WEDDING BELLS

Hey everyone, and happy hump-day!  Now that July is over and we're into August (I know, what the actual muff), we're well and truly into wedding season... Hooray for pretty dresses, copious amounts of alcohol and fascinators bigger than my head.

 

I love a good ol' wedding as much as the next person, but when you have several in the space of a year, it can definitely come at an expense with all the outfits, wedding gifts and potential travel and accommodation involved.  As someone who is currently saving her butt off in attempt to get on the ever price-increasing property ladder, I decided to reel the spending in a little bit this summer and set myself a target of buying an entire outfit for under £50.  Was £50 realistic?  Maybe, but at the time it didn't seem that way, and I can't tell you how many times I saw a gorgeous dress in excess of £100 and managed to refrain from sticking it on my credit card.  Good restraint, Rach.

 

After weeks, maybe even months, of drooling over dresses online I finally managed to find this lacey little number when snooping through the rails at TK Maxx.  I thought "oh, that's nice, and I have shoes already that would match so I would only need to buy a bag and a fascinator..."  With that in mind, I turned over the label to be very, VERY pleasantly surprised that it cost £19.99!!!  An absolute steal if you ask me.

 

My next hunt was for a matching bag and fascinator and with a mahoooosive sale on, it seemed Accessorize was the only place to go.  I managed to pick up a pretty snazzy looking fascinator for £10.50 (reduced from £35!) and a cute, ivory satin bag to match for £6.00.  Now maths wasn't my strongest subject in school, but that my friends, takes my grand outfit total to a nice little £36.49.  Mission accomplished.

 

I know that shopping through sale rails can be a task in itself at times, but if you're on a budget then I can't recommend enough taking a little extra time to look for a good bargain.  This time of year is especailly good for them as many shops have their summer sale going on.

 

Do you struggle with finding the right outfit for a special occasion?  Where are your "go to" shops when in need?  I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

 

Unfortunatly these pictures were taken on the day of the wedding with an iPhone, and with my prosecco cap on, I didn't think to take more detailed pictures of my accessories but I hope you enjoy having a peek anyway!

 

Rachel

Fascinator - Accessorize

 

Clutch bag - Accessorize

 

Dress - TK Maxx

 

 

WELCOME TO THE WARDROBE

Well hey there!  So I've been pretty shocking at blogging recently and you might notice that my last post was a few weeks ago.  If you follow me over on Instagram you'll have seen that I've been pretty busy, but still, that's a poor excuse I know!  I've been partying it up at a friends' hen-do in Newcastle, ruining my liver at weddings and work related awards ceremonies, and the real time consumer has been organising a new flat because my friends, I'm moving to Edinburgh!  (Excited is an understatement!)  The big move is on the 4th July so things will continue to be a bit hectic until then, but I promise I'll make more time for writing and I can't wait to get snappin' in the beautiful cobbled streets of the Capital.

Moving on and before I get totally side-tracked and waffle on about how much I love Edinburgh, I thought I would share a few of my recent purchases with you.  I don't know about you, but I often struggle to find an outfit that's suitable for lunch with friends and any "smart but casual" occasion, so I think these pieces work great together if that's what your after.  Of course, I love a bit of versatile clothing and these lovelies are great to be mixed and matched with, well, anything!

The blouse is from River Island and was a real bargain at £20 in the sale.  I'm a sucker for a pretty blouse, especially one with a collar, so this was right up my street and I knew it would look great with pretty much anything.

The jeans were another bargain (£15 from TKMaxx!) that I have to say I'm pretty chuffed with.  For some reason, TK is never a shop that I'm normally in but after hearing some great things, I thought I would venture in and take a look for myself.  I managed to pick up a few things that I didn't need (but loved) and I will definitely be paying them another visit the next time I'm shopping.

And finally, the heels!  These Hailey heels are from Public Desire and I LOVE them!  They look bloomin' amazing with everything - Jeans, smart trousers, jumpsuits - You name it.  The straps on them are also pretty long so you have a few options of how to wear them, depending on what you fancy, ie. Around your ankle or further up your leg if you, like me, love the strappy look.  As if that wasn't enough, these beauties are also incredibly comfortable so they're perfect for dancing the night away and pretending you're Beyonce (surely I'm not the only one who thinks this after a few vinos?)

I hope you like my recent buys but I'd love to hear form you... What is your go-to smart/casual wardrobe essentials?  Do you have a particular piece that you love for mix-matching dependent on the occasion?  Let me know!

Rachel

Top - River Island

Jeans - (Shop similar) TK Maxx

Shoes - Public Desire