June 19th, 2013   
 
 
It isn’t often that I step out not wearing a single item of black clothing, and what better place to show off my brightest and lightest (and a few new purchases..) than in the super sunny Italy! I’m staying in a little village north of Verona, but there’s still plenty to do and plenty of beautiful mountain views… Just the other day we had a picnic on a mountain; it isn’t often you get to say that! And while I’ve been a lover of coffee long before I started working at Costa when I turned 16, I’m only just starting to appreciate the simplicity of an espresso. It’s also far too hot to have any hot drink bigger than that! At home I drink something similar, an Arabic version of an espresso, so it feels quite nice to enjoy drinking an espresso while out and about too. Of course, the best combination I’ve found so far is an espresso followed a little later by the biggest scoops of gelato; it’s a matter I think necessary when it’s so warm! Unfortunately I’ve yet to find a Nutella-based gelato, but I’m having the next best thing by mixing scoops of hazelnut, chocolate, and cookies. Mmmm, I think it’s time for my daily gelato dose now… x
       
Hat & Skirt – OVS (Italian), Top – eBay, Sunglasses – ASOS, Suede Clogs – Free People, Lipstick – Topshop
P.S. There’s still time to enter my Stylight giveaway! All you need to do is sign up and leave a link to your profile in a comment here. Double your chances of winning by making your own board on there! Good luck : )
June 14th, 2013    
My first ever giveaway! And it’s quite a good one at that; a pair of retro 60s sunglasses, a Me & Zena necklace, and a dainty cognac-coloured messenger bag. And Stylight have also thrown in a goodie bag along with the prizes. I can say it’s a good giveaway because I’d love to own any one of the three prizes I’ve specially picked out for one of you to have!
Entering is super simple: the lovely people over at Stylight want you to sign up (you can do it via facebook if you like, easy peasy!) and create a board with whatever you like on it. The thing about Stylight is that you can include a quote, music, photos, or simply a board of an outfit and accessories that you can find via their stock online. Once you’ve created your own board, just leave a comment on this post with a link to it! I’m running the competition for a week, until Friday 21st June where in the evening I’ll announce the winner. I’m so looking forward to seeing the kind of boards you create! For a bit of inspiration and to get you started on the site, here’s a link to my board and you can then have a peek at the people I’m following to get some more ideas. I’m so pleased to finally be able to run a giveaway on my blog, with its ‘first birthday’ coming up it’s a lovely way to celebrate by thanking you! Good luck! x
June 11th, 2013    
Contrary to the title of this post, I was not a nervous wreck upon seeing Buckingham Palace. But, I was wearing a butterfly blouse and did go to an exhibition with Carrie at the Queen’s Gallery, called In Fine Style. While I am a huge lover of history, I can’t say that I analysed the paintings and scrutinised the information like everyone else at the exhibition seemed to do! Maybe it was being in the company of Carrie that made me prefer silliness, giggling over how curled women’s hair was and the size of men’s noses! Sometimes it’s good to ponder life’s smaller (and certainly goofier) questions, that leave you feeling happier, and leave the seriousness to another time…! Unintentionally I matched my entire outfit; all that was missing was a white bag although I’m sure I’ll get my hands on one soon! Sometimes being a tourist in your hometown is a lot of fun, but I don’t think I quite had it in me to travel to another London landmark that day. Sitting in the sun in Green Park is as far as I’ll go after visiting the Palace!
P.S. I’m flying to Italy first thing tomorrow morning (taking a 5AM train to Gatwick Airport on my own..eeek!), so if you’re partial to snippets of italian food and views- who isn’t?- then follow me over on Instagram where I plan to snap the prettiest sights and hopefully the largest jar of Nutella I can find, wish me luck! x
    
Butterfly Blouse – Ever Ours, Dungarees – Karma Clothing, Shoes – Nelly, Watch – Tommy Hilfiger, Hair Pins – Claire’s
Thank you Carrie for taking my pictures!
June 9th, 2013       
Something special happens when you discover a place you’ve always walked past and never noticed; it feels like it surely couldn’t have always been there! This is how I felt when I walked past this church near the centre of town. The old stone and the beautiful intricate detailing of it made me feel quite ashamed that I’d never stopped to look and appreciate it. Old buildings have a warm feel about them, but it’s best when they aren’t transformed into offices or something a galaxy away from their original use. And I always get a pang of guilt whenever I see an old neglected building; maybe it’s my love of history that’s made me this way…!
Anyway, I wanted to take my new glasses out for a spin and I guess I was a little inspired by their “geek chic” aesthetic! A white silky shirt and leather shorts to me is one of the best (and easiest) ways to look “smart” in the summer; there’s a lot of leg on show but covering up on top means there’s some sort of balance. It makes a change from the usual flowery ensemble (hint hint: my previous super-sweet post) and I’m a sucker for a nice tailored outfit, especially if that includes leather shorts! x
 
 
Trench Jacket – Barbour, Shirt – Vintage, Leather Shorts – Dahlia (last year), Shoes – Zara (sale), Bag – H&M (AW’12)
Here’s my outfit (the closest thing) in shops/online now:
June 6th, 2013   
If you, like me, have been graced with the beautiful English weather of late, you can appreciate my eagerness to wear something summery (AKA light colours, clogs, sunglasses). It almost felt like I overdid it when I placed the floral headband as a hair tie round my bun, but then I looked out the window and thought what the heck, I’m an all or nothing kinda gal! This beautiful weather has also allowed me to explore where I live in far greater detail than a rainy day would have allowed. Carshalton Village is by no means your quiet-where-is-everyone kind of village, but it still holds some of the remnants of its former countryside self. There were ducks galore wherever I went; one even got out of the water for a walk right beside me!
If you’ve already spotted the slightly unusual cropped tee with its back slit, I’m pleased! It’s made by Veryan, a brand dedicated to creating fashion ethically and sustainably. This is something I have a lot of time for; nowadays it isn’t enough to make something, it’s making it last that means a lot. If you agree, I really hope you have a click on through to Veryan’s site, I’ve been told there are big things happening for its Autumn/Winter collection, and I for one am counting the days! For now though, Veryan is stocking this top in a few other colours as well. Check out her blog for more up-to-date news. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll have seen how this day ended; with an obligatory coffee-and-cake sit down treat.. Gosh, posing for photos and walking in the sunshine is a tiresome task don’t you know! ; ) x
 
 
Top – Veryan, Skirt – Miss Selfridge, Clogs – Free People, Sunglasses – ASOS, Bag – Beyond Retro (vintage), Lipstick – Topshop
June 4th, 2013    
Until a week ago, I hadn’t had an eye test in almost two and a half years, and with the inevitable overuse of my laptop during my final months of university (and let’s face it, general internet/ twitter/ pinterest/ tumblr/ facebook/ shopping websites etc usage) my eyes have felt a little neglected and overworked. So you can imagine my delight when I was contacted by My Optique to review their online layout and process for ordering glasses online. I was over the moon! You may have your qualms about ordering something so personal online, but I can assure you that My Optique made it very simple. It was even fun! Their “Style Finder” allows you to filter their range of women’s designer glasses to suit your skin tone, hair colour, and face shape, which brought me to a pair of very Jess-from-New-Girl-esque glasses, and I can’t complain about that! The online process was super simple, and when it came to inputting my prescription details I ended up having far less information than the layout online suggested I might need. Each pair has a specific person responsible that prepares it, so sorting an issue once your glasses are delivered is very easy too. I’m really happy with this new pair, even if most of these photos suggest I’m a moody so and so (I think I look weird with red lips and a toothy smile so it was a lips-clasped-shut option only!).
 
This particular pair is called Soho, by London Retro. It was fairly high up in the Style Finder’s most popular glasses for my skin tone, hair colour, and face shape. It’s not a pair I’d usually pick up in an opticians either, as the lens is bigger, but I guess that’s part of the online Style Finder doing its job! In keeping with Jess from New Girl, I put the glasses with two things I own that I proudly refer to as my “Jess” items; my heart-shaped bag from H&M and my red bunny iPhone cover! I’ve seen both repeatedly on the show and for a very silly girl-crush reason I love that I own things that Zooey Deschanel’s fictional character does too. Hooray for girl crushes and geeky glasses! And mine are real prescription ones too so I think I get away with it.. x
June 1st, 2013 
Not very long ago any colour brighter than a muted grey, salmon pink, or beige (ahem, some aren’t really even colours) would not be found in my wardrobe. As this outfit shows however, I’ve come a very long way from that! There’s something about a bright pop of colour that seems to enhance any outfit, and I’ve watched in admiration online and in shops at just how daringly bright some pieces of clothing are. While I’m not sold on the neon craze, and don’t think I will be, bright colours are fast-tracking to my heart, especially when they’re in my favourite colour! Taking the plunge in a duo of bright red seemed to be the best way to introduce my hopefully long-lasting relationship with bright colours.
Owning such a bright pair of shoes is made even more special by the fact that they are by Russell & Bromley, a long-coveted brand that has me swooning at every glance. Even better, they are super comfortable, as my afternoon spent trawling the shops in them proved! My Brat & Suzie vest top has fast become my favourite throw-on top; the material is super soft and it’s got my favourite mystical creature on it, why a unicorn of course! I know I know, if only they were real… At least I get to wear one on my top and play pretend! xx
Denim Jacket – H&M, Unicorn Top – Brat & Suzie, Skirt – ASOS, Bag – Urban Outfitters, Shoes – Russell & Bromley, Bracelet – Urban Outfitters
May 30th, 2013  
You may or may not have already seen on my Twitter and Instagram, that there is a new Mod Dolly collection called “Cosmic Girl” and hey, that’s me wearing the new collection! I just wanted to share a few of the snaps of the day, and encourage you all to click on my sidebar through to Mod Dolly and have a proper perusal, with plenty more photos there too! There is a collection on Facebook too, if you’d like a look at that. They’re also stocking it on their ASOS Marketplace page. If you do end up buying anything of this collection, I’d love you to tell me! It was a lot of fun modelling these pieces and I really couldn’t pick my favourite…well, maybe the sparkly mint number above! What’s your favourite? xx
 
May 22nd, 2013      
Trying my hand at DIY has never got me very far- last summer, I became so obsessed with dying the perfect pair of shorts a beautiful olive colour that everything I owned or saw in the shops just didn’t capture my imagination enough to get me to see it through. I’ve still got the olive green dye at home! Maybe this summer, following this Boohoo DIY job, I’ll get back to it! But for now, there’s really nothing easier than this DIY, because I did it myself and I tend not to be so good at fiddly jobs. All it took was sticking on a bunch of beautiful coloured gems, kindly sent to me by Boohoo (along with the slouchy tee I used). I opted for an embellished shoulder look, because I liked the way the gems seemed to dazzle in the sunlight, and we’re certainly hoping for plenty of sun this summer! There wasn’t much need for a step-by-step, as it was so easy, although I did use a ruler to line up the triangle of space on both shoulders to ensure I didn’t get carried away..! The embellishment was finished off with filling in the spaces with glitter pens so that the entire shoulder was more or less covered in gems and glitter. For me it adds a little something to an otherwise plain tee, and it’s easy enough that the success of it can maybe get you thinking of other plain things to adorn! When I think of festivals I always imagine everyone looking happy in glitter and sparkly things, so this tee would fit right in! I aim to wear it with my new high-waisted black jeans and, when the weather is appropriate, denim shorts!
 
…And I’m also in two magazines this month! A year ago I hadn’t even started my blog, and if anything these past few weeks has made me happy it’s spotting my face in a magazine! Being in Company magazine was particularly exciting, from being on a shoot itself, to the makeup, the dress and seeing the final edit. I know it’s not the most spectacular news, but every good thing should be celebrated! You also might remember my Barbour post and video, surrounding their new Dress Tartan Collection, and The Simple Things have featured us four bloggers in their magazine! They’re also running a competition alongside their Barbour feature, to give £1000 worth of ‘His and Hers’ Barbour clothing from their Dress Tartan Collection. If you enter, good luck!
May 18th, 2013  
     
With just days left in Brighton before I “officially” move the majority of my possessions back to Surrey, I’m trying to make the most of living in such a beautiful place, by the sea and with so many boutique shops and places to eat. Having finished my degree (eek!) last week however, I’ve taken a few days just to rest, sleep a little better, and start a new series or two (Mad Men and Game of Thrones I’m looking at you!). But, being the shopper I am, nothing could ease me into celebrating finishing like buying a new pair of jeans, and these super tight Topshop ones tick the all important boxes of being very fitted and very black! Every grown up needs one, right?
If you’ve already scrolled down to the end, you’ll also notice that my new bag is from Paul’s Boutique, and I bet you’re surprised there’s no neon in sight! With a really sophisticated, new direction coming from the brand, I couldn’t be happier to sport such a ladylike satchel; even their signature keychain is ladylike! It seems quite apt to wear such a grown up bag having just finished university, it’s all getting a little serious now! After having a peek at their new bags in general, it does look like the brand has grown up from the days of neon hoodies and bright bags – though there’s still a bit of that left if you are that way inclined! If you have a peek at their new range I hope you’re as pleasantly surprised as I was! Having paraded my new jeans and bag around all of Brighton, a sunny day here isn’t the same without a portion of chips and an ice cream by the sea, which you’ll have spotted over on my Instagram. And to top it all off, while we were sitting by the seafront, I witnessed someone lovingly planting a rose amidst the pebbles…I love Brighton! xx
      
Leather Jacket – Nasty Gal (old), Shirt – The Whitepepper via ASOS, Jeans – Topshop, Shoes – ASOS (similar here), Bag – Paul’s Boutique, Hat – Monki (similar here), Sunglasses – Romwe (similar here), Watch – Urban Outfitters (sale)
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Hello! My name is Dunya, I live in London and study in Brighton, dividing my time to blog about both beautiful cities and timeless, vintage inspired style.
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