a great earth day...
first, i just want to say thanks so much for all the lovely birthday wishes you have sent my direction. i have had one of the best birthdays. i got woken up at 7am with my favourite ice cream (cookies n' cream) in bed with strawberries and presents. seriously, is there any better way to wake up? and the day just kept getting better from there... we had a gorgeous lunch, followed by more presents in the park, then drinks and dinner with friends. the weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and i busted out my sandals for the first time this year. oh, and to top it all off i received a canon dslr in the post from our uncle who lives in new york... he just decided to give it to us, because he doesn't really use it anymore. so, there was a birthday miracle today - because after all my wishing and hoping that it would arrive before my birthday it turns out it made it - just in time. so we had a great time playing with it this afternoon.
also i got wear some of my new topshop goodies - which is always exciting. more of it will come your way over the next couple days. wearing: strappy jersey maxi dress, leopard twist headband, topshop sunglasses, madewell jacket, topshop gold sandals from a few years ago, urban outfitters destination london charm necklace, topshop love ring. oh my gosh, seriously although this may look like a topshop sponsored birthday it actually totally is not. i didn't actually even realize how decked out i was in the brand until just now.
p.s. if you haven't entered my birthday present (to you) giveaway you've got until sunday to enter. just click here to do it and you could win some brooklyn thread jewelry.
the little crusader...
if only i could still pose this well.... just found out this morning that my lovely husband bought me the domain name www.thestylecrusader.com - how cool is that? oh, and i went on a bit of shopping spree at topshop yesterday so i'll be sure to update you soon on all my new purchases.
p.s. it's also earth day today... so hats off to our lovely planet.
together we have a voice...
i love street style for its ability to motivate and inspire. for the fact that it's normal people, in their normal clothes, going about their normal days... except that often the people don't feel entirely normal. they look utterly cool and make you swoon after all the items their wearing. street style provides such a great way to get useful styling tips that you can incorporate into your own looks if you want. jill from street style london had an idea about mixing street style and ads together. it has been done before but not to a great extent. it's a way to show how you can mix your own clothes and accessories with new pieces from a shop and make the look individual. plus, if you like the pieces and think they would work in your own wardrobe you can easily click onto the site to purchase them. this is jill's first photo from her American Apparel collaboration of mixing people's street style with new items from the brand. i think it looks great and has serious potential. definitely a cause i can get behind.
check out jill's full post here and find out how you can get involved in the movement.
and we lived beneath the waves in our yellow submarine...
is it just me, or could he totally be mistaken for a member of the beatles? i'm loving this couples in-synch retro style.
the platform princess...
meet jackie. she is absolutely fabulous and has a blog called the platform princess. i am a little addicted to it because she updates it with photos of herself looking utterly gorgeous in the sweetest little outfits. it makes for great inspiration... and often leaves me wanting to go out and buy identical goodies so i can look like her! we first met when i snapped her photo at London Fashion Week back in February - i didn't take her name but someone left a comment pointing out who she was and where i could find her blog. so after a couple months of twitter stalking we finally met up again for cupcakes in covent garden and i was so happy to discover that she is just as lovely in person as she is on her blog. plus, she has such a great sense of style - managing to look utterly chic and put together by mixing high street, designer, and vintage pieces together. also, she always manages to look bang on trend without it being too try hard. notice her nonchalant take on the double-denim trend? totally not in your face and for that reason it works so well. I'm seeing Jackie again on Friday and I can't wait to see what she'll be wearing (no pressure).
mulberry patent shoes and bright pink nails.
snacking on pink cupcakes at Ella's Bakehouse - seriously divine.
taking photos of all the girls for a post she did on our cupcake meet up. Jackie wears: Reiss blazer, vintage bag, Mulberry shoes.
am i the only person that thinks this was a bad idea?
agyness deyn with buddie pixie geldof at coachella festival in california rocking her new hair do... a shaved head? really? first it was bleached, then it was black, and then when all other shocking options seemed to have been exhausted came the 'sure to get you attention' idea of shave it all off. is there something in the water in LA that makes young starlets want to do this? granted, aggy doesn't look all that bad. her and natalie portman might be the only two women who can actually pull this look off. but, surely a bit of colour wouldn't do her any harm... that pale skin and dress are totally washing her out. she looks more like she is verging on the edge of having a medical disaster than a great time at the coolest musical festival around. do you think acne paid her to wear their dress when she debuted the hairstyle? surely she knew it would end up in every magazine around. if you feel so inclined to emulate aggy all you've got to do is grab the nearest razor and snatch up this acne gorgeous dress....
tah dah! dispensable fashionista in a bottle.
and, in other news kelly osbourne continues to sport her grandma inspired purple stiff curls. i like it when she goes for the retro vibe... but its all going a bit wrong, with the exception of the very cool saddle shoes.
no, sadly i didn't jump on a magic plane that can bypass volcanic dust and take me to LA - both photos are from here.
summer essentials: the perfect hat
the right summer hat is more powerful than your most coveted pair of shoes and has the ability to transform any drab outfit instantly with the flick of your pretty little wrist (provided your hat is connected to said wrist - and you make sure it lands on your head, not the floor - in which case you'll just look a bit daft). kicking off my list of summer essentials is the summer trilby. worn above, yesterday by yours truly, in the park to cover up some seriously dire bed head (the one i'm wearing is two seasons old from jigsaw i do believe). trilbies are the perfect way to ease yourself into summer hats because they aren't difficult to wear or too pretentious. which reminds me, yesterday i spotted a whole row of oxford toffs strolling through the park in matching boating hats and cream suits - seriously obnoxious. which brings us nicely to...
rule number 1 of sporting a hat: do not, under any circumstances, match your hat with your friend's hat. one person in a summer trilby = cool and original. a whole group = lame fancy dress. plus, whoever started wearing the hat first probably wont like you very much and rightfully so.
rule number 2: wear with confidence. most people start of feeling a bit self-conscious when sporting a hat but the last thing you want to do is look self-conscious. okay? so if you're going to dare to wear a hat, suck up your gut, push your shoulders back and walk with confidence. otherwise, just take it off and pass it to your envious friend who will probably want to wear it.
so which hat is for you? well, take your pick: break open your piggy bank savings and indulge in albertus swanepoel, eugenia kim, anthony peto or proceed with caution and go for a reasonably priced one from asos, reiss, or topshop. just be sure to avoid monstrosities like this one.
happy birthday (present to you)!
it just so happens that it's my birthday is this week (thursday, April 22nd... that's right, Earth Day, in case you didn't know). so i thought we should celebrate this momentous occasion (yes, i'm going to be twenty-five, gasp!) with some presents. yes again... go ahead, send them my way. no, no, a present for you. the lovely Joanna of BrooklynThread has offered to give away one of her gorgeous pieces of jewelry to one of my lucky readers. i pretty much adore all her bracelets and want my wrists to be covered in them. covered in them, i tell you - from my wrist straight up to my elbow. they are so simple but totally unique and chic. not your average festival goers bangle, that's for sure. plus all her pieces are hand made in Brooklyn using natural fibers, which is pretty sweet.
so the winner will get to choose their favourite piece out of the three that i've selected. all you have to do is leave me a comment below (just one, don't double comment please) and make sure there is a way for me to contact you to let you know if you've won. winner will be randomly selected from comments left before midnight (british time) on April 25th and will be announced on Monday April 26th. happy early birthday present!
it's like mexico!!
glorious weather once again swept across britain today. the english don't know how to deal with it. one of my friends (ahem... alex) kept randomly shouting 'it's like mexico!'... apparently mexico is the only other place that gets sunshine? actually, we were eating delicious burritos in the park - that probably added to the mexican vibe. ok, so here i am, in all my stripe-y glory outside the library (with absolutely no intention of going in) today. tomorrow swimming in the river is on the cards. don't worry though, you wont spot me here in a bikini - it is surely too early for me to be dipping my body into any English water source. Wearing: Rare embellished shoulder jacket, Urban Outfitters bright blue vest, True Religion jean shorts, Cabbages & Roses white plimsoles, Michael Kors brown leather belt.
p.s. first giveaway being announced tomorrow in celebration of a special event... watch this space.
stand out from the crowds...
Not for the faint hearted or the self-conscious: brightly coloured jumpsuits are the sure way to stand out this spring/summer. Spotted this gorgeous teal number in Covent Garden. Love how it's been paired down and given a certain level of street cred with the worn in worker boots and funky knit beanie. A similar outfit was spotted at Paris Fashion Week by the talented Vanessa Jackman. So, teal jumpsuits are the item to be spotted in!
Do you dare?
p.s. notice her friend's (with the black/white striped tights) red clogs? i so need to get myself a pair. i think the three of them were Scandinavian... the authentic clogs are so much cooler looking than the trendy super high heeled ones. ah, another thing to add to my wish list.
how to be a london hipster...
headwear: fedoras, slouchy beanies, tied up scarves, side braids.
sunglasses: of the retro variety - preferably ray ban or no name.
clothing: graphic t-thirts, leather jackets, bodycon stretchy skirts, skinny (but worn in so slightly slouchy) denim.
accessories: layered jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, whatever you can get your hands on), patterned tights (animal print or floral), worn out dirty plimsoles, aged ankle boots, hats, sunglasses, small cross body bags.
do: drink coffee, smile, and act surprised/flattered/friendly when someone asks to photograph you - these three were absolutely delightful.
Click here and visit my Facebook group to view some behind the scenes shots.
currently craving...
Nasy Gal: Bamboo Scoop Top & Overboard Chambray Jacket
Whistles: Chino Peg Trousers & Pleated Waistband Trouser
H&M: Fashion Against AIDS accessories available May 10th at select shops
i've been crusaded!
friday evenings in central london are magical. all the hoards of people who have been cooped up all week in their offices pour out onto the streets and transform the sidewalks into little hubs of what will surely turn into great parties. while walking from covent garden to marble arch i spotted this girl sitting in a little alcove of a building. she was so striking because, while her friends were all standing nearby drinking and chatting, she was sitting all alone on these little rocks with her eyes peering out from under a perfectly sharp bright blond fringe. i rushed over to her, silently handed her a card and started shooting, she was on the phone you know - so i didn't want to be rude and interrupt... when she suddently jumped up onto her feet and yelled 'I've been crusaded!' then she shot her arms up over her head and did a little victory dance. i can honestly say - that made my day.
her friends were laughing and pointing at her 'worn out shoes'.
Fierce accessories.
get a little opulence in your life...
In the market for something utterly feminine and totally glam? Don't want to break the bank but want something unique and that you can covet for many months to come? Rare Opulence has just been released and is your ticket to dress up heaven. Launched as a diffusion line from its sister Rare, the Opulence collection steps it up one serious fashion notch. The designs come in a range of shapes and styles and will channel your inner saucy side. The colours ring true to this season's popular washed-out soft neutrals. No matter if you prefer to rock out at the hottest nightclubs (the Nude Sequin Dress is probably for you), sip champagne in the park (Floral Lace Dress), or flounce around the coolest gigs in town (Cropped Corset is totally knocking out the whole underwear-as-outwear trend). Personally, I've got my eye on the 3D Flower Skirt, the Rose Bomber Jacket (gives the red H&M garden collection jacket a run for its money) and the Laser Cut Petal Dress.
Ah, and with that my girly side will be perfectly satisfied...
Preview the entire range here.
a generous spirit...
Jill of Street Style London (pics by polka dot) is, without a doubt, one of the most inviting, warm spirited, and generous people I know. She has got an amazing eye for style, incredible vision and is so determined. Totally modest and the most outgoing person. To me, this photo captures her perfectly... carefree laughter, moth eaten jumper, layered bracelets, camera in hand, neutral shades, her current favourite colour (lavender) just peeking out around her neck, natural bag, vintage raybans, ready to take on the world and looking for her next 'jump victim'.