Yesterday, the gorgeous Hayleigh and I headed into Manchester for a lovely day of sunshine, cups of tea and lots of photo-taking. We were sat in a cute little coffee shop, discussing work etc etc. when we grazed over the topic of 'style'.

Now, it's safe to say my style has gone through some phases over the years. Back in 2007/8, I used to have a BIG thing for neon and slogan t-shirts, then 2010 hit and it was all about pearl necklaces and big swooping fringes, in 2014 I collected tea dresses and desperately wanted to be Alexa Chung and along came 2015, which is when I began blogging, and fashion blogging at that.

With blogging, my style grew and my knowledge of putting an outfit together began to expand. I absolutely loved minimalism to begin with. I was inspired by scandi-style and the idea of 'less is more' and had the most over-exposed, simplistic Instagram feed you'd ever seen. Then I began to push the boat out a bit more - I gradually started to add a little more colour into my looks. I particularly went through a phase with pastel pink. I couldn't get enough of it!






COAT - CHARITY SHOP // EARRINGS - PRIMARK // SHOES - TOPSHOP

By the beginning of 2016, I was heading to London Fashion Week with my bright red coat and statement earrings, and couldn't believe I'd been isolating colour from my wardrobe for so long.

In 2017, the colour obsession grew and I was donning clashing patterns and each bright shade of every colour I could find... but even then, after discovering this whole new world of fashion, I just didn't necessarily feel like me.

You see, I'm incredibly influenced by other bloggers and creatives. If I see someone wearing something and think it looks cool, I'll give it a go. However, I think I'd got my head stuck on this certain idea of wanting to be 'exactly' as cool and stylish as other people, and had lost sense of myself within that.






2018 came to a close, and I just really wasn't sure who I was dressing for anymore. I couldn't grasp whether I truly liked what I was wearing, or more like, if I really liked it on me.

I realised I was dressing more for the idea of what I thought people wanted to see. I thought people would be uninterested with my looks if they were to change from the constant bold red lip and miscellaneous fashion, and worried that spending time to discover that sense-of-self in my outfits again, would push people away.

Regardless, I knew I'd lost my passion for what I was wearing and that had to change. So, I went to Instagram and looked through all of the content that was inspiring me, that I had saved, that I had verbally said 'WOW' at and even spent time scrolling through Tumblr and flicking through old magazines to see what was making my eyes light up.






It's safe to say, almost 3 months in 2019, I'm so much happier with my style now. I've found a vibe that makes me feel powerful, classic and professional, and most importantly, completely like myself.

I feel like I've taken inspiration from each period of my blogging life: a little bit of minimalism, soft colours, statement earrings, and, of course, the bold red lip is here to stay. It's like I've managed to piece it all together and find something that works for me and makes me feel good.

And, that's what I think is important. Style should make you feel good - give you a sense of self. Your style reflects you as an individual, shows off your creativity and is a little peak into the kind of things that inspire you.

Taking a step back and realising I was no longer dressing for myself, or creating for myself, was the best thing I did. Now, I look at my outfits and feel motivated by my own looks and love what I'm creating, and it's wonderful.