asos

The best of ASOS Lingerie.

When it comes to shopping online ASOS is always the first stop for me. They stock so many brands from big names to more affordable fashion but I have noticed recently their own brand lingerie and night wear has really picked up this season. Here are my top picks for right now. Affordable glamour and luxury.

asos lingerie

Lingerie needs to be delicate -lace and satin is always a winning combination. Multi straps create new lines and shapes which are so on trend right now. These are my top 5, from left to right we have:

ASOS Eyelash Lace Marylin Caged Underwire Bra £20 with ASOS Eyelash Lace Marylin CagedBrazilian Pant £10 this is a girly classic, the black set is an absolute staple and this eyelash lace half cup is such a pretty shape.

ASOS Rebecca Cross Front Longline Bra £18 paired with ASOS Rebecca strappy thong £8 is a stunning addition to your lingerie it’s a more unusual golden khaki colour which would compliment glowing skin.

ASOS Brandy Lace High Leg Body £20 this little lace piece is gorgeously delicate and easy to wear.

ASOS Lace Risky Business Strappy Triangle Bra £20 with ASOS Lacey Risky Business Strappy Thong £10 this set is so elegant, burgundy is a sophisticated red, it’s soft cup and strap detailing would add a little effortless beauty to a casual look.

ASOS Plunge Wrap Bow Side Teddy £25 is literally to die for, on the website it is paired with an over sided mottled grey cardigan for complete effortlessness. This is my absolutely favourite must have right now. Delicate burgundy satin trimmed with black lace in a wrap around tidied in a bow.The cut of the piece is so right showing enough but still comfortable. The fine straps continue the elegance to a T. I would love to wake up on a saturday morning feeling all elegant in this Teddy.

Image 4 of ASOS Plunge Wrap Bow Side TeddyImage 2 of ASOS Plunge Wrap Bow Side Teddy

Asos also have 20% student discount right now so go treat yourself.

http://www.asos.com/Women/Lingerie-Nightwear/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=6046

My Christmas List.

I’m back!! It has been so long since I did a post. I’m sorry my blog had pretty much come to a stand still as I’ve been busy with my final year of uni. But I am back and I’m gonna try and be disciplined enough to post every few days especially as we are getting closer to Christmas (my favourite time of the year) I really want to share with you my Christmas must haves and ideas for the winter months.

This year I have been super organized -or maybe just a bit too keen, but I have written my Christmas list. I like putting a list together, it helps friends and family have an idea or the sorts of things I am after and it also gives me some things to look forward to and not just buy them for myself -which is me all over, if I see something I like I always find a way to justify buying it.

My birthday is on Boxing Day so I have to wait the whole year for pressies, but it does make Christmas time doubly, extra special for me 🙂 while everyone gets the Christmas blues on boxing day morning I wake up to even more gifts hehe.

katies christmas list

As you can see it’s a mixture of all sorts of things, jewelry, clothes, tec and home wear. I know some people have one main something they are after but for me it’s lots of smaller things catch my eye.

I’d love to add a few more charms to my gorgeous Pandora bracelet and these, mostly taken from the spring 2015 collection with the white flowers are so pretty and make great additions to my grey leather bracelet.

I love my Canon camera but this lens with its shallow depth of field would make portraits extra special.

Marc Jacobs Decadence is to literally die for, each time a pass a store with a bottle on display I always give a little spritz and melt a little inside.

Lingerie and nightwear is an area of my wardrobe I don’t spend much money on but a matching set always makes you feel more pretty.

Ahhh a thick, fluffy feather duvet mmmm luxury especially now its colder outside.

This Diva Mac lipstick is the perfect autumn shade as well as gorgeous for Christmas.

And finally anything french bulldog, ggah I am obsessed with their little squished faces.

So there you go a little run down of a few things that have made it on to my Christmas and Birthday List.

Have you written a list yet? Maybe I’ve inspired you, there’s only 6 weeks to Christmas so the count down has begun.

Be a Savvy Shopper.

Making your money go further appeals to everyone, but sometimes a new pair of shoes here and a new dress there all adds up to more than you were expecting. Here are my top tips for saving you money…

Shopping online isn’t for everyone but I really think it has its perks. Online you can short the products low to high, compare similar items from different stores in browser tabs and view sale items refined to your size without the rummaging through a disorganised and messy clothes rail.

Picture1

An absolute must for me is to google a discount code for the site. There are lots of different websites and forums where people post discount codes for online stores and it is crazy how much you can save by simply finding a code.

http://www.vouchercodes.co.uk & https://www.vouchercloud.com   are a couple of sites that often have a valid code running. The other day I saved 25% with a code I found for Newlook just my simply googling “newlook discount code”.

If you are a student then I’m sure you already have UniDays, if not then why not… download it now! -It gives you discounts and deal at hundreds on high street retailers online and in store. If you are thinking of buying something online don’t forget to check for student discounts.

If you have found something you are considering ordering I think it is always a good idea to wait a couple of days; sites such as boohoo.com or missguided.com often have flash sales such as 20% of dress and so on. Keep checking a website for a few days as you could get lucky and get it cheaper. Same with free delivery. Delivery costs are often what put people off shopping online but free click & collect from store and free delivery codes make it hassle free and literally free to deliver products to your door or local store.

Check whether the store offer free returns. Asos, Boohoo, Newlook, riverisland, topshop, ect offer free returns with collect plus (you drop your return off at your local corner shops and they collect it from there, making it easier than ever to return unwanted packages) or free returns to store when you keep the invoice. This means you can order two sizes to ensure a good fit and simply and easily return the unwanted pieces.

Sign up for the newsletter. Sites often offer an introductory discount to people who sign up with their email. Sign up with a different email each time to get the code over and over.

Keep the tags on!! You often have 30 days to return something so keep the tags on until you wish to wear it just encase something better/ cheaper comes up somewhere else.

Be critical. Try something on at home. If it’s not right for you -return it, its silly to keep something and not wear it when you can simply return it for a full refund.

Know the market. Even if I am going shopping I like to look online first to get an idea of what they will have in store. This way I will be prepared and I can create aims to ensure I don’t buy unnecessary pieces.

I hope this will help everyone to find a good deal and save you money.

Check out my post on how to create the perfect wardrobe and put your money saving skills to the test. https://katielouisaclarke.wordpress.com/2015/09/07/the-perfect-wardrobe/

The Perfect Wearable Wardrobe.

The key to the perfect wardrobe is creating a succinct collection of versatile pieces you can mix and match to build any look for any occasion.

It all comes down to making considered purchases instead of buying everything you see or like -too much clutter only makes it harder to find something to wear.

It’s important to really know and understand your style and the look you are going for, so you can really know what to look out for when your shopping. This should help keep a theme running through your wardrobe allowing you to mix and match in so many more combination.

Next, have a sort out. The season has just changed so now is a perfect time to go through your clothes. If you haven’t worn it in ages, or you don’t think you’l wear it again then loose it -why do you need to keep something you never wear.

On the bottom: I think you need a classic pair of blue skinnys for the casual days a pair of black jeans to dress it up slightly and a pair of smart trousers. Also consider a couple of skirts, a simple mini skirt, a midi pencil and a button through A line skirt.

bottoms

On your feet I would say a pair of Nike Roshe runs, then a pair of Loafers, heeled boots and then the strappy heels/ stilettos will work with any outfit and take you from popping to the shops, to a lunch date, to night on the town.

shoes

On top the choices are more open but my advise is go for a selection of versatile pieces. Get a couple of camis, a sweater, a couple of long sleeve tops in different styles and a selection of vests and jumpers. Try to get a mix of different, lengths, sleeves, fabrics and colours. Try to avoid getting similar tops in the same colour.

tops

Dresses wise go for a fitted midi little black dress, this will work perfectly for any evening look then go for a couple of shift/ t shirt dresses that you can dress up or down with heels and a clutch or flats and a tote/shopper.

dresses

Accessories: Find a warm scarf that goes colour wise with everything a neutral colours works well such as grey, black or khaki works well for me, then find a large clutch for the nights and a tote/ shopper for the day. Then finally coats and jackets are really important, I would say invest is a smart coat shorter coat and a long warm wrap up coat,

acsessories and coat

Ta dah! that’s it.

Phew I know that seems like a lot and a bit complicated but I hope it helps. As you can see from my wardrobe I like simple shapes and minimal pieces. Tan, Khaki, denim and black are my autumn go to colours. I tend to stay away from patterns for some reason but create interest by mixing fabrics and textures so leather, croc, suede and patent which feature heavily throughout. All the pieces are very interchangeable and work from everyday casual to a night out.

Clothes featured can be found at Asos, Newlook, Pretty Little Thing, Missguided, H&M, Riverisland and Forever21.

For more details please leave me a question in the comments below.

In Your Clutches.

To take you through into night, everyone needs a clutch for those few key essentials. You can’t go wrong with black. These are my favorites.

clutches

religion clutchOn the left we have a stunning angular clutch by Religion- this is from their Angular Range it is RRP £40 but it is currently £28 on ASOS. This bag is large and its striking shape makes it modern but the black keeps it minimal. I adore this bag, it looks stunning here paired with a wet look pencil skirt but equally it would amazing with a pair of suit trousers and stilettos.

The middle bag is a Matt & Nat Grab Clutch Bag with Zip Compartments, this eco friendly company has mastered ethically bag making. No animals are hurt or
mat and natharmed in the making of these products and their collection of bags make from up cycling and sustainable sources are at the forefront of the currents trends while echoing the hues and textures of nature. I love the grab design, it looks so clean cut. This bag is priced at £65 a little pricey but you are paying for piece of mind and modern design.

asos clutchThe final clutch on the right is so minimal and stunning- a simple fold over, all soft leather bag made by ASOS is priced at £28. I am a real fan of the simplicity of this bag, its more relaxed feel makes it perfect for a lunch date or drinks after work, dress it up or down.
Black leather is every girls staple. All these bags are available from ASOS. Happy shopping!

http://www.asos.com/women/bags-purses/cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=8730&via=top

The Big Black Bag.

The black bag is every girls staple. Its more wearable than the little black dress- the black bag can accompany anything from jeans and a T shirt on weekends to work to a night out. I just wanted to talk you through my favorites right now. With the black bag you need to consider what makes it different from other bags- think different textures something that breaks up the shape.

For everyday- Go Big. Think Tote, Shoppers, Box bags. Keep it black but consider contrasting leather with suede, gold or silver finishes and consider croc- a popular texture for the season.

best of big

From left to right. First we have River Island Suede and Leather Shopper bag £45. I love the croc suede, you don’t often see it, also the luggage tag adds a relaxed feel perfect for the weekend. Next along is Zip Top City Bag by ASOS £32- the all over crock makes it stylish and sophisticated, the gold finishes and boxy style make it perfect from the office. Next along is Pieces Tote bag in Contrast Black with Strap Detail £40, the perfect bag to wear on your shoulder suitable for any occasion and a good size for all your must haves. And finally Mango Hobo Bag £34.99- the most relaxed bag of them all but the slouchy nature is dressed up with the contrast black nylon with leather front pocket, perfect for Monday all the way through to Sunday.

black bags

For anyone living a busy life these bags are perfect. Keep everything you could ever need to get you through the day close at hand.

All these bags are available from ASOS.

http://www.asos.com/women/bags-purses/cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=8730&via=top