DUSTY DUSTER

To much of our delight, us Brits have witnessed one of the warmest Decembers on record this winter and it's been a nice surprise. This means we haven't have to dig out our big bulky coats from last year yet and have the opportunity to wear our thinner coats within our wardrobe collection. This hasn't been the greatest news for many retail giants as big coats still remain in their stock rooms. However winter isn't quite over yet. This winter I've been able to get the wear out of one of my favourite duster coats from Topshop's petite section. This thin yet practical coat is perfect to wear both day and night as well as smart and casual. For this shoot I've decided to wear it with a more casual outfit and as you can see, the coat still gives the look a smart touch to it. This duster also includes deep pockets which can be handy to pop your phone in without the worry of it falling out.

I love the detail of the top I am wearing which is also from Topshop's petite section. The crimped detail stays perfectly intact wash after wash after wash. As this top is the length of a crop top, I have chosen to wear high waisted jeans as it is without a doubt not warm enough to have my stomach out. To finish the look I've added my go-to shoes, my converse. As you can probably see, they have been well warn. I love them because they go with everything and they are so comfortable too. Another great thing about these trainers are that they can easily been thrown into the washing machine once they start to get a bit grubby. So there's no need to be paranoid while walking through muddy streets with these on.  

COAT - Topshop / TOP - Topshop / JEANS - Topshop / SHOES - Converse

THE GORGEOUS GILET

You know it's winter time when the faux fur comes out. Always faux, never real. Last year we saw gilets really coming into fashion, and once again they are back in full force. I love these because they keep you nice and warm, even if you have your arms out. Perfect to throw on or dress up any basic outfit. For this post I've decided to wear one of my many gilets in a more causal style. They are wonderful to use in both smart and casual outfits. Under my gilet I am wearing a basic black turtle neck top from Quiz. Quiz have an array of these tops in different colours including camel, khaki and stone at only under a tenner! Bargin. 

To match the colour of the faux fur in my gilet, I wore brown flat boots. These boots are perfect for winter as they keep your feet dry and in addition they are easy to clean after treks along muddy trails. You can also wear nice warm fluffy socks underneath and no one would know a thing! To complete this casual look, I wore a pair of ripped Leigh jeans from Topshop. Topshop sell different styles and lengths of jeans which means there are always a pair a jeans perfect for someone. I prefer Leighs as they have a bit of stretch to them so they can fit over my muscular dancer legs and Beyonce booty. 

GILET - H&M / TOP - Quiz / JEANS - Topshop / SHOES - Topshop / JEWELRY - Pandora

CAMEL & TURTLE

As the temperature drops, it's officially time to dust off our winter coats ready to face the next season upon us. I think it's a great idea to have a neutral colour when picking a coat as that way you will always be able to wear it over any outfit. I came across this coat in the petite section in New Look. The style of the coat gives it a smart look which means this coat will always make you look fashionable while you are trying to stay warm. Sometime coats can leave us looking a bit frumpy but this coat is styled and fitted smartly, and therefore will leave us looking lovely. 

As it has only just entered December, England isn't at it's coldest yet (unfortunately) but it does mean we don't need to dig out our hat, scarves and gloves just yet. Therefore, to keep the chill off my neck I've opted for a turtle neck jumper. This jumper from Topshop's petite section fits perfectly with the lapels of the coat. Nothing beats a cosy jumper during the thick of winter to keep you warm. To finish off this casual look, I added a pair of ripped skinny jean and brown ankle boots. Now you are winter ready!

COAT - New Look / JUMPER - Topshop / JEANS - Topshop / SHOES - Topshop

Photos by Laura Howell

WORKING 9 TO 5

 What I love about my job at Jane Norman is that I can bring my own style to my work clothes each day. With the shop covered in bright and colourful clothes for the summer, I knew I needed to reflect this in my work wear. Dressing smartly doesn't mean you can't have fun with the clothes you pick. Bright colours, patterns and textures can all be played with to create great smart style. As seen on many of the catwalks during London Fashion Week, I decided to stick to a bright colour for today's look.

Waterfall blazers are the height of fashion this season and this detail can be found on other garments such as jackets. The colour coral has regularly been seen throughout many high street stores in the recent months. What is great about this colour is that it is a bright colour, ideal for this season, without being too vibrant. To balance out this colour, I've decided to stick to monochrome colours for the rest of the outfit. Being an outfit for work, I always choose leggings or jeggings over jeans. Comfort and flexibility is important as I am constanstly bending down sorting clothes and running up and down ladders. Ballet pumps are also great for the work place as they are subtle yet practical while being on your feet all day. 

BLAZER - New Look / TOP - New Look / TROUSERS - River Island / SHOES - New Look / WATCH - River Island

BALANCING ACT

Spring has officially arrived, but here in England there is still a chill in the air. This means it isn't often that we can leave the house without a coat or jacket. Most retail shops are currently displaying their Spring/Summer clothes on their rails, however it isn't near warm enough to wear them. This doesn't mean we can't mix the latest clothes with our winter wear. 

As this jacket is fake leather, it means it can be used as a waterproof coat. England is notorious for the rain and therefore this jacket will become very handy. As the rest of the outfit has dark or basic colours, I chose to add a pop of bright colour with my jumper. I made sure a small section of my jumper was pulled out past the sleeves of the jacket to allow more colour to be shown. Bright colours were seen regularly on the catwalks of every fashion week around the world. Although it isn't quite warm enough for bright coloured summer clothes, we can still integrate it into our outfits to stay up to date with fashion. To match the jacket I wore dark jeans and white shoes as the jumper added enough bright colour to the outfit.

JACKET - Boohoo / JUMPER - ASOS /  JEANS - Primark / SHOES - Vans

LONDON FASHION WEEK

London Fashion Week is one of our favourite events that we always look forward to. A week dedicated to fashion, models and catwalks is our idea of heaven. As well as this, an additional weekend is added onto the end of LFW for even more fashion. This week witnessed the bold, the bright and Kellogg's cereal brands (We're not kidding, check out Anya Hindmarch AW14 collection). Being a big fan of sequins, one of our personal favourites was a collection designed by Zeyne Kartal. We also fell in love with Ashley Williams collection while watching the models strut down the catwalk. 

All in all we both wished that we could afford all the clothes we saw on the catwalks. We can also safely say that designers defiantly thought outside the box when it came to inspiration this season. Above are a few snaps that we took during both London Fashion Week and London Fashion Weekend. Now all we have to do is wait until September to do it all over again.

JACKET - Boohoo / JUMPER - ASOS / JEANS - Primark / SHOES - Vans / BAG - Lipsy