Passion for Fashion

I’ve teamed this with this pretty pink lace crop to from TopShop for £15. The lace trend is a lovely, soft, feminine look while the crop gives it a bit of edge. For those who are less confident about their stomach area, I’ve added this burgundy studded waterfall jacket so that you just give a hint of midriff. This is a great on trend item at a great price of £17.95.

As this outfit is hippy, lacy chic with a rock chick edge, the shoes had to be softer, back to that lacy feel. I liked these £9.99 shoes from an Ebay shop, as they will provide a subtle reflection of the tones in the jacket, and also have that lace trend, so really tie the outfit together.

I would accessorise this outfit with some bright nail polish, bringing a tiny splash of neon. This one from 2true at Superdrug is just £1.99 but exactly the colour I’d want to bring out the lace of the top. The jewellery would be plainer so that the outfit was not over the top – this silver tassle necklace fitted the bill perfectly. Currently on sale at Beaverbrooks for £45, this was the special treat I added to the outfit.

This brings my outfit total to £124.93, leaving me with £75.07 in change. Since this is my casual outfit, I would use this change to take my husband for a fun day out of a fab lunch, a couple of games of laser quest and a cocktail.

Holiday Wear

For holiday this year, we are hoping to get on to a bit of wild camping in so I reckon my holiday wear will be a bit different from the norm! However, being out in the redwood forests does not mean that you don’t have to be stylish! I think I’ll give the cut out trend a miss (just generally, that stuff does not look good on anyone), however, I think we can quite happily get stripes in this outfit!

The key to a good camping outfit is layers – so you have all the clothes you need for all eventualities and all weathers. And of course, to start you need a good base. For that reason, a sports bra is essential. It allows you to go for a good run, or just move firewood around and be supported the whole time. And right now, there isn’t a bigger bargain out there than this little number from Sports Direct for just £1.29. The price is all the more amazing when you consider this is a multiway strap offering, so it will fit with all kind of outfits. This is definitely my best buy!

Over our comfy bra, we need to start layering. California is warm in the day but the temperature can drop in the woods, so a good base layer is a must have. There are some more clearance bargains on Mountain Warehouse and this £3.99 short sleeve would be perfect for me, plus I love the colour.

On top of this I would layer this great striped hooded top from Toast, injecting that touch of on trend magic that your fellow campers will both respect and envy. Currently on sale at £53.10, this is a nice statement piece. I should probably add some pants to this outfit I guess. Trousers always come highly recommended when camping. Keeps the poison oak off your bum. These North Face trekking trousers are breathable and also zip off. Plus North Face tend to look slightly more stylish and less drearily outdoorsy, which is not what you want. They are currently on sale for £40 at Cotswold Outdoor, which is a good price for functional clothing like this.

When in forests, shoes are also important when outdoors. The Contour approach shoes have it all, waterproof, good grip, great for running and trekking, they are a good all in one shoe currently on sale at £35. They also look pretty good. The design of functional shoes has definitely become more stylish and less middle age rambler in recent years, which is great for me!

This jacket completes the look. I love a parka, being a child of the late 80s/early 90s and the colour of this one is great. It’s lightweight but still warm and water resistant so it’ll do the job at night, but fit snugly away in my pack during the day when I don’t need it. Like the hooded top, it adds a little bit of style with its fur trim and of course the timeless parka shape. At £40, I am left with £26.62 of my budget to play with and there is one thing that every holiday outfit needs in my opinion – a great sun hat.

There’s no way I’d suit a baseball cap, and it wouldn’t go with this outfit. I think the only option would be this Fat Face cowboy hat. At £20, it’d be rude not to (and I’ll blow my last few quid on some kendal mint cake).

Party Wear

The final outfit for me to style is party wear. Given that my sister in law is getting married this summer, the only outfit I could possibly style for this section is my wedding outfit. Something glamorous but elegant. To aachieve this, there is only one trend for me this SS13 – those subtle, delicate shades of grey that are infiltrating the high street. First seen on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week, this is a much more subtle trend that is easier to wear than most of the recent shades. I absolutely adore the Nagore dress from Desigual. It has those softer colours, starkly contrasted with bold prints and kooky patterns. Absolutely right up my street. I particularly love the panel of circles on the back, it’s a real statement that I think would look great at a wedding both for day and evening. It’s a great price for a Desigual dress to, at £79 at House of Fraser.

I’d pick out the grey and the pretty turquoise colour from the back panel for accessorising this outfit, and choose these cute slingbacks from Next at £36 along with this gorgeous elephant necklace, such a sweet buy for £32.50 from Not On the High Street.

And since I’ve got over £50 of my party budget left, it would be rude not to treat myself to a new bag and perhaps some earrings… This stud set from New Look is great value at £4.99, plus their jewellery is currently on buy one get one free so I’d pick myself up a little something extra for another day. I love all of these patterns and symbols and I think mismatched earrings is really stylish – it would give a great funky, hippy vibe that would go well with the elephant necklace and also the quirky irreverance of the Desigual dress.

And finally, the statement evening bag? This little number from Debenhams is understated and elegant, reduced to £18 and a great colour match for the rest of the outfit. The belle of the ball (except for the blushing bride of course) for well under £200.