Hull Fashion Week Finale 2015

After attending the Hull Fashion Week Finale last year and having an amazing time I was excited to be invited back to be part of the Bloggers Hub! With a huge focus on reworking/upcycling vintage clothes, the catwalks were refreshing to see and obviously right up my street. Hull's own Poor Boy Boutique even showed the crowd how you can 'upcycle' an old pair of jeans into a brand new pair of shorts or a skirt. The 'Made in Hull' catwalk was probably my personal favourite as it showcased what Hull, a city close to my heart, has to offer. With clothes from The Little Cobbled Street, Beasley's, Cock of the Walk and many more one can definitely say that Hull has quite a lot to offer! In contrast to the local independent brands there were also plenty of pieces from the new collections of New Look, House of Fraiser and Topshop where you can purchase anything from occasion wear to festival wear! Anyway enough of me rambling on, I'll let my photos speak for themselves. 

If you'd like to know more about Hull Fashion Week please visit their website and follow them on Twitter @HullFashionWeek 
I will also be posting about the WI clothes swap and the vintage market which were going on alongside the fantastic catwalks, so keep your eyes peeled! 

Why You Should Start Shopping Second Hand.

A lot of people turn their noses up at buying second-hand clothing and would be embarrassed to be seen walking out of a charity shop (thrift store for those friends abroad, but I'll stick with charity shop throughout!). However with the upsurge of the vintage trend in the past few years, charity shops are proving to be more popular among the younger generation and the shops themselves are beginning to re-brand themselves to be more appealing. At least in the areas in which I live charity shops are becoming less like a jumble sale of golf jumpers and more like lovely havens of retro-ness - which of course is up my street. I've been dabbling in charity shopping for the past 2-3 years of my life, especially since becoming a student and have found some amazing things. If you've not yet converted to 'thrifting' then here's 5 reasons you why should start buying second hand...

1. It's Cheap.

It's no secret that charity shops are extremely affordable and not only is this perfect if you're a student, it's perfect for anyone who wants to save their cash and do some guilt free shopping!

2. You can find some unique pieces.

Charity shops are a great place to shop if you're looking for something a bit different and not something you'd find in a high street store. There's usually so many trinkets and lovely home-ware that have a lovely vintage feel to them and although you might have to rummage through 10 garish jumpers you may find that one you're after!

3. More shopper satisfaction.

The fact you have to root through a lot of stuff does make 'thrifting' a slightly more harder task, however this isn't a bad thing. When you do find that hidden gem, it will be so much more rewarding than if you just walk up to a rail in Topshop.

4. You're saving the planet.

You're giving old items a second chance and saving them from going straight to landfill - which is good for everyone really! If a substantial amount of people bought second hand it would create less of a demand for brand new products that are using (and wasting) our planets scarce resources - which again, is better for everyone!

5. You're helping a charity.

Last but certainly not least, you are helping a charity (or several) and this will not only give you a glowing feeling but also will help people who are in need - again better for everyone! 

February Catch Up: University, London and Giving Up Meat

So February has been and gone and I cannot believe we are already in March. I also cannot believe I am now officially half way through my degree - and that thought makes me want to cry. 
So how is my degree going? Well as you can probably witness from my lack of blog posts I have no free time anymore, I am either in the library, at work or sleeping. In all honesty second year is exhausting and I would pay good money just go back and spend a day as a fresher again. Second year has been very stressful so far and has resulted in me mostly hiding away in my room or in the dark corners of the library most days and nights. However, the hard work has paid off and I have just received a 1st over all for last Semester. 
In February I went brunette (well it's still a kind of red colour but it will eventually be a 'true-brown'). It's very weird being able to pick up a red or pink dress and think 'I can wear this now!'. Although, in saying that, I have not yet kicked the habit of buying only blue and black clothes.
Also this month I decided to give up meat for lent. Admittedly, I did fail at the first hurdle (on Ash Wednesday of all days) after a drunken trip to the take-away. I completely forgot and I was half way through my 'PC of chicken' when my boyfriend reminded me. But since then I have managed pretty well!
On Valentines Day/Weekend, I visited London with my boyfriend and parents which was lovely. I have never visited London in a solely 'tourist' situation so it was lovely to just wander round, look at things and be an annoying tourist. A blog post full of all my photos will be on here shortly!
So changing the subject back to blogging, I am awfully sorry that life has kind of gotten in the way. I presume this will be the case until I finish my degree now but hey-ho. I am also hoping to get a new camera soon so I can film more tutorials as sometimes that is easier for me to do than sit down and write a post after a day of writing essays and reading journal articles! My aim is to post at least once a week/week and a bit so keep your eyes peeled!