Spring / Summer 2018 Trends : The 1980's

Hello, Hello! 

So, with Spring finally making its mark on the British Countryside and the adorable little lambs are jumping around the fields I thought I would take today to talk about one my favourite trends this season, and show you my take on it. The 1980's in terms of fashion where years of excess and drama, the bolder the shoulder, print, colour or shine of an outfit - the better. I think that's what I love about 80's fashion, as it was so bold and out there but also (for the most part) very colourful! Obviously for this post I am referring too the ~mainstream~ / "popular" style of the decade. For me, the biggest icon is of course Cyndi Lauper. She had such a bold playful unique style, and I love it. So for today's look I was feeling super inspired by my new hair and thought the bolder the better, which is pretty much my outlook on life to be honest.

The main colour of this look is pink, but of course bright almost neon pink - no pastel hues here. I loved the look of layering the cropped oversized sweater over the dress and matching it with my cropped leggings. I think it really added to the whole sportswear / aerobics vibe of the 80's. Sportswear is still a major trend at the minute, especially with the influence of street style still be very predominant. The resurgence of the iconic cycle short (mainly thanks to the Kardashians) just shows how much of an impact the decade is having on today's trends. I honestly can't wait till the weather gets warmer so I can start rocking my cycle shorts, I am going to be all over this trend this year. By teaming these with fishnets while it's a little bit chillier means that they can act as a transitional piece through Spring and into Summer. Also, I am hopefully going to be doing a styling post on them when the weather finally picks up (which fingers crossed is this week in the U.K.), so if you're interested in that keep your eyes peeled on the blog in the future. They are such a versatile item to style and I think they will more than likely take over from high waisted denim shorts for me this year, which is a winner because they are about a million times comfier. I think I might need to invest in them in every colour, no exaggeration. 

The print of this dress screamed the 80's too me, it reminded me of the iconic squiggle / doodle print that was EVERYWHERE alongside geometric shapes. But I also loved the switch in tones, the top half is a white background with black print, and then the bottom half is the opposite. The dress looked cute on it's own but I love the added touch the sweatshirt gives - especially with the 'lil collar peaking through. I just chucked on my super oversized denim jacket / coat over the top, because what was the 80s without denim? Even though I know double denim would be hella more appropriate. But I love the detail of the rainbow stitching it really plays well with the playfulness of this look.  I do not think there are any more appropriate shoes to finish off this look than these high top Nike's. Actually no, a pair of high top white reeboks with the straps (let's ignore the Flo Rida Reference here ~cringe~), but I don't own a pair. But I think these work just as perfectly, especially with the colourway. I also love the way the pink laces and accents tie in with the rest of this look perfectly. These trainers are super old, but still really groovy and definitely gave off the 80s vibe that I was looking for. 

I definitely think that I am more into the more casual and experimental side of 80s fashion rather than the 'glam look'. I can't see myself rocking shoulder pads or crazily bedazzled / metallic dress, but that's the fun of fashion! You can just pick whatever style it is that you like best and run with it and make it your own. You don't need to stick to a specific trend just because that's what is hot at minute, have fun with it and make it your own. The minute that fashion becomes more about trying to fit the trends and straight copy the runway, then it looses its originality and fun. Runway collections are made to inspire and to promote self expressiveness, and that's what fashion should be about. I hate too see people buy something that is considered trendy when they don't even like it just to try and be "current". I personally think the best way, and only way too be "current" is to be yourself and add your personality to your style. I don't mean by being crazy and outrageous, I just think that your style should reflect who you are as a person and not what you think you should be perceived as by society. If you're a quite and simple person, don't feel the need to wear crazily outrageous clothes, and if you like to wear black and feel more like yourself in that, don't feel the need to force yourself to wear colour just for the sake of other people's opinions. You do you, boo. 

Accessories wise I opted for fishnet tights, I mean do fishnets not just scream Madonna in the 80s? Well they do too me. I think they just added a quirky little touch to the outfit and look super cute underneath these cropped leggings, and like I said above added just a little bit of extra warmth ( I mean hardly any, but still). The bag however is where I have failed the era, the clear perspex bags where definately one that became popular in the 90s/ early 2000s. But I just couldn't get over how CUTE it looked with this outfit, especially with the almost neon pink tone to the bag. It definately reminds me of a backpack from when I was younger and I am living for it. This is actually the only item from this whole look that is actually shoppable! (sorry guys). It is from the one and only Primark and costs £4! and was found near the swimwear. The bag inside is my Golf  Le Fleur Converse Dust Bag, but you can be as creative as you want with what you choose to put inside. This trend is RED HOT at the minute with the likes of Chloe and Belenciaga hoping on the train, but this hot pink version is my take on the trend (and a very nostalgic one at that, all i need now is a blow up chair, which I am lusting over so bad). 

So that is it for this weeks blog post, I hope you enjoyed the carefree colourful 80s vibe as much as me. Honestly I have been rocking looks like this a lot recently because they make me feel so happy! I throw on a really colourful and playful look and my mood honestly changes. I can't wait to do more posts on styling cycling shorts, and finally get round to being able to do some festival styling posts. I love this time of year because as festival season approaches everyone is more willing to truly express themselves through fashion, and are less self conscious of what others think. I just wish our society was as accepting as it is over the festival season all the time. But we are getting there!

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  

My Divided Style

Hello, Hello!

As some of you may know, I work at H&M, and this fun opportunity came up for us to showcase our Divided Style - and I thought there was no better way for me to showcase that then through a blog post. So throughout all of University, (Molly, if you're reading this you'll remember!) most of my spare time, and money was spent on Divided. It was the go too look. To me Divided is fresh, trendy, and bold. It mixes patterns, prints and colours and definitely has a street style vibe. It's look is one that definitely appeals mostly to the teenage- early /mid 20s range, and I love how bold and statement some of the items are. I also love the collaborations with either music artists, or companies such as Looney Tunes and Disney. The trends are kept bold and playful, and that's what I love the most. So here is #MyDividedStyle

So I decided to style my favourite Divided piece at the minute, the iconic Snoop Dogg T shirt. These tops have become super popular, especially with our others with Cher and Whitney Houston on. However, Snoop is more me (and is someone I listen too). The link to the T-Shirt is here  - but I think it's sold out in most sizes, maybe pop into your local store too see if they have them in stock, I know our shop does. So I decided to keep in the urban / early 2000s feel by styling them with these amazing camo trousers. Camo is everywhere this season, it is high trend and super stylish. I think it adds a cool print and vibe to this outfit and makes me feel like Missy Elliot / Ciara circa. early 2000s.

To finish the look of I thought I would add in some red,because it is still my favourite at the minute. I added an extra layer with this mesh top, and added a feminine touch with my red kitten heel boots. And voila! That's my divided style look complete. I am fully obsessed with this look and the edgy, urban street style look is gives. I think Divided clothing is where you can rely on something that expresses your personality, and lets you be unapologetic-ally yourself. Take no prisoners.

XOXO, EMMA 

Ice Cream Girls

Hello, hello!

For today's look I thought I'd try something a bit different. As you can probably already tell, I am all about bold and primary colours - not so much the pastel hues. However with us coming into Spring, you cannot deny that pastel tones are always one of the biggest trends. According to Vogue this is one of the biggest trends for Spring / Summer coining them Ice cream Girls on the runway to read the article click here. So  I thought I would have a play with the trend, and put my own spin on it.

I thought while playing with Spring / Summer trends I would incorporate another one, mesh / sheer clothing. I decided to team this really pretty and delicate ruffled (oh, actually this is also another trend!) sheer floral top from the New Look sale (not available online, unfortunately!) over my oversized pastel pink t shirt (similar here). I really enjoy the play on textures, I think it adds some dimension to the look with the colours being so muted, I needed to add some interest and playfulness.

With the basis of the look being very feminine I really wanted to juxtapose that with more masculine and/or grungy details. So I decided to wear these metallic pleated culotte trousers (they're out of stock on the asos website, but the link is here). I think that these add a really cool effortlessness to the look, and make the look much more me. It adds a touch of masculinity, which I think this look needs. But also creates me interesting tones and textures with the metallic hue. I think combined with with the oversized biker leather jacket it makes the look more edgy and almost glam rock! I thought I'd show two options with the footwear, to dress it up and down. The chunky caged heels compliment the more rocker / grunge side to the look and compliment the biker jacket really well, and the trainers add an effortless urban street style vibe that is more everyday.

For the last few finishing touches, I decided on my pastel pink beret / baker boy hat hybrid, to play in with the pastel feminine tones, and my hot pink fishnet socks which add to the more grungey / rocker feel. All in all I think what I like the most about this look is the way everything contrasts each other yet still works as a combined look. I will say I'm not still 100% on the pastel trend, however I am willing to give it another shot.

XOXO, EMMA