The hunt for the perfect maxi skirt.

For the last few summers I have wanted one thing: the perfect maxi skirt. I'm rather short and not exactly a skinny mini so if I'm honest I feel I resemble a house in them... a very wide house. I initially wanted a jersey one however made my hips look far to wide and then last year I wanted a pleated one but dear god my arse is too large for that. So anyway I had resigned myself to a maxi-skirt-less life. But, this season I noticed something different. Instead of bulky wades of fabric, the high street are offering chiffon maxi's, with short skirts underneath with splits up the thighs. Meaning a bit of flesh was still on show and the dreaded bulk is somewhat avoided. Suddenly I knew my prayers had been answered.

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1. This beauty is my ultimate love, I found it in the Zara store in Milton Keynes, however it was the only one left and the zip was buggered and the sales woman said that Zara refuses to discount damaged clothing (SHAME ON YOU ZARA). I went on a search in Manchester and online and I had friends in Leeds, Bournemouth and Sheffield looking for it but I couldn't find it ANYWHERE however when I was in London for my birthday I found it!!! The only issue being it's a size too big but I bought it anyways and hopefully the mother can take it in. 
2. Before I found the Zara one in London I went on a hunt for a similar one, I found this ASOS beauty but yet again IT WAS SOLD OUT IN MY SIZE - que me having a minor breakdown over my unluckiness. However my lovely mother kept checking ASOS on the sly every 5 mins and eventually a size 10 came back in stock and she surprised me with it on my birthday! Ta Mum. 
3. I'm loving my coral however I'm defs thinking a black one is needed in my wardrobe EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD IN BLACK and I have this weird thing where I like to buy the same thing or very similar in various colours.

Anyway they are, I tend to wear them with a block colour I'm especially loving them worn with this black crop top from Blue Rinse as there is the perfect amount of skin left showing. I then wear this simple collar necklace from H and M and I'm good to go.

What I love so much is that depending on the weather (which is extremely variable in England) or occasion I can style them up or down...

For dinner or drinks with friends/fam//boyf I accessorise with my Zara beaded clutch and these white wedges from Topshop. They're so beaut however after a rather *ahem* intoxicated night out they're a bit scuffed but ho hum I still love them.

For sunnier days (these are few and far between but sometimes miracles do happen and we have sun) I wear them with this statement Zara Clutch and River Island sandals. 

For the more common rainy and nippy days I whack on my trusty Topshop Ambush boots and Mulberry Alexa neither of which ever fail to complete an outfit. 

So all in all they're versatile, can be worn day or night with heels or flats. They're also perfect for work, I'm interning at a magazine publishing company this summer and although it's fairly casual I dont't want to rock up in stupidly short vintage Levi's as it may be slightly inappropriate to flash the ol' bum cheeks at work. 

Kathryn x 

I'm baaaacckkkk and THANK YOU.

I have been a massive slacker with the ol' blogging malarchy so apologies for that. However I have been very busy as it has been exam time/ my birthday/ the end of my first year at uni. So for the past few weeks I've been finishing exams/ coming home to celebrate the birthday with the fam, boyf and home friends then to London then back to Manchester for Parklife, a festival in a park right next to my halls. 

These are just a few pics from Parklife, it was ammaazinnnggg, it's got me buzzing for global! I had SUCH a good time and was a brilliant end to the best year of my life. It was only about 70 quid for a ticket and saw people like Nero, Noah and Whale, Dizzee Rascal, Justice, Labrinth, Delilah ... amaze. 


Anyway I will be back on the blogging now I'm officially freeee for summer and just wanted to say a massive massive THANK YOU as I have currently reached over 100 followers which is so lovely and I know not impressive for a lot but for me the fact any of you follow is a massive mystery/ achievement. So thank you!!!


Kathryn x

Clutch Loving.

I couldn't help myself in London yesterday, my spending ban just went right out the window and I picked up these two beauties. I won't lie I'm not particularly a bag person however I was given the beaut Mulberry Alexa for my birthday last year and I have literally used it everyday since. However when I go out I have a few crappy old things I simply make do with. So I decided I needed more statement bags that make people go 'wow' rather than just bland bleaughh bags. So when I walked into Zara on Oxford Street yesterday I was in heaven (I apologise yet again for my Zara obsession, I have a genuine problem, I just love their clothes too much!), what surrounded me was a collection of embellished clutches that I knew had to find their way into my wardrobe. 

First off is this little number. I'm a sucker for any form of aztec print and this is a very subtle but beautiful hint towards aztec. I have never seen anything like it and it's perfect to make an LBD on a night out a little more interesting. I love the mix of colours as I would never be brave enough to wear such a vibrant orange.

Secondly I bought this less striking but no less beautiful clutch. It being slightly bigger than the first bag I can see myself using it not just in the evening but during the day too with a simple white dress, gladiators and a tan or with denim shorts and a floral blouse. It has an almost boho feel to it and could definitely imagine Sienna Millar with it! 

So those are the two beauties I bought yesterday however there is a gorgeous turquoise, pearl embellished one which is very Chanel Spring/ Summer 2012 that I will be getting my mitts on it as soon as my student loan comes through!

Kathryn x

Button Up.

I took a cheeky trip to London today, I'm skint and technically on a shopping ban so I only bought a few bits and bobs. I have previously spoken about my love of a good ol’ buttoned up studded collar in my last post, its smart whilst remaining edgy and makes a plain shirt look a bit more on trend. As beautiful as my Zara babies are, I thought I’d try the buttoned up shirt with some different collar accessories to jazz them up.

Firstly I thought I’d try collar tips and I found this beauty today in, you guessed it, Zara (I promise I shop at other places but I cannot physically help myself, all their clothes are right up my street). It ticks the pastel box for Spring/Summer 2012 but I think the collar tips are just adorable so much so I had to briefly forget about my spending ban. 

Secondly I thought why not try the choker style collar necklaces which seem to be filling high street shops at the minute. Their beauty is in their simplicity as they can work on a variety of shirts from plain or patterned to long sleeve or short sleeve shirts. This one is from H and M for a mere £6.99 and adds an instant update to a simple button up shirt. At such a barginous price I couldn't say no. This shirt is from yonks ago from New Look but the collar necklace makes it instantly 'now'.

So button up ladies and jazz up your collars!


Kathryn x

All Coupled Up.

So for just over a year I have been suffering some serious label lust, the label at the heart of my obsession is The Kooples. The french brand is created by the three sons of the creators of Comptoir des Cotonniers and the brothers themselves have now created a label full of smart tailoring with a rock and roll edge which is inherently cool.


You may have seen the advertising campaigns plastered across taxi’s in London and Paris and it is these advertising campaigns that really make The Kooples stand out and have phenomenal success across Europe. The brand use real life couples to model their clothes however we’re not talking average couples you see walking around the local shopping center on a Saturday. These pairs are breathtakingly beautiful and are pretty much all models, musicians, actors, dj's or something equally cool. The brand has perfectly hit on the consumers subconscious, who wouldn’t want to be part of an uber beautiful uber stylish Koople? ‘Buy our clothes and you can be’.

There is a definite unisex element to their collections but not in the same way as say Americal Apparel. It plays on a couple borrowing each others blazers or slouchy tee’s resulting in a partly androgynous collection erring on masculine. However at the same time subtle feminine touches are added to their womenswear in the form of skull lace and scalloped edges. Their tailoring is created in London’s famous Saville Row resulting in extremely high quality pieces.  

Price wise, The Kooples most definitely is not high street however it is not ultra high end either. The price point is around that of other Parisian labels such as Sandro or Maje meaning the clothes don’t come cheap however their clothes are extremely wearable meaning you get your moneys worth especially considering the high quality of the garments. 

I have only a few items from The Kooples because as a student it is well and truly out of my budget however 2 items I got for christmas presents and actually the sale prices are pretty brilliant. This long sleeved top was 40% off in a store in Nice in France making it around 45 quid! The next two items were decidedly more pricey however I have worn both pieces to death. The skull lace of this top is absolutely gorge and has been brought in this season in pastel shades which is definitely on my birthday list. But my ultimate buy from there has got to be this amazing leather jacket which I have worn every single day since I received it for christmas, it looks amazing with vintage levi shorts and a tee during the day or paired with an lbd for dinner and drinks.

And I’m not the only one seriously loving The Kooples from TV presenters like Caroline Flack to A-listers like Rachel Bilson, the Kooples has a serious celeb following. The oh so stylish girls of Made in Chelsea are often spotted wearing pieces looking sexy and stylish but over everything just looking ridiculously cool.

Up in Manchester we are lucky enough to have a Kooples stand alone store and both Selfridges and House of Fraser stock concessions so after uni, I tend to spend far too much time having a nose at the collection. Also if the clothes aren’t enough of an incentive to have a look, the staff too tend to be ahem rather easy on the eye, ie they are ridiculously beautiful...win.

Kathryn x