LOVE LIST FOR MAY

Its been long awaited, but today I'm coming at you with my (slightly extensive) May Love List. This month I'm loving bold patterns, rich colors and I'm experiencing a slight obsession with gemstone jewelry, and with summer soon to be gracing us with it's awesome presence what could be more appropriate than that 'gypsy spirit' look; lots of dangling beads and regal stones with some distressed denim shorts and a breezy white vest...perf!...or maybe that's yet another utopic delusion forced upon me by this shameful British weather...either way, I present to you MY MAY LOVE LIST! 

1. River Island Orange Sunset Print Bomber- £65 

This bomber is one of those pieces that I feel epitomizes my style, from the colors and print to the fit of the jacket I adore it all. After my trip to South Africa a few years back, I fell in love with all things African inspired including that iconic sunset and of course, elephants, in a big way. 

2.Longchamp Le Pilage Backpack in Orange- £59

The Longchamp Pilage backpack is that classic piece I've been craving for so many years. I was never massively crazy about their shoulder totes but I'm a backpack girl and to me this is the most classic of them all. Its so simple but classy, and will add a pop to any chilled summer outifit, also perfect for travelling... I can just see it... walking through the streets of Florence, or perusing the French Riviera... (I'm clearly sun deprived). 

3.Delilah Dust Blue Agate Slice Necklace- £12

I recently discovered the online store Delilah Dust and like I said before, I cant get enough. Every single one of their pieces is beautiful and unique, I cannot wait to get my hands on some of their pieces...stunning! 

4.Missguided Cleavon Floral Playsuit- £24.99

I'm quite the fan of playsuits and obviously florals, so when I saw this one among Missguided's extensive collection its clean cut and audacious print jumped at me. It's the ideal summer piece, dressed up or down. 

5.River Island Orange Bustier Print Bikini Top - £16 &  Orange Print High Waisted Bikini 

Bottoms -£12

Again another piece with my name written all over it. The citrus print is one I am hugely fond of (check out my post on River Island's Citrus Burst) teamed with the retro-inspired fit and the very reasonable price tag, it would be silly not to pick this one up! But it's an online exclusive so be sure to snap it up soon.

6. Topshop Tropic Necklace Crop Top- £38 

This is such a chic yet fun little crop top and of course the mixed up textures and contrasting colors are ideal for this season, and alhtough it's on the pricier side for a glorified crop top, it is Topshop, and in my experience, they never fail on quality, so is perhaps justifiable at £38..? 

7. Topshop Blushes- £7

I have been meaning to try some of Topshop's makeup, as I like their varnishes, but have never got around to it, for some reason I'm skeptical but I've heard good things and my current blusher is doing nothing for me so surely now would be a good time.  

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TREND EXPOSED: MATCHY MATCHY

The time has finally come where I have been able to write a new post. Not only have I been insanely busy with work as well as trying to get through my final A-level exam, but I've been slightly un-inspired on the blog front which is bizarre for me. Anyway, I'm back with one of my favorite trends/ styles ever, and it's the co-ord craze. 

I never used to be too crazy about matching my clothes because I felt it looked a bit try-hard, but as the years went by and it became seemingly obvious that high end catwalks are all about the matchy matchy I feel it's time to celebrate it. I can't get enough of the elegance and chic air a matching two-piece suit can give off  and it seems to exude a  very put-together look. 

Another wonderful thing about these matching two-pieces (that seem to be popping up in just about every high-street store) is not only the versatility- great dressed down with sandals and a floppy hat or up with heels and a clutch, but the fluidity they create, making it a suitable trend for so many body shapes and  heights. Lets not forget that pieces can be worn separately or mixed and matched, which is another great pro, proving that one set can have so much use.

I picked out a few matching sets, that can give that chic look at a really affordable price. They range from bold and ditsy prints to plain and crisp for those less daring/ more in to classic styles but this is an absolutely massive trend for the season and no wardrobe is complete without a chic little co-ord set. Credit cards at the ready...

1. Elephant Print Jacket & Shorts- Asos 

2. Monochrome Symmetry Set - Motel Rocks-(Check out all their Coordinates ) 

3.Black Daisy Print Coat & Shorts - River Island 

4.Powder Blue Set- Sheinside.com

5.Pink Pineapple Print Blazer & Shorts- Asos

6.White Vinatage Floral Set- Sheinside.com 

7.Watermelon Set- Gfdstore.com 

~High-end co-ord-spiration~

Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2012

This collection came out and I fell in love. It's that simple. Yes, D&G are one of my all time favorites, alongside McMueen, Chanel etc. but this zesty collection encapsulated the vivacious Mediterranean lifestyle beautifully. Everything is perfect from the simple structures to the bold prints and rich colors, if only there was a student-friendly price tag. Designers have always featured cohesion within collections and fluidity within garments but to me, this is the ultimate co-ord-spiration. And of course the matchy 'trend' (more like a style rule of life) stands the test of time because it is so classy, versatile, timeless and really does give the impression that the wearer knows a thing or two about style.

 (Left to right: JW Anderson S/S '12, Michael Kors S/S '14, Chanel S/S '14)
  

Enjoy the matchy matchy!

Love Ev :)

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THE ZARA EXPERIENCE

Zara is one of my most-loved high-street stores because of their chic interpretation of affordable style. The way in which they take inspiration from high-fashion catwalks and translate trends and styles in such a classy and original way is simply timeless to me.

I have my fair share of Zara pieces, which I feel rarely go out of style, and I love that they're international, so I have blazers and skirts that I picked up in Portugal and Spain, T-shirts, shorts and some of the most beautiful jackets from my travels in Italy,  and of course anything and everything that I've purchased from my local Zara. 

As mentioned,  I usually visit the store, but I don't know why I've waited so long to order from Zara online, because I had such an easy, fuss-free and positive experience through doing this, I thought I would share it with you all...

First of all, I believe I qualified for free delivery or something like that, and I had the package delivered to the store because it's easy to pick up, but I was expecting this process to take a week or more, which it didn't! I received an e-mail 2 or so days later saying that it had already arrived in store ready for collection. 

I received the delicately packaged jacket, wrapped in tissue paper, folded with precision and presented perfectly. Maybe I'm so overly excited about a coat in a box because I've become accustomed to most other online stores shoving my items into a plastic bag, which the post-man squeezes through the letter box and by the time I try it on looks like an old dish cloth. 

 (Even their wrapping is spring/summer themed!)

I guess the good thing about the online store is that you often find products or sizes that aren't available in store. I paid £39.99 for this lovely salmon/peach colored over-sized blazer from the 'TRF' section, which I thought was a good price for Zara, and whilst the fabric is nothing luxurious, it is  pretty much perfect for a spring breeze. I adore this color for this season, and I'm sure it will feature in many outfits.

I'll be sure to give it a little steam before I wear it, after all it's been folded up in a box (excuse the creases). I hope my little review has been helpful.

Buy your corally/salmony/peachy coat here- £39.99 

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