Penguin Party - Jersey Swing Dress from Simply Be

In my previous post, I was talking about how I have two sartorial settings when it comes to Christmas - festive subtlety and all Christmas everything! This is definitely a look where it's all about the silly and frivolous, as well as being an ode of love to my favourite Christmas critter, the penguin!

It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like... Partywear from F&F

Now that it's November, I think we're finally allowed to talk about Christmas. I've had look books piling up in my email for weeks, filled to bursting with sparkly party wear ready for festive fun. But like my Netflix watch list which is currently filled with Christmas movies, I've made myself wait so as to not experience Christmas fatigue. But now that the party countdown is officially on, I'm so excited to share them with you, with the first set being from one of my favourite high street retailers, F&F.

The look book itself is filled with a dreamy elegance. It has has a touch of 20s decadence with 70s detailing, mixing  sequins, faux fur and indulgent fabrics. The colour palette is made up rich golds, striking whites and midnight blacks, designed to work as strong individual pieces, but also easily mix with existing items. 

High Neck Wrap Dress (£28) - available here.

High Neck Lace Blouse (£18) - available here. Faux Leather Pencil Skirt (£16) - available here.

Pussybow Velvet Jumpsuit (£30) - available here. 

Lace Dress (£40) and Shaggy Faux Fur Jacket (£39) - not yet available.

Sequin Embellished Double Layer Dress (£30) - available here.

Sequin Embellished Double Layer Dress (£30) - available here.

Metallic Foil V-Back Dress (£28) - available here.

The whole collection is stunning, but it was the gold foil and art deco patterns which really spoke to me. I love how pretty the sequin pattern is on the double layered dress, and the shimmer on the foil is festive perfection.

I'd challenge you to wear either and not feel stunning, like a proper Christmas cracker!

In addition to the clothing, F&F have also launched a wonderful set of accessories. The Velvet Box Clutch Bag (£18) is perfect for any special occasion, as is the sparkling Glitter Clutch Bag (£12). However I almost wept with joy at the sheer cuteness of the Cassette Clutch Bag (£12) and the Penguin Cross Body Bag (£12). As someone who loves DJing and is obsessed with penguins, I need both of these in my life immediately!

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) F&F.)

There Ain't No Party Like A Penguin Party - ASOS CURVE T-Shirt in Christmas Penguin Print.

It's no secret that I love penguins, so was understandably over the moon when I opened up my Christmas gift from A Monkey Fatshionista. She had brought me the most amazing "Christmas" t-shirt covered in a lovely penguin print - one which is going to be worn all year round! Of course, this had to be my first proper OOTD on the blog!

The monochrome palette of the design lent itself perfectly to breaking up a block of black. With that in mind, I teamed it with a skater skirt and long cardigan for something which felt cosy and casual, but still in keeping with my usual style.

T-Shirt: ASOS Curve T-Shirt in Christmas Penguin Print. (Available here.)

Skirt: ASOS Curve Skater Skirt.

Tights: M&S.

Boots: Daxon.

Cardigan: Primark.

Bracelets: Vintage.

Flowers: Pearls & Swine.

Tattoo Penguin Necklace: Baku Forest Studios. 

Penguin Ring: Whimsy Milieu.

Teardrop Moon Stone Ring: Vintage.

I hadn't actually intended to layer the outfit with multiple penguins - it wasn't until I started to take the photos and shoot the details that I realised just how far my obsession has gone!

This is definitely going to be my go-to outfit for casual days, especially with the pockets in the skirt. Over the Christmas break, my fashion stance has mostly been pyjamas based, and this is the perfect step to getting me back into real clothes!

Until next time,

Diana xx

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www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.) 

It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas

I can't quite believe that the Christmas countdown has started - I am so excited! As Lord Dicely and I are heading off out of London a little early this year, my evenings this week has mostly been set aside to catch up with some of my favourite people. And of course - I've used every second of it to dress as close to human Christmas tree as possible!

I came across this horrific Christmas tree decoration, and instantly wanted to make into a hair clip for the festive season. The stem was hacked off and shortened to the same length as a curl clip and glued together so it could clip straight into my hair. I wore it to the Southbank Winter Festival earlier this week, and got so many compliments on it! Seems that everyone loves a good, tacky Christmas decoration!

Here's the full outfit in all it's tacky Christmas glory:

How amazing are the penguin leggings? I must have had cartoon style heart eyes when I first spied them in Primark, and teamed them with a Christmas Robin cardigan from last year's collection, a black Collectif dress and a vintage head scarf to keep me warm. Apologies for the terrible quality photos, but they were snapped just before we headed out!

If you've not had a chance to visit the Southbank's Winter Festival yet, it's worth a peek. The beautiful view of London all lit up is guaranteed to melt even the most Grinchiest of hearts, and with festive stalls filled with mulled wine and Christmas treats, it's a lovely place to meet with friends for a little festive cheer.

There's been a lot of baking going on in #TeamHylda towers too, with cakes for parties and cookies for friends ensuring our flat constantly smells like a Winter Wonderland. Whilst I'm no cake decorator, they certainly tasted yummy! I think our flat has broke our Christmas dinner record this year, squeezing in three "practice" dinners with all the trimmings since the beginning of November. Yep.

This is probably going to be my last post this side of Christmas, so I wanted to take this chance to wish everyone out there a lovely time with lots of fun, food and frivolity. ❤ I'll be sure to keep posting on my Instagram, so if you don't already follow me, head on over to stay in touch. 

Until next time,

Diana xx

Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Bloglovin and Facebook.
www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.) 

Life As A Daydream - A Week in Cornwall (Part 2).

Continuing on from yesterday's post, a sunny Tuesday morning in Cornwall started with a quick round of golf. Previously to this, the only sort of golf I'd ever played was of the crazy variety at the beach, so it felt a whole lot more serious lugging around a huge bag with lots of different clubs. Obviously I was awful at it, but the green was surrounded by a whole host of cows and bunnies and with none of us taking it at all seriously, it was a lovely, silly way to start the day.