REDROCK S/S 12 COLLECTION

  So I think it’s safe to say that the new S/S REDROCK collection is totally banging! Patterns are very prevalent, with a variety of florals and block prints, with a somewhat seventies feel to a few of the pieces [e.g. Florence Denim Shorts, £44.99] Summer brings out the best of many things- our moods, awesome summer fashions, and this collection is no different. Whilst maintaining a thorough summery feel to all their pieces, they get it right with different patterns and colour trends. Polka dots, old school prints, tribal pattern and summery florals all work well in the same collection, whilst saying the same thing- IT’S SUMMER. Well, it nearly is…

Pastel Flowers Shorties, £27.00

Dotty Cropped T, £24.99

Florence Denim Shorts, £44.99

Tribal Bitch Shorts, £27.00

          The cropped tee is an ultimate summer statement, paired with an awesome pair of shorts, which this collection has quite a few of!  Their selection of cropped tees is huge in this collection, and there’s something for everyones tastes.  Fringe makes an appearance, which is a must for this years festival celebrations [The Fringe, £21], and I’m pleased to see some studded appreciation in this collection too- featured on not only a tee [Hard Candy Cropped Tee, £24], but on collars too! Studs are a huge deal at the moment, much like the collar, so this look combined is a total fail-safe fashion must-do. It’s interesting, and I love it, that this collection has included collars and ties. Just because it’s coming up to summer, does not mean that accessorizing with these badboys isn’t a good move!

Hard Candy Cropped Tee, £24.00 

The Fringe, £21

Viv Collar - Cream, £13.99 

   So REDROCK isn’t just for the masses of us, dying for bitchin’ vintage and handmade clothing, it’s celebrities too. Requests from Paloma Faith, to Peaches Geldof and Audrey Kitching; REDROCK is attracting some of the coolest fashionistas. I mean, you’ve gotta be a pretty cool brand to be mentioned in Vogue UK, right?!

          But, what’s that you say? An exclusive pop-up shop in Northampton, May 4^th? It’s your chance to get your hands on some awesome vintage and handmade pieces so don’t miss out! 

To see more of the collection, go to the REDROCK website, and have a gand at the goodies they've got! :) 

Enjoy! 

Bea xo 

Glad Rags

 Everyone's partial to a pair (or five) of gladiators when the summer season rears its beautiful sunny head. Whether black, white or my favourite (as seen below), tan, these badboys are key to any successful summer outfit. Worn with a maxi dress and cropped denim jacket, or denim shorts and tee, these versatile staple piece of your wardrobe will match everything, adding a summery something to your ensemble. 

1 - H&M suede sandals, £15 
2 - ASOS flat leather sandals, $32 
4 -  Low heels, €269 
5 - H&m shoes, £25 
6 - Roman gladiator sandals, $79 
7 - J.Crew j crew shoes, $98
8 - Steve madden shoes, $56 
9 - Bruuns Bazaar flat leather sandals 
10 - Wet Seal roman gladiator sandals, $20 
11 - Oasis strap sandals, $48 
12 - Oasis glitter sandals, $35 
13 - FOSSIL flat thong sandals, $78 
14 - Charlotte Russe ankle wrap flat sandals, $18 
15 - Mulberry flat shoes, $270
16 - Flat sandals, €89
17 - Topshop flat heels, $44

Here are two examples I made on Polyvore, of how glads can be worn...

1 - Wet Seal crochet hat, $18 
2 - Strapless dress, £21
3 - H&m sunglasses, £4.99 
4 - Dorothy Perkins wood bangle, $25 
5 - FOSSIL genuine leather handbag, $198 
6 - Wet Seal roman gladiator sandals, $20  
7 - Topshop t shirt, $40
8 - Mango square aviator sunglasses, £18
9 - Flower hair accessory
10 - Ksubi denim shorts, £150
11 - Bottega Veneta platform sandals, £329
12 - J W Hulme Co soft leather handbag, $370


 So get out and snap up some glads before all the good ones are gone! You can get some really nice summer sandals on the high street this year, including Topshop (no shock there!) but also Primark. Give them their due, they have some pretty nice glads in this year. Granted, they may not be the most long-lasting shoes you'll buy, but they sure are worth the money. And for £2.50 a pair of simple 'wear 3 ways' thong-type sandals, you can't really go wrong for some bumming around picnic-in-the-park gladiators!

Bea xo

Hi to the Tops

 So I've given in, and decided to blog about a trend that has appeared in amongst glossy magazine pages for the last month- hi tops. Whether they're branded Nike or Converse, or from highstreet shops like River Island or New Look, the sport luxe feature footwear item is becoming all the rage for this summer, and we're all loving it.
 High-tops have been around for years- popularity starting with old style high top Converse. Since then, brands have been recreating their own versions of this shoe (some nicer than others!) and the Sports Luxe trend just isn't complete without a pair. 

1 - Nike sneaker, $116
2 - High top sneaker, $52 
3 - Nike sneaker, £67
4 - Converse sneaker, £45
5 - ASOS high top sneaker, $63
6 - Adidas sneaker, £67 
7 - Nike shoes, $120
8 - KG Kurt Geiger high top sneaker, £90
9 - Gucci sneaker, £230 
10 - Dc shoes, £63 


And it isn't just us who are loving on the hi tops, all the celebs are rocking them too!... 

Little Mix loving their 'tops (Image: www.leblow.co.uk)

(Image: www.zigoti.com)

 Whether paired with ankle socks, denim shorts and a festival tee, or finishing the cool and edgy look with blue skinnes and a band tee, hi tops are definitely the staple of an effortlessly cool look.

Topshop crop tee, $40
Ksubi cut off shorts, $180
Converse hi top sneaker, £45
Triangle ring, $25
Dorothy Perkins wood jewelry, $25
Mango skull jewelry, £15
Ray-Ban folding sunglasses, $251
Phase Eight floppy hat, £30

 Summer is the perfect time to purchase a pair, so get down to your local Schuh or Office and check out some of what they have to offer. Alternatively have a flick through Company's April edition or their High Street Edit, for an awesome selection! 
Links to check out - 

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/gallery/2012/mar/21/best-high-tops-in-pictures 

ENJOY- IT'S SUMMER SOON!! Eeee!


Bea xo

Swan Lake on ASOS

 So I'm bumbling through ASOS Marketplace (which is awesome btw) for a new sweater for the boyfriend, when I stumble across this beautiful idea - http://fashionfinder.asos.com/. It allows you to make and design fantastic ensembles for whatever occasion, however you want! 


 So, as expected, I got incredibly excited, and had all these ideas rush to my head. So I thought I'd just go with it, and see what I made... And what I was left with was a very glam ballerina-esque style, suitable for all smart and formal occasions. 


 This site is very easy to use, and becomes quite addictive... Don't be surprised to see a lot more of these on here... So have a go, I promise you'll love it! 

 Here's mine, looking all proper... The items you choose are listed on the right hand side, so when you inspire people and they're dying to buy some of the pieces, they can click away and be taken straight to the product details page! 


I LOVE IT! 


Bea xo

Sherbert Shots and Lemon Drops

So, looking through the Culture and Style sections of The Sunday Times (which I still haven’t totally read from the weekend) I see the most magnificent piece on the Louis Vuitton SS12 show from PFW. It’s held on the last day of Paris Fashion Week “the final hurrah”!

How sik is this carousel!?

Vuitton defines the new season with a sense of young innocence and child-like femininity through the use of pale cotton candy shades. You can see these already starting to filter through to the high streets in their new SS12 trends. Topshop styles and trends have, in recent years, become more and more affiliated with the catwalk styles, recognising the appeal to highstreet shoppers of owning catwalk trends at highstreet prices. Topshops’ spring collection is very Vuitton, donning ‘pretty pastels’ complete with lace, pearls and a myriad of textures, making us feel like we’re in a sweetie shop!

Delicious!

So, with the pastels heading on in this spring, here are my Top 5 fave Pastel Picks right now…

• 5. PASTEL GEO TUNIC; Topshop, £20

Total winner in my eyes. Definitely loving the design on it; kinda a cross between the Aztec prints we’ve been seeing in AW11, which proved ridiculously popular (include me as a fan!), with the new sherberty colours of SS12. LOVE IT.

I love this print, and the breezy sherbert colours work so well with the lines!

• 4. CHAMBRAY DRAWSTRING SHORTS; New Look, £14.99

These shorts remind me of school P.E… but in a good way. The colour fits in with the trend, but exercises some sort of casual ‘I just threw these on’ kinda thing. The model here wears them with a salmon sweatshirt, which looks good, but I think these would suit any type of floral or lace in the pastel paintbox. They can be dressed up or down also, which is a bonus.

The colour just gets me, I love it!

• 3. FLORAL LACE SHORTS; Forever21, £14.75

I know, another pair of shorts. And, tbh, I don’t wear shorts all that often, due to the huge problem I call my midriff. BUT, these are so cute, a combination of colour and texture with the lace, at a very attractive price! The colour will work well with most colours, whether sticking with the pastel colour palette, or moving onto slightly darker blues or even tans and browns!

Cute as...

• 2. PINK ROSE PRINT SUPER SKINNIES; River Island, £40

Now, I’m not usually a jeans girl either, but I think that these can work really well, regardless of shape, they just need to be dressed right… I think these are super pretty, and have all the right type of colours with a really cute design. River Island doesnt seem to be following too much the Vuitton theme, but they do have some cutesy pastel shade accessories and one-offs, so keep an eye out!

Super pretty in all the right ways

and number one goes to…

• 1. TEXTURED KNIT SWEAT; Forever21, £16.75

I am in love with this. The dusty pink works so well with the denim, much like a lot of the other pastels coming through at the moment, so I definitely advise perhaps investing in a denim shirt (I prefer oversized ones… I looted mine from a carboot sale for £1.. Mens old Marks and Sparks and I LOVE it!) This would look cute over a dress, with jeans, shorts or a little skirt… And the price is just lovely too so, what’s NOT to like? Well done Forever21!

My Pastel Winner!

So there it is, Bea’s top 5 pastel picks of the moment. I’m sure that there’ll be many more styles and colours making an appearance on the highstreet regarding this style, so I wouldn’t worry if you miss anything. Just follow these simple rules, and you’ll be fine…

1. Don’t be afraid to break up pastels with a darker block coloured accessory, such as a belt, bag or statement piece of jewellery. It lets you be adventurous and add personality to your outfit.
2. Try and shake up your outfit with textures- mix soft feathery and floaty materials i.e. a dress, with ‘rock candy’ (as Topshop call it) accessories such as patent brogues, a leather tote or wool scarf.
3. Remember that it is still wintery-ish. And although these trends are surfacing now, be careful how and when you wear them. Introduce them maybe when it’s a slightly warmer day where they’ll look more in place, than amongst all the shoppers in fur and hats/hoodies/gloves etc.
4. TRY THINGS. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different pieces in your wardrobe. For example, today I turned a vintage midi skirt from a vintage fair into a dress, belted it, and wore with heels brogues, cute socks and tights. Things can look an awful lot different ON than they do on the hanger 

Happy pastel-ing.

Bea xo