THE ROLL NECK CHUNKY KNIT

I didn't get involved with the roll neck trend until very late last year in the boxing day sales, when I spotted this Next forest green chunky roll neck jumper for £10 from £32. Instinctively, I picked it up and ran to the till right away, slightly unsure of how I'd style it but I actually love it. Who knew my wardrobe would spy an element of colour?!

It kind of has a mohair feel to it alongside it being a regular knit, which is quite unusual and one of the things that interested me. It is quite a short jumper, just skimming over my waistline and where my jeans sit, and I think I would have preferred it a little more long-line but it doesn't taint my opinion too drastically. For me, I like to wear this with a low bun or ponytail, black jeans and my leopard skate shoes, but I haven't worn this in an outfit without loving it. 

Buying this jumper has made me want so many more, especially in a crisp white knit, so I best get hunting before the weather gets too warm (I wish) - I type this while my feet are freezing. 

SIMPLE BASICS, STATEMENT SHIRT

 OVERSIZED SHIRT: PRIMARK £12

SHORTS: H&M £5 (SALE)

VEST TOP: PRIMARK £2

SHOES: NEW LOOK £19.99

WATCH: JULES AND JAMES

SUNGLASSES: PRIMARK £1

I have wanted a kimono for a long time now but since I have been seeing a lot of people wearing them around now I thought I would leave it for a while until I saw a really high fashion looking one. That was until I spotted this oversized shirt in Primark that I thought paired with jeans and a black crop top or as pictured above. I rolled the sleeves up to make it look less like a shirt and more like a layering item.

I genuinely love this shirt and looks like it is worth so much more than I payed and I think styled right you would never guess that it was a Primark purchase. This could be love... and a new wardrobe essential.

THE H&M HAT

Hats don't suit me at all, as much as I wish they would, but as I have mentioned far too many times on here before (apologies), I am going to Madrid very soon and I needed something that'd stop my head overheating in the sun, and when in H&M this was the best one I could find that didn't make me look a tool, nor too tourist-like, positivity.

I've tried to find a link online, but I have had no luck on the H&M website. It cost be £7.99 though so it wasn't too bad at all. I'll describe it in the simplest way possible; it's black, it's straw, it's round, and the edges are rolled up. I don't know what the name of this style of hat is, I had it earlier but it's gone (and I call myself a blogger).

I didn't actually realise that there were 2 sizes of this, medium and large, until I saw a huge 'L' on the label I had just cut off, so it's a little big but with a bit of arrangement (or some bobby pins subtly through the straw), things are fine.

I look forward to wearing this hat in the heat, with some round sunglasses and beachy hair... it sounds like a plan.

RECENT WARDROBE ADDITIONS

First thing first, sorry for the lack of posts, I have been swamped with coursework and revision and so needed to prioritise. But, I have picked up a few fashion items recently and thought they would be worth a share considering I have been preferring fashion over beauty recently *gasps*

In Topshop (quite a fair while back) I found this slightly cropped blue checked light slouchy top. It was £10 in the sale I believe, and I have got so much wear out of it that I probably would have paid full price. Another sale item was this monochrome jersey gingham pencil midi skirt from New Look which I paid a mere £3 for. This is from the teen/kids section but it fits me so all is good.

Also from New Look came the chunky 'cleated sole' sandals that have featured in almost all of my outfit posts recently. They were £24.99 which isn't bad for this type of shoe, and the price is justified with how versatile they are anyways. As well as the shoes, I finally got my mitts on some 'Mom Shorts' after seeing Megan style them so well, and these cost me £19.99
In H&M I came across this light boxy mint green polka dot shirt for only £12.99 and practically threw it onto the till. I know they did have a pastel pink gingham version so I may have to go back and get myself that one too. Also from H&M came the necklace and the neon yellow 'aviator' style sunglasses, each totalling £1-£2 in the clearance.

More recently I went to London and had a spare half an hour nearby Westfield and so I had a quick look in Forever 21, and came out with 3 accessories items. I got another pair of sunglasses, these are all over black with two gold details and are fairly oversized. These were only £4.90 and I am hoping the sun arrives soon so I can wear them. I also got this star necklace for £2 and the pack of earrings for £2.50 - Forever 21 accessories are so affordable.

A bit of a rambly one today, but expect to be seeing a bit more of that in the upcoming week or two as I am going to do some major shopping with friends at the weekend, not that I need anything else...

DRESSING UP THE MOM SHORTS

MOM SHORTS: NEW LOOK

BELT: PRIMARK

LEATHER JACKET: SELECT

JUMPER T-SHIRT: H&M 

SHOES: NEW LOOK 

NECKLACE: FOREVER 21

SUNGLASSES: FOREVER 21

In the same way as my best friend Megan, I think after adding a pair of 'Mom' shorts to my wardrobe (at a pretty good price of £19.99), I will be doing a few of my weekend outfit posts dedicated to them, from dressy, to casual, to summer day wear (and if any other suggestions, leave them below). 

I think the leather jacket, shoes and sunglasses really finish off the look, adding the monochome touches I have in every outfit I sport. Even though the sunglasses are very oversized they were such a bargain and I am determined to make them work. 

DIY RIPPED KNEES

The ripped-knee jeans trend has been something I have wanted to jump into myself for a while now and as they have been hitting the shelves more these past months I have been even more intrigued, but being on a saving spending ban there was no way I could buy  myself a pair. After Megan sent me an iMessage of her DIY ripped knees I headed to Google and gave them a go myself to revamp some old Primark skinnies.

The process was simple, I popped the jeans on, and drew with a pencil where I wanted the slits to be, took them off and cut two simple lines through the fabric. The next steps can be a bit difficult but I put a small cardboard box (Lush Fun Set to be specific) in the legs to get some support and it seemed to make life a lot easier.
 Using a cheese grater (weird huh) and rubbing it across the cut edges made them fray and get some texture in there to make them look more ripped seems to work a treat, and then I took some old tweezers and grabbed some of the edges and pulled tightly to get some loose strings going on which made them look much more distressed.

I honestly love the outcome of these jeans and I am tempted to try it on some other pairs as this is a something that I feel is very flattering on me and many others...

ADDING COLOUR TO MY WARDROBE

T-SHIRT: TKMAXX
LEATHER JACKET: DOROTHY PERKINS (OLD)

BAG: H&M
JEANS: PRIMARK

NECKLACE: H&M

SHOES: NEW LOOK

Well, that's a post title none of us thought would make an appearance on this blog. Considering my last outfit post was titled 'all monochrome everything' we have gone on a a huge contrast, but when I wore this outfit I felt very Spring/Summer appropriate, though don't be expecting me to ditch the classic monocrhome wardrobe staples anytime soon.

This heavily printed colourful tee has been an unexpectedly well worn item in my stash, and I think the slightly longer than average white sleeves balance it out completely. It is also waistline skimming too, and sitting just above the lightwash jeans I think it's the perfect combo.

So, that was the second installment of my outfit posts, and it would appear that I'm stepping out of my comfort zone a little..