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!).

latest bargain haul!

Another day, another trip to the charity shops! This time to the beauteous little bargain haunts of Ashley Cross and Upper Parkstone. These are both great areas for charity shopping: as with Boscombe, even though you may have to sift through a hell of a lot of poorer quality items, you will find the odd gem which you wouldn't normally find in the wealthier areas like Westbourne or Christchurch.

I think my favourite find had to be this woven tote (my wise owl of a mother believes it to be banana leaf?) with raffia handles and pocket detail. The perfect day bag, big enough to carry my enormous filofax amongst other essentials, but also great for the beach as it has a handy sand filter (the bottom is a loosely woven raffia) to avoid time consuming clear outs.

'M' for me!

I also found this great mottled brown box bag which has already proved extremely handy, due to its 'open plan' set-up which means nick nacks can't get lost in the lining. It also had an 'M' bag charm on it, which sealed the deal!

On the clothing front, I found two very different but absolutely lovely items: a leopard print maxi dress (on trend for Summer!) and a super super cute short-sleeved knitted jumper in a gorgeous light yellow! I love the fact that the maxi dress pattern is alternated in what almost looks like a zebra print style, more animal magic! And although the knitted jumper may not be suitable for this time of year, I cannot wait to wear it with a circle skirt, platform court shoes and a sweep of red lipstick in Winter!

As you can see ironing is not a favourite pastime of mine...

The final find was this rather eclectic little blast from the past, an ancient batwing top from Topshop in a sort of 80s-style tribal pattern. I might cut the modesty slip out of it and wear it as a shrug over the leopard print maxi dress, currently undecided!

That's it for now, I'm hoping I'm going to have the time/the skin to do my Summer make-up review this weekend so watch this space!

(P.S. I notice I have a couple more followers, thankyou and hello lovelies!)

orientation.

So the Seventies is dominating fashion this Summer, but another big trend of the Seventies was the allure of the Orient, which is also bang on trend for the season. In particular, household name Louis Vuitton injected their SS11 collection with a vibrant Oriental flavour and clashing colours.

Louis Vuitton SS11

Now I wish I could bring you some gloriously inexpensive imitations of these Oriental jewels, but unfortunately my scouring in this case has not been THAT successful.

What I do have for you is a couple of pieces from a great website which should always be your first visit when looking for 'that dress' or 'that blouse': the brand is LOVE and having already been featured on the rails of Topshop it now has its own online platform to sell its simple, staple designs. The great thing about LOVE is that they don't mass produce their collections, so it is much less likely that you will see someone else running about town wearing the same thing as you! 

LOVE clothing will set you back on average about £30, but considering they make limited numbers for their collection and their wardrobe essential styles, there is definitely a greater value to them than you might find on the high street.

LOVE Jasmine Print Shirt - £28!

This little piece took my eye because of its adorable tie front and lace insert shoulder detail, but also because of the vintage/oriental looking jasmine print, perfect to wear with a chiffon maxi skirt, floppy, wide-brimmed hat and chunky mid-heel wedges for a smart casual day look.

LOVE Rust V Neck Playsuit - £30!

This rust coloured playsuit almost has a mini-kimono look to it, making it perfect for those who don't want to be 'going Japanese' the whole nine yards! If you do want to dress this little beauty up however, a great and inexpensive idea would be a long, bright coloured sash/ribbon in a colour like purple or cyan blue, plenty of gold jewellery (definitely some hoop earrings and bangles!) and colour clashing platform heels (of course!).

And if you're feeling really brave, take a leaf out of Louis's book and get yourself a lovely lace fan to complete your fabulous ensemble!