And put your faith in my stomach

Hola beauties! So I've got a fairly large blog post for you this week as I'm going away to Portugal (#HolidaySpam) for two weeks and won't be able to write to you little delights! 

Anyway I've been thinking about wedding fashion recently, not that anyone I know is getting married as of yet, but I am aware that summer is a popular time to get hitched. And I was thinking 'how on earth am I going to afford to keep buying new dresses when my friends do decide to put a ring on it?' My solution is to revamp an old dress by adding the coolest addition from the Summer 2014 fashion favourites: the Kimono!

Now I feel pretty certain that most of us have a few prom-style dresses in our wardrobe that we've accumulated from the many formal occasions we've attended in our time. Well pulling out one of these dresses could save you a load of time and money. They're also a fail-safe for a dressy soiree because the cut suits almost any figure and looks extremely classy. Then my next piece of advice is to take this dress with you on a shopping trip and find a kimono that compliments it (definitely do this, cause I didn't and had a right predicament of choosing a kimono without said dress).

Right just humour me for a second; you may be thinking 'why is she so obsessed with these kimonos?' Well they are so so so easy to throw on and just give a really plain dress, top, skirt a bit of razzmatazz! Also, they come in hundreds of different cuts, patterns and colours, so there is one to channel any fashion personality. And at a wedding, where most people may have gone for a similar look, you'll stand out and look like a fashion forward kinda girl (but don't try and steal the bride's thunder, not a good shout).

So once you've got yourself into a clothes store, I would recommend choosing a kimono that has one or two of the colours of your dress included on it. This way the two pieces will compliment each other well and help you to avoid looking too mismatched. So here I have paired a white, simply patterned dress with my kimono, which also has white flowers. I want to mention here that this dress was wonderfully made by my friend and photographer Marissa. She has done a fabulous job and I don't think I'm alone in saying that it looks extremely professional for a dress that was made in a matter of days.

I would also advise looking for shades that will radiate your skin-tone. For example, I have chosen this kimono because I find fuschia pinks and peach tones bring out my natural colour.

I also tried this kimono with another dress of my own just to prove how versatile it is, and how it can be draped upon almost any outfit. Again I have made sure that the colours are complimentary, by matching a white and pink dress with the shades of the kimono, and finishing it off with a cute, salmon clutch bag.

My friend Sarah asked me to throw hay cause we thought it would look arty and dramatic.. Not quite sure if it's had that effect!

1st set of photos:

Dress: Handmade by Marissa Wright

Kimono: New Look

Heels: Vintage

Sun Umbrella: River Island

2nd set of photos:

Dress: Topshop

Kimono and Clutch Bag: New Look

Sandals: Primark

Will write when I'm back from my travels <3 xx

Singing we found love in a local rave

Hello all! Sorry it has been a few weeks since I've updated; I've been working and then a tiny bit ill so haven't had the chance. I hope everyone is enjoying 4th of July, its a positively unpredictable day in England, we've had rain, sun and wind all at once here! I can't believe that five years ago today I was in America for Independence day! It's made me realise how much I want to revisit that amazing country!

Fringing is going to be my fashion focus of this post; I am a huge fan of fringing on EVERYTHING! I have bags, tops, skirts, shorts, dresses and kimonos with fringing! Obsessed? Maybe... But I feel sorry for fringing cause I get the feeling that a lot of people don't embrace it for its associations with the Wild Wild West and John Wayne. There are so many other ways to rock this beautiful, elegant trend without looking like Calamity Jane..

I have seen fringing being used in much more innovative ways this season such as on swimwear (perfect for your summer holiday) and being added for minimal detail, like shoulder features on jackets and mesh backs on blouses. I am infatuated with this fringed bralet from Topshop, however, I actually bought it almost two years ago (which shows how fringing can be reused again and again). I just think this top is so figure flattering because, if you are quite small on top like myself then the layering on the tassels accentuates your bust (to put it politely haha). Also cause the bralet is well structured it pulls you in at the waist giving you a beautiful hour-glass shape.

This outfit would be perfect for a festival as it feels really ethereal and dreamy, it sort of makes me think of a festival pixie haha! And seeing as the festival season is nigh, investing in a bit of fringing couldn't hurt, right? Well maybe your bank balance, but it's worth it! However, like I said previously I have had this top for donkeys years, and I have worn it with chiffon numbers and pencil skirts on nights out, so this top is very versatile and can look extremely elegant when paired with various items. 

Skirt, Headband and Bag: Primark

Boots: Ark

Fringed Bralet: Topshop

Love xxx