Summer Capsule Wardrobe | The Lexicon

Hello! After a few months off I am back and ready to create some exciting content for you. A quick update... It's been a crazy few months, finishing University (just found out I am graduating with a First woo), and entering into the real working world with a full-time job as an Account Executive at a Marketing & Design Agency. So, yeah a lot has happened and my life has changed quite a lot since I last posted on my blog. I am back today with a post all about summer capsule wardrobes, that I have created in collaboration with The Lexicon, Bracknell.

After attending their Spring Summer 2018 Trends Blogger Event back in February, I was kindly invited along to their Summer Capsule Wardrobe event last month. It was a lovely event, where we got to meet several other bloggers and discuss all things Summer fashion related, with a fab talk from my lovely and well-informed friend Jess (check out her website here).

I am going to talk you through my five essential wardrobe additions for Summer, including a new purchase that my wardrobe was particularly lacking for the warmer months, that I purchased with The Lexicon gift card that I was kindly provided with.

1. Straw Bags

Firstly, straw bags and I am sure this one comes as no surprise. They have been a summer trend item for years now, and I can't see them going away any time soon. They are the perfect addition to not only your summer wardrobe, but your holiday wardrobe. Last year I purchased a lovely large straw bag in Spain (the perfect place to pick one up), Zara have some great ones this year, and it has come in particularly handy on beach days. I also recently purchased this straw cross-body bag (shown above), which worked perfectly as an evening bag, a more casual, summer-take on a clutch.

2. Shorts

Next we have shorts, of course a basic and essential wardrobe addition for the summer. But more specifically, I want to discuss floaty and lightweight material shorts. Personally, I'm not a big fan of denim shorts. Usually (on me) they are just unflattering, tight, and make me extremely sweaty (sorry TMI). I am far more comfortable in light and floaty shorts, that are so much more versatile, they can be worn in the daytime with a bikini or worn with a dressier top and some wedges in the evening. Above you can see this white pair that I found really useful whilst on holiday (similar here). They have a lovely tie feature around the waist, and are the perfect pair that can be worn in the daytime but dressed up at night. Also, whites always good for the tan!

3. Cami Tops

Cami tops for me form the basis of my summer wardrobe. Need something to go with your shorts, skirts or trousers? The easiest option is to opt for a cami. Not long ago I purchased this black lace trim cami from Zara (shown above), which I have already worn to death, both in the daytime and evenings, it literally goes with everything and the lace detail makes it look that little bit more interesting. I also got hold of this white one from Mango (shown below), probably more best described as a top rather than a cami, but it does the same job. It has a lovely bow detail on the shoulders and features some brown buttons which are of course on all the cami's at the moment. This is again a perfect staple within anyones summer capsule wardrobe. As long as you have a black and white one, you're good to go.

4. Block Heel Sandals

Moving onto shoes, for me there is simply one type of shoe that I couldn't bare to not have in my wardrobe, and that is a block heel sandal. If you follow me on Instagram (@laurenhonor) you will know that whilst I was away in Croatia (travel post to come) a lot of my evening outfits featured some kind of block heel sandal. They are perfect for dressing up your outfit slightly, but not making you look overdressed. I am not the tallest person, so any extra height is a plus for me. One of my favourite pairs you can see below, grey with a statement marble block heel, also with a tie detail up the leg. They are so comfortable and just make an outfit that little bit more exciting.

5. Occasion Dress

And finally, my newest addition that I purchased at The Lexicon... this beautiful River Island dress that could quite possibly be my perfect dress. If you know me or have read my blog before, you will know I'm not always the best with colour, but in summer I do like to try and experiment a bit more. Something that was really lacking from my summer wardrobe, and that I think everybody needs, is a versatile occasion dress. This dress is the most stunning coral colour, and has so many lovely details and honestly I cannot wait to wear it again. This is the perfect dress for a capsule wardrobe because it can be worn at so many different occasions, I wore this to a beautiful restaurant with some block heel sandals (shock) but I would easily wear it to a wedding, a party, or to the races, the list is endless. If you can't tell I really love this dress, and the best thing is it comes in several other colours and patterns too! I'm going to seriously have to try and restrain myself. If you're attending the races or have a wedding this summer, this would be the ideal dress.

I hope you enjoyed my first post back, I'm very happy to be back on the blogging bandwagon. Thanks to The Lexicon again for sponsoring this post, and helping me find my beautiful new dress.

Look out for my Croatia travel post with all the recommendations you could possibly need!

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SS18 | My Favourite Trend Pieces

You may or may not have read my last post about my trip to The Lexicon, where I discussed the upcoming Spring/Summer trends. In that post I assured that I would share what items I purchased whilst at The Lexicon with my voucher that I was kindly gifted! So here they are... 

Above is my beautiful new jumper from H&M, of course it is off-the-shoulder because obviously I am a big fan. I did in fact already own this jumper in red before purchasing, so I knew I loved the style already. It's the most beautiful pastel blue colour (the 2nd image shows the colour the best), which aptly follows the 'ice cream colours' trend, and I just couldn't resist it. I personally think it's a bargain at £19.99, and it is a relatively thick and soft fabric, so even in the cold weather it still keeps you pretty toasty (although I wouldn't recommend it in the snow). In terms of sizing, I would recommend sizing down in this. The red version I previously bought in a size S as that is my usual size, but I didn't try it on in store and when I came to wear it I realised it's pretty big. It's a more oversized style anyway, but I found the XS in this fits me so much better. This is pretty much everything I could ever want in a jumper, a definite Spring knit to get your hands on, plus it comes in lots of other lovely colours! 

Next is another item from H&M, the loveliest lace/crotchet top that of course follows the sheer trend. I have popped a black cami underneath it here (purely because having your photo taken outside is freezing), but you can definitely get away with just wearing a bra or bralet underneath. Frustratingly I cannot find this top online, but as you know I did pick it up in the H&M store at The Lexicon, so if you're lucky you might find it there too. Here is an alternative option that is similar in style. I've been looking for a top just like this for ages, and my friend actually picked it out for me, and I love it. It's the perfect evening top, that'll go perfectly with jeans, trousers or a skirt. It's a great addition to my wardrobe! This top retails at £34.99, so not the cheapest but definitely worth it in my opinion. Something I purchased separate to my trip to The Lexicon, was this amazing beaded pink clutch bag from TopShop. I think it compliments the outfit perfectly by adding that bold pop of colour. This was a bargain in the TopShop sale, and is still in stock, so grab it while you can! I'd say the second picture shows the colour of the bag the best. 

I hope you like the items I picked up at The Lexicon just as much as I do, I'm sure you'll see them both cropping up lots on my Instagram over the next couple months. 

Also, big statement... I am going to be doing a capsule wardrobe for the month of March. Yes I know, me? It'll definitely be a big challenge, but I am excited to test myself! I'll be creating lots of content related to my capsule wardrobe on both my blog and my social channels, so keep a look out and see how I get on with this challenge!

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Rome Lookbook

If you've read my previous blog post, you will know that I recently visited the beautiful city of Rome. In that post you will have found lots of photos of all the amazing scenery, but this post is all about what I wore whilst there. The sun may have disappeared in England, but hopefully I can still give you some inspiration for upcoming holidays, whether they are this year or next.

Outfit 1

The main aim was to keep cool at all times, and this playsuit did just that. I purchased this last year from Bershka, so unfortunately it isn't current season. But over the Summer, there are lots of brands that produce similar items. There was actually one from Bershka this year which I loved (but couldn't justify), which was along the same wavelengh. I paired the playsuit with my lovely Topshop silver clutch, which seems to be constantly in and out of stock online. However you can find it in other colours here. I love this bag. The size is perfect, it fits a lot in it, more than you would expect and it literally goes with everything! I don't know how I've lived without a silver clutch for so long.

Outfit 2

This was my monochrome outfit of the holiday, paired with my amazing pink Mango bag for that pop of colour. Most of this outfit consisted of old purchases (sorry!). The shorts are River Island, in general I am a big lover of their fabric shorts. The sandals were Topshop last year, they are pretty basic so you probably wouldn't struggle to find something similar. Of course the most important part of this outfit is the Mango bag, which unfortunately sold out so quickly. Keep an eye out though, Mango have been doing some amazing bags recently!

Outfit 3

I bought this playsuit from River Island quite a few months ago. I saw it and loved it, and knew that it was one of those that probably wouldn't stay in stock for long. And I was right. It's the perfect garment if you like to still keep your arms covered in the warm weather, as the sleeves were so light and floaty. I've managed to track down the same playsuit in a different print, which is much more suitable for the A/W, however there are only limited sizes. I once again paired this with my beloved silver clutch bag. I added my trusty Kurt Geiger block heel sandals, which are super comfortable. They are the perfect shoe for when you just want to add that little bit of extra height. And you can still easily walk down the cobbled streets!

Outfit 4

I purchased this playsuit very last minute from Pull & Bear, with it being so cheap I wasn't expecting much, but ended up loving it. It is such a flattering wrap shape, and even though it was black I still felt nice and cool in it. It was perfect for wondering around Rome in. A new addition to my sunglass collection, are these Ray-Ban Aviators which I am slightly obsessed with. I love that they are a gunmetal frame, so you can get away with wearing them with silver or gold accessories. They may well replace my well-loved Topshop aviators!

Outfit 5

My final outfit is what I wore on the evening of my 21st Birthday. Of course it was a special occasion, so I had to wear a more special outfit. I found this dress particularly flattering because of the shape, I loved the tiered skirt. It's quite self-portrait inspired, but definitely a lot cheaper! I bought it from Pretty Little Thing, which is somewhere I don't generally shop. Looking at it, it appears pretty good quality. After wearing it, I realised the quality is definitely reflected in the price. When I put the dress on I wasn't sure the zip was even going to do up, it got stuck at the waist band which was very stressful! And after wearing it for several hours, the material started to rub around my neckline. It was a lovely looking dress, so if you believe that 'beauty is pain' then maybe you'll still consider it. My silver clutch made ANOTHER appearance, as well as my amazing silver heels. These heels were such a good price, and I can last hours in them, I would recommend them to anyone.

I hope you love all my outfits as much as I loved wearing them. For a short city break, I definitely wore quite a mixture. From casual to dressy, there was a little bit of everything!

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