why? says the junk in the yard

SHIRT - BERSHKA | JUMPER - PRIMARK

NECKLACE - TOPSHOP | SALE CAPRIS - HOME-MADE

Welcome to the first Fashion Friday - the day dedicated to my favourite OOTD of the last week. I don't have nearly enough outfit combinations to do this daily, so I thought I'd just do a weekly highlight instead.

This week's favourite outfit is actually one I wore today, and is a jumble of bargains. Both the jumper and shirt were a tenner a piece, the necklace around £3/£4 for a TopShop sale a few months back, and the gorgeous tartan capris were a gift - made by my mother! The shoes I wore (not pictured) were some brown brogues from Primark, costing me no more than £9, I believe. Just proves that a little can go a long way!

What's in store for next week?

 (PS. I recently created a Flickr account for my photography should you want to take a gander. Don't forget to follow me on other social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram!)

flowers in the window.

DRESS - NEW LOOK / CARDIGAN - ZARA / BRACELETS - NEW LOOK / SHOES - TOPSHOP

As we've been having such lovely weather lately, last week my mumma and I decided to take a day trip to Lewes, strolling through the village and trekking up to the Sussex Downs. The sun was high in the sky and it was finally starting to feel like summer, so I wanted to wear something light and summery to represent. I grabbed this absolute steal in the New Look sale - only £7! I saw it and fell in love immediately, what a coincidence that it happened to be the only one left and in my exact size.

Lewes itself is a nice little place. It's quite small, so you run out of things to do quite quickly (unless you take a tour of the castle, which we didn't do that day), but regardless, it's a nice place to pass through, especially if you wander round the Downs! Here are a few snaps from the day:

Part of the high street

Museum next to Lewes Castle

A taste of the Downs

Fashion x Feminism

Mum, I'm a Feminist's logo

Last month I met up with Jess, who runs feminist blog www.mumimafeminist.co.uk, to discuss something not many people think about when it comes to feminism: fashion.

People have a very set image when it comes to feminists, that they are angry, all stompy all the time, and uncaring of their appearance, and Jess agrees. "There is a massive stereotype," she tells me, "but it's not 'wrong', if you are hairy, shouty and a lesbian - because that's obviously the stereotype - then fine. You go do that, you get yours, be yourself. There's nothing wrong with that." However, there are a lot of people who are put off by this stereotype, which means that not only do a lot of girls not want to identify as feminists, but don't want to associate themselves with the movement all together. "It's been turned into something so negative. Like, 'oh, I don't want to be THAT feminist…' when, actually, there's nothing wrong with being that feminist, it's just the media want you to think it's a terrible thing and not be involved, because it's a threat to them."

We begin to talk about how feminism has changed the way she sees herself and how that reflects on the way she dresses. 

"When I was younger, I spent a lot of my time comparing myself to my friends. I've always preferred alternative music - rock music, metal - whereas my friends at school liked the Top 40 and things like that, so they all dressed to reflect it. I've always dressed how I wanted to, but when we went on nights out, I didn't really have my own fashion sense. I sort of did somewhere in the middle with disastrous results, it was horrible!" she laughs, "I didn't have the confidence to be entirely who I was." She recalls how it improved since she started at university, but feminism has made her more confident in what she wants to wear. "Now I'll pick something and be like, 'I like this, and yeah, so-and-so from down the road may not like it, but I don't really care what they think, as long as I look nice.'"

I ask her where some of her favourite places to shop. "This is very stereotypical answer, but I do like Topshop. I don't ever buy loads, but I'll go in there now and then and I'll buy one statement piece that adds to everything else in my wardrobe. ASOS, because they sell an absolute wide range of stuff and I can always find something for me. I get stretchy pencil skirts from H&M and Primark is always amazing for vest tops and little bits and bobs. I also shop in the vintage stores around Sheffield when I can, but they are quite expensive. I like them because I can find nice slouchy pieces and I can team them with other things. So, I shop in loads of different places, depending on my budget."

Jess & I channelling Rosie the Riveter

"I think I've got more body confidence. I do get upset and think I weigh more than I'd like to, and I still have really bad days, but who doesn't? But since becoming a feminist, I have more good days and better good days. Being fat is not, by a long stretch, the worst thing you can be, is it? It's not a negative thing, it's an adjective. I'm getting on with my life - I'm going out, I'm doing the blog, I'm doing my degree, I'm working. And I think, for God's sake, who cares if I have that extra slice of pizza? So I'll dress myself now, not thinking, 'Oh I wanna hide myself,' but instead think, 'Yeah, I am curvy, and I'll wear a crop top if I want to wear a crop top!' That's how I feel, you know? So that's nice, that's empowering."

It seems that feminism has had a very positive effect on how Jess, not only in how she approaches her feminism and other general issues, but how sees herself, and that's great to see. Being confident in ourselves and our bodies is one of the most important things we can achieve, and Jess seems to have it covered. And whereas appearance is not the most important concern in feminism, it is good to see a feminist who takes pride in it, and is not afraid to do so. "We don't want to BE men, we want to express ourselves however we want. We don't want to emulate masculinity, that's not how we want to be. Like, some people do want to be masculine, some people enjoy being androgynous, but I don't. I like wearing girly clothes and lipstick, I also like wearing my boyfriend's clothes and boys clothes. I like doing that. And if anyone said to me, 'Your lipstick makes you less of a feminist,' I'd just be like - get out," she laughs, "because it doesn't at all."

Here are some of Jess' favourite outfits:

"I absolutely LOVE this black ASOS dress because it plays to my curves. The shoes are a new addition - I love them because they're a bit trashy but fantastic at the same time and I like that. I usually wear this out on the town or to special occasions with friends."

"This is an outfit I would have never dared wear a couple of years ago but now I can't get enough of wearing it! Just shows you what a bit of confidence can do. The crop top is another ASOS gem and the shorts are upcycled Levis from a vintage store in Sheffield."

"This t-shirt is my boyfriend's but I'm pretty sure I wear it ten times more than he does these days. We actually swap and share our t-shirts a lot which is quite nice. The shorts are my go-to faves for many an occasion; I had a pair before but they tore across the bum (whoops) which I had to give up and find a suitable replacement. I'd love to wear this at a festival this year so here's hoping we get the nice weather for it!"

"I love wearing these jeans with a black top - it's really simple and easy (which a lot of my wardrobe is all about!) I add a baggy shirt on the days I'm feeling self-conscious about my arms or to give it a little something extra. The top's a H&M basic, the jeans are from Primark a good few years ago and my shirt's another secondhand purchase (men's section of course!)"

Keep up with Mum, I'm a Feminist on their website, Twitter and YouTube

summeresque vintage

SUNGLASSES - H&M / TOP - TOPSHOP VIA EBAY / SHORTS - LEVI'S VIA FRESHMAN'S VINTAGE / TIGHTS - PRIMARK

If I can't have good weather, then I'm gonna have it come to me! And by that, I mean I'm going to dress as if it is somewhat pleasant outside and be forever in denial of the cold, horrible weather we've been having to endure lately. However, the sun did make an appearance throughout various point of the day, which I am grateful for. Still had to wear my big coat and woollies though!

Also, I had said that I was going to post some of my latest eBay finds, and here we are. I bought this top for a grand total of £1.04 (not including postage), which is great considering it's Topshop! I swear most of the Topshop items in my wardrobe have been acquired through eBay where you can get them for an absolutely steal. I'm really into crop tops lately, so this little floraly number is perfect. Paired up with these Levi shorts I bought from a vintage shop, it gives this outfit a nice summery feel -  even if the weather doesn't reflect it!

In other news - I've started vlogging! Making YouTube videos is something I've wanted to do for a while, and since this year has become all about new challenges, I've finally decided to go for it. Let me know what you think :)

Spring is... here?

PLAYSUIT - EX-TOPSHOP VIA EBAY / TIGHTS - PRIMARK / BOOTS - SALT&PEPPER VIA RIO

BELOW: TURBAN - TOPSHOP / SCARF - ZARA / COAT - SELFRIDGES

The weather at the moment is really quite atrocious... I mean, it's supposed to be spring, and what do we get? Incessant snow! Is it really too much to ask for a little bit of sunshine and greenery on the trees? Apparently so. But I'm not letting this glum weather get me down, I'm dressing for the season (spring, that is, which I constantly have to keep reminding myself...)

I've recently fallen back in love with eBay, and have been spending a lot of my free time browsing through the endless bargains. I've even got the eBay app on my phone for window shopping on the go! This little heart patterned playsuit was recently purchased from an eBay shop and I'm so in love with it.  It's so cute and girly, and I love that it's navy blue - one of my favourite colours. I love being able to dress feminine without resorting to traditional 'girly' colours. The fluffy boots are oldies but goodies, a staple for my feet in the colder months.

I've got some exciting plans for this blog in the very near future, so stay tuned for that, and also for a couple more of my favourite eBay finds!

 My 'unimpressed with the snow' faces

winter woollens.

 TURBAN - TOPSHOP / SCARF & JUMPER - ZARA / COAT - SELFRIDGES

LEGGINGS- TOPSHOP / SOCKS - TOPMAN / SHOES - REPUBLIC

The snow has melted away (hopefully for the last time) but being February it is still pretty damn chilly outside. I've not got much on the cards today so I'm off to the cinema with some pals, and I've gone understated and opted for some comfy woollies to wrap myself up in. I really love the little jeweled headband turban I picked up in the Topshop sale, it's perfect for when I want to wear my hair up but still want to keep my head and my ears toastie warm. I also love love love this jumper from Zara, not only is it super soft but it's a beautiful mustard colour. I have another mustard coloured jumper from H&M in my wardrobe that's more loose fitting (probably because it's a size 16) and perfect for layering. I just love mustard coloured jumpers! Another thing I love is men's socks, like these ones I snagged from Topman's sale section. I mean, they're kinda big, seeing as my feet aren't exactly man-sized, but there's something about men's socks that are so much more snuggly and comfier than women's.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Ombre, olay!

So yesterday I took the plunge and finally ombred my hair! I've always loved the ombre/dip dye look, it adds so much texture and depth and makes hair look sun-kissed and glorious. I thought I'd make a little post just outlining the process and my experience with DIY ombre-ing.

I used the Jerome Russell Bblonde Highlighting Kit, which can be bought from most retailers such as Boots and Superdrug, but I ordered a box online. I was a little apprehensive at first, there's so much colour in my hair from previous dying and bleaching, I was scared that it would all go terribly wrong. But it was great, and I'll definitely be using it again should my hair ever require more bleaching.

The kit comes with power bleach and cream peroxide, which you mix together using a handy little mixing brush. Mixing it all together was a strange experience, at first the power made the solution go all pasty and lumpy, not comforting in the slightest, but it slowly smoothed itself out into a moose-like substance. I didn't apply the bleach straight to my hair from the brush, I used a 'scrunching' method recommended by several DIY  dip-dyers (I did some pretty thorough research). This way it stops it from looking streaky and gives the appearance of gradual and more natural lightening. I left it on for about 40 minutes before washing it out with the sachet of conditioner it came with.

 Just after first appyling... nervous!                               Bleach working its magic 30 minutes in.

It was a very nerve-wracking experience, but the bleach took to my hair surprisingly well considering all that my hair has been through in the last couple of years. And now I'm left with this end result:

I adore it! You can tell it's been done at home as opposed to professionally, but that doesn't really bother me. I'm gonna have to take even better care of my hair than I already do, but it doesn't matter because it was so so worth it. I adore my new hair, it is the perfect remedy for these dull winter days.

wrinkly shirt chic.

SHIRT - H&M / SKIRT - REPUBLIC 

COLLAR TIPS - TOPSHOP / EAR CUFFS - TOPSHOP

SHOES (NOT PICTURED) - REPUBLIC

It's an outfit post! A rarity here, but 2013 is all about mixing it up blog-wise for me, so it's a welcome change, and perhaps not the last you'll see. 2013 for me is about mixing it up style-wise, too. I'm not looking to change my style, I just want to be a bit more daring. I tend to stay in my comfort zone when it comes to my clothing, what I wear looks good but a lot of the time it's really 'safe', or lazy, which means I get bored with what I have in my wardrobe very easily. So instead of swooning over outfit posts on various blogs and doing nothing about it, I'm going to scout for the pieces I like that are perhaps slightly different to my usual style and make sure I never get bored of my clothes again. The key to this is accessories, which I think can really make an outfit, and though I have lots of jewelry and the like, I never really make much use of it, mostly due to laziness. Not anymore!

One of the big steps in being brave with my look is wearing skirts. Sounds silly, I know, but even though I own quite a few dresses and skirts, I don't really wear them that often. I'm much more comfortable in jeans and leggings and even shorts. I'm not sure why, maybe it's the unpredictability of skirts, one small gust of wind and you're left doing a Marilyn, but this year I'm going to put that aside and start becoming more of a skirt girl. I've always liked the leather skirt look, which is why I had to get my hands on this one from Republic in the Miso section, and paired it up with a not-so-crisp white shirt (as you can probably tell, I don't own an iron). I also really love the collar tips, I saw one similar to this in Olly Murs' Troublemaker video, where his romantic interest is sporting one on her own shirt. I think the tips add an edgyness to the otherwise safe plain white shirt.

Can't wait for this snow to pass and the weather to warm up a bit to really make the most of this look!

Hidden Treasure by Topshop

Happy New Year! I've been gone for a while having a well deserved break from the madness, but I'm officially back in business. I've had a lovely long break in Brighton, and tomorrow I'm travelling back up north to Sheffield (if all this snow will allow me, that is) and having another quiet week before being thrown back in to uni and work and the like! But anyway, on to the matter at hand...

I've recently made a purchase that I'm absolutely in love with. I've had my eye on this nail polish for literally months but have been holding off buying it until now. I'm not very much into nails (as you will see from my shoddy paint work below) but whenever I do fancy giving my nails a coat of paint, I usually go for darker colours - black, navy, plum, or even a dark, dark red if I'm feeling wild. One of my favourite repeat purchases is Barry M in Navy, and for a while it was the only nail polish I would buy. Which is why I was slightly hesitant with this one. I liked the look of it and the colours coming out at me, but I wasn't really sure how it would transfer on my nails.

Hidden Treasure 204 - and my poorly neglected cuticles

Unfortunately this picture doesn't do the colour much justice. But I love it. It doesn't have the darker tones that the bottle suggests, but the colour is still amazing. In different lights and different angles, it provides a range of pretty shades. At one angle its a minty green, at others its gold, and under certain light it even looks a bit coppery. It's like having three nail polishes in one! I can forgive there not being any of the blues and purples that the bottle promises because I love it nonetheless. It may have even opened my eyes a bit to bolder coloured nail polishes. You exactly won't be seeing me sporting a pastel or neon coloured nail any time soon, I'm definitely keeping my eye out for those metallics when shopping for my next polish.

(PS. I've now had this blog for over a year - woo!)

1000 views!

My blog has recently hit 1000 views! Wow, that's really something. You might have noticed that I've changed my blog name, I thought it was only appropriate to mark the beginning of a new era... plus I prefer this name much better than the old one!

My blog isn't as popular as many blogs out there, and I'll admit I haven't always been the best at posting regularly, but I never thought I'd come this far when I started it up this little thing in January. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me come this far and make my mark on the interwebs, whether you're a regular reader or just a passerby. Every little helps, and it's knowing that there's an audience as amazing as you out there that motivates me to keep this thing going. So on to the next thousand!

I really wanted to commemorate this occasion by posting something, and since my other pieces I'm writing are still a work in progress, I've decided to do a small outfit post! Just a few of my favourite recently purchased items that I want to show you all. This is also very exciting for me, because it is my first outfit post shot in my very bright and spacious uni room at my new house! (Well, I've been living here since July, but you catch my drift...)

jumper - alice takes a trip... via freshman's vintage

floral headband - poppydaisy.com via ebay

cat ring - topshop

leggings - h&m

shoes - h&m

earrings - evolution

I am completely in love with this jumper! I bought it at a vintage shop called Freshman's when I was looking for some Levi shorts, it's so amazingly soft and comfortable, and I really adore the floral skull motif. After buying it I did some research and found Alice takes a trip's bigcartel store, which has many more amazing pieces that I'd definitely recommend taking a look at! I love all their various designs featuring animals with bows. I've also got mad love for my Native American-esque shoes (so so comfy!) and cute cat ring. I'm not much of a ring person - hell, I'm not much of an accessories person in general - but this cat ring is definitely my favourite piece of jewelry after I bought it almost two months ago.

This look is quite festival-y, which is ironic since I haven't ever been to a festival, unless you count Tramlines, the free weekend festival that takes places all over central Sheffield. But I'll carry on rocking this look regardless, at least while the weather stays more or less agreeable...