In Scotland, you never really come to terms with having no summer. It’s one of our seasons, we are supposed to have a summer, so where on earth is it?! We flock in our thousands to Spain, Greece, Turkey, Thailand, Australia… (read: anywhere without torrential rain) every year, just to get a dose of sunshine and return home smug, showing off how much browner we are than when we left. And when we are lucky enough to experience the rarest (but most beautiful) sunshine, you will see everyone and their grandma marching out in shorts and sandals, exclaiming that this is the first time they’ve had the chance to wear anything less than a duffle coat this year. If you’re Scottish, I’m sure you’ll know what I’m talking about…
Can you spot the Burj in the background?
Here in Dubai, this is clearly not an issue. In fact, the endless supply of sunshine was one of the factors which convinced me to move. I love the fact that every day starts with a positive, bright, and er, sunny, vibe. It’s that air of holidays, freedom and no-work (even though you’re not on holiday and you’ve got to be at work by 8) that sunshine inspires in me. I love it. I love summer. And that’s one of the reasons I love Dubai. It also means that every day I can ask myself, “pool today Nadia?” Today I said, “yes”. And so I thought I’d reveal what’s in my pool bag today :)
To describe London's style is as if to ask Kim Kardashian to stop taking pictures of herself and posting them all over the internet. That is to say, it's entirely impossible.
There are a truck-load of perfectly-fitting adjectives that spring to mind and with London being home to so many nationalities, backgrounds and cultural sects, you really do have a whole world of fashion contained within one citysphere.
London's answer to Burj Khalifa...?
The capital city lives, breathes, perspires style. The 'London Look' (as coined by Rimmel/Kate Moss) is unique. Daring. Chic. Futuristic. Eclectic. Punk. Classy. Multicultural. Traditional. Evolving. Retrospective. Exciting. Involved. So many contradicting terms, so many individual takes on the meaning of what it is to be fashionable.
That is why this post is likely to be the first of many World Catwalk features from London... Every time I visit (on average, once a month), I always see so many well-dressed candidates for the World Catwalk crown so you can expect more of the below. Hope you enjoy!
Gushing complete... The real reason I came to London was in fact to lunch with my dear friend Helly (who also happens to feature below, she is one of THE most stylish people I know), and I had no intention of (read: no time for) doing shots for my regular 'World Catwalk' post. However, upon getting lost somewhere between London Bridge Station and Bermondsey Street, these street style darlings crossed my radar...
Sairah's outfit was the first thing I saw upon stepping onto the train platform. The floral scarf caught my eye with its playful fringing and summery splashes of coral and turquoise. With a (clearly very on trend) denim jacket and flowing maxi dress, this is an example of modest hijab worn with both pride and panache. Sairah, your style is simply gorgeous!
Gorgeous colours, and amazing skin - great combination!
I never like to start anything with an apology, but... Sorry this is a day late. I've been busy studying and training for a new chapter in my lovely airhead, sorry, of course I mean, airhostess career... Business class awaits! Currently my brain is close to melting point, so full of posh cheeses, wines and cocktails I feel like my grey matter is equivalent to a rather tipsy afternoon tea. And my poor hands are tired from taking notes on chauffeur driven transfers, fabulous seats and possibly the most amazing lounge service I can imagine. If only it was all for me... Oh well. One can dream! And what better way to start today's post than with a dream. For me, it's a little dream of luxury, and the finer things (read: better salary!). Even though sometimes, the roughest diamonds are the most beautiful and true happiness can stem from the most unexpected sources. Amen.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get shallow! The above really has not much to do with the following outfits. In saying that, these street style posts are providing me some happiness from some unexpected sources so I guess there's the tenuous link...
Before I do any more fashion rambling, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to my lovely little group of followers. As a blogger who is new to the scene, it's so nice to see genuine interest from other talented bloggers from all over the globe, and I didn't realise my writing could lead to an exciting network of hopefully will-be friends. You guys are the best - thanks!
And now, to the rambling. This is the last post in my trilogy of World Catwalk: Destination Sydney street styles. I hope you have enjoyed the previous entries and if you're intrigued or missed out, you can click on the 'World Catwalk' tab at the top of this page, or simply click HERE for Part 1 or HERE for Part 2.
Today starts with Amel, originally French-Algerian, who is sporting one of my favourite looks of the year. The colour blocked blazer. These things aren't called blazers for nothing - I like the fact the word 'blaze' is in there because that's exactly what this hot peppery pink does. It shines! And makes an otherwise understated outfit something modern and exciting. I also love Amel's luxurious jewellery statements which are not too bling for a daytime get-up, but shiny enough to show a bit of it-girl cool. Trés jolie, ma cherie!
What a blazer... what a backdrop! I love Sydney's amazing architecture... and the handbag too!
As I mentioned HERE my day of street style hunting was a lot more fun than I thought it might be despite the rain, and I discovered so many stylish girls, hence why this is the first World Catwalk post I've split up to allow full street style digestion. Oh yes.
To continue with showcasing some of said looks, here are the lovely ladies who allowed me to snap them for The Trolley Dolly, this lovely little creative space blog of mine...
On the lower ground floor of Westfield shopping centre, there lies a scattering of painfully cool vintage stalls, boutiques and find-weird-stuff-here businesses that sell one-off wardrobe updates, interesting interiors and generally too much stuff for me to ship home in my suitcase. Booo. However, it's not all bad... the place was so full of stylish people I genuinely didn't have time to snap them all! Two of these stylish people were Michelle and Julie. I chose to feature Michelle (LEFT) and Julie (RIGHT) because this pair of shopping friends looked so relaxed and comfortable in their outfits that it added an extra element to the look. Blazer, platforms, velvet, studs, socks-with-shoes, knits... these girls cleared out the fashion cupboard with their list of trends and then they go and act all surprised when I stop to tell them how great they look! Modesty, too?! That's not very Anna Wintour now is it? It really was a pleasure chatting to these lovely girls! Michelle's blazer is so stylish the way the colour is slightly masculine with the shorts. I also love the combination of grey socks and purple shoes. Genius! Julie's eye-catching blue velvet skirt reminded me of the Olsens and their/my love for nods to distant decades. I on the other hand, am not quite smart enough to imagine it with a striped knit (original thinking points go to Julie).
Style with a smile... Michelle (left) and Julie (right) look great!
So this is the weather I was expecting... (which came a day later!)
And this was the day World Catwalk happened - umbrellas at the ready!
I had almost given up on the idea of walking around Sydney, camera tucked away in my little baggie, and umbrella clutched close. I really was another raindrop-in-my-eye away from turning around and just marching right back down Pitt Street. Back to the cosy Marriott bed with all its varieties of pillow, fluffy duvet appeal and hot tea (with lots of sugar please).
After a 9 hour overnight flight from Bangkok, I really had to use all the power of my tired little mind to force myself onto the high street on the hunt for stylish Sydneyettes.
I performed my old trick of assuming things about a city. Assuming that, as it is a rainy day, no-one will have bothered their behinds to dress stylishly or perhaps even have bothered to venture out at all… I personally can think of many more exciting things to do than slosh my way round sodden streets on a Sunday morning… Really must stop thinking about those Marriott pillows – this is not healthy!
And once again, my assumptions were proved wrong by hoards of shoppers all piling in and out of the collection of shopping centres and department stores that busy one end of Pitt Street in central Sydney. These little retreats from the rain provided the perfect backdrop for my World Catwalk activity. And I’ve never had such an easy day of it!
Could I stick my neck out and say that Sydney is home to some of the world’s best street style? Well, according to The Trolley Dolly that is… and I’ve not yet set Mr Nikon (yes, I have named my camera) free in London, Paris or New York. But really, this was an individualist fashion-fest with some of the coolest girls I’ve seen.
You know, I didn’t get the feeling that these girls were wearing their clothes by way of grabbing attention/scoring points. The general vibe was more, “hey, I pulled this cool skirt out of my closet this morning, and I teamed it with the next thing that I happened to lay my hands on.”
Relaxed, cool, upbeat and friendly – Sydney girls.
Unleashing my inner geek, I took some notes whilst taking my snaps. Just a jumbled scribble of popular themes, micro-trends if you will, that popped up most commonly. So here’s my example of perfect handwriting. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I was tired... is that a good enough excuse for 'INDIVIDUAL' and 'INDIVIDUALIST'?
And so to the part I always take longest to get to (sorry folks) – the stylish people!
I’ve actually decided to split this story over a couple of blog posts as there are quite a few to show you all!
Today sees the last of my seven looks created with just one top! I hope you've enjoyed this mini-series... sometimes it's fun to see what you can create from your own wardrobe, knowing there's no post-retail guilt trip to come. It's all very well throwing money around with designers and buying up every new collection from Zara and H&M but it's nice to know how to 'recycle' a piece without looking like you only need one coathanger for your entire closet.
And finally, here are looks 6 and 7 - let me know if you like them! :)
LOOK 6
Goodie two-shoes
Cardi, Primark | Jeans, Salsa Jewellery, Barcelona street stall / talented Spanish man :)
[Wear it for... a family do | lunch with the 'rents | shisha date] [Style it: neckline under your arms creating the illusion of a strapless top - and then you can decide whether you'd like to tie the sleeves in a bow in the middle of your back, or tuck them inside the neckline. If you're not wearing a cardi, I think the bow would look better. Just a thought.]
LOOK 7
Slimline
I personally love this look with black jeans, as I think it would look too complicated with another colour - but leather-effect leggings (and very big hair) could also look very rock n roll :)
I like the look of these skinny jeans tucked into the shoes. It's a little bit edgier and shows off the bright orange suede.
[Wear it for... a date | work (with a coloured blazer) | dinner somewhere posh (how about a sequinned blazer this time?)]
[Style it: one arm in, one arm out. The unused sleeve is then brought around your back and under your bust to create a sort of belt and the end is neatly tucked away under the exposed arm.]
And that's that - 1 top, 7 ways! Let me know which little ensemble you liked best - I'm tied between Look 3 and Look 7... what do you think?
Welcome to the second part of my little one-top-trilogy, using just one ingeniously versatile black top from Salsa Jeans and a limited wardrobe selection... click here to view Part 1 if you want all the details! I hope you like my ideas, pretty much slapdashedly put-together one sunny afternoon when I was feeling a wee bit creative... I think my personal favourite is LOOK 3 - which one do you like best?
LOOK 3
Attention to detail
Top, Salsa Jeans | Jeans, Salsa Jeans | Shoes, Zara
I'm having a moment with these a.ma.zing Zara shoes - bought in Madrid for 29 euros, I love shopping Mango and Zara in Spain!
[Wear it for... a first date | rooftop cocktails | posh bbq] [Style it: Simply place the elasticated neckline under your arms to start with, and then drape the sleeves from the either side at the front to the back of your neck, where you can secure them with a pin, or with a simple knot. I kept accessories to a minimum, and just brought out my big earrings (always a winner).]
I discovered Salsa Jeans in Dubai. The Portuguese brand is one I'd never heard of whilst living in Scotland and although we have the likes of Bershka, Mango and other delightful European imports, I must have somehow missed the Salsa boat. It's possibly a stroke of luck that I was oblivious for so long, from the point of view of my poor, abused credit card... but I am now officially a BIG fan.
This however, is not a post on how much I adore their famous insta-figurefixing jeans (that's to come later). It is instead the first of three posts about one very versatile top from Salsa which slunk off the hanger and into my wardrobe after I discovered how inspired its design is.
The top has been made to produce 5 different looks (according to the tag), and I have put together the following 7 looks... using different styling so that each one is different to the other. One top providing an outfit for each day of the week - can't be bad! I've also limited myself to only a few accessories, one jacket and two pairs of shoes, plus basic bottoms (blue/black jeans & leggings), to show how simply changing the top can totally change the outfit!
Enlisting the help of Mum (clearly a natural with the camera!), we shot this in Scotland and I do hope you like my little floral backgrounds in line with the latest trend floating around this season...
These outfits are entirely my own style so I apologise in advance for the great expanse of black that you'll see . I do love black... But I thought a wee splish-splash of orange shoes and blue denim would be enough to brighten it all up!
If you're interested in trying this idea, you might not find the top as I bought it a couple of months ago, however, any loose-fit, stretch top with a wide neck will work. Enjoy - here's PART 1!
LOOK 1
Dolly in black
I road-tested this outfit coming from Dubai to Glasgow - full flight, sitting next to fidgeting mother with 6 month-er, and it passed the comfort test with flying colours... And this bag was a lovely £12 from Primark. Yes. That is my smug, just-got-a-bargain face... How did you guess?
Leggings, Topshop | Boots, (very last last laaaast season) Zara | Jacket, Zara
[Wear it: work | casual business lunch | air travel] [Style it: this look uses the top, as is, with both sleeves, and the elasticated lower part extended over the leggings slightly. No-one wants to see anyone else's butt in leggings, sorry!]
LOOK 2
City safari
Jeans, Salsa | Earrings, Aldo | Scarf, Mum's
Note - for all those with no waist (like moi), invent one with this double trick... Tie a skinny scarf at the narrowest point of the jacket (where it nips in at the waist), not the narrowest point of your torso.
I love leopard and peacock together - it's my safari in the city :)
[Wear it: lunch with the girls | date night | coffee with a client] [Style it: for this, i pushed the sleeves inside the elasticated neckline and then pulled the neckline up under my arms so it holds the top as a strapless number.
I added a scarf to break up all that black but if you're short, this won't work so well with flat boots, so I'd suggest (nude) heels instead.]
Hope you've enjoyed the picture-fest that is Part 1, more to come tomorrow!
Let me know what you think of these different looks :)
By way of an introduction to a new regular feature, 'The Playlist', where I show you what’s playing on my iPod every now and then, I thought I would combine a personal post with this new one :)
Life as an air hostess comes with many ups - amazing travel, disposable income, permanent sunshine (thank you Dubai) and a whole host (sorry) of other perks... However, inevitably, that glamorous life also comes with its downs. One of which being that I can't pop over to Mum's place whenever I feel like it for a cup of tea and a slice of carrot, walnut and banana loaf (the latest in our long line of cake favourites).
This 'playlist' reminds me of Mum, brings back great memories and somehow gives me goosebumps - it's funny how music really can transport you back to an exact spot on an exact day. I don't know if any of these songs mean anything to you, but each song has captured an image or association with my mum, hence why it's being featured here, with love.
Spandau Ballet, True
Al Green, anything – but especially Let’s Stay Together and Tired Of Being Alone
Blondie, Atomic
Fleetwood Mac, Everywhere and Dreams
Michael Jackson, Remember The Time
Queen, Who Wants To Live Forever
Police, So Lonely
Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
The Beach Boys, God Only Knows
Rihanna, Only Girl (In The World)
Charlie Rich, Most Beautiful Girl
Stevie Wonder, Superstition
Oh what the heck, let me turn this post into an ‘Ode to Mothers’. I know Mothers Day was a few months ago (in the UK) and only a few weeks ago in the States, but she is my real-life heroine, and a daily (not once-yearly) inspiration to do good.
Inspired by a lovely post not so long ago on The Decorista (see her post HERE) I have unearthed a few beautiful ‘throwback’ photographs of my gorgeous mum (and some pics of her gorgeous mum…) and I’d like to share them with you, my gorgeous readers...
Mum at 14, wearing Mary Quant and her very of-the-time Dr Scholes sandals… I wasn’t nearly that stylish at 24, never mind 14!
In the ‘60s of course, wearing her favourite velvet mini skirt – looking very model-y and channelling Austin Powers. Yeah baby yeah… :)
Grandma with Mum on the beach in Broughty Ferry (Scotland) I love the composition of this photo and the way it’s so natural, even though it’s posed. Circa 1959
This picture is one of my favourites. It has retro written all over it. From the gorgeous pearls on my gran and the swish side-parting on my grandpa, to the cute crockery (extra points for the milk jug, Granny)… I just love it.
I love looking through old photos, and listening to old albums…
Who are your favourite old-school bands/singers? And do you have any old (or new) photos of your mum that you’d like to share? Send me a link to your blog or Instagram, I’d love to see!
