Back to Uni Lookbook | Zafira
Hi!
It’s sadly that time of year again where we all go back to school or college or university after a beautiful summer off (in this case, a corona infected, socially distanced, stay inside all day kinda summer off). For me, this will be last time I’ll have a summer off like this because I graduate next summer which is quite terrifying knowing I’ll be joining the real world very soon.
I thought I’d share some fun outfits I’ll be wearing either in my webinars or in my four hours of actual seminars that I have in a week! I hope that these looks help inspire you try some looks for this new academic year or for work or just in general.
the boiler suit that will change your life
If you’ve either been friends with me or followed me for some time now you will know that this masterpiece of a boiler suit is the most worn and adored thing in my entire wardrobe. Like, actually. I know I say I love this or adore this when it comes to clothes in general, but this boiler suit has been worn so much and was the best £35 I think I’ll ever spend.
This is a Levi’s boiler suit that I was beyond lucky to find in TK Maxx for less than a third of its original price. I wear it when I run errands, when I go out for brunch, when I’m doing a DIY job around the house (for the aesthetics), to my university lectures, just everywhere and anywhere I go. It’s the easiest thing to wear and style. It’s a whole outfit that takes less than 5 seconds to put on.
Imagine this, you’ve got a 9am lecture, you’re running late because you spent all night binge watching New Girl on Netflix so you’ve ended up waking up late and the last thing you want to waste your very limited time on is what you should wear. So what do you do? You throw on a boiler suit and run out the door. All your what to wear problems are solved in a matter of seconds and you look cute for the day.
Have I sold you on buying a boiler suit yet?
This sadly isn’t available anymore but here are a few similar alternatives:
the v neck jumper & comfy printed trousers & funky boots
If you’re a big jumper fan like myself, you definitely need to get your hands on a v neck jumper because they are one of the easiest ways to smarten up your look for the day. I think they also really help take your outfit from looking slouchy and casual like a regular round necked jumper would do and make it look that little bit more formal.
This lovely pastel blue one is from Mango and it is the softest thing I think I’ve ever felt. I’ve paired this with these super cute floral printed trousers I got from the Zara summer sale. Printed trousers are your new best friend because you can style them easily with any kind of plain top or jumper and you’re ready to go. I’m also wearing what looks like those Zara pearl boots that everyone and their mum was buying last year, however, these are just the Primark ones because I didn’t manage to grab a pair of the Zara ones in time. I know, it’s the saddest story you’ve ever heard.
This outfit feels very spring/summer-y but because you’re wearing a jumper and boots, I think you’ll be able to get away with it during these early days of autumn.
BUY THE LOOK
You can buy the jumper here.
These trousers aren’t available anymore sadly but get your hands on any printed trousers you like and find comfy.
The pearl boots are also not available but here are some very cute alternatives:
another jumpsuit?
Any one piece outfit is great for uni which is why I threw in another jumpsuit in here.
This is a Bershka pinafore style jumpsuit with this really nice retro style checkered print which are in such autumnal colours. This is a lot more formal and work-chic than the rest of the outfits in this lookbook but I think this looks super flattering on. I’m wearing a plain black, frilly sleeved jumper from Ralph Lauren underneath since the days are getting a bit chillier here in Manchester but you could away with so many things underneath this. A crop top, t-shirts, anything you want.
I’m also wearing these beautiful black heeled boots I got a few weeks ago from Asos that you’ll see in nearly all of these looks.
BUY THE LOOK
brown skirts are life changing
The star of this extremely autumnal look is obviously this amazing brown corduroy vintage skirt. I found this baby at Cow a few weeks ago and it’s technically not vintage, it’s just old Brandy Melville but I think this has major vintage vibes. I love how well this shade of brown compliments not only my skin tone but my green leather jacket (old River Island).
Something about this look screams “I’m a uni student” to me and I’m obsessed with it. It’s such a simple look that can pulled off by anyone and everyone.
BUY THE LOOK
This jacket is from a few summers ago but here’s a similar one.
coloniser-esque white collared shirts and slip dresses are an excellent combo
I love that these collars have come back into fashion because I think they’re absolutely stunning. Collars like this give me very Christopher Columbus/white man colonising countries that don’t belong to him vibes but I think they’re so pretty. It makes me feel powerful almost as a brown woman throwing this shirt on as a part of my outfit.
This shirt paired with your slip dresses from the summer? An iconic and unbeatable combination of pure greatness. I love how this looks paired with my green gingham slip dress from Cow.
BUY THE LOOK
Cow has so many styles of these Ralph Lauren re-work slip dresses, you can check them out here and find one that you like.
I hope you liked this lookbook! If you want to see more uni/everyday outfits I usually do an outfit of the day over on my Instagram stories a couple of times a week so make sure you follow me to keep updates with those. There’s a link to all my socials at the end of this post.
Thanks for reading,
January on Film | Zafira
Hey!
January has lasted a good 3 years or that’s honestly what it’s felt like. It’s been a quiet month. I think like a lot of people, I’ve been trying to get my life back on track a little bit after almost a month off uni. I’m happy to be back into my usual schedule though and also happy to see what this year has to offer!
Here’s my January on film:
For the past few weeks, I’ve been adoring this little spot in my parents room. It’s on top of my mum’s dresser, a spot where she keeps a vintage jewellery box, her perfume, a mirror and a spinny bangle holder (not pictured). I think it might be the way it looks when the sun starts to set or the way an immense amount of light shines through no matter what the weather. It’s just very pretty.
Pictured here is an & Other Stories Perfume I got my mum for her birthday which I occasionally steal a spritz or two of and my favourite favourite & Other Stories lipstick that has most definitely been loved.
We spent Christmas and Boxing Day in London this year compared to our usual family shindig in Birmingham so we could visit some family. I took this somewhere in Whitechapel on Boxing Day. Honestly I think it’s kinda disgusting. There’s nothing I hate more than pigeons.
Here I am dressed like I’m cosplaying Shrek in this funky green silky dress from none other than Zara. I love this dress however, I hate wearing it because it creases instantly. I am also wearing some vibrant green eye shadow that you can barely see. I have my massive vintage coat from Headlock Vintage on too which everyone seems to hate but I am completely smitten with it. My personal tutor at university actually asked if I picked this coat of a skip which was very nice of him.
I was going to do this whole “only buy two things a month” thing but it’s now the end of January and once again, my wardrobe doors are incapable of closing without an aggressive shove.
These dreamy babies were a little bit of an impulsive buy from ASOS but my god are they beautiful. I love Mary Janes. They’re probably my all-time favourite style of shoe. These are plain black and velvet and pretty much match everything in my wardrobe.
As I said, this whole “only buy two things a month” thing did not go well whatsoever.
I’ve been quite in love with various shades of green for a while now which is strange because I used to hate the colour green. I think it’s incredibly flattering on brown-ier skin tones.
This blazer style corduroy jacket is from TK Maxx but is from a brand called Y.A.S that I know nothing about other than they are expensive are sold on ASOS. This jacket was originally £80 however because TK Maxx is a literal heaven on earth, this jacket only cost me £14.99. Bargain of the year.
Considering I’ve lived in Manchester my entire life, I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Whitworth Gallery.
It’s an incredibly pretty building, not only from the outside but the inside too. It’s so open and bright and I think this might be my new favourite place in Manchester. They’ve also got the most aesthetically pleasing cafe that’s lined with tall window after tall window (there’s a little snippet of it on the smaller pic).
I don’t even know where to begin with these cheeky babies. They both came over a few days ago and were causing chaos left, right and centre. They gave each other makeovers with some pretty pink lipstick, made me draw everyone and everything ever possible, ate of course (their fave activity) and both took turns drinking from my water bottle/cup in this picture.
Thanks for reading!
It’s been wild watching these two grow up the past 2 years.
Lots of love,
My Current Favourite Outfits | Lookbook | Zafira
Hey!
I love clothes a lot. Maybe a little too much. Considering all of this, I don’t talk about fashion and style on here enough which is wild because it’s such a massive part of my life. So I’ve decided to make a lot more fashion related posts starting with this one!
I feel like this is such a weird time of year because it’s kind of summer but it’s also kind of autumn. It’s so hard finding and putting together good transitional outfits for this time of year that are a good balance of keeping you warm but also keeping you cool but also fit into both seasons really well. It’s a tiny bit of struggle.
However, after a lot of trial and error, I’ve concocted some pretty outfits that I love wearing at the minute!
OUTFIT NO.1
There’s a little bit of cowboy craze going on in the fashion world at the minute and these jeans from River Island that I found for £10 in TK Maxx fit into the whole cowboy thing so well! They’re amazing. I love the button detailing up the leg so much. They’re such a unique find and my favourite thing to do is pair them with this white organza plumetis shirt from Zara. I have to admit, at first this shirt was a little too fashion blogger-y, even for me, but I love pairing this shirt with some blue jeans to make it a little more casual. When it gets a little more chillier I’m so excited to pair this shirt with a black turtleneck underneath. It’s such an amazing piece that adds a little dressier tone to whatever you’re wearing.
Also a massive plus, these pants make me look like I’m 6ft tall (I’m like 5ft tall irl).
I’ve accessorised this outfit with my usual go to Zara boots that are featured in every lookbook as well as a chunky pearl clip from Primark! I love that clips have become a trend because as a kid, my mum used to never let me leave the house without a couple of clips finishing off whatever brightly coloured ensemble she had picked out for me that day. This pearly clip is definitely a lot more grown up and looks a lot more expensive than it was. I’m also wearing my forever favourite gold hoop earrings from & Other Stories.
BUY WHAT I’M WEARING:
Shirt - https://www.zara.com/uk/en/organza-puff-sleeve-blouse
Jeans - I had the hardest time finding a dupe for these jeans because they’re a little (very) out of season at the minute but if I find a decent pair I’ll come back and add a link in the future. My best bet is to check some thrift stores or even TK Maxx but like I said, they’re a very unique pair of jeans.
Gold Hoops -https://www.stories.com/en_gbp/jewellery/earrings/hoops/product.glossy-trumpet-mini-hoops-gold
OUTFIT NO.2
This outfit is a little more casual than I’m used to but I’ve had a very calm and chill end to my summer and my outfits reflect that a lot.
This is something I’d wear if I was just out in town, running errands or maybe even meeting up with some friends. This shirt is actually thrifted and it’s an amazing slouchy shirt that’s so easy to throw on. I’ve never really been a fan of very tight fitting clothes so this shirt is great. A red stripy shirt is definitely a must in everyone’s wardrobe. So so so easy to style and it looks good on everybody.
I’ve paired the shirt with the same jeans I always wear from H&M. These are a pair of straight leg jeans that I got in a size too big and they are the comfiest. I’ve been madly in love with denim this summer and have been finding literally any excuse to incorporate it into every outfit.
I don’t think I’ve featured my Kanken over on here yet but it’s the best bag ever. I use it for uni pretty much everyday but also when I’m out and about. It fits everything I need such as my laptop and cameras and matches my outfits which is a massive plus.
BUY WHAT I’M WEARING:
Shirt - I had no idea how difficult it was to find a decent red striped button up shirt for women online, I only found one result like the one I’m wearing which you can get here: https://www.hawesandcurtis.co.uk/womens-red-and-white-bengal-stripe-fitted-shirt but thrift shops are usually filled with the best red striped shirts!
Jeans - I don’t think this exact style is available anymore but these are pretty much the same https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0400285006.html
Bag - https://www.fjallraven.co.uk/fjallraven-unisex-kanken-black
OUTFIT NO.3
I have no idea why this outfit was so difficult to photograph but it really was. Anyway, this skirt is beautiful. I usually avoid wearing browns and beige tones because I always feel like they wash me out a little but this is the perfect balance between orange and brown. I found this suede skirt in We Are Cow earlier this summer and immediately imagined myself wearing this on a autumn day with a black turtleneck and like leaves falling from trees behind me. It is such an amazing transitional piece too because of the colour and material. Amazing. This might be one of my favourite purchases this year.
I’ve paired this skirt with a basic button up top from Monki which has done me dirty in these pictures and not sat well on me at all lol but it’s fine. These tops are such a staple in my wardrobe at the minute because they’re the most exemplary basic tops ever. I’m also wearing another clip from Primark, this time it’s a plain brown vintage-y looking one and of course, my gold hoops.
BUY WHAT I’M WEARING:
Top - https://www.monki.com/en_gbp/clothing/tops/product.cropped-button-up-top-white
Skirt - like I said this skirt is from We Are Cow so unfortunately they don’t have loads of these skirts lying around but here’s a two great dupes: https://www.marksandspencer.com/suede-a-line-midi-skirt/ & https://www.stories.com/en_gbp/clothing/skirts/midi-skirts/product.pleated-suede-midi-skirt
OUTFIT NO.4
Nothing screams summer more than a white cotton dress. I wore the crap out of this dress this summer. Any time I’d be going anywhere, I used to throw it on because it is the easiest thing to wear. This dress is from Zara and I think I’ll be wearing this in every season because I love it so much.
I love pairing this dress with this very fancy shmancy looking cardigan which is also from Zara. It reminds me a lot of this Gucci cardigan and I adore it. I love the pearl buttons and the contrast between the black and white pipe lining on the edges. It’s also pretty thick so it will definitely keep you warm when it starts to get a little chillier.
I’ve accessorised this dress with the most popular headband on Instagram ever which is from Topshop and once again, my beloved gold hoops.
BUY WHAT I’M WEARING:
Dress - I bought this quite a while ago but here’s a cute alternative to it: https://www.prettylittlething.com/white-broderie-analgise-smock-dress
Cardigan - This is no longer available at Zara and I can’t find any dupes (minus the Gucci one) but if I do find one, I’ll come back and link it here.
Thanks for reading! I’ll be posting looooooads of outfit pictures over on my Instagram since I’m back at uni and have a reason to get dressed everyday. Also, if you want to see more fashion/style based posts like this then let me know!
Lots of love,
Shooting on Film | Zafira
Heelllllllllllllooooooooooooo!
When I was younger, I was so fascinated by film strips. I remember how my dad would have them laid out when he was sorting out all of his photographs and I would just love to look at them. These brown strips with these tiny pictures in them were the coolest things I had ever seen. I'm pretty sure my dad shot on film for quite a while, even in the 00s when digital was a lot more popular, I still remember him shooting pictures of me and family on film. Now it's just so fascinating and utterly amazing looking back at the pictures because I can literally see the whole of my life and my family's life in images. I love how my family always document everything, it's one of the reasons I started getting more into photography and taking it more seriously. There's nothing I love more on the weekends then looking through the endless photo albums. It's a joy. Film shots look so good, I love the different hues and tones the images have. They just feel a lot more raw and gritty than digital. I asked my dad if I could borrow one of his film cameras recently and it's what I've been playing around on for the past few months. It's been amazing. I love film now.
Basically during my first set of film photos I was really dumb and when I told people I was shooting on film, they were like huh wut so I opened the back of the camera to show the film itself which is a big no no unless you want something like this. I still think these look so cool which is why I've kept them. I love the sunset-y colours, reminds me of the Instagram logo.
And then some of the pictures from my first set were two images merged together which had some quite strange outcomes but this is one of my friend Britt that I took at college. It's actually two separate images. The right side is of an image I took inside where she was leaning against the wall but you can only see her knees and the second image is one where she was sat on a bench outside but these two images have merged together and they kind of fit as one in a strange way lol?
The cutest candid of my friend Sunny.
The final one from my first set is when it snowed really heavily back in Jan/Feb time for about 20 mins and then it rained and all washed away.
My second set came out so well and it is truly when I realised film was the love of my life. Here's another snap of Britt with a swanky fringe this time.
This is probably the best picture I've taken in my entire life.
Here's me with the brightest thing in my wardrobe.
The famous pink jacket I wear pretty much everyday.
This was the day one of my favourite people in this entire world died.
My lovely boots when they were shiny and new.
I took this when I was on a shoot with two of my hilarious friends from high school.
When I started getting more into photography a few years back I would always take pictures out of my bedroom window. I don't what but there's something about it that looks so calm and peaceful. It was also really fun seeing how everything would change throughout the seasons as well which is something I might try with my film camera and document all the flowers growing and sky being blue and stuff.
Somewhere in London.
Columbia Road Flower Market which was amazing btw.
Me looking extra cute in my pink jumper from Bershka at the lovely Flower Markets.
That's all I have for now, make sure to follow me on Instagram for updates and just some really cool pictures!
The Wedding Series: Part 1/2 - The Engagement | Zafira
Hi guys and welcome to my blog!
Wedding season has officially arrived in my family which means I'll spending most of this summer holiday going to and from weddings. If you didn't know, I am Bengali. Bengali/Asian ish weddings are absolutely crazy and consist usually of 2 or 3 parts. The first part of the whole wedding shindig is the Cinifan. More commonly known as the engagement party which is what I went to on Sunday. The second part is either the actual wedding ceremony or the wedding and the after party which is called a Walima mixed together. Then the last part of the whole procedure is usually the Walima but some families throw the wedding and Walima together.
If you even understood that then you deserve a gold star.
This weekend it was my uncle's Cinifan (engagement) and I took a couple of pictures of my family making things for it and of the event its self. At Bengali weddings, people usually take these things called Thaals. The only way I can describe it as is a decorative platter but you'll understand it better when you see the pictures. Anyway, it was a hectic weekend of madness and I had so much fun. Congratulations to my uncle on his engagement and I can't wait till the wedding!
Here's a couple of pics!
Make sure to follow me on Instagram as I'll be posting more pictures from the Cinifan on there. Links to everything is at the end of this blog post!
Get to Know Me | Zafira
Hey ❀
It's a sad, gloomy Saturday afternoon and the weather has put me in such a relaxed yet creative mood and I've been making notes and plans like crazy for this blog and also some photography projects. I'm so excited for the future of this blog! Today I decided that I would do a get to know me tag. I've had this blog for a year now (whoop whoop!!!) and I don't think that you know me very well. I think it's about time you get to know who I am. Enjoy ♡
What is your name?
My name is Zafira Ahmed if you couldn't already tell by the title of this bloggie.
What is your favourite subject in school?
I really enjoy art now. I consider myself a very creative person so me and art go together very well. It's a great way to express yourself.
What’s your favourite song at the moment?
I can never just have one favourite. I'm liking 3 songs right now and these are...
- Alive by Sia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2NgsJrrAyM
- Heartstrings by Leighton Meester
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUoKS89yZiU
- Technicolour Beat by Oh Wonder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9FfYWp_d5w
What’s your favourite book?
I have two and these are Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen and Misery by Stephen King.
What are you reading at the moment?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
What’s your favourite colour?
I love most shades of blue. Especially navy blue and turquoise.
What’s your favourite animal?
I'm not a huge fan of that many animals but I adore wolves. I think that they're so beautiful and majestic.
What’s your favourite perfume?
Flower by Kenzo is definitley one of them. I featured the miserable empty bottle on my vintage collection blog post last month.
Click here if you haven't read it yet!
It's smells very clean and fresh.
It's a really nice everyday scent. I also love J'adore by Dior. This is more of a floral scent and the bottle for it is so pretty.
Do you speak any other languages?
Yep I speak Bengali as well as English.
Do you have any siblings?
A younger brother who is 10.
What’s your favourite store?
I really TK Maxx or TJ Maxx as they call it in America. It's a great place to buy branded things for less.
Do you like school?
Erm NO. I dread going everyday and I pretty much hate it when I'm there 99% of the time but I know it'll be worth it in the end when I get my GCSEs.
Who are some of your favourite YouTubers?
I have so many but here's three of my current faves:
- The Michalaks are absolutely amazing. They are small family consisting of the lovely Hannah, the hilarious Stef and little Grayson and the quality of their vlogs are phenomenal.
It's literally like watching a mini movie of their lives every Sunday. And THEY'RE DOING VLOGMAS!
Check them out:
-
Samantha Maria (previously known as beautycrush) is probably my favourite fashion blogger as well as Youtuber. Her style and taste in fashion is stunning and she always looks incredible.
Check her out here:
-
Meghan Rienks is my last fave at the moment. She is so down to Earth and also so funny. I've really enjoyed watching her for the past couple of months.
Check her out here:
What’s your favourite movie?
I LOVE anything by Wes Anderson. His movies are so beautiful and vintagey. They are really quirky too and my favourites so far are The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom and The Grand Budapest Hotel. I really like Requiem for a Dream and Trainspotting too. Requiem for a Dream is the stroy of 4 drug addicts and how their addiction progresses and Trainspotting is similar but more about overcoming an addiction.
What TV shows are you currently watching?
I'm now watching Empire, Suits, Scream Queens and Twin Peaks whenever I'm free. They're all really wonderful TV shows.
What phone do you have?
I have the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini.
What colour are your eyes?
I have really dark brown eyes, sometimes they even look black. It's kinda cool.
When is your birthday?
June 24th. I have the same birthday as Gustav Wood from Young Guns and also Mindy Kaling.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go?
I'd love to go to Italy, especially Florence. It seems like such a dreamy, serene place and I can't wait to go one day.
Who are your favourite band?
Brand New and The NBHD are joint first on my list of favourite bands. Both very different but still amazing bands.
Favourite photographers?
A majority of my favourite photographers are on instagram but one photographer that has always stood out to me is David Bailey. He was a big hit in the 60-70s and I fell in love with his portraits of Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton.
If there are any more questions you'd like to know the answers to then feel free to leave them down below on Instagram!
To keep up with what I am doing follow my other social media accounts:
A Month In Bangladesh | Zafira
Hi guys and welcome back to my blog!
So during this summer, me and family headed up to Bangladesh to visit family and to also explore the small South Asian country. For me, this was an eye opening journey as I discovered a lot about Bangladesh, it's traditions and the people there. In all honesty, Bangladesh isn't one of the prettiest places in the world at first but you can see the beauty of the country in the people there. What I loved most about Bangladesh was the amount of pride people had in their country and how much they love it. A majority of the people there don't take anything for granted like many of us do in countries like the UK where important factors of life such as education are handed to us on a plate. Last time I went to Bangladesh was about 7 years ago in 2008, I was too young to understand of how much an important holiday it was and how much things would change when I next came back. Bangladesh was very different this time for me, I focused too much on the minorities and things weren't important such as bugs and the fact that it was about 40 degrees and I was melting . The only thing that should have been important was grasping hold and creating memories of what could be one of the last visits to my somewhat home country. ALTHOUGH I was a major fusspot throughout a big quantity of this holiday, I did create a few memories and on here, I'll share a few with ya ;)
ALSO ALSO ALSO, I'd just like to let you know I didn't use a fancy shmancy camera, I only used my small Canon Powershot A2500. It's not got top notch quality but it took decent pictures and was easy to carry around.
I hope you all had a lovely summer and enjoy my pictures!
I'm really really pleased with how these shots and edits came out. I hope you like them! Make sure you follow me on Instagram and Flickr, I post regularly :)
To keep up with what I am doing follow my other social media accounts:
Exploring London: Portobello Market | Zafira
Hi guys and welcome to my blog!
SO we've finally come to the end of the London series. It only took me like 4 months. But anyway, we've reached my final and fave part which is Portobello Market! I'm a huge fan of anything vintage and antique and Portorbello was filled to the brim. I found so many amazing things and everything I saw was just beautiful.
Since we've come to the end of the London series I'd just like to thank my wonderful Auntie Mahmuda for being the best tour guide ever. I can't wait to come back to London and explore more exciting places!
Enjoy and remember to see all the pictures I took at Portobello Market, go visit my Flickr!
To keep up with what I am doing follow my other social media accounts:
Exploring London: Saatchi Gallery | Zafira
Hello and welcome to my blog!
This post is all about the Saatchi Gallery. It was one of my favourite places that I had ever visited. The art was so beautiful and moving. I also got a lot of inspiration for my own artwork.
*I'm very active now on my Instagram so follow to keep up to date with my blog! Link is the end of this post :)
On with the pictures!
Sneaky song 1:
Sneaky song 2:
Sneaky song 3:
To keep up with what I am doing follow my other social media accounts:
Exporing London : Brick Lane | Zafira Ahmed
Hi guys and welcome to my blog!
So I spent a couple of days in London and took waaaaaaay too many pictures. I've decided to start a 4 part series here on my blog on my adventures in London. So keep up with my blog within the next few weeks as I'll be trying to put them up as soon :)
To see all the pictures head over to my Flickr. The link will be at the end of this post.
Here's a couple sneaky songs I've been loving:
To keep up with what I am doing follow my other social media accounts: