Shirt | Topshop (similar)
Leggings | Internacionale
Trainers | Nike SB (similar)
Necklace | eBay

This shirt has to be one of my absolute favourite things in my wardrobe. I picked it up in the Topshop sale probably about 3 years ago and it's still going strong! It's got a kind of brushed cotton finish; that fluffy feel has faded a bit with age unfortunately, but it's still a great staple shirt to throw over a vest top for autumn.

I haven't worn these leggings in agessss, they're still a bit big for me, but they're really comfy and are a way more intersting than you're bog standard black leggings with the faux leather panelling. My nikes are another thing I bought literally yonks ago that have lasted me forever. Probably almost 5 years actually?! Making them totally worth the 50 odd pounds I paid for them. I've linked some from the website I got my own ones from - I love basically all the Nike SB trainers, they're such great quality!

I'm still hunting for a good place to take phots in this house! The lighting in my room is definitely not good enough - I had to edit these loads for them to come out half decent!

Ps. Stephanie from Faiiint and I were discussing potentially organising a midlands style / fashion blogger meet up - if anyone would be interested / has any ideas comment below or tweet me (@robynmayday)!

29.9.12

Tartan-y check shirt

*paid post


   Personally, I'm not someone who is all too fussed about buying designer labels or premium brands. A) I just don't have the money and B) I'm more than happy with high street alternatives. However, looking at the sale and clearance departments of both high street and online stores that sell these brands and labels is usually pretty tempting. As you can see from the items I've featured above, you can get some huge discounts on world famous names in fashion. Cruise stock a whole range of brands and labels - my favourite from their current sale are these Just Cavalli leggings - reduced from £110 to £33, that's 70% off!

Yes, these clothes are likely to be from a collection that is now deemed 'old' in the fashion world, but the pieces I've picked out are great, functional additions to any wardrobe that's calling out for some designer names. They aren't in any way solely reflective of last seasons trends - black jeans are a staple for any wardrobe, the print on the leggings makes them a little more quirky, the novelty t-shirt is cute, the belt is classic and the dress has an unusual cut and print. See? They're all really quite classic pieces.

   It's not just the internet that's a super way of sourcing reduced designer products. I like to visit my local designer outlet a couple of times a year and pick up a few bargains. In my experience, the majority these outlets aren't often filled with big name, sought after designers such as the ones featured here, but they still offer brilliant discounts on numerous brands, from high street to designer.

Do you ever splash your cash on full priced designer pieces or do you hunt through the sales and outlets?
25.9.12

Bagging Branded / Designer Clothing For Less


Top | Primark
Jumper | Topshop
Jeggings | Topshop
Boots | Dr Martens
Bag | Primark

   Oh. Hello Primark spiked collar top round 2. The koala shirt was returned the other week and in place of it I found this lovely little number! I spotted the white version of it on Skye's blog, Cream Tea Fashion. I'm a bit obsessed with black, so when I saw it in white and black in store, naturally, I gravitated towards the black version! It goes perfectly under my new Topshop jumper. My bag is a new purchase from Primark too, yep, I'm edging on living in Primark these days. It's the Zara imitation bag, usually £12 but I nabbed mine for £10 (it has two minor scuffs)

  Well, I'm in my new house at uni now! So this will be the last garden shot until Christmas now, sad times. I'm going to assess where will be best to take photos over the next few days. I don't have a garden this year, yet I'm living in a proper house... odd... yes. So expect a lack of greenery in the coming outfit posts!
23.9.12

Primark Spiked Collar Top Round Two

 

Tunic  |  Nail Varnish  |  Ring  |  Bracelet  |  Shoes

   I've seen a few bloggers having a go at this competition hosted by FashionVouchers.com to win £50 of Boohoo vouchers. I love putting together outfits, so putting one together with the possibility of winning a voucher from one of my favourite online fashion retailers was an opportunity I was not going to miss out on!

   The main reason that I browse the Boohoo website so often (... far too often) is because of their incredible prices. I didn't even have to scour the clearance section of the Boohoo website to put together this outfit, all for the unbelievablely bargain price of £44 - forty four pounds - a testament to their brilliant pricing! If you popped into a highstreet shop such as Topshop or River Island you would expect to pay £44 just for just a tunic. You'd have no chance of affording shoes, jewellery and nail varnish too for under £50! Talking of the tunic, I think the print is perfect for AW. The paisley adds a vintage tinge to the outfit and by adding the spiked shoes there's a grungy edge to it too.

   The outfitit's casual and comfortable and the bold print on the tunic is super eye-catching - I love it! Once the colder weather hits, I think this would look perfect with a leather biker jacket over the top and a pair of opaque tights.

   I've never really thought of lookin gon Boohoo for jewellery until now, but I love these pieces. They can be mixed and matched with any outfit, just the ticket. I can't believe I had enough budget left to add a nail varnish too! This colour is gorgeous and helps to tie the whole outfit together.

   What do you think of the outfit?

Ps. I'm moving back to uni today (hooray for post scheduling!) so I may not post as frequently at the end of this week. I hope everyone else heading back to uni / to uni for the first time has a brilliant start to their term!
19.9.12

The £44 Outfit: Boohoo.com

 Jumper | Glamorous
Jeans | Motel at Ark
Hat | Amazon
Bag | New Look
Boots | eBay
Ring | New Look
Cuff Bracelet | Miss Selfridge

Not the most inspiring name for the outfit / trend, but I didn't want to call it clashing prints as I actually think these two go surprisingly well together. The jumper is a beautiful baroque print (I love this colourway!) and it just so happens to be called 'Robyn', so I had to feature it! I think it'll be a great alternative to the usual 'christmas' jumpers that are, horrifyingly, already on sale in Primark... I'm sure this would take you all the way through to February! It's not cheap, but it's a jumper that I can see never being 'out-of-fashion', as such.

These chelsea boots with a chunky heel have been everywhere since Topshop released the Allegra's - tons of the replicas feature spikes; something popular this season, but trends don't last forever (as we all know too well!), so I think these are a cannier buy and are brilliant for £19.99. I was drawn to silver jewellery for this outfit, something that rarely happens actually! The cuff is an absolute bargain from the Miss Selfridge sale. I think it's become one of the go-to sale racks for style bloggers by the sound of things!

As we're coming into autumn now, it only seemed right to add a hat to the outfit. I'll be stocking up on hats from Amazon and eBay soon to prevent my hair from going cave-woman on me in the wind and rain that autumn and winter (so kindly) bring.
17.9.12

Less Spend, On Trend: Mixing Prints

 Top | Topshop
Jacket | New Look teens
Jeans | Topshop: Jamie fit from charity shop
Shoes | Matalan
Necklaces | eBay and car boot
Bracelet | eBay

   I went shopping last Wednesday, so I just wanted a comfortable, casual outfit. It actually turned out to be a bit of a scorcher that day! A warning to anyone with a jacket like this one - don't bother wearing it on a hot day. Mine's pretty lightweight, so the perfect jacket for a warm but windy day, but oh no. The sleeves make it feel like your arms are roasting in carrot oil whilst you're stood on the equator.

   I completely forgot I had this top until I was stalking through  Ashllyd (if you haven't come across it before, you must be living under a huge massive rock), and saw her wearing it in this post. It's one of those tops that I wore a lot (probably too much) when I first bought it, but then it got lost at the back of my drawer. I'm glad I've rediscovered it though, as it's the kind of top that will go with anything.

   I hope you all have a great weekend! I'm ill at the moment (that's why this is quite an old outfit from last week!) so I'm staying in and trying to decide on my dissertation topic (... failing a bit at that!!).
15.9.12

Never Wear Leather in The Sun.

Top | Boohoo*
Shorts | DIY Levi's
Tights | eBay
Jacket | Boohoo
Boots | Daisystreet
Bag | Primark
Necklace | eBay

Autumn has to be my favourite season fashion-wise. The mix of weather that we get in the UK in Autumn means that the vast majority of the items in my wardrobe can be put to use in the season - especially if you're clever with how you wear things.

I got the chance to take a peek at the Boohoo A/W12 Lookbook - it really reflected my own way of transitioning from Summer to Autumn and from Autumn to Winter. Boohoo have so many pieces that are ideal for layering (I love a good bit of layering!). Here's Boohoo's guide to A/W12 trends. My favourite is Utility Luxe as I'm really into khaki at the moment! It's worth checking out their New In page too if you're looking to add to your wardrobe for this season, as new pieces are being added constantly!

Onto the outfit - I'll start off by saying I love this top. It's such a brilliant buy for £18. It's one of those things that look good on the website and even better in person. The sleeves and back of the top are a fine knit, with subtle elbow patches and a dipped hem back. The front panel is opaque and silky with a leopard print, the shades of the print are so gorgeous together in this khaki version, but it's available in black too.


13.9.12

Transition to Autumn: Boohoo A/W12 Collection

Jumper | Topshop
Denim Shirt | Topman
Skirt | Woownow
Belt | Matalan
Shoes | Converse

   Here it is, the jumper I bought that makes me look a bit like a sack of potatoes. It's not flattering, but it is versatile and cosy. It was expensive. Oh dear.

   It's this Topshop knitted grunge textured jumper. It'd probably have been a better idea for them to describe it as a tight mesh knit, that's a better way of describing the pattern on it. I had to get an 8 in it as it's so oversized - I'm usually a 10, if not a 12 in jumpers. Don't get me wrong, I like oversized, I like comfy, but not to the extent that I could fit another person in the jumper with me!

   I wish this skirt was a bit more high waisted! I do love it, but it's quite short, even when I wear it on my hips (as you can see above). Wow, this is turning into a general moan about this outfit... On a brighter note, I am so obsessed with this gold spiked necklace from New Look. I can't find it online, but they still had it in my local store earlier this week.

   After all my talk of cats, I thought it was about time to show you one! This is Dillon and he's a bit ugly, but has the biggest personality of any animal I've ever come across. He does have his cute moments though, he puts his head up like this to give me a kiss! N'awww.
12.9.12

The Sack-of-Potatoes Jumper

   I love a good competition and this one from Money Supermarket is certainly no exception! Money Supermarket emailed me a few days ago about their Passion for Fashion competition. The overall winner will get their hands on an iPad 3 and £1000 - needless to say, that is an incredible prize! The challenge is to put together 5 outfits for 5 different occasions for AW12,each for under £200. You need to justify the choices you have made too - why are they great value, how are they suited to the Great British weather and how do they fit AW12 trends? As someone who loves putting together outfits, this was the perfect challenge for me, so here are my entries! All totals shown are prior to applying discount codes, so if you can't receive student discount, don't worry! Let me know what your favourite is and what you're lusting after for your AW12 wardrobe.


Casual
Jumper | Vila at Ark
Blouse | Fashion Union
Jeans | Topshop
Bag | Amazon 
Boots | Dr Marten at Cloggs
Bracelet | F21
Necklace | Miss Selfridge
 Total | £177.62

I love that Dr Martens are a British brand - their designs are perfect for the British weather! Their well made and long lasting shoes are ideal for traipsing through puddles and the brand are known for producing their classic shoe designs. You that you definitely get what you pay for. The quality is second to none so the price tag is pretty reasonable. The grungy look these cherry red Docs add to the outfit is great for AW12, as are the khaki Topshop jeans. Topshop jeans are the most long lasting jeans I've ever bought for under £40! As I student I can get 10% off these jeans, making them £36. The £19.99 jumper looks cosy and would look so cute with the lace collar of the blouse peeping out the top. Being a comedy genius I thought the necklace was appropriate (especially for £6.50) - 'weather for ducks!'... hilarious aren't I?! The bag is a bargain at £9.99 - it's a versatile piece, with an autumnal feel to it. Kate Moss was photographed wearing a similar bag in black made by Louis Vuitton - so this is a steal!

   




Office
Watch | ASOS
Dress | Own The Runway
Jacket | Topshop
Boots | Daisystreet
Ring | F21
Bag | Daisystreet 
Total | £199.12

I've come to love the khaki trend and I think that it's a great colour for office wear, as it's both professional and on trend. The dress takes the outfit towards a military feel, it's incredible for £25.99.  The satchel (only £19.99) looks similar to the Cambridge Satchel Company bags, but it's 15% of the price! Although the jacket may seem expensive it would smarten up any outfit and is so on trend with the quilted patterning on it, adding a vintage feel, but at the same time has a modern edge with the leather-like finish and gold stud detailing. If you're a student you could grab £8.50 off the full price!




First Date
Top | Glamorous
Skirt | Topshop
Boots | Daisystreet
Bag | River Island
Belt | River Island
Necklace | Topshop
Bracelet | Miss Selfridge
Umbrella | Amazon
Tights | Amazon
Total | £168.46

Choosing a first date outfit is always a tricky task. Personally, I'd try to not be overwhelmingly out-there fashion-wise. But it's still important to feel like feel confident and comfortable in what you're wearing. An oxblood skirt is an on trend piece and it's also really versatile. Dinner out or going to the cinema - I think it's perfect in both cases. The bracelet (£4) is a cute accessory for a date - it might help your date out a bit if they forget your name! It's from Miss Selfridge, who sell brilliant jewellery at really reasonable prices. Opaque tights are ideal for the colder months. You can buy them really cheaply too, these were £2.99. An umbrella is always a sensible item in autumn or winter! To keep your hair and makeup to perfect a dome umbrella is a great choice. At £15.99 it's a small and smart investment for something you'll probably be using every day.

Outdoor
Jumper | Oh My Love
Jacket | H&M
Trousers | Motel Rocks
Boots | H&M
Bag | Amazon
Hat | H&M
Ring | H&M
Total |  £168.96

A beanie is a must have for AW to me. Having long hair I find it ends up a complete mess without a hat to shield it from the wind a rain. The berry colours here are perfect for AW and I love the shade alongside leather. The leather jacket and boots add a slightly gothic feel to the outfit. I love the waxed finish of the jacket, it makes it a bit different to your standard leather jacket. The jumper softens the look a little and is almost identical to the 3D flower jumper sold by American Apparel but is half the price! Jewellery and accessories are consistently well priced at H&M - the ring and hat are £3.99 each. H&M often also have voucher codes that you can use online too, they can be easily found with a quick search online. The bag is quite an obvious dupe for the Zara bucket bag but is only £18 - such a great deal!



Party
Dress | Warehouse at John Lewis
Clutch | New Look
Shoes | Steve Madden at New Look
Spike Anklets | ASOS
Linked Cuff and Bangle| ASOS
Ring | River Island
Eyelashes | Eylure at River Island
Total | £166.98

These Steve Madden wedges are absolute beauties and incredible value for a renowned designer. If you're a student and can wait a couple more weeks to buy these you'll be able to grab 20% off of them from New Look, taking them down to £51.99. They often offer this just as students are heading back to uni (a bit sneaky, they clearly know we sometimes decide to frivolously spend our loans!).  The ASOS spiked anklets are a quirky touch, ideal for AW12, as is the linked bracelet and cuff. ASOS' free delivery is a bonus that I exploit all too often! For £7.99 the clutch amazing - it looks much more expensive than it is! The Warehouse dress is such a gorgeous statement and the gold studs tie in with the rest of the jewellery. It seems perfect for a Christmas party or a night out. Needless to say, the eyelashes are an essential addition to any party outfit! They're reusable, so for a fiver they're a brilliant buy.


10.9.12

Passion for Fashion: 5 Outfits, 5 Occasions


   Whilst watching Celebrity Juice the other day I suddenly realised I hadn't had a gander at her new collection, so I headed over to the Very.co.uk website to look at the new Fearne Cotton collection. Bit of a sad means of realisation, but there you go! There were so many quirky and beautiful pieces - as I thought there would be! A further few minutes of snooping  on the Very site unveiled Jameela Jamil's collection for Very, Jam.

   I'm sure most Britons will have caught Jameela presenting T4 on Channel 4. But she also writes a column in Company, which is brilliantly blunt and hilarious. One story I remember in particular expressed her frustration at her kitten peeing everywhere, something I'm sure all pet owners can empathise with!  I'll move on swiftly from that topic...!

   I think she's simply gorgeous and she just so happens to have brilliant style (no wonder she was offered to do a clothing collection!). She's also a size 12, a normal size - something I find so refreshing as a female caught up in watching TV, reading magazines and being generally bombarded by images of super-thin young women from left and right.

   This is her first ever collection and I think you'll agree, she's done an incredible job! My personal favourites are the three pieces above. What do you make of the collection?
8.9.12

Jam by Jameela Jamil for Very.co.uk



   I thought it was about time I made a Less Spend, On Trend post that didn't just focus on casual pieces. I thought it might be helpful for some of you who have jobs / live in the real world (I don't yet. One more year of student life *cries a little*) but have limited budgets.

   My favourtie piece is definitely the jacket. I think it's the perfect jacket for AW12 - the cut is gorgeous and adds a vintage feel with a hint of military in there too. I thought that the dress was quite individual looking in terms of the combination of the print and the style. It's got a nice little vintage vibe to it with a modern edge.

   The bag is worth a click too! I can't believe all the different colourways this bag comes in. For £3.99 this bag is even more ridiculously cheap than something from Primark!

  The vintage trend isn't something that I'm particularly taken by. I'm more into vintage looking accessories or prints rather than, say, a 50's style dress. How do you feel about the trend and what do you think of the bargain pieces I've picked here?
6.9.12

Less Spend, On Trend: Monochromatic Vintage

Jacket | New Look (teens section)
Shirt | Primark
Belt | Primark (came with some trousers!)
Skirt | Matalan (teens section)
Boots | Dr Martens

   This is the studded koala print shirt I got from Primark. I have to say I'm a bit gutted with the fit - but I always seem to be with these tops. I swear all buttoned shirts and blouses are made for people with nice little boobs. Mine aren't that big really but I find that the buttons over my boobs gape (definitely not a shirt to wear with just a bra underneath!) even with the slightest movement of my arms. I picked up a 14 today to try too, but still, the gape-age continues. It also hangs rather unflatteringly too from my boobs (tent-look, yay!), unless I tuck it into something. I do really love the print though, so I'm still deciding whether to return it or not. What do you guys think?

   I should also add that I have never worn so much ivory / cream / off white shades together like this in my life. The fabrics are quite girly too - lace and chiffon - it would just feel far too girly and delicate for me of it's teamed it with a pair of flats! So I've added the right amount of grungy-ness with the jacket and boots to make it Robyn-ish (in my little head).

A very very quick, minuscule reminder that I have a Facebook page for le blog now - so click here to go to the Robyn Mayday  Facebook page, if you liked it you'd make me more delighted than my cat is when she's given a malteeser.  

   PS.    Oh Blogger, how you surprise me in the most cruel ways. Basically I'd already written this post yesterday, but Blogger decided to erase everything I wrote in the draft today. Brilliant! So from now on I'm saving every post in a Word file until I publish it! Sort it out Google nerds.

5.9.12

Ivory and Khaki

   I'm sure you've all spotted other bloggers sporting the Matalan and Primark alternatives to the Topshop Vectras. I actually have the Matalan flats, but they need wearing in! All I seem to have found is black studded loafers. A bit samey really. However, in Exeter the other weekend I was rather taken by a beautiful pair of leopard print spiked loafers. The price tag wasn't all so enticing though...

  So, out of pure curiosity (I swear - I don't have any intention of buying these), I had a quick snoop on the net to see what I could find and these were the outcome. Not only did I come across leopard print variety of these shoes, but 3 other colourways from the same seller at just £9.70. Ok, so they're not as cheap as the similar £8 black studded pair in Primark, but I love the pop of colour that these shoes could easily add to an outfit.

I should also add, I've made a Facebook page today for the blog, despite my general lack of enthusiasm for Facebook these days, I'd love for you to like it - I don't know what the bleedy heck I'm doing, but it's a better platform to interact with readers, so I thought I'd give it a go! Click here to have a gander!
3.9.12

Spiked Flats for Under £10


   I nipped to Primark today with the intention of picking up some studded flats. I was a bit gutted that my local Primark didn't have any in (darn living in the country..!), but this seemed the perfect excuse to buy something else... well... somethings else.

   I must say, there are many things in Primark for AW that I wouldn't mind adding to my wardrobe! But these two stood out to me. The studded bag was something I have been lusting after for a week or so now - mainly because I've seen it on Ellie's blog and her instagram and fell in love with it! I should probably add, it came with a a tassel attached, but I removed it as to me it just looks a bit sleeker without it.

   And to match the studded bag, a studded shirt! As soon as I saw the print on this shirt I had to pick it up. The little koalas are so cute and the studs on the collar just make it even more perfect! I spent just £18 in total for a bag and a shirt... neither of which I needed. But I've recently been selling unworn or unwanted clothes on eBay so I thought I may as well buy some things I will wear!

   Also, I know I promised another shoe post today, but I just wanted to share these bargain purchases with you all. So I've postponed it and it will be up tomorrow. Two posts in two days... very unlike me to be this organised with my posts!
  
2.9.12

Studded Primark Purchases


   I came across these  kitty flats today and had to share them with you! I can't believe these are £4.99. Less than a fiver. That's cheaper than a glass of wine in most places these days! I really don't know why I had to bring wine into this.

   If you're a regular reader you will probably already know that I love cats and anything cat related, so I'd love a pair of these little beauties! Flat shoes don't seem to get on with my feet too well though, so I can't decide whether to go for it or not!

   These 3 colours are still in stock in various sizes - personally I love the cream ones, the gold stitching is a lovely touch. I saw these selling at around the £20 mark only a month or so ago, so snap up a bargain here! Postage is £2.99 (hmph. I'm not a fan of paying for postage... free all the way!), but apparently they arrive in 2-3 days, so I'll deem it acceptable in this case.

   I've seen my fellow cat lovers getting their hands on these already and at this price it's going to be hard for me to resist following the pack! I found another pair of bargain shoes today too, but I'll save those and share them tomorrow.

  
1.9.12

Kitty Flats for Under £5

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