So, it’s been just two weeks since my last lust haves post, but that hasn’t stopped me building up another healthy list of desirables. It’s not surprising really – Christmas shopping means I’ve been doing far more browsing than usual, so there are far more beautiful things on my radar than usual. Not to mention all those darned Black Friday deals! But it’s also not the time of year to be splurging on yourself – apart from the fact most of my disposable income is pegged to spend on presents, it’s not very helpful to my loved ones for me to keep buying things I like instead of waiting to see if they end up under the Christmas tree! The other tricky thing about this time of year is the sheer volume of beautiful, sparkly things that really hold no place in my wardrobe other than to wear to parties. I don’t need any new party clothes, there are plenty on my clothes rail right now, some of which have not been worn yet, so I’m doing my best to resist buying a new outfit for any of the events I have planned. It’s not going too well to be honest – you’ve already seen my glitzy Christmas shoes, and there is a small chance that there are some rather festive Chicwish skirts on their way to me right now thanks to 20% off this weekend, so for the rest of my lust haves I’ve made a determined effort not to have my head turned by more glitter and focus on sensible purchases….
Starting then, with this pretty pastel jumper from H&M:
As I mentioned in my last wish list, I have a tendency to feel a little on the frumpy side when wearing knitwear. This one isn’t quite as glamourous as the Oasis one I featured last time, but there is something about that pretty dusky pink colour and slouchy, wrap over style that make me think of ballerinas, and I think casually slipping off one shoulder and revealing a flash of a pretty, lacy camisole underneath, this one will manage to remain girly and feminine while still keeping me warm. And let’s face it, living in England, that is pretty vital this time of year!
Sticking with that cosy but girly theme then, and this rather gorgeous velvet wrap dress from Oasis:
Oasis is a store I can’t seem to stay away from lately, every time I dare to click on the ‘New In’ link I find something else to lust over, it seems. I absolutely love the dark floral print and the flattering cut of this frock. Velvet has been enjoying a bit of a comeback in recent years and it’s a welcome one in my book – shopping is a very tactile experience for me and you can’t get a much more enjoyable fabric than velvet! It lends itself well to the dark, jewel tones I tend to favour this time of year, and gives a luxurious finish to even the simplest of garments.
Hmm, much like what I said about brocade in fact, in my post about Oasis’s collaboration with the Warner Textile Archive! Not surprising then, that this beautiful New Look skirt has caught my eye:
I was genuinely surprised to find this gem in New Look. While it’s somewhere I visit often thanks to it’s cheap and cheerful price point, I tend to associate the Brand with younger, less sophisticated styles. This skirt, though, is most definitely a grown up, glamorous piece that I would probably easily believe had come from a more expensive range like Chi Chi London, or the ASOS Salon range. But no, it really is from New Look, and it really is just £29.99! It’s also bordering dangerously on the edge of ‘party wear’ so I’m going to hope you hadn’t noticed that and move quickly on to….
….oh. A suspiciously dressy looking frock….:
Much like the last item, this frock was a bit of a surprise to me in that it comes from Boohoo, another Brand that I’m all too often likely to deem as ‘too young’ for me. I should know better really after discovering this dress last year. The style of this dress is just lovely, and again, not all too dissimilar to a Chi Chi London, but that sweet polka dot overlay keep it fun and not too formal. I suspect it won’t look quite as lovely as a Chi Chi dress in real life, but when it’s as cheap as £10 in the sale it’s worth a try!
Another thing that caught my eye over at Boohoo was this rather cute skirt:
I’m still lacking in the tulle skirt department, which seems ludicrous given my love of all things midi length and voluminous. If I had to pick one right now this second though I think I’d find it hard to resist this one – frothy layers, polka dots and a little bit of twinkle? What’s not to love? I know, I know, it also look like the kind of thing that is only really party appropriate so I’ll move on to my last pick with immediate effect.
Ok. I give up. It’s just not possible or fair to expect me to spend so much time shopping at Christmas and not fall head over heels in love with at least a handful of over-the-top glitter adorned garments. Regular readers will be no stranger to the Office On to Point shoes, which I’ve featured in various versions over the last couple of years. I have them in leopard print and still yearn for the day the red patent ones become mine but the latest incarnation is a real showstopper! I was expecting a Christmas makeover after last year’s bronze and green glitter versions, and this rose gold finish is just lovely. I really could not care less that I’ll probably only wear them once a year, I think they’d be worth it!
And before I spiral into a glitter induced haze and buy more party outfits than my clothes rail can possibly handle I’m going to leave it there!
Happy shopping everyone!
Love,
Picking the Day 