This is literally my go to outfit. Seriously. Whenever I’m in a rush or have literally no idea what to wear, this is the outfit I’ll put on. Sometimes, I’ll rotate through my endless collection of stripy tops, but this outfit is an absolute lifesaver.  Today, I went out for breakfast with my friend (revision avoidance for the win) and so, decided that I wanted to look semi-smart, but as usual, I was massively late, so I decided to wear this. I love this outfit, because I think it is a really good middle-ground between dressy and casual.

The first piece of clothing I’m wearing is a navy blue, chiffon, pleated wrap-around skirt which I got for a tenner in the Urban Outfitters sale, from the Cooperative range. Complete bargain. This is such a versatile skirt that is so easy to dress up or down depending on what circumstances demand: I’ve worn it on nights out and even for a University interview. I also love the fact that its chiffon, which means that it’s super comfortable and takes away the schoolgirl vibe that many pleated skirts carry. Unfortunately, I find it quite difficult to wear this skirt with summery items, which means it will probably soon be retired for the summer season. Pray for me.

I decided to pair it with a black and white striped H&M top (£12, I think), which is cropped and quite tight. I have already raved about stripes about twenty times, but I don’t care. They deserve all the praise in the world. I often wear a really slouchy striped top with this, but I think the tighter top makes it look slightly less casual.

In the first few photos, I am also wearing another H&M piece: a long green cardigan, which I got quite recently for £7.99. I also have this in black because it’s one of the best buys I’ve made in a long time. It’s very loose-knitted and thin, so it’s perfect for the time of year when it’s not quite cold but not very warm either (i.e. the entirety of the English summer). This is another item that I’ve literally worn everywhere: with jeans, dresses and even the black version as part of my Sixth Form uniform. I would definitely recommend everyone to invest in something like this – a plain, basic cardigan is a complete wardrobe staple.

 

The shoes I am wearing are probably my best buy of this year so far. I’ve had so many compliments on them and so many people asking me where they’re from. The best thing of all is when I get to tell them that they’re from Primark, and were only £15. That’s right. Primark. Seriously. I nearly bought a pair identical to these from Topshop during winter for about £40 and I am so glad I didn’t. They’re very sturdy and really good quality (I’ve pretty much worn them every day for the past four months and they are still in perfect condition), but also pretty chunky. Wearing more delicate items with chunkier boots is a look I love.

In a couple of the later photos, I am also wearing a navy blue coat (it might be June next week, but it still feels like February in England. Exhibit A: it hail-stoned this afternoon). This was another bargain buy, which I got for £30 in Zara.

Jewellery-wise, I’m wearing the sailboat necklace that Jade got me for my eighteenth birthday, which I’m completely obsessed with and a selection of rings. The turquoise studded one on my left hand is another eighteenth birthday present from my parents. The one on my little finger is a Topshop midi ring and the other two on my right hand are from a multipack I got from Forever 21. I’m also wearing ‘Bordeaux’ by Essie on my nails and I apologise sincerely for the chipped parts.  I’m also sorry for the red/purple tones of my hands – at this point, we’d been outside for quite a while and I was freezing.