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Lusting over Lavender - Ways to style the "it" colour for spring.



(Pictured above: Lilac suit - Boss SS/20, Lilac Gingham suit - Jaqcuemus SS/20, Makeup with floral headress - Giambattisa Vali SS/20, Lilac dress - Givenchy Haute couture SS/20, Lemon jacket and sheer slip skirt - Jaqcuemus SS/20, Lilac blouse and midi tennis skirt - Beautiful people SS/20, Mint tweed co-ord: Miu Miu SS20, Floral drop earrings - Zara SS/20, Black mules - Claudie Pierlot SS/20, Red beauty look - Badgley Mishka SS/20).


Pastels are having a moment for Spring. Though, it seems that their "moment" may quickly leave us hindered during these uncertain and predicated times. As the world shuts down for the physical well being of everyone, life and loved-ones themselves have become even more precious. The simplest things we once took for granted in our normality have become near of dreams that we wish to obtain once more. Whilst we all pray for our loved ones, the NHS and key workers who are all absolutely exceptional; we must also do our part and STAY INSIDE. With this in mind, here are some spring outfit inspiration for either your trip to Tesco or your day in the living room. 


Lilac is emotive. The colour you associate with your senior relatives - the shade you find on their bedding or painted on ceramic plates on their walls - the colour associated with Lavender and older scents. Alike myself, It may be the colour you often used when you first began to wear eyeshadow back in the 00s or 90s accompanied by a mac dazzle glass and mountains of mascara. Or perhaps its the colour you associate with christenings or communions. Regardless, before the surge on the runway for SS18, lilac wasn't associated with anything considered stylish. Two years later, lilac has once again appeared on the high-street for spring along with pastel blue and pistachio green. Below are 10 casual every day looks for spring based on the monochromatic trend for SS20.

1. Afternoon cocktails or catch-up with the gals on zoom:


Once again, satin slip skirts and dresses are popular for spring and summer. I found this gorgeous Lilac satin slip on Zara which can be worn on it's own or dressed down with either a knotted t-shirt worn over the dress or with a cotton shirt un-buttoned and tied at the waist with rolled up sleeves. The idea of the monochromatic look is to match shades as closely as possible. The strappy muled sandals in a midi to kitten heel are seen all over the high-street. As a scouser however, I don't support the kitten heel if it's not blocked unfortunately, so I decided to pair the outfit with a midi heeled sandal from Dorothy Perkins. I completed the look with a pair of floral drop earrings and mini grab bag. These bags have seen a massive resurgence thanks to Prada. The bags were all the rage in the early 00s and I'm here for their triumphant return. I paired the bag with a card holder from Azurina. I stumbled upon the brand last year whilst procrastinating from writing my dissertation. They offer leather handbags and accessories in a classic croc print. They're unique selling point is their admiration for personalisation. Moreover, Azurina offer monogramming on all their bags and accessories. I have the card holder in a couple of colours and they're long wearing and look so chic.

Buy the look:


1.F: Bag - Jwpei (£63.18) Available at: https://www.jwpei.com/products/gabbi-bag-purple


2. A chic look for your latest Tiktok dance video:


Upon wearing colours you internalize the connotations that come with them; wearing dark colours all winter in dreary weather can at times de-motivate you and if we ever needed to elevate our mood in any way we can - now is most definitely the time. Tweed is on trend for SS/20. Although tweed is always the focal point for Chanel runways, due to their brand motivation towards their history and image. Other luxury labels followed suit for this season, such as Miu Miu and Dior. Zara has released an adorable three piece tweed co-ord for spring in green. What I love the most about a co-ord is the versatility. Wearing them together is impactful - wearing them apart allows you to create many looks from one initial outfit which encourages the capsule elements of your wardrobe.


I accessorised the pastel ensemble with tortoise shell retro sunglasses, white leather sling backs and a pair of quirky hooped earring from ZARA which are the cutest earrings I've ever encountered. The beaded drop- pineapples add a summery focal point and draws further attention. The handbag is another fabulous mini monogrammed - grab bag from the fabulous Azurina store. In September 2019, the SS20 runways were filled with a plethora of handbags on both Men's and Women's runways. The bag buffet evokes individuality. No rules apply. There is no particularly favoured style - only that on the grand scale, micro bags were favoured amongst most. 


In terms of makeup, I added a one colour eyeshadow look in green to emphasize the monochromatic look. Many celebrities have recently been spotted influencing this trend such as Lilly Collins at the Met gala, Lady Gaga at the Oscars or Dua Lipa in her music videos for "Physical" and "Don't start now".


Buy the look:



3. Living room workout:


The oversized hoodie paired with cycling shorts isn't anything new. Many celebrities and off-duty models such as Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber and Kim Kardashian have been photographed in this post workout look inspired by Princess Diana for quite some time now. I have mixed feelings regarding the cycling short. Worn to the gym? that's great! Worn on a night out with a bralette and heels? A fashion casualty and crime against sophistication. Ignoring the latter, the shorts look great styled with a hoodie and trainers - perfect for your one socially distanced walk of the day. 


For this look I incorporated black and white elements through accessories to tone down the bold colour. This was achieved through a black shoulder bag strap, black cycling shorts and slim sunglasses, accompanied by a pair of white trainers by Balenciaga.


Buy the look:


3.B: Bag - Urban Outfitters (RRP £18.00) Available at: https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/en-gb/shop/uo-shell-pouch-crossbody

3.E: Sunglasses - NAKD (RRP £11.95) Available at: https://www.na-kd.com/en/na-kd-accessories/wide-retro-look-sunglasses-black


4. A very extra afternoon tea in the garden:


When I saw this blouse and trouser co-ordinate on Sister Jane's website I literally screamed internally. Paired with blocked sling backs from Topshop in matching pistachio and completed with a gorgeous pearl hairband from Givenchy to emphasise the femininity of the overall look. Hairbands have been a major accessory since the fashion week boom in 2019 with Dolce and Gabbana and Prada being amongst many to introduce oversized padded hair bands, pearl hairbands or hairbands in a Tudor fashion encrusted with embellishments. For SS/20 the trend continues with many luxury brands dropping hairbands in a variety if styles. Designer brands such as Prada, Ganni, Miu Miu and Christian Dior have launched hairbands which have diffused all over the highstreet. 



Buy the look:


4.A: Top - Sister Jane (RRP £115.00) Available at: https://sisterjane.com/collections/tops/products/dapple-lilly-wrap-top

4.B: Trousers - Sister Jane (RRP £135.00) Available at: https://sisterjane.com/products/dapple-lilly-pleated-trousers

4.D: Shoes - Topshop (RRP £29) Available at:


5. Date night on skype:


This look is for the girls who are having to see their partners over Facetime or better yet, the gals who are brave enough to have a first date over a video call on Hinge. I decided to take a statement lilac blouse from Sister Jane. I thought a maximalist look on top would work well as you can only see waist up on a video call. In this new digital world of self isolation, conversations and contact are an alien concept.


I decided to style the blouse tucked into a pair of paper bag leather shorts. The paper bag was once big in 2010, a decade later the garment has emerged full circle and is once again back in vogue. The Shorts can be dressed up or down and minimalize the finished look. Finally, I accessorised the look with a pair of gold statement hoops in a baroque style from Nasty gal, accompanied by an embellished hair band from Pretty Little Thing, who currently have a huge half price promotion on their site.



Buy the look:


5.A: Blouse - Sister Jane (RRP £65.00) Available at: https://sisterjane.com/collections/tops/products/lavender-corsage-bow-shirt

5.D: Hair band - Pretty Little Thing (RRP £15.00) Available at: https://www.prettylittlething.com/black-velvet-pearl-and-diamante-alice-headband.html


6. A trip to the supermarket:


This look is both casual and extra af. Unfortunately, these days going to your Local supermarket is the one trip you make all week where you see or come in near contact with other people (from a safe distance) and rightly so during our current situation. Therefore, this is the only opportunity you have all week to be seen in a nice outfit in public (not that anyone cares, it's just nice to dress up and gain some form of normality). For this outfit, I have matched a chunky cardigan with a pair of Levis 501's and minimal sandals. To add a pop of pattern; I have styled the hair up and tied back with a satin leopard scarf from Urban Outfitters. 


Buy the Look:


6.A: Hair Scarf - Urban Outfitters (RRP £9.00) Available at: https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/en-gb/shop/lana-silk-scarf-scrunchie?

6.D: Cardigan - Urban Outfitters (RRP £42.00) Available at: https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/en-gb/shop/uo-embroidered-cardigan2?

6.E: Jeans - Levis Strauss 501's (RRP £90.00) Available at: https://www.levi.com/GB/en_GB/clothing/women/501-crop-jeans/p/362000073


7. Zoom work meeting:


I wanted to create an outfit that was both comfortable and still appeared effortlessly tied together and organised. Although it's true that most of us have only worn pyjamas at the laptop for several weeks; devouring chocolate at the kitchen table ... the boss does not need to know that. 





Buy the look:

7.C: Heels - Claudie Peirlot (RRP £260.00) available at: https://uk.claudiepierlot.com/en/accessories/shoes/amoureusee20/CFACH00123.html?


8. Casual stroll:


For this look I paired the SS20 safari trend with feminine styling to embody an outfit which caters to a classical and vintage aesthetic. For instance, mules in the style below, are big for SS/20 and come directly from the 1980's as does the oversized utility and safari styled jackets. The puffy or avant-garde sleeves have been favoured since SS18 and are also inspired by the eighties. This top however from Zara; reminded me of the sleeves worn by high society in the 1820's and 1940's in pastels. Combined with a ribbon tied summer hat gave me a modernised look that gives a nod to Jane Austens' Emma. To tie the outfit together, I made sure the top and shoes matched to differentiate the colour pallete from head to toe, breaking the look up with a satin midi skirt in a paler pastachio. This outfit is perfect for our warmer days in Btirish Spring and summer time and works well for many outings.


Buy the look:

8.A: Top - ZARA (RRP £19.99) Available at:

https://www.zara.com/uk/en/crop-top-with-organza-p02142023.html

8.B: Skirt - H&M (RRP £14.99) Available at: https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0824778007.html

8.C: Jacket - H&M (RRP £24.99) Available at: https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0866086001.html

8.E: Hat - Jacquemus (RRP £190) Available at:


9. Work Interview:


According to BOF, 1/4 of all fashion related jobs including graduate roles and internships have been either postponed to next year or cancelled. From my experience in my grad job search over this past month I can assure you the number is much higher than a quarter. However, with that being the case, 2020 has become completely digital, more so than ever before. The world of communication is completely on-screen. I have had a few interviews during this time via Zoom and Skype and it's often difficult to discard the sense of casualty and a relaxed mindset from the universal truth that this isn't a casual conversation but your opportunity to put your best self forward. In a world where you are isolated and have lacked a sense of motivation or direction for several weeks, feeling an incentive to gain normality can be for some, a personal struggle. I have found that getting dressed in my smartest office attire for an interview whether it's a video or a phone interview creates a professional mind-set.  For this outfit, I followed the monochromatic pastel trend and paired a lavender suit from And Other Stories with all white accessories and a white polo turtle neck. Suits are huge for SS20 and AW20 this year, with brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and Balmain producing monochrome suits for the runway.

Buy The Look:


9.B: Bag - Jacquemus (RRP £740.00) Available at:

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