The Ghost In You

Faux Fur Coat- Vintage, Checked shirt- H&M Mens, Jeans- New Look, Shoes- Vintage

Here's what I'd call my 'go-to' outfit at the moment. I think it encompasses what I'd say my style is- high street pieces mixed with vintage.

I bought the coat at a wonderful vintage fair held in Saltaire by Rose & Brown at the beautiful Victoria Hall. The venue itself gave such a unique atmosphere to the fair as you can reflect on the grandeur of your surroundings, whilst browsing rails of true one-off pieces. I'd definitely recommend a visit if you live near Leeds.

Yesterday I attended another vintage fair held by Judy's Vintage Fair. I love going to these as they are very trend lead and you can find some beautiful items. I saw an abundance of knitted jumpers, fur, pleats and sheepskin- all of which were perfect for the current season. I bought a wonderful Christmas jumper that's pretty out there and a mid length pleated skirt with a lovely floral pattern- which I will do a post about shortly.

I am going to another fair next weekend in Newcastle too, which I am hoping to feature on the blog. Also I will be giving tips about what to look for when you go to these events.

H A Y L E S x

Burnt Orange

Burnt Orange Jumper- Matalan, grey 'leather' skirt- H&M, Fur stole- H&M, glasses- H&M

Chunky knits teamed with fur- my favourite autumn/winter look. I bought the fur stole last year and was so glad when it got cold enough to get it out again. Teamed with the leather look skirt and black opaques this could be dressed down with tan chelsea boots or with heeled brogues for a more dressy look.

H A Y L E S x



Pick Up the Pieces & Build a Lego House

Peter Pan Collar Top- Topshop, Navy Sweater- H&M, Pink Shorts- H&M, Heeled Loafers- Primark

It's been a few weeks since my last post, mainly due to being mega busy at work and having a couple of hectic weekends visiting family and friends.

Here's my take on the Peter Pan Collar. I really like the layered look, especially with thin classic knitwear- very Alexa Chung! I bought these shorts at the end of the Summer from H&M and find they are very versatile. The colour's lovely and they can be teamed with lots of different things. 

I've had such a nice weekend. Just relaxed, which has been great. I've also taken a few photographs for a couple more outfit posts, so these shall be up very soon. Hope you've had a good weekend too :)

H A Y L E S x

Let's take a vacation

So I'm back from my holibobs and have really enjoyed it. Mallorca really is a beautiful place and the turquoise waters are truly exquisite. Was so good to get away from the mundane routine of work etc and just relax. I did however miss all of London Fashion Week- what an error for a Fashion Blogger, but I'm thoroughly enjoying indulging in catching up on the going ons of the epic event and am especially loving these Street Style pictures and this video from the Topshop Unique show.

Whilst away I did treat myself to two new purchases...

I have wanted the Flowerbomb perfume for a while and I am so glad I bought it as the scent is really sensual and feminine. It's very light and could be worn in the day or in the evening. It's floral fantastic!

PS It's good to be back in the land of blogging ;)

H A Y L E S x

Dreaming

So, it's September, one of my favourite months. Really glad that the Autumn/Winter season can officially begin, even though I've been dressing for it for the last couple of weeks. Here's one of my favourite outfits at the moment...a burgundy vintage pleated skirt, tan Chelsea boots and an old favourite striped jumper from H&M.

I've titled the post 'Dreaming' just to reflect on how I seem to be feeling at the moment. Currently very disillusioned with my job, which is working as a HR & Communications Assistant for a charity in Newcastle. Some aspects are absolutely great and very rewarding however for me HR is not a direction I want to be going in. I have studied Journalism to a postgraduate level and really want to be able to use those skills in a job that I really enjoy..hence the 'dreaming'

I am realistic at how hard it is to become a writer, let alone a Fashion Writer however this is my dream and I have decided I need to get out there and try and get into a role where I feel I can use my skills. So, that's the plan for September...find a role for me, rather than a role that isn't me...if you know what I mean?

H A Y L E S x

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Finishing Touches

If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed that just recently I've gone a little accessory crazy! 

I wanted to share with you some of my most recent buys, that are all ready for the AW season.

1. Tan Riding Boots (River Island)- I bought these with my birthday money and at £40 I thought they were really reasonable. Just what I needed for the new season too, a great pair of boots. What also attracted me to these were how similar they are to the pretty much sold out Topshop Allegras.

2. Snakeskin briefcase clutch (River Island)- This was a present from my Mum and she did good with this! I've always loved snakeskin bags and love the handle on this one. 

3. Tan Camera Box Bag (Primark)- I picked this up yesterday while I was out getting the last fews bits I needed for my holiday. I have a slight obsession with tan bags and this will now be added to the collection. But thought it was great for the new season.

4. Leopard Print Flats (River Island)- I know, River Island again! But really like the accessories they have in at the moment. Love the luxe look of these slipper flats...they remind me of something a 60 something lady would wear with a white suit on a cruise and that's what attracted me to them haha! I've also seen photos of the Olsen twins in shoes that are very similar...so what more could I want??

H A Y L E S x

Big Smoke dreams

Hello lovelies. It's been a while since my last post (major apols) and I've been really busy with work after a fab week off and lots of celebrations for my 26th birthday (I've literally strung it out as long as I possibly could!) Loved my trip to Essex and London and wanted to share some snaps that I took there.

Whilst in the Big Smoke I went to Spitalfields Market for the first time. I bought the heart bangle from there for an amazing £5. Love the simplicity of it and think it goes well with my Daniella Draper bangle.  

Spitalfields was great and the area had a really nice atmosphere. We had a wander around the market and took in all the sights and sounds, in fact I think I was wondering round in amazement for the majority of my time in the capital...like such a Tourist.

We also managed to fit in a trip to the Southbank, Oxford Street and Harrods so I really enjoyed it.

Ah and here's a picture of me celebrating the Birthday in Newcastle last Saturday. Had a really nice day on my actual birthday as was back at home in Grimsby at my Mum and Dad's so it was great catching up with them and seeing all my family and friends there. Not sure if you can tell from the photo above but I had a go at changing my hair to an ombre look. Basically dyed the top half a darker brown and keeping the ends blonde. It's quite subtle at the moment but as my hair grows I'm going to make it more ombre.

Been back to work this and have been crazy busy. Yuk. So I am well and truly enjoying this long Bank Holiday weekend.

H A Y L E S x

Brooklyn Beauts

Tomorrow I am finishing work at 5:30pm for just over a week off and I actually cannot wait! It'll be the first full week I've had off all year so it is much needed and it got me reminiscing about my wonderful trip to New York last year. So, I wanted to share with you some photos that I took whilst exploring Brooklyn.

Sorry for the picture heavy posting but wanted to share my photos as I absolutely loved taking them as it was such a diverse place full of artistic views.

Unfortunately I don't have anything as adventurous planned for this week off, however I am going to London at the weekend, which I am so excited for! Hoping to be able to take lots of snaps and also explore Spitalfields as I have never been there before and have heard there are lots of Vintage Treasures!

Hope you enjoy the photographs.

H A Y L E S x

Do it like the Boys

I was lucky enough to be emailed the new lookbook for Motel's Autumn Winter collection and I have to say there are some really strong looks and trends, which I really want to try out. My favourite trend is most definitely 'Do it like the Boys'...which showcases menswear-inspired tailoring and fantastic chunky knits. 

I have always loved trends that encourage women to take on that androgynous look as it is super sexy, smart and quirky all at the same time and Motel have given great pieces to be able to do this. The chunky knits are my favourites and would love to team this fantastic jumper with a crisp white shirt buttoned all the way up to the top.

What are your favourite trends coming through for the new season?

H A Y L E S x

Seaside Vintage Treasures

Not the weekend just gone, but the one before that I went to Whitby for the day for the Seaside Vintage Fair. Wanted to show you some photos I took while I was there as it was a lovely day. Whitby is such a nice place too with so much character and charm so I jumped at the chance to visit. The Vintage Fair was held by Rose & Brown and when I lived in Leeds I used to love visiting their gorgeous shop in Saltaire and the great Vintage Fairs that they hold in the village.

The Fair was held in Whitby's historic Pavillion and this gave the event a great atmosphere. 1960s music wafted through the speakers as you browsed through the clothes, bags, shoes and homeware from through the decades.

Here are some of the flyers for Vintage Fairs in the area that I picked up. I also got my hands on a lovely dress that I think will be perfect for A/W. It's navy blue with lovely yellow spots all over. Polka dots were big news on the catwalks thanks to the legendary Marc Jacobs and I'm looking forward to being able to wear it with a chunky cardigan and some high heeled ankle lace up boots (still need to find the perfect pair!!)

I'm hoping that the next stop on the Vintage trail will be Spitalfields Market. I'm down in London in a couple of weekends time and really want to go to have a look at what's on offer as have never been before. Does anyone have anymore tips for where to find great vintage items in London??

H A Y L E S x

Mellow Yellow

Mustard Jeans- Primark, Purple heels- Primark, navy cardigan- Primark (Mens), stripy t-shirt- River Island

Here's a little something I threw on today. Apols for the messy hair btw, really need to get the mop washed ;) I got these jeans from Primark and I love them. I've been wanting to get involved with the coloured jean trend for a while and have quite an obsession with the colour mustard at the moment- so I couldn't not get them & at £14 they are a bargain.

I teamed the jeans with my new heels from Primark too. Love the colour & think the purple and mustard go well together.

I chose to wear the jeans with the navy cardigan and stripy top to give it quite a preppy feel. I felt that this outfit was something very similar to what Fearne Cotton may wear too, who is a style icon of mine and she certainly knows how to rock the coloured jean.

H A Y L E S x

Wish List

All outfits- Primark Autumn/Winter 2011 (courtesy of PR Shots)

Just wanted to share with you three of my favourite outfits from the new Primark collection. They will all start coming into stores from August onwards and I definitely want both pairs of shoes featured above. Love how they look with the socks too.

Favourite items above are the cream argyle knit jumper, the gorgeous small satchel bag and the mustard pussy bow blouse. Pussy bows are set to be BIG news next season & so is the colour mustard- meaning two trends in one ;)

Primark...Here I Come!!

H A Y L E S x

Let the leaves fall

Jumper- H&M, Tribal harems- H&M

So, with the excitement with the new collections for the Autumn/Winter 2011 season here are my attempts at styling an outfit I'll be wearing once the leaves begin to fall from the trees.

Trends I am excited for include the 'Power of the Jumper' as proclaimed in Elle Magazine, hence my jumper in this post. I am a massive fan of jumpers and love a quirky knit, so I will definitely be indulging in this trend. Also really glad to see that prints are going to be big news- think tribal, animal print and polka dots all mixed together with a burst of colour. 

Other big news for next season is the Heritage trend (which is a trend I love- I'm thinking a mustard chunky knit, white shirt and bow tie & some tweed trousers), Masculine dressing (Girl meets Boy) and the Native trend (think colour, craft and interesting prints)

I really like this outfit & the trousers are great. You can team them with a plain vest, or balance them out with stripes and then team with a quirky jumper for the new season.

Necklace- H&M, Rings- turquoise (as previous post), flower ring- Vintage (bought at Vintage Fair in Windsor)

Can you tell H&M is my favourite high street store at the moment? So many great clothes.

H A Y L E S x

Summer Nights

Grey leather jacket- Warehouse, white vest- Primark, tan belt- Dorothy Perkins, skirt- Primark

Here's a little outfit that I think would be perfect for Summer Nights...think BBQs in the Sun, cocktails and warm, light evenings.

The skirt is a recent purchase from Primark and I really like the blue and creamy colours, set off with the landscape print at the bottom.

I've teamed the skirt with my 'leather' jacket from Warehouse to toughen this look up.

Nude heels- Primark

I realise that it's another outfit, with another skirt! I do own other items of clothing honest ;) A post with trousers will be coming soon I promise hahaha!

Been very busy recently with work and last weekend my Mum & Dad came to visit me, which was great. Hence the lack of posts :(...but that's enough of the excuses!!

Getting very excited about the new Autumn/Winter season now! I mean I really do love Summer but there's always that sense of anticipation when it comes to A/W if you ask me & I love planning out how I can incorporate the new looks. Already on my shopping list is a bowtie, having seen some amazing ones in the new ASOS collection...and I am SO glad that the new season seems to embracing the power of the Jumper! A-MAZING!

H A Y L E S x

Housewarming Times

Here is the outfit I chose to wear for my Housewarming party. It's a Midi again!!! I think I am a little obsessed, but nevermind. I found this lovely Champagne pleated number in River Island & I love it. Very elegant and could be worn a number of ways. 

My feather necklace is a H&M find and I layered this with my turquoise necklace that I got the other week.

Hope you had a great weekend!!...Why do they go so fast?!! 

H A Y L E S x