zara & whistles spring/summer collection 2015: key pieces

It's easy to look out of the window from my bed (with two duvets) and think that spring is just round the corner. Here in Bristol, there are bright blue skies and a predicted high of 8C later today- and I don't like to let anything like the fact it's still January get in my way of looking forward to warmer times.

With this optimism/naivety in mind, I've been browsing through the high street spring/summer collections for inspiration for when it's actually appropriate to wear skirts and coats that don't have thermal insulation.

My two favourite high street stores for s/s have to be Zara and Whistles. I'm not a big fan of decade-dressing, but with designers from Tom Ford to House of Holland embracing the 70s look, I feel I could work it into a minimal wardrobe via some bright yet unfussy stripes or a throw-back shape, both seen in Zara's collection. Whistles, on the other hand, went for a collection after my own heart, with geometric cuts and a monochrome and pastel palette.

I've picked out a few of my favourite pieces from both collections which maaaay be making their way into my wardrobe in the near future (although with that Whistle's rucksack, only in my dreams).

ZARA: Side Slit Striped Top £29.99 | Tassels Print Blouse £39.99

ZARA: Checked Cigarette Trousers £25.99 | Printed Flowy Crepe Kaftan £39.99

WHISTLES: Lovebird Jumpsuit in Lilac £60 | Botanical Silk Bomber Jacket £160

WHISTLES: Asymmetrical Soft Shell Top £95 | Verity Large Backpack in Nude £280

Images from zara.com/uk and whistles.com

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A.P.C Supply T-Shirt | Urban Outfitters/Staring at Stars Jumper | Topshop Leigh Jeans | Nike Free 5.0 Trainers | Primark Hat (similar)

I've finally finished my uni exams, but unfortunately coursework deadlines loom so there's no rest for the wicked yet. Here's an outfit I've been wearing a lot recently. The back on this jumper is fantastic and really add something extra to an otherwise fairly standard black jumper. And it's currently in the UO sale for just £15! I picked up this t-shirt from the A.P.C store in Paris last summer and I have to admit you can notice the amazing quality that comes with paying a bit more. I'm planning on doing a post later this week about places I recommend in Paris as I've been a fair few times, anything in particular you'd like to hear about?

Send me a link to any of your recent outfit posts in the comments below- I'd love to get some inspiration for the upcoming weeks!

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H&M Shirt | Topshop Leigh Jeans | River Island Shoes | H&M Scarf (similar) | Michael Kors Watch (similar) | Aldo Rings & Urban Outfitters Rings

Just a quick outfit of the week post since I'm now back at university and in the midst of exams (urgh). I was working in London this weekend and managed to take a few photos despite the wind. You should see the number of photos where I'm crying or blinking or just generally looking grumpy.

I've never been one for delayed gratification, so you may notice that a few of these items are on the winter wishlist I posted last week... whoops.

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winter/spring wish list

So the student loan has come in and exams are looming which can mean only one thing: I’ve spent waaaaay too long doing some online window shopping. I've managed to whittle my list down to 9 'essentials' for the next couple of months:

1) ASOS Faux Fur Jacket with Funnel Neck £70

It’s currently pretty chilly in England, but surprising dry, which is ideal weather for a nice faux fur jacket. There’s some great ones on the high street, including this black one from Whistles that is currently on sale, but I love this one from ASOA because the soft pink is such a gorgeous colour for winter. This would make the trek from home to lectures much easier to bear!

2) H&M Straight Shirt £14.99

I’ve had a monochrome shirt on my wish list for a while, and this one from H&M perfectly blurs the line between office wear and pirate. Zara also has something similar.

3) Zara Seamed Miniskirt £25.99

I'll be the first to admit a preference for jeans, trousers and leggings over a skirt or dress, but this skirt from Zara really caught my eye. I love the fabric and pattern, and I think it would look super cute poking out from an oversized wooly jumper with tights until the temperatures rise.

4) River Island Black Slip Ons £22

I realised the other day that I’ve worn my Nike Free 5.0s almost every day since I got them in November, so probably need another pair of flat shoes. These slip-ons look really comfy and I find textures like this subtle snakeskin are the perfect way of injecting something extra into all-black outfits.

5) Reason Beanie in Black £18

You lose a lot of body heat through your head, so it’s no surprise that even thinking about putting on a beanie makes me a lot more optimistic about walking home on a dark cold night. Previous beanies have either made me look a) bald or b) about to rob a bank, so I plan on splashing out and getting one that actually looks quite cool.

6) Urban Outfitters I’d Rather Be at the Beach A5 Notebook NOW £10

Although I love technology and use it to organise everything in my life, I’ve never really found an app that quite matches the pure simplicity of writing in a notebook. I’ve just finished my moleskin (this one, £8.50) but I'm undecided between repurchasing the same one, or trying this one from urban outfitters- when do I not wish I was rather at the beach?

7) Topshop Lips in Saint £8

I’ve been wearing a lot of dark or bright lipsticks in the last month, but I’m really feeling a paired-back, natural make-up look for the new year. This nice glossy nude will look great with just a simple line of kohl and lots of mascara, and I think Topshop lipsticks are greatly underrated.

8) NARS Velvet Matt Lip Pencil in Damned £18

In the complete opposite to what I just said above, this colour looks amazing. I'll never get over a dark matt lip, and I’ve heard fantastic things about the NARS lip pencils.

9) Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask £15.75

I don’t know about you, but after the excess of the holidays, everything inside and outside of my body needs a deep cleanse. I used to use the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser before I switched to Clarins last year, but I loved it’s thick, creamy consistency and the natural ingredients. From what I’ve heard, this mask follows suit.

Have you been inspired by any of the things on my wish list? I’d love to hear what you have planned to buy to tide you over until spring!!

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Asos Jumper | Topshop Jamie Jeans | Primark Hat (similar) | Zara Bag | Vagabond boots (similar)

An outfit that isn't actually monochrome- and in winter too! I love this asos jumper a ridiculous amount- it looks vaguely smart enough to wear to any semi-casual event, but it's also super soft so I often wear it over my pyjamas while watching tv... the perfect multi-tasker. The ripped Jamie jeans are a fairly new purchase but make a nice change from my slightly overworn black skinnies (also from Topshop- no doubts they'll be featured in an outfit post coming soon). Although I am aware that I’ve paid more just for two simple rips (£42 compared to £40 for the basic Jamies), I do think they add more to an outfit than just a basic pair of jeans would, so I guess it’s worth it?? I picked the hat up on a whim in Primark last year, and considering I don't think I'd ever worn a hat before then, it's been a surprisingly useful part of my wardrobe. I feel it adds a Rosie Huntington-Whitely vibe to any outfit, which can never be a bad thing. Finally the bag is my go-to day bag: I love brown leather and it fits almost everything. I've literally used just this bag to go away for a weekend once, toiletries and all. 

urban outfitters sale haul

Bit of an admission here: I'm useless at sale shopping. Every year I'll rummage through those crowded, chaotic sale rails and find almost nothing. Then I get distracted by the shiny new season stuff at full price and end up just buying that haha. But when I got the e-mail about the urban outfitters online christmas eve sale I decided this could be sale shopping I could actually do as I am pretty pro at online shopping- although I did panic and forgot my student discount...

A few of the things have now sold out, so apologies if you now want to buy them! I ended up ordering a Vintage Renewal Floral Strappy Crop Top in Red, a Sparkle & Fade Cut-Out Slouchy Tee in Black, a Kimchi Blue Jordyn Playsuit in Black, a Camilla Bralet in Forest Green, Triangle Stud Card Holder, Stack of Rings, Tortoise Trinket Dish, and a Heat Up Huggable Fox. In total the order came to £83 (let's not mention that missing student discount), although the Cut-Out Tee was returned because it was much thinner than expected and a bit clingy (I hate clingy clothes). 

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American Apparel top (similar) | Topshop skirt | Primark jacket | Vagabond boots (similar) | Aldo rings

My first outfit post! This is what I wore on Christmas day, which I celebrated with the extended family. I'll admit that by the end of the day I had changed into trackies and an oversized jumper... I've realised elastic waistbands are the way forward for heavy eating. 

The top is part of a matching two-piece set from American Apparel which I've been wanting for months (my flatmate has the black version which I probably wear more than her). Unfortunately when I finally got round to buying the set, the top had already sold out. I ended up having to buy it on ebay- my first successful bid- and I ended up only paying slightly more than the RRP. However, the whole top-skirt combo is so versatile I've been wearing it on pretty much every occasion since.