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.

Exciting News: Say Hello to Her Campus Nottingham

As you may or may not already know, during my second semester abroad at the University of Illinois, I was taken on by Her Campus Illinois as a news editorial intern. That was a massive moment for me - I had been, to put it lightly, rather obsessed with Her Campus when I discovered it in my first semester and was aching to find a way to get on the team. I loved the idea of Her Campus - not only did you have a page online dedicated to and for your college, but you then had access to 1000's more articles on everything you can think of - fashion, beauty, music, general news, health, etc. It's like your favourite magazine but you don't have to wait a full month before reading new articles. Additionally, once I realised how big a deal Her Campus was in the U.S., it made me want to get involved even more.

During my second semester, I was lucky enough to be offered the position of a news editorial intern, and one of the girls who was on the HC Illinois team suggested that when I go back to England I should open a branch of Her Campus at my university there. I laughed - that would be way too much work - and put the idea aside. That was until I got home and thought: I might actually do that. I applied with a girl who studied in Illinois for the year with me, and whom I will be moving in with soon. We got the okay to open a HC Nottingham and are now preparing to launch it at the beginning of next month!

After many negotiations with the Her Campus Design Associate, she came up with this awesome banner for our school's page:

Even more exciting was getting our domain name - www.hercampus.com/Nottingham!

I'm super excited to get going with Her Campus Nottingham and to build up our team of writers, bloggers, photographers and editors! This is my and Maddie's first leadership role, so it's going to be a huge challenge but we are ready for it!

- A.T.

Welcoming Autumn 2012

Reflecting back on the past three months, I've had a bit of a whirlwind summer. I left my home in Champaign, Illinois, in early June, saying goodbye to one of the best years of my life, returned to the UK and my family, and then took off again in mid-July and spent just over a month traveling around Thailand and Vietnam. And now I'm back, with many tales to tell and so much done that I get a little dizzy if I think about it all at once. It's been an awesome summer, but autumn is just around the corner, and I can't help but get really excited about that.

One thing that excites me the most about Autumn is the change in the clothes I wear. Autumn welcomes back the over-sized jumpers I've had folded away in my closet, the always comfy black leggings, and the gilet and boots combo I've missed wearing. (More excitement is not having to prep my legs for wearing shorts everyday, and a chance to hide my not-so-tanned-anymore body).

I've been inspired to make an Autumn 2012 wishlist after buying the September issue of ELLE magazine which came with a free ELLE Accessories mini-mag. Designer brands aside, it's reassuring to find that Topshop, Miss Selfridge, H&M, and all my other favourite high street stores haven't failed to deliver in their 'New In' autumn items. I have to remember that I am back in the UK now and will have to make some sort of effort to be that little bit more stylish this autumn, hence this wishlist I have compiled. (Emphasis on wishlist - I'm not sure my student budget would appreciate me buying any of this).

On Campus

1. The coat

My method has always been to buy a new coat every other autumn. It's an absolute essential for an Autumn closet - not too thick, and a classic style so I'm able to carry it into the year after. My favorite find is this Zara parka, with a removable fur collar.

2. Boots

Equestrian style is in again this autumn but I feel like going against the trend when it comes to boots. It's usual to see the 'riding boot' everywhere - knee high, comes in brown/black, leather material, etc etc. These suede ankle boots from Dune still adhere to a trend that's in this autumn - studs -whilst being a change from the standard riding boot that you usually see people wearing.

3. Jumpers

I really do like my oversized, ridiculously comfortable jumpers ('sweaters' for my American friends). I didn't have any trouble finding them online! This is my favourite find, from Miss Selfridge.


4. Jeans

I always try to have a few good pairs of jeans in my closet as I do actually prefer wearing them to leggings. However, sometimes they can feel quite restricting, especially when sat down in class for hours on end. I discovered these and found a compromise - high waisted soft jeans, from Topshop. They feel like and have the thickness of jeans (but they aren't jeggings, thankfully), and are super stretchy and soft like leggings.

5. Handbag

I have an unhealthy obsession with handbags and I absolutely love the Longchamp Pliage large shopper bags. They have so many pros - they look really nice, the bag is waterproof, you can fit a tonne of books in there, and a zip is always helpful when carrying your laptop around. I've seen a lot of dark green whilst browsing A/W'12 collections, so this colour choice is a safe bet.

Going out

Autumn tends to affect the going out wardrobe too. It's not a good idea to wear a thin, bright, flowery playsuit when autumn hits - it's probably going to look like you can't let go of summer, and an alcohol blanket might not save you when lining up outside a club. Here are my favorite finds.

1. The 'tights and shorts' combo

I do love going out wearing shorts with tights and killer heels. High-waisted shorts are so flattering and make a change from the standard bandage skirt you see in all the clubs. These grey studded shorts, from Miss Selfridge, would look perfect with black tights, plain black heels, and a deep-coloured strap top, such as wine red or dark green.

2. Heels

A good pair of darker heels is also essential for autumn. I love these colour block heels, from Miss Selfridge. Perfect for with or without tights, and the blue stops your outfit looking too grungy. Also available in nude.

3. Bodycon dress

I love wearing bodycon dresses - they can be very flattering. The bodycon style has been in for years and is a recyclable trend, so why not embrace it? If you feel like going against the dark autumn look and wearing something that pops, this red cotton spandex dress from American Apparel is perfect, and the long sleeves will save you from getting too chilly!

4. Wet-look leggings

Not everyone is a fan of wet-look leggings, but with the trends this autumn heading more towards grungy, gothic styles, and faux-leather, I feel that these leggings would fit in nicely. They look awesome on, teamed with heels and a loose top (maybe one that covers your bum if you don't want it showing!). ASOS.com has these ultra wet look leggings which I would definitely consider.

5. Necklaces

Collars and choker necklaces are very popular at the moment. I'm loving these two chokers, both from Topshop. Simple but a statement at the same time. Beaded tube necklace left; snakeskin bunting necklace right.

Overall, the main idea is to embrace the grungy trend this autumn and don't think that choosing to go dark means going boring. All the fall catwalks were saturated in dark colours, so look to any fashion magazine to help you put together an outfit. Simple accessories like big necklaces or a studded bag will add to your outfit, and a great idea is to team bright jumpers with dark jeans - you don't have to go dark with all of your clothes!

- A. T.

Trend To Try: Fedora Hats

I'm always looking for new accessories that I can try out - last year I got a fur trapper hat, the year before I tried out a snood - and when looking online at the accessories sections of different shops recently I noticed that fedoras seem to be very popular. They were also brought to my attention when I was reading an article on Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and it featured a picture of her wearing one. I then googled this, and loads of pictures came up. Although fedora's are usually attributed to summer style, they are just as perfect for autumn, too. Try a beige or dark coloured felt fedora teamed with a biker jacket and jeans, and it will work perfectly. Unfortunately, straw fedoras will only work in summer.

I have picked out fedoras currently available in the UK (ranging from very cheap to very expensive!):

1. Miss Selfridge

2. ASOS

3. River Island

4. Miss Selfridge

5. Emilio Pucci

6. Gucci

7. Burberry

For outfit inspiration, I've picked out photos to show the different ways that a fedora can be worn.



  

  

Final judgement on the fedora? Definitely a trend worth trying. If you are cautious about wearing one as we head into autumn, pick a darker colour and it will be more suited to the outfits you are likely to wear. Additionally, don't be put off thinking that only designer brands offer the best fedoras - most high street stores will try to create hats of a similar look to those that are designer, so watch out for those.

- A.T.

Happy Birthday To Me

Yesterday I celebrated my 21st birthday. It is the first birthday I have spent at home in a few years - last year I was in Illinois, the year before I went up to Newcastle for a night out, and the year before that I was at Leeds Festival for it - so I wasn't quite sure how to fill my day as well as I did in the previous years! In the end I chilled out for most of the day after opening my cards and presents, and my boyfriend arrived in the afternoon shortly before we all went for a birthday meal (minus my eldest sister who couldn't make it due to work!) It was a great day, but not nearly as wild as 21st birthdays should be - I'm saving that for when I go back to university next month.

I'm not quite sure what to expect from this year ahead - being 20 was quite honestly the best year of my life, so it'll be quite hard to top that. The past year I have experienced what a lot of people wouldn't experience in a lifetime. 10 months of me being 20 were spent studying abroad at the University of Illinois, and another month spent traveling around SE Asia with my boyfriend - months well spent! During my time at Illinois, I met a big bunch of fun, crazy, genuine, down-to-earth people who quite honestly made my year, I learnt so much and grew massively as a person, I managed to get an internship and start this blog which means I fulfilled my new years resolutions, and, most of all, I had the most fun I've ever had, for the whole time of me being 20. After all, I did get the all-round American college experience - just like you see in the movies. It's rare to say you did that. I had to pinch myself sometimes to check I wasn't in some crazy made-up dream.

I have some big things coming up this year: I'm co-founding and launching a Her Campus branch at my university, I have to write a feasible 40,000 word dissertation, and I graduate next June and enter the real world (!). On top of that, I am working really hard to try and get some more work experience such as an internship under my belt, and am also looking to move out of home some time after graduating. That's a lot to take on in one year!

However, I do still have a couple of weeks at home before I move into my new uni house, before this all kicks off and all of the madness begins. I'm feeling pretty positive about the things I want to achieve, and so excited to see my uni friends again. I had the perfect birthday to set the year off, so I'll tie my positive outlook to that. I feel that my 21st birthday marks the end of this chapter and the beginning of another.

Here are some pictures from my birthday!

My mum made this cake - the tiger is on there because of my recent travels around SE Asia

Me and my sister with our boyfriends

My beautiful sister and her boyfriend



Cake!

Can't believe I've finally hit the big 2-1. A close friend wrote in her card to me: "Only you would spend a year studying in America and then come home and turn 21". She's right. Only me!

- A. T.

Absence

I realise it has been a long time since I have posted on here. The reason for this is because I've just spent the past month or so traveling around SE Asia. I am now back in the UK and gearing up for a very busy few months ahead.

Expect more regular posts now I am back!

- A.T.

My New Crush

Moving back to the UK has made me face a handful of things that have made me quite unsettled lately, such as finding a job, settling back in to life at home and finding some sort of closure for the end of my year abroad. What I really needed was some music that I could completely chill to, so I put my ipod on shuffle many times trying to find the perfect chill music, but rock or trance or hip hop songs would keep coming on and ruining this for me.

Then I happened to be flicking through Twitter a few days ago, and, thanks to one of Jonah Hill's tweets, I found the perfect music. The perfect song in fact.

 Beach House - Myth

I love the hazy, sensual feel of the music. This genre of music is called 'dream pop', named so for its ethereal moods and sounds. It really is so chilled. I'm going to research more 'dream pop' artists and build up the perfect chill playlist. That's exactly what I need right now! I'll be sure to buy this album and stick it on my ipod in the next few days, too. Thanks, Jonah.

- A.T.

Spring/Summer 2012: Fashion Goes 'Marie Antoinette'

Despite all of the hype about the Queen for her Diamond Jubilee earlier this month, another royal figure - 257 years old to be exact - caught my eye.

You may or may not be familiar with the 2006 film Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst, in which she portrays the life of Marie Antoinette, a french royal who married young and was thrust into power at the age of nineteen. With this age comes a natural desire for more au courage things - drinking, boys, drama and, needless to say, fashion. The fashion in Marie Antoinette is just as delicious as the mouth watering cakes the camera keeps pointing at (yes, there were alot of cakes - and eating of  - on screen at some points).

Reviews of the movie were mixed, but one thing was blueprinted in almost all write-ups: the gowns were BEAUTIFUL. I have to agree, not just because of their shape or form; but because their colors and patterns perfectly grasp that floaty, summer feel we all love. Pastels, flowers, lace... It's heaven. And who doesn't love dressing girly sometimes?

  

I've spent an excessive amount of time window and online shopping to bring myself up to date again with UK fashion, and one thing that stood out to me was how spring/summer fashion this year has gone a little Marie Antoinette with it's colour palette. Pastels are everywhere and I love it!

I've picked some items from my favourite stores - all on my wishlist of course.

1. Mint Condition

Although mint may not be the colour of choice for most people - I personally have zero mint coloured items in my closet - I find it to be a colour that needs to be given more consideration. In particular I like how it flatters the sunkissed look that summer gives our skin.

2. Pretty in Pink

I've always loved candy pink. It's another perfect colour for summer and so pretty.

3. Yellow delight

Pastel yellow has several names - lemon sorbet, pale yellow, sunshine yellow... One thing is for certain though: it's the perfect colour to brighten up any outfit, especially on our gloomy English summer days.

4. Florals

The girliest of girliest, florals are another hit this summer.

If you haven't yet watched Marie Antoinette, stick it on your 'to watch' list and get inspired for the pastel trend this season, as well as living vicariously through Kirsten Dunst throughout the course of the film.

- A.T.