Tuesday 31 December 2013

this year i'm wearing...

As we say goodbye to 2013, it's time for me to post the customary self-indulgent look back at what I've been wearing this year…

January /

January 2013

In January I received my beloved Mulberry Alexa for my birthday, so it accessorised pretty much every look from there on in. The snowy weather called for an abundance of beanie hats, excessive wearing of my Topshop Unique army bomber jacket and, of course, rather a lot of leather.


February /

February 2013

February saw me wear my Zara jacquard wrap skirt and a neon yellow beanie (which I quickly thought better of) to the Lucas Nascimento show at LFW. A very lovely weekend in Amsterdam gave me the perfect opportunity to wear in my beautiful new Isabel Marant Dicker boots, which have barely left my feet since. At the end of the month I jetted off to Australia for some much-needed sun.


March /

March 2013

Not many outfit posts in March, given that I spent almost all of it down under, but at least I got to give my silk shorts, silver sandals and denim cut-offs several outings in the sun. When I returned (to horrifically cold weather) I accessorised everything with my new favourite holographic clutch and classic black Zara courts.


April /

April 2013

My favourite purchase in April was the black and gold embroidered Zara bomber which at first glance might seem something at odds with my usual simple style, but which proved my hardest working piece of outerwear throughout the summer. Plus, when I met my fashion journalist crush Polly Vernon she told me she had the same jacket and loved it. Also in April I took a quick 24-hour trip to Bruges where it was unseasonably sunny and the perfect excuse to dig out my trusty Ray-Ban Wayfarers again.


May /

May 2013

Spending a long weekend in Edinburgh resulted in my finally buying the H&M leopard jacket I'd been lusting after for months. I also invested in my second pair of Ray-Bans, this time tortoiseshell Clubmasters, and gave my favourite new Whistles clutch - monogrammed with my initials - quite a lot of outfit airtime.


June /

June 2013

Another sunglasses purchase in June courtesy of Linda Farrow at Bicester Village, along with what was probably my best budget buy of the year: the black suede Zara sandals which are as comfortable as they are beautiful. In the summer sales I snapped up the cobalt blue Whistles trouser suit I'd had my eye on for months and have continued to wear it both as an ensemble and separately ever since.


July /

July 2013

July's hero piece was the white Zara skort which is probably the most fashion-blogged item of the year (I mean, seriously, have you found anyone who didn't own it?!) Luckily the heatwave meant shorts, bare legs and plenty of sunglasses, as well as the perfect excuse to buy my first "day dress" - a black Zara wrap dress which has proven very versatile ever since.


August /

August 2013

In August the tricky in-between weather meant I was wearing shorts one minute and jackets the next, but it was perfect for my mid-length croc print leather skirt. It also meant I could break out my new cable knit unseasonably early.


September /

September 2013

LFW in September threw me into something of an outfit panic where I felt like I had nothing to wear, but it was a fantastic experience (and did result in my buying one of my favourite pieces of the season - the Whistles navy check wrap skirt). I also wore my first fedora with some apprehension, plus, unusually for me, some flat shoes: a beautiful pair of Zara ponyskin loafers.


October /

October 2013

After umming and ahhing over whether to keep them, the Zara patent ankle boots turned out to be my hardest working footwear of the year (still wearing them pretty much constantly). I thought about getting a pink coat but in the end went for the cream fluffy oversized River Island beauty, and in hindsight that was definitely the right decision. Hero accessory of the month was my H&M velvet chain bag.


November /

November 2013

To celebrate my new job I treated myself to the Whistles fur-lined biker jacket I'd wanted for literally a year, and I'm so ridiculously in love with it still. November of course saw the launch of the much anticipated Isabel Marant pour H&M collection, and I managed to snap up the satin-lapelled blazer (although I now really wish I'd got the leather trousers, too).


December /

December 2013

A 20% off Whistles offer and all the sales starting early means December did a hell of a lot of damage to my bank account. But I have a lot of goodies to show for it, including the gorgeous Whistles slogan sweat, fierce Zara zip and buckle boots and, of course, the Christmas present to end all Christmas presents: my 3.1 Phillip Lim 31 hour bag. In love.


So that's what I was wearing in 2013. I just want to say thank you all so much for reading my blog this year. I really hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. I hugely appreciate every single page view, comment, tweet and Instagram like. As always if you have any comments or suggestions you can get in touch via annalouelliott@gmail.com or any of my social media, so please do. 2013 has been a really great year for me and I hope it has for you too. I wish you a very happy new year and I hope you will keep on reading my blog in 2014!

Anna Lou X x x


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Monday 30 December 2013

today i love… the monday wish list


Joseph mohair sweater Whistles Rivington clutch Topshop Gelato heels

1. Zara studio jacket with pockets / £99.99 (reduced from £129)
The post-Christmas sales period is the perfect time to buy a new winter jacket, because we've still got plenty of cold weather yet to come (sob). Provided you make it classic rather than trend-led (sorry, but there's no point getting a pink coat now), it will undoubtedly prove a worthy investment. This lovely boxy navy number is on my Zara watch list, but I think I'll be waiting to see if the price drops further (god it's so annoying that Zara choose to only reduce things by a fraction at first…)

These heels are a little bit Wang, a little bit Proenza, a lot beautiful. I can't express just how much I love the croc panel and heel. Did I mention it's my birthday in a couple of weeks? I'm a size 39. Just so you know. Ahem.

I've got Swedish brand L:A Bruket's wild rose hand soap in my bathroom and I'm kind of obsessed with the minimalist packaging, so I can't wait to try more of their products. I love a good salt scrub and anything that looks like it was dredged up from the bottom of the sea has got to be a winner.

I've been toying with the idea of an ear cuff for a while now but I hadn't quite found one I liked enough. Plus, given that this may well be a one-time trend, I don't want to spend too much. This ASOS beauty ticks the boxes: simple but interesting, nice friendly price and no diamanté. Team with a simple black dress, hair up and dark lips for the perfect New Year's Eve look.

Two things I'm obsessed with when it comes to clothes and accessories: navy and calf hair. Combine the two and you have a bag that's calling out to me like a siren song. Add the fact that it's from my favourite brand Whistles and it's not even really an option for me not to buy it, right?

6. Joseph mohair colourblock jumper / £147 (reduced from £295) at my-wardrobe
The my-wardrobe sale has already pretty much bankrupted me, but it's now threatening to do even more damage to my current account by slashing the prices of all Joseph and Carven sale items by 50%. I remember obsessing over this jumper back in the summer and I'm finding it very hard to think of enough reasons not to buy it. It's just so big and fluffy and colourblocked to perfection. Must. Resist.


See what else is on my wish list here.


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Sunday 29 December 2013

today i'm wearing...

3.1 Phillip Lim 31 hour bag smoke

Zara patent ankle boots

River Island cream oversized coat

Zara blue skinny jeans

Took my new bag out on Boxing Day to hit up the sales. Totally obsessed with it.

River Island coat /
Topshop Boutique jumper /
Zara jeans /

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Saturday 28 December 2013

today i bought...

3.1 phillip lim 31 hour bag smoke

christmas gifts 2013

Lulu Frost for Whistles earrings /
The Gentlewoman /
Topshop beanie /

Some of my very lovely Christmas gifts plus a couple of cheeky sale purchases (no doubt more to come). It's safe to say I had a very merry Christmas... Kind of can't stop staring at my Phillip Lim bag. Sigh. What did you get?


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Thursday 26 December 2013

today i'm wearing...

Whistles comme ci comme ca jumper

River Island cream oversized coat

Mulberry black Alexa

Zara zip ankle boots

What I wore on Christmas Eve. Hope you had a lovely Christmas!

River Island coat /
Whistles sweatshirt /
Zara jeans /

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Tuesday 24 December 2013

today i love… the sales

Christmas sales picks 2013 Whistles Topshop Reiss Tom Binns

1. Whistles Limited Corine clutch / £145 (reduced from £295)
2. & Other Stories cotton sweatshirt top / £15 (reduced from £29)
4. Tom Binns Regal Rocker earrings / £90 (reduced from £150) at Net-a-porter
5. Reiss Natalia cut-away instep shoes / £95 (reduced from £149)

I feel very unprepared for the sales this year. By which I mean that they've all come unexpectedly early. Every year the once so-called January sales creep earlier and earlier, to the point that some including my-wardrobe and Whistles had begun by 18th December this time around. I don't know about you, but this unnerves me slightly; I like to be able to wake up on Boxing Day and commit an entire morning to online shopping, safe in the knowledge that I won't have missed out. But all these premature sales have meant we've had to fit in sales shopping around all the manic preparation that Christmas entails (I know, I know, first world problems). But anyway. It really is the best time of year to snap up a bargain or two; the summer sales are always something of a disappointment. So I've picked a couple of my favourite pieces available to snap up now, and to be honest, the only sales I'm still really waiting on are Zara and Space NK. A few golden rules to stick to when sales shopping: first, check back on all the things you wanted anyway (my Pinterest wish list is ideal for this); secondly, don't buy anything too trend-led; I really wanted the Stella McCartney plaid sweater but I'm not going to buy it in the sales because it's had its heyday; third, step back a second and think about whether that is actually a brilliant price, or just cheaper than it was but still pretty expensive. If in doubt, I think you can't go too far wrong with classic knits, investment bags, beauty sets and lots of leather (always in style but not cheap at full price). Happy shopping! Oh, and a very merry Christmas to you all.


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Sunday 22 December 2013

today i'm wearing...

Zara black fur coat

Topshop Baxter black jeans

Zara black court shoes

Topshop black croc tote

ASOS checked snood

Can't go wrong with all black and just a hint of checks, right? PS: this snood is now in the sale.

Zara coat /
Zara shoes /
Topshop bag /

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Friday 20 December 2013

today i'm wearing...

Whistles Lennox oversized biker

Zara black leather tote

Zara patent ankle boots

Zara white skinny jeans

Whistles purple jumper

Persuaded my sister to let me borrow this beautiful Whistles jumper which she snapped up in the sales last Christmas. I'm feeling slightly unnerved by the fact that all the sales are starting already; I don't feel ready yet… Miraculously I've managed to resist the Whistles sale so far; very proud of my willpower.

Whistles jumper /
Zara jeans /
Zara bag /

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Wednesday 18 December 2013

today i'm wearing...

Topshop cream aran knit

Topshop Boutique croc leather skirt

Mulberry black Alexa satchel

Kurt Geiger patent spike heel boots

Realised I forgot to post this look from last week, but better late than never. Rediscovering my love of these fierce, shiny spike-heeled boots lately, although only when I don't have to walk very far, it has to be said.

Topshop jumper /
JW Anderson x Topshop shirt /
Topshop Boutique skirt /
Kurt Geiger shoes /

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Monday 16 December 2013

today i love… the monday wish list



Topshop cashmere jumper Whistles Portland backpack Bioderma Hydrabio mask

I am powerless before navy jumpers anyway, but throw the word cashmere in there and I'm totally sold. I love how this is slightly slouchy, mannish and looks just a little like your school uniform - but a whole lot more luxurious. If there's a difficult someone still left on your Christmas list, surely you couldn't go wrong with a classic piece like this?

There are plenty of trends you can only work in summer: tanned skin, short shorts, open-toed shoes, sunglasses; the list goes on. But one you can't is dark lips. Dark lips should be reserved for crisp frosty nights huddled around outdoor heaters with a large glass of wine. Dark lips are wintry glamour at its finest. And it helps if the packaging's beautiful, too.

I've toyed with the idea of getting a backpack for a while, but had never quite found one that is chic enough. Well, the search is over. This smooth leather Whistles beauty banishes all schoolgirl associations in one fell swoop. Should be held from the hand, preferably in exactly the way the model does on the website, with the other hand dug nonchalantly into your pocket. Sigh.

Doubtless you've heard the hype around French brand Bioderma. It's been touted as the best budget beauty line to cross over the channel in recent months, and I for one am a sucker for a good review when it comes to skincare. My skin practically screams out for moisture at this time of year, so this mask promising "deep down, lasting moisture" is looking pretty tempting to me.

Got a last minute Christmas party wardrobe emergency? A leather top is your one-stop shop for looking appropriately party ready without seeming try-hard. Sling this budget top on with your favourite jeans or skirt, add lipstick and statement earrings/necklace, and you're done. You can reuse it at the office under a poloneck, too.

Pearl earrings seem to be staging a comeback lately, and I've actually fashioned my own single pearl drop earring out of two broken pairs (though haven't captured it on camera yet, so watch this space). For a daytime-appropriate version, I love this cute little black pearl pair. The perfect contrast to a huge chunky knit.


See what else is on my wish list here.


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Sunday 15 December 2013

today i'm wearing...

River Island cream oversized coat

Zara leopard tote

Topshop navy jumper

Zara leather trousers

Zara zip leather ankle boots

A while back I bought the Kate Bosworth for Topshop Pistol boots, and for several days deliberated over keeping them, reasoning that although they were undeniably beautiful, the heel was just a little too high to make walking in them as easy as it should be. After a lot of wearing them around the house, I decided it wasn't worth the risk. Luckily, no sooner had I made this decision than I stumbled across these Zara beauties online. The same premise as the Topshops but with added zip and buckle detail (oh, how I love a little zip and buckle detail) plus the added bonus of - crucially - an ever so slightly smaller heel. I'm so glad I went for these instead because they're actually ridiculously comfortable and easy to walk in, plus I wholeheartedly adore them.

River Island coat /
Topshop jumper /
Zara trousers /
Zara bag /




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Saturday 14 December 2013

today i love… whistles resort '14

Whistles resort 14 lookbook1

Whistles resort 14 lookbook2

Whistles resort 14 lookbook3

Whistles resort 14 lookbook4

Whistles resort 14 lookbook5

Pictures / Whistles.co.uk

You all pretty much understand my love of Whistles by now, but I couldn't resist showing you how amazing their Resort collection is. I don't think I really need to say anything; I'll let these beautiful pictures speak for themselves. Suffice it to say: my bank balance is in trouble.


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Thursday 12 December 2013

today i'm wearing...

Whistles comme ci comme ca sweat

Zara black patent ankle boots

Cambridge Satchel Company navy satchel

Zara black fur coat

Kind of obsessed with this sweatshirt. It's honestly the comfiest thing ever and goes with everything. While I'm on another Whistles love rant, have you checked out their advent calendar? A new yummy treat to win every day in December - what's not to love?

Zara coat /
Zara jeans /
Zara boots /

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