LOU LOU'S VINTAGE FAIR & ICE-CREAM SUNDAE OOTD

As soon as I found out Lou Lou's Vintage Fair was returning to Brighton this year, I scheduled the date in my diary and I'm so glad I did. I adore vintage clothing and love channeling the retro look, so walking around a hall full of rails of distressed denim jackets, flannel shirts and floral blouses, was heavenly for me.

As weird as it sounds, peoples old crap excites me. I love the history within certain pieces, and the fact that no-one else has something like it. I often feel as though I've been born into the wrong era, from clothes and style to music, art and social attitudes, to me it seems that everything was sassier back in the 50's...

The fair showcases a variety of clothing from 40's military jackets, to 50's skirts, 60's dresses, bedazzling sequined pieces from the 80's and  90's urban grunge shorts and jackets. There was such a mix of unique yet bargainous items and for any vintage lover or style enthusiast its a great atmosphere to be in. 

 

I ended up buying a few amazing pieces, all of which I'm extremely pleased with. A lovely floral blouse, some retro shades and a bit of Chanel here and there...I desire nothing more from life. 

If you get a chance to catch Lou Lou's Vintage fair near you, its definitely worth it, and for £2 entry you may as well, even to peruse or immerse yourself in a bit of vintage culture. 

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OOTD: ICE-CREAM SUNDAE 

So, it seems to be 'take two' for Primark's quilted black skirt here, I'm finding it so versatile, and I loved it with the rest of the outfit, so that's that.  Whilst on the subject of good old Primani, let us all take a moment of appreciation for my two-toned pastel clutch which I grabbed at an absolute steal for £4...yes, its no typo...£4. Within seconds of setting my eyes on it, I threw it in my basket, because I just think it's looks so classy, like something American Apparel would stock, but at a fraction of the price. It's a must-have for this season.  Whilst I was at it, I picked up this pale pink paneled mesh top, and I knew it would look perfect styled with the clutch. I like the T-shirt finish of the top and seeing as the 'sheer' trend is huge for spring/summer I thought, why not.

Mint Green Longline Wool Coat- Sheinside.com

Quilted Black Skirt, Pink Sheer Top & Two-tone Clutch- Primark

Pink Skinny Waist Belt- Asos  

Gold Chain Necklace- Topshop

Mint Frill Socks- Topshop

Platform Converse- Asos (Similar here)

Watch- Fossil

Nails- (Similar here)

Lips- Dior 999

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OOTD: PRIMARY COLORS

Another very true-to-my-style outfit, although I think my personal style combines a mixture of various styles, my retro-urban influence is clear here. For me, the piece de resistance is this stunning and unique floral shirt. I spotted it in a charity shop window (I don't often shop in charity shops, but sometimes you can be surprised in a good way), and I was instantly drawn to the elegant collar and bold vintage floral print. I only paid £5.99 for this awesome piece, and although it's a meager contribution to the charity +Oxfam GB  , I felt far more fulfilled after buying it than I do after spending a jaw-dropping amount on a high street jacket. 

To contradict with the dainty air of the blouse, I spruced things up with this combination wool-leather varsity jacket from Zara and quilted faux leather skirt. I grabbed this skirt when I saw it on the sale rail in Primark, because the price was something ridiculous like £3, and I knew I'd be able to style it year-round and I certainly don't think it looks cheap at all.

I guess by teaming the varsity jacket with the high-top trainers, I gave the outfit a somewhat sporty edge, alongside one of my all-time favorite bags. I purchased this backpack in the Aldo sale about a year ago, and I was skeptical because I didn't want it to look plastic/synthetic or tacky, but when it arrived in the post, I could not have been more pleased- it's well-made, very sturdy and a slightly cheaper alternative to a high-end leather backpack. I would say that, usually with Aldo, quality is guaranteed, so I've listed an alternative below to my backpack, which is equally as lovely, and very versatile. 

Floral Shirt- Oxfam 

Quilted Skirt-Primark 

Chain Triangle Necklace- Primark 

Leather Varsity Jacket-  Zara

High-top Wedge Trainers- Zara 

Sunglasses - H&M

Backpack- Aldo (alternative) 

Earings- Topshop

Lips- Kate Moss for Rimmel Shade 107

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RIVER ISLAND DOES THE CITRUS BURST

I have been so excited about a lot of pieces from River Island's summer collection, but this 'citrus' theme stood out to me. I absolutely love the fruity prints and the bright, tangy colors- I feel like they're very fitting to my style. I don't want to ramble on about how much I love each and every piece, because I feel like they speak for themselves.  I do however love how the elegance of the court shoe is contrasted with this bold block lemon print- these beauties are definitely on my wishlist. The lemon print courts have a matching clutch, which is also stunning, and quite a steal at £18, I assume it is sold out online, but can be found in store.     This trend isn't to everyone's taste but by simply adding the yellow courts or the orange clutch will add a citrus pop to any all-black or white outfit. 

Yellow Tropical Print Pointed Court Shoe -£50

Yellow Toe Cap Pointed Court Shoe -£50 

Yellow Lemon Print Dungarees-£40

Yellow Lemon Print Oversized Denim Jacket -£55

Orange Box Clutch Bag -£30

Lime Gem Stone Box Clutch-£35

Lime Pacha Beaded Bandeau Bikini Top-£26

Orange Jeepers Peepers Round Sunglasses-£16 

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OOTD: FLOWERS OF ORIENT

I realize it's been shamefully long since I last posted, but sometimes life simply gets in the way. However, I wanted to return with a bang-hence the blindingly bold colors featured in today's outfit of the day. First and foremost, lets not ignore the obvious- the coat. I picked up this eye-poppingly wonderful creation at River Island, I saw it online originally and it had my name written all over it. The clashing of the prints and colors works so well in this case and I love the slouchy over-sized fit. I don't know if it shows in the photos, but it has this light quilting all over and the material is 'scuba' like and light therefore perfect for these spring months.  

I couldn't have found a more perfect necklace-jacket-shirt combination if I tried. This stunning floral statement necklace is bold and beautiful and screams spring/summer. I purchased it from Topshop last summer and I have struggled to style it, but with this outfit, it just fits. I love the way the floral print on the jacket works with the necklace... if it wasn't already obvious, I adore florals. I found this shirt a couple of years ago on a trip to Murcia in Spain, and I can't remember for the life of me what the name of the store was, but I'm sure there are similar blouses around. I thought the two-tone pink and red was unusual and the outfit adopted a very oriental color palette with the florals on the jacket exuding a Japanese style. 

I kept the rest of the outfit very simple, with black faux leather leggings and black patent heels. I don't particularly like the all-black bottom half, but I wanted to keep it muted because of the audacious top half. 

One of my most recent purchases are the sexy Dolce & Gabanna-style sunglasses, which I'm absolutely obsessed with. When I wear them I feel even more Italian than I already am and they give any outfit that rich, elegant edge. I'm experiencing a slight addiction to sunglasses at the moment, especially the  round and cat-eye styles, and H&M currently have a great selection, and very in-expensive, I feel the need to buy them all! 

Jacket- River Island

Necklace- Topshop- Similar here

Leggings-H&M

Shoes-River Island

Sunglasses-H&M

Lips- Dior 999

*Note: I will insert direct links to items where possible, if not then I will direct you to the store where the item was purchased, or supply a similar option.*

Ev :)

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