Graduation Day

So, last week the big day finally arrived, Graduation day! After spending weeks agonising over a dress to wear (it took no fewer than 3 lengthy and tedious shopping trips!), I finally found the perfect frock. It was way over my original budget but thanks to my Mamma & Papa giving me a bit of help, I practically skipped out of the shop after my purchase.

I was looking for something a tad more sophisticated than my usual night out attire which meant that the length had to be considerably longer.. Basically, my top priority was that it had to be knee-length, I'm supposed to be a sophisticated graduate after all! I finally settled on a digital print, Ted Baker number which looks so unusual thanks to the close-up image of sequins and diamonds. 

Dress, £159, Ted Baker

Thankfully Graduation went without a hitch. I managed to avoid all the people I didn't fancy bumping into again and, probably most importantly, I didn't trip on the stage or fall down the stairs after my name had been called, hurrah!

I suppose I should show you how I styled my dress up to cope with the freezing northern winter we're currently experiencing..

I was brave and slapped on the fake tan meaning I could go bare on the day, though I cast many an envious glance at the girls who'd decided on thick black tights to keep their pins warm! I paired my dress with a vintage belt to nip in the waist, a peachy pink blazer from Primark for a bit of extra warmth and nude heels to tie all the colours together (and make my legs look longer!)

Now, whilst my University robes made me feel like something out of Harry Potter for the day, the hat was a completely different matter.. I'm not a hat person at the best of times, I just don't think I have the face for them. So, as you can imagine, I wasn't particularly pleased at wearing a heavy, bulky hat with a tassle dangling directly in front of my eye line for the day. As soon as the the ceremony was over and photos were taken, it came straight off, needless to say!

For some reason, every parent wanted their son/daughter to have a photo with Sheffield's golden postbox (thanks, Jess Ennis!) creating a queue of twenty somethings shivering and grumbling at the need of a photo with a postbox..

Now, unfortunately for the Graduation night out with my fellow students, my bloggers mind went straight out the window in terms of my outfit. I forgot to photograph and there are no images from the evening that capture it! But thanks to the Topshop website, I can at least show you the mannequin images.. I can't link you to it as it's now sold out country wide (apparently!) but there are plenty floating about on eBay for a much higher price than the RRP of £48.

Playsuits and lace are two of my favourite things anyway but to combine this with the backless feature almost had me squealing with excitement in the changing room. It's not for the fearful though, along with the backless element it's also pretty short, so one for those confident about their pins!

Well, I hope you enjoyed a little snapshot of my Graduation Day and the outfits I managed to pull out of the bag for it! 

Back To School Fashion

It would seem that shirts, pleats and pinafores are well and truly back in vogue, just a couple of months after the nation's children have headed back to school in scarily similar ensembles to what's now hot on the high street. 

I'd taken a fancy to this playsuit when it was £42 full price in Topshop and I couldn't bare to part with my cash. Though, in hindsight, I'm glad I didn't as only a week or so later, it was part of their mid-season sale! 

And it seems I'm not the only one who loved this flower printed playsuit, Little Mix's Perrie Edwards was photographed wearing it to London's Rose Club to celebrate the band's single going to #1.

Like Perrie, I styled my pinafore with a collared top underneath. I chose a navy blue, lace Primark number which matched the waistband and buttons perfectly. I matched the beige collar with a pair of sky high heels from Miss Selfridge.

Playsuit, Topshop £20

Collared Top, Primark £8
Heels, Miss Selfridge, £38 (Old Season)

Whilst I've dressed this playsuit up, I like the fact that it's so versatile and can also be dressed down for daytime wear. Wear with a shirt and cute pumps for a relaxed work look or shopping trip outfit!
Now, if only my school uniform had been as cute and fashionable as this!

Festival Chic

I'll say this first, I'm not your typical festival girl. I like clean toilets, not portaloos. I like bathrooms, not open air shower blocks. I like hairdryers, straighteners and curling tongs, not 4 day old mussed up hair. I'm a girly girl, I like my home comforts and cleanliness. So yeah, placing me in a festival is basically just waiting for disaster to occur.
But for some reason, I absolutely love festivals.
I love spending the weekend in tiny shorts, long socks and wellies. I love the crowds. I love the little camping communities. Hell, I even like having cider for breakfast!
But what I always end up pondering about festivals is this, what am I going to wear!? 

V Festival, 2010 (I'm the blonde with the flower bando)

So, as you can see, face paints were a big thing!

So this year, I'm doing Leeds for the second time and I plan on taking a much better wardrobe than I did when I last went. But what exactly to take? I need new wellies and whilst I reallllllly want a pair of tall, pale pink Hunters unfortunately the purse strings won't stretch that far, so I'll be looking for a mock pair at a much friendlier price! 

Hunter wellies, £85

Now, I'm not usually one for coloured denim. I like my regular, black and grey denim but I'm absolutely in love with these cute, baby blue Daisy Duke-esque shorts. They're so summery and bright which will make a nice change to the stonewashed denim hot pants that flood festivals every year. Hopefully they'll be coming along to Leeds with me!

Shorts, £22, Topshop

I absolutely love this little vest, I'm a sucker for anything with a cute slogan. It'll look perfect over shorts or with leggings. Versatility is key for festivals as you aim to take as little as possible - otherwise you regret it as you trek to your campsite...

Vest, £7.99, H&M

I'm off to scour the web for more summery picks that'll no doubt be added to my ever-increasing ''festival clothes'' pile. I'll maybe see some of you at Leeds? I'll be the girl attempting to pin down her pop-up tent, aviators fixed firmly over my tired eyes with a can of Strongbow in her hand at all times!

Wedding Outfit Dramas.

Let's get this out of the way first, I LOVE weddings. I love attending them, I love the outfits, the fascinators but most of all, I love finally getting to see the wedding dress. Now, I don't know about you but like most little girls, I've had thoughts about my wedding from a young age. I know exactly what I want and exactly how I want it done, the groom won't even get a say..
I say this like there's the chance I might be getting married soon but there's not, there's more chance of Beyonce's new baby being ugly than me walking up the aisle any time soon. 


Right, so, back to the actual point of the blog after drifting off into wedding land.
I was planning on purchasing this dress for the wedding as it was formal enough for the occasion but dressy enough to be worn on nights out in the future. Except I hit a problem today, the dress is too big on my collarbone area, HEARTBREAK. 

Dress, £36, Topshop

As I'd totally set my heart on purchasing this outfit for the wedding, I have now drawn a complete blank as to anything else to wear!
Can anyone point me in the direction of some lovely potential wedding outfits?

How Much Is Too Much To Pay For A Dress?

I've previously written about my student lifestyle and whilst I may complain about many aspects of it, there is definitely one major perk, three whole years of that beautiful student discount. Now, for some people, 10% doesn't seem like a lot but when you're a money stricken student, that extra saving means everything! We'll whip out our faithful NUS at any opportunity, even trying to blag it in stores that are mean and don't actually offer student discount..


In a few months time I'll no longer be a student and something has been troubling me. I will no longer be able to get 10% off in Topshop! For me, this is a very big thing. Topshop is my go-to shop when I need a new outfit for any occasion. I've realised that, as I browse the store, I automatically minus the student discount from the ticket price! So, a life of having to pay the ticket price seems particularly tragic. 


I fully accept that Topshop isn't cheap, hell some of its products can be totally overpriced for the quality and durability it offers. But as a student, it's a fashion mecca. 


This leads me to ask, just how much is 'too much' to pay for clothing?
I'll soon be stepping into the grown-up world where new clothes sort of take a back seat to rent, bills and other boring (but neccessary!) outgoings. I'm going to HAVE to cut down on my clothing allowance, waaah. If £50 for a dress is going to seem to extravagant then it looks like I'll just have to buy less food, become really skinny yet be fabulously dressed. Not so bad.