MeetMyBoyfriend

This is for him...

Annie & Sean

Occasion: Summertime Tea At Curry Mile

Annie’s Outfit Recipe [let's take it from the top]...

• Vintage floral dress *originally a skirt!*
• Tan leather gladiator style lace-up sandals *handmade in Greece*

A Sprinkle Of Accessories...

• Tortoiseshell & gold sunglasses
• Vintage gold plaited wire belt *passed down from my Grandmother*

Sean’s Outfit Recipe [let's take it from the top]...

• Teal blue floral shirt [Topman]
• Light blue denim jeans *turned up at the bottom for that summer feeling*
• Dark brown brogues *new today!* [Topman]

A Sprinkle Of Accessories...

• Vintage clubman style sunglasses

With An Essence Of...

• Diesel’s ‘Fuel For Life’

Sipping on…

• Font’s amazing £3 ginger beer mojitos

Dancing To...

• Artic Monkeys – Black Treacle

MeetTheSummer

Occasion: BBQ In The Park

Outfit Recipe [let's take it from the top]...

• Yellow & white polkadot sheer & pleated summer dress
• Coral & tan sandals

A Sprinkle Of Accessories...

• Tortoise shell 50s style sunglasses
• Tan leather rucksack *a souvenir from last summer in Greece*

Dancing To...

• Metronomy – The Look
• Toto – Africa
• KC & The Sunshine Band – Give It Up
• Men At Work – Down Under
• Kasabian’s ‘Velociraptor!’ album

Sipping On…

• ‘Little Miracles’ white tea, ginseng, cherry and acai infused organic energy drink [http://drinklittlemiracles.com/]

• Lots of water *to keep hydrated in the heat*

Munching on…

• Quorn lemon & black pepper escalope burger
• Barbecued corn on the cob
• Garlic & chilli olives *from my graze box!*

MeetMyLittleFriends

Occasion: Artistic Morning & Chilled Park Afternoon

Outfit Montage…

• Salmon pink lightweight silk top
• Rose printed ‘skorts’ [for those of you who don’t know…these are shorts crossed with a skirt! Might sounds weird, but they are very practical when lounging in the park!]
• Coral green ruched bandeau [perfect underneath top for spontaneous sunbathing, minus lines!]

A Sprinkle Of Accessories...

• My cute little cat earrings [birthday present from my amazing Vegan American friend Kate… http://katelovesyouxxx.blogspot.co.uk/, from Irregular Choice, a boutique in London’s Carnaby Street… http://www.irregularchoice.com/]

With An Essence Of...

• Eden by Cacharel for Women, Eau De Parfum

Chilling To...

Various Artists Including:

• The Black Keys
• Laura Marling
• The XX

Lusting After…

• A BBQ...That smell is just irresistible!

The aim of my outfit today was 'cool'...not just to look it, but to feel it! Instead of wearing skirts all summer & struggling with wind & football in the park, opt for 'skorts' which allow more comfortable movement as well as a nice breeze...on your legs! 

In a conversation with friends today, we agreed that in summer people can either get fashion very wrong or very right! To create a successful summer outfit, colour is key! Yes we are all pitying the people dressed head-to-toe in black on a lovely summers day...and trust me, many of those were spotted today! Why would you put yourself through that?! Everyone knows that dark colours absorb the heat, so choose light & bright colours in easy layers instead! 

Taking this into consideration, I chose to complement my floral skorts with a salmon pink top, picking out a key tone from the lower layer. Due to the occasion, I also put a complementary bandeau top underneath for a spot of sunbathing! 

Everyone loves a bit of sparkle, however during summer passerby's do not want to be blinded walking past you & your new sequin 'of the moment' garment! So if metallics are involved in your outfit, keep them to a minimum like these gold buttons. Although 'metal clashing' is in at the moment [gold, silver and bronze apparently look stunning all piled on together!] you don't have to follow the trends...make them! I suggest picking up on a particular shimmer & reflecting that in your accessories. Keep your accessories subtle & flirty...no one wants to be weighed down by thousands of bangles when trying to sip an iced coffee!

Costa's Iced Vanilla Latte...LARGE!

MeetMyMotivation

Occasion: Creative Sunshiny Happiness

Great For...Gifts, Friends, Family, You!

Sunshine definitely does improve everyone’s mood & I think the sun shining yesterday really did have an effect on my productivity.

Firstly I managed to find a bargain of a pair of shoes [look to yesterday’s post] which is an achievement within itself! Secondly I put my creativity to the test as me & the bf decided to customise our own ceramic dinner paints. All we started off with were cheap plain plates & some ceramic paints [found in any good arts store…Fred Aldous if you reside in Manchester, or Cass Art in good in London] 

And then just let the creative juices flow…

I also believe the sunshine had an effect on my designs. My Boyfriend [who had only ventured to the spot of grass just outside the house all day] created plates that had the cool factor, but actually left me with a bit of a shiver…

'Born To Kill'...but why did he have to use red paint?!

Whereas mine radiated freedom…

Peace…

And, urm, craziness?

We nearly forgot to sign & date the masterpieces to remember this momentous occasion!

MeetTheSunshine

Occasion: Sunny City Style

Outfit Recipe [let's take it from the top]...

• ‘Wild’ sheer printed top [Topshop] *wearing a birthday present reflecting the current tribal & sheer trends*
• Mum’s vintage mint green pleated mid-skirt

A Sprinkle Of Accessories...

• Gold chain head-band
• Vintage tortoise shell effect sunglasses *the hexagonal shapes outer lenses & the downward curve on the arms add a vintage 1920s feel*

With An Essence Of...

• ‘Rose’ by Paul Smith *if the sun is shining outside, make sure you smell like it too!*

Dancing To...

• Breezeblocks - Alt-J
• Borderline - Madonna
• Let's Go Surfing - The Drums
• You Only Live Once - The Strokes

Lusting After...

• Antique Gold Tape Measure Bangle from 'Junk', Manchester's Best Independent Shop!

• Limited Edition Shoes by New Look [Confession *I just had to purchase the tan & coral sandals*...in the sale at an £8 steal!] 

Munching on...

• Homemade asparagus, portobello mushroom, spinach & tomatoes sauteed in herbs & garlic *mmm I smell nice!* [comment me for the recipe]

Manchester turned its frown upside down today & let the sun shine! So I embraced this rare occasion by brightening everything in my life up a notch...
The time had come to break open the colourful side of my wardrobe & embrace my well collected vintage finds. I picked up on the warm tones in the print by reflecting them in my head-wear & accessories, focusing on gold & amber tones. To make it feel less like I was playing 'colour snap' I brought out the skyline tones of my top with the pastel mint green skirt. Not only is this colour very 'of the moment', it lay just below my knee which is also a present enviable shape. It is a tricky one to pull off, but I gave it a shot! Hopefully the complement I received about the skirt in the trendy Northern Quarter shop 'Junk' proved me wrong, or maybe it just complemented my Mum's younger style!?

http://www.junkshopuk.com/

MeetMyLittleTreasure

Over Easter I created some T-shirt designs using white jersey to create on-trend tribal inspired tassels & image transfer to create my own angel design just below the neckline of the top.

My Angel T-shirt design, originally made for my own use, caught a Boutique owner’s eye in my hometown of Hastings. ‘Little Treasures’, based in Hastings bohemian Old Town collects and sells vintage and handmade replica vintage items. My design, having a theme of 80s style hippy fitted in perfectly and it was decided to give my creations a trial run! So I made a collection and here they are now…

http://littletreasuresvintage.co.uk/

MeetMyToday

Occasion: Day Out With The Father

Outfit Recipe [let's take it from the top]...

• Handmade ‘Skulls’ print fringed top
• Leather scallop-edged shorts
• Black patent brogues

A Sprinkle Of Accessories...

• Black into clear fold-away Ray Ban sunglasses
• Cream Trench coat [Zara] *with hand-picked leopard print tie*
• Black patent animal textured handbag *gold clasp details to complement decorative beading on my top's tassels*

With An Essence Of... 

• C’est la fete! By Christian Lacroix

Inspired by Alexander McQueen’s skull print scarfs, made this top I am wearing today...

I like that the print isn’t too obvious & I complemented it by the edged fringing along the neckline... 

MeetYourMaker

Fashion. Style. Creativity

Join me as I venture through the world of Fashion...

Occasion: A Day Round Town

Outfit Recipe [let's take it from the top]...

• Top created by Me *made out of vintage scarf * inspired by D&G's S/S '12 collection*

[And who wouldn't want to make a scarf top if the girls that wear them get guys like this!?]

• Vintage yellow ochre & pearl detail suede leather bolero *a touch of glamorous tribal to complement the scarf print*
• Mum's vintage grey trousers [thank-goodness Ma never throws anything out!]
• Add a bit of sparkle to the socks
• Black patent brogues

A Sprinkle Of Accessories...

• Black into clear fold-away Ray Ban sunglasses
• Camel & Black stripy clutch bag [Mango]

With An Essence Of...

• Paul Smith's 'Rose' Eau de Parfum

I love the satisfaction of wearing something you have created, seeing it transform from imagination to reality. Putting a great combination of an outfit together is nearly as good, so I recommend you start digging in those wardrobes & finding interesting combinations you never would have dreamed of before!

I picked up this cute little jacket in a great vintage boutique in my hometown of Hastings, on sale for just £20, so it's not just about the price tag! Although do think of 'cost-per-wear'...it if is a pricey piece & you expect to only wear it once, consider selling it on to friends, or vintage shops like the one I got this jacket from even give you half your money back if you don't wish to wear it anymore! One person's rubbish is another person's treasure!

MeetWhatIWant

I currently have a 25% off voucher for Kurt Geiger & it is burning a hole in my pocket! I visited the KG shop in Manchester’s Arndale & Selfridges’ shoe department today & managed to restrain from buying or even trying anything! There are some stunning summery styles, so for resisting all that temptation, I think that deserves a little treat…

These just scream summer!

I love a good old brogue...

Subtle summer coral...

Apparently green is my colour!?

White wedges would go with everything...

But which treat?

MeetMe

Annie Oakes

Fashion Student

Lives Life In Manchester

Retreats Home To Hastings

Loves Creation, Inspiration & All Things Beautiful

‘Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it’

Join Me As I Venture Through The World Of Fashion…