Summer In The City

Unlike most of my friends and colleagues, I'm staying in London this Summer and sadly not jetting off anywhere tropical. With beach and holiday style edits ubiquitous across fashion magazines and websites, I felt I needed to create some summer-in-the-city style inspiration. This Summer it's all about embracing a fusion of tropicalia and chic European city style.

1. In the office

1.  V-wrap back shell top, £34, Topshop

2. Wide leg ditsy print trousers, £17.99, New Look

3. Leather sandals, £420, Chloe

4. Trilogy leather shopper, £1340, Lanvin

5. Smoke and mirrors idiom bangle, £28, Kate Spade

2. Weekend brunch

1. Handmade acertate retro sunglasses, £35, ASOS

2. Strappy v-neck cami, £18, Topshop

3. A-line double crepe skirt, £278, Carven

4. Monogramme quilted leather shoulder bag, £1290, Saint Laurent

5. Sandals, £19.99, H&M

3. Evening cocktails

1. Cross back jumpsuit, £40, Topshop

2. Harlow clutch, £405, Michael Kors

3. Fancay tan sandals, £79, Dune

4. Cookies and cream nail polish, £9, Ciate

This Summer I'm focusing on bringing holiday style to my wardrobe and soaking up the sun in London. When the sun is out, who doesn't love a British Summer?

- A.T.

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.

Trend To Try: Mid-Finger Rings

I'm completely in love with the mid-finger ring - aka "midi ring" - trend. I've noticed that more shops have started selling them throughout the year which is great for us! As with bangles and bracelets, midi rings are perfectly stackable and are a stylish addition to any outfit, transcending day into night. I love the way they look so delicate yet add an edgy finishing touch.

Here are some pretty (and affordable) midi rings I found online:

Forget having a statement ring - midi rings are all about the plentiful, so stack them up to your heart's desire. Try this trend now - there's a new definition of finger swag, and we all should want in.

- A.T.

To tie-dye or not to tie-dye?

When I discovered that tie-dye was making a comeback for spring/summer, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. My first thought was 'oh god no'; I remember wearing brightly coloured tie-dye t-shirts as a child and only ever looking back with regret. My second thought was that surely only the sartorially challenged would go for tie-dye. However, my opinion has changed. I've found some tie-dye items that actually look really cool and that I'm tempted to add to my wardrobe.

I think the key with tie-dye is to wear it right and choose colours that will look good. I'm not a fan of the rainbow-coloured tie-dye items as I feel that those are the types of clothes we wore back in the 90s - and, for me at least, when I was a kid.

I've thrown together a tie-dye mood board with my favourite finds from internet fashion sites. Tie-dye can look subtle and sophisticated, so the thing to remember is to keep the colour scheme to one or two colours and to avoid garish colour palettes.

There are some trends that should be left in the decades they first surfaced - this was my original thought on tie-dye, but I'm now thinking that tie-dye and summer will go hand-in-hand perfectly this year. It was a major part of Versace's catwalk event showcasing their S/S 2013 collection, so we can't argue with what such fashion powerhouses dictate. Tie-dye doesn't have to mean dressing hippy-esque and certainly shouldn't be confined to just festivals. It's a throwback, but one I feel we can embrace. My verdict: to tie-dye.

- A.T.