Amsterdam

Hi everyone. This is my very first blog and post so please bare with me :).

I thought I would start by telling you all about a recent trip I have been on to AMSTERDAM, and the interesting things I saw when I was there. Obviously including my outfits, fashion inspiration and style tips. 

I travelled to Amsterdam in December so it was absolutely FREEZING! Therefore some of the outfits I had planned to wear had to be adapted slightly so I could keep warm. I am a pretty organised girl, so whenever I am packing for a holiday I like to plan my outfits so I never get caught out with nothing to wear. 

Outfits

Here's a sneaky peek at one of my daytime outfits...

I wore a high-low floral chiffon dress from Zara, which is great to be worn in the evening when dressed up with heels or in the day with casual layers as I did. 
I teamed the cute dress with a thick ribbed wrap around scarf and a black cropped fisherman's jumper from TopShop. 

I threw on my 2012/13 winter essential which is my Blue Valley leather jacket with western style fringing, which was a great find on ASOS. 
It has the look of a vintage leather jacket but the fitted shape of a modern leather jacket, so is much more flattering. 

On the bottom half I wore some black wooly tights from Primark (perfect for essentials), some cute glittery socks with a frill from TopShop and my black flatform chelsea boots from Urban Outfitters, which seem to go with everything in my wardrobe. 

The only items of visible jewellery that I wore were a simple double triangular spike chain necklace which was also from Urban Outfitters, and a chunky silver ring which I found in a market in India. 
I had my nails painted a deep purple shade with glitter drip tips, which fits in really well with the science/space trend.   

I carried a black leather rucksack with silver studs (Urban Outfitters again). I am loving the rucksack trend, so comfortable and perfect for city breaks like this one. 

Dressy option- 

Black leather belt with silver buckle- Charity shop

Black leather ankle boots with cut out wedge heel and metal toe cap- Office

Here's one of the outfits I wore int he evening, consisting of a long floaty and a bright yellow tweed jacket from ZARA. This jacket was pretty pricey, but as soon as I saw it I had to have it!! 

I love this acidic tone of yellow that is in at the moment. 

Tweed is very on trend this winter so the fact that I could combine this divine yellow with tweed was ideal. 

Bold hues are a great way to lift and brighten up your winter wardrobe, especially when the weather is so dull! Don't be afraid to use them!

Black leather belt with silver buckle- Charity shop

Cross hoop earrings and spike ring- TopShop

Trend Inspiration

As a fashion student I have to keep up to date with fashion forecasts. Heres a few of the things that inspired my outfit choices... 

WGSN

WGSN stated that a macro trend for spring/summer 2013 will be 'Idiomatic' which celebrates the uniqueness of regional cultures... it is influenced by the Natives and Arizona (suede/leather fringing and tassels- my leather jacket) and traditional fabrics and patterns (Tweed from western Europe- my yellow jacket).

Trade Fairs

• S/S 13- Première Vision full report-  Energetic yarns: vibrant fancy tweeds alongside decorative yarns, Summer tweeds: focus on surface texture with loose and open structures and lightweight handles
• S/S 13: Pitti Immagine Filati full report-  Micro surface neps, slubs and bouclettes are formed from lively yarn surfaces

  
  

  

  Tweed with slubs to create a rough texture like my yellow jacket

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Designers on the catwalk

  
  

Valentino- Autumn/Winter 2012/13
Romantic and gothic sheer fabrics

Dolce & Gabanna - Autumn/Winter 2012/13
Winter Florals

Alberta Ferretti - Autumn/Winter 2012/13
Shiny Black Leather

Street Style

Metallic rucksack

Loose comfy knits over dresses

Gothic cross embellished knit

Acid yellow as a bold colour to brighten up a winter outfit. 

Thick knits in creative patterns

Travel- Amsterdam

Before I travelled to Amsterdam I had read about a local cafe called Cafe Brecht. The reviews were great, so I had to pay the place a visit. 
The cafe was a bit off the beaten track so there were no tourists in there which is my ideal situation, even though of course I was a tourist myself. The place is quite dark, but has cute little freestanding lamps throughout which give a really cosy feel, and a mix of vintage armchairs and sofas to curl up on with a glass gluhwein (mulled wine), or a pot of one of their herbal teas served with an adorable matching cup and saucer (I love things like that). 

I think the two things I liked most about this cute little cafe were the fact that they had a great selection of board games to play whilst you chilled out with your friends and also the fact that every time I went in there there was a local playing the piano (they were not hired to do this, I think it was just a way for them to relax). 
I managed to take a cheeky video of one of the pieces being played one afternoon... 

I have absolutely fallen in love with Amsterdam and the way the people live. The canals, the antique shops, the galleries, the vintage clothing shops, the cute cafes that also serve booze, and how everyone cycles everywhere. 
Here are a few of my favourite photographs from the trip. 

Thanks for reading my blog. Sorry it was a bit of a long one, Amsterdam was pretty hectic. I hope you liked it.

D x