Rainy Day, Dream Away

“Rainy day, rain all day

Ain't no use in gettin' uptight

Just let it groove its own way

Let it drain your worries away yeah

Lay back and groove on a rainy day hey

Lay back and dream on a rainy day”

~ Jimi Hendrix

A lovely friend told me about a cool new online store called Magic Jac. You'll love it she said. Gorgeous clothes she said. And so affordable she said. I was clicking my way onto the site before you could say 'shopaholic'.

Magic Jac, recently founded by Gee Kullar, features a host of products from up and coming Designers such as Lili London and Missi. Full of pretty dresses, cool tees, leggings and shoes, it is a cornucopia of cool, vintage inspired pieces.

My friend wasn't kidding when she said the prices were affordable; the first piece to catch my eye, a cute little top by Lili London, costs a bargainlicious £10!! The white heart top has a black collar that buttons to the back, a comfy elasticated waist with peplum detail, girly puff sleeves and an all over quirky heart design. It would look equally good paired with a black pencil skirt for the office, black tailored pants, one of this seasons very cool midi skirts or, if the weather picks up again, a great pair of denim shorts.

The first time I wore my pretty top, I paired it with my favourite skinny jeans. I had planned to wear cute red ballerina pumps (hence the red lips) but the heavens opened just as we were leaving the house and I ended up wearing my Jimmy Choo Hunter wellies instead. These wellies are the coolest wellies on the planet and can make even the rainiest of days seems so very magickal!

The only accessories I needed for a fun, wet, muddy walk by the river were my trusty satchel and a big ol' battered brolly.

Get The Look:

Top: Lili London 'White Heart' Top

Jeans: J Brand 'Songbird' Skinny Jeans (similar)

Shoes: Jimmy Choo Hunter Wellies (similar)

Bag: Cambridge Satchel Co. 11" Classic Satchel in black

Self Portrait

The gorgeous 'Self Portrait' dress by super cool Australian brand Sass and Bide is my favourite piece from their Pre-Fall14 Kicky Saints collection.

Made from 100% silk, the loose fitting, wrap style dress simply slips on. It features long sleeves with elastic cuffs, an elasticated waistband, pocket detailing on the bust and a hi-lo hemline that hangs long at the back & short and sexy to the front. The geometric, Aztec design in a black, green and white colour-way gives it a very 70s feel & you all know how much I love the boho vibe of the 1970s.

I paired the dress with my Ash 'Jealouse' boots. These are my second pair of Ash boots. They remind me of my dream booties, the lush Isabel Marant 'Dicker' boots but come at a fraction of the price; I adore them. They are the perfect bootie and they look great with everything. I especially love that there is a little bit of a Country & Western vibe to them that immediately compliments the 70s look of the dress. I'll be wearing this outfit a lot. An awful lot!

Get The Look:

Dress: Sass and Bide 'Self Portrait' Dress

Shoes: Ash 'Jalouse' Boots in taupe

A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock 'n' Roll

“I’m a little bit Country

And I'm a little bit Rock 'n’ Roll

I'm a little bit of Memphis and Nashville

With a little bit of Motown in my soul”

~ M. Osmond

Another day, another piece of Manley magick; there's no two ways about it, I am hopelessly addicted to Emma Manley's lush designs.

The 'Elsie' shirt is my latest acquisition. I've worn it a lot already and every single time someone has commented on it's Country & Western vibe. It's true, it does have that Cowgirl chic look, the metallic old silver leather collar and bodice adding a cool rock 'n' roll edge and the silver buttons shining against the billowing navy silk adding a very luxurious feel to the classic shape.

I styled the shirt with my beloved old Zara denim shorts; these shorts are like a fine wine, getting more & more fabulous with age. They have seen me through four or five Summers now & I suspect they will be around for a long time to come. Best buy ever!

The Ash boots really play up the Country & Western vibe of the shirt. I love these boots so much I will buy myself another pair before they sell out. The shirts are selling like wild fire too so I shall also treat myself to another of them; there is an especially cool one with a navy leather collar that has my name written all over it. Coming to a blog near you soon, just you wait and see!

Get The Look:

Shirt: Emma Manley ‘Elsie’ Silk & Leather Shirt

Shorts: Zara Denim Shorts (similar)

Shoes: Ash 'Jalouse' Ankle Boots in taupe

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography

Live It, Love It, Tie Dye It

Tie dye, dip dye, ombré; I never know if it is 'in' or not, if it's a 'thing' or not. It isn't a trend I check. I just love it, so I wear it regardless. I'm a bit of a Hippie at heart, this has always influenced how I dress and there is something intrinsically 'Hippie' about tie dye.

This Zara shirt is my idea of ombré heaven; just two beautiful colours, blended and shaded to perfection on a sheer, Summery fabric. The shirt was a complete sellout a couple of seasons ago and I had to wait until this Summer to finally get my hands on it via eBay. It was definitely worth the long wait and I even got over my cringy 'thing' about wearing secondhand clothes for it.

You may remember that I have been searching for a new pair of white denim shorts (blogged here). Well, I actually found the perfect pair, in fact I found two perfect pairs, one from H&M and this cute pair by Etoile Isabel Marant. The 'Britanny' shorts have the low-rise I find so necessary in shorts, jeans, trousers and skirts (I have a short body you see. Long legs for a short girl, but a short body nonetheless). They are a light-weight, stretchy denim and have very striking red & blue stitching on all seams.

I finished my look off with my still relatively new, still utterly adored Ash boots. Such a great buy, I'll be wearing these beauties well into Autumn/Winter!

Get The Look:

Shirt: Zara Tie Dye Shirt in blue/white (similar)

Shorts: Etoile Isabel Marant 'Britanny' Shorts in white (similar)

Shoes: Ash 'Jalouse' Ankle Boots in taupe

The Darker Side Of Summer

This cool little dress is another piece from Nicole Richie's wonderful House Of Harlow 1960 ready-to-wear collection.

'Adeline' is a chiffon overlay mini dress. Fully lined, it features draped panels at the sides, a scoop neckline and hidden zip closure to the back. Vegan faux leather cap sleeves and an all-over skull pattern bring a darker edge to this otherwise very girly dress.

I've said it here before and I'll say it again, brogues are such a cool alternative to ballet pumps when you want to wear flats so I paired my dress with a fantastic pair from ASOS. This look is a great way to wear black when the weather gets warmer; the rock chick in me loves the darker side of Summer!

Get The Look:

Dress: House Of Harlow 1960 'Adeline' Dress

Shoes: ASOS 'Marky' Brogues in black (similar)

Little Black Playsuit

Playsuit, romper, jumpsuit, all-in-one; call them what you will, I simply love them. Last Summer my go-to all-in-one was the 'DJ' lace trim silk playsuit by super-chic French brand Maje (blogged here). I was overjoyed to discover they were reinventing my favourite playsuit for S/S14 and I snapped it up as soon as it was available to buy.

A beautiful, delicate, feminine piece, the Maje 'Evening' lace playsuit is cut from 100% silk and features sheer lace inserts at the shoulders & hemline. It has a deep v-neck, concealed button fastenings to the front and an elasticated waist adds subtle definition to the relaxed cut. The big difference this season is the long sleeves with buttoned cuffs.

A playsuit is a particularly versatile piece and can be dressed up or down. I styled mine for a night out with a pair of 70s-esque heels from Reiss. A peep-toe, printed satin sandal, the 'Paula' shoe features a platform with notch detail wedge and a skinny ankle strap. I complimented the blue in the shoes with my much used blue leather clutch from Ally Capellino.

Get The Look:

Playsuit: Maje Evening Lace Playsuit (similar)

Shoes: Reiss 'Paula' Shoes (similar)

Bag: Ally Capellino 'Rose' Frame Clutch bag (similar)