Just Playing Around

So I know I've been quiet for a few months, but I have been super busy! I worked in Europe for the summer, then came straight to the United States where I now attend uni in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins University as an Environmental Engineering major. What my summer in Europe (Holland, the UK, and Ireland) does mean however, is that I have loads of new clothes to show off! I will try to post with a new theme every week. This week I decided to showcase my two favourite rompers.

This first romper I actually bought after coming to the US. It's from Urban Outfitters, and I find it to be the perfect balance between a casual daytime romper and one that you can dress up for a night out. I love the unique turquoise colour with the daisy print and always get compliments when I wear it. The halter neck style with a higher neckline is really popular right now. Usually, tops like this don't flatter me, but this romper is cut just right! The real star of this romper, however, is the open tie back. It's cute yet sexy at the same time. I paired this romper with a pair of brown platform sandal-style heels from Primark. They're one of the most comfortable pairs of heels I have, and they fit the organic style of this playsuit. I didn't style this with any jewellery as the print and style of the romper doesn't need any help to stand out, and the neckline is not really suited for a necklace.

The second playsuit I have is from New Look, bought while I was in the UK! This one is slightly more casual than the Urban Outfitters one as it is simpler and doesn't have an open back, although I still say this one could be dressed up for a night out. This colour and print is also bright and bold, but they're called playsuits for a reason!

Similar to Atmosphere platform sandals

For a more appropriate autumn look, I paired it with a chunky denim jacket from Pull & Bear in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The waist of the romper and the hem of the jacket hit at about the same place, making them a good match! My black mules also give a slightly less summer look, and they are also from New Look.
Black New Look Mules
Similar to Red New Look Romper
Similar to Denim Bomber Jacket

The Cat's Meow

So by some miracle, today was another sunny day in Cape Town. To celebrate, I wore this super fun skater dress without any tights. Daring, I know. It was actually 25 Celsius today so it wasn't really that daring. This skater dress really is one of my absolute favourites, I wear it all the time in summer. It's quite a simple cut, but flattering. The cat head on the bust keeps it from being too plain and makes it a cute and trendy staple. The black is also a great background to show off my new lighter hair tips! While I bought this dress from Love Culture while I was in the US over Christmas (on sale for only $15!), I found a similar one from TopShop that I've linked below.

I paired it with these teal accented Coach lace ups. The teal adds a bit of colour and the shoes are casual yet classic. I'm also wearing a gold chain necklace that I got while in the UK (for only $4). These chain necklaces are so popular right now, and my one is the perfect length to accent the neckline of the dress.

Get the look:
Cat skater dress (similar)
Coach shoes (same shoe, different colour)
Gold chain necklace (smilar)

OOTD and Highlights!

Today was one of those gem days of sunshine and warm weather that come with the Cape winter. A bit like the calm before the storm, they generally indicate that a cold front full of rain is coming in the next day or two. So I decided to break out the crop tops while I could and enjoy the warmth! Here I wear a loose white crop top from The Lot- a trendy South African brand. I really like the little swallows detail, as it makes it so much more fun and interesting. For pants, I wore this blue palm tree patterned jeggings from Pimkie that I bought in Spain. They're very comfortable and stretchy, and go with almost anything. They are definitely one of my favourite pairs of pants. Because it is technically still winter, I wore this with a classic black fabric blazer from Kelso. I quite like wearing blazers on an every day basis. They make even super casual outfits like this one just a bit more classy. Finally, I threw on my absolute favourite pair of boots. They are real leather black ankle boots, a slightly "combat" or "military"style boot. Mine have little flat studs around the heel that make them special. They are so so comfy and I wear them almost every day.

Because it was sunny today, I also decided to try to ombre my hair a bit. My hair is naturally lighter at the tips, but I wanted to make it a little more extreme. I mixed three tablespoons of lemon juice with a bit of olive oil and applied to the tips of my hair. I sat in the sun for an hour, then went and took a shower to wash it out of my hair. When my hair dried, I couldn't really see a difference, but I can't be entirely sure. It may have helped a bit, but wasn't as dramatic as I was planning. I might try this again with more lemon juice on the next sunny day we have to try to get better results. Do you see a difference? Let me know!

Cut Out Dress

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I promised I would put up my DIY galaxy shoes today. If you don't, why the heck not? Go check it out: @peachyandpretty. While I was intending my next post to be the shoes, I finished this dress last night and fell in love with it. Its so simple and cute, and super versatile. Here I've styled it three different ways: going out, casual summer, and casual winter.

This first look is the "going out" or night look. The cut out dress becomes your essential LBD here. With heels and a statement necklace, an otherwise simple dress becomes chic and trendy.The cut outs show just the right amount of skin, without giving off a trashy vibe as the dress isn't tight. Which brings me to my next point: this dress is so flattering. The cut outs are positioned to show a part of your body that isn't generally fatty. The dress sits loosely and hides any stomach bumps and lumps. 

I paired my dress with an amazing pair of Steve Madden champagne coloured glittery heels. They're a nice contrast to the black and super comfortable. Next I threw on my new statement necklace from Fashion Express (I'm sure I'll do another post on statement necklaces because I love them so much!). The nude necklace really stands out against the black and livens up the neckline. Finally, I grabbed a red suede clutch for some colour. 

I tied my hair into a super high pony and teased it out a bit, both stylish and playful. I chose a pony to show off the cut offs, I didn't want them obscured by my long hair. 

The second look I styled was a summer casual look. This dress is also great for everyday wear. I dressed it down with white studded gladiator sandals from Aldo and a turquoise necklace from Accessorize for that bit of colour. I feel this could work for a summer's day or night out to dinner with friends with a light jacket. The dress could even be worn more casually as a beach coverup over a bikini. The possibilities are endless!

For this look, I tied my hair in a messy bun to give an even more relaxed look. I pulled out strands to frame my face and look effortless. A "I woke up like this" vibe.

The last look I threw together was a winter casual look. Here I've paired the dress with a white Hollister knit cardigan, patterned tights, lace top polka dot socks from Pimkie, and studded black leather boots. I'm actually wearing this exact look today and I have had quite a few people eyeing my outfit. The dark colour makes it as much of a winter dress as a summer one. Would also work with a "grunge" type look- oversized jacket, Doc Martins, and a beanie. 

Here I tied my hair into a half knot and let the rest down. As it's winter, you cover up a bit more and it's okay if your hair hides a bit of the cut out effect.