Desperately Seeking City Shorts

Having now bagged myself my first 'proper' job in the big, wide, post-Uni world I've had to incorporate some more formal pieces into my wardrobe. Dressing fairly smartly on a  day-to-day basis anyway, if I do say so myself, I haven't struggled too much to pull something together for the past 5 weeks but I do feel feel my work wardrobe needs a little tweaking here and there. One thing I've been eyeing up are city shorts- an office meets playground attire if you will, formal and structured but comfy and playful at the same time, these are especially an essential with the heatwave we are having at the moment, there are only so many times I can alternate my 2 pencil skirts, a handful of dresses that meet a suitable hemline and frankly, it's just too darn hot for trousers. 

I've had a nosey around on the high-street and found a few pairs that really stood out to me and what's best is that these can be paired with blouses, vests or tees to dress up or down and they look equally as chic with sandals or heels and if you want to take yourself out for some after work drinks and enjoy the lovely weather, you're safe in the knowledge that you won't look like you have so obviously dragged yourself away from your desk as your outfit won't scream 'office attire'. 

*Top tip- City shorts make for the perfect 'lunch-break sunbathing session' garment. Not too much leg that you'll raise eyebrows in the office but just enough for optimum tanning whilst you munch away through your sandwich and read the MailOnline on your phone- trust me, I know! 

 

 The pink pair are from ASOS . White floral are River Island and the White pair are also River Island.


Do you like the look of City Shorts? Would you wear them? 

Rachel xo

The statement necklace

A statement necklace is a fast and fun way to spruce up our outfits. So as summer is making its way slowly but surely, we hopefully won't be reaching for our scarves and jackets quite as often, leaving our 'look' a little undone, adding a necklace can really bring it all together and gives focus on your outfit. The high-street is the perfect place to nab a necklace with an array of colours and materials, you can chose the right one for you and the look you're going for. I have picked out a few that really caught my eye. 

The long necklace is from Topshop and I think this is a lovely piece as a longer chain can really elongate your body. The crystal pendant is beautiful and I am quite the fan of the mixing of metals,silver and the copper bronze. 

The emerald necklace is ASOS, a real statement piece. 

The bunting effect necklace is ASOS, such a simple design but so pretty. 

The orange jewelled bib necklace from ASOS is a gorgeous colour, orange has been quite popular in the past months and this is a great way to add some colour to your outfit if you can sometimes shy away from colour. 

The tortoise pendant with a turquoise stone is the epitomy of summer, the bold colour would love beautiful against a plain white tee and the tortoise makes you think of the beach. This Ted Baker piece is available on ASOS. It is on a short chain and a dainty design that adds the perfect pop of colour. 

The chunky gem embellished necklace is from River Island and has a gun-metal chain. 

The gold caps collar neckalace from Topshop can be reminiscent  of Mr T but I assure you is very wearable. 

The white leather necklace with a plaited chain is a great summer piece. It has bolts and gem emballishment which really toughens up a look, we won't all be swishing our dresses around now, will we. 

And finally, the neon yellow bib necklace with stone emballishement is a really detailed piece from ASOS that looks very glamourous but is still fun because of the colour. 

I think all these necklaces can and should be worn day and night, they add such detail to an outfit. You can chuck on your trusty jeans and a fresh t-shirt, simply adding a statement necklace really pulls the outfit together and no-one would ever know how little effort has gone into getting ready that morning. Even pulling your hair up, as it just might be needing a wash, really lets the necklace shine and show off. 

A definite favourite accesory of mine, everyone should have a 'go-to' necklace to add some pazazz to your look. 

Rachel xo

April Showers

Let's face it. Here in Britain rain is quintessentially British and though we are having practically  a heat wave these past days compared so these grey skies we are sadly quite accustomed to, we have to be prepared for a little drizzle here and there. I've compiled a few favourites that are on the market that keep us dry whilst but look great. Think of it as an accessory, for how often we reach for one, we might as well wear them well. 

Top left, Topshop. Paisley print that will brighten up your day.

Top middle, River Island. Lilac with a skull handle detail and crystal embellishment.

Top right, Accessorize. Spring in a print, blossoming flowers.

Bottom left, Topshop. A nod to the nautical trend.

Bottom middle, ZARA. Panther print. Always a winner.

Bottom right, River Island. A dome that will keep you well protected and the neon pink is a nice touch.

Here is to hoping we won't need our umbrellas this Spring/ Summer but if we do, atleast we can style it out a little with these beauties. 

Is it awful I wouldn't mind a little bit of rain to justify the Zara purchase. No, I take that back. 

Rachel xo

Spring wardrobe update.

Every season we need to give our wardrobe a little re-vamp and introduce new pieces to bring a little life back to our sorry stash. A new season now in full swing, hello Mr Sunshine, is a little bit of an excuse to take your purses out for a little excursion and not feel guilty about it. ''It's getting bright and sunny, I need shorter sleeves although it's not quite Summer so I need to have a light jacket, too''. Come on ladies, we all do this. - Seriously, I can quite literally talk myself into buying anything- When I was living in Spain Massimo Dutti was dan.ger.ous!

I will be taking myself out for a little shop this coming weekend and I intend to spruce up my wardrobe in more than one way (post coming soon). 

The cream jacket is from Topshop and I desperately want it but alas, it is sold out everywhere I could travel to and online. Boo hoo. However I have consoled myself with focusing my attention on another Topshop jacket, it is pricier but I'm a sucker for monochrome and it is suitable for all year round. 

I have been after a cream dress for ages and haven't found what I'm looking for. A regret of mine will always be not continuing with GCSE Textiles, I got an A and I am forever inventing clothes in my head, wishing I knew how to make them. This simple dress is from Topshop and it would look great with a leather jacket for an evening out or sandals for when it warms up.

The fedora hat, I am making the concious effort to be 'a hat person'. I love the look of them and have seen them styled in so many ways that I want to give it a try too. 

New season, new bag. I haven't got many colourful bags and this Orange bag from River Island is really on trend with the bright colour, they also do it in a teal and a grey, I saw them in store the other day and leant towards the grey but I think in Spring, I should embrace colour. 

I don't wear much denim and have only been a jeans wearer in the last year, crazy I know. This denim dress can be worn in so many ways, dress it down with some white pumps, pair with a leather jacket and black shoes or get your pins out and wear it on the dance floor with a clutch bag and your favourite lipstick. 

A short-sleeved shirt can look chic but comfortable. I would wear it tuck into or loose with high-waisted black pants. I'd also wear this on an evening with a statement necklace. 

I have my shopping list of things I know I'll need this Spring to update my look. What will you be buying to update your look? 

Rachel xo

'A-Z' A is for Animal Print

For my little A-Z series of all things beauty and style related and I am starting, naturally, with 'A' for Animal Print. Love it or hate it, it is always available on the high street and can be done quite well, too. Dependent on how much leopard love you have, there are plenty of ways to incoporate it into your wardrobe. 

The sunglasses are from Zara and I personally love them, a subtleway to wear leopard print and sunglasses mean sun shining, nice weather out.. What is not to love? 

The scarf is also from Zara, it is not your typical animal print with the yellow and blue colours but it is lovely and bright which could really spruce up your outfit. 

The iPhone case is only £8 from River Island. 

Nail Rock wraps, another affordable and quick way to add a little something to an outfit. 

Red and blue animal print dress, ASOS. Absolutely love this dress, it is not obviosuly animal print but the shape and colours look lovely. I would wear this for the day and evening. Dress it down with a leather jacket and boots or slap a bit of tan on your legs, your best nude heels and clutch bag and you're ready for a nightout. 

The knickers are from Topshop, they are a high brief which maybe isn't practical day to day (VPL) but they look beautiful and I like that they arent the typical brown and black leopard print. Very glamorous. 

The shift dress, ASOS is a perfect day dress, you could wear it with black tights and a jacket. 

Found this snap of me wearing a Topshop wrap dress in leopard print, I like it as it's a bit different as it's grey toned.

This is a fovourite scarf of mine, from Warehouse, I bought it when I was a Fresher and it is huge, literally wrap myself in it when I'm cold, love it and it is my 'go-to' scarf. 

Yes, so that is my love for a little bit of animal print declared. It can be done without looking like Kat Slater. 

Rachel xo

A mixture of pieces

Hello! This is quite a mixture of things that I like currently, with no real theme other than I would happily have them all in my wardrobe. 

The cut-out top is from Cheap Monday and I really like this, it is a simple piece but the elbow detail is a bit different, I have the odd 'cold shoulder' tee and last year the elbow patch detailing was a big thing, neither I was huge on so I think this is a happy medium of the trends and I would like this, comfy but stylish, lazy fashion, my kind of thing. Though at £35, I might even have a go at some DIY, snipping and cutting a black jersey top, I did get an A in Textiles GCSE after all. 

Who can ever have enough Zara handbags? This will be my next Zara baby. I love their bags, they are such good quality for the price and I haven't got a nude handbag so it would be a welcome addition. It is nice and big too, to haul my entire life around. The plaited handles are a nice detail too. It is £39.99. 

I saw this jacket in River Island earlier in the week and really liked the look of it, I don't often see things in River Island and haven't bought anything from there in months now so I am pleased to be seeing new things this season that I do like and would buy. I saw the lovely Lily Pebbles Instagram of her wearing a jacket similar to this and commented asking if it was this one, and she was nice enough to reply to me, turns out hers was from Romwe. Anyway, yes so this jacket is £65 and fitting with the monochrome trend which is my absolute favourite.

The smock dress is from Topshop and I recently bought this dress which is the same sort of shape and I love it. I wore it on a night out but it can also be worn in the day with tights and come the Summer months with bare legs and my new wedges I got for my birthday. I like the check pattern of this dress and the colour too, I am guilty of having a colourless wardrobe so I am making a concious effort to introduce a bit of colour. I even bought a neon pink jumper from H&M for my birthday and I gave myself a mental pat on the back as I paid at the till. 

Rachel xo

Céline T-shirt

I have wanted the Céline inspired tee for a while now and always wanted the white version but after buying this  t-shirt from River Island which is pretty much a rip off of the original, I don't really need it. However I really do like the look of the black version. I cannot find a link on ebay and it seems that all the black are out of stock currently. This is how I would style it.
 I have several the grey midi skirt from Topshop as well as a gorgeous purple glitter midi they did back around Christmas time, which I think a top like this would make these kind of skirts more wearable. 

The jacket is from H&M and I like the colour as it is more apt for the coming Spring time but here in Britain, we'll still need a jacket so this is perfect I feel. 
The court shoes are from River Island, again, River Island are really going up in my expectations and I am starting to see more things in there. 

I have mentioned before that I wanted a 'true nude' nail polish colour and this OPI My Vampire is Buff (interesting name) looks a creamy off- white, which is what I want. The price of OPI is the only downside, especially since Essie is so widely available now and just as good in my opinion but much more affordable. 

I love using Polyvore  for making these sort of mood boards and outfits as well as checking out other collages for inspiration. It's like flicking through a magazine and seeing something you like but you can have a go at it yourself too. 

Rachel xo 

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice by rachelannjones featuring a black and white striped dress


Monochrome is appearing in all the shops for S/S 13 and I like it. Black and white (with a little grey chucked in for measure) are the main colours I wear. They are so easy to wear but sometimes wearing them together like these items,  can look a bit tricky to pull off but it shouldn't be. The trouses are the most daring in my opinion  Motel but these two dresses Motel dress and H&M dress are lovely and the great thing about it being the one item making a whole outfit, you don't have to worry about how to style it and what to pair it with. Just chuck on some boots and a leather jacket, weather permitting of course, and you're done. 

Now if you like this look but aren't sure how to introduce this into you're wardrobe the cardigan,  River Island
is exactly what you need, as it is a nod to the monochrome trend but is also just great looking and so cosy which is suitable for the weather we are having in dear old England. 
Finally, the nail wraps via  Boots are the perfect way to dip your toes, or fingernails, into this trend  as it is a cheap and easy way to experiment with a trend without commiting to spending money on something that will just hang in your wardrobe looking pretty. 

I hope you like this and I think I may have to get some monochrome of my own. Motel looks like the place to go, there is an abundance of monochrome on their website currently, and if you are a student, they have 25% discount. What enablers! 

Thanks for reading. 
Rachel x