OOTD: High Street, High end mix and match. And Pokemon Hunting

High Street and High end. 

I thought I would do a bit of an outfity post, as I think I would really like my blog to go that way. I love fashion and when you find the magic store, Mango in this case, I literally just want to buy all of it and tell everyone else to buy all of it. I find that Mango, and also Zara, offer some amazing pieces that look like they cost a bit, but actually don't. To me that is the magic formula, as I love finding things that look high end but are actually very reasonably priced. I'm also on a bit of a student budget so high end is pretty much out of the question at the moment. But I can dream!

As I am in Norway, I was almost embarrassingly excited to find a Mango store in one of the shopping malls outside of Bergen. And they had a sale on, so I looked like a kid catching rare Pokemon these days! I wondered (sprinted) in, and I will show you a couple of the pieces I purchased. I also mixed in some already owned pieces that are high end, to show how you can mix and match to create a more versatile wardrobe.

As with these outfit orientated posts, the whole point is to get some good modely shots right? And I see so many other bloggers post amazing pictures that give me blogger envy! But I warn you I'm starting out, and when we shot these I was running to hide from passers by. Until I figured out I could become a master of disguise and pretend to play Pokemon! It was like pose, Pokemon, pose, Pokemon.

Moving on, I will show you how I styled my purchases and share some tips that I have picked up when I go for more high end purchases. Although most of them might seem common sense, I'm sharing anyway, so read on!

For products featured within images please see corresponding links. 
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So first up, I found this camel blazer. I'm having a bit of a blazer craze at the moment. I'm sure this stems from my jacket/ coat obsession, but I'm pretty sure the Balmain blazers have sparked this. I already have a black Reiss double breasted blazer, but obviously I needed a camel one too! So I saw this one in the Mango sale, and I was completely sold on it. The fabric is of good quality and doesn't look as cheap as it was at all! The fit is also perfect, and I feel it is a really good length for me as I am short, but I think it would also be a good length even if you were taller. I think I would also style this with perhaps some camel trousers, a laced camisole and some black stilettos for a more evening look. But you can throw this on over jeans and a shirt to smarten up a casual outfit.  

After the blazer, I saw this pink shirt. I have loads of white satin button down shirts, but I'd never thought of adding anything in this colour to my wardrobe. I'm one of those safe neutral girls! But I've recently seen that this sort of pink crops up a lot in the Gucci collections, so I guess that's what drew me to it. Shirts are also very versatile. You can wear them casually or smart, so I feel this was a good addition to my wardrobe. And as I said, I'm a naturals fan, so I already own a lot that this colour will go with. 

As for the style, it is pretty basic, the colour is the real feature here, but the sleeves have buttoned tabs so you can either wear them down or roll them up. The fabric is also nice, with a slight metallic finish to it. 

I paired these pieces with some basic white jeans, that I already owned, as it was summer. I'm sure many people have white jeans in their wardrobe, and if you don't, you need some. Go check out Mango, now!

So as for the other pieces I wore, I added my black Prada slipper pumps, my Mulberry Lily bag and a simple necklace from a local (Norwegian) designer that was gifted to me for my birthday. I will not be able to find links to the specific products, excluding the lily bag, as they are either from past seasons or a unique piece. I will however include some similar pieces and I will feature them over on my shop page.

Shoes (Prada, similar here.) Mulberry Lily bag here. FOSS (Necklace designer) here. 

When I take a plunge and decide it's time for a designer purchase, I always make sure I go for something I am confident I can get the wear out of. Cost per wear being low makes me feel better about blowing a small fortune. So therefore it is wise to choose something that 1. you are 100% sure you like, 2. you know it will go with most of your wardrobe, and 3. it is wearable. By wearable I mean comfortable. There is no point in spending lots on something you don't wear because it is either difficult to match up or too uncomfortable. 

Another really important thing is that it is of good quality and you are not just paying for some crappy made bag just for the label. I find Mulberry are really good for making sure that their products will not wear out quickly. My lily bag is also grainy leather. I have other bags that aren't and I find that no matter how careful I am, smooth leather always gets scuffed or scratched. By opting for something with a texture to it, scratches don't show up as easily which keeps you product looking in good condition for longer. 

Products

Mango Double Breasted Blazer

Mango Pink Pocket Shirt

Mulberry Lily Bag

Prada Pumps

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you want to share any of your favourite stores, write them in the comments.

Until next time,

Melanie x