Key SS15 Menswear Trends: French Riviera!

Key SS15 Menswear Trends: French Riviera!

Tuesday 31 March 2015

18 comments

Today's post focuses on menswear and the upcoming trends for SS15! We always take a keen interested in men's fashion but we rarely feature our rawr boys on the blog. I hope you enjoy today's post and at the end of it, feel a little inspired when it comes to buying for the man in your life - be it a friend, father, sibling or a partner!

Sam has his own personal style and he tends to be ahead of the game in terms of fashion, he's always wearing key fashion pieces before they become mainstream. I remember laughing at him when he first bought a pair of Converse (10 years ago, before they'd became popular again) and then proceeded to buy myself several pairs a year later. He wanted a denim shirt before the high street chains started selling them (again), I laughed at him, then bought myself a denim shirt a few months later. He started sporting Nike Air Max's and I giggled and told him he looked ghetto... 2 years later I have quite a few pairs which I adore. There are plenty more examples buy you get the gist! If you asked him, he'd say he wasn't stylish in the slightest, but to me he has the coolest, relaxed men's style.

Sophisticated statement stripes are big for Spring/Summer '15, as seen at Hackett London, Gucci and several other big designers. Dior Homme, Giorgio Armani, and the more affordable Emporio Armani, also showcased some great casual stripes during their SS15 catwalks and we've seen this trickle down to the high street. I love a man in stripes and they tie in nicely with the French Riviera trend.

I think Sam is a little scared of stripes but he's a fan of bright colours for Spring/Summer and I really like this combination. Blue seems to be the colour of the season, from light blue to cobalt blue, and everything in between. These Boss chino shorts are perfect for injecting a bit of colour into his wardrobe, and wouldn't look out of place in Saint-Tropez.

He's created a real-life French Riviera themed look book by styling these shorts in 3 different ways! He bought these M&S brogues last year and they're my favourite pair of shoes he owns. I wish there was a ladies version because the shape, the colour and the price = just yes.

His second look was pretty easy to achieve, he just threw on a grey long sleeved jumper to take his outfit from day to night. After all, it gets cold by the water on an evening! He has this top in a few different colours and I think they really suit him. There's just something about a button up.

Tees: Primark - Jumper: M&S - Shorts: Boss (c/o) - Brogues: M&S - Sunglasses: Ray-Ban - Watch: Larsson & Jennings

His third and final look is very simple but sometimes less is more. By wearing a classic white polo neck, he's created an outfit which wouldn't look out of place while strolling down the boardwalk in Saint-Tropez, or for drinks with a friend on their private yacht. I can imagine us walking hand in hand in the French Riviera, I'll be sporting a long floaty maxi dress with a big floppy hat and some oversized shades, while he's wearing this. The locals will exclaim, "Ooh la la, what a rawrsome pair!" ;)

Our big trend predictions for this season? Co-ords for the brave and monochrome dressing (shades of one colour, not black/white) for everyone else.

Are you a fan of men's fashion? Do you like Sam's outfits?

T - Excited to marry this face. Look out for more men's outfit posts coming soon!

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Sugarhill Boutique Bark In The Park Dress!

Sugarhill Boutique Bark In The Park Dress!

Monday 30 March 2015

11 comments

How lovely has the weather been lately? I've come over all summery and got my pins out in the cutest little dress from Sugarhill Boutique! The Sugarhill Boutique Bark In The Park Tunic Dress is £54 and just adorable! 

I'm normally a kitty girl, but this doggy print has won me over with it's cute dalmatian and friends pattern! The cream and blue stripes are so easy to wear and drop waist dresses are actually my fave shape to wear, so I'm in total puppy love for this piece! 

Outfit: Dress c/o Sugarhill Boutique, Jacket - Levis, Shoes - Jeffrey Campbell

You know when you find a dress and love it so much that you want to just clone it in all sorts of materials and patterns? Well, THIS. This is a size L, which is a UK 14, and fits perfectly, even with a lining - hurrah for a first time fit! I can see this one easily getting top dog status in my wardrobe ;)

J - Walkies!!

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Dom & Ink - Map My Style - Review and Competition!

Dom & Ink - Map My Style - Review and Competition!

Saturday 28 March 2015

54 comments

We LOVE interactive journalling here at Rawr Towers. There's nothing more relaxing than sitting down with a cup of tea for some quiet me time with your pen and your fave doodle diary, so when illustrator Dominic Evans' (Dom & Ink) new book 'Map My Style' landed on our doorstep we literally sashay shante'd straight to the sofa!

Once you pick up Map My Style, you're in for a while (142 pages worth to be exact), so make sure you have a snack stash nearby! There is SO much to do and it's ridiculous fun. This book is a place to explore, map and share your own unique sense of style. It's part fashion journal (we love the little sections to create your own pieces by drawing patterns onto one of Dom's amazing illustrations, or completing a design that Dom started), part style guide (inspirational quotes from Lupita Nyong'o and Lena Dunham complete with epic drawings of the girls!) and part outfit dilemma solver (the Work-It Wardrobe and Style Scenario's sections are fab!) - basically your very own fashion fairy godmother, except it doesn't just grant wishes, you have to work that brain to enjoy the spoils!

Map My Style would be the perfect gift for a fashionista friend. Retailing at £9.99, it's well worth it and once you've finished the activities you have a really cute personal read to look back on. We're planning to swap and have a read of each other's once we're done, and have even talked about getting a few copies so that we can do one each season to see how our styles change! Can you imagine a bookshelf full of these things, filled out in all their glory? DIARY NERD SWOON!

SO, before we get to the competition, rather flatteringly, Dom sent us each a personalised fashion illustration of our fave recent looks! They are SO fierce and we can't stop staring at them so they are in pride of place in our homes where everyone can come see how good we look ;)

Aren't they just stunning? We're such lucky girls!

Now for the competition! We have 2 extra copies of Map My Style to give away to 2 lucky winners! All you have to do is follow the instructions on the entry form below (simple blog comment and optional Twitter entry) to rack up the points, and then cross your fingers! DO IT!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
T&C's - This competition is open to UK residents only. All entries will be checked and verified before winners are announced, incomplete or falsified entries will not be counted and are void. 2 winners will each win 1 copy of Map My Style by Dom & Ink worth £9.99. Winners will be announced on the blog and on Twitter within 48 hours of the competition end date.

Good luck doodlers, and huge thanks to Dom and the team!

J & T xoxo

Competitions Time
Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com
Loquax.co.uk

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T's SS15 Accessories Style Diary With McArthurGlen Swindon!

T's SS15 Accessories Style Diary With McArthurGlen Swindon!

Friday 27 March 2015

25 comments

Earlier this week, I headed to the McArthurGlen Swindon outlet with the aim to update my Spring 2015 wardrobe by purchasing two key accessories. There are six McArthurGlen designer outlet stores nationwide, with massive savings of up to 60%, they are crammed with some of the hottest designer brands at discount prices. Each McArthurGlen varies, but the Swindon outlet is home to Ted Baker, Hugo Boss, L.K. Bennett, Hobbs, Osprey London and many more!

I love a good sale bargain, so I was excited to visit the outlet and get my shop on. I tend to mostly buy clothes, so it was fun to visit with the sole intention of getting some statement accessories for Spring. I circled the outlet twice before committing to my purchases, allowing one pit-stop for hot chocolate and cake, and another for lunch. Standard.

I ended up scoring a beautiful blue ombre Marc by Marc Jacobs watch from Watch Station, which retails for £185 but I got it for £119.99! Watch Station was probably my favourite store, I have a penchant for watches (especially the M by MJ variety), and there were so many incredible timepieces on display with fantastic reductions! I found it hard to pick just one but I opted for this blue ombre version because it's a little more unusual and a great colour for Spring.

I knew I wanted a bag but I'm quite particular, so after searching every store with handbags in, opted for this lovely turquoise Fiorelli Cleo clutch. I could've spent all day in Fiorelli, the sales assistant was lovely and it was crammed with Rawrgirl faves, Nica handbags! I was drawn to this clutch because of the unusual shape - it reminds me of the Alexander McQueen De Manta bags! The colour is so striking, it's guaranteed to spice up any outfit. It was discounted from £45 to £31. A small price to pay for a McQueen-esque clutch, non? ;)

I was asked by McArthurGlen to create a style diary using my new accessories so I hope you like how I styled them.

Monday night = party time!

Bright pops of colour work perfectly with LBD's so with a simple black L.A.M.B. dress, I let my accessories do all the talking. Whenever I see this outfit my eyes are naturally drawn to my epic clutch, it's hard to believe it was so affordable!

Tuesday - Shopping and lunch with friends.

I've started to obsess over crop tops and high-waisted everything this Spring and my sparkling sequin maxi skirt was another sale bargain from the Next in Swindon outlet, at only £5! Gold works beautifully with turquoise and this time I'm using the cross body chain to make my clutch a little more everyday. It still looks great with my blue/gold watch and I can tell these guys are going to be best friends.

Wednesday's work face!

Monochrome is one of the biggest trends for SS15 and is great for work. I threw on a simple blazer, tee and jeans combo with a pair of statement lace-up heels to create a classic, office appropriate look. Unless you love your job, you may need a little pick me up to make it through the day, for me, every time I look at my beautiful watch it makes me think of sunshine and Bellinis. Forever a daydreamer. My bag is then back to being a clutch again for some after work cocktails. Bellini, anyone?

Thursday - Spring shopping.

Shopping is my favourite activity and I like to be comfortable as I run around all the stores, twice. The weather has been surprisingly warm recently which calls for maxi dresses and floppy hats. Within 2 seconds the chain is back out of my bag and I'm ready for action. I like to travel light when shopping, so there's room for my phone, a lipstick, mirror and some blotting paper. Just in case I work up a sweat. My watch is permanently attached to my wrist so I won't forget to meet my boyfriend for dinner. Not that it's ever happened before...A-hem.

Friday - Birthday BBQ!

You can't have a BBQ in Spring, you say! Well of course you can, just ask my boyfriend (the soon to be birthday boy). There's no such thing as being overdressed, so this is my 'it's my boyfriend's birthday' ensemble! I think my white look is accessorised perfectly with the turquoise pop of colour, wouldn't you agree? My fancy bag is back to being a clutch and I'm ready to mingle with the future in-laws. This could be my favourite Spring look out of them all.

So what do you think? Which outfit is your favourite? Thank you to McArthurGlen Swindon for having me and for treating me to these two killer accessories. I was beyond impressed by your selection and how friendly all of the sales assistants were. I received no less than 4 compliments on the leopard shoes I wore that day, and someone even stopped Amie and I to tell us we looked fantastic and she loved out style... How cute!?

T - Already planning another visit.

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Bristol Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015!

Bristol Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015!

Thursday 26 March 2015

17 comments

Last night I attended the Bristol Fashion Week SS15 VIP show! I try to attend BFW every season, I love how much fun and energy each show brings and I'm always left feeling inspired. TV stylist Mark Heyes was back to present the show and he was joined by the beautiful Lucy Watson of Made in Chelsea.

I was interviewed earlier on in the day so after taking some quick photographs, a few other bloggers and I headed to get re-fuel on some tea and cake before the show started. Despite being hours early, we somehow ended up being the last into the pavilion so landed seats at the back. This wasn't a big issue because the view was still brilliant and I managed to take some pretty reasonable snaps! I know a lot of other bloggers will be featuring the professional catwalk photos later this week, so keep your eyes peeled for those.

Necklace: Mi Moneda - Watch: Olivia Burton - Co-ord: Oasis

The show had an airport theme which I absolutely loved and the backdrops were strong and suited each trend perfectly. Denim is massive for SS15 (every other blogger seems to be posting double denim outfits at the moment) and the above collection was from Marks and Spencer. I can't get enough of these patched skinny jeans and those cute dungarees! I definitely need to invest in a pair this season.

Monochrome continues for Spring/Summer and John Lewis have a great selection of mono magic, I couldn't help but swoon all over model Arabella's frilly bikini and floppy hat (along with that rockin' bod). I ended up picking an outfit from this trend during my blogger preview last week.

The utility trend is one of my favourites for this season, Warehouse have absolutely nailed this trend, I really want the beautiful suede A-line skirt shown above and a khaki shirt to pair it with. DREAMY.

Florals is another one of those trends that isn't going anywhere, it's in every Spring/Summer but I never get bored of it - hence my organza floral co-ord! The only questionable outfits were worn by the men. Floral two pieces for gents!? The audience started laughing when these boys came strutting down the catwalk, it's a no from us.

Superdry showcased some pretty awesome casual pieces for the festival trend, the embroidered denim jacket and white denim short combo had me thinking about Glastonbury but Arabella's white daisy dress was my favourite from the scene. So beautiful!

I'm a fan of pastels all year round but Hobbs have some particularly pretty styles in this season. The pale blue petal dress is even more gorgeous in person and was a blogger fave, I think it could make the ideal wedding guest outfit.

I'm a fan of colour blocking and bold brights but some of these colour combinations were a little brave for me, the green dress was probably my winner out of all of the looks in this scene. Sidenote: How adorable did the little girls look? They basically stole the entire show.

Next had some awesome pieces on display - I NEED that cricket jumper in my life! I've always admired cricket sweaters on other people but I've never been tempted to try this look myself... Until now! Am I right?

I had an absolute blast and thoroughly enjoyed the show, Bristol Fashion Week runs from now until 29th March and you can still book tickets online or at The Mall information desk. Each ticket includes refreshments, a chance to win a prize, a passport full of offers and a goodie bag! If you've spotted something you like but I haven't linked to it, you can buy everything at The Mall or click here to get more information about each of the looks. 

Thanks so much to Bristol Fashion Week for having me! I rather fancy going again. Have you ever been to BFW? Which looks are your favourite?

T - Ready to re-vamp my wardrobe!

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Warehouse #UrbanGardenParty Comes to Liverpool!

Warehouse #UrbanGardenParty Comes to Liverpool!

Wednesday 25 March 2015

5 comments

Oh we do love it when a good event comes to our fave local haunts, so I'm stoked that the ultimate summer shopping party, the Warehouse #UrbanGardenParty, is heading to Liverpool this Saturday 28th March, to celebrate the SS15 occasionwear drop hitting the rails - toot toot! 

Warehouse are all about dressing us modern girls for the plethora of summer events we have to navigate every year. There are some stunning pieces hitting the rails this party season. Forget the usual florals and fascinators, and instead think easy breezy midis and maxis, sharp culottes, chic bardot jumpsuits and cool embellishments. Here's a sneak peek from the lookbook. Brace yourself for the amazing mermaid-esque sequin dress . . .

Sign up online here and pop into the store to get an exclusive 20% off, hair styling by Toni & Guy, plus freebies and goodybags galore - see you there ladies!

J - Urban girl.

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Jade's SS15 Accessories Style Diary With McArthurGlen Cheshire Oaks!

Jade's SS15 Accessories Style Diary With McArthurGlen Cheshire Oaks!

13 comments

One of the easiest ways to update your look is to treat yourself to some new accessories, and thanks to McArthurGlen Designer Outlets, we did just that! With over 250 brands including All Saints, Reiss, Ted Baker, French Connection, Joseph, Kurt Geiger, Mulberry, Michael Kors and Swarovski offering all year savings of up to 60%, McArthurGlen Designer Outlets are the go to place for savvy shoppers like Tara and I to boost our wardrobes! 

To celebrate the new fashion season, McArthurGlen treated us both to a day our at our local outlet (Cheshire Oaks Ellesmere Port in my case) and challenged us to buy two amazing designer accessories to help us create a five day style diary showing just how versatile they can be! 

I picked up a fierce pair of Michael Kors Elisa Leopard Heels from fab designer footwear and accessories store Daniel Footwear, coming in a £93 from £130. I had wanted these for ages but had missed my size in the new year sales so when I saw them I literally squealed and held my breath until the sales assistant brought the box out to me! My second accessory is a beaut Lulu Guinness Black and White Striped Leather Pouch bag from the Lulu Guinness store, a HUGE bargain at £45 from £150! I am such a sucker for monochrome stripes and I even bypassed more leopard print for this bad boy. Amazingly it was the last one in the store, so I took that as a sign that we were meant to be! 

As Tara said, both pieces 'couldn't be more Jade' so I knew we were going to work well together. To the style diary! . . .

Monday - Work. Time to make the standard white shirt/black separates office wear a touch more me with some rawrsome heels and a super chic clutch to set it all off. I felt just that little bit closer to being Olivia Pope.

Tuesday - Lunch with Dad. Dad is always saying how he likes a lady in heels, usually when I'm clomping around in my DM's, so he would be very pleased to see me walking a bit taller in my new Kors, whilst matching my new Lulu with a feminine striped blouse.

Wednesday - Day Off. I took my influence from our girl Gwen Stefani here, often seen in rolled up boyfriend jeans and heels. It's amazing how a fabulous shoe can upgrade even the most casual look!

Thursday - Date Night. A little black dress for a little drink out with my man. The leopard heels and striped bag really update an otherwise simple look, giving it (and the sass in my step!) a new lease of life.

Friday - Big Night Out. You may have noticed, I like to clash my fashion ;) So my new leopard heels and monochrome bag were just dying to take on some sequins and colour! I've always been a fan of that old school Carrie SATC look, the subtle art of basically throwing anything on and it somehow working, and these two accessories are just perfect for doing that!

I couldn't believe the bargains in Cheshire Oaks! I had such a good time but I really am pleased with my picks because they're SO me. I totally have a thing for pairing leopard and monochrome stripes (blame Gwen again) so together these two will be switching up my seasonal looks for a long time to come!

Massive thanks to McArthurGlen for an awesome day, even my man was kept happy with a break for lunch at YO! Sushi (YUM) and the odd nip into Nike, Adidas and Boss to re-energise him for the next shopping quarter! They're really is something for everyone and if you've never been to your local or haven't been in a while you really must check it out soon!

J xoxo

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Nike Women's Air Max 1 Ultra Moire + Competition!

Nike Women's Air Max 1 Ultra Moire + Competition!

Tuesday 24 March 2015

19 comments

To celebrate Air Max day on Thursday 26th March, JD Sports are giving their followers the chance to win a trip to Paris by posting how they wear their airs on Instagram with the hashtag #JDAIRMAX! Air Max technology was invented in 1987 and was inspired by the Pompidou Centre in Paris, which is famous for it's 'inside out' design. It's hard to believe the design is celebrating its 28th birthday!

I've turned into a massive Air Max fan, I just love how comfortable and versatile they are. My latest pair are the Women's Air Max 1 Ultra Moire which are seamless and chic - perfect when styled with skinnies for a cute, casual look.

Jacket: F&F (c/o) - Necklace: Mi Moneda - Bracelet: Swarovski - Top and jeans: Oasis - Nike Air Max Trainers via JD Sports: (c/o)

I love this pop of colour, blue always works so well with pale pink and I think this combination is rather Springalicious... Wouldn't you agree!? They fit true to size, don't rub and are extremely lightweight. My skinny jeans are the new distressed Isabella's from Oasis and my crepe duster jacket is now a total F&F sale bargain at only £15.

The competition closes on 26th March when the lucky winner will be announced! I definitely recommend entering if you own a pair of Air Max's, it only takes 30 seconds to follow JD Sports on Instagram and post a snap of how you wear your airs. Who knows, you could be strutting around Paris in them! ;) You can read more details here.

Do you own any Air Max's? Are you a sneaker lover?

T - You gotta be in it to win it.

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