Must Haves This Winter!

The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder and it's finally time to pack away the mini skirts and hotpants for a while. Yes, it seems winter is finally here. The best TV is back on the box, the weathermen have already hinted that it may snow soon and best of all this means it's almost Christmas!

However it's so hard to choose what to wear in winter! No matter what you wear the moment it snows your tootsies are going to get wet and/or cold and there's always this awkward moment when you step inside, bundled up to the max from the cold and then the heat hits you - cue the frantic strip of hats, gloves, scarfs, coats, jumpers and whatever else. But it always helps to be stylish!

This winter's theme has to be rust. Rusty browns, wine reds and mustard yellows should be the staple pieces in your wardrobe this winter. Although jeans are comfortable, this winter it's definitely time to experiment with different stays to keep warm AND stay stylish at the same time. Try ditching your jeans for a pair of stone coloured chinos or even a knitted skirt with thick, grey tights. The options are endless.

Here are some of my top picks for the perfect winter wardrobe ;

The Knitted Granny Skirt

Clockwise from top left ;

Petites Intarsia Knit Skirt, £20.00, Miss Selfridge

Brenta Fairisle Knitted Mini Skirt in Camel, £11.99, Missguided.co.uk

Black Fairisle Midi Tube Skirt, £20.00, River Island

Snowflake Knitted Mini Skirt Cream/Black, £10.00, Funkydivaa.com

This is definitely a tricky trend to pull off as the style definitely reminds you of old grannies! However with the skirt short and feminine it could definitely give off a vintage vibe. Wear with black tights and a simple plain white or black vest top, nothing to take the attention away from the skirt. My personal favourite from the ones featured above is definitely the Brenta Fairisle Knitted Mini Skirt from Missguided, it looks just that little bit more different with a bit more colour and looks a bit more Christmasy to me. For those of you worried about getting frost bite, the Fairisle Midi Tube Skirt from River Island is ideal as it's much longer and will therefore keep you extra warm.

Wine Red Tones

Clockwise from top left ;

Long Sleeve Basic Top In Wine, £5.99, Funkydivaa.com

Wine Red Stretch Skinny Belt Jeans, £29.99, Quiz Clothing

Snake Peep Toe Platform Court, £19.99, New Look

Kelly Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt, £10.00, Boohoo.com

This deep but warm shade is absolutely gorgeous and is perfect for those cold nights this winter. Add a bit of warmth to your outfit by wearing this daring wine red shade which best goes with both cream and rusty brown shades. The items featured above are lovely for winter, the top from Funkydivaa has long sleeves to keep you warm, whereas the skinny fit jeans are, er, so skinny that no cold will get in! 

Mustard Yellow Must Haves!

Clockwise from top left ;

Lace Collar Chiffon Top, £12.99, Missrebel.co.uk

F&F Funnel Neck Coat, £25.00, Clothing at Tesco

Evangelie Jersey Leggings, £5.99, Missguided.co.uk

Ochre Bobble Scarf, £18.00, Miss Selfridge

As you've probably guessed from the many posts I've done about this, mustard yellow is a really big thing right now! The only thing to remember is to use it sparingly - as it's such an out there colour! A subtle addition of this colour - like with a scarf such as the Ochre Bobble Scarf - is the perfect addition to an outfit. A bright, fitted coat in this gorgeous colour will also keep you especially warm this winter. Mustard yellow looks great with chocolately browns or, if you're feeling brave, wine reds like the ones featured earlier in this post!

Rusty Browns

Clockwise from top left ;

Corsage Necklace Tee, £12.99, Missrebel

Bellina Skinny Jeans In Brown, £25.99, Missguided.co.uk

Flannel Chain Belted Shorts, £36.00, Topshop

Vero Moda Nordic Snowflake Knit Dress, £38.00, ASOS.com

Browns are always big when it comes to Autumn/Winter, but this year the main tone is 'rusty brown'. Luckily, brown is a warm colour which means you'll look picture perfect during those cold days, and brown also goes with pretty much anything! Wear big, comfy white or black ugg boots with the pair of Bellina Skinny Jeans from Missguided, or wear a pair of massive thick tights with either the shorts or the dress.

Finally, not forgetting the perfect finishing touch to your very stylish winter outfits - the nail colours! Without a doubt, buy all the coolest winter shades in one go when purchasing Models Own' Autumn/Winter Collection, priced at £20 and available from Modelsownit.com

Left To Right -

Grace Green,

Purple Ash,

Becca's Brown,

Purple Grey,

Mushroom

and 

Nude Beige

Keep an eye out for an upcoming shopping haul post, showcasing all my winter autumn purchases from Funkydivaa (some of which appear here!). Also do not forget that you can receive an exclusive to this blog 15% discount to use at Funkydivaa when entering the code LOUISE15 at check out!

www.missselfridge.com / www.missguided.co.uk / www.riverisland.com / www.funkydivaa.com / www.quizclothing.com / www.newlook.com / www.boohoo.com / www.missrebel.co.uk / www.clothingattesco.com / www.topshop.com / www.asos.com / www.modelsownit.com

Wednesday Wishlist

Floral Sleeveless Dress, £24.00, Dorothy Perkins

I love this simple, floral summery dress from Dorothy Perkins. I think what I like most about it is that its sleeveless - the basic straight down shape means it would look absolutely amazing teamed with heels and bracelets piled high on each arm. I really love the vintage pattern as well. For a look thats more suitable for the day, tuck it into a high waisted skirt or shorts especially for summer with some plain pumps. Pink lips with vintage earring studs would also complete the look.

Satin Strappy Platform, £24.99, New Look

These strappy sandles really get me in the mood for the summer. This hot pink shade will brighten up any outfit and would look lovely with a plain white dress. Match your nails to this colour by painting them pink. Wear these with a little black dress for an evening/clubbing look that really stands out with a french pedicure.

Ruffle Bow Back Camisole, £30.00, ASOS

I really love tops that have interesting back detail like this as I think its so refreshing. I think its a much classier approach to showing a little flesh on a night out too, as opposed to flashing your cleavage or legs! This top is majorly cute and looks really good with shorts. This outfit should be kept very simple with pumps for in the day, or heels for the evening. Brush your hair and curl it to one side to really show off the back detail with this dress.

Magali Tailored Pleat Dress in Camel, £21.99, Missguided

I'm really loving all the honey and mustard yellows that we are seeing this summer as I think they are key pieces to your wardrobe - any girl should own something in a nice eye catching shade of yellow! This dress is incredibly vintage with its mid length sleeves and the skinny belt to give it more shape. 

Paris Charm Bracelet, £14.00, Accessorize 

This gorgeous bracelet will have you dreaming of a romantic summer spent in Paris! If you can't afford to travel to France, get this bracelet instead for a subtle hint of romance to your outfit. Wear it with anything at all, but bright red or blue heels will really be eye catching as they match the bows on this bracelet.

Wednesday Wishlist

Lilliana Stud Embellished Chiffon Style Dress In Mocha, £28.99, Missguided

This gorgeous dress is so lovely! I love how the shape and style is plain but the embellishments make it more 'wow'! I like how its the type of dress you can wear in so many different ways ; by itself and some wedges in the summer, with thick tights in winter, you can drape yourself in lots of accessories with it for a more classy look..I'd wear it with a soft brown eyeshadow, nude lips and peach cheeks, or with red lipstick as you'd have to be careful to make sure the colour doesn't drown you out.

The dress is also available in a few other colours such as hot pink (which I'm also considering) but I think purchasing the dress in this mocha colour is ideal as I will get more use out of it!

Crazy Peony Floral Indian Clip Frame Purse, £9.00, Accessorize 

I recently put together an article on bags for a website I've began writing for and featured this very cute chic purse! It's so cute! The purse I have at the moment is a large one that stores all my cards and money etc but I'd really like a mini purse like this just for my coins. The bow detail with the little heart is my favourite part of the purse but I'd be worried about it falling off!

Mariota Belted Chino Trousers in Grey, £18.99, Missguided

Over the easter half term I'll be doing work experience with More! magazine for two weeks, so I've been keeping an eye out for some items that are both smart and fashionable at the same time. These panelled trousers are both. I love the grey/slightly brown shade and would wear these with a white blouse and just pumps - though heels would look better as you can see in this photo! These are a bit different from normal work trousers as they are taken up at the bottom and much more fitted which is what gives them the fashionable edge and off course the fact that you wear heels with them. The belt will also break up any outfit a bit.

Nail Rock Pink Leopard Print Nail Wraps, £6.50, Topshop 

If you haven't already noticed, girls are starting to become very experimental with their nails and nail art. I, personally, don't have the patience to do art on my nails myself (no matter how easy it looks, I would no doubt give up after two tries, go off in a huff and never attempt to do it again - like everything else!) so I've been eyeing up nail wraps! The design above is very out there and I would probably restrict it for a special occasion or a big night out, but I think it's quite quirky and I adore quirky things. However, I have seen similar nail wrap designs in the pound store so I might have a gander in there first before I shell out £6.50 on something I'm not sure I'd have the guts to wear!

Soap and Glory Hocus Focus Lotion 30ml, £12.26, Boots

I'm not really into spending loads of money on lotions and potions for my skin as I'm always wary about whether or not they'll work. But I love Soap and Glory - its cute, retro and smells nice, so I'm considering this. I always have really dull skin and I have never, ever had enough sleep. Add this to the fact that I'm fairly pale then you can imagine why I'd maybe need some sort of lotion to make a difference to my skin, even to just make it healthy! This product is described as 'A blast of balance for tired skin. An instant visual flaw-softening lotion  with long-wearing LIGHTSCRAMBLE'. It sounds like it does the job?! 

www.missguided.co.uk

http://www.accessorize.com/

www.topshop.com

www.soapandglory.com

Wednesday Wishlist

Would you believe me if I told you I didn't plan to do a Valentines Day themed Wednesday Wishlist? Well I spotted the three tops below whilst window shopping and they caught my eye, and EVERYONE wants the red dress. I didn't actually realise until after I'd put all the images in that all these items are pretty much love themed/Valentines colours!

Peter Pan Swing Lace Dress, £10.00, Topshop

(Out of stock, going for £80+ on ebay)

Do you remember when you couldn't go anywhere without seeing girls wearing black lace tops and dresses like these? Well now its the red lace dresses that are in style and in perfect timing as well with Valentines day next week. Because this dress is such a bold colour, a tan or black pair of heels would go nicely and accessories should be kept to a minimum. For extra oomph get your hair big with as much volume as you can and either have sexy smokey eyes with long fluttering eyelashes or keep the eye makeup basic and instead choose some bright red lips in a corresponding shade to the dress.

Cream and Red Glitter T-shirt, £14.99, Quiz Clothing

I love this top as its so cheeky and girly. Unfortunately being a crop top I do not think I have the figure for it! This would be great for a night out with skinny jeans and sky scraper black or red heels and might guarantee you a kiss! The sparkly lips will dress the outfit up. Team with a long black cardy in the day and again swap tan coloured shoes for heels to keep it casual.

Cream and Red Sequin Heart Top, £9.99, Quiz Clothing

This top is a bit similar to the last one but I like how its a little longer at the sides with a raised front which means again its quite in fashion at the moment. I'd suggest wearing this top in a similar way to the last!

Scrabble Love Top, £12.99, Internacionale

Another crop top! This little gem is a bit more girly and has more neutral colours which means a lot of things would go with this top (including the brogues bellow!). It would look gorgeous with a pale brown cardigan and light blue jeans, or with a pale blue vest top underneath. Makeup wise, the natural look would be best with this.

Felicity Contrasting Floral Brogues, £15.99, Missguided

I actually hate brogues with a passion but I think I'm finally coming around! Brogues remind me of something my dad would wear (or used to wear back in his day) and I just don't think they're the right type of shoes for a girl to wear! In addition, a lot of them just look like they'd rub on your ankle all day when you wear them without socks on. However, these are very, very cute. I think what I like about them is that they are so girly and they look like a nice, comfortable (less shiny!) material too. They also look like they would go with anything! I'll be keeping my eye on these and may give them a go in the future.

www.topshop.com // www.quizclothing.co.uk/clothes/tops/ // www.internacionale.co.uk // www.missguided.co.uk