Motel Vintage

Hello my lovelies!

Sorry it'a been a while but i'm back to do a quick post about something that I'd personally call a big deal!

Motel, one of my favourite brands, has finally brought vintage clothing to their online store. I first discovered motel when I went to visit my sister at uni in Bristol in 2009 and fell in love with their original prints and bodycon dresses, as well as their vintage products. Their unique and individual pieces can create a stand out image and now you can jump into vintage re-worked items to complete that retro look.
Click here for the motel vintage range.


Other alternatives:

Urban Renewal

ASOS Marketplace (SALE!)

CHARITY SHOPS!

Finding Fashion

Today's post is about a couple of start up brands that I have come across through random Facebook connections and a good old Ebay search. New Valley Clothing and Hannah-Rose: Lingerie, Dance and Swimwear are two affordable fashion brands created by two talented and innovative young individuals. I love both of their designs so much that I had to be the first to write about them. Remember me when you're famous!

New Valley Clothing

James Smith is 19 years old from South England , with a knack for sketching, photography and graphic design. He has been making these NVC tees since September last year. He does not have an online store yet but follow NVC on Facebook for first-hand information about the process and store opening. I love the dip dye NVC tees so much and will be getting my own this holiday for sure.

 How it all started:
"It was seeing the potential of a logo I sketched out whilst doodling. At the time I was looking at a lot of typography and clothing and wishing I could do the same. In short, I just decided why not see how far I could get.

I don't want to sacrifice quality for production costs but I also don't want to sacrifice an affordable price because of quality. I'm not sure how difficult this will prove in months or years even to come but it's my hobby at the moment and what kind of hobby would it be if a little blood and sweat wasn't thrown into the mix so to speak."

Hannah-Rose: Lingerie, Dance and Swimwear

Hannah Briggs, 18, began making these pieces last year after a long-standing interest in sewing and design. You can follow Hannah-Rose's designs on Facebook and buy her classic velvet bikinis on Ebay.  Hannah-Rose's velvet bikinis are on my list too because it's something different and they're a great price, starting from only £10 for a set!

How it all started:

With the first bikini I made (below: right), I was literally rummaging through the fabric bins at my college. I loved the fabric and thought it would be a nice idea to make a simple bikini from it. I've been making them from then onwards.

Why high-waisted and velvet? 

I love high waisted things.

There isn't really any reason behind the whole velvet theme, I just think it's quite unusual, and it seemed to work very well.

Make sure to check out these guys, follow their pages and buy when you can because they're both pretty great, especially for the summer season. 

Peace x

Game of Thrones: High Street Edit

A recent TV addition of mine has been Game of Throne and, after watching the most recent episode of Game of Thrones, I decided I'd finally do a "TV style: High Street Edition", which will likely be a recurring feature on BrokeBB. 

There are so many things that I love about this show- the supernatural element, the drama, the characters, but mostly, the clothes! The embroidery and details shown on some of the costumes are incredible enough, not to mention the shape and structure. Below are a few costumes that I absolutely adore! The oriental-styled silk embroidery, luxury tones and plunge necklines mixed with the dramatic angles and armour-like metal elements project the perfect balance of sexy and strong.

Using metallic and brocade prints with cut-out details, the pieces below give that Game of Thrones vibe.

Above (left to right): 

ASOS (Petite) £14

Boohoo £20

Tobi £16

Left: ASOS Marketplace BLUE FLAMINGO £14.99 

(size 12)

Right: New Look £30

Below (left to right):

All of these belts are from Missguided

£6.99, £9.99, £9.99

And there you go! Game of Thrones: High Street Edition
Peace! x

P.S. If you're not already watching Game of Thrones.. you need to get on that!

Africa on the High St

Hello there!

So it's been a while since my last blog post due to the fact that I was in Nigeria for most of Easter and have exams now, but I thought I'd just do a quick post about a big trend for the festival season... TRIBAL.

 This African trend is everywhere at the moment and I wanted to share with you a few of my favourites both from the high street as well as customised and handmade pieces- thank God for ASOS Marketplace!

RIVER ISLAND

ETSY

ASOS MARKETPLACE

So stand out and be daring this summer, clashing prints with more prints at a festival, on the beach or on holiday.

Stay snazzy. Peace. x

Beyonce as Mrs. Carter in H&M

How many times have you looked at a picture or performance from international wonder, Beyonce, and thought I want to be her? Well now the average girl has the opportunity to get close to this dream. Yes, it's true! Beyonce is releasing a summer collection with H&M. The collection is expected to be available both online and in store from May.

With her Mrs.Carter world tour starting in April, appearing on the V Festival line up and even voice starring in an animation due to release this summer, 'Epic', Queen B seems to be everywhere at the moment, and I'm not complaining. I love this woman and almost died when I found out about her H&M collaboration a couple of days ago. The star personally contributed to pieces in the collection that will feature swimwear and beachwear. H&M's Creative Director, Donald Schneider described the campaign as a glamorous "epic fantasy"- It is the essence of both Beyonce and H&M this summer. Beyonce explains the concept of the collection as an exploration of women's emotions using the elements of earth, wind, water and fire as representations.

I think the best thing about H&M's designer and celebrity collaborations is that they are now moving from just being affordable fashion to affordable high fashion. The retailer is able to accommodate to the every day woman, providing ways for them to exude luxury fashion without the luxury prices.

Click here for more about Beyonce for H&M. Take a look at the trailer for Epic here and listen to Beyonce's new song, "Bow Down/I Been on", here.

Tell me your thoughts. Like follow and share :)

Lots of love
Peace xx

Impress For Less: Trend Alert SS13

It may not look or feel like it, but the season of spring is nigh and the weather will be changing. It's time to prepare your spring and summer wardrobe. After some serious and thorough research, I've noted the most common trends for the seasons of SS 2013 in order to give you all some tips on where to get a cheaper ticket for the trendy train.

5 TRENDS OF SS13

Welcome to the 60's

Get your mini skirts and hairspray out, groovy stripes and checks are here for the summer in both bright colours and classic monochrome with mix of 60's prints and cuts.

Floral Print- Sending positive vibes out since... well... a long time

Although floral print comes under the 60's trend, it is also seen on 70's boho clothing, bomber jackets, lace patterns and Hawaiian shirts.

Discover Asia

Think embroidery, kimono's and silk this season for this oriental trend.

Get Sporty

For the 'Sport Luxe' look think lots of white with hints of neon colours, stripes and futuristic cuts.

Suit Up!

Do it like a dude with this smart, androgynous trend of suits and ties.

Other Trends

Minimal- Simple, clean, elegant.

Crop Tops- Better start doing those daily sit-ups because it's gettin' cropped in here.

Power Women- Shoulder pads at the ready, the 80's style power woman is stepping onto the scene, stiletto's and all.

White- Shades on! This season is looking bright with white sweeping the catwalks.

Metallics- Jump into the future this spring/summer rocking futuristic metallic clothing


Get Shopping...

CHARITY SHOPS: Top 5 Best Buys

Hello again!

Today's post is going to be about one of my ultimate loves- charity shopping. In 2008, I began volunteering at Oxfam, this is when thrifting became a casual thing for me and my love for it grew stronger each day. Now, I'd probably say about 70% of my wardrobe is second hand and most of that collection has been gathered from hunting through the depths of charity shops. So I wanted to share with you my top 5 items based on things like what I've had the longest, got the most wear out of and what I pretty much just live in. If you know me, you'll probably recognize most of these items.

I genuinely can't put them in an order of what I like most, a mother can't pick between her children, so in no particular order...

1) My beautiful fur coat

Bernardo's: £6.50

I got this Astraka coat after a summer working at Bernardo's just before going to uni. It's so warm and the quality of the faux fur is great- No moulting and no clumping! I have to say that the best thing about a fur coat is that you could just be in a t-shirt and leggings and still  look effortlessly classy.

2) My oversized leather jacket

Farleigh Hospice: £15

This grungy, leather bomber jacket is the best way to add an edge to any outfit and I love that even though it's starting to get a bit shabby, I can still get away with wearing it because that's just the look.

3) My classic scarf

Oxfam: £2.99

 

This baroque print scarf was probably one of the first things I bought from a charity shop. Even with the pattern, it seems to go with everything. Great way to add a bit of colour to an outfit.

4) My trusted denim shirt

Oxfam: £3.99

Like the scarf, this shirt has been in the family for a long time. A denim shirt is a definite necessity, you can wear them as a jacket through the summer and under a jacket through the winter whilst still carrying off a casual vintage look. It provides comfort and style all year round.

5) My cute dungarees

YMCA: £6

These washed denim dungarees actually still had a tag on them from Rokit when I bought them, which is one of my favourite vintage stores on Brick Lane. Originally the dungarees were trousers instead of shorts but, with them being about 4 sizes too big, I genuinely looked like I was a child in their parents clothing so that had to go.  Oversized dungarees are great for the perfect 90's child look.