School uniform

It seems like only yesterday that I was counting down the days to the summer holidays. Willing time towards six weeks of shorts, crop tops and sandals. Don't ask me how, but suddenly I have less than a week until I'll be back in sixth form and back to clothing regulations! My whole wardrobe will alter to accommodate for days sat in classrooms in place of days in the sunshine. 

As much as I would rather stay in my summertime attire, at least I go to a school with a fairly liberal dress code. Whilst most sixth forms demand suits and ties, mine isn't so formal. So, with September quickly approaching, it seemed right to put together a few relatively inexpensive outfit ideas to get myself back into the academic dressing mind set!  

Jeans - £19.99 New Look // T-Shirt - £12 Boohoo.com // Nike Roshe Runs - £70 

// Watch - £16.99 ASOS // Nail varnish - £2.99 Barry M 

Jacket - £70 Topshop // Trousers - £40 Topshop // Top - £4.99 New Look // Bag - La Moda UK £18 // Shoes - La Moda UK

Skirt - £45 Topshop // Jumper - £14.99 New Look // Shoes - £28 La Moda UK //  Bag - £18 La Moda UK // Necklace - £8 ASOS // Scrunchie - £6.50 

I guess my school wardrobe next years is looking very black, white and grey! 

Bethany Paige X

OOTD: Crochet and high waists

You would have to have been living in a hole (or somewhere without wifi) for the past two months to not have noticed crochet crop tops. Thanks to the likes of Vanessa Hudgens, Coachella and Tumblr it seems like these halters have been everywhere this summer. And I for one have been sucked in by the hype. I'm pretty much obsessed. 

So as you can imagine, when I was sent this gorgeous handmade one I was more than a little excited! Even though the summer is coming to a close, I'm looking forward to making the best of it and wearing this beauty as many times as humanly possible before it gets too chilly. Or maybe I can book a holiday? I'll figure something out...

I simply couldn't resist styling it up and sharing some OOTD pictures with you all. 

Boots - boohoo.com // Jeans - New Look // 

Top - Cloister's Crafts // Rings - Primark // Bag - Primark

Luckily for all of you that are just as obsessed with crochet clothing as I am, the wonderful people at Cloister's Crafts have offered Paige of Fashion readers £5 off this crop top which retails normally at £35 as well as free postage and packing! Every piece is handmade to your measurements and is absolutely amazing quality. To order, email cloisterscrafts@outlook.com and mention Paige of Fashion to get your discount! 

If you do use the opportunity to get one of these gorgeous tops, let me know! 

Bethany Paige X 

My writing process

      Maybe I'm just nosey, but I love finding out more about my fellow bloggers. I've always been a fan of reading posts that give me more of an insight into the person behind the writing and pretty pictures. I'll be honest though, until I was tagged by Hannah from Daisies and DMs, I had never heard of blog hop posts. This one specifically is all about the writing process of bloggers. I absolutely loved Hannah's post which can be found here, so I decided to take up her offer and get involved!

 
      What are you working on?

The end of the summer holidays is approaching terrifyingly quickly (not that most of you needed reminding) so at the moment I’m preparing some fashion posts for students. Everything I feature in the series will be affordable – which means no Grafea backpacks, as much as it pains me – and school/college appropriate without being dull.

For the same reason, I’m also trying to squeeze out as many scheduled blog posts as possible since A-Levels don’t leave me with so much blogging time. Usually I’m quite a sporadic blogger which leaves me longing to be at my laptop when revising and having no inspiration once I’ve finished. It’s a real problem. So hopefully the advanced planning will help me out next term.

How does my work differ from others in the genre?

I like to think that my writing style is what puts me apart from other bloggers. I’ve spent a lot of time developing my own written voice and even though I don’t have a fancy camera or photography skills, I hope that this comes across to all of you.

It’s hard to say specifically what makes my work different from others though because all blogs are so personal. That’s why we love it, right?

Why do I write what I do?

Mainly and simply, it’s because I adore it. And I’m not being dramatic, I honestly get a thrill from writing about fashion.

When I first started Paige of Fashion I also had every intention of going into fashion journalism after university. Maybe I thought posting every day would get me onto the editing desk of British Vogue. I decided to gain as much experience of the industry as possible and blogging seemed like one way of doing that. Even now when I’m not so sure on the career path I want to take, Paige of Fashion is still a huge aspect of my life and one I’m not willing to let go of.

How does my writing process work?

As I said, I’m generally sporadic when it comes to blogging. I would love to be one of these super bloggers who has a planner and the ability to write every single post a month in advance but I’m just not. I get inspiration randomly and find it impossible to force myself to write about something I’m not intensely passionate about in that moment. Hence why my attempts at scheduling posts aren't going so well!

I carry around a simple notepad with me everywhere I go to make sure I always have somewhere to jot down ideas. So when I’m in Tesco picking up some cereal and suddenly get struck by an OOTD concept, I don’t forget it by the time I’ve got home.

As far as the actual writing goes, I usually do blogging at my desk. It’s my favourite place in the world and I kit it out with everything a fashion blogger might need – my laptop, a few magazines, tea and a scented candle. Then I just write. I don’t follow structures, I just go where my mind takes me. I'll usually leave it a few hours before posting and do one final proof read to try and get rid of any errors I missed after first writing the posts. 

There you have it, my writing process and everything that goes into creating posts here on Paige of Fashion! I nominate Jessica, Kamila and anybody else reading to give this blog hop a go if you so desire.

Happy Friday,
Bethany Paige X

Backpack enthusiast

Everybody loves a good backpack. Be it a Clueless inspired tiny one or something a bit more practical that can fit more than your phone and a bus ticket, I will say with no hesitation that there is a backpack for almost every occasion. Over the past couple of years they’ve had a bit of a revival too, being  a lot more widely available in high street shops and acting as the fashion blogger bag of choice. It’s great for an enthusiast like me who no longer has to search through charity shops for the 90s rejects (although I usually do anyway)!

I’m slowly building up quite the collection, from a tapestry one I found in Cancer Research to the sleek white leather one I bought in New Look a few weeks back. And honestly, I can’t stop. Every time I see any kind of backpack I feel compelled to buy it. I feel it is my duty as a true backpack fangirl. I think I finally understand why people spend hundreds of pounds on One Direction merch.

Whistles Verity Backpack - £275 at ASOS // Grid pattern backpack - £22.99 Newlook // Vita Navy Backpack - £45 La Moda UK // Faux black leather backpack -  £34 Topshop

Bethany Paige X

August Wishlist

It seems like years since I’ve done a general wishlist. Don’t ask me why because I’ve fallen in love with just as many things as I do in other months. I guess I’ve just had other blogging inclinations recently.

Whatever the reason, that time has arrived once more. Cue dramatic silence. It’s time for my August wishlist! Cue exaggerated applause. 

Vita leather navy backpack - £45 La Moda UK // Gold and red faux septum ring - £14 La Moda UK // Running shorts - £15 Dark Pink London // Grid patter bag - £22.99 Newlook and purse price unknown // Candle in Afternoon Tea - £7.95 Busy Bee Candles // Triangle cup bra - £18 Topshop // 

I know, two backpacks is a little keen, isn't it? But I couldn't chose between them. Firstly we have this navy La Moda beauty which has just been released on their website. Its classic style makes it ridiculously versatile and it looks like it would be quite roomy too. You can't go wrong when something is gorgeous and practical. Perhaps a tad less sensible is the checked one from New Look which is considerably smaller but just as beautiful. 

La Moda also provided me with another wishlist opportunity in the form of their new range of Faux Septum rings. I actually prefer some of their other styles but they won't be restocked until next week which means I'm going to have to control myself!

I've been a fan of pastels this month as you can see. These Dark Pink London Shorts are so sweet (and on sale) it's hard to resist. Paired with a masculine, oversized t-shirt and some chunky white sliders they would be just perfect. Equally as sugary is this triangle bra. I have a bit of a soft spot for pretty undies and as soon as I saw this I needed it.

Finally, these Busy Bee Candles in Afternoon Tea - "Top notes of relaxing indulgent sweet tea with lemon zest, drops of honey nectar and the extra zing of cardamom spice. Gorgeous, complex fragrance perfect to relax with." Need I say more? 

Bethany Paige X

The problem of "smart casual"

I've never been a fan of dress codes. Turning up to an event in a ballgown with everybody else is in jeans, that I can handle. Being sent instructions stating that I should come to an event in clothes that are "smart" or (even worse) "smart casual", I'm not so good with. The problem I face is distinguishing what constitutes as smart casual. Because, let's be honest, leggings and a hoodie with a suit jacket would look pretty ridiculous. 

The wikipedia page for "smart casual" explains it quite aptly. It's an " ill-defined dress code that is generally a neat yet informal attire." Emphasis there on the "ill-defined". 

This exact problem is one that I've had to face recently since starting a week of work experience at the news desk of my local newspaper. As soon as I received conformation of my place I was also hit with those two words that I dread most when it comes to getting dressed - smart casual. Why can't people be more specific?

Putting my fashionable good Samaritan hat on though, I thought I'd put together a few outfit ideas as my take on the smart casual dress code to help those of you that are (like me a week ago) stuck on how to tackle the look.

Cigarette trousers - £42 Topshop // Shirt - £30 Topshop // 

Bag - Grafea $250 // Shoes - £16 Topshop // Nail varnish in Navy - £2.50 Barry M 

Black culottes - £17.99 New Look  // Ribbed vest - £6 Topshop// 

Longline blazer - £45 // Shoes - £40 ASOS // Nail Varnish in Alpine Snow - OPI //

Ring - £6.50 Topshop 

Midi skirt - £48 Topshop // Top - £26 Topshop // Shoes - £68 Topshop // 

Bag - £22.99 New Look // Nail varnish in Glitzerland - OPI

No need to thank me, 

Bethany Paige X

OOTD: Just add sunshine

I think it's safe to say that I'm more than a tad obsessed with my faux Birkenstocks. Since buying them a couple of weeks ago I've worn them at least a million times (or seven times if you want to be pernickety about it). Aside from being unbelievably comfortable, they have allowed me to dip my toe into one of the biggest, and least expected, trends of the summer. Hooray for shoes so ugly they become beautiful!

For this OOTD I paired the sliders with my favourite midi skirt - a white pleated affair - and my new pink crop top. Accessories wise I went for my white structured backpack, huge round sunglasses and a white bunny ear scrunchie. Just add sunshine. 

Sliders - Primark // Skirt - Thrifted // Bag - New Look // 

Top - Stradivarius // Sunglasses - Primark // Scrunchie - Primark

Have a lovely weekend,
Bethany Paige X

White jeans: From loathe to love

Until recently I was absolutely against the idea of white jeans. I can't really explain myself, I just felt as tough jeans should be black, blue or grey and nothing in between. There was no logic behind it I will admit but it did take an awful lot to make me entertain the idea of denim in different shades. I know, I'm so behind the times! As I said though, this is all in the past.

Thanks (as usual) to the internet I've gone from loathe to love on the white jeans front. High waisted wearing Tumblr folk have me creating outfits in my mind for a larger proportion of the day than I care to admit. At some point these mental images manifested themselves into something a bit more tangible in the form of outfit collages that have made me even more tempted to take the white denim plunge in the form of the American Apparel Easy Jeans.

 Crop top - £6 River Island at ASOS // Bag - Grafea £180 // 

Shoes - £35 La Moda UK // nail varnish - O.P.I £8 //

Shirt - £35 Topshop // Trainers - Nike £79 // Sunglasses - £16 Topshop

Kimono - £65 Topshop // Sliders - £12 La Moda UK //
Crop top - £12 Topshop // Bag - £15 Topshop

Now the only real question is, when will I get my hands on these beauties?

Bethany Paige X

Holiday finds

I have a motto when it comes to holidays - If abroad, buy it! You can't pass up the opportunity to buy whatever "it" is because once you're on that plane back to Britain you've missed your opportunity. As soon as you've touched down at Gatwick, your chance has faded quicker than your tan. And if your "holiday treat" just so happens to be three pairs of shorts, two new bralets and some shoes, then so be it! 

Maybe I'm kidding myself, but whilst on holiday I generally follow this motto the whole time and my recent trip to Spain saw me implementing it almost perfectly. If I had less baggage restrictions for the flight then it's entirely likely I would've come home with a vast array of wardrobe additions, but I still managed to pick up some absolutely gorgeous pieces.

I thought it was only right to show my favourite finds of the week.

These light blue palazzo pants saved my life whilst in Spain. They provided me with the opportunity of creating outfits that were slightly more dressy whilst also remaining cool in the evenings when it was still surprisingly warm outside. When paired with a basic crop top or a bikini top, they transform seamlessly into the kind of thing you can wear around the pool. Plus, anything that prevents burnt legs and mosquito bites has to be a good thing, right?

I think all of my fellow fashion bloggers will be fairly well acquainted with this style of crop top. The likes of Topshop and Miss Selfridge stock them but at just $5.99 mine certainly had a smaller price tag! As you can see, here I've paired the top with my American Apparel inspired tennis skirt. Basically though, anything that isn't too heavily printed will work like a dream. I plan on buying a pair of high waisted white skinny jeans as quickly as humanly possible!

Markets in spain are like a treasure chest. Once you've made your way past the spices and the battery stalls you can find the most beautiful one off pieces at shockingly low prices. I was lucky enough to stumble on this hand tie dyed crop top which can be worn in a few different ways as shown above. It's already become a summer staple of mine with simple denim shorts and huge sunglasses. Not too bad for €2!

No doubt you'll be seeing more of these pieces in up coming OOTDs.

Bethany Paige X