Frills 'n' Spills

I know it is a bit of a blogger cliché but I am so glad that Autumn is nearly here! I am definitely not built for sunnier climes (the heat in Barcelona nearly finished me off!) so the falling temperatures are very welcome here in Cheltenham, I'm not a massive fan of the darker mornings but the addition of boots and jumpers back into my wardrobe almost makes up for it! ;) When Brantano got in touch to offer me a pair of boots to review, picking this Clarks pair was a real no-brainer. I love Clarks shoes, there's nothing worse than having wet and cold feet and I knew that these boots would be a practical choice for my walks to work during the winter. Obviously they look great with jeans but I was really pleased how they turned out with this cute floral dress too. I can often err towards the girly in my outfits so adding a slight edge with the jacket and the boots was a nice change of pace. 

I have had this jacket since my first year of uni- a whole 8 years (sob!) but as far as I can see, it only appeared on the blog around 2011! It was such a bargain too, I can't believe that I only paid £20 for a real leather jacket! This glossy lipstick is a fairly new addition to my ever-growing collection. Revlon make some great chubby lip pencils and this one in Provocateur is great for adding a swipe of colour. 

These boots remind me of a more polished version of my Dr Martens and are equally fun for stomping around in.  A word of warning: they come up a lot smaller than Clarks shoes usually do, I normally fit into a 7 without any problems but the 8 in these just about fits. I know that the leather will give slightly but it is definitely worth sizing up in these, especially if you are pairing them with some chunky socks! I always worry about making my legs look short with calf length boots but hopefully the addition of black tights helps to negate the effect?!

I have noticed recently that I keep buying outfits that I would love to have worn when I was younger.  This Warehouse dress was (another) sale bargain and although it is ridiculously short (I didn't realise just how miniscule the skirt was until I saw these pictures) I really love it. I am more than happy to be getting older (hopefully the wisdom is on its way soon!) I am a little bit worried that I look a bit like mutton dressed as lamb, I don't think I can really pull off short skirts anymore but I imagine my grey cable knit tights would look pretty nice with this and help to tone down the shortness of it all too...

I have had this necklace for years (how young do I look in this outfit post?!) and it was the perfect way to tie in my brown accessories without distracting from the pattern too much. I wasn't entirely sure how flattering the contrasting bodice would be but it actually sits pretty close to my natural waist so manages to nip me in in all the right places! The print on the skirt reminds me of Moroccan tiles, I blame Pinterest for my new found obsession!

I have had these boots for years- I got them as a gift from my parents for doing well in my GCSEs (an age ago!) and they have lasted remarkably well, I haven't even needed to get them resoled in the 9 years since I have owned them! They always make me feel like I should be in a pantomime - they are pretty swashbuckling and even have a fastening across the back of them but I do love them!

Heading into work on a Monday is difficult at the best of times but knowing that the heating won't kick in until later in the day makes it much more difficult. Ideally I would be able to wear pyjamas but until duvets are compulsory workwear, slouchy jumpers are going to have to do. I have been wearing a lot of  mini skirts to work recently (see here, here and here for proof!) they are just so easy to wear and add a bit of personality to my boring functional jumpers. This skirt has been in my wardrobe for just over 2 years now and I have been wearing it a lot recently, it really comes into its own paired with cosy jumpers and thick tights, it's just too short to wear with bare legs or nude tights! This top was a jumper dress but somehow I managed to shrink it in the wash so it now moonlights as a jumper - you can't beat a good cowl neck!

Which old favourites do you keep going back to?

I have tried a lot of things since I started blogging (wearing leggings, rediscovered jeans and peplums) but I honestly never thought that you would one day catch me on an outfit that combines two unlikely pieces of clothing. Although I love bright colours, I have never worn lime green as I was convinced that it didn't suit me and that I wasn't able to pull it off. Great on other people but just not for me. The same was true of Dr. Martens and yet here I am , proudly sporting a pair (and outside of the house too!) This White Stuff jumper was another kind gift from Matilda and it has been sitting in my wardrobe for months as I had no idea what to pair it with. Luckily my trusty black pleated skirt came to the rescue and actually made this whole ensemble feel much more 'me'. I may never be super cool but I can at least use the DMs to add some edge to my usual girly appearance! 

Another day, another outfit featuring my cream dress and camel coat! This dress is my go to outfit whenever I'm not sure what to wear as it is such a versatile colour and I really love the shape of the dress. I'm so glad that the weather is starting to improve too, I am desperately in need of some sunshine and my pretty summer dresses are just dying to be worn. It may not be summertime yet but with (nearly) bare legs, a girl can dream, right?! 

Apologies for my over excited moon face here, the sunshine was obviously far too exciting! This floral belt doesn't get worn as often as I'd like but it was perfect for adding a bit of a pattern to an otherwise plain outfit. I have been painting my nails a lot more recently and this Nails Inc 'Tate' nail polish is my favourite red colour. I love the fact it isn't too bright too, I think the darker red looks really dramatic against my skin and I love it for adding a bit of an edge (this is as edgy as it gets chez Fallon!)

Saying that though, I have finally embraced the ankle sock/dress/ankle boots combination after many a failed attempt to pull it off. This was mainly for practicality's sake (there is nothing worse than shredding your feet when trying to break in your new shoes) but actually I liked how it turned out. I did feel like an oversized five year old for a while but I like to think I actually looked pretty darn cool in the end. I have been lusting over these beautiful boots for ages and I couldn't be happier. As with all Betty London shoes, they are ridiculously comfy and so well priced too, I think I may have a slight problem....

What are your wardrobe classics?

I asked for more sunshine in my last post and it looks like my wish has been granted! This dress is such an easy breezy thing to wear and although this colour scheme is more autumnal, I think the ankle boots and nude tights make it suitably springlike. It was pretty windy as you can see from the photos and I ended up looking rather windswept, I was barely able to stand upright in this photo!

This belt is one I have had for years and years, it is even older than this blog! I only ever wear it when I need to be cinched in as it is so rigid and wide. There is just no breathing room with it on- who needs a corset?! 

The eagle eyed amongst you may recognise these boots, I love my black ankle boots so much that I bought them in brown too. I wear a lot of tan accessories in the spring and summer and I think these boots will be getting a lot of wear over the next few months! The suede is super soft (no breaking in needed!) and they end at a relatively flattering point on my leg, making them super versatile to wear...

Have you ever bought the same shoes in another colour?

Recently as it has got colder, I have found myself reaching for my beloved skinny jeans and I have been trying to find different coats to pair them with so that people don't realise that I am essentially wearing the same outfit ;) This coat was my vintage bargain buy from when Danni and I went to Vintage at Goodwood with Aussie and it has never really had much airtime on here despite me wearing it a lot. I love the fuchsia pink colour and the fact it is 100% wool definitely helps!

This little beauty is the latest addition to my (ever growing) owl collection and was a wonderful birthday gift from my friend Matilda as part of an owl themed birthday present- isn't he gorgeous?! I just love his little pearl body and the length of the necklace is perfect...

P.S. This post was done in collaboration with Spartoo

This top is the last of my pieces from the Uniqlo x Orla Kiely collection (I promise I will stop banging on about it soon!) I initially ordered this one but that was in the parcel that went walkabouts and they only had XS left when I went to reorder it :( Apologies for the annoying strand of hair in this first photograph, I didn't realise that it had fallen out of my plait until I looked at the photographs! I loved the printed top and the camel coat but I did feel like I was dressed like a mum from the 1970s...