As I explained on my existential crisis post here, I was only able to get one picture of my birthday outfit because tragedy struck and my camera died on me. So this “follow-up” post had to happen.
This year I chose something very different to what I have done previously – I love colour with all my heart but for some reason this subtle-ish Boohoo dress that I think I might have got in the post on my actual Birthday was what I decided to go with for a very chilled afternoon tea session.
I’ve gone a lot fancier previously (last year I wore this blue dress, the previous year a pink dress, another pink dress the year before which I’d worn to my friend’s wedding or even this cutsie Primark number in 2013). So why did I keep it so subtle for 2017? Is it the fact that I’m getting older? Is it because I felt like my life was partly crumbling at the time? I don’t really know – but the truth is I love how I can work this dress to anything. Work? Hell yes – I’d even go as far to say that it could work in a semi-corporate environment too. Afternoon tea? Nothing goes with tea as nicely as a floral print. Dinner and drinks? Midi dresses were made for dinner and drinks. Clubbing? OK, that’s where I draw the line. But this dress is pretty versatile, and will get so much more use than all my other fancier dresses (that doesn’t mean I like them any less).
I wore essentially the same ensemble I’d worn for my Birthday a few weeks later for a walk around central London – although I think I had to thrown in my cosy Coster Copenhagen cardigan in for good measure.
Dress, Boohoo (available here and here). Necklace, ASOS. Cardigan, Coster Copenhagen (seen here). Beret, Accessorize. Bag, Zara (available here). Earrings and ring, gifts. Boots, Pull & Bear.
Yes guys, it seems I’m all about clashing red atm.
I feel like I could have cried when I spotted this bag in Zara, as I’ve been wanting a round bag for so long! My dream round bag is a pink Mansur Gavriel one obvs, but unfortunately I don’t have £625 to spare. So this little beauty by Zara should do the trick for a while. I love how it looks like it’s straight out of the fifties, I just can’t resist a good vintage replica.
Of course I would love to find an actual vintage round bag, but I wouldn’t even know where to look and the price tag might be off-putting… in all honesty though, this bag really ticked all the boxes.
Soz about the blurriness, my mum tried her best. But isn’t this necklace dreamy? I saw Kate La Vie wearing it and I was convinced it was a designer piece – I couldn’t believe it was from ASOS. I love how chic and pretty it is, it’s eye-catching but subtle at the same time. I remember loving star and moon symbols as a child and how some early jewellery pieces of mine featured stars and moons, so this piece almost feels a little nostalgic to me.
My mum took these pictures of me on Somerset House’s Terrace just as the sun was going down, hence the slight graininess of the pictures. But for some reason I really like these pictures. I’m happy to once again have catalogued yet another birthday outfit (even though I’m cheating and didn’t take these pics on my actual birthday, IT”S FINE), and will hopefully continue to do so for as long as I can. Because as versatile as this dress is, I’m more than happy for it to be remembered as the dress I wore on my 31st birthday.
Pictures taken on Somerset House Terrace, central London, on November 15th, 2017.
xxx