How Pinterest changed my closet

When Virgin Media contacted me to find out how I use the internet to consume fashion, it really got me thinking. My hours spent browsing the racks at Black White Denim had been the first time in ages that I had devoted a block of time to browsing new season looks in person. Rather, nearly all of my most recent purchases have been snapped up online.

For someone who loves to shop and who could (and has!) quite easily whiled away a day just window shopping, this might be quite surprising. However, in a period where I have got lots of different things pulling on my time, online shopping means that I can still update my wardrobe even if I haven't got time to browse the boutique racks.

I honestly can't imagine shopping now without the internet. From the very beginning of a season, the internet allows me to draw style inspiration from far and wide, whether it be by watching live streams of fashion shows or collating looks that I love on Pinterest. After many years of purchasing lots of random items, in recent years I have made much more of an effort to think about what pieces I need to add to my closet to make it work better for me. Doing this before purchasing results in less items languishing unloved at the back of my closet and more items that I love and get lots of wear out of.

Here are some of the items which I am currently coveting on Pinterest.

When I first started using Pinterest it had more than a bit of novelty value for me, but as I added things to my boards and followed more people, I began to find it a really useful tool to not only plan my new season purchases, but also to discover ways of refreshing my existing pieces. 

Once I have settled on the pieces that I need to add to my closet, I love it when I find an independent boutique which manages to translate some of the in-store experience into an online offering. Black White Denim is a prime example of this. My first purchases from them were via their website. When I was lucky enough to get to visit the store, I was able to get the full Black White Denim experience. For me, the experiences are complementary, with the website meaning that I can still purchase some of Jo's brilliant edit, even if I can't make the trip to Wilmslow.

So, how do you get your fashion fix? Are you still wedded to browsing the racks of your local boutique, or have you swapped the physical retail space for online stores? Or like me, do you like to have the best of both worlds?!

Fine print: This post is sponsored by Virgin Media.

Out There Interiors

As you will know, I have been busy over the last few months with moving house and then embarking on the subsequent DIY involved in renovating every room in the house. We are still not quite finished, but we are getting there slowly! We are currently working on the lounge after having had new floorboards put down. I am looking forward to making the lounge a relaxing but (hopefully) stylish space where we can relax at the end of the day. However, I am already planning what I want to do with the next room on the list - the study.

We are planning on using a room on the ground floor as a study/small lounge. It will be great to have a dedicated and organised space where I can blog and work on my CIPR assignments. And also to retreat to if I want to chill out and read.

You will see from my interiors Pinterest board that my taste in interiors is slightly eclectic. I am a big fan of Abigail Ahern's school of interior design and also mid-century modern furniture. I like to mix up eras and textures in the same space to try and give a room a bit of personality.

Here are some of my recent finds on one of my many internet trawls for fabulous pieces for the home. These are from Out There Interiors, which has a really quirky mix of pieces designed to cater for a variety of tastes in interiors.

Since we moved, I have become a big fan of monochrome interiors. You will see from the selection above that although the items are monochrome, I have mixed up textures and influences to keep it interesting. I know that the Las Vegas style light might be too much for some people, but I love the fact that it is a bit unexpected.

Despite my increasingly monochrome leanings, I just can't help myself. I love to throw a bit of (very bright!) colour into the mix. I think the mix of perspex, industrial style metal and bold prints will look great together.

Technically, the deer hook would go in the hallway just outside the study. In case you are wondering, it is not just a wall decoration. It is designed to hold a bike on the wall, saving much-needed space. My boyfriend rides his bike everywhere, and it currently lives in our hallway. I think the deer would provide a flash of colour and also be extremely practical. A win-win situation! 

I would love to know your taste in interiors - classic; shabby chic; ultra-modern?

Vogue Festival tickets on sale

Tickets went on sale yesterday for this year's Vogue Festival, taking place in the Southbank Centre on the weekend of March 29-30. This year, the style bible will be welcoming another amazing selection of fashion industry insiders to share their experiences and wisdom with fashion lovers. The list of speakers reads like a dream closet: Valentino, Phoebe Philo, Manolo Blahnik, and Mary Katranzou, to name just a few. I have yet to attend a Vogue Festival, and every year when it comes around, I always wish that I had purchased tickets. So, could this be the year? I may not be able to stretch to a Celine tote, but I am sorely tempted to purchase a ticket for the Phoebe Philo talk, and that's just for starters!

You can find out more about the event at www.vogue.co.uk/voguefestival 

Will you be attending this year's event?

Black White Denim

One of the things that I have loved the most about getting into blogging and social media is the fact that I have met some really lovely people, who I never would have met in real life. Four such ladies are Kate, Selina, Philippa and Jo. We all 'met' on Twitter over a shared love of fashion. And last year we all met in real life for the first time, together with the fabulous Penny, for a tweet up in Wilmslow. Why Wilmslow I here you ask? Well one of the reasons is that Jo owns an amazing boutique there called Black White Denim. The boutique takes those three words as part of its core aesthetic, and throws in a splash of colour to mix things up a little bit for those who don't want to live life solely in monochrome.

Maison Scotch sweatshirt - £90

etre cecile sweatshirt, £110

This weekend I travelled up to Wilmslow to stay with one of my best friends who I have known since we met as Freshers in Liverpool many years ago. As if staying with her and her lovely family wasn't fun enough, I rounded off the weekend with another Wilmslow tweet-up with my Black White Denim ladies. Sadly, Penny couldn't join us this time.

Zoe Karssen sweatshirt , 2nd Day leather t-shirt

First stop was of course the boutique on Alderley Road. Jo has amazing taste and this is reflected in the brilliant edit of established and newer labels instore: J Brand; Bella Freud; Avelon; etre cecile, and Maison Scotch to name just a few. I could quite easily have snapped up all of the stock instore (a girl can dream!) but here is a selection of my favourite pieces.

5 Preview sweatshirts

Don't worry if you don't live in the North-West though, as the store has a fabulous website where you can get your hands on Jo's brilliant edit of clothes, which always succeeds in being both on-trend every season, and offering key pieces which you will be loving for seasons to come.

While we were there Jo let us choose a piece from her brand new range of jersey basics, named after the store. I love the concept behind the range, so will post about it in a separate blog post.