OOTD: Nautical But Nice

Getting nautical!
I hadn't planned on this outfit being head to toe Next, but I recently got the most beautiful, blue Pandora bracelet and anchor charm, and I really had a tailored, nautical look in mind... Lucky for me, Next really got my style!! I wanted an outfit that would feel relaxed, but smart enough to wear to work.

These navy tailored shorts are perfect for a hot, Summers day in the city... They are slightly shorter than I would normally wear to work, so to keep them office-appropriate, I teamed these with a more covered up top and a comfy flatform... I mean, how cool are these shoes really??? I'm in love! As you can probably guess, I love a statement shoe, and these are practical yet stylish.

To take the look from the office to the boardroom, I would add a navy blazer and this stripey tote is perfect for carrying a notepad or tablet!


Outfit:

White Textured Tshirt - Next
Nautical Sail Away Canvas Bag - Next
Red Two Part Flatforms - Next
Navy Shorts  - Similar on Next
Long Blazer - Similar on Next

Of course, my beloved Daniel Wellington watch was ideal to go with this outfit. I featured this in my Stripes on Stripes outfit post, but I think against this simple white and navy outfit, the Canterbury watch really pops out.

I have to bring your attention to my accessories...

As mentioned before, the inspiration for this outfit was this blue Pandora bracelet with it's lovely  silver anchor charm*. Both of these are new to the Pandora Spring / Summer range and are available from Joshua James Jewellery. I love that the blue, leather band is fun and colourful for Summer, and the new range of charms match this perfectly!

I completed my look with this triangle diamond ring from Gemporia* I have been obsessing over Gemporia rings ever since Millie Mackintosh featured a ruby and diamond ring on her instagram last year... They have a HUGE range of the most gorgeous, stylish rings. It literally took me about a week to decide which one I wanted!! However, I couldn't resist this diamond, sterling silver ring! And, as you can get a lovely piece from less than £50, I'm sure this won't be my last Gemporia ring...Accessories:
Daniel Wellington Canterbury Watch via Burns Jewellers*
Ring - Gemporia*
Pandora Bracelet and Anchor Charm - Joshua James Jewellery*
Sunglasses - River Island

I hope you like my Nautical look!

So, tomorrow I'm jetting off to Amsterdam for Fashion Week with Fashionchick and I'm trying to organise my wardrobe for that... I am SO excited! I can't wait to get blogging about this :-)

Have you been to The Dam before?!

15 comments Next, OOTD

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In The Diary: Hotel Gotham

Last week I blogged about the Next Lingerie event that took place in Manchester Arndale. After being fitted for some gorge bras by the Next team, us bloggers were treated to a slap up meal at Hotel Gotham... If you haven't heard of this place, where have you been!?! It's a stunning, Private Members club, restaurant and hotel located on Manchester's King Street... This luxury dining room, is set in a unique location with an epic view over the city's rooftops.

If you're heading to Hotel Gotham, a uniformed Bellboy will escort you up the lift and into the decadent dining room. Once there, ask for a table near one of the arched windows and settle down for an evening of luxury, fine food and excellent service...

We chose from a set menu which included plates such as goats cheese salad, Manchester tart and Posh Fish n Chips!

The Food:

My starter was the Gotham Stock with artisanal breads. To be honest, I was a bit surprised when an empty bowl with chilli flakes was placed in front of me, as this totally wasn't what I was expecting!! However, a waiter kindly came along shortly after and filled my bowl with my very own jug of piping hot soup. On the menu was Butternut Squash and it was extremely tasty.

This was followed by a very delicious chicken and chips (although I have to admit I was a bit jealous of some of the other Bloggers Fish and Chips - it looked AMAZING!) My dish came with goji berry puree, red chicory and scorched cucumber. Not your usual, chicken and chips!

At this point, we were all rather full, but couldn't resist the final course... Warm rhubarb and pistachio bakewell, complete with clotted cream.

Have you heard of Hotel Gotham before?

Which course would you most want to try if you went?

2 comments Events, Food, Next

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In The Diary: Next Lingerie

UNDERWEAR. Do you know what size you are?

No, I don't mean what size are you wearing RIGHT NOW... I mean, do you really know what size you are? Like, when was the last time you got measured?

Around 90% of us are wearing the wrong size bra. But, lucky for you, Next have just launched their gorge new lingerie and alongside this, a bra fitting service. Note that that says Bra Fitting and not Bra Measuring? Yup, Next are doing away with the old tape measures and sizing, they can fit you into the correct bra just from looking at you! (Not in a creepy way). Things like, straps, band width and how you fit your cups, can all add up to your perfect bra fit!

Last week I headed over to the launch of Next's new lingerie collection at Manchester Arndale, and got some top tips from celeb stylist, Martine Alexander on how underwear can change your life!

1. Underwear is SO important, when Martine is dressing any of her clients, she always starts from the bottom up. And that means good lingerie.

2. The correct underwear can completely change your shape. It can pull you upright to reveal your waist, enhance curves or even minimise them if you wish!

3. Choose the correct style for you! Next have a range of designs that include, Plunge, Bandeau, Non-wire and Balcony. Check out their Bra Shape Guide to see which one will suit you most. I LOVE that there is a Holly bra! Yey! Scroll down to see which bra I chose from the collection!

So, let's check out in store...

As you can see, the colours are styles are so pretty and girly - perfect for Summer.

I chose the Carrie bra as it was my "Perfect Fit" and I loved the longline band that's so on trend right now.

My fave things about the range: It's really not that expensive! Bras start from £10 which I think is quite decent as they are clearly high quality. They also go up to a size G in some styles (with more designs coming in Autumn / Winter)

What so you think of what you've seen so far? Tempted to go get fitted?!

6 comments Events, Next

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What Next?!

Well, I have to admit that I used to think that Next was purely for buying boring work clothes or dressing your mum on her Birthday...

But WOW what a transformation recently!?

Not only have Next introduced some gorgeous clothes the past few seasons, but their website is super easy to use too :-)

I love their latest Festival range:

Festival Fashion by Next

I love the neutral colours that they've put together - perfect for hiding the dirt whilst camping!!

My favourite look? It has to be this one:

And the best bit is that this whole look comes to less than £100!

- Khaki Printed Mac £35
- Cream Embroidered Cami £22
- 'Mid Wash' Denim Shorts £20 (Petites version available - woohoo!)
- Quilted Navy Wellies £25 - Bargain!!

I would maybe add a pair of outrageous earrings just to add a touch of glamour to this look:

Feather Earrings from River Island

I'm also a big fan of the models hair.... Very tempted to ask for a little 'ginge-tinge' when I visit the hairdressers tomorrow...!!

And speaking of Gingers - the latest addition to the Next website is ex-Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell!

The singer looks absolutely amaaazing in the lastest Next adverts for swimwear:

"She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeeny yellow polka dot bikini...."

And boy does she wear it well! (I can see that polka dot bikin going in my holiday suitcase this Summer!)

At £40 for both the top and bottom, these bikinis could be seen to be a bit pricey... BUT! Their measurements are the same as Bras, so just pick the right cup size and you're definitely guaranteed the right fit!
As Geri herself says -

"Introducing my Swimwear... Cut to make you look sexy but give total support!"

Well, if it's good enough for the Ginge!

Happy Shopping Daydreamers xx



3 comments Next

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