NEW IN [PLUS A LITTLE RAMBLING THROWN IN FOR FREE]

I have been busy amassing my autumn/winter wardrobe. My shopping style has changed a tad according to my new found student-hood (again!). It's tough but the student discount sweetens the bitter financial pill.

When all is said and done I shop a lot less and plan a lot more. This is all well and good - BUT - it has made me an uber hesitant shopper. If shopping were a driving test I'd fail repeatedly. My hand darts back and forwards to the rail, I walk purposefully towards the till before slowly retreating, my breathing becomes strained, my eyes dart left and right. I then walk straight out of the the door (putting the item back first of course, what d'ya take me for). 

After months of the aforementioned behaviour, I have actually managed to complete a few journeys to the till and now proudly have the carefully selected items below hanging or siting in my wardrobe as we speak. Primed and ready to go. 

- Etoile Isabel Marant Monty jacket: a delightful autumnal cardi-jacket which will step in where my spring/summer Haca jacket has performed so perfectly.

- Topshop coats nattered about here and here

- Topshop wooly hat

- JW Anderson Bat jumper - I LOVE THIS!! Milly of Milly Fell Into The Wardrobe's glee upon bagging hers was all the encouragement I needed.

- Reiss Grey Sweatshirt (Mine is actually a Gap one in the sale. Hugely useful and inspired by Laura at Wearing It Today)

- Topshop Faux-Leather skinny trousers

- Topshop Denim dress

- Nike Free Running trainers - I'm very, very excited about these. Ever since Leandra of Man Repeller mused about wearing these with leather trousers and a pea coat I practically had to be restrained. This idea sounds so perfect to me and I can't wait to try it out.

- Isabel Marant Bazil sneakers - these will truly come into their own come Autumn. I plan to wear them with denim and dresses. They're just achingly cool. 

- I've been after an evil eye necklace for aaages. This one is Aamaya by Priyanka, but I found a beautiful tiny one on Etsy. It's been a pretty permanent fixture since it arrived with the postman. 

Despite my new shopping habits being a little tricky, I do think they make for a better wardrobe overall. Each thing I buy, I love. Rare mistakes are quickly ebayed and expenses recouped! 

 I also have my eye on these three little fellows - I've been on the look out for more evening things on account of the fact my 'drobe is sadly lacking in this department! And lovely heels for £16 aren't to be sniffed at. Wouldn't you agree?

Topshop full skirt, Matalan heels, ASOS clutch

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WHAT I WORE IN GREECE

I normally do a packing post or two or ten before going on holiday, but this year I thought it would bore the socks off any regular readers because it was essentially the same as last year and the year before that! 

I thought instead I might change things up a bit and do a few outfit posts from the week I just spent in Greece. I spent 7 lovely days lounging in the mid 30s warmth, so some of the outfits below were worn more than once - hence there not being 7 different outfits! These were all ensembles I wore down to the Taverna before feasting on taramasalata, kleftiko, fried courgettes and baklava to name but a few. 

All of the pictures had to be self portraits I'm afraid - apologies for the quality and the mess in the background!

 American Apparel grey t-shirt and Topshop peplum skirt

French Connection navy midi dress (eBayed)

Topshop one piece swimsuit and a stupid face, which I pulled on account of the fact that I felt like a noodle photographing myself in my swimming costume, but it's new and I love it!

Zara denim shorts (eBayed) and See by Chloe blouse

Topshop yellow midi dress (eBayed) and Reiss necklace

I wore this little fellow when I boarded a speedboat from Kaminaki to Agni to explore another taverna. I allowed myself to feel frightfully glamorous, even if my windswept hair had to be wrestled back into position post-speed boat journey. 

Holiday beauty essentials included Essie's Clam Bake (in all of the above photos), Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne which I acquired at the airport and is the most lovely holiday summery fragrance and, of course, La Roche Posay factor 50 sunscreen. 

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PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

Apologies to sound like a stuck record, but I am fast becoming obsessed with Topshop's new season offerings. The latest recipient of my love and devotion? Another coat. 

Well, a coatigan to be precise. A coatigan of mushroom-boucle-wondrousness. It's so effortlessly cool that Topshop have even named this a 'throw-on' coatigan. You're that freakin' laid back and pleased with your personal style that you just 'throw it on' before leaving the house. Fussing is not for you, heavens no.

God I'm boring aren't I. But I never seem to find coats that work well for me, and end up wearing just one that I'm not 100% happy with all Autumn and Winter and hating my lack of style and finesse. So this year I'm overjoyed at the prospect that this might just be the season where everything changes. Where people say, "here comes Olivia, in another stupendous coat. Pfff." (It's our dreams that sustain us, people.)

But in all seriousness, this is a LOVELY coat and I thoroughly recommend you getting your mitts on it too if you can. Perfect weekend attire, evening stroll attire, polished, effortless everyday attire. You get my drift. 

P.S. yes I did turn the cuffs up when I tried it on. I seem to do this on everything. My boyfriend knows when I have stolen his jumpers/coats/everything because this is the evidence trail I leave in my wake.

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TOP-HOT

See what I did there? Topshop is on fire for Autumn/Winter. The first new season bits and bobs started appearing over the past few weeks and they're soooo good. 

During that recent spell of Autumnal weather, people in London were starting (tentatively and begrudgingly) to break out their new season pieces. But then the sun came back and it was back to high summer. I for one like to save my precious Autumn purchases until the time is really right. 

If I had a beautiful antique trunk, I'd put my recent purchases into said trunk. 

It's no secret that often the best bits of the chilly season come out during the summer and it pays to pre-buy even before the leaves start to fall and the drizzle sets in for good. And there are certainly a few key pieces I'm keen to bag asap.

You saw my new coat in my last excitable post - I'm still very pleased about it and shall be for some time. Whilst in Topshop, making the coat my own, I was rather keen to add a few more items to my shopping basket, but financial restraints have to be considered and hammered home by loved ones at all times and so I could only give in to the coat. I'll be adding the below to my Autumn would-be-trunk soon I hope. Very soon.

Spike necklace, denim dress, bead necklace navy jumper, lurex thread jumper, faux fur gilet, charcoal woolly hat, western denim jacket with shearling-ish collar, wine Jamie jeans

If I were only to get one thing from this list - who am I kidding - it would be the denim dress. Deceptively simple but it is the perfect denim dress that I've been looking for forever and a day. My boyfriend is dubious, he hates denim in any other incarnation than jeans and even has a fear of the pearlised buttons found on denim shirts... I'm not overly sure what his problem is but it's deep rooted. Regardless, so good is this dress that I simply don't care. I'm going to wear it with woolly tights and my Isabel Marant black sneakers with my new boyfriend coat casually thrown over the top. The thought makes my heart flutter. It really does.

The fur gilet will be the queen of wardrobe layering. I want to do it in a nice way though, over khaki and with boucle jackets, NOT extensions and fake tan. The jumpers are just chic, pretty and easy and I'm drawn to the denim jacket because I think it is something a bit different and will be a tonic to all the khaki jackets with leather arms that are going to be multiplying before our eyes rather soon.

Lastly - a word on the jeans. Yes they're in a delicious deep burgundy colour, but the best part is that they are the high waisted, ankle grazer Jamie jeans. Jean nirvana, I kid you not. Some Jamie jeans are not cut this way - be warned. So when I come across them it's a sprint to the till. They fall precisely on the most flattering part of the ankle, are stretchy (allowing for knee bending and proper circulation for health and well being) and are high waisted without being too high waisted if ya know what I mean. It means denim wearing does not become a constant hitching marathon every time I wish to move, or say, reach across the table for a biscuit. My dignity in these jeans remains intact at all times and because of all the above, they are comfortable. Not always a given with skinny jeans.

I urge you to dash to Topshop soon - brilliant bits are hitting the rails on a daily basis. 

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IT'S IN THE BAG

Do I look happy? A little crazed? A little over excited? A little myspace? Well. I'm pretty pleased with myself. I have "bagged" my winter coat. It's freaking August - that's forward planning at its finest. 

I saw it online, tried it on in store, decided to go home and buy it online (online student discount perk). Got home, sold out in my size online. Horror. Hot footed it BACK into central London the next day. Nabbed it - negotiated the student discount despite my expired card. Hence my happy post-coat-purchase poses. I particularly like the one that suggests I've just finished a rap. 

It's the perfect throw-on coat - light, but woolly, nicely oversized and slightly Stella-esque cut outs. It's SOOO cool. 

Contrast Raglan Tweed Boyfriend Coat from Topshop.

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GONE... TO BRUGES

Last week I hopped on the Eurostar and headed to Bruges (or Brugge, whatever floats your boat). It was such a quick and easy journey - the lack of flying somehow takes it out of you less - which is great when you're on a short city break. 

It's a lovely, lovely city with beautiful old buildings, quiet backstreets and  a m a z i n g  chips (Bruges is famous for them, along with chocolate, waffles and beer). 

Tom Ford Cary shades, Monsoon striped dress (incredibly accommodating of waffles and chip over-consumption)

Whistles blouse, Topshop Jamie jeans and sandals

De Republiek's courtyard

Despite my wardrobe planning (see below) the weather did a u-turn and that pesky jet stream finally decided to get a shift on just in time for our trip. So the weather went from rainy 17 degrees to beautifully sunny 30 degrees! This was brilliant of course, but meant my carefully planned packing list had to be scrapped. In place of light khaki jackets and Isabel Marant sneakers were my staple broderie anglaise cotton blouses, striped dresses, sandals and shades. 

I'd thoroughly recommend Bruges as a destination for a short break - it was beautiful in the July sunshine and heat, but I have an inkling that it would be pretty darn special in Spring or early Autumn and downright magical in December.

MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO: Riding a bicycle

Everyone cycles around Bruges, tourists and residents alike. Cars are shockingly respectful and it's a great way to get around. We hired bikes for the day and cycled out of the city alongside the canals nearly reaching the border with Netherlands apparently...! Oh and the 30 minute boat ride around the canals, though touristy, is not to be missed.

MY FAVOURITE BAR: De Republiek 

Sint-Jakobsstraat 36

Such good music, lovely atmosphere and stupendous drinks menu. Waiters take your drinks order from your table which adds a nice touch to proceedings, wouldn't you agree? By the end the waiter knew we were there for the Amaretto Sour and Gin Fizz cocktails and very little else. 

MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT: Malpertuus - t'Voske

Eirmarkt 9

This restaurant served my favourite meal in Bruges, the Flemish beef stew served with chips (what else?!). We sat outside the restaurant looking out upon a mini square and looking up at the hot air balloons passing overhead. 

Next time: We missed out on two restaurants I'd been very keen to hit up because they were BOTH closed during our stay:  Bistro Den Huzaar, Vlamingstraat 36 and Kaffe Pergola, Steenhouwersdijk City Centre

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Oh and P to the S.... The Bazils STILL haven't had their first outing because of the sunny weather - the fact they're still in their box is breaking my friggin' heart - I'm crying inside - so I'm taking them out for steak frites on Saturday. They deserve a treat. 

CITY BREAK WARDROBE PLANNING

I'm off to Bruges in a couple of weeks, and so naturally my mind has begun to wander about what to pack. We're only going for 3 nights so technically, I only need 3 or 4 outfits. I don't think I really need anything dressy. For evening I'll thwack on a pair of razzy earrings, or throw a jazzy clutch at the problem and call it a night. I think casual-chic is mostly the way to go? I might be wrong, I've never been there before!

CLOTHES TO PACK

 

From L - R, starting at the top: Topshop army jacket, Isabel Marant Haca jacket, Jaeger navy jacket, MiH stripe top, Whistles Lisa blouse, Topshop jumper, Topshop Neppy tee, Topshop jeans, Isabel Marant Bazil sneakers, Isabel Marant Dicker boots, Converses, French Sole ballet flats

The weather there seems to be pretty similar to London at the moment - drizzle ahoy - and high-teens-barely-breaking-into-the-twenties temperatures, hence the emphasis on useful little jackets and a light cotton parka to throw over outfits whenever I need it, and a jumper! Also note the shoes - all walkable. Yes, some more walkable than others, but the wedge on the Bazil sneakers (screams quietly with utter joy at how much I love these shoes!!) and the heel on the Dicker boots are definitely of the walkable variety. No tottering around for me - it doesn't suit. Converses are a clear must-pack, and pony flats courtesy of French Sole are perfection. 
All the shoes are mostly interchangeable with any of the potential outfits and each piece will marry up well with the khaki army jacket when necessary or one the the little jackets, which of course can be whipped off if the sun decides to come out. 
It's not quite city break style sudoku, but you get the idea! 

ACCESSORIES AND THE REST

Balenciaga City, Bruges guide book, Tom Ford Cary sunglasses, Topshop earrings, Phoebe Coleman necklace, Alex Monroe Pea Pod bracelet, Carmex lip balm, Clinique Almost Lipstick in Flirty Honey, Jo Molane White Lilac & Rhubarb Cologne, Bliss Triple Oxygen Infusing Mask 

At the moment our plans feature lots of beautiful building gazing, beer supping, chocolate chomping and the like. (Can you tell I haven't read my guide book yet?!)

Any tips for places to go or things to see in Bruges please DO let me know! 

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