Blossom Print

Trousers - Nobody's Child

Top - Zara

Clutch - Katie Loxton

Sandals - Topshop

Necklace - Forever 21

Photography by Ellie Morag

After telling you about the fab new brand Nobody's Child a couple of months ago (catch up here if you missed it) I am finally sharing with you my first purchase. These trousers have been one of my go-to pieces when the sun has been out or when I've been to an evening event where I'm unsure of the dress code. They are in between casual and dressy and go well with either these sandals or my leather sneakers. 

I also love my new clutch bag which my best friend Kate gave me for my birthday. You can't really make out the gold writing from photos, but it says 'Pretty in Pink'. I had seen an Instagram photo a while back which Kate had taken of the whole collection. They have lots of pretty colours with cute phrases like 'Bag of Tricks' and 'Hello Lovely'. After telling Kate my favourite (not hard for her to guess since I'm crazy for pink) she remembered and kindly sent me one in the post. I really do have the most thoughtful friends!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I'm off to see Kim Chi from RuPaul's Drag Race who has such incredibly creative looks. If you want to see what she wears on Saturday then you can now follow me on Snapchat by searching for LovefromLouLou. 

Your5 Fashion Consultation at Silverburn

It's been seven months since I moved to Glasgow and I'm still having fun discovering all of the best places to shop. Last weekend I finally checked out Silverburn shopping centre as I was invited to their Your5 event. 

I had been really looking forward to having my fashion consultation as I was interested in hearing a top stylist's opinion on what I would suit. During the consultation, she took me around 5 sections based on this season's wardrobe staples: The Shirt, The Jacket, The Trouser, The Sneaker and The Silk. Each area displayed a rail of hand-picked clothes from a wide variety of brands which could be found in the mall. 

I'm a huge fan of silk and Your5 showed that there's a fab range of silk pieces for SS16.

I bumped into the lovely Tatyana of Lafotka.com

My stylist talked me through the current season's key styles, from boxy jackets to colourful trainers. She also helped me select the best pieces to suit my style and taste. Naturally, I was drawn towards all of the beautiful prints, however my stylist convinced me that I should try adding some simple shirts to my wardrobe. I also loved the selection of cropped trousers. After receiving a Silverburn voucher in my goodie bag, I went straight to Topshop to buy this chic pair of wide-leg trousers below. The crinkly material is so unusual and I like that I could wear them casually with trainers, then dress them up in the evening with a pair of heels.

Strip Pleat Trousers - Topshop

Here are my other top picks from my consultation:

Links - Bomber jacket | Striped shirt | Converse Sneakers | Floral top

If you haven't been to Glasgow's Silverburn shopping centre yet then I'd really recommend you do as it's huge and there are so many great stores inside.

Let me know what you think of my top picks!

The Wedding Guest Edit

Dress - Zara

Bag - Debenhams

Headpiece - Accessorize

One of the things that are great about weddings is that it gives you a reason to dress up! When else would I wear this gorgeous headpiece? The only tricky part is that there are so many unwritten rules to dressing for a wedding. You're not supposed to wear white, dresses shouldn't be too short, jackets should be smart, handbags are typically tiny - it's not just the bride who puts in lots of time and effort into perfecting her look! 

Florals are always a good option, and if dresses aren't your thing then the two-piece below is an equally stylish alternative.

Floral co-ord - ASOS

Bird print dress - Louche

If you don't like having the tops of your arms on show or you just want to add some glamour to a simple dress then you could opt for a beaded jacket.

Embellished jacket - Miss Selfridge

Necklace - Zara

Blazers are a good choice of jacket and this soft tailored style below is so chic and modern.

Porcelain necklace - And Mary

Soft tailored blazer - Topshop

If you're looking for lace then Zara has plenty of beautiful styles to choose from. 

Lace two-piece - Zara

Crown headband - ASOS

Wearing heels through the day to night can be a killer for our feet. Luckily this season there are a few alternatives to stilettos from low sling-back shoes to block heel sandals.

Clutch bag - Accessorize

Block heel sandals - New Look

Have you got any weddings coming up that you're preparing for? Hopefully this can give you a little inspiration!

Nobody's Child Wishlist

There's a new brand that bloggers are going crazy for and I think you need on your fashion radar too, so let me introduce you to Nobody's Child. The London based company was formed by two family run businesses, specialising in textiles and manufacturing, who joined forces to create something special. Their aim is to "change the face of fast fashion" by offering on-trend clothing that's ethical AND affordable! I wouldn't have known this was possible but the company claim to have full control of every process, which includes factories based in Britain for knitting, dying and printing. 

The in-house design team is located in London, and they really know how to nail this summer's biggest trends. Off the shoulder tops, bomber jackets, culottes, pleated midi skirts - the list goes on! If you're anything like me, you're not going to find it easy to choose from so many stylish pieces. 

Since I've been wearing trousers a lot recently, I couldn't resist their high-waisted wide leg trousers. I opted for one pair in plain black and the other with a beautiful floral print. The latter were worn as soon as I received them in the mail and made me feel great when I attended the launch of Hunted Vintage (another online brand you need to check out!) 

There's lots more on my wishlist from Nobody's Child which you can see below. Feel free to make my life easier and let me know what you think I should order next!

Left: Floral top £16

Right: Jumpsuit £20

Left: Bomber jacket £25, Culottes £20

Right: Midi dress £18 

Left: Crop top £10

Right: Bodysuit £14

Left: Maxi dress £25

Right: Pleated skirt £30

Check out the full collection - Nobodyschild.com 

Expert Advice on Building a Career in Fashion

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of attending Edinburgh Fashion Week with some of my favourite bloggers. My day was packed full of catwalk shows, fashion talks, drinking in the ANTA VIP lounge and chatting with lots of people who I follow on social media! 

The highlight of my day had to be the 'Let's Talk Fashion' panel discussion. Hosted by Social Tailor founder Colin Gilchrist, the panel truly was the cream of the crop from Scotland's fashion scene. I listened in complete awe of their success including Isolated Heroes designer Samantha McEwan who creates collections that are sold to top international retailers and worn by style savvy celebs such as Miley Cyrus and Foxes. I was so thrilled that Sara Hill was on the panel too as I've been a fan of her work for years. Her creative talent knows no bounds as she has achieved global success as a Make-up Artist, Art Director, Magazine Editor (of Hope Street - one of my faves) and she even launched a cruelty free make-up range last year. How does she nail it every time? I'm thinking she must be Wonder Woman in disguise.

Check out Hope Street & Isolated Heroes if you don't know of them!

The other guests were pretty incredible too: Photographer David Eustice who has shot for various major British publications including Vogue, Strathberry's Merchandising Director Kevin Harding who previously worked for Alexander McQueen and Burberry, Model Team's Director Micheal O'Brien who has helped launch the careers of countless international models, and Photographer Hamish Campbell who's previous clients include Burberry and Harvey Nichols.

I thought I'd summarise some of the main points which might be helpful for anyone wanting to start a career in the fashion industry - 

• Samantha McEwan's top tip is to be persistent and she told us "don't be afraid to ask agencies for models or approach people to sponsor you because if you don't ask, you don't get." I agree that being pro-active is essential to achieve your goals and you may be surprised by how many people are willing to help you out.

• David Eustice said you need to “learn what resilience means. When you're down, get back up." Not everyone is necessarily going to love your work or want to hire you and rejection isn't fun, but dwelling on this will only set you back. Keep seeking opportunities with a positive attitude and stay focused on what you are aiming for.

• Hamish Campbell discussed how putting effort into social media can help build a fan base and lead to job opportunities, however networking in real life is still hugely important. As a blogger I completely agree with this as I think people are more memorable when meeting them face-to-face and you can have lengthy discussions this way too. Kevin Harding also emphasized how important it is to "be polite to everyone you meet." The fashion industry employs millions of people and you never know who could help you get your big break or next commission.

• Samantha McEwan told us that financing Isolated Heroes has been the toughest challenge. She started with just £200 and a shabby studio that had holes in the windows which meant her stock would get wet from the rain! Now she has employees to pay and big orders to fill so keeping the cash flow running is a vital factor in running a fashion company. One way of raising money for a fashion project is by running a crowd funding campaign. Samantha raised £6,500 within a month though Kickstarter which went into producing samples and getting them manufactured.

• As Kevin Harding advised, "learn your craft." In his job role (which will apply to many others) Kevin makes sure he is well informed and up-to-date not only in fashion, but other areas from art to the economy and he understands how they can affect the industry he works in. Although I am constantly learning about fashion and marketing, I should really make more time for the news so this is one of the main points I came away with.

• Sara Hill mentioned that many of the submissions she receives for Hope Street are imitations of other people's work so her advice is to find your own style. "As an artist find out who you are, what you like and and be true to that." Magazine editors like Sara must be inundated with images and articles so this is an important way to stand out against the competition.

It would be incredible to achieve even half of what these industry insiders have done in their fashion careers. I will be keeping their advice in mind and hopefully you will too. Maybe one day we'll be on a fashion panel at Edinburgh Fashion Week ourselves!

Pins + Patches

If you're looking for an easy way to update your outfits, try customising with pins and iron-on patches. They can really turn a basic piece, like a denim jacket or beanie hat, into something more individual and interesting. Lately I've been searching for the perfect patch for my lilac bomber jacket. The problem is that I now have too many to choose from! 

During my search I came across a couple of online stores that I hadn't heard of before. It's been a refreshing change compared to the high-street giants that are my usual go-tos when shopping. I think I'll be checking out these sites a lot more in the future.

Television and Eye patches - Skinny Dip

Telephone and Lolita Sunglasses pins - Little Arrow

Sugar Skull and Hackney patches - Rosie Wonders

Yas Queen and Love Letter pins - La La Land

Watermelons and Diamond patches - The Lazy Craft Store

Sixties Mod Style

Hat - Brora

Top - H&M

Skirt - ASOS

Coat - H&M

Boots - DUO

Satchel - Urban Outfitters

Anyone who knows my style knows how much I love sixties fashion. When I was shopping with my friend Danielle, she knew as soon as we spotted this top that I had to buy it! Turtle-necks have been one of my style staples for a few years and I love a bold print too. I like to team my new top with a denim a-line skirt and collarless coat which add to the mod aesthetic. 

This shoot with photographer Debbie McCuish was set around The Lighthouse. It was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (formally named The Herald Building) and is Glasgow's centre for architecture and design. The view from the rooftop is well worth a trip up the spiral staircase. 

In case you hadn't noticed - I'm loving life in Glasgow! Look out for my next post featuring a beautiful museum and a very sparkly outfit!

Wednesday Addams Inspired

Dress - H&M

Boots - Ted & Muffy*

Coat - Warehouse

Fedora - Miss Selfridge

Satchel - Godiva

Necklace - Forever21

Bracelet - Mulberry

Photography by Debbie McCuish

A few weeks ago I was wanting to find a Wednesday Addams style dress. Like a little fashion miracle I soon found one when I was shopping in H&M so I snapped it up as quickly as I could. The crochet collar and cuffs are so pretty and I love the way the dress nips in at the waist. 

I wanted to turn this cute dress into a more luxe look, so I styled it with my faux fur coat, fedora and thigh-high suede boots. This was the first time I had worn my new Ted & Muffy boots out and I couldn't believe how comfy they felt. You might want to check out the shoe brand's website as they are offering 25% off as an introductory offer.

Thanks so much to Debbie McCuish for her fantastic photography. We had so much fun shooting on such a sunny day (another miracle I've had as the weather has been mostly awful lately!) It's the first time I've worked with a photographer since I moved here and I've really enjoyed coming across new locations. Glasgow has so many interesting things to look at, like these grand arches on John Street. We also walked to the top of the Gallery of Modern Art's clock tower which is beautiful too.

Find out where else we explored in my next post!

All the Jumpers You Need

It's the season of the sweater and I can't get enough of the chunky knitwear and high-neck jumpers available this year. If I had the money I'd dedicate a whole wardrobe to them! There are so many styles to suit all sorts of occasions so I thought I'd pick out the most covetable jumpers that'll get you through the chilly months ahead.

The jumper for catch-ups with your girl gang 
Jumpers with retro patterns or sparkle are great for dressing up with a skirt or pinafore dress. The look below is giving me sweater girl inspiration for this season. 

Urban Outfitters fair isle jumper

The jumper for cosy nights in

Turtleneck jumpers are everywhere right now. This one looks perfect for snuggling up while watching Love Actually.

H&M cable-knit 

The jumper to put you in the Christmas spirit

Tacky Christmas jumpers are always fun but I do also like pretty versions like this one. I've got a new one that I'm going to wear as soon as it's December (in just a couple of days!)
Warehouse bauble jumper

The jumper for a date night
Your best options for date night are an off-the-shoulder number or a devoré sweatshirt like this unique one below. Team it with a leather skirt and heels or a pair of jeans with thigh-high boots. 
Zara dévore sweatshirt

The jumper for winter walks
Fluffy jumpers are a must-have for this chilly season. This bretton stripe style is the chicest you'll find on the high-street. Keep the rest of the outfit simple.
Topshop Boutique stripe jumper

The jumper to brighten up a dull day

Most of us stick to dark shades at this time of year but wearing a bright coloured print can really cheer you up when the skies are grey.

Monki printed sweatshirt

Are you on the look out for any particular jumper style? Do you have a favourite one to wear?