Wales

 Asos coat, Topshop skirt and bobble hat, Ralph Lauren shirt, H&M jumper, Hunter wellies

After a relaxing week in the Welsh countryside, I thought I'd share a few snaps from my little get-a-way. With regular family visits to this gusty part of Britain, I am no stranger to its tempestuous nature and find it no secret that layers and warmth are key to surviving this hearty part of the country; all stylishly done, of course. We took many hilly walks along the sea coast and witnessed beautiful views that spanned for miles. A welcome day trip to the capital Cardiff allowed me to indulged in some much needed cake and retail therapy - a new pair of shoes to be precise and to be showcased here soon! 

Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram

 Asos coat, Topshop skirt and studded pumps, Jack Wills shirt, H&M jumper, Louis Vuitton bag

Bobble

Topshop jeans, boots and bobble hat, Jack Wills shirt, Ark jumper, Asos coat, DKNY watch

Got a bit snap happy yesterday whilst out shopping and starting papping myself and my lovely new pom pom coat in the changing rooms. My bobble hat has been sitting firmly on my head all week in order to brave the snowy weather, AGAIN. 

My main mission was to find a pair of trousers that were smart with a vibrant twist but, as is usual when I trouser shop, my mission failed. I don't think my body shape is tailored to tailoring but I walked away happy with a Chanel-esq quilted leather skirt. Have a great weekend everyone and be sure to stay updated with me on Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Print

 Jack Wills Shirt, H&M jumper, Topshop skirt and belt, Jewellery: Whistles, Links of London, Pandora, Nails Inc in Wellington Square

There's something about the start of February that signifies a fresh new beginning. January is always a sluggish month and with the promise of spring firmly on its way, now is the time to bring out softer colours and bolder prints. I've always loved the classic feel when mixing checks and stripes, but this time I've incorporated a small dose of green tweed for a super preppy look. Have a great weekend and catch up with me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. 

Lazy

H&M tee, Jack Wills leggings, Asos glasses

After what can only be described as a very busy day in London yesterday, I am spending the day having some 'lazy time'. Not that lazy as, really, I've got quite a lot to do. But I take comfort in the fact I can do it all in my 'comfortable clothes' which I thought I would share with you, lovely readers, as I suppose it's nice to know we don't spend all our time in a full face of make-up, hair done and outfit polished to perfection. Happy resting! Until next time catch up with me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

P.S. A festive snap from London; Christmas is coming and I am super excited xx

Stripes? Check!

 H&M striped jumper, Jack Wills shirt, Topshop jeans and boots

I'm not doing so well with photographs this week, what with my previous two posts and the first photo here being somewhat overexposed - and that's definitely an understatement. Still, it's kind of a cool effect and at least it masks the tiredness from my eyes! 

As someone who usually delves into a deep black hole during the winter months, every now and then I have a sporadic tendency to mix things up a little with colour and clashing prints. Well, I'm not entirely sure three shades of dark blue is really classified as colour, but it's certainly not black. I've always been an advocate of stripes and check together; it's always seemed like the perfect combination of fashion forward and preppy. By keeping the same basic colour in all your pieces ensures your outfit won't go overboard but the clashing prints still makes a statement. 

Until next time catch up with me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.  

Hallowe'en Feelin'

River Island jumper, Zara leather skirt and heels, Jack Wills hair bow, Asos flower ring, Vintage Dior earrings

I do enjoy a little festive dressing and I'm getting into the spirit of things fairly early this year. Halloween may still be nearly three weeks away but I'm already using it as outfit inspiration with this orange and black ensemble. I love the natural sixties feel to the whole look as it was quite unintended and seemed to happen quite organically but, hopefully, with successful results. 

For me, Halloween is all about extravagance and is the one time of year where I would wear things that I never normally would. I think this has come through in my Halloween inspired outfit - who says you can't wear a winter jumper with a leather mini skirt and heels in the middle of the British autumn?! 

Until next time catch up with me on Twitter and Pinterest. 

Accessories

Earrings from Manchester Vintage Fair

I'm a big proponent of accessories; often they can bring your outfit to life and really make or break it. For me, I'm always interested in the small details that really make an outfit interesting. It's easy to put on a nice dress but it's much more impressive to use accessories to really make it your own. Here is a little collection of a few things I'm enjoying from my accessories collection at the moment. These shoes are a recent purchase and, although I wasn't too sure at first, I think they're quickly becoming my new favourite. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend, until next time catch up with me on Twitter and Pinterest. 

 Topshop Studded Pumps

Jack Wills Hair Bow

Stripes

 Jack Wills shorts and vest, Liquorice Jacket, Zara shoes

Stripes are always a classic choice; they're so easy and breezy and you know you can just throw them on and they'll always look chic. Sometimes, however, I think they're a little too easy and so I like to put contrasting stripes on for a more interesting look. It's good to play with size and colour as it adds more depth to your outfit and takes it from a sometimes obvious choice to an ensemble with a little more omph! Until next time catch up with me on Twitter and Pinterest. 

Schoolgirl Chic

 Asos shirt, Mango Skirt, Zara shoes, Jack Wills head bow

I don't know why, but I definitely have a natural tendency to dress cute. I've worked other looks, tried the whole cool girl thing but, for some reason, nothing else seems to suit me that well and, as they say, if it works, work it. This skirt is a new buy and fits into my existing wardrobe perfectly. I like to wear color but I've always been more drawn to items with interesting textures or shapes and I love the voluminous aspect of this outfit with the billowing shirt combined with the pleated skirt. As I got dressed this morning I thought my outfit looked a bit like that of a schoolgirl, so decided to play on that idea by adding an oversized headbow and my princess shoes, showcased here. Turns out my look was perfect for today's activities as I popped into uni to find out my degree classification (1st class, just in case you were wondering!) Until next time catch up with me on Twitter and Pinterest. 

Diary from Home

 {a room with a view}

Living in the city can be overwhelming sometimes. During summer in New York, the heat gets trapped between the buildings, bouncing around but never being able to escape becoming unbearable. Sometimes I feel as though the heat is a metaphor for the way I'm feeling. I constantly have an overwhelming collection of thoughts bouncing around in my head; sometimes they just fall out, as it were, and never stay around long enough for me to consider them or say them out loud. Mostly though, they're just there and it can be hard to find an outlet for them. Sometimes they build up so much you feel as though you can't breathe or you might explode because you don't know what to do with them all. That's partly why I write this blog and, although it's mostly centered around fashion, I'm sure it's no secret that a part of HSW is about much more than that. However, I've made a decision that I'd like to branch out and write about other aspects of my life. Fashion is a huge part of who I am but it is not all that I am. Not only that, but by pursuing a career in fashion after studying it for four years means that sometimes I feel as though it consumes me as I spend a lot of my free time writing about it, too. I'm excited for the new possibilities of my blog and to explore areas outside of my comfort zone. 

Moving on from that, though, I've spent the last 24 hours at home. Suffice it to say I just had to get away from the city for a little while. Since finishing my finals a few weeks ago my life has spiralled into a hectic abyss; time has merged together and it's difficult to distinguish one day from the next, one emotion from another. Having no work or project to fill your time is daunting and you can easily feel overwhelmed by the nothingness. Having your entire life lead up to a certain point is pretty intense so I went back home to the country and watched the sunset, breathed in the fresher air, caught up with family and relaxed. I feel much better now and almost as if I have re-charged, ready for one last month in Manchester before I really don't have any plans at all and the really scary part begins. 

 {Crown Derby bunny}

 {a portrait I had done in Montmartre when I was 15 and my collection of Vogues that I can't bring myself to throw out}

 {Shoes I'd forgotten I had}

 {Pink champagne: when white just won't suffice}

 {A lovely Robin chirping away in the garden}

{Catching up with my cousin in an outfit less chic than usual! Crew jumper, Jack Wills shorts}

Stripes, Again

Jack Wills tee, Zara belt, Topshop jeans and shoes

Stripes are proving to be fairly pivotal in my wardrobe at the moment. Being back home for a short while means I don't get out and about as much as when I'm at uni, so my go to outfit is pretty easy, nondescript and something I don't have to think too much about.  Stripes are perfect, they require minimum effort and always look good.

Until next time see you on twitter and pinterest. 

Holiday Dressing

 Urban Outfitters playsuit, Jack Wills hair bow, Asos ring, Topshop necklace, NW3 Hobbs belt

Happy Easter Saturday, everybody! I love dressing up over the holidays and today I have gone for a simple and chic all black look brightened up with a few key accessories and of course my favourite, red lipstick. The family are here and on top of the ridiculous amounts of cake my mother has baked, I've just made some chocolate whoopies and they're delicious.  

I feel like I've gone for a bit of a vixen look today as this waisted playsuit is very curve enhancing and the touch of red only emphasises this. I've contrasted the look with a very high bow for a bit of girlish charm and incorporated some colour through accessories, et voilà. Have a great day, everyone x 

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The Cape

Jack Wills shirt, Zara skirt and bag, American Apparel cape, Asos brogues

Just a quick one tonight as I'm going away in the morning for a long weekend and I've got about a billion things to do before then, including deciding what to wear! Today has been a super nice day, the sun has been shining in all it's glory; I seriously wish I'd thought to wear my sunnies. I bought this American Apparel cape over the weekend and it's the perfect addition to my wardrobe. I've been needing a navy jacket/coat for some time now and this fits into my wardrobe perfectly. Today I've kept my look simple and casual as I've got that end of the week feeling. I'll be back next week hopefully with plenty of photos so I can put together a little diary of everything I got up to. Have a great weekend everyone, Bon Voyage!