A New Look

I was recently contacted and asked if I would like to review a couple of pieces from the +New Look Inspire Range.  What I decided to do was to choose things a little out of my comfort zone so in other words; not a dress!  

What I have been absolutely loving lately are the beautiful kimonos that I have seen people floating around in and I was dying to try one for myself.  The trouble with kimonos is that I already know that they won't suit me.  Big floating sleeves and the cut means that they just won't work with my body.  I decided that the White Floral Waterfall Blazer * would be the perfect ode to the kimono as I wanted something fitted but with short beautiful draping detail and of course a gorgeous print.  

As I was already out of my usual comfort zone I decided to team the jacket with a bright blue top and some black skinny jeans *.  Here is how it all worked together.

The waterfall blazer is gloriously soft to the touch and doesn't crease.  The fit is true to size and I wore it comfortably all day.  The skinny jeans fit well and I went with the 30 inch length which was just right for me at 5ft4.  

The blazer styled with the jersey top with mesh insert from +Marisota gives a more formal look but it would also be perfect with a simple camisole.

What do you think?  Are separates my thing?

* Denotes a gifted item 

Yes All Women

When you look 20 or 30 years into the future, what do you envision?  Flying cars?  People living on other planets?  Teleportation?  Well if you look back at the movies of a few decades ago, this is the kind of thing that they expected us to be doing.

Next year we will hit the year that Marty McFly travelled to in Back to the Future 2.  I don't see many hover boards floating around but they are a few things that they were pretty spot on about; like video calling.

In essence, when you look towards the future, you see progression, things that are better than the way they are now.  

29 years ago "The Breakfast Club" was released.  Here is a quote from the movie when talking about women and sex:

Wow, you think, what backward thinking I'm so happy times have changed!  Oh wait......  Actually that thought process is still as much in play today as it was then.  

Girls are sent home from prom because their outfits are "causing young men to have impure thoughts".  In rape cases victim blaming is rife not only in the media and on the social network sites but also in Court (this is only one example of many out there).  Songs like Blurred Lines become bestsellers.   People like David Starkie get to go on Question Time saying things like "Violence, not consent, should be the classification of rape."

We still live in a society where when you get unwanted attention from a man "I have a boyfriend" works better than "No".  

The hashtag on Twitter #yesallwomen which has followed after the killing spree of Elliot Rodgers has done much to highlight what attitudes women face on a daily basis.  

My own experience is of men thinking that because I have large breasts, I am automatically "up for it" or I'm "easy".  I have been grabbed in bars more times than I can count but the thing that scares me the most is the perception of others that this is somehow acceptable because "well they are so big".  It is NOT alright to touch me without my permission.  It isn't okay; it's a sex crime and I shouldn't be told I am overreacting if I label it as such.

It doesn't matter how far we have progressed in other aspects of our lives, like with the technological example.  A woman may be able to give testimony in a rape trial by way of video link, but until what she was wearing or how much she had to drink is no longer relevant; we are still living in the stone age.

A Curious Fairytale

I was recently given the opportunity to review a piece of jewellery from a Manchester based store on Etsy called A Curious Fairytale (what a fantastic name for a jewellery shop by the way!)

Mostly when I buy jewellery I don't go into the high street stores but instead prefer to check out charity shops and online stores for something a little more unique and that fits with my personality.  The necklace I was sent was their Once upon a Time Cameo Necklace which is selling on their Etsy store for £15.00.

The quality of the necklace is superb with the pendant having that heavy feel to it that you know means that it is not going to fall apart after a few wears.  I have worn this necklace with several different outfits now, both to blend with the outfit and also by showcasing the necklace itself.

Here are some of my other favourites from the shop.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them and will definately be buying from them myself in the future.