Coachella Cool.

The social networking sites were positively buzzing over last weekend. Why? I hear you ask. Coachella is why. 

There were twitpics of socialites lounging by the pool at the Nylon x Hugo Boss pool party, endless instagramming of fashionistas glowing at the Armani Exchange Neon Carnival and celebrity Facebook statuses about standing in dusty fields watching the like of The Stone Roses, The XX and Benny Benassi. I can barely bring myself to look at the line up. It was THAT good that it's painful to know another year has passed without my attendance. One year I'll be there, rubbing shoulders with the crème de la crème of cool kids, one year....

Whilst I am positively green with envy I cannot help but pour over photos of the style, the scenery and the sets of Coachella. Each year the fashion surpasses itself and each year it dictates what  is worn in the annual festival season. I love festivals and have been a regular festival goer since I was a young'un, my first outing was in 2005 to Reading Festival when I was a mere 14 years of age! At British festivals it is given that you're going to get a little bit grubby, your hair is going to be greasy and those dreams of busting out the sunglasses are as likely as your wellies staying dry and mud-free. None of that with Coachella; held in California, it's all about bronzed limbs, designer clothing and plenty of battery to instagram every minute. 

Boho Bosworth:

Kate Bosworth always hits the nail on the head when it comes to dressing. She doesn't shy away from the high street either, meaning that those who love her look can replicate it! 

The perfect mix of grungy and pretty and excellent attention to detail, Kate's Coachella wardrobe is simply sublime!

Get The Look:

Kate's scallop edged matching top 'n' shorts set is from Topshop. The tan accessories make it festival friendly and the aviators add even more cool. 

Topshop have plenty of similar pieces such as this white laser cut playsuit and scalloped shorts. These Topshop Apollo boots come in a gorgeous rose colour, a  little different from the usual tan! The Monki 'Amelia' top has scallop detail, a cropped fit aaaand laser cut detail at the bottom, available from the their website at a mere £8. Yup, EIGHT POUNDS STERLING. Bargain.

Kate's second Coachello look was a wonderful mix of peek-a-boo lace, boho accessories and badass boots. Again, Topshop serves up some pieces that are perfect for copying Kate's eclectic look. The harness body is perfect for vamping it up a bit.




The contrast between the long, midi hemline of Kate's skirt and the lace detail means just the right amount of leg is on show. Topshop have plenty of alternatives, this tapestry tube skirt injects some colour into the outfit with the pink and red roses. This white fringed waistcoat from New Look and green and gold detail belt from River Island are similar to Kate's western inspired accessories.

I could happily own all three pairs of these boots from Topshop. Buckles, studs, cut-out detail, they would be right at home at Coachella. Topshop Advance boots are a bit of western, cowboy styled, whereas the Anna boots have a more vintage, Victorian era inspired look, the buckles are a particularly nice touch and the Arabel boots are a bit more punky with the studs. These boots toughen up the body and lace skirt combo, ensuring it isn't too girly.

Pretty Perry Prints:

How amazing did Katy Perry look at Coachella? It's nice to see her looking so relaxed and happy. Her D&G get up was absolutely amazing and the blue hues of the paisley Helmut Lang dress really complimented her dark hair. Her white platform heels are from ASOS no less!

Always choosing quirky pieces, Katy's style is eclectic but feminine, appreciating those wonderful curves of hers.

Get The Look:

Go for fun, retro inspired shapes and prints to channel your inner Katy Perry. Kelly Brook for New Look offers this 50s pin up inspired bralet and shorts set and Topshop's Hawaiian print sundress is definitely on my wish list; the cut-out detail gives it the illusion of a crop top but without feeling too exposed and the print is great! 

Topshop have many crop top and shorts/skirt sets, such as this paisley one, but if you don't want to be too matchy matchy try going the other way and clash prints. There are endless printed bralets/crop tops and shorts/skirts on the high street so go and mix 'n' match! A tip for clashing prints is try and find pieces with matching palettes, that way the pattern will clash but not the colour.

Paisley is one of the hottest prints for summer! Wear this Warehouse blue paisley playsuit to copy Katy's other Coachella look. Staring At Stars has this beautiful paisley dress in the sale (so be sure to snap it up!), similar to Katy's relaxed boho influences. Pair either of these pieces with statement earrings, such as these contrasting colour stone flower earrings from Topshop, or these colourful parrot earrings from Accessorize.

Retro Rita:

I adore Rita's style. It's unpredictable, it's edgy and it always works. Her various Coachella looks were as varied as we'd expect from Rita and she polished each look off with her trademark red lips!

Get The Look: 

Burger And Friends have many tops befitting of Rita's angsty yet apt "Adults suck then you are one" tee. Either go with a tee, a vest top or in true Rita style a cropped top. Monki's gem Katy tee adds a bit of colour and bling to an outfit, it's pretty versatile so it'll go with anything!

L-R: Topshop kissing giraffe skirt; Topshop fluro pink skirt; Monki 'Kimmie' skirt; Monki 'Lillian' skirt

Match your top of choice with some statement skirts a la Rita! For her second look I personally would have worn the skirt on the waist but with those toned abs, who can blame her for wanting to show off?! Topshop offers some fun prints, like this kissing giraffe skirt and Monki's 'Lillian' skirt has an interesting print. Go for neon brights with the 'Kimmie' skirt from Monkie or this fluro pink Topshop skater skirt. Try this River Island beaded bodycon dress or this ASOS abstract print midi bodycon dress for her performance look.

For accessories think chunky chains, best found at Urban Outfitters, and Rihanna for River Island's collection offers some great pieces, like this tattoo pendant trucker hat. And those coveted Stella McCartney shoes that Rita can't stop instagramming? Get your own pair, courtesy of Topshop.

Now it's time to look at some of the more general trends at Coachella, rocked by the coolest and best dressed celebrities around

It's Suuuuuuuuuuunny!

Every year I try and convince myself that I don't need anymore sunglasses. Then every year a new batch of them come out and I just can't resist! This year was no exception and the sunglasses have definitely been promoted from mere accessory to the talking point of an outfit.

I love AnnaSophia Robb's Coachella style, it wasn't too try hard and it scored her some serious style points. Her sunglasses are amazing!! And luckily for us, there are plenty to choose from on the high street.

L-R: Topshop jewelled sunglasses; Urban Outfitters gem sunglasses; Urban Outfitters floral applique sunglasses; ASOS flower and bug detail sunglasses; ASOS black rose detail sunglasses.

Nylon magazine also has available on its online the 'Betty' sunglasses, round sunglasses adorned with blue flowers and ASOS has floral detail sunnies in various colour combinations. 

I can't mention flower adorned or gem encrusted sunglasses without mentioning A-Morir. Never has a designer made sunglasses such a statement before. Whether it's a cute floral pair, a Great Gatsby-esque diamante set or a retro cat eye pair, they are all beautiful and innovative. I remember Lanvin's embellished sunglasses in their S/S 2009 collection and from then on embellishment was not just for clothing. If you don't want to spend a fortune on the real deal and you want to avoid the queues in the high street shops then Nylon magazine offers a great DIY alternative, a chance to make a truly unique pair of sunnies!

I swooned when pictures surfaced of Alexa, Pixie and co at Coachella. As if the weather and poolside location wasn't enough, the girls then had to go and look just bloody marvelous. I am still trying to get over how much I adore Alexa's LLD and Pixie's pixie haircut and 60s style was oh so chic. Zara has a great alternative for Pixie's red dress, found here. Wearing pieces from the new eye wear collection by their friend, Henry Holland, they looked incredible!

The Celine Audrey sunglasses, as worn by pretty much everyone who's anyone, are inspired by one of the most iconic women in fashion and film; Audrey Hepburn, particularly her role in Breakfast At Tiffany's. Many try and few can pull off the effortless sophistication of Hepburn but with these sunglasses you can let out your inner Audrey!

THE sunglasses of Summer 2013

There are loads of cat eye shaped sunglasses on the high street, you can go for classic black or for a more fun print. Or both, if you're as indecisive as me...Accessorize have a particularly good copy of the Celine sunglasses that I am desperate to get hold of. Race you to the shops.

L-R: Topshop eared sunglasses; Topshop eyelash detail sunglasses; Topshop striped sunglasses; Urban Outfitters leopard print sunglasses

Last of the key sunglasses style is the round 70s sunnies. With quirky detail or contrasting frames these sunglasses are far from dull.

L-R: Topshop preppy sunglasses; Topshop round cat eye sunglasses; Urban Outfitters Spitfire Hi Teque sunglasses; Wild Fox Bel Air sunglasses

Club Tropicana 

Summer festival fashion is about prints. Floral, tropical, animal. Anything that alludes to the exotic, that evokes warmth and sunshine and fun. With the resurrection of 90s fashion, palm trees, dolphins and fishnet have been making a comeback and the result is colourful and wonderful. 

The Trousers: Desiree Trousers from Monki

The Dolphin Top: Agnes Tee from Monki

The Palm Tree Top: Agnes Tee from Monki

The Vest: Flamingo Vest from H&M

The Shorts: Tropical Netting shorts from Spikes and Seams

Topshop's bright yellow top with gem detail is more sophisticated approach to the tropicana trend, it can be dressed up with contrasting black tapered trousers or down with denim cut offs. The 'Bang' motif tee is fun, the contrasting black and faded prints is reminiscent of the 90s.

The Cream of the Crop

Ireland Baldwin and Alessandra Ambrosio rocked the crop top look at Coachella, completing their look with statement sunglasses, denim short shorts and some great head gear. 

Clockwise from left:

Drew Crop Top in Chili from Nylon shop, found here

Stacey X Back Tank in Leaf Peach from Nylon shop, found here

Brasilia Crop tee from H&M, found here

Devon Bralet from Monki, shop here

Get Alessandra's exact neon jewel aliceband from Topshop, here and copy Ireland's knotted headband look with a retro lipstick print headband, here, or a tie dye version, here, both from Topshop.

Who Wears Short Shorts?

L-R: Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio & Candice Swanepoel

These girls certainly look like they're having fun! Miranda has gone for a rocky edge in leather shorts, Alessandra goes a bit boho with her embroidered pair and Candice channels some western style with her dark denim cut offs.

Left to Right:

Smiley Destroyed shorts, available from Burger and Friends

Candy Girl shorts by Spikes and Seams, get them here

Rosa shorts by Spikes and Seams, available here

Animal print shorts from Topshop, get them here

Leather hotpants from Topshop, in the sale so get 'em quick!

Leather Lining shorts here

Diane Kruger is one of fashion's darlings. She looks as stylish on the red carpet as she does shopping and this year's Coachella festival was just another example of her great sense of style! Grab your own pair of her monochrome aztec shorts from H&M, here, for a mere £12.99. Don't mind if I do.

For the ultimate cool shorts about town be sure to check out Bambi & Manson. I'm so proud to say that Bambi & Manson is a British born and bred company! They've even got a collaboration with True Religion for the one and only Selfridges. I predict it will sell out almost instantaneously  Limited edition, custom made shorts with every kind of embellishment, fabric and colour means that you really are in for a unique experience. Everyone should want to be a Bamgirl; fashionable, fearless and above all fun!

Flower Power!

Bella Thorne, AnnaSophia Robb and Vanessa Hudgens were just a handful of the girls whose heads were adorned with wreaths of flowers. Whether you go for a subtle band of flowers or a statement garland wear with quirky accessories and a smile.

The red and white oversized garlands are from Topshop; the middle 'Enchantment Crown' is available online from Nylon magazine's shop, here.

This beautiful headband from J'adore Vintage is perfect for channeling your inner flower child, find it here. J'adore Vintage is a wonderful vintage shopping site; they have various style collections as well as every category possible for vintage clothing, not to mention an incredible street style section! The prices are great and the pieces are truly unique, you'd be silly not to take a peek! 

As I finish this post the sun is shining, my summer wish list is growing longer and there are some great DIY projects I can't wait to get on with. I hope this post has inspired you as much as the Coachella fashion inspired me!

CLB x

Happily Ever After.

Today inspiration comes from some iconic 90s films, fairy tales and cats. That's right, cats!

My last post was about the resurrection of 90s fashion and it seems that make-up is also getting the same treatment. Jawbreaker is the 90s version of Mean Girls (the 80s had Heathers, it seems each generation needs a coming-of-age, bitchy high school film full of life lessons. They are essential to watch, but I digress). Nylon magazine took inspiration from the film name in order to come up with some great nail art! Less tiresome, and deadly, than an actual jawbreaker and bound to score you some serious nail art kudos. Buy the actual nail varnish here or if you fancy a bit of DIY all you need to do is paint on some white nail varnish (about two of three coats may be needed to ensure colour is thick enough) and then apply messy splodges of different coloured nail varnishes. This photo shows blue, yellow and red being used but you can do any combination of colours you want, as along as the overall effect is candy sweet. The bonus of this nail art is that it's totally OK to be a bit messy with it, in fact the more uneven the splodges, the better! 

Candy sweet: Easy to do but highly effective nail art

                                                                       

Jawbreaker: The film behind the nail art

One of my ultimate girl crushes, Lana Del Rey, is rocking the dark lip liner look in her latest video for Chelsea Hotel No. 2, a beautiful cover of Leonard Cohen's song. This look is quintessential 90s garish make-up but surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly seeing as this is Lana we're talking about, the obvious lip linger look is actually appealing on her. 

Pucker up: Lana's lips never fail to make a statement (picture courtesy of Nylon magazine)

The metallic nude of the rest of her wonderfully controversial pout contrasts really well with the daintily applied darker liner, however this is a tricky look to pull off. Make the liner less intense by going for a slightly lighter shade than Lana's and keeping the lipstick and lip liner matte will keep it modern. This look is perfect for those of you who like to be a different and experiment with your make up. Please not, plenty of attitude is mandatory!



Empire Records, another classic 90s film that if you haven't watched already, you really really must, and TV show, Daria (how I wanted to be her best friend when I was younger, even if she was a cartoon), waved the flag for Doc Marten boots in 90s. 

Liv & Daria: The coolest kids of the 90s

Doc Martens have broadened their collection a lot, with floral boots for a bit more of a feminine touch, the tweed 'Beckett' boots for a bit of country class and of course the plain boots from neon yellow to patent black. Their pink, spiked boots are an updated version and Topshop's in-demand floral Adonis2 boots have the same chunky structure and heel but the cut out detail and print bring them firmly into 2013

Topshop boots found here; Doc Marten boots found here

These boots are great for the festivals in the summer and perfect for winter too!


Burger and Friends is uber cool Texas-based t-shirt and accessories company whose collections ooze that American laid back style with plenty of attitude. Or should I say cattitude! They have a wide variety of designs but it's their cat inspired tees that I have a real hankering for. Just check out my instagram and you will know how cat obsessed I am. 

Purrrrrrrrrfect

All their t-shirt and vest designs are also available in sweatshirt form too. Other favourites that do not involve cats are the 'Smile Face' denim shorts, 'Cloud City' leotard and 'What's Love' sweatshirt. With reasonable prices and quirky designs, you'd be silly to not want a little bit of Burger and Friends in your life.


Charlotte Olympia is an absolute goddess when it comes to her designs. Those kitty slippers are still at the top of many wishlists, including my own (further proving that cats are très chic), and her latest offerings are the stuff of dreams. Literally. From horoscopes to fairy tales, Charlotte's designs are born from the mystical and magical.

Star sign struck: Even if you're not a horoscope believer you'll believe in these

Aries: My horoscope shoes. Must. Have. NOW.

Her horoscope pumps are both an ingenious idea (if you're like me, you're going to be wanting to collect all twelve pairs, even if it means you're wearing Virgo, when you're really a Capricorn) and absolutely b-e-a-uuuutiful! I can foresee the heart-shaped loafer style being replicated on the high street and an influx of horoscope inspired jewellery and t-shirts will no doubt be making their way to us too.

I love a good fairy tale. When I was younger they fascinated me and entertained me no end and I even wrote my undergraduate degree dissertation on Little Red Riding Hood. Charlotte's fairy tale inspired collection is, yep you guessed it, TO DIE FOR. She has gone all out on detail, from inscriptions of "Once Upon A Time" on the heels to spell book clutch bags. 

Read more: Olympia le Tan for Charlotte Olympia book cover clutches 

From left: Book heels; Little Red Riding Hood heels; Clocks boots; Tree heels

From left: Kiss Me Quick pumps; Sleeping Beauty heels & Bear Necessities heels

I love the little frog prince on the toe of the Kiss Me Quick pumps and the Bear Necessities heels also come in a lovely brocade pink. What more could you possibly want in a shoe?! The clock design boots, heels and loafers are cute as, cue many jokes about being "fashionably late" and you can feel like a real princess with Sleeping Beauty snoozing across your feet. There will be many a happy ending with this collection.

CLB x

Throwback Thursday.

I remember looking back at 90s fashion and feeling bitter that I didn't grow up in a better dressed decade. The swinging Sixties had those adorable shift dresses, the flower power Seventies put boho chic on the map and the power dressing of the 80s was darn fierce. Then we reached the 90s, the most unflattering of fashion eras; double denim, knee high socks, tie dye, leggings, logos eeeeverywhere, dungarees and chunky-ass trainers. An outfit was not deemed 'trendy' unless all these elements were somehow included. 

Déjà Vu: Wildfox's take on iconic film Clueless for it's S/S '13 lookbook

However it appears I bemoaned, and got rid of my 90s clothing, way too soon! The 90s has made a comeback in a larger than life way. The Spice Girls reunited (albeit for a short, but nonetheless fabulous, time), leggings have become the new wardrobe staple and denim has never been so hot. Plus, the early 90s has been deemed officially vintage now and that in itself makes it cool again.

Tyra Banks and Yasmeen Ghauri rocking some clashing colours and playful prints with true 90s 'tude
















Tammy (anyone else remember Tammy?! I worshiped that shop as a youngster) was to 90s kids what Topshop is to us today. In typical Topshop style, it has created covetable and desirable collections inspired by the most unlikely of fashion eras gone by. Topshop is not alone, it seems that everyone is hopping aboard the 90s bandwagon from DSquared2 to Zara! Below is my guide to reminiscing about the 90s in style. 


Tie Dye:

I had a much loved tie dye t-shirt that I wore to death as a child. The only reason I stopped wearing it was because it was literally falling apart at the seems, just as well as tie dye was so 1997. However it has been given a 2013 make over and has already become a firm festival favourite.

Urban Outfitters have a wonderful array of tie dye pieces, from crop tops to midi dresses, nothing is left out! The guys are even treated to some tie dye action, the tiger motif tee is particularly awesome. 

The brands have come over all tie dye too, creating some amazing and versatile pieces that are absolutely perfect for the summer!

From left: BDG Applique Tie Dye Jeans; Bitching & Junkfood Tie Dye Tee; Stussy Tie Dye Spot Vest

Dungarees:

Another 90s trend that has gone from faux pas to fashion is the wonder that are dungarees. Zooey Deschanel's character in the brilliant New Girl was certainly ahead of the game; "I was going for, like, a hot farmer’s daughter kind of thing. You know, like, “Oh, I’m going to go milk my cows. With my bucket.”"

The long and short of it: Zooey Deschanel shows the different ways of wearing dungarees. Wearing both shoes is recommended.

She can do no wrong: take your cue from Alexa Chung and style your overalls with breton stripes, red lipstick or statement accessories

Alexa and Zooey are all about the denim and Urban Outfitters has numerous cute denim dungaree sets. Wear with simple tees underneath or smarten up with a crisp white shirt and statement necklace. The velvet House of Hackney dungarees move away from the usual denim, showing that dungarees are all about prints and textures too.


The high street offers some brilliant patterned overalls, perfect for cool summer nights and autumn days. Clash print with print a la River Island, found here, or make like Topshop and let the safari print be the main focus, found here, or keep the look monochromatic and casual with sneakers at ASOS, found here.

Bomber Jackets:

Having heard that bomber jackets were making a second go of things I was quick to salvage my old satin Topshop bomber jacket before it got eBayed! There are so many amazing designs  on the high street now; it has moved on from neon nylon to smart 'n' chic.

The brand, My Tribe, has teamed up with Urban Outfitters to create unique bomber jackets with limited edition fabrics and prints. The contrasting designs make these jackets perfect for daytime wear. Team with chunky chains, jersey tees, hi top trainers and high waisted jeans for a Rihanna meets Fresh Prince look.

This floral/bleached denim bomber jacket is my favourite from the collection!

As if the latest Zara lookbook wasn't divine enough, they had to throw in this beautiful bomber jacket as well! See what I mean about it being a bit more grown up and smart? Only Zara could make that kinda magic happen. The silk, the jewel colours, the mirrored imagery, the oriental vibe. 110% Perfect. Topshop's leopard print bomber is a bit more edgy but the contrasting sleeves make it a chic choice of jacket, it's just the right balance of varsity and safari. 

There are plenty of 90s influences in fashion at the moment. Check out charity shops for old school logo t-shirts; cut them up, add studs, sew on sequins, update them in any way you can! Alternatively try this Urban Outfitters tee or Topshop's 'Legend' sweatshirt. Over the knee socks are available from everywhere, Primark always has some, they look cute with short dungarees and skater skirts, channeling your inner Clueless' Alicia Silverstone. Nike offers you the chance to custom make your own pair of Nike trainers with its 'High Dunk Be True iD' trainers and Converse offers some old school platform trainers; think chunky, think bright, think tomboy-cool. Urban Outfitters Renewal O&O plaid trousers have a modern shape but 90s tartan print (definitely another reference to Clueless!). American Apparel's headwear section has a numerous scrunchies and large bow clips, not to mention an impressive collection of hot pants, crop tops and leggings for pure 90s funk.

I hope to upload some 90s inspired outfits soon, showing my own take on the trend!

CLB x