Christmas Day Outfits

What's this? No Friday Five today?
Well, I'm shaking things up a little bit because this will be one of my last posts for a while. I'll be officially on hiatus until early January. I feel like I need a little break because obviously Christmas is a pretty busy time, and then I have a few exams in January that are going to take up a lot of my time. But I'll be back soon, of course, armed with some shiny new posts and hopefully a new blog layout.
Now, in this post, I'll be showing you three outfits that will get me through Christmas day!

 Christmas Morning
In my opinion, nothing beats spending the whole of Christmas morning snuggled up in your PJs. I've done it ever since I was a little girl, and I see no reason to stop now!

Braving The Cold
There is some sort of unwritten rule that if there is snow on the ground on Christmas day, the entire family has to leave the gorgeous warmth of the house and trek aimlessly through the snow to nowhere in particular for about twenty minutes. I've never really got the point of this, but I guess it's a nice tradition.

Christmas Dinner
This will usually take place just after we've gone on an outside venture, and is one of my favourite parts of the day. I like to wear something casual (i.e. with a bit of room for Christmas pudding) but nice and pretty. This could also be worn for Christmas parties.

 So, these are the sorts of things I'll be wearing on Christmas day, but what about you? Will it be a pajama day for you or will you be dressed up to the nines by 7am? Leave a comment if you like.
Lots of love and mistletoe,

Fashion Flashback: 1950s

pictures from here

This is part of a series! You can check out my last Fashion Flashback post here.

I absolutely adore fashion in the 1950s. Fashion started to become a little more daring. Waists were cinched, full skirts were worn, and the world was recovering from the hard times caused by the war. The 1950s also saw a surge in popularity with pin-up girls. Nowadays, pin-up inspired fashion is incredibly popular. I'd say that the 1950s seems to be one of the most popular decades with modern fashionistas wearing retro fashion.

I can't possibly write a post about 1950s fashion without mentioning Marilyn Monroe. She had this perfect balance of sex appeal and glamour while also being totally loveable. This Wikipedia article on all the times she's been referenced in pop culture says it all - her image has truly been immortalised. To this day, she is one of the biggest style icons of all time.

1. Clutch from Debenhams / £7.50
2. Sunglasses from Mango / £22.99
3. Dress from Dorothy Perkins / £50.00
4. Shoes from ASOS / £20.00
5. Necklace from Modcloth / £7.50
Total =  £107.99

What's your favourite part of 1950s fashion? Comments are always appreciated. Next time I'll be moving on to the 1960s, so I'd love to hear what your favourite trends from that decade are too.
Until next time, happy shopping!

Playlist December '12

Hello there! I've never done a post like this before, but I thought I should write a little something about my love for music. I think music is an incredible thing. It can cheer you up, it can send shivers down your spine, it can provide a soundtrack to the best and worst times of your life, it can make you want to dance, sing or cry, and it can touch and inspire you.

I like a lot of music. I can't really say which genres I prefer, and I can't really explain what makes me like a particular song. Sometimes it's because it has meaningful lyrics, and sometimes it simply has a good beat and catchy hook. I don't play any instruments (I scraped a grade one in violin about seven years ago, but I don't really count that because if I picked up a violin now I'd probably make your ears bleed a little) and I probably sing terribly out of tune, but I still love music, I still consider it to be a part of my life. I think that says a lot about how important music is.

Now, for the playlists. I should say that these are unordered.

UK CHARTS

These are songs that have been high up in the UK charts this year. I think modern pop music gets a lot of bad press, and I agree that there have been some pretty bad songs in the charts this year (seriously, can we now ban all future use of the word "floor", "dance" or "young" from lyrics?) but if you look hard enough I think you can find some gems. 

Sorry ladies and gents, but One Direction are not present on this list (though they are a slight guilty pleasure of mine)! 

Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye ft. Kimbra

Some Nights - fun.

Spectrum - Florence + The Machine

Skyfall - Adele

Mama Do The Hump - Rizzle Kicks

Drunk - Ed Sheeran

So Good - B.o.B

Drive By - Train

Picking Up The Pieces - Paloma Faith

Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding

ALTERNATIVE

I don't know how "alternative" you'd consider some of these songs, because maybe some of them have been on albums that have been in the charts, and may have been something like #127 on the UK singles chart, but they're certainly more alternative than the charts list. Jake Bugg is featured twice on this list because for me he has been the artist of the year! 

Lightning Bolt - Jake Bugg

I Always Knew - The Vaccines

Demons - Imagine Dragons

When My Day Comes - Tribes

Thinkin Bout You - Frank Ocean

Teen Idle - Marina & The Diamonds

Feels Like We Only Go Backwards - Tame Impala

Sleep Alone - Two Door Cinema Club

Two Fingers - Jake Bugg

Brightest Lights - King Charles ft. Mumford & Sons

CHRISTMAS

Of course I couldn't not make this list. This is a mix of old and modern classics. They all make me feel insanely happy whenever I listen to them.

Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses

8 Days Of Christmas - Destiny's Child

Christmas Time - The Darkness

Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid

Mary's Boy Child - Boney M

Fairytale Of New York - The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney

Stay Another Day - East 17

This post has been quite word heavy, so thank you if you've stuck with it - and thank you if you've just skimmed, because I can't really blame you! Hugs and kisses.

Friday Five: Winter Headwear!

Goodness gracious. I can't believe it's been almost two months since I started Floral Mess. I guess time flies when you're having fun, right? I'm almost a little impressed with myself for keeping it up regularly for this long, but I think maybe I should wait a few more months before I start feeling smug.

This post is inspired by the fact that winter and my ears are not friends. They, along with their buddy my nose, are the first part of me to turn ice cold when I decide to brave the outdoors during winter. What better way to stop this than with some trendy (and more importantly warm) winter headgear?

1. The Bear Hat Of Adorableness

Lipsy / £12.00

2. The Ear Muffs

Republic / £10.00

3. The Faux Fur Hat

New Look / £9.99

4. The Trapper Hat

H&M / £14.99

5. The Beanie

Topshop / £12.00

Now, I'm off to make a nice big mug of hot chocolate and daydream about Christmas. Thank you for reading and, as always, comments are very much appreciated!

Lots of love,

Winter Pastels

Have I told you how much I love pastels? Well, I do. Lots and lots. While they are usually considered spring colours, I think they are lovely all year round. In winter time they can add colour to your outfit in a toned-down, pretty way.

Items featured:

1. Scarf from Monki / £18.00

2. Beanie from River Island / £13.00

3. Blouse from Monki / £25.00

4. Dr. Marten Boots / £120.00

5. Jumper from Topshop / £36.00

6. Shirt from Republic / £24.00

7. Jeans from River Island / £20.00

I've been heavy with the Christmas-related natter recently due to child-like excitement that the beginning of December always brings, so I thought I'd making this post a little different (i.e. slightly calmer) would be a good idea.

Thanks for reading.

Naughty vs. Nice

I am really in the holiday spirit right now. If I could fast forward time and make it Christmas Day right now I totally would. This year, I think I've been pretty good. I started this blog (which I've been wanting to do for ages and ages), I've always said "please" and "thank you", and refrained from slamming any doors. But on the other hand, I may or may not at times be, ever so slightly, just a little bit, extremely lazy. I think we all know there's only one way to settle this inner turmoil... through THE POWER OF FASHION via a holiday outfit showdown!

Items featured:
1. Clutch from Miss Selfridge / £18.00
2. Boots from Boohoo / £18.00
3. Bracelet from ASOS / £8.00
4. Bangle from Mango / £9.99
5. Dress from Topshop / £45.00
Total = £98.99

 

Items featured:

1. Clutch from New Look / £12.50
2. Shoes from H&M / £3.00
3. Bracelets from River Island / £13.00
4. Hairband from Forever 21 / £3.60
5. Dress from Miss Selfridge / £45.00
 Total = £77.10
 
So which do you like better, the naughty outfit or the nice one? Have you been naughty or nice this year? I tried to get a poll on here but I can't find a site that lets me embed polls in blogspot posts. Sigh.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and as always comments are adored!

Friday Five: 5 Cute Scarves

I seem to have a bit of a winter series going on here.You can see my previous Friday Five posts about coats here and oversized jumpers here. Today I left the house thinking I'd be fine in just a jumper. I ended up with a bright pink nose that almost felt like it was going to fall off, wishing that I had something to cover it with. That's where scarves come in!

1. River Island / £16.00

2. River Island / £18.00

3. Vero Moda / £20.30

4. River Island / £10.00

5. Pieces / £17.86

I just realised that 3/5 of the scarves are from River Island, d'oh! While I was searching I found that they do a really pretty range of scarves, I recommend you check them out. Topshop also do a lot of pretty ones, so check them out too. (I have possibly become scarf-obsessed.)

Are you a fellow scarf lover? Got your eye on any particular pretty ones? Leave a comment and let me know.

Hugs and hot chocolate,

Fashion Flashback: 1940s

banner credit: pattern and colours
Firstly, I want to have a little moment of celebration, because this blog has reached just over 1000 total views! I know that may not seem a lot to some people who've been blogging for a while, but I've been blogging for about a month and a half now and it really means a lot to me, so thank you very much to everyone who reads my blog posts.

Now, this post leads on from my post a couple of weeks ago about fashion in the 1920s. This time the focus is on the 1940s.

1 / 2
War took up some of the 1940s, which of course had an effect on the way people dressed. It was very much a far cry from the extravagant way flappers dressed in the 1920s. But, there were still a lot of pretty fashion trends, many of which (e.g. oxford shoes and florals) are popular with fashionistas nowadays.

1. Dress from Awear / £35.00
2. Trench Coat from SheInside / £31.02
3. Oxford Heels from Modcloth / £17.52
4. Bracelets from New Look / £7.99
5. Necklace from Modcloth / £9.38
Total = £100.91

Do you have any recommendations for which era I should cover in a Fashion Flashback post next? I'd love to hear any suggestions! As always, thanks a lot for reading.
Loads of love,

My Christmas Wishlist

Can you believe it's only one month until Christmas? This year's gone by so quickly!
Christmas time is my absolute favourite time of the year. To me, Christmas means spending time with my family, traditions like decorating the tree, happy memories of leaving out mince pies for Santa and carrots for Rudolph, yummy food, playing games, a lot of good movies and TV shows, and generally a fun, happy atmosphere.
So, presents are really only a bonus (albeit a very nice one) on top of all that.

These are the things I am hoping Father Christmas will bring in his sleigh for me this year:
 1. Daisy by Marc Jacobs from Debenhams / £42.50
2. Eyeshadow Palette from Coastal Scents / £15.56
3. Reindeer Slipper Socks from Topshop / £5.00
4. Studded Loafers from Boohoo / £20.00
5. Check Shirt from Topshop / £26.00

My other wishes:
iTunes voucher.
A new iPhone case.
For it to snow on Christmas day.
A happy new year!

So what do you want for Christmas this year? Have you been naughty or nice?
Leave me a comment and let me know!
Lots of love and mince pies,

Friday Five: 5 Cute Oversized Jumpers

Welcome to another Friday Five! This sort of leads on from my post last week about some cute and affordable coats that you can find on the high street. This time it's all about oversized jumpers, which are amazingly comfy and are what I practically live in during winter.

1. Fashion Union / £22.00
2. River Island / £45.00
3. SheInside / £23.25
4. Monki / £35.00
5. Romwe / £26.62

 You can wear cute oversized jumpers both indoors (over your warmest pair of pyjamas) or outdoors when you decide to venture into the cold (with your favourite pair of jeans and slouchy boots), and you will always be both warm and stylish.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, happy snuggling!

The Style Files: Alexa Chung

 

banner credit: pattern and colours

Alexa Chung's personal style is adored by so many people for a good reason - the girl knows how to dress! Her perfectly messy hair is the envy of many (I personally have the messy down but not so much the perfect...) and her outfits are always at the forefront of style, so my first celebrity style post has to be about her. I've put together three outfits inspired by her style.

 Who knew dark blue lace looked so gorgeous with leopard print? Evidently, Alexa did!

 Items used:

1. Shirt from Monki / £25.00
2. Bag from River Island / £35.00
3.Skirt from Forever 21 / $27.80 (£17.45)
4. Ankle Boots from ASOS / £17.50
5. Blazer from New Look / £27.99

Total = £122.94

The matching bright red lipstick and cutesy shoes pull this whole look together.

Items used:
1. Dress from Rare London / £10.00
2. Coat from New Look / £54.99
3. Flats from Charlotte Russe / $22.50 (£14.12)
4. Lipstick from Max Factor / £6.99
5. Clutch from New Look / £7.99
Total = £94.09

Take notes - this is how you wear a hint of animal print. The top makes the outfit a lot more fun while still keeping it classy.

Items used:
1. Top from Oasis / £40.00
2. Skirt from AWear / £8.00
3. Shoes from Boohoo / $40.00 (£25.10)
4. Bag from ASOS / £28.00
5. Coat from Topshop / £89.00
Total = £190.10

The inspiration pictures featured in this post have all been re-sized from here.

Thanks very much for reading, comments are always appreciated. Until next time, happy shopping!
Lots of love and lip gloss,

Wearing Brighter Colours In Winter

banner credit: pattern and colours
During winter there usually aren't many bright colours to be seen, both in terms of the environment and clothing. It can be easy to just stick to black and white, but I can't help but find it a bit dull. Here I've put together three different ways to wear bright colours during the winter months.

Neon Pop by floral-mess

Adding a pop of neon to a black-and-white outfit can make it look a lot more fun. Keep it to one or two neon items to avoid looking like a glow stick!

Jewel Tones by floral-mess
This is the most toned-down of the three outfits. You can wear jewel colours with earthy colours for a look that's subtle but not dull by any means. 
  
 

Candy Colours by floral-mess

I call these "candy colours" because they're so sweet looking! As with the neon pop outfit, avoid going overboard with the bright colours for a cute and girly outfit.

Do you wear bright colours during winter or stick to safer shades? Leave a comment below.
 Thanks for reading!
 

Friday Five: 5 Affordable Winter Coats

banner credit: pattern and colours

I'm sorry for starting another post with weather-related complaints (I can't help it, I'm British) but yeah, the weather here is pretty terrible. And by terrible I of course mean cold. This winter I will definitely need to wrap up warm, and fortunately there are a lot of cute coats out there that can fulfil that need, but unfortunately many of them come with a hefty price tag. I've scoured the shops to find some coats which I think get the mixture of style, practicality and price just right.

Fashion Flashback: 1920s

banner credit: image

Many of the current fashion trends are throwbacks to the past, and I absolutely love it, so I decided to write some posts on how to wear fashion from past decades in a gorgeous and modern way. One of my favourite decades for fashion is the 1920s, so I'm starting off there!

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The most famous fashion style of the 20s was the Flapper look - featuring drop waistlines, short skirts and that famous bobbed haircut á la Louise Brooks. The roaring 20s was a time of change, and flappers were known for breaking social norms (and looking pretty fabulous while doing it). 

1. Dress from Fashion Union / £32.00

2. Necklace from New Look / £12.99

3. Clutch Bag from New Look / £19.99

4. Hat from Anthropologie / £44.00

5. Ring from 1928 / $22.00 (£13.85)

6. Shoes from New Look / £14.99

Total = £137.82

Back then the flapper style was pretty expensive, but nowadays it doesn't have to be. 

So, what's your favourite part of 1920s fashion? Do you have any recommendations for my next Fashion Flashback post? Comments are always welcome.

PS: I didn't post on Sunday like I usually do because it was remembrance day, and I couldn't think of an appropriate post so I decided on having the equivalent of a few minutes silence on my blog.

Friday Five: 5 Cute Collar Necklaces

banner credit: pattern

Welcome to another Friday Five! This week the focus is on collar necklaces. I love them because they can transform a plain shirt and add a bit of detail to it, or simply be worn as a quirky necklace with any kind of top. I got myself a simple imitation pearl one from Topshop a while back and it can add a special something to pretty much any outfit!
Note: "Necklaces" may not be the right word to describe all of the items featured here, but I couldn't think of a better term.

Awesome iPhone Cases

banner credit: pattern and colours

I'm going to cut to the chase here. I love my iPhone. I love pretty things. Therefore I REALLY love pretty things for my iPhone.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about a webste called Wanelo where you can find all sorts of cool products and save them in your own little wishlists. If you venture into my wishlists you will find a lot of iPhone cases. They range from ones with cute patterns to ones covered in insane amounts of glittering glamorous shiny sparkliness that I didn't think were possible.

So I had to dedicate a post to all these lovely cases. It started off as a Friday Five but there was no way I was ever going to narrow it down that far so you're getting a ton of them to oogle at.

I apologise to non-iPhone users!

Polyvore Post: Floral Jeans

banner credit: pattern and colours

Welcome to another Polyvore post! This time I'm focusing on outfits featuring floral print jeans/trousers. This probably won't be that shocking to you but I really like floral print. Maybe a little bit too much. I put together this very girly outfit featuring floral jeans about a month ago.

Flowers by floral-mess

I know there are tons of other ways to wear them, so here are a few gorgeous examples I found made by other Polyvore users.

Friday Five: 5 Ways To Wear Oxblood Jeans

Welcome to another Friday Five post!
The oxblood trend is really popular this autumn - this dark red colour is pretty much everywhere right now. I especially love it on jeans, so I put together five autumn looks featuring oxblood jeans to provide a little inspiration as to when and how you could wear them. The jeans featured in all of these looks are this pair from Topshop, but you can also get a pair from Dorothy Perkins or All Saints.

Top / Leather Jacket / Boots
Add some gothic jewelry and dark lipstick.

 

Top / Shoes / Blazer

Add a briefcase and a smartphone.

Backpack / Scarf / Boots / Jumper

Add a ponytail and a good book.

Cardigan / Brogues / Top
Add a big tote bag and a cute necklace.

Bag / Shoes / Top
Add dark red nails and va va voom.

What would you pair with oxblood jeans? Leave a comment to let me know if you like.
Thanks for reading!