Welcome to the dark side...

Prada AW12

Jean Paul Gaultier AW12

Chanel AW12

If you're a fledgling fashion intern, model or blogger these days it seems the unofficial uniform is black, maybe with a little monochrome or grey thrown in to mix it up. Usually, I prefer to dress like I've rubbed myself up against a wet unicorn that's been trotting through rainbows. Far be it from me to hate on black clothing - the LBD is still the staple for any girl's wardrobe (I now couldn't dream of life without my French Connection yoke mini) and black is universally acknowledged as the most flattering and alluring colour in style. Still, I'm always a little disheartened when I step on to the high street in Autumn and the displays are filled with fifty shades of black. This Winter, however, is different - I suddenly find myself hideously attracted to the blacks, oxbloods and graphites that litter the shop windows because everyone has gone embellishment and oddity crazy: studs, sequins, prints, inserts, patterns and sheer fabrics have (somewhat) lured me over to the dark side, and you should definitely join me.

River Island Grey Print Maxi Skirt - £25
This skirt has everything - a little grey, a little black, a little of what I'll constrew as oxblood, plus it looks like a big pile of Autumn leaves and everybody loves those (except gardeners).

In Love With Fashion LOU LOU Black Open Back Dress (back view) - £32
Cold shoulders and an exposed back but with a maxi skirt to make up for all that flesh, this dress is the perfect amount of exhibitionism for the Winter without those catty labels.

New Look Black Lace PU Sleeve Jacket - £34.99
Leather (look) and lace - an unusual but welcome combo for this season for releasing your inner gothika. 

Office Over The Top Wedge - £70
I feel like Oxblood is probably going to be the most difficult colour to work with this season as it's so inbetween, but these killer wedges from Office are right on the money and could be paired with brights or darks from the ankles up.

Pull and Bear Animal Print Jersey - £29.99
Super cute! People will probably want to pet you if you wear this.

ASOS Marketplace Pirate Ship Foldover Clutch - £15.99
Quirky little clutches are a mayjuh weakness of mine, and this one is a friggin steal as well as working the "grey and interesting" look.

ASOS Sheer Bomber Jacket - £35
Own it, love it, wear it everywhere. Bottom line? It's awesome go get one!

Miss Selfridge Project #3 Lace Panel Dress - £52
Yes we're bordering on the pricey here but if you want a truly knockout dress in everybody's favourite shade check out Project #3 at Miss Selfridge - a limited collection of stunning pieces, definite crowd pleasers and this art deco style mesh and lace number is spot on for AW12.

ASOS Sweatshirt with Stud Shoulder - £35
It's got studs and a leather look trim BUT it's also comfy as hell, I think Rita Ora whenever I see pieces like this and who doesn't want to be a little more like Rita?

Black Milk Black Galaxy Leggings - £48.37
Not usually something I would include in a Cheap Like Me post but if we're talking about innovative clothing then I have to mention my true love Black Milk. Yes a pair will set you a budgeting girl back a buttload but the wear you get out of them is worth every penny. 

All that glitters...

Everyone has their kryptonite: I may be able to refuse that gorgeous geometric-patterned blouse or pair of heart-attack inducing platform heels (though this isn't willpower that I often find myself in the possession of) my one enormous weakness is accessories: bags, necklaces, bracelets, earrings - rack 'em up and pile 'em high is the mantra I find myself living by when it comes to the finishing touches of an outfit. Imagine my excitement then when I flick through the trend forecasts for AW'12 and see page upon page of glorious garments adorned with massive jewels, killer studs and Fifty Shades of chains.

Left to right: Anna Sui AW'12; Jean-Paul Gaultier AW'12

The bigger the better is always a sweet phrase to hear, and even better to see in action in the fashion world. Here comes the tricky part though: a stylista on a budget can find herself at quite a disadvantage when the mind-bogglingly intricate and eccentric jewellery of her dreams is accompanied by a huge (though often justified) price tag. Enter: the high street. For a fraction of the cost you can buy yourself a chestful of style swag to layer up and make look super expensive thanks to those notoriously fabulous designers at H&M, Zara, ASOS, Topshop and a host of other helpful high street brands. Here's a selection of what you can find in the shops this Autumn/Winter to update your look.

Clockwise from left to right: ASOS Double Ring Spike Doorknocker Earrings £15; ASOS Spiked Headband £10; ASOS Jewelled Moon Doorknocker Earrings with Detachable Stud £20; ASOS Shard Necklace £10; ASOS Hair Spikes with Hanging Chains £12

Left to right: H&M Necklace £12.99; H&M Bracelet £7.99; H&M Necklace £7.99; H&M Earrings £5.99; H&M Earrings £6.99

Left to right: Zara Women's Golden Mesh Bib Necklace with Black Stones £19.99;  Zara Jewel Necklace with Stones and Glass Tear £19.99

Left to right: Topshop Deco Chandelier Earrings £15; Topshop Curve Hollow Bar Necklace £15; Topshop Wild Thing Shard Ear Cuff £8.50; Topshop Perspex Peter Pan Necklace £25

Pssssst... you know those super cute detachable Peter Pan collars that are all over the shop right now? If  you want something a little more unique without paying custom/couture price tags then head over to Etsy for some handmade bargains! Here's a few I think are worth checking out...

I haven't listed the sellers or prices of these Etsy delights as these pieces are one offs (yay!) which does mean they go quickly (boo!) BUT there's pages and pages more of them (YAY!).

ASOS 50% off! + a MASSIVE apology!

Well hello there my lovelies! For those of you who do read my posts regularly it has been a while, I am SO sorry! A combination of a gorgeous holiday, moving in with friends and generally having too much of a good time has prevented me from sitting down and properly doing a post, and unfortunately today isn't much of a post either, but I HAD to share this with you...

ASOS are currently in the middle of a 48 hour up to 50% off sale on their current season! It started this morning (sorry, I'll get back on it soon I promise!) and finishes 8am on Friday 30th September and there are some absolute beauties in the pile!

Navajo/native American is big on the high street this season, as are the Sixties, and this unusual but visually striking shirt dress encapsulates both trends, down from £55 to £44!

Shirt Dress in Aztec Print - now £44!

Block colours are also a big trend for AW '11, and one of the most popular items to inject with colour this season are jeans - these Vero Moda skinny jeans are available in four colours (the Direct Blue is my personal fave!) and are a complete steal at £22 down from £28! If you're someone who lives in your jeans and want to mix up your everyday wardrobe a little this season, these are a fantastic and frugal solution.

Vero Moda Super Stretch Skinny Jeans - £22!

If you're still looking for your Winter coat for this year, then you definitely need to check out the Coats & Jackets section during this 48 hour sale. From English heritage style jackets to Sixties style car coats, there's some gorgeous pieces perfect for keeping you warm and looking good this Winter. The one which caught my eye is this stunning faux fur coat. Faux fur garments dominated the AW '11 collections of designers such as Gucci, Carolina Herrera and Jean Paul Gaultier, so this faux fur coat is right on the money, even coming in cheaper than similar coats/jackets from boohoo.com who are notorious for their mini-priced imitations!

Faux Fox Fur Coat - now £56!

It's definitely worth having a little trawl through yourself because there is far too much to condense properly into one quick blog entry, but make sure you get yourself on there quick as I'm certain the most popular sizes will be snapped up pretty sharpish.

I'm hoping to get a budget beauty video fired off in the next week, so watch this space!

a Sixties staple - for under £20!

Well my lovelies it has been a little slow on the shopping front of recent! Moving out in September, several V.I.P's birthdays and a holiday in less than 10 days (eeeep!) mean that even my bargain scouring has been reigned in. I have however been searching the net for cheap little beauties to see in the new season and to share with you all, and I have found a little high street delight that I am dying to get into my own wardrobe!

Peacocks Funnel Neck Block Print Dress - £18!

As well as the naughty Forties, several AW '11 collections have given more than a nod towards the age of Mary Quant, Twiggy and the dawn of the mini skirt. Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada, Bottega Veneta to name a few have drawn on key trends from the iconic Sixties in their collections. But for those of us who can only dream of registering for a Net-A-Porter account, the super workable Funnel Neck Block Print Dress from Peacocks may be a little more reasonable!

Balenciaga RTW AW '11

A mini dress, although extremely fun may not be the most appropriate work wear and for budgeting beauties, an item of clothing must be multi-functional! So why not take a leaf out of Balenciaga's books and incorporate another key trend of AW '11, tunics and trousers. Wear the Peacocks dress with a pair of loose straight leg trousers (a clashing jewel colour if you really want to make a statement!) for a more professional look.

Prada RTW AW '11

For a day time look, team with slouchy knee socks, wide belt, low to mid Mary Jane heels and an oversized clutch a la Prada! Hair and make-up should probably be pared down to avoid looking too cutesie.

Jean Paul Gaultier RTW AW '11

For a night time look, it has to be the ever sensual Jean Paul Gaultier that we look to for inspiration. A beehive, high, blocky heels, massive earrings and coloured tights is most definitely the way to dress up this high street bargain.

One of the other great things about this dress seems to be its cut too! An A-line is great for pear shapes (yippee!) as it skims over the widest area of your silhouette, so this dress should terrific for those of us who are blessed (yes, blessed!) with more cushion for pushin'!

On an un-dress-related note, because I am going on holiday in less than 10 days (did I already say that?! Probably about 572 times.) I will really try and get a budget holiday essentials video done beforehand, so stay tuned for that if you have any end of Summer or Winter sun holidays on the horizon!