Matalan Blogger Challenge - The Statements!

Matalan Blogger Challenge - The Statements!

Monday 30 September 2013

33 comments

A few weeks ago I was asked to take part in a blogger style challenge with Matalan. I was given a theme (The Statements) and a £50 voucher to create an outfit featuring my chosen statement piece, skinny jeans. For some savvy shoppers £50 may seem like a lot of money but it was certainly a challenge for me!

 Breton Tee - Skinny Jeans - Leather Ballet Pumps - Metal Textured Cross Cuff - Studded Trilby Hat - Gold Band Ring Set - Textured Knot Ring: c/o Matalan

My key statement piece is an absolute bargain at only £14. These skinnies come in a range of different colours and are pretty unbelievable for the price. They're ultra soft (mine are a size 10) and well worth the price tag! I paired them with this cute Breton tee which is available in 3 other colours and another bargain at only £8 (size 8). No outfit is complete without a hat, in this case a studded trilby (£5 from the Girls section, age 12 -16) and some jewellery. I love this statement cuff (£7) and my 2 lots of rings (£4 each).

I always wear ballet pumps and I always try to get real leather, these pumps also come in black and are now only £10 from £14. Bargain! I always tend to be half a size smaller in footwear from Matalan so these are a size 6.

Outfit total: £52.

I'm up against some super stylish bloggers so it would mean a lot to me if you could spare 10 seconds to click here and vote for my outfit by writing Tara! Voting would earn you muchos brownie points. ;)

Do you shop at Matalan? Are you a fan of this look?

T - Self-confessed denimaholic. XoX

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Lust List: Daisy Boutique

Lust List: Daisy Boutique

Sunday 29 September 2013

10 comments

Jade and I are always scouring the internet for hot new boutiques stocking our favourite designers. A few months ago I stumbled across Daisy Boutique, an awesome online store from Surrey who sell brands such as Wildfox, LNA, Jeffrey Campbell and Jen's Pirate Booty! With Autumn finally here, we're trying to complete our A/W wardrobes so I decided to make a little wishlist featuring my top 5 items from the site. Get ready to *SWOON*...

1. BSABLE - Lauren Jacket (Mix Racoon) £240

This luxe faux fur jacket is #1 on my WANT list. How cosy does it look!? BSABLE is an LA-based brand who specialise in faux fur and has been seen on numerous celebrities. Some celeb fans include Kate Beckinsale, Kylie & Kendall Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Nicki Minaj! Daisy Boutique currently have a sale (including some new season stock) so this normally retails at just over £342. It's definitely an investment piece which you could keep for years... I think of it as a future family heirloom. ;)

2. BSABLE - Laura Vest (Silver Feather) £252

Every girl needs a faux fur gilet this Autumn/Winter and this beautiful Laura Vest is the one for me! It reminds me of Jade's Night Owl SpiritHood, I love the unusual colour combo and can just imagine pairing it with some leather skinnies. It's usually £360, so if you've just been paid I recommend snapping this one up in a jiffy. Let me live vicariously through you? 

3. Rosemunde - Astonishing Blouse (Crystal Rose) £125

I'm a huge fan of Danish brands and I've only recently discovered Rosemunde. The great thing about Rosemunde is everything is intended for year-round wear, nothing is seasonal. They just focus on creating high quality basics and statement pieces. This pretty blouse also comes in black and has a really nice bohemian feel to it - I adore the lace detail!

4. LNA - Hutton Sweater (Now £64 Was £143)

If you don't own any LNA in your life, you need to buy some, STAT. They're the comfiest basics in the world and if you think they're overpriced, you've probably never worn/tried some on for size. This baseball sweater is a classic style with the softest heather grey sherpa and 100% silk black sleeves. LNA has been spotted on the likes of Kristen Stewart, Rihanna, Kate Moss and Jessica Alba. This brand is definitely worth saving up for!

5. Wildfox - Little Edie Ringo Sweater (Peach) £300

Winter florals is a huge trend for this season so it's only right that I include one of my favourite sweaters in this lust list! I only have two Wildfox sweaters in a similar style but they are so warm and cosy. They look relatively thin but I assure you they really keep the heat in, I'm usually melting whenever I pop one on. I do also want the cloudy sky sweater but I've already featured the grey one in a previous post so figured I'd mix it up a little. This one is ultra girly!

What do you think of my wishlist? Daisy Boutique have been getting lots of A/W stock in recently so I found picking 5 favourites pretty tricky. If you're a fellow tweetaholic, be sure to follow them on Twitter and keep up to date with their latest news, discounts and giveaways!

T - Barmy for BSABLE. XoX

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Bristol Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013!

Bristol Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013!

Saturday 28 September 2013

33 comments

Yesterday evening I attended the blogger show at Bristol Fashion Week A/W 2013 with Brownie of Soul Sparkler. I always love going to BFW and after visiting London Fashion Weekend last week (and being majorly disappointed), I was keener than ever to drool over the Autumn/Winter must-haves on display.

Although LFWend is great for shopping (there are lots of discounted brands), the catwalk show was a huge let down. It was just darn right boring and over really quickly. I guess I expected more from a show which must have a substantially bigger budget than the one we have in Bristol. The presenter seemed like a nice enough girl but there was none of the banter that Andrew Barton and Mark Heyes have at Bristol Fashion Week, and those London models? Zzzzz...

Kimono: Love Label - Cami: Topshop - Leggings and boots: River Island - Necklace: Vivienne Westwood - Fedora: Primark - Bracelet: c/o Jon Richard

I've selected a few of my favourite outfits from the Bristol show which was full of energy, dancing and fun! Mark and Andrew were constantly giving hair/fashion tips and advice in between trends and as always they had awesome chemistry.

Outfits from River Island

Coat from Marks and Spencer 

Suits from Next

Casual cool at Fat Face

Per Una Speziale Wool Rich Belted Coat from M&S

Glitzy dresses from Lipsy

I was happy to see lots of animal print, leather, embellishment and my favourite trend for this season - tartan! Marks and Spencer have some gorgeous coats at the moment, many of which were featured but my favourite is the Per Una Speziale Belted Coat shown above. I'd feel like the White Witch of Narnia in that beaut.

I had so much fun hanging out with some of my stylish blogger pals, especially the gorgeous Lorna of Raindrops of Sapphire and Amie of Credit Crunch Chic. Bristol Fashion Week ends tomorrow so you'll still have time to watch a show if you live local. I'd definitely recommend it!

Does your city have a fashion week? What's your favourite trend for AW13?

T - Representin' Bristol style. XoX

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Skip N' Whistle: Unicorns Are Lame...

Skip N' Whistle: Unicorns Are Lame...

Friday 27 September 2013

35 comments

Everybody knows I love unicorns (who doesn't?) so when I spotted this 'unicorns are lame' tee, I wanted it on me immediately. It's from Skip N' Whistle, an American brand from New Orleans who sell awesome graphic print tees, tanks and sweatshirts.

Tee: c/o Skip N' Whistle - Soaked in Luxury skirt: c/o Coco Marie - Maxi Cardigan: Ebay - ChloBo bracelets: Hugh Rice - Cowboy Boots: c/o Steve Madden - Belt: Topshop - Trilby: c/o Matalan

I have a lot of love for graphic tees so this unicorn tee was a welcome addition to my wardrobe. It's extremely affordable at only $22.50 and Skip N' Whistle have even given us our own discount code to share with you, just enter 'RAWR15' at the checkout for 15% off! This one is actually a size medium but I'd say it fits like a small. They have tons of other cute styles featuring pugs, cats and more! There's even a section for boy rawrers. Huzzah!

My bottle green albaskirt (£45) is by Soaked in Luxury at Coco Marie. Although I decided to wear it tucked into my tee, I can't wait to wear to pair it with some oversized jumpers! It looks adorable with a fluffy sweater. In case you're wondering about sizing, mine's a small and fits like a 10. This Danish brand is definitely one of my new favourites, the quality is so good for the price. I've spent the past few days swooning over their coated jeans...Mmm. Someone buy them for me? ;)

Don't forget you can also use 'RAWR15' at Coco Marie for 15% off. Our goody bag competition with them also ends on Sunday so head here if you haven't entered yet.

Are you a fan of pencil skirts? Do you love slogan tees?

T - Unicorns are lame. Said nobody ever. XoX

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Bonnie Bling AW13 Jewellery!

Bonnie Bling AW13 Jewellery!

Thursday 26 September 2013

41 comments

A few weeks ago I received an exciting parcel from acrylic jewellery company Bonnie Bling. The brand was created back in 2011 and stocks tons of cute jewellery designs including popular Scottish sayings and slogans! Their latest collection is called Bonnie the Vampire Slayer and features really cool Buffy inspired pieces.

Cross Necklace: c/o Bonnie Bling

I was sent this slightly gothic 'Anya' cross necklace (£20), it has the Bonnie Bling logo in the centre and is surrounded by interesting triangle designs. I have lots of crosses but this is officially my new favourite because it's so unusual! It's also a really nice length and there are matching earrings available. I have my eye on several other pieces from this range including a werewolf pendant and an 'Angel' heart and wings ring. This collection is slightly darker than the others but Jade & I are both huge fans.

Cardigan: Forever 21 - Dress: Dorothy Perkins - Fedora: Primark - ASH Bowie Wedges: Cruise Fashion - Necklace: c/o Bonnie Bling

As much as I love the Summer, I'm all about A/W clothing. This long cardigan is becoming one of my most worn pieces and I'm hoping to get some different styles from Forever 21 soon. My bargain Primark fedora has been receiving a lot of love recently, does anyone know if it comes in any other colours except for black? A navy one would be perfect!

Have you heard of Bonnie Bling? Are you a fan of acrylic jewellery? 

T - Off to hunt some vamps. XoX

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Harvey Nichols Bristol Autumn/Winter 2013 Fashion Show!

Harvey Nichols Bristol Autumn/Winter 2013 Fashion Show!

Wednesday 25 September 2013

21 comments

Last night was the Autumn/Winter 2013 Harvey Nichols show held at Cutlers Hall, Quakers Friar in Bristol. I attended their Spring/Summer show earlier this year so I was really excited to see the new fashion for this season.

Hide Label: Leather Jacket - Becksondergaard: Scarf c/o The Dressing Room

The venue was a lot more intimate this time which I actually preferred. I was lucky enough to land a spot in the FROW so had a great view of all the garments while I sipped on some champers.

We were treated to 6 different trends and I've managed to decide on my favourite outfits of the night. I must say the models were absolutely beautiful and I developed a bit of a girl crush on one of them. The men were also swoon-worthy and I loved their dapper ensembles!

Diane von Furstenberg: Branwen Blouse & Carven: Wool Blend Skirt

Proenza Shouler: Degradé Jumper - MSGM: Floral Brocade Skirt - Alexander Wang: Rocco Bag

Paul Smith: Colour Block Jumper - Vivienne Westwood: Red Label Shirt - Stella McCartney: Trouser

Unreal Fur: Fire and Ice Faux Fur Jacket - Mary Katrantzou: Dress

I actually squee'd when I saw the above outfit combo. It was so nice to see Unreal Fur up close and personal and paired with no other than a Mary Katrantzou dress!? A/W perfection... If only I were a rich girl. Although I'm hoping to eventually get my paws on an Unreal Fur jacket, I can't imagine myself buying a MK masterpiece anytime soon. *SIGH*

Kenzo: Tiger Intarsia Jumper - MSGM: Skirt - Cambridge Satchel. Co: Satchel

Kenzo: Brocade Trouser - Sass & Bide: Jacket - Chloé: Crochet Pannelled Shirt 

I'm not really a huge fan of the Kenzo sweaters anymore but I think this intarsia knit jumper is much nicer than the older styles. That being said, if I was going to purchase a Kenzo piece it would be these amazing gold brocade trousers. How fierce!?

This Alexander McQueen Bustier Gown certainly stole the show for me. I can imagine it being worn by an A-lister to a special event and it's absolutely gorgeous but at £2,385, I'll just have to admire it from afar...

Thanks to Harvey Nichols for the invite, I can't wait to head in store and drool over everything! If you like the look of any of these featured pieces, just head to the Harvey Nichols website to have a browse.

Which look is your favourite? Are you heading to any Autumn/Winter fashion shows?

T - Has expensive taste. XoX

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Rawr Girls Review Shade Station: Ray-Ban Clubmaster II!

Rawr Girls Review Shade Station: Ray-Ban Clubmaster II!

Tuesday 24 September 2013

38 comments

A few weeks ago we were asked if we'd like to review a product from online sunglasses and watch retailer Shade Station. I obviously jumped at the chance and decided to go for a pair of Ray-Ban Clubmaster II sunglasses. I've always wanted a pair of the classic Wayfarers but there's just something about the Clubmaster that I couldn't resist!

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Unicorns, By Niya Jewellery and Soaked in Luxury from Coco Marie!

Unicorns, By Niya Jewellery and Soaked in Luxury from Coco Marie!

Monday 23 September 2013

25 comments

Before any of you leave a comment mentioning my bare legs, know that I'm allergic to nude tights! I bought this H&M unicorn skirt before the Summer and sadly forgot about it. The weather is all over the place recently, one minute it's freezing and the next it's relatively mild! I decided to throw caution to the wind and paired this adorable skirt with my new Soaked in Luxury jumper from Coco Marie.

Jumper: Soaked in Luxury Milaknit in Rose c/o Coco Marie - Scarf: c/o Becksondergaard - Skirt: H&M - Shoes: New Look

It's ultra soft and I love the rose colour. Soaked in Luxury garments are all machine washable and if you're wondering about the fit, this is a size small. I don't know about you but I'm all for being snuggly on top so I added this pastel-icious Becksondergaard scarf and some yummy By Niya bracelets. I'm really glad that pastels are going to remain on trend for the foreseeable future, they tend to suit my skin tone so I'm happy to sport them all year round.

By Niya: Glitzerland Bracelet and Honey Bee Bracelets c/o Coco Marie

During my trip to London Fashion Weekend I spotted lots of By Niya jewellery for sale and I'm now after one of their necklaces! The Glitzerland bracelet (on top) costs £42 so it's a bit of an investment piece but the Honey Bee bracelets (pack of 2) are only £15 and make great gifts.

Coco Marie have lots of new autumn/winter pieces in at the moment from brands such as MinkPink, Becksondergaard, Maison Scotch and even Unreal Fur! If you fancy a splurge, remember to use 'RAWR15' for 15% off. Our goody bag competition with them is still running and you can read all about that here.

Are you pro-pastel? Do you like this look?

T - I see unicorns. XoX

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F&F Denim Challenge!

F&F Denim Challenge!

Sunday 22 September 2013

11 comments

I love denim and I certainly do I love a challenge, so when F&F asked me to take part in their Denim Challenge I was more than in! 

The outfit had to be styled around one of their denim pieces, and because I think blue denim is pretty easy to style up (how can you go wrong?!) I decided to go with something a little fancier These F&F Limited Edition Animal Flock Skinny Jeans (£22) have a gorgeous velvet-y raised leopard print pattern all over them and I just adore them! 

Once I'd chosen my denim piece, the rest of the outfit fell into place as I browsed the New In's.
I've been pretty taken with the longline biker coats hitting all the stores lately, so when I saw that F&F's take on it came in an epic electric blue AND was only £25 I had to have it! Add to that a super cute pair of matching colour blocking boots for £15 and a snug V neck jumper and Patz is your boyfriend - done!

This whole outfit cost less than £75, and we're talking head to toe here; jumper, jeans, belt, boots and coat! 

The coat is so yummy, I'd definitely buy it in black and red after trying this awesome blue! The super soft V neck sweater is exactly that, so snuggly and perfect for autumn at just £8!

The jeans are the real stars of this show! I feel like they could be 3 times the price, the style and fit is that good. I wore them all day and they didn't lose their shape around the knees or loosen up, which is exactly what you want in skinnies! The pattern totally rawrs and sets of the blue in the coat and the boots, which are really comfortable by the way!

I was really impressed with F&F's New In's this season; it's full of bold lines, faux leathers and cool prints like tartan, so basically our winter dream! Check it out!

J - Challenge accepted!

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100 Years Of Fashion App at Very.co.uk!

100 Years Of Fashion App at Very.co.uk!

Saturday 21 September 2013

8 comments

Everybody knows that fashion trends come in cycles and I've now reached the age where I can remember the first time the 90's were cool! I love taking inspiration from popular styles of the past and our friends at Very.co.uk have just launched an exciting new app called '100 Years of Fashion'.

It showcases the last 100 years of fashion and includes the top 10 trends from each decade! I find the history of fashion really interesting so spent a good 25 minutes reading all about the key pieces of the past. My parents grew up in the 70s so it was fun to read all about what was on trend back then!

The guys at Very asked which decade was my favourite and I found answering a little tough! My style varies from day to day depending on my mood, so I like a bit of everything. I'm a big fan of the 90s tartan prints, studded leather from the 80s and of course wide-brimmed hats which were popular in the 70s.

As you can see from the screen shot above, you're also able to shop some of the trends in the app, proving that something from every decade is still fashionable today. My nan is always telling me that she used to have one of whatever I'm wearing, I'm tempted to whip out my laptop and go through this with her...I bet she'd love it!

Do you have a favourite decade for fashion? What's your favourite trend from the past?

T - Feeling nostalgic. XoX

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Mercedes-Benz & London Fashion Weekend! #SocialReporter #StylePitStop

Mercedes-Benz & London Fashion Weekend! #SocialReporter #StylePitStop

7 comments

If you've been following Mercedes-Benz on Twitter, you'll probably know that a few weeks ago they launched their #StylePitStop campaign featuring Reggie Yates. Reggie interviewed some of the hottest celebs and asked them to share their style secrets! Over the past few weeks they also ran a number of competitions including a chance to win ASOS vouchers...and I was one of the lucky winners! HUZZAH.

MB were also the sponsors of London Fashion Week and I'm sure most of you know that Amy of Little Magpie was their official Social Reporter. Being Amy's proud mermaid twin, I OBVIOUSLY voted for her and without realising, entered myself into another competition to win tickets to London Fashion Weekend...and won. 

Freak of Nature: Fit and Flare Dress - 2nd Day: Jacket - Shellys: Black Boots - Lulu Guinness: Leather Purse - Vivienne Westwood: Watch - ASOS: Fedora - Laura Lee: Diamond Set Cross Necklace

So today I'm in London town (follow us on Instagram to see what I'm up to) and I can't wait to have a taste of what the real LFW is like. In an ideal world, today I'd be wearing all of the above but my voucher won't *quite* stretch to it everything (haha) so I'd like your help picking what i should buy. What's your favourite piece?


In case you're wondering, I won my voucher by correctly guessing who Reggie was going to interview first = Tinie Tempah! You can watch the interviews below, gosh Tinie's got style. He's my boyfriend's secret style crush and I love how passionate he is about fashion.





Both videos are only a few minutes long but after watching them I'm an even bigger Tinie fan! I love that he's crazy about prints and has come round to the idea of wearing pink.

HELP! What should I buy? Are you a Tinie Tempah fan?

T - Kickin' it in London! XoX

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French Connection #sketchtostore Event! #BristolStyle

French Connection #sketchtostore Event! #BristolStyle

Friday 20 September 2013

11 comments

On Wednesday night I was invited to my local French Connection store in Cabot Circus, for their #sketchtostore event. The same party was going on in 29 other stores across the country, and those invited were allowed to style and model their own photo shoot using products from FCUK's new #sketchtostore collection.

I'm wearing: Trilby: c/o Matalan - Jacket: Hide Label - Cami: Topshop - Trousers: H&M - Ring: Lovisa - Satchel: c/o Dr. Martens - Necklace: Vivienne Westwood

We were greeted with drinks and told to have a browse and make our selections before heading to the fitting room to change into our outfits. I went with my partner in crime Browniekins from Soul Sparkler and we ran into some other Bristol fashion bloggers including the lovely SJ from Ship-Shape. We really enjoyed browsing the new collection and found it quite difficult to decide on just one outfit!

I must say I was quite taken by their handbags, one super helpful sales assistant explained that French Connection have just started to introduce a new fastening design which will make their products easier to identify. It only started this season but in 3-4 years they're hoping that everyone will be able to tell if a bag is from French Connection, just from its zip/hardware! The Air of Elegance bag is definitely on my Christmas list. What a beaut.

In the end I decided to opt for a piece I wouldn't normally wear since I do like to experiment and try new things! Check out my #BristolStyle...

I picked the hot spot lace flared dress, leather chain belt, and the athena colour block biker! The belt is hiding in this picture but it's really cute and I wouldn't wear this dress without it. Although the dress looks nice with bare legs, it's getting a bit chilly so I popped on my trusty opaque leggings. I do like some girly dresses but this isn't something I'd usually try, so I'm glad I did because I rather like it on. What do you think? I hope you can appreciate my serious blogger pose. Aha.

Brownie picked these awesome statement trousers which looked amazing on her! I'm not quite sure why my hair looks dip-dyed in these snaps, rest assured this in my natural mane. You can check out all of the pictures from across the country on the French Connection FB page or via their Instagram. If you see my face, please feel free to hit LIKE! ;)

Did you attend one of the #sketchtostore parties? Are you a fan of FCUK?

Thank you FC for a fun evening and a yummy little goodie bag. We'll also be running a contest with them in the near future which is pretty exciting so keep checking back for more info on that.

T - Representing Bristol style. XoX

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Autumn/Winter 2013/14 Meltin' Pot Jeans - From a Different Perspective!

Autumn/Winter 2013/14 Meltin' Pot Jeans - From a Different Perspective!

Thursday 19 September 2013

6 comments

We both have pretty large denim wardrobes and one of our favourite European brands is Meltin' Pot. We were recently sent the lookbooks from their new campaign and we couldn't wait to share our favourite images with you guys! 

If you aren't familiar with the brand, it's based in Italy with a strong focus on quality and design. Meltin' Pot is worn by both fashionistas and celebrities, even The Rolling Stones requested they supply them with denim for their two recent tours! Talk about rockstar royalty.

Their new campaign is all about seeing life from a different perspective and for those who live life to the fullest! The photos were shot in Italy and have such a cool, edgy vibe so represent the brand well. We love the styling - Dr. Martens and Jeffrey Campbell shoes!? This is exactly how we wear our denim.

Our favourite styles include the reversible jeans, leather patch skinnies (both shown above) and the grey Susye jeans as seen on Tara. It seems like Meltin' Pot have the perfect combination of unusual, fashion forward denim pieces and classic styles/washes. The B-Side jeans are made from a single piece of fabric which is completely reversible, so it's one pair of jeans with two totally different looks. They also have a range of tops too, some of which are also reversible. How clever!?

You can purchase the new collection via their online store or from selected international stores. We're both putting the B-Side jeans on our ever growing WANT list, it's just such an amazing idea that we want to try out!

Have you heard of Meltin' Pot before? Which new style is your favourite?

T & J - Denimaholics. XoX

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