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Autumn is my favourite season to dress for, and the recently-arrived H&M autumn catalogue has given me a shot of inspiration for the coming months. There's a lot of emphasis on warm, earthy tones, which aren't usually my thing, but these photos make me wonder if it isn't time to branch out a bit...



A lot of the trendier pieces have a 1960s-70s feel.
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Labels: hm, seasonal style

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I keep going to H&M and coming back empty-handed; this is partly because I overthink almost every single purchase I make, and partly because I tend to have mixed experiences in the fitting rooms; the lighting can be seriously unflattering and the fit of the clothes is all over the place. Yesterday's trip wasn't that bad, though I ran out of time and didn't photograph everything.

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Labels: fitting room reviews, hm

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January was quite a busy month, last week especially. Now that a crucial deadline is out of the way, though, I can concentrate on other things. I've been a bit stressed out and under the weather, so I'm trying to get my normal energy levels back. Walking a lot is part of my usual routine, and I'm keeping up with it even though I don't always feel like it. Yesterday I went on what turned out to be a 4-mile trek round some charity shops, and that may have been a little bit much, but it felt good to get some exercise and fresh air.

Shopping-wise, it wasn't the most successful trip. I feel bad criticising charity shops - they're raising money for good causes, and many of the staff are unpaid volunteers - but it always frustrates me a little when none of the stock is organised by size. If a rack of clothing is five or six feet long and jam-packed, I may not bother hunting through it for the one or two things that might fit me. (I know, I can hardly complain about things not being organised...)

But anyway, I went back through H&M on the way home, and bought MORE BOWS.


My wardrobe organisation efforts continue. Last night I made a go at sorting through my jewellery and, more dauntingly, my fabric stash drawer. As I've just acquired a number of old clothes to repurpose for sewing, I badly need to make room in there. Happily, my stack of things to donate/sell/recycle is slowly growing.

Labels: charity shops, hair accessories, hm

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Ribbon hair bows seem to be in this season, which delights me because I love them. Today I added these Internacionale hairbands to my small collection; the blue grosgrain was marked down to £1 and the cream chiffon to £1.50. A few other styles and colours were on sale at similar prices, and I found more bows at H&M, Claire's and Accessorize... I have a feeling my collection may continue to grow.

Whilst those were my only purchases, I tried on a few other things. Sorry for the poor-quality photos; I only had my phone with me and I'm not great at photographing myself as it is. (Truth be told, I'm also pretty shy about being in photographs, but this is supposed to be a personal style blog and I've got to ease myself in somehow.)

Sophie at Internacionale cardigan, age 14-15, £14.99 (not available online)


I dropped into Internacionale mainly to look at the accessories, but spotted a long, cable-knit cardigan in speckled cream, very similar to one from Topshop that had been on my wishlist last autumn. It was cute, but cost more than I was willing to pay for the quality. As luck would have it, though, there was an almost identical cardigan in the kids/teens section for £14.99. I liked the length and fit (quite slim for an age 14/15) but decided I should save the £15 on something I needed more - I already have two long, slouchy cardis.

H&M Divided plaid shirt, EU 32 / UK 6 / US 2, £14.99 (not available online)


Loved the print, loved the fabric (100% cotton flannel), loved the ruffles, not sure about the fit. I feel like it's in that awkward grey area between "deliberately oversized" and "meant to be fitted, but just too big". I wish they had it in UK 4, and that's the first time I've ever said that in reference to anything at H&M.

Miss Selfridge Black Floral Canvas Lace-Ups, UK 4 and 5, £20


Photographing yourself in a fitting room mirror is one thing; trying to photograph your feet in those long, narrow, tilted mirrors on the floor of shoe shops is quite another. I gave up after accidentally photographing my knee. Anyway, I liked these shoes even more in person and was planning to buy them - until I tried to walk in the size 5s (my usual size), and my heels slipped out with every step. I tried the 4s, but they were uncomfortably tight. Miss Selfridge doesn't carry half sizes, so I'm going to try and find out whether the 4s would stretch out enough with wear.

I tried a few other H&M items that didn't get photographed, including a certain striped blazer that I tried on just for kicks after seeing it on Kelly of Alterations Needed and Jean of Extra Petite. I can confirm (not that further confirmation was needed) that it's very petite-friendly and runs small. The sleeves were barely 3/4 length on me and the hem reached a touch below my waist (I'm 5'7").

Just for fun, here's a snap of the Hobbs sack coat I mentioned in my last post:


I give it full marks for cosiness and warmth, at least.

Soon to come: my Forever 21 and AE/Aerie reviews, plus a bit about the wardrobe overhaul I'm doing. Looking at every item of clothing I own and assessing whether it should be kept, altered or donated can be tedious, yes, but I'm finally doing something about all the clothes I have that don't fit me or my style.

Labels: fitting room reviews, hm, internacionale, miss selfridge

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