Sweaters Everywhere!

So, I'm not going to lie. I have no idea where I'm going with this post. I guess you could say that I woke up this morning and just had a dying urge to talk about sweaters (lol, that sounds even more ridiculous written down, as it did in my head)... So... yeah! Enjoy... (Okay, I'm being ridiculously awkward today).

Some of my favourite sweaters!

There is just something so versatile about the sweater. It can be worn with skirts, or trousers, or shorts. It can be worn with leggings; and if it is long enough, it can even be worn as a dress.There really aren't that many clothing items that can be paired with absolutely anything and still look really good. They also keep you warm! This, frankly just adds to their versatility and if you live in a country like England, where we spend three quarters of the year in 'below-10 degrees celsius' temperatures, it is sort of an important factor when choosing clothes.

Next, there's also the comfort factor. During the autumnal months, there is nothing more cozy than wearing an oversized sweater with leggings and boots. And while that particular outfit might not always look like it took a lot of time and effort and is really well put together, it will still look cute, and you'll be extremely comfortable!

So, you might have realised that I have somewhat of an unhealthy obsession over sweaters, lately; and I'm not going to lie, I've literally felt the need to buy a new sweater, every time i've seen one I liked, so basically every week. Yeah, I know. Not good. Well, I blame pop culture. With pictures all over tumbler of girl wearing sweaters and looking amazing, and makeup gurus on youtube, who are my age, talking about their look for sweaters in silly youtube tags that I sometimes watch, (e.g. the I love Fall tag) can you really blame me? I always like to believe that I don't let other people's opinions influence my own because I strongly believe in being an individual with your own thoughts and beliefs. However, the reality is that other people's opinions influence my own decisions all the time- and unless you live under a rock, it's quite frankly impossible not to be influenced by pop culture; because the whole point of it is that it is what is popular in our current culture.  Well, at least that is how it seems at my current age. Maybe when I'm older, I'll be able to let go of following trends, even if I do it subconsciously, most of the time, and become my own unique person.

 Well, there's my rant of the day done. I knew it was a good idea to talk about sweaters! As you can see, somewhere along the line, I stopped talking about sweaters and started talking about my views on pop culture and how it leads people to sometimes make decisions that they wouldn't have made in other circumstances. That's right guys. I'm not just talking about buying a lot of sweaters, which you don't necessarily need. I'm talking about how young people will drink and smoke, or take drugs, due to what they hear in songs or what they see in movies.

Okay, maybe that's a little harsh ;)

For example, A lot of young people seem to think that if they're at a party, they have to drink, especially if everyone else is drinking, and this stems from young people seeing what is supposedly cool in movies and television, and feeling the need to do the same. Now, I'm not going to lie, in the past  I have been peer pressured into drinking at a party, while I didn't really want to. And while teachers and parents might sometimes over-exaggerate how awful peer pressure is,it can lead people to do stupid things. Now, I would never let anyone push me to do anything more than drink one glass of alcohol at a party, where I then feel that I have satisfied their need to force me to drink. However, I'm only 15. Should I even be drinking at parties? That was a rhetorical question, but the answer is... Probably not. I frankly think that controlling issues like these, would be a lot easier if people stopped making it seem like the cool thing to do within pop culture.

Kajsa x

The Lazy Girl's Guide to Packing

Well, a few days ago, I came to you all with a post about the difficulties and hardships of packing. And while I do really really hate packing, I am not a damsel in distress. And so, today I want to talk about how exactly to master the challenge, that is packing.

Me, writing my plan...

1. Plan

It is so easy to get overwhelmed when packing. The easiest way to stop this from occurring, is by planning. Make a list of everything you will need to bring, which you can check items off of as you pack. Go as far as to plan out what you are going to wear each day if it will help you. Just make sure that you know exactly what you need to bring, even before you start packing. 

2. Know your destination

Don't bother looking at guide books, but do check the weather forecast. You can then pack accordingly. Oh, and if, for example, your destination is cold and it's the middle of winter, don't bother packing shorts and skirts. You'll just be wasting space. It is good to be prepared, but sometimes that preparation can lead to wishful thinking and unrealism.

I think I'm doing pretty well on my packing, so far.

3. Work your clothes

Overpacking is always the worst thing you can do. (I once heard someone say that you should always lay out everything you want to pack, and then pack half of it). The best way to avoid overpacking, is to make sure that every item of clothing you pack can go with multiple outfits. That way, you can take less clothes and you will be less tempted to overpack.

4. Pack for where you're going, not where you wish you were going!

This links back to what I said before about packing and wishful thinking. It is so easy to pack for a holiday you wish you were going on, instead of a holiday you are actually going on. I am excellent at doing this, and I waste a lot of space, packing clothes that I am unlikely to wear. This being said, do pack to the requirements of your holiday. If you are going to be attending some formal event, then bring  a nice dress. However, don't bring four fancy dresses, if you are only going to one event

And finally... Don't forget to leave room for any purchases you make while on holiday!

And that's basically all you need to know. Packing can be easy if you just tackle it in the right way. A lot of being good at packing is down to good organisation skills and planning. Oh, and resisting the temptation to bring your entire wardrobe! ;)

Kajsa x  

Fall Fashion Trends

It's funny thinking that we are already half way through summer. For me, it feels like summer's only just begun- probably because in England, summer has only just begun. We have sun! Sorry, I'm just so excited at the prospect of being able to go out in the sun (although that makes me sound like a vampire). I can finally bear my legs without having to wear tights! I can finally wear sunglasses and not look desperate! I can finally get some semblance of a tan... Okay, rant over. Anyhow, what I was trying to say, before I got distracted is that very soon, summer will be over and fall (or Autumn as we call it here in England) will be fast approaching. The runways have already bared their fall collections, and I'm here to tell you about some of the trends for this fall.

Gold

Gorgeous gold dress by Prabal Gurung.

The runways were filled with the colour gold. This fall, it seems that flowing gold clothing, studded with sequins, paillettes and glittered sheen is the way to go. Designers from Michael Kors to Paco Rabanne were embracing this flashy trend. Gold is definitely the colour of this fall!    

Pretty structured dress from Paco Rabanne.

Beautiful dress by Jill Sander.

Wax

Unique styled coat by Fendi.

It's time to find that old pair of wet look leggings because a laminated- waxy finish to clothes and accessories is a big trend this coming fall. This trend has been spotted on the runways of designers such as Acne, Fendi and Jill Sanders

Military Style

Military style suit combo by Salvatore Ferragamo.

The military jacket is definitely popular this coming season. Designers brought a fresh and new appeal to the military style, using luxe fabrics and fitted silhouettes. Now this doesn't mean that women should start wearing cargo pants. I don't think that quite fits into any trend at any time...

Stunning coat by Burberry Prorsum.

Suit up

Beautifully bright orange suit by Prada.

Forget the statement skirt, this season it's all about the pantsuit. Whether it's a cropped and flared retro pair, or a modern layered ensemble, the suit is the trend of this fall. Suits aren't just for work anymore. This trend has been spotted in the collections of every designer, from Prada to Chanel and is definitely the trend to rock this fall.

I love the coat in this piece by Bottega Veneta.

The Renaissance Spirit

I love this top by Dolce & Gabbana. 

This fall, think designs that mimic tapestries. Think, patterns with an ornate baroque swirl. Think of the free period that was the Renaissance and you will have worked out the sort of pattern and style of this fall. A more oriental twist, something with large flowers, also fits into this trend. 

This dress by Giles is just amazing!

A truly elegant coat by Emporio Armani

Velvet

This clothing piece by Kenzo,
fits the velvet, military and suit trend, all into one!  

Once considered the fabric of the rich, velvet is making a big comeback this fall. Velvet is beautiful and soft to the touch, so it is definitely about time that it came back into fashion. Amazing velvet pieces have been found in the collections of designers such as Gucci and Kenzo this fall.

Authors note: All the pictures on this post came from Elle

Summer Fashion Trends- Neon!

One of my favourite summer trends this year, is neon. I love how vibrant and bright all the colours are, and I think that neon is definitely a versatile trend. 




      One way that you can wear neon, is by pairing various clothing items, which are different colours, together- colour blocking them. I'd then suggest going for more subtle accessories. In the outfit to the left, I've paired some neon shorts with a neon top. The bracelet and the bag then compliment the outfit without going too over the top.



















Another way to wear neon, is to have one item of clothing as the main focus, and then have the rest of your outfit be quite plain, so that the focus stays on your neon piece. In the outfit to the right, I've made the skirt the main focal point, and then the rest of the outfit is quite plain, so that everyone's focus stays completely on the skirt, although if they were to notice the other pieces of the outfit, everything is till very cute.
















 If neon colours are too bright for you, and you prefer to stick to a nude palette, then another option for wearing neon, is to wear nude coloured clothes, and then have bright, neon accessories. This option is probably easier to wear, than the others. In this outfit, I've paired some simple denim shorts with a cute black peplum top. However, the accessories are then very bright. I especially love the bag and how well it goes with the bright, yellow shoes.

Well, they are my three top ways to wear neon. To finish, I'm going to post pictures of some neon items that I've found and fallen in love with recently...

Topshop

Hollister

Rebecca Minkoff

DV8

asos

The difference between towns and cities...

I live in a town, but I've always preferred being in cities. I think it's because cities are just so much more exciting.The atmosphere, the energy and the people, make being in cities so much more interesting than being in a town- especially one as small as mine. And I do get that the advantage of living in a town like mine is the sense of community and the peacefulness of the place- no crime, no vandalism, no riots. Unfortunately, to me that just sounds dull. I like adventure and action, and as weird as it sounds, I would rather be in the middle of the hysteria, than living in a town where absolutely nothing happens. 

My hometown!

          However, there is one more reason that I prefer cities to towns and this is possibly the most important reason... it's the fashion...

London!

          In cities, it is very easy to find fashionable people. On every street, there is at least one person with amazing fashion sense. On the other hand, I can wander round the streets of my town as much as I want, and I'll be lucky to find someone not wearing a hoody and jeans. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with wearing comfortable clothes. However, I like to admire people's clothes and their fashion sense and that just doesn't happen in my town. I mean, would it be so hard to put a little effort into choosing the clothes you're going to where that day? I mean, it isn't impossible to be wearing nice clothes and be comfortable. Also, I think the worst part is that most of those people actually think that they are dressed well.
         The point I am really trying to make, is that it shouldn't matter whether you live in a big city where it matters what you look like, or in a small town, where everyone is dressed just as badly as each other so it doesn't matter what you wear, people should still make an effort to dress nicely, because at the end of the day, it gives you a lot more self-confidence and it can make you feel good about yourself. Just because you can dress like a slob, doesn't mean that you should! And I am not trying to say that the clothes that you wear is all that matters, I'm trying to say that making an effort and not being lazy matters.
          Anyhow, this is starting to sound more and more like a rant and I need to get back to revising, so I'm going to go now. Talk to you all again soon!


                                                                         xxKajsaxx