Manchester's hidden hotspots

As many of you know, I'm big on supporting independent brands. Don't get me wrong, everyone loves a bit of the high street, but if you take a short walk out of the center of Manchester you'll find some fantastic places to shop and eat. So when I was contacted by o2, to share my favourite haunts as part of their new campaign, I couldn't say no!

Retro Rehab
Retro Rehab is a shop I've mentioned on the blog before, but for those of you that didn't see my last post, I'll give you a quick run down. The staff at RR hunt for the very best vintage clothes and work their crafty magic to give them an updated finish. For anyone that doesn't have the patients to delve into the abyss of shops like Ryan Vintage, this place is for you! My favourite find in RR is a 70's dress I purchased for my friends birthday. The staff had given it new life by adding embellishment and shoulder pads.
'Like' Retro Rehab on Facebook here.


Home Sweet Home
My flatmate is a food journalist and took me HSH a few months back. Since then I've been back too many times to count! The quirky little restaurant resides in the Northern Quarter and has a homely and inviting atmosphere. As a vegetarian, I often struggle when it comes to eating out, but HSH offers many options. I would certainly recommend their big veggie breakfasts and ultimate hot chocolate!
'Like' Home Sweet Home on facebook here.


Vintage fairs
Manchester holds loads of great vintage events. The last one I attended was at Victoria Baths, up near the University of Manchester. Whitworth Art Gallery also hold fairs for small business owners. You can expect to find stalls offering fashion, food and even full vintage inspired make-overs!

To encourage people to understand the benefits of shopping locally, o2 priority moments are holding an event this weekend in Exchange Square, Manchester. You can expect to find some great independent retailers on show and might even bag yourself a bargain! I urge you all to check out the event and help support local businesses in this difficult time. o2 is now making it much easier for shoppers and independent businesses to connect, by offering the brands access to priority moments at absolutely no cost - how nice is that?

So please do pop by Exchange Square this weekend to support your local economy! Also, feel free to share your favourite local businesses in the comment section below!

Primark A/W 2012

It doesn't matter if you're a big spender, or a big saver, everyone loves a bit of Primark. I was rather impressed with what they had to offer this summer and thus keen to see what was in store for A/W. Here are a few of my favourites!

Shorts, £15, available now.

Checked shirt, £9, available mid November.

Shoes, £20, available mid October.

Acid wash shirt, £12, available September.

Studded collar, £5, September

(Photos courtesy of PRshots.com)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, before you get your hopes up take your local Primark's stock control into consideration. Not only do items sell out fast, but not every item is available in each store. To ensure you don't miss out on your favourite items, I recommend travelling to the bigger stores you find usually in city centers.

Does anything here take your fancy?

Superhero influenced fashion

Back in my college days, I planned a 2nd year project for Textiles A-level based on the outfits of superheroes. When you think about it, they really are the height of fantasy. I guess that's what attracts so many people to them and also why they can actually influence fashion.

No, I'm not about to tell you to wear knickers over your tights.

With film adaptations of comic book favourites and the rise of 'Geek chic', superheros are now in the spot light, but why? Well, why not? Fashion is under-going a revolution. Fashion bloggers and street style have changed the game, and fashion isn't now all about luxe and exclusivity. It's about exploration and experimentation. Wether you're travelling space in galaxy print, going back in time in vintage or becoming your favourite hero in cosplay, when it comes to clothing, anything is possible. Still don't believe me? Check this out.

Image source

Diane Von Furstenberg

Back in 08, everyone's favourite feminist Wonder Women became the muse of Frustenberg for her collection inspired by the great superheroin. Needless to say, this was a match made in heaven. The collection even came with a comic book depicting Furstenberg's alter egos Diva, Viva and Fifa.

Images sourced from Style.com.

Jeremy Scott
Jeremy Scott really has become a fashion hero in his own right. The king of kitsch is notorious for his pop culture influenced garments. In his 2011 Ready-to-wear fall collection, you can clearly see the influence of superheros with undertones of the dreaded 90's. Being a '90's child' myself, to think back at what I wore makes me cringe! However, Scott yet again managed to pull off his ideas and stayed true to his "Fashion should be fun." mantra.

Images sourced from Lazy Oaf Blog

Lazy Oaf
More recently, the graphic print based genius' at Lazy Oaf created a capsule collection to fall in line with this summers biggest blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises. I cannot express how much I loved this collection. From cute Batman logo backpacks, to more subtle sheer bat print crops, it would be hard even for those who aren't interested in the film, not to become smitten with the collection!

Keep your eye out for more of your favourite heros jumping from comic books to the runway, with the ever growing popularity created by the film industry.

What's your favourite hero inspired collection? and have you ever used your favourite heros as inspiration for your daily style?

What I wore 1/6/12 - Back in Manchester

Top: River Island

Skirt: Dorothy perkins

Skirt under: H&M

Shoes: Primark

Earrings: Gift/Cyprus

Ring: Gift/Cyprus

So today I travelled back to Manchester to sort out the flat and see my boyfriend. He's just come back from Cyprus and bought me some jewellery from Pathos. This weekend I'm finishing off taking my stuff home from the flat. It's taking longer than expected! I'm going to be so sad handing my keys in. I imagine it to be like the last episode of Friends!

My hair is slightly curled but since I didn't hair spray it, it's turned into waves. I use a Remington Pearl hair curling wand if anyone is interested! 

This outfit really isn't something I'd usually wear, but I think I wrote previously that I'm trying new things. The under skirt for my Dorothy Perkins dip hem is just not opaque enough for my liking so I put a H&M skirt underneath. My crop top is one of my favourite items right now. On the bottom picture you can see the beading and I think it's embellishment like this that makes a garment feel more special. 

Another shot so you can see the earrings a bit better. They aren't as big as I usually go but they're gorgeous! I've noticed this style in a few stores recently.

So just a quick post today! Hope you're all out enjoying the sun whilst it last. 

What I wore 24/5/12 - S.U.D.S Dance show

Earrings: H&M

Blazer: H&M

Top: Primark

Crop (Under): River Island

Skirt: H&M

Ring: Republic

Bag: Primark

Shoes: Primark

So it was the final show of the year for Salford University's Dance society. After going to their adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, I was seriously excited for their end of year performance. I also went to support a friend who was part of the show, Alex, as it's her last show until third year since she's studying abroad in Ohio from August onwards (So jealous!).

I don't usually go out with no tights, or slightly see through tops for that matter. I seem to have had a rush of confidence in the wardrobe department recently. Maybe it's all this sunny weather going to my head?

The show really was the perfect end to a fantastic first year of university. I'm so lucky that I've been able to experience all this and I'm very thankful. All I can say now is - Bring on the summer! I think I'm practically going to be touring the U.K trying to visit everyone I've met this year! 

Are any of you doing any travelling this summer?

What I wore 17/5/12 - Shopping with the girls

Jacket: Newlook
Dress: Newlook
Bag: Primark

Shoes: Primark
Earrings: H&M.

Well, I'm definitely feeling guilty this morning. What was meant to be a quick trip to check out River Island's Pacha Launch, turned into a mad shopping spree. I think potentially looking at all the lovely beachwear made my subconscious depressed at the fact I'm not actually going on holiday. Therefore it was only right I treated myself to some retail therapy! However, a couple of changing room stops, a Tesco munch run and a Selfridges makeover later and my bank account was feeling the burn. 

Does anyone else get that post-shopping guilt? If so, how on earth do I get rid of it!

Summer drop favourites - Primark / Asos / Miss Guided

Many of you will be packing for your summer holiday at this time of year (So jealous!). Summer holidays have arrived and so has the unpredictable British weather. But before you escape, I thought I'd share my favourites from this seasons latest drop for some last minute suitcase fillers!

Primark

 

I felt spoilt for choice looking through Primark's summer drop. There are so many goodies so it took me a while to narrow it down to these 3! I really love this Galaxy print vest, £6. Galaxy print seems to be everywhere right now and it's great that the highstreet is so quick to react to trends. The dip hem at the back also makes this a great top to pair with leggings. These mono heels, £16, are amazing! I prefer versatile clothing and these shoes would compliment any outfit! I also picked this art deco necklace statement necklace, £5. Bargain!



ASOS

ASOS has some beautiful pieces in store for shoppers this May. My favourites include this beautiful embellished vest £60, Black leggings with colourful panelling and these crazy, cat eye sunglasses £15.

Miss Guided

Miss Guided has to be one of the most underrated clothing sites running at the moment. I cannot go to have a peak at stock and still come back empty handed. From their summer drop I picked these fab denim cut offs. Fair enough, you can make your own, but who has time for that before a holiday!? You can pick these up now online for a dip dye quick fix. I was also drawn to this floral crop. I really like the detailing of the studs. These 2 paired together would make the perfect 'beach babe' outfit!


So there you have it! I hope I haven't made any of you creep into your holiday fund, because the cocktails are on you! I'll see you ladies on the beach :)!

Images courtesy of PRshots.com

Create your own Toms

How amazing are these? I was having a nosey on Etsy this afternoon and came across a community of artists specialising in footwear. I've always been a fan of Toms shoes and their 'one for one' ethos but not so keen on the designs. Maybe this could be my solution?

Starwars Toms by EastBayCalifornia

'Be yourself' Toms by BStreetShoes

Tattoo inspired Toms by RightBrainedHippie

If you're interested in any of the designs or have your own in mind you can expect to pay around 60 and up (That includes the cost of the shoes and the artwork). So what do you think? Would you design your own pair, and if so what would you have?