Featuring blue.

Another day, another outfit to wear. Following a Primark haul I found a complete outfit that was perfect for a warm day in the land of Swansea. It was blue, bold and light and something I don't normally wear but like other fashion enthusiasts I like to experiment. Take a look below.

The shirt I wore was very light and short sleeved and let me show off my guns aka what my momma gave me. It featured a pelican and plant design on a blue background. With this I wore a pair of skinny light blue jeans and blue slip on shoes. Sensing a theme? Blue was the look I was going for. It's not my typical look as I normally like blue to be one of many colours in an outfit, not the only colour but the different varieties of blue worked well. The shirt pattern also added a bit of sparkle and who doesn't like sparkle?! Not me.

I wore this as a casual spring outfit and can't really see it as being anything more than that. It's suited for beach walks, shopping and a lunch date, but not really evening or formal wear but add some black skinny jeans and a pair of boots and maybe it could be.

Showing off some ankle in this outfit...cheeky.

 What I wore:

• Shirt - Primark, £7
• Jeans - Primark, £10
• Shoes - Primark - £12

Total cost: £29

What do you think of this outfit?

Liam

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Essential Daytime Spring Clothing

Another season, another set of fashion. With Spring just arrived it's time to dust off some of the old clothes we've not worn for the past year and think about new clothes to buy. But what is some spring 2017 staple wear?

An absolute classic, the bomber jacket is a must have for every spring season. Normally worn in autumn but not anymore as designers have made this overwear lighter for the spring and summer season. The bomber jacket can be worn with most outfits seeing as it offers a simple clean cut design and iconic collar and cuffs so is well worth investing in. A 90s favourite, this cool jacket is the ultimate casual wear.

Another timeless piece is the denim jacket which is great for spring as it's naturally light and works well with other denim pieces like jeans which are worn regularly by many of us. Like the bomber it works well as a daytime piece and offers great spring vibes with it's light blue colour, but smartens things up with it's distinctive buttons verse the zip design of a bomber. Definitely a keeper. Team it up with a pair of black skinnies and a shirt for a t-total look. From being worn by James Dean and Bruce Springsteen back in the day to now worn by the rich, poor, famous and working class the jacket suits everyone and offers universal appeal.

In contrast to the jackets, an orange long sleeve shirt is bold and daring but has been a trend of 2017. A great trend indeed, the orange shirt is certainly one to watch out for it's smart casual look. The silhouette is versatile and great for putting you in that great spring mood. Perfect for those summer evening when you have one too many ciders at the pub.

A different trend is stripe clothing. Unlike the orange shirt this trend has stuck around for the past few years and doesn't seem to be going anytime soon. In fact, every year there seems to be more and more stripe and nautical themed clothing appearing. A light stripe jumper is a must have in every man and woman's wardrobe this spring 2017. A little on the casual side in comparison to the orange shirt but nonetheless a dapper choice.

Similarly a camo t shirt is also casual and a great piece to have in the wardrobe. Unlike  the other trends, the camo trend died down over the past few years but seems to be making a comeback. Unlike the other clothing, people won't be able to see you in this (couldn't resist #corny).

Last but not least, a pair of Vans trainers. Who can say no to these? A staple for effortless casual wear. The old school trainers go well with nearly all outfits so you really can't go wrong. Black being the best colour for its versatility.

What do you think are spring staples for the wardrope?

Liam

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// Stripes //

Yesterday was the perfect day to go outside and shoot some outfit photos in the sun so I decided to work a black based stripe outfit for the special occasion. New to stripes, I was excited to work them as soon as possible as I never seem to wear this design, but yesterday I lost my stripe cherry.

Stripey giraffe socks well coordinated with my striper t shirt.

I love wearing stripes because they're so daring and eye catching. They standout as the centrepiece of any outfit by making a great focal point which is a great thing for all fashionistas. A new addition to my wardrope and possibly my favourite t shirt design.

This grunge look was fun to wear.

Even though I was aiming to wear a casual outfit yesterday the stripes seemed to smarten up the whole outfit which I was quite impressed by. Having said that, I think black and white alone can smarten up any outfit too. I could have smartened up even more by wearing chelsea boots or Doc Martens but as I said I was aiming to go casual.

If you look closely, there is a pocket on the left side of the t shirt which is an added bonus. 

This combination of clothing made a great look. Although not key spring colours, the choice of a long stipe t-shirt with black skinny jeans teamed up with all black old school Vans worked really well. It was a comfortable look perfect for a stroll in the park and any other casual event from a drink in the pub to casual restaurant wear.

 What I wore:

• Long t shirt - H&M, £20
• Jeans - Primark, £10 
• Shoes - Vans, £40

Total cost: £70

Are you a fan of stripes?

Liam

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Back to basics W/S Fashion

So this time I decided to go basic with what I wore *cough basic bitch cough*. It was an awkward day of being too cold not to wear layers and too hot to over layer, so I kept things minimal with only light overwear. I enjoy minimal effortless high street fashion so gave it a try and surprisingly liked it - not just because it kept me warm!

I rocked a knitwear feel green jumper with a knitwear grey long cardigan, finishing the look with some dark blue skinny jeans and black desert boots. I enjoyed how easy it was to pull this look together and it just proves fashion is as hard as you make it! This super basic look was perfect for the awkward period between winter and spring and was cheap, cheerful and easy to create.

When you put your leg up and suddenly look legless...

Some sort of vogue-esque pose?

I teamed up the jumper and cardigan together not because of warmth, but because they both had similar cotton materials so they meshed well together. Colour wise, I chose a green jumper since it was a murky day but also because I wanted some colour in this outfit. If the outfit had no colour I think it would be so basic that it was boring. I think the colour alongside the length of the cardigan makes the outfit pop ("outfit pop" - such a mum thing to say I know, guilty). Luckily the colours alongside the different materials and length of clothes jazzed up this basic outfit.

Sock game strong.

 What I wore:

• Jumper - George (Asda), £10
• Cardigan - Primark, £7
• Jeans - Primark, £10 
• Shoes - Primark, £16

Total cost: £43

What's your favourite basic outfit?

Liam
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Black & Cosy

With the weather a little gloomy and the days a little cold, I succumbed to wearing black layers (shame...N O T). Check out what I wore to keep me cosy and stylish.

*Thinking about pizza...

With black being a key winter fashion colour, I got out my dark clothes and faced yet another cold day. I layered up and got extra cosy in my black & white knitwear jumper; plain black shirt; black skinny-stretch jeans; black peacoat and; faux suede black chelsea boots. Did I mention how black I dressed this day?

I broke up this outfit with my over-sized staple knitwear jumper which kept me hella cosy. Cosiness aside though, I'm a massive fan of the detailed stitching on the jumper. It looks great and gave this outfit some extra character. The jumper was my main focus in creating this outfit. I chose to work the items around it rather than the other way around as it's the most eye catching item.

Besides very cosy jumpers, I also wore a shirt as my under-layer and a peacoat as my outer-layer. A massive fan of peacoats, this cotton number gave me that smart city boy vibe which was per-fecto! I also opted for skinny jeans to dress things down a little. I was looking for little ways to make this outfit a little more casual as most of my items were pretty smart, but it goes to show you can dress down any item no matter how smart it looks.

*Thinking about chocolate...

 What I wore:

• Shirt - H&M, £15
• Jumper - H&M, £30
• Jacket - Urban Outfitters, £69 (sale)
• Jeans - Primark, £10
• Shoes - H&M, £30

Total cost: £154

Keep cosy folks! And let me know if you're a fan of black outfits.

Liam
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Why Checked Shirts work

If you read my blog posts, you know checked shirts are my thing (I'm even wearing one as I type this blog post). My wardrobe is filled with them and I keep adding to the collection #NoRegrets. I honestly think they are great and here's why...

What is it about them?

They're the perfect pattern. Not too boring and not too bold; you can get away with wearing one at most social events and fit in looking the part. The style is simple and easy on the eye but that's exactly why they're so versatile for any occasion: formal, informal and everything in between.

They're easy to accessorise with your favourite daytime pair of jeans and cardigan, but you can style them up with a pair of black skinny jeans and a blazer for an evening outfit. That's the beauty of checked shirts: they're not set for one type of event or occasion. You create your outfit around the shirt, rather than the shirt defining the occasion for you.

The fact that they offer such a simple design makes certain that they won't clash with other clothes you wear on the same day - like a paisley shirt might do (for example ). Whatever you choose to wear, you're in safe hands knowing that this shirt can't mess up your outfit. Although one simple design they come in all sorts of colours and materials like polyester and cotton.

What do you think of checked shirts?

Liam
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Autumnal Tan

To start this week off, I dug out some of my favourite autumnal clothes and went with the theme of tan and autumn orange to match all the pretty autumn leaves. You can really feel the cold in the air now that we've left the beloved summer so it's time to start wrapping up (yay). Surprisingly we had some decent weather this week in little'ol Swansea so I wandered to the beach, but sadly there was no crunchy leaves there that I could go jump on (always going out of my way for the sake of a crunchy leave). Here's what I wore...

* Wannabe model

Perfectly sunny and ridiculously windy, I wanted something warm and comfortable as well as something smart to wear on Sunday - yes, you can have all three. I sported a quilted tan bomber jacket; a pale oversized autumn orange and creme cotton shirt (it was actually a 'female' shirt, but I had to buy it); dark blue stretch-skinny jeans; and, faux suede tanned chelsea boots. These aren't colours I normally get seduced by, but this outfit turned out to be a winner!

Deep black and white shot of course.

I showed the shirts arm cuffs underneath the jacket to give it a lil something extra.

The oversized shirt with it's extra big collar made a great statement and the jacket really pulled the whole outfit together whereas the shoes supported the outfit's colour pallet.

Purple sunglasses for the win.

I'm honestly obsessed with this shirt. The oversized and rich cotton design gives it a cozy level of 10, and the look is versatile enough for day or evening wear. It's probably not the best option for summer wear as it is ridiculously thick, but now it's a little chillier it's my go-to shirt. Plus it's checked and we all know I'm a sucker for that!

The shoes are also a new favourite of mine because of their smartness, but being a light colour I didn't think they would work well with dark blue denim jeans; I was proven wrong.

What I wore:

• Sunglasses (purple) - Flying Tiger Copenhagen, £4
• Shirt - Topshop label: Loving Youth (female wear), £15
• Jacket - H&M label: Divided, £30 
• Jeans - Boohoo, £20
• Shoes - Office label: Ask the Missus, £40

Total cost: £109

Do you like tan clothes too?

Liam
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Denim, Denim, Denim

Autumn might be my favourite season of all or as I like to call it, 'fat season'. It's the perfect time for everyone to eat more and bury themselves in layers of clothing to hide the 'evidence', or is that just me? It's also the best season to experiment with clothing, but sadly as it's only just arrived layers are minimal...for now. With that said, I started autumn off with a denim look; my denim jacket being a personal favourite.

Jacket collar up. Every. Single. Time.

Shirt buttoned up. Every. Single. Time.

For once in my life I didn't wear a checked shirt like you may have seen me wear in previous posts, instead I opted for a solid black shirt. A massive fan of black on black I teamed it up with a pair of simple black skinny jeans and black hi top Converse trainers. I completed the outfit with my blue denim jacket which added a splash of colour and kept me that little bit warmer.

A massive fan of rolling up jeans, I do exactly the same with my denim jackets as you can see. It make outfits nicely symmetrical and boy I like my symmetry, but it also adds a stylish 'rough around the edges' look that anyone can pull off.

This was a great smart casual outfit to wander the high street. Converse trainers and denim jackets make the perfect daytime combo, but the outfit could easily be smartened up for an evening by replacing the Converse trainers with desert boots or Chelsea boots. Everything else would be a-okay.

I like to show a little bit of sock; it gives outfits more variety. Plus why wouldn't you want to show them off? You've paid for them after all.

What I wore:

• Sunglasses - Flying Tiger Copenhagen, £4
• Shirt - H&M, £15
• Jacket - H&M (Divided), £15 (sale item)
• Jeans - Primark, £10
• Socks - Primark, £4
• Shoes - Converse from Amazon, £30.99 

Total cost: £78.99

Do you love denim on denim too?

Liam
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All black errythang

With autumn's arrival, we can all rejoice at the fact that it is now acceptable to start wearing black again - and lots of it. I'm especially happy considering 50% of my wardrobe is B L A C K. Anyone else? To celebrate this joyous occasion I went out for a few drinks with some friends recently and threw on one of my favourite shades of colour.

Terrible lighting aside, you can see I have a checked shirt on (shock horror) teamed up with some stretch-skinny ripped jeans and desert boots. All black, yes, but I broke up the outfit with a grey & black shirt which made it look less like I was going to a funeral and more like I was going out. The ripped jeans made this outfit a bit more bold, but it didn't look trashy as they were only minor rips, phew. I also wore my waterproof black bomber jacket to complete the look and kept my umbrella on hand too because the weather...well, don't get me started on that.

This was the perfect evening look and it kept me warm all night long. I love outfits that are black on black because it genuinely feels like you've really dressed up, but it's so effortless which is why I always go back for more.

What I wore:

• Coat - £40 from Topman, but no longer available. 
• Shirt - From Asos, but price unknown as it was a gift.
• Jeans - £32 from H&M
• Shoes - £40 from Burton

What's your favourite evening look?

Liam

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#OOTD

My outfit of the day was simple and cool, perfect for a summer night's walk down Swansea Bay after work.  When you need to unwind, the beach is the place to go. With my nearest beach being only a 15 minute walk away, I'm a very lucky man!

Smart-casual for when you want to dress down, but want to be 'ready' in case you bump into somebody you know or like.

When you want to look decent after a long day, but you really don't want to dress up BECAUSE it's been a long day the 'open shirt' look has got you covered. 

Unisex. Quick. Easy. 

I teamed up a green checked shirt, white top and a pair of light blue stretch-skinny jeans, then topped them off with some black skater style shoes and a pair of white sports socks.

Not normally a fan of green, but always a fan of checked shirts I gave into temptation and bought this item a while back - and I'm glad I did as it's my favourite (and only) green item. The pale colour gave me that summer look I was hoping to achieve; sported with a pair of light blue jeans it was an easy combo. I rolled up both the shirt and jeans as I do religiously with all my clothes as I feel it puts the smart into 'smart-casual'.

As for my shoes, they pretty much go with all my casual outfits as you would expect from any skater brand of shoes. Whenever any of my black shoes come out with me like the ones you see above, my white sports socks make an appearance too!  I love showing a bit of sock and I love the contrast in colours between black and white. Occasionally I wear black socks instead and roll them up so there's a bit of ankle on show. Cheeky.

What I wore today:

• Sunglasses - Flying Tiger Copenhagen, £4
• Shirt - H&M, £15
• T-shirt - Topman, £10
• Jeans - Topman, £30
• Socks - Flying Tiger Copenhagen, £2
• Shoes - Vans, £52 

Total cost: £113
*All items have lasted over a year. All good quality. *Shoes are not vegan as they were purchased at a time when I was not following this lifestyle. They have suede in them.

Are you a fan of the open shirt look too?

Liam
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Related links:

https://www.visitswanseabay.com/listings/swansea-bay-beach/