Festival Fashion Timeline by New Look

This summer I will be attending my first ever festival, with just over three weeks until Wireless Festival I am in the process of choosing my outfits and have been having a little look at festival fashion over the years to get some inspiration.

Depending on what type of festival it is you are attending the fashion can be slightly different, New Look have put together this really interesting Festival Fashion Timeline which you can see above, it shows so many different styles within the 'festival fashion' genre.  It was so interesting to see how the festival trend has stayed similar over the decades but still with the same inspiration behind all the outfits.

I have been looking at denim shorts, midi skirts, printed joggers, fringing, floral prints, neon and tribal prints the most but there is so many different options making the final choice is proving to be really difficult.  I am excited to see how the outfits come together, of course I will be sharing them with you so keep an eye out for them!

What key festival trends do you think I couldn't ignore?

Bleached Denim Waistcoat - Yours Clothing £28.00 £18.00* White Dipped Hem 'Beautiful' T-Shirt - Yours Clothing £12.00* Peach & Pink Floral Bird Scarf - Yours Clothing £7.00  Necklace - Tiffany Heart Tag Pendant £130 Navy Blue Skinny Jeans  - Yours Clothing £25.00 (no longer available, similar style)  White Lace Up Plimsoles - New Look £7.99 Days in the park, sleeveless jackets and ankles on show can only mean one thing, summer is here!  This is an outfit I wore last Sunday, its super casual and slightly out of my comfort zone but I really enjoyed wearing it.  It was the perfect Sunday outfit, really chilled and comfortable but have to say I was slightly disappointed with the photographs.  They made me feel a little self conscious especially about my legs but then I came to think, who cares that my legs look a bit chunkier than normal in these jeans, I felt good and like the way they fit.  I think clothes are all about feeling good in them and who cares what other people may think, their opinion is irrelevant if you feel good! I love the way this t- shirt fits and the sleeves have a slight puff making them more flattering on my arms, the slight sipped hem is also super flattering and sits lovely at the back.  I haven't worn a T-shirt like this in years but have loads of ideas what I could wear this with, because of the pink detailing even wearing it with a pair of simple skinny jeans looks slightly more girly than a plain white top.   Denim jackets are my new 'thing' I have two at the moment and would not think twice about buying another, they just go with everything.  I have been wearing this one more often recently now the weather is nicer with literally everything, might even be getting to the point that people might think it's the only jacket I own, its just so easy to wear!  Expect to see this is many of my summer outfit posts, this is definitely one of my summer staples. These skinny jeans are actually the first pair of jeans I had bought in years, I got them in the spring in the Yours Clothing Sale and absolutely love them.  I hadn't had a pair of jeans fit me this well in years, I have completely over worn them but they still look as good as the first time because they wash so well.    I think its always the same when you find something you are comfortable in, I even started buying things to match 'my favourite jeans'.  High Five to Yours Clothing for making me feel comfortable in a pair of jeans for the first time in a very long time. I have noticed that my style recently has been getting a lot more casual, don't get me wrong I still love my skirts and dresses but I have found myself being drawn more to trousers and shorts, I wonder if it's a body confidence thing, because I am happier with my body do I feel better wearing certain things? *This post contains a couple of items gifted to me for review purposes, as always this does not influence my honest opinions, these items are marked with a *

Just a few days ago I made a rather large online order from one of my favourite high street fashion stores , New Look, it was lucky that I had a good amount of vouchers to use up or I would have a very sorry looking bank account.

I needed a major overhaul in my wardrobe as nearly everything I owned was either black, white or navy, it was becoming repetitive and I was beginning to enjoy clothes less. Whilst I was double checking my basket there was a very obvious pattern in the colours I had chosen, more than half of them were pastels.  This is not a bad thing as pastels are always great for spring and summer but I was surprised that these were the colour choices I was drawn to as I'm not one to stray away from what I'm used to.

All available at Gemporia.com

As I was born in September Sapphire is my birthstone, if you are a regular reader you will know how sentimental I am, meaning this is my favourite gemstone.  I am not a fan of the classic dark blue sapphires because truthfully I find them slightly dated, so the white and light colour alternatives are definitely my preference.  They look similar to diamonds, but to me they mean more being relevant to me personally, as well as being a lot more purse friendly.  One day I will be able to treat myself to one of the amazing pieces part of Gemporia's extensive range of diamonds but for now I will be indulging in my birthstone.

My initial picks from Gemporia were the white sapphire pieces but after browsing for a while I was drawn to the light blue stones too, it's so pretty and perfect for the current pastel trend at the moment.  I also fell in love with the light blue aquamarine and turquoise rings as they are quite different than my usual taste being a little bit more casual than the others which I think would make it easier to wear on a day to day basis.  The best thing about all four of these rings is, they are all around £50 which is amazing considering the quality and outstanding beauty of each piece.

Aside from the how beautiful the jewellery is and how affordable the pieces I was interested in were, the thing that really captured me about Gemporia was the ethos behind the brand.  Gemporia works very closely with The Colourful Life Foundation to aid communities where the gemstones are found, educating and supporting them so they can grow as we do.

The Colourful Life Foundation is a zero cost charity to support and educate communities from all over the world. Recent projects include Gemporia cycling over 17,000 miles to raise £85,000 for charity, and Gemporia.com’s CEO, Steve Bennett has recently walked to the North Pole to raise money for charity. Giving back to the communities where Gemporia sources it’s gemstones is at the heart of the brands ethos. Steve Bennett the founder of Gemporia.com believes that mother nature planted some of the world’s rarest gemstones in these communities that needed support, and in return for these treasures the brand continues to support these communities by building schools, libraries and water tanks

Which piece do you think I decided on in the end?

One,Two,Four,Six + Seven Three+Eight, *Five+Nine The next few months are looking amazing so far especially with Wireless Festival on my horizon, it safe to say this will be my highlight of my summer.  The Wireless Festival Line Up is just amazing with so many of my favourite artists, including Drake, Kanye West and Bruno Mars.  Top of my list to make sure I am looking good and on trend are clothes and accessories.  Today I wanted to give you an idea of what kind of things I have been looking at to compliment my hair. Comfortable and casual is the theme I am going for in daytime outfits so I need to dress these up with accessories - floral crowns and hats being my preference.  The crowns above are both from Rock N Rose and I think because they are both so different wearing these on alternative days would look unique and could really add a talking point to a simple outfit.  The over sized bun garland by New Look available at Asos is the cutest thing ever and we all know how much I love wearing my hair in a bun, I would wear this all summer, not just for the festival.   Another thing I love are hair bows and these are very similar to the one I wore in this picture I posted on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.  I would wear my hair in a loose plait and place these randomly down the plait. Hats are something I have never worn or payed much attention to, but one of my favourite bloggers Meg from Wonderful You, makes them look amazing and I want to give it a go.  These two, from Asos look perfect for the outfits I have in mind keeping on trend with the whole pastel trend I'm loving at the moment. At night time I want to glam it up a little and go for something a little more delicate.  The gold coloured one by Love Rocks at Asos is definitely both of these things and I love that it goes into the hair and sits on the forehead, this is exactly what I expect to see a lot of ladies wearing at festivals this summer. The other two crystal and pearl ones are from a newly discovered website of mine, Rosie Willett Designs. These are extremely luxury pieces and would make me feel like a festival princess.  If you had a wedding coming up too, these could be used time and time again, creating completely different looks each time. What do you think of my ideas, do you know of any websites I need to check out to add to my wishlist? *This post contains a sponsered link

Jumper/Jeans/Shoes/Bag/Nails/Lips/Necklace/Ring(made to order)

 If there is one thing I love about this time of year it is the build up to Easter Weekend, in my family it's always been a time where we all get together more so than any other time of the year, its special to me. Being a predominantly Muslim country, Morocco does not widely celebrate Easter and boy am I missing the hype.  There are no easter eggs in shops, there are no bunny or chick inspired clothing, nothing.  So I thought I would make up for it by showing you all what my perfect Easter Weekend would consist of, starting with my outfit.

I love this Jumper from Yours Clothing, its novelty without being tacky and styling it with a pair of jeans just keeps it simple and the focus still being on the bunny.  I decided to play on the pink of the bunny's bow for lips, nails and necklace to add some more colour plus pastels are very on trend at the moment.  Tanya Burr's First Date Lipgloss is fast becoming my favourite lip product at the moment, I will be reviewing it in full very soon so all I will say is the colour is a very subtle pink and super glossy while still being super pigmented.  I love the name of this OPI polish, Chic from Ears to Tail, I thought it was very fitting with a bunny themed outfit.  I always wear shoes like these Vans when im at home because my Granny's house is in the countryside so I have to be practical, these wouldn't stay white for very long though.  I have decided I need this Topshop backpack, it's perfect, end of discussion.  One of my favourite pieces that makes up this Easter inspired outfit is the ring, this is from a collection by Brighton based jewellery designer Jon Forster.  The attention to detail is esquisite, clearly displaying his extensive knowledge of design as well as his love for nature.  As every piece is handmade to order these don't come cheap but you would expect something with such detail and craftmanship to have a hefty pricetag.

This outfit is super casual because for me, Easter Weekend is about spending time with family at my Granny's.  I love Easter Egg hunts in the local forest, scavenger hunts in the garden and egg painting competitions within the family.  You can see what I got up to last year, in my Easter Weekend in Scotland post, beware though it contains the biggest Easter egg collection in the world!

What are your plans for Easter Weekend this year?

All that talk of finding the perfect little black dress for your shape wasn't for nothing you know, It has taken a lot of dresses for me to decide which suit me best, this outfit was one from along the quest, this girls is, The Perfect Maxi Dress.

I bought this way back in September 2013 and it actually became my Birthday dress but worn more recently on my visit to the Sofitel Essouira, Morocco.  I have only worn it twice and each time I have felt amazing wearing it,  Sexy, Feminine and understated.  It's from the Tokyo Doll range available at New Lookand is now in the sale so you can snap it up for half the price I did.

I bought this in a size 16 as the range does not exceed this but luckily it fits me well and I think the 18 would have been too big around the upper body.  Its quite fitted around the bust, still with plenty room to move around comfortably, I didn't feel restricted at all.  I like that the sleaves are the main feature of this dress its very glamourous but in a sophisticated way.  When I wore it this time I chose a belt, also from New Look to pull me in at the waist slightly but the dress is fitted so a belt is not essential.  The underskirt is the only thing I am not a massive fan of on this dress, it is extremely short and does not stay put, its so floaty It just flys up at any given opportunity.  I wear shapewear with this dress which sits lower than the underskirt so I don't experience any embarrassing flashes.  I do love that it is shorter than the see through outer skirt, I love that I give the illussion of having my legs on show whilst still having that protective layer to cover my upper thighs.  The length is perfect to show off my ankles, with my ankles being on show and my legs being politely exposed it definitley creates the illusion of longer legs, which is always flattering.

I mentioned Shapewear above, until I get myself to a gym for some much needed toning up, this will be my best friend.  The shapewear I chose to wear a full body slip that allows me to wear my own bra, it works perfectly to create flatter, bum, tum and thighs, all the areas that could do with a bit of toning.  I wore my Freya Deco Moulded Plunge Bra set as it is very simple and gave me the smooth silhoette that I needed when wearing this dress and the knickers create no visable panty line.

This is one of my favourite outfits for a special occassion so will definitley be looking at more dresses in this style, I think they are so flattering.

More photographs of this outfit are available on my Facebook Page Button's Blog, so feel free to have a look at them :)

Ladies, don't we spend at least half of our lives searching for the perfect Little Black Dress to suit our body shapes, okay that was a slight exaggeration but it sure feels like it sometimes.  Everytime I trail the high street looking for a new dress I always try to get something with a bit of colour and purchase from a different high street store, the success rate for this is currently non existent.  I always end up back in the store I can trust, New Look and in a colour I can trust, black.  When they contacted me to get involved with part of their latest campaign The Little Black Dress I accepted without a second thought. 

The little black dress is an iconic part of fashion, everyone knows what the letters  LBD stand for and every lady I know has one in her wardrobe.  The great thing about a little black dress is the style can be completely personalised to everyone's unique body shapes.  I have a couple of outfit posts coming up very soon with two of my favourite LBD's ever, very soon, you will not be surprised to know one of them is from New Look.  However today I want to share with you my most admired pieces, from my favourite high street store at the moment, as the ones I have are sadly no longer available online or in store.  By pushing the boundaries as to what shapes suits each body type, I have discovered four dress styles from the New Look Inspire SS14 range, that I feel are very versatile.

I just want to put it out there that from much deliberation and research I believe I have an hourglass figure.  I have come to this conclusion as my body is in quite good proportion large bust, large bum and thighs and smaller waist and décolletage.  I am slightly above the UK average size 14-16. Ranging from a 14-16-18 on top with a 38F bust and a 16-18-20 on my bottom half but it completely depends on where I am shopping.

 The Skater Dress is one of my favourite styles of dresses, the fitted waist and skirt that flares out into an A-line silhouette (reminiscent of a figure skating outfit—hence the name!), are just so flattering on my shape and comfortable to wear.  I like that they extenuate my waist, magically making my chest look more lifted and hide my problem tummy area whilst sitting just below my bottom.  Sometimes the length of skater dresses can be a little too short for me and everytime I bend down you can just about see my bum, although slightly cheeky I always have tights on so it doesn't look ridiculous and I am decently covered.  They say Skater Dresses are best suited to pear shapes or tall ladies but I love the way these sit on me, I would say they are suitable for all body shapes.

Now this one makes me feel slightly less comfortable, the Mini Dress.  Only recently have I even considered wearing a dress of this shape because all you ever read is that Mini Dresses are for small and petite woman, two things I have never been.  Well I disagree, give me a good piece of shape wear and I'll gladly get into one of these tighter shapes.  A Mini Dress with long sheer sleeves was my outfit of choice on Christmas Eve 2013 and I felt so feminine, sexy and sophisticated, yes you can be all three of these things at the same time,  don't worry I will be featuring it here in the future.

Emma Millard from Meet the Millards  was the lady who convinced me to try a Swing Dress for the first time, she wears a lot of these on her you tube channel and always looks so well put together and her curvy shape is dressed to perfection.  Being honest when I seen these on the high street I used to just walk past them, expecting them to make my curvy figure look shapeless.  It was a welcome surprise the day I eventually tried one on, they are incredibly flattering on my least favourite areas, bum, tum and thighs.  Swing Dresses are normally recommended to those with more of an apple body shape but I have seen them on many different shapes and sizes and love how flattering they are on.

Maxi Dresses are 'my thing' at the moment, especially this type that the creators behind the Inspire Plus Size Range have embraced.  Normally I wouldn't count a Maxi dress as a classic Little Black Dress but because these have the tighter under layer and a sheer outer layer I think they can pass for one.  I wore one very similar, from the Tokyo Doll range available from New Look, last weekend as I enjoyed a couple of days luxury break at Sofitel Essouira, Morocco.  I felt like a modern day Grecian goddess with a tiny bit of sex appeal but appropriately covered being in a Muslim country.  More commonly shorter girls with boyish figures suit Maxi Dresses the most as it gives the illusion of a more feminine silhouette.  The sheer long outer fabric of this dress makes it much more suitable for most body shapes, making shape of Maxi Dresses are the perfect in my opinion, I hope they stay on trend for a while.

I now have the difficult task of which dress I should choose to spend my vouchers on, Which one of these dresses catch your eye the most?

Ever since my lady lumps started growing, my Mum, also a larger busted lady, has constantly drilled into me how important it is to wear a correctly fitting bra.  As I have got older I have developed a slight obsession with having nice matching underwear, Mum I blame you!  One of my must do's everyday is to wear matching underwear, not for anyone else just for me.  It makes me feel good and you never know when you could get hit by a bus, at least you would have matching underwear if the worst was to happen.  Blogs like Fuller Figure Fuller Bust and Big Cup Little Cup have inspired me to feature more of my obsession here on my blog so here goes my first underwear review.

Every girl should own a simple nude bra, simple.  The Freya Deco Moulded Plunge is the perfect example.  Its smooth with minimal detail so not the most interesting to look at but perfect in so many other ways.  They are so verstile, you can wear them under absolutely anything and I personally prefer them for wearing under white to make that area slightly less obvious than it does wearing a white bra that gives that white as snow bust area.  I think a nude bra can just look much more classy and put together.

After much research I decided a 38F would be the right choice of sizing for this bra, that is a size down from what I measure at but I had read that Freya can come up slightly larger in cup sizes.  Im glad I made the that calculated choice as it fits me perfectly, I hadn't had such a perfect fit for a while.  I had been buying a lot of bras from Boux Avenue lately and the sizing would be perfect for the first couple of washes but after that the shape was lost, anyone more on that in the future.

The cup size is no less than perfect, no spillage or four boob as I normally call it, from the cup. The underwire does not fly out into my underarm, thank god nothing is more uncomfortable. No gaping which surprised me as I find it happens a lot with moulded cups.
The band size fits like a glove, feeling snug but not tight when fastened on the last hook,  the centre panel rests on the sternum between both breasts with no room for even a finger, everything sits flush at the back with no back fat emphasising, ain't nobody got time for unwanted back fat.
I love the quality of the straps, they are thick enough to aid with support but thin enough to not ruin the look of the bra, any thicker and it may start to look a bit fugly.
The little bows just add a delicate feminine touch but keeping in with the simple design.

As I mentioned I have a slight 'thing' with having matching underwear on a daily basis so it will come as no shock I also own the Freya Deco Short Brief. Coming in four sizes, small, medium, large and extra large I decided to go for the large, guessing that for my size 16-18 lower half they would fit okay.  They fit perfectly just like the bra.  Shorts are my prefered style of knickers nine times out of ten, of course I have a few other styles just incase I fancy something different.

The style keeps in with the simplicity of the bra and also makes the appearance of VPL (visable panty line, incase you didn't know) pretty much non exsistent.  I think the little bow and slight frill just add a girly touch to what would normally be a boring pair of pants.

I think its safe to say I have fallen head over heels with this set and am now a complete convert to the much talked about Freya Deco range, I will most definitley be looking into more colours for my next lingerie purchases.  At around £30 for the bra and £10 for the briefs this for me is a reasonable price for high quality, well fitting underwear.  Lingerie is something I have always had to spend a conciderable amount of money on due to my larger bust but definitley justified when it makes me feel and look amazing.   I will be featuring these in the future in outfit posts to show you how they sit under clothes and the difference they have made to my shape.

Where is your favourite place to buy Lingerie?



*Both items mentioned in this post were gifted to me for concideration of review