READY FOR THE WEEKEND

What to wear when you clock off for the week? Dressing for downtime isn't easy - anything tailored looks too corporate and unless you're heading to the gym, a tracksuit looks too Kanye West.  My weekend wardrobe has been in need of some serious love of late; so last month I splashed out (oops) and invested in some casual essentials - my first pair of Vans, a pair of felt Converse high-tops and a new Saint James breton tee from Atterley Road. 

LFF EDITS: THE AW13 SALES

It’s the happy moment I have been waiting all December for (I’m not even joking); the sales have started! The key to navigating the a/w sales is to avoid seasonal styles and pick the product that will transcend the trends. Labels are always good to invest in if you have the budget – I can’t believe this J.W. Anderson sweater (no.1) has been reduced in the Matchesfashion sale – anything with his logo on will be a future classic. Look out for coats in the winter sales too; if 2014’s spring is anything like last year’s then heavy wool and cosy faux-fur styles will be good investments. One of the best high street sales belongs to Whistles. The brand designs lots of original pieces that will become timeless classics in your wardrobe. One such piece is this box-pleat leopard print skirt (no.2) - you can’t go wrong with a dash of animal print. Online Atterley Road’s sale is full of great deals – their stylish edit of classic brands makes for foolproof shopping. Have you snapped up any bargains in the sales yet? 

1. J.W Anderson logo sweat, Matchesfashion, was £235 now £164. 
2. Leopard box pleat skirt, Whistles, was £110 now £55. 
3. Rivington reversible chain pouch, Whistles, was £85 now £50. 
4. Part two coated jeans, Atterley Road, was £99 now £65. 
5. Large tear shape earrings, Dorothy Perkins, was £10 now £7. 
6. Opening Ceremony leather trainers, Matchesfashion, was £181 now £126. 

LFF TALKS STYLE CLASSICS

In attempt to de-clutter my minuscule London bedsit, I've been having a wardrobe detox. I've decided to be ruthless - giving away or selling clothes that I haven't worn in the past 6 months. Sorting through my wardrobe has made me realise that I acquire far too trend-driven pieces that don't stand the test of time, and how freeing it would be to only invest in timeless fashion. With that in mind - I've compiled the below edit of wear-forever buys: 

1. A classic breton tee: blue/navy colour combinations are best
2. Mid wash blue skinny jeans: a classic wash and cut

3. Anything grey marl: t-shirts, sweaters, converse - grey marl oozes effortless cool

4. Sequins: will the appeal of sequins ever date? I don't think so. The desire to dazzle is timeless 

5. Leopard print: a style classic, best when injected through accessories

6. Statement jewels: A bold statement necklace will always look chic

7. Converse: the ultimate off-duty shoe, it's their comfort factor that makes converse classic

1. Hope stripe top, Joules, £29.95.
2. Masaya mid-wash jeans, Whistles, £95. 
3. Petit Bateau grey marl sweater, Atterley Road, £70. 
4. Erdem floral & sequin skirt, Matchesfashion.com, £1,090.
5. Alana leopard print courts, Hobbs, £159. 
6. Pina vintage necklace, Cinderela B, £125.
7. Converse high-tops, ASOS, £50. 

ps. I forgot the black ballet pump definitely a style classic in the LFF world too!

Collaborative post

6 OF THE BEST: BRETON T-SHIRTS WITH A TWIST

LFF is of the opinion that a girl can never own enough Breton tees. The classic Breton top tends to feature a navy/white colour way combined with a three quarter sleeve, but there are plenty more options out there if you're looking to mix it up for SS13. I recently purchased a slouchy Topshop version (number 3.) and wore it this weekend to dress down my latest charity shop find: a leather Betty Barclay mini skirt that cost a bargain £5 (expect to see ALOT of it on here because I plan to wear it all summer!)

Whether you opt for a slouchy shape, a bright colour way or statement pocket style, there are plenty of ways to update your Breton look for summer. Here's the LFF edit of the six best styles available online now: 

1. Chinti & Parker striped organic cotton top, Net-a-porter.com, £80.

2. Yellow Broderie Breton top, Jaeger, £50.

3. Tall Breton stripe tee, Topshop, £16.

4. White and green stripe Broderie top, Awear, £16.

5. Hartford Tarquin anchor tee, Atterley Road, £39.

6. Petit Bateau Tuba striped top, Atterley Road, £45.

LFF SHOPS THE AW12 SALES

Forget the January sales, if you want to find the real bargains the time to head to the high street is now. Online there are plenty of sales to be taken advantage of too, with the Matches, my-wardrobe.com and ASOS sales in full swing. Another one to look out for is the Topshop sale, which without fail has started online on Christmas eve for the past few years. I've found that people don't catch on to this until boxing day, so I log on to Topshop website on Christmas eve every year to snap up the best bargains. Here's my pick of just some of the fab sale buys available right now:



1. Freda fuschia silk dress, Matches, was £375 now £187.

2. Minnie Mawi necklace by Disney Couture Little mini necklace, ASOS, was £50 now £30.

3. Farhi lambswool colour block sweater, Atterley Road, was £150 now £85.

4. Francis mirror sunglasses, Kurt Geiger, was £60 now £29.

5. Berry animal print jeans, Dorothy Perkins, was £30 now £17.

6. Joey glass earrings, Kurt Geiger, was £30 now £15.

7. Colourblock mohair jumper, Dorothy Perkins, was £32.00 now £17.00.

8. Metallic PU skirt, H&M, was £19.99 now £7.

9. Grey toe-cap pointed courts, H&M, was £24.99 now £10.

10. Yellow beanie hat, H&M, was £3.99 now £3.

11. Rose and rhinestone bracelet, Wallis, was £14.00 now £7.00.