V A L E N T I N E S S T O R E | Styled Outfits

Of course the Valenines release brought us even more red and pink pieces to the Plaza, it feels like this year it's really been a lot of releases on this theme - I'm not particularly a fan of that, I'd rather just one release for one 'event' like that, but anyway, I picked up a couple of pieces in this next release, a Valentines specific store. First up are the Red Velvet Trousers which are such a cute piece and one that I think will work well from Autumn through Spring, I love velvet in Winter stylings but I've tried to go for a more transitional look here. The red really pops against the white, these sandals look fab with the trousers but do many pairs of shoes did that I tried, so plenty of options. I liked this smart blazer with them, it's a piece I haven't worn in a while and I think it suits the style of the trousers well. Kept a mix of red and white with the accessories, really adore these floral earrings at the top of the look there^ Next is the Pink Satine Jacket which I think is just fabulous, I'm really quite excited to style this more, I think it's a perfect Spring piece! The colour is quite different to a lot of the other pink pieces I have, but it works perfectly with these pink shoes and the pink clutch of this bag set, I really love the accessories combination with this piece =) To make a cute set I stuck with adding white clothing pieces, these trousers look great with the jacket, but I think so many different pairs would too. Next mission is to find the perfect earring for this look, none of the pink pairs I had were quite right!

P R E T T Y ' N L O V E | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

I have been very on the fence about this recent Pretty 'N Love release, the colours sure are bold! But it was this styling of the Pink Ruffle Dress from HeraKowall that really started to convince me about trying out pieces from the release. This look is just fantastic, so stunning and eye-catching. You would never imagine that bright blue tights would look good with a bright pink dress, but it's great, and these shoes are perfect too, the colour is a spot on match with the dress. I love the smart white shirt underneath in the neckline with the gold necklace, it's perfect for pairing with the earrings. Plus a matching beauty look, what's not to love about this one!?!

In the end I've picked up three pieces from the store. First are the Red Pumps, the simplest of the pieces I chose which are for sure very versatile and will be useful in any look needing a red heel. I really liked the look of leather with these shoes, the heavy use of black is them well balanced with more red - a lot of pieces I have work well with the shade of red of the shoes, so it was easy to pick pieces out. Next up is my own styling of the Pink Ruffle Dress, whilst it's not my typical style I had a lot of fun styling it. It was a little tricky finding a lot of matching pink accessories, but I do have a couple and I'm pleased with how they look with the outfit. I made the look a little more Winter-appropriate with the white polo and the tights and I think they finish the styling nicely =) And the final piece, the Hot Pink Jacket, again it's a bit outside of my comfort zone especially with the colour, as I love the design of the blazer itself, but I loved styling it. The same pink shoes looked perfect with this piece too so I couldn't resist, and I was using a similar set of bags to choose for this look too, I adore this little Chloe piece with the blazer so much! With all those colours, the base needed to be simple and black was a good choice with the handle of the bag being black. The simple trousers and top work well, and the belt around the waist helps balance the colours well. I even added some silver earrings which work well with the hardware of the bag. I really like all of these looks and hopefully I will be able to make good use of these bright pieces again =D

Inspired By Balmain B A G S | Styled Outfits

In my Balmain review post I promised stylings with the bags of the collection, here they are! First up is the Balmain Inspired Red Bag in a combination you will have definitely seen me wear before, this top and skirt are my go-to when red and gold are involved, yet again they are perfect for this bag^ The colour of red is just perfect between the bag and the top, and the gold chains are perfect with the gold of the skirt, what's not to love?! I loved adding this chunky gold chain necklace to pair with the chains of the bag too. Next up is the Balmain Inspired Pink Bag, which I found a little challenging to work with, but ultimately I love this outfit so much and would completely wear it everyday! The pink is a very specific shade and I don't have a lot of pieces that match it, however it does look good with a range of prints so I have a couple more options, but this polka-dot dress is just completely spot on^ The shade of pink is perfect and luckily I found some perfectly matching shoes too. I added a touch of gold in the jewellery to go with the hardware of the bag - so much love for this look =D And the final piece is the Balmain Inspired Handbag Black which I was able to style super quickly. With this one I knew I wanted clothing in black and white, and I'm pretty happy with these classic choices - I'm also pleased to wear these cutout trousers again, this time making use of the cutout to see more of the shirt. I kept the rest of the accessories simple and fitting, I love these gold studded shoes a lot with this bag and would definitely pair these together again. The bag was very easy to style, so it will be easy to come up with a number of looks for it =) 

Feather hems

As soon as I spotted this outfit from Mery.- I knew I had to feature it, I love it so much, such a fun way to style for the upcoming Spring season! It makes me want to buy all these pieces immediately, haha - I would love to see this coat and the trousers styled in other ways too, they could be super fun pieces to have. The coat is so fresh, the blue is stunning and the printing is very unique, the pink tones are beautiful against it and as you can see, make for perfect accessory choices - the bag and glasses are perfect touches to the styling. The trousers are just fantastic, I don't think I've seen anyone style these before, the sheer fabric of the leg works well against the longer length of the coat and the feathered hems are just a fabulous addition to the bottom of the look ... it's all fabulous!

I N S P I R E D B Y T H I E R R Y M U G L E R | Tribute Review

Here we are at the final Tribute of the season! Thierry Mugler is another new brand to our collection of Tribute releases - it's not a brand I'm very familiar with or look up the collections of, so I'm coming at this one with quite a fresh set of eyes, lets get into the store:

I was a little hesitant to post this as a review, as I think the store is a bit limited and overall the styles aren't so much to my taste, but in the end I've decided to go for it, though it may be on the short side! There is one floor to the release but it's quite full of 7 looks to choose from - the one thing I do love about this release is the colour scheme, that works well for me^ First up the accessories, which will be a very short section as there aren't many, with no bags or jewellery included in the release. And even though there are shoes, there are only 3 pairs! The most stand out pair are the Mugler Inspired High Boots and they're pretty impressive, I'm a little tempted to try them. They have a nice pointed toe and a slim heel but it's the design of the gold metallic wrap all around the leg that is stunning! These have really been very nicely done. Then there are the matching Mugler Inspired Black and Beige Pumps, much more a minimal style but really a classic design that will be easy to wear with a number of looks. With the colouring on these I think I prefer the black over the beige pair, but both will be versatile shoes to style.

And now for the clothing. Whilst tights can be great layering pieces, I'm just not a fan of the store display of these, I'm afraid I just don't find it appealing - I'm sure both the Mugler Inspired Stripe and Black Tights will look great styled outwith the store though. I think we all know that cutout designs aren't really my thing, but I certainly can appreciate a well-done cutout design, unfortunately I think the ones here aren't so great, but that's just my opinion. I think the beige Mugler Inspired Jumpsuit had so much potential, it looks pretty decent in RL, but on the doll I just don't think it works out quite as well - I would have loved this to have come as separate top and trousers, because I love the trouser part to it! I do think the outerwear pieces in this collection aren't too bad, whilst a posed style like the Mugler Inspired Black Blazer isn't my thing, the blazer itself looks good and a classic piece, and I know this is something a lot of people will like. The Mugler Inspired Body Jacket had a lot of potential if only it were a cropped piece and wasn't a 'body' design, for me it completely puts me off, however the colour is a nice neutral one. But, I have so much love for the Mugler Inspired Green Coat, hands down, this is 'the' piece of the collection for me. The colour is stunning, we've not got anything in a similar colour and the overcoat style is an incredibly popular one. I also love the sheen! This is the piece that first caught my eye when looking at the store, it might even be my favourite piece of this whole Tribute season! And the last piece to mention is another good one, the Mugler Inspired Black Pants which were the second piece that caught my eye - these are one of the more wearable pieces in the release, a classic loose pair of black trousers but with a fun little touch of the cutouts at the waist. The design of the cutout means they're fitting with the rest of the collection but it's also a cutout thats easy to cover and hide if you don't want it on show. I really like these and think they will last well in my black trouser collection^

F E A T U R E S

First feature comes from Elrry styling up the Mugler Inspired Green Coat - I fell in love with this look as soon as I'd seen it, a green dream! The colour of the trousers is absolutely perfect with the coat and the cord texture works well against the sheen. The layering of the blazer is super fun, the colour is along the same lines but I think the contrast works well highlighting the coat and trouser combination. The accessories are great, the bag works perfectly and I adore the shoe choice, these stand out so nicely and I think are a great fit with a good balance against the sunglasses =)

Next up is Mia1435 who wears the Mugler Inspired Body Jacket in a super impressive way and makes it look alright to wear! It looks super smart paired with this skirt, the colour and style of the two are surprisingly almost matching despite coming from separate stores. The layering under the jacket is great, I love the orange touch tying in with the accessories, such a great pairing for this neutral base =)

Now we have millaxx styling the Mugler Inspired Black Pants in a very sleek way. I love the silhouette of this look, the corset top really works great with them giving the top half of the look a fitted vibe converse to the loose fit of the trousers - the hem design of the corset also works very nicely with the cutout design of the trousers, the two are very complementary to each other =) The white shirt is super smart, I love that with the trousers too. And the accessories are fab, the black sheen is perfect with the look^

And the final feature is from Natasasitsa styling the Mugler Inspired Black Tights - this is exactly how these should have been styled in the store, I think it really sells them well =D They look great with the leather pieces and the rock-chick vibes, the pointed studded heels look fantastic and I love them paired with this belting, super cool! The oversized white shirt is a fab base for the fun tights and the leather accessories. Also love seeing this vest being styled, it looks so cool here!

S T Y L I N G S

I have just picked up two pieces from this release - I'm not sure there are any pieces I would go back to pick up, and I'm pretty pleased with the pieces I've picked. First up the Mugler Inspired Green Coat which I styled so quickly, there were so many pieces which looked good with this piece in a range of colours and styles. For this first time styling I opted for white, I think it really pops against the dark of the green and makes the look stand out - I also really loved the metallic vibes of this bag together with the coat, I will repeat the pairing for sure! I kept the top minimal, I really like the look of navy with this coat too and also wanted to give it a try in this look - I really like how it works =D And then there are the Mugler Inspired Black Pants, at first I struggled a little with the hem of the trousers and finding a pair of shoes, but as soon as I tried these gold ones I was really sold, the two work well together. Finding a top was no problem, this off-shoulder piece is great in many looks, and with these trousers is another combination that works; the cutout panels are still shown off with this piece. I loved adding some little gold accessories to work with the shoes, these delicate pieces help to keep the focus on the trousers rather than the colour and I love it =D

A N T I D O T E | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

Our recent(ish) Antidote release was a super popular one! I didn't love it completely, so no review, but there were a couple of pieces that I wanted to try out and of course I needed to feature all of the wonderful stylings I spotted on members around the site^ First up is Mery.- who wears the Trouser Suit Grey which look soo good on their own without their matching jacket counterpart. With the added burgundy pieces in the belt, bag and glasses I think the colour of the trousers really changes with a more pinky/red hue, they really look beautiful. The cinching of the waist is perfect for the wide leg style, this bustier piece looks great with the trousers and belt combined, such a fab idea^ And I love the cropped sweater ontop, it's one of those pieces I would never know what to do with and here it's perfect! The accessories are great finishing touches, love the little glamour in the tying together of the jewelled earrings and the big jewelled buckle of the belt. So much love for this one =)

Next up we have harpie who styles up both the Corset White Dress and the Black Stilleto Shoes - I think this is such a great way to wear the dress, it makes it quite wearable and a little versatile too^ The trousers chosen are really quite a perfect pair especially alongside the bow belt, the colour and style are classic and fit well with the style of the corset component of the dress; and I love that with trousers it makes it look like a top with a very cool train! The accessories are also great, the shoes really stand out too and pair well with the silver earrings and the little black and silver bag chosen, love it^

This look comes from brevis who styles up both the Oversized Blazer Grey and Trouser Suit Grey - I really think the colour looks different of these pieces when paired together than in the first feature! Anyway, still fab pieces and they make for a whole outfit of clothing on their own as they do have a fair amount of detail in the draping and fit on the doll especially of the jacket. That leaves the perfect opportunity for jewellery^ I love all the pieces chosen here, the gold chain really pops and I love the draping piece too. The earrings are also a good match, and work well with the slicked back hairstyle =)

Now something a little bright, AURA styles up the Black Stilleto Shoes which stand out well in this very cool styling even with the fab mix of colours going on. The red leopard tights really draw you to the bottom-half of the look and directly the the shoes, I love the print and stud combination there, it really works! This coat is such a fun piece and I love seeing it styled, it's great here^ I was also really drawn in by the bag, love the quilted style and the long chain, really great with the overall styling =D

The final feature is from proenza who wears both the PVC Jumpsuit and the White Stilleto Shoes in a very sleek monochrome look, I really like it^ This shows how easy it is to layer the jumpsuit, it works well as a pair of trousers here, the sheen is fabulous! This is well balanced with the matte of the sweater, it's been a long time since I've seen it styled, it's perfect here, so fitting. The shoes are a good choice, a perfect balance in the colours of the outfit, and I love the rest of the accessories - the bag is another piece I've not seen styled in a long time, it's so perfect!

And now onto my own stylings, I have only bought too things, I'm a little sad I wasn't fast enough to get the Silk Trousers as those look beautiful, and I'm sad that I've not seen anyone style them yet! Anyway, first up is the Pattern Dress which I didn't buy immediately but took some time to think about - I don't think I've done it justice with this styling at all, but it's an ok start as for this first look I really wanted to show off all the colours and design aspects the dress has to offer. The black base makes it easy for a winter styling, I really love the layering of it with this furry jacket, they're so fun together, and the dress length also works well with over-the-knee boots. I didn't go creative at all with this one, but I do really like this little lilac Prada bag with the look paired with the pink and purple tones in the dress. I'm for sure going to style this one again and try out what works well for it, I think it has a lot of potential! And now the Orange High Top Boots which were the first piece I picked up immediately in the release - I really love the colour of them, I think it's quite fabulous, but was a little concerned about the very high height on the leg. For the height I loved these white shorts with them, the two meet very well. Once I had these picked out I knew I wanted to go for an all-white clothing look and it works so well to make the boots pop, I love it and I love combining these shorts with this blazer, I will repeat this for sure! The accessorising is simple, I tried on so many bags that worked ok for the look but once I tried this cute cat one, I knew I was finished! The bag and boots are matching in colour almost exactly, I couldn't believe my luck with it - I knew I was keeping this bag around for a reason, haha =D

T R I B U T E S G A L L E R Y | Tribute Review

I am so excited about this next store of the Tribute season - welcome back to the Plaza Tributes Gallery! This for sure is one of my favourite stores of Tribute season and it feels like it's been so long since we had one (the last one was Winter 2017/2018), it's all about the accessories and I love it^ Lets get into the store:

This release has two floors and is predominantly filled with bags and shoes with just a couple of extra pieces - but no complaints from me as there is plenty on offer in this store without extras^ Starting with the shoes there are 7 pairs to choose from in a mix of boot and heel styles, naturally with it still being Winter I'm leaning towards the boot designs, but the colourful graffiti design of the Balenciaga Pumps is very attractive and will work in a range of outfits with the classic overall style to the shoe. With the boots I feel like there are a few 'love or hate it' pieces here - the Acne Lace Up Boots for one won't be a style that works for everyone, I'm not a fan of them but I can see some will love them, I do like the colour of them though, so they're not completely bad! The Purple Balmain Boots have perhaps been incorrectly labelled as these are just a purple version of a pair we just got in the Balenciaga release, with these I like the style but the colour doesn't work so well. But onto two pairs I did really like, firstly the Satine Boots which were the first pair I really spotted in the store and it was 'must have' at first sight! I really love everything about these, the ankle style, heel height and slight point to the toe are great features and the colour is right up my street, the bow on the front is an adorable added extra - so excited to style these. And then also the Cut Out Margiela Boots which I think will be a firm favourite for a number of people. A pair of black ankle boots is a must for any wardrobe and these stand out with the amazing heel design. They look great on the doll and will work in countless outfits with their simplicity. These will last for years in my wardrobe for sure^

And now for the bags! These are in a range of colours and designs, those bold tones on the first floor of the store really draw you in to all of the pieces. There are 12 bag to choose from, there really is something for everyone in the choice. For those who like a bright colour there are 3 fabulous choices, the Bottega Green Bag, the Balenciaga Pink Bag and the Balenciaga Orange Bag - I really quite like all of these and I think they will all be great to style. I've not bought any of these yet, but I do plan to and I'm leaning towards both the Green and Orange ones as I think the styles work slightly better for me than the pouch-style of the Pink one - the Bottega Green Bag is over the shoulder while the Balenciaga Orange Bag is a dinky handheld piece. I've also not seen anyone style these yet and would love to! For colour in a more muted tone then there are also 3 choices, the Prada Blue Clutch, the Prada Purple Bag and the Small Balmain Bag. I love the colours of these pieces so much, they look great, but for me the Prada pieces really come out on top, they're both different and bring something new that we've not got a lot of, I can't pass on a bag in a great shade of purple! These both have a great size and I like the Prada logo on the front of them. The other bags are much more muted in black and white colours. The Balenciaga Chain Bag in white with a delicate gold chain just ticks all the boxes, it's simple yet so stylish and I know a lot of people will like this one for that. In the middle of the black and white is the Balmain Black Bag which I think is my absolute favourite in the store, I love the cross-body style and the small size, there is gold detailing on it and I think the black and white pattern across it looks great! This is another one that I've not seen anyone else style, so would love to see someone have a go with it. One piece I have seen worn a few times is the Margiela Tote Bag, this is all black with hanging straps and a quite structured design. I think it's a very nice bag, but something has put me off buying it and I can't put my finger on it! The final piece to discuss is the Gucci Brown Handbag, which is certainly more black then brown, but whatever, it's a great style independent to the colour^ I love this style of bag a lot and it's a pretty neutral piece that will work in a range of outfits. I'm a big fan of gold hardware on bags, so this piece ticks that box for me. The printing on the body of the bag is relatively subtle so it also won't overwhelm in a look, so a pretty solid choice!

T S L T O P T H R E E

Cut Out Margiela Boots | Gucci Brown Handbag | Satine Boots

Super difficult to choose top picks for this release but for me I think the boots win out a little over the bags, neutral colours and simple but effective details are versatile winning pieces^

F E A T U R E S

First for out features is flyingspaghetti who really loved this collection styling up the Acne Lace Up Boots, Gucci Lion Necklace and the Prada Blue Clutch - all such different styles of pieces but I think they look great together =) The mix of blues, browns and reds is great, I love this blazer a lot and I think it works so well to tie the pieces together. The boots look great with the extra socks added, in fact I thought it was one piece initially. The necklace layering is fab, and again the pieces work well with the blazer. This look works really well to make sure all the pieces stand out in their own right^

Then we also have a feature from prinsestkm1 styling the Gucci Brown Handbag - this bag looks good with everything. The print and dark colour of it pop out against the washed blue denim. The denim shirt looks good too, and I like the mix of styles, the denim is an unusual choice with this blazer but I think they work well - the bag suits the styles of both =) The black polo layered underneath and the black shoes are a good fit for all aspects of the look. This is a fun way to see the versatility this bag has!

S T Y L I N G S

Now for my own stylings, which I really loved putting together. First up the Satine Boots which I loved styling, they were so easy to work with and I had a number of options for them. I love them with these beige loose trousers, I really like the matched colour of the two. I wanted to keep the whole look light and Spring-like, this bow blouse is a nice fit with the bows on the boots. I had a lot of neutral accessory choices that would have worked with this styling, I think this bag looks great and the earrings are a nice touch too. Next up are the Cut Out Margiela Boots which was the fastest look to put together - with these I knew I wanted to have a focus on black accessories and so navy paired naturally with that, I'm completely still on my black and navy love affair I'm afraid! With such a neutral look in terms of added detail, the heels of the boots really do stand out I think, and I love the sheen of the leather with the sheen on the bag, will be using this pairing again for sure^ And the final piece, the Balmain Black Bag, which was another styling that came together very quickly - I just love all these pieces =D Anyway with this piece I knew I wanted to use gold in the look to pair with the little gold details on the bag, and I'm so pleased I tried it out with this blazer, I love the two together. Black seemed a sensible choice for a bottomhalf, I really like this pleated skirt with the look, the style is fitting and the matte texture works well. And a few gold accessories to finish it off, as I've said for all the other, I really like this look^

I N S P I R E D B Y B A L M A I N | Tribute Review

Next in our Tribute season, back to a classic with Balmain! This brand has been pretty solid in the Plaza previously with some great pieces coming from the releases, can this be replicated with this seasons release? Lets get on in and check it out:

For me I think this is quite a stand out collection from the other Balmain releases we've had, I love the vibes to it completely and whilst all the styles aren't necessarily fitting to me, I really like the collection as a whole. Starting with accessories and apart from that there are no jewellery pieces, the store is full of shoes and bags to choose from. There are 4 pairs of shoes on offer, all boots and in a range of styles. For me this is a 50% success rate, I adore the Balmain Inspired Pearl Boots and Boots Black, they have such a cool style with the angled heel, it really makes them stand out in a crowd. I love a good pointed-toe boots and these pairs both have unique features that will make me want to reach for them in my wardrobe - the Pearl ones in particular I think will be perfect for me and my style preferences! Onto the bags of which there are 5 on offer, which is quite a lot for a collection this size - no complaints from me though, I've bought 4 of them and I'm still considering buying the final one, haha^ All the bags are unique from each other and bring a completely different style to the store, I really think there is something for everyone with these. The one I haven't bought yet is the Balmain Inspired Handbag Pearls and the only think I'm not so sure about is the larger size, I generally prefer a smaller bag but I love the shape and style of this piece, the loose boho style is very cool and I would love to give that a try. The other bags are much smaller pieces but are in a range of styles and colours, the first one I knew I had to have was the Balmain Inspired Blue Bag, I love the baby blue colour and the boxy style to it, the small size and thin strap are perfect too^ I can really see myself being able to style this a lot. The Balmain Inspired Pink Bag is super cute, I love how it's presented in the store, that definitely sold it to me a lot. The colour is super pretty, I think it will make for a great Spring bag and this shade of pink will be perfect with florals. I like the over-the-shoulder strap to it, and it also has a lot of detail, I love the gold and the fringing. Similarly with a lot of detail is the Balmain Inspired Handbag Black, this piece has so many good things going on about it! The gold detailing and the design around the top opening of the bag is fab and I adore the pearls, those are adorable and I'm always on the hunt for pearl-adorned pieces, I really can't wait to style this one. And finally the Balmain Inspired Red Bag which is a really nice clutch piece, it may be more simple in design elements than the other pieces but the simplicity is striking and I adore the handing straps. The red colour really makes it pop.

Onto the clothing, the floors seem to have a bit of a split, with more jazzed up glam pieces on the first floor and the more casual pieces on the second which I quite like. Most of the pieces aren't really my style and I probably wouldn't wear them, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate or like them! The Balmain Inspired Embroidered Dress in pink and green and the red and gold Balmain Inspired Pearl Knit Dress definitely fall into that category, the designs are fabulous and I think they look great on the doll and with the accessories in the store, but I just can't see myself wearing them. Similarly the Balmain Inspired Pearls Jacket is one of the most beautiful pieces we've had in the Plaza recently, it's stunning, there's no other words to describe it! The muted blue and green colours, the golden and pearl details, and the fit on the doll - all fantastic. It's not cheap (37SD's) so it's quite a commitment. There are a couple of pieces I'm quite tempted to buy but haven't yet - those are the Balmain Inspired Sweater Man and the Balmain Inspired Leather Pant. The Sweater is in a lovely muted green colour with the fit on the female doll working nicely as an oversized sweater. The Pants I was actually quite convinced by the real-life version, I think they look really nice and the more I try them in the Plaza the more I think I might get them - they have a lovely high waist and slim leg design and I quite like the worn details on them. I've not seen anyone style either of these pieces yet, so would love to see someone giving them a go! But I did pick up one piece of clothing, the Balmain Inspired Skirt which is just the cutest thing - it doesn't seem to fit with the vibes of the rest of the store, it's quite bright and Spring-like, but that just makes the set stand out even more. It looks great on the doll and I love the colour and wrap-style - I'm so excited to style this piece, I think it will be a winner for Spring =D

T S L T O P T H R E E

Balmain Inspired Handbag Black | Balmain Inspired Skirt | Balmain Inspired Pearl Boots

It was tough to choose just three pieces to feature here, I could have picked a top six at least! Whilst bag stylings are yet to come from me, the skirt and the booties surprised me the most, I loved styling these and have absolutely no regrets about purchasing!

F E A T U R E S

First up for the features is Brevis who absolutely rocks the Balmain Inspired Pearls Jacket, I could never imagine that it would look this good, so creative and so great! If I could pull off a look like this, I'd be right to the Plaza to pick up this piece. The skirt layering is perfection, the gold base piece works well with the cream and golden components of the jacket while the blue fringed skirt on top highlights that colour in the jacket, it's just so great! The shoes add a nice amount of glitz with the detail on the strap and I love all of the jewellery used, the necklaces fill the neckline beautifully and the earrings are a great finishing touch =)

Next up is harpie styling up the matching Balmain Inspired Corset and Skirt and doing a good job in making me want to pick up the corset as well^ This look is ready for Spring, the set looks fabulous with this ruffled white blouse layered, so pretty and really extra perfect for Spring. Of course I also adore the accessories, these are totally my favourite white shoes and they're just right or the look. The jewellery is also beautiful, super simple yet so effective at the neckline of the corset and blouse. The bag though is my favourite addition, it's such an underrated piece that deserved more spotlight and it gets it here - so much love for it in this styling^ 

A brighter look next from HeraKowall who wears the Balmain Inspired Pearl Knit Dress in such a cool and wearable way, it almost makes me want to wear it myself. The layering added to the dress is great, I love the extra length added to the skirt, it looks so seamless. I also love the layered piece beneath that adds those awesome shoulder details, they look so fun and again super seamless. The red accessories are fabulous, they really pop and stand out well with the dress, really perfect choices there!

And the final feature comes from mrv93 who styles up the Balmain Inspired Leather Coat and Balmain Inspired Boots Black together - they look great! I'm especially loving these trousers in the look, the leather is great against the other pieces and the split hem is perfect to highlight the boot design, I need to find out where these are from for sure. The brown trim of the jacket stands out in a good way, it's something different and I think it catches the eye to make you come check out the look. I really also loved the cross-body bag the style of it slung looks great and I think it pairs really well with the jacket =)

S T Y L I N G S

Because I bought such a number of pieces I will do a separate posts styling the other three bags from the release that aren't included here. First up the Balmain Inspired Pearl Boots, I really loved styling these and was able to put this outfit together very quickly. I love the raw hem of these black jeans with the boots, the pairing works well for both pieces. The rest of the look is super simple but accessorised with added pearls in the earring and the bag - I wish the pearls on the bag were a little smaller, but I think it's a cute piece with the boots for sure! Next up are the Balmain Inspired Skirt and Balmain Inspired Blue Bag which I couldn't resist styling together. This skirt really has put me in the mini skirt mood, I'm ready for the Spring/Summer season so I can make good use of them! Anyway I kept this styling simple, but the skirt looks good with so many pieces. I opted for a transitional look between Winter and Spring with this furry coat, it looks pretty great with the pale blue and also the style of the bag, I think the two are very nice together. And lastly are the Balmain Inspired Boots Black which are so versatile that I struggled to decide on an outfit to share because everything was looking good with them - I'm so pleased with this styling though and followed through with the mini skirt inspiration. I really liked the matte vibe to this blazer against the shiny leather of the boots but the feather trim adds such a fun touch the outfit. I decided to add a little skirt beneath, this silver mini is fitting to the overall vibe between the blazer and the boots, and accessories were easy to choose after picking the clothing, I really love this =D

C A L L I E S P I C K S | Styled By Me / / Styled By You

Callie's Picks 137 brought us an interesting collection of pieces with the theme 'Love Story' - I'm not sure what sort of story this is because there's a whole range of pieces available in this store, which are all older Hotbuys pieces. For a February/Valentines theme some focus February Hotbuys may have been a good idea. But still, the collection has some nice pieces included. Before my own stylings, a feature, mrv93 styles up the Citrus Stud Belt which is a fun neon piece that I'm not sure I've seen styled in a long time! This jacket looks amazing with the belt, the colour is spot on with the trim of the belt and layering more neon green to match with the polo is perfection, what a set of pieces! I also love the addition of this train to the jacket, what a glamorous way to style it. The shoes and one of the bags are a perfect neon fit got the styling and I think the brown trousers work very nicely as a neutral component to the green, plus I love the purple touch in there too^

I actually had quite a number of pieces from this release already, one which I've used quite a bit over the years, the Hotbuys Golden Resort Purse which is such a sweet piece and I can really recommend, and others which I've not styled so much. So first up is the Bilbao Dotted Maxi Dress which has already been re-released into Archive which is where I picked up mine from and I don't think I've styled it before. It's for sure a challenging piece, it's not easy to layer with any other clothing items because there's a lot to the shape with the ruffling and the mixed patterns, and also I want to show those off! I did try out some blue heels which I love with the dress, but for a bag I had better options in red so I switched to some red boots and I'm very pleased with the outcome, I think these pieces work so well together =) I was also able to find some perfect earrings for the look, this red and navy pair are perfect for the dress, I love it! Next up is the HotBuys Brooch Jacket which I've had for such a long time and perhaps styled only once or twice. It's another tricky one to style, the purple is really quite bright which I think is where I struggle. I used blacks and whites for this one which I think works well with the design on the piece. I added some glamour in the bag and I think it suits the styling very nicely. But something isn't quite right with the look, I don't quite love it yet, so need some more time with this one for sure. And the final piece, the HotBuys Gucci Inspired Gown which came out back in April 2016 and has managed to cling on in my wardrobe for that long despite the fact that I rarely wear gown pieces, I'm glad I still have this one though =) I've worn this a few times and think I've always styled it quite similarly and as a skirt rather than a dress, which is much easier for me to work with. This time I've gone for something warm, I love this sweater with the dress, the colours are pretty much perfect together and the base of pink allowed me to focus on some of those additional colours for accessories - I opted for red but the perfect green would also look fabulous (I just didn't have the right pieces to work with the green). These are simple sandals and I love the floral earrings I've used, I think they're spot on for the styling =)

W I L D C A N D Y | Styled Outfits

To be honest I'd kind of forgotten about the Wild Candy store in the Plaza, for me it doesn't generally bring a lot of memorable pieces that I return to a lot. This recent release was certainly more impressive than most! I picked up a couple of pieces to try out:

First up is the Onesleeve Top Black which is a bodysuit with a fun cutout design, that of course had to be shown off in my look. I think the piece looks pretty dressy which is great, and my first thought with it was that I wanted to pair it with this yellow Dior skirt, the two are fab together^ The yellow colour really catches the eye but the top really stands out with its detail. I kept the finish simple, love these pointed mule heels with the look, thought they were a nice balance with the top, and a yellow bag was a must, this one is super cute here! Next up are the Boots Biege which I just thought were great as soon as I'd seen them - I just know they will be great to style and I think they will suit a lot of people! I had set aside this sweater as a piece to remember to style, not intending to wear it with these boots, but I love the combination. The beige tones work so nicely together - I did try and add a beige pair of trousers but nothing quite worked out nicely with the style of the sweater, so I opted for this smart black pair, I love this outfit a lot! The rest of the accessories are super simple on the beige theme and I think they balance well against the black in the look, I'm really pleased with this one =)

V I N Y L B L A C K T R O U S E R S | Styled By Me / / Styled By You

Our last VINYL release was also full of re-colours, with a whole floor of pieces now coming in a wide range of colours - there's a little for everyone here with both neutral and brights and a range of pieces to choose from. For me there was just one piece I was interested in, the Black Trousers. These originally came in White but now you can pick them up in Black, Beige and Red which I think is a good selection for this style of trouser and I'm quite tempted to also buy the beige pair^ I also spotted Millaxx styling these trousers up and I loved it, the style of them really works nicely to pair well with trainers, the length and draping of the leg is perfect to frame the shoes and I really love the outcome of this pairing. The mix of smart and casual is perfect here, the neat black overcoat works well with all aspects, the crop top also looks pretty cute here. The Dior-esque bag adds quite a glamorous touch along with the long locks - I really love this styling a lot =) For my styling I wanted to also work with trainers, but I think I'll save that for another time to showcase these trousers in a different way. I found a lot of black tops and blouses that looked great with the trousers, but once I'd tried this old sweater at the end of my wardrobe I couldn't forget about it, I love it a lot and it needs more attention! It works well here because it's also got a black lining in the detail, with the white overcoat it helps the red from being too much and I think all the colour balance very nicely. I stuck with a little white in the accessories and I think these help to frame the trousers nicely in the look. I decided on some sleek sandals, these square toes look great with the trouser leg design - I'm so excited about this styling =D

Inspired By Balenciaga C O A T S | Styled Outfits

Ok, I promised this post would come in my Balenciaga review - I bought all the coats and now I'm styling them! I think the coats from this collection were pretty popular and I love seeing that, outerwear is for sure one of my top categories of clothing. First up is the Balenciaga Inspired Trench W, which I think is a great Spring and Autumn piece, they're the seasons I associate most with trench coats, and actually I think it's a category of coat I've never styled up on my doll or had in my wardrobe before. I started out this styling a little differently by looking for a bag to wear first, I wanted something brown-toned that would pair well with the buttons on the coat, now I failed in that task but I did love how this little bucket bag looked paired with a more casual piece like this coat, and the base colour of each worked very nicely together. It was quite fun to work with an accessory already in the styling then moving to clothes. I stuck pretty simple but it works complementary to the bag which also has beige tones in it. Such a simple look but one I really love^ Second is the Balenciaga Inspired Oversized Blazer, which is the most 'out there' piece for me, it's a little out of my comfort zone for sure but I was quite keen to give it a try! I actually ended up with a couple of looks to choose between for this piece, I'm pleased I was able to find a number of items which looked good with it as that was definitely one of my worries. I loved this skirt for the blue splash of colour right in the middle that is a good colour-match to the blazer. The rest of the pieces were easy to put together, I love black paired with blue and the little black details in the skirt print stand out nicely too with these accessories added. I think this piece will work well year-round and I have a few fun ideas for Summer stylings already =) And last but not least, the Balenciaga Inspired Suede Coat. This is the coat from the release that I've seen styled the least, I however loved styling it and think it works well with quite a few of my favourite clothing items. This is a classic Autumn/Winter coat, so I think I'll try and get another wear or two out of it before the Spring. I tested this piece out with various belts to add to the already cinched waist, they do look good, but at the same time this piece looks great without that addition. I knew I wanted to add other brown tones to the look and I'm really pleased with how these trousers work out. With other very simple and neutral additions the suede texture of the piece really gets the full focus it deserves in a styling - another look I really love!

I T G I R L S | Original v. Recolour

Our most recent IT GIRLS release brought us another set of re-coloured items of which I was happy to pick up a couple - I thought instead of just styling these new pieces it would also be fun to style up the original item and see how the two compare:

Original: I've had these Simple White Denim jeans for some time and have worn them quite a lot since their release in May 2017 (!!!) - they're an easy piece to style and they look good with so many different items of clothing. I've worn them less recently as I've gone off denim a little, but these are a staple white jean to have in my wardrobe, the straight leg and high waist fit it spot on! There are so many ways to wear these, this time I opted for this bold blue shirt with matching accessories along with a classic white blazer - there really are so many options but I'm feeling the blue right now^ 

Re-colour: The 'new' Simple Black Denim jeans have brought another classic to my wardrobe, a good pair of black straight leg jeans with a high waist. Whilst the raw hem won't always be what I want to include in a styling, I made use of it in this one and it really pops against these yellow boots. This tee has been catching my eye in my wardrobe the last few weeks so I wanted to try it out in a styling, these jeans seemed a good fit. I kept it more Winter-ready with the polo underneath but I think it works out well with the black font on the print. The rest of the look is simple with black added in the jacket and bag, and I love how these yellow sunglasses look against the bag. I'm sure I'll be wearing these again in no time!

Original: This is the HotBuys Printed Skirt which came out in January 2019 in such a fun set of Hotbuys, however I didn't style it until I revisited the collection - I have attempted it and given up a few times, I do find it a trickier piece to style but for this post, I really enjoyed working with it. Trying it with this overcoat was perfect for me, it's completely fitting with my current style vibes and I find with the coat covering some of it, it was much easier to style and I love this look! I decided on a white and black styling, and I'm very pleased with it, I think the added black in the top and the solid white of the coat really makes that printed panel of the skirt stand out in the styling. The accessories are classic pieces, but the bag adds a touch of fun, I really love in there. This look has definitely inspired me to try out this skirt more often!

Re-colour: There are a couple of different colour options for this 'new' piece, I've opted for the Printed Skirt Orange because I thought it would be a super fun Summer piece and this is exactly the sort of style I like in the Summer. This was so fun to style and I found quite a few tops and accessories that I liked with it, so I'm looking forward to wearing it again already. To pair in with the first look I opted for a white shirt, I like this one in particular as I like the twisted design on the front with the gathering of the skirt. I'm so glad these shoes worked out as a perfect colour match for the skirt, again the bow really works well with the skirt gathering, I love these two together^ All I'm lacking is the perfect pair of orange sunglasses for this one =)

I N S P I R E D B Y V I V I E N N E W E S T W O O D | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

Our next Tribute released this season was Vivienne Westwood, this is a brand that I don't particularly look at the collections from, or even think to look at, it's just not my style. So I wasn't surprised that the pieces in this release really weren't items I was interested in buying. I have picked up one piece to try out, but it's not worth a full review post, and I think a lot of people felt the same way about this store as there weren't many dolls styling up these pieces when I went looking for features. I've found a few though and I do think these are pretty great =D First up is DIORian styling the Westwood Inspired Corset Blue and Westwood Inspired Pearls in this very creative way, I really like how it looks! The blue pops so well against the white, and even with other blue pieces in the styling, the tartan design holds its own and stands out well. I love the contrast of the tartan with the delicate lace blouse beneath, the shoulder detail is great and helps draw attention to that part of the styling. I love the accessories added in the look, the jewellery all looks great together and I think the socks with the mules are a quirky but cute touch, I think it works nicely^

Next up is kiedis who wears the Westwood Inspired Tee Black in this very cool styling. What I particularly loved was the pairing of the top with these trousers, the two have the same vertical ribbed detail and really look like a set. I also love the use of the tights, love the sheer effect at both the feet and the waist, it's really effective in the styling. The pieces have been added to well, this jacket is pretty stand out but the open design leaves for the top to be highlighted, and it still stands out against those cool shoulder details. Also love the belting, that's a very nice touch to the look =)

And for my stylings, the piece I bought was the Westwood Inspired Tee Black, perhaps the most minimal piece in the collection. I do like the idea of some of the other pieces, but how they look on the doll just didn't work out for me. So I've styled up two looks with the Westwood Inspired Tee Black - at first I was a bit worried that I'd be able to go for two quite differently styled looks, but I did and I'm quite impressed with myself, haha! First up a more casual styling, I wanted to make sure the hem design of the shirt was on show which definitely needs a lighter colour on the bottom. The style of these trousers worked really well and I think the two pieces go nicely together. Since styling some trainers in another recent post I wanted to try them out again and I really thought this was a great opportunity, and I'm really pleased with the outcome of that pairing! I chose this specific pair for their white base but also their black details, the brown tones made a perfect opportunity for adding in the accessories and I just adore this bag added to the styling, really it's so perfect in there and I love this look as something different for me =D Next up is perhaps more 'classic me' and this outfit came together very quickly and was super easy to do. I wanted to try something striped to make use of that detail in the top, and I just loved how this skirt looked and fitted with the vibes of the top - I quite like the black and navy pairing, and actually the navy is quite dark, so the colour difference isn't too obvious. I went with black for the accessories and I think the pieces work very nicely with the clothing combination. It's smarter than the first look and I think shows that this top has more versatility than I was first expecting, I'm quite glad I bought this now!