They call me Zara

Happy Christmas! Merry Boxing Day and all that jazz. Hope y'all had good ones. As with most, this is the busiest time of the year with numerous Xmas parties, in laws taking over the residence and massively excited 2.5 year old running around waiting for Santa, it all was rather lacking in blog posts. Soz. Anyhow, I'm baaaaaaaaack! And have lots of sale gotten gains to show you.

This post is dedicated mainly to the fabulousness that is Zara. Delicious just does not cover it. I got there at 9.15 after waking up from a Christmas Day champagne fuelled Articulate session having not bought all my wish list when the clock turned midnight on christmas night and the boxing day madness began like i said I was going to do. This resulted in a not so fresh faced dash to town to join the minions. Actually there were only about 15 people outside Zara so not bad at all.

Got lots of things that I wanted pre-sale and a couple of bits from the new collection. Once again drawn to the non-sale new collection like a moth to the well cut, reasonably priced flame.


For today's post, in short; Sheer cream shirt, waxed jeans, tuxedo blazer and burgundy leather tote, Zara. Nude pumps topshop. In long; I'm a complete sucker for an oversized cream sheer shirt, there's something so classic about them and love this collarless design. I have been after some waxed jeans for a while but had a long list of misses and no hits. I had originally decided to get the All Saints ones but saw these on the sale rack for a third of the price. I didn't try these on but am well happy with them as they fit really nicely although I have convinced myself Zara sizing is getting smaller after comfortably fitting into a 14. Aint no shame in it. Tux jacket is a nice variation to the blazer and had spotted this pre-sale, always a bonus. I had originally wanted the big camel pleated handle leather bag but it was nowhere to be seen online or in store so although an unintentional purchase, I fell in love with the burgundy bag's size, colour and mix of suede and leather.

I got a fair few other bits, including some amazeballs Chelsea boots which popped my Hobbs cherry, so will share ov the weeks to come. Am now off to fill out my size 14 arse with Tapas with some old school friends who are home from London and Oz! See you next year if not before...x Talia

The Primark Leather Dress

I purchased the Primark Leather dress on its second sighting. The first time i saw it i was a little reserved, a full leather dress was perhaps a bit much so i left it. Since then it has worked its way into my head space when outfit planning for occasions so when i went in again and saw a rail of them i thought it was meant to be. I'm really happy i got it as the leather, although faux, is very realistic and not at all pleather like. Also the shape is great i think. High neck, capped sleeves and a-line mini.

On the occasion pictured, i was going out for a posh Christmas meal with all my girlfriends. Hubby questioned the appropriateness of a leather dress at the high end restaurant but i think teaming it with classic pieces takes it well away from it's fetish roots. Blazer from Zara, skull scarf from Topshop and my old trusty New Look Ankle boots which you can't really see on this pic as my tall hubby took it so it's kind of a view from above. He's a supporter of my blogging and i couldn't have got these shots without him, albeit a little blurred and footless. First after dark shots so a little break from the norm but really wanted to share.

Nail inspiration courtesy of Emma @milkteef. Spotted the single bling nail on a twitpic she posted and thought it looked lovely so purchased a pink GSOH nail glitter, the only shade they had left at my local Superdrug which i think works quite well with my favourite mink polish which was a Nails Inc magazine freebie from the summer. On another beauty note i tried out Laurens Way fake tan after getting sick of the smell of Fake Bake. It's quite good and smells way better than fake bake but think i might head back to the St Tropez mothership when this bottle's done. Come back to what you know and all that...x Talia

Dotty Dotty Ps

It was my work Christmas party last night and no i didn't do the evening outfit post that i had every good intention of doing as i left work late and ended up rushing. Rushing and trying to ensure my son didn't throw my make-up down the stairs, a fate which has bequeathed 2 blushers and 1 bronzing powder, or burn himself on my curling irons. The end result was gold, sequined and suitably Christmas sparkles although i did get dress envy of another Christmas Party goer who had a Chloe-esque sheer spotty number on.

Talking of spots, i have been coveting a spotty shirt since seeing Fearne Cotton rocking the spots on celebrity Juice, so i was particularly chuffed when i spotted (see what i did there?) this spotty shirt yesterday in the 30% off day at Dorothy Perkins. It is floaty and sheer with small polka dots. The only downfall is that it does not button to the top (why? if people want it open, they'll undo them?!) so i have secured the top with an old stud earring. I wanted the high neck look as went with some shorts and it was a case of 'one or the other' (I go with the chest or legs theory as opposed to T&A). So enter Zara shorts and Ambush Boots. Sorry, beloved Ambush boots from Topshop...x Talia

You know what gets my goat?

...Unacceptable office attire. I'm not talking here about mini skirts or crop tops. I am talking about something worse. Something more offensive. More detrimental to the feminist movement than topless darts. I'm talking crap Polyester 'suits'. Be it trouser or skirt. Usually grey. Sometimes black. Hey, sometimes checked or striped. Bootlegged. Fishtailed. Whatever, I abhor them.  They are the definition of 'blah'. Though fictional, this conversation in class 80s powerhouse movie Working Girl sums it up completely.

Jack Trainer: You're the first woman I've seen in one of these things that dresses like a woman, not like a woman thinks a man would dress if he was a woman.
Tess McGill: Thank you I guess.

You don't need to dress like a man to get ahead in business. Equally you don't need to dress like a slut. I wear trousers but i also like wearing skirts and dresses.  If i feel i look too girly i try and edge it out with ankle boots or a sharp up do. Some women might like wearing aforementioned 'suits' but in my opinion, (and after all isn't that exactly what blogs are for?) they fall into the neither use nor ornament category as in they're neither comfortable or pretty.

For perfectly blah examples of this, see The Apprentice. Ruth Badger, Debra Barr, Kate Walsh, and they are just the memorable ones. I work in PR for a male dominated financial services environment but do try out as many new looks as i feel appropriate. Others may question the appropriateness of my outfits but i am confident in my professional ability and happily married so i dress purely for me. What i like and feel comfortable and confident in. Not to progress my career or boost my sex appeal. I regularly browse the blogs to see other examples of this being done well. My favourites include Audrey http://www.befrassy.com/ (Parisian chic at its most contemporary) Morven http://morven-catsandrockingchairs.blogspot.com/ Antonia http://thirty-days.co.uk/  and even even though it's not her usual contemporary casual style, India Rose has spoken about the shape her working look would take - (SEE BELOW)

IMAGE CARE OF http://indiaroseblog.blogspot.com/

I feel those in a fashion or female dominated industry have more of a free reign so i do feel slightly less creative than some of the blogs i've mentioned, like the less fashionable relative. But would urge the trouser suit brigade, next time you have an important meeting or job interview, mix it up a little. Hit the blogs or even Sex and the City reruns. The closest i have come to a trouser suit in recent years is a blazer, cropped cigarette pants and a vintage tee a'la Carrie on her date with Berger in Season 6. Why there is a Yes in Polyester, I'll never know...x Talia

It's all in the ankle boots

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.  i had approximately 3 minutes to take these photos before the heavens opened this morning. It's definitely getting cold out there. Or as someone at work said when i had that 'walking out the building at the same time as them but don't know them too well' awkward silence-filling chat; "Wrap up warm, someone's turned the heating off outside." Cue polite laugh when what i was really thinking was '_'

Feeling a little bloated today so went for an old wardrobe favourite of the forgiving empire cut Peter Pan Collar dress that i got from Primark about 3 years ago. Who knew they were so quick off the mark on whole Peter Pan collar trend?! It's quite a girly dress and I can sometimes feel a little dowdy in it, particularly when i team it with a long boyfriend cardi from Gap so the only thing for it was the killer ankle boots. These are from New Look and still a little stiff so not too comfy but i'm breaking them in. There's just something about an ankle boot that can bring an outfit on trend and stop it being over girly/dowdy i think. I have a staff Christmas party this week and have every good intention of doing my first evening outfit blog post...x Talia

Jiminy Cricket!

Since the dawning of the WAG era, the iconic toting of an over sized Zebra print bag was as synonymous as the Louboutins throughout the tabloid images of the designer betrothed wives and girlfriends of the rich ball kickers, Cricket was the WAG boutique of choice.  Now with the launch of their website, they are taking on the fashion world beyond the postcodes of the desperate scousewives and, in my opinion, they are a hugely welcome addition.

I'm no clothes snob, i love my high street and to be honest the high end items that this website, and others like it, have in troves are a little more of an aspirational shopping destination than a toolbar favourite. But i actually think they've done a great job and am wondering if that's what gave NAP the proverbial kick up the jacksie to scrap the white plastic mannequins for real models and step up the styling.  I am a massive NAP fan, the items they have are crazy beautiful but in the past, the styling and mannequins have left me completely uninspired.

It's obvious Cricket have given a nod to NAP in the layout with almost identical headers including designer, clothing, magazine etc but i genuinely love Cricket's styling. Although she has a rather understated laid back style, Justine seems to have her finger firmly on the pulse when it comes to bringing the key designer looks to a wider market. She has such a great eye, the designers she stocks, from Wang to Olsen to Temperley, are among the best and most contemporary. I have included a few of my most coveted pieces but honestly there's an abundance of beauties on there for a modern women like me without a hair extension in site. Southern fashion snobs beware, this Northern star is shining brightly...x Talia

Midi Dancer

It's Friday AND it's December AND there was frost on the floor so getting my outfit pics done outside, first thing, sans coat, is getting a little more speedy! I bought this sheer pleated midi skirt a month or so a go, a vintage ebay find, but every time i've put it on it's not felt quite right. When i see it in my wardrobe though i always romanticise wearing it and have finally come up with something that feels rightish.

It's no big revelation, just a tightish 3/4 sleeve top, underskirt, a brown skinny pleated belt and some old favourite shoeboots from Garage Shoes. I love that the neck of this Primark top allows full exposure of my Dogeared wishbone necklace as it's one of my most treasured jewellery items. I also searched for a lower denier tight as there is no danger of any bending over bloopers and thought it might look good as the skirt is sheer but alas my mountain of black opaques would not delivery anything under 100. MUST sort out my drawers!...x Talia

p.s. I tried the hair up but it was all a bit too ballerina so i have it down although i honestly think i have exceeded the realms of acceptability concerning Batiste. A dry shampoo OD. I love the way it looks but it feels horrible. Completely grotbags. How long is too long with Batiste? How many days are acceptable? Answers on a comment card.

Girl Tuesday

Well its been a while since I last blogged due to a mix of random outfit choices that i'm still making my mind up about and just general tardiness, dark nights, rushed mornings etc.  Anyhoo, as i got a new purchase last week i wanted to give it some blogging time.  I dont work on Mondays so my Tuesdays are akin to most people's Mondays e.g. rushed, last minute with only a little pre-fall asleep outfit planning in my head, so i tend to go for the dress as it's simple and in this case, it's new and doesn't need ironing. Huuuuuuuge plus.

It's from New Look (care of Voucher Codes 20% off) and although there is an unholy abundance of lace on the high street at the moment this really stood out to me because I'm a sucker for a nude lining, especially on black lace.  Plus i like the skater style flaring (flattering on the legs), the sleeve length and the silky bow at the back which i forgot to photograph (my bad). I'm usually a pretty average 12 but this wasn't quite fitted enough for me so i cinched it slightly with a black tie off an old shirt. Faux suede platforms from Primark...x Talia

Things my husband hates...

Blue nails. Just hates them. Most bright colours he's not that keen on to be honest. Men are a strange species.

Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be...Donatella.

So I had originally seen a couple of dresses in the Versace for H&M that i thought were really nice but i was having loads of problems getting on the H&M website to see the collection, what with it being the most user unfriendly website i've experienced and everything.

Anyhoo, i entered a competition to get 10 minutes shopping time prior to store opening and as i did like some of the stuff I thought what the hey. As luck would have it i won! Woo Hoo! Cue trip to Birmingham, slap bang in the middle of Versace pandemonium. It was mental. There were massive queues and everyone had ten minute shopping slots allocated by coloured wristbands with the front of the queue getting the earliest and so on and so fourth. I thought this was a really fair way of doing things and like that they imposed shopping limits to stop mass buying. By the time i entered the store at 8.50 they were giving out 11.45 wristbands and these people really stood no chance of getting anything.


It was very easy to get caught up in it all. Black gloss window displays with platinum blond wigs and long limbs. Although they didn't have the cimple strappy dress i originally wanted in that store, i bought a few pieces that caught my attention although i do feel i was slightly influenced awaiting hoardes and the 10 minute limit. It turns your browsing a little frantic as you can imagine. I got the Studded gladiator skirt, fur gillet, a pink and leopard scarf and capped sleeve black dress which is too small as the dresses come up well small! The dress was in a garment bag and the carriers were fussy but quite spectacular. Again adding to the overall shopping experience which had it not been for the baiting crowds, would have been lush.

However now i am back to the mean streets of the East Midlands, i'm wondering if the clothes are passable for my everyday life. I keep trying them on then hanging them in my wardrobe and i can't help thinking they look slightly out of place. Like your fabulous friend that is always way overdressed for every occasion.

I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and see how we bond over the coming months, there could a a Donatella lurking in me that has not yet been unleashed but for now, i'm still reminiscing over designer/collaborations past that were a bit more in line with my usual style...x Talia

Skullduggery

Another Friday, another casual dress day at work. Once again for a good cause, Children in Need this time. We were supposed to dress as our favourite children's tv characters but that's a little on the 'zany' side for me. I'm not in the minority either which makes me even more glad i opted for my own casual attire as opposed fancy dress. After buying this shirt a couple of weeks ago I seem to have worn it at every casual opportunity i've had. It's from H&M and has a McQueen-esque scull pattern on. It is super long which i like but is a bit more flattering when tucked in. In lack of budget for J-Brands, I have teamed with the Primark skinny black jeans and my ambush boots from Topshop which i'm really glad i bought, they seem to go with everything...x Talia

Christmas sparkle clutch

This is not new or exciting for many people. The gold zara sequin wallet has been doing to blogger rounds almost as much as the Allegras but that's not going to stop me getting excited about it. I opted for the black due to overexposure of the gold although i think my heart secretly prefers the gold. Just don't tell the bag that...x Talia

Lest we forget

11.11.11

Hello my pretty

Hello Aqua Lopez Maxi Dress in Fusia - £175. I got to the Aqua by Aqua website (http://www.aquabyaqua.com/) after looking at full length dresses on ASOS in preparation for a Black Tie event I have for Breast Cancer Awareness at the end of November. I would absolutely love to wear this, the colour pink is great for the cause and the shape of this dress is lovely. I also think the price is really reasonable. The styling on the website is also really good with messy high knots, statement jewellry and some amazing shoeboots. I looked for them on Twitter and they seemed to have abandoned their account which is a shame as i think they could be making more noise.

Although i think i probably hate the programme quite a lot, i'm a little bit obsessed with the x-factor at the moment and would love to see Tulisa in something like this with similar simple messy hair styling as i have to say her last outfit was shiteous (white puffball dress, black strappy shoes?!) and her hair and make-up is a little too 'done'. Anyhoo, as reasonable as it is, i sadly won't be getting it as my measly budget won't stretch to it and i'll have to resort to wearing one of my bridesmaids dresses (shameful i know) but i had to give it a biggup...x Talia

You know what gets my goat?

...Kitten Heels. I completely understand that some ladies are not fans of the high heel But i kind of think go high, go flat or go home. What offends me most is the slimmer kitten heels. A chunky cuban style is fine but i just see ones like this as a clippatty clapatty shoes, particularly when they're strappy.  I feel they are the style of choice for those with chiropodist on speed dial. Frequently seen with bunions and hammer toes protruding claw like over the edge. Me no likee...x Talia 

Autumn flowers

Having a random girly day today. Dresses are sooooo easy in the morning, chuck it on with some tights and job's a goodun. This dress was from my Primark and quite expensive for Primark breaking my usual £12 max spend per item, this was £17! Shocking i know. I am trying out Asda'a 120 denier thermal tights today but i'm not that keen, they look a little knitted and not opaque enough for me. New Look ankle boots and following a damp bed hair night, some Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray to mess it up a little. Can't be looking too polished when in florals, don't want to be coming off all Darling Buds of May...x Talia

Red Lip City Limits

Morning all! With this dreary, miserable weather with its grey skies and drizzle the only way to cheer yourself up is with some colour. However the colours in my wardrobe didn't fill me with inspiration this morning so my colour pop is my lipstick courtesy of Kate Moss's rimmel range. I have to admit i get 'the fear' with red lips. They are a definite statement and i am a mahooosive fan of the nude lip so it does take me rather far away from my comfort zone. Someone at work actually gasped at them today which i'm not entirely sure was a reaction i was going for but with a red lip, there's no going back. A dash into the loo to wipe it off and nude it up would make me a make-up coward so i will be self-consciously be sticking with it for the whole day.

As is the case with many stereotypical sexy statements, which i think the red lip certainly is, i felt the need to tone the rest of the outfit down with a voluminous knee length skirt (asos) and a baggy Breton stripe which i call my Bananarama top as it reminds me of the things i used to covet as a 10 year old. With Primark heels that i hid yesterday...x Talia

Primark, Primark and Primark again.

Only now i am blogging am i realising how much Primark i actually wear. And it's a LOT. I just don't have the money to spend on expensive work wear and i think they do both the basics and seasonal trends so well. It actually makes every other shop seem expensive so i shop around and go there last to see if they're doing the same, or similar for cheaper, which they almost always do. I got this spotty jumper in October, not long after my honeymoon so still had a little tan. However now winter is drawing I'm realising this colour is not great for my skin when it's pale so i added an old ASOS shirt underneath so the camel colour didn't hit my skin near my face and wash it out. As it's quite a lose fit i teamed it with an old Primark high waist pencil skirt which i love due to the deep pockets and tulip style fit and my Primark Suede block heel platforms which you can't see here as i cut my feet off. I will find a prime photo positioning location soon...x Talia

Remember remember...

So the 5th of November brings my first weekend post (albeit only blogged on Monday)! I often get wrapped up in my weekend and forget to shoot but i was premiering my new Ambush boots which i eventually went for in Black. I had ordered the brown ones online from Topshop, along with some Baxters to see, once again, if the fit had got any better for me. Well there was disappointment all round as the Baxters remained a horrible fit, (legs too tight, waist too baggy) and my delivery note was also the bearer of bad news advising me that the Ambush boots were out of stock. Why the website couldn't tell me this prior to ordering, i don't know. Anyhoo i called customer services and they advised me that my local store had them in so i saved them and made the trek into town. I was in town for 1hr15 minutes which is how long it took me to remember why i do most of my shopping online. Teenage hell. However the upside of this hell was that i had the advantage of comparison and decided I preferred the boots on me in black. i teamed them this weekend with an old Primark Peacock print dress which is one of my favourite ever Primark pieces...Hope you all had a fun, firework-filled weekend...x Talia

Vintage hits and misses

I don't think think there is anything more annoying than when you ask someone where an item of clothing is from and the response is; "It's vintage." The smugness of it. However, when the shoe is on the other foot, it is admittedly the best the feeling ever. With an air of "I am better than you and can find a diamond in a shower of shit."

However with many people selling vintage-style things, the diamonds are a little harder to find.  So it got me thinking about my vintage collection as in my experience there's a fair amount of hit and misses. My latest miss was an oversized mohair cardigan with ombre shading. It was nice and on the right person it would definitely be a hit but on me it was just too try hard. I'll leave it to the Brick Lane brigade. Now for the hits. A few years ago i got an amazing cropped 3/4 sleeve leather jacket from a vintage shop called Wild Clothing in my home town. It was when the All Saints cropped leather first came out for £200, i picked this up for £25. Smug was not the word.

Although i recently ripped the arm clean off so it is currently residing with my local tailor who's restoring it for me. However my all time favourite vintage piece ever is a nude/ peach hued sequined top (top pic) i bought from amazing ebay seller americanarchive. I urge you to check them out. Although their prices can get quite high, their styling is out of this world. Come join us smug folk...x Talia

Winter boot dilemma part II - the winner is...

.....The Tan Topshop Ambush Boots.

Bought off the topshop website for £75 due to the hugely disappointing lack of voucher love for Topshop. However, it's still less than the bulk buying, shopping killing, ebay shysters trying to charge £140 in the vain hope some dumb fashionista will not double check if they are sold out in their original store, which they are not. Ha! Talia 1 - ebay Shysters O. Sort of. Topshop wins overall...x Talia

Hello my pretty

I was perusing the InStyle new season work wear gallery (http://www.instyle.co.uk/fashion/editors-picks/new-season-workwear-0#1)  and there are some really lovely things in there, Although i still like to think i'm a little younger than the average demographic of said magazine, they do a great mix of labels and highstreet. Don't get me wrong there's a fair amount of non exciting blah stuff in there but this beaut was not one of them. Recently saw Fearne Cotton in a similar shirt and have been on the hunt for one. At the price tag though, my hunt shall continue but i had to give it a biggup...x Talia

Fade to Grey

Today I am mainly worshipping at the healm of H&M 60 denier grey tights. With metallics doing the rounds this season i got to thinking about metallic tights and how they'd be a great addition to my favourite black shift, black ankle boots combo.

However, this almost immediatly bought me out in hives as from past experience, most metallic infused fabrics have a comfort lifespan of about 10 minutes before you're scratching at your legs like a leper.  Then i remembered how i was recently fooled by H&M's merchandising williness and purchased a set of 60 denier tights whilst waiting at the checkout. It was a grey and black set and upon trying the grey ones on this morning, they have an very faint illusion of metallic magic. Whether this is because i've squeezed my ever growing thighs into a medium remains to be seen but however it is being done, is working for me.



 Black Shift dress Zara, Black Ankle Boots - New Look, Grey 60 denier - H&M

Teamed with topshop silk scull scarf and Zara Leather Biker Jacket...x Talia

Office androgyny

Since Diane Keaton donned a shirt, tie and waistcoat in Annie Hall, the androgyny trend has regularly graced the catwalk every few seasons. As 5ft 9 girl I often go for mens clothes as their long lines suit my figure much better than a lot of women's styles but I don't see that as a nod to androgyny as much a nod to practically.

However, a look i always feel embraces this trend is the shirt buttoned to the top look. I jumped on this bandwagon for my weekend wardrobe along with the rest of the country however it still feels rather 'trendy' for an office in the Midlands. 


But today I decided I would take a stand against the girly shirt brigade and have teamed this sleeveless H&M shirt with a primark round neck jumper and some cigarette trousers from Asos. I have been a fan of the cigarette pant since Carrie Bradshaw teamed said trousers with a blazer and Mickey Mouse tee. In true Carrie style i feel a pair of killer heels perfectly compliments a more masculine look - faux suede platforms, Primark...x Talia