The Hair Accessory Edit | Zafira
Hey!
It’s 2003, my mum is getting me ready for my first day of nursery. She’s searching through my musical bright pink jewellery box and pulls out about 6 different bright coloured hair accessories to put into my fresh bowl cut trimmed by my Grandma. I look in the mirror before I leave and what do I see? Nothing but a style icon in front of me.
That’s the moment my hair accessory obsession stemmed.
Over a decade later (yikes) and my love for all things I can somehow put onto my head of thick black hair is ever growing and as big as ever. I cannot and will not leave the house with a good hair accessory.
A lot of what I’ve been wearing recently and a lot of what’s featured in this post is actually from Primark. They have a vast range of not only hair accessories but accessories in general for such an affordable price. It’s become my favourite place to shop for little bits and bobs.
Here are a handful of my favourite hair accessories:
TULLE SCRUNCHIES
A scrunchie is a timeless hair piece. They’ve been around longer than I have, probably longer than my parents have and after all this time, they’re still one of the most popular hair accessories.
On one of my many strolls through Primark, I came upon these beautiful tulle scrunchies. I love tulle so much, I think it’s quite feminine and delicate and these scrunchies are the perfect way to add those qualities to your look.
HAIR CLIPS
I have no idea how I cut down my vast collection of clips into only 2 pairs but these are probably my most worn hair accessories ever.
My first pair came in a pack of 4 from Primark and are such a simple yet necessary accessory in my day to day life. Ever since I got my hair cut a few months ago (this is still very much a sensitive topic) and got a slight fringe put in, I am always looking for ways to clip it back in a non 3 year old looking way and these are perfect. I like how subtle these are too.
My second pair I got a while ago from Monki. They’re a pair of crocodile clips with pretty diamonds on. The only reason I bought these was to actually match my earrings in the picture. They go together so well even though my earrings are from Lovisa. They add the perfect dash of bling to any look and match literally every item in my wardrobe.
HAIRBANDS
This might be my favourite section of this post…
I think a headband is one of the easiest hair accessories to style and pair with outfits and also is the best way to keep your hair out of your face without having to tie your hair up.
Headbands are very similar to scrunchies, in the sense that when you buy one, you just can’t stop.
The first blue floral headband I’ve had for nearly 10 years now. I can’t even tell you where it’s from but my favourite way to wear it is with some pretty blue eye shadow and this Ralph Lauren blouse from Topshop.
My second fave headband is from Primark and I got this in the sale for £1 and I think it might be the best £1 I’ve ever spent. I wear this at home all the time. When I’m doing a face mask, working, tidying, it’s one of those fabric ones without the actual hard band in the middle so it’s comfortable to wear. I also love using this headband to add a little something to plainer outfits too such as with a black turtleneck and jeans.
My last headband is also from Primark and I love wearing this to weddings because it goes with my Asian clothes so so so well. I wore it last summer for my uncle’s wedding and it matched my top and skirt like a dream. It’s such an easy way to glam up any look and Primark has so many headbands like this in at the moment for ridiculously cheap.
I hope this given you a bit of inspo on how to wear/style hair accessories or maybe a little push into wearing them.
Thanks for reading!
Parisian Inspired Lookbook | Zafira
Hi everyone!
So, if you know me well then you'd know that I adore clothes. I don't really have a set style or look but one style/look I find myself coming back to time and time again is the Parisian look.
Maybe it's because I have this overwhelming love and obsession for pretty much anything French like every time I imagine myself in my 40/50s, I can vividly see myself sat in the French countryside with a thick French accent sat in my head to toe designer outfit.
Anyway lol, I guess the only way I could describe Parisian style is elegant, chic and effortless. You don't want to look like you're trying too hard (but secretly you are). I think it's a pretty universal style and is a style you can definitely personalise into whatever you want.
I had so much fun shooting these photographs with my friends and putting the outfits together. I haven't included a lot of accessories such as bags and stuff just because I pretty much carry my Kanken backpack everywhere. I haven't quite advanced in the accesories world yet.
The boots I'm wearing in literally every pic are my everyday Zara boots. I think they go well with every look and I actually do wear them every day. They're unfortunately not available anymore but here's a pair that are very similar.
LOOK NO.1: RED SUEDE
When I think of suede, I think of camel browns and creamy whites but when I saw this beauty in Zara, I fell in love. Something about this shade of red reminds me of Parisian fashion. This is an amazing everyday dress that you can easily dress up. Here I'm wearing it with a pair of leggings, ankle boots and a pair of small hoops (that you can barely see soz) and I think that this made a perfect, easy day outfit. If you wanted to change it up for a more dressier and evening/night time sort of look then you could switch out the ankle boots for a pair of over the knee boots and wear a pair of statement earrings. Dresses like this are such a staple for any wardrobe because they are super easy to style.
Dress:
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/buttoned-faux-suede-dress-p07901157.html?v1=8086578&v2=1180558
Knee high boots that would go great with this dress:
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/flat-over-the-knee-boots-p16060301.html?v1=8267676&v2=1180430
Maybe a bag like this?:
LOOK NO. 2: PRINTED BLOUSE & MIDI SKIRT
I don't want to go too much into detail with this outfit because I've mentioned it a lot over on my Instagram and previous posts but I think a midi skirt is such an essential in anybody's wardrobe. Whether you're a Parisian wannabe like myself or not, a midi skirt will definitely change your life for the good. In this look, I've paired it with this velvet printed blouse for some texture and it's created this beautiful chic look. I can already imagine myself posing near the Eiffel tower in this outfit.
This skirt is from Zara and is sadly not available anymore but here's some similar ones:
https://www.asos.com/bershka/bershka-pleat-check-midi-skirt/
https://www.asos.com/max-co/max-co-gingham-pleated-midi-skirt/
This shirt is also from Zara but the men's section, it is also sadly not available either. I can't find any similar ones either but if I do, I'll update this area or post about it on my Instragram.
LOOK NO. 3: THE ONLY BLACK DRESS YOU'LL EVER NEED
One day I was in Zara (i'm at Zara everyday) and I was having a little browse through the sale sections and I gazed upon what eventually turned out to be one of many great purchases of 2019. A dress like this could possibly replace your best friend, in fact, it could probably replace anything in your life that needs replacing. It's just such a good dress. I'd say this is more of an evening/night/event type of dress but I also wear this to uni a lot so it's quite versatile. You might look like you're trying to be the next Morticia Adams or even look like you're ready for a funeral but it's a look. A look that needs to embraced.
The dress has a lot of texture to it which I love. It has a velvet collar, a velvet button strap and lots of velvet polka dots all over. I like the see-through-ness of it and how lightweight the material is because it makes it so flowy. It's an all-around beautiful dress and makes me feel like a pretty woman. You could pair this with a pair of black heels if you're trying to be fancy or a pair of ankle boots like me. Maybe even a couple of gold hair barrettes?
The dress is from Zara and isn't available anymore but here's a very similar one that they're selling at the minute:
LOOK NO. 4: GREEN VELVET
I've never been a green wearer but this jumpsuit from UO makes me want to be a green wearer. This velvet jumpsuit was kind of an impulse buy but it's such an easy to wear piece of clothing so in my eyes, my purchase has been justified. Here I've paired it with a white t-shirt because it's -6 degrees everyday and my oversized suede, shearling lined coat from Headlock Vintage. I also put in a couple hair barrettes from Blue Rinse Vintage because I think green and gold go together so so so well. This is such an effortless outfit, perfect for when you're about and about. It's especially perfect for colder days. You could also wear this for formal events if you pair it with some heels and maybe even a blazer.
I know a lot of stuff isn't available that I've posted about but it's because I bought everything during the sales, here's a good alternative the UO green jumpsuit:
https://www.asos.com/monki/monki-dungaree-jumpsuit-in-dark-green-velvet/
The gold hair barrettes are also not available online and I can't find anything similar to them but any gold hair barrette would work great with this look.
LOOK NO. 5: CORDUROY
I said I was well and truly over corduroy last year but then I saw a picture on Instagram of my French Parisian queen Jeanne Damas in corduroy so naturally, I went out and bought myself a pair of corduroy trousers.
In terms of practicality, corduroy trousers are amazing for the cold, they block out all cold wind and they're super comfy. I found it quite difficult however finding a pair that were flattering enough and fit well. This pair from Monki fit so well that I don't have to even wear a belt which for me is so shocking. I wear belts with all my trousers. I am wearing one in the pictures though but just to look pretty. This has slowly but surely become my go to look for winter days. A black turtle neck, corduroy pants and a pair of ankle boots. I also threw my coat from Headlock Vintage on top too because like I mentioned earlier, it's about -6 degrees everyday in Manchester.
Corduroy trousers:
I hope you liked this post! If you want to see more stuff like this then let me know.
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70's Inspired Winter Lookbook | Zafira
Hi!
There's something about the 70s that just makes me fall in love over and over again. I love so many things about it but most importantly, I love love
love
the sense of style and fashion around that time. So much in fact that it's heavily inspired my winter wardrobe for this year.
Dressing for winter can be quite the struggle. The weather is ever changing and unpredictable, it's freezing outside but then heaters are being blasted indoors so finding a balance between all of those factors can be difficult whilst still looking semi presentable to face the world.
I feel like I get stuck into this loop of wearing jumpers and jeans but I've tried really hard this time round to get out of it.
Here are some outfits that I've been wearing a lot this winter and some tips to help you keep warm!
1. THE MIDI SKIRT (that's too long because I'm short)
You know what I've realised? Midi skirts are actually quite intimidating and kind of scary. You have to be quite careful with how you style them or else you can end up looking a bit like a 90 year old librarian which personally, isn't quite my style. I was determined to find one from a thrift or charity shop but I couldn't find any that looked as flattering as this Zara one.
It fits perfectly around the waist and I can get away with tucking a cheeky jumper in there without it looking frumpy. I love the pleating and it's actually a decent length considering it is a bit too long. I'll either wear a turtle neck, a slighting oversized jumper or just a velvet t-shirt with the skirt. I also love wearing this skirt with these cute heeled boots that are from Zara too.
I feel like midi skirts are a very 'mom' thing from the 70s but when styled perfectly, you can totally be that cool mom every kid wanted.
Because it's freezing, a coat is necessity. If you follow me on Instagram you've probably seen this leopard print coat a thousand times by now. It's such a nice and long and it keeps me warm.
Jewellery is something I'm trying to get myself back into. As a child and even a young teen, I loved jewellery and felt the need to be blinged out no matter what the occasion was. As I've gotten older, I find myself more into the minimal jewellery side of things which you can see here.
I'm wearing a simple dainty diamond necklace that I've had forever and some small hoops from Primark. I'm also wearing my Hugo Boss watch that you can see further down.
Here's a few links to similar versions of my leopard print coat:
I wear these boots everyday they are actually life changing.
2. FLARED PANTS
Ever since the summer, I've been completely in love with various shades of blue/green. Right now, this Tiffany blue colour makes my heart skip a beat. These flared pants are from Zara and are amazing. They are super pretty on windy days.
This shade of blue is what I associate with the 70s a lot and flared pants too. Maybe not as flared as these but I guess this is kind of a modern and more flattering update on the iconic flared pants of the 70s.
I like to wear this with a black turtle neck on extremely cold days but if it isn't -20 degrees where you live then it also looks really great with a graphic t-shirt. Again I'm wearing my leopard print coat and my Zara boots.
You're probably thinking that these are too thin for the winter but pants like this are the perfect layering tool. I can get away with wearing pretty much anything under these, a pair of jeans, my pyjama pants or if I'm feeling a bit more mature, then a pair of thick thermal leggings. Because of my how flowy they are, you can't even tell it's great.
If I'm feeling super adventurous, then I'll even wear matching blue eye shadow.
3. CASUAL YELLOW
This outfit is a bit more dressed down and good for a very low-key day. Yellow is very bright. I would never think that it would be a colour that I would ever wear but here I am in a vibrant yellow cardigan that I can't seem to ever take off.
The printed high neck top is actually an old play suit from Motel Rocks but since I'm not much of a play suit wearer, I like to wear it as a top. It's an amazing layering piece (except from when you need to use the toilet and have to completely strip). It screams the 70s to me. It had flared sleeves too but I took them off since it was a bit too much and got in the way a lot whenever I was doing anything involving my arms (literally everything i was doing).
The cardigan ,which has been one of my favourite items in my wardrobe this year, is from Monki.
. It's so so so thick and it coordinates with the play suit perfectly. I bought this in a large so it's massively oversized but it just makes it feel so much cosier.
I'm trying to channel my inner Blair Waldorf and I've decided that headbands need to make a return in my life so I've paired one with this outfit. This one is from Primark.
I usually like to wear this outfit with my black pleated culottes which I'm sure a lot of you own. Like the blue flared pants, they're a pretty good layering piece. But I also like to wear this outfit with my blue and thick black belt.
For shoes, you could get away with wearing anything really, a pair of vans or converses to dress down or a pair of cute boots.
Thanks for reading and let me know if you want to see more this type of blog post on here!
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Staycation Lookbook | Zafira
Hi!
If you've been following me on Instagram you'll know that last weekend, I spent a few days in the beautiful town of Penmaenmawr in Wales with my family. I won't get too into my experience there since I'm saving that for my Wales on Film blog post which is coming very soon!
I don't know whether it's global warming or what but the weather we've had in the UK has been beyond sweltering. It's amazing and when we went our extended little weekend away the weather was still pretty hot, it literally felt as if we were abroad.
Since I was only in Wales for a couple of days, I tried not to pack too much because I knew that 50% of my time would be at the beach and the other 50% would be climbing and walking and hiking mountains so I wanted to pack some very versatile and comfy outfits perfect for our activity filled days.
OUTFIT NO.1
For the beach, I found that a flowy dress with something like this white thrifted jumper or even an oversized jacket or cardigan on top worked best for me. We usually spent time at the beach in the mornings or late evenings to watch the sunset so it was still a bit windy. For this outfit, I'm wearing a white knitted jumper over a navy blue stripey dress which just happens to be the best purchase I've ever made. I wore my hat that I've been wearing all year to just top it off and shade my face.
Jumper - Thrifted You can buy a similar one here: http://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0650714001.html
Dress - Mango I got this quite a while ago and unfortunately it isn't available anymore but here are some very similar ones:
https://www.shein.co.uk/Button-Keyhole-Back-Self-Belt-Vertical-Striped-Dress
Hat- New Look
OUTFIT NO.2
This is the sort of thing I'd wear if I knew we'd be walking a lot. It's quite casual but no one is really going to be judging what you're wearing when you're 1000 metres up in the air. I tried to stick to things I knew I'd be comfortable in for a long period of time. I stuck to a pair of loose jeans with a short sleeved t-shirt or something loose or baggy on top like an oversized shirt with my pink jacket if needed and my Vans.
Jacket - Miss Selfridge This is unfortunately no longer available but here is one that's pretty much identical: https://www.missguided.co.uk/pink-oversized-denim-jacket
Short Sleeved Sweater Top - Pop Boutique This is no longer in store but they have the same style but with a variety of patterns, have a browse here: https://www.pop-boutique.com/ladies-vintage-clothing/vintage-knitwear.html
OUTFIT NO.3
For my last outfit worn in Wales, I went with something a bit dressier. I turned 18 on our little weekend away so I wanted to dress up a bit. I went with this tassel-y dress which I complete adore. The material is thin so it's perfect for hot days and it has big flowy sleeves which are good too. I actually got this from my auntie's shop in Ashton called Resham Collection where she sells a lot of Asian clothing but when I went in a few weeks ago this instantly caught my eye. It looks like something that would be sold at Zara so obviously I had to buy it. I paired this with some tassel earrings and my Vans since we were out walking around Wales and they are the most comfortable shoes I own.
Earrings - Primark (available in-store)
Sunglasses - Primark (available in-store)
Dress - Resham Collection (available in-store)
Trainers - Vans
I'll be posting more about my staycation very soon!
Lots of love,
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