How To Successfully Wear Black In The Summer

    I've got to a point in my teenage years, where I've essentially stopped wearing all forms of colour. Staring at my clothes rail it currently has only five items which contain some colour; a red air hostess fancy dress costume, faded red and blue shirt, lilac adidas trainers, a grey skirt with pink roses and a dark navy dress. Everything else, is either black, white or grey which has its ups and downs. With summer approaching and considering I don't have the money to splash out, (neither do I wish to buy a brighter summer wardrobe) I thought I'd give some tips on what to wear in summer without fainting from the extra absorbed heat. 

©Asos Photography - Leather Look Shorts

SHORTS:
    Obviously with summer and the heat comes shorts. I thought I'd use the most difficult pair of black shorts and its the 'leather look' shorts. Not only have these types of shorts been very popular over the past couple of years, but they're also a key/ staple piece for the summer in anybody wardrobe (particularly those of a black only wardrobe enthusiast). As you can see from the photo you can pair these up with absolutely anything and thats the beauty of having black items to work with. As the UK isn't sweltering hot throughout the duration of summer, you could pair these with a white shirt (shown above), or pair with a lightweight crop top to counteract the heat. 

©Asos Photography - Tshirt Dress

DRESSES:
    My ultimate black items in my wardrobe are dresses, every time. You can wear them in all weather climates because all you have to do is add a pair of tights in the winter and cardigan and you're sorted, or take them off in the summer. This dress strikes me as a perfect transitional piece, as the sheer material along the shoulders and chest/back create an edgy look. The sheer material at the top and bottom, give the dress some breathing space from the solid black piece in the middle, while keeping in with the whole black trend.

©Asos Photography - Cage Back Playsuit

PLAYSUITS:
    This is by far my favourite piece in the post, this playsuit is perfect for the summer time because it can be worn casual or dressed up for a night out. The exposed cage back gives the playsuit an elegant look , while keeping you cool when the sun gets too much. The material is also a sheer, delicate chiffon which makes it a very light piece of clothing that can be layered nicely for all weather temperatures. I think this would be a nice piece to take away to any upcoming festivals this summer as well, as you don't have to worry about your dress blowing up and I feel playsuits can be moved about in easily.

© Asos Photography - Cold Shoulder Cami

T-SHIRTS:
    Lastly, a more common wardrobe piece is the common t-shirt. I originally was just going to get a plain black v-neck for this part of the post until I come across this beauty. Following the 'cold shoulder' effect that was deemed very popular last year, this piece goes across that line to make something really beautiful. Like some of the previously pieces, this t-shirt is made up of sheer material for the same reasons mentioned before. I think this is just a very simple piece that you can pair up with something fitted, that's heavily patterned to avoid looking too oversized.

Topshop Picks || Spring to Summer Transition

1. Pansy Print Smock Shirt Dress
    Hats off to Topshop for finally producing a smock styled dress that actually has the littlest amount of structure to it, so those with a fuller figure can pull it off without looking 2 sizes bigger. Any black and white print is a huge must in my wardrobe, and it's gotten to the point where I only have one plain white tshirt, and even that has some hidden texture to it if you look close enough. The collared effect is always a winner in my eyes, and I'm crossing my fingers that most collared pieces will be coming out for the summer. 

2. Dark Floral Mom Shorts

    Again, following my trend of dark shades these shorts have got to be the only floral I would honestly consider wearing this summer. I feel pastel shaded shorts can sometimes fade more quickly in the wash and out in the intense heat (it better be hot this summer!) and plus black is always flattering to any figure. The only downside to these would be the fact, that darker colours absorb the heat quicker, but who said being on trend was easy?

3. Long Sleeved Ribbed Top

    Crop tops have been on trend for a good couple of months to a year already and don't think they're gonna shy away any time soon! The colour can be matched with absolutely anything, whether you're muting an already heavily patterned outfit or looking for a more polished and sophisticated look. The ribbed texture really interested me, as it gives the piece that extra something, that makes it fall out of the category of a basic black crop top.

4. Bleached Borg Denim Jacket

    Bleached denim is up there on the fashion cards which makes a change from the last time denim was on a high (acid wash was terrible!). This is one of them pieces that will be adaptable throughout the entire year, which explains the hefty price tag for a high street jacket. If like me you opt for a darker wardrobe all year round, then hopefully this denim jacket would bring some contrast to your outfit rather than colour.

Haul || Topshop Pre-Summer Sale

    Just a little quick post, as I've been rather busy over the course of the day. Anyhow today I ventured into town with my cousin and decided to have a little nosey in Topshop considering they had a sale on. There were so many nice piece available but I had only brought out so much money so I had to restrict myself to just three purchases and here they are.

    Hallelujah I finally own another pair of paisley trousers! These trousers are hands down my favourite purchase of the month so far, they have an elasticated band which make them so comfortable to sit down in and don't stick into your skink. What I love especially about these trousers is that they're slim leg created that polished look, because of this I feel I can wear these in the day but dress them up with a court heel for the night time.

    Everybody by now should know that cami's are essential pieces to everybodies wardrobe and can set off any outfit. This piece was not in the sale unfortunately so I did pay full price however it is very worth it, these cami's are sheer so make sure to wear a bra the same shade or just a nude one and you'll be alright.  

    Lastly is this really delicate dress, I love dresses as you all know so I can't say no when something this pretty is on sale for almost half price. The cut out detailing at the sides are really sweet and give the dress character instead of being a plain floaty dress. The material is very thin too so it's perfect to wear over the warmer seasons without tights (or with).

Summer Soundtrack || 2013

    I've just come in from an hours sun bathing, and thought it's the brilliant time to create a summer's soundtrack. I came up with the idea late last night before I went to sleep and well now I'm acting on it ha. Just a quick disclaimer, music taste is subjective to everybody so if you don't like certain songs you can swap and change it's down to you, so here we go!

    So to kick off the summer playlist, I thought I'd include a classic track that many great artists have covered themselves and it's All Day and All Of The Night by The Kinks. The guitar riffs in this give it the fluid and quick beat that gives this song it's attitude. Now I will hold up my hands here and say, I only know this and maybe two more songs by The Kinks so I'm not their biggest die hard fan out there but this is definitely something to check out!

    The next song is a very recent release and it's Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys, now compared to The Kinks I'm a huge fan of Arctic Monkeys and sadly missed out on tickets for their next UK tour (sold out in 30 seconds!!) but I've been following their glastonbury coverage where this was played. Arctic Monkeys never fail to release good summer tunes and this one will definitely be over played on my ipod.

    Oh cheeky, The 1975 have been floating around recently and I never really got around to listening to them. However after recommendation from a friend (I'm talking to you Charlotte) I gave their song Sex a listen to and I loved it. Their alt-rock tune reminded me of going out to the beach on holidays and visiting parks on hot days, and I think that sums up summer quite well. They also hail from my home city of Manchester, so that's another perk!

    Another blast from the past (a little bit) and it's Last Nite by the The Strokes, this is another cult hit that I'm sure most of you have heard of before and it's just a very light 3:18 of you trying to understand what Julian is singing about ha. The Strokes have released many hits of their band career, and have been the backing track for many famous advertisements. 

    My second recent obsession has been Django Django and in particular their hit Default, I've recently started listening to more psychedelic art pop music and these guys have been at the top of my list for a couple 7 months or so! They were part of the NME Tour which I sadly missed out on (I was too late on buying tickets again) but after seeing some of their set live at festivals, I know not to miss out next time.

    Now my summer playlist wouldn't be complete without mentioning this guy, it's Tom Odell with the lively and upbeat Hold Me. I've recently done a review on his latest album and wouldn't stop raving about how his album is one for my summer soundtrack. Now I obviously can't have all of his songs on here, so instead I've picked my favourite (at the moment) and it's Hold Me. The video too this looks so fun to of made, and it's just a very free spirited song that can be interpreted in quite a few ways.

Trend Of The Month #3 || White

    Like most girls (I believe), I've hidden away from white clothing in fear of ruining the material from or the light shade not being flattering enough for my curvy figure. Over the past couple of months, I've felt my personal style fluctuate dramatically going for more daring pieces in my wardrobe. I feel the white trend is something that's going to hit off over the summer period as it will heighten your tan and increase the summary feeling.

*photography by Topshop, editing by FagansFinds

 

Dixi Previews || "Woodstock & Luxe Bohemia"

     It'd like to start off by thanking Dixi for sending me another preview of their beautiful collections and the absence of this post (should of been up Thursday) is down to me catching a cold/flu off my little sister, causing me to be bed stricken for the past three days but I've gained up some energy to post some new content for you lovely readers! If you read till the end there will be a lovely discount for all you guys out there too!

    Dixi's latest collection coincides with their new website launch, featuring over a 100 new items along with some new chic packing acting as a safe little box to ensure your jewelry never gets lost and a lovely dressing table piece. These pieces featured below are not yet available to buy online, however they will be from this Sunday (28th) onward so get your cards at the ready as I'm sure the collection will sell out quite swiftly!

    Dixi has always been a favourite brand of mine for creating elegant, delicate pieces that on their own can be very statement pieces. Soft turquoises and greens run through the new collection quite rapidly, which is very exciting for myself as these earthy tones have always had a soft spot in my heart.  Not only are they incorporating these wonderful colours for the upcoming spring/summer trends but there is also a collection of lilac rose headbands which are my up most favourite piece from the whole collection! The bohemian trend will never become outdated for summer, and I'm so glad the original daisy chain bands have upgraded from the past two years to these beautiful crown like headbands! 
                                                   

     If you've got this far well done! Isn't the latest collection which will be out this Sunday (28th) one of the loveliest things you've seen this year, I'll definitely be counting up my pennies this weekend to make sure I at least own one piece of the collection. Like I promised there's a little surprise for you wonderful readers and it's a 10% discount, yay! From 28th April till the 6th May if you type to code BLOGGER10 at checkout you will receive 10% discount from your order, so you've no excuse not to order something! Tell me what you thought of the latest collection, do you love it, hate it? All comments will be appreciated, lets spread some love for Dixi!

Shop Dixi - http://www.shopdixi.com/
Dixi Twitter - @shopdixi
Dixi Instagram - http://instagram.com/shopdixi#
My Own Twitter - @Faganatorxo

Topshop || Tall Section Weekly Selections #2

Tall || Neon Animal Midi Dress || £32

    I'm not the only one who is in love with the midi-dress trend and this dress helps to prove why, moving onto more summery clothes (even though the weather disagrees) the colours in this dress scream sunshine. I don't normally like leopard prints with out there colours such a pinks and blues, but this dress in an exception. I'd love to pair this with some silver jewelry to give it a more subtle look, for day to night looks. 

Tall || Hollywood Burnout Tee || £18

    Keeping it rather simple with the shirts, is this burnout tee that can be paired with absolutely anything. When the weather does heat up I tend to become super lazy with my outfits and prefer to wear a nice baggy t-shirt with a bodycon skirt and tights or some shorts, so something like this is ideal for that job. The neutral colours help you match this off with more elaborate prints, such as floral/aztec/pleather shorts and not look other the top.

Tall || Monochrome Aztec Vest || £12

    I chose this vest for more or less the same reasons for the shirt above, however the bell cut shape is this is very appealing to me as it proportions your hips out perfectly. Girls who are body conscious over the hotter months can wear these vests and not worry about their hips looking too wide, as this cut gives the illusion of slimmer hips as it falls into a semi-circle. The print on this is also very summery, and it proves that some trends (aztec) can stay around for more than one year which is great!

Tall || Viscose Quilted Sweater || £38

    Even though all of the items of clothes bar this jumper have been summery, we do have to be realistic for the UK weather as we've been having snowfall in March which is outrageous! This guilted jumper is perfect for keeping you nice and warm on cold college mornings but is also very on trend with the quilted effect. Subtle detailing like this allows you to keep it very casual or dress it up with a chunky necklace and some slim leg patterned trousers. 

REVIEWED || Revlon 'Jaded' Nail Polish

    I've had this nail polish for a couple of months now but it quickly became my favourite and go to nail polish. I've always favoured green shades, as its my favourite colour, this shade of green is the perfect middle ground for myself. The majority of my nail polishes are from Revlon's brand as I find their formula is thick enough to give full coverage in one coating but not too thick to leave a gloppy texture. 

    This range of polishes is extra special as it's part of their Top Speed collection, the faster a nail polish can dry the better for everybody, as I'm sure we've been in the situation of needing the toilet almost the second after painting you nails. Wait 2-3 minutes if you've applied one coat and you're good to go, as long as you don't decide to start pressing directly onto the painted nail.

    The rest of the range has a beautiful selection of colours but there is a downside to these polishes, which is pretty common with most nail polishes and it's their chipping ability. I've noticed that this nail polish is particular only lasts up to 3 days before chipping, it ranges between a little corner to half the nail chipping off. I must note however, this range is no longer available in my local boots or superdrug so if you wish to purchase one I recommend you visit the larger stores. What are your opinion of Revlon nail polishes and which are your favourites?

High Street vs. Designer Brands || Sun Glasses

    Thought I'd do something a little different today and start a new segment to my blog; high street vs. designer brands. As summer is hastily approaching and I'll soon be on holiday in the Canary Islands, I thought it would be perfect timing to compare two brands of sun glasses that I own. If I get good feedback on this particular type of post then I will intend to do a lot more, so please comment down below your opinions on the post.

    These are the most recent purchase of the two and it's Urban Outfitters silver framed sun glasses. These were quite pricey considering the silver was imitation in my opinion at £18.00 but, the over all finish justifies the price. Gold and silver metals are quite crucial when accessorizing, personally I'm a silver jewelry girl although a few gold pieces are slowly creeping into my late purchases. Something that stuck interesting to me with the extended bridge on the glasses, whether this is allowing it to fit all bridge sizes are not I'm not sure but I feel this feature allows the glasses to lay comfortably on my nose without imprinting on your skin.

    I thought the free sun glasses bag was rather considerate, with their own store name printed across the bottom in a lovely neon yellow. Ensuring that your sun glasses remain in pristine condition till you want to start using them (in my case two weeks time). The lenses are sun protected and tinted, preventing any damage to your eyes. I find this again justifies the cost as when your on holiday stores and restaurants and normally pale, white shades which increase the reflection of sun into your eyes. Over all if you don't mind spending a little money on sun glasses then these are perfect for you!

    The final pair are my 3/4 year old Ray Bans which were bought for me as a present one year for my birthday. Shamefully during the couple of years I've owned these, I've only really got my use out of them once when I visited Venice as there was 2/3 days of boiling hot heat so my judgement will be based purely off those few days. As these were a gift I'm unsure on the exact price but I know Ray Ban sunglasses can range between £93+ so they're an investment purchase. I really like the lilac colour of these glasses as they can brighten up an outfit, while staying in the constant pale colours trend for summer.

    Like the cheaper alternative, both lenses have sun protection to reduce the sun damage to your eyes, also tinting extra strong light. The case for Ray Bans is much stronger and is a hard shell with a popper clasp, compared to the draw string UO bag. This is rather understandable however because of the price your paying, ruining or breaking these sun glasses would be heart breaking. You also receive a complimentary lenses cloth, this is a delicate piece of material which is branded that is used simply to wipe any dust from the lenses. You normally receive these when buying prescription glasses at the opticians. Over all I would recommend both sun glasses but unless you have the money to splurge on expensive sun glasses then I would personally stick with the high street brand. Purely on the fact that sun glasses can easily break and as a teenager I'm unable to afford such designer sun glasses regularly.  

*(This is NOT a sponsored post)

Topshop || Tall Section Weekly Selections #1

Tall Polka Dot Body-con Dress || £29.00

    Thought I'd start off with a rather universal piece of clothing, and it's this navy blue body-con dress. I think these dresses are extremely flattering to all shapes, and can be dressed up and down with some tweaking of accessories! Now with this post being aimed towards Topshop's Tall Section, this dress is designed for ladies 5ft 7 and taller. I can't stress enough how hard it is to keep a dress you love without it shrinking up to your bottom after a few washes, but with extra inches added its impossible!

    The polka dot pattern is also another feature that I personally feel is universal, compared to other patterns such as strips that can make you appear a little tubbier than you actually all. Overall this dress is something I'm defiantly going to pick up on my next trip to Topshop and will be wearing it like crazy over spring/summer.

Tall Crochet Vest || £36.00

    The next item is aimed towards summer when it's getting quite warm and it's this crochet vest. I'm normally not a fan of vests even in the summer as they normally are over done with extreme patterns or are too plain. However Topshop have found the middle ground with the crochet/lace layer over the top of a plain vest. Something I quite like about this vest is that the patterned material runs past the end of the vets, translating onto maybe your shorts, leggings, jeans etc. This is a nice touch as the contrast of colour will really make the top half stand out. 

    Another thing I like about crochet material is that it is quite versatile in different heats. I'm not sure whether this happens with me personally but I find the material is able to keep me cool when it's hot and warmer when it's a bit breezy. The gaps in the thick material enable this switch in temperature, which is pretty handy to bring this piece from summer into winter later in the year. 

Tall Contrast Tee Dress || £42.00

    Next piece is another dress (I'm dress obsessed) and it's this lovely contrasting tee print dress. I remember seeing something along these lines during winter last year and never had chance to pick it up, but thankfully Topshop have brought it back for spring/summer. I really like how the prints work well together because they're both grey/white/black, where as if one was a bright, bold colour I don't think it would of worked so well. 

    Again I really love Topshop's Tall dresses because you are able to wear and keep them for a long time without them shrinking too much. I haven't put this theory into practice, but if your of average height and fancy a knee/calf length dress, I'm sure the Tall section with do you some justice without looking too frumpy. (Tell me in the comments if you've done this!) 

Tall Lasercut Waist Playsuit || £46.00

    The last item I'm really loving is this vibrant and bold playsuit. Same rules apply on how amazing the Tall section is for adding those extra inches, if you're not so happy about parading your legs about getting a Tall section playsuit is your best option. The cut of the legs rests in the middle of your thigh, showing some legs but not baring all. 

    The boldness instantly reminded me of summer and ice creams, the beach and holidays. I think this piece will be wonderful for the up-coming season, the lattice print gives the outfit some attitude allowing you to keep it plain with no accessories if it's too hot. If you want to dress it up for a night out, I would recommend gold jewellery to really make the outfit pop!

*This is NOT a sponsored post

THIS WEEK | Topshop Wishlist #4

    Anything that is silver, or has silver features in it must be in my wardrobe. All things silver to me are the best colour to combine with clothes, shoes etc. In this weeks 'New In' section of Topshop I found these gems. Surprisingly there's nothing very London Olympics themed but quite the opposite, with neutral colours and the occasional over the top print. 

    I'm not a person to wear trainers / sneakers / high tops which ever term you use with an outfit, but these glitter high tops are an exception. Having the silver tones and glitter this item adds a feminine touch with the edgy aspect of it being a masculine shoe. I also noticed when selected a pair of sun glasses that the front portion has a dusty pink to it which looks wonderful. 

    The sun glasses are just a follow on from the small section of pink on the shoes, giving the whole outfit a pop of subtle colour without being overly bright. Same with the nail polish, there are averagely sized chunks of glitter in this nail polish giving your nails a nice cover are glittery goodness. 

    Black and white has been a classic combination and will always be until the sun expands too much causing civilization to be destroyed. The skater dress is also a classic, so putting these two things together, Topshop have designed something that will be flying off the shelves. The tiger print on the torso is what caught my eye, it gives the dress some personality - making you stand out from the crowd. 

Glitter High Tops - productId=6215807

Tiger Print Skater Dress - productId=6219999

Glitter Chunk Nail Polish - productId=6254116

Pale Pink Shades - productId=6256481

Fagan x 

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