A R C H I V E : F O L K | Styled Outfits

Friday brought us a new release of Archive, this time with a focus on the old Folk store which was in the Plaza several years ago - overall the style of the store has never been fitting with my own style, but a few pieces here and there were pretty good. I remember loving a couple of these items when they first came out, but now they're really not my vibe. I did pick up a couple of pieces to style, and there's a few more I'm tempted by like the red and blue Bilbao Dotted Maxidress and the more muted Floral Cotton Dress - but so far I've just picked out the Iman Black Top and Satin Fringe Trousers to style up today:

The shirt has such a versatility to it, the black is perfect for so many colours and styles to work with it and I really like the slight crop to the length, making it ideal for high-waist bottom half pieces - I really had so much to choose from when styling! I love the classic look of the silk skirt with the top, I think these two pieces are really seamless together. I kept the rest of the look minimal so the focus was on the clothing - the neckline of the top is very wide and really does need some jewellery, I didn't quite have something perfect that still fitted the look, so I'll have to keep that in mind next time I'm styling this piece! And for the trousers, I found these easy to style, but I kept it super simple, there are for sure more creative directions to take with these fun trousers. For me the white worked best with the dark pink, but I added a few light pink tones in the top and the shoes (which are definitely one of my favourite pairs right now). I did resize and turn the trousers a little to wear them, this makes them more cropped in length and more high on the waist which is my preferred style for trousers, and I think it still works well for them^

Round 2 | W E A R D E M J E W E L S C H A L L E N G E # 19

Post number 19 in the Wear Dem Jewels Challenge, today I picked out the Fever Spaghetti Neon Earrings, which are another piece coming as separate earrings and thus perfect for this hairstyle =) These have a gold base with a really nice orange thread detail on them - which is perfect to pair makeup with. In my look I've layered up a couple of different orange shades for a smokey look which I really like the vibe of, and I've added in a couple of deep reds for variety. I also kept the mascara pretty minimal to really let the shadow stand out in the style. Of course for the outfits I couldn't resist choosing orange, I have a lot of orange pieces to choose from so it was actually tough to cut it down to two looks, but I'm really happy with this pairing of dark and light, perfect for both the Summer and the Autumn months. First up these cool printed trousers, which I don't think I've seen anyone wear aside from at their release (they're also from the same Fever release as the earrings), but I love their vibes, the shapes of the colour blocks is super cool and the matte effect to the colour is great. Also love the sheer panels in some places, it's a good mix. I picked out black for my top and accessories, I think this makes the gold element to the earring really pop, and also the orange tone to the eye makeup, plus I added more gold in the accessories. For the second styling something lighter, I love the print on this skirt, it's super unique, but also means not a lot styles easily with it. The orange details are perfect to pair with this beauty look^ This white ruffle top is a great fit with the base of the skirt to give the effect of a dress, and I totally love that! These orange shoes and this delicate gold necklace make the perfect finishing touches for this outfit, and I'm so pleased with the outcome here =D

P I N K S I L K Y S K I R T

This recent VINYL piece, the Pink Silky Skirt which is for sure lilac and not pink, is such a sweet addition to the Plaza! When I was styling up my looks for the 2019 Summer Tributes Revisited post I tried out this first styling and thought it was such a great pairing, and I knew the skirt needed a more dedicated post - here it is^ I love the silk of the skirt against the texture of the blazer, the colour contrast works really nicely here, and I like the little panel of pink glitter on the blazer which ties the pieces together pretty nicely. I accessorised based on that panel, the bag and shoes are great together and with the rest of the look. I even added earrings and a necklace, going all out, haha! The deep neckline of the blazer does look a little empty without some sort of accessory and I think this necklace is a nice addition. For the second look I lightened up with a white shirt, which is pretty classic with this lilac tone. Then I went overboard with the lilac accessories, these are such fun pieces to add to a look, and I don't think it's too much really. I did find it a little tricky to find other pieces to work with the skirt, so I think I'll keep it at the back of my mind to search the Plaza/Bazaar for something else that fits with this piece^

2019 / / T R I B U T E S R E V I S I T E D

S U M M E R 2 0 1 9

So I'm quite disappointed that July and most of August has gone by and Tribute season has been skipped over, for me it is a huge highlight of the Summer and Winter seasons =( However today we're taking a look back and revisiting the Summer 2019 Tributes, I kinda can't believe it's only been a year that we've had some of these releases! This season we got 6 releases, Museum Mile: Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel, Valentino, Alexander Wang, Balenciaga and Jeremy Scott. Generally I'd say this season was pretty successful for me, I liked more than I disliked, with my least favourite releases being the JPG and the Jeremy Scott, the designs and vibes are just not my thing, but I bought plenty from the other stores to make up for it^

C H A N E L

Chanel was our first stand alone Tribute this year, there's just something I really like about getting it first, like it's a nice tradition as it's usually been the first of the series when released previously, and was our first ever Tribute store. This collection was quite small in comparison to previous releases, but I don't think the quality or style is changed, there's something very classic about it particularly with those tweed designs. I wouldn't say this was one of the most popular Chanel releases, but I think it's grown on me in the year since we've had it, while I was quite unsure what to do with some of the pieces at first, like the Chanel Inspired Mules, I'm quite excited to be giving them a go now. My favourite piece from the collection for sure is the Chanel Inspired Blazer Dress which I've actually worn a few times, I just adore the tweed in a pretty lilac colour^

V A L E N T I N O

The next release was Valentino, which has been one of the most beautiful collections we've had I think! For me it was really just a perfect one, great colours and selection of designs, and new ideas from what we've had in the Plaza previously, it really ticks every box^ Everything is just so pretty! The colours very much scream 'Autumn' to me, with the browns and burgundies, and I don't think I took advantage of them enough last year, so this is my reminder to wear them this year. I think this release was one of the most popular last year, but I haven't seen any of the pieces styled in a little while, I'd love to see those dresses styled again! This was actually only our second Valentino store, so I'm really hoping for another one soon =D

A L E X A N D E R W A N G

Then there was an Alexander Wang release, not completely my favourite, and actually super small with only 5 looks for female dolls, which is a bit on the low side for a Tribute release - however I did pick up a couple of good pieces in this release, I just haven't really given them much focus in stylings. Recently though I included the Wang Inspired Plastic Earrings in my Wear Dem Jewels Challenge and that was super fun, those are for sure I piece I haven't seen many people style before. I do have a little regret that I didn't get the Wang Inspired Silk Dress, I think while the fit was a little different, that I could have made it work in a couple of stylings, so maybe I need to get into the Bazaar and have a good search for it!

B A L E N C I A G A

And the final Tribute to look back on, Balenciaga! This is another one we've only had a couple of times, and I think it's been a pretty solid release each time, this one being no exception. It's fun to have some bright colours in good styles to work with, and this collection gave a really good range, I'm all for those orange and red tones! I've got quite a few pieces from this release, and have worn several of them a few times, I particularly love the Balenciaga White Boots, those are such a fun accessory to have! One of the pieces I see styled fairly regularly is the Balenciaga Inspired Flag Dress, which I'm quite pleased about as it's such a different piece^

Round 2 | W E A R D E M J E W E L S C H A L L E N G E # 18

Part 18 of the Wear Dem Jewels Challenge and today choosing the Square Brooch Earrings from Epiphany (which are still available in the Plaza too^)- this hairstyle is perfect for these pairs of earrings which come as separates as you can really only show off one with it. For the makeup, I think I've exhausted most of the first ideas that come to mind to wear with gold jewellery, this time I've gone for a mix of browns and greens, this muted green base is a really good buildable one, the brown really mutes it and then I added a little of a lighter green in the corner of the eye for brightening, I think it's not too bad a combination! With the looks I then decided to keep it on the neutrals theme as well, using some green and beige shades, and I'm pleased with the result! I loved adding a gold necklace to each look to keep some extra gold in there, and I think these pieces work well with each of their looks. The stylings are a little similar, with green trousers and a long blazer, but the colour combinations of lights and darks brings out something different in each. For the first styling white is highlighted from the printing on the blazer which I decided to use for the accessories, these pieces really add the extra level of bright and totally catch your eye and draw you to the look. For the second style it's more muted, I totally don't use this blazer enough, and I love it here, so that should be some motivation^ Kept the accessories to the same shade, and I think the shoes, bag and blazer make for a winning set, I'll be repeating that for sure =D

H O T B U Y S R E V I S I T E D | August 2014

Time to look back at the August 2014 Hotbuys, these aren't really memorable pieces for me, they really were the opposite and a little forgettable. They're very casual style pieces, which I don't mind, but this is just a mix to the opposite style of mine - I did pick up one piece that I've held onto for all this time, the Woven Shopper Tote, which I think I've only worn one time before and that wasn't a great look and was also a couple of years back now. Time to try it out again =)

I was a little worried about the bag at first, mostly down to the colours which are a muted beige and black, but actually once I picked out a few pairs of trousers to try with it, the rest of the stylings slipped into place so easily - actually I ended up styling 4 looks for the bag, and chose my favourite 2, so I'm impressed! First up with black trousers, I loved the leathery vibes to these against the more matte vibe of the bag, and I knew I wanted to keep them looking classy so I added these fabulous patent pointed heels. I tried out so many shirts with this look, and actually most of them looked good, but there was something about the oversizing of this one that just made me decide it was the perfect choice. The sunglasses and earrings make for perfect accessory finishing touches^ For the second styling, a lighter trouser and these have the perfect colouring to go with the beige of the bag. I used a black base for the shirt and the accessories and I think the small amounts really work to highlight the bag well in the stylings, while the blazer adds a nice smart and light touch that I was looking for in the outfit =) I'm very pleasantly surprised with how these stylings of this bag worked out, I'll definitely have to remember to consider including it in more stylings in the future =D

S H O R T S | Styled Outfits

Every summer I try to get into shorts, or at least say I will try, and I've styled up some pairs in the past with my favourites being the PPQ White Leather Party Shorts which I've styled a lot of looks for, they're incredibly versatile, and I also styled up 3 pairs in a WEARING post last year as well. Today sharing two looks for these fun pairs of shorts - the Hotbuys Dolce Gabbana Inspired Shorts from Bizou and the Subcouture Cowboy Style Shorts.

I've worn this bright printed pair a couple of times in the past for the We Wear Hotbuys and the Hotbuys Revisited posts and I've realised I just go for variations on the same look every time, haha! White is such a classic colour to pair with these as it really lets the print pop and this belt is clearly a winner, as I've worn it with these shorts in both of those linked HBs posts XD These newish yellow shoes are a perfect pair for the shorts though, the colour is a great fit for the print, and the pointed toe makes the legs look even longer. I think I need to branch out and highlight the blues and green in these shorts next time for sure! For the second pair, I've never worn them before and kind of bought them on a whim because I wanted them to work well. They do come with a matching shirt, but as I loved these boots with the shorts and didn't want to be too western styled, I opted away from the shirt - this beige silk one is a great alternative, and the beige colour works perfectly with the base of the shorts, and really lets the brown details on them really stand out in the styling. I accessorised minimally with a necklace and some matching sunglasses which work nicely all in all =D

Round 2 | W E A R D E M J E W E L S C H A L L E N G E # 17

Sunday again, time for the 17th part of the Wear Dem Jewels Challenge - this time round I picked out the Pastell Earrings from Special Offer, which means they were free at some point, I'm not entirely sure but I suspect a Gift-O-Meter at some point over the past several years, I don't even remember when I got them but I know I haven't styled them before. I really felt like styling pink today which is why I decided to give them a go =D I went for a whole pink styling on the eyeshadow, I had a lot of choice but went for a super obvious pale base with a darker more raspberry colour closer to the eye, and I think it looks awesome, such a cute feminine look^ For the outfits I did try out a couple of other pastel tones, but pink looked the best everytime! First up this adorable summer dress which totally needs more attention, it's perfect with these earrings! The dress is minimal but has some sweet details that I think are perfect against the earrings so that not a lot more needs added to the styling. The white of the belting is perfect to add too, I love these bow shoes and using a blazer to add more balance to the styling - I love this look so much =D And I love my second look too, choosing a white base to let the earrings pop with the accessory choices. These are of course pink, and these two are a great pairing as well, love the sheen to the heels and this crossbody is such a sweet piece, the colour is perfect for the shoes and the earrings. I totally never see this bag styled enough, so I'd love to see some more of it. The clothing is pretty simple but great for Summer^

July V I N Y L | Styled Outfits

Alike the last month, July was a mixed bag for the VINYL releases with a few questionable outfits (at least to me!) - however over the past weeks I have gathered up quite a few new accessories from these releases for my collection. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of pairs of new earrings to work with, the styles are varied but there was plenty of gold pieces to satisfy my love for golden accessories^

First up styling both the Gold World Earrings and the CD Handbag - I really liked the oversizing of these earrings, and I think they look good with the chunkier gold buttons of this blazer. The blazer is a muted black and so works well with the colour of the bag too, I think they're a great fit together, and the use of the white trousers really makes the bag stand out on it's own too^ The rest of the gold accessories tie in the to the rest of the look. I love this styling for a smart summer look =) Next up the Lion Earrings, which are a little obscured with the blonde hair, but the design of them is great with the print on these trousers, they match almost perfectly! I kept the rest of the look minimal with more black and gold - certainly more dressy than suitable for Summer, but I think these earrings will work in a wide range of outfits. And finally my favourite look, styling both the Loose Shoulder Cropped Top and the Letter Heels Black. Most of you will know I'm not a big fan on cropped shirts, so it's not a typical style for me, but I loved the design especially the ruffling of the sleeves on this piece so I couldn't resist! I did try out several high waisted pieces but in the end, a little resize of this skirt, made it perfect to fit right under the banding of this piece, and I think it works out awesome! It's a light bright look for the summer and the splashes of printing on the skirt make a fun touch without drawing too much attention from the top design. The black parts make perfect opportunity to include the black shoes and some matching accessories^ I really love this styling soooo much =D

H O T B U Y S R E V I S I T E D | August 2011

Back in August 2011 these were the HB's we were treated with - the floral and pink vibes really make me think of Springtime rather than Autumn, but there are some cute pieces to work with here. At some point I think I had the floral bag that the model is holding, however I've sold that along the way, but I do have the Chinoise Blazer from Folk which I picked up in the Bazaar some time ago. I have styled it various times, but not for a couple of years so it's time for a refresh on it!

This was definitely trickier to style than I was thinking it might be, which I'm a bit sad about as I really like it and want to wear it more. I picked classic combinations based on the colours in the blazer - I did try out some grey pieces, but they didn't work quite as well to highlight the piece as the pink and black colours do. First up these slim pink trousers, I think the colour is pretty good with the floral printing of the blazer, and I like the smart vibes that they have - workwear doesn't always have to be more 'plain' colours, and these trousers are great in that category. I kept the rest of the look to black as I think this really gave a solid base for the blazer to pop with. The belt on the blazer is also pretty good, the sheen to it means that these heeled sandals I picked match up very nicely. For the second styling, a switch, using black trousers, which also look great with the blazer, and a pink top. I didn't have a lot of choice for a pink top, the colour of these flowers is quite specific, and not all pinks look good I have learned! Kept the same shoes as they look great here too, but chose pink accessories this time.

Overall I think these are pretty nice looks, and they do work nicely with the blazer, but I'm really after that stunning look that just makes me go 'wow, it's perfect' for this piece!

H O T B U Y S R E V I S I T E D | July 2019

A little delayed, but better late than never, looking back to the July 2019 Hotbuys today - I loved these western vibes and the accessories a lot, but the denim pieces weren't so much for me, and I still agree with my original thoughts about this release. For sure these aren't my most worn pieces, however there are a couple of real gems, and you'll have seen me wear the Gold Tone Necklace and the Gold Tone Sunglasses a lot of times! This necklace has been such a valuable addition to my wardrobe^ I loved the rest of the accessories at the time though, but never quite ended up wearing them very much, so today styling up the Backless Boots and the Fendi Inspired Bag:

I tried to wear some other pieces I've not worn in a long time or not worn at all, and I think I was fairly successful! For the boots I chose this old printed dress which really makes the look pop - I like the combination of a darker styled boot with a dress to really play with the styles and this pairing is spot on. While I didn't use the Musubi Mini Tote from the HBs in this styling set, I did pick out the latest colour swatch we got for it in one of our It Girls releases recently and I think it's a fab fit with the design of the boots. I'm just lacking some jewellery in this styling, nothing I had fitted well enough, so I'm on the hunt in the Plaza and Bazaar for some more pieces^ For the bag, I really struggled quite a bit, I love the brown and black printed section, I think that provides a lot of styling options, but the wicker/straw portion was tricky! The colour doesn't work well with everything, so to find a choice that works with all aspects of the bag was a challenge. In the end I'm pretty happy with this dress, I think it works to complement all aspects of the bag well, and it's pretty versatile to add to further with the accessories. I chose black for the accessories to tie in with the handle and strap on  the bag and I really like it. Again missing some jewellery for this styling too. I'd love to see some of you guys try out this bag for sure =D

Round 2 | W E A R D E M J E W E L S C H A L L E N G E # 16

Next up for the Wear Dem Jewels Challenge are the 60s Earrings from Callie's Picks (I'm not sure where they were originally from, sorry!) which I've had for such a long time and actually only worn on the last Wear Dem Jewels Challenge which was 5 years ago almost exactly^ It's definitely the size that has put me off of them, they are a pretty big pair to work with so they do take over a styling a little bit. Kept the makeup super simple, with white and yellow, and actually I love the addition of the brown eyeliner on the lower lash line, it's a little tricky to see with the mascara, but I really think it adds to the look! Last time I wore these earrings I went with an all-white look, and I think white is definitely one of the best colours that I have a lot of options for to style with this pair. I think some brown tones would also look great, but I got pulled in by the 'white' section of my wardrobe, haha^ For the first look I was trying out something different by including these trainers, they're not my usual style and definitely not with a dress, but I really quite like the outcome. This dress has a great colour to work with gold, and I liked adding the white layers in to tie with the trainers even more. The necklace is a cute delicate addition against the chunky earrings and I think it works out quite nicely =) For the second look it's much more 'me' pairing a white shirt with this fun yellow skirt - yellow is another colour which looks great with gold. I added simple gold heels and a fitting white and gold bag, this one is great for it's small size so it doesn't pull too much of the attention in the styling. I think these are a nice pair of looks for these earrings - be sure to let me know what you think in the comments^