Fish Tank Fashion

Thank you and goodnight

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 20:00:00 +0000

Dear readers,

I'm going to get straight to the point. As of tonight, I will no longer be updating Fish Tank Fashion, and will no longer be a fashion blogger.

As you are all probably aware, I started in my (first proper "grown up") job last July. Some of you may know that shortly after that, I had some issues relating to my blogging and my job. Then everything seemed to die down. Unfortunately I was recently informed that there were several issues that still remained with my blog. After lengthy consideration of my personal situation, I had to come to the extremely difficult decision to stop blogging. This is why I haven't blogged since December, firstly because I was too upset whilst considering what I was going to do, and since then because every time I've sat down to blog, I've felt like a bit of a fraud.

Although the circumstances surrounding this situation were largely out of my control, in the end this is a decision I made myself, and as such I hope you respect it and don't give me grief for it. I know a few people may be angry or disappointed that I don't appear to have "fought" hard enough, but I've had to do what's best for my life as a whole. Please believe me when I say this is not a choice I have made lightly, and although I have come to terms with it as a necessary evil, I am incredibly sad to stop blogging.

At this point I'd just like to say, from the bottom of my heart, a huge thank you to everyone who has read Fish Tank Fashion and supported me over the life of this blog. Your kind comments, emails and tweets make it all worthwhile and have brought me so much happiness. I've been doing this for five and a half years, and I am so grateful to have had so many amazing experiences related to blogging. More than anything, I'm going to miss the fantastic community of fashion bloggers that I've had the privilege to be part of. I've met so many incredible people who I love spending time with - there are far too many to name, but you know who you are. I just hope we can stay in touch!

So that's it. There's not much more I can say, except once again thank you so much, I will miss this more than I can express in a blog post. And who knows, maybe this is only goodbye for now.

All my love, and the very best of wishes,

Fritha xxx

Giveaway - Xmas Beauty Goody Bag

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:58:00 +0000

UPDATE
The giveaway is now closed and the winner is...

Meghan
I've emailed you to get your address to send the prize to.

Thank you all for entering!

I've accumulated a lot of beauty products from events and goody bags over the past few months, and with the best will in the world, I'm not going to use all of them for various reasons (even if I took 4 showers a day it would still take forever to get through the small mountain of shower gel bottles I have in my cupboard!) Therefore I thought I'd share with you guys and do a giveaway of some lovely little beauty bits and bobs for some Yuletide pampering!

I've put together a little Christmassy* bag of goodies for one of you to win.
*The only Christmassy thing about it is the bag. You can use the contents at any time of year.

I contains all kinds of bits and bobs - nail stuff, make up stuff, shower stuff, hair stuff (see below for a picture of the contents) - so if you want to enter it, just use the Rafflecopter below! The competition is open to international readers as well as those of you from the UK and will finish on the 21st December. I guess you'll not get it in time for Christmas if I post it then, but it gives everyone time to enter, and if you win it will be a nice treat post-festivities.

Good luck!
You must be a follower of this blog to enter. Any entries obviously from "compers" who are not followers will be deleted. I WILL be checking.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Look SS13

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Since starting a full time job in July, I haven't really been able to get to any of the press previews and other blogger events that I used to be able to go to with my flexible student schedule. I love getting to see the next season's collections in advance and I get really excited thinking about what I want to wear in a few months time (as evidenced by my numerous planning posts!) So when I realised a couple of weeks ago that a lot of the press previews fell on the same day, I decided to take some time off work so I could get into London to check them out, and then show you all, because I'm sure a lot of you are as nosy as me and want to see what will be in the shops soon!

So first up - New Look! NL used to be one of my favourite places to shop, and I'd say that in the first couple of years of uni about 50% of my wardrobe probably came from there. Then I went on my year abroad and started shopping online more, and I guess I just kind of, forgot about New Look and how they do some great on trend but super affordable pieces. The SS13 press day was the perfect re-introduction to the brand, and I can safely say that my wardrobe will be stocked up with new pieces from New Look next spring. But anyway, I'll stop rambling now and show you some pictures!

The dress is from the "Pagan Cowgirl" collection, which was full of pieces that were a bit western, a bit ethereal. Something like this would normally be a bit cutesy for me, but there's something about the 90s-esque cut of it that really appeals to me.
There were loads of great "skirt suits", which I'm really excited about. I'm still finding it difficult to pin down a style for work, and I'd like to get some jackets and matching separates that I can mix and match with more casual t-shirts and the like to get that relaxed tailoring look you always see on street style blogs. (Did that make any sense, reading it back it sounds a bit odd?) I still haven't tracked down my perfect paisley item, so I'm glad to see the trend is going to carry on into Spring so I can have a crack at it then.

I love a bit of leopard print, and this t-shirt reminds me of a Sandro jumper that I fell in love with at a press day earlier this year but only tracked down after it had sold out :(

New Look has never been the first place I've thought of when it comes to accessories, but they've really upped their game this year. I especially love all the embellished collars, it will be difficult to choose just one to get in Spring!

I went to the press day with Laura and Aisling, and when we got there we were told that there was a special blogger room with computers and space to take pictures of our favourite items, which we got quite excited about! We were asked to get involved with the blogger challenge to come up with an outfit with pieces from the new collection, and the best outfit will win £100 to spend in new look. So here is my outfit!

#NLSS13StyleBlog
I completely fell in love with this jacket and I'll be stalking the NL website until I can get my hands on it. The great thing is that because it's New Look, it will probably only be around £40-£50, whereas in Topshop it would probably be £80+
I love a good pattern clash, so I decided to pair it with a patterned dress, but I think it still goes together because it's all tones of one colour. The clutch was one of my favourite pieces out of everything on show, so that had to be included, then I thought I'd throw in some heeled cowboy boot inspired shoes to continue the western/desert flower kind of theme, and a pair of sparkly cat eye sunglasses just for fun! What do you think?

Slouch and stripes

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 09:12:00 +0000

18 and East jumper*
Motel Rocks jeans*
Clothing at Tesco boots
This jumper is another amazing piece from 18 and East. The slouchy fit and super soft yarn make it so comfy to wear, but the low v-back gives it that something special that sets it apart from your everyday slobby jumper. It's so unusual that it gets a lot of comments and compliments whenever I wear it, and because of it I've now turned my colleagues at work on to 18 and East. The brand seems to be known mainly for their pretty prints and whimsical dresses, but they've knocked it out of the park on the more casual pieces this season too. (You can see my post wearing 18 and East cigarette trousers here.)

I really like this rich plum colour, (I think it goes pretty well with the ginge!), but if you're not a fan, it also comes in grey.

Whilst grabbing the links for this post from the 18 and East site, I've just seen that their Christmas collection is all online now, and I've fallen in love with these gorgeous beaded kimono jackets. I think it would be lovely if Santa would bring me both the black and the cream! (Wishful thinking...)

Boohoo #KnitB4Xmas

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:20:00 +0000

I LOVE Christmas, but I usually have a rule about not letting myself get excited about it or celebrate in any way before the 1st December. I made an exception for the Boohoo #KnitB4Xmas event however - comedy Christmas jumpers and sub-zero cocktails? Count me in!
The event was held at ICEBAR just off Regent Street. If you haven't heard of it, basically, it does what it says on the tin, it's a bar made of ice. It's -5°C in there and even the glasses are made of ice! Fortunately they give you a *ahem* "designer thermal cape" to wear which has gloves attached to the sides, like when you were at primary school and your mum sewed strings to your mittens so you couldn't lose them!

I call this my "frozen elf" look...

The looking slightly daft-ness didn't stop there. The point of the event, as I'm sure you can gather from the name, was to show off Boohoo's fun Xmas jumpers (and pretty partywear, but that doesn't have nearly as much comedy value.) Not only could we dress up in novelty knits and have our photo taken, they then superimposed tacky festive backgrounds onto the images. This was right up mine and Sherin's street, and we may have hogged the photographer for a bit longer than we should have.

With Robyn from 7thingsmedia, Sherin and Natasha from Girl in the Lens.

Me + Sherin + cocktails + Xmas jumpers = one of my favourite photos ever. This stunner is now decorating my desk at work.

Of course it just wouldn't be Christmas without the big man himself!

Err yeah. One of the Boohoo girls told me he didn't quite look like the picture on the website they booked him from. He told me he liked reindeer... to eat!

Do you have a cheesy Christmas jumper? I have a knitted dress with reindeer on and my new Christmas pudding hat, and now I'm pretty tempted by the Boohoo fat Santa jumper too!

Party Dress Test

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

It's exactly one month 'til Christmas, and that means one thing. It's officially Christmas party season. If you're anything like me, you'll spend a lot of time thinking about what you want to wear, and even longer trying to track down that perfect party dress that you've imagined, but can't find in real life! On top of that, a recent survey by VoucherCodes.co.uk has shown that we spend an average of £119 on a Christmas party outfit that, let's face it, will probably only get worn once. That all sounds a little ridiculous, so Voucher Codes set me a challenge - to get a party dress and accessories for £80 instead of £119, and then to style not one, but three different party outfits.

So firstly and most importantly, the dress! The point of this challenge was to pick a dress that is both affordable and versatile, to prove you don't have to break the bank to look nice at Christmas, and that you can re-wear a party outfit. I was tempted to go with a very plain, very predictable LBD, which would no doubt be easy to style in different ways, but then I realised that would be very boring and not too much of a challenge. Of course, this is still me we're talking about, so unsurprisingly I did go for a black dress, but I think the one I picked is quite fun and unusual still.
After hours of online window shopping and contant moaning at my boyfriend that it was too difficult because there was far too much to choose from, I went for this long sleeve off the shoulder dress from Motel Rocks.

The dress is £32, which is a good price to begin with, but because this challenge was set by Voucher Codes, I decided to see if I could find a discount code on their site and came up trumps with 30% off! In the end the dress only cost £22.40, which is a complete bargain! If anything on the Motel website catches your eye, it's definitely worth popping over to Voucher Codes to see if they have any Motel Rocks discount codes and save yourself some pennies!

Once I'd decided on my dress, it was then off to the shops to pick up some accessories with my remaining budget to style the dress into three different looks. Here's what I got!

Furry bag £14.99 H&M, Black and gold socks £3.50 Topshop, Elf hat £5 Claire's, Studded hairband £2.50 Primark, Ear cuff £4.50 Claire's, Christmas socks £2.50 (for 5 pairs) Primark, Cat ear hairband £8.50 Topshop, Cross motif tights £3.50 Primark, Necklace £5 Primark.

Total (including dress) = £72.49

I must admit I think I went a bit costumey in this outfit. The studded hairband with the ear cuff with the cross tights and creepers and the leather jacket-y thing possibly looks a bit like I'm in fancy dress, so I'd probably actually take one or two of those things out if I wore this outfit again. I do think this is a good look for drinks with friends/workmates though. It's not too OTT dressy, but the dress keeps it from being casual and "daywear". Yeah, I don't know what I'm trying to say here really. Just look at the outfit and let me know what you think! I am in love with this hairband though and I'm sure I'll be wearing it to death up until Christmas and beyond!

This is my take on an "office Christmas party" look, hence the ridiculous novelty hat and Christmas socks! This is my first Christmas in full-time employment, and so for all I know our office party might be the height of sophistication, but I'm a fan of daft Christmas accessories all the same. Our Christmas party is going to be in the afternoon, so I'll be going straight from work, and therefore wouldn't really feel comfortable sitting at my desk in a bodycon dress in the morning. So I decided to put this skirt on over the top and I think it looks pretty nice and definitely more office-appropriate. I love this chain-link collar necklace from Primark. It did have a big tacky diamante hanging from the middle, but I just took that off.

My final look started off in my head as being very dressed-up and glamorous, but try as I may, I'm not really someone who can pull off "glamour", so this ended up being a crazy furry bag, blingy cat ears and socks with heels kind of look. Whatever, it's kind of fun, and I'd definitely wear this look out on Christmas eve with my friends (though probably without the cat ears.) I still don't quite understand what drew me to this weird furry bag, but it's just so fun and odd that I had to get it! I'm definitely in a bit of a sock phase at the moment and I like the fancy sock and heels pairing, so this Topshop pair will get at least one party outing this year I'm sure.

So there we go, three party outfits for under £80. I hope I've given some of you some inspiration, although I am aware I may have just provided you with one fancy dress look and two ways to look like a crazy person!
If nothing else I hope you can all take two things away from this post:
1) Re-wear your party dresses, they need to be loved more than once!
and 2) ALWAYS check to see if you can find a discount code before shopping, it can save you a pretty penny!

Disclaimer: VoucherCodes.co.uk gave me the £80 for this challenge, but I chose the dress and accessories myself. I was not obliged to use VoucherCodes.co.uk to get a discount on any of my purchases, and I was not paid for this post.

Autumn Winter Planning - Balmain

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 16:08:00 +0000

The third and final of my "Autumn Winter Planning" series, following Dolce and Gabbana and Versace.

Once again, it's not at all surprising that I love the AW12 Balmain collection. Lots of dark colours, leather and velvet (I am all over velvet right now!)

I never really got the whole "trophy jacket" thing when it first popped up a few years ago, but what I wouldn't give for a Fabergé egg inspired, pearl encrusted Balmain jacket! Unfortunately my budget won't stretch to the €32,380.00 price tag of one of those, so here are my more normal-girl friendly picks of Balmain-inspired pieces I want in my wardrobe right now.

Quilted leather jacket - I've been looking at quilted leather jackets like this one from Missguided for ages now. I already have a lovely non-quilted biker, but this one is clearly completely different and therefore a purchase would be completely justified...

Skinny velvet trousers - These Motel Rocks trousers are amazing. They're the same cut as the Jordan Jeans which I own three pairs of and love. I have a pair of black velvet leggings, but I think velvet trousers are a must for Autumn/Winter too now! They also come in a gorgeous dark blue.

Velvet maxi with side split - I love how Balmain made such a glamourous looking (and a bit sexy with the split) skirt seem really cool and casual by pairing it with an oversized biker jacket. This one from Asos is in the sale, so clearly the fates are telling me that it's meant to be and I must buy it!

Pearl embellished jacket - This Lipsy jacket is the closest I've seen to that amazing embellished Balmain suit, but I wish it was longer and more relaxed like the designer version. Currently trying to work out whether it would be a completely mental idea to try and DIY one. I think the answer to that is probably yes!

So, should anyone win the lottery and wish to treat a blogger to some expensive designer gear, I'll be taking Balmain donations over here! What do you all think of the collection? Is it a look you'd wear?

Take 10 - Zalando

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:07:00 +0000

This month's Take 10 challenge is with Zalando. Zalando is a German company (but they have an English site for us UK lot!) that sells a huge range of brands as well as their own label. For this challenge we chose an item each from the Zalando Collection range and I went for a gorgeous pair of burgundy lace-up heeled ankle boots. I've been looking at heeled Dr Martens for a while but always ended up spending my money on other things, so I'm so happy to have finally got a pair of "tough" looking heeled boots.

Vintage coat
Joe Browns jumper via eBay Fashion Outlet*
Motel Rocks dress (as skirt)
Zalando boots*
I've been wearing these to death since I got them, and they're a lot comfier than I expected too. I'd definitely recommend them - they also come in blue and black and are currently 20% off too!

Make sure you go and check out the other Take 10 girls and see their Zalando styling too.
Harriet, Lucy (who chose the same boots as me), Sherin, Olivia, Sarah, Paula, Mel, Vicki and Ellie.

The Look Show

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 17:16:00 +0000

A few weeks ago was The Look Show for Autumn/Winter, put on by Look magazine. If you've been reading my blog for over a year, you'll know that I was one of their top 5 winners of their blogger competition last year, and so I was invited back again this season. This time it was in the super posh and pretty Royal Courts of Justice, which doesn't seem like a natural choice for a fashion show venue, but it's where Vivienne Westwood showed her latest collection at Fashion Week in September.

Most of the attendees were quite glammed up for the event, but I was having one of those days where you don't feel right in anything tight or more flashy, so I ended up with quite a comfy, casual outfit. I felt a bit of a plain jane once I was there, I must admit. And yes, I am wearing the same shirt as I wore to the last Look Show, but it's one of my very favourite items of clothing!
Motel Rocks shirt*, Primark jumper (men's), Jon Richard brooch*, Tommy Hilfiger trousers, Asos shoes
When I arrived I was told that I could go backstage and take some pictures of the hair and make up being done. I've not been backstage at a fashion show before, so that was really exciting!

I loved the looks the Smashbox beauty team had created for the show. One was a plain, fresh face with a bold berry lip, and the other was a blue smokey eye with a neautral lip. I spoke to the make up artists and they told me that the idea was to create a wearable version of the catwalk make up trends, to fit in with the high-street ethos of the Look Show.

Then it was the fashion show itself, which included Kelly Brook modelling a dress from her new range for New Look (which I didn't get a decent picture of) and a performance by Alesha Dixon. Here are some of my favourite looks.

New Look | River Island | Boohoo.com | River Island

Internacionale jumper, H&M skirt, Primark shoes and bag | Mango | A Wear | Fashion Union jumper, Hobbs trousers, Office shoes
If you haven't heard of/been to The Look Show before, I'd really recommend applying for tickets next year. They're free, Look and the retailers involved give out loads of them in competitions, and you get a great day out, with lots of fashion inspiration and free bubbly! A big thank you to Look for inviting me and giving me such a good time on the day (despite the fact that my attendance will ultimately have a terrible effect on my bank balance, now that I want to go and buy a ton of new clothes!)

Cosmo Blog Awards outfit

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 15:51:00 +0000

This is super late as the Cosmo Blog Awards were quite a while ago now, but better late than never!

Parker dress lent by Wish Want Wear*
Carvela shoes via TK Maxx
Sorry the pictures aren't the best, the event was held in a club so the lighting was quite difficult. You can see how lovely and sparkly the dress was though!
I was lent this beautiful dress to wear by Wish Want Wear, which is a designer dress hire company. This particular dress is called the "scoop back Gatsby dress" by Parker, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I love the 1920s shape and the all-over beading (it was really heavy!) It was a bit of a wrench sending it back!

I didn't win anything at the awards, but it was amazing just to be nominated. Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me, and I'm really sorry to have been a terrible blogger lately. I'm going to pull my socks up now and post more regularly!

18 and East and DIY Yamamoto

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 18:48:00 +0000

DIY Jacket
H&M shirt
18 and East trousers*
Jeffrey Campbell shoes
These 18 and East cigarette pants with a leather trim are now my go-to trousers for work and for going out. They're really comfy, fit amazingly well (the high waist is especially nice) and look good with just about anything. I'm in love! I've got another 18 and East piece to show off soon, but you can get a sneak peek on their Stylist Suggests page (and read a little interview with myself and some other lovely bloggers.)

My jacket is a DIY. I made it using a Yohji Yamamoto pattern that you can download for free. The fabric isn't the most attractive ever, but it's what I had lying around, and I actually ended up quite liking the kimono-esque feel it creates along with the drapey-ness of the jacket. I don't know if it's particularly clear in the photos, but you can wear the jacket two different ways. I'm wearing it the "lapel" way in the standing pictures, and "upside down" in the sitting picture. I think I might make another one with some more wintery jacket fabric, so if I do I'll try and take some clearer pictures. This one is a teeny bit sloppy.

No-Tell Motel

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Cocktails from a wooden chest and karaoke in a motel room inside a club? All sounds a bit daft, but that was all part of the No-Tell Motel blogger night out with Motel Rocks.

We started off at Motel HQ where along with the obligatory drinks and nibbles, there was a blow-dry bar and Nail Rock nail wraps. Unfortunately I'm a nail biter and I am a bit too follicularly challenged to do anything fancy with my hair, so I didn't really take part in those activities (although I did straighten my fringe a bit!) We also got a preview of what's coming up over the next few months at Motel, and it's safe to say I want it all!

I'm wearing the Jet Plunge Neck Playsuit (with a vest top underneath as it is really plungey) from Motel Rocks* and a vintage coat.
Then it was off to Mahiki to party in their "No-Tell Motel" room. It's decorated like a retro American motel room, complete with bathroom with a shower curtain, and taps which control the volume of the music!

There was karaoke in the room, which Ashling and I were all over!

The famous Mahiki Treasure Chest cocktail also went down a treat with all of us!
It was really nice to meet some other bloggers I hadn't met before - Rosie, Kim, and Michelle. Of course the Motel ladies were also awesome to hang out with - a huge thank you to Selina, Tash and Taz for an awesome night!

Beauty Wishlist

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Although I don't really post about beauty that much on here, I am a big consumer of make up and beauty products, and I'm especially a sucker for anything new. I'm trying to spend more wisely instead of impulse buying cosmetics, so I thought I'd make a little wishlist whilst I mull over some potential purchases.

Hydraluron Moisture Booster - I read about this on Forty Four Sunsets and immediately knew I'd be buying it. It's a serum that you put on before your normal moisturiser that helps skin to better absorb and retain moisture. As someone who gets really down about how dry their skin is, especially in winter, I'm hoping this will be my saviour, especially as it has great reviews on the Boots website!

Sleek "Respect" Palette - This is part of the PPQ Shangri-La collection. I love how many matte eyeshadows there are in this, and I really like the look of the purple and orange shades.

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum - I've been using this for months but I've just finished the last of my bottle. I love it and think it's a miracle worker on dry, dehydrated skin, but it's just so frigging expensive for such a teeny amount. It's 'only' £26.10 on Feel Unique which is the least expensive I've seen it (it's normally around £30), but as I'm going on holiday at the end of this month, I don't think I can justify the purchase *sob*

MUA Nail Constellation - This is MUA's answer to the Ciaté caviar manicure, but the Nail Constellations are £3 instead of £18. I'm a big fan of MUA, it's so inexpensive but brilliant quality for the price.

MAC "Dubonnet" Lipstick - I love dark lipsticks for Autumn/Winter, but mine are all similar plum/purple shades. Dubonnet is a lovely dark red that I think would be really wearable and make a great addition to my (rather large) lipstick collection.

Take 10 - Next Anniversary Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 09:40:00 +0000

Edit: This post should have been up earlier in the week, in line with the other 9 ladies' posts, but something must have gone wrong because it didn't publish :/

Sarah, Paula, Harriet, Ellie, Olivia, Mel, Sherin, Lucy, Vicki.
This month's Take 10 challenge was with Next to celebrate their 30th birthday. We were asked to choose items from their special 30th Anniversary Collection, and I chose this gorgeous Floral Lace Pencil Dress. It's definitely not my usual style, but I fancied looking a bit more "grown up" for a change.

Next dress* and shoes
Peacocks bag*
I'm trying not to take myself to seriously, so what better than silly faces on the blog!

As I said, this dress is totally not my usual style, but I absolutely love it. I've decided I'll almost certainly be wearing it for my graduation next week.

What I Wore to Fashion Week

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 20:10:00 +0000

I only did one day of London Fashion Week this season because now I'm no longer a student I don't have the luxury of free weekdays (*sob sob*), but even so, it was loads of fun. The best bit was definitely getting to spend time hanging out with loads of other bloggers, both old friends and new faces. I went to the Jasper Garvida show with Georgina where we bumped into Harriet, Hannah, Jodie, Hannah and Kavita, who we hung around with for the rest of the day chatting and ahem, crashing the Glam Media bloggers lounge.

I didn't fancy going all "ahmagaad fashun week!" and dressing differently to how I would normally (as many people seem to do), so I wore a pretty standard, pretty "me" outfit. And I did still get street-styled a few times, despite not wearing a stuffed parrot on my head or anything like that.

Primark top
River Island trousers
Sam Edelman boots
eBay evil eye bracelet/ring-thing

(Thank you Harriet for taking my outfit pictures!)

Video catch up!

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 09:30:00 +0000

Recently I've been thinking about YouTube videos, and I think I might start filming them more regularly than I do at the moment. My videos until now have been largely beauty-centric, and although I have posted beauty bits and bobs on the blog before, this isn't a beauty blog and it never will be, as there are already so many amazing beauty blogs out there that I could never live up to, and besides, the whole point of this blog is FASHUN. (Too many "beauty"s and "blog"s in one sentence there I think!)

I'm planning on maybe doing some videos based around runway and fashion trend inspired make up looks, and if I do make some of those, I'll probably give them their own post on the blog. However, I don't want to inundate you with posts containing videos, as a blog is for writing and pictures, and less for videos, as you could just go and subscribe to my YouTube channel if you wanted to be kept informed of videos as and when they pop up (and I do hope some of you will subscribe if you're into YouTube and that sort of thing.) So what I was thinking is that every once in a while, perhaps monthly or every couple of months, I could do a kind of "video dump" post of all my recent videos I hadn't cross posted, just to see if anything takes your fancy.

Which is what I'm doing today. Here are my three most recent videos, which I haven't previously posted on my blog, a Dainty Doll make up review, MUA haul and an empties video.
Let me know what you think of me occasionally plonking a load of YouTube videos on here. Do you want to see them? If no-one is bothered, then I probably should reconsider my idea.

(This one was filmed with the snazzy new video camera I got for my birthday, so you can watch my ugly mug in HD if you so desire!)

Autumn Winter Planning - Versace

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:48:00 +0000

Tomorrow I'll be at London Fashion Week, finding out what's going to be the next big thing for SS13 whilst trying to look relevant for AW12. The post-fash week confusion of knowing you should wear ~~fashion~~ weather appropriate clothing whilst lusting after the currently completely impractical fashions of the next season will no doubt hit me at some point in the next couple of weeks, but for now, let's press on with the AW12 planning/designer inspired posts I kicked off last week with Dolce and Gabbana.

Next up: Versace

What a surprise! I like the gothic stuff. This Versace collection is a bit more glamourous than my usual slightly more grunge-y leanings, and I'm now determined to cover myself in bejewelled gothic crosses and leather pencil skirts (that have come across in the Versace collection as surprisingly non-kinky.)

Fortunately for those of us who cannot afford our own bit of Donatella, there are loads of affordable items out there with which to "get the look," (although I probs won't be copying that weird helmet fringe!)

Mesh sleeve cross dress - This dress from Boohoo is pretty much as Versace as you can get on a budget. It's only £25, and if I didn't already have a bajillion LBDs, I'd be very likely to buy it for myself.
Leather peplum belt - From Asos, this reminds me of the pseudo-peplum details on a lot of the Versace tops and dresses, and would be a really easy way to work the trend into your wardrobe. (Blech, I feel like I sound really Gok Wan when I say stuff like that. It will cinch in your waist and give you that great hourglass figure girls!)
Jewelled cross sweatshirt - This Missguided sweatshirt will be mine! I saw on twitter that Sara had worn it to Fashion Week and immediately fell in love with it.
Faux leather pencil skirt - As much as I love my leather jacket, I'm loathe to spend loads of money on other leather items which are more likely to be passing trends and not worth spending loads of money on, so this £20 Boohoo faux leather pencil skirt is right up my street, and will probably soon be right through my letterbox. (Ok, ok, I accept that I cannot pun!)

What do you think of the gothic look of the Versace collection? Will you join me and deck yourself out in bejewelled crosses and leather, or are you steering well clear?

Want to come to Fashion Week with me?

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 07:00:00 +0000

EDIT: This competition is now closed and the winner is.... Caramel Latte Kiss. Congrats!

So as you probably all know, this weekend is London Fashion Week SS13, and I have a very exciting announcement to make concerning it.

I have one ticket to give to a reader to accompany me to the Jasper Garvida SS13 catwalk show, titled "L'unité de temps et l'espace", on Saturday 15th September!

You may recognise the name as Jasper won Project Catwalk in 2008, and has produced beautiful collections each season since, being most notable for his attention to detail and showstopping dresses.

If you'd like to come with me to the show, then just leave a comment letting me know!

Conditions of entry:
1. You MUST be available to meet me in Central London (the show will take place at The Bloomsbury Hotel, map here) at 3pm on Saturday 15th September. If you don't think you can make it or know you definitely can't please do not enter.
2.You should be a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect/Bloglovin'/RSS subscription (or another blog subscription service.)

Comments will be closed at 5pm on Thursday 13th September and the winner will be chosen randomly and notified immediately, so please make sure you leave some way for me to contact you! I'm sorry it will be such short notice, but if you can't arrange it in that time, again, please don't enter. I know this is a bit biased towards those who live near London, but I will have some more competitions that everyone can enter up on the blog soon!

Big thanks to the Jasper Garvida press office for providing me with the invites to this show.

5 year old skirt

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:34:00 +0000

Clothing at Tesco cardigan and belt*
Vintage t-shirt
Charity shop/DIY skirt
George at Asda shoes
Another work outfit. I love this skirt, it's one of my oldest items of clothing. I bought/DIYed it (it's shortened from a very long granny skirt) when I first started getting properly into fashion about 5 years ago, and it's been a favourite ever since. As a 17 year old with very little money to spend on clothes, I used to buy a lot of charity shop pieces and do a lot of DIYs. I may now be an adult with a full-time job, but I think I might go back to my thrifty teenage ways, as I've decided I'm going to try and save as much money as possible. It may sound silly, but I have a plan to buy my own house in (hopefully) four years, so I need to find more affordable ways to manage my fashion addiction!

Autumn Winter planning - Dolce and Gabbana

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:05:00 +0000

Every new season, I like to go through the designer collections to pick out my favourite looks and trends, and help me decide which "key pieces" I want to buy for my own wardrobe. I've decided to dedicate one post to each of my favourite collections, including a little "inspired by" wishlist of items, and I'm starting with...

Dolce and Gabbana

Either the Dolce and Gabbana or D&G collection are in my favourites almost every season, and AW12 is no exception. I love the "opulent goth" aesthetic of the collection and the sumptuous velvets, silks and tapestry fabrics used. I'm not normally one for really fussy clothing, but I love the over-embellished look of the baroque patterns paired with layers of lace and the gold and pearl accents. I'm definitely hankering after tapestry textures and gold and black baroque patterns now!

Key pieces wishlist

Painting dress - This dress from Romwe is the only "renaissance painting" item I've seen online/on the highstreet. It would look great with a baroque print or tapestry skirt over the top.
Tapestry bag - This bag (from eBay) is really cute and under £20, so a cheap way of buying into what could be a short-lived trend.
Flocked baroque shirt - I love oversized shirts, and this Motel one is perfect for the new season! I really like the combination of the sheer fabric and the flocked details.
Coin necklace - This River Island coin necklace reminds me of the huge earrings the models wore in the Dolce and Gabbana show, which I really like the look of, but I personally don't wear big earrings, and this necklace would be more practical for day to day wear anyway.

Take 10 - Sugarhill Boutique

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:17:00 +0000

Vicki, Olivia, Sarah, Sherin, Ellie
Harriet, Mel, Paula, Lucy, Me
This month's Take 10 challenge was with Sugarhill Boutique. We got to choose an item from their Las Vegas themed collection, either the Lady Luck sweater, Pokerface blouse or the Pokerface dress, which I chose.
The dress is white, sheer and quite girly with the pussybow neckline, which is totally not my style, but I loved the print, and I actually really like the dress, especially the long sleeves. I resisted styling it with chunky black boots and a leather jacket, as I felt that would be a bit too predictable, and instead went in the opposite direction with nude heels and a nude belt.

Belt - Clothing at Tesco*
Shoes - Carvela via TK Maxx
Rings - Ti Sento (Birthday gifts)

If you're a fan of slightly quirky prints, then you should definitely check out Sugarhill Boutique. They have a new fox themed collection which is really cute.

What do you think of the dress? Make sure you check out the other Take 10 girls' styling too.

River Island A/W 12 Behind The Scenes video

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:34:00 +0000

I always love River Island's Autumn Winter collections and this year is not exception. This behind-the-scenes video of the new season ad campaign they've just released has propelled the shop to the top of my must-visit list for autumn clothes shopping. I love how it sums up just how fun and eclectic the River Island aesthetic is. I can't wait for the collection to fully drop!

Sponsored post

Day 29 - FOTD

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 16:59:00 +0000

31 Day Fashion Blogger Challenge.
29th. Face of the Day.

I don't normally post pictures of my face on the blog, as I feel it's often quite gratuitous when bloggers do it and smacks a bit of angling for "OMG you're so pretty!" comments, but needs must for this challenge. I've chosen this "FOTD" as it's different from my everyday makeup as this is what I wore for a housewarming party last night. As you can see, I decided to do a purple smokey eye to go with my amazing new purple galaxy top (from Primark.)
I'm quite pleased with how this came out. I never used to be able to do anything even slightly resembling a smokey eye without looking like I'd been punched in the face, so successfully (I think) managing a bruise-coloured version without looking like I'd been in a fight is an achievement for me!

Face - Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in Fair, Jemma Kidd Light As Air foundation in 01 Ultra Light, Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch concealer in Naked, MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light, Maybelline Dream Touch Blush in Apricot, Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Aglow.
Eyes - NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean (as eyeshadow base), MUA Eyedust in Shade 6, MAC eyeshadow in Omega (eyebrows) and Nylon, MUA liquid eyeliner, No7 Extravagant Volume mascara.
Lips - Carmex :p

Day 28 - Creeping

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 08:30:00 +0000

31 Day Fashion Blogger Challenge.
28th. Something everyone has now.

Everyone has creepers now, but I'm not one of those silly annoying people who stops wearing something (or listening to a band etc) when it becomes popular. I still love my creepers, but they're a bit too heavy to wear at the moment while my knees are playing up, and they're also not really office attire, no matter how relaxed the dress code is where I work. I can't wait to be back stomping around in them, if only at the weekends!
If you want creepers and haven't got any already, but don't want to spend the £90 on the Underground ones, there are tons of cheaper "fakes" available on eBay.

P.S. It's my birthday :) I'm 22!

Day 27 - Inspired by...

noreply@blogger.com (fritha louise) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 08:00:00 +0000

31 Day Fashion Blogger Challenge.
27th. Inspired by your style icon.

I don't have a style icon per se, so instead I thought it would be fun to recreate something that I'd pinned on Pinterest. I find that I pin a lot of outfits, but then don't really "do" anything with those pins, so it was fun to try and "copy" a look that I'd picked out as inspiring.

Pinned image originally from Lucy Laucht.
Blazer - Dorothy Perkins
Top - New Look*
Jeans - H&M
Shoes - Asos
Clutch - Peacocks*This was actually quite fun to do, and has given me a couple of ideas for other posts (which was the point of this challenge, so yay!)
P.S. Before anyone comments on it, I know my photography is well below par. It's something on my to-do list to work on, but I don't have a lot of time for that at the moment.