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)

Indian Summer

You might all remember how bereft I was when I had to say goodbye to my favourite Boho clothing brand, Nicole Richie's beautiful Winter Kate (blogged here). I've been searching for a replacement brand for months but to no avail. Until now! I stumbled across Spell Designs completely by accident and have subsequently spent many happy hours on their website drooling over their dreamy, ethereal designs.

My first purchase was a playsuit (of course it was; I'm obsessed with playsuits!) and what a beauty it is. Described online as 'the perfect Summer romper' (it really is), it is made in a beautiful cream broderie anglaise cotton with an embroidered tangled strawberry vine floral detail all over. It has a drawstring waist, 3/4 length sleeves and cute flirty frills on the shorts hemline. 

I styled it with my fab Country & Western-esque 'Jalouse' boots by Ash; yes I finally found the perfect replacement for my much loved, absolutely battered, completely worn out Karen Millen boots!

I wore my cute little playsuit for the very first time on a glorious sunny Sunday at Mayfield Lavender Farm in Surrey. We wandered dreamily through 25 acres, the fields carpeted in rich purple lavender, listening to bees humming, crickets chirping, the sweet, aromatic scent of lavender evoking a feeling of calm and tranquility. It is such a magickal, enchanted place. 

Get The Look:

Playsuit: Spell & The Gypsy Collective 'Indian Summer' Romper

Shoes: Ash 'Jalouse' Boots in taupe

Golden Girl

Where do I even begin with this beautiful metallic gold leather tank? It is a stunning top, a real stand out piece and much easier to wear than you might think; it is a great layering piece when worn with chunky knits, a sexy, dressy top with skinny jeans or as I've styled it here, glamorous & girly with a cute skirt.

The 'Dakota' leather tank by the extraordinarily talented Emma Manley features snap fasteners on both sides, and is studded with dome shaped studs in an irregular pattern all over.

I styled it here with another beautiful Manley piece, a firm favourite, the 'Dakota' studded skirt (also blogged here & here). I added towering heels to glam my look up even more and kept my makeup simple, using golds, nudes and metallic browns to compliment such a stunning top.

Get The Look:

Top: Manley Dakota Leather Tank in gold (similar)

Skirt: Emma Manley 'Dakota' Studded Skirt in navy (similar)

Shoes: Topshop 'Adina' Platform Ankle Boots in black (similar)