L O O K B O O K // Zara do it again...

Zara seem to be on my mind a lot lately. Probably because everything they're doing is SO DAMN GOOD. Actually it's a little frustrating that with every new collection launched (and God knows there's a lot of them) I fall in love with them a little bit more.

They've got that branding down to a T. 

I probably should be making out that I fall in love with the clothing every time they release a new lookbook, but honestly it's the lookbook itself that draws me in.
The styling, the colours, the detail shots, the settings. The designs almost come second to all of that. It's fresh, modern, consistent and very now. I don't really know how best to describe what they're doing, but whatever it is, they doin' it well!

F A S H I O N // Outfit: Road trippin'

I spent my Sunday afternoon in Cambridge visiting family, and here's what I wore. I always forget how wonderful Cambridge is. I feel so comfortable and at home there- maybe even more so than in London, which is surprising. Maybe I'll move to Cambridge when I have a family of my own...
Anyway, I'm a bit rubbish at taking full outfit shots when out and about (and my sister was refusing to take any for me), so these are just a few detail shots from my Instagram. Coat: charity shop; Shoes: vagabond; Clutch: Zara; Ring: Bought at a festival aged 15

N°3 Clarity

I've been meaning to make this post for a little while, but sadly a lack of sunlight means very little time for outfit posts. Even these very quick shots were hard to get- I'm awful at taking pictures of myself at the best of times let alone when I'm having an 'awful face' day... I want to share my love of fashion with the rest of the world, but showing them off on myself leaves way too much room for self criticism. 
But I'll continue to try.
I wanted to share a couple of new Zara beauts with you.If you read my last post about Zara, you'll already know how I feel about them, but this season they really seem to be doing something so right. 
I'd been looking for a crisp cropped shirt for a while, but none caught my eye quite like this one. The minimal cross over details had my heart racing, although admittedly it's not the easiest thing to wear. I am however very much looking forward to introducing it to my spring workwear wardrobe, where I'm sure it'll be very happy!

My wonderful boyfriend also treated me to this incredible cracked leather clutch that I've been obsessing over for ages- the best thing to come home to after a hectic day at work- and I've been cradling it ever since :)
Unlike a lot of roll top clutches, this one actually manages to keep it's shape. Not only does it go with pretty much everything in my wardrobe, it looks damn good displayed in my bedroom looking pretty... the ultimate multifunctional accessory?..

Who knows when the next time I'll make an outfit post will be. I can't wait for longer days and more daylight!
For now though I'm spending the rest of my saturday night in bed watching the breakfast club- Granny alert! 

Zara: Comfy styling

I have a love/hate relationship with Zara. I LOVE their designs but that's mainly because they just copy every catwalk collection I love, so....
I'm also not really for their whole attitude on wasteful fast fashion (seriously, how many collections do they release a year)?!
Yet I buy the stuff they throw at me because (like the majority of people), I just cannot resist.
I mean, look at it...
I'm at quite a weird stage of my life at the moment- that awkward early 20's when I want to dress the way I feel comfortable (which in my case is mostly tones of black, grey and white) whilst still looking professional -but not too boring- and this being my first job since graduating, it has to be fairly cheap-ish. Oh, and easy..

See my problem..

When I was a student, getting dressed was simple. I didn't have to leave my house for uni until 8:00am, and I had all the time in the world I fanny about choosing something to wear that day. That's really not the case anymore. Having time in the morning to get ready properly is a huge luxury now, and so my wardrobe needs to fit around my faster paced lifestyle.

I feel like such a grandma.

Monochrome basics have now become my best friends. As have Zara jumpers, tailored trousers and chunky shoes. Sounds boring yes, but I have never felt more myself ever. I can wake up at 5:45am, stumble to my clothes rail and randomly pick a top and some trousers and I know it'll work. Shove on some shoes and a few rings et voila!
Which is precisely why I'm currently sat at my desk during my lunch break (saddo) practically crying over Zara's S/S collection, because just look how easy and comfortable it looks.
Let.me.have.it.all!

Cracked leather

 

I'm jumping on the bandwagon a little here, as it seems as through the whole world is talking about this little Zara clutch, but can you blame me?
Cracked leather and marble effect prints are everywhere right now, and I'm started to get a little bored with it, but something about this bag stood out to me. Perhaps it was the colour, or something to do with the more subtle crackled effect... either way I sadly have no money this month after saving every penny I had for a car, but I can admire from afar...
Or make my own...

No stress...

This time of the year has come around way too quickly! It only seemed like last week that we were all quaking in our boots over the thought of our final year, and now the first time finished.. WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?!

I had my formative assessment yesterday, so technically my christmas holidays have already begun (although my christmas feasting started about two weeks ago), however looking back over all my work I still feel like I could have done so much more. Never satisfied..

Anyway, I woke up Wednesday morning to a delightfully frosty day, and so myself and Amy thought we'd take advantage of the beautiful setting on the way to Uni.

Plus I hadn't really had a chance to share my new coat with the world... soo I now introduce you to my new Zara purchase..

I'd been on the hunt for a big-hooded-cloak-like winter coat for a while, and as soon as I spied this one, I had to have it! I not usually a fan of the high street to be honest- for many reasons- and Zara pretty much sums up everything I dislike about it, but even I have to admit it can sometimes be incredibly tempting.. 

The hood is amazing, it kinda makes me feel like a wizard or as if I should be galloping around on a big white horse. Plus it enables me to hide my face from the world which is an added bonus!

Amy looking very chic as always!

Now that I've finished for the holidays I don't quite know what to do with myself, and as much as I probably need one, I don't feel comfortable giving myself a whole day off. Just the thought of the workload next term is starting to make me feel a little sick, and I still have a hell of a lot of work to get on with over christmas (although our tutor has encouraged us to take christmas day of- thanks Jane)! I'll be the first to admit I get very stressed (although I may appear pretty chilled on the outside), I'll usually be dying inside. This year though I'd like to keep this to a minimum, and so we've been coming up with ideas to keep us all calm..

• Sleep (something I can't seem to do very well right now)
• Eat well (I swear fast food makes my brain stop working)
• Banish negative and stressed people from my life
• Yoga makes everything better
• Write everything down
• Manage my time well
• HAVE FUN!!
• Believe in myself
• A good cup of tea makes everything better
• Don't be afraid to ask for help

There are probably 50000000 more to add at some point... For now though I shall leave you with our pretty damn sexy alter egos..

Hannah..

So damn beautiful...