One does not simply put away the Sparkly Hotpants...

 

 When I lived in Germany, I remember reading an article on how to wear a summer dress in winter. Years later and armed with that wisdom, I refuse to acknowledge the temperatures that would restrict my wardrobe. Instead I pull out my arsenal of thick tights, warm thigh high socks, and cosy cardigans. These wardrobe weapons allow me to stay cosy and comfortable throughout the colder seasons without putting my favorite clothes into hibernation.

More Pictures & Links:

Longline fluffy cardigan - Sz 'M' Glassons here

Deer jumper - Sz 'OS' Aliexpress here

One black suede pumps, Soul Princess - Wildpair

Sequin front denim shorts - Ally Fashion

Top handle bag with quilted flap - Asos here

Angora rib over the kee socks, Jonathan Aston - The Sock Shop UK here

You can find this look on my Lookbook page here ❤

Collective Knitwear Haul - Glassons, Factorie & Cotton On

 I have a little (ish) haul for you today from Glassons, Factorie & Cotton On. I don't know if I'm growing up or getting old, but this year my clothes shopping has been less about pretty dresses and more about comfy cardigans: I can't get enough of them! I feel like you can wear them over anything, even hotpants or a party dress, and they just make everything more comfortable, relaxed and daytime appropriate. - I'm really late with this haul due to snowboard trip without The Internets so some things are not available online anymore - I've given alternatives where I could, though, and if you're in AU or NZ pop in-store, you may find that they're still there dejectedly lurking in the sale section :)

 GLASSONS:

Longline fluffy cardigan, Pale pink, Sz 'M' NZ$39.99 - here

Longline fluffy cardigan, Black Sz 'S' NZ$39.99 here

 These two cardigans are my favorite. They have pockets, are long, warm and soooo soft! I got the pink on first in a size 'M' which is just a little bit big for me as I have narrow shoulders (I got a bit over-excited when I saw them in store and bought the wrong size as it was the last pink one there, and I have been dying to get my grubby mitts on some fluffy knits for a long time - I have since seen that they have the whole array of sizes and colours available from their online store). The black in an 'S' fits perfectly. I have seen online that they have some new colours and am seriously coveting the Taupe Grey & Sea Foam!

Light blue trapeze dress Sz 'L' alternative here & here - if you're willing to look elsewhere Missguided has the perfect floral trapeze dress here (the only reason I do not yet own it is that I have had to severly cull my basket when hauling from there as EVERYthing is so gorgeous)

I grabbed this little trapeze dress because I loved the colour and wanted a no-fuss dress that I could layer up for winter. It's really sheer which makes it an ideal layering piece. I cleverly got it in a size 'L' which is huge and a bit unflattering on me, but I still love it. I know the alternatives are not that similar, but they would serve the same purpose, especially the white lace top dress which is so pretty :) I always find it funny how they try to come up with new words for colours. 'Moonshadow' & 'Milk' are just so much more marketable than grey and white.

FACTORIE

Suzy cropped sweater AU$19.95 'S' - alternative with numbers here

 

Fluffy crop AU$9.95 - black one here

Westwood flip skirt, Black Sz S AU$14.95 - here

The black 'Oops' fluffy crop is just perfect (and sums me up particularly well). It is just the right 'cropped' length to cover my short torso and I love the warmth and quality. The baby blue fluffy crop is a bit thin and shed all over the place when I first pulled it out of the box. It has stopped shedding after being given a vigorous shake (while yelling at it, 'you just stop it, ok?' Haha no I'm joking, I would never talk aggressively to my clothes). The little velvet skater skirt is a wardrobe staple that I snatched up when I saw the price, and ideal for winter in NZ with some warm tights. I love Factorie, their sales are proper sales, not like the pretend ones you see sometimes :)
COTTON ON

Liana coatigan, Grey Sz 'S' - AU$20.00 alternative colour here

Love this cardigan, it is long, soft and semi lightweight while still being surprisingly warm. The grey colour is a versatile neutral, and if you can fit an 'L' they have a lovely 'Cookies & cream' colour that I actually prefer.

Chunky knit oversized cardigan, Army green Sz 'S' - alternative here

This one is a bit itchy if it's directly on the skin, but is toasty and chunky. If you do find it don't size up too much as they have purposely made it oversized and you will be wading through miles of acrylic knit. They should have added pockets, it's practically begging for them!
I hope you find some things you like! Cotton On has a 30% off your first purchase discount code on signup & Glassons has a 20% one - If it's your first time buying from Cotton On, check out their Typo & Foundation sections, you won't be disappointed. I love fluffy knits and just can't have enough of them, so I'm so happy to see the local retailers stocking them up in beautiful colours and styles!

Fat Totoro Owl Creature (oh it's a cat, sorry)

I will leave you with this picture of my grumpy faced cat, Okami, who watched through the window with disdain as his mummy took photos of herself.

Collective Online Haul: Aliexpress, Ebay, Sheinside

I find it hard to believe that I used to be among the most wary-of-online-purchasing people that I know. Needless to say, those dark days are over and I have fully welcomed and gone into overdrive in the fantastical limitless world of online shopping. Of course, especially in the case of some websites like Sheinside, Aliexpress and Ebay, what you see on the pretty webpage is not always what you get, and you need to do a little bit of ‘research’ to make sure what you’re buying is legitimate. One of the reasons I started my blog was to return the kind service that I felt so many other bloggers provided when they posted real-life photos and reviews of the items they bought online. I have added the links for other items too, wherever I found them still available online. Without any further ado, the photos please:

SHEINSIDE:

Silky lightweight jacket Sz M  $20.34 w/i FB 20% discount- Sheinside here
Light blue bandeau AU$3.00 - Factorie here
Cord trousers - H&M

I love this jacket, it is soft and silky, and looks as good in person as it does online. The size 'M' seems to fit me (sz 8 or 'S' usually) quite well. It is unlined which makes the inside look a little cheap, but it adds to how feathery light it is.

One of the things I love about the Sheinside website is that other purchasers put their own photos up so that you can see what it looks like in everyday lighting and styling. Out of the three online outlets reviewed here, Sheinside is the only 'clothes store.' It is similar to Romwe, Chicwish, Shechic & Choies, and if you're looking for a particular item, you might find it in more than one of these stores at varied prices.

EBAY:

Floral Kimono M $16.86 - Ebay here
Red ponte pencil skirt - Glassons
Bailey value burgundy crop top - Missguided

C

I got this summery kimono in the mode of 'Youtube makes me buy things' after watching a video by Izzi's Daydream (you can find her here). I love it, it's light, easy to wear and adds that little bit of cover that can 'modestify' and outfit. 

When shopping on Ebay it's very difficult to see other reviews on the particular item you want. You can check out the seller's feedback as a whole, though, and sometimes I use Ctrl+F to see if I can find a review of the item I'm looking at.

ALIEXPRESS:

Blue cotton and lace shirt $12.98 - Aliexpress here
Bella floral print skater skirt AU$20.98 - Missguided here

This lace panelled shirt is cute and very flattering, but it is super itchy as well. It is not denim but rather a thin cotton and scratchy plastic-like lace. I still wear it and like the way it looks, but the material is very cheap. The back is completely sheer so I wear it with a bandeau.

Blue ombre fluffy cardigan Sz M ‘green’ $18.79 - Aliexpress here
Burgundy crop top - Missguided
Beige high waisted shorts - H&M
Light blue bandeau AU$3.00 - Factorie here
Dreamcatcher T-shirt Sz Free $7.80 - Aliexpress here
Black velvet skater skirt AU$14.95 - Factorie here

I love the colour and feel of this soft gradient cardigan, but the sleeves are a bit too short. If I could buy it again, I would go for an 'L' as the sizing was a little small. I bought a whole bunch of the T-shirts in the bottom left picture, so will do a seperate review, but will just say that they are awesome if you're looking good quality oversized T with a pretty print.

Light blue deer head with antlers sweater Sz Free $12.99 - Aliexpress here
Amela daisy print hotpants AU$45.98 - Missguided here
Nude crop bandeau top Sz 6 NZ$7.80 - ASOS here
Kitten ears - Ebay
Bella floral print skater skirt AU$20.98 - Missguided here 
Mint mustache necklace - Diva

Skeleton ribcage sweater Sz Free $12.99 - Aliexpress here

Roses sweater Khaki Sz L $10.99 - Aliexpress here
Belt Aliexpress Pink $4.69 - Aliexpress here
Lace Skirt Sz Free $7.37 - Aliexpress here
Peacock fob watch necklace - Trademe  

I got three of these distressed Wildfox ripoff sweaters. They are soft, versatile and give an 'I'm not really trying, I just look this good when I roll out of bed' sort of feel. I'm not sure if you can tell from the pictures, but the ribcage on the black sweater is made of sequins. Surprisingly, they do not detract from the comfort. The light blue deer sweater actually has a Wildfox label in it - those cheeky guys! The belt is super cute, a nice nude pink with laser cut details and is adjustable. The skirt is pretty with quite nice lace but the 'free' size is just too short to wear outside. <Although he looks terrified, Okami insisted on helping with his persistent meowing.>

Pale pink chiffon shirt Sz M ‘khaki’ $13.99 - Aliexpress here

Some of the stitching has been done in dark blue thread which looks like ink stains along the collar, the buttons are discoloured and the whole thing is a bit cheap, but this is just a circumstance of 'you get what you pay for.' I love the fact that the back has a tailcoat-esque opening and the amount of detail for the price (please excuse the desperate-for-an-iron look).

All in all I am so happy that even though I live in a tiny town in New Zealand I can buy beautiful clothes online. I just wanted to share a few notes: 

• All three of these sites offer free shipping most of the time (which I am a sucker for). The free shipping takes about a month to arrive so I would recommend giving yourself plenty of time if you need something for a particular event (or you can copy my style and buy nice clothes with no place to go). 
• All prices I stated were in USD unless I wrote AU or NZ $. The prices on these sites go up and down constantly!
• Sizing usually always fits at least one size smaller than stated. I always size up to an M or L. Because of the sizing discrepancies I have found that buying things that are meant to be casual or oversized stand a better chance of not disappointing (that was kind of obvious, but I have been disappointed before with shorts and things that you really need to fit right).
• When searching the sites 'mohair' is used to describe a fluffy synthetic eyelash knit (not actual angora mohair), 'plus sized' is used for clothing that is loose fitting, 'hollow out' means open knit, 'khaki' is a peachy or beige colour and 'chiffon' is used to describe almost anything!

Have a completely amazing day, and don't hesistate to ask me any questions about shopping online. I love to be an enabler.