lovebox...

A summer spent in England isn't complete without a festival. Although I'd like to be hardcore and hit up Glastonbury so far I've stuck to tamer London versions. You know it's been good when you get home to find you're covered in cuts/bruises, blow your nose and discover your snot is black (from all the dirt), have grass stains/gum stuck to backside, ache for days, have ringing in your ears, and can't clear your head of mindless melodies. Lovebox was no exception.

On stage: Chew Lips, Noisettes, and Dizzee Rascal.

Lira Leirner Giveaway

04

I'd like to introduce you to a little something special: the Iconic Royal Mail Tape Bag. Made by designer Lira Leirner, in collaboration with Stuart Bannocks, it takes an everyday item, you guessed it - Royal Mail bags, and spins it into something hardwearing and covetable. I love that the bag incorporates a little bit of England and that it's handmade in the UK from such a funky source. While Lira's line includes a whole host of gorgeous pieces (the Mariner Net Silk Dress and Iconic Royal Mail Post Bag dress are two of my favourites) I thought it seemed fitting to give something away that anyone can use. Regardless of your age, where you are in life, or where you live... if you're a student, a parent, a boy, or a girl, living in London, Texas, or Cairo, this bag could have a use in your life.

To enter just follow three easy steps: Leave a comment below stating that you'd like the win the bag. Be a follower of this blog and let me know how you follow in your entry. Leave a way for me to contact you (e-mail/blog link).

For extra entries follow Lira Leirner on Twitter and re-tweet this post. The winner will be chosen via random.org one week from today.

11

01

i've moved...

It's official, version 2.0 has landed. I've made the switch from blogger to wordpress. It was slightly painful and I've lost all my blogger followers (luckily, bloglovin ones have been automatically switched over). So, in case your scratching your chin and wondering why I made all the effort to transfer over - here's why: bigger pictures, pages at the top under the header which you can tap into (just interested in street style? you can see it all in one uniform section), a lot more options and things that can be changed/added/removed, and this nifty little function where if you click on one of the photos you can scroll through all the images in that post (try it, go ahead, click on that picture above this text, kinda cool, huh? well, cooler in a post that has multiple photos). Okay, so that's why I've changed... now you know. Oh, and to celebrate this momentous transition I've got a couple giveaways coming your way - so stay posted. In order to enter you're going to need to be a follower of this blog though, so get ahead of the game and go ahead and sign up. It's easy-peasy (not sure how bloglovin works? just click here to see).

Wearing: American Apparel purple top, Zara floral trousers, Urban Outfitters sunglasses, and Topshop sandals.

wild thing...

Ran into James just off Carnaby Street yesterday. I realized while talking to him that he is actually the boyfriend of my friend (who gave me the Union Jack flag) Emma. What a small world it is... He's also rocking one of my favourite Where the Wild Things Are t-shirts - I bought the same one for Mr. Crusader last year. For some ridiculous reason though we still haven't watched the movie. Anyway, am loving James' combination of the quirky graphic-t, trench coat, and jauntily placed hat. A perfect mix for an overcast English summer day...

english tea party...

On Saturday I attended a gorgeous tea party and then got stranded at a bus stop in the middle of the English countryside with Emerald. Am currently obsessed with her heavy fringe and geeky glasses combination.

if only it were my wardrobe...

Just over four years old, My-Wardrobe has already established itself as one of the leading UK contemporary etailers and aims to provide accessible designer fashion. I first heard of the brand about a year ago when one of my friends purchased a gorgeous D&G green bowler bag in their sale. At the time she was only 19 and was working in a high-street shop and this, I think, points out the genius behind the site. While there are plenty of lust worthy items that sit just below the thousand pound mark most of the clothing and accessories that they stock are much more reasonably priced. Instead of looking on with no hope of ever being able to actually purchase the items in my shopping bag, like at Net-a-Porter, I'm actually left thinking that maybe if I found something really special I could actually save up for it. Mixed in between the quirkiest Rayban shades and Kenneth Jay Lane jewelry sit off beat and hardly known Swedish brands and staples like American Retro and Splendid. It really is a gem of an online boutique. After spending an afternoon at their showroom in London on Friday I was only reaffirmed of this.

Sam Edelman.

Mentor Suede Lace Up Wedge Ankle Boot (my current favourite)

Minimarket.

Tom Ford Nikita Sunglasses - A slightly more tame Wang and officially added to my wish list.

This Supertrash body is currently in the sale but I couldn't resist showing it to you because it's just so beautiful and totally puts every other boring tight fitting cotton version to shame - the king of all bodies, I'd say.

I hadn't heard of Olivia Rubin before but I officially want to wear nothing other than her little dresses from now on (when I'm not wearing my new diy jean shorts of course). The shapes are so simple and clean yet the fabric and cut is divine. The images don't do these dresses justice. They are gorgeous in real life.

An Orvin oversized cape shirt. Another brand I hadn't heard of and very quickly fell in love with. The fabric and print is so ethereal - like smoke rising from a crushed flame. Also currently in the sale.

Timex 80 Pink Watch. I don't normally wear a watch but I'd consider changing that for this cute little plastic beauty.

And finally: Susie. She was kind enough to invite me along to the showroom and was so much fun to spend the afternoon with. We bonded over our past love of Lindsay Lohan back in the Mean Girls days and lamented her notorious fall from teenage celebrity grace. Susie was totally inspiring and so enthusiastic about her job. She was honest enough to admit when there were pieces she wasn't too crazy about and all the while her genuine demeanor made me love the company as a whole increasingly more. It really is the people behind a brand that have the power to make it successful and, if Susie is anything to go by, My-Wardrobe is a total winner.

p.s. I can't remember the brands for all the shoes but I'll find out incase anyone is curious...

a new love...

Just when I thought I had found my favourite summer item (denim cut offs) something totally unexpected came along... this long black stretchy Monki skirt. I picked it up in Stockholm thinking I would wear it in the Autumn and then decided to try it out the other day. It is absolute and total heaven and seriously the only thing I want to wear at the moment. Especially on this weekend - which is the hottest England has seen this year.

Wearing: Monki black skirt, orange bra and fringed bracelet. American Apparel grey vest, Rainbow flip flips, Rayban aviators and the HAUTE bag gifted from One Language.

things aren't what they seem...

I was a little surprised to spot this girl, who couldn't have been older than 21, rocking these overtly sexy garters in the middle of the day in a posh area of London yesterday. When I say posh I mean it. I even walked past Margaret Thatcher, who was accompanied by 7 bodyguards, a personal assistant, one Jag, and a Range Rover, being escorted into a hair salon. Anyway, regardless of the part of town, this was a first time trend spot for me. Sure Taylor Momsen went a bit mental for them a couple months ago and Henry Holland made a tamer version by incorporating the look into real tights (you know, the kind that actually cover your behind) but I hadn't seen anyone wearing them in real life. This girl is young, pretty, tall, a bit lanky... all making her lean a bit more towards the model side than a sexy burlesque dancer. She looks a bit quirky and ironic - somehow reminding me of something Agyness Deyn might wear. As far as garter tights go she is probably pulling them off in the most day appropriate way... but I just couldn't help but think that if I had a daughter and she left the house wearing them I would chop her head off.

Follow my blog with bloglovin

passaggi rosso...

'

Italian fashion students Francesca and Angelica outside the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

gladitorial confusion...

I picked up these Cut Out Shoes from Weekday while in Stockholm. I think I like them but something makes feels a bit unsure... Hmm? What's that you say? Why did I buy them then? Well, I do like the whole lace up black sandal look (seen at both Asos and Acne) and I do think they are pretty cool. It seemed everyone in Sweden was wearing a variation of these sandals and, what can I say, sometimes I'm a total sucker for a trend. Plus, they were 50% off. But whatever the reason for buying them, they are mine now and surely I should give them a chance. Maybe they just need to be worn in a little bit.

p.s. the feet in the photo belong to daniella.

arm me in it...

It's no secret: Acne freaking rocks.

Let's be honest though, there is a lot of hype around the brand. Looking at their website can, at times, be a bit disheartening. Is all the hype really worth it? The prices are pretty high, a lot of the pieces are rather simple and aren't too dissimilar to what you might find in whole host of other shops. My Acne obsession, which has been festering for years, has recently started to wane. All I own by the brand is one pair of jeans. This isn't for lack of desire, I've been drooling over the Atacoma Wedges (which I happened to spot in their sale but sadly not in my size) for months. When I walked into their shop in Stockholm last week I was reminded of why the brand produces such covetable items and such a massive hype: quality. Not only is it a totally cool Swedish brand but its pieces really are little bits of treasure. I found myself running my fingers over the items hanging from the rails. Everything just felt beautifully soft. The fringed jacket I tried on fit perfectly and was cut like a dream. I spotted the most gorgeous sheepskin jacket (pictured above) that instantly shot to the top of my wish list. If only I had a few thousand pounds to blow on a new Autumn/Winter jacket... I swear, it would never leave my body. Then there were the armour plated jeans... a mere 1 grand, but surely worth it to channel the inner persona of a knight? Followed up by the Admire wedges in all their sci-fi leather strappy glory. Yep, that's right. Acne rocks. It might just require actually going into their shop to be reminded of why. Luckily, their flagship store is going to be opening in our very own London town...

fringed eye candy...

Recently a serious love affair has sprouted between me and fringe. When I spotted this jacket in the Acne sale in Stockholm I knew there was no way I could afford it but I slipped it on anyway... it felt like an absolute dream to wear. Now, I'm haunted by this photo... if only I had 350 quid to fuel my fringed obsession. One day.

tallboys, hotdogs & stockholm...

Stockholm is a magical city. It's like a toy town that is filled with beautiful stylish people and insanely covetable shops. I spent the day there yesterday with Jackie and Daniella. We patrolled all the shops, tried on so many shoes, and pretty much melted to butter in Acne (more on that insanity later). It was a perfect day and was followed up by hot dogs, beer, 'Just Dance', and skinny dipping at 3am. Holiday bliss? I think so.

p.s. the wooden wedge shoes that so many of you have been asking about are by Minimarket.

In honor of England

IMG_4036

England let us down in the World Cup (and so did America). But, in honor of Canada Day I thought it only seemed right to bring a flag sailing with us today. We didn't have a moose one so we settled for the Union Jack. Can you tell it was a little bit windy?

Wearing: Urban Outfitters burn out tee, Levis 501 d.i.y. shorts, Rainbow flip flops, F21 turban, Monki sunglasses. Flag: gifted from my dear friend Emma at Jigsaw's head office.

baddmitton & weaves...

little miss daniella and jackie arrived in sweden today... we are swimming in the lake wearing turbans, doing cartwheels and playing badmitton.