Navy and White

Breton Top - Armor-lux

Harem Trousers - Topshop

Navy Leather Jacket - Stepland

Boots - Office

Bag - Longchamp

One of my favourite old book shops on Chiswick High Street.

I had two photo's left on my disposable camera, so I asked my friend Anna to snap up a few outfit photo's for me. It was a warmer, but still brisk, September day when I dug out this pair of harem trousers that I hadn't worn for years. They were from Topshop at least 5 years ago, and are probably the most flattering pair of harem trousers I have ever found. Navy blue, not too baggy, and with zips either side of the front.

 I paired them with this new breton top from Armor-lux that my Mum brought me back from France - my old (favourite) breton shirt from Gant was beginning to fray a bit too much, so I'm slowly trying to replace it with this one - it's super comfy, a little bit thicker and has cropped sleeves, which I love.

I have been absolutely obsessed with this Navy-blue leather jacket! I found it in a shop called Stepland in Serbia (I was there visiting some relatives in early August - haven't taken off the jacket since!) and initially bought it for my Mother and I to share...I don't think she's seen much of it...

It has a gorgeous, vivid inner-lining, which I felt needed showcasing, so I rolled up the sleeves and - voile!

You'll probably be seeing a LOT more of this jacket on the blog very soon.... I can guarantee!

Notting Hill Carnival

:

Top - Motel Rocks
Shirt - Tommy Hillfiger
Shorts - Rokit
Belt - Vintage
Knee High Socks - M&S (although they weren't from the same pair...)
Sparkly Socks (though not visible) - Primark
Shoes - Underground Creepers

I love the hustle and bustle of Notting Hill Carnival. Every year it's like going to a festival...but for free, and without all the tent and travel hassle! This year, due to the gloomy state of the weather, it was a little more crowded than usual on the Sunday, as people knew it would be raining on the Monday. Nevertheless, it was still fun with music, drinks, food and vibrant colours galore.
This year, I used a cheap, Boots 27 exposure disposable camera. I usually go for the Kodak 39 exposure, but I didn't have time to order it from Amazon. However, this Boots camera did the job - and did the job pretty well!

My key pieces of advice for carnival are:

1. Bring cash only - and not too much.

2. Keep your phone in a deep pocket (e.g. jeans or shorts)

3. I wouldn't recommend bringing a bag as it gets extremely busy and it could:

a) make it harder for you to walk through large crowds
and
b) there could be pick-pockets lurking...

4. Don't bother with digital cameras, they could get damaged easily. Disposables are fun and cheap!

Here are a few snaps from my Carnival experiences from over the last few years. It's London's biggest Summer event - don't miss out!

The dates for Notting Hill Carnival 2016 should be the 27th and 28th of August.

A Richmond Lunch

I adore Richmond. It is one of the few places I've found true serenity in London. When I'm in Richmond, I feel as though I've escaped to a small town in the country - yet there is still easy access to Central London by Tube, and other suburbs by bus!

My Mum, my boyfriend and I decided to go for a nice lunch at Gaucho in Richmond one very sunny and hot afternoon in April. It was the perfect day for photo's, so I took a couple snaps on my digital.

Gaucho is a great steak restaurant in Richmond, and there is also one in Piccadilly and Tower Bridge I believe. I've had their burger before (my boyfriend Alex got it this time) and it was incredible, and I've had some of their desserts which are also brilliant. My mum chose the "Entrana Fina" I think, which she said was very good and flavoursome. I, however, chose the rump steak at medium-rare, which I don't usually get (I usually go for fillet or ribeye), and unfortunately I didnt know that it would be more difficult to chew due to all the stringy bits, which was a shame because the meat was tender and flavoured beautifully. I now know that rump steak is just not for me!

I definitely recommend the Gaucho grill if you're in the mood for a good quality, hefty steak. I also truly recommend getting some of their empanadas to start with - it's a classic Argentinian delicacy. I would recommend going for mozzerella and tomato.

Culottes at the National Gallery

Leather Jacket - Reiss
White Shirt - Topshop
Culottes - &OtherStories
Boots - Office

My Mum, looking fabulous as always!

Bag - Longchamp
Sunglasses - Spitalfields Market

Lipstick - NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

The Majesty of Trafalgar Square

I've always had a strange fascination with culottes, but due to my height (a mere 5'2...) I never thought I could wear them. I then found this pair in &OtherStories on a rainy day in London and thought "why not?"

I fell in love. And they came home with me that day :)

These culottes are such a brilliant piece for Spring and the transition into Summer. Due to the cut, material and shape they are lightweight, comfy and look so effortless yet put together. This particular pair were a little pricey (I believe they were around 40 quid) but I'd been in search for a good quality pair of culottes for so long and had only come across polyester pairs for similar prices, and these were 100% viscose, so I took the plunge. And there are no ragrets, I promise.

I wore them on a day out in London with my fabulous Mum to see the Impressionist art exhibition at the National Gallery. It was an incredible exhibit, filled with so many wonderful pieces from the Impressionist era. My only problem was how PACKED it was - I lost my Mum for about half an hour in the crowd!

A London Morning

London had a lucky April, filled with many warm and sunny days. On one of those particular days, my boyfriend and I decided to go for a nice Sunday morning walk in St. James' Park.

Gingham Trousers - Madeleine
Top - Topshop
Leather Jacket - Reiss
Boots - Office

It was a really beautiful day, and I'm glad that we were able to make the most of our morning by walking around central London and all it's finest.

Strand on the Green

Oh, London, how I love thee...

However, recently I have particularly loved the quieter bits as opposed to the city.

One of my favourite spots is a little place called Strand on the Green. It's a small part of the London Borough of Chiswick and Hounslow by the river. It's such a quaint area, and whenever I am there I feel as though I have stepped out of London as it's so calm and peaceful (and quiet unless you have cyclists or birds squawking at you, but they're usually pleasant enough)

It is one of my favourite places to go to, to just sit and relax in the sun, either with a book and an ice-cream sitting on a wall, or outside a pub with a drink (there are some great pubs there!)

Last week, my best friend Anna and I decided to go for a nice walk and a spot of sunshine by the river. We took lots of photos...so here are a few :)

Jumper - Uniqlo

Coat - Mango

Trousers - Topshop

Low Top white Converse

Before we headed to Strand, we couldn't resist taking a few postbox photo's. I'm not really sure what prompted us to do this...

A moody bus stop photo. For those who may want to know, I decorated that bag myself when I was 14. 

Sitting on the wall overlooking the river 

I love the tartan print on these trousers

Sitting on yet another wall overlooking the river in all its glory.

A little bit of converse love...

Places I recommend in the Strand on the Green area:

- Cafe Rouge

- The City Barge pub

- The Bell and Crown (it is SO GOOD!)

Buses:

391 (on Kew Bridge), 440 (to Gunnersbury and walk), 65 (on Kew Bridge), 272 (to Grove Park and walk)

Tube & Train:

The nearest tube station is Gunnersbury which is a 5-10 minute walk from the Strand area

The nearest train station is Kew Bridge, which is a 5 minute walk

Tailored Smart

For once, I am dressed smartly...?!

No I joke, sometimes, I do like to dress up a little bit, and this was one of those days. As I had a slightly fancier lunch to attend, I took a little longer to think about my outfit choice for the day.

I wanted to go for a slightly more tailored look by pairing these tartan trousers (which I do dress down quite often, even though they can lift any outfit) with a pinstripe shirt. I rarely wear shirts, but I do love them. They make me feel instantly smart and are quite literally a timeless piece - particularly if they are striped or just plain white. And this shirt, is no exception.

Shirt - Jack Wills

Trousers - Topshop
Boots - Office