I have a new blog!

http://allieinlondonland.blogspot.com

I'm trying my hand at Project 365, where you're meant to take a photo every day for a year. I'm going to put all the photos, and associated ramblings, on my new blog! Please come and follow me!

An Experiment

Everyone has their own fashion rules, don't they. Some of mine include not wearing something tight on the top and bottom (so skinny jeans must be balanced with a floaty top, and tighter tops must only be worn with things like baggy jeans or A-line skirts) and always going by fit, not by what the label inside says (I have clothes in my wardrobe from a size 8 to a size 18, and they all fit).

Well, until this week, I had another rule. Light-coloured dresses were for summer wear only, because I had the idea that they'd look weird with opaque tights. Then, earlier this week, I was at the Tube station when I saw a girl wearing a dress that I also own. If you have a look at my post from June 1st, it's the cream version of the black dress pictured there. And this girl was wearing 'my' dress with black tights, boots and a grey cardie. She looked fab. So I thought I'd give it a go! I'm wearing my dress with black ballet pumps, black tights and a long grey cardie with three-quarter sleeves. And it doesn't look weird!

Some catch-up photos

From the top! Firstly we have the outfit I wore to my London birthday drinks last night (I'm like the Queen, I always have two birthdays if possible!) which was exclusively from Primark. I've had the t-shirt for ages but the skirt is new. Then there's the dress I bought from - shock horror - Topshop. It's been years since I've found something I like in Topshop - usually the place makes me feel old and I spend most of my time in there saying things like '£50? For Topshop jeans? They were £20 when I used to buy my jeans from here!' - so finding this dress was a very pleasant surprise. It's not actually by Topshop, which might explain things - it's by Reko. It's very cute and I think it'll work equally well with a cardie and opaque tights for winter, or on its own in the summer. And then in the third picture, we have the dress I got for my birthday. It's from New Look, it has lovely little flowers on it, and the sleeves are all fab and puffy. Finally, the last photo is of my ultra-comfy yet quite funky and stylish New Look sweater dress. It's a lot more flattering than it looks, and it's REALLY warm. Too warm to wear at the moment, really (although I did the other day, because you have to wear new things as soon as you get them) but I have a feeling it's going to be amazing for the winter.

I have neglected this blog for far too long!

Apologies for not posting in weeks and weeks and weeks! I went on holiday (had a lovely time, thank you) and then after that quite a lot of my time was taken up with training for the Royal Parks Half Marathon (2:36...yes I know it's slow but it's fast for me!) so my wardrobe in September consisted mainly of trainers and really unflattering Lycra running gear.

But I really do need to give myself a good kick up the backside and get this blog up and running again, so here I am!

I may as well start with a confession...since I last posted I have bought two skirts and two dresses (I think...there may be more...) and I got another dress for my birthday. Oh dear. It's that change-of-season thing - all of a sudden I'm thinking things like 'Oh no! It's chilly and I don't have any dresses that go with black tights!' which is a complete lie, as earlier blog posts have proven. So here we go again - I'll be making a concerted effort to wear the things I already have instead of buying more.

Join me!

Summer Survival

I have a confession to make. I haven't been posting recently because I've felt a bit guilty...my current favourite dresses are new ones! Oh well!

Anyway, I was thinking this morning about the fact that having a nice collection of dresses is all very well, but one also needs to make sure that one looks nice in one's dresses! Especially during the summer, when we can't hide behind cardies and opaque tights. Yes, I know we haven't had much of a summer thus far (apart from those ridiculously hot days a few weeks ago) but this year I've discovered a few truly magical summer survival products, which I thought I'd tell you about.

1. St Tropez Everyday gradual tanning moisturiser
This stuff is amazing. Legs look better with a bit of a tan. It hides the cellulite and makes everything look much more toned and lovely. But, given the fact that I am ridiculously pale and my legs had barely seen any sun at all, I clung on to my black tights for ages, worried about how my milk-bottle pins would look in my summery frocks. Then a friend told me about the St Tropez gradual tanner, and I thought I'd give it a go. I'd tried other tanning moisturisers, but they'd always made me look orange, or they'd gone streaky, or they had that horrible stale biscuit smell. But the St Tropez stuff is brilliant. It gives a very subtle hint of a tan, it's really easy to use, and you don't smell like mouldy digestives.

2. Soap and Glory Slim Wear firming cream
I love Soap and Glory - their packaging is fab and their products are affordable. And they actually work. I bought some of this on a whim after seeing it on special offer - I've been using it for about two weeks, and while I'm not sure it's getting rid of my cellulite, my thighs definitely feel firmer and the skin feels lovely and toned. It has a tingly minty feel on your skin, too, so it's perfect for moisturising with on warm days!

3. Ambre Solaire Light & Silky sun cream
As previously mentioned, I am ridiculously pale, and my skin is also extremely sensitive to the sun. I once ended up looking like a lobster after a 10-minute walk down Taunton high street in spring sunshine. So sun cream is absolutely vital for me - as it should be for everyone, of course! But because I have to wear high-factor sun cream every day if it's sunny, I'm always on the lookout for a sun cream that isn't sticky and gloopy. So when I saw Ambre Solaire's Light & Silky stuff being advertised, I thought I'd give it a go, but I wasn't expecting much. I was wrong! It really is just like a moisturiser. It sinks beautifully into the skin and it isn't sticky at all. Absolute miracle product.

Wardrobe Clearout

Yesterday, I tackled my wardrobes. I'd been meaning to do it for ages - the last time I'd had a clearout was when I moved into my current flat last October. Bizarrely, I start feeling jittery and anxious if I feel like my flat is untidy or that things need sorting out, so having a good old sort-out really is a cathartic process.

I ended up with two bin bags full of stuff to go to the charity shop! Shamefully, my cupboards don't seem to be particularly empty even after such a major cull. But I feel more in control of my clothes now!

Er...we have a slight problem

You know the whole not buying dresses thing? That's working out just fine...the problem is that the shops are now also full of gorgeous high-waisted skirts. High-waisted skirts suit me down to the ground - they show off my waist, but hide my hips and stomach. Excellent! So in the past few weeks, I have bought:




From top: H&M, £5; Peacocks, £7; Primark, £9 (yes, the Primark skirt was the most expensive!) This is IT, though, I promise! I have a shameful amount of stuff in my wardrobe and I really, really will be making a huge effort to wear and love the things I have instead of buying new things!