HARPER & LEWIS VINTAGE FT ENGLISH ROSE

Leather Jacket- Topshop / Fur Collar- H&M / Contrasted Shirt- H&M / Leggings- Matalan / Flats- Topshop / Bag- eBay

I know I'm pale but the realisation this photograph gives me makes me want to have a little sob (English rose, for life). Today has been cold and it definitely gave me a heads-up to start taking my mittens out with me! Me and my boyfriend went into town to do some shopping, I'd been pestering him all week about visiting a new pop up style shop called Harper & Lewis Vintage, you can find out more here. If you live locally and fancy giving it a go, head down to New Street, Birmingham with a fiver, pick up a bag and fill it to your hearts content! You can see some of my thrifted finds over on my Instagram: llrfx.

Have a good weekend!

THIS IS HALLOWEEN: OUTFIT, FOOTWEAR, ACCESORIES

CLOTHING

1 Skeleton Dress by Tee and Cake £40 2 AnnaKastle Skull Tights £12.31 

FOOTWEAR

1 Jeffrey Campbell Night Lita Bone Machine £161 2 Romwe Point Rivets Black Flat Shoes £52

ACCESSORIES

1 Nars Rouge Basque Limited Edition £17.50 2 Paperself Spider Lashes £12 3 Nail Rock 3D "Doodad Black" £7.50

The breakdown to Winter is definitely one of my favourite times of the year. Having events such as Halloween and Bonfire night put a bit of spirit into our souls, taking us away from normality for a while. Having been invited to an 80's Halloween party, it's definitely proving difficult to come up with some costume ideas. (requests appreciated)

In this post I've put together a selection of high street/online clothing, footwear and accessories I think would be perfect for Halloween.

First is clothing! I love the preparation involved in organising your chosen theme and putting it together in terms of fashion. You can probably tell why I've chosen these two items, for obvious reasons! I know the dress isn't exactly the cheapest of numbers but I think it could be perfect if you're planning to attend a more formal celebration/party. For a more affordable option, I managed to find these adorable tights! They kinda make me wish I was younger and more adventurous so that I could wear them all day every day.

Footwear, something I've been going crazy for lately! These Jeffery Campbell Night Lita's would be perfect if you're clubbing this Halloween, with it's crazy bone print you don't have to worry about over dressing yourself as they are quite the statement. Still not sure how I'd feel about walking on an unsupported sole though. If you're looking for a perhaps more practical option, maybe go for these Point Rivets from Romwe, you could say they take Topshop's studded slippers to a whole new level. And if your still worried about the price, scroll down my blog and get  yourself 20% off.

Lastly, we come to the accessories and for me, the most exciting aspect of Halloween. I will definitely be on the look out for some inspirational make-up tutorials in the next few weeks but for now, I've listed you a few of my accessory essentials. A dark red lip can make an outfit look so 'vamp' and can look great with additional fake blood! To top it off, you've got the lashes and the nails. After seeing this brand 'Paperself' on websites such as ASOS and Topshop, I've been interested to learn a bit more about their products. In the process, I came across these 'Spider Lashes', I can just envisage them in my head paired with a smokey eye and an accentuated blush. Crazy, but I think it could really work. And lastly are these nail wraps I've mentioned in a previous post, I know that Beauty Crush wore them to a recent event and couldn't help but think how effective they looked.

A bit different in relation to the content today, nevertheless I hope you enjoyed it! Do you have any outfit/celebrity inspirations for Halloween this year? 

DATE NIGHT

Snood- Gift / Top- Topshop / Jacket- Topshop / Midi Skirt- Thrifted / Bag- eBay / Heeled Boots- Car Boot

Tonight I was treated to see The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, a film I've been eager to see ever since getting lost into the book originally written by Stephen Crosby. As you find most film adaptations, some actors and scene's were not how I'd envisaged them in my head but I guess that's just one of the negatives to reading the book beforehand. Regardless, I really enjoyed it and would recommend both the book and the film to anyone interested in doing so. After the film, we went to get some dinner at my favourite choice of restaurant (can you guess?) nandos! It's safe to say, I think I ate my weights worth.

In terms of what I wore, I just went for something smart-casual. As we've had a dramatic drop in temperature the past week I opted for my go-to faux fur snood that my Ma got me off holiday recently, fur? she knows me too well.

I hope you enjoyed this post anyway, I realise it's been long coming!

30 DAY SALE

The time has come again for me to have a clear out! I bought these gorgeous Deena & Ozzy shoe boots not that long ago and unfortunately they're a size too big for me (cry). I figured that layering on pairs of socks was not the greatest option to make them fit and so I've decided to put them up for sale! I have a few other things up for sale too, including a brand new dip hem skirt.

To visit, buy or make an offer visit here

HIGH STREET VS DESIGNER

Alexander Wang Kirsten Multi-Strap Suede Satchel - £750  £300

Now I know I, for one cannot afford anything remotely designer so why is it that I and many other people in the same boat, still put myself ourselves through the pain of looking at them? Who knows.

Although designer brands are going to be much better quality than anything found on the high street, are they really worth the price tag? Or are we paying for the name as opposed to the product? I think there's got to be some truth in that somewhere. Regardless of whether or not it's true, Alexander Wang did good on this bag. I think the fact that it's such a statement piece makes me attracted to it, I can imagine it would look amazing with a more casual outfit with a pair of jeans and some leather.

One thing that would worry me most about buying a light suede bag this expensive would be maintaining it. If I owned it, I don't think I'd ever want to take it off my shoulder or put it on the floor, especially being suede, it would be the biggest terror to clean.

As the bag is on sale for less than half of it's original price, it does make the bag more affordable however at £300, it is still quite a steep purchase.

eBay Suede Multi-Strap Satchel- £32.99 

After seeing this bag almost everywhere through celebrities such as Amanda Seyfried, it's no surprise there are dupes readily available at a fraction of the price (not that I'm complaining). 

In terms of how they differ in appearance, it's obvious that the straps on the original Alexander Wang bag are  more compact to the bag itself as I feel the eBay dupe looks a bit more scattered, I think I like that a bit more though. Another good thing about this dupe is the fact that it's not real suede, as I mentioned a previous post, I do avoid purchasing any products made with animal goods and so this does make the bags appeal increase.

Often ordering online from unknown sellers can be quite hit and miss and so it's almost a gamble that the product itself is going to look exactly as the picture suggests. Fortunately I managed to find that Kavita from She Wears Fashion actually brought the bag and featured it in one of her blog posts. Actually seeing her wearing it has definitely made me want to go out and order one for myself!

What do you think about the quality of this dupe? Has High Street outdone Designer?

WEEKEND WISHLIST

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Firstly can I say, look at those trainers. Aren't they just wonderful! (not so much the price however) Regardless, I think it'd go great collaborated together to make an outfit, especially with the temperamental weather we're having recently. I'm going away for a short holiday break with my boyfriend tomorrow and so unfortunately I won't be able to post for a few days ! Nevertheless, I'll try my best to photograph some of my outfits whilst I'm gone. Hope you guys like the outfit as much as I do, although no doubt I'll be pining over the fact I can't afford any of it at the moment! X