My Amsterdam Look

Admittedly I’ve never been to Amsterdam but that’s not to say I wouldn’t like to! In fact I’d love to that’s why I’m entering this fabulous competition put on by the guys at easyjet.

All I have to do is basically share with you, my readers, what I’d wear to this lively dutch city.

Given I’ve never had the privilege in exploring the city of Amsterdam I can’t pretend to know what the latest trends are in this part of the world but for me this really doesn’t matter. I’m a woman who doesn’t follow the latest trends, I don’t wear something just because its “IN” I’m an individual who likes to express this through her sense of fashion. I wear what suits me, what makes me feel comfortable and confident. Just because I’m a mum it doesn’t mean it’s all oversized baggy jumpers, leggings and school run fashion! I am only 30 you know! I think it’s always better to be wearing the clothes instead of the clothes wearing you.

Now I should also mention the fact I don’t do things by half. Send me shopping and there is a danger I may just come back with the entire contents of a shop! Yes, I can be a little excessive… Not great when it comes to baggage allowance and check-in.

This tends to be the same when it comes to creating a fashion look book, as I’ve discovered during the course of this exercise.

Now that’s all cleared up, and you can’t say you haven’t been warned, here are the pages of my Amsterdam Look Book.

Page 1

What better way to start an Amsterdam Look Book, then with a little Dutch Inspiration. It became quite obvious relatively quickly when checking out Amsterdam on the net that the Bicycle is a big part of the cities transportation, hence the inclusion of my stunning red bicycle here in my look book. Page one features some very casual but super chic pieces. Perfect for a busy days sightseeing or a bicycle tour around the city’s hot sports. Life in Amsterdam seems chilled and relaxed by day and crazy lively by night. Here i’ve tried to capture this element within my style choices. I feel I’ve done well to capture some of the traditional dutch trends. From the clog style footwear to the stylish wooly red hat, I love them all.

Page 2

The next page of my Amsterdam Look Book incorporates both vintage, designer pieces and high street trends. All pieces are casual but smart adding this real city sleek feel to them. I’ve even included some real Dutch statement pieces from the necklace to the super sexy stylish gold trainer boots. I’d be more than happy to have all of my chosen pieces loaded in my suitcase. I’d feel comfortable yet stylish as I sip coffee by the canal in an Amsterdam coffee shop.

The vintage pieces really do well to demonstrate my individual style choices. Although I can visualise myself packing these, I can also see myself doing some hardcore bargain hunting around the many vintage stores and markets of Amsterdam.

Page 3

Page 3 highlights my love of bright colours. The yellow dress and black flat cap make a real statement and ensures you won’t be missed. I love these 60’s retro orange boots and could see myself teaming these with a pair of skinny jeans. Colour blocking is a fun but stylish trend, one I’ve been playing with for years.

I’d wear the above dressed down in the day but teamed with the right accessories I’d hit the bars wearing all of these bright combos come night. Sex In The City… Amsterdam style!

Lastly, no Look Book would be complete without a page dedicated to your night time style.

Page 4

When it comes to party wear I like to think I can hold my own. For me its all about sparkle, super killer heels and glitzy accessories. Partying in Amsterdam wouldn’t be any different, I know what I love to wear and will party in it no matter where I am.

What’s great about Amsterdam is the fact that there is no “Right” way to dress. From what I’ve read it’s all about individuality and this suits me fine.

Above, you will find some super sparkly heels sporting a good 5 inch heel (whether I can walk in them is beside the point). The dresses I’ve chosen are a little bit quirky, just the way I like them. Oh…Yes, I really can see myself dancing in the ‘Paradiso’ wearing these babies.

So, with a suitcase bursting at the seams with super stylish clobber… The hotel to lay my hat at would need to be really something, wouldn’t it?

The Die Port Van Cleve Hotel sounds like just the ticket.

With its prime location on the site of Amsterdam’s original Heineken brewery right by Dam Square this 4* Hotel is right in the middle of all the action. With many of the cities best shops and markets right on my doorstep. This coupled with the near by nightlife make the ‘Die Port Van Cleve’ the perfect hotel for me.

Disclosure: This is my Amsterdam Look book for the easyJet holidays competition”

A Look Back On 2012 Festival Fashion

Anyone who knows me will know I’m passionate about festivals. Whether local or further a field, I’ll be their if I can.

This year I visited a handful of festivals and if expenses would have allowed it, I would have quite happily visited more.

It’s not just the music side of a festival that draws me to it, there are so many more elements that combine, make a festival worth experiencing. This year for me the Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire’s Cornbury Park was the perfect example of this and was therefore one of my summer highlights. You can read my recent Wilderness Festival review over on my other site HERE

Festivals are a great way to unwind and set yourself free from the stresses that are part of everyday life. It’s also a great way to express your inner boohoo chick.

The Wilderness Festival in particular, was a vintage catwalk this year. As I sat in front of my tent absorbing the summers rays, the path that lead from the campsite to the main festival gate acted as a runway to some pretty well dressed festival folk. I had front row tickets so enjoyed a bit of style spotting.

So, here’s a quick style roundup of what was 2012 key festival looks.

Floor Sweeping Maxi Dress: Ok, I know the maxi dress has always been a much loved festival trend but this year there were some spectacular floor sweeping Maxi dresses on the festival scene. These were easily dressed from day to night with the addition of one or two accessories. I love the Aztec Paige Mish Mash Artec Print Maxi Dress from Boohoo.com at just £20

Photo from Boohoo

Hunter Wellie’s: This year Hunter had some stylish Wellies working their way round the festival circuit… The Hunter team even had a style den at the Wilderness. We all know that Hunter Wellies don’t offer the cheapest price tag, however, as the festival season begins to slow… Now’s the time to check eBay and snap yourself up a bargain! You can find Hunter Boots online by Clicking Here

Denim Cut Off- When it came to cut offs, For many it was the shorter the better. I spotted everything from shop brought cut off, to those do it yourself types. Vintage customised pairs of Levis and Wanglers were everywhere. Yet no two pairs were the same as each customised cut off displayed its own unique stamp. I love this pastel pink pair below, just £22 from the high street store TOPSHOP

Image: TOPSHOP

Sparkly Sequinned Leggings: Bling could be seen sparkling all over the place! There were super sequinned scarves, bags, waistcoats and more. However, it was the Sequinned Legging that truly rocked it this year. I saw these worn on women, children and even men. I’m actually surprised how little of a mention the sequinned legging has received in other popular festival style guides. These were worn during the day and could be seen twinkling in the the sun rays, while at night these rocked when paired with some awesome accessories. I checked these out online and I kept being directed back to the same site “Rosa Bloom” who does the most stunning clothing and accessories. Her Leggings have been so popular this season that she’s still completely sold out on these my favourite pair.

photo Rosa Bloom

Flowers: A classic festival trend is the floral hippy chick look. Whether its a vintage floral playsuit, floor sweeping maxi, or a headdress, flowers are a key trend for the boohoo loving festival babe. It’s also a pretty look for the little ones. Girls look pretty in floral dresses, headbands and sandals, while the little boys look great in a floral shirt. Below is a picture of my daughter sporting a flower headdress.

Festival Tails: Yes… I do mean tails, cute animal tails that attach to your clothing.This wasn’t a festival trend just for the ladies, but it was most definitely one for the guys (both big and small) I really can’t decide who they looked cuter on. Even the tiniest festival goer wore a festival tail and some even matched them with ears. It took me a while to uncover an online site that dedicates itself to the selling of festival tails! Given I’m very persistent, I eventually discovered festivaltails.com I know what your thinking! With a name like that, how could it possibly be hard to find? I assure you… It really was.

image: Festival Tails

Vintage lace: Pretty lace embellishments to full lace dresses and skirts.This was a pretty girly festival look this 2012. The beautiful piece below is from the wonderful Fashion Bible

Image: Fashion Bible

Doctor Martians: The more funky the better. I loved the bright pink Docs and the super floral designs.These look fantastic with denim cut offs and leggings, but also give playsuits and short floaty dress a great funky edge.

Image: DR Martians

Palazzo trousers: Sometimes referred to the pyjama bottom, palazzo pants were a chic festival must have. One of my favourite summer styles, I’ve shamefully acquired a least 5 pairs (I swear I’ll kick the shopping addiction next week). These can be brought in various designs and patterns but one must be careful not to end up looking like they are out in PJs. Pattern Palazzo’s teamed with a simple vest top or plain tee looked best. House of Fraser currently have some plain black ones with a massive reduction attached. The pair below are currently on sale for £35 (reduced from £120).

Image: House of Fraser

Harem Pants: This year the boohoo, hippy look was easy to achieve. The cropped leg extra baggy Harem pants were everywhere! I love the look and If we were a country who experienced all year round sunshine, I do worry I may just end up living in these extremely comfortable pants. These come in all sorts of style, whether patterned or plain these baggy pants remain super sexy.These Harem pants from Bang on Trend are exactly that and for the fab prize of £6.99

Ray bands: Lots of festival goers were sporting retro style Ray bands in block bold colours or funky rare prints.Those who couldn’t bear to part with their hard earned penny’s for expensive sunnies, still sported some pretty awesome look-alike’s. I love the glasses below with their really funky print. You can grab these online from the Ray Ban online UK store

Image: Ray Ban

Woven Jewellery: Dangly earrings were a must. Statement woven designs made a big statement in a indie chic kinda way. Below are a beautiful handmade pair of woven earrings I purchased from eBay.

My eBay buy

Hats: Both Trilby and floppy sun hats were big winners on the festival scene this year! Quite a number of these were also customised with its owners unique stamp. Check out the stunning red sequin Trilby from Amazon

Image: Amazon

Parka: This festival favourite is still high up there on the festival trend list. If you haven’t got a parka don’t wear a coat at all! I love this multi tone parka from ASOS

Image: ASOS

This years key prints seemed to be Ethnic, Aztec, African tribal and Retro style prints!

Another big trend was and still is skull inspired designs. Whether this is worn as a print on a t-shirt, bag, jacket or even a key feature of an accessory, such as necklaces, bracelets or belt buckles, this funky trend looks awesome. For me the best of the best can be found over at Spoiled Brat! I’ve not long discovered this online store but already I love it! Checkout the stunning necklace and T-shirt below.

Photo: Spoiled Brat

This is not a review post and I haven’t received any payment or review items for writing this post.

Next Mummy Stylist Competition

Well, it’s official… I love a good competition and I always seem to find one hosted on the fabulous blog “All Baby Advice” Actually I’m rather lucky to have got my entry in. The competition finishes tomorrow and I’ve only just discovered it!

What competition I hear you ask? The Next Mummy Stylist competition, the one where you can win a £500 Next Gift Card… WOW… some of that please.

What an amazing prize, one that would take care of the children’s fashion needs for this summer (and probably next)! Having three little monsters I’m most definitely giving this one a go.

All I have to do is come up with an outfit(s) up to the value of £500 from either the Next maternity or kids wear range giving you all the reason for my choices.

This seriously is my type of competition. Firstly, I love Next, secondly, I love creating outfits, and thirdly… I love to shop even if it is just window shopping.

Browsing through the Next online store I feel head over hills in love with the girls summer range. I could just see Alice-Sara kitted out in my creations below…

I love Navy and white and it seems to be a pretty hot trend this year. Alice really looks great in these colour combinations, what with her long blonde hair and blue eyes. At age 9 she already has an eye for fashion so she has worked with me to create the chosen pieces.

1) Navy Strip Bow Dress £18.50 I love it as its easy to dress up or day with the help of one or two accessories. I’m not big on pink but this slash of baby pink gives it a really pretty edge.

2) Navy Print Bow Playsuit £17.00: Again this is adorable. Great for the beach, looks fantastic and really easy to wear. Simple but pretty it would look great with flip flops on the beach or pumps.

3) Navy Stripe Espadrilles £14: Great holiday shoes that would complement any of the above outfits. To cute for words.

4) Team GB Trilby £14.50: Oh… Love it. Would work well with the Playsuit and its much more of a fashion statement then your standard sun hat. With the 2012 games in less than a month lets show that we are proud to be British!

On that last note, I really couldn’t pass these up… Stunning and very Brit chic

1) Union Jack Prom dress £29: WOW… Alice-Sara is lusting after this very pretty girly dress that couldn’t get anymore British if it tried. This would have been perfect for a street back we attended for the Jubilee, I just wished we had seen it back then.

2) Red Patent Bow Shoes £28: These lovely patent flats would really lift the dress making it great party wear and can be teamed with skinnie jeans for a bang on trend look.

3) Union Jack Denim Shorts £19: I love Denim and these would look awesome with the above blazer and shoes making it perfect holiday wear or even a great outfit to wear to the games.

4) Union Jack Blazer £28: You have to admit that this is dead cute but very smart. Would look great with almost anything it’s teamed with especially denim as mentioned above.

As you can see I really couldn’t pull myself away from the GB colours and would love Alice-Sara to be able to add these additions to her summer wardrobe.

1) Blue Lace Shift Dress £19: I think this is stunning and a really great price. Would look lovely with flats, including those above. The shift dress is very “Now” and I’ve seen some very pretty ones this season (I’m also lovely wearing shift dresses as they are so flattering).

2) Red Woven Blazer £26: Yep another blazer, this time a plan red one to add impact to the blue dress or if it’s not that warm, teamed with the blue Chinos instead.

3) Blue Chinos £18: Smart and a great colour. These look like they are a great cut and I love how it can be teamed with a red belt if desired.

4) Reversible shopper £9: This goes with all my chosen outfit and Alice simply loves it. Two bags in one, what more could you want.

5) Spot Pumps £13: Simple and pretty, these spotty pumps will fit perfectly with all off the above.

Now I was going to leave it at that but have now decided to share a few of my favourite boy pieces. After all the range on offer is very smart and I couldn’t help but take a peek.

1) Stars and stripe hats (2 pack) £9.50: I love bright colours and the orange would suit Harley really well with his big brown eyes.

2) Crab Tee £7: Really simple but sweet, perfect beach wear which again displays some of them bright bold colours like those of the hats.

3) Fluorescent Chino Shorts £9: Smart but casual in a nice bright colour! You can be sure not to lose the toddler when wearing these… love em!

Once more I have gone for the British theme, how could this mum resist.

1) Flag T-Shirt £8: Bang on trend and wouldn’t he look adorable stood next to his big sis.

2) Mid Badge Jogger Jeans £13.00: I love these so much these are ordered lol. The length is great and with converse hightops these would be awesome.

3) Baseball Jacket £15: I love this style and feel that the jacket would be perfect for chilly evenings. How great it would look teamed with them jogger jeans.

4) Red and White Espadrilles £13.00: I had to add these, they are fantastic and I’d love Harley to model these on the beach this summer.

So there it is… My style creation. I didn’t style anything for my eldest Little man. With him I need to consider textures and cuts etc in much more detail. This is because his tactile defensive and very fussy when it comes to clothing. Through I’d love to kit him out in something other than tracksuit bottoms and t-shirt.

All the above comes in at just under £320.00

So, it’s been a fun couple of hours drooling over all the lovely children’s wear over on the Next site. The competition closes tomorrow, So, you still have time to enter if you hurry.