S E P T E M B E R 2019 | Hotbuys Review

Here we are again, it's the end of September and we've had all of the Hotbuys for this month! For me this was an improvement on last month, many more pieces I liked the look of initially, and I think the vibe of this set is really nice, I'm loving the lilac tones throughout, definitely super pretty =D

F I R S T I M P R E S S I O N S

Heart Earrings - I love these earrings! They're a super edgy pair combining heart and lightning bolt design elements, which is super fun - when viewed on the doll from afar it's hard to tell the detail, but I think they still look pretty good. I quite like the vibe of the mixed metals too for these^ I think these are a pretty good start to the months collection^  Evil Panda 14SD's

Off Shoulder Top - This is such a sweet top! I love the nude colour, it makes it super versatile, and the off shoulder style on one side looks great, the little twist detail is super cool =D The fit is really nice on the doll, and I think it will layer pretty well with different sweaters, cardis and coats. I think this will be great for Spring and Summer styles too! It Girls 21SD's

Heart Necklace - And now for the necklace to match the earrings, I totally love that and want more! The design is close to the earrings but is focused on a big bolted heart. I like the length of the pendant but I do find it a very chunky piece - this follows the original design, for me it's something I don't like so much, but it's totally personal preference! I love the style otherwise though =) Velvet Orchid 14SD's

Satin Skirt - I thought I was going to really like this piece, the colour is beautiful and I think the gathered design all down the front is pretty cool, and very unique, we've not had something like it before. The fit on the doll is nice too, but I think it's the hanging down drawstrings (not so sure what to call them!) that are off-putting for me, I think it takes away from the rest of the design. Velvet Orchid 22SD's

Bomber Jacket - And for a jacket now, while it's similar to other pieces we've had in the Plaza in the past, I think this is a pretty nice addition for Autumnal stylings. I like the relaxed fit of the style, I think it looks pretty good on the doll, and there are a lot of nice little details in the design which really work nicely, I particularly like the cuff design^ Bizou 27SD's

Plexi Boots - I'm not sure what other people think of these, but I'm just kind of dying over how cute and funky these are! Ok, so they're certainly not an every day boot, but are they not so cool for something a little different?! It was the pinky/purple/orange hues that really drew me in, they're an attractive combination and again, like nothing we've had before. I like the loose fit to the ankle of the boot, and the chunky design to the heel. Would I wear these in RL? No way, but I can make my doll enjoy them for the both of us! Original Future 21SD's

Prada Inspired Bag - This was the piece I was most looking forward to, I'm so into this design of Prada bag right now! They're totally out of my budget, luckily this one was within my dolls budget^ I like the size and cross-shoulder style, and the silver metal plating looks great. It's such a fun bag to dress with as I really think it will be fab in glam and casual looks, I'm so glad to have this and I'm stoked to style it! Velvet Orchid 24SD's

Hand Print Skirt - I like midi skirts, and I do want to like this one, but the hand print just isn't for me. I like the colours, I think the purple and red really look great, but this one just isn't for me - I think some of you guys will do great things with it though^ Fallen Angel 22SD's

Lightning Shoes - Again, this is a piece I just know is not for me. I would like a nice pair of purple shoes, but the lightning design on the back is pretty specific and is something I know I don't like for myself. The overall design does also seem quite simple for the price. It Girls 22SD's

Hand Print T-Shirt - And the final piece, again with the hand print, so it's not so much my thing, but I do really like the oversized shape of the tee, it's a really nice fit on the doll, and of course I like the half-tuck design. Again, it's something I see others wearing well, but not myself. Fallen Angel 23SD's

F E A T U R E S

Love the autumnal vibes from this styling from hip.hop.2000, super cool and a great look with the Off Shoulder Top! The neutral tone makes it super versatile, I love the addition of the neck scarf, it draws more attention to the top and the cute shoulder details that it has^

And secondly we have millaxx wearing the Prada Inspired Bag and showing off it's cool versatility in this smart-casual styling. I think it really pops out well against the brown knit, the oversizing is cool too, and it pairs really nicely with the trainers. The bag is totally perfect with these trousers, could come up with so many stylings for that pairing^

S T Y L I N G S

And for the Guest Writer looks! This is such a cool set of stylings, I really love it! First up miloshki goes for the Bomber Jacket which was kinda expected, this is totally up her street for stylings and the look is super fitting for her^ Love the heavy contrast of the jacket with the floral detailed skirt. Next up, opposite on the style spectrum, AudreyHepburn. chooses the Off Shoulder Top and pairs it perfectly with this very cool skirt, what a perfect colour match! Really love the accessories added to this one, really vert perfect =D And finally vogue_veronica styles up the Heart Earrings, which look great with an up-do and a hat like this to really show them off. They look super elegant in this styling, the white blazer is a great choice for them^

And finally my stylings, while I had fairly mixed feelings about this collection, I'm really pleased with the pieces that I have bought. First up the Prada Inspired Bag, my favourite piece, I really loved styling this, there are so many options for it! I like it with the classic silver and black for my first styling, I think it works well and it holds its own against the similar colours of the clothing. Secondly two pieces, the Bomber Jacket and the Heart Earrings, I think they work well together in this specific styling, but aren't a typical style match. I went for neutral colours for the clothing, the beige works well for the green and I think  the sparkle of the earrings does well to pop too^ Love these boots and this belt with the styling, definitely love the accessorising here! And for the final look, the Plexi Boots - I'm yet to see anyone else wear these, but they've really grown on me and I love this outfit =D The all pastel pink works well against the slightly darker tone of the boots, so they really do stand out. I like the smarter style of the clothing to play against the funkiness of the boots. The rest of the accessories are minimal, really like this darker pink bag to match the boots more than the clothing - I'm super pleased with this overall!

H I G H F A S H I O N H I D E & S E E K | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

It's that time again, we've just a couple of days left to find the trophy for September and get the prize for this month - the Max My Teddy Coat which is a perfect trendy Autumn/Winter piece. And it seems everyone is loving it, within even just a few days at the start of the month, I'd seen at least 10 looks already featuring this piece! The design is very nice, the graphic has been made well and the style is definitely a popular one. I have a couple of features to share to show off the different ideas for this piece. First up Bianca.Vos who goes for an all neutral styling in such a classic and chic way! Neutrals always look pretty fab, and I love the pieces added to this look. The chunky polo gives a warm touch, and I love the fabric of the skirting, the lengths and layers are perfect! The black and gold details are also great to the look, everything has been very thoughtfully put together =D  

Next we have sarah_1980 choosing something a little more casual but equally perfect for the piece. I love the use of the checked print, the big size of the squares really works with the oversizing of the coat, and I also like the wide-leg style of the trousers. The light top and trainers keep the look light, it would work out well for Spring too I'd think. And the orange bag is the perfect pop of colour, I really love it^

And finally for my styling - it was tough to stick away from an all nude/neutral styling, there are many options in that category for sure! I highlighted other brown tones in my styling, I love this darker polo with the colour of the coat, I think it's a great combination, and the colour is perfect with the use of this bag too^ I went for something a little fun on the trousers, these have a little brown in them, so I think they do work out ok - the light base lightens up the whole look, and the print is a nice add to the mix. I really love this styling and I'm excited to wear the coat more!

Joker

You can maybe guess where I got the inspiration for this look – the new Joker film is premiering soon and I've seen the trailer everywhere the last few weeks! I could never have guessed how versatile this collar would be when I found it a few years ago from StarBazaar. I think it looks fabulous here with the dark, autumnal tones and sleek hairstyle! 

Limited Edition SHOES SPECIAL # W E S T Y L E I T

Myself and Miloshki had such a fabulous time with some of the shoes from the latest LE release - who doesn't love some fun shoes?! We've styled them two pairs of them, and despite doing it completely independently I think we've gone for something quite similar overall =P First up the Stiletto Shoes which are the chunky wooden heel pair which don't suit their name: we've picked up light tones with darker accessories, and that works so well to really highlight the shoes in the looks. While I've chosen a wide skirt, the same width is added in Miloshki's look with the width of the coat, I think it's super effective^ And we both add a little mystique with the use of the sunglasses and hat - we've shown a nice variety while sticking to a similar style vibe, which I really like^

And secondly the Crystal Shoes, which we've unintentionally styled with the same blazer, but I love that - we've created two totally different looks despite using the same blazer, it's fab^ Miloshki ventures a little towards casual with the jeans, I think the blue socks are a great addition, they work out surprisingly well and I think the colour is a really good one. The blue is balanced out with the nudes on top and with the bag. The red lip is the perfect touch to go with the jewels on the shoes. For my styling I've also added some burgundy for the jewels, but in the bag, glasses and this delicate belt. I stayed pretty 'classic me' with the clothing, but I think it works out nicely as these shoes really can be the star of the show, they're just fabulous and I'm stoked to wear them more =D

Blood Orange

(Blood Orange...pfff...she's so pretentious)

I think of that meme every time I pull out this Limited Edition maxi-vest. I've actually attempted to sell this several times, but it turns out that it makes a pretty sweet scarf. 

The jury is out on this week's Antidote release - I actually really liked it, but then again, I have an addiction to buying coats and this release scratched that itch in a big way. This Burberry-inspired one is my favourite of them all. You can interpret it so many ways, but I've gone for a more casual take with some brighter colours to heighten the contrasting black and white. 

Ingredients | You Will Need

Burberry Inspired Coat | Antidote

Knot Bicolor Dress | Pet a Porter

Orange Maxi Vest | Limited Edition

Sk8er Beanie | Callie's Picks

Square Brooch Earring Left | Epiphany

Snapshot Bag Black | Nelly.com

White Heeled Mules | The JetSet

Scarfing

So, turning up all the random stuff into scarf and wearing it.

Mood: Synchronizing stripes, all black stuff and silver accessories into a look.

Details: Inverted the black flower (Bonjour Bizou) to make up a masking scarf. Outfit includes the striped flamenco ruffle shirt (Rio), ann baggy trousers (Fallen Angel), leather sock ankle boots (IT Girls), Balenciaga inspired large bag (Inspired by Balenciaga tribute), diamond glasses (Inspired by Alexander Wang tribute), mini side bag (Pearls), two belt (Limited Edition). Used the heavy crystal earrings (Subcouture) from parlor as hairclips.

Tune in every Thursday to check up what I wore for the week! 

Find me on stardoll at Vogue_veronica x 

Signing off, Veronica

Tweedy Bird

I nearly called this Broad Broad in honour of Nina West and her linebacker shoulders, but I think the element of this coat I want to highlight is the lovely tweed texture rather than....those shoulders. 

Ahhh I kind of love them. But I also like balance, so I've gone for a subtle flare in my cropped trousers to give volume in the bottom half of the look. The long hair also helps to disrupt the long long line of the shoulders without sacrificing on actual volume. 

I have said before that I love tweed, especially tweed coats; I did a whole post on my grandma's tweed coat a good couple of years ago and what it meant to me. She passed away last month so I am drawn more than ever to the textures that make me think of her. I can almost feel this on my cheek. 

Overall I think this has an updated, fashion take on 40s blitz fashion - perhaps it's the sweater vest!

Ingredients | You Will Need

Alexander McQueen Inspired Sweater | Runway

Cropped Turtleneck | Evil Panda

Checked Oversized Coat | Limited Edition

White T Shirt | The JetSet

Green Culottes | It Girls

YSL Inspired Scarf | MSW

Stitched Fendi Handbag | Inspired by Fendi Tribute

Jacquemus Inspired Earrings | Antidote

Silk Pearl Stilettos | Limited  Edition

Chiffon Drama

It's time for dramatic autumn looks. The shade of this Subcouture Chiffon blouse is just gorgeous, but it is a bit hard to style. I mean, you don't walk around the street everyday with pieces of flowy silk hanging from you! But today I felt like doing so – and added even a bit more drama with the sheer collar and Dior pearls. 

Sweet Hibiscus

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times - I love it when there's a Mr. release.

This season treated me to a new Hawaiian shirt in fabulous hot pink and forget-me-not blue. Perfect for the end of summer.

It takes a little jigging about and resizing to take it from completely undone to rogueishly low-cut, but with some long hair and a good coat, no one need know...

Once in-suite, I knew immediately that I wanted to get it to work with this Gucci bag, but hot pink can be really difficult to control, so I needed a solid neutral to go with it. Black was too heavy, white too clinical, cream clashed, so in steps baby pink to soothe my woes. 

Ingredients | You Will Need

Pink Flower Shirt | Mr.

Chambray Pedal Pushers | Callie's Picks

Pink Coat | Subcouture

Round Frame Pink Sunglasses | Pretty'n'Love

Moonage Layered Necklace | Velvet Orchid

Classic Industrial Belt | Inspired by Off-White Tribute

Soft Pink Leather Gloves | Pretty'n'Love

Gucci Inspired Crossbody Bag | Tributes Gallery

Blush Dior Heels | Callie's Picks

Falling Leaves

Pretty sure I've never styled this dress before? I'm not a summery gown kind of gal as you probably all know by now. But I've never wanted to get rid of it - the print is so pretty and I do appreciate a good floral!

I knew I wanted to style it with a pair of boots for Autumn, but it surprised me how well these ones went. They're normally a bit of a pain thanks to their bagginess, but this dress has handy splits. Continuing the 'unwieldy' theme, the sleeves of this dress are awkward, but with the right amount of resizing and rotating, you can perch a little shoulder slung jacket on there, just in case it gets a bit breezy. 

Ingredients | You Will Need

Lily of the Valley Dress | Subcouture

White Crisp Onesid Blazer | Millionaire Mansion Fashion

HotBuys Leaf Earrings | Velvet Orchid

YSL Inspired Shoulder Bag | Yves Saint Laurent Tribute

High White Leather Boots | The JetSet

N E L L Y | Release Review

As with several previous releases of Nelly, we've gotten another floor! I usually find Nelly pretty good so I'm happy with this arrangement completely^ The advertising looks super fun with all those bright colours =D

Highlights This is the usual size of release, with one floor and 8 outfits, nothing for the guys in this release. There's a focus on the brights but there are also some versatile neutrals included which is great for mixing and matching.

Accessories Personally I prefer the accessories in the first Nelly release this season, the bags really blew me away and these ones really don't live up to that. I do very much like the White Boots, these are pretty awesome in a knee high style with a nice neutral design. There is also the almost obligatory inclusion of some trainers, this time two pairs, the White Sneakers and the Josefina Sneakers which have some cool colours in them, but they're just not something I'm looking to purchase at the moment.

Clothing The clothing pieces are definitely much more attractive than the accessories, there's so much to choose from! I will start with the super fun printed pieces, I really like them all^ The Shirt Dress is the first piece to gain my attention for that fab yellow and orange print of feathers, it's a super smart dress style and the print really adds a bold flair to the design. The fit of the dress is good, and I think it will be great for brighter Autumnal stylings. Also on the same sort of colour scheme is the Sequin Midi, which is just one amazing gold sequinned skirt, it's really quite something! We've not had anything like this before I don't think, and I love a bit of gold, it's quite perfect for me - I know it won't be for everyone, but I think it's been done very tastefully and will work in a lot of styling scenarios. The Juliette Skirt is also a midi, but in the pleated style. It's got a cool teal base with a dainty floral design, I think it suits the Spring/Summer season a little more than right now, so I think I will save this one for next year. And lastly in this category is a (slightly) more neutral piece, the Dotted Top which is in black and cream, I love the tied style at the front, it's got such a current vibe to it and the print is fun, it's not quite animal print, so it's something a little different. I really love this piece a lot, I'm excited to style it up! And now for the more neutral pieces of the collection, I don't like these as much as the printed items, but there's a couple that are great for my style! The Cozy Jacket looks like such a fab design-twist on a great Autumn/Winter coat, I'd love an identical one that isn't off one shoulder so we can vary the design. It's in a neutral white, so perfect for pairing with different colours and I like the slightly more boxy and oversized design while keeping a cropped length in mind. And then I also really love the Cream Sweater, I'm all about the beige! This has such a cute design, it's got a nice fit to it, not too oversized or tight, with rolled sleeves and a front tuck, it's super neat. I also like the round neck design, it's a good piece for transitioning into the Autumn, and of course the colour is very versatile =)

Prices This collection ranges from 9 to 24SD's, which is about average. There are a couple of pieces in SC's and nothing is SS or Royalty limited.

Styled Outfits I loved working with this collection, I'm super excited to try more from it! For my looks, first up the Dotted Top which I've loved styling neutrally with black trousers, but cream will work equally well to colour-match to the top. I kept cream shoes and then added a little fun with this printed bag, I kind of like it, something a little different to try and I think it works out to balance the printing across the look. Next up the Shirt Dress, I did worry about accessories for this as I wanted to focus on the yellow tone in the dress, so I didn't have a lot of choice, but these pieces did work out. I kept it neutral with this overcoat, I really like the combination and I think it is great to make the piece seem less Summery. And finally the Cream Sweater and I love this outfit so much! I tried so many skirts with this piece and lots of different ones worked out well, so there are many options for this, but I went for brown tones and I love the outcome. The skirt and belt look great with the tuck design of the sweater, and I kept the shoes neutral with these boots. I even added a necklace, pretty rare for me^ But this one really looks quite perfect with this styling =D

Features And time for features! First up liability with the Cozy Jacket - and while these shoes aren't from this release, the White Sneakers would also be a perfect fit. I love the lilac in this styling, it stands out but also makes a perfect base for the white to stand out against. I love the combination of the open neckline of the shirt with the off shoulder style of the coat, it looks great^ The accessorising is also perfect, love the belt combination and also the printed tights =)

And secondly millaxx wearing the Zip Trousers with all the great Autumnal brown tones, so cute! The trouser shape is really great, and the zip design is shown off with the tuck of the sweater and the open style of the jacket. Love the accessories, the delicate jewellery is super pretty, and contrasts well with the chunkier heels while the bag really ties all of the colours together!

P L A Z A P I C K S | A U T U M N S H O E S

I was really feeling in the shoe mood when choosing my top Plaza Picks this month, and as I did a Spring feature, I decided to pick out my top footwear choices for the Autumn! I'm really feeling boots at the moment, I'm dying to get back into them with some fun looks, but I did pick out a couple of pairs of heeled shoes that work out well too for my favourite trends this season. Colour is super important, and I'm focusing on the brown tones, ranging from light beige through to dark, with a little glamour thrown into the mix as well =D

*For all the picks in your Plaza Dressing Room, click here*

Safari Uniform

On paper zebra print x2 + blue doesn't sound that good, but turns out it does look good! I love the shape of the blazer, it's boxy and it gives out just the perfect amount of the zebra print underneath it. Large bag, simple heels and some blue earrings and we are ready to go with this smart casual uniform!

L I M I T E D E D I T I O N | Release Review

Super exciting to have a brand new LE release last weekend! We got a little preparation with a top-up offer and the knowledge that it would be LE the day before which is always great^ I love the advertising, the cityscape is super and a great base for styling against and I think the models give a good idea on the mix of styles included. 

Highlights This release is about the regular size for an LE collection, there are two floors offering 8 styles for the girls and two for the guys, with quite a range to choose from. I do have to say I think the accessories quite top the clothes in this one, much stronger which I'm definitely pleased about as I love an accessory^

Accessories There are many pieces to choose from in a range of styles, but glamour is heavily featured. There are 5 pairs of shoes, which is a lot considering the size of the release, and they're all still available to buy, which is pretty good if you didn't manage to log in immediately at the release time. They really offer a good range of styles, but I've totally fallen for the heels on offer. The Crystal Shoes are super glamorous, they're a mule (what's not to love?!) and have a nude base colour and are decorated with a lot of jewels, just that little bit extra^ The colour really is perfect for this seasons trends. Also in the mule style are the Satin Mules, which are a higher heel but very colourful - the green, red, yellow and lavender sound like a mix that shouldn't work, but I really love how they are, it makes for something super interesting! And then the most minimal shoe of the collection, the Stiletto Shoes, which are very much not stiletto's but I love their chunky wooden heel, it's a big selling point for me! The body of the shoe is black and pointed but they also have a delicate white strap across the foot. I think these will look great with so many different styles, and anything from trousers to dresses. 

There are 3 bags in the collection, and they give a pretty good range of styles. Naturally the bright colours of the orange Dior Inspired Bag which is a cute quilted clutch, and the yellow Balenciaga Inspired Bag which is a small crossbody are super eyecatching - they sold out super fast too, so they caught the attention of others too^ These are both great accessories and will really pop in stylings. And there is also the Crystal Clutch (still some left of this one^) which is very sleek with the black and gold colourings, and the jewelled base really makes it snazzy =) There are a lot of other items included in this category too, like the Brown Belt which has such a cool gathered design on one side, the Stone Necklace which has very ethereal vibes with the colours of the stones, and really quite a lot of glam shiny jewellery piece - I'm definitely leaning to the Plexi Earring and the Spike Necklace, they're super detailed and really very nicely designed, they'll really look amazing in outfits^

Clothing I do find the clothing a lot weaker than the accessories in this release, in the end I've actually only bought 2 pieces (a bonus for my purse though^) - however there's a really great mix of styles, with prints and glitz, and minimal and streetstyle all included, which I really like for a collection. The feminine pieces are super cute, and I'd love more of these vibes, like the Collared Top with the big puffed sleeves and elegant broidery, the sparkling Crop Sleeve Top of which my only complaint is the cropped body, and the Satin Pink Trousers which are a super fun suit-style piece, the colour is so beautiful! There are a couple of dresses in the release, I immediately fell in love with the Horse Print Dress, which I know won't be to everyone's tastes, but I've been adoring horse prints, and I've always been wanting them for my doll^ This one has quite a vintage styling with the oversized fit, but the colours are gorgeous, super current and super versatile. I'm also quite tempted by the Satin Dress, the burgundy wine is amazing, perfect for the Autumn/Winter season, and I think it looks amazing on the doll, a really great piece all round, but not so versatile I'd think, so it's a little pricey for the number of wears you might get from it. And the most popular dress is the Crystal Dress, despite the price, I can see why - it's got a fabulous and stand out design, I love the bustier styling and the sparkling lines of the skirting, perfect for some fun layering as I've been seeing on many dolls already.

There are some other cute pieces in the collection. The Orange Cape obviously stands out because of the bold colour, I love the design of the piece on the body, but the long flowing cape isn't so much my thing, but I can tell this is a popular design idea. The Cape Top Green provides the same sort of idea but in a more wearable style, but the colour isn't quite as effective as the orange. The Pleated Leather Shorts are quite nice, I debated about them too long and they were gone before I decided I think I did want them! I like the longer length, the chunky rolled hem and the gathered style of the waist. While leather shorts won't be for everyone and aren't hugely versatile, I think they could be super fun all with a little creativity. And the final piece to mention is the Checked Oversized Coat, another super popular piece because of the neutral colour to the design. It's super square in the shoulders and really makes for a particular style, but it's a super 'in' vibe for this season, and I think there will be some great outfits from it, I'm excited to see them!

Prices This release ranged from 20 to 167SD's, which is just about on par with the previous few releases. As this is LE, it is limited to SS and Royalty members only, and there are a limited amount of each item - but still quite a few things still in store!

Features Again we are putting together a fun styling post to come soon, for now the features! First up FunOpler styling the Pleated Leather Shorts in this very cool neon and black styling, it's super effective for them^The draped top still lets the features of the shorts stand out, and the leather looks good against the softer fabrics. Love these boots with the shorts, really cool^

Then we have juliette116 wearing my favourite dress, the Horse Print Dress, which I love in this styling! The dark accessories look great and really make the dark tones in the print pop out. Love the oversizing of this dark blazer which plays well with that of the dress. The earrings are a super cool addition too, the red is fab!

Next up Opiodes wears the Crystal Dress, the Zebra Jacket Man and the Black Socks in a very cool combination. I love all the shining and the silver, and the skirting of the crystals really pops out. The Chanel style accessories are also super fun, what a fab look =D

Also wearing the Crystal Dress is turkiye who pairs it with the Orange Cape, which looks fab, such a great layering idea, for the whole look and not just these two pieces^ The skirting of the crystals looks great over the orange, a colour that will always make me look, and I love the layering of the extra pieces like this furry coat on the top^

Penultimately, rob_sef7 going for the Checked Oversized Coat and Plexi Earring in a more minimal styling with a perfect base of white. This is great for the checks to really pop against, and it works well. Love the midi skirt styling, it really makes for a smart look with this piece. Accessories are totally perfect and very fitting!

Something a little more sparkly neck, from SoMillie, wearing the Crystal Tiara and the Crop Sleeve Top in a fabulous way - layering it up like this is amazing, it really looks like it's tucked into this fabulous bustier, I totally love that! The sequin pieces are super extra, but work together nicely, and the accessories finish off the styling well, with the tiara piece a perfect addition =D