My 5 Staple Wardrobe Items (+ They're ALL High Street!)

Every girl needs to have some staple items in her wardrobe. That's a fact. We all have some items that we just cannot imagine life without, like seriously. The most obvious is an LBD right? Well times have changed and a lot of us are a tad more selfish than that. I thought I would give you guys a brief post with my personal staple items that I've had for quite a while now.

Many would argue that staple items are investment items and quality is everything because you're bound to be getting a lot of wear. Now, investment items usually equate to high-end or luxury. At least that's what I think of in my mind. Everything I pulled out was indeed a high-street item at a very affordable price, proving that spending zeroes upon zeroes on prestigious 'investment items' is all bullshit. 

As a student, I don't have much of a choice but to shop on the high street for most of my clothing anyway, but I still do have the mentality that if you can get the same thing for half the price, why not?  I hope I don't end up changing that in the future and wasting cash on simple cotton vests purely because of the Dolce label. No offence to the team at D&G, you divine, divine people. 

1) The Shift Dress 

Where? H&M
How Much? Approx £15
How Do I Wear It? This is incredibly versatile and flattering on all body shapes. Wear on a night out with heavy jewellery or at work with pumps. 

 2) The White Blouse

Where? Forever 21
How Much? Approx £10
How Do I Wear It? As this is unlined, do wear a simple vest underneath if you're looking to wear it on formal occasions or at work. Otherwise, you can go bare and daring with a black bra underneath and pair it with some leather leggings for a night out. 

 3) The Leather Jacket

Where? New Look
How Much? Approx £30
How Do I Wear It? Throw this on over pretty much anything, night or day. I have worn this over everything under the sun including skater dresses to add some edge or even embellished clubbing dresses. 

 4) The Denim Shirt

 Where? H&M
How Much? Approx £12
How Do I Wear It? Wear this chilling out at home with leggings or my personal favourite, tucked into a leather skater skirt, just like Kim Kardashian. 

5) The Versatile Shorts

 Where? New Look
How Much? Approx £15
How Do I Wear It? I like to wear these with peplum tops or plain grey/white tees tucked in as these are slightly high-waisted. 

Kim Kardashian x Balmain 2014

Throughout 2014, Kim Kardashian has clearly proved that Balmain is one of her favourite designers to flaunt around award shows, premieres and dates in. I personally feel that she has the feminine, curvaceous figure to wear Balmain well, although sometimes she does get it wrong by picking unflattering cuts and lengths. 

When I think of Balmain, I immediately think of luxury. It's a very high-end designer that stands for class and elegance, with some of the most exquisite designs in the industry. I'm sure some would not associate the brand with Kim and wish that she would have less of a reputation with them but I completely disagree. Other than being a guilty fan of Keeping Up With the Kardashians and the other spin-offs, the fact of the matter is she has the money and the stylists necessary to rock as much Balmain as her heart desires. I'm sure she barely pays for any of it though. 

We've seen her wear a lot of cropped length tops with high waisted pencil skirts. This look clearly emphasises her curves as her smallest section, being her waist is exposed and the bodycon materials cling to her lovely lady lumps! What I also admire about her is her ability to go from seductive to modest as she throws her staple nude Max Mara coat over her nude dresses. 

The Balmain Statement Looks 

I quite like this look! I love that the dress has a high neck and a short hem. Kim has chosen the right shoes to go with the dress, although I would have liked to have seen a sleek ponytail to show off the dress even more. The florals in the middle remind me of Dior, especially with the pastel hues going on too. 

This was definitely a look that Kim got slated for a lot. I actually quite like this purely because of the sheer uniqueness of the dress. Clearly there is an incredible amount of detail in this dress and I adore the gold and cream colours together. Again, I'm a fan of dress and think wider hips are appealing but many would disagree. 

I absolutely adore these Balmain biker jeans. The khaki colour goes so well with an understated white blazer and tee. 

This is possibly one of my favourite Balmain looks from Kim. The skirt's rouching actually flatters her in my opinion. It's well-fitted and with nude heels, the skirt is truly the statement piece as the rich silk material shines like anything. 

Here, I think Kendall definitely rocks Balmain a lot better. The colours work a lot better and the skater skirt look and sleek ponytail makes her look so youthful and elegant. Kim's look still works for me although I think it's overkill. There's simply too much going on especially with her bold makeup. If she kept it more simple and paired the skirt with a black sleeved top instead, I would have thought otherwise. 

Now this look I really adore. For the Teen Choice Awards, Kim made the right choice to keep her hair slick and straight, making her look youthful and fresh, rather than her elegant side-swept curls. We know that the pencil skirt and cropped top  look works well for her so that's a plus. I do like the zebra print teamed with leather, it's very daring and rock-chic. I'm not a fan of the shoes at all, they seem to clash a bit. I would have loved to have seen white, matte pointed pumps instead. 

Hands down this is the worst Balmain look Kim Kardashian has ever worn. This is just all wrong. The dress doesn't fit her will and looks baggy from the bottom, making her look bigger than usual. For such heavy beading, this look is very hard to pull of and even I'm unsure of how it would work on anyone. What makes this worse is the fact that Kim has worn knee-length suede boots! She basically has no skin showing at all and it looks very odd indeed. 

Photo credits: FashionBombDaily.com, BallerAlert.com, KimStyleGuide.tumblr.com, Kim Kardashian's Facebook Page, EOnline.com, StyleVitae.com

Autumn/Winter 2014 Trend Outlook: Grey is the New Black

It's August. The sun is out, people are out in their coral playsuits and Havaiana flip flops without a care in the world. Summer has actually held up pretty well in the UK which calls for Venti Starbucks orders and crazed maxidress hauls. That's for most of the public. I say most because the rest of us slightly misunderstood fashion lovers are already taking a look at A/W 2014 catalogues and deciding what the trends are going to be. 

Now, I love sunshine like everybody else even though my body hates to absorb Vitamin D for some reason (I hope Twilight casting agents aren't reading this). It's just something about the rich red, tan and navy hues of winter that get me excited. Especially coats with faux fur collars, I am all about those! Anyway, there is one trend that is set-in-stone for this winter and that is grey, grey, grey. Grey can be dull, boring, lifeless and just bland but it can also be sports luxe, monochrome, minimalist or elegant ice queen. Do you see where I'm going with this? Grey is no longer restricted to the staple Nike joggers, we're talking evening dresses, boots and handbags. 

For now, I've compiled a list of some picks I found that I am obsessed with although I'm pretty sure I could have had about 50 items. 

High Street Rundown

Office: On Tops Grey Patent Leather, £65.00

Miss Selfridge: Pea Coat, £79.00

Topshop: Chelsea Boots, £62.00

River Island: Colour Block Satchel, £40.00

River Island: White Chiffon & Tweed Smart Playsuit, £40.00

Forever 21: Heathered Skater Dress, £10.50

Dorothy Perkins: Crepe Peg Style Trouser, £22.00

Lipsy: Twin Sister Off the Shoulder Dress, £45.00

H&M: Marled Sweatshirt, £14.99

Something That WILL Break the Bank!

Matches Fashion: Sarah Mink Fur Jacket, £4,995.00

Outfit of the Day: Work Social (Girly + Carefree)

I thought I would do another OOTD post considering I enjoyed putting together the last outfit for everyone. I think there's something gratifying about putting together your outfit neatly, posting your thoughts about it and considering why you make the fashion choices you make. In all honesty, I find that I do have some consistencies with the way I dress but I like to mix things up once in a while. I'm not afraid of colour or new trends such as street luxe or neons. 

For my recent work social, I decided to pick an outfit last minute which is very unlike me, yet I managed to pull something together. I may do an organisation post soon but I currently have a clothes rail (which is on its last legs) that sits outside my wardrobes and on it contains all new purchases. I also tend to rummage through my wardrobe and pull out things I've either forgotten about or have not worn in a while so they can go on the rail too. 

On the rail was a dusty pink skater dress purchased from Forever 21. It has a convenient lining underneath and lace on the outside. It's a very subtle pastel colour but it's lovely for summer! 

Along with the dress, I decided to go for the same River Island bag which was featured in my last OOTD post as it genuinely is the perfect size for events where I need to take a few things, but I don't need to overload a huge tote. As I was going for gold accessories, I also figured the gold hardware was perfect to match the colour scheme.

The shoes are another purchase which I have had forever because I haven't managed to upgrade my sandals yet. I've purchased flats but not too many gladiators. They're just too comfortable and I love that the studs have survived all the wear!

I kept the jewellery very simple and I went for one square-shaped ring from H&M which was purchased at least 2 years ago now. I've worn it to death but it is so convenient and goes with pretty much anything.

Forever 21 vs. River Island

My favourite all-time high street store has been River Island for over a year now. For my figure and style, I always find what I want in there hands-down and their sales are to die for. Now, I have always been fond of Forever 21 but for whatever reason, I haven't been drawn to purchasing from them until I visited the online store. I will warn you that Forever 21 online shopping can be endless. The prices are pretty good and they always have offers on on-trend items. Americans do like their offers!

For updated, new season looks I would definitely recommend Forever 21 as you can get more value for money but River Island will always be on top for quality and uniqueness of items.

Outfit of the Day: Corporate Event (Trendy + Chic)

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Corporate Dharma's event entitled 'The Dharma of Identity'. The event took place at the modern, minimalist offices at Ernst & Young. I took away a lot of useful information about how to elevate my personal spirituality in a hectic, technology-filled world that is gradually becoming very homogenous as opposed to wonderfully diverse.

Whilst deciding my outfit, I wanted an outfit to keep me cool as London has been having some intense heat lately. Naturally, I wanted to be chic and trendy but smart too as I knew I would be surrounded by lots of business people in suits and peplums.

After much debate, I decided on an outfit that borders the nautical trend, yet instead of stripes, I went for a plain V-neck. Only I went and dropped a huge blob of foundation on it last minute and yes, the panic happened. Technically I cheated with this as you can tell but the rest of the outfit is the same, I just swapped the white tee for a black one which works equally well.

Firstly, I adore the skater skirt that I dug out from the depths of my wardrobe and I found this beauty from River Island that I believe I haven't even worn before. For my curvaceous figure, I love outfits that accentuate the right places and hide the other bits. A skater skirt with a fitting tee just does that when it's tucked in right. 

I improvised with the belt as I could not find the belt that came with the skirt to save my life. Now, without the bag I believe the outfit would be quite bland but my recent purchase from River Island saved the day. The structured tote is perfect for adding a subtle splash of colour as the interior is a bright neon lime colour and it is truly one of those buys which you won't regret because I have a LOT of black clothing and I throw this on my arm to look a bit less demure. The outer gold hardware helps too!

I've been seeing a lot of pointed shoes on the high street lately and women tend to go for midi heels which look fab, although I recently purchased this pair of flats from Primark which are not only on-trend with the points, but they are also a neutral beige colour to compliment nearly all colour combinations. My favourite part has to be the gold metallic ankle straps though. For my first wear,  the compliments were already flowing in at the event so I must have made a good decision. 

Indian Bridal Wear: Is Traditional Out?

The other day I found myself in a state of disbelief as I had spent a whole 45 minutes browsing Google for the latest Indian bridal wear. Knowing me, this is entirely unbelievable as I've never taken an interest in Indian clothing or bridal wear, for that matter. I've always been the one to despise wearing anything Indian. Firstly, most of the local RTW shops never have anything that fits me, especially around the bust. It's like everything is made for a size 8 with no curves. However,  I actually surprised myself and I did enjoy dressing up quite traditionally in a shalwar kameez for an event celebrating the Indian Republic Day:

It's pretty fun to dress up traditionally once in a while. The process of picking something that fits can be a bit iffy if you're shopping in a reasonably small store but after you've found something, the rest is just fun. From picking matching bangles and shoes, you feel a lot more dolled up than wearing a bodycon clubbing.

Whilst I was browsing as though I was on a quest to find my nonexistent daughter her perfect sari, I became appreciative of the sheer beauty in some of the latest designs.

Indian bridal wear takes a lot of work, especially embroidery. From my knowledge, saris and lenghas are the most prominent forms of bridal wear. I've always imagined a traditional Indian wedding to have the bride in a deep red sari with rich gold embroidery. Long gone are the days of that!

Shelley Chhabra

I came across a very talented designer, Shelley Chhabra. She designs heavily embroidered pieces in a variety of colours such as baby pink, deep red and fuchsia.

Shelley Chhabra.
Red lengha with detailed gold embroidery.

Shelley Chhabra.
Pastel pink lengha with gold embroidery.

Shelley Chhabra.
Maroon lengha with gold embroidery.

What I like about Shelley Chhabra is that there is a clear sense of tradition in the designs, yet they appeal to the modern, westernised Indian woman who wants to feel sexy at her wedding, but also wants to maintain her roots.

Manish Malhotra

Now for seriously upscale looks, the most renowned designer would have to be Manish Malhotra. He designs extremely elaborate designs for India's elite. I was seriously in awe at his couture collection. The amount of work going into each design is incredible.

Manish Malhotra Couture.
Skirt: Red raw silk lengha intricately hand-embroidered zardozi motifs all around. Densely embroidered contrasting black velvet border on the hemline. Accentuations with peals, Swarovski’s and kundan stones. 
Blouse: Short raw silk U-neck choli with embroidery on the borders and deep overlap back. 

I actually took the exact description for the silk lengha above as I wanted to truly show the incredible work in the design. To use Swarovski crystals on a lengha takes Indian couture to a new length.

Manish Malhotra Couture.
Pink georgette sari with hand-embroidered zardozi motifs, booties and hand-sewn Nakshi embroidery on the borders. 
Blouse: Contrasting blue velvet blouse piece with heavy embroidery and tassels. 
Petticoat: Matching unstitched butter crepe petticoat.

The above may me a bit too bright for a bride but I could definitely see pieces like this becoming the norm for those who want glamour and glitz. I personally adore this design because I love the combination of black and neon pink. It's something incredibly original and unique, in terms of Indian wear.

So overall, I actually don't think traditional is out at all. Yes, things are changing and weddings in India are being taken to a whole new level but the designers out there are getting things right by keeping some traditional roots in the designs but integrating new colours, fabrics and even crystals. Although Indian clothing is something I really do have little knowledge of, I'd love to see where the future of Indian fashion will go!

Photo credits: http://trends4ever.com/designers/indian-designer-shelley-chhabra-bridal-wear-2013-2014.php#.U1Eq3Ba9U_t, http://www.manishmalhotra.in

Alexander Wang x H&M: A Genius Collaboration

Versace. Margiela. Isabel Marant. Matthew Williamson. H&M has collaborated with some of the world's most prestigious designers but I could not be more excited for the Alexander Wang collection.

The news couldn't have been broken in a more dramatic way either. A video was released on Wang's official Instagram page which showed a countdown to one of fashion's most epic synergies:



Mass Sales on the Horizon 

I actually believe that this could become H&M's top selling designer collaboration of all time, surpassing Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace. Why?

Well, for one, when you announce a collaboration as huge as this via the designer's social media, as opposed to the store's website, you are bound to receive a hell of a lot more publicity. This campaign almost has shock value. Nobody saw it coming. All of a sudden, there's an Alexander Wang x H&M Coachella event, featuring Iggy Azalea? Woah. Where were the press releases or leaked sources?

From this Instagram picture of Iggy, we can see definite leather and graphic print influences. More than anything, those high-leg boots are insanely gorgeous.



Wang is all about the youth. He's a designer that understands streetwise aesthetics very well and embraces the concept of using modern, innovative fabric techniques. Previous collaborations, such as Matthew Williamson's, for instance, have a narrower target audience. It's fair to say that whilst Williamson is an incredible designer, his designs are very feminine and colourful, whilst Wang is edgy and limitless in his work. This well definitely sell to H&M's young demographic and I'm confident of that, even though we've seen no design previews yet!

90s graphic logo on mesh sweatshirt at Spring RTW 2014.

I credit H&M for continuing to collaborate with such high-end designers. It's wonderful to be able to have affordable designer pieces out there for the everyday shoppers who simply can't afford to have NET-A-PORTER as their homepage. This is definitely a venture that I will be continually following up on.

Leather cut-outs at Spring RTW 2013. 

H&M x Alexander Wang will release on November 6th.

Photo credits: www.style.com.