DUSTED KNUCKLE

This Eshvi ring has been occupying my brainspace lately, as seen in gold on the spring/summer 2014 PPQ runway below.

Will it go to retail? Maybe. Will I be able to afford it? It's highly unlikely.
(Would I end up losing it even if I did buy it? Almost definitely)

Above image from Wolf Whistle's Twitter; the original obsession enabler.

BLING RING

Rarely do I list my rings in my outfit photos; there is usually so much of it an entire post is required. Well, here is that post! Most of it is rather old I'm afraid but some pieces you can still pick up in the store described, or at least very similar pieces, and hopefully I'll give you some new ideas of where to shop for new ring bling. The stories of my finger adornment, listed left to right as seen in the photos:

BCBG Max Azria two-finger ring, snapped up in the Harvey Nichols sale. I've never been able to find this or anything similar online so I suggest hitting up the next in-store HN sale and rummaging through the jewellery. I do it every time now in the hope I'll find another gem!

Dixi little finger knuckle ring (both little fingers), in gold & twisted silver. I'm amazed I've not lost these as they are so tiny, and I've had them around a year now! I must be honest, I had a faulty Dixi product and never had any response from them about a replacement, which is a real shame as I think their jewellery is lovely - the faux opal & large green stone ring are also from there.

The Topshop eye ring was another sale bargain. This is so quirky and I love it so much, plus my index finger is abnormally fat and rings don't normally fit on there, so it's an added bonus that this one does! There's not much on the sale section of their site right now, but if you go in store there's always a reduced Freedom stand or two.

Both of the wishbone rings are from the Bohemian Collective, my absolute favourite jewellery store on the web. I think the thicker one is meant to be a regular ring, but I bought it in a smaller size so it would sit as a midi ring on my middle finger. The rings on the site are listed in ring size though (rather than S/M/L) so you know exactly which size to buy.

We had a big transfer of sale jewellery at work from the flagship store where apparently sale jewellery doesn't sell all that well. It was all really unusual, with hand chains, chunky rings and feathers, and I snaffled a load of it for really cheap (plus 15% student discount). So don't forget to check out your local Oasis's sale jewellery section - you may find a real gem, like my thumb ring!

Finally, the big chevron ring on my middle finger is from Primark. It was years and years ago now but it's stuck with me, and despite turning my finger a mouldy shade of green every time I wear it I still love it.

Hopefully this has given you a few ideas of where to find cool jewellery, but if you're still stuck check out Galibardy, Little Teacup, Delilah Dust, Wonsuponatime.. plus the sale sections of high street retailers, local hippy shops, charity shops and car boot sales. Happy jewel hunting!

TO THE MOON AND STARS

When am I going to learn that the top-of-head ponytail is not going to happen for me? I need someone to sit me down and tell me, "Sarah, stop trying to make the top-of-head ponytail happen. It's not going to happen." Maybe it should be Regina George, where is she these days anyways?

At least I'm wearing my current best dress. Stars and moons from Evil Twin, a sale bargain from Urban Outfitters, though sold out there now sadly. I'm completely obsessing over this & next season Evil Twin - especially as my usual favourite, and ET's sister brand, Minkpink is looking kinda weak for autumn - I'm really excited about denim anoraks, oversized plaid and tinfoil-like fabric. Maybe if you look at the No Guts, No Glory lookbook you'll see where I got the top-of-head bun idea from.. alas, I am not cool, ice blonde Russian-Aussie Anja Konstantinova. Such is life.

I also wore this dress to graduate from my FdSc last week. I obviously took the whole occasion completely seriously (I get another graduation next year for my BSc anyway, winner) especially as inside the scroll it just said "your certificate will be posted to you as soon as possible". I mean.. is that normal? Is that what happens at graduations?! Seriously, I want to know. Glad to see the Manchester Town Hall stayed on theme with the star ceiling mural, though.

I'm wearing:

Evil Twin dress

DIY waistcoat

(patches from this eBay seller)

Office trainers

Delilah Dust, market & Urban Outfitters necklaces

DISTANT TRAVELLER

Just takin' a quick teabreak in the Ette garden. I so love how I wear whatever I want to go work there, and I'm constantly surrounded by quirky, bohemian fashion - whether it's being worn by Lucie and Grace, store stock, or an image I'm updating the Tumblr with. My brain is definitely a style sponge, soaking up whatever it's immersed in, and I find myself reaching for slouchier fits, vintage prints, and cowboy boots right now. And still with the black and white stripes.. they perfectly go/don't go with everything.

I'm finding the "I don't know what to wear" moments are coming less and less at the moment; it makes it easier that whether I want to sit in the studio in a ballgown or a bikini, Ette wouldn't bat an eyelid. I don't even know where my style is right now but I like it.

I'm wearing:

Hacked up Oasis t-shirt

Minkpink Distant Traveller trousers

Topshop moccasins via charity shop

eBay sunglasses

Vintage necklace

Vintage, eBay, Kenneth Jay Lane & Chlobo bracelets

BCBG, Dixi, Topshop & Bohemian Collective rings

THE BOHO CO

Honestly, I am fully aware that my hands are not my best feature. From my outdoorsy childhood, to my freaky genetics making them larger than your average females', it's safe to say I will never be a hand model. I marvel when above-knuckle rings seem to fit on everybody else's index fingers when they turn even the end of my pinky blue.

So why would I be pointing out my biggest flaw to you (because, as we all know, nobody ever notices them until you go on about it)? Simply to show off my new Bohemian Collective ring. I'm fairly certain it was made to be a normal ring but it sits comfortably above the knuckle of my middle finger without cutting any circulation off. There's something quietly, gently aesthetically pleasing about it; which rings true about all of The Bohemian Collective's pieces.

This was exactly what I wanted to find at the Clothes Show. Not the £5 mass-Chinese-produced-dresses stall or the goody-bag-of-make-up-that-we-struggle-normally-to-sell stall. I wanted to find new, inspiring indepedents, hand-made goodies, and stall owners who were enthusiastic about their goods; The Bohemian Collective fit the brief perfectly. The girls on the stand were patient and sweet, despite the swarming crowds, and were happy to show me their one-off pieces.. including a delicate topaz ring that was the first ring ever that stirred feelings within me that it could be the ring for you-know-what. Weird as I never really believed in that before.

The Bohemian Collective's (or rather Faye's, owner, designer and creator) pieces are constantly progressing, thanks to their constant product development and time spent with a silversmith in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. Their one-off pieces are beautiful (see final image from their Facebook) and I can't wait to see what Faye comes up with next.

ELIZA VALE

Eliza Vale is a quirky handmade jewellery brand designed by the Manchester-born, Dublin-based Katie Townend. Named after her great-grandmother, the brand launched in Autumn 2011 and is an eclectic mix of materials and techniques, including Swarovski crystals, silk, leather, cross-stitch and embroidery.

The current Eliza Vale collection is inspired by the 1920s - The Great Gatsby, flappers, and art deco. What I  like best about the collection is that the pieces can be worn by any woman, of any age, and any style. The jewellery fits my modern take on 1970s bohemian, as well as it would work for my mum and her leopard print and jeans groove. It also clearly is fabulous for the customers of Black White Denim, as the independent boutique have recently restocked the jewels due to popular demand. Black White Denim kindly lent me some of the pieces over the weekend, and as I played around with styling I found them to be totally versatile.

What do you do when you've been lent a bunch of precious jewellery.. wear it with your normal clothes? Well, yeah, actually. I'd wear the Roulette set in the daytime with a luxe tee. In fact skinny trousers, t-shirt and jazzy jacket is my go-to got-up-late outfit - the addition of some interesting neck jangle lifts the entire look from snore to ROAR. See, some days I can't even stay awake on my feet (as evidenced below) let alone choose a stylish outfit.

H&M via charity shop leopard coat

Prophecy kimono

Urban Outfitters t-shirt

Oasis pleather trousers

Topshop boots

BCBG Max Azria & Topshop rings

Eliza Vale necklace & cuff

Look closely and you'll see tiny specks of glitter trapped inside the clear acrylic jewels.. you could say the glitter is a metaphor for Daisy Buchanan, trapped in her marriage to Tom, stationary in her melancholy life. OR you could just say it looks real purty. Up to you!

So there you go, a glittery glam necklace casual-fied. But I'm not one to miss an opportunity to dress up, so I donned my very best Lanvin <3 H&M ballgown along with a Wildfox tee - see, they go with everything - to showcase the Tyto neckpiece. I channeled my inner Madonna and did a bit of a dance on my tie-dye bed much to my boyfriend's amusement.. or should that be bemusement? Whatever, I enjoyed myself.

Wildfox tee

Lanvin <3 H&M dress

Pretty Polly tights

River Island hand chain

Eliza Vale necklace (in-store)

The pieces would make a fab Christmas present for any lady in your life, and Eliza Vale is currently exclusive in the UK to Black White Denim. You can check out their selection online or in the Wilmslow store.

I LUV ME DOC MAR-ENS

In case there is any doubt whereabouts in England I am from, skip to 1:15 of this Stylesight video to hear me talk about my Doc Mar-ens and how my jumper is just sooooo Clueless in a thoroughly Northern accent (its broadness surprises even me).

Alternatively, watch the whole thing to see some genuinely interesting people and outfits. I particularly like Jane Rapley: "sometimes I think they try too hard, but then when you're young you have to"...


And the full outfit, as featured on The Style Scout. In retrospect I'm really not keen on the whole look but.. whatever. You live and learn right?

SILVER SUNDAY

  I'm wearing: H&M jumper Forever 21 skirt Office shoes Urban Outfitters necklace H&M shoulder bag Various bracelets & rings
You know, before I started reading fashion blogs there is no way I would have worn silver, let alone mixed it with other metals. I was a gold lady through and through, opting for luxurious-looking jewellery, ensuring all my hardware matched up. Now, from absorbing streetstyle blogs and outfit posts, I realise mixing metals is practised by the most chic of fashionistas and adds an edge to the plainest of outfits.

Today was spent in top-to-toe silver: first up welcoming Chris's parents with a brew on their first visit to our new flat, then knocking around Castlefield with the man himself, going to the Artisan Market (to buy a wooden Buddha windchime - I'm obsessed) and for a few drinks in the area's beer gardens. The ideal way to see out the last rays of summer.


These shoes + this graffiti in Castlefield = a reminder to be happy.

ARM HANGOUT

Left arm: Ibiza market, gifts from mum, H! by Henry Holland watch & Dixi ring Right arm: ChloBo peace bracelet, vintage bangle, gifts from mum, Ibiza market, Kenneth Jay Lane bracelet, Forever 21 spiked, Oasis cats' eye ring & BCBG Max Azria knuckleduster
Day in, day out, you'll usually find the same jangle adorning my arms: the Kenneth Jay Lane enamel bracelet Chris got for my first birthday we were together, a hand-me-down silver bangle I have no recollection of acquiring, and some rather faded and frayed threads from Ibiza. Recently however I've had some very kind donations, namely from my mum and ChloBo, which warrant an update on my wrist situation. It's less of an arm party, more of a hangout.

I fear (for my bank account) that this Ice Pop bracelet may be the first of my ChloBo stack. I had the pleasure of meeting Chloe last week and hearing the story of the brand (pack in the 9 to 5, go for two week Bali holiday, come back months later with a head full of inspiration and the drive to start a jewellery business) which many of us can but dream of. Next I've got my eye on something from the Dreamlands collection - with each piece handmade in Chloe's Chester studio all I am basically doing is pumping money back onto the British economy. It's an utterly selfless act.

PS. Not at all jewellery related but Henning had been on an extended holiday at my parents' due to us moving flat, and finally he is HOME! So happy to see his little teddy bear face again.