Tried & Tested: The Thigh Split Trend

Not too long ago I wrote a post on here about thigh split maxi skirts/ dresses. I'm still as obsessed now as I was a month ago and actually had the chance to try out the trend at my graduation ball a couple of weeks ago.

The dress: 

ASOS, £40

My take on it:

I wore the dress with neutral make-up and gold accessories. I felt that the dress was the focal point and so I didn't need heavy accessories or makeup that would look garish or draw away from the dress. I went for neutral, bronzed makeup using my Benefit Away We Glow make-up set.

Pictures from the night:

I took a lot of pictures and it was a really fun night. I got a tonne of compliments on the dress, too. The only warning I would give is the dress isn't particularly bloat-friendly, so I was lucky to get away with a three course meal and drinks - be wary if you are buying the dress for an occasion which involves a meal.

(Excuse the terrible quality of my iPhone camera..)

I felt great wearing this dress and can't wait to wear it to a formal occasion again in the near future. It is still in stock on the ASOS website for those of you interested. Overall verdict: make sure you join in with the thigh-split trend at some point this year, but don't overdo the split...

- A.T.

Hump Day Treat

PRIMARK CLOTHES AVAILABLE ON ASOS.COM

Today I came across a startling discovery - ASOS are now starting to stock Primark clothes. You probably know that Primark have always been strictly high-street, and many a time I have suffered from the frustration of going onto their website only to find that there are no clothes on there. It seems strange to have such a successful high street shop without its stock online - especially in the current state of technology and social media. Perhaps it would be impossible to put everything online, especially with their quick turnaround of stock. Although Forever 21 manage it . . .

Click on the picture below to see the items that ASOS have on the site at the moment. There are only 22 items listed, and despite much speculation about whether this is due to increase, Primark have said that the partnership with ASOS is a trial and, as such, is "very limited."

Does this mean that Primark is slowly transitioning to 'etail'? Time will tell. I'm not sure they need to - although it would be helpful for the odd stressful day when the last thing I want to do is get stuck into the clothes jungle that is the Primark shop floor. One thing's for sure though - ASOS have got so many things under their belt at the moment. I think Primark is a great string to add to their bow.

- A.T.

Hump Day Treat

As a mid-week pick me up I'm going to start posting a 'Hump Day Treat' every Wednesday, which could be anything from an inspirational quote or recipe idea to a news item or upcoming event that I want to share.

This week I'm sharing a discovery I made recently - the Beyoncé as Mrs. Carter collection for H&M. I'm a self-professed H&M addict - after all, it's cheap and chic clothing that works well with my student budget. I find their new S/S 2013 collection to be right on trend with brushstroke prints, crop-tops and florals amongst other designs that reflect the S/S 2013 catwalks. The Beyonce as Mrs. Carter collection adds to this but goes that bit further by going completely tropical. Beyonce models the items on the beach and poolside, and looks fabulous. It's great to see such an inspiring woman as the face of a collection for H&M. As if I didn't need another reason to shop there.

The much-anticipated collection, released 2nd May, includes dresses, bikinis and shoes in bold colours, tribal prints and tie-dye which all fit perfectly with the quickly approaching summer months. I've picked out my favourite three items from the collection:

My advice is to get to the collection before it sells out. Happy shopping!

- A.T.

Style Steal: Belt-Style Bangle by Cartier

One noticeable element of all the high street shops is how they try to re-produce designer styles. I have walked into Topshop many times and seen some form of footwear or handbag that looks exactly like a designer brand I had come across in my ELLE magazine earlier that month. Walk into another clothing store, and you'll probably find the same items that Topshop tried to copy. It's satisfying to find these items of clothing in the style of designer brands. They are not replicas as such, but more copies in that they are similar in shape, colour and minor details, but with the clothing stores' own spin on the designer make. Being a student, I naturally love this, and will root through clothing stores to find these gems. There is a limit though: if something is a bad copy, or looks cheap, it's not worth buying just for the sake of it.

Whilst shopping the other day, I was looking in H&M and came across a bangle which my sister had been wearing at the weekend. She was so excited to tell me that it was exactly like the belt-bangle that has recently become available at Cartier. I googled this and the bangle did in fact look just like the Cartier version. I love Cartier's range of jewellery, and this bangle is another popular item by the eminent French watchmaker-jeweler. I don't have anything like it in my closet, so I'm looking forward to wearing it because it's different. My sister wore a gold one, but I'm more of a silver person so I went for the silver bangle.

The H&M bangle (£3.99):

The real deal (from Cartier, £2,200):

It's such a steal at £3.99, and brand new to H&M, so definitely worth getting before they go out of stock! I'll be on the look-out for more style steals like this and will report back on here soon.

- A.T.