Glamorous X Trafford Centre

Hey,

So a couple of weeks ago, I got an exciting first look at the new Glamorous flagship store in Manchester's Trafford Centre.

The Glamorous team invited a few of us over to the store early on the first day of its launch. We were treated to a tour of the store, some lovely breakfast and a little shopping spree!

Felt fedora - Topshop

Gold choker - New Look

Long striped top - Ragged Priest

The store is lovely - fairly small but beautifully fit out for a great shopping environment. As the first standalone retail space for the brand, it's important that it sets the bar, and I think they've done just that!

It was so good to walk into a store in mid-August that wasn't covered in sale tape! The store is filled with new season trends, with a disctinct 70s, folksy vibe.

Glamorous has long been a brand I've loved; with a great knack for hitting new trends right on the head while keeping the ideal balance between price and quality.

I'd highly recommend a trip to the store, which is in the Trafford Centre's upper mall, close to Debenhams, Schuh and Lipsy.

I got some awesome pieces that I'm taking away with me to Italy this week so I'll be sharing those soon!

Are there any pieces that have caught your eye?

McArthur Glen Accessories Challenge: Part Two

Hello!

So, in my previous post I wrote about my trip to Cheshire Oaks designer outlet as part of McArthur Glen's spring accessories style challenge. I was tasked with finding two accessories under £250 which I could style up in different ways for the spring season.

Well here it is; the big reveal. I am so in love with the accessories I chose!

Lulu Guinness 50:50 Lips Hug and Hold Clutch*

Prada Poeme Sunglasses @ David Clulow Eyewear*

Before my trip to Cheshire Oaks, my heart was set on getting a bag from Lulu Guinness. I've wanted one of her acrylic lips box clutches for ages, though the one I got in the end changed my mind! It's an oversized clutch in patent leather and I love the classic design and neutral colours - with the signature Lulu Guinness lips motif, of course.

I wasn't planning on buying sunglasses but after trying on these amazing Prada shades, I couldn't think about anything else for the rest of the shopping trip!

I was so impressed that I was able to buy both of these designer accessories for less than £250. The Lulu Guinness clutch has an RRP of £195 but was just £78 in the outlet shop. The sunglasses retail at £250 and are available current season everywhere, including Selfridges - they were £143 which I think is a really great discount.

I've snapped five different looks with these accessories, below.

Look One: All Black Errthang

Longline black coat - Boohoo

High neck ribbed crop top - In The Style

Midi skirt - Banana Republic*

I feel like this look is a bit Kim K! This isn't really a trend; it's no secret that I love black and this is just a really simple but chic outfit that I'm totally comfortable in.

Look Two: Suede and Floral

Black suede fringed jacket - vintage, from Amsterdam

Floral cut-out dress - Forever 21

Suede-look thigh high boots - Public Desire

Something a bit more boho! I don't really do girly so if I'm wearing something like this floral dress, I'd normally throw a big jacket over it. This fringed suede jacket of dreams is a recent buy from my trip to Amsterdam. I picked it up in a really cool vintage shop for only about £18. I could have bought so much in there but had to think about my hand luggage space...

Look Three: Sports Luxe

Longline blazer - Monki

Cropped Ellesse tee - Bank Fashion

Jeans - Primark

Trainers - Adidas (Stan Smiths)

I wear this Monki blazer all the time; it has to be one of the best things I've ever bought. It instantly smartens up any outfit and is great to wear as a light coat for the spring. I picked this bright Ellesse top in the Bank closing down sale recently for just £10. I used to wear Ellesse clothes all the time when I was younger so the brand has a bit of retro nostalgia for me.

Look Four: Evening Out

Leopard jacket - vintage via charity shop

Velvet high neck crop top - River Island

Earrings - Susan Caplan @ ASOS

Gold collar necklace - Primark

Gold chain belt - Blitz Vintage

Riding pants - American Apparel

Heels - Vivienne Westwood X Melissa

This is the sort of thing I'd wear on a date night with Chris. This vintage leopard print jacket is another one of my all-time favourites - I picked it up for around £3 from a charity shop back home! I'm also wearing my new Vivienne Westwood shoes which I got in the January sales; I was praying that they'd be comfortable but sadly not, great restaurant shoes though.

Look Five: Glam Grunge

Leather jacket - vintage via Mum

Chokers - eBay (tattoo) and ASOS (tartan heart)

Checked shirt - vintage via Reading Fest

Ribbed crop top - Topshop

Moons and stars leather belt - vintage via charity shop

Ripped jeans - Ragged Priest
Boots -Vagabond

It had stopped raining by the time I got around to my fifth and final outfit (typical Manchester!), so I decided to venture outside for photos. This was my favourite outfit of the five so I was glad to get some good shots of it. My style (at least on the weekends) is quite grunge-y but I really like how my shiny new accessories glam this look up a little.

What do you think of the accessories I chose and which is your favourite look?

Marks & Spencer Bring Fashion Week to Manchester

Hello!

Another season has gone by with me not attending London Fashion Week! Every time it comes around, I pledge to go and then something always crops up and scuppers my plans. There's always September...

Luckily, Marks & Spencer chose Manchester as the only non-capital location to host their exclusive Spring/Summer'15 catwalk show, which was held to mark their involvement as an official sponsor of LFW.

Sitting front row with some of my fave girls by the purpose-built runway at the Market Street store, we got a glimpse of the brand's key new season looks which if not already available, will be hitting stores very soon!

Frow-ing with Chyaz (and her lovely sister) and Anna

The show was opened with a speech from Belinda Earl, M&S' Style Director. We were also shown a short film before the catwalk show which was produced with footage from London Fashion Week and outlined some of the season's top trends and how M&S had interpreted them for their own collections.

I loved the looks that were sent down the runway - as someone who doesn't really shop in M&S for clothes, I was surprised by how on-trend and wearable the pieces actually were!

There were some great monochrome looks which were really clean and minimalist; lots of floral prints and bold spring shades like coral and bright blue, plus plenty of seventies-inspired pieces with plenty of suede and denim. The 70s trend is undoubtedly one of the biggest of the season and one of my personal favourites too.

What spring trends are you loving right now?