Outfit of the Day: Growl Power

Good morning Star Shine!

So Friday is dress-down day at work, so each and every Thursday night I agonize over what might be appropriate and each and every Friday morning I throw on something that most likely isn't. Win some, lose some, eh? Anyway, this Friday just gone I panicked big-time as I'm selling a bunch of clothes very soon on eBay so I had a nightmare trying to find something in my newly-culled chest of drawers. Naturally, I rushed into my sisters room and pulled out the first thing I could find which happened to inspire the whole rest of my outfit... Here it is...

So I grabbed this Topshop fox jumper out of my sister's drawers and decided to go wild, literally. This is a skirt I got from Forever 21 last summer but I actually popped the bottom button off it when I got into the car after this photo was taken :( Maybe my granny can fix it. My gold and brown low-hanging pendant necklace is from Topshop (unsurprisingly) and my tights and boots are both Forever 21. Now, let's tackle the elephant in the room... my leopard-print coat was a bit of a random grab to be fair, I was rushing out of the house and realized how cold it was, so I reached under my bed and pulled this out. I'd forgotten I even had it and since I'm on a 'if-you-don't-wear-your-clothes-you-have-to-sell-them' kick I decided to bite the bullet and throw the H&M furry friend on. I've never looked back...

What do you wear for dress-down day? Would you dare wear leopard print? Is anyone any good at sewing buttons back onto skirts?

Keep an eye out for my upcoming blogsale...

Love and snuggles

GabriellaSofia

x

ps. Apologies for using a Cheetah Girls song title in my post title... if I said I didn't love them, I'd be lying.

Guest Feature: North American Fashion by Rachel and Her Journal...

Now for our fifth guest post since I decided to take my blog break. My close friend Rachel and I met in our first year of university, and she is absolutely fantastic. By being friends with her I was introduced to a bunch of other great people, and even though I HATE nights out, when I'm with her and the others I always have a fab time :) Anyway, she ditched me for the year to study in Canada so I thought I would use her jet-setting in order to get an insight into a noted presumption that North America doesn't 'do' fashion. This has been an opinion that has long been disputed purely because it would appear that in the USA and Canada the ladies tend not to follow trends, or demonstrate a huge amount of personal style, choosing instead to opt for a more classic yet casual look. Of course, that is JUST a stereotype, and you all know how much we hate stereotypes here at HauteFuture. So when I was in the USA last summer, I realized that the timeless look which North American fashion is known for, is a look worth working. Never got round to writing the post myself, so Rach agreed to do it for me! If you'd like to rock a North American-inspired fuss-free yet attractive look, then check this out...

***

After taking the plunge and moving to the city of Vancouver last summer I’ve had plenty of time to become acquainted with the styles and trends of Canada’s west coast. I want to give you a brief insight to Canadian fashion as I have experienced it during the last year.

A common misconception held about Canada is that it doesn’t have its own high street clothing brands. Sure, you don’t walk into Canadian shopping malls to find multi-storey Topshop and River Island giants like you do in the UK, but that doesn’t mean that Canada is lacking in fashionable stores. And it’s not all lumberjack shirts and ice hockey jerseys over here either!

I’ve fallen in love with the Canadian fashion store Aritzia whose SS12 collection of crisp shirts and cropped floral-print blazers has seriously impressed me. Aritzia’s price tags are its only downfall but their high quality clothing is worth the expense and most of my Canadian friends mix and match one of their pieces with other clothes from the equally popular Forever 21.

Vancouver born denim maker Triarchy is another brand I’ve recently discovered and am seriously lusting after. Their SS12 collection of powdery pastel coloured jeans makes a refreshing change from the saturated raspberry red denim of last winter.

  

Canada’s stunning landscape has cultivated a great love of the outdoors and Canadian fashion reflects this. Lululemon and Roots are exceptionally popular stores which both sell stylish athletic apparel and outdoor active wear that Canadian’s wear on a day-to-day basis.

Here's me rocking Canadian fashion... Top: Garage, Shorts: Garage, Parka: Forever 21, Collar: Forever 21, Ring: Forever 21, Belt: H&M and Wellingtons: Hunter

It seems that one of the most important aspects of Canadian fashion is practicality. The winters here are harsh and you literally can’t wear, I quote my Canadian friend here, ‘silly little European shoes’. I noticed this winter most girls wearing a tough pair of knee high boots or a brightly coloured pair of Hunter wellies.

A faux fur coat would be a total disaster here. You’d go out for a day and come home looking like a drowned racoon. Because when it rains in Vancouver, oh my, it RAINS! A wardrobe staple is a cute waterproof in a paintbox bright colour to cheer up the gloomy days. 

The parka jacket is also a big deal in Vancouver at the moment. Girls wear this grunge classic with woolly tights and faded denim to create a perfect 90’s inspired look.

 The trend here is to keep clothing simple, yet chic and stylish at the same time. A well-cut blazer and a pair of skinny jeans is a popular combination and I’ve seen girls dress this look up with a ‘pop’ of colour in a bright shirt or dress this look down with a washed-out graphic tee and a pair of furry moccasins.

Agreeably the day-to-day fashion that I’ve seen on the streets of Vancouver has seemed a little less adventurous than what I’m used to seeing back home. But this is, of course, a sweeping statement and does not refer to everybody. The point that I’m trying to make is that Canadian’s don’t flit from one trend to the next in quite the same rapid succession as seen in the UK. They know the styles that work for them and enjoy turning practical pieces into something fun.

Shopping in Vancouver is excellent. The beautiful, fairy light lit Robson Street is the place to find all the brands you know and Metrotown, Canada’s second largest shopping mall, is only a few Skytrain stops away. From vintage shopping on Main Street to independent upscale boutiques in Yaletown and Gastown, it is safe to say that Vancouver has got your shopping needs covered. With beaches and ski resorts only a stone’s throw from the city centre I fully recommend Vancouver as the ultimate city break destination!

***

Well, I don't know about you guys, but having checked out some of the stores mentioned above online, I'm going shopping in Canada! Haha, I wish, right? Anyway, I've loved reading this post because its really broken a barrier in my opinion. It's not that North American's don't have fashion sense, only that theirs is different than ours, and I think Rach's pictures have proven that there is NOTHING wrong with rocking a different look and sometimes less is more. Reckon I'd feel way more comfortable in a parka and Hunters than in my pencil skirt and six-inch booties... Go check out Rachel's fantastic blog at Rachel and Her Journal. She's only recently started the page up, so please be supportive and hit 'Follow' :)

So what do you reckon, is Canadian style one worth rocking? How would you compare North American style with that of the UK? Can you buy me a parka? Haha, only joking... a bit.

Got another guest post lined up, but still hunting for a couple more posters, so please get in touch if you're interested, boy or girl, blogger or not! Check out my guidelines for guest bloggers here and send me an email, can't wait to hear from you :)

Love

gabriellasofia

x

My TOWIB OOTD Featured on the ASOS Website!

So it looks like all of my agonizing over my outfit for the TOWIB event this weekend paid off as my Outfit of the Day has actually been featured on the ASOS website! They have this section which I'd never seen before called Fashion Finder and a few of the lovely ladies from the team were present at TOWIB. At the end of the event they got a few snaps of me and some of the other lovely ladies I met during the day in a 'Street-Style'-inspired improvised-on-the-spot (by us 'models' I mean as we had no idea we were going to be shot...) photo sesh. The images have since gone onto the ASOS website, complete with a list of similar items to those which I have on in this photograph which can be purchased from ASOS. Fab!

So what did I wear?

1) The Beatles T-shirt from H&M tied at the waist in a center knot - a similar one can be found on the ASOS site.

2) Black pashmina from Mom's Wardrobe :) - ASOS have one similar for a tenner, score!

3) A sheer waterfall-shaped midi-skirt with a small animal print pattern from Topshop - ASOS have one for £22.50

4) A standard pair of black tights - ASOS definitely have a variety of these in different finishes for a range of prices

5) Little black booties with tassles from... Mom's Wardrobe again lol. I love nicking her things, but they were originally from Topshop - Again, just hit up ASOS for a similar pair which will hopefully be more comfy than the ones I wore...

So there you have it. To shop this look on ASOS.com just click here and keep an eye on their Fashion Finder resource because if you're as nosy as I am then you'll love seeing what others are wearing and how to tweak their looks to suit your own style :)

Have you ever been featured in a street-style type piece? What do you reckon to ASOS's Fashion Finder? What do you think of my outfit? I also wore my black cropped leather jacket and my black cape also to keep out the cold... 

Love

gabriellasofia

x

HauteHaul January Part 3 - Boots Drugstore Essentials!

Some of you might find this a really dull video but I'm really nosy and love watching other people's drugstore hauls so I figured I'd film one. I've given you some tips here on where the bargains are at the moment too, so keep an eye out for 2 for 1 offers and Boots Advantage Card coupons also. They save me a bundle!

Don't forget to check out Part 1 which includes Topshop sale goodies:

http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/2012/01/hautehaul-january-part-1-topshop-sales.html

And also my H&M, Lush and Dior bits in Part 2:

http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/2012/01/hautehaul-january-part-2-h-lush-and.html

Please check out my other sites and let me know what you think in the comments box below:

Please follow me on Twitter at:

http://twitter.com/hautefuture

Click 'Follow' on my blog which has tons of reviews, beauty-fashion-lifestyle features and more:

http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/

Subscribe to my Youtube channel where I post hauls, tutorials, outfits of the day and WAY more:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HauteFuture?feature=watch

Also check out my facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/HauteFuture/149057205180776

Finally, here is the link for the Joe Gilligan Trust:

http://www.joegilligantrust.com/

Please rate, like, follow, comment and subscribe and I promise there will be loads of beauty, fashion, lifestyle, culture and gossip material going up on here each week :)

Thanks for watching, guys and I'll see you soon!

Love

gabriellasofia x

HauteHaul January Part 2 - H&M, Lush and Dior!

Part 2 of my January spending-spree! These bits are all from H&M, Lush and Dior. There are some freebies too so I hope you like them, and don't forget, if you don't ask you don't get, so next time you buy something in Lush or from a department store make-up counter make sure you ask if there's anything else you could try... you might even walk away with more freebies than paid-for items, like I did in Lush. The lady was so lovely!

Don't forget to check out Part 1 which includes Topshop sale goodies:

http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/2012/01/hautehaul-january-part-1-topshop-sales.html

And also my Boots drugstore essentials haul in Part 3:
http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/2012/01/hautehaul-january-part-3-boots.html

Please check out my other sites and let me know what you think in the comments box below:

Please follow me on Twitter at:

http://twitter.com/hautefuture

Click 'Follow' on my blog which has tons of reviews, beauty-fashion-lifestyle features and more:

http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/

Subscribe to my Youtube channel where I post hauls, tutorials, outfits of the day and WAY more:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HauteFuture?feature=watch

Also check out my facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/HauteFuture/149057205180776

Finally, here is the link for the Joe Gilligan Trust:

http://www.joegilligantrust.com/

Please rate, like, follow, comment and subscribe and I promise there will be loads of beauty, fashion, lifestyle, culture and gossip material going up on here each week :)

Thanks for watching, guys and I'll see you soon!

Love

gabriellasofia x

HauteHaul January Part 1 - Topshop Sales!

It's sickening how much money I've spent this January... In my defense January is my most hated month and I have this uncontrollable compulsion to buy pretty things... It's a condition. A terrible, terrible condition. The symptoms involve memory lapses and the appearance of new things in shiny bags being scattered around my bedroom. It could be worse :)

Don't forget to check out Part 2 which includes H&M, Lush and Dior goodies:

http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/2012/01/hautehaul-january-part-2-h-lush-and.html

And also my Boots drugstore essentials haul in Part 3:

http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/2012/01/hautehaul-january-part-3-boots.html

Please check out my other sites and let me know what you think in the comments box below:

Please follow me on Twitter at:

http://twitter.com/hautefuture

Click 'Follow' on my blog which has tons of reviews, beauty-fashion-lifestyle features and more:

http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/

Subscribe to my Youtube channel where I post hauls, tutorials, outfits of the day and WAY more:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HauteFuture?feature=watch

Also check out my facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/HauteFuture/149057205180776

Finally, here is the link for the Joe Gilligan Trust:

http://www.joegilligantrust.com/

Please rate, like, follow, comment and subscribe and I promise there will be loads of beauty, fashion, lifestyle, culture and gossip material going up on here each week :)

Thanks for watching, guys and I'll see you soon!

Love

gabriellasofia x

Outfit of the Night 14th January 2012 Charity Gig - Topshop, H&M, New Look, Lumiere...

Wow, the third OOTD/N video I've posted in like, three days... Impressive huh? Haha, I'm just so obsessed with my clothes at the moment, I can't help it! Keep an eye out for my haul video coming soon, a tutorial for the eye look I've created here and also my giveaway prize post!

What would you wear to a gig? I've never worn pink eyeshadow before... what do you think? Also, do you think I'm an idiot for wearing band T-shirt to a gig where that band weren't playing? Some people get really tetchy about that!

In order to be aware when I post new things, you really must follow, subscribe and like my pages! Here are all of the links...

 Please follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/hautefuture

Click 'Follow' on my blog which has tons of reviews, beauty-fashion-lifestyle features and more:
http://hautefuture.blogspot.com/

Subscribe to my Youtube channel where I post hauls, tutorials, outfits of the day and WAY more:
http://www.youtube.com/user/HauteFuture?feature=watch

Also check out my facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/HauteFuture/149057205180776

Finally, here is the link for the Joe Gilligan Trust:
http://www.joegilligantrust.com/

Please rate, like, follow, comment and subscribe and I promise there will be loads of beauty, fashion, lifestyle, culture and gossip material going up on here each week :)

Thanks for watching, guys and I'll see you soon!

Love
gabriellasofia x

How You Can Get Your S/S Wardrobe Out of the January Sales!

Firstly, I must wish you a very Merry Christmas! I was going to post a quick video yesterday, but since I've been dying of the common cold for the past few days, I decided against it. Plus, there were way to many presents to be opened, parsnips to eat and movies to watch, so I'll admit in my 'One-Cold-Curing-Hot-Toddy-Too-Many' state, I put my health first and my blog second... I apologize.

Anyways, moving on.

With first day of the 'January' sales being nearly over, I figured now was as good a time as any to share with you my top three trends for Spring/Summer 2012 in the hope that you'll be able to find some suitable items at a lower price. I could have posted this sooner, but frankly, the first day of the sales is utter carnage, and I couldn't possibly make myself responsible for sending my readers into that...

So, what qualifies me to share with you the trends? Well, nothing officially. But I was lucky enough to be invited to a bloggers event hosted by the mighty Selfridges in the first half of December where all of the latest collections were unveiled so I definitely picked up a tip or two whilst I was there!

Without much further ado, let's get started...

UNDERWATER TREND

  

CHANEL S/S 2012

  

SARAH BURTON for ALEXANDER MCQUEEN S/S 2012

   

VERSACE S/S 2012

First up is the Underwater trend, spotted at the runways of Chanel, Versace and Sarah Burton for McQueen. This generally means that we'll be sporting lots of blues, corals, greens and frothy white colors in quite floaty fabrics reminiscent of the movement a piece of thin material might make in the water. For those of us feeling a little more bold with the look, we can expect to tamper with mermaid skirts, 'weed-shaped' strips of hanging material and bikini-style tops. So how (and where) can we find items suitable for this look on the sales?

 MISS SELFRIDGE: £17 from £35

 NEW LOOK: £22 from £34.99

 DOROTHY PERKINS: £15 from £32

 H&M: £999 from £29.99

 URBAN OUTFITTERS: £40 from £60

  TOPSHOP: £8 from £18

GLOBE TROTTER

BLESSUS by GARETH A HOPKINS S/S 2012

 

BURBERRY PRORSUM S/S 2012

DONNA KARAN S/S 2012

As seen at the likes of Blessus by Gareth A Hopkins, Burberry Prorsum and Donna Karan. This means everything from Hindu, sari-inspired draping, Oriental flower prints and kimono shapes, distressed denim (like you've just got back from your Gap Yah), African-inspired tribal bangles stacked one on top of the other, and the return of the Navajo print that we all know and love from this A/W 2011, but this time we will see it on pleated and structures mini-skirts rather than over-sized ponchos. Here are some ways you can rock these looks on a budget...

  LEVIS: £68 from £85

 DOROTHY PERKINS: £36 from £45

 H&M: £9.99 from £29.99

 RIVER ISLAND: £25 from £50

 ZARA: ££29.99 from £39.99

 ASOS: £12 from £25

FILM BLANCHE

  

JOHN ROCHA S/S 2012

  

J.JS LEE S/S 2012

  

ACNE S/S 2012

John Rocha, J. JS Lee and ACNE all seem to have leapt on the 50's inspired muted palette bandwagon for this coming Spring Summer. Keeping things fresh and cool with pieces as white-as-white-can-be, occasional pastels pared right down and crisp materials in stiffer shapes, this is a look which virtually anyone can wear! It's also not to hard to find pieces suitable in the current sales either, so what are you waiting for? 

 LIPSY:  £37.50 from £75

 MISS SELFRIDGE: £12 from £22

 TOPSHOP: £50 from £100

 TOPSHOP: £12 from £26

 MISS SELFRIDGE: £25 from £49

 NEW LOOK: £10 from £19.99

So there you have it! Now you're armed with the knowledge of some of the major trends to look out for, you are ready to launch yourself into the madness of the sales... if you dare :) I'm definitely going to be purchasing some of the pieces I've mentioned in this post. Other things I'll be looking out for are mini-rucksacks, feather hair extensions and mink-coloured nail varnish as I think it would look great with the Film Blanche look!

Anyways, thanks for reading, and that you to Selfridges for letting me in on all the new collections... more on this to be posted at a later date including a goodie bag haul and event review also.

What are you looking out for in the sales? Do you know of any epic fashion bargains at the moment? What are your favourite trends for Spring/Summer 2012?

Until next time

Love

gabriellasofia 

x