What's your festival style?

Up until this year I was oblivious to festivals and the fashion. In all honesty I had no interest in them, I was quite happy to listen to my own music at home (while blogging, obviously). This year I'm popping my festival cherry and embarking on my first festival adventure - Reading festival! My instant reaction was what the hell am I going to wear? 

There are so many stereotypes when it comes to festival fashion and I've never been one to follow the crowd, if you want to stand out at a festival, read on! I'm going to offer a weekends worth of fuss-free festival outfits whether your style is rebelliously punk or fiercely feminine.

Indie chick

The indie style is all about an individual style that steers away from major trends and consumerism. The loose fitting clothes, slouchy cardigans and care-free vibe is perfect for festivals. I've created three outfits for a weekend long festival that have the basis of indie style. The first consists of loose flowing shorts and equally loose top with clunky shoes and a stack of bracelets. I love the colours used in this outfit because they're so simple and with a summer tan this outfit would look amazing! The next outfit had a bit of a boho vibe with the maxi dress but I feel that the more alternative sunglasses and bright nail polish give this dress an indie styling. My third outfit is for the colder days and has a very laid back feel. I paired with espadrilles as they're so chilled out and can be thrown on with almost anything. I love the tie-dye, fringed top as it is the epitome of indie styling - home coloured fabrics and things that are cut/customised in sometimes formed the basis of the indie style in the 1990's. 

Chic & Sleek 

This style of clothing is for those fashion forward, always on point gorgeous girlies with a flair for the dramatic. Stepping out in all monochrome is stylish and striking. The first outfit in all white is stunning. To me chic style is all about precision cut clothing, clean palettes and being matched to perfection. The first outfit is all white which will set off any tan acquired lying in your back garden, on the golden sands of Hawaii or simply out of a bottle. Ombréd hair is perfect for this outfit as it offers a more indie vibe which suits a festival perfectly. The second ensemble in all black is striking and you'll appear to just have walked off of the set for'Coven' American Horror Story. All black is one of my favourite colour palettes "Black is modest and arrogant at he same time. Black is lazy and easy - but mysterious . But above all black says this : 'I don't bother you - you don't bother me'" Yohji Yamamoto. In the final ensemble I've chosen a mix of black and white - almost a battle between good and evil. I love how complimentary these colours are together. They scream sophistication and elegance.

Bohemian Beauty 

Boho style revolves around heavy accessories, embroidery and layering, bold patterns and feminine fabrics. I've styled three outfits that use these principles. Boho fashion has become a standard look of festival goers, presumably due to Kate Moss rocking this boho look at many a festival. My first outfit shows layering a large cardigan over a delicate feminine dress with a heavily embellished necklace and a simple pair of sandals. I love the mix of colours in this ensemble. The second outfit is all about twists and knots and bows, just generally playing with the fabric and having fun with fashion. The key piece here is the crochet over jacket, I love the shape of it and it adds and interesting focal point to this outfit. My final ensemble hasn't been over thought, it is simply throwing a tie-dye shirt with some shorts, embellished flip flops and a fringed bag - beautifully boho in seconds! 

Practical Princess 

Festivals are all well and good when they're warm weather with good music pumping out and good vibes all round but shitty weather can ruin your weekend if not prepared properly. These outfits will have you ready for a rainy day, a muddy venue or a heatwave! I adore how sweet the first outfit is; the cute over sized crop top, matching converse, adorable dungarees and all essential parka for those drizzly days. The second outfit is gorgeous and I'm in love with the blend of colours, I love the colour combination of the warm berry of the hunters and the pale pink of the cardigan. The play suit is very sweet and perfect for a summery festival with the floral print. The knee high socks will look on trend with the knee high hunters and the backpack will help you to be prepared for anything. The final outfit is perfect for a sunny day and will help you cover up and stay protected from the sun. 

Girly 

One of the current trends is neon two-pieces - perfect for the girl festival goer. I love the neon colour palette because it just screams summer. The first ensemble is a ruffled off mint top paired with a neon maxi skirt for a striking impact. Wear this outfit with a neon lipstick and a cute pair of flip-flops for a perfectly fun festival vibe. The second outfit is so gorgeous, a teal bandeau with a sheer white top, distressed denim shorts and lace toms, a profusion of rings - it doesn't cute cuter than that! This outfit had a more 'hipster' inspiration. The final outfit is adorable; a lemon coloured lace top, with watermelon pink lace shorts, a heavily embellished necklace and cute white platforms. This trio of outfits is bright and fun making you the centre of attention at any festival! 

Punk rock 

This is by far my favourite collection - it suits me perfectly and will be my style choice for reading as it is my style down to a tee. This style to me is a mixture of goth, emo, punk, fetish and rock - it's my favourite way to dress! The first ensemble is a red tartan top (a change from the usual tartan skirt) paired with an asymmetric leather skirt, stockings and a pair of docs. The second outfit is a band tee (I chose ac/dc because I was listening to them at the time of choosing outfits) and a skirts with braces, a choker with chains and a pair of standard black vans. My final outfit and my personal favourite a simple choker, black bustier top, black skinny jeans with zip detailing and chunk black shoes. I love this style and it gives me a confidence boost when wearing it - I feel comfortable in it. 

I hope this post has been helpful in deciding what to wear to a festival and I hope you have great fun at whatever festival you're attending! I'll be creating a post once I'm fully decided on what I'll be wearing to Reading festival! 

Love Dixie,

:) xox

Rainy day pick me ups

Today in England it is raining cats and dogs and it is hard to feel glamorous in the rain, here is a guide on how to survive the rain:

Getting from A to B
On a rainy day travelling is the last thing you want to do but when there is a place you need to be there are some simple ways to maintain your look and ending up at point B looking presentable.
1. Tie your hair loosely in a low ponytail, slightly to one side, for me it's my right and let it rest down your shoulder.
2. Put on a coat with a hood and use the hood! Although it isn't always the most glamorous of options it will save your hair!
3. Always always always carry an umbrella in your bag, then you can whip it out when necessary.
4. When you arrive at your destination simply undo the ponytail and speedily rearrange your hair back into it's original style, pull of the coat and wrap your umbrella up in a small plastic bag and put back in your bag

Ways to pick up your mood
When it's cold and wet and windy outside it instantly puts me in a bad mood, however there some things that cheer me up, here are some ways you can cheer yourself up in the gloomy weather
1. Rock a bright lipstick
 By wearing a bright pink lipstick, every time I check the mirror to check my make up it brightens my mood a little because the colour is so bright and pretty

 Some gorgeous shades to try are:
Nicki Minaj Viva Glam £13.50

MUA Shade 4 £1

Rimmel - Kate lasting finish lipstick shade 5 £5.49



2. Another way to pick yourself up on a rainy day is to wear pretty jewellery
I like to wear cute charm bracelets or big, chunky rings here are some cute ideas of jewellery you could try:
Accessorize abstract Leah ring £14

This ring is gorgeous! I love how abstract the ring is. I also love the clash of the silvery gems and the gold coloured detailing. This sparkly ring will definitely raise your mood in the rainy weather!

Dollybowbow.co.uk  - Trinket charm Bracelet - Luck £7
 
This bracelet is adorable! Dollybowbow is an incredible online store, also if you love the style of the site, check out the dollybowbow youtube channel for style and make up tips! Wearing this would instantly make me smile due to the cute little charms, also who knows maybe the lucky horse shoe charm, four leaved clover or wishbone will make the bad weather change?
RegalRose - Tea cup ring £6

I j'adore this adorable little ring! It is so quirky and cute, and was inspired by Alice in wonderland and the Mad hatters tea party which is really cute. This would make me smile because of how delicate and adorable it is, for only £6 this ring is a must!

3. Another way to pick yourself up is to use a cute umbrella! It sounds silly but instead of having a plain umbrella, why not go for a more interesting umbrella like this cute ones...
New Look - Union Jack Umbrella £7.99

This umbrella will definitely stand out in the gloomy weather, this instantly makes me smile due to the bright colours and the fact that I love almost anything with the union jack on it and this year everybody seems to be very patriotic!
New look - Red spot frill Umbrella £8.99

I love how feminine and cute this umbrella is. Again it would definitely stand out in the dark, gloomy weather and would put a smile on anyone's face. A very pretty umbrella is a very good way to brighten your rainy day.
New look - Zebra crook umbrella £7.99

A more urban umbrella, Not as eye catching but still a very modern style. This would definitely still put a smile on my face in the rain due to the cool pattern, also tribal prints are very on trend right now!

These are most of my ideas for cheering yourself up on a rainy day and also how to maintain your stylish and glamorous look in the rain! Hope it helps.
Love Dixie
:) xox

Outfit ideas for summer

Today in England it is extremely sunny, so I am feeling summery, bright and determined to publish a post! So here are a few outfit ideas I have put together, using polyvore, they include casual and formal outfits for every occasion during summer.

Urban Outfit
I personally would wear this look shopping, out for a meal or to the cinema

This outfit consists of a cropped black top, with cut-out panels on the sleeves, crop tops are  being seen everywhere this season from bandeau's at Prada to longline Bras at Nina Ricci. This key piece is from Miss Selfridge. the next item is an absolutely gorgeous anomalous hemmed skirt in a claret colour. I have seen these skirts around and think they're amazing, I can't wait to get one myself! the shoes are Jeffrey Campbell Lita's, with studs on, they're amazing! They capture an urban feel but still very wearable. I have chosen three rings with this outfit as I wear a lot of rings myself, here is a double fingered gold finish ring, a gold coloured triangle ring with eye detail and a black, beaded cross ring. The overall style of this outfit is urban and modern.

Girly look 

This outfit has a very feminine feel to it and could be worn out for dinner or to the shops

This look is made up of very pastel shades, such as the pastel pink tone of the top and shoes, the pastel orange of the jeans and the pastel shade of the clutch bag. This look is finished off with a gold necklace to draw some attention to the plain top, if this look was to be worn more casually, you could swap the heels for a cute pair of dolly shoes, not use the clutch and get rid of the necklace, this would make the outfit more layed back. This look is very calming and girly due to the tones of the pieces and overall is very on trend. A perfect summer ensemble.






Glamorous Outfit
This is an outfit perfect for a night out somewhere classy

 This outfit consists of a gorgeous black dress with a large gold panel taking up over half of the dress. The gold is very sparkly and glamorous. This look also contains a white feather shrug, this can be quite and 'old fashioned' piece but the look I aiming for here is 'reinvented 1920's flapper' So therefore I have teamed a classic piece with more modern pieces. The bold tights modernise the look and give more of an urban feel, the bright sparkly ring compliments the gold panel on the dress and the shoes pull the outfit together as they are a simple style and colour.

All in White

This look could be worn to the beach, on a picnic or to the shops

This season 'girlish white' was seen multiple times on the runway, this included detailed pieces, an abundance of lace and some very sheer silk. This outfit has a white, lace bralet, perfect for keeping cool in the summer but still looking stylish. It also shows a gorgeously detailed, maxi skirt also in white lace. The embroidery on this skirt is stunning. I have teamed this outfit with an amazing pair of white embroidered wedges to again add to the total white theme, the decoration on the shoe makes the outfit even more girlie. Finally I decided to add a black, cross necklace over the top because it adds a modern edge to the look, this was seen on a model at Emilo Pucci.

  American Style 

I am in love with all things USA, so I decided to make a look based on the flag and culture. 

This is my favourite look out of all of the looks I have created because it is so simple but so stylish, it can be worn by so many different people, my sister and I both have extremely different styles, yet she agrees this is an amazing outfit and she would wear it herself. The trousers are the focus point here as they are made up of the American flag (hence the stars and stripes), the Graphic tee is a bit of fun and the simple monochrome look matches well with the jeans, personally I would tuck the top in loosely, the Lita's add a fashionable, urban feel to the outfit as do the retro style round glasses. the 'love' wristband is gorgeous and adds to the fun feel of the outfit. The colours of the nail polish are taken from the flag and worn alternatively on your nails would look amazing. 

Flower Power

This was obviously going to come up in a 'looks for summer post' as it is a simple connotation of summer, however 'flower power' can be interpreted in many different ways...

This outfit was inspired by a huge trend every year, florals, whether they are clashed with various other bright florals or worn in pastel shades they appear in the trend forecast year in - year out. So I decided to mix it up a little and mix floral with a Californian style. This outfit consists of; a floral print bralet, a asymmetric maxi skirt (designed by Lauren Conrad - a fabulously brilliant style icon) a peace necklace, a stunning Chanel bag and a pair of flip flops with a cute bow on the front. The flip flops, maxi skirt and floral print seem quite boho but the the colours and style of each of them make it quite urban and modern.







These six outfits are the perfect blend of my style, the Spring/Summer 2012 trends and easy-to-pull-off looks. Obviously they can be altered in various ways such as switching up accessories and jackets in order to make it more formal or casual or changing the style of a skirt to fit a body type, they're all very modern and can easily be pulled off this summer. I hope you enjoyed looking through my ideas.
Love Dixie
:) xox