Stylish updates live from London by a freelance personal shopper/fashion stylist, entrepreneur, PR and social media marketing enthusiast. Here to inspire, be inspired and network.
With Summer playing peek-a-boo and rain constantly showing its wrath on London, I have been feeling printed dresses and stockings lately. I like the concept of wearing bright stockings off setting a printed dress. Fuss free, stylish, versatile and simple. Share yours xx
Hello my fashionable followers/readers/fellow bloggers!!
I know I have not been as regular as I usually am but you cannot expect me to work while I am away. Writing full on posts feels a bit arduous! For that follow me on Twitter (@NidaJehan) and get all the latest (read: regular) posts and pictures. BUT! I have been piling up work for myself and I will be updating you all on what I bought/wore/styled/wanted-to-die-wearing!!
So I bought this top from this local boutique called Chinyere’. It’s a subsidiary of this clothing conglomerate called Bareeze’ whose unstitched cloth of the finest cotton, silk and chiffon Pakistani women swear by! It was on SALE!! Yes!! So not only was it a bargain but it was really stylish as well. Value for money I would say! The colour is very Spring/Summer and around the neck is a hand embroidered design that looks like I’m wearing a necklace so you don’t need to wear any jewellery. Very smart! It’s shaped like a paper bag upside down and is tight around the legs. It is very flattering to the figure. And if this top isn’t impressive enough from the front, check out the back! Keeps the onlooker entertained from front and back! hah! I got it for a cool Rs.3000 which is a cool £20! Not bad at all.
I love buying clothes and accessories that I can wear over and over again without getting bored and that I can mix and match with other items from my wardrobe as I go along the year. My recent shopping spree has been quite productive. If you read one of my previous posts about Zara (refresh your memory by clicking here) I was in love with their floral blazer. Since seeing it in store, I was dreaming of it 24/7 and could not help but buy it! YES! I bought it! It is such an amazing piece; I am already excited about Spring/Summer.
I am such a Zara fiend that I do most of my shopping from there. And I will contradict myself by saying some of their stuff is really low quality which pains me but some is totally worth it! I also bought a white pair of trousers with a sheen finish and an ankle zip detail- love the mid rise skinny fit (£40.00). And then there was their sale stuff still in store- tops as low as £3!! Even though sales are pretty much done and over with you can still find some really good bargains if you’re the patient one.
The green snake skin high heels are so chic and the textured print is lovely that is perfect for the coming season. It is very versatile and can easily be worn with colourful pieces as well as stand out in an all black outfit. The yellow top is again from Zara that I got on sale LAST year and with a colourful summer ahead of us- STILL very much wearable (And I got it on a sale too for under £10!!).
Patterned and floral prints have made a comeback in a big way thanks to big wigs like Versace, Oscar De La Renta, Prada and they’re being incorporated in blazers, tops and trousers by high street brands. The abstract floral print blazer I got from River Island has seen me through a whole year and it’s still as wearable as ever. I love clothes that last you through thick and thin like a trusty friend! haha
And so I decided to do a shoot combining some old and new pieces- more of a capsule look I would say. Keeping the accessories same, I have changed the blazer and top. Voila! you’ve got two outfits! This is just an inspiration for you to play around with pieces you already own and some you could add to your collection. I could play around with more and more looks by adding a couple more pieces but then I’ll just get carried away and never stop! Till the next one, enjoy the following photos! xxx
Synopsis of the looks:
Yellow Top: Zara
Purple Top: Zara
Heels: Zara
Floral Blazar with an undertone of black and purple: Zara
Floral Blazer with an undertone of off white: River Island
This title is a homage to the recent spew of videos under the umbrella title of “Sh*t Girls Say” and a recent addition to this is “Sh*t Fashion Girls Say”. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click on the following links- it’s a 2 part video:
These videos are soooo hilarious! Like O MY GOD hilarious! (I so don’t talk this way!!!)
——————–
I decided it was time I started sharing my recent purchases with you guys. Since I spend most of my time (and money) on shopping AND eating, I thought why not. Being a bargain junkie, my shopping is a mixture of pricey as well as not so pricey items.
Since I am about to embark on a longish holiday, I am currently in a holiday shopping mode. Now who has NOT heard of TK Maxx?! Please don’t say you haven’t! Being a bargain junkie that I am, I’m in love with this place. You have the likes of Michael Kors, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Versace, Alberta Ferretti and the list goes on- gracing the rails of this store. Sometimes, I feel almost cheated on paying full price for things and realise what is their real value when you can easily find them in stores like TK Maxx?! Not that I’m complaining!! In fact, bring it all here!
So today I had embarked on finding myself a pair of silver high heels for my brother’s upcoming wedding and instead I found myself hogging the rails of TK Maxx. Soon enough I found myself holding a purse and my! what a gorgeous purse. Very elegant and understated- in a royal purple colour with an inner finish of fuchsia. It’s primarily for travelling so you can hold your passport, tickets and other travelling documents in one place. How many times have you found yourself at the airport counter rummaging through your bag trying to find your ticket or the boarding pass or your passport?!……Ok, just me then! Under a tenner, this baby is going to be my best travelling accessory! It is by this designer called Anna Di Angelo. I haven’t heard about this designer but it’s a start.
The next accessory I bought was a silk scarf from Zara. I think I am unconsciously buying everything that has purple or fuchsia or pink in it. I think my body is trying to get ready for Spring! aah! Can’t wait!! But yea, again under a tenner, could not resist taking a few shots with the purse juxtaposed on top of the scarf.
And then there were the shoes! I am a crazy shoe addict. Some people call me the caterpillar- I have stupendous amount of shoes! I shall do a post soon about my collection of shoes. They’re divided into different categories; My Going-Out Shoes, Everyday Shoes, Wedding Shoes, Sporty Shoes, Semi-Formal Shoes, Unisex Shoes……You get the idea right? As I am in the holiday mode right now, I bought myself two pairs of shoes because I may need them for a party or a wedding- who knows. Both of these I got from Dune for around £50 and I was very pleased with myself.
The Beige peep toe pair is very minimal yet versatile. It is very Spring Summer 2012 and will sit well with all the bright colours I wear. The heel is high enough to not be uncomfortable after a while. I love this pair and for under £20, I’m quite pleased.
couldn’t resist! And I love the combo!!
The other pair of shoe is just so beautiful, classy and chic with the right amount of femininity to it. The diamantes, the silk satin finish, the pointed front, the cut out design from the sides finished off with a pretty bow at the back- these shoes just did it for me. And in black, they’re a killer pair of heels! I cannot wait to wear this sexy pair out!
Alright, this sums up my recent buys! Hope you enjoyed these. I will be sharing my shopping more regularly now. Just saw the time- gotta go and sleep! Catch you guys later. As always, do write in, give your feedback and share!
The look I am loving so far. Will definitely be playing around with it. Zara you make me come back for more!!
The floral blazer and the pleated skirt are versatile and go with a number of looks. I’m thinking white trousers, pink skinnies, white tank tops and the works with loads of chunky jewellery to accessorise! Can’t wait to get my hands on this one!
I never realised this red puffa jacket I bought from Zara looked similar to Michael Jackson’s Thriller jacket until my work mates pointed it out. Couldn’t help breaking out into the zombie dance. Ignoring them trying to rain on my parade, this jacket does keeps me quite warm and I love the gold zip detail. I’ve seen of late, Zara’s quality has gone down for some clothing items but they’re high on the style factor which is why I can’t help shopping there. I’m a sucker for fashion! O EM JEE!
Anyway, winters has officially arrived ladies and gentleman! Trying to cover as much as we can from this chilly weather. It’s so cold that I am tempted to layer as much as I can with only two little slits so my eyes can see but better sense prevails and I have to wear something that makes me feel fabulous in this miserable and cold weather. So, today I wore:
Jacket: Zara
Dress: Zara
Shoes: Limited Ed Converse (the only ones that I own! not a converse girl but I love the silver material and red detail)
Since it’s getting so cold in London (well FINALLY! still no sign of snow though ) my new love is layering. And lots of layering. In this particular post, I layered a £3 Forever21 top (got it in 2 for 1 sale!!) on top of a £10 H&M dress and paired that with a statement necklace I got on sale from House of Fraser, my faux leather tights (from ASOS) and Zara ankle boots.
The faux leather tights give the whole outfit a really nice and glossy finish. So this winter, layer it up!! Coz you’ll be be taking those layers off in the Summer.
Don’t be afraid to play with colour! It will brighten up your day and you never know someone else’s too!! All the items used are listed below but you don’t have to go by the book. Find your own bargains and style a similar look!
You know the kind of affinity you have with a place even though you’ve never been there? The fact that you look at the pictures and you feel close to it? That’s what I feel when I think about Paris. This outfit is a homage to my love for everything French. French people know how to dress. You look at them and you just want to say “Très chic”, Oo La La! (Apologies to any French person reading my blog and thinking I’m completely destroying your language )
This All Saints Monument coat has a story. I saw it the first time All Saints came out with their Winter 2011 Collection and I fell in love with it instantly while going through their racks in Selfridges. The cut, the fall of the coat and the buckle detail- that just did it for me. I knew I would have it in my wardrobe soon enough. A month or so later, I went to their Covent Garden Store and found out they had sold out of it. I was gutted. I wanted the black coat. I enquired about it and the sales assistant very kindly printed out a list of ALL the stores that were stocking the last or the last TWO coats in my size. From then started a race to bag the prize. I called all the nearest stores and checked online. I would not settle until I had it in my wardrobe.
I guess it was meant to be and I found the LAST coat in the @AllSaints store near my workplace. It was “kismet”. I reserved it, went and bought it! AAAH! The satisfaction! That feeling is something else. The adrenaline rush is just amazing. For some odd reason I love this chase and I treasure this coat immensely. If you thought of a perfect coat, to me this is it. Trust me, I have A LOT of coats and jackets but the way this falls over the body and drapes it is just so elegant and stylish. I will feature a post on the whole collection of my coats and jackets one of these days!
Lesson: If you see something and cannot stop thinking about it? BUY IT!! If you leave it, you will always regret it. Trust me. I’ve had a lot of these moments.
For this look, I paired it with my Zara woolen tights and studded TOPSHOP loafers, which I love as well!
And finished off the whole look with my red Accessorize beret and Burberry print scarf to give a nice hint of red and beige check design around the neck (got as a gift from Scotland). You can get similar hats from @ASOS and @Topshop.
An item of clothing that is doing the rounds in all the clothing retailers is a Faux Fur Gillet. In shades of browns, black and grey- this piece of clothing gives an extra dose of glamour to your whole look. To be honest I am biased towards anything faux fur so this is definitely my favourite piece of clothing this winter season.
As it is still going to be quite chilly for the next 3-4 months, you can invest in this piece from retailers like TopShop, Zara, Reiss, H&M, Forever21 and even find them at big department stores like Debenhams.
TIPPED MONGOLIAN GILET Was £185.00 Now £90.00 @TOPSHOP
But if you don’t mind spending a bit extra and by “bit” I mean £155 to be exact, then you can buy this gorgeous “Fluffy” Feather Gilet from REISS online. It comes in two colours: Deer and Oil Blue. They’re both equally beautiful and will definitely enhance your wardrobe. The added glory is the silk sash that goes around your waist. LOVE IT!!
REISS Womens Fluffy Deer Feather Gillet £155
You can buy this gorgeous piece from the following link, or go in store: