Style | Grey Is The New Black

As someone who declares numerous times her love for a monochrome wardrobe, you can imagine my excitement on seeing the fashion world turn in to a hue of tonal grey. Grey is no longer a faded black, a dirty white or a mere shadow of a colour. No, grey has emerged as this autumns front running staple colour. Forget those dark blacks, deep burgundys and forest greens that have so long been a member of your fall wardrobe. ( Ok, maybe don't forget them. Perhaps just tone them down a bit. A burgundy croc bag, or a chunky knit green jumper should do it. ) Grey is now your staple colour this season! 

While at first the thought of a grey wardrobe can seem like quite a dull pallette, I am here to hopefully (though not all that confidently) show you that Grey is not boring. Different shades, textures and patterns can bring your grey outfit to life, adding contrast and interest to what could otherwise be a washout of an outfit.

I can not stress enough how important the cut and texture of clothing is to the overall effect of an outfit. Though I have only been blogging fashion  for a few months, I have already established that simple details are key to creating an outfit that works. Whether or not I achieve a successful outfit is still questionable, BUT I am learning and hopefully progressing.

What's more, is that a simple grey pallette allows room for your accessories to take centre stage. Small hints of colour can really stand on their own against a background of grey hues. 

I was lucky enough to be sent this beautiful Jade Stone ring with very simple yet extremely elegant sterling silver detailing from gen K. Jewelry. Genevie, the creator of these beautiful pieces, makes it her mission to travel around the world to source the materials for her jewellery. Each pieces is carefully and thoughtfully selected, and this is what gives her brand the uniqueness and tranquil characteristics. 

The ring I was sent was made out of Jade. gen K. Jewelry uses Jade because it is an enchanting gemstone with unique properties that fosters zen and promotes calmness. Back in ancient Chinese history, only the emperor and official of high ranks were allowed to wear jade as it was considered a precious stone. It was believed to ward off evil and protect the wearer. 

Taking these historic properties of the stone, gen K. Jewelry decided to modernise the jade with a "face-lift" incorporating avant-garde concepts and contemporary design to enable the discerning individual to portray a sense of style and originality. I, myself, find the ring absolutely stunning and am so happy to be the owner of such a unique item.

I wanted to play about with the location, so decided to try an urban vibe. Closest I could find was this skatepark, so I had to have a bit of fun while I was there!

The piece that I feel really finishes this look is the bag! I actually grabbed this off my friend Lydia last minute and stole it for my outfit! I love the rough-finish leather and the boldness of the backpack. Definitely need to invest in one for myself. I feel the rucksack really breaks up the outfit and adds in another layer of volume to keep it from looking flat!

All my love,

CJ.

Ring | gen K. Jewelry

Top | H&M

Jumper | H&M

Skirt | H&M

Boots | ZARA

Bag | From Lydia

Style | Sophisti-kid

I love a good blazer. I feel they really make any outfit that bit smarter. Fitted jackets and blazers in all different colours, styles and variations can be seen frequently on the streets this summer. What's more is that they are the perfect transitional piece that will see you through the warmer autumn months as well.

I seem to look so glazed/shocked in these  picture so I apologise. I think the room was just to bright for my little eyes. I remind myself of a rabbit caught in the headlights, but we will just  have to work with them and hope all is not lost!

Chunky statement necklaces have been a key trend this spring/summer, and this has been followed by chunky everything else! Shoes, bracelets, earnings, bags, any accessories that is larger than life can be welcomed to adorn a fashionable ensemble.

I absolutely adore this bracelet which was kindly sent to me by the wonderful lady behind Accessory Wednesday. While I usually wouldn't have picked this piece, I am so happy that it was sent to me because I love the chunky detailing it gave to the outfit.

It was really easy to style and such an eye-catching piece. I got so many compliments on it when I wore it in the city, which is always a sign of a good choice! The peoples voice matters! The bracelet has a crystal charm about it, and the layering affect gives it an almost baroque style of the beautiful eclectic eccentric feeling of lavish and luxury. An absolutely beautiful piece. 

Make sure to check out Accessory Wednesday where a new auction is held EVERY Wednesday for your chance to purchase some of their statement pieces! 

I have paired my trusty white clutch, one of my favourite pieces ever! It has seemed timeless so far, but I am sure there will come a day when I will no longer be able to pair this beauty with an outfit for instant fashion points.

I have collected shoes since I can remember, they have always been a huge love of mine. When I was younger I used to chose barbies (yes I was that girl that played with barbies non-stop) just by which shoes they came with. Once I got them home I would take the shoes and collect them in a little pot and would wish that for Christmas Santa would bring me them in my shoe size! So I have a pretty good collection, but it doesn't stop me from wanting more.

This pair are a very statement pair, there is nothing elegant about them. They re just big in every aspect. The buckle, the strap, the platform, the heel are all made up of a good dose of chunkiness. I like the way they seem to work well with the clean cut blazer, yet they contrast with the delicate floral print of the playsuit.  

Hope you are all well, and sorry this post was a bit delayed!

All my love,

CJ.

Blazer | H&M

Playsuit | Dorothy Perkins

Shoes | New Look

Bracelet | Accessory Wednesday

Style | I Take My Coffee Black...

I love the new statement jewellery trend, huge chunky necklaces now complete any look to add more colour and interest. That is why I jumped at the chance to work with Rose and Storm and feature one of their gorgeous necklaces on my blog.

I received this beautiful candy pink chunky bead necklace and I couldn't be more happy with it! The necklace sits well and is the perfect size to catch peoples attention. While some statement necklaces can be too overbearing on the outfit, this one from Rose and Storm is perfect and gives just enough colour and detail while still being simple and clean cut.

If you have read my previous posts, you already know my obsession with black. I love black clothing, and I always feel really comfortable wearing all black and it saves me from having to think about colour and pattern matching! 

I do, however, love interesting clothes so for me it is important to add shape and texture to any of my mono-coloured outfits. I love this tailored skort from Zara! I picked it up in the Zara spring sale for under £10 and love it. I feel that it is great at slimming down my not-so-slim thighs and also helps to elongate my legs thanks to its pointed design! 

These little strappy heels were also a bargain! The beauties come from H&M and were less the £15. While I usually love super high heels, I had a sensible turn when I purchased these, they are the smallestheels I own but they are super comfy and I still think they look fine!

I love the delicate feel that these heels have, the slender straps make them look really elegant and I think the minimal detail and minimal fabric really work with the bulk of black that the outfit uses! 

I always love to look quite smart, and that's why I love the structured shoulder pads that are hidden in the boxy top. The outfit as a whole has quite a masculine feel, but the heels soften it up. 

I also love white nails, as I feel they always look so fresh and crisp! I am wearing Models Own new HyperGel Range!

All my love, 

CJ.

Necklace | Rose and Storm

Top | Zara

Skort | Zara

Shoes | H&M

Bag | Ebay

Style | Clean Cut Electric

I have been promising myself two things recently. 

1) I will buy myself a white jacket/blazer.

2) I will add colour to my wardrobe.

And today's post has achieved both of those things!

I was a girl on a mission, a mission to find the best white blazer I could at a reasonable price. I found myself in the trusty H&M, queuing up with a simple white blazer, when this little jacket caught my eye. I just couldn't resist the black piping detail, and the black and white contrasting lapels. Both blazer and jacket were £29.99 and so a made a quick and hefty swap and bought this little number home!

I really love how smart jackets can really transform an outfit. I have always loved monochrome ( as you can probably tell) and so I just had to have this little jacket. It's a bit more formal then i'd usually wear, and the jacket itself has feminine qualities but on the whole is quite a masculine looking thing. But, alas, I am in love with it.

As for adding colour, I picked up some bright coloured t-shirts for the bargain price of £7.99 in Zara. This electric blue is super bright, and I love the colour. I don't really have anything else this colour in my wardrobe so it was a welcome addition.

I also bought a lime green/neon yellow top in the same style which I will feature in an upcoming post. These tees were just a great way to add a bold pop of colour, into what is a dominant black and white wardrobe.

I am a huge fan of ankle boots and heels, so heeled ankle boots are always a winner! These ones were from Zara (zara's pieces are incredible at the moment). They have a really clumpy wooden heel and platform, they can feel quite hard to walk in as the sole doesn't cushion your step. BUT, I love the suede taupe colour and I can last a good few hours in them, so all is not lost.

The weather was really nice and sunny today and i'm hoping it will continue as I really need one more beach days!

All my love,

CJ. 

Jacket | H&M

Top | Zara

Leggings | Topshop

Boots | Zara

Sunglasses | Outfit

Friday Inspo : Co-ord Everything

Doina Ciobanu

Annabelle Fleur

One of the biggest trends this spring/summer is definitely cute co-ordinates. Crops and shorts, blazers and suit trousers, skirts and shirts. Co-ord everything. The trend is super easy to pull off and most highstreet brands and couture brands alike are stocking up on co-ordinated goodies for all us who are fashion concious.

Most fashion bloggers at the moment can be found promoting their cute co-ord pieces. The style looks so put together and sleek. You can forget about clashing colours, contrasting prints and odd cuts, because the co-ord is a simple ready made outfit perfect for those days where you can't decide what to wear!

Fashion Coolture

Laura Allard-Fleischl

Vi Nguyen

I have seen so many co-ords about and have fallen in love, i'm especially loving suit-styled pieces, although they tend to cost a lot more $$$! 

This is definitely a trend that flatters most people, and one that i'm loving! It's huge on the catwalk, huge with celebrities and now it's made it big on the highstreet...

Will you be getting your hands on some co-ords this summer?

All my love,

CJ.

Style | Simple Monochrome

I still haven't strayed away from black yet, but at least today I added some white in too! I absolutely love monochrome looks, I personally feel they always look very put together. It seems to be a colour palette that just will always work well.... well almost always. 

I have really been loving wearing simple pieces with interesting details. I'm not a massive print and pattern kind of girl, so for me it's great when clothes have an interesting cut or shape. I used to try and stay away from anything that showed off my shoulders as I packed a bit more weight previously and would often find the halterneck style cut VERY unflattering. 

However, though i'm still not where I want to be weight wise, I have trimmed down. And now (at last) I am happy enough to show my shoulders off to the world. I am absolutely in love with this top, not only is it a crisp white but I think the cut around the neck is just really interesting and quite bold. Happy Clara.

Today was a day for heels. I used to be absolutely obsessed with chunky massive high heels, but now I have found love in smaller elegant ones. Not only have I gone for a smaller heel but I have also found myself lusting over pointed shoes. I can't walk past a shop window display without being pulled in by the promise of some new point shoes. It's bad, I know. But there is something about the pointed toe that really elongates the leg and makes things look a bit slimmer! 

My clutch is from last summer, I am always keen to recycle my favourite pieces from last year. I really like the transparent sections of the bag, and again I love it just because its white! 

I've also been experimenting a bit with my make-up recently, trying out lipsticks and blushes and all sorts of things! I love bold lipsticks, especially the vampy kind. I'm not too sure just yet whether or not they suit me, but hey i'm just going to go for it!

I've been having such a lovely time so far this summer, catching up with people. Definitely good to be home!

All my love,

CJ.

Top | River Island

Jeans | Topshop

Clutch | New Look 

Shoes | Asos