ombre shirt - All Saints (similar style here)
diy ripped hem jeans - Zara (inspired by this pair)
taupe suede snapback - Topman (click here)
longline tee - Topman (similar style here)
logo slider flip flops - Slydes (click here)
Thought id bring you something a little different in the fact I'm not wearing head to toe black in this look which is actually quite a challenge for me. I decided to play around with neutral tones, ombre techniques and rougher finishes which were inspired by the sea and beach where I usually take my photos. Im really pleased with how my DIY turned out on these Zara jeans from a few seasons ago which I was inspired to do with a pair from this season which I love. With the addition of the slides, I think it makes the outfit look a little bit more modern and edgy without being too distracting from the muted tones.
What do you think of this look? What would you pair these pieces with? Let me know below or on social media using #IYAAJAY
Until next time,
Jay
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Ah Autumn and Winter, you've not waited long to change the weather have you? As the nights grow darker quicker and the temperatures plummet lower, the shops are crammed with some of the biggest trends for this season and I've selected 3 of my personal favourites to share with you guys.
Bombers have proved to be the coat of the year and have shown no signs of slowing down for this AW too. Make sure to hunt down two of the biggest trends of this jacket in either a thicker fabric, such as this Zara one which looks almost identical to this Burberry number. If this shorter jacket isn't for you, why not try ASOS's longline quilted bomber which is perfect for winter layering. I think the Zara one would make an incredible dressed up piece, nailing this years smarter approach to outerwear and the ASOS one wouldn't look out of place with a downtime look, perfect for another one of this seasons big trend of comfort and function.
AW is always very coat heavy and this seasons must have material? Suede.
Suede is a tricky material to pull off so make sure to keep to classic styles and colours to allow it to fit into your wardrobe without hesitation and issue. Zara yet again is nailing this seasons coats with their genuine suede belted mac style jacket which would look great teamed with a bolder colour underneath or teamed with autumnal colours. If real suede is a little bit of a sticking point for you, don't fear! ASOS have you covered with their faux suede biker. The biker is a classic style that lends itself nicely to the suede and is a welcome edition to the traditional heavy leather. Pair it simply with denim and plain pieces for a perfect go to look.
Khaki yet again reigns supreme this season, taking over where camel took off and looks great instead of the traditional brown when it comes to accessories. Topman's khaki fedora would look great with any hair colouring as it adds warmth to your skin and also looks great when paired with other autumnal colours. ASOS's khaki suede boots nail two trends in one and also would look great paired with a more rock inspired outfit featuring ripped denim and a lot of darker colours.
What will you be wearing this upcoming season? Let me know below!
Until next time guys,
Jay
I love a good investment piece, I really do.
However my bank balance really, really doesn't.
So why not shop around and be clever with your money.
For example, I adore the classic Burberry Sandringham Trench which is an iconic staple but with an incredibly eye watering price for essentially a cotton coat. I know this piece is incredibly well made, goes with everything, and will NEVER ever date, but I really can't justify a near £1300 price tag which makes me want to wince, collapse on the floor and cry whilst stroking the sleeve on my face.
I got to work tracking down the dupe of all dupes and surprisingly worked out an entire outfit for less then probably what the price of two sleeves and a handful of buttons could buy me from Burberry.
I can't quite believe this outfit comes in at £980.01 cheaper then just one coat. £980.01! Its an insane amount of money saved just from shopping around then splurging on one item.
First off I set to work tracking down the perfect dupe of a trench and I discovered this ASOS Lightweight Trench Coat in Stone which to me, looks identical to the Burberry one albeit without the belt but heck! who uses the belt on a trench anyway? For £60 I couldn't quite believe how well constructed and smart it looks and would definitely be snapped up by me if I had the chance. I then thought about what else to pair it with and didn't want to go ultra minimal with the colours but I didn't want to go too seasonal either so I feel like I got a great balance between clothing and accessories. Next up I found the ASOS Super Longline Knitted T-shirt with Mock Shirt Hem which is the perfect layering piece as you don't get the bulk but you get the look of layers which is perfect for me because I find layering incredibly fiddly and hot. You can't go wrong with an incredibly tight pair of jeans (well, depends on where you stand on how tight is too tight) and Topman do some incredible Black Super Spray on Skinny Jeans which won't break the bank and look/fit better then other high end brands. For accessories I kept with the autumnal theme as its soon approaching. For the bag, I found this Burberry AW15 inspired suede tote from Zara which Im actually lusting after but I'm trying to muster the courage to spend £109 on whats essentially a unsafe bag but oh well! I surprised myself by finding this All Saints Bronson Fedora for £30! Yep you read correctly, something from All Saints that isn't going to break your bank and hit you right in the guilt which has happened to me many,many times before. I also found these H&M Leather Chelsea Boots which actually look like they could be from a higher end brand and also look like they're age beautifully with time too.
If you like these ideas of styling, let me know and Ill try and do more of them using different key, higher priced items and how to get the look for less!
Until next time guys,
Jay
Ah Autumn and Winter, how I love you. As I type this (wearing the traditional blogger get up of pjs, glasses on and hair out the face å la topknot) the weather has dramatically changed over the past couple of weeks and is beginning to feel like that certain season. With the shops filling with christmas goods and full force winter wear, Ive teamed up with Absolute Vintage to bring you my ideal A/W look and a special giveaway for one of you lucky readers to win a £25 online voucher.
Nothing is better in A/W then a trusty coat, so step forward the traditional Barbour. This vintage International is a investment worthy of gold status, and with the right care, will see you through the coldest, wettest winters for many years. The best thing is, the style of this coat is so classic and versatile, it can be teamed with pretty much anything and still look incredibly stylish.
A/W rule: Comfort is king. So whats better then a oversized draped tee? Zara's new Dark Collection offers the perfect one in a rich almost burnished grey tone which will be perfect against a multitude of winter tones such as burgundy and forest green. With its faux leather appliqué on the shoulders, this would be perfect teamed with a darker boot and your favourite jeans for a perfect off duty look, finished off with a beanie and trusty rucksack.
With a rebellious edge still proving strong for A/W, these ripped jeans will make a perfect accompaniment for even the smartest shirt and jumper combo which gives off an inexplicable Christmas vibe. River Island is perfect for denim, not only is it incredibly comfortable due to the stretch (1% elastane gives enough give without suffocating your legs) and would look great styled with tough boots to even the most put together brogue or loafer. A true all season staple!
Every guy needs that ever trusty backpack thats perfect for storing the A/W essentials (this year mine will include the humble beanie, a old faithful plaid shirt and an adaptable thinner knit scarf in a soft cashmere or angora). This hardy Zara back candy is roomy enough without looking bulky. With a multitude of pockets and a slight edge å la Saint Laurent, this is the best example for this season.
Now, I couldn't choose between these two so in all fairness, I decided to feature both. The Chelsea boots would be perfect for crisp days wondering around, taking in all the winter sights (London is a key visit every year) and the Originals would serve a great purpose for long walks and grabbing a drink at a local pub, a perfect winter warm up. DM's are also a serious investment, like a leather jacket, they get better with age and will see you through even the toughest A/W conditions.
Now for the fun part! THE GIVEAWAY
T&C's
The competition is being run by me and Absolute Vintage. The winner will receive a £25 online voucher to spend at Absolute Vintage. The winner will be contacted by me and I will pass on the details on behalf of the winner to Absolute Vintage and announced on both mine and Absolute Vintage's Twitter on the 31st October. The giveaway will run from 11am on the 24th October and will conclude at 11am on the 31st October so it will give you an exact week to enter!
¡Hola
As you can tell by the theme of this post, I have just come back from a week long holiday in Spain, and I thought I'd share with you what I picked up from Duty Free and a trip to Barcelona
Alexander Wang
This t-shirt, complete with leather pocket, gives enough rocker edge without being too try-hard, yet looks amazing dressed up and down. However, if your budget can't stretch to £113 for a updated basic tee, then heres some high street heroes that fit the bill.
Topman
Im such a huge fan of this t-shirt after purchasing it after seeing the Alexander Wang version, as its such a versatile piece. I wear mine with either a neutral pair of shorts and bold shoes, or with skin tight jeans and trainers. This t-shirt is usually really hard to get hold of online, but recently got more stock in so get a move on before they all go!
Zara
If you want something a bit more daring, then I suggest the Zara number which has a larger pleather area which gives it more of a edgy vibe as seen by Givenchy, Balenciaga as well as Alexander Wang, who all seem to be a part of the uniform of the 2013 fashion pack each Fashion Week.
Tuesday- I know I've already said about this OOTD but I thought I'd include it again. This outfit consisted of my Nike burgundy Blazers (Buy Similar Here), my Topman Leather pocket high-roller tee (Buy Here) and my stone chino shorts (Buy Here). The music is by my favourite band of the moment, Haim, and is taken from their upcoming album which I'm so excited for. That day just involved running errons and being lazy (as per) but I also liked my outfit so had to post it!
Saturday- I spent the day in Lewes, rummaging through the antique shops and stuffing my face with stuff from Bills Cafe who do amazing fresh food which is stunning (highly recommend the homemade fish finger sandwich and skinny fries). Whilst rummaging, I stumbled apon this vintage fish eye mirror which was an eye-watering £45 so I though this was a perfect selfie moment! Yesterdays outfit was my Zara pleather biker jacket (Buy Here) and some Zara slouch trousers (Buy Similar Here) with my Topman denim shirt (Buy Here), Cambridge Satchel Company satchel in 15'' Oxblood, which I still get complimented on (Buy Here) and my latest purchase as of Thursday, my new iPhone 5 with Vans case, which I'll do a full review on after a week!
Another week, another set of videos and photos. What a week its been too, with Tuesday tipping it down with rain, the ceiling literally coming down in my house Wednesday (long story but read Update 30/6 Watching, Wearing, Wanting & Waterworks which'll explain the basis) but atleast the weekend was hotter then expected and also allowed for some new finds and purchases (Wont be doing a haul of that, even though its TK Maxx and everyone loves a TK Maxx haul, most of my purchases were boxers, and they certainly aren't being put on here! even though I did a major deal on a Molton Brown skincare set from £56.00 to £19.99 but the best deal was a BCBGMAXAZRIA dress my mum picked up for £30 which was originally $260 which is £170 CRAZY)
Monday
Jumper- Brian Lichtenberg (Buy Here)
Shorts- Topman (Buy Here)
Shoes- Nike (Buy Similar Here)
Bag- Cambridge Satchel Company (Buy Here)
Glasses- Ray Ban (Buy Frames Here) I got mine however from Vision Express
Earcuff- Maria Francesca Pepe (Buy Similar Here)
Music is 'Everything is Embarrassing' by Sky Ferrera
Tuesday
Jacket- Zara (Buy Here)
Shirt- Topman (Buy Here)
Trousers- Zara (Buy Similar Here)
Bag- As Seen Previously
Boots- Republic (A/W 10)
Music is 'Blue Jeans (Smims&Belle Extended Remix)' by Lana Del Rey & Azealia Banks
Sunday
Snapback- Only NY
Earcuff- As Seen Previously
Vest- River Island (Buy Here)
Rings L to R
Gold Above Knuckle Band- Vintage
Silver Above Knuckle Bands- Silver Scene Brighton
