Top picks | ZARA autumn 2013

With the new season fast approaching, it's time to start browsing through the new collections. I love shopping the new collections — less chance of my size, or preferred colour, being sold out. How irritating is that?
This post will feature my current favourites from ZARA and the next post will present my top picks from Net-A-Porter, so keep your eyes peeled for that one!
For the time being, here are the pieces that caught my eye:


COATS AND JACKETS

Jacket with contrasting lapel £79,99  |  Houndstooth coat £109  |  Biker jacket with zips £69,99

Couldn't be more excited with the autumn/winter trends this year. Gothic style, deep jewel tones, graphic prints, different textures... The list goes on and on. The 3 garments above have some sort of detail in the lapels, which I appreciate, like a contrasting shade or texture and even a lack of one!


DRESSES

Dress with bow at the back £49,99  |  Funnel neck dress £29,99  |  Tube dress with ruffle hem £29,99

Three dresses, covered on the front, with a short hemline. Typical "me"...
The shape can vary from loose-fitting to curve-hugging, highlighting a special detail on the back, like a beautiful bow, or on the hem. Already sorting through my opaque tights collection...


TOPS

Sweatshirt with combination sleeve detail £22,99  |  Combined lace top £19,99  |  Top with Peter Pan collar and buttons at the back £22,99

Sheer, sheer and... sheer. I freakin' love the first sweatshirt. The sheer and opaque stripes on the sleeves are brilliant!  |  The lace panels on the sides and the back of the green top, along with the more opaque straight-cut panels, make the perfect union between delicate and tough.  |  The final option is just obvious, if you know me. Peter Pan collar? Check. Black and white contrast? Check.


TROUSERS

Checked trousers £29,99  |  Skinny trousers £35,99  |  Combination leather studio trousers £349

The toned down shades and the slight transparency combined, create the most stylish plaid ever.  |  Coated red trousers: just because.  |  The final piece is a bit of luxury found on the High Street: a pair of trousers composed by cotton on the outer edge and soft leather on the inside. They come with a higher price tag, of course...


SKIRTS AND SHORTS

Mini skirt with zips £79,99  |  Short combination skirt £19,99  |  Striped high waist shorts £29,99

Keeping up with the leather theme, this mini skirt with zips is the most versatile addition to any Autumn/Winter wardrobe. It can dress up a T-shirt or tough up a more feminine or dressy shirt.  |  The middle one, is a stretchy skirt — love the fact that it's navy, instead of black — with coated panels, making it more interesting, texture-wise.  |  The striped shorts are the cutest! I think they make the look more girly, without being too feminine.


BAGS AND SHOES

Mini office city bag £29,99  |  Messenger bag with metallic fastener £29,99  |  Leather ankle boot with straps £89,99

Thinking if I should purchase this mini office city bag in burgundy. It's very clean and simple, but this shade adds something special to it.  |  Speaking of colour, the green and cream colour-block messenger bag, with a lovely golden chain, makes quite a statement.  |  (One of) the top trends in boots: the cutout. Either you love it or you don't...

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Autumn | Looking forward to...

As I'm already preparing to embrace the next season, which happens to be my favourite, when Autumn comes I'm looking forward to:

 

. Finally moving to LONDON and meeting new people (yadda yadda yadda);

. Attending an awesome HALLOWEEN party;

. Seeing THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS at the O2 Arena;

. Wearing boots and my favourite LEATHER JACKET again;

. Having BURGUNDY shades in my make-up.

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Summer faves | Beauty, fashion and random

This post is long overdue. I had started a draft for about a month or two, but somehow forgot to finish it! Okay, here we go, my absolute favourites for summer 2013 — the crème de la crème of beauty, fashion and some random bits:



BEAUTY

Base  | Estée Lauder Daywear B.B Anti-Oxidant Beauty Benefit Cream in Medium
Lipstick  |  Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in 43 La Favorite
Nail varnish  |  Bourjois So Laque Ultra Shine in Bleu Model
Perfume  |  Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Eau de Parfum, which is getting really close to its last spritz




FASHION

Shoes  |  Zara Spiked Ballerina (These are from last season. Alternatives here and here.)
Bag  |  Miss Sixty (Alternative from Guess, here.)
Sunglasses  |  Diesel wayferer style
Clothing  |  Ted Baker Playsuit With Bow Detail



RANDOM

Food  |  Besides watermelon or the occasional Calippo, spinach and mushroom quiche, with a wholemeal crust
Drink  |  Chilled green tea with lemon
TV show  |  True Blood, of course
Books  |  George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, on my tablet

Activities  |  Going to music festivals!

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Gifts | Father's Day

With Father's Day fast approaching, it is time to do your research, make a decision and hope the parcel arrives on time. Or maybe it'll be wiser to go directly to the store, at this point.
If the panic is making your mind go blank, consult the suggestions below:

GROOMING
To me, this is the obvious choice. It's just easier, there's no sizing and there's no doubts on colour preferences. This category is kind of a recommendation. This perfume suits you better. Your skin looks dry, this will help.
There's always an excuse to walk by a Space.NK. A gift set is the way to go, in my opinion, because even though a dud might be found in the mix, there's also a chance of finding some really good keepers. I have my eyes set on the Kiehl's Father's Day Set (exclusive to Space.NK), which comes in a handy washbag. It contains: Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment for Men 75ml, Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash 250ml, ‘Ultimate Man’ Body Scrub Soap and Ultimate Strength Hand Salve 30ml.
Another great option would be Acqua di Parma's Colonia Father's Day Gift Set. I absolutely love the black packaging of this set, it has a very sophisticated look. Inside the black box, you'll find a Colonia Essenza Eau de Cologne 100ml, a 50ml tube of Colonia Essenza shampoo and shower gel and a collectable 5ml Colonia Essenza miniature.

CLOTHING
If you know the sizing, or if you're able to take a sneaky peek at Dad's wardrobe, take the opportunity to give him something special, with a detail. Something that he wouldn't pick for himself — if he's not too adventurous when it comes to fashion. Nowadays, there are great options for men, pretty much everywhere. Topshop, Mr Porter and Zara come to mind. In the latter, I've found a Double Collar Blazer and a Shirt With Grosgrain Ribbon. Simple graphic details are very modern looking, ideal for dads.

ACCESSORIES
I find men's accessories so cool. They're usually more clean and sleek, in sophisticated colours.
Lately, I've been loving the Mr Porter website, for gifts. The service is impeccable and the packaging is truly beautiful.
My selection includes a gorgeous Rubberised-Python Billfold Wallet and a very special pair of Metal Cufflinks from Lanvin, a classic Leather Handle Umbrella from Burberry, a Prince of Wales Check Wool and Silk-Blend Tie from Gucci, and, of course, an Alexander McQueen Skull-Patterned Cotton-Blend Pocket Square.

"TECHIE" BITS
If Dad is anything like Stephen Fry, start stalking every blog and publication within the category, in order to find the latest big thing before he does — it'll make him very, very happy — or upgrade a gadget he already owns. The Bowers & Wilkins A5 Airplay Music System would make anyone happy, I'm sure.
Otherwise, it's an easy job to find something he actually needs. A set of speakers, a DVD player, a Textured-Leather iPad Sleeve (Marc by Marc Jacobs). Or a Kindle Paperwhite 3G — it's the best.

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Styling | Alice + Olivia Shannon Maxi skirt

Whilst going through my current fashion wishlist and trying to justify the need to purchase one item in particular — I'd let you know that my talents include professional list maker and unnecessary purchase "justify-er" — I thought about the different ways I could style the aforementioned item.

Maxi skirts: so elegant, yet so comfortable. I'm currently swooning over this little number by Alice + Olivia. The Shannon pleated chiffon maxi skirt is partially lined and has the perfect cut to allow some movement while you walk. It sits in the waist and creates a figure flattering A-line shape. The weightless feel and the bright coral shade make the ideal statement piece for summer.
I'll make the effort to try to find a more budget friendly option. Meanwhile, here are the various combinations it allows would allow.

DAYTIME OUTFIT
Combined with a casual top that has an embroidered neckline (Diane von Furstenberg Acedia embellished crepe top), neutral and/or metallic flat sandals (Saint Laurent leather and metal sandals), a nude "everyday" bag (Zara shopper with braided handles) and a pop of colour on the lips (Rouge Dior lipstick).

IN THE EVENING
For a dressy dinner or a special event, stylize the waist with a clean, neutral belt (Jil Sander wide leather waist belt), a flattering crop top (Zara Studio cropped sleeveless top), a special pair of heels (Jimmy Choo Viper patent-leather pumps) and a statement clutch (Alexander McQueen Long Knuckle patent-leather box clutch). With a matte lipstick, of course — Guerlain Rouge G L'Extrait is fab.

FUN PARTY ATTIRE
An edgy leather top with a clean and structured cut (Jason Wu leather and lace peplum top), that balances the feminine quality of the skirt, paired with metallic features in the jewelry (Lanvin Dedale silver-tone crystal necklace), bag (Christian Louboutin Marquise spiked leather clutch) and shoes (Alexander McQueen woven leather and chain sandals). Complete with a long lasting lip colour, like Hourglass Opaque Rouge liquid lipstick.

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Top picks | Biker jackets

Today's post features the top picks, available now, in the biker jacket category — a.k.a. a peek into my own wishlist.
I absolutely adore biker jackets and feel like myself whenever I'm wearing them, if that makes sense. You know when you're wearing something, just because you followed someone's advice, go out and feel kind of awkward and uncomfortable? And, of course, that's when you bump into someone you haven't seen in years. Hah! I rarely do that now, I just wear what I want, because I dislike the feeling that I'm not transmitting my true image/personality through my outfit.
Last Christmas, I got a pair of lime green gloves with a pink trimming. And they were seriously soft and good quality. But I didn't have anything that would look good with them. Also, I'd probably hide my hands in my coat pockets. So I carried on wearing my bottle green leather-look gloves with cut-outs. Much better.
Or, the time I got a necklace from my work colleagues, and didn't want to hurt their feelings, so I wore it the next day. Not that it wasn't pretty, just wasn't my style. Basically, I felt weird for the whole day because I had it on.

ZARA Biker Leather Jacket With Buckles £169
ZARA Ethnic Jacquard Pattern Zip Jacket £59,99

Anyway, on with the jackets. The first two are from Zara — which isn't a surprise coming from me, is it? The one on the left has a nice quilted effect on the arms and quite a few zips, which I really like. The second one, has more of a spring feeling — softer material, paler shade and a fun print.

Topshop Contrast Lapel Leather Biker Jacket £180
Topshop Quilt Detail Biker Jacket £58

Next, a couple of options from Topshop. The first has a really unique lapel in a contrasting colour. It's ideal to combine with a black outfit, providing a little visual interest. The white jacket has a subtle quilted effect just on the top of the arms and buckles on the waist. Again, the leather-look and some extra zips make me happy.

ASOS HIDE Freja Biker Jacket in Cream £315
ASOS Muubaa Sharp Shouldered Biker Jacket with Zips £389

The final two can be found on ASOS, and these specific models are a bit more pricey than the previous ones. But, take a look on the website and you'll find different price ranges and designs. The first choice is a cream leather jacket with a pretty standard style, when it comes to real biker jackets — zips, pockets and a belt on the waistline. The lighter shade makes it more fresh and versatile to combine with various clothing items. The one on the right comes in a beautiful and rich berry shade, with a zip on the arm — nice detail there — and the perfect length.
Now the difficult part: which one should I go for?

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Wishlist #2 | Stripes

Today I'm posting another wishlist. This time, it's fashion related and focuses on a single trend – stripes.
As you can probably guess, I am a fan of stripes.

The first two, are a Striped Jacked and a Striped Skirt from Zara. You can get them in stores or online here and here, respectively.

Next, from ASOS, I have my eyes on this Vest in Stripe Print and these "Elgin" Skinny Jeans. You can get them online here and here.

Last, but not least, while browsing in Topshop, I found the "Raglan" navy and white Stripe Top by Wal G and the Geo Stripe Sweat Dress. Find them in stores or online here and here.

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