How to Wear Culottes For Your Body Type

 There's so many ways to wear culottes and they're so effortlessly chic, anyone could pull them off! 

Some people may be a little unsure of how to wear them, depending on their body type but I can assure you anyone can pull them off if you know how to!

If you're short and curvy it's best to get a pair that stop just below the knee at the smallest part of your leg and make sure they're high-waisted too so they enhance your shape and highlight your waistline.

If you're tall and curvy you should opt for a wide-leg long pair of culottes, if you want to look slimmer wear culottes with stripes, they'll give an illusion of a slimmer frame.

If you're tall and thin you can wear ankle-length culottes with a wide-leg, giving you volume without swamping your figure. A high-waist can define your waistline and create some definition.

If you're short and petite, high-waisted culottes are the best option. Find a pair that stop at your calf, that length is perfect because if you wear them any longer they'll swamp you and any shorter they'll make your legs look shorter! 

Obviously you can wear them however you like to suit your personal preference but these are just my tips on how to wear them to enhance your shape as much as you can. Now you know what style culottes to wear you can dress them to suit the colder weather! I have another post on how to style them for Autumn/Winter here! 

Katie

x

How To Wear Culottes in Winter

The culottes trend is here to stay for Autumn/Winter. They were a summer staple and are set to be a winter staple now too! They've been featured on the runways for A/W by numerous designers such as Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Victoria Beckham and Lela Rose. Some people may be a little unsure of how to wear culottes for the colder weather but let me assure you that they're so easy and versatile when it comes to styling them. 

Here are some inspirations on how to wear them for the colder months to come..

I hope this post gives you some inspiration! I personally love culottes and can't wait to start wearing them in Autumn! I'd wear them with tights or knee-high boots when it's too cold and chunky jumpers or thick scarves. I think a blanket cape would look really nice with them too, the more layers the better! I love neutral colours and darker colours for winter but hot pink, wine, mustard, teal and deep blue, are all colour trends for this year so you can wear them with any colours you want, not just blacks and greys!

Katie

x

Cultural Outing: Our Town

Someone who I love dearly is pursuing a career in acting, and currently studies Performance Art in college, so I've seen all his plays except one and this week I supported him once more and he put on yet another fantastic performance. 

The play is called Our Town by Thornton Wilder. It's about a fictional town in America called Grover's Corners, set between 1901 and 1913, showing the everyday lives of its citizens. Throughout the years, the audience is given a glimpse into the lives of the town folk, starting with Daily Life as the first act, Love and Marriage as the second act, and finally, Death and Dying as the final act. It was directed by a well-known Irish director called Jim Nolan, with members of a local youth arts group as the cast. 

The main character is the 'stage manager' who addresses the audience directly, narrating us through the events and happenings of this small town. And who also happens to be played by that someone whom I love dearly. 

The actors had old New Hampshire accents which they pulled off very well. The cast did a fantastic job of bringing all the characters to life, which is what made the play so enjoyable. The 'stage manager' did an excellent job of describing Grover's Corners, which really made the audience imagine this small town for themselves and be taken back in time as if we were flies on the wall watching the town folk go about their ordinary lives. 

It was a play filled with all kinds of emotions, and being honest I nearly did cry myself once or twice. There was never a dull moment and it was a very enjoyable experience.

The actors had rehearsed this play for 6 weeks prior, spending hours rehearsing with only one day off every week and it certainly paid off when it came to showtime. 

So that was my cultural outing for the week and I enjoyed it so much. It makes me so happy seeing someone I love do what they enjoy and be so passionate and genuinely talented. I felt so proud during the whole show. I love seeing plays but I hardly ever get to do so because they're either too expensive or no one will come with me to see them so I was really glad to see this play and support the person I love yet again.

Katie

x

Paris Style Inspiration

So I've recently booked a flight to Paris for my birthday in October and I have always wanted to go to Paris ever since I was little. I know it's a cliche but it really is my dream to go there. I've been counting down the days and mapping out where I'm going to visit and what I'm going to do. I'm only going to be there for 4 days but I plan to make them the best four days ever and make the most of it!

I'm going with my best friend the week after PFW so I'm really excited about what I'm going to wear while there! Of course, I'll be moving non-stop and travelling around to see different places but I do want to look stylish while I'm there so I've made a Pinterest board of Parisian style to inspire me and here are a few of my favourite outfits from it!

Taking into account that it will be a bit cold when I go there I chose warmer outfits that include polo necks and jumpers! I will be packing lightly so I'll be wearing the same two pairs of jeans and may only bring two coats/jackets and maybe only two pairs of shoes too . I love all these outfits and I'm definitely going to choose between these when I'm packing! I've decided I'm bringing a striped top, sleeveless coat, culottes and a floppy hat for definite.. although that could change closer to the time!

Parisian style seems very minimal and basic yet stylish and fashionable, which I love, so I'm staying true to my own style with these outfits and I hope I look as good as other women in Paris when I go there!

Katie

x

College Essentials

Planner -  In college, you need one of these in order to keep organised and on top of your work and your daily tasks. You need one, get one, bring it everywhere. It helps so much if you're forgetful like me.

Pens - Obviously you need a pen, I don't have to state why, but it is good to bring more than 2, you'll always have someone asking to borrow a pen or you may run out of ink in one. Backups are always good to have.

iPad - You don't necessarily need one but I find it's handy if there's no free computers to go on or if you need to look up something quick in class. They're better than phones too if you're doing some work on them.

Coffee Mug - In most classes you're allowed to have drinks so coffee is always my go-to, especially in early mornings and winters. Most colleges have a hot water tap in the lunch room so I usually refill mine with tea or coffee and sometimes hot chocolate. It's a great thing to have in colder months too!

Lip Balm - There's nothing I hate more than having to sit through classes with dry chapped lips, it's so uncomfortable and annoying, lip balm is a must have.

Deoderant - I don't actually always need deoderant but if I'm late to college and walking fast I may get a little sweaty so it's handy to carry it around for that purpose, and also on really hot days when the classrooms are baking.

Hand Moisturiser - My hands get dry really fast and I hate writing or typing with dry hands, hate it, so I always carry moisturiser around, it's a life saver!

Phone Charger - Your phone shouldn't be used enough to go dead during the day but for those days when you have a few free classes or if you haven't charged it the night before it comes in handy! Someone else may need one too so I usually let people borrow mine more than I use it myself!

Chewing Gum - I just always have chewing gum or mints with me to freshen up during the day if I'm drinking lots of coffee or after eating lunch. Better breath makes everyone more confident!

I usually have more than that in my bag but those are my absolute essentials that I always have for college! 

Katie

x

My Journey To College

My journey to college has definitely not been an easy one. When I was finishing school I had a few ideas on what I wanted to do but I was still trying to figure it out. I was stuck between Fashion Design and Costume Design. Now, you may not think there's a massive difference between the two, after all there are a lot of similar skills required for both, but they are very, very different. That's why my decision was so tough. Either way, I needed an art portfolio to apply for them so that's what I focused on.  I did a one-year Art and Design course which was mainly to help build up a portfolio.

 I took that year to gain more knowledge about both courses I was interested in. Now, I love fashion and doing fashion designs, but I also love costume designing too. I spent so much time researching different costume designers, what their job role is, how to get started in that industry, how to gain experience, basically everything you'd need to know about being a costume designer. I did the same with fashion design and I defintely preferred costume design over it. Not that I disliked fashion design, it's just with costume design I feel like you have a bit more creativity and freedom in what you're designing, whereas in fashion you kind of have to follow trends and look ahead, and of course you can be as creative as you want, but I preferred costume. 

 I finished my Art and Design course, which I loved doing, and at the end of it I had a great art portfolio, with great sketchbooks and a costume designers sketchbook. I applied for Costume Design in IADT with positivity that I'd do well. When they look at your portfolio, they mark it out of 600 points and then add that to whatever points you got in your Leaving Certificate. I wasn't using my leaving cert to apply as I got higher results in my FETAC from Art and Design, so I was sure I'd do well when it all added up.

I got 450/600 in my portfolio which I thought was great along with my 345 points from my FETAC. I thought, I'd definitely get accepted. But then the offer rounds came along and I was left devastated. I forgot that they only accept 10 people each year and got so disappointed. I quickly began applying for other FETAC courses in Dublin, this time I applied for Fashion Design as there weren't a lot of costume design courses. I got accepted into the Fashion Design course and moved to Dublin. 

Now, this fashion design course catered for costume designers too, as both need similar skills. So, I made it very clear I wanted to do costume design and my tutors encouraged that at first.. Then it went downhill. Costume Designers tend to go through a script/book and create the characters' costumes by their description and personality in the book, taking into account their gender, time period, age, etc. But my tutors wanted me to pick a book and then create the characters' costumes for S/S 2016. So they wanted me to take a fashion approach and make sure it's modern and fashionable for the future summer. I didn't like that. I did what I was told at the start but I hated the designs as they weren't what I wanted for the character. I wanted to make fantasy, game of thrones, style costumes, and I loved my designs and all the different techniques used to create the costume but my tutors hated them because they weren't fashionable and they failed me. This didn't bother me as I knew IADT would appreciate my costumes as I applied again with an updated portfolio.

This time in the points, I got 300/600. I was shocked. I added a lot more work and really showed them I was passionate and they still marked me lower than last year. I thought, there's no point in waiting around to see if I got accepted because I knew I wouldn't. I didn't make any plans or arrangements to go to Dublin again. I didn't save my money, nothing. I convinced myself to do an  average business course that would give me job security, even if I wouldn't enjoy it. 

Then the offers began and I got the business course first of all and thought 'okay this is my plan so' .. Then, a second offer was emailed to me.. I got the Costume Design course. To say I was shocked is an understatement! I was completely surprised, I didn't expect it or think of it at all. I cried, I was shaking, I was ringing everyone to tell them I got it, I was so excited!

Then, I realised I had no money for Dublin rent or college costs at all! So I started panicking, then I calmed down and decided to deferr my place for one year and go do the course next year in 2016 when I have money saved up!

So now my plan is to work, get a license, get a car, save my money for rent and go to Dublin next year! I'm super excited knowing that I have something to do next year and something to work towards, this is really a massive dream for me to get into this course and get the opportunity to work with amazing people and gain incredible experience! 

It just shows that you should never give up on a dream, keep working towards it and it will pay off!

Katie

x

How to Style These Knee High Boots

So I saw these gorgeous knee high boots on Zara and immediately added them to my wishlist. They're 85.95 euro so I'll be waiting a while to get them! But in the meantime I created these looks on how to wear them, taking into consideration it's still quite warm out but it'll definitely start getting colder in September so there's a few different seasonal looks here that I'm sure anyone could pull off!

Look 1

This look is definitely to be worn for the last bit of summer we have left! I love this boho dress from Topshop and white and tan are just such a great colour combination. I thought I could either make this look festival style or simple and chic so I chose to stick to my own style and paired it with a simple black bag and sunglasses from River Island. Perfect for a day out!

Look 2

I really like this fur gilet so I wanted that and the boots to be the main statement pieces so I paired it with a simple white top and denim jeans. It's such a simple look made so stylish with the right accessories. The dark brown hat blends in well and compliments the other brown tones in the outfit and the light suede bag adds a brightened bit of colour to the look! Perfect for early October and so easy to pull off

Look 3

I love monochrome looks and I love tan and black together so I really enjoyed creating this look! It's my favourite one I made! I love the beige blanket cape with the simplicity of a simple black bardot top and white jeans, and the bag just looks really classy and simple.

Look 4

This look is for when the weather starts getting proper cold. I really like the beige shirt and the burgundy bag, I think they really compliment each other. The jacket looks stylish and easy to pull off too. I think the boots definitely stand out a lot more in this outfit because I didn't put any matching brown tones with them, opting for black jeans, but I kind of like how they're the main statement, the point of wearing them is to show them off anyway! I think this look is really sophisticated but the leather jacket gives it a little edge. 

So that's how I'd style these boots! Obviously these are all my own preferences and based on my style and everyone's style is different but I hope it gives a little inspiration if anyone is buying tan coloured boots any time soon!

Thanks for reading

x

Summer Skincare Routine

I have tried so many different skincare routines in the past few years, always trying to find the right one for my skin, and the most recent one that I've started doing seems to be working really well for me now so I've been religiously sticking to it every day and thought I'd share it!

The first thing I do is wash my face with the Simple Triple Action Face Wash with a cellulose sponge. I used to use just my hands to wash my face but since I started using the sponge I found that it cleans out my pores a lot better and really gets all the dirt and oil off my face, which is resulting in smaller pores so I really recommend getting a cellulose sponge, I get mine in Primark/Penney's. I also use an exfoliating sponge sometimes especially after wearing make-up, it is a bit rough but it does really clean your face and gets rid of dirt and dead skin too.

After I rinse my face and dry it I use my Nivea 2in1 Cleanser and Toner using a cosmetic pad, and then I use my Clean&Clear Dual Action Moisturiser which is oil free and really hydrates my skin. If I'm having a dry-skin day then I'll also use my Astral moisturiser to really hydrate my skin and get rid of the dryness.

So this is my current cleansing routine and I find that it's working really well for me, especially in summer when my skin is a little clearer and doesn't need any harsh products. My skin isn't breaking out as much, using this routine, and my pores have gotten noticeably smaller which is great!

When I do get a breakout the first thing I do is put some coconut oil on my spots. Coconut oil is  antibacterial which means it is great for cleaning your skin and it also helps to reduce the inflammation and redness of a spot/blemish. I always find that using coconut oil on my spots helps to fight the spot before it gets worse. I then gently wipe away the coconut oil with a cosmetic pad after it's done it's job and I apply some sudocrem over my blemish then. Once my spot calms down I'll use my Lush Seaweed Face Mask on my face to just really cleanse my skin and that usually does the trick! This process can last up to a week with some spots, especially if I wear make-up a lot so I'm always really careful to do this routine after I remove my make-up to ensure the spot goes away before getting any worse.

Another thing I do is use the no7 Glycolic Peel Kit from Boots. It's something I only do every 2 weeks so as not to irritate my skin too much. It gives my skin a lovely glow after every use and really freshens up my skin! It's good for anti-ageing aswell and I just love how soft and fresh my skin look after I use it but I'll do a seperate review post on that!

That's it for my skincare for the moment.

Thanks for reading 

x

River Island Autumn Style

River Island is my favourite shop and I absolutely love their current A/W stock so I decided to do some outfit sets that I'd like to be wearing during Autumn. These are just what I would personally wear based on my style preferences but I hope they'll give some inspiration to others!

I only did 5 looks to keep my post short and sweet but I love them all!

***

Look 1: 

I think this look is so nice for Autumn, the jeans and scarf give it that nice pop of colour and makes it stand out without over doing it too much. I think it's really simple and stylish, great for shopping or a casual daytime date. 

 Top

Jeans

Jacket

Boots

Bag

Scarf

Look 2:

 I absolutely love this coat! And in Ireland Autumn is basically Winter because it gets so cold so you'd definitely get away with wearing this in September or October! I think since the coat is such a statement piece I chose very plain, neutral toned colours to pair it with, adding a pop of colour with the scarf, which compliments the coat nicely.

Coat

Similar top

Similar Jeans

Boots

Bag

Look 3:

This outfit would be great for a cinema date or lunch, it's so comfy and casual but still stylish. I love very basic but stylish outfits so I chose the coat and shoes as the stand out pieces in this outfit. The shoes have the right amount of sparkle but don't draw the eye away from the rest of the outfit too much. I wanted the t-shirt to be the main pop of colour and I think the soft pink compliments the other colours of the outfit really well.

Jacket

Top

Jeans

Shoes

Bag

Bracelet

Look 4:

I really love this look, I just love the neutral tones with the burgundy/brown colour. This can be worn early September into October when it hasn't gotten too cold yet. I think it would be a great outfit for lunch or shopping with your friends, just a nice everyday look, not too dressy, not too casual.

Kimono

Shirt

Similar Jeans

Boots

Bag

Scarf

Look 5:

I had to include a darker look because I love wearing black so much, and you can really get away with it in the colder months. I love the fringing of the bag with the fur on the jacket and I love the burgundy checked shirt, definitely my favourite colour to wear in Autumn.

Jacket

Top

Jeans

Boots

Similar Bag

Thanks for reading 

x