San Juan Photo Diary

So I'm currently living it up in sunny San Juan in Puerto Rico! Ok, so I'm not actually on holiday, but it sure feels like it at the moment. I'm actually here for a diving competition (Puerto Rico Grand Prix) and unfortunately there won't be much tanning happening. Even so, I took these photos from my hotel on one of the occasions I made it outside for some quiet relaxation. It's on the water, plus it has its own private beach. I laid on a day bed for a little bit but then naturally migrated to one of the very welcoming hammocks. It was so peaceful lying there in a bikini and sunglasses, closing my eyes and forgetting about everything for a brief period of time. This is my first time to Puerto Rico and it really is amazing. I'd love to come back here for a holiday someday but for the moment I wish I never had to leave!

Split Back Sweater

BB Dakota sweater (similar here) | Motel skirt (similar here) | Jessica Buurman sandals | 10 Bells bag | Dogeared necklace | Zara bracelet

The cold weather has finally started to set in and there's just something about pulling on a cosy knit that's deeply comforting. I love sweaters because they can be thrown on with anything from shorts and jeans to skirts and dresses. A good quality knit is always a good idea in winter. Apart from being available in a variety of different colours, I never noticed much variation in them though until I clapped eyes on this amazing split back one. As Fat Amy from Pitch Perfect would say, "Reserved at the front, but...party in the back!" I've paired it with a cute little skirt and sandals for a relaxed transeasonal look. 

Get my look:

                Guess                                         Noisy May                                                Wish                                                 Ladakh    

                       Cloth                                            Angel Biba                                   New Look                                     House of Cannon

On Wednesday's We Wear Pink

Alexander Wang bag | Asos heels | Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 camera | Pixie Market croptop | Red Valentino skirt | Dior lipstick | Miss Selfridge coat | Versace perfume

All things pink on this wonderful Wednesday! Pastel pink is the most perfect colour and my absolute favourite shade to wear at the moment. I wish I could throw everything pink on together all at once! I guess I'll just have to daydream about it in the meantime.

Tips & Trends: Well Balanced

I'm loving that comfort has been propelled to the forefront of fashion this season. Flats are bigger than ever at the moment and sneakers are my favourite. While I love Nikes for training and exercising, New Balance has my heart when it comes to casual chic. I do love my heels but as I get older (and go out less and less) I don't mind ditching them every now and then in favour of shoes that agree with my feet. Plus they come in every colour of the rainbow!

These are some of my favs.

Hype DC

How to wear your NBs this season: 

With anything and everything; namely jeans, pants, dresses or skirts. If you're worried about wearing these without looking like you've tried too hard, or just not sure how to incorporate them into an outfit, start by colour matching. This is actually quite simple. The key is to choose a colour (such as blue, pink or orange) from your sneakers and match it to something else in your outfit. This could be a blue scarf, an orange bag or pink nail polish for example. But the most important thing is to embrace the fact that flats are in, so everybody can look good while feeling comfortable. Sneakers are fun and who doesn't love neon, so the good news is that these sneakers could potentially clash with anything and still look great. 

Get the look: these bloggers show us how to kill it in kicks.

MBFWA Outfit Inspiration

MBFWA is here and there's nothing I love more than checking out Sydney's amazing streetstyle. Constantly seeing photos of Fashion Week in my Instagram feed makes me wish I could be there though. Truth of the matter is, the only way I'll experience Fashion Week is vicariously through Instagram. So here's some outfit inspiration I've prepared in the meantime. If I was going to Fashion Week, these are the sorts of outfits I'd like to wear and how I'd incorporate some of my favourite trends at the moment. 

MBFWA LOOK #1 - Lace + print clashing

My first look includes a lace hem cami, which is a great way to dress up a simple black top. Lace detailing is always a good idea and this season's trends dictate that wearing lace trim tops outside of the bedroom is a-ok. I've also clashed this monochrome printed skirt with the leopard print in the heels. I then took the signature red sole of the Louboutins and matched it to the crossbody bag and perfume too. Gold tones complete the look with the addition of a dainty necklace and an ornate bangle. 

Wildfox Couture sunglasses | Topshop cami | Vanessa Mooney necklace | Kate Spade New York bag | Tiffany bracelet | Chanel cream | Dior mascara | Marc Jacobs perfume | Fausto Puglisi skirt | Christian Louboutin pumps

MBFWA LOOK #2 - Cool blues

One of my favourite trends at the moment is the colour blue. I really love this soft blue and as you can see there are a number of ways to incorporate it into an outfit. Pleats are cute and feminine and this pleated cropped top goes perfectly with a high waisted skirt or would be great with high wasted jeans too. Stripes are a timeless staple, so why not add a striped denim skirt to the look? As this style is quite casual and relaxed, the sneakers are an ideal match, again adding blue tones to the outfit. To tie it all together I've included a black floppy hat and a fun pineapple bag, which add different shapes and textures to keep the look easygoing and interesting. 

Finesse earrings | Lipsy necklace | Alexander Wang top | Miss Selfridge hat | Vince Camuto watch | Charlotte Olympia bag | Versace perfume | Alice + Olivia skirt | New Balance sneakers

MBFWA LOOK #3 - Brights + lasercut booties

I love this ultra feminine outfit so much. I'm a real girly girl so bright colours and floral prints are where it's at for me. These love heart lasercut booties are adorable too and complete the girlish look. Pink and blue hues are really popular at the moment so this mix of colour is the perfect way to brighten up an Autumn day. 

Topshop crop top | gold necklace | Marc by Marc Jacobs ring | MICHAEL Michael Kors bag | Chanel eyeshadow | Revlon lipstick | Giorgio Armani mascara | Peter Pilotto skirt | Alice + Olivia booties | Dior perfume

MBFWA LOOK #4 - Pale pinks

Here's another overly feminine look, this time using pale pinks instead of brights. Blush hues are everywhere at the moment, so styling with soft colours is a great way to stay on trend. I've always loved pastels so this is my ideal kind of casual outfit. Pale pink is an easy way to incorporate colour into an everyday look without it looking too over the top. Hello girl power!(Insert winky face and blow kiss while striking ubercute pose). 

Marc Jacobs earrings | Afends cropped tee | Coach key ring | Essie nail polish | Nars eyeliner | Nars lipgloss | Nasty Gal booties | Topshop skort | leather cuff | Moschino pouch

Bare Essentials

Being an athlete, I love workout wear, especially in bright neon colours. I used to shop religiously at Lorna Jane, but over the past year I've gradually converted to my new favourite brand Running Bare. While Lorna Jane still takes the cake for staple tights, Running Bare is the cream of the crop when it comes to crop tops. Something about wearing happy, colourful workout wear makes me so excited to get up and go training!

Check out these amazing crop tops.

Running Bare crop tops

Secret Thrills (@secret__thrills) on Instagram: Just a few of my shenanigans in my favourite Running Bare clothes!

Printed

Forever New dress (similar here and here) | Giuseppe Zanotti heels (similar here) | Forever New bag | Coach bangle | Dogeared rings

As you've seen, most of my looks tend to be either casual or dressed up. I don't work (as I'm a full time athlete and study part time), so I don't own many clothes that could be considered 'work attire'. But if I did, this is probably along the lines of how I'd dress. Forever New have some great dresses at the moment in prints similar to this one that are perfect if you're trying to steer away from black in your work wardrobe. They're relaxed and colourful, yet still professional for the workplace. Just be sure to wear simple accessories so you don't overdo it! 

Dresses like this are also perfect for daytime occasions that require getting more dressed up than usual. I wore this to a baptism and also to an event where I was a guest speaker. You can't really go wrong with a nice printed dress. While black is great and works for most of us, there is nothing wrong with injecting a bit of colour every now and then to keep things bright and interesting.

Get my look:

Forever New printed dresses

Oh Hey There April

Tiffany earrings | Topshop hat | Nars duo eyeshadow | Forever New coat | Current/Elliott jeans | Stuart Weitzman boots | Valentino bag 

Winter Inspiration

Some of my favourite bloggers strutting their stuff...