Thursday, 31 January 2013

Damage control is needed: Topshop S/S13

Last night I wrote a post (found here) in which I looked at the SS13 Topshop lookbook. Well, at least I looked at what I thought was the SS13 Topshop lookbook. In actual fact I made the big mistake of confusing it with the SS12 collection, making myself look rather silly! There I was commenting on the clothes in their three styles, looking at cuts and colours, but the whole time I was lusting after clothes that have been around since a year ago, and I have in fact mentioned in previous posts. Whoopsie. I have no idea how this happened because looking at them I recognize at least one piece of clothing from each picture, but somehow I was in a blogger trance and it didn't quite sink in. I even had the real SS13 lookbook pictures saved on my phone, and still didn't realize when saving the pictures on my laptop that they didn't match up. Let's call it a "momentary lapse".

The thing that most bloggers would probably do, and perhaps the logical way to deal with this situation, would be to delete the post all together and make a new one. After spending my evening writing it though, it seems like a bit of a waste, so I decided to keep it up. I'm sure all of you beautiful people understand that everybody makes mistakes and so consequently won't hold this against me. I know that the blogging community can be very forgiving!

Here are the real Topshop S/S13 pictures: 

Tribal influences:






The tribal and jungle style prints in this section of the lookbook are to die for. I'm completely lusting over the dungarees in the second picture! I love the casual and laid back feel of these four outfits and the use of trainers with a hint of leopard print is ingenious; it brings a slightly sport luxe look to the clothes. 

Oriental beauty:





Oriental style make my heart flutter. I am so in love with these pieces. The use of jaunty angling in the first dress pictured is simply perfection, as are the high leg slits in the last. I think I've also become emotionally attached to the oversized clutch bags in this section. 

Monochrome grunge:





Just when you thouht it couldn't get any better Topshop whip out these monochrome pieces with a touch of grunge about them. I adore everything. The use of delicate fabrics layered under thick leathers with studs and spray paint is amazing, I'm especially lusting after the whole outfit in the first picture and the biker jacket in the last. 

Superwoman: 





Kapow! These comic book inspired prints are going to be huge in S/S and thanks to Topshop us normal folk will be able to get our hands on the jaw dropping style too. Of course I'm also a big fan of the "mom jeans" (mentioned here) and can't wait for them to hit the stores. Plus, varsity jacket are back! 

Spots and stripes:






Spots and stripes everywhere - On jeans, t-shirts, skirts, bags and even shoes. I love the skirt in the first picture with the leg slit, and how it's been styled with the loose fitted shirt. The green sweatshirt in picture 4 also has to be a favourite of mine. 

Sorry again for the "momentary lapse"! Still, I don't think two posts full of Topshop pictures can be a bad thing, right? 

Let me know in the comments which collection you prefer, SS12 or SS13? 

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige X

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Topshop excitement

"Keep calm Bethany, keep calm." That's a sentence I've had to repeat numerous times to myself today after finding out that Topshop have released their S/S 2013 lookbook. For me this is one of the best moments in the fashion calendar because, as you all know, Topshop is probably my favourite high-street shop. Looking through the absolutely stunning collection made me realize just how many wishlist posts I'm going to be making this spring! As far as I can tell the lookbook was split loosely into 3 categories: Quirky and girly, print overload and sport luxe. 

Quirky and girly:





Pastel colours, cute socks and delicately textured fabrics - absolutely adorable! I love the girly feel of these outfits and completely admire Topshop's ability to create jaw dropping accessories (let me point you in the direction of those flame socks in picture three) that bring a bit of edge to the clothes. 

Print overload:




The bright coloured clashing patterns of these outfits are certainly not for the faint hearted but they're totally gorgeous. I adore the use of layering. This kind of look is amazing for the warmth of summer as with all those floral prints you'll look like you're part of a tropical paradise! I have my eye on that yellow skirt in the last picture.

Sports luxe:




Metallics and mesh have to be two of my favourite fabrics. Enter Topshop. The sporty feel of these outfits really appeals to me, and I'm loving the gold and silver sandals (picture 1 and 3). These clothes are slightly relaxed but still have those luxurious touches that make them oh-so-stylish. 

Which is your favourite look?

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige X

Saturday, 26 January 2013

Celebrity inspiration: Miroslava Duma

Russian born and former Harper's Bazaar editor Miroslava Duma has quickly become one of the biggest names in fashion. Her street style credentials are through the roof, with magazines and blogs alike gagging to picture her. After seeing the now freelance writer in one of 2012's best outfits - that stunning scifi- esque Balenciaga top and super short mini - I decided to take a closer look at some of her other ensembles. 

It's a given to say that she's stylish, but I didn't realize that typing her name into Google images would be such a gold mine of style inspiration. Her use of structure, colour and cut is the epitome of chic. Miroslava seems to have some sort of skirt, usually a micro mini, super-glued to her seemingly never ending legs the majority of the time, with only the occasional pair of jeans or trousers popping up unexpectedly. It's also quite a task to find an outfit in which she's wearing flats. Skyscraper heels are part of the fashion editors' uniform though, so it's no surprise really! 

Here's a selection of my favourite Miroslava Duma looks: 















Which is your favourite outfit? 

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

A recent discovery

In winter I seem to spend a good 80% of my free time browsing online shops, usually from the comfort and warmth of my bed. I add numerous items to my basket, regardless of the mounting cost, and pretend that perhaps I'll buy them all in an act of spontaneity. Of course it never happens because, firstly - I don't have the kind of money to feed such gargantuan spending sprees, and secondly - I don't have the wardrobe capacity to facilitate the amount of pieces I fall head over heels for on a regular basis.

Recently the target of my affection has been nasty gal. They're not a brand I was familiar with until about a month ago, and taking a closer look at their gorgeous pieces makes me wonder just how they slipped through my radar. They have an amazing collection of classically girly clothes, shoes and accessories with slight adaptations to give them a real edge.

Lust list:

Pretty young thing dress - £99.70

This dress instantly made me think of the outfit Cara Delevingne wore at the British Fashion Awards (mentioned here) which I'm sure you'll agree, can never be a bad thing. I love the metallic pink fabric and laser cutouts on this otherwise simple tea dress, and think it would look gorgeous with a matte black clutch, heels and nails. 

Lumberjack swimsuit - £104.12

I'm so bored of there being nothing but floral bikinis in the swimwear section of shops! This tartan one piece with cut-out sides is such a breath of fresh air. I love the idea of bringing a bit of grunge to the beach this summer, just throw on some denim shorts and a baggy slogan tee a la Ashish and you're sorted.

Bummer plaid turtleneck - £51.71

Yes, another tartan print. You all know I love 90s fashion, and is there anything more 90s than a tartan long sleeved crop top with grungy studs? I think not. I love how it's worn in the photo with a mini skirt and thigh high socks. It's all very clueless



Sleek slide skirt - £36.60

I think I might be coming down with a slight plastic clothing obsessions  You might remember me buying a black pencil skirt of the sort in the H&M sale (shown here) but the cut makes all the difference! Or at least that's what I'm telling myself...


Time out mesh tee - £30.27

I'm loving sheer and mesh materials at the moment. I adore this thin, barely there, cover-up and it would be a very welcome addition to my spring/summer wardrobe. I imagine it over a mid length pencil dress with some chunky black boots


Hot shot jumper - £42.91

Here's another item that demonstrates my ever growing love of plastic in the fashion world. Who would've thought that a dungaree dress would look so unconventionally perfect with shiny plastic paneling? Certainly not me. Yet it completely does and I love it. 

Which of these gorgeous items is your favourite?

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige X