February 14th, 2013    
On Sunday I finally got to visit the Brighton Vintage Fair at the Corn Exchange, a Sunday event I’d somehow managed never to be in Brighton for until now! It isn’t a weekly occurrence, so it feels all the more special (and impulsive, if you have your eye on a few things!) than the usual vintage shop. With a corner dedicated to vintage tea and homemade cake, and another for vintage hair and make-up, you’d be at a loss as to what to put your pennies on! I left with two skirts and a shirt, which you might have seen over on my Instagram. There were rails and rails of clothing, (for men too), ranging from the very expensive vintage fur coat (£300!) to the £5 rails; and it’s easy to know which side I stuck to…!
It’s more than just the clothes though, as the wonderful vintage homeware/decor would have been completely justifiable were I living in a more permanent ‘home’. From teapots, typewriters, perfume bottles and other dainty things, the fair really does cater for all vintage-lovers! The fair travels around the country, too, so you might even spot one near to you. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend you go! There isn’t a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon with friends; eating cake and indulging in one-off pieces; the perfect pick-me-up! x
   
Jumpsuit – Topshop, Top – Zara, Necklace – Lune, Lips – MAC ‘So Chaud’
February 8th, 2013     
Okay, so I’m not actually walking with swans, but it kindof makes sense when I’m wearing swan print shorts and walking around… These shorts were a very lovely gift from Carrie, and I can see myself teaming them with a white shirt and bare legs when the weather gets warmer. For now though, they’ll do just fine with a black polo and black tights! They are the smartest-yet-comfortable shorts I own, and are increasingly my go-to pair when I just can’t face wearing a black skirt again! I also tried to match my lips to the pink in the shorts; I always feel better about an outfit if I can pair colours and items together.
And if you’ve got a sharp eye (and have already scrolled down) you’ll have seen I’m wearing the cutest earrings in town; a teapot and teabag gifted to me by the sweet Sophie behind onetenzeroseven. Wearing them on my ears feels like I’m always honouring the mighty love that exists for tea! And a sneaky purchase from the Zara sale had to be made (again..if you saw my instagram last weekend..) xx
       
Top – ASOS, Shorts – ASOS, Earrings – Onetenzeroseven (via Etsy), Bag – Vintage, Coat – Zara, Shoes – Topshop, Lipstick – Topshop ‘Innocent’
February 2nd, 2013   
 
When you think of Brighton, you’d be forgiven if the image of a cosy Parisian style cafe serving delicious macarons wasn’t immediately conjured up in your mind! Cocoa is my favourite place, if I ever have a solo minute (and a few spare pennies!) to sit and enjoy a coffee and a macaron. It’s just a short and straight walk down from Brighton station, and while it isn’t situated in the most “vibrant” part, it more than makes up for it in its’ decor inside. It never fails to cheer me up, and when I popped in on Friday the kind gentleman told me they’ve opened a new place in the more popular lanes, with a much bigger selection of macarons too! The new place, Boutique Salon du Thé looks like a more chic version of Cocoa, and I can’t wait to visit in the coming weeks! If you’re ever in Brighton and you find your sweet tooth wandering, I hope you remember Cocoa! If only I had the time (and money, mainly) to visit Cocoa every day for an hour’s worth of a Parisian escape! x
    
As I wanted to mainly tell you about Cocoa, you can have a peek below at what (I promise) I wore on Friday for my coffee and macaron me-date!
January 25th, 2013     
I think I’ve found my NFT (new favourite thing…is that a thing?) in this black pinafore jumpsuit from Topshop! After seeing a nice pair of dungarees and a wool-y jumpsuit on the website, I was waiting, and hoping, for something a little more fitted with a nicer front and a cross back. And ta-da! My ideal jumpsuit emerged. I’ve had my eye on it for a few weeks now, and decided to take the plunge this week, with devastating (in a good way) consequences. The second I put it on I knew I’d made a friend for life.
Teamed very simply with a grey top this time, I’m so excited to wear it with a shirt and bow collar, and jumpers over the coming months! I also picked up these boots in the Zara sale and I’ve got to be careful not to instinctively take them off with my hands; the studs on the back have given me more than a little pain! At least I know what “weapon” I can use if I’m ever in trouble… xx
     
Hat – Monki, Top – Primark, Pinafore Jumpsuit – Topshop, Boots – Zara, Coat – Zara (old), Bag – Beyond Retro (vintage), Scarf – Topshop (old)
January 20th, 2013     
I wasn’t quite prepared for the cold in this outfit, you might be able to tell from the cold-bitten hands and ankles! But for a brisk walk by the river in Kingston, my body quickly got used to the near-freezing temperatures. I’m wearing a very delicate blouse by Dahlia, a brand that I have been a fan of for years, ever since I purchased one of their dresses for my Leavers’ Ball! If you saw my post about their Christmas Bloggers’ event, you will have already got the full extent of how big a fan of theirs I am. And so you can picture the smile on my face when I received an email telling me I was to be one of their Dahlia Girlfriends this year! I was really overwhelmed, and I am so grateful to the lovely faces behind the brand for giving me such an opportunity!
I also thought this would be a good time to show you my best Christmas present yet; a pack of contact cards for my blog! I know it’s nothing big at all, but for me and this blog it feels like a milestone, and I’m really happy to say I’ve got something official I can hold in my hands for this little blog! On top of that, January is the perfect time, at the start of the year to get planning ahead, and having purchased my Frankie diary back in November, I’ve been waiting for 2013 to come around so I can finally start using it! I’m never one to keep to a diary; I prefer writing lists on any paper I can find, but this diary is so pretty it’ll make me want to whip it out whenever I get the chance! xx
      
(Blouse – Dahlia, Trousers – ASOS, Shoes – ASOS, Mittens – Oysho (at ASOS))
January 16th, 2013  
 
 
If you know about the (seemingly infamous) Columbia Road flower market, you might have expected a few more shots of the beautiful array of flowers there is to offer! But as it had been many weeks since my last day trip to London, I enjoyed soaking up “London-y things”, like the old cars and bicycles, and the delicious looking rolls they had on offer! I was joined by the wonderful likes of Carrie, Olivia, Lucy & Kristabel, and after wandering the beautiful but very, very cold streets we headed for The Breakfast Club, where we stayed for a good three hours or so!
Many a trendy fellow can be spotted around Colombia Road, and I think my red hat was the cause for a passing photographer asking to take my picture! And while we’re on the topic of my hat, it really is a very bright coloured red! Being in my favourite colour – since forever – worked in its’ favour the second I saw it on the Monki website. Better still, it was in the sale! I think the houndstooth skirt and turtleneck all in all make me feel like I’m channelling a look from days gone by, a little different to what I usually wear, but the skirt was too pretty to say no to! And I’m glad I didn’t, dressing a little more “ladylike” seems to me to be quite a good reason to step out of my comfort zone. xx
    
Hat – Monki, Skirt – The Little Deer, Top – American Apparel (old), Shoes – Topshop (old), Coat – Vintage, from Italy (old)
Thank you to Carrie for taking the pictures of me!
As a few of my items are things no longer available, I created a little option here if you wanted to find things similar to my outfit that are actually in shops now, have a look!
January 2nd, 2013      
Hello 2013! As this is my first post of the new year, I wish you a belated happy new year! I spent mine at Daryl’s parents house, enjoying very nice tasting Nespresso coffee, dreaming of owning my own machine so I can have nice coffee at home, and eating lots of bread and pizza and pasta! Yesterday, while the sun was still out and shining, we walked a little way up past their back garden to the railway tracks, and I just wish I could’ve snapped all the sheep that we could see from there, but very tall trees made that quite difficult! The denim shirt is a Christmas present, a super soft denim and as I haven’t got a denim shirt already – surprise surprise – it makes a really handy addition to my wardrobe. I’ve got a thing for trousers at the moment, I have my eyes on a Topshop jumpsuit that I’m hoping to get my hands on soon, and while the shoes weren’t so great for all the mud about, the cropped trousers and ballet flats look reminds me distinctly of Audrey Hepburn, which I’m sure you’ll agree is a look a lot of ladies love to emulate.
Being back home for Christmas hasn’t been quite as relaxing as I would have liked; I have 12,000 words due for next week and I’ve only just stopped working at a coffee shop in town, so it’s crunch time for me now! The only thing missing from this outfit was a vintage suitcase and a heavy dose of wanderlust, and as I visited Amsterdam so long ago last year in March, I’m certainly building up some wanderlust for this year already! xx
     
Studded Denim Shirt – Forever 21, Skinny Crop Trousers – ASOS, Patent Ballet Flats – ASOS, Coat – Italy, iPhone case – Amazon
December 26th, 2012 I know that Christmas isn’t quite over yet- it’s turkey sandwich round two for me after this – but I can’t help but think ahead to New Years’ Eve. I’m staying in this year, but I still plan to ‘dress up’, because that never requires an excuse! And while I’ll be in a dress from a recent post, The Little Deer’s Lovestruck shimmery number, I’ve been a bit clueless about the accessories – bags and shoes to be precise. So, below I’ve picked out a handful of these two items, and unintentionally picked a selection of black, nude and green!
Shoes (from top left) : Combi suede and leather strappy heel, Clarks, Mary Jane crystal heels - Topshop, Black Butterfly suede heel - Clarks, Black suede boots – Clarks, Gem crystal covered bow courts – Topshop
Bags (from top left) : Green book cover clutch – ASOS, Nude pleated satin box clutch - New Look, Green rectangle leather clutch – Love Moschino, Nude sheepskin clutch – Monki
Three of the five pairs of shoes selected are from somewhere that might seem a little unusual- Clarks! I for one have (mistakenly) associated Clarks with younger days of school shoes only, but a quick look at their selection of women’s party shoes is pretty much all you need to convince yourself they’re more than up to scratch in this department! As my selection shows, I like suede shoes, and Clarks’ shoes look super pretty in suede with the added comfort (literally) that you might be able to wear a pair of these for a little longer than your average heels; something any New Years’ Eve enjoyment requires!
I love different textures on accessories, so crystals on a pair of heels, a pretty butterfly, and sheepskin on a clutch makes the average item instantly more appealing to me. The book cover clutches ASOS have so masterfully created are huge on my lustlist, and have been for months! There a few different styles, but this green one is definitely my favourite. I’ve picked out three colours/tones that I’d love to wear myself on New Years, and hopefully the assortment here has inspired you to have a look for a new bag or pair of shoes! Sometimes just upgrading an outfit with a new accessory makes all the difference. A few of the items here are also in the sales so be sure to have a peek! Speaking of sales, I’m finally released from Christmas-present-buying and plan on snapping a few things in the Topshop sale myself… Good luck in the shops too, no one wants that ‘there’s-only-one-pair-of-shoes-but-who-got-there-first’ situation!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, however, and with whoever, you spent it! xx
P.S I’ve finally got some contact cards, a very thoughtful present from Daryl, if you’ve not already seen on my Instagram, have a peek at them here, I’d love to know which is your favourite!
December 22nd, 2012 
Shelby Sequin Jacket – Reiss, Circle Skirt – American Apparel, Glitter Ankle Socks – ASOS
 
Shirt – Vintage, Skirt – Motel, Ballet Flats – ASOS
Black Velvet Shorts – Topshop
Skinny Crop Trousers – ASOS
Dress – Sister Jane (old)
I wanted to show you a couple of my favourite looks from the ASOS Blogger Style Challenge with Reiss, along with a few photos that didn’t make the five shortlisted outfits. If you’ve yet to have a look, please pop on over, I would really love to know what you think!
The challenge was to style something for the party season, and this Reiss jacket ticks all the sequinned-boxes for Christmas and New Years! It was fun styling something I would never think in a million years would suit me, but from the second I put it on I was glad I agreed to the challenge. And a challenge it certainly was! I’m not sure why I chose to traverse across Nonsuch Park, at times in a pair of heels, changing outfits and finding different backdrops in the middle of a cold December… But alas! It worked out in the end, and I think I did okay! At times I felt pretty silly posing while dog-walkers passed, but after a while it turned into a lot more fun than I had even intended! It feels like a very grown-up jacket, super-sequin regardless, and I’m very grateful to ASOS Fashion Finder’s lovely Stacey for getting in touch with me to do this. The biggest thank you to Daryl for helping me with pretty much everything, from start to finish! xx
December 19th, 2012    
I don’t know about you, but I like me a pretty dress or two, yet never seem to break my ‘comfort zone’: sleeves, a fitted waist and a loose/shift-y bottom. And having the figure of a plain chocolate bar/celery stick/lamppost/ruler etcetc means I need a little swishy bottom to give me some shape! So when Jade from The Littler Deer – a wonderful online boutique that supports independent designers and has super cheap vintage finds – asked if I would like something a little bit special for New Years, I thought I ought to step out of my comfort zone a little bit in a bronze, shoulder pad dress from Lovestruck..!
The bronze tone is great if, like me, you don’t really like the all-out-studs-sequins-embellishment-dress. And with subtle shoulder pads and a cinched in waist, it’s very flattering on my celery stick body! While I’m sticking to the ‘comfort zone’ with a fitted waist and ‘swishy’ skirt, there are no sleeves, and I was definitely conscious about that! I spotted this weeping willow while out and about in Nonsuch Park and thought the idea of taking snaps underneath it was just wonderful- until I took my coat off and realised the ‘weeping’ branches were more of an obstruction in high wind than a romantic backdrop! At least there was some sun to warm my goosebumpy skin.
Dress – The Little Deer, Pearl bracelet – Charity shop
If you’re thinking of getting a new frock for New Years’ that won’t break the bank after the over-spending at Christmas, you should have a peek at The Little Deer’s selection. I know my new-dress woes are silenced with this one, which will be saved for my New Years’ Eve plans! Not that I’m done with Christmas just yet, I’ve a handful of last minute presents to buy and while I’m battling time with work and studying, I’ve still managed to feel pretty festive and ‘Christmassy’, I hope you do too! xx
P.S You might be seeing a little more of The Little Deer in the new year, and with such overlapping names, it was more or less inevitable, don’t you think..!
P.P.S ..Follow my blog with Bloglovin!
Thank you Jade!
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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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