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5 Tips For Glamming Up Your Casual

2 years of fashion blogging and 22 years of being obsessed with clothes and I still have no idea what ‘smart casual’ is.

It’s like a fashion myth, and I really feel like it needs some sort of dictionary definition, but my general go-to will always be taking a really casual outfit and glamming it up a bit. We all have events or occasions we have to go to with that dreaded ‘smart casual’ dress code, and hopefully after reading this post you’ll be able to decipher between too smart and too casual to find that perfect combo.

5 Tips For Glamming Up Your Casual

Find my top 5 tips for taking casj to glam-casj (otherwise known as smart-casual) below!

TIP 1 – GET YOUR SHAPES RIGHT

The more slouchy your clothes are, the more casual they’re going to look (forever providing you all with the most groundbreaking information…). Steer clear from baggy knitwear or too much of a loose t-shirt, and opt for something a little more structured. This jacket from Wrap London can be dressed up or down, but the framed shoulders give this look that smarter vibe I’m looking for. Any blazer or structured jacket will be a good start!

TIP 2 – A GOOD TOTE BAG

Ditch your shoulder bags and backpacks and go for a chunky tote bag. These are not only perfect for work, but they give you that sophisticated vibe to go alongside the casual elements of your outfit. The one in my look is from JustFab and carries all the essentials you need for that smart-casual event, and it just looks like you mean business.

TIP 3 – ALL THE ACCESSORIES

The main way to add some glam to your casual look is to add alllll the accessories. You can see in my outfit I’m wearing a GORGE silver necklace with matching earrings from Adore, and it just completes that smart-chic style I’m trying to create. Anything that you keep for special occasions will instantly lift your casual look and make it a bit more work/event appropriate!

& don’t forget a snazzy watch! This one is from Daniel Wellington (& get 15% off with code PHASES).

TIP 4 – SKINNY JEANS

As much as I’d love to go out wearing baggy mom jeans every day of my life, I really can’t. The shape of skinny/slim jeans are always way smarter looking and are a good alternative to a tapered trouser (but perfect for when you feel most comfortable in denim – so basically me, always!). The jeans I’m wearing are from New Look, and even though you may argue that ripped knees aren’t smart-casj appropriate, they’re my comfiest pair!

TIP 5 – ADD SOME HEELS

If you have to wear denim to a smart/casj event, you’ve gotta make up for it with some heeled shoes (especially if you sport the occasional ripped knee). I’ll always recommend a pair of heeled mules or something with a chunky heel, so you’re comfy as well as a bit more ‘dressed up’ (and taller, which doesn’t hurt anyone!).

I know you’re thinking ‘why the hell is she wearing white shoes?!’ but I couldn’t resist this pair from JustFab – plus white heels/boots are becoming a growing trend this Spring!

Hopefully you’ve got some ideas about dressing up your dressed-down look (or vice versa..?). I don’t think any of us will ever know what constitutes as ‘smart-casual’ but I gave it a good go! Let me know what you think of my outfit as always!

R x

6 DAY STYLE DIARY CHALLENGE – GEORGE @ ASDA

We all have a style uniform. Basically, we have our favourite wardrobe items and we rarely stray from them. I’m so guilty to sticking with what I find comfortable and my go-to is always jeans… but I’ve been set a challenge by George at ASDA to create a style diary where I mix up my style uniform, and yes, that means no jeans. *shrivels into corner and cries*

I wear jeans in nearly every outfit (and own about 30 pairs in as many different shades of blue and black that you can possibly think of) but I just find that they’re comfortable, flattering and go with pretty much everything. However I’m up for the challenge and I’m determined to change up my outfits a little bit more. I’ve got 6 sassy outfits ready to show you and not a skinny jean in sight. Promise!

6 DAY STYLE DIARY CHALLENGE

STRIPED CULOTTES – DAY 1

When deciding what to wear for bottoms instead of jeans the first thing I wanted to style was some culottes. You either love them or hate them, but I think they’re a perfect Spring staple and you can wear them with exactly the same items that you’d wear with jeans. Stripes are super on trend at the moment too so this pair of culottes are not only fab and comfortable (they have a slightly elasticated waist) they’re also mega chic.

  • Culottes – c/o George @ ASDA
  • Top – Topshop
  • Shoes – Kurt Geiger @ Shoeaholics
  • Bag – ASOS (similar here)

 

SASSY IN SKIRTS – DAY 2

I decided to try wearing a skirt… Not my usual forte but why not? I chose this gorgeous lace jumper from George and it went so well with some black suede goodness. Too scared about being cold? I’m wearing skin-coloured tights, I got this.

  • Jumper – c/o George @ ASDA
  • Skirt – ASOS
  • Shoes – Daisy Street
  • Bag – ASOS

 

LITTLE BLACK DRESS – DAY 3

Black button-up dresses, tights and boots. I think this outfit is the definition of smart-casual, but who really knows what that is anyway? I’ve added gold accessories to an all black outfit with a tan coloured bag. Simple but chic, and totally perfect for this time of year.

  • Dress – c/o George @ ASDA
  • Bag – Preloved Boutique
  • Shoes – Lily Lulu

 

SMART WORKWEAR – DAY 4

I guess I need to wear something smart at some point… I’ve dressed up a simple grey shift dress and added a smart black blazer with some cute strap heels. A monochrome outfit wouldn’t be complete without a pop of colour from the bag, am I right? Perfect for work but still super comfortable.

  • Grey Dress – c/o George @ ASDA
  • Blazer – New Look
  • Bag – Kurt Geiger @ Shoeaholics
  • Shoes – Kurt Geiger @ Shoeaholics

 

FRIDAY FUN DAY – DAY 5

What’s more fun than floral trousers? And who says the pattern has to be on the top half? This is totally mixing up my style uniform, but I kinda love it.

  • Top – Topshop
  • Trousers – c/o George @ ASDA
  • Blazer – Primark
  • Shoes – Matalan
  • Bag – Noma

 

THE WEEKEND – DAY 6

By this point I was really missing my jeans… but I compromised and chose to wear a denim shirt dress. Is that allowed? This look is super casual and really on-trend without having to put in too much effort. I’m starting to dig the whole no-jeans thing.

  • Denim Dress – c/o George @ ASDA
  • Bag – Noma
  • Shoes – Clarks

 

So that’s my attempt at mixing up my #styleYOUniform – when you think about it there are so many ways to mix up your outfits and there’s more to fashion than just jeans (did I just say that?). I’m still quite a trousers girl so trying out smarter trousers and culottes is definitely a good way to wear what you’re comfortable in whilst still changing it up.

6 DAY STYLE DIARY CHALLENGE

Hope you love the post! Let me know in the comments which outfit is your favourite.

R x

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** This post is in collaboration with George @ ASDA and items marked with a ‘c/o’ are items sent by George to feature in the post. All outfits are chosen by me and aren’t influenced by any other parties **

ALL BLACK DENIM

I think it’s safe to say I’m a little bit obsessed with denim so far this year – a couple of denim jackets and at least 5 pairs of jeans have entered my wardrobe since the start of 2016 (oops). I thought I’d mix together my two favourite things to make a chic 90’s outfit – denim and all-black.

ALL BLACK DENIM

I want you all to meet my favourite new black oversized Levi’s jacket which I received last week from Tick Tock Vintage – they sell wholesale vintage style clothing from the 1960’s to the 1990’s at their huge warehouse in London. Head to their new website if you want to book an appointment to visit them (some of their buyers include ASOS Marketplace and places like that, right up my street!).

So many people think ‘vintage’ means 1950’s swing dresses, but these days it goes all the way up to fashion from the early 2000’s. 70’s and 90’s styles are huge at the moment with denim, suede and fur being huge for fashionistas and bloggers recently, so get yo’ vintage on.

When it came to styling my denim jacket it was always going to be a grungy affair with black skinny jeans – I also wore my new khaki lace-up top from Miss Selfridge which I featured in my February Fashion Haul.

Let me know what you make of the jacket and the whole outfit!

R x

PHASE #106 – #LETSTALKANXIETY

Hey everyone!

If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen me sneakily advertise a new thing coming to Phases Of Robyn, and here it is. You may or may not know of my battles with anxiety and panic disorder (I don’t want to call it a disorder but whatever) and I thought it was about time I brought something new to the blogging world to support us sufferers of anxiety.

I’ve had on and off anxiety problems since I was about 14 and it’s been especially bad since the end of 2014. I’m still struggling to get through life with it, however I’m so much better than I was. The most frustrating thing for me is that even the smallest of things (e.g. going to see my friends, going for a coffee etc…) causes me an annoying amount of anxiety – even though I’m not actually nervous about anything OTHER THAN BEING NERVOUS. Gah.

LETSTALKANXIETY

But… what has helped me deal with it the most? Meeting and speaking to people who go through the exact same thing. Trying to explain what an anxiety attack is like to a non-sufferer is literally the most pointless exercise ever, because they’ll never properly understand.

This topic bothers me so much, because I’m literally the most normal girl in the world. I feel like admitting I get anxious makes me a bit of a freak – but why should this be the case?

However, now that the world of mental health is becoming more accepted/normal, it gives me such a boost. Whenever I see someone tweet about anxiety or write a blog post or something I literally feel a small sigh of relief that A) people are more open about it now and B) I’m not alone. That’s what I want to get out of #LetsTalkAnxiety – you are not alone.

One thing that is known to help all anxiety issues is writing down your problems. Being so hyper-vigilant means all we do is think about crazy situations and then make them 100000 times worse in our heads. The form of taking thoughts from your mind and moving it somewhere else (into a notebook, to a friend, on your computer) is such a good way to release your mind of all your worries. That’s what I’m inviting you all to do with me!

If you struggle with panic or anxiety or even depression, because we all know they’re linked, then it’s time to get your stresses out. If you’re a blogger, write a blog post with #LetsTalkAnxiety and share your stories. Tweet about it all, discuss it with friends, ANYTHING! After this post goes live, I’d love to create a follow up post with links to all of your blog posts so that people can have a read through if they’re having a particularly hard time and need reassuring that they aren’t on their own.

Tweet me with your #LetsTalkAnxiety stories, I’ll give you a RT (remember to use the #!). We’ll all be working together to fix the Mental Health stigma and you never know who you may help.

Want to be involved? Time to start writing and sharing!

Let me know what you think of this idea in the comments, and email me/tweet me if you have any questions!

 

Much love,

R x

PHASE #69 – HOW TO BE MORE ORGANISED & GET MOTIVATED

Here comes the strong arm emoji!

I’m super mega organised. I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging but I have OCD about things and I always use my time as effectively as possible. However, I’m not a robot – just because I write lists and don’t lose things doesn’t mean I’m superhuman. I still struggle to motivate myself to even get up in the morning… let alone work (especially as I work from home).

These are the few things I do to stay organised to try and boost my motivation.

1) WRITE LISTS. Endless lists. You don’t have to do it every day, but if you have lots of things to do it’s so clear to see what you’ve got left to do – it also helps see how many things you’ve achieved that day (occasionally a bad thing, lol). I don’t understand how people don’t write lists but I’m a huge fan!

A4

2) Pretty looking stationary. Organising myself by using adorable notepads and floral diaries genuinely motivates me more. It’s like when you buy new clothes and you want to wear them straight away – same goes for writing in notepads. I also have the cutest new phone case from Iconemesis and for me, having all fab looking stationary gives me impetus to get stuck in to whatever I’m doing. (just me? ok.)

C5

3) Use a fun calendar. We usually buy men calendars of naked girls to try and lure them into organising themselves, right? So, in a similar fashion… I have a cat calendar. Using a calendar like mine makes it so easy to see what’s coming up in the next few days and that means you can pre-plan.

4) Motivational quotes. Sometimes we need to get a grip – like we’ve got a family, live in a house and are fed. I have this book called ‘Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining’ and it’s full of quotes that give you motivation to keep working and persevere at what you’re doing. We just need a little push sometimes!

5) Keep track of time. Planning your time is so effective in making sure you get everything done. Wear a watch at all times (mines from Tallulah’s Threads) and my adorable clock only cost a few quid from IKEA. Set alarms, make times for when things should be done by and try and stick to them as best you can.

Watch – Tallulah’s Threads

Clock – IKEA

Phone Case – Iconemesis

‘Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining’ Book – Amazon

Notepads – Various Stores/Supermarkets

 

I hope you get the gist of what I’m trying to say! Basically – write everything down, plan your time (in the present and for the next few days) and buy pretty stationary that motivate you to use them.

Let me know your tips, mine aren’t super scientific or anything but it only takes the little things to be that bit more organised!

R x

26 REASONS WHY I WANT TO BE A CHILD AGAIN

My life seems to be going so quickly. I’m only 20, which is still young, but I’m at that age where real responsibilities start to kick in. And it’s kinda scary.

Careers, mortgages, rent, bills, cars, pets, family…. just everything. In the next 10 years I have to deal with all of these, and I am freaking out minorly (ok, majorly).

Lets reminisce. Here are my 26 reasons why I want to be a child again!

CHILD AGAIN

1) We were forced to take afternoon naps, why can’t they be compulsory now?

2) Sitting in the child’s seat of a trolley – like, we actually have to walk now.

3) No lists were needed.

4) Friday night sweets – just because I’m in my twenties doesn’t mean I don’t like sweets, ok mum?

5) Slip ‘N’ Slides. I remember my scrawny little body shooting down them in the summer – now I’m just worried they’ll ruin my fake tan.

6) Not having to chip in for holidays.

7) Watching that awful video of a woman giving birth is not quite so bad as the real thing (although it’s pretty harrowing at the time).

8) You get so many clothes given to you as a little’n, where are my presents now?

9) Having to wear make-up. It’s such a faff really – lets go back to the days before spots were a thing.

10) No social media – before this happened I was unaware of people hating on me and that’s a much better life.

11) Pocket money – gimme them 1p sweets after school.

12) You did what you wanted for you – not for anyone else. We live in a weird world nowadays.

13) Wacky Warehouses and ball parks. ‘Nuff said.

14) You saw your friends everyday. None of this ‘sorry I’m working’ or ‘I have shit to deal with’ like we all have now. We got to be with each other for like 6 hours a day.

15) Playing Hide & Seek – and being able to fit in those tiny spots in the house where nobody would find you.

16) No boyfriends and girlfriends (unless you were a playaaa like me *cheeky face* lol jk) so no heartbreak (sorry bit deep).

17) Getting rewards from going to places you didn’t like – I’m talking about the dentist. Now it’s all ‘shut up and get on with it’.

18) Skipping school for illness wasn’t a huge issue – missing a whole day of work however is like hell on earth and you play catch up for a good week.

19) You could use electricity guilt-free.

20) All of your things were washed and ironed for you. That shit’s time consuming now.

21) Days only lasted from 9 till 3. Who knew the future involved a day longer than 6 hours? *cries*

22) Kids TV shows were the bomb – who else loved Ed, Edd & Eddy, the Powerpuff Girls and Lizzie McGuire (plus a million others – lemme know your faves).

23) You had to wear school uniform – I know it was horrid but at least you got 15 minutes more sleep each morning because you didn’t have to decide on what to wear.

24) We used to have about 1000000 times more energy.

25) You get 6 weeks of summer with absolutely no responsibilities other than to go outside and play everyday.

26) Sliding down the bannister – I totally wish I could do this now but certain parts of my body would break.

 

Lol, basically after thinking of those I realised that all I’m doing is being lazy. Get a grip woman!

There’s a million more things I’m sure that we can think of so let me know some funny ones in the comments!

Peace out,

R x

PHASE #53 – 30 REASONS WHY BEING A WOMAN IS AWESOME

I’m dedicating this post to all them independent ladies today! Blogs can occasionally be a little bit negative because well… we all need a rant every now and again right? However, lets remember the good things and take a look at what’s wicked about being a girl (sorry boys, you’re sitting out of this one). Here are my top 30!

30 REASONS WHY BEING A WOMAN IS AWESOME

 

1) Being bought drinks just happens, we’ll accept a free jager bomb from probably anyone.

2) It’s like were allowed to buy clothes because we’re female and everyone knows we have to compete with each other.

3) We make the best excuses. ‘I need this nail polish, I don’t have this exact colour so it’s definitely a necessary purchase’.

4) GIRL POWER. When girls come together and sing Beyoncé it’s a feeling like no other.

5) ‘I’m on my period’ – aka, I’m doing no cooking, cleaning, or well… moving until it’s over. You must do everything.

6) Boys like it when we laze about in our trackies and eat pizza because it makes us more ‘down to earth’ – win win situation here.

7) We all go through the same things. Periods, shitty boyfriends, body envy… And we know how to make each other feel better.

8) Ladies nights. I’ve never ever heard a club say ‘free entry for men – tonight only!’.

9) We’re allowed to wear high heels and then moan about them 15 minutes later. It’s just a thing. You men wouldn’t last one minute.

10) We dress up so much better. Girls have so much choice for what to wear, and boys have just a suit? How boring.

11) We have the ability to carry a baby. This is a HORRIBLE idea. But it’s like we have the power.

12) Boobs. Enough said.

13) Boobs, part two. Boys don’t get the ‘taking bra off at the end of the day’ feeling. You’re missing out fellas.

14) Doing a million things at once. Some men can’t even iron let alone iron, talk on the phone, watch the tv and cook dinner all at the same time.

15) Women are beautiful. I’m not saying that men aren’t – but some parts of them aren’t too attractive to look at sometimes. Sorry.

16) We know everything. You think you’re good at keeping a secret? WRONG! We’ll find out. We have a sixth sense to lies.

17) We are all on the same wavelength. Your best friend says something and it’s exactly what you were thinking. We’re basically psychic.

18) Girls underwear. We’re forever dreaming of buying all this nice underwear and there is SO much to choose from. Calvin Klein boxers are nice but you can hardly change it up that much.

19) We have an answer for everything. Literally everything. It might not always be right but we think it is.

20) Tying your hair up after a long day – a messy bun fixes all. It seems like most guys opt for the short hair and they were so jealous of the messy bun they created the top knot.

21) We live longer. Apparently.

22) We can kick men in places they wouldn’t want if they piss us off. Be warned.

23) If we put our mind to it, we could probably get ANYTHING we wanted. We’re the boss at fluttering our eyelids.

24) We all over think things. You may think why is this a good thing? Over thinking makes us more prepared as to what may happen, and it makes us very organised!

25) Jewellery stores. You don’t see men walking around with 10 rings, 3 necklaces and 5 bracelets.

26) We’re actually quite determined. We love the idea that men and women have more equal rights than we used to in the past – so many more women are focussing on careers than ever before.

27) We can wear baggy mens shirts and boyfriend jeans – you don’t see guys in cropped cami’s from Topshop that are 3 sizes too small.

28) We are more emotional… This can make us more sensitive and caring people.

29) We can wear super tight jeans. Like really tight.

30) We don’t have to make the first move. It’s like society says men have to call us, or speak to us first. Thank god for that.

I need to point out I’m not belittling men or saying we are superior, don’t hit me with ‘feminist’ comments! It’s funny to point out things like this to boost up our confidence and help each other feel less negative in this world! These also may not all relate to everyone it’s just generic things I’ve made up *thumbs up emoji*.

Lemme know what you’ll think – If you can think of more add some comments! I’d love to read some funny extras!

R x