loose fabric, it was perfect in the heat and so comfortable. 


I know that was a really picture heavy post, but I just had to show you everything!  I went to another flea market a couple of weeks ago, so will post about that soon.  Until then, have a lovely weekend! xx

Three ways to wear a cream lace dress

This post was scheduled to be up last week, but Alex and I spent the week driving around the UK saying our goodbyes to friends and family so I didn’t want to spend time blogging on my own when I could be seeing people instead.

This is the last post that will include Hendrix as we dropped him off at his new home by the sea before coming back to Bath.  It’s strange getting up and not being greated by him first thing in the morning and not having him snuggling under my desk.   Hendrix on the other hand, probably isn’t bothered in the slightest…


So, here is my last three ways to wear featuring Hendrix. 
Dress from Zara (of course!)
1. Leather jacket from Topshop (years old), belt from Topshop, necklace from Tina Lillenthal, Ballet pups from Dune.
2. Cropped denim waistcoat from Topshop, Scarf from Miss Selfridge, Belt vintage, boots from Zara.
3. Scarf from TKMaxx, belt from French Connection, bangles a mix of vintage and Indian, boots from Zara.









I know I wax lyrical about how awesome lace is but I can’t stop myself!  It’s one of my favourite fabrics, is great for day or night and mixes so well with the other trends of the season. 

This is the dress that features in my next column for Folio magazine.  I normally buy the items I feature and take them back to the store when I’m finished, but this time I couldn’t part with it.   The shape works well on my pear shape and I love mixing cream lace with leather and studs - Courtney Love style. 

I love the shape of the dress, so I decided to keep it simple and use accessories to alter the look, but if you wanted to try something different you could swap the matching slip for another colour or layer a t-shirt over the top and tie it in a knot to pull it in at the waist.  It’s amazing how many looks you can get from one dress!

How would you wear it? Do you have a favourite dress that can be worn countless ways?

A couple more shots from yesterdays post

I just wanted to share these with you.  Hendrix is so much more photogenic than me...



He also likes kisses!

Three Way's To Wear...

This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a while now and I hope it will become a regular feature on Hip Shapes and Bristol Fashion.  I came up with the idea when I was pulling together the post about this maxi skirt.   I mentioned then, that I will only buy something new, if I know it will go with at least three other items I’ve got back at home.  Well ‘Three Ways’ to Wear’ is an extension of this.   Some weeks I’ll illustrate three ways to wear a key item and others will focus on a particular trend.  I love the challenge of pulling together looks and outfits using the same item of clothing and proving to you that you don’t need to have an extensive collection of clothes to create countless outfits…just some imagination and a pair of fresh eyes.

As a personal stylist I’ve been through so many wardrobes and while they’re all so different from each other (one of the many things I love about my job is the variety), there are a couple of things that I see again and again.  The first is there are always at least three or four items hanging in the wardrobe un-worn with the labels still on and the other, is that some items are only ever worn a few times and in the same way.  

I want this regular feature to inspire people to experiment more with their wardrobe, to be more creative and not to be afraid to try something new.   As well as this, I’m hoping it will force me to put the time aside to regularly look at my own wardrobe, something that I’ve enjoyed doing with the challenges I’ve done, but that normally comes last after all my clients wardrobes. (On that note, I still want to do more challenges, so if you have one for me, then get in touch!).  So, what do you think? 

Well, if you like the idea then here’s my first post...
Three ways to wear a blouse.

1. Blouse from Monsoon, jeans from Donna Ida, shoes from NW3 and vintag broach
2.Blouse and jeans as before, shoes from Ash, vintage belt, cardigan from Hennes.
3. Jumper from Zara, skirt from Joy, shoes from Dune.
I’m a huge fan of blouses; I find them such a versatile item and perfect for layering.  This one is from Monsoon Fusion, a make that’s recently caught my eye.  I love the colour and the cute heart print (which surprises me as I’m not normally drawn to clothes or jewellery with hearts).  The first outfit is fairly simple, I’ve paired the blouse with a pair of skinny jeans and heels.  I love the shape of the top so I’ve kept the rest of the outfit fairly simple.  I really like the collar and the little bow round the neck so thought I’d try to make a feature of it by adding the broach. 

My second outfit is much more of an everyday look.  It’s a bit blurry, but I’m wearing my leather trainers by Ash with jeans and have tucked the top in, finishing it off with a studded belt and cardi.

And finally, I’m wearing the blouse under this crochet jumper with a skirt and flats.  The collar works quite well around the neckline of the jumper and I like the way you can see a little bit of green through the holes.  I think my favourite look is the middle one, what about you?

Have I missed wearing leopard print?

I hoped that I’d end this challenge feeling inspired and looking forward to wearing my leopard print items again, but I’ve come down with a horrid cold - my throat feels like it’s been sand papered and I feel sick -so I’m just moping around in my pj’s.  

I did manage to pull together an outfit for my last day, but I think you can probably tell that I wasn’t really up for it.

Shirt from Asda, jeans from Donna Ida, shoes from Ash, scarf from Miss Selfridge, bag from Angel Jackson
Anyway, the question I need to ask myself is: have I missed my leopard print items? YES!  But that’s only really because most of my footwear is of the animal variety, so I’ve been left with a very limited selection of shoes to wear all week. 

It’s not until you take everything out of your wardrobe and really look at what you’ve got, that you can see what you’re repeatedly buying.  I’ve been through so many different wardrobes and know that most people get in to the habit of buying particular items over and over again (the most popular being jeans, black trousers or cardigans) but I didn’t think I was doing the same.  Well, it turns out I am.

So, while I’ve missed my print ever so much, I’ve been able to determined the gaps in my wardrobe that if I fill (bank account willing) I will be able to create an ever more versatile wardrobe… all in all, it was a very worthwhile exercise.

Is there an item you can't help buying...again and again, and again?

I'm, spinning around...


Things have been a bit rushed this weekend, so I’ve only just got round to posting my outfit from yesterday.  I’m wearing the maxi skirt from this post and have teamed it with a simple white jumper, tan belt and mix of bangles.  I wanted to wear something quite relaxed and comfortable and this just fitted that perfectly.

Following on from my last couple of posts, I wanted to try out a different shot.  Instead of just standing there I wanted to try an ‘action shot’ :)

Skirt from Warehouse, jumper from Zara, bangles from various places, belt for another pair of trousers and shoes from Ash.

Colour and print.

Days in the office are the perfect excuse to experiment with my outfits a little, but I’ve got to be careful as I can get a bit carried away and I’ve got loads to do today.  I bought this vintage dress about a year ago in York, when Al and I visited for a weekend.  If you’ve never been, it’s well worth a visit it’s crammed full with quirky shops and vintage boutiques. You'll probably notice that this dress is a little different for me as it’s quite a bright colour and is patterned, two things that I don’t wear a lot.   I’d normally team this dress with some leopard print loafers...I love the way they clash, but today that’s not allowed so it’s black flats instead.  I felt a little girly in it so added a studded waist belt to give the look some edge.


I managed to convince Hendrix to be in the shots with me again, I love him being in them with me, I think it makes the photos far more interesting than them just being of me.

Dress is vintage, belt is from Hennes kids department and the shoes are from KG
 Despite the loud print and colour, this is actually quite   a versatile dress, it looks great in the day with flats, but I can also swap my flats for some statement shoes and it’s great for something more dressy.  My favourite discovery though, is that I can wear a skirt over the top of it…

This skirt is from Joy