Dressing In Autumnal Tones

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“Autumn Tones”

Autumn is the perfect month for dressing a little more smarter. Now it’s getting colder outside the layers are coming out. The bolder and more autumn tones are finding the way out of the wardrobe and also hitting the shops.

Every shop on the high street now has an abundance of camel, burgundy, mustard and rust. Every season you can bet your bottom dollar these colours always make a return for Autumn. You only have to look outside your window right now to see how beautiful these colours are. Autumn always brings these wonderful colours to life. Bringing these colours into your wardrobe can turn any outfit into the perfect Autumn tone.

I love all of these colours very much. So much so, I love dressing head to toe in the same colour but in different tones. Dressing in different tones gives an outfit dimension and a point of interest. My favourite colour to do this with is the camel. There are so many different tones of the camel colour which makes it easier to “tonal dress”

Looking through my wardrobe I had a lot of camel items but these sat perfectly together. A collarless coat from ASOS, which is very nearly too small for me now. Due to getting those gains at the gym. Which is such a shame because I adore the coat so much. An ASOS zip up roll neck in a very light camel. And a camel smart trouser, also from ASOS to finish the outfit off. I teamed my Boohoo trainer to try and get that element of smart casual into the look. I really love wearing smart outfits but putting the element of casual into them.

This outfit has to be one of my favourite outfits for Autumn. I love that I blend so very well in with the background but also make such a statement. What’s your favourite Autumn outfit? Does it feature Tonal dressing?

How to Be Bang On Trend This Winter

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Be Bang On This Winter

Back, Back View, Beanie, Bonnet, Boy, Jacket, Male, Man

Men’s style has seen a few changes at this year’s winter fashion shows, but they are all ones that will not be out if the reach of most men’s pockets. There have been more similarities between designers than you would normally expect, although as always, there have been some unique things as well.

Brown Is No Longer Drab

Brown is no longer seen as a drab colour and this year it featured in several of the men’s shows. Sometimes it was taupe or chocolate, but still brown none the less. It appeared in coats, jumpers, trousers, suits and bags. The clothes were often plain, but then trimmed or teamed with something patterned.

Jumpers

The jumpers on show were varied greatly from brightly coloured ones to more subtle greys. There were spotted ones, striped ones and many different materials used although as usual cashmere was the favourite. Lou Dalton even showed some bobbled jumpers, which were a bit reminiscent of the ones we had has children. This year it seemed that the texture of jumpers was just as important as the style and colours.

Shirts

Mens shirts were in different materials and most of them were patterned. Bold stripes were popular and leaving the cuffs hanging loose below a jacket or coat sleeve was also another trend that was often seen.

Jackets

This year’s jackets were squidgy in style and that was how they were in most of this year’s shows. Quilting dominated, some with patterns and some plain, and they were worn with a huge variety of other clothes. Shirts and jumpers were the favourites underneath them, with corduroy trousers proving popular as well.

Pin Stripes

Once reserved for Savile Row suits, Pin Stripes was evident from a few of the designers. They were not as you would think of them though. They were used in a more relaxed way, almost like a cross between formal and casual.

Coats

The trends in coats were more varied than many other items. AW128 showed one similar to a woman’s trench coat, although that was not the only belted one by any means. Several other designers showed belted coats, one of the favourites being a brown one from Lemaire.

Leather Coats are back in fashion, although they are more casual than they used to be and these knee-length offerings were worn open.

Guy, Man, Back, Black, Jacket, Tattoo, Leather, Bokeh

Several designers showed blanket coats two, although there were not as many as of the belted and leather options.

Plaid

Plaid, large and small in design, was everywhere. They were used mainly in coats but also appeared in trousers jumpers and shirts. There were suits of bold checks missed with striped accessories, which up until a short while ago would never have been seen together.

Hats And Scarves

Many of the sets of attire were finished off with a hat. They were often nothing like the other colours being worn, brightly tones ones being popular. They were mainly in soft and warm types of materials, with the everyday type of woolly hats even showing up in a few places.

Scarves were few and far between, although when they did appear they were large and colourful.

For The Love Of Halloween

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Have a chilling Halloween

Halloween. The day the world between the living and the dead wears thin. The day that the dead can return to Earth. The history of Halloween stems from people dressing up in costumes to ward off spirits of the dead. This is something that I love the most about Halloween. Dressing up and becoming a character is something I’ve loved doing from a young age. To the point of every Halloween, I’ve created a character for my siblings or myself to have a photoshoot with.

Over the years I’ve done a lot of Halloween photography shoots with my brother and sister. But because they have both been going to uni I had to step up my photography and do my own shoots and own photography for Halloween.

You can see all the previous Halloween photography in this post here.

Merman

This year I wanted to do something a little bigger than usual. Being invited to a Halloween house party made me think I can go bigger with my costume. I wanted to become a merman. I had the idea for the costume a few years back but the idea of going out on the town in the costume didn’t really sit well with me as I’d freeze to death.

Searching eBay I started with the base of the costume which was the leggings. I needed scales on my legs. Costing £4.99 I couldn’t go wrong. For my tail, I needed a design so I could move around as well as drive in. So I came up with individual mermaid tails but when I put my legs together it looked as if I had one tail. Tieing pieces of organza fabric on to a piece of ribbon the same colour as my leggings. The organza was three different colours to get the effect of a shimmering mermaid tail.

My seaweed and seashells crown was made fully by myself. It started as the ice crown I used in a previous Halloween costume. Which was made from a glue gun. Then I found a hessian sack, which I cut into a thin strip. I then glue gunned sea shells to it and I then added this to the glue crown and coloured it green to make it look like seaweed.

The last couple of pieces for my costume were a rope decoration with a shell added for decoration, mermaid tattoos from Primark and a tonne of glitter to get the shimmering merman look.

The make up was mostly from the revolution palette purchased from Superdrug. Mermaid edition which was perfect for the look. I wanted to keep the make up a little subtle but making sure I create the merman look. With the help of my brother we created something unique and referenced a comic book kind of look.

I had so much fun creating this look. The look and outfit gave me many compliments. It made me feel so good.

The Voodoo Prince

While I had some more time this weekend and I’ve been starting to feel better I wanted to be creative. Looking on Pinterest I wanted to do some kind of witch makeup. But one photo made me change the outlook of that. Instead, I wanted to become a voodoo prince.

Creating a dark makeup around my eyes and painting an upside down moon gave the look that dark and scary look I was going for. The outfit itself was mainly made up of a plain white shirt and a black blazer. The feather piece was from my maleficent photoshoot I did a few years ago which I made into a crown and neck piece to give the look a more authentic look. Raiding my mum’s jewellery box I found a small enough earring that I put on my nose to make me appear to have my nose pierced.

Halloween for me is a time where I can express my deepest creativity and not be judged. A time where I can really push boundaries and really stick my teeth into being creative. I had so much fun creating these looks and they were so inexpensive to do! Another reason I wanted to write this blog post. To say you don’t need a lot of money to create Halloween costumes. You just need an imagination and a few tools along the way to help you out!

My Adventures In Manchester.

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“Adventuring in Manchester”

A week ago I went on a little adventure. With the week I had off I was supposed to be going away with my now ex to Majorca, I wanted to make sure I was doing something that I didn’t let it play on my mind. I’ve been so good with shutting things out and not letting them get the better of me, so I didn’t want a week of not having any plans change that. Henceforth, why I went to Manchester to visit my best friend. Being in the city for the week made me realise just how much I needed to be there.

Fiona comes back on weekends so on a Monday morning I said I would hitch a ride with her when she drove back to Manchester before she went to work. I left my suitcase in her car while she went to work. I ventured into the city on my own to get a real understanding of how the city works and where things are. Being someone that lives in the countryside it just baffles me how easy places are to get too. From Salford, I hopped onto the tram and got into the city centre in less than 11 minutes.

This was something big for me. Dealing with anxiety is something I’ve dealt with. Being in a big city I would have thought it would set it off but having so much to see and potentially do, the anxiety was curved. While in Manchester I got up to so many different things. Visiting the city centre was the main one. Visiting the many different museums and galleries on my own was such an amazing experience. Once Fiona had finished work we walked to the nearest bar and had a few drinks in Salford. A bar overlooking the water amongst the city lights.

Lazy Days

As well as visiting the city I had some lazy days where I stayed at the flat and caught up on my blog and my favourite tv shows. That’s what a holiday is all about right? Where Fiona is renting there is a beautiful park. I knew I had to go see it. It was like home from home. Although I love the city, I needed a little break away from the hectic life of the city. Walking around the park I totally forgot I was in Manchester.

Meeting new people was something I wanted to do while I was in and around Manchester. So many bloggers I’ve talked too and read their blogs for years lived here. I wanted to meet as many people while I was there to make connections within the blogging world and also meet people I’ve spoken too for a long time. It was amazing to meet people and hear all the encouraging and lovely things people have to say. As well as talking all things blogging. One of my favourite places I was taken too was Harvey Nichols cafe which was so amazing. Somewhere I’d never thought I’d go as I feel I’m not good enough to go somewhere like that. But the view was gorgeous from there. The place itself was just incredible.

While there we decided we needed to go out one night. Have a proper night out in Manchester. With this in mind, we needed new outfits. Heading to the Trafford centre we decided to shop till we dropped. The Trafford Centre is a beautiful and opulent shopping centre with its late baroque architectural. Eating within the amazing food hall which is made to look like a ship. I felt like I was on the Titanic. Staying open late we made sure we packed in every shop to make sure we had the perfect outfits.

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE

 

 

 

 

With Fiona and I going home on Fridays, Thursday was our night out. Once we got dressed up and we had a few drinks beforehand, we got into an Uber and hit the city. First stop was 20 Stories.

A beautiful rooftop bar with beautiful views of the city. The rooftop was open to the elements which were beautiful as it wasn’t a very cold night and the weather was calm. But the fire pits and heated lamps were an amazing touch. Around the edge of the room was little pods for VIP guests. You had to pay for these but they were stunning to look at. Little pods with flowers and ivy all over them with fairy lights to light up the night.

Whilst there we made friends with these 3 guys who stayed with us most of the night. Lots of laughter, talking and drinking happened. The night was young, therefore, moved onto the next club. I can’t remember the name of the club but it was super lively for a Thursday night. From then on out we danced, danced, danced to the early hours of the morning. Before getting our uber back I spotted something that I wish I had a photo of. THE SPICE GIRLS BUS. It was across the road from the club we had just been in. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I could hear the little Spice Boy inside me screaming. However, Fiona was drunk, I made the decsion to make sure her wellbeing was better than a photo of the Spice Girls Bus.

Manchester was an amazing experience. It has made me realise just how much I’d like to be within the city. With so many things to do at my fingertips. So many amazing bloggers and people that are just like me. So many amazing places to visit. 2019 can’t come quick enough. I can’t wait to be able to have Manchester at my fingertips. Manchester you was amazing!

Boxrbox Luxurious Underwear Collaboration

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-Gifted Post-

“Underwear should be like a second skin”

When it comes to underwear style and how comfortable they are is a major thing for me. Feeling comfortable in them can bring out so much confidence within yourself.

I recently came across a brand of underwear that has completely changed the way I look at my undergarments. BOXRBOX is a men’s luxurious underwear company founded by Christoper Barlow and his wife Georgia. The both of them are very passionate about supporting the British textile industry and the British economy. All of the materials sourced and made into the garments are sourced in the UK.

BOXRBOX offers 3 different product styles.

1) BOXR Brief

2) BOXR Trunk

3) BOXR Short (in development)

The essential BOXRR briefs and trunks are handmade in the UK from a blend of soft, durable micro modal with a hint of elastane for added stretch and fit. Both designs feature a no-fly design, soft lined pouch and a stylish. Ultra soft waistband with embossed BOXR logo.

Unlike cotton, the micro modal textile fibre is shrink resistant and more resistant to fading. Obtained from Beech trees, the high-end, breathable fibre notably absorbs up to 50% more moisture than cotton. The fitted briefs and trunks are designed to sit low on the waist, offering incredible comfort for everyday wear.

The Review

When I received my delivery for my underwear I was so excited it came in a very well packaged boxed with the BOXRBOX logo all over it. Once I had opened the box a little card lay on top of the underwear which showcased a little of the information about the product. I thought this was a great touch as it made me realise just how passionate the owners of the company are, also knowing how the products are made is some extra information that’s always good to know. Trying on the underwear and parading around my bedroom was the highlight of getting this underwear. After a few stretches and squats to test them out I came to the conclusion they are the most comfortable underwear I’ve ever owned. I don’t normally wear briefs but these are next level comfortable. As a Visual Merchandiser, I’m always on my feet, always moving and in very warm conditions within windows. The BOXRBOX underwear stood up to the test to keeping me comfortable throughout my long days at work. Completely converted and I shall most definitely be investing in some more pieces.

Head over to www.boxrbox.co.uk to check them out!

Mistakes That Men Make When Wearing Accessories

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Accessories Make An Outfit 

If you know that you want to start accessorising better or if you know that you are not quite happy with the accessories that you have right now then it is important to understand that it is more than possible for you to turn this around. After all, a few simple changes are all you need to make in order to own your fashion game and when you put the work in, there is no telling what you could achieve.

Not Wearing your Jewellery with Confidence

If you are a stylish man then it is important to know that it is okay for you to push your own boundaries from time to time. One problem that a lot of men experience is that they find it hard to own it because they are just not confident enough. The best and the easiest way for you to try and get around this is for you to practice. Go to a jeweller or even a local department store and try some things on.

When you are able to do this, you can then get a feel for how things look and you can also find out what works for you and what doesn’t. Those who work in these types of stores are usually pretty knowledgeable and they may even be able to advise you on what is going to look best so you can try things you never normally would.

Man in Blue Suit

Not Paying Attention

If you don’t mind sporting the odd accessory then it is so vital to make sure that it is suitable for the situation. The environment that you wear your accessories in is so important. If you are going to a funeral for example then you won’t want to wear anything that could get you any attention. If you are going to a work interview, wear something that is going to coincide with the business. When you are able to do this, you can easily make the most out of the outfit you have and you can also really stand out from the crowd as a result.

Overdoing it

You have to know that sometimes, you can overdo it. You need to make sure that every statement piece you are wearing is contributing something to your outfit. For example, you may want to go with the Armani AR1452 watch but you won’t want to wear a bracelet as well on top of this. If you do then you risk taking the attention away from your watch and this is the last thing that you need. Another thing that you need to take into consideration is the type of outfit that you are wearing your accessories with. Think about it, does it really work?

Man Wearing Brown Coat

Ignoring Balance

Jewellery is all about balance. You don’t want to draw too much attention to one part of your body. Think about necklaces for example. There are so many men out there who wear necklaces on top of necklaces, and this can throw the whole look off. Go for one, and make it count. Wristwear is another thing that you need to think about. If you like smaller watches then don’t wear any bulky bracelets as well because this can make your whole look uneven.

Try and make sure that your accessories reflect one another and also make sure that you are doing everything you can to make sure that the tone is the same as well. If you have an accessory that is a specific type of metal, such as gold and you want to accent this then you will need to compliment this by wearing other jewellery pieces of the same type. Sure, it is possible for you to add silver and even rose gold tones but always make sure that you have a dominant tone.

Not Thinking About Skin Type

It is a known fact that some jewellery types will work better with your skin tone when compared to others. If you are not careful then you may end up wearing something that does not reflect your skin tone. This is the last thing that you need when you already have so much to think about in terms of your style. For this reason, you need to find out what works for you and you also need to think about the colour of skin you have so that you can automatically gravitate towards a specific type of jewellery or even a specific metal so do keep that in mind when you do go out shopping.

 

Hello Autumn – Favourite Outfits

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“Autumn is the second spring where every leaf is a flower”

Today marks the first day of Autumn.

The season where we say goodbye to the summer. Bask in colder mornings and by noon it’s warm again. Halloween looms over us in every shop right next to the Christmas section. Jumpers and boots slowly make a come back from the wardrobe.

Autumn is the season where new beginnings start to happen. Everything must die in order for the new to come back in the spring. Leaves start to fall off the trees, flowers start to shrivel, animals begin to prepare for hibernation.

It marks the seasons of a change in fashion. As I’ve said the boots come out. The chunky knits come out. The big wool overcoats make the statement piece in any outfits. This post I wanted to showcase some of my favourite Autumn outfits I’ve done in the past as I prepare to get myself into the Autumn spirit.

I went through a phase where I love vintage fashion, clashing colours and experimenting with layering. I was always dipping in and out of charity shops and the vintage side of eBay. I loved having something that other people didn’t have. Working at the time in a vintage cupcakery my style fitted perfectly. I loved nothing more than throwing on the chunkiest knits and pairing them with my skinny jeans and boots. It made me feel so good.

I’m always been known to push boundaries and wear something a little different so when I saw this cape from Topman, I knew I had to own it. Pairing it with my favourite fedora hat and cravat it was one of my favourite outfits. A little bit more out there than the previous outfit. I loved experimenting with my fashion and pushing the boundaries and getting out of my comfort zone.

Everything grey. This outfit was another of my favourites. When I put outfits together I start with foundation piece. In this outfit it was the coat, I then built my outfit around the coat. I love everything grey and contrasting it with the hints of black really makes the outfits stand out! I wore my fedora a lot during these times. It came out everywhere along with my black Chelsea boots.

I’m a massive an of tartan. I’ve always loved it. So getting a pair of Tartan trousers was a big thing for me. A little more on the Christmassy side of the spectrum but I love this outfit. Again, with my fedora hat and matching tartan bow, I felt so good in this outfit.

Fast forward to last year and I developed my style into something more sophisticated and less out there. I was getting awful comments about my fashion and since I was going to the gym I wanted to change the way I looked. That meant an overhaul on my fashion which is ever changing to this day.

I’m so excited to start fresh this year. I already have ideas for what I want to buy for my staple pieces for Autumn. Mostly out of anything is a brand new coat. Due to bulking up I’ve outgrown the old camel coat that I loved so dearly. Looking back at past outfits inspires me to push boundaries again this year. I’m so excited for Autumn…. fashion.

What’s your staple go to pieces for Autumn?

Never Stop Dreaming – Life Update

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Never Give Up On Dreaming

The past week or so has been a whirlwind for me.

As many of you know my best friend recently moved to Manchester. Buying her first house, it’s being built, with the things that have happened in my life over the past few months, it’s made me realise I need to start fresh. I need to get away to a city that is what I’m about. This is why I’ve decided to follow my day dreaming and move to Manchester.

Manchester is a beautiful city, up and coming, with so many different things going on within the city. Not only will it open countless opportunities for jobs. It will also open up opportunities for my blog too! Being in a city will be a complete and utter change for me, but it’s for the best.

Keep Going!

Last week the regional Visual Merchandiser wrote an email to stores In Manchester and the surrounding areas. After she told me what stores she had emailed, I just kind of thought they wouldn’t get back any time soon as jobs like mine are hard to come by.

3 days later I had a phone call from a store in Manchester City centre asking me about my experience in other fields of Marks and Spencer’s. I did specify I wanted to be a visual merchandiser but if it meant I get to Manchester then I would look to be a customer assistant. I let them take my details and to ring me if anything else came up.

The day after the regional visual merchandiser rang me and told me two other stores were keen to have me move to their stores. I was absolutely amazed at the fact news travelled fast and other regional visual merchandisers wanted me on their teams. The two jobs were in-fact visual merchandising jobs and full time. Exactly what I wanted.

On cloud 9, I was about to come back down to earth. The tenancy agreement for my house was for a year and could not be terminated early. Which meant I couldn’t move to Manchester at a drop of a hat. So disheartened and upset I started to go back to how I felt before. But then I realised. I didn’t give up on my dreams to move there. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and those job offers came calling.

In light of things my friend’s house won’t be ready until the end of my tenancy so therefore it will be good to wait instead of rushing things. I’m still in shock at just how many jobs came through. It’s so exciting to think I was so close.

The moral to this story is to not give up on something that you want so bad. Nothing creates drive and passion more than when you’re in a bad place and I was. I bit the bullet and just went for it. You can do just that! When you’re asleep at night keep dreaming and dream big. Push yourself out of those comfort zones. You never know what is around the corner for you!

Disney Mickey Mouse Collaboration With Boohoo Man

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-Gifted Post-

“Oh Boy – Mickey Mouse – Disney”

There is no question about it. I love Disney. From as far as I can remember I’ve always been a lover of the magical world that is Disney. Sleeping Beauty holds a very dear place in my heart, being my favourite Disney film of all time. But my favourite Disney character has to be Mickey Mouse. The iconic ears and upbeat voice is always something that has made me so happy. Being 27, I can still say I’m in love with Disney and Mickey Mouse and I’m not afraid to say that I am. 

When I turned 24 I went to Disney Land Paris and fell even more in love with Disney. Seeing the characters and how much happiness it brought to people was such a lovely thing. It has to be one of my favourite holidays I’ve ever been on. Seeing Sleeping Beauty’s castle and coming face to face with some of my favourite characters was beyond amazing. Since then my love for Disney has grown even more.

Boohoo Man has created a special collection to celebrate 90 years of Mickey Mouse! When I saw the collection on their website I instantly fell in love. The collection is a mixture of traditional BoohooMan slogans and cheeky Mickey Mouse illustrations.

Boohoo Man kindly gifted me three of my favourite items. It was so hard to try and figure out what I loved more but my picks are….

The Long Sleeve T-Shirt 

I loved this long sleeve T-shirt just because it’s fun and really easy to wear with different outfits. It can be a stand-alone piece or a piece that can be used as a layering piece within an outfit. I love the bold Mickey font that is on the front mixed with the signature of Mouse which is just like the signature range for Boohoo Man. The sizing on this T-shirt comes up small. So if you want the oversized look I’d say go up two sizes. I’m wearing the small and the arms were a little short but nothing a little bit of arm rolling can’t do. 

The “Oh Man” T-shirt.

I instantly fell in love with this t-shirt because of the oil slick part of the t-shirt. Not only that but it has Mickey Mouse on it. The quote “Oh Man” is just like the quote that Boohoo Man uses on their clothes, which is taken from Mickey Mouse’s quote “Oh Boy”. It’s a fun t-shirt which again is a perfect stand-alone piece or a layering piece under a jacket.

The Denim jacket.

When I was looking through the collection on Boohoo, I fell in love with a different denim jacket instantly. The jacket was blue and had a mini Mickey on the front and a massive red M on the back. It sold out instantly. I’m not surprised as it was gorgeous. However, I also found this stunning black denim jacket that has the print on the back. I love the oversized feel to the jacket. But I really love the Mickey motif on the back of the jacket. It’s a fun, quirky but also a very cool jacket. It’s a jacket that I know I won’t take off for a while.

I had so much fun showcasing these products. Combining my two loves of fashion from Boohoo and Disney together was such a dream. I wanted to make sure I showcased this in my photos, I wanted them to be light, fun and edgy all at the same time. I really had so much fun and can’t wait to wear all of these pieces with my own little twist.

Be sure to check out all of the collection over at Boohoo Man. 

The Leopard Print Shirt

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“A Leopard Never Changes His Spots”

 

There’s no question about it, leopard print has stormed the high street even filtering down into menswear.

From the greatest Shania Twain right to Mel B in the Spice Girls. Animal print has always been somewhat of a personal taste. From Snake to even zebra

Sometimes it can look really nice if it’s in small doses, however it can sometimes look a little cheap. I was one of these people, I’ve never really liked it. I thought it always looked cheap. However, Fast forward to autumn 2018 and I’ve started to become a fan. Fashion retailers have really jumped on this trend massively. From shirts, jumpers, boots and even bags. I’ve turned the corner for animal print.

 

 

In love with Animal Print

Bold printed shirts are something I’m known for. So it comes to no one’s surprise that I’ve fallen in love with leopard print. What started as a joke with my best friend has started to become a new love of mine.

My best friend and I had organised a night out and she had found a gorgeous leopard print denim jacket and denim skirt in Primark. She then said it would be funny if we both wore leopard print to match on our night out. I scoured the internet for the perfect shirt as our night out was less than a week away. Finding a shirt that I could get in time was proving hard.

 

I walked into River Island and there it was. The print I needed in my life. Purchased. I tried it on with what I had imagined in my head. I instantly fell in love. Me? falling in love with an animal print?

I felt so good in my outfit. Teaming my Leopard print shirt with my ripped jeans and Chelsea boots. Throwing my leather jacket over the top was such a good shout for a night out outfit. I had so many compliments from people saying how they loved it or how good I looked in it.

Now I’m on the hunt for my leopard things to add to my wardrobe. Let the addiction begin!

Shirt: River Island £25

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