emmadillard1

Blue Monday

Posted on January 18, 2021 by emmadillard1

Happy Monday everyone.. Well, maybe it’s not so happy?

The Lorna Luxe x In The Style Girls Girl dress is my absolute staple. They see me through every season and I just love styling them in different ways.

Today is meant to be the most miserable day of the year and you know what? I’m kinda feeling that vibe to be honest.

We’re in the midst of a new lockdown, Lockdown 3.0 some may say, and even though there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel I still feel like we are a way off yet.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, having this ‘extra’ time on my hands has enabled me to focus on my living space, my bedroom. I currently live with my parents and saving for a place of my own seems like a way off distant dream, so sprucing up this space has been the perfect distraction.

I’m also looking forward to having more time on the blog, a dream of mine for years however I’ve never executed it very well. Who knows, maybe 2021 is the year I actually commit to it? I hope so.

Anyways, enjoy some snaps of my cute navy outfit from the Lorna Luxe collection for In The Style and I will see you back on here for some more quick reads, fashion styling tips and some other bits thrown in!! 👋🏼

Layered with Lorna Luxe x In The Style Belle crochet cardigan.

Fishing touches: Burnt Orange accessories to compliment the Navy tones.

Fashion

OOTD: Reds, Corals and Neutrals

Posted on March 27, 2020March 27, 2020 by emmadillard1

Not sure why I’m obsessed, but I am! Reds, Corals and Neutrals feel like they may be sneaking into my wardrobe a lot more as we are coming into the warmer months.

Ever since Pantone labelled ‘Living Coral’ as it’s colour of the year for 2019 I have always been gravitated but not as much as I am now in 2020.

The pieces that I am buying have to be sustainable in my wardrobe, so naturally I will only be reaching for purchases that’ll stand the test of time rather than the fast fashion route.. I mean, some of the items I’ve used to pull this look together I’ve had for well over a year.. My coral handbag maybe even two?

One of the newer pieces I have bought has been from the brand collaboration between Lorna Luxe x In The Style. I have been such a huge fan of Lorna’s blog and Instagram for what feels like forever and when she announced the collaboration I just knew I would be head over heels with every piece. In particular the suedette leggings.. I have three pairs, these beautiful neutral tan colour, soft grey and the latest addition to my collection: black. They are stretchy enough to be comfortable but not too stretchy so they hold they’re shape, they can be dressed up or down, they’re so flattering as everything is designed to have all body shapes in mind and I honestly know they’ll be in wardrobe for many years to come.

Next up, on the newness was a sale purchase from Oliver Bonas and it’s completely my new favourite piece of knitwear, ever! I believe this caught my eye on an Instagram ad, so I clicked the link and the jumper was mine! It’s a lightweight fabric mix featuring 8% wool so it’s less irritating to my skin which is perfect; it’s a slight boxy and oversized fit but I still went true to size as that’s how I wanted it to look. Then we have to talk about the stripe details, this is where my new colour obsession with peach, red and neutral started. It’s funny how one piece can literally influence you so much!

The other pieces I have used to create the look are:

A Modern Rarity wool blend camel coatigan which has been a huge wardrobe staple for me, I love the drop shoulder and relaxed silhouette which softens my shoulders. This brand is a John Lewis & Partners exclusive in house design brand. They recreate the Coatigan every season with a change of colour or a variation on style. They are my absolute go to for a layered look whatever the weather.. I own four of them now.. Oops!

A cute pair of off white Dune heeled boots which I’ve had for over a year. I remember when I first saw them and I was like beyond obsessing over them. Previously I was wearing much more of a stark white, low heeled pair of boots which were cute but I just wasn’t getting the wear out of them so I sold them and replaced them with these! Good choice Emma!

A peach Dune bag which I’ve had for a long while (kinda, needs a good clean tbh). I love a Dune accessory and shoe as they do trend led designs mixed with classics and they’re more in my price range. I do own a lot of Dune products, so maybe I will do a blog post dedicated to that? We’ll see.

And just like that the look came together. Yay! So that’s it from me for now! I’m going to try writing a lot more now that I have access to my WordPress account on my phone! So much easier for as I can just blurt ideas out when I feel inspired and it just feels more natural to me!

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading! Don’t forget to check out my new Instagram http://www.instagram.com/edillardstyle

Fashion

Trend Focus: Western Style

Posted on January 27, 2019January 27, 2019 by emmadillard1

Vivienne Westwood caught my eye sitting front row at PFW at her catwalk show for her SS19 collection.

She looked simply stunning in her vintage chic ensemble in a horse-printed midi dress and tan platform lace-up boots. Western style has been a thing on the catwalks for years making a statement in the 90s but recently has been showcased in AW18 and it shows no sign of going away as we head into SS19 with thanks to Vivienne giving us those rustic fairy tale vibes.

Vivienne Westwood sitting front row at her show at PFW SS19

Photo Credit: dailymail.co.uk

Vivienne has gone one step beyond though, not just giving us the Western feels but actually using fabric with majestic illustrations of horses in her collection to compliment her dress.

Other brands noticeably adding ‘horse print’ into their collections are Ganni. Ganni’s creative director, Ditte Reffstrup, has also drawn inspiration from childhood memories and this takes president in the label’s latest collection giving major nods to Western filmography. Horse illustration fabrics, prairie style dresses, yoke adorned shirts and epic cowboy boots.

Looking at high-end to high-street we see premium high-street brand Whistles making a similar bold statement with their Stallion print. The Stallion print is a tone down from Westwood and Ganni and uses the horse as an outline print. My favourite dress for the transitional period is the Stallion Print Shirt Dress. The dress is crafted from a lightweight fabric which falls elegantly over my silhouette, perfect for a woman like me with a womanly figure. Usually I have to size up in a shirt or a shirt dress due to the fabric pulling around my bust, however this dress fits perfectly and the buttons fall in line. The waist cinches in to flatter a smaller waistline or to create a waistline if your frame is straighter. The batwing sleeve also adds a contemporary feel to the classic shape.

Here I have layered the dress with a John Lewis & Partners ivory roll neck, black opaque tights and have worn my Dune London Phoenixx chunky black boots to toughen the classic shirt-waister shape. This piece is going to become a firm staple in my wardrobe for many seasons to come; to continue through winter I will mix it up by adding a pair of wax-coated jeans underneath, unbuttoning the shirt dress to the waist and mix it up with another animal print on the boot.

Coming into Spring, the roll neck will become redundant and I will wear the shirt dress simply buttoned up to the top or unbuttoned with a lace camisole poking through, layering a chunky knit cardigan over the top and finishing the look with sheer black patterned tights. On the warmer days when we’re onto Summer and bare tan legs will be our leg of choice, the hemline will rise slightly with the buttons undone from the bottom up to show them off and a cute pair of sandals or chunky trainers will instantly relax the look and make the dress more wearable.

If shirt-waisters aren’t for you can achieve this layered look with the Whistles Stallion Print Pocket Shirt. Wear with a slim-fit pair of jeans or play with proportions like I have hear by wearing a relaxed pair of Kin Cord Balloon Trousers. Added for a bit of flair was an animal print clash with these Dune Ari Kitten Heel Court Shoes.

If a lower price point is better for your budget I have some options from Topshop and Warehouse which you can style in similar ways as I have here.

~~Warehouse Horse Print V-Neck Blouse~~
~~Warehouse Horse Print Shirt Dress~~
~~Warehouse Horse Print Shirt~~
~~Topshop Horse Print Midi Dress~~

I’m looking forward to injecting some other Western inspired pieces into my wardrobe as the Spring season evolves. Notably where futuristic ideas meet the western nostalgia on the runway as I’m all for the ‘Space Cowboy’ vibe, I am a devote Woody and Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story) fan afterall. Ha.

Looking for inspiration for these juxtaposing ideas? Focus your attention to Stuart Vevers Coach SS19 collection shown at NYFW. It’s feeling is a mix of sci-fi meets wild wild west; Sweatshirts with motifs layered over prairie skirts. LOVE.

Photo Credit: Vogue.com
Photo Credit: Vogue.com
Photo Credit: Vogue.com

How will you wear the trend? Let me know in the comments.

Emma x

SHOP MY LOOK

Whistles Stallion Print Pocket Shirt
Whistles Stallion Print Shirt Dress
Kin Cord Balloon Trousers
Dune London Ari Kitten Heel Court Shoes
John Lewis & Partners Ivory Roll Neck (similar here)
Dune London Phoenixx Boots

Life

A Blog Post.

Posted on June 29, 2018January 4, 2019 by emmadillard1

Buen Dia and welcome to my first ever blog post in my own right (written high in the sky on my way back from Fuerteventura Oct 2018).

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. – Marianne Williamson

It’s an idea that I have been floating about with for some time but has become more prominent when I switched careers completely just over two years ago and became a Fashion Merchandiser for a well retail giant.

Since then I have been promoted to a Personal Stylist, a dream job I never thought was reachable however here I am just over a year on in this job role which has taken me from opportunity to opportunity.

Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? – Marianne Williamson

A lot of friends and colleagues have been following me on Instagram for sometime, I even helped pioneer Instagram in the workplace, and from then on people have wondered why I don’t blog or vlog.

I’m relatable, approachable, a natural people person and a social butterfly (as some have described) but despite all of that I really am a massive fan of my own company. I like to keep my social media and online presence in arms reach and only show the world what I deem comfortable to do so whether that is good, bad or indifferent.. I do not perfectly curate my life just FYI.

I know that’s probably hard for some of you to read, some of you that think you ‘know me’ feel like I am a slave to social media and the online world including my boyfriend but to be honest I do keep a lot back and see social media for what it is.. Social Media. I’m one of these few people that do not take offence to much, do not take things that I see appear online personally and can quite easily take emotion out of absolutely anything and everything. This skill I have mastered over the years despite suffering from depression and anxiety for almost two and a half years. Please do not get this confused with being emotionless.

It’s hard to explain. I encountered a trigger, a trigger in my brain that finally switched and there I was.. Loosing about three to four months of my life to my poor mental health which had up until then been quite healthy or so I thought.

However, in a more positive light I am ready.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. – Marianne Williamson

I am ready to start my blog and become a little more open to some of my thoughts, ideas and feelings and put them onto paper (hypothetically speaking). Who knows, I may even treat you to a true Essex accent vlog, One step at a time though, hey? I am active on Instagram stories though if you can’t wait to get some Essex influence in your life!

Follow me on my personal account @emmadillard or my work account @jl_emmad <— *insert shameless plug here*

So, what’s my blog going to be about in an already saturated market? Well I don’t know yet. Obviously my main passion for Fashion (considering I am a Personal Stylist) but I also love beauty and cosmetic products as much as the next person, I enjoy to travel as much as I can by exploring new places whether it be a destination, a restaurant or a themed afternoon tea, I attend music events, visit the theatre, and view exhibitions so really this blog is just going to be open to a variety of topics. You may even be blessed with some #puglife posts of the three beautiful Pugs I our family home – what I definitely do not want to do is force content. I am setting out to write this blog as another creative outlet for myself which I am very much looking forward to. Yay!

So for now, thanks for reading and enjoy some snaps from my latest getaway from the UK to the Canary Islands (a series of posts will follow regarding my recent trip in ‘My Guide to Fuerteventura’) and welcome to my blog.

Adios.