For lunch we popped into the trusty Packet Station. Taryn went for a double chicken burger and I had a burrito- it may not be the most attractive meal but it was very tasty!
We then headed to the Fish Factory for the vintage fair and also explored the furniture warehouse nearby.

 It's been well over a year since my last DIY, so I think it's about time I showed you a little something new to make. The lack of craft posts is mainly due to the stress of A levels, which have now vanished and left me with a lovely long summer holiday- plenty of time to get creating again. DIY posts are actually my most popular type of post for views, so do let me know in the comments section if you have anything you'd like me to share!
I hadn't really thought of making my own underwear before, but recently I've been feeling inspired by The Great British Sewing Bee to get back to sewing and also try making a bra.
Making your own lingerie can be a bit intimidating because lace and elastic can be quite fiddly- especially pairing the two together. However, it was my first time tackling both and they weren't nearly as scary as I thought! Underwear can be so pretty yet so expensive (I can't justify the price tag on the beautiful For Love and Lemons pieces unfortunately) and making your own can be very cheap and fun! You can also adapt the pattern to fit by laying the paper pattern over a bra you already have and adjusting accordingly.

I found the tutorial for this bralette on A Pair and a Spare and she explains really well, including photos as you're going along. Here's the link if you're interested in making your own- http://apairandasparediy.com/2015/02/diy-lace-bralette.html.
I'm planning to make another one and film the process so let me know if this is something you'd be interested in!

Something a little different today! I noticed that I haven't done a style post for quite come time, so decided it was about time to write a new one- just in time for summer parties, weddings and occasions. Spring and summer styles are my favourite because I prefer all of the colours and airy fabrics on offer- anything made from chiffon or lace has my vote! I hope you enjoy reading my advice and what I'm loving this season, let me know in the comments section what you're enjoying wearing at the moment too!

Topshop dress / New Look shoes / Glam Cham handbags purse / Nadri earrings / Sterling silver ring

Statement dresses are the perfect starting point for a wedding outfit (or any occasion for that matter) and I particularly love this lavender lace one from Topshop. Lace is one of my favourite fabric for parties, but I'd always advise to pick a colour theme are go with that- no white lace dresses to steal the bride's attention! Whilst the little black dress is timeless, I like to go for bright colours and patterns just to be a little different- especially in the summer.  With a dress like this simple silver jewellery goes well, along with peach or nude accessories because the dress stands out by itself already! One of my top tips here is to make sure the shoes you pick fit well and are comfy- there's nothing worse than getting sore feet halfway through an event and putting a dampener on the day. Islington Waiscoat / Rope and Anchor Cufflinks / Islington Suit Jacket / Chambray Bow Tie / Navy Pink Spot Braces And for him... a classic quality suit will always look timeless. A slim fitting blue waistcoat over a white shirt is a good starting point. Here I've included some quirky accessories like this chambray bow tie and the spotty braces if you're not into waistcoats, or fancy something a little lighter weight for an outside wedding.  I think summer is the perfect time to experiment with new colours and prints, so even with suits you could try paisley pocket squares, ties or cravats. T.M. Lewin also have a big selection of cufflinks to finish off your outfit- including handcrafted initial cufflinks which would make an excellent gift! Small details like these are a great way to finish off your outfit! Are you going to any weddings or parties this summer? What will you wear? Emma xo

 First up was a Wimbledon inspired scene, featuring crisp whites and classic tailoring styled with bursts of bright yellow. Garments here were from Marks and Spencer. Can we just take a minute to appreciate this tennis ball headband too? Unfortunately, not available to buy from M&S (but it would be easy enough to make your own, if statement hair pieces are your kind of thing!)
 So this next one was probably my favourite scene overall. Anything set to the Great British Bake Off theme music is an automatic winner in my eyes. It was full of dainty floral prints, breezy chiffon, as well as even more fantastic hair adornments. Fashion here from Hobbs, menswear from Moss Bros and accessories from Accessorize.
 Another of my other favourite scenes was called 'Folk Romantics', styled around the idea of a casual summer wedding. There were some gorgeous lace dressed from Jack Wills, and I love how they were complimented by trailing ivy, brown sandals and polaroid photos as a backdrop. One of the things I really enjoy about Bristol Fashion Week is how happy the models look being on the catwalk! There is also a variety of body shapes and ages, including children, who also look like they're having a lot of fun!
 Mark Heyes also did a model makeover for Helen. This Coast dip hem skirt and beaded top looked very dramatic, and you could see how confident she felt- and quite rightly so, she looked amazing!

And that concludes my round-up of the catwalk show. I hope you've enjoyed seeing the new styles in the shops at the moment, and what to look forward to for summer!

Emma xo

After my previous very Autumnal post, I'm going to show you the complete opposite! Now although here in the UK we're heading towards the chillier months of the year, over in Australia and Southern Hemisphere it is springtime, going into summer. So when Whim Magazine launched an Etsy shop a few weeks ago, including a stunning first lookbook, I couldn't help but share a few of the photos with you. As much as I love Autumn, I always miss the lazy days of summer, and Melanie the editor as captured them so well in these hazy, pastel infused photos- I hope you'll enjoy them!
Frequent readers here will know how much I love independent brands, and Whim Vintage is no exception! There is a growing array of dresses, all with a whimsical style and featuring pretty fabrics with florals and lace. They are all hand selected and pre-loved (but still in great condition) meaning that you are helping to give clothes a new lease of life and reduce clothing on landfill- and I'm sure you'll agree that none of these gorgeous dresses deserve to end up as waste! Not only this, but a portion of all sales are donated to charities, so what's not to love? You can shop the Whim Vintage collection in Etsy here, see the full lookbook here,  or follow @whimvintage on Instagram for plenty of pretty inspirations and behind-the-scenes.
 
Photographs: Melanie Doncas, Model: Sinead from Neon Model Managment, HMUA: Kat Quinn 

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Bristol Fashion Week, held in the Mall Cribbs Causeway and presented by Denise Van Outen and Mark Heyes. With my blogger pass clipped on, I attempted to look as professional as possible, as this is the first big fashion event I've attended to photograph! It was all a little bit surreal- when we were lining up outside the show a couple of people asked to take my photo which was really flattering, but I couldn't help feeling a little camera shy (hence the wallflower bit of my blog name!).  I wore my maxi cardigan, burgundy hat and velvet skirt, green top, knee high socks and heeled boots- if you'd like to see what all the other bloggers were wearing as well, pop over to The Mall's Facebook page here to see the street style snaps.

On arrival we were greeted by a rainbow of mocktails, juices and popcorn at the bar, plus a little eye-candy display of The Great Gatsby style outfits to gaze at whilst we were waiting for the catwalk to begin. Classic tailoring, faux furs and black evening wear made plenty of appearances throughout the evening- brilliant for all of you vintage lovers out there!

Above: High Shine scene with fashions by John Lewis, accessories by Accessorize and designer sunglasses from Sunglass Hut.

Above: Just an Illusion with Fashion from Oasis and Menswear from River Island.

Above: Heritage Update with fashions from New Look, Faux fur coat by Hobbs, Children's fashion from River Island and Sunglasses from Vision Express.

Anyone who knows me well will know I'm a complete magpie for sparkly things, so seeing the next dress from Phase Eight was just amazing- it was so elegant and shimmery it could easily have been from Elie Saab. The photo really doesn't do the dress  justice because when the lights got brighter it also had some bottle green and blue tones, which were completely beautiful.
Classic mens tailoring is a definite go-to this season, so there were lots of dapper styles on the catwalk, ranging from suits and ties to quilted coats, brogues and hats. Frank Sinatra would approve, and so do I!

Mens tailoring provided by Topman, Animal, River Island, Marks and Spencer, Austin Reed, Crew and Moss Bros.

I hope you've enjoyed my snippet of the catwalk and the new high street collections, which ones are your favourites?