ramble: on personal style and not fitting into boxes

How can we ever truly and flawlessly achieve our ideal aesthetic? For me this is a constant question – I’m unhappy with how my hair looks, or with the limited wardrobe I have and the lack of money to change it, or it’s just one of those days where everything seems to clash horribly. So, I have been trying to reshape my perception of my “ideal aesthetic” and focus less on trying to assimilate to the aesthetic I want, and instead let all the things I love become the aesthetics of me. This is a really difficult thing for lots of us, and I know that for me, it takes all of my energy just to convince myself that I don’t need to look a certain way or dress a certain way in order to be myself.

Dressing in a way that makes me comfortable is so versatile – I can be comfortable and completely relaxed in my pjs or in a pair of high waisted purple trousers and a bodysuit. Both are completely me, and both represent different sides of my personality as well.

There is a lot of pressure from mainstream fashion and media to wear certain clothes or fit into a subsection of a certain style of dressing. Personally though, I could never commit to that. I love loose flowing dresses and skirts with intricate patterns and 70s era fringe on all my accessories, but at the same time I don’t think I could ever live without cigarette trousers or blazers. Some people are drawn to one particular style and honestly, I’m jealous of them because I just love it all. I want to wear everything because I feel like different styles bring out different sides of my personality.

This expression of personal style is why I love blogging and the blogging community so much, as you can really show off the many layers there are to your personal style – something that can be as complex as our personalities.

I would encourage you to explore all aspects of who you are and to incorporate everything you love about yourself into your personal style – because that is really what makes it personal and authentic. Don’t be afraid of change either, our tastes are constantly changing and improving so as with any kind of growth, embrace it and roll with it because you will start to (hopefully) flourish in your personal style. It will be a true reflection of you and your one of a kind quality.

I know this post has been a little scattered, I decided to share some of the thoughts I tend to have about fashion and style with you in hopes that you may feel a little more confident or reassured that you don't have to have one set type of style in order to express yourself.

Lots of love,

Jessica. x

year-round fashion essentials

It’s always good to have some year-round clothing essentials at hand, especially if you dress in a certain style and find it hard to shop during either the winter or summer seasons. I like a lot of clothing that is typically only available in A/W collections, but since the climate is usually pretty cool and rainy in Ireland, it works no matter the season. Today I decided to share some of my year-round fashion essentials and the best places and times I have found them.

New Look grey cotton turtleneck, a/w '17

The first is of course a turtleneck. I love these so much, whether just simple cotton or a cosy wool, and I have many turtlenecks by now, most I found in charity shops, and others in Penneys and New Look. One of my turtlenecks bought in a charity shop is from Dunnes Stores. These are mostly winter clothing but around springtime they are added to sales lines in order to make room for summer stock, and this is when I tend to buy them.

Next is a pair of boots, whether ankle, knee-high, heeled or flat, a pair of boots is so useful no matter what time of year. I typically wear a pair of flat black boots to work as they are comfortable and easy to wear for long periods of time. I often buy pairs of boots in New Look, although Office and Topshop also have good pairs.

h&m vintage fit jeans, a/w '17

I love jeans but finding the right pair is so difficult. I love these h&m vintage fit jeans, although they’re actually a little big for me so I would love a new pair. These are kind of mom jeans though not advertised as such. I think they look typically 90s though, and I wear these with another of my year-round essentials: my black belt from Topshop. The cuffs of my jeans look much better rolled up as I feel that makes me look a little taller (I hope, anyway!)

h&m black maxi skirt, s/s '18

A good skirt is so useful because you can wear it so many different ways and for different things. I got a beautiful and practical grey mini skater skirt in a charity shop but it is h&m, and I know they regularly have skirts like this. Maxi skirts are also wonderful if you want to make a statement. I tend to wear my plain black h&m maxi skirt with crop tops or cropped jumpers. I also wear heeled boots or heeled sandals with it because it makes me less worried about tripping on excess material. I love waisted skirts and I tend to shop in New Look and h&m for skirts because I like most of their fits, however their sizing is a little awkward and what fits me on my waist won’t fit me on my hips, and vice versa.

I love a good blazer, and I have had many throughout the years. Black blazers are infinitely useful and I hope to own one till the end of my days, but I'm currently more into this grey blazer I found in a charity shop. It's originally from Zara and I know there are usually blazers available in Zara, as well as stores like & Other Stories, h&m, New Look, and Penneys. They really make an outfit look more put together, and you can find blazers in all kinds of fits, including longline, straight cut, fitted, or cropped. 

I hope you enjoyed this little fashion post, I feel as though I don't write enough of them but I'm hoping that will change in the coming months!

Lots of love,

Jessica x

scents for summer

Summer is such a great time for perfume, there are so many scents that are perfect for the sunny days we all hope to have, especially here in Ireland. I know a lot of people have different scents depending on the season, and while I love having multiple perfumes on the go at once, I definitely have different types of scents for the different seasons. So here are some of my favourite scents for the summer season!

           

The first is one of my all-time favourites, Sweet Like Candy by Ariana Grande. This scent is so beautifully sweet and light which makes it perfect for creating a summery feeling when you smell it. It’s also quite affordable as perfumes go, with current prices around €30-€50/£22-£50 for 30-100ml bottles. The packaging is also adorable, which makes it more interesting and attractive as a product.

           

The next is a perfume I recently got as a gift, and that is Burberry Body Tender, which is a heavier scent than Sweet Like Candy, but works for summer in that it has a lovely citrus note. I love this scent for busy days because it lasts all day and it’s a gentle scent once it settles.

Something that isn’t a perfume but have a beautiful scent for the summer months are the Original Source Cherry and Almond Milk, and Sweet Apple and Vanilla Milk shower gels. I love how sweet these smell, and they're just nice gentle scents on your skin which can blend really well with a sweet perfume. It’s always nice to pick a shower gel that you look forward to using, it helps with those early starts for work or college!

It wouldn’t be a perfumes post from me if I didn’t mention my all-time favourite scent, Ari by Ariana Grande. The praise I have for this perfume will never end, I love everything about it – except its lasting power, I need more! However, since I use up the eau du parfum so quickly I tend to use the body spray more regularly. This is easily gotten from most Boots and Superdrug stores or from The Perfume Shop online. And it’s a lot cheaper than buying the perfume, which is handy.

Lately I have been using the Ari body spray, Sweet Like Candy, and Burberry Body Tender all together. It makes this strange fresh but sweet scent that I really like and it does stick around all day which is handy for when I’m at work all day.

If you've been looking for a new perfume or just a new shower gel with a lovely sweet scent I hope you enjoyed my recommendations, 
Lots of love,
Jessica x