Current Thrift Favourites

Hello, Hello. 

As we have established here on my blog, second hand shopping is my favourite past time. Now that the weather has got better (for now at least), it has meant that carboot season has arrived, so I have been out thrifting more than ever. If I am brutally honest with you, I buy way too much to show all at once (unless I was on YouTube, which maybe one day I will be), so what I have decided to do on my blog is pull out my favourite finds at the minute, tell you why and style them up. No doubt these will end up being monthly at least, as I just cannot seem to help myself when it comes down to sustainable fashion. 

Last week was probably the holy week of thrift finds, I have found some true hidden treasures so I think there is no better week to start this series out. The bits I have picked up are from both Charity Shops & Carboot's, and I will go through the pricing of each item when I get round too it. So without further ado, here are my current thrift favourites. 

Now, is this A LOOK OR IS THIS A LOOK? AH, I am so obsessed with this Scary Spice 90s vibes, it is killing me. I don't even know where to start with this look, it is doing the most. So let's do this chronologically and work from the head down. This hat has got to be one of the greatest accessory finds I have ever come across, it was on a hat stand at the back of one of my local charity shops and I almost walked straight passed it. Luckily I was caught a glimpse of the Kangol logo and nearly had a heart attack. Kangol bucket hats have got too be one of the most trendy street style accessories out there, but the fact that this is red faux fur makes it even more freaking cool. The tragic thing is, I nearly didn't buy this because it was £5! For a hat in a charity shop near me that is pretty much extortion, however I'm glad I decided to get it because this is probably the coolest hat I have ever owned. 

Moving on down to this iconic leopard print flared jumpsuit, I am well and truthfully obsessed with this piece. If you would've told me a few months ago that I would ever be wearing this much leopard print I would've literally laughed it off, but now I am obsessed with it. I am also 99% sure Scary Spice rocked one of these in the 90s, so I am definitely feeling the vibe. This was a carboot find at the mere 50p. I honestly didn't even look at the size, I just knew I had to have it. It looks like a late 90s / early 2000s piece and is in near perfect condition, and I was so happy to find that it fits me like a glove. I threw this old oversized Adidas coat over the top to make the look more casual (and I also think this would make for an absolutely incredible festival look too). This is also an old thrifted find, but is now actually up on my depop if you want to give it a new home! (username: emmalouisloves ) 

Finally, the absolute killers that are the most incredible platform shoes I have ever laid my eyes on. I found these in the same charity shop as the Kangol hat - unbelievable right? However these I almost missed! It was my dad that pointed them out too me, he knows me far too well it seems. These were a purchase though that proves that there is no harm in asking! They were priced up at a tenner, pretty darn steep but considering how much this style of shoe costs new, only a fraction of the price. However, there are a few scuffs on the toes and they aren't in ~perfect~ condition, so I went and asked if there was any way I could get a discount. Alas to my success, the manager came out and said that I could have them for £6! What a steal! It just goes to show, if you think anything is too overpriced for it's condition do not hesitate to ask if they will knock a little bit off the price, if you don't ask you don't get. These are going to come so in handy for festival season, and festival styling lookbooks - which I will 100% be doing in the future, so watch this space for those. 

So those are my top three current favourite thrifted pieces, however there are so many more I would love to feature, these were definitely the winners. No doubt there will be many more of these to come in the future as my addiction to thrifting does not seem like it going anywhere any time soon. But for now, that is me over and out!

XOXO, EMMA. 

Unnecessary Pressures, "Me" Time & Being True to Yourself.

Hello, Hello.

So lately I have been thinking about this ideal and pressure that we (bloggers) put onto ourselves to document everything that happens in our lives. Even if blogging is your full time job, you still need time (and moments) which you shouldn't feel the need to capture. It may seem slightly selfish, especially with the fact that being a blogger you are choosing to put your personal life out into the world - however there are some memories which are ones that are just meant for you. No one should ever feel bad or disappointed if you don't manage to shoot or get usable content, there is always another day - it is not the end of the world. What would be worse would be compromising your day and stressing to try and fit everything in. I think it's super important to find the right balance, if I was so caught up on shooting and making sure I had proof of what a fabulous day I had, it might've actually compromised how MUCH of a great day I had. For example, these amazing images where shot by my best friend Sophie @ Steep Drop Media in Newcastle. ( The link to her website is here, and the Instagram account is here too see more of her bad ass work). However,  a few weeks prior we had planned to also shoot in York, but the day got away with us and we didn't get enough time - and that's what actually started this thought process and blog post. That was such a lovely day that we had for ourselves, but at the time I couldn't help but feel a little bit bad, guilty even - about not getting any usable content. It is such a destructive path to go down because you are literally burning yourself into the ground, trying to make everything perfect when the best in life comes naturally.

Now don't get my wrong some of my favourite days are spent shooting, and I love and enjoy them. Like I said, this day shooting in Newcastle was so much fun, and was one of the best days I had had in a long while. However not everyday has to be a shoot day, and not everything needs to be documented. Knowing and accepting that is such a powerful thing, because it allows you to take a breathe and enjoy your time. I was honestly putting myself under all this unnecessary pressure, which in the end can draw the fun out of life, and then what would be the point? I had an equally good day in York having a well deserved catch up, and as much as a lovely lil shoot to accompany it would've been, I'm almost glad we didn't have time. I love blogging, it is a huge part of my life, and a passion. But it doesn't meant that I should feel this weight and pressure on me to make sure that every single thing that I do is content-worthy. I have decided that I need to change my thought process, I am going to tell myself that some days are meant for "Me" Time, and others are for blogging. I think this will really help my work ethic and my mental health, and it doesn't mean that if I feel like I want to take a few shots during "Me" time I can't, it just means that I shouldn't feel the pressure to make it happen. I have found myself getting so caught up on making everything I do "bloggable", which in the end is taking away from the natural beauty of blogging. I honestly really think this will make my content so much more enjoyable, and it will relieve me of all this unnecessary stress I am putting myself under at the same time.

This doesn't just apply to blogging either, we live in a world dominated by social media, with Instagram being the top dog, and the exact same process applies here. We all feel this mad pressure to get some lush shots of our food and coffee, instead of enjoying the moment first and connecting with the people we are sharing it with. It is such a hard and complicated point to get across, because I love social media - but I don't love the pressure and rigidness of it. My favourite things to post are images that project who I am as a person, bright bold and colourful abstract edits and candid / laughing images. My content is about what makes me happy not what I think is acceptable, or - "bloggable".  I have noticed a lot more engagement on my Instagram account now that i am more myself and I think that speaks volumes, and backs up what I am saying that being true to yourself and not trying to fit the mould is what matters.

It all comes down to the undoubted pressure that we all place upon ourselves, the pressure to always be creating good quality content, and keeping it fresh and interesting. But in this process we are loosing the organic way of blogging, which creates the most natural (and therefor best) content of all. Ultimately, if the shooting doesn't come naturally on the day don't force it. I  have found that my favourite shots are the ones where I am laughing or messing around, the ones where I am not thinking too much about "blogging". Or like this shoot in Newcastle, we went on a mini adventure, a lot of it turned out unplanned and spur of the moment, and that is what I loved most. Having fun and experimenting, and showcasing your personality and who you are is what is most important. Some things are meant for you, and that is 100% okay. But more so, don't make everything you do revolve around if it is good content or not - yes that's cool and undoubtedly will encourage you to do fun new things, but it is also putting a lot of unnecessary strain on yourself. What is important about blogging is how you choose to let your personality shine - no matter what you are doing, what people will come back for is YOU. So, instead of thinking everything you do needs to be bloggable, have more faith in the fact that there is really no such thing as "bloggable" - you create that on your own through being yourself.

I know I have definitely gone of on a tangent on this one, but I think I've put my point across. More than anything it has reminded me of the truth to blogging, and how we all really need to go easier on ourselves. I know for those who are reading this who aren't bloggers this may seem a bit odd, but hopefully it will give you an insight as to what goes on behind closed doors, but more so is just a reminder to be yourself! No one should ever feel the need to fit into a mould of what society has deemed acceptable. What will be will be, and what comes naturally is always the most beautiful thing. So until next time,

XOXO, EMMA  

February Media-based Favourites

Hello, Hello.

Well, hasn't February flown by, honestly it feels like it was only yesterday that I was rounding up my January favourites and moaning about how rubbish the month was. This month however was a lot more promising, and I have quite a lot of favourites this month so lets get into it.

LISTENING

As always, the playlist for the month is linked in the sidebar so you can all have a little groove. So for me, the biggest musical irateness that has graced our ears has to be the Black Panther Soundtrack, produced by the King himself, Kendrick Lamar. (Side note, did anyone watch the Brit's? I screamed with happiness when he won Best International Male, and then got well annoyed when all of his performance was muted due to bad language). I still haven't managed to get to go see the film, which is a massive regret on my part - I really need to man up and just start going on my own to the cinema. My most listened too tracks are Pray for Me (The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar), Big Shot (Travis Scott & Kendrick Lamar), and King's Dead (Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future & James Blake). The soundtrack is the definition of  the flame emoji, and I've heard the same for the film. 

Keeping in a similar wavelength I have been really enjoying grime this month (as always if you know me well). After watching Stormzy absolutely own The Brits and his beyond incredible performance I have listening to it none stop. However one track that has stood out too me, which is by an artist I've never really listened too - but I will do now. The track is by J.D. Reid, Bossman, Birdie & Ghetts and it's called Different. It is a literal fire in the booth and made it onto my monthly playlist without question. I have J.D. Reid on my radar now and I am looking forward too listening too more of his music. Oh, and speaking of Stormzy, the Sy FX remix of Let Me Down with Jorja Smith has been another hit for me this month.

I have a few more absolutely incredible tracks which I also cannot go without mentioning this month, still in the realm of rap this track, Diddy Bop (feat Cam O'bi & Raury) by Noname is beautiful chilled out and soulful, right up my street. It's a very cool track that I can just imagine relaxing too in summer with an ice cold beer. Now for something completely different, Bitter Winter by ALASKALASKA. Similar in the fact that it is soulful, but in a more electronic jazz way. It's really fresh and fun, but also reminiscent to the 80s. I totally fell in love with this track and the hypnotic melody. The last track I'm going to talk about (even though I could happily talk about why every track on the playlist is amazing) is Crash by EDEN. This song is beautifully honest, and in that slightly broken. You can feel it in his voice, and through the lyrics. I just love the beautiful simplicity of this track, which works perfectly with his heart felt words. This is one of those tracks which are really hard to describe, but that I feel like everyone needs to listen too. It also has some very quotable lyrics, and is perfect for anyone going through heartbreak. I think I would happily say this is my song of the month.

WATCHING

To my surprise this month I haven't watched any films, because I have been too busy binge watching series instead (oops my bad). But my aim for March is to watch more films, so let's hope I stick too it. 

Okay so firstly I have to start off with the return of the cult CLASSIC The X Files. I know this show is probably a bit like Marmite, but I freaking love it. I mean if Maulder and Scully aren't your OTP are you even a true fan? Whenever I hear the theme music I get all excited like a little kid, it is not as good as the original (obviously), but it fills me with nostalgia and I'm just glad that it is still going strong. However it has made me want to rewatch the originals, but they are no longer on netflix and I don't know where I can access it (if anyone knows, can they let me know in the comments please?). 

So the biggest success for me this month, and for Netflix I assume, is the series Altered Carbon. Everyone and their mother has been going on about this show, and for right reasons - it's incredible. Controversy and interest was sparked before the show even aired with the marketing stunt that they put on at a scientific convention in Las Vegas (to find out more about this click here). This Sci-Fi film set in the future is an absolute beauty to behold, the cinematography is rich and stunning. The actors are incredible, especially Joel Kinnaman. I see definite nods too Blade Runner, which I am totally here for, but one of the most incredible things is the abundance of strong female leads. Without giving too much away, this show is revolutionary for the role of women within Sci-Fi, and is something I feel very passionately about. If you haven't had a chance to watch it, I would highly highly recommend it, I mean Netflix Originals rarely disappoint do they? They sure know how to make a brilliant binge-worthy show. But I mean we would all be shocked if they couldn't, right? You can watch the trailer here.

Another show which I have been obsessing over is Wynonna Earp. Based off a IDW Comic it is a based around the great granddaughter of Wyatt Earp, who has to fight supernatural beings and demons that her great grandfather killed in the past. It is a great light hearted fantasy show, there is only one season on Netflix though, so you have been pre-warned (there are 3 seasons in totally). This show is OK, it's not amazing but if you are fans of the genre you'll enjoy this, also the lead character Wynonna is a sassy badass, and I love her attitude.

I have recently just started watching a Spanish Drama on Netflix called Morocco: Love in Times of War, but we're now in March so my final thoughts and opinions will have too wait till next months favourites.

SO that's it for last months favourites, sorry it's late but my excuse is that February had only 28 days - so this isn't too late, right? Also if you follow me on instagram or twitter (which you should! I'm @emmacarline on instagram and @emmalouiseloves on twitter) you will know that my old laptop's screen has broken so I have had to wait until today for my new laptop to arrive.  Anyway, I will try and have more diversity in the watching section next month, I need to get back into sitting down and watching a good movie. But until then, that's it for now.

XOXO, EMMA 

Runway to My Way | Versace AW 2018

Hello, Hello.

So I have had this idea for a series on my blog for quite a while now, where I take inspiration from my favourite catwalk shows and create looks heavily inspired by them by items of clothing that I already own - or that I've picked up thrifting. The idea is to demonstrate that you don't need to spend much money, if any at all to create something inspired by designer shows. Now don't get me wrong - you are all more than welcome to splurge on the high ticketed items, or even pick up similar inspired options from fast fashion high street retailers -I'm just providing an alternative for all my cost conscious babes out there.

So with the Milan Fashion Week which has just past showcasing the AW18 Shows, and with us here in England being in the midst of Storm Emma & The Beast of the East (and all the snow it has brought along with her, which is finally melting away - thank goodness!) I thought there is no better time to start my series. Today, as you can already tell from the title we are focusing on the Versace show. I cannot deny that for the past few seasons I have been totally head over heels for their collections, mainly because of how bold and colourful they are. Thankfully, the AW18 show did not disappoint. What I loved the most was the return of tartan, but with clashing colours and playful silhouettes that we are all sure Cher Horwitz would be very proud of. The clueless-esque style nods to the 90s, It is preppy meet almost Punk with the mix-match of tartan and the berets. These styles where the highlight too me, they were bold, playful, colourful and unique and that is what I love most about Versace as a brand.

Here are a roundup of my favourite looks, and the ones which I drew the most inspiration from so you can see for reference, if toy want to view the whole runway show then here is the link to the images over on VOGUE here.

So now that you have seen my inspiration, lets see what I've created and why. Tartan is something that pretty much everyone has in their wardrobes, it is a staple every Autumn / Winter, which means we are all more than likely going to have some pieces in our wardrobe we can use. I am a lover of all things tartan so for me, I knew my key pieces would be my green tartan skirt, and my red tartan coat. The two clashing tartan prints may not be the exact colours, but they still pay homage to the style epic-ally. I absolutely love the way they look against each other, very bold colourful and playful. The coat is from River Island about 4 years ago (still going strong!), and the shirt is a charity shop find (sorry!). I would link you all alternatives, but I am trying to show that you don't necessarily need to go out and buy more clothes to master up and coming trends, as they are usually refreshed styles and prints that we have all seen before.

Underneath I decided to wear a print which is a lot more classic Versace - the baroque print. Something Versace has been playing with for years, and for years high street brands have taken their spin on it. I picked up this inspired piece for £2 in a charity shop, and I love the look it gives layered over this H&M Divided Yellow Polo neck (here). Yellow is a colour that always (well more recently anyway) has been featured in their shows, so I knew I wanted to incorporate it in some way. The colour also pairs beautifully with both the red and green tartan, which I tied in together (literally and metaphorically) with my yellow O Ring belt.

For even more boldness I decided to rock red coloured tights, which are actually inspired by the previous Spring Summer Versace runway - with the three head too toe one colour looks. (Which, once the weather warms up, I hope to do a #RunwayToMyWay on very soon). Whilst still on the subject of accessories I decided to tie an old head scarf around my waist, head scarfs were a massive feature of this show so I decided to incorporate one in a less standard way. To finish the look off I threw on a pair of heeled calf length boots, the black contrasted the red tights perfectly and added more of that preppy school girl edge that I had seen on the show.

So that is it for my first ever #RunwayToMyWay! I really enjoyed doing this, and it just goes to show that you can create a super cool designer inspired look on a teeny tiny fraction of the price. I can't wait too do more of these, and show what runways are really inspiring me. I hope that some of you will be inspired to also try this out! I will follow the hashtag just in case anyone does. But for now that's me over and out,

XOXO, EMMA