Side Street Style: March 2012

Sphere of Life Review

31/03/2012

So the lovely people at Sphere of Life asked me to review one of their jewellery pieces and I was really excited about this as I had been looking for a Birthstone necklace for a while so when I came across their creative take on the birthstones I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. As with every review I always endeavour to be as honest as possible.

My birth month is September and my birthstone is a Blue Agate and this stone is meant to help with mental stability and bring peace of mind and bring calm on even the most chaotic days - which when you have a toddler running around can be quite often.

As with anything first impression count and the first thing you notice about the Sphere of Life collection is the packaging, it comes in a really nice little bag and branded box that houses the silver sphere that reminds me of the DKNY Delicious perfume bottle. The sphere has a deep red lining which feels very luxurious and sitting nice and sung in the sphere is the draw string bag that holds the actual necklace. It's a bit like russian dolls and would make a very impressive gift as they come with a name card with space to write a personal message.

All Sphere of life necklaces and charms are made out of sterling silver and are very light and delicate and feel precious. I really love the design of mine, it's very unique and I haven't seen many like it before. It's not over the top in anyway and would go with a lot of my outfits.

So why not check out the rest of the collection, best of all it's Free delivery on all purchases and I have an exclusive voucher code for £10 off any £20 spend - just type in
SIDEST12

28/03/2012

No comments

It's always great to see the delight on Johns face when the large padded envelope gets pushed through the post box and contains one of his favourite reads - The Pica Post - Oi Polloi's own in-house magazine, full of on-trend men's clothing and arty sartorialist features. It relighted my desire to get more outfit posts of John, as his wardrobe is far bigger than mine. Here is a recent casual spring outfit, wearing some of his favourite Scandinavian labels - Nudie jeans and Norse Projects.

John Wears - Ray bans, Norse Projects long sleeve tee, Nudie jeans, Sugerga shoes

Superga court shoes and Ralph Lauren socks

Nudie jeans

Pica post

23/03/2012

3 comments

So for a while Carhartt seemed to be a bit off the mark but both John and I where very pleasantly surprised when we stumbled onto there spring/summer collection 2012. They seem to have come back to form, with some real MOD inspired designs. For a brand that has so much history it's great to see them back to what they do best, durable, well styled street style clothes. Here is our favourite picks from their Mens and Women's collection.

22/03/2012

1 comment

So I can't wait for the Live Blogging event this friday at Bristol Fashion Week! There is going to be so much to see and do including the catwalk show presented by fashion stylist Mark Heyes and celebrity hairstylist Andrew Barton, which will be showing all the essentials for the season ahead and with so many brands and designers being apart of BFW including Coast, Dune, French Connection, Cecil Gee, Jigsaw, Monsoon, John Lewis and Radley to name a few it's surely going to be a great event. Also I love Bristol, the street style in the city is always amazing and I am constantly inspired when I am there. Besides the catwalk show there is also the pamper zone (which I will be visiting for sure!), a relaxing place were you can have mini manicures, make-overs and indian head massages. You can follow all the action from the live blog event by going to Mall Cribbs and signing up for a reminder or I will be tweeting all day @laurasidestreet

21/03/2012

8 comments

Costume jewellery is a great, and often inexpensive, way to accent any outfit. You can find it at carboot sales and in thrift stores, and there is always a wide selection making it easy to find a unique piece to fit your style. For those looking for new pieces to add to their own jewellery collections, there are a few costume jewellery pieces that every girl should own:

Bangles
Costume jewellery bangles that are in non-traditional geometric shapes have become incredibly popular over the last few months. Many of these are square or hexogon in shape, and come in bright colors or patterns with chevron being a season favorite. If you are looking for some great arm wear, be sure to check out your local thrift store or consignment shop as they always seem to have a great selection of costume bangles at the counter.

Rings
The big bold sizes and colors of costume jewellery rings is almost unmistakeable, and they add a quick flare to nearly any outfit. Because they have grown in popularity, you can easily find new costume jewelry rings in several inexpensive. One of the newest trends in wedding bands is costume jewellery. Looking to avoid conflict diamonds, many brides-to-be are requesting vintage costume jewellery engagement rings instead. This is a really great trend, because it almost always ensures that your ring will be unique.

Necklaces
If there is any type of necklace that is sure to steal the show, it is a costume jewellery one. These necklaces are generally bold, chunky, and large, and can help you turn a regular drab outfit into something dressy and spectacular. Because of their popularity, like costume jewellery rings, they can easily be found in new and vintage retailers and can be purchased at fairly reasonable prices.
However, if you truly want a unique piece, again, check out your local thrift and vintage stores. You will be more likely to find one that is like no other, and will find it for a rather cheap price.
For jewellery that can really show off your own style and personality, there really is no better choice than costume jewellery. Made of inexpensive materials, these pieces can be just as beautiful as those made with precious jewels and fine metals, but can be purchased for a fraction of the cost.

20/03/2012

2 comments

I love to mix up new and old together and I never get bored of a boyfriend blazer. So here is my vintage and highstreet crossover outfit post, inspired by the catwalk for cause show I attended a few weeks ago. I am also really getting into ethical fashion and Bags of change are a great option for well made and durable totes from organic cotton, I picked mine up from a fayre at the Norwegian Church/Museum in Cardiff about 2years ago and use it all the time.

Wearing a Vintage Braemar velvet jacket, M&S white tee, Next skinny jeans, H&M wedges, Bags of Change tote, House of Fraser necklace.

17/03/2012

19 comments

We love getting out in the fresh air, especially with Arthur, he loves trees and woodland and pebble collecting and it's really good for the soul. Spring and Summer are my favourite months, I love the beach, roadtrips, bbq's and lots of laughs, I mean I am from South Africa so it's in my blood to be out in the sun. So recently we have had some sunny days here in Wales and thought we would go to St Fagans outside museum for a springtime adventure. Arthur loved it and totally walked himself out. It was also the perfect weather to wear my new Pure Collection cashmere capelet, as it was warm but not warm enough just for long-sleeve shirt, kept me nice and snug, John also finally wore the St James Jumper I bought for him last christmas from Oi Polloi We also had a lovely cream tea...yum yum

I'm wearing - Pure Collection Cashmere Capelet, Zara longsleeve, Next black jeans, Asos Penny loafers Shoes, Vintage sunglasses

John wears - St James jumper, Albam jeans, Vera hiking shoes, Asos Backpack, Ray bans

I love taking photos in the spring light

15/03/2012

1 comment

So I haven't been into River Island for a very longtime, for some reason when I do shop on the high street I find myself in Topshop, Urban Outfitters or H&M and seem to overlook River Island, not for any reason in particular but the shop window on Queen Street really caught my eye and had to have a quick look inside, although due to time constraints I finished the rest of my browsing online at home and I have to say I am very pleasantly suprised with their current collection, it's full of fun prints, aztec designs, music inspirations (very Lana Del Ray) and the new pastel trends, they also have a well tailored men's collection...here are some of my favourite picks....