How to Pick Stylish but Comfy Outfits for the Office

If you've been reading my year abroad posts recently, you'll know I've recently started an internship and it's actually my first office job. I love the office I work at but one thing I've noticed is that my usual tight fitting jeans just aren't suitable for hours spent at a desk. As I result I'm now putting together a capsule wardrobe of comfortable - but also stylish - work clothes and here are some of the websites I've been turning to for inspiration.

1. Zara is always my first point of call for new clothes and I love a few pieces from their newest collection. Loose dresses like this blue tie waist one and white A Line design are always great to wear with leggings for ultimate comfort. The colours are also very spring appropriate!

Zara, Topshop and Primark Workwear Haul

If you've read my Berlin Diaries post or 10 things I wish I knew before starting a Year Abroad, you might know I've recently started an internship in Berlin and after my first week I decided it was time to treat myself to a few new clothes to wear at the office. Luckily the dress code is quite casual so I can have a bit of fun experimenting with my outfits. Usually I'll wear jeans and a nice top with either a black cardigan or a blazer. I'm trying to build a capsule wardrobe so it's important that I stick to colours that complement each other (without being boring). As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of stripes and pastel colours and I'm so happy that these trends are starting to make their way into the highstreet shops. Spring fashion and makeup definitely suits me more and I can't wait until I can stop wearing jumpers and start wearing bright spring makeup. 

Valentine's Day Fashion Picks

It's almost February which means it's time to start talking about Valentine's Day, whether you're planning a romantic date, a fun day out or are chilling with the girls. Whatever you end up doing, I always find it fun to dress up and have an excuse to wear a bold red lip. Today's post is a collection of items I've found on the UK High Street that would be perfect to channel your inner Audrey or Marilyn this Valentine's Day. Just don't forget Ruby Woo or Russian Red! 

The A/W Edit

The month of September marks many things: the end of summer, going back to school and colder weather. But looking on the bright side, it also means it's time to get those coats out of storage and start talking Autumn Winter fashion! Last year I wrote a post called 'A/W Essentials' - side-note my blog is now one year old! - and I thought it was time to publish a revised post showing a collection of my favourite pieces and trends for A/W 2015. Unfortunately I won't be buying these particular items as I'm moving abroad to Germany next month with limited luggage (I already own quite a few clothes) but I'll be certainly be doing some shopping while I'm out there - watch this space!

1. The Furry Coat

The stylish way to walk from A to B. This beautiful Miss Selfridge pale blue pea coat is the perfect foundation for any A/W wardrobe. It will go with everything!

2. The Statement Coat

Though a more difficult print to work with, Topshop's cord floral coat will certainly turn heads and look amazing with the classic autumnal colours such as burgundy, grey and maroon. 

3. The Shift Dress

I spotted this little beauty of a dress in Miss Selfridge yesterday and fell in love, especially when I found out it's only £39. Snap it up before it's sold out. 

4. The Floral Skirt 

Party season is coming up and how cute would this gold floral jacquard skirt by River Island look with a black lace cami top. Someone send me this to Germany please?

5. The Kooky Tee

River Island never fails to impress me with their pretty T-shirts and this one is no exception. It's not too dissimilar to the one I posted about last year; eyelashes are a recurring theme here which might explain my obsession with Lulu Guiness...

6. The 'Go-with-everything' Blazer

I recently bought one of these waterfall blazers from New Look in a grey floral print; they're flattering, lightweight and affordable. What's not to love?

7. The Pretty Blouse

Finally, a white blouse is a staple piece for any wardrobe and I love the collar on this Zara long-sleeved lace top. Dressed up or down, you really can't go wrong. 

What's on your fashion wish list for Autumn Winter?

xxx

Venice Lookbook

After the success of my Rome Lookbook back in April, I'm excited to share my Venice Lookbook today after a gorgeous two weeks holidaying with my family. Combining my love of fashion with some beautiful Italian backdrops has been a dream and I hope you like some of the looks I've put together. I'm considering putting together a blog post about my time in Venice, Verona and the Italian ski resort Cortina so if this is something you'd enjoy reading, feel free to leave a comment or tweet me at @modernaudreyh. 

#1 

Miss Selfridge Dress

A classic Venice backdrop on one of the many bridges over the Grand Canal, here I'm wearing a Miss Selfridge jacquard boycon dress which is also featured in my Post-Exam Fashion Haul. This dress is one of the comfiest items of clothing I own and stylish enough for any summer getaway - it's a win-win. 

#2

I confess I'm not actually in Venice here, it's Verona. More specifically, I'm at the Verona opera house which is reminiscent of the Colloseum structure-wise but not quite as big. I'll include more photos of this in a future post but I'd thoroughly recommend a visit. The top and skirt are both Zara (part of my Rome Haul) and my bag is a new addition from a cute Italian chain called DANNI. 

#3

Topshop White Shorts

Topshop Black Drape Front Blouse

Always a monochrome fan, I'm obsessed by this shirt and shorts combo and it looks fab with a tan. Add a simple necklace, wedges and you have yourself a classic summer drinks look. Snap up these beauties while they're still in stock!

#4

You might recognize this pretty H&M slogan T-Shirt from my Rome Lookbook but here I've swapped my black Joni jeans for my blue scalloped shorts from Topshop to add a fresh summer feel. 

#5

River Island Logo T-shirt

Pretty sweet view of the mountains, am I right? I'll be posting about our visit to Cortina and the Dolomite mountains very soon. Getting back to the fashion side of things, I chose to wear a graphic River Island tee (which is now in the sale - go, go) and some simple striped denim shorts. 

#6

Finally this nude pink Topshop dress with corset-style detailing on the sides is my favourite summer outfit to make a fashion statement. The skater-style shape is flattering, ladylike and easy to wear. All you need is a simple black bag to complete the Audrey-esque ensemble. 

I hope you enjoyed my lookbook, it was so much fun to make. To keep up to date with all my posts, my bloglovin link is here - The Modern Audrey. I also recently found out I hit 500 followers so thank you very much!

Have you ever been to Venice or is it on your travel wish-list?  

xxx

Rome Haul - Zara, L'Occitane, Tiger

Bonjourno! I hope you're having a lovely Tuesday - sadly I'm back from Rome and have the post-holiday blues. On the plus side, I have a mini fashion and beauty haul to share with you today. I've also written up a holiday lookbook and travel diary which will be coming up in the next week. As you might expect, the shopping in Rome is quite spectacular; the Zara store near the Trevi fountain simply blew me away - four floors! We were only in the city for a few days, meaning most of the time was spent exploring the breathtaking monuments and soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine but here are a few gems I managed to find in the time I wasn't trying to be cultured. 

Starting with the clothes, I've been looking for a lemon yellow skirt on the UK High Street for a few months with no previous luck. Spotting this one straight away, I was in love! It was 39.99 EUR and you can find it on the Zara UK site for £35.99, making it ever so slightly cheaper to buy it abroad. It will be featuring in my upcoming Rome lookbook where I styled it with a casual tee, leggings and boots. It's such a versatile piece that you can dress up or down. The monochrome flowy top can also be found on the Zara UK website and I feel that it would be flattering for a variety of body shapes. I'll be wearing mine with my black Joni Jeans and bright spring skirts. At 24.99 EUR I was sold. I'd love to see it in other colours too.

Moving onto my mini L'Occitane haul, I bought another Shea Butter lip balm as I'd lost my old one. I had brought another lip balm with me, but this one is more of an intense treatment to use before bed. Before I paid at the till, I was convinced to buy this mini hand cream trio for 5 EUR and shared them with my family. Finally, we visited the Tiger store on one of the Roman backstreets. Visiting the chain for the first time, I loved the quirky concept and I was impressed by the reasonable prices. This teal ticket holder was a bargain at 3 EUR. 

Oh, and the postcard was a must. I may not be as fabulous as Princess Anne, but I had a truly wonderful Roman Holiday. Have you ever been to Rome?

xxx

Spring Wardrobe Update and Style Staples

My wardrobe has been due a spring update for a while and I've found some gorgeous pieces on the UK High Street recently that I wanted to share with you all! It all started with this beautiful cobalt blazer which I bought in the Oasis Leeds store - featured in my Good Friday OOTN - and from then on, my whole spring wardrobe has been based around this colour palette. Cobalt blue works fantastically with monochrome tones as well as pastel shades, especially muted pinks. I can't wait to wear these items in Rome when I go with my family on a city break there later this week and I'm hoping to create a mini lookbook with some lovely backdrops! Here's the collection..

The amazing River Island top on the left was actually a cheeky little sale find - reduced to only £15. I'll warn you that the style is quite oversized so if ordering online, it might be a good idea to downsize. I've also included a little selfie from my Instagram where I'm wearing it! On the right side is a beautiful H&M french-inspired tee which is a gorgeous material - very impressed. 

The River Island (full price, sob) top on the left looks great with black jeans for a laid-back look whereas I'll be wearing the cream Zara sleeveless top for a more elegant ensemble. To pull the outfit together I purchased some simple pastel jewellery in the form of some Oasis drop earrings - which were only £3 in the sale - and a H&M statement flower necklace.   

Finally I thought my Oasis blazer deserved its own photo as it's my go-to spring summer style staple. Love at first sight! Unfortunately this item is sold out online but I've linked a few similar styles if you're interested in finding something like it. 

I hope you've enjoyed this post and have gathered a little outfit inspiration for spring. Adding some colour to your wardrobe is the best way to boost your mood and confidence. As one of my tops says, pourquoi pas? (why not?)

xxx

Good Friday OOTN

Happy Easter Weekend! I hope you're all having a lovely time with family and friends, with the added bonus of a long weekend! For Good Friday I was out with a few old school friends for a few cocktails and a long overdue catch up. After spending so much time working on uni projects I was very excited to get dressed up in one of my new outfits! The Topshop skirt has appeared in an OOTD here but I thought it looked fantastic with my new Zara blouse, H&M necklace and Oasis blazer for a more evening look. They will be appearing in a style post (with links) over the next few days which I can't wait to share with you! 

 Had to include a photo of the French martinis! What are your plans for the Easter weekend?

xxx

Spring Perfumes

Let's be honest, the weather in the UK is pretty appalling at the moment (and in general). It's all wind, rain and icy temperatures, not a great start to 2015. One thing that cheers me up in a morning before I leave for uni is a beautiful perfume and these are the three scents I've been turning to this year. I was really lucky to be given a replacement bottle of the Marc Jacobs Dot perfume for Christmas as part of a gift set; it was my main present and I adore it. If you're interested in this for yourself or as a present, I found it at House of Fraser for £36 which is amazing. Admittedly I do prefer this scent as a special evening perfume but now and again I'll treat myself and use it during the day. In the Dot gift set, there's also a shower gel and body lotion that help to intensify the fragrance. As does everyone, I find it very difficult to describe perfumes however it's very distinctive, very sweet and very floral - typical Marc Jacobs! 

• Top notes - red berries, dragon fruit, honeysuckle
• Middle notes - jasmine, orange blossom, coconut water
• Base notes - vanilla, musk, driftwood

As you may expect, Zara Cherry is more of a fruity fragrance and I love it for everyday use. I'd never tried Zara perfumes before this one but my boyfriend bought me this for Christmas and I'm so glad he did - watch this space I may have to expand my collection!

Finally this Neroli and Orchidee perfume by L'Occitane was part of the Festive Treats collection which had some great beauty and body care samples to try out (reviews coming soon!). The scent is quite musky and floral and could be worn day to night. I'm not sure if I will repurchase this after I've finished it but that's the beauty of samples.

• Top notes - orange, mandarin
• Middle notes - neroli, peach, fig milk, lily of the valley
• Base notes - orchid, musk, iris

Have you tried any of these perfumes? What's your go-to spring perfume?

xxx

OOTD: First day back

So yesterday was my first day of classes back at uni after Christmas and I'm one of those girls who like to dress up a little on the first day. It's absolutely freezing in the Midlands (even for me coming from the North!) and so warm layers are an essential. You may recognize the Topshop jumper and necklace from my recent haul post which you can read here, they've quickly become my favourite jumper and necklace combo! Teamed with this Zara striped skirt, bright lipstick and navy nails, I'm really happy with the overall look - I can see myself wearing these items together a lot!  

Jumper: Topshop

Skirt: Zara

Necklace: Accessorize

Lipstick: Topshop Fast Lane

What do you think of this OOTD? I love reading comments and checking out new blogs 

xxx

How to Dress like Rachel Zane

No-one will ever understand how much I wish I was Rachel Zane from the hit US TV show 'Suits'. She has a wardrobe to die for and is lucky enough to be dating the gorgeous Mike Ross. This post is essentially an ode to Rachel Zane, showing some of my favourite looks of hers from the show and some high street pieces I've found that will help you create the glamorous 'je ne sais quoi' that Rachel Zane embodies. As soon as I'm working in the business world post-graduation, I'll be heading out to build a complete 'Rachel Zane' wardrobe, without the designer price tag.

1. The Pencil Skirt

Zara, £35.99

2. The Pussybow Blouse

Oasis, £32

3. The Statement Dress

Zara, £49.99

4. The Slimline Blazer

Topshop, £49.99

5. The Corporate Heels

Topshop, £59

Are you a fan of Suits? If you'd like me to do a similar post about Donna, let me know in the comments

xxx

OOTN - Lady in Lace

As a pre-uni Topshop splurge, I decided to treat myself to these gorgeous black lace shorts. My well loved pair from Miss Selfridge were in need of a replacement and I'd been lusting after these for a while. Even though they were a pricey £34 - not including student discount - I know they'll go with all my evening tops and can be worn all year round. I wore them on a spontaneous night out with friends last week and I can tell they are going to be a staple piece in my wardrobe.

Top - Zara

Shorts - Topshop, £34.00

Clutch - New Look, £12.99

Nails - OPI Pamplona Purple

The gang!

Are you a fan of lace? I can't seem to get enough of this trend at the moment!

xxx

Winter Florals: My High Street Picks

One of my favourite Autumn Winter trends is Winter Florals. To be quite honest, I'm a fan of florals all year round but as soon as it hits September, the shops start to bring out these amazing darker prints that are incredibly chic. Here are my favourites, all from the UK high street...

1. The Playsuit

New Look £27.99 (currently £20.99)

This gorgeous playsuit would look great with wedges, a black clutch and silver accessories. I especially love the lace detailing on this piece which continues on the back. 

2. The Pencil Skirt

New Look £14.99

This skirt would look very flattering on a variety of different shapes and could be dressed up or dressed down. A great piece for those who love neutrals and monochrome. 

3. The Blouse

Zara £25.99

This neutral-toned top from Zara is classically elegant and I'd pair it with minimal jewellery and high waisted Jeans. 

4. The Shift Dress

Dorothy Perkins £28.00 (currently £23.80)

After visiting my local Dorothy Perkins store, I am so impressed with their Autumn Winter collection and had to include this panelled shift dress. Currently, the brand is offering 30% off selected items and this is one of them!

5. The Midi Dress

Dorothy Perkins £28.00 (currently £23.80)

This scuba material A-line midi dress is very Arabella Golby, and I wish I had somewhere to wear this to - I can't imagine wearing this to lectures or on a night out! The Parisian style print reminds me of Ted Baker which is amazing considering the price!

6. The A-Line Skirt

Asos - £17.99

This A-line skirt is beautifully vibrant and a great length. It also draws similarity with some of the Coast skirts I've been seeing recently and the quality looks excellent.

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know if you liked any of my High Street picks and what you think of the Winter Florals trend!

xxx