Summer Vibes

Today I took advantage of the very rare sunshine England has to offer and went down to the river for a picnic with my friend. 

I wanted to christen my new Timberland boots (a bargain I found at an outlet store for £12 may I add) so decided to construct my outfit starting from my shoes. 

I'm loving headscarves at the minute, especially for the summer months, so tied this Topshop one around my head for a touch of colour. 

I wanted to keep the rest of my outfit quite minimal and toned-down to contrast with the headscarf, so I paired this J.W Anderson X Topshop pinafore with an old American Apparel Breton crop I found at the bottom of my wardrobe. 

Again, I wanted to keep my accessories minimal as not to take away from the statement headscarf, so I kept it simple with this Marc by Marc Jacobs leather bracelet strap and my trusty eBay sunnies!

Headscarf Topshop, Breton Crop-top American Apparel, Pinafore J.W Anderson X Topshop, Boots Timberland, Leather Bracelet Strap Marc by Marc Jacobs, Sunglasses eBay. 

Sports Luxe blog post

Sports Luxe really is a gift that keeps on giving. The trend saturated the runways of Spring Summer 12 during the London 2012 Olympics and now, thanks to New York designers Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim and Donna Karan, it’s back again with a vengeance for Spring Summer 13.

The Sports Luxe trend is more minimalist and paired-back in its second coming. Think slouchy trousers, zips, mesh bodies and sheer sweaters. 

Top Tips:

For a bang-on-trend outfit perfect for a night on the town, team a pair of slouchy track bottoms with killer heels and a flattering lycra leotard for a feminine yet sporty silhouette.

For a dressed up daytime look, pair a tailored pencil skirt with a boxy sweater, cut out heels and a leather cap.

If it’s a more casual approach to the trend you’re after, then work a pair of leather drawstring shorts with a smart blazer, a leather backpack and your favourite sneaks. 

The trick is to style contrasting, sports-inspired separates and dressed up accessories into one game-changing outfit to ensure you’re more fash-pack than running track.

Check out fashion’s favourites Cara Delevingne, Rita Ora and Rihanna for a real lesson in how to work the sports luxe trend. 

Hattie Broom

Sheer Simplicity mood-board

I was asked to create a minimalist mood board for a recent client on one of my favourite SS13 trends.

Amongst other trends, the emergence of sheer throughout both the catwalks and the high street is admittedly the one I'm most fond of.

Sheer pieces offer a fresh and feminine touch to the grungiest of outfits without sacrificing the edge desired when dressing in such a way.

Look to Erdem, Temperley and Preen for the most in-demand designer sheer pieces, or head to & Other Stories for the high street's more affordable take on the trend.

Hattie Broom

A whirlwind three months

I'm back! I've been in London for the past three months selling my soul... Just kidding, I've been interning.

I started interning for celebrity stylist, and fashion director of Notion magazine Alexis Knox in February and my word did I have fun.

I won't lie, a lot of it was back-breaking work. Long hours dragging a human sized suitcase full of shoes and clothes I could only dream of wearing around with me. Onto the tube, through Liverpool St station in rush hour, through the bustling streets of west London - you get the gist. Despite that though, I enjoyed every minute of it. I learnt so much about the fashion industry and met some amazing people along the way.

I assisted Alexis Knox and her assistant stylist, Emily on some really exciting shoots including Sky Ferreira's *swoon* cover shoot for Notion magazine. I helped to shop for Little Mix's BRIT Awards outfits and was then asked to go to their London flat, their dressing room for the night, to help with the luggage and meet the girls.

I helped with a fitting for Misha B's music video in her south London home and heard the exclusive play of her new single 'Here's to Everything'.

My favourite celebrity encounter, however, was with the delightful Kimberley Wyatt. I was invited to assist with the styling of Kimberley Wyatt's individual performance on Sky 1's Got To Dance.

I spent two days at the Sky 1 studios in Shepperton with Kimberley and her team of ten dancers and watched the live screening of Got To Dance. On the night, it was down to me to individually dress all ten of the dancers in time for the live performance. I've never felt so much adrenalin and need to succeed. Despite my nerves, everything went smoothly and the performance was a huge success.

So what next, you might ask? Well, on the train back up north after finishing my internship with Alexis I received an email from Now magazine offering me an internship as a web editor assistant. I was over the moon. I had a relaxing weekend at home recuperating from the none-stop madness of my previous internship then returned to London on the Sunday night. 

I was given so much responsibility at Now from the word go and learnt so much. The team were easy to work with and really welcomed me into their pack. During press week, I was invited to Claridge's with the web team to attend the launch of Holly Willoughby's SS13 Very collection and met Holly herself. She was even lovelier than I expected and so gorgeous. We each received afternoon tea and a piece of Holly's collection to take home with us. I picked a gorgeous monochrome dress with spaghetti straps, perfect for the summer months approaching. 

After nearly a month at Now, I was asked to write my own fashion and celebrity news articles - a dream come true for me. My work was published on their website and I received brilliant feedback. It couldn't have ended on a higher note for me. 

So after a whirlwind three months, I'm back home in sunny Lancashire on the job hunt. Talk about coming back down to earth, ey. 

SS/13 Trend Forecast

SS/13 Trend Forecast 

It's almost 6pm. I've been meaning to post this since I got up at 8:00am but I got lost in a world of street style snaps and mesmerising wardrobes. 10 minutes in to trawling the internet and my wardrobe and I have fallen out. Again. 

I'm constantly buying clothes, new and old. My wardrobe is bursting at the seams with forgotten clothes I once caressed like a new love.  Well not literally, cause that'd make me a freak, but you get the gist. And now, here I am feeling completely lacklustre about everything in there. Why does my wardrobe betray me like this every season? 

So it starts again; lusting after an entirely new wardrobe to see me into the fast approaching spring/summer months. I created a sort of 'inspiration board' for the shopping I will be doing as soon as I get my Christmas paycheck. I obviously won't be spending the amount of money these delicious goodies would require *sighs*, but I'll be finding the high street equivalents to ensure my wardrobe holds my picks of the hottest trends this season. Maybe then, just maybe, we can be friends once more.

In one; 'POP goes the Weasel'. Neon colours are back again this summer. They were seen on Christian Dior's gorgeous SS13 catwalk and were spotted all over the stylish clique of fashion week attendees. It's a fact; colour makes us feel happy. It brightens up even the dullest of British summer days, if that were even possible. It's time to embrace this happiness and introduce these smile enhancing colours into our wardrobes. No need to go overboard. Just a 'pop' of your favourite fluorescent hue against basic colours such as greys, blacks and whites will do the job and gain you those 'style points' everyone rambles on about so much these days. 

In two; 'Intergalactic Gal'. References to outer space were seen across the SS13 catwalks. Richard Nicoll featured a metallic parka at his LCM show this week whilst London Fashion Week saw a sea of bloggers, editors and stylists all sporting the Balenciaga Egyptofunk sweater.  Perhaps we have Felix Baumgartner to thank for this trend. His 24 mile jump from the edge of space was one of 2012's highlights, and it looks to have had a huge impact on the fashion world. Teaming jersey sweaters with metallic skirts or baroque print trousers is the perfect way to work this trend.

In three; 'Betty Spaghetti'. Think 1990's, think Clueless, think Cher Horowitz. The slip dress with spaghetti straps is set to be huge this summer. Seen at Valentino and Rocha, the slip dress is elegant, feminine and oh-so-sexy.  We've seen a lot of 90's inspired fashion throughout the winter months of 2012, particularly on the ever-so-fashionable London streets of Dalston and Shoreditch; with beanie hats, trainers and rugged denim à la TLC. However, if that wasn't feminine enough for you, then the slip dress is a perfect way to acknowledge the coolest era ever.  The 90's are totally a thing you guys! 

Finally, in four; 'White's A'ight'. This look was EVERYWHERE at fashion week. Calvin Klein is doing it, Reed Krakoff is doing it and so are you! I love the idea of a crisp white shirt, white suit trousers and a white blazer slung across the shoulders. Perfect for the warmer months, super stylish and easy to wear. Just make sure you eat nothing but white bread and milk on the days you try this one out. I'm not sure what a ragu sauce stain would add to this look. 

Why not see if you can find the high street equivalents to perfect your Spring/Summer look. 

Susie Bubble

Christian Dior SS13

Balenciaga Egyptofunk Sweater

Louise Gray SS13

Valentino SS13

Elin Kling for Guess by Marciano

Street Style All White

Ports 1961 SS13

Céline Pre-fall.

Céline's pre-fall collection is to-die-for. I love the reference to the Amish culture. Who knew the Mennonites were so chic? The simple and traditional lifestyle reflects perfectly in this collection with the boxy overcoats and structured headgear. It's almost too good for words. Almost...

Sale Away With Me.

So it's that time of year again. The time of year we mere mortals realise we are part of a different breed of human beings. Different to those we call, SALE SHOPPERS. Who are these people? Where do they come from?

The clock strikes midnight on 25th December. Young children are tucked up in bed dreaming about the wonderful elves who aided their hero Father Christmas in delivering such amazing presents, earlier that day. Adults are in a comatose state on the sofa with a box of Quality Street balancing precariously on the edge of their lap, a party hat fleeing from their head, whilst they drift in and out of consciousness. Well this is how I thought the last minutes of 25th December were spent, anyway.

Apparently not...

Apparently, for those aforementioned creatures they call 'Sale Shoppers', the last minutes of 25th December are spent in the car on the way to the shops. They're spent in queues. These Sale Shoppers stand for hours in the cold, wet and windy conditions of the early hours of 26th December. They mark their territory, like dogs urinating on the trunk of a tree. "I will get those Isabel Marant Suede Ankle Boots", "The 3.1 Phillip Lim Merino Wool Cape will be mine", they mutter to themselves.

Who in their right mind would leave the comfort of their own home, with a fridge full of turkey, cheese and wine? Not me that's for sure. Have these people never heard of online shopping?

Online shopping. Almost probably created by a woman in her pyjama's, sipping on a glass of red with a cheese board in hand. A woman refusing to leave her humble abode on 26th December, just to rugby tackle the Sale Shoppers for the Prada bag she's been eyeing up for months. (I know it wasn't created by said woman, and it probably had something to do with some high flying, suited and booted business man, helping to fund his St. Tropez lifestyle. But that's not the point). Online shopping means we can get our hands on the most wanted pieces without having to cat fight with some deranged, hysterical Boxing Day sale shopper.

Oh twenty-first century, how I do love thee.

Here's what's hot on my Online Sale Wish List, this year;

Whistles Spritzer Shoe Boot

Alexander Wang Silk Georgette Mock Neck Placket Shirt Dress

Alexander Wang Crocodile Leather Clutch

The Kooples Crepe Perfecto

The Kooples Crepe Dress

Topshop x Palladium Pampa Hi Lite Boots

Topshop Knitted Cashmere Joggers

Norse Projects Willum Off White Crew Stripe Sweat

Reebok Workout Plus Vintage