3 BY 3 | Chanel Summer Shoes

I loved putting together that last 3 BY 3, and have a few ideas for some more - next up are Chanel Summer shoes! I've just been wanting more Chanel in my style lately, I'm a little sad we didn't get a new Tribute release, but that gives the perfect opportunity to style up those pieces I already have, so today I'm including both the Chanel Inspired Mules Blue and Chanel Inspired Espadrilles from the 2019 Summer Tribute and then the Pearl Pink Sandals from the 2012 Summer Tribute; these are all pieces I've not seen styled much/at all around the site - hopefully you enjoy this post today, let me know if you're also missing some Chanel, and if you have any ideas of pieces you'd like to see included in this series =D

C H A N E L I N S P I R E D M U L E S B L U E

First up the recent Chanel Inspired Mules Blue, these also had a matching red pair (you will perhaps see them elsewhere on the blog very soon^), and I really love this style of sandal for the Summer season, we don't have many similar pairs so the design stands out in my sandal collection for sure. The shade of blue is quite a tricky one to work with, which is why I've perhaps avoided these shoes too much, but I tried to embrace it for these stylings! First up something super relaxed, this shirt has some blue tones in it, and I had to try out the babier blue of accessories to see how they worked with this brighter blue - I think they work ok, but they're not my favourite accessories of the bunch to pair with these shoes. The shirt is super fun with the shoes, I know it's simple, but sometimes that's what Summer-styling is all about! Next up I tried with the blue clothing, and a lot of it! I really like this jacket with the shoes, the colours are a pretty nice fit together, I'm just sad I don't have some matching trousers to work too, but I quite like these darker ones (they're not quite navy, but navy looks good too). I kept the rest of the pieces white in the styling as there's already a lot of blue going on - I think it works nicely in highlighting the shoes. And finally trying something a bit different, I really liked these shorts with the shoes, I think the blues together, along with the green on the pattern, looked quite nice - using this oversized shirt and showing just a bit of the shorts is a nice way to make sure the focus isn't distracted too much from the shoes. Accessorising, I love this bag with the shoes, the colours are perfect together, and I thought the yellow glasses could be a fun touch with the shorts print =)

C H A N E L I N S P I R E D E S P A D R I L L E S

Next up are the Chanel Inspired Espadrilles, and I really can't think of a reason for not styling them apart from the fact that they are flat shoes - the design and style of them is great! I found them super easy to choose clothing to match, the colours are neutral and so there are many options. For my first styling I tried to keep very Summery, and I really like the outcome, these white trousers are a great match for the colour on the shoes, I kept the top in a similar shade, the flounced sleeves are a fun touch - then I used the black trim details of the shoes for my accessories, and I think that makes a perfect final touch for a classic styling in the Summer^ Next up, perhaps this was an obvious choice, but my favourite trousers also colour-match well to these shoes, I kept the vibes of using black in the accessories and as a detail on the jacket and again it really works nicely here for more smart Summer vibes. And the final look is my favourite, in fact it's my favourite look of this whole post, I used the fact that the toe of the shoe is leather and picked that out in these trousers, they are great for transitional looks into the Autumn, I just love this pairing with the shoes so much! I decided to use the browns from the base of the shoe for the rest of my look, and I think it works out very nicely, I don't so much mind the different shades of brown in the jacket and bag, I think both work very nicely with the trousers - this is a styling I will repeat again for sure =D

P E A R L P I N K S A N D A L S

And the final shoes, the Pearl Pink Sandals which I've had the longest of the 3 pairs, and I think perhaps I've never styled - the colour is a little different to my usual shade of pink, and I know I find T-bar style shoes particularly difficult to style, but I think I've given them a good try! First up, I think these trousers are a pretty good colour-match for the shoes and the styles of the pieces are nice together too. I stuck with pink accessories, this bag is great with the shoes, I really like the combination. Kept a simple shirt, any more pink might have been a bit much, but I also don't have a jacket or coat that's the perfect pink to fit. It's still pretty cute though^ Next up I tried out a print, and I think this one actually works well, that was a pleasant surprise! There's a lot of colours in these trousers, and I think that helps make the shoes fit in nicely - I did try out the matching shirt too, but that was a little overwhelming, so stuck with plain pink which I think is a nice compromise. The black jacket and sunglasses work well with the trim on the trousers and help give the pink some balance. With the last look I was struggling a little over what to choose, but I'm pretty happy with the look in the end - I'd completely forgotten that I had this cardigan, and I think it's very nice with the shoes, the white trousers are a nice light split between the two. I definitely struggled with the accessories, I've resized/reangled this belt bag, and I do think it works, and the colour is very nice in the styling, but it's not perfect for what I was thinking. But I'm really glad I managed to get 3 different stylings with these shoes given that I've had them for so long and barely worn them!

Babe in blue

DIORian knocks it out of the park every time with stylings these days - yet another amazing one to share with you today! This sky blue colour pops, it can be a tricky shade to get right, but it's perfect in this look, which combines a number of pieces in the same shade, these boots and the jacket are a perfect fit together, and the added blue in the accessories make for a great finishing touch^ I love the layering of the skirts, the white one ontop of the print is something fun, and the print therefore doesn't take over the whole look, the half-skirt of print seems just right. And back to those accessories - the layering of the necklaces is fantastic, they're great together, alongside the earrings and the bag layerings. Just perfect once again!

L I M I T E D E D I T I O N | Revisited 26-27

I loved doing last weekend LE Revisited post featuring the pieces I have from the first 25 LE collections, so I decided already to style up some of the next releases! Turns out I loved the 26th and 27th collections (November 2015 and February 2016) a lot, enough to have a post solely for those as I still have many pieces from these collections. There's a few pieces I'd love to find in the Bazaar from these collections too, so I'll be hitting up the LE category to see what I can add to my wardrobe =)

First up are the Sienna LE Crepe Pants (26th Collection), and I think it's very possible that I've never worn these since styling up the release back in 2015! I've kept a hold of them over the years possibly just because of that great orange colour, the muted tone means they're not too bold and I love the wide-leg look, it's a classic that will always return to style. I did try and pair these up with some other orange pieces in the look, but most of the items were a lot brighter of an orange which I felt was taking away from these trousers, so I opted for cream and I think it's perfect to let the focus be on the trousers^ This little corset top keeps the look Summery and I love wearing this leather jacket as a hand-held piece. The accessories are minimal but fitting, I'm really pleased with this bag I think it works particularly well, and the delicate little necklace is a cute final touch - I really love this outfit =) And then we have the Draped Camel Coat (26th Collection), and I'm also sure that I've not worn this since the release either, I think I've completely underrated this piece as I loved styling it for this post, it was easy to work with (once re-sized a little, it's not easily made for a wide-leg trouser underneath!) and the colour is beautiful - so I'm quite glad I also kept a hold of this over the years. I went with similar tones, these brown striped trousers have so many colours in them, but I think they all work well with the coat and the two complement each other well. Again super simple with the accessories, but I think that works to keep the focus on the clothing combination, I particularly love the earrings here, they pop beautifully against the brunette hairstyling and the brown of the coat^

In this next look I've styled the Orange Tailored Pants and Orange Maxi Vest (26th Collection) which is a pairing I used to wear a lot a couple of years ago, I'm sure there will be posts somewhere on the blog with them - but I've definitely not worn either in a while. This was the quickest look to put together, I just was feeling pink with this bold orange/red tone and wasn't going to be persuaded by anything else! The colour combination won't be for everyone, but I love it! This oversized shirt is great layered with the vest, and with so many accessories to match it, it was easy to pick finishing touches for this styling. White and black pieces would also be classics to go with a bold colour like this, or for something fun the right shade of yellow or orange would be good too =) Then are the LE Nude Tailored Pants (26th Collection), which I think I wore a few times after the release and then have been forgetting about them since - also an easy piece to style with my love of neutral colours! I resized these so they would sit on the waist, I like the slightly slimmer fit of the trousers on the leg now too. With lighter colours chosen for the rest of the clothing I picked some darker accessories, I'm so happy with this combination, these sandals are super cute yet also stylish and I love being able to use this LV bag, the colour is spot on for this styling^ I had a lot of options of tops to work with these trousers, so I think they are very versatile - I look forward to working with them more this Autumn as I think they will be perfect for the season =D

Changing vibes away from the wide-leg trousers, this next look features the Woven Monochrome Tank (27th Collection) - this is a piece I didn't wear a lot at first, then wore in several stylings a few years later and then seem to have forgotten about again, I really love how the piece looks, it's not something we've got anything similar to and it's not something I see people wearing often. I really like the striped design on it and the colour is a classic, I admit I should have worn it more already this Summer, but it's not too late for a couple of stylings =) This one is simple yet effective at highlighting the design, and I like that the knitted trim of the top also stands out, I think this piece works very nicely with other white items and the black accessories do a good job as accents to the styling. Now for an accessory, the Ultra Modern Flats (27th Collection), which are a shoe that I love the design of yet have really rarely worn because I really struggle with flats! The design really is stand out and I love the mix of colours, they make it easy to pick clothing to work with them well, and I've opted for a mix of all the colours here - I think the red jacket is particularly nice at highlighting the red base to the shoe. Again it's a super simple look, but I think it's perfect for these shoes to let them shine in the outfit^

For the penultimate look, wearing the LE Herringbone Booties (27th Collection) which I've styled up a couple of times since purchasing them - they are a bit trickier with that herringbone design and the colour I think is more a dark brown than a black, but I'm making them work with black and I don't think the difference stands out too much. I'll admit, I've styled them with these trousers before but it's a pairing that I love and I think it's so perfect for these boots - I struggled to find another option that I liked as much. The rest of the look is simple to keep the focus on the lower part of the outfit, but I think it works quite nicely =) And lastly, one of my all-time favourite pieces, the Pleated Burgundy Pants (27th Collection) which I think everyone will be familiar with as I wear them all the time! I did try and style them differently this time as I normally wear them with a matching burgundy vest, but I stepped away from it for this super fun sweater - all the different colours mean it will work with a lot of other coloured clothing, and I think these burgundy trousers are quite a nice fit for it for an Autumnal styling. I opted to stick with other burgundy accessories, these boots are just fabulous with the trousers, but with the black trim on the sweater decided to include some black - I think this coat does ok in the look, it's definitely not too dark and I think the burgundy still pops =D

H O T B U Y S W H I T E S H I R T S K I R T | Styled By You / / Styled By Me

It's been some time since a classic Styled By You / / Styled By Me post, but when I saw this look from Venus recently, I knew it was time to bring it back and also style up the Hotbuys WhiteShirt Skirt too! Firstly, I can't believe this piece came out back in the April 2018 HB's, how have we had this piece for 3 years now?! It feels much shorter than that! I've seen this piece styled reasonably regularly since it's release, but not for a while now - it's the perfect Summer piece, so it's just the right time for it to resurface. In Venus' styling I love it paired in a more casual way with this loose long sleeved sheer top, the colour is spot on for the colouring at the waist and tie of the skirt, and the looser bell-hem design to the sleeves works well with the tied belting too. The look is glammed up with some delicate laced sandals, the neutral colour is perfect, and also some super long delicate necklace chains, they add such a nice touch despite being not an obvious addition at first glance. I also love the long hairstyle used in this look, I think it's a perfect choice^ For my look, I've styled this skirt a couple of times before and did find it a bit difficult. This time I sized it down a little so it could sit higher on the waist, and that was something which really helped me. I looked for a top that also had some sort of tied or bow element to it, but didn't have something in a good colour, this ruffled piece is a very nice compromise I think, the colour is very nice with the skirt and I think the ruffles make a nice balance for the skirt tie details. I kept the accessories very simple, these white shoes are a classic and I picked a great Summer bag choice which I think suits the outfit very nicely, both standing out as a great bag but also fitting in well with the other pieces in the look - this definitely gives me more confidence with the skirt, so I should definitely try it out more often =D

Autumnal Chanel

I think I've decided that Autumn *might* be my favourite season, and this look from DIORian completely has me in the mood for Autumn to be here already! I don't think I've seen many people tackle this Chanel printed top well, this look completely is perfect for it. It layers beautifully with the shirt beneath, it's all about those sleeves and I think the pair complement each other nicely. The highwaisted trousers tuck the top in well, and I love the slimming of the waist paired with the wide-leg design. Brown checks never looked so good =D The accessories are great touches, love the LV bag, the belt bag ties in well with the light colour of the sleeves, and all the jewels are just great, what a stunning Autumn-ready look =D

P L A Z A P I C K S | S U M M E R T R I B U T E S

Wow it's been a while since one of these posts! But with there being a Tribute season this Summer, I felt it had to be done - choosing my top pieces from these releases =D I'd say this was a pretty decent set of Tributes, there was only one I didn't particularly like and I picked up some great pieces in the others. And you guys seem to have enjoyed them too with all of your fabulous looks with some of these new items! For me this season, the accessories were dominant - I'm gonna need some more time to really make use of their full potential for sure^ Let me know which were your favourite pieces from this Tribute season in the comments =D

Smart crop

What a cool recent outfit this is from Elrry, I had to share just how fabulous the layering of pieces can be! I was drawn to the look by the leather culottes, they're a real gem of a pair of trousers and I just thought how creatively they were styled in this look. There's a second pair of trousers layered beneath them, the slim white hems just on show are a great balance with the white shirt cuffs. The black shoes keep a sleek look, along with the bag. I think this cropped blazer is great with the trousers too, the length is perfect to still show off some of the trouser design, and it adds a great shoulder-structure to the outfit, love those smart vibes!

L I M I T E D E D I T I O N | Revisited 1-25

I've revisited both the Hotbuys and Tributes before, now I was thinking it's time to revisit some LE! This time I'm covering the first 25 releases in the store, which covers from 2008 to 2015 - I've been around for them all, and at one point I did have items from each release, however as my style has changed I've sold some and bought other pieces. I no longer have any of those super early LE pieces, but the earliest collection I have from is the 3rd, so that's not too bad I'd say! These earlier pieces are getting incredibly difficult to come by in the Bazaar at reasonable prices, so sadly I think some of the pieces I'd like to get are a little out of reach. But let's get into the pieces I do have:

First up are the New Gladiator Pink Platforms (3rd Collection), which I bought in the Bazaar many years ago, have perhaps worn once, and have since spent many years trying to sell them again - these aren't such a popular piece I'd say! I did have real trouble styling them, I really like what I've come up with, I think they're great with these violet trousers, but beyond that pairing, I struggled to find just the right items to include. The lilac is nice, but I think there will be something more perfect out there! I also would love to highlight the pink platform in the clothing colours, I don't quite have anything the perfect shade though. Secondly is the Mega Sequin Purse (5th Collection) which I've had for some time and also purchased in the Bazaar. For me this is such a special piece and really deserves to shine in a look, I want the look to be built around the bag, not having the bag added at the end of the styling, and I'm really pleased with the look for this one, I love it =) I did try and style it with the shoes from the first look, the colours are great together, but finding clothing that worked well for both was difficult! It really stands out against the pink, but fits in with those pink sequins, and of course pinks and purples are beautiful together. The clothing and shoes are minimal, but I added a little black in the belt and glasses to really bring the accessories together, I think it works well^

Next up is the Metal Shell Purse (13th Collection) which I bought in the original store in the Plaza, sold, and then re-bought in the LE Re-Edition because I think it's such a unique piece to have in my bag collection! This is much more a decorative piece for me rather than one to style, but I have worn it a couple of times, and it's not a difficult piece to style. In the past I struggled with shoes, but these silver sandals from a recent-ish Plaza release are a great colour fit for the bag. The silver accessories pop against the black clothing, the little details on this blazer are great for a silver bag like this. A simple but effective look! Then are the Lacquered Brassai Trousers (25th Collection) which I just think are one of the coolest, underrated pairs of trousers that I have, sheeny and navy with a cropped length, that's pretty great - but what's been stopping me styling them often?! I really don't know the answer to that, I found them ok to style here, but I didn't come up with a lot of options, so perhaps I just need some more creativity. They look great with this navy over-shoulder blazer, and for a little twist, taking from the black frames of the glasses decided to use black accessories which I really like combined with navy. These shoes work well as they also have a sheen to them, as does the belt - I know this combination won't be for everyone, but I quite like it and think I'll be making more use of it and these trousers come Autumn as I think they will be great in Autumn/Winter stylings =) 

Keeping on the trouser theme, and also a little dark, first up are the Sonia Culottes (23rd Collection) paired with the LE Black Visor Glasses (13th Collection). I really like pairing a culotte style trouser with boots and I thought these jewelled ones would be a fun choice, I'm not sure they're perfect but I'm glad I tried it out. The look is a bit of a mix of pieces, actually I'm not sure which direction I was going with it, haha, but what I do like is the overcoat with the culottes, and also the bag with them, I think the styles are very nice together, so I'll be repeating that for sure! Then are the Graffitti Tweed Trousers (23rd Collection), which I've actually styled a couple of times before, they're a fun piece to work with^ I also really wanted to try these out with some boots, I love this pair with the wider ankle, I think it suits the leg-cut of the trousers. I then chose this leather-style coat to pair with the boots and I really love it, such a fun pairing and I think the trousers work very nicely with this fabric. A few white pieces keep the look light, but a pop of colour would also be fabulous - I've done red with these trousers before and that works beautifully =D

And now the last pairing of looks, bringing a tiny bit of colour into the stylings again - first here are the Wood Diamond Earrings (14th Collection), which I don't wear so often mostly because the fit of them on the doll is odd, they don't quite sit exactly at the ears, but they're still quite a unique piece of jewellery to have. I like the pairing of the tan colouring with the black tips on the earring design so wanted to carry that through the look, these shoes are a great balance for that, as is the coat with the contrasting black buttons on the light tan - I really love this little trio^ I kept the clothing simple to focus on those pieces, I think the darker brown trousers work well with the earrings too and the blouse is a simple yet fitting piece to work with everything else - really love this styling for the upcoming Autumn =) And last but not least, the Pleather Flower Skinnies (7th Collection), which I've had for some time and styled a couple of times. I do still find them a little difficult to work with as the fit on the doll isn't perfect for how I'd like them, but the design is so pretty that I do my best to overlook that. With the floral design on the trousers, I chose a top to match with this cardigan, I'm not sure it's perfect, but the print is so fun and really pops out with the addition of the black polo underneath and also the skinny black boots. I picked red from the print to highlight with the accessories and I think this makes for such a fun finishing touch and a look that really pops! I'd love to see more people styling up these trousers too and seeing what ideas others had for them^

M O S C H I N O I N S P I R E D T R O U S E R S

I love these trousers so much that they completely deserved their own styling post^ I already styled up the Moschino Inspired Trousers once in the review post, but here's 3 more looks with them! I know they're all looking a little same-y with the colour scheme, but I have so many white clothing pieces, that I have a lot of options for them. I will be brave enough to try them out with another colour at some point in the future^ First up is my Summer styling, this little camisole top is a cute minimal piece that works with most items, the draping looks great with the trousers. White sandals keep it for the season, and I love this cute round bag, the colour is pretty much perfect for the trousers! The white glasses and earrings make fitting finishing touches I think =) Secondly styling something quite smart, office-wear doesn't have to be boring, these trousers would be perfect for that! This white shirt tucks perfectly at the waist and I've gone for a blue base to the accessories, these matching shoes and bag are a pretty good colour fit for the trousers - the high heel on the shoe particularly elongates the leg. And this necklace makes for a good finishing touch, it balances really nicely with a little blue in the top half of the styling^ The final look is a Winter styling, these trousers really will work all year round! I think they look good with darker blues too, the top really helps the trousers pop against all the white too. Love the white boots with them, I know I'll repeat this for sure^ And finishing off with some furry pieces in the coat and bag, they bring a fun element to the styling =D

I N S P I R E D B Y Y / P R O J E C T | Tribute Review

Time for Tribute number 5 of this season, Y/Project! We've had one release of this brand before in the last set of Tribute releases, and this one is a completely different vibe from that previous one, which I really like for the brand in the Plaza. I wouldn't say this is my favourite Tribute of this seasons offerings, but it's definitely not too bad - let's get in and see:

Alike the last Tribute, there is just one floor of seven looks with this release - I definitely prefer the one-floor format for a Tribute of this size, it definitely looks too sparse spread over two floors. Again like the Dries Van Noten Tribute, once I took a look at the RL collection, I found so many pieces I liked, and I really like some of the inspiring pieces for what we got in the store, but I think there's just been some parts of the translation to Stardoll-clothing that I haven't liked so much. First up the accessories, and actually so far that's all I've bought from the release. I really liked the shoes on first look, love the low heel and pointed toe design a lot, but on close up of them I really didn't like the designs at all, they seem quite basic and not necessarily very nice shoes to look at, which really put me off unfortunately. Luckily the other pieces in this category are better! There are two bags in the store, I loved the Y Project Inspired Biege Bag immediately, the colour is great for me as I love beige accessories, they're very versatile, and I think the design is quite nice and makes for a unique piece. I really liked styling this one, so am a little surprised that it doesn't seem too popular. The second bag, the Y Project Inspired Bag Pink is something I was on the fence about initially, but after seeing the RL version I thought it seemed super cute in the outfit on the runway and I really wanted to give it a chance! It's quite a structured piece, and the ruffle detailing on the front does seem to get a little lost, but with this one it's all about that fabulous colour =D There are also a couple of jewellery pieces, and I completely love the Y Project Inspired Heart Earrings and Necklace set, just too adorable together! I love the more petit size to them, which will make them easier to style in a more neutral way without necessarily drawing attention to them, and the muted gold colour helps with that too. I think they're really very nice additions to my jewellery collection!

Now for the clothing - I will reiterate that I haven't actually bought any of the clothing from this release, the style is just not for me, but that doesn't mean I still can't appreciate the designs. The one piece I really did like the look of is the beige Y Project Inspired Dress with it's very current spaghetti strap design and I love the ruffles and gathering on the front. But it's the sheer section over the underwear that I can't get over, I'll only see it as a piece that needs a lot of work to make more wearable for my taste, which is a shame as otherwise it's a very nice piece (and very popular with you guys too!). Luckily it's the only piece with sheer sections, so I do think the other items are easier to wear. Also in that midi length is the Y Project Inspired Grey Dress which is a more casual piece, I don't mind that vibe so much mixed with the draping design, but I find the natural oversizing of the piece a little overwhelming on my doll. Of the other pieces, I definitely prefer the mini lengths over the maxi pieces on offer - both the colours and designs of the green Y Project Inspired Lace Dress and and the blue Y Project Inspired Knot Dress are great and I think they look very nice on the doll, but just not on my doll as they're pieces I know I wouldn't wear. I also think with the blue, the original design in the leather looks very nice, but that fabric hasn't translated to the Stardoll version so well. Of the rest of the pieces, the Y Project Inspired Pink Dress sure stands out with it's bold colour in the store - the design of this is quite nice, but I prefer it on the mannequin with the shorter length, when on the doll the length swamps the doll which for me puts me off buying it because otherwise I think it's a nice piece.

T S L T O P T H R E E

Y Project Inspired Heart Earrings | Y Project Inspired Biege Bag | Y Project Inspired Heart Necklace

These were the first pieces that caught my attention in the store, I'm sure some of you will find these boring, but the neutral vibes to these mean they will be easy to wear in many different looks and many times, so I'm excited about these ones =D

F E A T U R E S

First up, and the first of a few looks featuring the Y Project Inspired Dress is Bianca.Vos, the dress is kept the star of the show with only clothing added underneath and dealing with the sheer panel beautifully! I really like the sleeveless top added up-top, the colour is a perfect fit and it definitely doesn't detract from the neckline design of the piece. Accessories are simple yet so effective, love the gold hoops and the clear shoes, along with this sweet little bag with a pop of another colour, so great!

Also styling up the Y Project Inspired Dress is harpie, who is taking advantage of the sheer panel and adding even more, which is a really fun take on it! Again the top added is a perfect colour and matches the sheer panelling very well, the longer sleeve makes it fun for an Autumnal styling. I thought these earrings were a fun addition and match the more green panel at the dress hem very nicely. Again, minimal but super effective for this piece =D

And the final look of the Y Project Inspired Dress comes from Star_Awards - it's amazing how one dress can look so different in each styling! It works well in a more casual styling which focuses on the skirted part of the dress, the top is a great colour and looks fitting, I like the tied cardigan around the waist to make that seam between the pieces work out well. Accessories are super fun and something I wouldn't have expected for the dress, but they work so nicely^

Next up we have Brevis wearing the Y Project Inspired Grey Dress in a look that's really trying to make me want to buy this piece! I think it layers up so nicely with these trousers, the loose fit of them is great against the draping and fit of the dress. I love the balance of the silver shoes in there, they're really perfect in this styling. And I also love the bag pairing, these two just look like one, but they're perfect together too^ And great accessories up top, the jewellery and sunglasses look awesome to complete the styling =)

Wearing both the Y Project Inspired Biege Bag and a handful of the Y Project Inspired Leather Armbands is HeraKowall in this super creative styling! These pieces make for an excellent top, in fact if it was one, I'd probably buy it, haha^ The beige really pops against these darker trousers, the colours are super complementary to each other and the style of the trousers suits the bag really well I think. Love all the gold accessories, they're a perfect finishing touch to the styling!

And the final feature comes from kate17Elegante who wears the Y Project Inspired Lace Dress in such a cool way =) I love the layering with the net white top underneath, I think it really brings a feminine side adding to the lace detailing on the piece. The green tights are a fun addition, the colour works very nicely and highlights the dress well. Accessorising is also spot on, the green bag is a perfect choice, and both the earrings and the shoes fit very well with the overall look^ 

S T Y L I N G S

Lastly onto my own stylings - I have just purchased accessories pieces, and found them super fun to style, but my looks are certainly not as creative as the above features. First up both the Y Project Inspired Biege Bag and the Y Project Inspired Heart Necklace, the necklace was a last minute addition to this styling which was originally focused on only the bag, but it looks so good there in the open neck of the shirt^ I had a lot of options for beige trousers to work with this bag, but I liked this ombre pair the best as the bag has a similar ombre colour. I kept the look very neutral overall to let the darker bag pop and I think that's been successful - this is a look I could wear over and over! An overcoat will also make it suitable for a Winter based styling, so this will work year round. Secondly again the Y Project Inspired Heart Necklace, but also with the matching Y Project Inspired Heart Earrings which are just such a cute pairing^ With their gold base I had to continue that in the look, I think this dress is a perfect fit for the jewellery and I kept it a little glamorous with this jewelled beige bag, pretty perfect I'd say! Jewellery pieces like these which are a little smaller really can be quite versatile, so I think there's a lot of scope for styling them. And finally the Y Project Inspired Bag Pink, which was a last minute purchase before making these stylings, after seeing the RL version of the bag and really liking it, I decided to give it a chance with a styling! Sadly I don't have too many clothing items in this exact shade of pink, luckily I have a pair of shoes, and I love this pairing so much =) The paler pink of the coat helps the bag pop, and the white base keeps it from being a little too much on the pink. I think the bag has a very smart vibe to it with the structuring, so I really like it paired with this smart white shirt. I love this styling a lot, and I've been wearing it on my doll since putting it together, really don't want to take it off! I've not seen anyone else style this bag, so I'd love to see some others give it a go =D

Peach sheer

You guys are really loving styling up this Miu Miu dress, this next awesome styling with it is from Thieli. and looks so great! The striped off shoulder shirt added beneath is a choice out of left field, but actually I really looks fab with the colours and design of the dress, I think it looks pretty seamless like one piece. The blue crossbody bag works well with the sleeve colour and suits against the peach nicely. Adore these peach boots, they're so perfect with the dress, I'm a little jealous I can't replicate this as I love it (the boots were a G-O-M piece that I don't have) - the contrasting style of the delicate chiffon of the dress and the chunkiness of the boots is quite great =)

S U B C O U T U R E | Release Review

Hooray, it's Subcouture weekend, completely one of my favourite times - limited clothing without the pressure of needing to decide what you want to buy in just a few seconds! These are generally a solid release in the Plaza bringing fun new styles for us to enjoy, some of my all time favourite and most worn pieces are from this brand, so lets see what this Summer release brings us this time:

One first thing to note is the lack of a timer on the store - so I'm not quite sure how long this release will hang around for, so if you're thinking about a certain piece, I would get it while you have the chance! The collection has 2 floors and a total of 9 looks, including 2 for guys (with quite a few pieces to choose from I might add, would have loved the Turtleneck Top Man for the girls too, love the colour and style!), which I think seems about right. And there's a pretty good mix of styles and designs available, but I know a lot of things won't be to everyones tastes as these pieces are all pretty current trend styles and designs. So first up accessories, where there is a relatively good selection to choose from. In the shoe category there is so much choice, the first pair that catch my attention are the Chain Harness Shoes, I love the mule style with the square toe and heel along with the gold chain detail. They're a great Summer/Autumn shoe I think and I'm really excited to style them! I also quite like the YSL Heels, but they do seem a little out of place in this collection, I don't know, something about them just doesn't fit - but they're a nice pair of shoes, I like the strap design and the gold 'YSL' logo detailing. The Flower Sandals are a pretty cute pair of shoes, the design is definitely unique and while I love the colour, I know it's one I'll find difficult to style, in something pastel and they would be perfect for the Spring^ And the last pair to mention are the Tartan Slings, I love a slingback style a lot, and the mix of tartan colours makes them something a little different, I quite like them. There are two bags in the release, and by far the most popular piece of the collection is one of them, the LBB Bag which is a classic black Prada design, it's so recognisable and versatile, I can completely see why it's popular! I'm also a little tempted by the second bag, the Nylon Green Pouch, I don't really have anything similar in colour or design. There's something about it that makes me want to give it a chance - I've not really seen it being styled yet, so maybe seeing someone wearing it will sway me to purchase it! The jewellery items in this collection I'm not so much a fan of, nor so much the sunglasses (which may be surprising as I love sunglasses!) - I love them in the stylings where they're featured below, but just not on my doll! However with the other accessory items that I like, I think there's enough in this collection for me on that front!

And for the clothing, which at first I'll admit, I wasn't really loving, it still doesn't seem like a cohesive collection to me, but after some thought and seeing some stylings, that's really helped me pick out some pieces that I like. The vibes of the clothing are a bit on the younger side for me - I'm not such a fan of these teeny tiny string-like tops or bottoms with a low-slung waist, so whilst I think the colours and design ideas of pieces like the Green Chain Top and Mirror Top, these aren't such wearable pieces on a regular basis for me. I also think they're quite expensive for what they are too. I'm also not a fan of the jeans on offer, I like that there are a real selection of washes and designs, with the likes of the Bow Tie Jeans and their cute ankle detail, and the two-tone denim of the Flower Jeans, but ultimately, these aren't items that you can wear in every outfit that you want to wear jeans in. On the other hand, I think the Heart Top is super cute, sure it's not a piece for everyday, but it's something quite special and unique. I like the bustier-style design and the puffed sleeves, and I do think the colour is great, but it may be a little tricky to find pieces to match it well. The Butterfly Sleeve Jacket is quite stunning, and I think this will be quite popular, the oversized shoulders and the perfect fit to the body are real selling points. With this one, I think it'll be all about the accessories and the piece will speak for itself in terms of clothing in a look - and without any specific colour accents, any colour of accessories will work pretty well =) And perhaps I'm leaving the best until last - which surprises me as I didn't like this colour combination in the first place, but I really love the Tartan Open Jacket! The matching Tartan Skirt not so much, but if it was a smaller size on the doll, I would have also bought it. There's just something about the colours that shouldn't work, but does - the tan colouring is quite close to my dolls skin tone, so I think that swayed me a little towards buying it. I think it's an interesting piece, and I don't have a lot of jackets in this length, it fits the doll well and so far I haven't seen any people styling it up, so I think I like that challenge of giving it a chance!

T S L T O P T H R E E

LBB Bag | Tartan Open Jacket | Chain Harness Shoes

I was quite expecting to choose only accessories for my top 3 from this release, but this jacket has really grown on me, I loved styling it up which you can check out below, and I actually think it has a lot of potential, hopefully it can become as popular as the other pieces features in these picks^

F E A T U R E S

First up for the features is Bianca.Vos wearing the Butterfly Sleeve Jacket and showing off the layering versatility that this piece has! The piece looks amazing with the focus all on the sleeves, this ruffled skirting looks amazing with it, such a cool idea. I love the chunky belting added, it brings a little silver to the look which is furthered in the sparkly top layered underneath (another fabulous idea^) and the earrings which are super fun for the look =)

Next up we have Fergaysson styling the Bow Tie Jeans and Gray Sunglasses in such a cool style-combination^ The colour of the two pieces work well and is highlighted by the use of the black tops, the netted sleeves are great here, I think they add a lot of balance to the look. The satin boots are a great pale colour to add, and I love all the silver used in the accessories and jewellery, it's so fun to see that this old LE bag still has some life, and it fits perfectly!

Upcoming are a few looks with a focus on the Mouth Baggy Shorts, and first up we have GeraKowall who also adds the Tartan Slings to the look which is just so super cool - so much colour in comparison to the first two stylings, it really wakes you up! The colours on the shorts give a lot of options to add in the styling, and I think it's possible that they've all been added here - the mixed colour furry coat is so fun, and the colours are perfect for those on the shoes; and I love the printed sweater which somehow manages to still stand out in the styling. The creativity is great here^

Also in the Mouth Baggy Shorts, this time adding the LBB Bag and the Chain Harness Shoes, is Sarah_1980 who brings such a different vibe to the piece! It's fun that both of these looks add a headscarf, it's a piece I never think about wearing, but both colours of it are great with this piece. The orange hoodie is a great way to highlight the more orange/yellow tones in the piece and I still think it looks good against the blues. I also like the smartness added with the use of the white shirt and choosing a less-casual shoe and tights combination, just so much fun =)

And the final look for the Mouth Baggy Shorts is jualvesdoll who also adds the LBB Bag and the Black Transparent Tights, again in such a different styling - who would have thought how versatile this piece could be?! This is probably how I would lean to styling it, choosing a black base and letting all those colours pop. The leather of the jacket and boots balances very nicely, and I think that cropped length is really perfect to highlight the design feature on the tights =) And the bag finishes off the styling very nicely too^

Next up is Vinicius who wears the Chain Harness Shoes and the Bella's Dress, which is the free item awarded if you top up SD's for the release, the dress completely speaks for itself, the lack of additional clothing items used is quite perfect for it^ The added tattoos make a great detail within the neckline of the dress and look fab, and I love the added golden headpiece it's really a beautiful fit with the gold details of the dress!

Styling up both the Green Chain Top and the Square Sunglasses is neon.swift in this super cool street-style look, it would fit right in at any fashion week for sure! The top really pops in the styling against the trousers, I think the styles of the pieces is very nice together. Love the sandals and the belt bag, I think the dark colour of the bag works very nicely in the mix. Simple yet effective =)

And the final styling from ayselevi wearing the Mirror Top, LBB Bag, Flower Necklace and Round Chain Belt and really making this top piece seem incredibly wearable, I love it! The layering under the top is great, it's super fitting and highlights some flexibility for the top. The belting flows well from the top and really ties things together with the top. The necklace on the bag is a super cute detail as well^

S T Y L I N G S

And last but not least, my looks! First up the Tartan Open Jacket which I found worked very nicely with both blue and red tones, I love it with this blue blouse for starters^ The beige tones in the tartan make it easy to include those in the styling, love getting to use these wide legged trousers and some of my favourite neutral accessories - I think it all works very nicely and I think there will be plenty of options for styling this piece =) Secondly styling the LBB Bag which was very easy to work with, I think it will go with almost anything. I was feeling the checks as a running theme so decided to include them in these trousers, which are a pretty fun piece themselves, and the black of the bag pops nicely against the red and the checks. A simple clothing choice and black accents in the accessories makes for a solid styling with this piece^ And the final item, the Tartan Slings, which were the piece I had most trouble styling, they took sooo long! In the end I opted for a blue focus (after trying both green and red), but I think white pieces should also work out nicely. There's a mix of shades of blue, with the dress working with the lighter tones and the bag playing with the darker one - it's not a bad combination I think, but I think there will be something more perfect out there for these shoes, watch this space!

I N S P I R E D Y D R I E S V A N N O T E N | Tribute Review

Here is Tribute number 4 of the season, and it's another completely new one: Dries Van Noten! I'm firstly very pleased to have another new brand in the Tribute family, but also I just love this release, from just the little snippets we have in the 'new releases' section on the homepage I was completely sold. This release is just so fresh and vibrant, it gives the Plaza some new life - let's get in and see it:

My first glimpse of this release was in the 'New In' section on the homepage - all I saw was orange and I was sold! Sadly the whole collection isn't orange, haha, but there are other bright colours on offer too. This release comes from mostly the SS21 release, however I found the collection pictures quite difficult to look at and really see the pieces clearly, so I headed over to MyTheresa (this is just where I found the best selection of pieces) and found that I could really appreciate the RL items from this release so much better - it actually made me want to buy some more of the pieces to style up! The release is just one floor with 6 looks, but I think there's a pretty good number of pieces and mixes of styles included, I think it's just about right really. And with all those colours I think it makes the perfect Summer release for the Plaza. First up the accessories, and for the size of the collection, there's quite a lot here to choose from. There are 4 pairs of shoes in a mix of styles - I was quite naturally first drawn to the Van Noten Inspired Gold Sandals which are just a fabulous gold shoe option, I love the multiple straps across the foot, the slight squaring to the toe and the mule-style design on the back, overall a great piece! Also a very unique option are the Van Noten Inspired BW Shoes which really look fantastic, the half-covered toe design is something completely different and I think the look pretty smart and will work with a lot of different clothing options. I really love both of the bags in the store, the Van Noten Inspired Gold Bag looks amazing, love the ruffled handle and the colour is perfect, it's a great tone of gold and not too bright or fake-looking which sometimes can happen with gold pieces, this one is pretty perfect; and also the Van Noten Inspired Bag Yellow which has a similar design but in a matte yellow/orange tone, the colour is fab^ There is just one piece of jewellery included, but I think it's a good one - the Van Noten Inspired Gold Earring is a sleek golden piece of jewellery. It's relatively minimal, but I think the design is stand-out - I for one love it on my doll =) 

Now with the clothing, I already mentioned orange, so of course the pieces I wanted to buy the most were the Van Noten Inspired Orange Top and Van Noten Inspired Orange Pants - what a great set of pieces! I'm a little disappointed that the colours of these aren't exactly a perfect match, but they're still great pieces individually. I like the square neckline to the top and the trousers are a great Summer style for current trends with the tight fitting waist and the wide leg, they really look awesome on the doll^ Pieces also on the more minimal side of the store include the Van Noten Inspired Dress which is just stunning - minimalism at its best! The cut outs around the middle look good and I love the deep-V neckline paired with them. The long sleeves and longer hem length make this a great Autumn/Winter dress too, and the plain black colour make it very versatile to style up with other clothing and a range of accessories. And also in this category, the Van Noten Inspired Shorts which are a very smart-cut of longer shorts, I really like the fit of these on the doll I think they look great, and the yellow colour is quite nice to, albeit perhaps a little tricky to style up - I haven't bought these yet, but I think I might take on the challenge of them and give them a chance! And now for the fancier pieces in this release, which I think draw most of the attention when looking at the store, firstly the Van Noten Inspired Yellow Top which is a very elegant but trendy one-shoulder piece. I do like the colour, ruffle details and the gathered design to the piece, but it is very bold and quite 'big', so I'm still a little unsure on how styling it would go, I am tempted by it for sure! And the last piece to include, the boldest of the release and perhaps the most popular, the Van Noten Inspired Vest, combining sheer and ruffles and so many colours! I think it's really translated well into the Stardoll-world; the mix of colours make it a fun piece to style, giving it a lot of options for pairing. And it sure is a bold piece, it's not one for those of us who like a minimal styling, but I sure can appreciate the piece all the same =)

T S L T O P T H R E E

Van Noten Inspired Orange Pants | Van Noten Inspired Orange Top | Van Noten Inspired Gold Sandals

I think my choices are perhaps very obvious for this release - these are the pieces that I saw first and couldn't get over, I knew I had to have them! I think the shoes will be particularly versatile year-round, but the orange clothing will be timeless Spring/Summer styles that I know I'll come back to year after year.

F E A T U R E S

First up a couple of features with the Van Noten Inspired Vest, this one is from GirlEwelina who styles it up with the associated back-piece. I really like the dress pairing underneath, the paired sheer skirting makes a great effect and I think the colours are working very nicely together. The bright pink of the shoes is a great fit for the pinks in the piece too, and I love the use of the purple gloves, they really bring out those purple ruffles there^ Also loving the glitzy jewellery, a fabulous finishing touch!

Secondly in the Van Noten Inspired Vest is Mery.-, styling without the back-piece, highlighting it works well with or without. This look is very focused on the top, choosing more minimal pieces to pair with it but it works equally well and shows there is some versatility to it! I love the baby blue skirting added, it's super cute with the little baby blue ruffle detail. The white shirt is a fun addition, completely unexpected, but I think it works perfectly^ The black boots and bag are also good choices, something totally contrasting yet they look great, the pink flower detail on the bag is the perfect tying in for the look =D

And the final feature is from harpie styling up both the Van Noten Inspired Orange Pants and Van Noten Inspired Gold Sandals - this look is a perfect Summer styling! The printed shirt is such a fun piece to style with the trousers, the print colours work great with the orange, and surprisingly I think the blue is a really good fit. Love the accessorising with the look, the chunky gold earrings are a perfect balance for the shoes, and I think the tan belt bag is a perfect fit with the trousers, I love it!

S T Y L I N G S

And now for my stylings! These were all super easy pieces to style, and actually I ended up with a few looks for each of the pieces that I could choose from, so I'm sure there will be more from this release on the blog soon^ First up the Van Noten Inspired Orange Top, and I just love this styling I've ended up choosing for it, I think the orange is so effective against the contrasting black, the colour of the top is a perfect fit with many of my orange accessory choices, I particularly love it with these fun heels (Fendi). I tried this out with a few skirts and they looked pretty good too, so I think this is a versatile piece that will work for a lot of different styles. Second a combination of the Van Noten Inspired Gold Earring, Van Noten Inspired Gold Bag, and Van Noten Inspired Gold Sandals - these pieces look great together I think, and work equally well individually too. I thought pairing them with this gold-detailed denim shirt was such a fun idea, it adds just the right amount of detail to the styling! I wish I'd had the matching jeans for it, but I think the white trousers do make for a good Summer look against the denim. I really love this styling for me, it's something a little different without needing to take a huge step out of my comfort zone. Lastly the Van Noten Inspired Orange Pants which I think just win on my favourite piece of the collection. Loved styling these a lot and went for a classic Summer styling with some of my favourite white pieces, these trousers just work so well with a whole host of other colours, it's great! I've resized these a little to give them a super-high waisted and slightly more cropped-length look and I really like that for them^