High Street Hits: Spring Bling

From pretty-as-a-princess pastels to flashes of vivid neon, the new season jewellery pieces are all about having fun. Without spending too much, the statement accessory has the power to change your outfit as well as put a smile on your face. I'm rather besotted with chunky gems and intriguing hints of perspex I've been spying, particularly perhaps the opulent bejewelled necklaces which capture a little of the decadence of centuries past. Meanwhile from clusters of gems to dangling chandeliers, earrings offer a cheerful pick me up, so without further ado here are some of my favourites on the high street...

1. Pink Ombre Necklace, £14 Next

2. Duo-Tone Bow Ring, £3.15 Forever 21

3. Clear Perspex Jewel Embellished Chandelier Earrings, £5.99 New Look

4. Limited Edition Opaque Rhinestone Bracelet, £12 ASOS

5. Jewelled Bouquet Pendant Necklace, £35 ASOS

6. Neon Yellow And Crystal Stone Brooch, £8 Mood by Jon Richard at Debenhams

7. Vintage Style Stone Necklace, £16.50 Dorothy Perkins 

8. Blue Gem Stud Earrings, £10 Dorothy Perkins

9. Jewelled Bib Necklace, £40 ASOS

10. Neon Chandelier Earrings, £15 Dorothy Perkins

11. Plastic Flower Ring, £8.50 Topshop

12. Neon Sparkle Chandelier, £12 Accessorize

Baroque

One of my favourite recent trends in fashion, both on the catwalks and the high street, is Baroque. It's an opulent trend harking back to a time of grandeur in the history of art.
I was kindly offered the chance to review a piece from Fuse Fashion, an exciting new e-boutique which launched in November. Fuse hosts a lovely range of exciting labels including beautiful plus size and maternity fashion ranges. In the jackets section I loved how the brand Beloved was taking the Baroque trend and creating some gorgeous cropped jackets that were just that extra bit fabulous to make chilly days a bit more special.
I thought the look would be especially lovely combined with lolita fashion, as of course the Japanese street style I so love is itself inspired by historical costume. The details on the jacket from the zips on the sleeves to the little epaulettes on the shoulders are so lovely, but it's the layer of gorgeous lace that really makes this a striking piece- perfect for adding a little luxury to your wardrobe.

High Street Hits: Swinging Towards Spring

I'm daydreaming of swimming costumes and sunny beaches on lazy Summer afternoons. OK, OK, there's snow on the ground outside, but the new Spring Fashion collections are all just so pretty I can't help but wish for sunnier times!
It might be a while yet until it's time to grab a glamorous sunhat and head to Cannes but there are some lovely transitional pieces around to layer up and wear through both the chillier and warmer months. Of course being me it's all about dresses with elegant, as well as versatile, prints and pretty little floral details...

1. Cream Floral Print Belted Skater Dress,  £40 River Island

2. Falmer Chiffon Printed Shirt Dress, £28 Matalan

3. Peter Pan Flower Flippy Dress, £48 Topshop

4. Crochet Collar Dress, £16 G21 at ASDA

5. Pink Print Floral Flare Dress, £21 Wallis

6. Black Scarf Printed Bordered Day Dress, £38 Red Herring at Debenhams

7. Paisley Print Dress, £38 Warehouse

8. Pattern Dress, £65 Next

9. Flower Skater Dress, £42 Miss Selfridge

High Street Hits: Summer to Autumn Florals

It may feel like we're lucky to be getting even a little sunshine thanks to the good old British weather and I really don't want to be wishing Summer away, but the shops are filling up with the most gorgeous Autumn/Winter clothes! I'm a firm believer that florals are not just for Summer so I'm always curious to see how they will be worked into the collections for the chillier months. Here are some richly warm-toned florals I've spied on the high street which will look gorgeous in the rays of the sun but also carry through to the crisp Autumnal months.

1. F+F Limited Edition Floral Print Prom Dress, £35 Clothing at Tesco 

2. Poppy Print Dress, £45 Oasis 

3. Floral 50s Dress, £125 French Connection at ASOS

4. Off White Floral Shirt, £35 Red Herring at Debenhams 

5. Floral Kimono Tie Hem Top, was £35 now £28 Wallis

6. Floral Print Lace Insert Blouse, £30-£32 Next 

7. Floral Print Kimono, £42 Topshop

Little Pink Shoes

As a pastel girl through and through I've been delighted by the current season's lovely candy colour palette from the catwalks of London Fashion Week to my high street store favourites. I was kindly offered the chance to pick out a pair of shoes to review for  Next  and these fondant fancy suede mid heel court shoes immediately caught my eye. This high street store is doing pastels well and I also spied a very pretty mint option and online they come in mink too. The pink colour is so romantically pretty and also makes me think of ballet shoes- it's even lovelier in person than the online image.
The courts have got a ladylike heel to them which though substantially tall also feels quite sturdy and walking in them feels very natural to me. The texture and colour palette is feminine and the very shape elegant, making them a versatile shoe for work, events and evenings out.
The shoes come in at £38 a pair which I think is reasonable for a well built classic shoe with a lot of potential for different occasions. I really love mine and am looking forward to mixing them up with my pastel tight collection.

High Street Hits: Cute Cardis

I've been spotting so many sweet and versatile cardigans lately I just want to snuggle up in to hide from the horrible chill which has replaced the March sunshine. From this season's lovely pastels in a dip dye effect to whimsical boats and animals the high street certainly does cosy cardis well. Here are some of my favourite knits I've found window shopping online:

1. Ombre Stitch Cardi, £37 Miss Selfridge 

2. Green Dip Dye Boyfriend Caridgan, £22.99 New Look

3. Per Una Pure Cotton Heart & Stripe Print Cardigan, £39.50 Marks and Spencer 

4. Scenic Print Cardigan, £42 Oasis

5. F+F Spot Print Cardigan, £14 Clothing at Tesco 

6. Bow Detail Cardigan, £35 Lipsy at Next

7. Butterfly Print Cardi, £38 Warehouse 

8. Bird Postcard Cardigan, £34.99 Yumi

High Street Hits: The Pussy Bow

On blouses or dresses pussy bows are big on the high street this season, influenced by the vintage inspired trend for 70s luxe as seen in shows such as Marc by Marc Jacobs. They can sit in contrast to the rest of the garment looking super cute, but I also really like the current style for block jewel and rich autumnal colours, here are some of my favourite things I've found window shopping online:

1. Pussy Bow Dress With Paisley Print, £35 ASOS 

2. Animal Pussybow Dress, £50 Oasis

3. Red Crinkle Pussybow Short Sleeve Blouse, £36 Topshop 

4. Yoke Detail Pussy Bow Blouse, £40 Warehouse

5. Dahllia Star Print Pussy Bow Blouse, £18.99 Missguided 

6. Print Pussy Bow Tunic, £32 Next

7. Bow Neck Chiffon Top, £14.75 Forever 21 

8. Navy Draped Pussy Bow Blouse, £22 H by Henry Holland at Debenhams

9. Georgette Pussybow Dress, £29.99 New Look 

10. Jenny Spot Dress, £95 Monsoon

Shoes, glorious shoes!

In a recent moment of madness I decided to make an inventory of my entire wardrobe, no easy feat when you start considering items such as jewellery.
So to break it down I've started with the shoes.
The above are my favourites in style, though not necessarily practicality. =)

Top row: Topshop, New Look, New Look
Middle row: New Look, Next, New Look
Bottom row: Christian Louboutin, Prada, Chanel

(Yes I have a lot of New Look shoes!)