Well I think its fair to say that Spring has officially sprung (ok I may be a few weeks late and a walking cliché in saying this) and all of the things I associate with the season are now in motion. I've ditched my heavy coats, dusted off my sunglasses and am trying to get back into the whole daily leg maintenance thing again, so I don't scare the kids out there. One of the most exciting things is switching my wardrobe over (I say switch, I mean grab a few random things from under the bed and hang them up) and re-discovering bits from previous seasons. I'm still making a mental note of everything I've bought for SS14 but for this little update, I thought I'd focus on some of the smaller purchases I've made as well as a few treats I've received.
Nail polishes from Essie in 'Fiji', O.P.I in 'Do You Lilac It', Barry M in 'Blueberry' and Deborah Lippman in ' Do The Mermaid' & 'Tiptoe Through The Tulips' (c/o Look Fantastic)
I made a conscious effort to cut down on all my polish buying last year due to having two acrylic stands full of them, so for SS14 I thought I'd refresh everything a little with some new shades. I'm still not over pastels but prefer something even more faded and washed out these days, so Essie in 'Fiji' was the perfect solution when I was trying to work out how to complete my Boots 3 for 2. After the whole Barry M Nail Effects Craze of 2010, I hadn't given the rest of the range much of a second thought, however I'm rather impressed with staying power of Blueberry shade and have had a few compliments. At £3.99 a pop, I can see a long and fruitful relationship starting and maybe the purchase of a third storage unit...
Sandals from Sun Jellies (c/o), Office (similar) and a pair I had made in Vietnam
I think you can see a pattern in my flat sandal collection, they all seem to resemble the woven structure of jellies and wouldn't look out of place on a five-year-old. As much as I love a chunky heel, flats look rather effortless especially with shorts and loose dresses and every time I bring the white Office pair out, it signals Summer. I'm also looking forward to wearing the black pair I got made in Vietnam a lot more, they're pretty much identical to my jellies but in soft, supple leather plus they fit perfectly.
See more of my weird and wonderful taste in shoes here.
A playsuit by Orla Kiely, dresses from Asos, Warehouse, Vanessa Bruno Athé and B Store
After a few sensible purchasing decisions over the past few years, I get to do that rather smug face when I dig out all of my Summer dresses. Things don't seem to go out of fashion as readily these days, so I knew I'd be able to wear my lace, denim and tropical printed bits for years to come. I'm especially excited to wear the Orla Kiely playsuit, which I had my eye on for the best part of a year after seeing it on someone's Instagram and was determined to buy no matter what. It's always bittersweet when you get your hands on the perfect items in the sale, only for it to get cold again, so I didn't get too much wear out of it. Fortunately it's amazing the difference a few months makes and when I wore it recently (with tights, mind), I almost got the same 'brand-new' feeling as when it arrived.
Scarf c/o Cleo Ferin Mercury
You may have seen me playing around with silk scarves on Instagram and although I like to collect them, I hadn't really dreamed of wearing them as an accessory before and especially not on my head. As with most things, my mind starts to slowly come round to new styling possibilities and I've realised how much of a godsend they can be for a bad hair day, if you can find the right print. I like my scarves to be as vivid and thought-provoking as the clothes I wear so Cleo Ferin Mercury's hyperreal designs are perfect for me. Who knew that macarons and playing cards could work so well?!
Elle Collections
I've heard good things about Elle Collections for a while but I still couldn't see the reasoning behind buying yet another magazine when all the catwalk images are so freely available online after the shows. Of course with Elle being behind the publication, there had to be a little more to it and after popping to Selfridges to kill some time (this usually ends in tears as I can't help wandering by all the Kenzo), I ended up buying the latest issue after a quick perusal. I mainly like it for the layouts, I'm no graphic designer but it's important to surround yourself with as many visuals as possible as you never know what it could be, a new site design or just a way of laying things out. There's some great behind the scenes stuff, a Pinterest-y look at the things certain style leaders like to collect (you can tell that this article made the purchasing decision easy) plus a broader view of the industry by photographing all of the people who make up a PR agency. I may subscribe to most titles digitally but it might be quite nice to have a physical collection of these to look back on in a few years.
What bits have you bought or rediscovered this Spring?
My Spring Wishlist: