Primark Gems featuring the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games 2014 are being held in Glasgow this year which is a huuuuuge deal here in Scotland! I had the honour of being nominated to carry the Queen's baton and one of my friends actually got to carry it. Several of my friends are volunteers helping out at various events and I've been lucky enough to go to the opening ceremony and athletics! I always find with these huge sporting events that everyone becomes avid watchers of sports they had never expressed an interest in before (shooting and bowls people?) which is great for these sports as they and the athletes get the recognition they deserve. Anyway, if you ever get the chance to go to a big sporting event like this, take it! The atmosphere is absolutely incredible particularly if it's a home crowd. There's nothing that makes you feel more patriotic than cheering on an athlete from your country with face paint plastered on your face and then singing the national anthem as they stand on the podium while you wave your flag wildly in the air.

However, the title of this post mentions Primark. I have to say I have a talent for finding hidden gems in the midst of all the chaos that is always in Primark. I am not a huge fan of Primark because I disagree with the way they produce their products so I try to shop as little as possible in there. This in turn has given me a very critical eye when it comes to shopping in there because I will only buy something in there if I absolutely love it. The result is finding some gorgeous clothes that no one can believe is from Primark!

 Playsuit (Primark) Sandles (Target)

So this absolutely amazing playsuit is from Primark! It's probably my favourite item of clothing right now. It's perfect for summer with its vibrancy, patterns and colours and the light flowy material stops you getting too hot despite it being long sleeved. It can also be easily jazzed up for more formal events like parties by adding some heels (I'd say wedges) and some plain earrings. It's important not to go over the top with accessories when you have clothing as bright as this. It says it all by itself! 

I actually wore this beautiful outfit to the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games (see photos below) and it just added to the exciting atmosphere and happiness that I felt being surrounded by all the Commonwealth Games buzz in Glasgow. 

My advice for shopping in Primark would be to try not to get distracted by the price tag. Yes everything is super cheap but this means that top that you would normally think twice about is now easily up for grabs because of the price. Be critical and only buy items you reaaaaaally want like you would in other shops when the price tag quickly turns something from a "must have" to a "never mind, I can live without." But it just shows that among the swag tops and onesies, Primark really has some great clothes.

Finally some pictures from the Commonwealth Opening Ceremony of me and my lovely boyfriend, Richard.

San Diego to New York

(Last holiday post) My mum gave me the idea to compare the style in San Diego and New York!

                                               

San Diego is a very beach oriented city with the stereotypical surfer style. Surfing is huge is San Diego - they even get taught it in their P.E lessons! Therefore it's not surprising that the fashion reflects this popular interest.

Everyone I saw on the beach looked effortlessly chilled. Swimwear is essential. No one wears underwear, bikini tops replace the standard bra. All clothing worn on top had to be light weight to cope with the heat and I to deal with wet swimwear.

Straw Hat (Target) Crocheted Top (Cherry Red - Shop in my own town, now closed), Bikini (New Look) Shorts (H&M) Sandles (Target)

Holey and crocheted items are very popular as no wet marks are left, they are airy and allow you to show off your bright bikini. Sandals are also a must as they stop your feet boiling up and stop sand getting in a shoe you can't get it out of. For the beach, if you're just going to lie about I'd go for a cheapy pair of spongy flip flops so that they're easy to kick off. If you're walking more, I'd choose sandles with straps that attach the shoe to your foot because when you're walking in the sand or through the water a shoe can easily slip off and float away towards the horizon. No one wants that!

With the California sun, hats and sunglasses are must. They're needed for protection but that doesn't mean they can't be pretty. I really like the soft colour of the straw hat and crocheted top which let's me add splashed of colour like the beads on my hat, my bikini and shorts. A brilliant chance to combine minimalist clothes with elaborate extras. I usually get cheap sunglasses because I break them so easily. Oops.

So, New York. Wow. Where do I even start? New York is an absolutely amazing city with its towering skyscrapers contrasting with it's old fashioned apartment blocks with roof gardens, its lights and, of course, its endless supply of yellow cabs. My amazing mum booked our hotel in the middle of Times Square! So we were slap bang in the middle of the action.

It was extremely difficult to spot a particular style that was common in New York especially in Times Square which was filled with tourists. However, I quickly figured out a way to spot the locals. They would generally be walking purposefully, usually had a moody expression and were the fearless individuals who would dodge the oncoming traffic to cross the road instead of waiting for the green man.

The locals I saw in Times Square generally seemed to be there for work as they would be would be wearing staple outfits like suits and smart shirts. Although simple looking, they were effortlessly stylish. Many also brightened up their basic work clothes with a bright primary coloured shirt and/or a statement pair of shoes.

I also noticed that bright patterns were a huge hit. This may only have been because of the gorgeous summer weather in New York but I loved it either way.

Blazer (New Look) Shirt (H&M) Belt (New Look) Jeggings (Dorothy Perkins) Shoes (New Look) Bangles (Oxfam)

I've tried to recreate the stylish basic work look that I saw in New York but also tried to make it more casual for every day wear by adding a pair of black jeggings to do so. Sticking to the block colour idea, I added this simplistic bright blue T-shirt which compliments the black and isn't too in your face. I bought this blazer originally for school but I love wearing it casually as well. It creates a smart element to the outfit but, by rolling up the sleeves, it doesn't look to interview-like. It is also warm enough to act as a jacket in mild weather. The plaited belt adds a little splash of detail that stands out against an otherwise rather plain outfit. These are actually my prom shoes! I barely wore them for most of the night (it's not easy dancing in six inch heels with a dress that touches the floor!) They are the same shade of royal blue as my dress and match the silver sequins on my dress so I had to have them! They simply add an extra statement to the outfit and heels are always great for making your pins look fab.

Kimono (New Look) Top (New Look) Shorts (Target) Shoes (Peacocks)

Ok, this might be a bit of a pattern clash but I love it. It's easy to wear either a statement dress or mix and match patterned pieces. Both the shorts and kimono are a light material so are similar in the way they way they lie against the skin. The shorts have a combination of colours including black, blue and white, therefore surprisingly compliment the kimono. The lacy vest top I added is of the same shade of burgundy that runs subtly through the shorts. Finally, throw on some rope wedges with open toes to add an elegant but summery touch!

Dress (H&M) Shoes (Peacocks) Earrings (Accessorize)

If you're not a fan of clashing patterns it's easy to buy just one statement item like this dress. The pink and green are a great combination and the zig zag pattern is much more interesting than standard straight horizontal lines. Horizontal lines are great for lengthening your figure and making you look taller. I thought these earrings added a nice touch but with a dress like this you really don't need many accessories as the dress speaks for itself! Again I've chosen my trusty wedges. Heels make your legs look great as well as aligning your body and improving your posture. The wedge makes the outfit slightly more casual and also more practical as they are easier than stilettos to walk in. It's also possibly to wear dolly shoes or plimsoles with this dress if you want to really tone it down. A dress like this is so great because it's very versatile and can be worn for numerous different occasions!

Speak soon! Love, alice 

Road trip - Julian, CA

While road tripping in America with my family this summer we stopped at a small town called Julian in San Diego county.

Julian is a historic gold mining town which has been restored so that it still resembles an early Californian frontier town with pioneer store fronts and historic sites. Julian is also famous for its apples, apple pies and Apple Days Festival which occurs in the autumn/fall.

The General Store even had some pretty cool Western fashions which I'm hoping to incorporate into my wardrobe!

Speaking of clothes I wore a beautiful floral maxi dress (New Look), sunglasses (H&M), necklace (present) and sandals (Target) 

A maxi dress is brilliant for sunny weather especially for temperatures reaching above 30C. The thin material and the loose nature of the dress allows your skin to breathe and also makes it easier to walk in as the dress flows rather than stick to your skin. The dress is also strapless so avoids dodgy bra strap tan lines and, being maxi length, it hides my sunburnt legs from the glaring sun. The bright floral print is perfect for making a statement against the sandy landscape of California. I choose these sunglasses because even though I love the ray ban style they really do not suit me. So, I opted for these which are just the right size to avoid looking like an insect. Also they're slightly tinted so make everything look brighter like an Instagram filter! These bright sandals matched perfectly and were very comfortable to walk in.

For lunch we opted for the 'Miner's Diner'

The interior was that of a stereotypical American diner. It was a haven for retro objects with giant signs, a Coca Cola clock, playing cards being used as order numbers, red leather seats and a number plate from every state in America pinned on the walls. (If you didn't already know, in America each state has a different background on its car number plates - my favourite thing about America! It's great fun to see how many you can spot.) The food is typical diner food - lots of fries and burgers - served in a basket with red checked paper. Even if you don't feel like eating, it's a great place to check out!

Finally, I'd like to dedicate this post to Charlie.

Charlie is a lovely man we met in Julian when we were sitting outside eating ice cream. He let us pat his dog, a black Labrador called Angel, and through general chit chat we learned that he has served on the U.S.S. Midway ( an American aircraft carrier now based in San Diego) for 20 years as the chief cook. Anyway, he then proceeded to allow us to gain access to it for free! Just goes to show you never know what may come out of a small chat with a stranger!

Speak soon! Love, Alice