When I don't want to choose...

I haven't been able to get a proper night's sleep in the last few days, I can't point the exact reason for my sleepless nights but the lack of sleep is certainly not making things easier for me in the morning. I had plenty of time to consider my outfit for today while trying to force myself into bed last night but after trying to pull myself out of bed and pressing the snooze button 5 times this morning, that well planned outfit just seemed too much of a hassle and so I quickly found myself reaching for the good old cosy and comfortable black dress and cardigan combo and while at it I decided that if I'm already going for the somewhat scruffy look a pair of chunky shoes and a beanie would be the perfect additions. Unsurprisingly, I managed to fit in quite well with the general 'no fuss' boyish dress-code at work.

The hat hunt

I'm not going to make excuses about my hair, I need a cut and a dye urgently , it's a mess so therefore a hat related post is probably appropriate on such a bad hair day. 

After posting about how much I wanted a new winter hat I felt really tempted to go and try out this fuzzy little number from River Island that I mentioned in my previous hat related post. Most of the other hats while really amazing were very far from what I could actually afford and while playing a little bit of online-window shopping is never bad I still wanted to find a cute and cosy winter hat and this one was the perfect match in terms of style and budget and it did quite a good job of keeping my head warm and providing a proper cover to my poor neglected hair.

Zig-zagging

I spent most of this week in and out of conference and meeting rooms, the dress code was very formal and it seemed as if when a bunch of people who are usually used to wearing whatever they want to work meet in a more formal or business setting they all suddenly become uniformed robots, for the ladies including me it was mostly black dresses or a combination of black skirts and white shirts. Needless to say after spending 3 days   dressed like that I started feeling a little tired and bored and since the weather was still cold and unpleasant the only thing I could think off was this strange somewhat hideous somewhat funky cardigan/jacket .

I have a love hate relationship with it, it's warm and comfortable and definitely looks great over a simple t-shirt for that boho vibe (or whatever you would like to call it) but it was the first time I actually paired it with something more formal, it was a coincidence as I was running out of time when getting dressed  in the morning and decided to just stick with this cardigan and black dress, like it or not, I think by the end of the day with the cold weather I kind of warmed up to it but it's still one of those items I'll always have doubts about. 

Snow ? What snow ?

Yes, I still haven't completely succumbed to the cold weather, well, I did fall for jumper dresses and leggings very briefly during the weekend and despite my annoying cold I still felt adventurous this morning, probably a ridiculous move I'll regret when I walk back home in the freezing cold, but at least I felt happier wearing this outfit. This is the sort of outfit that makes me feel good and I really needed to start the week feeling positive. So once I layered a dress a shirt and a biker jacket and a scarf, there was one thing I just couldn't get away from wearing, yes, it was the wellies, there was no way I could do my walk to work without them but at least I knew that once I get to the office I can put them under my desk until I leave. I think I might have found some balance after all without having to pile on thermals and sweaters to keep warm, but as usual I might be completely wrong!

If you can't beat them join them ...

Last night when I went into bed I thought to myself that this episode of mad freezing weather and snow is pretty much over, it seemed last night that the snow stopped and started melting and it actually felt a little warmer but this morning I woke up to realise my optimism didn't seem to make a giant impact on the weather. It was snowing again and by mid-day it didn't seem like the snow will be going anywhere, the problem was that I actually did need to go somewhere, nowhere nice or happy but an urgent visit to the chemists to stock on cold relief medications as it seems my brave attempts to defy the cold weather have ended in defeat which meant I just had to prepare myself properly for going out of the house. The jumpers were layered, the gloves were ready as was the giant scarf and a pair of fleecy leggings I simply refused to admit I'll ever wear outside , but there wasn't much choice - I now have a proper cold and need to find a way to get to chemist , even if it means looking like I just got out of bed. As I was already defeated , there was only one item I was in denial about - the wellies, yes, that pair of boots I hide far far away in my wardrobe and deny the existence off every time someone mentions I should probably wear a proper pair of boots for the snow, that pair of boots that makes my legs feel like sausages and makes me want to lock myself in the house , yes I guess it's the time for our annual meeting , there's no other way around. I admit my defeat and trawl in my wardrobe for a few minutes until I pull out a black bin bag, this is where they hibernate most of the year, sitting there just waiting for me to pull them out. So there it is, the wellies are out and I guess this means this is where my winter denial sort of stops, all I have left to do now is get out of the house and at least try and enjoy running around in the snow for a little bit before it's gone, after all , I finally pulled out my winter fashion nemesis out of hiding. 

**and on a more serious note, if you know any homeless shelters open around where you live and see a homeless person in need , please let them know where they can go to keep warm and get a hot meal. It might be fun for me to rant about my dislike for wellies and the winter, but there are some people who really need help in this cold weather and sometimes just simple directions to a warm place can save a homeless person's life. 

Quiet time - snowy Saturday

It's been snowing non-stop since  yesterday and I decided that nothing could be better than some quiet time to relax and recharge, so after taking a walk in the snow with my friends this morning , I'm back home lounging in my pyjamas, defrosting and dedicating this afternoon to reading this month's edition of British Vogue , pampering and kicking back after a long week. . 

Happy weekend everyone!

How to not dress for the snow

Topshop biker jacket, Muji shirt, skirt - unknown

Today's outfit might serve a painful reminder for myself that from time to time it's good to check the weather. 

When I woke up this morning, trying to get ready in the dark for a long day outside of the office, I forgot to take a quick look outside to see what's going on. I spent the last two days wrapped in warm jumper dresses and today I really felt like I wanted to try and workout a slightly more exciting outfit. It was one of those mornings in which I moaned to myself that I have nothing to wear and decided to pick up some items I haven't worn in a while. I've been planning to get theis shirt I found last month into an outfit for a while and decided to team it with a burgundy pencil skirt which I rarely have a chance to wear. To battle the cold I layered a thermal under the shirt and added the Topshop biker jacket under my coat. I was quite happy with this combo but then I stepped outside and realised that this is actually a perfect day for a warm jumper dress, a scarve and Wellies! It's been snowing for hours now and no sign of it ending so my only hope is for someone to send an email and say 'Office is Closed' so I can try to find my way back home in this silly weather, back to my warm jumper dresses and heating :) 

Welcoming the weekend with layered comfort

River Island Jacket, Zara shirts, Zara Skirt, Bershka Shoes

After a day of running around in a short sleeved dress yesterday , today is all about warming up and taking it easy before the weekend. 

Temperatures seem to have gone down a little bit over the last few days and yesterday' brave short sleeve outfit only made me want to get back to my routine of extreme layering which I managed to do well without for a few days. 

I think the biker jacket and khaki shirt are slowly becoming regulars in my outfits, looking back over the last couple of weeks they both seem to make an appearance quite often and I'm actually quite happy to build my outfits around them or use them as extra layers to keep me warm. The plaid shirt has also become quite a staple despite my initial doubts about it and this outfit in my opinion works so well with those layers, the studded shoes and a simple black skirt. I'm back to feeling comfy and warm and happily waiting for the weekend to start now. 

1 2 3 ... Check ...

My Saturday morning started a lot earlier than usual as I had to wake at 6:30am to catch a train to London for a little walk around and lunch with friends from back home. This meant that I actually HAD to try and sort out an outfit last night so I won't have to stress in the morning and get a few extra minutes of sleep.

Since I knew we'll spend a large part of the day walking around I decided to go for something comfy and warm and chose this checkered grey jumper which I got from a clothes swap I did with my friends a while ago and never really had the guts to wear as I thought it might actually be a bit too bold for me. Last night when I decided to wear it I thought the easiest way to tone it down a little would be to wear a biker jacket on top , it turned out to be quite a nice and simple outfit. I also wore my Zara coat on top to help me keep warm,. I know it might sound like a bit of an overload but at least I felt cosy and comfortable running around the city with my friends all day long. 

One dress

Following last night's post on trying to keep up with my new year's resolution to lay out whatever I want to wear the night before, I felt an urge to wear this colourful dress from Zara that I got recently, however the weather is way too cold in my opinion for just the dress and being a real wuss who is usually afraid to step out of the house in the winter without piling on at least three layers of thermals and jumpers made debate my decision to wear this dress today without an additional layer to keep me warm. I initially decided to go with the khaki shirt I bought the same time I bought the dress because I felt they worked really well together , but then my fear of the cold has taken over again and I immediately remembered the hideous khaki coloured jumper I dug out from the bottom of the wardrobe a few weeks ago and swore I won't ever wear , however it seemed to me that the dress and the jumper  were somehow made for each other even though it might not be the most polished and elegant look it still felt comfy and warm enough to wear to work.  Amazingly just as I was leaving for work the sun came out for a quick visit , not a bad start to the say after all!

Almost back to normal

Jacket H&M, Jumper New Look Men, Skirt Maison Scotch

Christmas day has gone and boxing day is upon us, whilst some people will be rushing into the shops to nab some sale items, I'm getting ready to meet some friends for a nice pub lunch , the best thing is that I can try out some of my sale buys as obviously I couldn't hold myself and did some shopping the sales that started before Christmas. 

Today the weather is surprisingly nice so means I don't have to layer up a ton of thermals and jumpers to feel warm. I really wanted to try out the Maison Scotch skirt I got in the Asos sale and thought of wearing it with just a button down shirt but changed my mind and decided to go with a simple grey jumper and a thick biker jacket on top to make sure I'm still warm enough. 

My friend has asked me to meet her for a walk around the shops before we head to the pub but to be honest I'm not too thrilled about this so trying to prepare myself mentally for the madness, luckily last month's expenses would mean I will be keeping away from any unexpected purchases. I'm sort of happy I prepared a list and now have all of the items I really wanted. 

Hopefully everyone will have a lovely Boxing Day, whether for shopping or just hanging out with friends and family :) 

Christmas jumper time !

Merry Christmas, it's finally Christmas day , time to put on your silly little Christmas jumper and finally open all those Christmas presents (even though I already opened all of my presents in the last few days , I'm bad!).

I'm going to spend this morning wearing this cardigan, I'm pretty sure it's not a standard Christmas jumper but I really love it , although wear it only once a year on Christmas day.

It comes with a funny story as well, I found it in my grandmother's wardrobe a few years ago while looking for some interesting vintage pieces. My grandmother kept telling me she has no idea where this cardigan came from and how it got to her wardrobe, I knew she's probably not just saying that because this jumper isn't really her style so I decided to take it with me, then a few month later my mum got a call from my aunt who was frantically looking for a cardigan she left ages ago in my grandmother's house, obviously by then everyone forgot about the cardi but then my mum realised it was the on I took away with me as a Christmas jumper. So every Christmas day my mum is jokingly asking me 'Are you taking good care of this cardigan? because you might need to bring it back someday'.

So there it is ,just before heading back to the comfort of my living room for some wine and cakes,  my little silly Christmas jumper story - Merry Christmas ! 

xx

Christmas eve ...

Christmas-eve outfit, simple and warm, just last few errands to run before everything shuts down, hoping the weather will get slightly better for Christmas day!

I had to have this lovely Iro dress repaired and got it back just in time for the holiday carefully repaired and cleaned, it's so nice to be able to wear it again after thinking I might need to say good bye to it after ripping some of the lining off accidentally.

If you're interested , you can still find this dress on the Outnet website,  it's prefect layered with a jumper and looks amazing on it's own or with a nice biker jacket. 

Merry Christmas ! :)

Always last minute

Trying to pull myself out of bed after three nights of pre-holiday festivities wasn't easy but I still had some few last bits of shopping and gift wrapping to do today before going back to bed for a well deserved rest.

I took advantage of the fact it stopped raining decided to go for a few simple items for my mad dash for the last few hours of Christmas shopping.

I chose my Topshop biker jacket and teamed it with a white button up and a boucle skirt, for the final touch I wore my new Kurt Geiger shoes which I got in the sales and topped it all up with my coat (yes I like to layer up and keep warm...)

So here it is , what is probably my last outfit before the holiday officialy starts. 

The plaid test

Earlier this week I wrote about the plaid shirt I got as an early Christmas present. 

I mentioned plaid was definitely not something I would usually consider wearing and over the last few days I was debating whether I should try and return the shirt or just stick with it , overcome my usual dislike of plaid and give it a chance.

I'll be honest and it might sounds a little freaky but I was a little haunted by the shirt for the last few days, constantly checking on it and trying it on , then putting it back and picking it up again until this morning I decided that I'm going to give it a test run and wear it with the skirt I initially thought would look alright teamed with the shirt but after I put both on I still felt like the plaid is completely overpowering and really wanted to tone it down , at this point I decided that a roll neck might save the day and layered it on top of the shirt leaving only a slight hint of plaid sticking out and to my surprise I actually liked this combination which helped me keep warm and get a chance to use a present I wasn't really sure about.

So there it goes,I'm now officially an owner of a plaid shirt,who knows maybe soon I'll feel comfortable enough to wear it without layering anything on top of it!

Tweeded-it

Skirt Mango, burgundy jumper H&M , Black jumper H&M , White shirt COS

I have to confess I wasn't a fan of tweed in any form until recently when I got this lovely skirt from Mango. I was more excited by the colour and the zippers on the pocekts and that little leather detail on the waistline when I first saw it but I couldn't get past my dislike for tweed so when I first tried it on I decided to skip it even though I knew it can be a good and simple investment. 

A couple of months later on a visit to my parents, my mum started panicking  that I'm not dressed well enough for the winter , obviously this ended up with a trip to the shops in which I picked up more solid colour jumpers and after much hesitation and lots of convincing from my mum I decided to pick this skirt after all. To say it helps to keep me warm will be a lie but it did help me pull a nice slightly more formal look for a work meeting today. I teamed it with a white shirt and a black jumper which later will be replaced with a tucked-in burgundy jumper for a couple of afterwork drinks.

Not bad after all I guess... Thanks mum!

Trying to keep warm on the run

Jumper H&M , Skirt Miss Selfridge, Brogues Office

Today was meant to be a quiet day at work but somehow it turned to be one of those days in which I found myself running around from trains to busses to taxis to get to meetings on time.

I had an early start and as usual failed to make a decision on what I should wear the night before (I always promise myself I'll do that but somehow always end waiting until the last minute). Knowing I'll be spending a lot of time today going in and out of meetings and running around a lot I decided to stick to something comfortable and warm. A good thing about my job and most of the meetings I go to is that casual outfits are OK, so I picked this warm and chunk sweater and this jacquard like skirt and decided to step it up a little bit by teaming both with a pair of studded brogues to make the outfit slightly more exciting while still keeping warm. 

It's the first time I wore this combo but I'm actually quite pleased, it's still a simple outfit but the shoes definitely help to keep a little more exciting.