motel | Vanity Claire

ClaireAugust 4, 2014

Outfit of the Day: Sports Luxe

Top: Brave Soul via ASOS / Shorts: Motel Rocks / Sandals: Primark

Hey there lads and lasses! So I have to say that sports luxe is a trend I never really felt brave enough to attempt, feeling that my take on joggers and heels would look less ‘fashion’ and more ‘confused chav’ (which is basically what I am, but we must try to hide this from the world). However, I think with this outfit I’ve sort of managed the varsity-inspired smart/casual blend that has been intriguing me for a couple of seasons now.

I’m in love with this Brave Soul top that I picked up in the ASOS sale a couple of weeks ago. You can’t see too well in the photos but it’s actually a perforated jersey so has that authentic sports vibe, but the cropped fit keeps it from being too masculine (which is a good thing considering I have shoulders broad enough to take on any American footballer). I also like the fact that the print isn’t a varsity number or anything too sporty, as I think that’s a leeeeedle bit done and dusted now.

To add the smarter edge to the outfit I paired the top with these beautiful embossed white shorts from Motel. I got these as part of a co-ord, but they’re so versatile I’ll get plenty of wear out of them on their own. I can’t track them down on the website any longer which is a DARN shame, but they still have the black version here and they’re currently in the sale for £15 so GO MONKEYS, GO.

Of course my Primark sandals also had to be worn. Legend says that I’m actually incapable of wearing any other shoes at the moment…

What do you all think of this outfit?

ClaireJuly 27, 2014

July 2014 Haul: ASOS, Missguided & Primark

Do you ever have one of those months where you check your bank balance and actually consider alerting the authorities because you’re convinced SOMEONE must have swiped your card and gone on a spending spree? I did. As always though, I then looked in my wardrobe and realised that yes, a lunatic had indeed been on shopping spree… but that lunatic was me.

Non, je ne regrette rien.

Floral Shift Dress: River Island via ASOS / Sunflower Print Smock Dress: Motel Rocks*

I’ve been loving the ASOS sale this month, and this River Island dress was one of the beauties I picked up for my summer wardrobe for the mere price of £17 (down from £32). It comes quite long on me, so that teamed with the three-quarter sleeves and loose shift fit means that this is officially my new ‘grown up’ dress. Work meeting? I’ll wear this dress. Family meal? I’ll wear this dress. Want me to hang out with your nan? I’ll wear this dress (incidentally if anyone does want me to hang out with their nan then I genuinely will; I don’t have any grandparents left and really long for someone to do crosswords and bitch about young people with. Will bring my own Victoria sponge).

I was also lucky enough to WIN this beaut Motel dress last month from Yahoo Lifestyle‘s Twitter account, which I was super happy with. I don’t have the best luck with babydoll/smock dresses, but this one fits really nicely and isn’t as swampy as many that have come before it.

Layered Cami & Beach Cover Up: both Primark

I popped into Primark for some ‘holiday bits’ (yep that old excuse) recently and had to pick up this coral cami. I have the same style in a floral/jungle print and I absolutely love the way it sits so couldn’t resist this version too. For only £6 it’s fantastico value for money. I also found this crochet, tassled vest top which is perfect as a beach cover up (actually something holiday-related, huzzah!). This was only £10 and they also did it in black, so I’m considering sneaking back for that one before my holiday on Tuesday. Because… well, why wouldn’t you?!

I also picked up these 3 pairs of shoesies from Primark. Both of the sandals were £4 I believe, and the nude heels were a crazy good £13.

Watermelon Crop: New Look /Tropical Print Crop: Missguided

Like it or not, watermelons are sexy now thanks to Beyoncé. Fruit print is all over the joint this S/S so I couldn’t say no to this little crop tee in New Look, especially as it was a mere £5.99. As it’s summer, my crop top game is of course on, so this little palm print beauty also found its way into a recent Missguided order. It’s scuba material, obviously (rumour has it everything is made from scuba material at Missguided, even the staplers and the staff), so has a really nice, flattering fit.

The same Missguided order saw me pick up this scuba frill crop top and scuba midi skirt, which I featured in this recent pastel OOTD so I won’t waffle on about them anymore (on a side note, mmmm waffles).

Crop Tee: Brave Soul via ASOS /Floral Sweat: Pull&Bear via ASOS

ANOTHER trip to the ASOS sale saw me pick up these 2 sale babies. I like the Brave Soul top because of its exceptionally subtle nod towards wealth (nobody will ever know that I was only able to fill my petrol tank halfway because I was so broke before payday, shhhh) and the Pull&Bear one will be lovely as we head into slightly chillier months. These were £10 and £6 respectively.

Bardot Body: Motel Rocks via ASOS

And the final purchase of the ASOS sale, and the month, was this Motel body which was £25 down to £12. Surely the sheer amount of bargains I acquired this month make this all totally acceptable, right? And if we think about the amount of money I’ve saved in the sales then, er, this is all basically free. Ah, the warped logic of a lunatic/blogger.

What do you all think of this haul? And what have you been buying lately?

ClaireMay 2, 2014

How To Wear SS14 The Holographic Trend

I love shiny things. In fact, things that involve glitter, metallic delightfulness or just a bit of shine makes me infinitely happy. I’m of the opinion that pretty much every girl feels the same too (and if not, why not you lunatic?). So, giving thanks to the fashion gods and so on and so forth, we have the holographic trend to keep our magpie tendancies in check.

But lets be honest, wearing a load of shiny silver material isn’t the most flattering thing (unless you are Kendal Jenner for example) and it is potentially really the most difficult trend ever. While I would like to wear a holographic dress, I’m pretty sure a tiny size 12 disco ball lumbering toward people would both alarm and distress the general public. In fact, I’m pretty sure David Cameron would deport me back to the motherland.

With that in mind, here are some easy options for incoporating the holographic trend into your wardrobe. And while the easiest way would be to whack a holographic bag or pair of shoes onto your outfit, there are actually loads of different holographic things you can put on your body to feel awesome.

If you’re keen, Topshop also have some holographic nail wraps, which I forgot to put on this collage but they look SUUUUPER AWESOME.

So my dear shiny friends, I hope that these have inspired you to become a beautiful disco ball. Claire and I both agree that we would give up our first born children for those Jeffery Campbells, without question. They are incredible.

It’s actually quite hard to put shiny things with anything other than black, but I recently wore my holographic bag with a bright orange dress…so I think the key is to be brave and just embrace the wildness. If you want to be a disco ball, just be a disco ball. PREACH.

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ClaireFebruary 11, 2014

Outfit of the Day: Motel Rocks & Kurt Geiger

Playsuit: Motel Rocks / Heels: Kurt Geiger / Bag: Primark / Necklace: Primark

Greetings one and all. At the weekend Lauren and I finally got off our butts (or ‘botties’ as Lauren would say – vom) and went to finally visit one of our best friends from uni who lives in the lovely ole’ town of St Ives, Cambridge. We headed out into Cambridge for many a Long Island Ice Tea, and this is what I put on my body to do so.

I loved this Motel playsuit, but unfortunately it was a little big for me so looking back I’m not that sure about it. One thing I’m always sure about though is the beauty of my Kurt Geiger heels, which were actually a Christmas present a couple of years ago from an ex boyfriend (the shoes outlived the romance, alas). The platform makes me almost average height in them (success) and I love love LOVE the Dalmatian print as it’s a bit different from the usual leopard – plus it allows me to stomp around feeling like Cruella DeVille.

What do you all think?

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ClaireJanuary 28, 2014

Outfit of the Day: Motel Cropped Alphabet Jumper

Jumper: Motel Rocks / Jeggings: Topshop / Boots: Boohoo / Chain: eBay / Satchel: Primark

First of all, I’m so sorry for the amount of belly button there is in this post. At least I’ve got an innie, hey?

Moving on…

I’m in love with my new cropped jumper from Motel, which I actually managed to acquire from eBay for the magical price of 99p NEW WITHOUT TAGS. Which might be code for “I’ve actually worn this a few times but I’m a sneaky snake and will pretend I haven’t”, but I don’t really care to be quite honest. 99p!

I’m also in sartorial love with my new satchel from Primark, which I’ve had my beady eyes on for a while. White might not be the most practical choice but I think it’ll be especially nice during summer to freshen up an outfit.

What do y’all think?

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ClaireJanuary 27, 2014

A Week in Instagram #6

Oh hey, didn’t see you there.

Here we are again. It’s monday and everyone’s feeling a bit tragic. Do you know what will make you feel approximately a million times better? Yes, that’s right. Looking at little pictures of Claire and I going about our daily lives. Don’t ask me why, I don’t make the rules.

1. Here is Claire standing in front of her mirror and taking some snaps of herself (I know, what’s she like?!). Anyone else have pervert dress love with this bad boy? I do, and it’s only £5 from Primark. That delightful satchel is £9. Some might say Claire is the Primark Whisperer.

2. It turns out that I might also be the Primark Whisperer – I went on a bit of a spree on Saturday and got this beautiful red/orange skort. I also invested (for about £1, you have to speculate to accumulate, am I right?!) in some frilly socks in an array of colours, these adorable sandals and other miscellaneous items.

3. Speaking of splurging on payday stuff, Claire and I went to Boots in our lunch break on Friday and decided that it was high time we just spent a load of money and bought fun things. There were a few bargains to be had, but we were definitely most excited about the Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm. We bought ours in matte, but there were stain and gloss options too. Prepare yourselves for the review, because these beauties are excellent and top notch.

4. We like quotes now.

5. Hi there, Ron Weasley here. I’m officially a ginger haired wench and I love it.

6. Claire gave Cocoa Brown Tan a whirl – it develops in one hour and she loves it. Read her full review here, you know you want to.

7. Here is a sneaky peek of Claire’s décolletage, but more importantly her fabulous Asos mirror skirt that is wonderfully stunning.

8. Want to know how I achieved going from black to ginger in about 3 days? Here’s how. I loved the L’oreal product in particular, it smells like magic and wonderment. The bleach took a bit of getting used to though!

9. My dear friend, colleague and Ebay wizard Claire got this Motel cropped jumper for 99p. You can’t even get 99p ice creams for 99p these days. You’ve got to be impressed with that!

10. Oh, what’s that Lauren? You went and bought useless stuff from Primark? Are you mad? No. That is my hobby these days. So obvs, I bought a top with neon cats on it and some nude pumps.

11. Here is Claire and her head. She’s wearing an excellent Glamorous fluffy jumper that she got at The Clothes Show. Fun fact, she took this photo in our kitchen at work.

12. Did I say that we liked quotes now?

So everyone, I hope your Mondays get over and done with as soon as possible. If it makes you feel any better, Beyonce is also having a Monday somewhere too. If you want to check us out on Instagram, please do! We’re @StylingoUK and we like to post pictures of clothes and bits of makeup. We also shamelessly take selfies and contort ourselves to get the perfect pics of our shoes. That is just how life goes.

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ClaireOctober 13, 2013

Outfit of the Day: Motel Bardot Dress

I look like I’m about to topple over in this picture. I have no idea why I thought the Leaning Tower of Pisa was an appropriate inspiration for a pose, but it happened so we all need to deal with it.

Dress: Motel Rocks | Shoes: eBay | Rings: New Look & Primark | Bag: Forever 21 | Lipstick: Sleek ‘Cherry’

This was what I wore out for my 23rd birthday last weekend. As I was pretending to be sophisticated I made everyone go out for a meal first, so chose a skater dress so I would have the freedom to wolf down carbs. And wolf I did – oh lasagne, men will come and go but you will always be my one true love.

And you, eBay shoes, shall always be my second. Mwah.

What do you all think of this outfit? Have you bought anything from Motel recently? Or visited the Pisa? Anyone?

ClaireOctober 4, 2013

Motel Rocks New Arrivals for Autumn/Winter.

Hola amigos!

First up, I would like to say a HUGEY happy birthday to everyone’s favourite white haired bafoon. Claire has turned the ripe old age of 23 and we are now discussing which care home to put her in after a weekend of partying, eating carbs and feasting on cake.

We’ve also made the executive decision to join the Motel Rocks Street Team, partly because we love a project but also because we both are big fans of Motel and love any excuse to persuade our pals into spending their hard earned dollar on threads. We are sorry guys, but everyone knows that new clothes makes you feel like a really fancy lady.

In my most recent Motel browsing, I have genuinely broken out in cold sweats over how beautiful their new arrivals for autumn/winter are. I mean seriously guys. I have been well and truly ready to whip off my pantaloons and run around my house in delight. I didn’t do that, thankfully, partly because I think Claire would disown me and also because my neighbours would probably call the police. But apart from pantaloon whipping, I have felt it necessary to share some of my favourites from Motel’s new collection so you too can feel the overwhelming delight that they bring. Disclaimer: if you fall off your chair with excitement, I take no responsibility for any bruises or embarrassment caused.

These are just a few of my current favourites, but CAN YOU SEE HOW PERFECT FOR AUTUMN/WINTER THEY ARE? I love the way they’ve styled everything and there is such an awesome 90s vibe with all the new arrivals. I don’t know about y’all, but whenever I’ve had a night out that I literally can’t figure out what to wear, Motel has saved the day. I can definitely see this happening a lot this winter. I thoroughly recommend check out what they have on offer, team fbloggers. You will not be disappointed.

If you’re suffering from the shopping bug right this moment (I know I am, LEAVE ME ALONE SHOPPING BUG, you pesky twit), you can get 20% off with the discount code Stylingo. Don’t say we don’t treat you! 😉

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ClaireJuly 8, 2013

Outfit of the Day: Neon Crop & Motel Rocks Skirt

Crop top – Primark / Maxi Skirt – Motel Rocks / Wedges – Primark

It’s so boring when all English people do is go on about the weather. With that in mind, COR HOW NICE IS THIS WEATHER? I hope you all had a lovely weekend basking in the sun. It was absolutely gorgeous here in Costa Del Coventry, so what did I do? I spent my Saturday asleep on the sofa for three hours, then went shopping and to the gym. No, I don’t know why either.

This outfit isn’t even from this weekend, I’m such a fraud. This is actually what I wore last weekend for my sister’s friend’s birthday party. As you can see, it’s a pretty out-there choice for me. A crop top and maxi skirt!? Move over Lady Gaga, there’s a new creative genius in town.

ClaireJune 29, 2013

June Haul: Primark, Topshop, Motel & eBay

ALOHA, SLUTS. This week, two big events coincided – one, payday; two, A Terrible Week. When these two things meet, a lot of shopping ends up happening, and that is why all of these new clothes are currently sitting in my room. I won’t depress you all with the details of A Terrible Week, but it goes without saying that cocktails and friends have made things significantly better.These new little purchases have helped too….

Printed trousers and midi dress – both Primark

Of course, I had to venture to Primark in my time of need. I’ve been after these trousers for a couple of months now, and finally got round to buying them. I do think that a pair of ridiculous trousers can really brighten not only your day, but the days of everyone around you. These are really comfy and the elasticated waist came in SUPER handy yesterday when I accidentally had a pie and chips for lunch instead of a salad (how does that sort of thing always happen? It’s a mystery).

I also finally picked up one of the Primark midi dresses. As I’ve no doubt whinged about before, being petite means that finding a midi is a challenge and most of the ones I’ve tried on in places like Primark have looked awful. To be honest, this one didn’t look great on in the changing room – despite getting a size 6, the slouchy fit still just looked TOO slouchy and shapeless, and I’m just not sure if they suit little people. So why did I buy it still? That’s a really good question, and I wish I knew the answer. I think I want to try it on with some wedges and a belt and see if it can be salvaged – if not, it is farewell, midi.

I picked up a few other bits from Primark, including a new purse, a belt, some socks and a makeup bag – unfortunately at the time we went to press (ie now) all of these items were strewn around various parts of my house and not available for photographing.

Jeggings – Topshop £22

This might be a really odd thing to say but these are actually my first pair of jeggings. Ever. I’ve never found any before that suited me or that I liked and, to be honest, I thought they were kind of gone now. But I saw these in Topshop and decided to try them on because I liked the pale denim. And IT WAS LOVE. They fit beautifully and are perfect for the summer. So please can nobody ruin my joy by telling me how sooo 2010 they are (even if they are).

Cropped blazer – eBay

I actually already have this blazer in black and in white. I’m usually not a fan of stocking up in this way, but I actually can’t resist with this item. I love blazers but really struggle to find ones that don’t swamp my small frame and make me look about seven feet wide due to unnecessary shoulder pads. These cropped waterfall blazers from a run-of-the-mill eBay shop are actually the perfect length, and come in at around a tenner including p&p – so of course I couldn’t resist adding this minty one to my collection.

Tube skirt: Motel £10

When I spied this bad boy in the sale, I couldn’t say no. It’s described on the website as being ‘a maxi or a midi depending on your height’; on me it is definitely a maxi, but quite an ankle-grazing one, which is quite nice. It’s actually a thick, knitted material which I wasn’t really expecting (because I don’t read descriptions, mainly), but I’m happy with it as I’ll get loads of wear out of it into the winter too.

Dip-dye dress – Topshop via eBay

This shouldn’t really be included in the haul seeing as it’s not a ‘new’ item as such – I actually swooped in and won this on eBay for a victorious £3. It was brand new without tags so quite the bargain.

What do you all think of this haul? Have you bought any of these items lately?