Slip inside the eye of your mind.

Camel coat: £10, Marks and Spencer via charity shop. Tartan scarf: £8, ebay. Peter pan collar dress: Urban Outfitters. Thigh high socks: asos. Boots: c/o Stylistpick. Cameo necklace: £1.50, vintage via charity shop. Watch: Rotary.

It's getting to that time of year when sunlight is scarce, and your daylight hours are spent huddled underneath your bodyweight in clothing as you hurry between destinations, exposed skin burning in the cold. Unfortunately, this situation isn't conducive to the sharpest of images, and neither was the rain splattering on the pavement (and my head!).

For now, I'm sitting on the sofa with my flatmate watching Children in Need and eating lots of heartwarming food - it sure is nice to not be staring at word documents for a few hours. Time to bring my duvet in from my room and crack out the chocolate, I reckon.

xxx

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Remembrance.

Camel coat: £10, Marks and Spencer via charity shop. Tartan scarf: £8, ebay. Hat: £10, vintage via Cambridge vintage fair. Black blouse: £1.50, vintage Next via charity shop. Checked skirt: Laura Lees for Topshop (old!). Leather belt: 20p, charity shop. Black satchel: £16, Internaçionale. Chelsea boots: c/o Stylistpick.

Remembrance

noun

The memory of a person who has died or a thing of the past surviving in the minds of others.

I went home for a few days over reading week, and traipsing round the suburban town couldn't help but make me reflect on the past few years I've lived there. I never thought there would ever be a time when I could call Liverpool "home", but treading paths oft walked made me realise to what extent I've outgrown the town I've spent the past nine years of my life, and the way it contrasts with its northern counterpart. I adore Essex; the green spaces, roofs climbed, pubs frequented, and barmen befriended combine to create a place that acutely displays my teenage years, yet there's still a distinct difference. It will always be home, but the initial action of getting out, despite its difficulties, shows just how beneficial change can be.

That, or I've been reading too many Romantic landscape novels about fits of sensibility and gesture. Whatever.

In regards to the title of the post (and the horrifically pretentious English student-ness of the vocabulary tag), it is, of course, Remembrance Sunday. After meeting some Americans last week who asked why everyone was wearing "those flowers", it made me wonder how much the poppy has become an institution in itself; perhaps a motif as opposed to a symbol. Natalie wrote a genuinely interesting article about its purpose, which is worth a read. Two minutes a year is all it takes to remember the past, and it would be a true mistake to forget.

xxx

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Hey, I can be the answer.

Camel coat: £10, Marks and Spencer, via Oxfam. Lambswool tartan scarf: £8, ebay. Silky shirred skirt: £30, American Apparel. Thigh high socks: Primark. Chelsea boots: c/o Stylistpick.

I gave in and finally put on a pair of tights. And then went the extra mile and added some long socks to the mixture. Paired with my two most recent purchases, I think I look pretty darn autumnal. The coat was a bargain from Oxfam (£10? For a nearly new M&S coat? And it almost fits??), and is so comfy I couldn't care less about whether it's a flattering shape or not. The scarf was purchased as the result of seeing Livvy wearing hers, immediately asking (probably in capital letters) if she could send me a link, and it was soon winging its way up North to cooler climes.

I write this sitting in bed with a cup of tea, looking up fireworks displays for tomorrow evening. However much I love Sefton park's renowned display, we're thinking of heading to Newsham park instead, due to its closer proximity. Are any of you planning to spend the fifth of November freezing in a field, unable to see the pyrotechnics through your frozen breath? However much I adore fireworks, they always have a knack of coming round on one of the coldest days of the year!

xxx

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We're painted as monsters.

 

Sailor coat: £63, Topshop (old. Very, very old.) Bat t-shirt: DIY (originally Primark men's). Faux leather trousers: £30.40, Topshop. Granny cardigan: £2, charity shop. Adela boots: c/o Stylistpick. Masquerade necklace: £9, Elsie Belle. Eye ring: £2.25, Topshop. Carpet bag: mum's.

Hallowe'en!

I don't have any particularly exciting plans this year, just staying in with lots of sweets, dimmed lights, duvets, hot chocolate, and a scary film (or three). Is this what third year does to a girl? Despite not heading out in towering heels tonight, I still had to celebrate the day somehow, so whipped out one of my favourite bespoke tee (cohen code for "I scribbled on it"). A little "Alexa Chung for Madwell" inspired, but oversized and perfectly slouchy, if I do say so myself, I paired it with leather trousers. Yes, leather trousers. I never thought I'd see the day, and I was still having some serious reservations as I entered my pin number, but domesday has finally come about. I know that if it weren't for the huge amount of support I've received from all you lovely readers over the past few years I would never have the confidence to don such a pair of slacks and feel like Sandy. So, to say thank you, I've got a little something up my sleeve, but, unfortunately, I don't think these Cuthbert's cupcakes will travel well, so I guess I'll have to come up with something a little more permanent!

xxx

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Liverpool Fashion Week.

1. Miss Rule1 - proud of her collection

2-3. Four of the Rule1 looks

4. Leading the way

5. The Hilton hosted the evening, and backstage was just as busy as front of house!

6. Chloe Cummings, Abbey Clancy, Chloe's mum, and Elle Clancy.

Last weekend, the Rule1 ladies invited me down to the Hilton Hotel by the Albert Docks to see what Liverpool Fashion Week had up its sequin-encrusted sleeve. Compared to the whirlwind of the fashion capitals, Liverpool focuses much more on wearable clothing; there was the occasional peacock feather fascinator, but otherwise all the designers dressed their models in glamorous looks for a night in Monique's, or showcased sharp monochrome tailoring for the office. Rule1's collection featured lace, bodycon, peplum, and baroque prints - a series of dresses that would fit seamlessly into my "night out" wardrobe. Elle Clancy and Chloe Cummings caught the paparazzi's eye in metallic bandage dresses, while my favourite was the Curve dress - which looked fantastic on Amy on the night. Other designers showed more diverse selections of their stock on the runway: everything from Swarovski-encrusted sunglasses (note to self: don't sit on those ones), to lace-up wellington boots. But the show was undoubtedly stolen by a little canine companion - who could resist his puppy dog eyes?

In a strange turn of events, I decided to film a little bit of my day. I'm not sure my camera's entirely cut out for it (and neither are my shaky hands!), but it's a little diary of what happened, and is backed by the song Laura by GIRLS, which is a pretty damn hot song:

xxx

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Meet and drink and pollinate.

Striped Breton tee: £30, Aubin and Wills. Corduroy circle skirt: £15, American Apparel via ebay. Grey cardigan: £63, Carven via sample sale. Denim jacket: £63, Hobbs. Horse belt: £1, Primark. Ship necklace: Toujours Toi. Granny/child bag: £4, vintage. Eye ring: £2.25, Topshop. Watch: gift, Rotary. Grey Alea boot: c/o Stylistpick. Lipstick: Mischief, Topshop.

I like having access to a roof.

This is what I wore to Liverpool Fashion Week yesterday (more on that when I can work out how to edit videos; YouTube newbie over here!). Surrounded by a sea of sequins, I felt pretty casual, but crouching for a fair few hours in the marked photographer area made me feel slightly less ashamed of leaving my skyscraper heels at home. These boots were sent to me by the lovely Stylistpick girls after meeting them at The Apartment, and they are my new favourites. However much I love my chelsea boots, I have worn them to destruction, and it's reaching the stage where no amount of pleading in the cobblers will make them re-heel them. I am, surprisingly considering Liverpool's temperament, yet to weather test their replacements, but they're comfy enough to wear all day, which is an added bonus, and something I ought to consider more seriously when purchasing footwear. Although, life would be dull and a little less interesting if everything were done for the greater good (and to not get blisters).

xxx

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17 Tattoo Me Eyeliner: an endurance test.

17 "Tattoo Me" semi-permanent liquid eyeliner: £4.99, Boots.

Don't worry - I'm not about to foray into the realms of beauty blogging permanently! I couldn't tell you the difference between brushes, or even how to put foundation on (I don't use it due to it taking too long, and I don't "do" high maintenance). But what I do know is liquid eyeliners. Forever wishing I was a teen in the sixties like babes Bardot and Birkin, I wear winged eyeliner daily. I don't have a loyalty to a particular brand, instead experimenting with whatever happens to be on offer or receiving good reviews at the time. I thought the best way to put the eyeliner through its paces would be to see how long it would last on a slightly longer than normal night.

House parties are well known for how little sleep you get, so the promise of a "tattoo" style eyeliner seemed like the perfect solution to any smudge based disasters. Being the guest of honour (I refuse to be called anything else, I now live with the hostess), I ended up going on a trip to various supermarkets to find plastic shot glasses from 2pm. I put on the eyeliner at about 5pm, as you can see in the fourth photo. A night of out-of-tune singing (for which I take full credit), vodka jelly, and "rassing", ended in sleeping on a sofa for a couple of hours circa 6am, and an horrific car journey back that afternoon. As you can see in the fifth and sixth photos, the eyeliner is pretty much still in place, having only smudged slightly onto the upper lid, which I'm quite happy with considering it'd been on for nearly 24 hours. On a "normal" day, it doesn't smudge, unless I put it on too soon after moisturising. It's quite difficult to get off compared to others I've tried, and, now it's nearing the end of the tube, the product has started to get quite "gloopy" (technical language), but it still works just as well. I like the brush, opposed to some others which use nibs or felt-tip style points. Overall, I'd say it's pretty good at what it promises to do, and I'd definitely use it again. And it's a fiver, which is a bonus.

Are there any eyeliners that you'd recommend? I'm on the hunt for my next favourite!

xxx

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He walked down a busy street staring solely at his feet clutching pictures of past lovers at his side.

Ghost jumper: £56, J.W. Anderson x Topshop. Silky collar tee: £18, American Apparel. Leather skirt: £8, Oxfam. Two-tone flats: 50p, Russell and Bromley, via ebay. Brown frame bag: £3, vintage. Ghost ring: Greggs!

Remember when I said I wouldn't buy anything using the extra student discounts in town? Surprise surprise, it didn't happen. The J. W. Anderson for Topshop collection launched a while ago and, for those who aren't aware, this is deemed by the fashion industry to be a Pretty Big Deal. Based around basics, the capsule collection promotes high fashion for those with smaller budgets. In my opinion, £70 for a jumper isn't cheap, but with 20% off I convinced myself that it would be just about acceptable to add this little number to my jumper collection. And it has a bloody ghost on it - who could resist? It's nearing the end of October, which signals my favourite holiday - hallowe'en. Among other reasons (which I will, inevitably,  arrange in a bullet-point list at some point), I look forward to this autumnal event due to Greggs pulling out all the stops and making fairy cakes with free rings. I may not be their intended audience, but I ensure I get at least one every year; please tell me I'm not the only one who does this?

Ignoring baked goods, however painful it may be, life has been b u s y. But the best part, without doubt, is seeing my little blog featured on The Tab's frontpage! Speaking to Rachel (my interviewer) is what convinced me to get involved, but I'd love it if you clicked the image below and read what I have to say about scouse style and student shopping

xxx

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Wintertime winds blow cold the season, fallen in love, I'm hoping to be.

 

 

Ralph 5132 Sunglasses: c/o Sunglasses Shop. Fuchsia silk top: 75p, East via charity shop. Floral print trousers: £13, H+M. Two-tone black flats: 50p, Russell and Bromley via ebay. Multi-coloured bag: gift, Marks and Spencer. Denim jacket: £63, NW3 by Hobbs.

Liverpool doesn't seem to understand seasons; one minute you're wearing a cardigan, tights, and some unintentionally nineties inspired grunge hair (i.e. slicked down with the rain), then you wake up the next morning to discover weather like this. You don't need to take an Open University course in Understanding the Weather (I know someone who has) to realise that the jumpers can stay inside for a day or two more, and head for something a little more summery instead. I, personally, am not one to spend a lot of money on sunglasses, feeling that I spend more than enough on contact lenses and my "seeing specs" to make up for it, and instead choose to raid charity shops until I find ones that my friends roll their eyes at. However, when Sunglasses Shop - the designer sunglasses retailer based just down the A127 from me - got in contact, I thought that maybe it was about time I looked after my peepers a little bit more than I had done previously. In all honesty, I cannot fault them: they fit my face (however silly it sounds, it's quite difficult to find a pair that don't make me look like an insect), are a flattering colour, and I like the subtle cat-eye shape. They also earn bonus points for turning up really quickly, which is handy for those who are rather impatient.

I'm still library blogging (sigh), between readingreadingreading for my dissertation, going to the gym (!), and undertaking a fair amount of projects in the hope that I may end up doing something productive when I graduate next summer. One thing that I'm rather happy to say is I'm now officially the fashion co-editor of The Tab Liverpool, so expect to hear plenty from me over there for the next few months.

Third year: come at me.

xxx

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You walk into the room with refine and poise.

Burgundy Georgia blouse: c/o Lovestruck. Leather skirt: £15, Topshop. Black chelsea boots: £60, Topshop. Leather colour-block bag: gift, Marks and Spencer.

You know it's Autumn when the tones of your clothes match the colour of the leaves... perhaps. Lovestruck sent over this beautiful burgundy blouse last week, and I've been imagining wearing it whilst kicking up crunchy leaves in Sefton Park, before realising that I have a mild case of Fresher's Flu(TM), and the only thing I'll be doing for the next few days will be drinking tea under my duvet.

Liverpool has been doing its best to put a dampener on things by raining excessively for the past fortnight, but I shan't let it rain on my parade (yes, I like puns), and find myself wandering between Cuthbert's, Leaf, and the many student events that stores are putting on to entice those who have just received the loan windfall in their bank accounts. I'm going to be relatively good and try to just buy Christmas presents, but when have I ever been able to resist a lipstick

xxx

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The Apartment.

 

Black granddad collar blouse: £1.50, vintage Next, via charity shop. Truffle corduroy circle skirt: £15, American Apparel, via ebay. Black heeled Chelsea boots: £60, Topshop. Black leather belt: 20p, charity shop. Cameo necklace: £1.25, charity shop. Black clutch bag: £15, charity shop. Black Rotary watch: gift. Lipstick: Topshop Mischief.

As you walk away from Somerset House, you notice the atmosphere nosedive. There’s still a palpable excitement at Freemason’s Hall where Fashion Scout shows are held, and various other locations across the Capital host one-off events throughout the whole of London Fashion Week. Yet I spent a weird amount of time in Covent Garden (and that’s not including The Last Nando’s before my friend headed off on her Erasmus year). Abi noticed the distinct lack of amenities provided for bloggers over the past few seasons, and she took it upon herself to supply a solution. And boy, did she. When she first got in contact, I assumed it’d just be a room with a place for you to plug in your MacBook, but The Apartment even provided the computers for you. Obviously, food was the main incentive, my particular favourite being the vegetable biriyani provided by Cinnamon Soho, but special mention to Aubaine for presenting the best meal of the day: afternoon tea. I honestly cannot imagine a world where someone believes that they have had “too many” macarons.

 

1. I didn't realise there were so many types of make-up - thanks Becca

2. iya Ngoni

3. Post "makeover": hair by Wella, face by Becca

4. BFFFW (Best Friends For Fashion Week, lol jk, fo lyf). I stole the photo from Ngoni.

It simply wouldn’t be Fashion Week without the tiniest mention of “fashion”. Sadly I missed out on presentations by Forever 21 and Penhaligon's, but I had plenty of fun dressing up in a few of the garments ebay had picked out, and the lovely girls at Stylistpick even decided to “interview” (can I really say that?) me, which you can read here. Ngoni was a mega babe and took some outfit photos for me on the balcony – check out the killer view! – before I sampled Becca Cosmetics’ spread and Wella sorted out the mess atop my head. Would it be too P'Trique to call them lifesavers? Regardless, The Apartment was the more chilled part of London Fashion Week, and I’ve my fingers crossed Abi decides it’s worth the stress next season! And, if the stress isn’t worth it, the drawer full of jellybeans probably will be.

xxx

ps, sorry for my sporadic posting recently. I'm back in Liverpool but am currently without internet at home, and I find it a bit weird to write blog posts in the library (just me?). I hope you're all well, and sorry for not leaving long, rambling, and pointless blog comments. I can kinda reply to tweets on my cheaptastic plastic phone, so I can pretend I'm in the twenty-first century between Romantic and Pre-Raphaelite texts. But for now I am going to head into town to buy provisions for tonight (shout out to the Rodney Street gals!), and eat hummus. Leave your life update as a comment, and I will read with mirth whilst surrounded by unnecessarily stressed freshers.

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