How to wear Patchwork denim

In recent weeks I have become obsessed with the classic American combo of red, white and blue and a certain Spring 2017, Ready-To-Wear collection has most certainly had something to do with this obsession.

Back in February, Tommy Hilfiger showcased his 2017 collection in LA and we saw a range made up of signature sportswear looks, patch work denim with strong boho vibes and everythingggggg was embroidered. As soon as I saw this catwalk collection I knew I wanted to recreate a look pronto!

Finding this particular pair of patchwork jeans started the ball rolling and I was instantly drawn to them for a number of reasons. 1) They scream 90's sportswear 2) I have yet to venture into the world of patchwork denim and 3) they're from ASOS so I knew if I hated them I could return them for free...it's the small things that get me haha. 

Patchwork denim has been around for a hot minute and everyone who is anyone has been spotted wearing it. I love the customised vibe of these jeans and the fact they look a little bit DIY. As mentioned in a previous post (here) I LOVE embroidery and the 3D rose patches on these jeans really spoke to me. They're so beautiful, right? 

I decided to go full blown 90s sportswear when it came to styling these jeans and I absolutely love this look if I'm honest with you. Imagine my delight when looking at the Tommy Hilfiger section on ASOS and I spotted this cropped hoody (now sadly out of stock). I'm heavily into the combo of the classic red, navy, and white and the fact the cropped sits happily on top of the high waisted Mom jeans. If you fancy trying these jeans; why don't you fully embrace the 90's sportswear vibe like I have? You might just love it!

                                                                                                          Photography by JKGPhotography

I finished off the look with these teeny diamond frame sunnies and don't laugh...but I am obsessed with martial art/Kung Fu shoes at the moment and to continue the red and white theme; I wore my newest ying yang/Wushu plimsolls which you can buy here. 

Shop my look

1. Jeans | 2. Cropped Hoodie (out of stock, similar here) | 3. Plimsolls | 4. Sunglasses (different colour way available now)

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My 2017 Summer Holiday Edit

Packing for a summer holiday can be daunting. I normally struggle with a number of factors but I'm pretty proud to say that for my recent holiday to Greece; I nailed the whole packing malarkey! Because I am so kind (lol) and love to share I thought I'd do a little post on a few top tips for packing for a summer holiday and an edit of the things I took to Kos.

-Tip One-

I went to Greece for 10 days and decided to make sure I had an evening outfit for every night I was there. I like to start with the evening looks when I pack because putting outfits together is my "thing" and when I know I am sorted on the evening front; I can relax and think about my day looks & swimwear. This might seem backwards for most people but I like to know how much of my bag will be left for the more lightweight day wear items after filling it up with evening looks and it also helps me to work out how many pairs of shoes I think I'll need to take. 

-Tip Two- 

I'm a hot person...in regards to body temperature (but I guess I'm kinda cute as well) so the number one thing I look for when shopping for a summer holiday is the fabric type of the garments. Call me an old foggy but cotton or other natural fabrics are your best friend and I try to make sure most of my day and evening looks are made out of cotton. I get really hot and bothered at night, even when the sun has gone down and if you're walking about a city or down the local strip; you want to stay as cool as possible.

Evening Outfits

I packed 10 evening looks for my trip and below is what I took. Some items I took are now sadly out of stock but I have substituted with similar pieces.

-Tip Three-

I tend to re-wear a lot of my day time pieces on multiple occasions throughout the holiday. Make sure you take day time pieces that you can mix and match. 
My summer holiday day time essentials are:
throw on dresses, wide leg trousers, lightweight tops and culottes. If you are going on a beach holiday; you tend to just live in your bikini and cover up so remember this if you start to stress about not having enough day time looks. Think simple!

Day Outfits

For this 10 day holiday I made sure I had 3x beach cover ups, a few throw on dresses, one dropped hem jumpsuit (from Amazon) and a pair of wide leg jersey culottes.

-Tip Four-

Roll.up.your.clothes... so simple yet SO effective. So, I know a lot of you have probably been doing this for years but I have only just started to do it and my goddddddd my life has changed! I ironed a few pieces before I went away and rolling them meant they were still in tact when I got them out the other end!

-Tip Five-

Road test your shoes. I tend to struggle with footwear. I don't know what it is but so many of them rub me or pinch me! Packing for a summer holidays (in the past) has always stressed me out BUT on this occasion I got it spot on. I made sure I travelled in my trusty trainers which I knew would be a) comfortable and b) I'd be able to pair with some of my daytime/evening looks. I packed a chunky pair of sliders which I wore around the house before I went away and they were SO comfortable. I also knew that these black sliders could be worn by the pool as well as with some of my evening looks. For the evenings, I packed a wide fit pair of block heels (cos I don't do high heels in hot countries) a lace up pair of platforms and a denim pair of slip on flats.

Shoes

Accessories

The only pieces of jewellery I took on this holiday were statement earrings and my old school chunky wood/plastic rings. I used to love a statement necklace but I didn't take a single one on this trip and I got so much use out of all the amazing earrings I took. I packed one wide brim hat to sling on whilst by the pool and I have to admit...I didn't wear it once. I keep trying to be a hat person but it's just not working!

In regards to bags I took one black cross body bag that slotted easily into my hand luggage, one clutch bag that worked with all my evening looks, one yellow cross body bag which looked great with both my day and evening looks and one beach bag which was my fave item of the whole holiday.

Sunglasses are a must of course! I packed three pairs and borrowed some whilst I was there. I tend to take cheaper highstreet sunnies with me on holiday because I can't be trusted not to leave them in some beach bar or sit on them when I crash out on my sun lounger!

Swimwear

When packing for a summer holiday I always like to take a new bikini top (or ten) and make sure that I pack the pair of high wasted bottoms that I know I love. I live in these high waisted bikini bottoms and I simply make sure I take a number of different style tops to pair with them. They are super high waisted, very supportive and comfortable and I think I've re bought them about 6 times because I love them so much. On this particular trip I did take a few new bottoms though as I knew I wanted to get my tummy out a bit more than usual.

So there we have it! A bit of a long post but I hope you found it useful and gave you a little inspiration for any future summer holidays you might have coming up! 

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6 reasons why charity shopping is the best

Last month I posted about my trip to Barnardo's charity shop and now I'm back for part two! I had the pleasure of raiding their rails and found so many cool pieces, I couldn't just do one post on the joys of charity shopping!

Due to the fact we have access to an extensive high street, I have been guilty in the past of forgetting the fact we have charity shops. I sometimes get stuck in a rut and find myself always clicking onto the same sites on my laptop or popping into my favourite stores in central London. 

Now don't get me wrong, the fact we are able to shop online so easily is a blessing. So many people are not as privileged as others and find it hard/impossible to just pop down to the shops. Online shopping offers so many people a life line and I know that when my Fibromyalgia is bad; I rely on  buying things online and having them sent to my front door.

If you have the time and are able to; here's...

Why I love shopping in charity shops 

Excitement of the unknown - One of the things that strikes me the most about shopping in charity shops is the excitement of the unknown. I never know what I'm going to find, if it's going to fit and who previously owned it. You never know what you're going to pick up and when I went into Barnardo's I had no plan on leaving with the items I did but now they're part of my wardrobe and I'm so happy!

Charity shops aren't size-ist - With your usual shops like Topshop or Marks and Spencer; you know the clothes stocked inside will generally only cater to a certain size range. The brilliant thing about charity shops is that they accept ALL sizes and as long as you're willing to hunt; you'll normally always find things that fit. Items donated might have been altered by their previous owner so you shouldn't just go by what the label says - try things on!

You're doing a good deed - Not only are you helping to lower the amount of money spent on fast fashion per year, but you are giving your money to charities that rely on the kindness of others to survive. Barnardo's are a charity focused on helping vulnerable children and every time you buy something from one of their stores; you'll be directly helping those kids. 

Shop Unisex - due to the nature of charity shops, the rails are jam packed with all sorts and often people don't put back the "correct item" in the "correct place". Browse every single rail and you might just find something that's right up your street.

Perfect for pressies - My best mate Bob is obsessed with 'tat' and like me has a house full of bits and bobs. I love buying him charity shop gifts, homeware especially! Make sure you look in every single part of a charity shop as you don't know what you'll unearth!

Beautiful, one off pieces at a reasonable price - Over the years, I have found some amazing designer pieces that would have cost an arm and a leg if they'd been on sale in a vintage shop. Dedicate your time to ferreting in those boxes, look at the back of the shelves and ask the shop workers when they restock their rails. Charity shops are like little gold mines and you might just come across a vintage Chanel jacket or Louis Vuitton handbag on your next trip.

Photography by JKGPhotography

1. Cape - Barnardo's | 2. Jeans | 3. Vans Trainers 

Don't forget to check out Barnardo's 'One Of A Kind' trend book; I was instantly intrigued and was over the moon when I saw that they had decided to exclusively use plus size girls. The trend book features a selection of Spring/Summer '17 looks and every outfit is made up of clothes and accessories donated to their stores. 

Take a look at the trend book, find out where your nearest charity shop is and if you can; head down there asap...you won't regret it! 

*This post was written in collaboration with Barnardo's but was not sponsored

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