THE LEOPARD BAKER BOY.

For over a year now I've been eyeing up the baker boy style caps that have been in circulation throughout the leading high street stores and scattered amongst the Instagram's of the fashion blogging elite. Sadly though, every time I came across one I would try it on and find the actual fit of the hat unflattering which left me feeling disappointed. This meant I could only admire this trend from afar and alas my vision of pairing one of these hats with various outfits would not be fulfilled.

Fast forward to last week and I would've imagined that this trend was sadly well on it's way to being in the fashion history books by now (even though I'm a believer of wearing what you want when you want). However, fortunately for me I spotted this absolute beauty in Primark of all places - somewhere where I would've never expected to find a piece like this. At this point in the Primark store I was thinking this is great but surely the fit won't live up to what I'd hope. But it does. I couldn't' be happier about it. 

When purchasing this hat of dreams I was wondering when I could next wear it considering the lengthy heat wave that the UK has endured over the last few weeks. Low and behold, over the past two days there has been a bout of rain and colder weather - and with every cloud (literally) comes a silver lining! In this particular outfit I let the hat do the work with only an oversized white tee and a slightly snazzy pair of jeans (the topic of my previous post) to compete with. The black chunky sandals keep with overall look relevant to this season whilst complimenting the edgy feel that the hat adds. The fact that this hat is leopard print makes it a more interesting piece as it doesn't conform to the standard black, adding more interest to an outfit. I've very recently seen a surge in the amount of leopard print being worn and it's completely changed my opinion as all I ever used to associate it with was my not-so-fashionable year 7 drama teacher and the unflattering, garish leopard print pieces that she would always wear.  Pieces such as this hat, however, carry it off in a much more subtle way and I'm all for that.

I already can't wait to style this hat alongside different layers when wrapping up warm for the winter time.

Love, Mais xx 

RAINBOW DENIM.

As I've made clear in multiple blogposts, denim (particularly in the form of jeans) is my comfort zone when it comes to style and I'm happiest when in my jeans. Unfortunately though jeans have a label of being boring and a safe bet in terms of personal style due to their ease and overfamiliarity. However, personally I believe it's all down to how they're styled which allows jeans to be elevated from the standard dull stereotype of a pair of denim slacks. The versatility of jeans is what makes them so well loved amongst both the style conscious individuals of this world and the not so style conscious individuals of this world. But, there's nothing wrong with purchasing jeans that add a little something extra to an outfit. And that's exactly what this Pull & Bear pair do.

When I was in Barcelona with my boyfriend (shoutout for being fab company and a top map reader for the entire trip) a couple of weeks ago we ventured into a huge Pull & Bear store where I came across these jeans. They instantly caught my eye due to the simplistic rainbow stripe detail down the side of each leg. I'm not quite bold enough to brave patterned or brightly coloured jeans so this pair is the perfect medium between classic and daring, and they are something I didn't know I wanted until I saw them. With a pair of jeans the fit is crucial - not quite right and the general feel becomes insignificant, but luckily with this pair the fit is one that's ideal. They fit very snug around the bum and thighs whilst falling casually, skimming the lower leg area to create the classic mom style that I find most flattering on me. Whats more is that I picked them up for an unbelievable €9.99 (£7.99)! To be honest, the full price of £29.99 wouldn't have stopped me from purchasing, but for less than a tenner it didn't even take a second thought.

The outfit above was styled around the jeans. The simple red t-shirt (similar here and here) compliments the stripes well, allowing the jeans to do the talking whilst also adding a bold colour which is particularly appropriate for this time of year. The chunky sandals (similar here, here and here) add a more feminine, yet edgy side to the overall look with the open-toed and chunky elements which worked well alongside some welcomed evening sunshine. The Aldo shoulder bag helped to turn this casual look into something more night time appropriate which was much needed when this outfit is essential jeans and a t-shirt.

I am already looking forward to seeing how I can style these jeans with coats, jumpers and boots when winter time rolls around but for now I'm happy to be enjoying the sunshine!

Mais xx

HEATWAVE DRESSING.

Everyone is obsessing over the current heatwave that has hit the UK and it has proven to be sticking around for a while which is almost unheard of. I cannot remember a time when there were consistently scorching days in the UK and it's come at a time when many people seem to be super happy with England's current run in the World Cup combined with the fact that me and many people I  know have finished for Summer.
One of the few things that I tend to dislike about Summer is the lack of creativity that I feel as though I can put into outfits - there's no layering and being in the UK we don't tend to be half as equipt as we are for autumn/winter so I sometimes feel like my wardrobe isn't as strong for this time of the year meaning I can struggle expressing my true style. Staple, investment pieces are more likely to be bought for the colder months so when a heatwave comes along it often throws people off a bit.

The outfit above is what I wore yesterday when I went out for breakfast with a friend. I wouldn't usually brave a skirt for something so casual (as I'm a jeans kinda gal at heart) but in the current climate there are few alternatives. The skirt is a lovely burnt orange/red colour which is initially what caught my eye when browsing ASOS (similar linked here). The fit is flattering which can sometimes be the downfall of denim mini skirts. It sits comfortably on my waist whilst skimming my bum and thighs. The subtle triangle-shaped cut in the centre at the front of the skirt cleverly elongates my legs giving the illusion of a longer figure which 5"4 me certainly won't argue with. The striped tee from Brandy Melville (similar linked here and here) is a staple in my wardrobe that I tend to layer in winter but here it compliments the skirt well with a slightly different shade of red and a contrasting navy shade.
The element that I feel as though brings this outfit together with my style stamp of approval are the Topshop chunky trainers that I first mentioned in my previous post. The masculine, flat-form element and the varied textures give the totally feminine outfit a different edge which is the look I like to achieve when styling outfits. The juxtaposition of typically girly and boyish pieces is what I love best when styling throughout all seasons, and these trainers make it slightly easier in the summer months, but admittedly I do need to work on my overall summer style and play about a bit more.

My Ray-Ban rounds have been worn more over the last couple of weeks than ever before. They instantly add a classic, retro feel to an outfit and personally I find them to be very flattering - they also act as a great headband for when the sun isn't out!

So, I hope to be sharing some more summer outfits as and when - I've got a few trips away coming up and the British sun doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon so that helps too!

Mais xx