H&M STUDIO COLLECTION A/W 2014

Well I am back to the blog after taking a little over a week off following the death of my Grandad; if I had continued my heart would not have been in it and I didn't want to churn out some rubbish because I felt I had to. His funeral was yesterday and it was really touching to see that he meant so much to so many people.

So now that I am back, I couldn't think of a better place to start than with my high street favourite, H&M. This week the Swedish brand had an amazing catwalk show to show off their Autumn/Winter 2014 studio collection, which attracted the attention of many a celebrity beauty, with the likes of Jessica Alba, Miranda Kerr and Solange Knowles, sitting in the front row. Those of us not lucky enough to get an invite could watch the show anyway, via a live stream thanks to the miracle of the internet.

The show at Paris Fashion Week, held inside the gorgeous Grand Palais, was an absolute triumph, with each piece being as desirable as the last. H&M's head of design, Ann-Sofie Johannson explained the collection: “We had a lot of different influences when we started. We though about something sporty, something a bit more rock and roll, something bohemian. In the end it came back to how does a girl want to dress for the coming season, what does she want to have? We looked at early Kate Moss from the 90’s, we had Charlotte Gainsbourg there. She always had that little bit of a tomboy feel. We also thought about club girls running to and from the club in their little slip dresses with a heavy coat or top.”

I just can't wait for Winter to come around once again, check out some of my favourite looks.

If you want to see the whole collection, you can watch the video below...it is worth it.

 

What is your favourite piece from the collection? And make sure you tell all your loved ones you love them this weekend, you certainly wont regret that.

Gems x

GEMMA SEWS DON'T YOU KNOW - PART 2

As I am still quite the novice at sewing, I do find it quite difficult to figure out what I am doing with patterns -I have two lovely Vogue patterns from Sew Direct that I haven't even opened because I know they are beyond my skills at the moment. So when I found a book that had a bunch of on-trend sewing projects that didn't require patterns, I snapped it up.

So the first thing I decided to make was this little tunic dress out of a fabulous tie dye fabric and some contrasting bias binding to tidy up the seam on the neckline. All you had to do was to draw around a men's t-shirt on your fabric and cut it out twice and stitch it together with some elastic through the middle to create some shape. I also decided to roll up the sleeves and stitch to give it a neater look.

 

 

What do you guys think, did I do good?

Gems x

FUR AND FLOWERS

Not real fur of course, before the animal activists out there hunt me down with their buckets of red paint, I hate it as much as you do. It's my most favourite jacket ever, this faux fur beauty from next that my sister bought me for Christmas. It isn't as bulky as a lot of the fluffy lovelies out there, which is great for my small frame, but it does have just enough bulk on it to give the pea head effect...I have a laughably small head!

Then again if I had a normal size head on my tiny frame, I'd be a lollipop head to rival that of Nicole Richie...seriously Nicole have a pie or something. This dress is my new favourite dress, so I'm looking for any excuse to wear it - I was just going for my hair cut, but wanted to put it on because I love the colour and print so much. It is by a brand called Ribbon, stocked in one of my fave high street stores, Bank.

Faux Fur Coat, Next - Similar Here
Neon Flower Dress - Ribbon @ Bank - Same Here
Boots - New Look - Similar Here

Does anyone else have body issues like my pea head problem?

Gems x

ULTIMATE AND REALISTIC - VALENTINES SPECIAL

You can't get moved in the shops without being bombarded with romantic paraphernalia - tat that people wouldn't usually give a second look are bought by the bucket load, in the hope of impressing that special someone. Anyone who knows me, will be aware that I don't buy into that romantic nonsense - I can often be heard making a retching sound when there is anything slightly soppy on TV.

Don't get me wrong, I will send the boyfriend nice text messages, but him little treats and give him a nice head scratch on the sofa. I certainly don't wait until February the 14th to do something nice, I try to do it all year round. Our idea of romance is telling each other 'I love you' in a Scooby Doo voice, it makes me laugh and it says so much about our relationship - we spend so much time together and it is effortless and fun, but there is something deeper there, no matter how hard we try to hide it under jokes.

So for this Valentine's Day, as we are both self-employed, we are going to treat ourselves to the day off and enjoy a long weekend enjoying each others company. I might even get the sewing machine out and make myself something as a little gift to myself.

Still if I did like to celebrate Valentine's Day, I know I would want to get all dressed up, but not in anything red, girly or featuring the world's most disgusting print...the heart print! So here is an ultimate and realistic Valentine's Day look for the not to girly girl...

Ultimate:  Deco City Tunic, Clover Canyon - £359; Pigalle Spikes 100 Leather Pumps, Christian Louboutin - £845; Loubiposh Spiked Patent Leather Clutch, Christian Louboutin - £595; Leather Blazer, Band of Outsiders - £1,175.
Total: £2,974

Realistic:  Black Abstract Print Shift Dress, River Island - £50; Mint Green Patent Platform Courts, New Look - £22.99; Coast Envelope Clutch, Debenhams - £35; Single Breast Jacket, H&M - £24.99.
Total: £132.98

I can't deny that I am a bit of a fan of Christian Louboutin and that the Band of Outsiders leather blazer does not rock my world, but how good a match is the River Island dress? They have some amazing mirror and kaleidoscope prints in at the minute that will be so on trend for spring. I am loving tunic shapes right now too, specially with the t-shirt sleeve...drool!

What is currently on your 'money is no object' list?

Gems x

IS THAT BOB?

 Firstly, I want to say thank you for some of the great comments left on my previous post about the real woman debate. I'm not sure if I will ever really feel like a woman as opposed to a girl, there has just been too much negativity toward skinny women too. But, I think I may be able to accept myself as who I am - if only dogs like bones, then I will jut get a dog, or two.

So back to normal business. After over three years of growing my hair out of a super short pixie cut, and then a further 6 months of keeping it long for my sisters wedding, I have finally went for the chop and had a bob cut in. My hair now looks thicker and super healthy, but it really is going to take some getting used too. It isn't styled to it's best in the pictures thanks to wind and rain, but it gives an idea of how it looks.

What I do like about it is that, even though it is short, it can be styled in a number of different ways. I also bought some new real clip-in hair extensions, so if I feel like having long hair for the day, I can. I'm in snuggly mode with my outfit choice for a Saturday night in with plenty of food and movies...living the dream.

Fisherman Jumper, Matalan - Similar Here
Maxi Drss, H&M - Similar Here.

Have any of you guys went for a dramatic change to your look recently?

Gems x

REAL WOMAN?

This week I have been thinking a lot about the real woman debate. When a woman has curves she tend to be defined as a 'real woman', so what does that make a woman like me, someone who has the curves of a chopstick. Although I have a fairly rounded bum, that really didn't develop until my twenties, when I got lazy. Until then I had a very small boyish frame, and even now that I am 30, i feel more like a girl than a woman.

I understand that modern media does seem to set a lot of unattainable ideals of beauty onto young girls and that is not fair. But, is it equally fair to deem someone like me who has a small frame a 'twig', in a way, isn't that just as harmful, I would love to have curves, but it something that it an unrealistic idea of beauty for me to attain.

I'm sure plenty of people will be rolling their eyes and saying 'Oh it must be so hard for you' in their most sarcastic of tones, but when your being told left right and center that your not a real woman and that 'bones are for dogs', it can give you a negative body image if you are naturally thin. Thin or curvy, should not be the criteria for what defines a real woman...I'm just as real as you...I think!

Coat, @Republic from USC - Same Here.
Scarf, Next - Similar Here.
Satchel, Next - Similar Here.
Boots, New Look - Similar Here

Waterfall Shirt, H&M - Similar HereLeather Look Trousers, H&M - Similar Here.
T-Shirt, ASOS - Same Here.
Ring, DYO Fabulous Jewellery - Same Here.

I would really love to hear what you guys think of the real woman debate?

Gems x

AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

Thank god it is the weekend, it's been quite a busy week this week and I still have some work to do but on the weekend I don't feel guilty about doing it in my pajamas in a prone position on the sofa. regular tea and nap breaks are also the norm. I would like to have the weekend off, but by pocket is still recovering from the vicious beating it took over Christmas.

I found this old set of pictures on my computer and have not idea why it hasn't featured in an outfit post before, because it is one of my favourites. It has inspired me not to further wound my pocket and not spend money on any more clothing for at least a month (February is a short one after all). I realise I have plenty of gorgeous things in my wardrobe that I barely wear, including this cutie pie dress. In fact I have over two dozen dresses crammed in there....bad Gemma!

Skater Dress, H&M - Similar Here.
White Shirt, H&M - Similar Here.
Biker Jacket, Matalan - Similar Here.

 

Who else will be chillin' like a villain this weekend?

Gems x