Happy New Decade : Celebrating the Joy of Fashion

London, UK

Happy New Decade : Celebrating the Joy of Fashion

Tuesday, March 24

*this post is sponsored by Selfridges, however all opinions, anecdotes and rambles belong to yours truly 

in order to delve into how and why the world of fashion brings me so much joy, we’re gunna have to have a bit of a throwback here because we need to, really, talk about why i started this ... how i edged my way into this industry and what fashion blogging has led me to today by doing so. things might get a little bit personal and a little bit ‘all cards on the table’ but i want to try and keep it lighthearted because i’ve touched on the in-depth, emotional side before ( props to those who read here in those days but if you didn’t, it’s explained in quite a few previous blog posts ) and after all, this post is supposed to be celebrating happiness. so happiness we shall spread.

fashion has always been a huge interest of mine, right down to the stereotypical ‘child tries on mum’s shoes and lipstick whilst she’s not looking’ days but i wasn’t always 100% certain whether i wanted to have a career in it. even whilst studying fashion design at college, i was super into personal style but when it came down to the curricular side of things, i tended to steer more towards illustration and interior design ~ still two huge passions of mine today

after that, the growing storm clouds of untreated anxiety and depression really began to roll in and the lack of leaving my house, and therefore feeling hopeless and creativity-depraved, led me to set up this little site you see today ( that, alongside some encouragement and regular ‘where is your outfit from?’ flashbacks from being back in education ). this little site, which might not look like much ( and could definitely be written on more ) that’s filled with my heart and soul. filled with truths and a truckload of thoughts i felt were easier to communicate to the internet than to humans in real life. this little site which saved me from spiralling even further into darkness and kept me afloat. kept me hoping.

setting up liv in fashion felt like i finally had a purpose. people cared what i had to say and they even liked it. they commented nice things and they appreciated my choices of outfit, despite the fact i photographed them outside the front of my house because i had panic attacks at the thought of going much further. but that didn’t matter. having this outlet enabled me to feel happy for the first time in a long while

fast forward to five years later and i’m working with brands i could have never even imagined, on campaigns with messages which make you realise how far you’ve actually come. because as humans, we tend to forget our past journeys. we’ve been taught to not look back ‘because we’re not going that way’ ( shout out to tumblr for that teenage quote of a lifetime ) but i’ve always thought it was important to reflect. it’s often very humbling and allows us to appreciate our personal growth, rather than constantly be consumed by the pressure to perform better.

Selfridges have launched ‘HAPPY NEW DECADE’ in a bid to encourage us all to explore what brings us the most joy ( something which i believe is even more important at this current moment in time ) ... to embrace self-expression and start this decade with a positive outlook for what’s to come -because a brighter future WILL come- whilst also being fully present and acknowledging the moment. i attended a comedy night at their cinema last month to do just that and being able to laugh out loud, in a room full of humans doing the same, felt entirely freeing. i can't wait until we'll all be able to do that again once the chaos calms down

in a similar vein, to start the decade how i mean for it to go on, i have chosen to embrace practicality and efficiency ... so say hello to my new baby ~ the boyy bag ( karl ). when i tell you that laughing out loud was freeing, being able to carry around all your daily belongings in one bag, no additional tote, is the epitome of freeing. goodbye tiny bags. i still love you but for now, more reasonable sized, top handle bags are taking front and centre. and with them, sits a fresh hit of optimism for 2020.

shop the Selfridges designer bag category here

♡

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Test-driving Hyundai's new i10 in Lisbon | #GoBig

Lisbon, Portugal

Test-driving Hyundai's new i10 in Lisbon | #GoBig

Thursday, January 23

*this post is sponsored by Hyundai, however all opinions, anecdotes and rambles belong to yours truly

moving to london has come with a whole host of ups but there’s definitely also been some downsides to doing so. sacrificing driving being one of them. now i know it’s not the be all and end all, and i could’ve technically carried on having my car whilst i was up here but from past experience, it began to become a little irrelevant for the day-to-day and was ditched in favour of public transport, simply because i was already near to where i needed to be. living in brighton meant i had to travel further to get to places because we lived on the outskirts but now being in brixton, this is less of a necessity. 

and yet, i realise, something i hugely miss.

driving, for me, was never just to get from a to b. it was an experience; it was an escape and most of all ( and probably strangest ), it was therapy. it got me through some of my toughest times and being able to have that freedom, whilst also maintaining an environment of comfort and homeliness, as well as providing a distraction, created the perfect balance to nurture my anxiety. 

being offered the opportunity to test-drive Hyundai’s new i10 was, therefore, never going to be one to turn down, especially after seeing it was pretty much built to cater to all of our modern day needs ( and is the ideal size i love to drive ~ little cars are the way forwards imo and this still even manages to pack in five seats ). throw, also, into the mix, the opportunity to do so in lisbon ~ a city i’ve always dreamt of visiting but never quite followed through, and i had my suitcase packed before you could even say ‘i10’.

Hyundai have really focused on streamlining each aspect of the driving experience so, despite it being my first time on the opposite side of the road, and brenda ( the car’s new, given name ) being an automatic which i’m not entirely used to, i felt fully at home and in true comfort. it’s sort of tardis-esque in its function; appearing small on the outside but can shuffle around a full family, a whole loada luggage and probably the odd furry animal without feeling cramped and for that, i can only applaud ... the #GoBig campaign tagline meaning is made abundantly clear by this, on entry. 

some features worth noting, available on the new i10 :

~ eight-inch central navigation touchscreen

~ wireless charging

~ apple carplay and android auto connectivity

~ bluetooth connectivity

~ heated front seats and steering wheel

~ rear-view parking camera

~ Lane Keep Assist and autonomous emergency braking with forward collision warning ( using the front camera to monitor road lines and distances between other cars to avoid or minimise accidents )

~ cruise control

~ GPS vehicle locating ability

~ smartphone navigation control and remote locking

i think we can safely say i came away with, not only a strong desire to return to lisbon ( hello quaint, little corners and hand-painted tiles dotted in between incredible pieces of street art and some v v tasty, vegan natas ), but also with brenda firmly stuck in my mind and i’m already missing her companionship. there are ten colour variations available of this model, so you'd be hard-pushed not to find your match but let’s be honest, i was always going to opt for a mono/neutral palette with mine ... what say you ???

cheers to hopefully being behind the wheel some more in 2020!

*outfit co-ordination may or may not have been planned in advance

♡

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Female Artists are F*cking Killing It // Top Ten Playlist to get you through May

East Sussex, UK

Female Artists are F*cking Killing It // Top Ten Playlist to get you through May

Sunday, April 29

music is a huge part of my life. in fact, even more so now i haven't had a tv in any place i've lived for the best part of a year and a half. and do you know what? i don't miss it whatsoever. sure, i'm still a sucker for an episode of towie or mic. give me a david attenborough documentary any day. but in my own time. tv no longer dictates me. instead, i get to give my rapidly dwindling eyesight a rest and treat those ears to something other than the fatiguing sounds of a non-sleeping city. it's refreshing and peaceful. and if anything, only strengthens my appreciation of the skill it takes to songwrite, produce and compose. coming from an early-retired and ever-regretful pianist ...

what i'm wearing

(full whistles look c/o next label)

swimsuit

jeans

shoes

tote

i love that it's a language we can all understand and a feeling with which we can all relate. when you find that piece of music which so perfectly and purely expresses your mood better than you ever could. tell me honestly, have you ever met a single soul who says they don't like music? and seriously, how can anybody not like something so vast? so inclusive of every experience, emotion, expression.

if someone were to ask 'what sort of music do you like?' it's never really a question i can answer. give me anything from drake to einaudi. bryson tiller to the xx ~ it either comes in phases or all at once. i've always struggled to find satisfaction in one thing. i crave variety and avoid routine. music being no exception.

SHOP THE LOOK

recently, people have started asking about songs playing in the background of my stories. and since it's not a standard topic for liv in fashion, it prompted me to share some of my current favourites over here. show a different side to this space and pass on some music which is currently manifesting itself in my memories.

in the ever-important age of female empowerment, it just so happens that the majority of my latest playlist is flooded with up and coming female artists, and even more so when whittled down into a top ten. though not a conscious curation, if anything were to demonstrate the growing presence, importance and influence of women within a male-dominated industry (/world), i don't think this would be the worst place to start.

with that being said, here are my top ten tunes for the april/may transition ~ the steady lead up into lighter fabrics, kinder climates and hopefully, a little more self love ...

one ~ body, sinead harnett

two ~ cigarette, raye ft. mabel & stefflon don

three ~ aqua blue honda, tylerxcordy

four ~ know myself, justine skye

five ~ check, kojo funds ft. raye

six ~ all in, jay prince

seven ~ come over, mabel

eight ~ fine lines, jorja smith

nine ~ the weekend (funk wav remix), sza

ten ~ grey luh, berhana

♡

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The Gift of Gifting : Keeping Christmas Personal

London, UK

The Gift of Gifting : Keeping Christmas Personal

Thursday, November 30

in collaboration with Accessorize

as i write this, i’m sat reminiscing on the fact that it’s november, and last night, i was in a restaurant which was unashamedly blasting paul mccartney’s ‘simply having a wonderful christmas time’ and my sister and i were unashamedly singing along. 

as i write this, i’m sat thinking about twenty-seventeen, the things i’ve achieved and the people i’ve met. the ups and downs - of which there have been plenty - and of the year to come. which, might i remind you is no longer than just over a month away. ha. hahaha. i’m not laughing out of sheer terror of how fast time flies … i promise …

my mum asked me what i wanted for christmas this year and do you know what, it took me over a week to get back to her and all i could think of was a plant. i just LOVE plants. i’ve already got a name for it too, despite the fact it doesn’t even exist yet. it’s cornelia, if you were wondering (thanks, sis for the inspo) but that’s a whole other story which is heading a little off-topic so we’ll save it for a later date i guess. see, everyone always said there’d be a time where we’d struggle to think of anything we want and for me, that time is now more than ever. well, there’s always the less-than-feasible options of a happy, peaceful world, 10/10 health and a bit more sunshine in the UK but whilst my mother is a wonderful woman, even she isn’t as much of a miracle worker to provide that.

being bloggers, we’re surrounded by ‘stuff’. everyday, new parcels. every event, another goody bag. and with risk of sounding like the number one, most first world problem-er ever, having so much stuff means everything does just become ‘stuff’. am i making any sense? it’s bloody lovely stuff, might i add. and i still have to step back and take a sec to assess how all of this even became a thing but i never want to lose sight of what a gift really is. the thought which goes behind it. what it means to the giver and the receiver. the feeling each person gets when it’s exchanged and the memories it might hold, or those it’s yet to create. that is what turns aforementioned ‘stuff’ (last time, i swear) into something special.

so i cleared my mind, thought long and hard, and with the help of Accessorize, styled up a selection of products i’d love to be gifted myself, followed by an edit for my sister (who seems to have featured multiple times in this post - hey girl), thinking about our personalities, interests, connections and needs. you’ll soon learn from my choices that the extent of our similarities stop at humour, sensitivity and the ability to blend in, natively, to almost every warmer-climated country we vacate to …

shop my selection

hat
bag
choker
pendant
alphabet coin purse

whilst my picks are a lot more understated, alix would always opt for bolder tones and patterns. when it comes to fashion, i seem to associate her style with ‘chunky’. not the most flattering term, i know but bear with me (sorry hun). be it boots, scarves, jewellery, she’s more of a ‘go big or go home’ gal, whereas i’m a ‘minimal is the motto’ sort of human … though i did throw in some dainty ear jackets because she recently surprised me and set her sights on a pair of similar ones i wear on the reg.

the backpack and coin purse offer practicality. something i know is always a primary focus for her. she likes to carry around the contents of our fridge for when she’s peckish, so a small bag just wouldn’t suffice. and yes, we do now have co-ordinating coin purses, just like we have matching zodiac mugs in our flat. we come as a pair now we’re back to being housemates (plus, i really just wanted to remind her of when mum used to dress us up in the same outfit and she’d death stare me for cramping her pap-worthy style, hehehe).

the bougie galaxy bra (which i am one hundred percent stealing for myself) is another continuation from the zodiac mugs. and no, i cannot get through one day, blog post or minuscule social interaction without mentioning astrology. would you expect any less? 

we sort of have this tradition in the blankson flat that when we FINALLY, at some point in the week, see each other (clashing schedules + london life = r.i.p. sibling socialising), we grab some sort of chocolatey substance, sit together for a catchup, and i read us our horoscopes. i’m sure i’ve mentioned this before about our random laughs and cries together - sometimes struggling to differentiate the two. it’s all lovely and enlightening really and i wouldn’t change it for the world.

still trying to convince her to get these matching constellation tattoos however … a subtle reminder in the form of cute lingerie … will let you know how that one goes.

shop alix’s selection

backpack
scarf
galaxy bra
alphabet coin purse
filigree ring
v-shaped ring
ear jackets

although i don’t yet want to admit it, i can’t lie when i say the festive feeling has officially begun to hit me. perhaps if it’s yet to get to you, this’ll help spark up some inspiration. either that, or you can whack on some paul mccartney and see if that does the trick. it’s seriously infectious.

is it too early to wish you merry christmas? ;)

♡

~ this post was sponsored by Accessorize, however all opinions, styling and rambles belong to yours truly

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I Overcame My Anxiety and Flew to Amsterdam On My Own // Bloomon Floral Festival

Amsterdam, Netherlands

I Overcame My Anxiety and Flew to Amsterdam On My Own // Bloomon Floral Festival

Wednesday, August 16

first off, i want to say that i no longer feel embarrassed about the title of this blog post. no longer feel like i need to play it down by saying 'i know it sounds dumb but ...'. we're past that and i know i'm not alone. and whilst there's still a vast percentage of people that may not *yet* understand it; i know most of you reading this will ~ whether you experience anxiety first hand or have friends, family and loved ones who are going through it. i don't feel the need to isolate or patronise anyone by saying 'it may not be a big deal to you' because it's a big deal to so many of us and to be quite honest, i now know more people who suffer with mental health issues than those who don't. all because we're now less afraid to talk about it and share our experiences. it's not an embarrassment. it's not a flaw. oh lord is it a hindrance but there's also the most incredible sense of achievement when you take even the smallest steps to getting through it and actually feeling proud of yourself. in some ways, that's quite magic.

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Little Interior Pick-me-ups with Desenio

London, UK

Little Interior Pick-me-ups with Desenio

Tuesday, June 27

with new flats, come new woes and lemme tell you, we sure weren't short of those with this one !! whilst what you see in these images may look pretty pinterest-worthy now, what they don't show are the almost two weeks we dealt with the bathroom fan on 24/7 destroying our peace, eardrums and sleeping patterns and racking up that utility bill at the end of the month; the boiler which did not work for the first few days, rendering us hot waterless and forcing us to trek back to our old abodes to be clean humans again; the nicely moulding shelf in the bathroom adding a touch of green to the all-white interior; the light fittings on their last legs as they hang loose from the ceiling, just waiting for one, innocent subject before they strike ... oh and we can't forget the broken fridge with parts hanging off left, right and centre ~ they gave us that one for free.

i sound whiney and 'first world problems' an' all that, i know, it could be a million times worse. but really, we just find it all the more charming and hilarious, the more little defects we discover in this cute place we now call home. and whilst i can be quite a perfectionist when it comes to taking pretty pictures, i'd rather you know the real life sitch and me acknowledge that whilst these images do represent my actual life, they don't represent it in its entirety. i've spoken about that previously here.

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My Feb Love // Valentine's Day Is What We Make Of It

London, UK

My Feb Love // Valentine's Day Is What We Make Of It

Friday, February 10

If you're anything like me, I know what you're thinking. Somebody utters that dreaded 'V' word and those pesky, themed emails begin filling your mind with fear inbox with heart-themed, pink-and-red-coloured stress, and it's all over. 

Very cute and well-designed stress, may I add, which often pulls me in to a hole of 'HOW CUTE IS THIS, OMFG, LOOK AT THIS EMAIL', until the unwarranted panic and resentment finally creeps forward and I slowly close the mail app with an over-emphasised eye roll. *le sigh*

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Realising Your Purpose

London, UK

Realising Your Purpose

Sunday, January 29

Life's a funny thing, really. And so are us human beings. We'll go from feeling like we own the world to feeling as though we're nothing. From feeling like 'life's got to change' in order to achieve happiness, to then only realising we're no better off; wishing things back to how they were.

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Five Things I've Learnt Since Starting Full Time Work And Blogging

London, UK

Five Things I've Learnt Since Starting Full Time Work And Blogging

Saturday, December 31

I've wanted to write a '5 things ...' style post since forever, but have always felt like they've already been done, or my life hasn't been interesting or 'happening' enough to warrant writing my own. Silly, I know, because obviously no two people have lived the same life, meaning everyone's input will be unique and entirely valid. I guess it just comes down to that whole comparison thing we all do. Adamant that we're never gunna live up to those around or before us. Adamant that we're just not really all that good. (We're wrong, by the way)

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My Laser Hair Removal Journey So Far // Part I

London, UK

My Laser Hair Removal Journey So Far // Part I

Monday, November 7

Ahhh, hair - that slightly taboo but wholly natural thing that's caused a lot of people continual difficulty, and the rest of them liberation, over the years. 

Before I go any further, I'd just like to mention the fact that I'm a total advocate of free-choice and doing whatever the hell makes you feel comfortable. Whether that be appearance, sex, career - you name it. In fact, I openly shout "hell yeah" to those who don't give a sh*t about the 'norms' of society, so please don't feel I'm in any way stating that this is a necessity. Just something I've always considered and when the opportunity made itself apparent to me... I took it *cheeky monkey covering mouth face* (not entirely sure I can get away with that but still rolling with it)

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Being Yourself and Why Not To Worry If You Don't Have a Blog Schedule

London, UK

Being Yourself and Why Not To Worry If You Don't Have a Blog Schedule

Saturday, October 15

Want to know when this outfit was actually shot? I can tell you. 30th June 2016, to be precise. 

I know what you're thinking ...

"That's over three months ago and you're only now coming to post this on your blog, Liv? How will it still be relevant?"

Okay, so it may not be completely relevant to those in the height of winter, freezing their tits off, but these photos are of me, I'm posting them on my blog; featuring a look that epitomises my personal style; in a shoot location that was pre-considered to match the style of the outfit and imagery, and to be quite honest, I'm really happy with them (am I allowed to say that?). To me, this is relevant. And it always will be relevant, so long as it stays true to who I am.

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Transitioning The Tea Dress // A Little Life Update

London, UK

Transitioning The Tea Dress // A Little Life Update

Thursday, September 29

I haven't done much of a life update in a while and if there was ever a time to do one, it would have to be right about now. 

Things in my life, recently, have taken a sudden turn for ... I don't even know. Let's just say things have gotten pretty hectic and I've gone from struggling to find work and freelancing in a 'role' that I found extremely unfulfilling, with zero progression for months, to actually ending up with five opportunities for different legs of work within the space of a few weeks. Some within the space of a day. Isn't it crazy how life works?

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Friendships in Blogging // The Links of London Friendship Bracelet

Friendships in Blogging // The Links of London Friendship Bracelet

Tuesday, August 23

No connection, however strong, can ever truly be materialised, but there's a sense of satisfaction, security and solidarity which come from preserving a bond within something beautiful. Something physical and precious to cherish forever. Something tangible. Cue the friendship bracelet...

I couldn't think of a more perfect way to share this iconic Links of London piece, on my own blog, than to combine the two and talk about those friendships which are perhaps a little less conventional; extremely millennial, yet still, equally as fulfilling as those which take the more traditional route: friendships formed through blogging. 

Or just the internet, for that matter. You know, that big, ol' scary place the adults warned us about?

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Cruise OOTD Part Two: Venice, Italy

Venice, Italy

Cruise OOTD Part Two: Venice, Italy

Sunday, June 26

Part two of our 'oh wait, you're not sixty', 'shouldn't you be in Ibiza?' cruise embarkation lands us in Venice. a.k.a The Floating City, a.k.a the best place for Lindt hot chocolate, a.k.a. don't-wear-a-jacket-that's-longer-than-your-shorts district.

All jokes aside, this was probably one of the most photogenic places I've ever had the pleasure to shoot in.

10/10 would see again.

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Cruise OOTD Part One: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Cruise OOTD Part One: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Wednesday, June 8

Last month, my sister and I embarked on yet another, not-as-expected, sibling experience. Now, this one wasn't quite as harrowing as our last trip which you can read all about here (part one and part two) but I will say, we probably won't be repeating it for at least another forty years. In the midst of excitement about sailing the sea for a week, and stopping at all these breathtaking destinations within one holiday (that's like five-in-one, right? And we all love a deal), we'd been blinded by the glamour and forgotten the oh-so-accurate, stereotypical audience of your usual cruise. You all know what I'm talking about. Silver hair. And lots of it.

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Pastel Colours And A Post From The Heart

Pastel Colours And A Post From The Heart

Thursday, May 19

For the last 4 days now, I have been crying consistently, sometimes hysterically and I couldn't even tell you exactly why. For the last 9 days I have been tired, all day, everyday, even when exulting zero physical energy and even on top of 10 hours plus sleep. I've woken up tired, I've gone to sleep tired, my muscles have ached to the point where I can hardly even move them and I don't want to get up. I don't want to get out of bed. I don't want to leave my house and I certainly don't want to 'talk about it' because I don't even know what I'd say.

The reason I'm telling you this is because I realise more and more everyday how quick we all are, me included, to judge people based on what they show us on social media. What they CHOOSE to show us. We think we can make an informed opinion on the levels of somebody's success or happiness or personality, merely through 140 word phrases and a mixture of carefully composed and candid photographs. 

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Easy Ways To Improve Your Instagram // The Must-Have App

Easy Ways To Improve Your Instagram // The Must-Have App

Sunday, February 21

I'm not usually one to blow my own trumpet but bear with me, this is going somewhere and I thought it was about time I shared with you some (not-so-secret) secrets. I get a lot of comments about my Instagram and how 'lovely' my feed is, even more so, I've noticed, over the last few months. Not gunna lie, but receiving comments both on my photos, from strangers, and in real life from those with whom I'm more familiar, about how much they're liking my content, is a massive achievement for me and only inspires me to create more and do better to produce work I'm truly proud of. It's something I feel I am currently, finally doing because I've (almost!) fully discovered my niche and the exact content which I believe firmly reflects myself as a person. 

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'Not Lit'aly Part Two: Florence

'Not Lit'aly Part Two: Florence

Wednesday, February 17

So we're back and onto a very delayed part two of my sister and I's trip to Italy. This time I'm sharing with you our experience of Florence, which I surprisingly warmed to (excuse the pun whilst it supplied us with, what felt like, sub-zero temperatures) more than Rome, despite the bout of food poisoning filling up our ONLY full day there to explore and rendering us bed-bound for a large portion of the day. Welcome to anecdote number one of 'what went wrong in Italy'. You're gunna want to keep reading...

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