OOTD: Pastel Perfect

Hey everyone! Sorry about the lack of post yesterday – my dad went into surgery this morning so you can probably guess what a madhouse it was over here last night.

Anyway, I took a quick trip into the city to sort out my phone (still not fixed ... I'm just about ready to start climbing the walls right now), wearing this:

Knitwear: $35 = about £25, H&M New York
Belt: attached to a skirt, Primark
Tights: £3.99, Zara
Brogues: £20, New Look
Skirt, socks, earrings: H&M

I looked outside this morning and apparently we've skipped the rest of summer and autumn, and just gone straight to winter. Nice.

Love Sanchia xxx

By The Back Door

Y'know that post where I spent hundreds and hundreds of words talking about how much I hated lace?

Today I realised that, not only do I own the world's most beautiful lace ankle boots, I also own a pair of lace socks (which I'm totally in love with):

Lace socks: £5, Topshop; suede shoes: £15, Dorothy Perkins.

... and I almost bought a pair of lace tights in the Topshop sale last week.

I'm not sure how I feel about this!

– Sanchia xxx

OOTD: Rain Or Shine

Just got back from the cinema – I saw Inception with my friend Sophie, and it has BLOWN MY MIND. I'd highly recommend it if you liked Donnie Darko, Ocean's Eleven or A Beautiful Mind, and it's definitely a DVD I'm going to have to pre-order!

Anyway, the weather in Norfolk was in its usual state of ambivalence, so I went with this to get me through rain or shine:

Top: $28 = about £15, Urban Outfitters
Belt: £10, H&M
Skirt: £9.99, H&M
Socks: £2, H&M
Brogues: £20, New Look
Wrap coat: £15, Tesco

OOTD: Summer Utility

Went out with a couple of friends yesterday to see Step Up 3 (surprisingly deep for a dance movie, I was highly confused, but I'd recommend it) and wore this. Erm, the skirt is not actually as short as it looks:

Top: free, ELLE Magazine
Skirt: £4, Primark
Belt: £10, H&M
Socks: £8, Topshop
Brogues: £20, New Look
Earrings: £3.99, H&M
Ring: £3.99, H&M
Hair slide: £1.50, The Clothes Show
Bag: $37 = about £20, Urban Outfitters

I bought this skirt a couple of years ago to wear to sixth form – we used to have a dress code of smart office-style clothes, and the buttons on the front gave it a lovely smart feel. But yesterday I got so bored of them and took them all off, which means I can belt it and it now feels like a whole new skirt! Plus I have six buttons which I can use to update an old cardigan. Win all round, methinks.

  

The bag was a definite splash-out for me, but it's easily my favourite bag! The design is unbelievably cute and it's exactly the perfect size to fit my phone, purse, iPod and house key inside. I didn't think to take a photo, but the inside is lined with a gorgeous floral pattern and has a tiny pocket too!

Love Sanchia xxx

AW 10/11 Trend Focus: Lace

by Sanchia

"Ah, Lace. So we meet again ..."

Word on the catwalk: lace will be HUGE next season! I thought I'd write this post because I (brace yourself) hate lace with a passion, and since it's still firmly on the fashion radar, I thought it was about time I embraced it. 

Ugh.

We first started seeing lace way, waaaay back in AW 08/09, when Miuccia Prada decided that it would be interesting to see if she could base an entire collection on a material that she (at the time) just couldn't stand. 

 

But I've got to admit, the collection was more than just "interesting" – it was feminine, luxurious and seductive, and yet prim and stiff at the same time; it reminded me of forbidden love in a gothic novel. Back then the trend didn't really filter through past the couture houses ... but it resurfaced for SS 2010, and it hasn't stopped there! The L-word is a huge feature in some of the biggest new season collections: Valentino, Burberry Prorsum (damn you, Christopher Bailey!), Givenchy and Christopher Kane, to name but a few. 

I think it's got to the point now where I just cannot dig my heels in and ignore it any longer! So I've been doing a little internet shopping to see how I can try the trend by adding just a couple of key pieces here and there ...

Although I do need a new sweater, out of the above I think I'd go for the Topshop ankle socks! Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am absolutely obsessed with socks and tights (if you are too, check out this post by Sarah Williams), so no doubt I'll fall in love with them (and lace in general) on sight.

Oh gosh. The brogues. Are beautiful. Sadly they're white, and I don't know how long they'll last on a wet English street. While I love the peep-toe boots so much more, I think I'll regret them too the moment it rains, which I imagine is going to happen pretty often come November! But having said that, both pairs are very reasonably priced, so I may just eat my words and pick up one or the other (or both?) very soon. ;) (Ooh, before I forget, the TFNC dress is £17 reduced from £40 in the ASOS sale, so pick it up now or you'll miss out!)

The hoodie dress is staring at me. I'm hiding my debit card, just in case. (But just so you know, it's £65 reduced from £180, also in the ASOS sale. See my previous post for evidence of my ASOS addiction if you're a fellow sufferer!) I included the Warehouse blouse because the lace detail is very subtle, which makes it perfect for someone like me who wants to try the trend but isn't overly keen on it – and I can reference the white shirt mini-trend while I'm at it!

If you have any recommendations for ways I can try the lace trend, please let me know! And I'd love to know if and how you're going to reference it next season.

Love Sanchia (@wakeorsleep) xxx

P.S. Kudos if you managed to read that whole post! :) Have a free virtual hug: O