Tag: accessories

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All about that waist

by E, posted in Accessories, Blogging, Fashion, Irish Bloggers, Lingerie, Online Shopping, S/S 17 Fashion, Spring/Summer Fashion, Style, Thrifty Fashion

Accentuating the waist is one of fashion’s most tried and tested formulas. But chunky waist belts went out in 2007 and no-one rational would entertain a waist trainer! Enter the corset belt, the sexy and not-so-subtle waist cincher.

Beloved by Bella Hadid, Rihanna and the Kardashian klan, the latest reincarnation of the corset belt has many celebrity fans.

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Bella Hadid doesn’t really need help accentuating her waist…Pic: Pinterest.com

Corset belts were last seen back when The Pussycat Dolls had a hit and the aforementioned group were probably responsible for their demise.

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The girls were known for their lingerie inspired outfits!

However, corset belts don’t have to be trashy. Back in 2011, Alexander McQueen created this beauty, the grandaddy of all corset belts.

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Alexander McQueen corset belt. Pic: Pinterest.com

Designers such as Manish Aurora and Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini have given the corset belt a 2017 twist with their own unique interpretations of the trend.

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Manish Aurora butterfly belt. Pic: Pinterest.com
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Philosophy denim belt. Pic: Pinterest.com

The corset belt can be worn multiple ways, over a over-sized t-shirt, a plain shirt, a jumper or a dress.

Although many celebrities have chosen to amp up the sex factor by wearing it with a long t-shirt and knee high boots, personally I prefer it with a casual outfit.

This blue denim corset belt from Bershka is ideal for layering over a jumper dress or t-shirt.

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Blue denim corset belt, Bershka. Pic: Bershka.com

This Rare London black belt has a corset detail in front but plain on the reverse, perfect for daywear.

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Rare London black corset belt. Pic: Rare London.com

Boohoo.com even have a two-in-one corset belt and t-shirt dress for only €20!

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Corset belt and t-shirt two in one. Pic: Boohoo.com

This black leather look belt is one of my favourite corset belts and is currently only €14 on Boohoo.com.

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Black leather look corset belt. Pic: Boohoo.com

If the Goth/vamp vibe isn’t your thing, try a white or cream belt and pair it with cotton or denim. The high street corset belts are usually about €15 but if you want to try a DIY one, here’s a simple tutorial.

I’ll definitely be trying out this trend, after all it beats going on a diet! Do you like corset belts or do you think they are overrated? Leave me a comment below and let me know.

Thanks for reading as always and don’t forget to check out my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook page here.

Edel

 

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Leopards never change their spots

by E, posted in A/W 16 Fashion, Accessories, autumn/winter fashion, Blogging, Fashion, Irish Bloggers, Jackets, Trends, Vintage Fashion, Warm Clothing, Winter Fashion

If I could describe how wearing leopard print makes me feel in one word, it’d be empowered. From Pat Butcher to Hollywood femme fatales, leopard print has always been a trademark of a strong confident woman.

Some may say it’s trashy, I say it’s sassy. If you too want to feel sassy this winter, then you need to add at least one leopard print piece to your wardrobe.

Being the fashion fortuneteller that I am, I picked up a vintage leopard print blouse in the Tola Vintage kilo sale in Galway. I haven’t worn it yet but now it’s on trend and will look amazing with black jeans and boots.

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Leopard print blouse from Tola Vintage.

 

I’ve styled it with my oversize denim jacket and a Stella McCartney lookalike bag that my housemate kindly brought me back from holidays.

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The leopard print looks great with an oversize denim jacket.

If you feel anxious about wearing leopard print, try a subtle pattern or a leopard print accessory first. Devotees can head straight for the faux fur coats!

These are some of my favourite leopard print lovelies on the high street at the moment. This Topshop belt would look great on blue or black jeans for a subtle leopard print accent.

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Leopard print pony hair belt. Pic: Topshop.com

 

If you want to go all out, then a leopard coat is the best way to make a statement.

Topshop have this fabulous faux fur one for €125. Definitely the most glamorous way to stay warm on a chilly winter night out !

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Faux fur leopard coat. Pic: Topshop.com

If that’s completely out of your budget, here are two less expensive options. This brown leopard coat with an oversize collar is €84 from Missguided.

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Leopard coat. Pic: Missguided.com

Bershka have a shorter style with a bold print for €59.99.

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Faux fur leopard coat. Pic: Bershka.com

I also love this delicate leopard print blouse from Bershka. It’s only €19.99 and doubles up as workwear.

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Leopard print blouse. Pic: Bershka.com

River Island have some great leopard print items, including this cosy looking stole which is a great alternative to a woolly scarf.

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Leopard print stole. Pic: River Island.com

This biker beaury is courtesy of Zara, I’m dying to get this myself. I’ve seen Niamh Cullen from BehindtheBraids wearing it and it looked stunning on her! It’s not biker season but I digress…

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Zara biker jacket.

For a daring night out look, I love this bardot playsuit from Missguided, €30.80.

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Leopard print playsuit. Pic: Missguided.com

No trend post of mine is complete without a few footwear options naturally. Topshop have great leather ankle boots for just under €100.

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Topshop ankle boots €98. Pic: Topshop.com

For a casual option, try these leopard lace-ups from Asos, on sale right now for just under €20!

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Leopard print flats. Pic: Asos.com

Hope you all enjoyed this post as much as I did. Leave me a comment below and let me know if you like leopard print.

Thanks for reading as always and don’t forget to check out my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook page here.

Edel

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The Choker Comeback

by E, posted in 90s, Accessories, Blogging, Fashion, Independent Labels, Irish Bloggers, Jewellery, Online Shopping, Shopping

When was the last time you wore a choker? Chances are you were about 10 years old and they were as cool as gel pens and candy cigarettes in the playground.

Chokers have undergone quite a makeover since then. Out with the cheap black plastic and in with velvet, colour, layers and embellishment.

Let’s skip over the bizarre trend of choker dresses and embrace chokers how they were meant to be worn-as jewellery and accessories.

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Choker set, Bershka.Pic.Bershka.com

Although so far, I’ve only bought black chokers (which go with everything FYI), I’m loving all the colourful ones like the  Bershka set above.

Wearing several chokers (if your neck is long enough!) or mixing them with dainty necklaces is the ultimate style statement.

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Choker and necklace set. Pic: Bershka.com

Zara have some of the classiest chokers you’re ever likely to see. Also models with impossibly long necks…

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Black chain choker. Pic: Zara.com
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Star choker set. Pic: Zara.com

I also really like bohemian chokers and pendant chokers. Etsy is the best place to find crystal chokers like this from ShopCrystalChild.

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Crystal pendant choker. Pic: ShopCrystalChild Etsy.com

I also love the contrast in styles of this velvet and opal choker necklace from Alapopjewelry.

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Pink Opal choker. Alapop jewelry. Pic: Etsy.com

If you want to customise your own choker, then hit up Choker Saint on Etsy.com.

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Choker Saint chokers. Img: Etsy.com

For a punk vibe, try Nine Crow St’s heart chokers. I’m in love with this lilac one.

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Lilac choker. Pic: Shopninecrows.com

I find the cord chokers are  messy and difficult to wear and the chunky ones look a bit odd so I’m sticking to skinny lace styles. Most chokers are adjustable to prevent them being too lose or too tight.

However if you can perfect the bow style, go for it!

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Pic: Pinterest.com
 This black lace choker is one of a set of two from Penneys and is the best fuss-free accessory ever!

Diamante styles are also creeping back but I’m not sure if I like them…if you fancy one then check out Chvker on Instagram.

I’m definitely going to be buying some more chokers soon. Do you like the choker trend? Which styles would you go for? Leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks as always for reading and and don’t forget to check out my Instagram  and Facebook page here.

Edel

Swap Shopping

by E, posted in Fashion, Swap Shopping

Last weekend my friend Emma and I went shopping, came home with new clothes but didn’t spend any money! Confused?!

We attended a swap shopping which event involves bringing clothes you no longer want and swapping for others!

I’d often heard of swap shopping but never had the opportunity to do it until we found one organised through GirlCrew.

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I went on a whim, thinking I wouldn’t have many clothes to bring as I’m always reluctant to part with them.

We were asked to bring a minimum of 5 items and a maximum of 10. I was keen to get rid of certain things like old work clothes but I also realised I had other clothes that I barely wore and needed to give away pronto!

I gathered up 7 items ( a jumper, jeans, blazer, floral top, bomber jacket, check shirt and a work shirt).

You were required to bring items which were in good condition, clean and ironed. I realised I’d never worn the bomber jacket and barely worn one of my tops so I knew it was time to let go.

The event was held in one of the girls’ homes and everyone was really warm and friendly. We left the clothes on runner rails in the living room and divided into groups of 2’s and 3’s. We drew straws to see who would go first.

Each group was allowed 5 minutes to browse before selecting an item and returning to the kitchen. There was lots to choose from, with three rails of clothing, bags, shoes and some beauty products.

I really liked a dress Emma had brought along and selected it on my first pick. I love two-in-one dresses and florals so it was perfect for me!

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I also selected this tweed clutch bag as I only seem to have black bags for going out.

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I have a love/hate relationship with tiny bags, they look great but are so impractical!

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I was on the look-out for holiday clothes and tried on one top which our hostess Janice had actually made herself from a dress.

The great thing about swap shopping is that you are compelled to look at different things that you might walk by in a shop.

For instance, this yellow printed crop top, I don’t normally wear yellow or indeed crop tops but when I tried it on it was lovely! (It is floral however so you can see I didn’t stray too far outside my comfort zone.) 😛

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Just as we were about to leave I spotted another cute crop top with floral embroidery and tiny mirror embellishments which I fell in love with!

It will be perfect for my holidays in Mallorca.

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I really enjoyed the whole experience and towards the end of the evening, the clothes had almost been forgotten as we were having such a good time chatting!

A big thank you to all the lovely ladies who made this a great event.

I managed to swap three of my items and brought home the items that didn’t find a home.

 It’s an excellent way to update your wardrobe and costs nothing.

As I’m going back to college soon, I’m keen to cut down on spending and be as economical as possible from now on.

The important thing to consider when swap shopping is to be open-minded and be aware that you might not find something that fits perfectly.

If you’re looking for a swap shop to attend, Sustainable Fashion Dublin frequently run them.

Have you ever been to a swap shop? Let me know your thoughts below, to leave a comment, click the grey speech bubble on the bottom right.

Hope you all enjoyed this post and thanks for reading. Don’t forget to check out my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook page.

Edel

Edel

NOVELTY BAGS

by E, posted in Accessories, Blogging, Fashion, Festival Fashion, Handbags, Shopping, Spring/Summer Fashion

Fun or novelty handbags are becoming increasingly popular on the designer and the high street. A small cross body novelty bag is a great way to liven up an old or sombre outfit. You can now find pretty much any kind of novelty bag from a giant ice-cream cone to a unicorn!

Moschino are well-known for producing novelty items and when it comes to handbags they excel!They have created a fabulous leather jacket handbag which is the cutest thing ever! It comes in black and white and looks exactly like a leather jacket right down to the zip detailing and “Moschino Milano” label inside the “collar.”alt=<Moschino black jacket bag> alt=<moschino white jacket bag>

This bag retails at a four figure sum so happily Romwe have produced a lookalike!

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My other favourite designer Henry Holland has designed a Magnum ice cream clutch bag exclusively for Net-A-Porter, it’s a work of art!

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I’m also loving all the milk/orange juice carton bags that are around. Massively impractical but kitsch. Here is the downside of novelty bags, they are usually small and awkwardly shaped. You won’t be able to fit the kitchen sink in so don’t even try. Take only the essentials (bank card, lipstick and keys). Below is one from Romwe.

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Skinnydip London are one of my favourite accessories brands and  I’m loving their novelty bags. Their pineapple juice bag is so colourful.

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Their mermaid bag is blowing up Instagram and  selling so fast you have to preorder it!

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It’s also in blue, I can’t decide which is prettier!

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They have tons of other fun stuff such as this “Unicorn Tears” flask. This is also a best seller and currently sold  out on the Skinnydip site however all of their bags are available on Asos also.

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Accessorize have a funky gold camera bag which would be ideal for a festival or holidays.

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This ice-cream cone wristlet bag from New Look is now on sale. This bag won’t hold much but it’s fun and summery!

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Pic: Asos.com

And finally New Look also have this mental unicorn head clutch. I believe this to be the most accurate representation of a unicorn ever. Check out that silver horn and holographic coat! 😛 Also currently on sale in New Look.

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Michael Kors howareya, all  I want is one of these cuties!

I’d love to hear what you think, do you like these bags or do you think they’re just a gimmick?

Hope you’ve enjoyed this post, thank you for reading and you can like my blog on Facebook here. I’m hoping to get to Longitude next weekend to see Tove Lo, I will be posting about that soon.

Kick the Bucket

by E, posted in Accessories, Designers, Fashion, Handbags, Shopping, Spring Summer 15 Fashion, Trends

Bucket bags are the new rucksack and my new favourite obsession. It’s the grown-up’s alternative to a rucksack but still a fun casual bag.The designer duo who began this craze are Mansur Gavriel who launched a sell-out leather bucket bag in 2013. Since this their bags have been in high demand by fashion-lovers and celebrities everywhere.

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Mansur Gavriel drawstring bag. Pic courtesy of Pinterest
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Mansur Gavriel blue bucket bag.

Other designers such as Moschino and Michael Kors also want a piece of the action.

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Moschino logo bucket bag
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Michael Kors “Miranda” bucket bag

The Mansur Gavriel designs retail at $400-$1000 so for those of us not so flush here are few gorgeous alternatives. Everyday walking to work I pass 9 Crow St and take a good gawk in the window.  I’ve been lusting after a gorgeous holographic bucket bag I saw there. I found a similar style on Etsy here.

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Etsy is brilliant site for finding original handmade bags. The Pingypearshop have an amazing selection and all under €30!

bucket bag

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As well as these, Etsy also sell vintage and leather one-of-a-kind bucket bags. It’s the best place to pick up something that no-one else will have.

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Cosmichippo designs leather bag.

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RAWbag handmade beauties on Etsy.

Zara are always very quick off the mark so I’m not surprised they have capitalised on this trend.

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Zara zip bag. Pic: Pinterest.

Gorgeous Zara bucket bag with zip detail  *swoon*.

And if white’s more your colour, Zara also have a fabulous perforated white bucket bag.

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If these are beyond your budget, Penneys have some gorgeous bucket bags in store at the moment for about €10. Can’t say no to that 😉 I’m a personal fan of this green and black one and they also have a lovely black fringed one.

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So far I haven’t bought any bucket bags but something tells me it won’t be long before I own one! I will have to part with a few of my rucksacks first if that’s even possible… Thanks for reading my blog as always. If you like the blog, please support it on Facebook here.