A slow start

It's been a slow start for me this year. New Years Eve celebrations were hilarious but have worn me out and I've been bit of a hermit ever since. I have the whole of 2015 to accomplish everything I want to; so I don't feel the need to rush anything.

I've been in pyjamas for most of January - hence the lack of outfit posts but today I ventured out with my Sister in Law, Lauren and my mega adorable Niece, Eloise. Spending time with her is guaranteed to cheer me up and a coffee and slab of cake may not help my sore tummy but damn it was nice!

Before Lauren headed off home she snapped me in my outfit and here's what I wore:

What I'm wearing

Jacket - eBay available here

*Jumper - Look Magazine for Simply Be available here

*Jeggings - New Look Inspire available here

Boots - Vagabond available here

Necklace - GoGo Philip similar here 

Bit of Red Velvet and coffee from my local cafe in Leyton

Eloise' first appearance on my blog! Isn't she just the cutest?! 

Hopefully things will start to improve for me over the next few days and I will be back to blogging a bit more regularly. Stick with me gang.

P.s I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who messaged me or left a comment on my previous post (here)... It was quite difficult for me to talk about my illness but in doing so I hope it helps increase awareness for the condition and what it's like to live with an "invisible" illness.

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- Nothing to wear -

My blog title is a total lie. I do in fact own a sh*t load of clothes. My slogan jumper from *New Look Inspire is therefor incredibly ironic. I do struggle with the age old problem of not owning the right item for the right occasion though. Mounds and mounds of clothes, some with their labels still attached, rail after rail buckling under the pressure yet when you come to find that *perfect* dress/top/jacket (delete where appropriate) you can't find it. I can often be heard screaming "I have nothing to wearrrrrrrrr". I am sure 99% of you reading this will be nodding in agreement - we've all been there right?

Since acquiring this jumper, it has helped me get out of this tricky situation on a number of occasions.  Ever since my shoot with Evans (read about it here) where I wore a rather fetching androgynous outfit; I have become obsessed with this look and have recreated it a fair bit. For the shoot I went uber glam with the styling but for a more casual look I have been swapping the heels for my trusty monochrome plimsolls and wearing a looser fitting coat, like this grey/fur coat from River Island. I have previously mentioned my love of River Island outer wear and each time I go into store I hypothetically add about twenty of their coats to my shopping basket. This jacket is a UK18 and as I've mentioned before - they are very generous with their sizing which is good news for me and my rather plentiful bosom. Please give them a go even if you are up to a UK22, you'll be surprised to see how many of their jackets/coats you'll fit into.

I wore these PU stripe leggings on my Evans shoot and I'm so glad I went out and bought a pair as they have definitely been an important part of this androgynous style flex that I am currently on. I bought my correct size and I'd say they are true to size. My white shirt was kindly sent to me from *New Look Inspire a while back. It's not the best material but does the trick when I just want to see the collar poking out the top of a jumper or a dress. Now, the colar tips/chain are from.... hmmm it's either Topshop or ASOS, I can't actually remember! Here are some similar from ASOS.

My white clutch is from *Missguided and as I mentioned in a previous post - is one online store I hadn't ever bought accessories from but now it is one of the first places I look if I am after something. The clutches and statement necklaces are so good right now! The shoes, (you can probably tell me where they're from seeing as I wear them pretty much every day) are from Office if you didn't already know and you can buy similar here. Finally, my grey-ish lipstick is called Taupe from Kiko and my white nail varnish is from *Barry M.

Photographs by Gemma Bellfield 

*denotes a gifted item or PR sample

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Tartan + Knitwear

I've not worn a white shirt/jumper combo since last year but boy does it feel good to be reunited. Such a good pairing. I reckon I look quite officey today and I quite like it!

The kind folk at New Look got in touch recently and asked if there was anything from their Inspire range that I'd like to review. I was sent some fabulous things and thought I'd show you some of them today. Starting with this *tartan skirt - an autumn winter staple I say. It's a thick jersey material but watch out as it doesn't have heaps of stretch so bare that in mind if you decide to buy one. I chose my normal size though and it fits really well. I also chose this *long sleeved shirt, I sized up a size as shirts tend to gape open because of my ample bosom and I like the fit across my chest and the length but the arms are slightly too long for me. I've combated this problem by rolling them up which I actually naturally do to most long sleeve items I wear.

The jumper is a mega old New Look one but I've posted some others below so you can replicate this look if you so wish! The silver heels are also from New Look and are those wide fit ones I've been harping on about in literally all of my recent outfit posts - they are mega comfy, I promise you. The bag is from H&M last year but my *necklace is from Topshop and was kindly gifted to me by Impulse Loves PR.

SHOP MY LOOK

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I'm a sucker for scuba

So the problem with blogging is that you are constantly subjected to seeing your other blogging pals wearing cute things that you end up lusting after and the skirt I wore this weekend was one of those items!

Hanna has been wearing this skirt recently and it didn't take me long to drop it into my online shopping basket. It suits her so much and I like how she styles it with her crop tops and bombers. I too am a fan of crops and bombers and knew I would have lots in my wardrobe to pair with it. As Hanna mentions in here posts, this skirt is from ASOS main range and it comes up huge!!! I ordered a size 16 and could have got a 14. I normally wear a UK20 so as you can see this skirt has a lot of stretch in it and it's so comfortable round the waist. It's a thick scuba material and I like the tiered effect that the seams give this skirt. I am still getting used to getting my legs out and had a fake tan disaster on friday so I wore leggings with this outfit but I think I will try get my legs out in it next time as it is a good length and covers my knees which I am not a huge fan of.

The palm tree top is a lovely *New Look Inspire jobby and it's a goodun. A bit more dressy than a jersey tee and a really nice fit. It has little cap sleeves and a black trim that runs around the collar, sleeves and hem. Check it out here. It was nice and warm in London this weekend but I took my all time fave lace bomber with me to throw on later in the day. I have had this jacket for about 6 years and it's one of my most loved items. It was from H&M when they had a special Divided Black collection. I once lost it in a warehouse party and was devastated but luckily it was found and returned to me! My bag is from Topshop last summer but they always have nice bags so you should defo check them out. The necklace is from Galibardy and the high heeled brogues are from Office and are super old and bashed up. I love them though - so comfy.

Have a banging week chaps.

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Print clash to the max!

Now it's very clear to see that I do not like to blend in to the background and I love my clothes/makeup to make me stand out. What better way to do that then wearing in your face, clashing prints?

I was very kindly sent some goodies from New Look Inspire to try and the item that jumped out at me from the package was this ace shift dress. It's so bright, the print is all jazzy and I like the simple no frills cut of the dress. The back is cut slightly longer so you don't flash your bottom to everyone and even though it is a short style, with leggings it is totally fine. I am a short lass though so keep that in mind if you are tall. If you like this tunic, you can buy it here.

I spent the day shopping with my Mum a few months back and we popped into Monki. I adore this brand. I first shopped in there whilst I lived in Stockholm and I would spend my monthly salary in there pretty much every month. I'm surprised that since it's moved to London I haven't shopped in there more to be honest. It isn't a plus size store BUT they often have over sized styles in there and there jackets/coats can be very generous. I picked up this very reasonably priced bomber jacket and a super bright chartreuse cardigan which I have yet to blog about. The site doesn't do that cardy justice... the colour is SO BRIGHT!

I've always loved a bomber as I get too hot in big coats and sometimes you want a more edgy vibe to an outfit than you get wearing a cardigan (no offence to cardigan wearers, I love them as well)

I finished the outfit off with some more colour just to calm things down (jokes) The earrings are new from River Island and available here but the bag is an old Topshop purchase from last year and the shoes are old New Look ones. My lippy is 'La Diva' from Chanel, you know the same one I seem to wear every other day! The sunnies were a freebie that I got in my Boohoo AW14 press day goodie bag! Lovely jubbly!

Have an excellent weekend guys, I will be spending it with friends, drinking and eating cake at my friends birthday party and doing some styling work.

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I just had a gingham-gasm.

Now Matalan has been around for yonks and it is somewhere where I have found some great pieces just on the off chance when I have popped into a store or had a look online. It has a plus size range, which has recently had a facelift but I actually haven't ever bought anything from that range.

This amazing skirt is from their main range and it goes up to a size 20. I am wearing the 20 and I would have actually preferred the 18 as this size is a little too baggy for me on my waist, apart from that the fit is great. This is good news for you ladies who are a 22 who might fancy giving this gem a try. At £18 you can't go wrong. The look, quality, fabric, mesh panel, fit, colour and shape ALL get an A* from me. They now have this skirt in a plain white and pink with mesh panels so go take a peek if they sound like something you'd wear.

I chose to style the skirt with a jumper and shirt as I was actually inspired by how they advertised it on their site. The model is wearing a slouchy grey jumper and a long sleeved white shirt, which hangs out underneath the bottom of the jumper. I have had this skirt hanging in my wardrobe for months and was constantly debating how to style it but I am so glad the picture of their model caught my eye.

The jumper is a really old New Look jumper and the white shirt I am wearing was gifted to me by New Look Inspire recently. I have worn that shirt to death - I love it. The necklace is a recent purchase from Topshop, well my Mum actually bought it for me for a birthday present and the boots are also from Topshop available here. The clutch is an old New Look sale jobby. The grey lippy I am wearing is one of my new spring faves, it's from Kiko and it's such a different colour to my more "normal" shades.

I'm glad I waited with this skirt and found an outfit I really love and didn't just rush to put it on my blog. Sometimes you buy something and you instantly know how you'll style it but with this piece it took me a while but what do you think? Is this a combo you would wear together?

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