Solange Knowles...

Is a goddess when it comes to fashion. Since NYFW has started clogging up my youtube and Instagram feeds I was instantly drawn to miss Solange's effortless ensembles. I cannot stress how much wardrobe envy I have for this woman but she pulls every look off and makes it look incredibly  easy!!

So right now I'm just going to let you drool over my favourite looks from NYFW and 2013.... 

ladies and gentlemen ...

 Solange Knowles.

The most amazing yet simple outfit! The blue and orange clash makes me cry with joy!

When life gives you lemons..... you make a cute dress

Always changing up her hair, it seems every style suits her!

Prints on prints on prints

She even makes a simple skinny jean and white shirt combo look fancy!

Solange Knowles, here to brighten up anyones day!

Images found via Zimbio.com and Google images 

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The Boyfriend Jean

Im not usually one to follow trends as I feel that the whole 'trend' process is quite repetitive over the years. In my eyes if you have a selection of, leather, floral, pastel, neon, black, white, aztec, tartan and denim items ( maybe a few metallic or holographic pieces to spice things up...) in your wardrobe your pretty much set for any trend that hits you! At the moment my wardrobe is a little chaotic and I've come to the conclusion that I'm a little bit all over the place. So working for a fashion retailer and from previous experiences, denim is (apparently) coming back into fashion for SS14. In my opinion denim never left and never will leave but it seems to be more of a Spring / Summer trend. So I decided to create something a bit different. This is a video with 3 different looks with my new favourite jeans. 'The Boyfriend Jean!'

"The Boyfriend Jean" from Nicole Parkes on Vimeo.

Outfit One 

Jeans - Long Tall Sally 

Heels - ASOS

Patterned Light Coat - ASOS

Green Clutch - River Island 

Outfit Two

Shoes - ASOS 

Floral Jacket - H&M

Studded Clutch - Mango

Outfit Three

Coat - Planet @ House of Fraser

Shoes - Primark

Bag- Zara ( now in the sale for £10!!!)

Video filmed and edited by Nicole Parkes

RandomRant: Boxing Day.

Boxing Day.

A time for planning out your attack on your favorite high street stores while shop assistants quiver at the sight of the fashion hungry zombies that claw their perfectly manicured hands into the glass doors.

A time for grabbing the cheapest item of clothing and not having a care in the world weather or not it fits or if it’s the right colour for you...(the only thing that’s right is the price)

A time for spending most of your Christmas money without a care in the world (until you realize how much you've actually spent and then panic at the thought of needing money for important things like car insurance or feeding your dog)

Usually for most fashion hungry boys and girls, Boxing Day is one of the most sought after events on their calendars after Christmas. Boxing day morning I woke up to hundreds of emails, once opened I was bombarded with large red text screaming...

'50% OFF IN STORE, BUY BUY BUY! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO BUY! COME DOWN TO THE SALES!' 

My first initial thought was.... no. I actually value my life and personally I do not want to run around a shop like a headless chicken looking for an item that was £50 now £10 to then wear it just to be able to say to your friends "Yeah, you like this dress, I got it in the sale, £10 can you believe it?!" Yes I can believe it, because you look like you have been dragged through the jungle of beaded dresses and neck snapping shoes, there might even be some battle wounds from the woman who took that last size 10 top and 'accidentally' hit you with a wooden hanger when you tried to grab it for your self.

I may be going a bit over the top with my personal thoughts on boxing day sales but to be honest, id rather sit in the comfort of my own home and buy online! I do think its important to try before you buy but I also believe in a comfortable shopping atmosphere where you have at least half a meter of breathing space 360 degrees around you at all times, but hey... everyone can have their own opinions right? Its not called Boxing Day for nothing ;)

 If your unsure about the reasons behind Boxing Day, here’s a link I found with a little information on the days name.

Boxing Day Facts  

Happy Sale Shopping! 

Versace Versace...

Ill never forget the iconic moment in the film 'Showgirls' where Nomi Malone (Elizabeth Berkley) creates an awkward, humorous moment with a mispronunciation of her designer Versace dress.

Versace has come along way since then and with the  A/W frost creeping in, Versace whip our their A/W ready to wear collection with a selection of sharp tailoring, leather textures and some very long boots! 

Check out the images of the collection by clicking on the link below! maybe you might find some fierce A/W style inspiration.

Versace A/W Ready to Wear Collection 

Winter Boot Trend : Metal Heel

I am a huge fan of boots and I don't just save them for the winter, I prefer to wear them all year round and with so much choice and a variety or versatile styles its hard not to! One trend I have been loving in the footwear category is the metal plaque heels. I feel like this style gives boots and shoes a little bit of an edge and makes boots look a bit more tough for the cold winter months ahead! 

Here are my personal favourites and my own collection of the metal heel style so far!....

This first pair I found on ebay, and I have noticed they are becoming quite popular on sites such as Boohoo.com. Every time I wear these I get a lot of compliments so were definitely worth the wait! and the price?... £35!

I think I'm a little obsessed with patent mock croc for AW/13...

These were a purchase / present from America on my graduation gift trip to Texas, I then found out yesterday that the designer Vince Camuto has a range here in the UK! Luckily these ones haven't come out yet over here so they still feel quite special.

Im always looking for details and I love how the Vince Camuto logo is embossed on the metal details of the boots.

These ones were a a bit more pricey due to the real leather and gold details 

£180

Vince Camuto's boots can now be found in House of Fraser and there is a similar design with silver details too, they can be found by clicking here 

Ebay.co.uk

On Ebay there are a few similar styles to the first ones I have at the top of this post and also these beauties too. Some other places to get this look are ALDO, House of Fraser and Boohoo.com.

Happy Shoe Shopping!

All Images created and taken by Nicole Parkes 

First Time Buys...

Over the last couple of months I have become more of an online shopper (mainly because the weather is getting so cold its so much easier to just sit and shop) As much as I love to walk around aimlessly gawping at new styles and trends I have found myself filling up baskets and wish-lists of items that that I want but have not yet purchased! (maybe ill wait till christmas....)
So I decided to venture out of the ASOS box that I was living in and try another online shop. I've been seeing a lot of Missguided advertisements that seem to be pushing me to try the site out and like most first time buyers I didn't want to buy a large amount as I absolutely hate returning items!! After a week of going back and forth to the same pages of clothes I was tempted to but, I finally brought two items to try out.

I decided to go for the basic jersey options called Sweet Deals. These are a selection of crop tops, tunics, bodies, skirts, leggings and playsuits that are very cheap and affordable to complete and layer outfits with. theres hundreds of styles and colours to choose from so I thought it was a good idea to start with these items.

This green body a comfortable jersey material with off the shoulder detail which is elasticated to ensure it doesn't fall down (which would be very embarrassing on a night out..) This comes in a range of different colours and also a shorter sleeve style.

Dominica Value Bardot Bodysuit : £6.49 - Missguided 

Leather Studded Sport Shorts : £16.95 - Forever 21. 

My second purchase was this simple black off the shoulder dress ( I was having a bit of an off the shoulder moment..) Again this dress is a jersey cotton material, its not too thin which is what I was slightly worried about and also being 5ft10, the dress is quite a good length and hangs slightly lower than the front at the back. As a keen believer in versatility, this dress if perfect for day and night and can be accessorised any way you want!

Mirabela Value Bardot Skater Dress - Missguided : £6.99

Quality: Most of the sweet deal basic items are made from jersey material so its comfortable and breathable and also very easy to wash. The fabric was very soft and stretchy making it easy to move around in.

Price: The prices of the items range from £2.99 - £15 which is a pretty sweet deal!

Delivery: There is a large selection of delivery options for the site, UK saver is 1.95,  standard is 2.95 and next day is 3.95 which I personally think is quite cheap! If you are outside of the UK,  Missguided will also deliver to Europe for £3.95 and internationally for £15.95

Promotions: If you are a university or college student , then you should make myunidays.com your best friend when it comes to shopping!,  I received 10% off my orders which is better than nothing.


Overall im really happy with my first buy and also the delivery was super fast! I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about Missguided but I felt the need to try it out for myself. So looks like I have a new favourite online shop, great news for my wardrobe ... not so good news for my bank...

All images taken and created by Nicole Parkes 

Information found via www.missguided.co.uk

ByShona : Handmade Jewellery Wire Collection

As some of you are aware someone very close to me is currently designing and creating some beautiful delicate pieces of fine jewellery for the people who make statements without screaming for attention.

ByShona is a hand made jewellery company creating one off pieces to ensure that you will always have  unique and exclusive designs that no one else has!

Recently she has been creating a variety of rings out of different materials such as copper and silver plated wire and I loved them so much I wanted to show you the results and my favourite pieces.

 The copper designs are a little different. They give off more or a rose gold effect which is quite unusual as I don't come across a lot of rose gold jewellery as gold and silver dominate the scene.

Apart from my horrendous nail polish application, this midi ring is one of my favourites that I have been wearing regularly. When it comes to midi rings I feel that they should be small and delicate as I find it very annoying when your ring stops you from your daily tasks (especially when they get caught in your hair!!). This is so light that sometimes I start to panic that its fallen off my finger. What I love about this design is that it was actually a mistake. Its wasn't meant to be made as a midi ring but it somehow it worked perfectly!

 This beauty is made with copper wire and a large polished Hematite stone. If your into spiritual stones and healing powers, Hematite (or Blood Stone) is actually known for its calming and protective properties within the ancient art of 'Feng Shui'.

(Click here  for more info on the Hematite Stone )

I think the copper designs will definitely stand out with the unusual swirls of metal. There are more designs to display so watch this space for more!! ByShona is currently working on a website and hopefully very soon you can get your hands on a beautifully twisted wire and beaded ring!

All images taken by Nicole Parkes