Style Diary: What I Wore for Brunch at The Ned

On Saturday I went for brunch at The Ned to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I was determined to wear a dress to change things up a bit, but this very much ended up being the look I went for. The top and the jeans are both from Topshop and this particular pair of jeans I wear A LOT, they are one of my absolute favourite pairs. The top, however, is new and has been sat in my wardrobe unworn for nearly a month now as just not really found a reason to wear it. My rule of thumb these days is, if it sits in my wardrobe for twenty eight days without being worn then I clearly have no need for it and will return it. On Thursday I very nearly returned it! Thank god I never!

This top ended up being my saviour on Saturday as the dress I had in mind I just didn’t feel great it. This top has the exact silhouette and cut that really works for me, a v-neck, cinched at the waist and accentuated sleeves. The v-neck helps give the illusion of a smaller bust, the accentuated sleeves give the appearance of a smaller waistline and the cinched waist, whilst slimming at the waist also helps accentuate those curves. You really can’t ask for more from a top can you?! I almost returned it because although I love a silky satin top, the colour is pretty bold and bright and I always like to keep a relatively laid back vibe, even when I am dressed up.

Although many might argue that this top isn’t particularly dressy, for someone who lives in t-shirts and blazers, this top is certainly one of the dressier ones in my wardrobe.

To give myself that more laid back effortless feel that I wanted, I went for a washed black jean with a raw hem – raw hems always help to add a little effortless coolness to a look – and completed the look with white woven slingbacks and a pearl bag. These helped to add that bit more interest to the look by offering up some variety in texture. Pearls always feel special, whether they are real or faux, Chanel or just plain old high street. Pearls are a massive spring summer 19 trend, however pearls are timeless and I have a feeling this bag will stand the test of time even beyond the trend. It’s vintage feel really helps to make this bag appear a lot more expensive than it actually is. I opted for this bag as it’s probably one of the more dressy bags I own now and it was a must for keeping this look on the dressier side.

This overall look is giving me lots of vintage 80s vibes and wait till you see the jacket I styled with it – coming in another blog post soon – 80s vintage vibes eat your heart out!